Our Free Bodies

therapy has recently become a major part of my life and with that came a very eye-opening realization: everyone needs to go to therapy. there are so many benefits to including therapy in your support system, and it has been an instrumental part to my eating disorder recovery. I hope this episode gives you many solid reasons to advocate for therapy and possibly include it in your life. 

0.00 updates

5.26 my transition to therapy / my past preconceived notions about therapy

7:54 reasons to go to therapy

I know therapy is a very privileged practice to include in your life, but there are many solutions nowadays. here is a link that will provide cheaper and more accessible therapists:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists 

Alright, see you guys for season 2!

In this episode, I list some practical ways in which you can help Ukraine, including how to stay informed, where to donate, how to contact your congressional representatives, and more. 

Links to resources below (Will also be available in the bio of @ourfreebodies on Instagram): 

masterfile of links/resources gathered by Ukrainian activists: https://ukrainewar.carrd.co/

Places to donate - Razom For Ukraine - https://linktr.ee/RazomForUkraine

Donations to OVD-Info - https://donate.ovdinfo.org/?utm_source=tg&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=nowar

UNHCR medical aid infor: https://donate.unhcr.org/int/en/ukraine-emergency?utm_source=gwa%2Fhps&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=HQ_GW_EN_UA

NOVA humanitarian aid donation link: https://novaukraine.org/

Please check them out. 

life lately has demonstrated its worth. I've recently had an experience that has allowed me to internalize THREE important lessons that I will carry with me for the rest of my life and wanted to share it all with you guys. I also talk about a 10-month update on my ED recovery, the Olympics (before the women's event), and how I got out of my depressive episodes. it's a ramble, but an insightful and healthy one. 

an ode to valentine's day – a quick message for you all to take care of those you love, including yourself. reminder: this podcast loves you a lot. 

DISCLAIMER: I am not discrediting veganism or vegetarianism. I am very passionate about animal rights and the environment. But I am here to say that you should not live this lifestyle as a means to hurt yourself in ED recovery.

for those who struggle with eating disorders, is veganism simply a socially acceptable mechanism to encourage food avoidance and restriction? the answer is mostly YES. there are a lot of reasons to become vegan: to advocate for animal rights, to reduce our environmental footprint, to lower the risk for chronic diseases by reducing your cholesterol levels, etc. however, this type of motivation is often coupled with an inherently restrictive eating pathology. it makes recovery way more convoluted than it should be because it motivates disordered eating habits. so how can one live an eco-friendly life without making dietary changes? it's easy! in this episode, I provide many tips that will allow you to help the environment and participate healthily in ED recovery at the same time. 

timestamps below:

0:00 updates on my life 

10:00 the toxic relationship between veganism and EDs

18:53 ways you can live sustainably without food restriction and avoidance

enjoy!

GUYS i'm so excited for this episode. today's guest is Vanessa Nagoya – a content creator/YouTuber who has amassed a digital community of over 400,000 followers across all media. she creates daily (NYC) vlogs, fashion videos, and all sorts of fun videos (and she's a swiftie). but most incredibly, she has brought her audience along her eating disorder recovery journey and is an inspiring advocate for mental health and vulnerability in the media. in this episode, we discuss EVERYTHING from Nessa's FULL ED story, how media played a role in her relationship with food and body image, the importance of good support systems, the validation of men (lol), to the faults of the current healthcare system (how doctors stereotype EDs). trust me, you'll want to listen to the whole thing. enjoy!

I've included useful timestamps below for guidance:

3:05 - Nessa's personal eating disorder journey (includes exercise, body image, etc.)

37:58 - how being a content creator played a role in ED recovery, body acceptance, and self-image. 

46:15 - Nessa's mental health account @hearismyheart 

51:38 - general tips from Nessa on exercise, diet, fear foods, self-care activities, toxic friendships, media control, how to be content with being alone, intuitive eating, and MORE.

Here are Vanessa's socials:

main - @vanessanagoya

mental health account - @hearismyheart

if you read up to this point, comment "of course it's men.." on Nessa's and my posts. 

HELLLOOOOO happy 2022!! The very first episode of the year will feature Ms. Anita Ong, who is the light in my life. Anyways, in this riveting conversation, we discuss mental health in our figure skating careers (and our personal journeys), the value of thinness in performative sports, the toxicity of hustle culture, toxic coach-student relationships and how that translates into post-retirement life, existentialism (lol), and MORE. It's an important conversation that Our Free Bodies has never had, so please enjoy!!! And if you're in the city, go to Anita's family restaurant NANA RAMEN for some delicious food <3 support local businesses. 

Anita's socials:

Instagram - @_anitaong

Family restaurant (Instagram) - @nana.ramen

this week's episode is an Our Free Bodies' collaboration with Colonize This Podcast represented by a co-host (and my very close friend) ALINA RAHIM!! we touch on body image and mental health in sports (ft. our personal experiences), the human biological set point weight and how everyone is literally built different, the psychological problem of body-shaming BIPOC athletes, the toxicity of diet culture, the damaging physical and mental effects of conforming to the thin body ideal in sports, etc. it is such an important and incredible conversation, and you all need to take a listen! please be sure to check out Colonize This on all available platforms (link to media provided below). they touch on current affairs regarding uplifting WOC communities, and they are literally changing the narrative of modern-day activism with their voices! 

Colonize This Instagram: @colonizethispod

Link to listen: https://anchor.fm/colonizethis