How has whiteness in the running world contributed to the toxicity around sport culture? Runner Alison Mariella Désir joins host and therapist Carter Umhau and Opal Co-Founder and Head of the Exercise + Sport Program, Kara Bazzi, to talk about the intersection of race and running, and why representation and mental health support in running—and the athletic world at large—matters. Alison Mariella Désir is a runner, mental health advocate, activist, speaker, and mother. She is the founder of the Harlem Run club, Meaning Through Movement, and Womxn Run the Vote. After the murder of Ahmaud Arbery, who was killed while running as a Black man, Alison called out the running community for being divided by race. She leads the running world in building a healthier and more inclusive community and, in this episode, it’s clear why...Alison’s passion, wisdom, and expertise are on full display!   

 

Links:

 

Find Alison on Instagram @alisonmdesir and learn more about her here: http://alisonmdesir.com/ and here: https://www.oiselle.com/pages/alison-desir

 

Check out Alison Mariella’s Meaning Through Movement events on fitness and mental health: https://www.meaningthrumovement.com/

 

Find out how you can be a part of the virtual relay, Womxn Run the Vote: https://racery.com/r/womxn-run-the-vote/ and on Instagram @Run4AllWomen

Check out the Harlem Run Club: http://www.harlemrun.com/about and on Instagram @HarlemRun

 

Read Alison Mariella’s article called Ahmaud Arbery and Whiteness in the Running World: https://www.outsideonline.com/2413115/ahmaud-arbery-murder-whiteness-running-community

 

 

 

Connect with Opal: 

www.opalfoodandbody.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opalfoodandbodywisdom/

Instagram: @opalfoodandbody

Twitter: https://twitter.com/opalfoodandbody?lang=en

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpalFoodandBody/videos   

 

Thank you to our team...

Editing by Hans Anderson: http://www.hfanderson.com/

Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/

Daniel Guenther at Jack Straw Cultural Center: http://www.jackstraw.org/

Host and Producer Carter Umhau: www.carterumhau.com

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 learning and implementing within the walls of Opal: Food + Body Wisdom around anti-racism. Co-Founders Julie Church, Lexi Giblin, and Kara Bazzi sit down with host Carter Umhau to discuss what Opal’s been up to the last few months and how treatment at Opal hasn’t been adequately anti-racist in the past and what they plan to do about it. They’ll share a bit about their own process, how they see the need for anti-racism work within the eating disorder field, and touch on what this looks like in the HAES, RO DBT, and sport worlds. 

 

Links:

Aiko Bethea and RARE: Coaching and Consulting   Gloria Lucas -- Nalgona Positivity Pride   Desiree Adaway --Whiteness at Work Summer Series   Barbara Love --The Liberatory Consciousness Model   The Racial Healing Handbook by Anneliese Singh   How to Be Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi   15 Characteristics of White Supremacy Culture by Kennith Jones and Tema Okun   White Fragility by Robin Diangelo   The Body is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love by Sonya Renee Taylor  

 

Connect with Opal: 

www.opalfoodandbody.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opalfoodandbodywisdom/

Instagram: @opalfoodandbody

Twitter: https://twitter.com/opalfoodandbody?lang=en

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpalFoodandBody/videos   

 

Thank you to our team...

Editing by Hans Anderson: http://www.hfanderson.com/

Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/

Daniel Guenther at Jack Straw Cultural Center: http://www.jackstraw.org/

Host and Producer Carter Umhau: www.carterumhau.com

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 perspective might tell you to use this “opportunity” to “take control of your diet,” we have a very different perspective. Opal Co-Founder and Nutrition Director Julie Church, RDN, CEDRD-S, CD and host and therapist Carter Umhau, LMHC are sharing their insights on the difference between emotional eating and binge eating, why you should give yourself grace right now (and always!), and how to reframe the expectations you may have right now for your eating. They’ll be walking through specific scenarios that may have impacted your eating, as well as explaining what is happening in your body right now due to the collective stress of the coronavirus. 

 

Connect with Opal: 

www.opalfoodandbody.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opalfoodandbodywisdom/

Instagram: @opalfoodandbody

Twitter: https://twitter.com/opalfoodandbody?lang=en

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpalFoodandBody/videos   

 

Thank you to our team...

