Katie Whipple is a Certified Public Accountant who co-led a $7 billion business deal as the youngest and only female on her team. After moving from New York to Indiana, she now participates in community involvement through Junior Achievement, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and her own podcast “Cup of Common Grounds.” Five years into her recovery, and after a seven-year hiatus, Katie decided to return to pageantry and will be competing for Miss Indiana USA in April.

In this episode of Peace Meal, Katie explores the factors that led to the development and worsening of her eating disorder, as well as those that now keep her strong in recovery. As a home-schooled Christian who grew up in purity culture, she says she was unaccustomed to the cultural and social pressures she encountered at college. The dramatic transition triggered her eating concerns, as well as a feeling that she was living a double life: a high achiever confidently facing business partners and pageantry judges in public, but struggling in private. In recovery, Katie has learned to find worth beyond her appearance and better name her emotions, a skill that has deepened her relationships with family and friends. She has also been able to reignite a passion that provided self-confidence and self-development when she was younger, pageantry. Acknowledging that pageantry can be a significant trigger for those with eating disorders, Katie shares how she protects her recovery while doing what she loves. 

We cover:

How naming emotions can be therapeutic

How pageantry can contribute to an obsession with appearances in those susceptible 

How loss can bring a family closer together

How being open about your eating disorder can you bring you closer to others

How to do what you love while putting your recovery first

In Katie’s words: 

On the fear of giving up her eating disorder: “‘If I give up control of my eating disorder, I’m not worthy enough, I’m not going to be enough’…And that was a scary thought that went through my brain.”

On not letting her eating disorder win: “I realized that I was fearing the fear that I was not enough and I realized I was holding myself back from life. I was putting my life on pause because I was afraid of triggering something.” 

On worth beyond appearances: “My worth is not defined by how my body looks, it’s on how I feel about me.”

About the podcast:

Peace Meal is a podcast hosted by The Emily Program and Veritas Collaborative 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 Google Podcasts. 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: 

In this special holiday episode, we have compiled some powerful insights on recovery from several of our 2021 guests who have experienced it themselves. Throughout the year, we asked our podcast guests with a personal eating disorder story this question: “What would you tell someone listening who believes recovery isn’t possible for them?” This episode features some of the answers we received in response. 

Many of our guests share how they once thought that recovery wasn’t possible for them as well, but every little step they made toward healing was so important. While acknowledging how challenging recovery can be, they also emphasize how much better it is than having an eating disorder. If you are experiencing or recovering from an eating disorder yourself, we hope that this episode leaves you with some hope and wisdom on your path to healing.

Because we weren’t able to highlight every inspiring voice of recovery, we encourage you to check out any episodes you may have missed in 2021. Featured in this compilation are the following guests (in order of appearance):

Episode 49: Managing Perfectionism with Kesslee

Episode 52: The Gifts of Recovery with Katie Price

Episode 59: Choosing Recovery with Kathryn

Episode 53: Social Media and Recovery with Maddy Walters

Episode 44: Recovery as a Journey with Rachel Wilshusen

Episode 51: Staying Motivated in Recovery with Abby Anderson

Episode 58: Advancing Eating Disorders Education with Shikha Advani

Episode 54: Building Body Trust with Holly Toronto

Episode 50: Food is More Than a Nutrition Label with Kenzie Osborne

Episode 64: Healing Has No Age Limit with Betsy Brenner

Episode 56: The Healing Power of Horses with Lisa Whalen

Episode 43: Giving Voice to Eating Disorder Stories with Kiera Russo

Episode 65: Honoring Your Hunger with Hannah Howard

Episode 55: Eating Disorders in Fiction with Emily Layden

Episode 62: Eating Disorders in the Jewish Community with Lucie Waldman

If you’d like to share your recovery story on the podcast, please reach out to us at [email protected]. We look forward to hearing your story and more next year on Peace Meal. 

Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977.

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About the podcast:

Peace Meal is a podcast hosted by The Emily Program and Veritas Collaborative 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 Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, and tell your friends!

Episode description: 

Hannah Howard is a writer and food expert who has spent her career in the food industry serving, bartending, cooking on a line, flipping giant wheels of cheese, managing restaurants, and now writing about food. She is the author of two memoirs, Feast: True Love In and Out of the Kitchen and Plenty: A Memoir of Food and Family. 

