The Appetite by Opal: Food+Body Wisdom

04.05.2024

#129: Dr. Lisa Erlanger: A Physician's Journey to Practicing Weight-Inclusive Medicine

Dr. Lisa Erlanger joins Opal's Nutrition Director Julie Church, RDN to share the evidence and compassion that led her to evolve into a weight-inclusive physician. Lisa explains how the body is impacted by dieting (aka starvation) and emphasizes the importance of...

02.16.2024

#128: Self-Inquiry Series: I Don’t Look Like A Runner Anymore and I Can’t Shrink Myself Fast Enough

Dr. Lexi Giblin, PhD and Kara Bazzi, LMFT, Opal Co-Founders, sit down with Poppy and Lily to do a self-inquiry double click on these two particular experiences of shame management. Poppy shares an encounter with shame and disgust where her...

01.11.2024

#127: Changing the Script for More Inclusive Movement Spaces: A Discussion with Meng Wang, RDN, and Ashley Davies

Fitness, movement and sport spaces continue to be saturated with diet culture rhetoric and belief systems that disrupt our innate connection, wisdom and joy to movement and our bodies. Diet culture is rooted in social justice issues where movement and...

12.05.2023

#126: Behind the Scenes of Pageantry: Reflections from a Diet Culture Lens

Maddie Louder, Miss Washington 2021, joins Julie Church, Opal's Nutrition Director, to share her personal experience of how participating in pageants was both empowering and detrimental for her relationship with food and body. Maddie shares how advocacy work through the...

09.08.2023

# 125: Self-Inquiry Overview

If you are new to self-inquiry, start here!! This is your go-to episode when you need a quick self-inquiry tutorial, refresher or a little help coaxing you into the self-inquiry mood. Dr. Lexi Giblin, PhD, orients you to the key components and process of self-inquiry. With these...

09.08.2023

#124: Self-Inquiry Series: Noticing All of My Imperfections in the Mirror and A Baby Was Not Enough

Take a deep breath and bend your ears towards Cozette and Marrow as they bravely explore the psychological forces at play in their eating disorder recoveries. Dr. Lexi Giblin, PhD and Kara Bazzi, LMFT, Opal Co-Founders, join Cozette and Marrow...

07.07.2023

#123: Teen Feeding + Eating: Who Is In Charge Now?

Feeding and eating is a realm of family life that changes as kids get older, which is easy for some parents and more difficult for others. What does empowerment and leadership look like as teens eat more socially and have more...

06.06.2023

#122: Self-Inquiry Series Launch: Doing Parenting Right and The Good Daughter

And the Self Inquiry Series is off and running! In this first self-inquiry episode, Dr. Lexi Giblin, PhD opens by giving us the 411 on RO DBT's self-inquiry process and then we turn to Sally and Andrea's live self-inquiry. Kara...

04.19.2023

#121: Compulsive Striving: Are You Hustling For Your Worth?

Has your life become all about setting and achieving goals? When you encounter problems in life, is your solution to do more, work harder, and put another goal in place only to turn around and repeat this cycle when the next...

03.02.2023

#120: Shifting Toxic Sport Culture: Reflections on Lauren Fleshman’s “Good for a Girl”

Listen in as Opal’s Director of the Exercise + Sport program, Kara Bazzi, and Opal’s Movement Coach, Caitlin Jacobsen have a conversation about “Good for a Girl”, a newly released book written by former professional runner, coach and author, Lauren...

02.07.2023

#119: Launching Self-Inquiry Series --- Calling Applicants!

We are launching a new Self-Inquiry Series, within The Appetite podcast, where we will take the style of Opal’s Self-Inquiry Group to the podcast airways. We are looking for folks interested in doing private journal self-inquiry work followed by...

01.10.2023

#118: Running While Black: An Interview with Alison Mariella Désir

"My story is a running journey, but at its heart, it's a story for anyone who has experienced the harm and powerlessness that comes from not fitting into society's expectations, anyone who has ever existed in the margins. It is...

