Peace Meal

Episode description:

Lisa Whalen, PhD, is the author of Stable Weight: A Memoir of Horses, Hunger, and Hope. Her writing has also appeared in An Introvert in an Extrovert World, The Simpsons’ Beloved Springfield, Introvert, Dear, and Adanna, among other publications. Lisa teaches writing and literature at North Hennepin Community College and is an equestrian and volunteer for the Animal Humane Society.

In this episode of Peace Meal, Lisa describes two key components of her eating disorder recovery: writing and horseback riding. Underscoring the multifaceted nature of the healing process, she reflects on how writing and riding each offered unique lessons for her mind and body. Writing, she explains, supported and extended her therapy lessons, while riding provided a space to put the lessons into practice. Lisa introduces us to a few of the horses that served as mentors throughout her recovery, highlighting the lessons they could teach us all about staying present, taking up space, and being imperfect. She then translates how these and other recovery “nuggets”—the wisdom learned from horses, writing, and therapy—continue to serve her life and career.

We cover:

The mental health benefits of writing, even if we never share our writing with others

What horses can teach us about taking up space and owning our imperfections

The power of body language in both animals and people

How traits like perfectionism, high sensitivity, and introversion can be harnessed for good

Why recovery—like all growth and learning—is best taken one step at a time

In Lisa’s words:

On the therapeutic role of horses: “For me, riding horses felt like a therapy practicum… I learned all this stuff while I was in therapy, and the horses were forcing me to practice it over and over.”

On embracing imperfection: “There’s no end to the learning. There’s no perfect. You’re always working toward it, but it’s never a standard because the horses aren’t perfect—and they don’t care if they’re perfect or not.”

On the support of therapy: “It started off for me as a safe space. It was this place I could go and I could talk about all the worst stuff about myself and there was no judgment. She was only rooting for me. She only wanted me to succeed and to be happy and healthy, and she had the tools and the skills to help me do it.”

Learn more about Lisa on her website and follow her on social media @LisaIrishWhalen. Find her book, Stable Weight: A Memoir of Horses, Hunger, and Hope, at Hopewell Publications and on Amazon.

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

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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 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:

Emily Layden is a writer and former high school English teacher from upstate New York. A graduate of Stanford University, her writing has appeared in The New York Times, Marie Claire, The Billfold, and Runner's World. She joins us in this episode of Peace Meal to discuss her debut novel All Girls. We explore the depiction of disordered eating and anxiety in the book and society more generally, using Emily’s experience with the co-occurring concerns as context along the way. 

We center our conversation on one of the characters of All Girls, Macy, who struggles with clinical anxiety and an eating disorder resembling ARFID. Emily tells us about her decision to write Macy as she did, eschewing graphic descriptions of behaviors to highlight Macy's anxious thoughts instead. She describes what she hopes All Girls adds to the larger conversation about eating disorders and the adolescent females among whom eating disorders are particularly prevalent. Emphasizing the importance of taking both eating disorders and young women more seriously, we explore how society tends to think similarly of both.

We cover:

The relationship between anxiety, obsessive thoughts, and disordered eating/eating disorders 

How exercising compassion with her students became a way for Emily to exercise compassion for herself

How our culture routinely dismisses or trivializes eating disorder stories and other experiences prevalent among young women

How one character in All Girls, Macy, can widen our cultural understanding of eating disorders

What the reader response to Macy says about changing attitudes toward eating disorders and mental illness

In Emily’s words:

On the connection between anxiety and disordered eating: “Macy is anxious, you see in her chapter, about so many things entirely unrelated to her body or to food. But she copes with that anxiety through avoidant and restrictive behaviors.”  

On typical eating disorder depictions: “So often when we have a depiction of an eating disorder on TV or in literature, it tends to be this very narrow reflection of the experience.”

On the parallel between society’s understanding of young women and of eating disorders: “I think that there’s this whole culture that says that girls are not really whole people and thinks that they are trivial or overly emotional… and I think we see a lot of that same flattening with our cultural thinking about eating disorders.”