In this episode of Peace Meal, Hannah tells us about her complex relationship with food, describing how she once feared her own appetite. Food had been the center point of her career–her professional passion–and also a source of anxiety as she struggled silently with an eating disorder. Hannah describes how sharing her story in recovery has not only connected her to others with similar experiences, but also allowed food to be a source of joy and passion once again. In addition, she discusses the  "good" and "bad" labels often applied to food and encourages everyone to approach eating with self-compassion and kindness. She reflects on her experiences of pregnancy in recovery, naming how she set boundaries at the doctor’s office and strives to set a good example for her children. Recovery is a process, one Hannah says she is still learning.

We cover:

How a career in the food industry could be especially complicated for those with an eating disorder

How sharing your recovery story can help you find other people who know what you’re going through 

How to handle unwanted (and uncalled for) comments about our body, appearance, and food choices 

How we can improve how our children’s view their bodies by setting a good example ourselves

How food can be a point of connection and culture

In Hannah’s words:

On her once-complicated relationship with food: “For so long, my food relationship has been characterized by, on the one hand, some really positive stuff, some passion, and celebration, and the love for food. On the other hand [was] this other darker, harder side.”

On appreciating her body during pregnancy: “Our bodies are pretty amazing machineries. You know, even if we are not feeling great, our bodies do so much for us...I spent all this time being so hard on my body and so mean to my body, and here it is, bringing a person into the world.” 

On recovery: “Give yourself some patience, give yourself some time, and I really do believe that if it’s possible for me, it’s possible for anyone.” 

You can purchase Hannah’s memoirs, Feast: True Love In and Out of the Kitchen and Plenty: A Memoir of Food and Family, on Amazon and Bookshop. Follow Hannah on Instagram (@hannahmhoward) and on Twitter (@hannahhoward).

Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977.

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About the podcast:

Peace Meal is a podcast hosted by The Emily Program and Veritas Collaborative 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 Google Podcasts. 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: 

Betsy is a long-time tennis coach, retired hospital attorney, and the author of a memoir titled The Longest Match: Rallying to Defeat an Eating Disorder in Midlife. Her inspiring message is that it is never too late to be a work in progress. Betsy is also an eating disorder recovery speaker, advocate, and peer support mentor who shows that it is possible to heal from past trauma and become healthier in body, mind, and spirit.

In this episode of Peace Meal, Betsy discusses how she was taught to suppress her emotions growing up, how dealing with her trauma was the only way to recover from her eating disorder, and how you’re never too old to start healing. She tells us how the food she consumed as a child was completely controlled by her mother, and how that prevented her from learning how to eat intuitively. She also covers the combination of events that led to her developing an eating disorder in midlife. Betsy shares that telling her story in her memoir lifted the weight of her trauma and made her feel empowered and free. She emphasizes that you can recover, as long as you’re willing to put in the hard work and deal with the trauma you’ve experienced.

We cover:

Why positive comments about someone’s body can be damaging, even when they are said with good intentions

How eating disorders can affect everyone, no matter their age

How shame and stigma can prevent people with eating disorders from sharing their experience with the people around them

How freeing and empowering it can be to tell your story

How to cope with the difficulties the holidays can bring

In Betsy’s words:

On the shame and stigma surrounding eating disorders: “Like with most mental illnesses, there is so much shame and secrecy, and I think especially when you’re older, there’s probably even more shame and more secrecy. So, I didn’t share it with anybody… I was still trying to understand what this meant for me.”

On writing her book: “I decided to write it for two purposes: one was to heal on the deepest possible level from the trauma I had been through and the other was to give hope and inspiration to others because, if I could do this, anybody could do this.”

On making her recovery story public: “It has been so freeing having my story out there… It’s almost like I was carrying this heavy weight of trauma and emotions and experiences and by writing my memoir, that weight has been lifted.”

On how to cope with the holidays during recovery: “The focus needs to be on recognizing how important self-care is… It’s okay to protect your mental health, even if the people you have to say ‘no’ to don’t understand.”

