Peace Meal

Episode description:

Peace Meal’s Recovery Series aims to share stories of those in eating disorder recovery in hopes of starting conversations, breaking stigmas, and encouraging healing. On today’s episode, we talk to Hannah Johnson. Hannah developed anorexia during high school and found that it was exacerbated by society and stress. Hannah shares her recovery story and words of wisdom to those currently in treatment.

—

Episode show notes:

Hannah Johnson is a Food Service Assistant at The Emily Program’s Toogood location in Minnesota. Hannah has her Bachelor’s degree in dietetics from the University of Wisconsin-Stout and she is actively pursuing her credentials to be a registered dietitian.

In high school, Hannah saw a photo of herself playing lacrosse that caused her to pick apart her body and start losing weight. In addition to negative body image, an unhealthy relationship and a stressful job contributed to Hannah developing anorexia. After struggling with anorexia over the summer, Hannah’s family started talking to her about her eating habits and body image. After talking to a family friend that also struggled with an eating disorder, Hannah realized she had a problem and needed help to get better.

During recovery, Hannah made an effort to reach out to friends and family that could be there to hold her accountable during recovery. In addition, she focused on eating well and exercising an appropriate amount. With support from those around her and an understanding of eating disorders, Hannah found recovery and went on to pursue a dietetics degree. While in school, Hannah realized that she enjoyed working in the mental health field, which led her to The Emily Program.

Hannah says recovery is worth it because she can finally live without fear or concern about her body. At the end of the episode, she gives her best advice to those currently struggling with an eating disorder—seek treatment.

You can find us at The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977.

—

About the podcast:

Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking.

You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends!

Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email [email protected] for more information.

https://www.emilyprogram.com/

--

Follow The Emily Program on

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheEmilyProgram

Twitter: @emilyprogram

Instagram: @emilyprogram

Episode description:

Eating disorders affect everyone. Unfortunately, one major eating disorder stereotype is that the illnesses only affect thin, white women, leaving men, nonbinary folx, and BIPOC on the outskirts of the conversation. To discuss this stereotype, the reality, and what we can do to work against the incorrect assumptions around eating disorders, we talk to Emily Program therapist Jamila Helstrom. 

—

Episode show notes:

Jamila Helstrom is a Pre-Independent Licensed Therapist at The Emily Program. She began working with adolescents and their families at the residential level of care and now works with adults in both outpatient and intensive day treatment settings. Her formal education is from the University of Saint Thomas, but her life experiences working with individuals in eating disorder recovery has taught her the most. Outside of work, she enjoys being a newlywed, listening to music, and speaking Spanish. Jamila joins this episode of Peace Meal to discusses eating disorder stereotypes, culture, and how to facilitate lasting recovery for all individuals.

Jamila has conducted research on eating disorders in the Latin American community and African American populations to learn more about how eating disorders affect non-white individuals. This research demonstrated that all individuals, across populations, can be affected by eating disorders, however, not all of these individuals are seeking care due to stereotypes and lack of treatment accessibility.

We discuss how stigma prevents individuals from seeking eating disorder care and how it also renders some providers unable to spot eating disorders in people of color. Jamila explains that medical training is largely dependent on what is tangible and detectable and that the measures used to assess disordered eating often fail to pick up on signs in minority populations. She suggests looking for signs such as family dynamics, trauma, societal pressures, and culture to detect eating disorders in minority populations. Some specific ways include being aware of co-occurring disorders, body displeasure, altered clothing choices, frequent bathroom trips, and more.

We finish out the podcast discussing ways to promote inclusivity and acceptance in eating disorder treatment. Jamila believes in fostering productive client-relationships that allow each client to have a say in their treatment. By providing each individual with agency in their treatment, we can work to incorporate and understand different experiences while embracing culture as a tool of recovery. Jamila’s best advice to those in recovery is to share your story and to know that recovery is difficult. She hopes folks always remember that there is a community around them—from family and friends to therapists and fellow recoverees.

We cite statistics from NEDA in this episode.

You can find us at The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977.

—

About the podcast:

Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking.

You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends!

Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email [email protected] for more information.

https://www.emilyprogram.com/

--

Follow The Emily Program on

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheEmilyProgram

Twitter: @emilyprogram

Instagram: @emilyprogram

Episode description:

Peace Meal’s Recovery Stories series features voices of individuals in eating disorder recovery and beyond. This episode features Sarah Churchward, a professional writer and makeup artist. In her late teens, Sarah was diagnosed with both anorexia and chronic narcolepsy. She discusses the process of coming to accept her chronic illness while being in eating disorder treatment and how that process made her into who she is today.

—

Episode show notes:

Sarah Churchward is a writer and professional makeup artist who lives in Washington. At the age of seventeen, she launched her own cosmetics line and started a blog called Thought Outlet, where she discusses various topics that she is passionate about. In February of 2018, Sarah ran into health issues, which forced her to take a hiatus from both work and school.

Following disordered eating and a solo attempt at recovery, Sarah’s struggles spiraled into a full-blown eating disorder that led her to call The Emily Program and start treatment. In addition to her eating disorder diagnosis, Sarah was also diagnosed with the chronic illness narcolepsy with cataplexy. This illness left Sarah falling asleep in strange situations, having minor sleep attacks and confusion, and cataplexy—temporary muscle paralysis that is caused by strong emotions and stimuli.

Sarah states her eating disorder got significantly worse after she was diagnosed with narcolepsy and that her symptom use increased. She attributes this worsening to the stress of being diagnosed with chronic illness, functional body dysmorphia (the feeling that her body was betraying her), and the stimulants used to lessen the severity of her narcolepsy. However, after starting treatment at The Emily Program, finding recovery, and learning successful coping skills, Sarah believes her body is absolutely perfect just the way it is.

Today, Sarah acts as an advocate for those struggling with narcolepsy and encourages those suffering from chronic illnesses or eating disorders to seek support. Her advice to those struggling with a chronic illness is to stay educated and act as a self-advocate. For those in eating disorder recovery, Sarah says find faith, trust, and hope.

You can find us at The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977.

—

About the podcast:

Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking.

You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends!

Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email [email protected] for more information.

https://www.emilyprogram.com/

--

Follow The Emily Program on

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheEmilyProgram

Twitter: @emilyprogram

Instagram: @emilyprogram

Episode description:

Eating disorders in athletes are incredibly common but unfortunately, they often go unaddressed. NEDA estimates that eating disorders affected 62% of women and 33% of men who participate in aesthetic-based or weight-class sports. To discuss eating disorders in athletes and how we can help advocate for healthy living and recovery, former Vikings’ and current Twins’ dietitian Rasa Troup and recovered distance runner and advocate Jenny Scherer join Peace Meal.

—

Episode show notes:

This episode of Peace Meal features two incredible women, Rasa Troup and Jenny Scherer. Rasa Troup is a former Olympian and licensed dietitian who has previously worked for the Vikings and is currently the Head Dietitian for the Minnesota Twins. Prior to working for the Twins and Vikings, Rasa worked with the Track and Cross Country teams at the University of Minnesota and was a dietitian at The Emily Program for over a decade. Jenny Scherer is a former college and professional distance runner who struggled with anorexia. She currently works with student-athletes and advocates for a greater awareness of and education on eating disorders in athletes.

Rasa starts this episode by reflecting upon her Olympic career and how her professional career led her to the Minnesota Twins. Jenny found a career in working with athletes following her own recovery from the eating disorder anorexia. Jenny sought treatment at The Emily Program and worked with Rasa as her dietitian. Rasa and Jenny discuss the dietitian-client relationship and how Jenny’s desire to continue running informed her treatment. With the thought that food is fuel and that no food is good or bad, Jenny was able to maintain recovery with a new understanding of why she was running.

Rasa also speaks to the relationship between eating disorders, nutrition, and athletics. She discusses food insecurity and abundance, food-related shame, and how she works to help athletes be the best version of themselves. We wrap up this episode of Peace Meal by giving advice to coaches and teammates about how to productively address eating disorders and advocate for the wellbeing of all athletes.

You can find us at The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977.

—

About the podcast:

Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking.

You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends!

Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email [email protected] for more information.

https://www.emilyprogram.com/

--

Follow The Emily Program on

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheEmilyProgram

Twitter: @emilyprogram

Instagram: @emilyprogram

Episode description:

Ken Capobianco is an award-winning music critic whose work has appeared in The Boston Globe, Billboard, The New York Times, and many more publications. While immersed in the rock and roll music scene, Ken found himself struggling with severe anorexia—for 30 years. Despite living with a severe eating disorder for all of those years, Ken found eating disorder recovery and wrote a book about his experience.