Find Emily on Instagram @emilylayden and at emilylayden.com. Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977.

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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 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:

Holly Toronto is a Certified Master Level Coach who specializes in body image. She has five years of experience helping people stop prioritizing other people’s expectations of beauty, belief, or behavior so that they can live their life from a place of wholeness, fully aligned with the truth of who they are. Holly joins us in this episode of Peace Meal to explore factors that impact our relationship with our bodies, as well as some strategies to improve it. 

Holly first unpacks how purity culture shaped the way she learned to relate to her own body. Messages about sexuality contributed to body distrust and triggered negative body image at a young age. Her body shame increased as she grew into early adulthood and experienced acne. She adopted a “pure food” diet meant to clear her skin, but lost weight and received validation for that instead.

Though it seemed normal and even “healthy,” in reality, the highly restrictive diet was taking a serious toll on Holly’s mental and physical wellbeing. And then came a turning point. Holly shares how finding intuitive eating impacted her life and career by challenging misguided ideas of health and set her on a path toward food freedom and body trust. She dispels common myths about intuitive eating and describes how she walks alongside her clients who adopt it. Emphasizing the importance of body trust and partnership, she offers tips for anyone seeking to heal their relationships with their bodies.

We cover:

The parallels between sexual purity and “pure” or clean eating

Myths and realities of intuitive eating

The far-reaching impact of body image healing

How to relate to your body as a partner instead of an object

How to honor and trust our body signals

In Holly’s words:

On the gifts of intuitive eating: “What intuitive eating gave me was a sense of trust in my body—that I don’t have to manipulate her for her to be healthy. For her to be strong. For her to be exactly what she needs to be. I needed to disconnect the weight from the worth and the weight from the health.”

On the importance of body trust: “This body that we live in was our original life partner. And like any partnership, trust is the foundational element.”

On connecting to ourselves: “Body image healing can be a gateway back to ourselves—to a sense of deeper homecoming, connection to ourselves, and what we want to be putting out into the world.”

Find Holly on Instagram @holly.toronto. Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977.

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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 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:

Maddy Walters is a psychology student passionate about eating disorder research and advocacy. She brings her passion and personal experience to this episode of Peace Meal to help us examine the intersection of social media and eating disorder recovery. We explore what it's like to share your recovery online and to engage with others sharing theirs.

Maddy reflects on what she’s learned by creating a recovery Instagram account and how her recovery has evolved in the time since she did. Highlighting the key benefits and challenges of participating in an online recovery community, she offers insight into both the rewarding and tricky parts. She emphasizes the importance of protecting and prioritizing recovery—online and off—and leaves us with practical strategies for others trying to heal in a social media world.

We cover:

Why and when Maddy decided to create a recovery Instagram page

Finding solidarity, support, and encouragement in people who are also recovering

The impact of triggering content online, including that which is intended as recovery inspiration

Strategies for engaging with social media in recovery

Resources to practice and protect your recovery both online and in real life

In Maddy’s words:

On encountering triggering content on social media: “If I see something that’s really good about a page, but there’s still so much that’s making me feel bad… I block, I restrict, I unfollow. Because there are a lot that don’t do that.”

On what’s good about eating disorder recovery: “What’s not good?! I really just cherish every single day since I can actually enjoy it and understand what’s good about it instead of just focusing on myself.”

On protecting your recovery when using social media: “It’s so important to guard your space.”

Learn more about 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 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:

Katie Price is a registered nurse and yoga teacher whose understanding of what it means to care for bodies—both hers and others'—has been shaped by her recovery from anorexia. She cares deeply about walking alongside others struggling with eating disorders and hopes that by sharing her story, she can offer hope and support.

In this episode of Peace Meal, Katie offers exactly that. She shares the many gifts within her story of illness and healing, revealing the light, growth, and support that can be found in moments of darkness and challenge.

Katie begins with an honest account of life with anorexia, an illness her parents recognized early on. A meal plan, weight checks, and outpatient appointments were established quickly, but the eating disorder fought to maintain its hold. Katie found herself caught in a “tenuous dance” between it and recovery.