You can purchase Betsy’s book, The Longest Match: Rallying to Defeat an Eating Disorder in Midlife, on Amazon, through her website, and more! You can also follow Betsy on Instagram (@betsybrennerauthor). 

Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977.

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About the podcast:

Peace Meal is a podcast hosted by The Emily Program and Veritas Collaborative 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 Google Podcasts. 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: 

Amy Gardner, MS, CEDRD, RYT, is the creator of the program iMove and the author of the book iMove: Helping Your Clients Heal from Compulsive Exercise. The book discusses the difference between movement and exercise, and how each relates to eating disorder recovery.

In this episode of Peace Meal, Amy breaks down what compulsive exercise and movement are, both in and out of the recovery space, how to notice when exercise turns into a compulsion, and what to do when compulsive exercise starts to become the only way some individuals feel a sense of accomplishment. Amy provides insights based on her and her clients’ experiences with movement and offers different approaches to changing compulsive exercise routines.

We cover: 

How compulsive exercise turns into a feeling of obligation and how some may operate their lives around their exercise routines

Why slowing down exercise routines can be very uncomfortable, and how to address that

The difference between the terms “movement” and “exercise”

Questions to ask a healthcare provider if compulsive exercise is becoming a problem

In Amy’s words:

On realizing that compulsive exercise was a problem in her life: “It really didn’t even dawn on me until I started having a much different relationship with movement...when I started to incorporate yoga and meditation and I started to realize ‘wait a minute, what I’m doing with my body is not coming from a place of love and health, it really stems into my eating disorder.’” 

On what compulsive exercise can do to a person: “It’s more punishment-driven. It tends to lower mood [and] decreases energy so people have less energy because it is exhausting their bodies so they have less energy for other things in their life.”

On the concept of exercise to become tired: “This concept that we need to purposefully exercise to experience movement or to achieve this state of calm. Which I think a lot of people will do, whether it’s because of stress or trauma...they will exercise to exhaust themselves so they can finally rest.”

Follow Amy Gardner on Instagram (@imovewithamy) or Facebook (iMoveMethod). 

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About the podcast:

Peace Meal is a podcast that explores topics related to eating disorders, body image, and how society may influence our thinking.

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

Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977.

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

Episode description: 

Lucie Waldman is the author of The Jots of Becoming, a book that features insights about recovering from anorexia and includes multiple Jewish excerpts. Lucie also runs an eating disorder recovery awareness and support account on Instagram, enjoys speaking for multiple platforms about the intersection between Judaism and mental health, and is deeply passionate about mental health, eating disorder recovery, and equity in the treatment setting.

In this episode of Peace Meal, Lucie discusses how Jewish culture and religion should be considered in eating disorder treatment, how sharing your recovery story can be beneficial, and how small steps in recovery add up to a longer and stronger recovery. Reflecting on her own experience, Lucie shares that she had trouble finding recovery content that resonated with her, so she decided to turn her story into such a resource for others. Among the messages she wanted to share is that not everyone has a “magic moment” where they feel ready to start eating disorder treatment. What’s more important, she says, is being willing to take small steps toward recovery. Lucie also examines the complex relationship between Judaism and her eating disorder recovery, underscoring the need to take into account intergenerational trauma and other cultural considerations during treatment. She concludes the episode by telling anyone struggling that every time they defy their eating disorder, it adds up to a longer and stronger recovery. 

We cover:

Unhelpful messages to hear in recovery

Why refraining from mentioning numbers in eating disorder recovery resources is much better for those in recovery who are consuming the content

The importance of considering religion and culture in eating disorder treatment

How sharing your eating disorder story can be healing and help others heal

Advice to anyone suffering with an eating disorder who thinks that recovery is not possible for them 

In Lucie’s words:

On feeling “ready” to start eating disorder treatment: “Having willingness to start recovery is sometimes more important than readiness.”

On the importance of personalized eating disorder treatment: “Some of the traditional approaches to family therapy are not as relevant to Jewish clients. There is sort of this aspect of, ‘Oh if a family member is not good for you, you should just cut them out.’ But for me, I never resonated with that because the family unit is something that’s so highly valued.”