11.28.2022

#117: Aging and the Body: An interview with Connie Sobczak of The Body Positive

Connie Sobczak of The Body Positive gives us this wise nugget: "Aging is something we get to do, if we are lucky." Julie Church, Opal's Co-Founder and Nutrition Director, discusses with Connie the many considerations that arise as we age,...

09.12.2022

#116: Tired of the Perfectionism Hustle?

Are you a "perfectionist" who is exhausted and tired of hustling for your worth? Or perhaps you have entered perfectionism recovery but remain in a long term battle with compulsive perfectionistic striving? Either way, this podcast is just the ticket...

05.24.2022

#115: Power of Sharing Your Recovery Journey: An Interview with Amelia Boone

Part 3 of a 3 part series: "Creating Social Change in the Sport World" Episode 3: Power of Sharing Your Recovery Journey-- Most people who struggle with disordered eating or an eating disorder grapple with how much and to whom...

04.19.2022

#114: Power of Writing: An Interview with Elizabeth Carey

Part 2 of a 3 part series: "Creating Social Change in the Sport World" Episode 2: Power of Writing-- Diet culture messages pervade all media- from advertisements, to magazines, to Instagram and TikTok. It’s no exception in the sport world-...

04.01.2022

#113: Power of Coaches: An Interview with Marie Davis Markham and Robyn McGillis of Wildwood Running

Part 1 of a 3 part series: "Creating Social Change in the Sport World" Episode 1: Power of Coaches-- The "win at all costs" sport culture needs to retire and be replaced by the "whole person athlete" culture. In...

05.06.2021

#112: Christy Harrison: Path to Writing and Being Anti-Diet

We're excited to bring you our conversation with Christy Harrison MPH, RD, CEDRD author of Anti-Diet and host of the Food Psych podcast. Many of you might know of Christy's work, but might not know what led her to shift...

04.29.2021

#111: Talking to Athletes From an Intuitive Eating Lens: A Conversation with Maria Dalzot, RD

"Food is fuel". " You are a machine". "You look fit". "You are what you eat". These are all messages about food and our bodies that are commonplace, yet born out of diet culture. Opal Co-Founder and Clinical Director Kara Bazzi...

02.26.2021

#110: Dr. Erin Harrop, PhD on Weight Stigma and Eating Disorders

You will be happy to bend your ear (maybe again) for this one! Julie Church, RDN and Carter Umhau, LMHC talk with Erin Harrop (now doctor Erin Harrop, PhD, Assistant Professor at the University of Denver) about healthism, the use...

02.02.2021

#109: Eating Disorder Recovery and the Biden-Harris Inauguration

What does eating disorder recovery have to do with the Biden-Harris inauguration ceremony? Take a listen to Opal Co-Founders Lexi Giblin, PhD, Kara Bazzi, LMFT, and Julie Church, RDN consider this question on the heels of the historic inauguration ceremony. They...

12.30.2020

#108: Reflections on Netflix's MOVE: Dance, Identity, Liberation and Transformation

If you haven't heard about or tuned into the Netflix docuseries, MOVE, now's the time! MOVE takes you through the lived experiences of dancers around the globe, and offers a visceral experience of movement that brings transformation and healing- both individually...

12.15.2020

#107 What to Look for in a Coach- An inspiring Interview with Sally Revere

Originally released in 2018, we felt this interview was worth repeating! At a time where sports and athletics are turned upside down due to the pandemic, a silver lining is that it's creating new time and space for both athletes...

11.24.2020

#106 An Update from Shilo George: Navigating the Pandemic and Thanks-taking from an Indigenous Women's Perspective

Let us re-introduce you to Shilo George--- our guest from episode 57 (which is a worthwhile listen too!!) where she shared honestly about mental health and food concerns as a "super-fat, indigenous, queer woman". Shilo is a Southern Cheyenne-Arapaho and...