The eating disorder led Katie to what seemed like the lowest point possible. “It felt like the darkest, rockiest bottom I could have ever imagined,” she reflects about the moment she entered a higher level of care. But there, at the hospital, is not only where she started to crawl out of the pit of anorexia, but also where she began to realize the gifts of connection, support, and hope she'd continue to find along her journey.

Describing her life now, Katie paints a picture rich with feeling and meaning. It is not free from challenges—far from it, especially as a nurse during the pandemic—but still, she notes, it beats the days spent in illness.

Even when it’s hard, she says, “I’m present to it, and it’s the fullness of life that I fought so hard for. And it’s so much better than my eating disorder—even when it’s a lot to handle—so I’m endlessly grateful for that.”

Learn more about 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 Podcasts, 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.

Episode description:

Abby Anderson is a business school graduate who works a corporate job and is passionate about mental health, yoga, and personal development. Diagnosed with anorexia in the summer of 2018, she has experienced a series of ups and downs worth noting to anyone with an eating disorder or disordered eating.

In this episode of Peace Meal, Abby tells us about the process of her eating disorder recovery, including the shifts in motivation she has experienced during it. She begins with the rock-bottom moment she first sought help. Exhausted and physically depleted, she recalls being highly motivated to make a change then.

But, as is typical in recovery, her motivation ebbed and flowed as time went on, and she learned why healing is often described as a nonlinear process. “Your body catches up a lot before your mind does,” she says.

In the process of recovering both physically and psychologically, disordered behaviors crept back into Abby's life. Her “unhealthy voice” got louder the more she engaged in these behaviors, and the pressures of the college environment didn’t help.

Returning to treatment allowed Abby to recommit to and strengthen her recovery, a process that continues today. She has insight into the common barriers to healing, as well as tools to maintain motivation.

Abby shares several strategies that have been helpful to her healing, emphasizing the power of supportive environments and people. Reflecting on her own experience, she concludes with words of advice for those currently feeling unmotivated or ambivalent about recovery: “The best thing I ever did—and the hardest thing I ever did—was take my hands off the steering wheel and give it to someone else. . . give it to a professional.”

Learn more about 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 Podcasts, 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.

Episode description:

Kenzie Osborne is a mental health blogger, chef, recipe developer, and former NCAA athlete. After battling intensely with anorexia, she was able to find peace with food through cooking, traveling, and learning about the many benefits food has on the mind, spirit, and body.

Kenzie shares her story with us in this episode of Peace Meal. We begin by discussing a label long attached to her—“the healthy and fit one”—and its impact on her identity. A daughter of doctors and sister to high-performing athletes, she felt immense pressure as part of a family defined by health and athletics.

“That’s who [others] knew my family was. That’s who they expected me to be,” she reflects. “And I felt like when I lived up to those expectations, I was accepted and I was praised, and I would get really positive feedback.” 

As Kenzie’s “healthy” eating and exercise were validated, her eating disorder grew stronger, and its impact was far-reaching. Terrified and unable to be present around food, she missed out on social events. She faced health complications. Her wellbeing, her athletic performance—her life—suffered. Still, as it often is in a culture that normalizes disordered eating, it was hard to recognize that she had a serious illness.

After a gym teacher expressed concern, Kenzie told her parents she needed help. Immediately, her family lent generous support in ways both traditional and creative. They joined Kenzie at meals—both virtually and in person, for however long they took—and started playing games inspired by shows like Chopped and Guy’s Grocery Games.

“It was so cool because it got my mind away from the nutrition for a second and it put it on the creativity,” she says of her family’s Food Network-inspired nights.

Kenzie took her new interest in food to culinary school, which both challenged and strengthened her eating disorder recovery. Gradually surrendering long-held control in food preparation, she began to see food as more than a nutrition label. She discovered what normal eating looks like—and what it tastes like. She opened her eyes to food’s various cultural, social, and creative elements.