Editing by Hans Anderson: http://www.hfanderson.com/

Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/

Camille Dodson @opalfoodandbody.com

Daniel Guenther at Jack Straw Cultural Center: http://www.jackstraw.org/

Host and Producer Carter Umhau: www.carterumhau.com

 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 Opal in order to rest and recharge. They’ll be sharing how they spent their free time, the questions of identity that arose, how their perspectives changed around work and life, and how they brought these changes back into their work lives upon returning to Opal. This conversation took place pre-coronavirus and addresses an experience that is certainly not comparable to the widely experienced circumstances around work now—skyrocketing unemployment rates, a whole new world of working from home, and the immense gratitude we feel for all the healthcare and essential workers that are putting themselves and their families on the line to take care of the rest of the world. Instead of never releasing this episode, we wanted to offer it with the hope that it will get your juices flowing on new ways to be thinking about the changes in work that you may be going through. At the very least, we hope it’s entertaining! 

 

 

Connect with Opal: 

www.opalfoodandbody.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opalfoodandbodywisdom/

Instagram: @opalfoodandbody

Twitter: https://twitter.com/opalfoodandbody?lang=en

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpalFoodandBody/videos   

 

Thank you to our team...

Editing by Hans Anderson: http://www.hfanderson.com/

Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/

Daniel Guenther at Jack Straw Cultural Center: http://www.jackstraw.org/

Host and Producer Carter Umhau: www.carterumhau.com

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 Bazzi, LMFT, CEDS, Dr. Lexi Giblin, PhD, CEDS, and Julie Church, RDN, CEDRD-S, CD are talking with host and therapist Carter Umhau, LMHC about what delight is, and how we can distinguish it from joy and pleasure. They’ll also be sharing what delights each of them and how these things have a place in their lives, particularly during the time of COVID-19. Join us for this feel-good episode!

 

Links:

We were so inspired by This American Life’s episode about delight, that it became the jumping off point for this episode. Listen to it here and enjoy: https://www.thisamericanlife.org/692/the-show-of-delights

Chatbooks:   https://chatbooks.com/

 

Connect with Opal: 

www.opalfoodandbody.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opalfoodandbodywisdom/

Instagram: @opalfoodandbody

Twitter: https://twitter.com/opalfoodandbody?lang=en

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpalFoodandBody/videos   

 

Thank you to our team...

Editing by Hans Anderson: http://www.hfanderson.com/

Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/

Daniel Guenther at Jack Straw Cultural Center: http://www.jackstraw.org/

Host and Producer Carter Umhau: www.carterumhau.com

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 about our perspective on this inspiring and intense show that follows the Navarro College cheer squad as they train for competitive cheerleading championships in Daytona, Florida. Kara Bazzi, LMFT, CEDS is one of Opal’s Co-Founders, head of the Exercise + Sport program, eating disorder expert, and a former collegiate athlete. She chats with host and therapist Carter Umhau, LMHC, about the coaching style of Monica Aldama, and how it straddles the lines between a demand for perfectionism versus excellence, discipline versus dogma, all while creating a true team family. As professionals that work closely with those struggling with compulsive exercise, athlete identity, and eating disorders, Kara and Carter had a lot to talk about!

 

Connect with Opal: 

www.opalfoodandbody.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opalfoodandbodywisdom/

Instagram: @opalfoodandbody

Twitter: https://twitter.com/opalfoodandbody?lang=en

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpalFoodandBody/videos   

 

Thank you to our team...

Editing by Hans Anderson: http://www.hfanderson.com/

Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/

Daniel Guenther at Jack Straw Cultural Center: http://www.jackstraw.org/

Host and Producer Carter Umhau: www.carterumhau.com

 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 Giblin, PhD, CEDS. Lexi will walk you through this externally-focused meditation which will ask you to connect to your heart’s center and offer love, warmth, and kindness to others. Allow yourself the time to pause, breathe deeply, and send loving thoughts to those out there that are on your mind--a far away friend, the healthcare workers at your local hospital, or even that worried-looking grocery clerk you saw earlier this week. We hope you feel free to return to this episode again and again when you need a moment to re-center. 

