Food Is Food

The Gut-Brain Connection: Digestive Issues And Eating Disorder Recovery | With Marci Evans


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Digestive symptoms are one of the most common — and misunderstood — experiences in eating disorder recovery. In this episode, Talia is joined by eating disorder dietitian Marci Evans to unpack the complex relationship between restrictive eating, IBS symptoms, the nervous system, and gut health.

This episode is for anyone navigating bloating, constipation, gastroparesis, IBS symptoms, or digestive discomfort in recovery — and for clinicians wanting a deeper understanding of the gut-brain connection in eating disorder care.

Episodes drop every Thursday.

What You’ll Learn:

  • Why digestive symptoms are so common in eating disorders and disordered eating
  • The connection between the nervous system, anxiety, stress, and gut function
  • Why under-eating and restrictive diets can worsen IBS-like symptoms
  • Practical tools to support digestion without food restriction

Resources & Links:

  • Website: marcird.com (including clinician training and workshops)
  • Instagram: @marciRD
  • Free Resource: marcird.com/_resources/23tools

About our Guest:
Marci Evans is a Certified Eating Disorder Registered Dietitian and Supervisor (CEDS-C) and a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor practicing from a weight-inclusive, anti-oppression lens. 

She has dedicated her career to counseling, supervising, and teaching in the field of eating disorders.  She launched the Food and Body Image Healers® Training Institute in 2015, an online platform helping dietitians and clinicians build the skills to specialise in eating disorder care. Since then, more than 3500 clinicians have taken her nutrition counseling and body image courses and focused workshops. 

Marci continues to lead a weight-inclusive private practice, teaches graduate-level nutrition counseling at Simmons University, and has a forthcoming book, Nourishing Recovery: A New Integrated Approach to Nutritional Care for Eating Disorders.

Episode Timestamps:
 00:00 – Welcome & introduction
 01:48 – Why digestive issues are so common in eating disorders
 03:29 – The “chicken or egg” relationship between IBS and eating disorders
 09:25 – The gut-brain connection: stress, anxiety & digestion
 14:29 – Gut-directed hypnotherapy & non-diet approaches to IBS symptoms
 16:20 – Low FODMAP diets in eating disorder recovery
 22:09 – Nervous system regulation tools
 25:30 – Exercise, undernourishment & pelvic floor health
 32:08 – Are digestive symptoms always reversible in recovery?
 36:21 – Food intolerance testing: what’s evidence-based?
 42:29 – Bloating, constipation & practical digestive support tools
 46:26 – Free resources for clinicians & recovery support

Connect with Talia:

  • Talia’s Instagram: @tcnutrition
  • Food Is Food Instagram: @foodisfoodpod
  • Website & Mailing List: www.taliacechele.com 
  • Clinic Enquiries: https://www.taliacecchele.com/contact 

Support the Podcast:
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Disclaimer:
This podcast is for educational and supportive purposes only and is not a substitute for individual medical or dietetic advice.

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Food Is FoodBy Talia Cecchele