Culinary school, along with traveling, helped Kenzie appreciate food as integral to a full life. In addition to cooking and developing recipes, she celebrates food now by photographing and writing about the life-affirming moments we can share around a meal.

Kenzie’s blog is currently under construction. For now, find her on Instagram at @coachkenzieosborne.

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

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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 Podcasts, 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.

Episode description:

Kesslee is a young professional, part-time coach, wife, and dog mom. She is passionate about serving others to become the best version of themselves and using her journey to help them along the way.

Kesslee joins us in this episode of Peace Meal to share how perfectionism manifested during her eating disorder and recovery. She begins by recognizing the challenges of being a Division 1 distance runner. Under pressure to be small and lean for the sport, Kesslee restricted food while training more and more. The core issue, she says, was a belief that she was not enough—not for her coaches and not her parents.

Now, Kesslee has tools and strategies for combating the lie that says she is a failure. She offers a practical exercise and recommendations for those similarly worried that they’re not enough, emphasizing the power of therapy and meaningful relationships as well. Equipped with this professional and personal support, she is now focused on adding small nurturing and empowering things into her life. She strives to use her perfectionism for good and carries with her a bold affirmation: “I have been put on this earth to take up space and become stronger.”

Get help from The Emily Program by calling 1-888-364-5977 or by visiting emilyprogram.com/your-recovery/get-help-now.

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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 Podcasts, 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.

Episode description:

Christie Dondero Bettwy is the Executive Director of Rock Recovery, a nonprofit that uniquely combines clinical and community care to help people overcome disordered eating.

In this episode of Peace Meal, Christie shares with us her personal and professional experience with eating disorders. She first traces her path through illness and healing, highlighting the risk factors that contributed to her disorder as well as the community that helped her find freedom from it. Then she unpacks her decision to enter the eating disorders field–including how and when she knew she was “recovered enough” to translate her personal experience and passion into a career at Rock Recovery. Finally, Christie helps us reflect on the tremendous impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on eating disorders. We discuss how COVID-19 has triggered and exacerbated these illnesses, and how we, as a field, must work collaboratively and creatively to meet the tremendous need for care now and beyond the pandemic.

Learn more about Rock Recovery at rockrecoveryed.org, and follow the organization on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Learn more about 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 Podcasts, 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.

Episode description: 

Charlotte Markey, PhD, is a Professor of Psychology and Health Sciences at Rutgers University in Camden, New Jersey. She has researched body image and eating behaviors for nearly 25 years, and is the author of The Body Image Book for Girls: Love Yourself and Grow Up Fearless.

Charlotte joins us in this episode of Peace Meal to discuss adolescent body image. Offering research and practical insight into the multifaceted topic, she notes that body image encompasses far more than whether we like our bodies. She touches on its various dimensions and implications in the everyday lives of adolescents and teens.

Body image has long been considered a women’s issue, and our understanding of the unique experiences of boys and men is still evolving. Research on body image in trans and nonbinary youth lags even further behind, Charlotte notes, but it is clear that adolescents of all genders are suffering from body image concerns. 

Tools for helping this population develop a strong body image are particularly important, especially given that disordered eating and eating disorders often manifest during adolescence and young adulthood. One strategy Charlotte offers is to think of our bodies not in terms of how they look but instead of what they allow us to do. 

“[Our bodies] allow us to experience the world, and so many people grow up feeling like their body is the problem. Instead, I think it’s just so much healthier to think about… no, your body actually allows this all to happen,” she says. 

To help children value body functionality over appearance, Charlotte stresses that adults must model the lesson themselves. They can avoid commenting on their own and others’ physical appearance and shift the focus to internal traits, teaching adolescents that they are valued for who they are instead of how they look. 

Charlotte acknowledges the difficulty of promoting positive body image in an image-conscious, diet-obsessed world. Countering society’s messages about appearance and diets requires careful thought and continual practice.  

But it can be done, she maintains.  

Learn more about The Body Image Book for Girls online, and find Charlotte on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

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

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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 Podcasts, 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.