 

Links: 

http://www.radicallyopen.net/

 

Connect with Opal: 

www.opalfoodandbody.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opalfoodandbodywisdom/

Instagram: @opalfoodandbody

Twitter: https://twitter.com/opalfoodandbody?lang=en

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpalFoodandBody/videos   

 

Thank you to our team...

Editing by Hans Anderson: http://www.hfanderson.com/

Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/

Daniel Guenther at Jack Straw Cultural Center: http://www.jackstraw.org/

Host and Producer Carter Umhau: www.carterumhau.com

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 people, there is a lot freedom our bodies have lost—including when it comes to movement and exercise. Opal: Food + Body Wisdom Co-Founder and head of the Exercise + Sport Program, Kara Bazzi, LMFT, CEDS offers a way to understand your relationship to exercise through the lens of the stages of grief. In conversation with host and therapist Carter Umhau, LMHC, Kara shares how she’s handling the grief of not getting to move in the ways she so enjoys and inspires curiosity in listeners about what and how they may be grieving during this pandemic. 

 

 

Connect with Opal: 

www.opalfoodandbody.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opalfoodandbodywisdom/

Instagram: @opalfoodandbody

Twitter: https://twitter.com/opalfoodandbody?lang=en

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpalFoodandBody/videos   

 

Thank you to our team...

Editing by Hans Anderson: http://www.hfanderson.com/

Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/

Host and Producer Carter Umhau: www.carterumhau.com

Social Media and Publishing by Camille Dodson 

 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 Dr. Lexi Giblin, PhD, CEDS shares how the skill of self-inquiry can be used during this time to move toward emotion in a compassionate, curious, and containing way. Lexi, along with Opal’s other two Co-Founders—Kara Bazzi, LMFT, CEDS and Julie Church, RDN, CEDRD-S, CD—and host and therapist Carter Umhau, LMHC will each reflect on what has been coming up for them emotionally during the shelter-in-place order. We hope that this episode will serve as both companionship and inspiration to you during this time where emotions are high, and each one of them arrives with something to teach you. 

 

Connect with Opal: 

www.opalfoodandbody.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opalfoodandbodywisdom/

Instagram: @opalfoodandbody

Twitter: https://twitter.com/opalfoodandbody?lang=en

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpalFoodandBody/videos   

 

Thank you to our team...

Editing by Hans Anderson: http://www.hfanderson.com/

Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/

Daniel Guenther at Jack Straw Cultural Center: http://www.jackstraw.org/

Host and Producer Carter Umhau: www.carterumhau.com

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 those struggling with disordered eating or eating disorder recovery, we’re here to help with guided meal support. Julie Church, RDN, CEDRD-S, CD—Opal: Food+Body Wisdom’s Co-Founder and Nutrition Director—sits down with host Carter Umhau, LMHC to walk listeners through the fundamentals of full permission of food and attuned eating in action! She’ll talk through the stages of selecting food to eat, setting the stage for eating, attuning to hunger and fullness cues, and how to move on from food after you’re done with a meal! If you’re ready for some food, grab a plate and start listening! This episode can be a companion to your mealtime or an inspiration for later to eat with structure, mindfulness, and pleasure in mind.

Links:

Marc David's eater's agreement:

https://psychologyofeating.com/the-eaters-agreement/    Ellyn Satter's "How to Eat" Resources: https://www.ellynsatterinstitute.org/how-to-eat/the-joy-of-eating-being-a-competent-eater/     covid19eatingsupport on Instagram: offering hourly meal support every day  

Connect with Opal: 

www.opalfoodandbody.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opalfoodandbodywisdom/

Instagram: @opalfoodandbody

Twitter: https://twitter.com/opalfoodandbody?lang=en

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpalFoodandBody/videos   

 

Thank you to our team...

Editing by Hans Anderson: http://www.hfanderson.com/

Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/

Daniel Guenther at Jack Straw Cultural Center: http://www.jackstraw.org/

Host and Producer Carter Umhau: www.carterumhau.com