—

Episode show notes:

Ken Capobianco is an award-winning music critic who dove headfirst into rock culture to find career success, all while struggling with the little known illness anorexia. Ken suffered from anorexia for 30 years until it became so severe that he had a stroke that nearly killed him.

While immersed in rock and roll culture, Ken found himself eating healthy, which eventually spiraled into full-blown anorexia. While he was “horrified” by how sick he became, Ken found himself using anorexia as an identity and he “enjoyed being thin.” After years of anorexia, Ken knew he needed help and started therapy. However, at the time, providers didn’t understand how to treat anorexia in men and Ken was left lacking proper treatment.

Ken believes his anorexia had to do with control, self-esteem, but also a fear of letting go. Without eating disorder care, Ken suffered from anorexia for three decades until he had a stroke that landed him in the hospital unable to feel the left side of his body. At that point, he decided he had nothing left to lose and began eating and recovery.

Recovery was challenging for Ken, especially due to the lack of informed care for males at the time. However, Ken was able to recover from anorexia and he now says his “neuroses around eating has passed.” Currently, Ken lives with his wife and just published a book called Call me Anorexic: The Ballad of a Thin Man.

You can find us at The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977.

—

About the podcast:

Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking.

You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends!

Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email [email protected] for more information.

https://www.emilyprogram.com/

--

Follow The Emily Program on

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheEmilyProgram

Twitter: @emilyprogram

Instagram: @emilyprogram

Episode description:

Ken Capobianco is an award-winning music critic whose work has appeared in The Boston Globe, Billboard, The New York Times, and many more publications. While immersed in the rock and roll music scene, Ken found himself struggling with severe anorexia—for 30 years. Despite living with a severe eating disorder for all of those years, Ken found eating disorder recovery and wrote a book about his experience.

—

Episode show notes:

Ken Capobianco is an award-winning music critic who dove headfirst into rock culture to find career success, all while struggling with the little known illness anorexia. Ken suffered from anorexia for 30 years until it became so severe that he had a stroke that nearly killed him.

While immersed in rock and roll culture, Ken found himself eating healthy, which eventually spiraled into full-blown anorexia. While he was “horrified” by how sick he became, Ken found himself using anorexia as an identity and he “enjoyed being thin.” After years of anorexia, Ken knew he needed help and started therapy. However, at the time, providers didn’t understand how to treat anorexia in men and Ken was left lacking proper treatment.

Ken believes his anorexia had to do with control, self-esteem, but also a fear of letting go. Without eating disorder care, Ken suffered from anorexia for three decades until he had a stroke that landed him in the hospital unable to feel the left side of his body. At that point, he decided he had nothing left to lose and began eating and recovery.

Recovery was challenging for Ken, especially due to the lack of informed care for males at the time. However, Ken was able to recover from anorexia and he now says his “neuroses around eating has passed.” Currently, Ken lives with his wife and just published a book called, “Call me Anorexia: The Ballad of a Thin Man.”

You can find us at The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977.

—

About the podcast:

Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking.

You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, or Google Play. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends!

Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email [email protected] for more information.

https://emilyprogram.com/

--

Follow The Emily Program on

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheEmilyProgram

Twitter: @emilyprogram

Instagram: @emilyprogram

Episode description:

Weight bias is the negative attitudes, beliefs, assumptions, and judgments toward individuals because of their weight. Abbie Scott and Maggie Meyers of The Emily Program join Peace Meal to discuss the reality of weight stigma in relation to individuals with binge eating disorder (BED)—and what we can do to break the stigma and better help individuals who are struggling with BED.

—

Episode show notes:

Episode 10 of Peace Meal features Abbie Scott and Maggie Meyers. Abbie Scott is a registered dietitian at The Emily Program who is passionate about eating disorder prevention, mindful movement, and Health at Every Size. Maggie Meyers is a site director at The Emily Program who is currently pursuing her Doctorate in Marriage and Family Therapy.

Maggie Meyers kicks off the episode by discussing what binge eating disorder is and why it is a complex disorder that isn’t just about overeating. For those suffering from binge eating disorder, experience with weight bias is extremely common. Examples of weight bias include providers dismissing overweight clients with BED by advising them to go on a diet, clothing stores only carrying certain sizes, and the size of airplane seats.