11.12.2020

#105: Dr. Lindo Bacon: Radical Belonging and the Politics of Health

How does being marginalized impact a person’s health and physiology? Dr. Lindo Bacon, who has spent their career advocating for social justice at the intersection of weight and health, joins this episode to share about their newest book, Radical Belonging: How...

11.05.2020

#01: Introducing The Appetite

Welcome to the first ever episode of The Appetite. Clinicians from Opal: Food+Body Wisdom, an eating disorder treatment center in Seattle, Washington, will meet every week to discuss all things body, food, movement, and mental health. Today you will meet...

10.27.2020

#104: Racial Identity and Healing at Work: An Interview with Aiko Bethea

What does it look like to center narrative in racial identity work? Aiko Bethea is the principal and founder of Rare Coaching and Consulting, which offers executive coaching to leaders on their diversity, equity, and inclusion journey. She joins host...

10.09.2020

#103: Carter’s Goodbye: A Reflection on Change, Loss, and Grief

How do you know when it’s time to let go? On this more reflective and personal episode of The Appetite, Opal Co-Founder’s Lexi Giblin, Kara Bazzi, and Julie Church join host Carter Umhau to explore themes around loss, grief, accepting change, and letting...

09.18.2020

#102: Race and Mental Health in Running: Alison Désir Talks with Opal

How has whiteness in the running world contributed to the toxicity around sport culture? Runner Alison Désir joins host and therapist Carter Umhau and Opal Co-Founder and Head of the Exercise + Sport Program, Kara Bazzi, to talk about the...

08.27.2020

#101: Opal’s Commitment to Anti-Racism in Eating Disorder Treatment

How does Opal think about anti-racism work within eating disorder treatment? After a bit of a hiatus following the murder of George Floyd and the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement, this episode breaks the silence on what we’ve been...

05.29.2020

#100: Shifts in Eating During the Coronavirus Pandemic: Why You Should Give Yourself Grace

Has your relationship to food changed since the pandemic began? Whether you’re snacking more, eating a different variety of food, or finding yourself restricting or bingeing due to high emotions, we imagine a lot could have shifted. While a mainstream...

05.22.2020

#99: Work Life Reflections: What Opal's Co-Founders Learned About Identity Outside of Work

Who are you outside of the identity of your job? Over the last year, Opal: Food + Body Wisdom’s Co-Founders (Kara Bazzi, LMFT, CEDS, Julie Church, RDN, CEDRD-S, CD, and Lexi Giblin, PhD, CEDS) each took a month away from...

05.15.2020

#98: Delight: The Mental Health Boost We All Need

Why does delight matter? We believe that, during the coronavirus pandemic, delight offers an opportunity for mindfulness, connectedness, and a boost to your mental health. Inspired by a This American Life episode called, “The Show of Delights,” Opal Co-Founders Kara...

05.08.2020

#97: Reflections on Netflix’s Cheer: Thoughts from the Eating Disorder Treatment World on Team Culture

Did you tune into Netflix’s docuseries, Cheer? What did you think of the Navarro team culture portrayed? In light of all the tv-watching that’s been happening while sheltering in place, we decided to keep it casual for this episode and chat...

05.01.2020

#96: Loving Kindness Meditation: An Offering from Opal

How have you been doing lately? Mental health is of utmost importance during the coronavirus pandemic. In this mini episode, we’re offering you a Loving Kindness meditation, led by Opal Co-Founder, Executive Director and Radically Open DBT expert Dr. Lexi...

04.23.2020

#95: Exercise in the Time of Coronavirus: How to Move Through Your Grief

How have social distancing and sheltering-in-place impacted your relationship to exercise? There is loss of all kinds during this time—there are relational and fiscal losses, losses of routine and identity, and of course, loss of life. However, as an embodied...

04.16.2020

#94: Getting Emotional: Using Self-Inquiry During the Coronavirus

How have you experienced unwanted energy and emotion during the coronavirus pandemic? The Appetite crew is getting vulnerable and answering this question, using the Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy (RO DBT) skill of self-inquiry. Opal Co-Founder and RO DBT expert...