On the process of recovery: “It might not happen tomorrow or next week, but all the small steps you’re doing towards recovery are adding up. Every meal, every snack, every time you defy the eating disorder once, is adding up to a longer and stronger recovery. It’s a long road, but eventually, through all the work, it does pay off.”

You can find Lucie's book, The Jots of Becoming: A Journey of Hope and Recovery, on Amazon. You can also follow the nonprofit organization @projectheal, which is mentioned in the episode. 

Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977.

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About the podcast:

Peace Meal is a podcast hosted by The Emily Program and Veritas Collaborative 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 Google Podcasts. 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: 

Kelsey is a pediatric registered nurse working on her master’s degree in psychiatric nursing. In this episode of Peace Meal, she shares her eating disorder and recovery story, including the impact of her faith and her college environment on her experiences of illness and recovery. 

Though Kelsey had seen many medical providers growing up, she says her relationship with food long went unquestioned. She had concerns about her eating but struggled in silence for years. She didn’t yet have the language to name her disordered eating, often describing her anxiety and stress more generally instead. She faced barriers getting help in college—a stressful environment already—but only found lasting support after an interaction at church. A person of faith, Kelsey turned to her pastor, who told her that her illness required professional support. Prayers alone would not heal her. After being connected with new resources, she says she became honest with her secrets with her family and made a “no more lying” rule with her parents. Her sister and niece were also strong motivations to help her recover and to model and practice body positivity. Kelsey leaves us with insight and hope for college students, people of faith, or anyone struggling with an eating disorder. 

We cover:

How warning signs of eating disorders can go unnoticed by professionals

How faith and religion can play a part in recovery

The benefits of family support to the recovery process 

The experience of recovering during the pandemic

Advice for college students who struggle with body image

In Kelsey’s words:

On the importance of professional help: “Prayer wasn’t going to do it alone. We needed professionals. We needed a team of people.”

On the missed opportunities to find support earlier: “Beyond my primary care, there were so many people who disregarded and just didn’t recognize my underlying issues. From doctors to dentists to physical therapists, there are like a hundred instances.”

On life in recovery: “I think you might expect it to be not messy, but it still is… It’s messy without an eating disorder, [but] it’s better! Life in recovery is beautiful.”

Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977.

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About the podcast:

Peace Meal is a podcast that explores topics related to eating disorders, body image, and how society may influence our thinking.

You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. 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:

Dr. Laura Hill is an international eating disorder consultant focusing on brain-based eating disorder treatment approaches. She is an Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at The Ohio State University and Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at The University of California, San Diego. She is one of the original founders of the Academy for Eating Disorders and the Director of the organization now known as NEDA from 1990 to 1994. In addition, Dr. Hill is the founder and former President and Chief Executive Officer of The Center for Balanced Living.

In this episode of Peace Meal, Dr. Hill introduces an emerging brain-based treatment called Temperament-Based Therapy with Supports (TBT-S). TBT-S helps people with eating disorders understand their unique temperament so that they can use it as a tool for recovery. Distinguishing between traits and symptoms, Dr. Hill explains that temperament includes traits like impulsivity, introversion, and determination, while symptoms include eating disorder behaviors, thoughts, and emotions. She emphasizes that temperament traits are neither good nor bad; what’s important is how they are applied. TBT-S helps people with eating disorders and their support people use their traits more productively to aid in recovery. Dr. Hill also talks about the importance of support in treatment and recovery. In the end, she addresses how providers can use TBT-S to complement other treatment approaches. 

We cover:

The basics of Temperament-Based Therapy with Supports (TBT-S) 

How TBT-S is supported by brain research

How people with eating disorders can use TBT-S to express their traits more productively and aid in their recovery

The role of support people in the TBT-S model

How TBT-S differs from and complements other treatment modalities

In Dr. Hill’s words:

On the traits we’re all given: “Traits are genetically endowed. You don’t get to choose your trait, you just try to make them better.”

On the importance of temperament to eating disorder treatment: “What we are finding is that eating disorders have a huge relapse… Our theory is that the relapses are due to us not addressing the traits enough.”

On the difficulty of imagining life without an eating disorder: “When clients say, ‘I can’t imagine my life without ED,’ they were telling us the truth. I can’t imagine my life without my traits because it’s who I am.”

Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977.

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About the podcast:

Peace Meal is a podcast hosted by The Emily Program and Veritas Collaborative 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 Google Podcasts. 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: 

​​Kathryn is a 31-year-old woman who enjoys cooking, hosting friends, teaching music, and getting lost in nature. Best known for her big heart and passion for life, she lives in a larger body and advocates for people to take up more space. Kathryn joins us in this episode of Peace Meal to share her eating disorder story, including how living in a larger body has impacted her recovery. 

For over 20 years, food was the center of Kathryn’s life. She kept trying to figure out what was happening on her own, blaming herself for her struggles. After talking with the people closest to her, she decided to seek help even though she didn’t have a lot of hope that anything would work. 

As soon as Kathryn reached out for help, however, she says it felt like a “warm hug.” In speaking with an eating disorder specialist, she discovered that she did, in fact, have an illness. It was not her fault. While she experienced many barriers throughout her recovery living in a larger body, she grew to learn that all food is good food and that you should take up as much space as you need. With the support of her treatment team, friends, and family, she learned how to take care of herself, live as the most authentic version of herself, and make sure all her needs are met.

We cover:

How a decades-long struggle with food led to an eating disorder diagnosis 

The possible obstacles of the eating disorder recovery process

How our culture invalidates eating disorders, especially if the person is in a larger body

What it’s like to be in an eating disorder treatment group as the only person in a larger body

The importance of taking up the space you need 

In Kathryn’s words:

On her relationship with food before recovery: “Food was my higher power. It affected my emotions. It controlled everything. Food was always the focus… It was suffocating.”

On life in recovery: “Freedom is probably the best word. I energetically take up all the space that I need. I make sure that my needs are met… I just get to be me. There are no more lingering clouds of doubt… I just get to live now.”

On her advice to someone currently struggling with an eating disorder: “Choose healing above anything else.... Living life the way you have been and choosing a path of recovery… Both are hard, but choose healing.”

Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977.

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About the podcast:

Peace Meal is a podcast that explores topics related to eating disorders, body image, and how society may influence our thinking.

You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. 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:

Shikha Advani is an incoming master’s student and dietetic intern at Boston University who is passionate about eating disorders awareness, as well as diversity, equity, and inclusion in the nutrition and eating disorder fields. As a teenager, Shikha battled anorexia and orthorexia. She hopes her story can help others with eating disorders, no matter where they are in their recovery process.

In this episode of Peace Meal, Shikha discusses what her relationship with food and her body was growing up, how professionals and her loved ones responded to her eating disorder, and how she believes nutrition and eating disorders curricula in universities could be improved. She talks about the weight bias and racism she experienced as a South Asian woman living in a larger body, including the praise she received from doctors for weight loss. Shikha also emphasizes the importance of therapy in addition to any other kind of treatment for eating disorders. In addition, she dives into what her dietetics curriculum at her university was lacking, including topics like social justice, fat positivity, and more, and what it was like to push back against outdated ideas. Finally, she discusses her hopes for the future of the dietetics and eating disorder fields.

We cover:

How weight bias can prolong an eating disorder diagnosis

Why recovery from anorexia is more than just weight restoration

How eating disorders can take away the joy of food

How Shikha pushed back against the weight-centric curriculum of her university

What Shikha’s hopes are for the dietetics and eating disorder fields going forward

In Shikha’s words:

On the true meaning of food: “[I’ve] learned that food is more than what you should put in your body… food is joy, food is something that represents culture, food is so much more.”

On the future of the dietetics and eating disorder fields: “I’m really hoping to see a lot more diversity, equity, and inclusion in the field. I’m seeing a lot of people talk about why diversity is important, but a lot of people tend to forget about the equity and inclusion part of it.”

On inherent worthiness: “Diet culture is rampant and there’s constantly people around you that will tell you, you are not worthy because of the size of your body, the color of your skin, but you’re strong and you’re worthy.”

Follow Shikha Advani on Instagram @nutrition_by_sa

Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977.

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About the podcast:

Peace Meal is a podcast that explores topics related to eating disorders, body image, and how society may influence our thinking.

You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. 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.