In response to weight bias came the Health at Every Size movement (HAES). HAES celebrates body diversity and supports people of all sizes to find healthy behaviors that work for their wellbeing. HAES promotes the critical awareness of body diversity and challenges stigmas about weight, size, and eating disorders.

Abbie Scott reinforces HAES by explaining that medical providers receive medical information about clients like BMI and height, but that it is vital to note an individual’s behavior around food, body, and activity. Understanding these behaviors is crucial in eating disorder diagnosis and treatment because you cannot tell by looking at someone if they have an eating disorder or what diagnosis they would have.

Abbie and Maggie wrap up this episode by discussing why healthy individuals come in all different sizes and how communities can work to promote wellness and body acceptance.

Per Abbie’s recommendation, you can watch Poodle Science here.

You can find us at The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977.

—

About the podcast:

Peace Meal is an Emily Program podcast that discusses topics related to eating disorders, body image issues, and how society may contribute to distorted thinking.

You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, or tell your friends!

Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email [email protected] for more information.

https://www.emilyprogram.com/

--

Follow The Emily Program on

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheEmilyProgram

Twitter: @emilyprogram

Instagram: @emilyprogram

Episode description: Weight bias is the negative attitudes, beliefs, assumptions, and judgments toward individuals because of their weight. Abbie Scott and Maggie Meyers of The Emily Program join Peace Meal to discuss the reality of weight stigma in relation to individuals with binge eating disorder (BED)—and what we can do to break the stigma and […]

Episode description:

World-renowned athlete Jessie Diggins joins Peace Meal to share her personal eating disorder recovery story. She reflects on struggling with bulimia as a teenager and how treatment helped her find healing, resilience, and long-term success in elite athletics.

In this episode, Jessie speaks candidly about the pressures of competitive sports, the role control played in her eating disorder, and how treatment helped her build healthier coping skills that supported both her recovery and her athletic career.

Episode show notes:

Jessie Diggins grew up in Minnesota, where skiing was part of everyday life. From an early age, she traveled with her parents on ski trips and quickly became immersed in competitive athletics. That path eventually led her to the high school ski team.

Although Jessie was surrounded by encouragement from her family, coaches, and peers, she describes how pressure to maintain a lean, high-performing body quietly took hold. Like many elite athletes, she internalized the belief that control over her body was essential to success. This mindset set the stage for disordered eating behaviors.

Shortly after graduating high school, Jessie purged for the first time. She recalls this moment as when she realized something was seriously wrong.

Despite knowing her behavior was harmful, Jessie felt intense embarrassment and fear of being judged. She did not want to tell anyone. This silence is common among athletes struggling with eating disorders, particularly in performance-driven environments where vulnerability can feel risky.

Fortunately, Jessie’s parents noticed changes in her behavior and stepped in. Their support led her to seek treatment at The Emily Program, which became a turning point in her recovery.

During treatment, Jessie came to understand that her eating disorder was not really about food. It was about control.

Through structured care, she developed healthier emotional regulation skills, learned new coping strategies, and rebuilt trust in her body. Jessie describes treatment as the hardest thing she has ever done. It was also the most transformative.

Her recovery did not end her athletic career. It strengthened it.

After completing treatment and continuing her recovery journey, Jessie went on to achieve extraordinary, world-renowned success in competitive cross-country skiing.

Her story challenges a common myth that recovery weakens athletes. Jessie’s experience shows the opposite. Healing made sustained excellence possible.

Following her professional success, Jessie made a deliberate choice to use her platform to raise awareness about eating disorders in athletes and beyond. She partnered with The Emily Program to encourage others to seek help and to remind those struggling that recovery is possible.

Jessie closes the episode by answering listener questions and sharing what lies ahead in her advocacy and athletic journey.

You can find Jessie Diggins here and learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977.

About the podcast:

Peace Meal is a podcast hosted by The Emily Program that covers topics related to eating disorders, body image, and how society may influence our thinking.

You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube Music. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, and tell your friends!

Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email [email protected] for more information.

Episode description: Olympic gold medalist and eating disorder recovery advocate Jessie Diggins joins Peace Meal to share her recovery story. Plagued with bulimia in her late teens, Jessie found eating disorder recovery at The Emily Program and continued on to find Olympic success in skiing. — Episode show notes: Jessie Diggins is an Olympic athlete […]