The Lovely Becoming Podcast

CW: mention of specific numbers related to weight loss.

In this episode, Tamar and I talk about why she chose to become a dietitian, about a balanced approach to nutrition, and helping clients to move towards their goals and values in a healthy way.

Tamar Samuels, MS, RD, CDN, is the co-founder of Culina Health, a leading nutrition expert, and registered dietitian.

Her unique and holistic approach to health integrates functional medicine, positive psychology, and behavioral change techniques pulled from her training in clinical nutrition and coaching science. She's helped countless people transform their relationship with food and their health to overcome a variety of health conditions.

Tamar has her undergraduate degree in psychology from Hunter College and her master's degree in clinical nutrition from New York University. She provides science-based nutrition expertise through a variety of media outlets including online publications, speaking engagements, and video appearances. Well + Good named her one of the top holistic nutritionists in New York City.

In this episode, I chat briefly with an amazing marriage and family therapist: Whitney Goodman.

Kristina Saffran is the cofounder and CEO of Equip, a virtual program that delivers modern eating disorder treatment through family-based care that promises lasting recovery at home. Created by experts in the field and people who’ve been there, Equip provides each patient with a five-person dedicated care team including a therapist, dietician, physician, and peer & family mentor. At 15 years old, in her own recovery from anorexia, Kristina founded Project HEAL, now a leading grassroots eating disorder non-profit in the US with the mission to break down barriers to treatment to give everyone a shot at recovery. Kristina is an Ashoka Fellow, a Forbes 30 under 30 social entrepreneur, and a Facebook Community Leadership Fellow, and graduated from Harvard College with a bachelors degree in psychology in May 2014.

Minaa B. is a writer, wellness coach and licensed therapist based in NYC. Through speaking and workshop engagements, Minaa teaches people how to cultivate self-care through the lens of boundaries and community care. You can learn more about Minaa by visiting www.minaab.com as well as by following her popular Instagram account: @minaa_b

In this episode, Dacy and Mimi talk about ethical fashion from a body acceptance perspective, buying clothes that fit your now body, and personal styling. She is an incredible voice, and you’ll definitely want to listen to this episode!

As a personal stylist, Dacy Gillespie intuitively guides her clients to discover what they feel best in. She helps them let go of the external messages they’ve been given about what they should wear and get to the heart of what’s making them uncomfortable about their clothes. Through their work building a functional wardrobe, Dacy’s clients make a mindset shift from thinking they need to wear what’s flattering to unapologetically taking up space in the world. 

After a lifetime of jobs in high-stress careers that didn’t suit her highly-sensitive, introverted personality, Dacy started mindful closet in 2013 in an attempt to create a more emotionally sustainable lifestyle. She has two boys, ages 2 and 7, and a husband she adores who is well aware of her mental load.

In this episode, Ashlee and Mimi talk about her new book, The Art of Body Acceptance — which is out now!! We also talk about body positivity vs neutrality / acceptance, a little about Ashlee’s body image journey through weight stigma and more! Ashlee Bennett, AThR, is a registered art therapist who specializes in helping clients develop a positive relationship with their bodies. She presents workshops that relate to topics such as body image, embodiment and mental health. Ashlee lives in Melbourne, Australia.

In this episode, Morgan and I talk about what it’s like to be diagnosed with autism later in life, her poetry, and the beauty of rhythms and grace.

*note: words are hard, I was a special education major for the first part of college, and then switched majors.

Popular Instagram poet and artist Morgan Harper Nichols has created her life’s work around the stories of others. Morgan’s popular Instagram feed (@morganharpernichols) has garnered a loyal online community, and she is the author of All Along You Were Blooming, a book of poems and art she created in response to the personal stories submitted by her friends and followers. Known for its lyrical tone and vibrant imagery, Morgan’s work is an organic expression of the grace and hope we’ve been given in this world. Morgan has also performed as a vocalist on several GRAMMY-nominated projects and written for various artists, including a Billboard #1 single performed by her sister, Jamie-Grace. Morgan is often on the road creating, teaching, and performing, in hopes of spreading her unique inspirational message and inviting others into her creative process. Morgan currently resides in Phoenix, Arizona, with her family.

In this episode, Mimi talks with NC locals and sisters, Anna Lutz, RD, and Louise Metz, MD about weight inclusive care in nutrition / dietetics and medical care.

Anna Lutz is in private practice in Raleigh, NC and specializes in eating disorders and pediatric/family nutrition. Anna received her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Duke University and Master of Public Health in Nutrition from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is a Certified Eating Disorders Registered Dietitian (CEDRD) and an Approved Supervisor, both through the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals (iaedp).  Anna previously worked at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, DC and Duke Student Health, treating individuals with eating disorders. Anna has done extensive training through the Embodied Recovery Institute and strives to provide her clients trauma and somatically informed care. Anna is a national speaker and delivers workshops and presentations on eating disorders, weight-inclusive healthcare, and childhood feeding. She also writes and talks about nutrition and family feeding, free of diet culture, on her blog, Sunny Side Up Nutrition, and the Sunny Side Up Nutrition Podcast.

Dr. Louise Metz is an Internal Medicine physician with expertise in the medical care of eating disorders. She is the owner of Mosaic Comprehensive Care, a medical practice in Chapel Hill, North Carolina offering weight-inclusive primary care for adults and adolescents of all genders. After receiving an undergraduate degree in Biology and Women’s Studies at Duke University, she attended medical school at the University of North Carolina and completed her residency in Internal Medicine at the University of California at San Francisco. She has published research on heart disease in women, and has previously held academic positions at NYU’s Bellevue Hospital and Duke Medical Center. Dr. Metz leads workshops and presentations on weight-inclusive medical care and eating disorders. She is committed to increasing access to inclusive and affirming medical care for all individuals.

In this episode, Ruthie and I talk about unlearning the stories we have been taught in a patriarchal society about our bodies, about Church, and about who we are. Ruthie Lindsey is the author of the memoir There I Am, The Journey From Hopelessness To Healing, speaker and coach. Ruthie shares a remarkable story of surviving an accident as a teenager where she had a five percent chance to live and a one percent chance to walk, and the surgery that simultaneously saved and destroyed her body. As a young woman, chronic pain slowly pulled Ruthie away from everything she once held dear: her marriage, her faith, her family, her body, her very self. But her message is one of strength and resilience, the faith she lost and rebuilt in herself, and the power of sharing our stories. Ruthie challenges audiences to find the healing that is inside of all of us. She has spoken alongside renowned activists and writers such as Brené Brown, Glennon Doyle, Luvvie Ajayi, and Rachel Hollis

In this episode, Mimi and Amanda talk about what it is like to open a private practice and to share your recovery stories as a therapist. We also touch on boundaries and discuss sobriety and eating disorder recovery. Amanda E. White is a licensed therapist and the creator of the popular Instagram account @therapyforwomen. She specializes in teaching women how to set boundaries, engage in real self-care and work through shame. She is the founder of "Therapy for Women Center" located in Philadelphia and serving clients across the country. She is in recovery from an addiction and eating disorder and in her clinical work, Amanda specializes in supporting clients in the overlap and intersection of both. Amanda is also an experienced registered yoga teacher and leads yoga and mental health retreats around the world.