04.10.2020

#93: Guided Meal Support: How to Eat While Sheltering-in-Place

How has the global pandemic impacted your relationship to food? As restaurants close, grocery shelves are emptied, and anxiety levels go up, you deserve compassion when it comes to the way your body is responding to this global pandemic. For...

04.03.2020

#92: Why an Elite Runner Stopped Running to Recover True Health: An Interview with Tina Muir

What might it be like to be a professional athlete—the symbol of health and strength in our culture—and to have a gut instinct that something is not well in your body? This was the case for elite runner and marathoner...

03.27.2020

#91: Reflections from Self-Quarantine: Mental Health During the Coronavirus

How can we best prepare for the psychological impacts of social distancing during the age of Coronavirus? In this episode, host and therapist Carter Umhau, LMHC shares her experience with self-isolating a couple weeks ahead of the curve in Seattle,...

03.21.2020

#90: Mental Health During the COVID-19 Global Health Crisis: Opal Leadership Offers A Call to Self-Care

As the pandemic is rapidly removing what we’ve come to rely on in our day-to-day lives, it is becoming clear that we are not only in a health and economic crisis, but also a crisis of mental health. Opal’s Co-Founders...

03.12.2020

#89: Sport Performance: Should Weight Ever be Manipulated?

“Leaning out” and manipulating body weight have been widely accepted modes of performance preparation for elite athletes. But as the sports world wakes up to the harm that the emphasis on weight manipulation can have on athletes’ mental and physical...

03.06.2020

#88: The Psychology of Interior Design: Why Space Matters in Recovery

Does design impact mental health? Inspired by Opal’s recent remodel, Opal Co-Founder, Executive Director, and design-enthusiast Dr. Lexi Giblin PhD, CEDS sits down with host Carter Umhau, LMHC to talk about the psychology behind Opal’s interior design. Lexi will describe...

02.21.2020

#87: BMI: Answering Your Questions About the Body Mass Index (Part 2)

What should you do if a medical provider is offering a treatment recommendation based on your BMI? In the second of a two-part series, Opal Co-Founder and Nutrition Director Julie Church RDN, CEDRD-S, CD is answering this listener question (and...

02.14.2020

#86: BMI: How One Unscientific Calculation Became Our Main Measurement for Health (Part 1)

Can you actually measure health? BMI— or Body Mass Index—has become a widely embraced measurement of health, but is actually based on an entirely unscientific and racist 19th century research project. In this first episode of two parts, Opal Co-Founder...

02.07.2020

#85: Body Image: Reflections on Infertility, Pregnancy, and Postpartum

Body Image can be a struggle at any time, but what about when you’ve had a baby? For the birthing person, one’s relationship to food and body can be vastly impacted by the perinatal experience. In a roundtable conversation, Opal:...

01.28.2020

#84: Pregnancy and Postpartum: Support in Becoming a Good Enough Parent

What assumptions do you think are made about pregnancy and the postpartum experience? Doula Davinah Simmons and postpartum-focused therapist Julie Davidson, LMHC join Carter Umhau, LMHC to explore the ways in which our society under-prepares the birthing person or mother...

01.16.2020

#83: Metabolism: How a Diet Can Harm the Body

Can we truly control our bodies in order to change the way we look? As talk of New Year’s “lifestyle changes,” diets, and new exercise regimens fill our feeds, we’re here to talk about a major function of the body...

01.09.2020

#82 Good Coaching Matters: A Conversation with University of Washington's Center for Leadership in Athletics

What makes a good coach? With no agreed upon definition of a "qualified coach," this is a question often ignored! Julie McCleery, PhD, of the Center for Leadership in Athletics at the University of Washington, joins us to talk about...

01.02.2020

#81 Rethinking Resolutions: Self-Inquiry as Self-Improvement

Are you sick of making New Year’s resolutions you don’t keep? Instead of goal setting, try commuting to self-exploration! As an alternative to resolutions, Lexi Giblin, PhD, CEDS leads The Appetite crew in the journaling process of “self-inquiry,” a Radically Open...

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