Behind The Bite

What if the "healthy" habits you're proud of are actually the beginning of an illness? In this episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini sits down with eating disorder recovery coach Hanne Arts, who thought she was simply disciplined and health-conscious until the rules around food took over her life. Hanne shares how an eating disorder can hide in plain sight, how a sleep problem led to her diagnosis, and...

Picture a cramped college dorm room during rush week: a mini fridge full of cold brew and oat milk, and tucked beside them a small case of semaglutide vials. In this solo episode, psychologist and certified eating disorder specialist Dr. Cristina Castagnini looks at how GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy have moved from Hollywood into college Greek life. Young women at healthy weights are getting...

In this enlightening episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini sits down with celebrity stylist and image consultant Jenni Lee to deconstruct the stressful relationship many women have with their wardrobes. For those struggling with body image or eating disorders, clothing can often feel like a daily battleground of triggers and self-judgment. Jenni Lee shares her "more styling, less shopping" philosophy,...

What happens when your child is battling a serious, potentially life-threatening illness, but instead of being empowered to help, you are told to stand back, stay quiet, and stay out of the way? In this deeply compassionate episode of Behind the Bite, Dr. Cristina Castagnini is joined by Cherie Monarch and Nancy Clarkson, two incredible advocates and mothers who lived through the terrifying realit...

In this powerful episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini sits down with Toni Curtis, the founder of Birthwise, to explore the profound loneliness and frustration that comes with being dismissed by the medical establishment. After suffering the tragic loss of her brother to a medical error and facing nearly two decades of "unexplained" infertility and chronic health struggles, Toni refused to accept the v...

In this episode of Behind the Bite, Dr. Cristina Castagnini sits down with therapist, educator, and author Tamie Gangloff to explore the profound intersection of chronic illness, eating disorders, and substance use. After being diagnosed with scoliosis as a child and struggling with the shame of being told she had a "deformity," Tamie developed a deeply distorted relationship with her body and foo...

In this powerful episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini sits down with Olivia Soha, the founder of Uncovery, to discuss the often-invisible line between "wellness culture" and a life-threatening eating disorder. Olivia shares her harrowing journey from an early childhood struggle with ARFID to a medical crisis in her twenties that resulted in a near-death experience and a spiritual vision that changed h...

In this powerful episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini sits down with Jenna Doak, the founder of Body Positive Fitness, to dismantle the dangerous myth that a "perfect" body equals a perfect life. Jenna spent years as the "ideal" personal trainer—thin, disciplined, and praised by society—while secretly struggling with exhaustion, under-fueling, and an obsessive relationship with exercise. Jenna reveals...

In this deeply insightful episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini sits down with Rachel Frost, a psychiatric nurse practitioner and eating disorder recovery coach who shares her powerful 17-year journey through an eating disorder and substance use. Rachel opens up about the "holding pattern" many individuals face when battling co-occurring disorders, where substance use masks the underlying shame of an e...

In this enlightening episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini sits down with Dr. Jenny Talbert to explore the pervasive issue of weight stigma within the healthcare system. Dr. Talbert shares her deeply personal journey of battling atypical anorexia and orthorexia while navigating the demands of medical training, revealing how the industry meant to heal can often cause profound harm. Together, they discus...

In this moving episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini sits down with Michelle Rogers, the creator behind the popular Instagram account @bodyposipower, to explore her transformative journey from an anonymous blogger to a prominent body acceptance advocate. Michelle candidly shares the challenges of navigating an eating disorder while living in a larger body, highlighting the systemic harm of weight stigm...

In this inspiring episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini sits down with Alli Bollinger, a former Radio City Rockette who turned her struggle with an eating disorder into a platform for healing. Alli shares how her lifelong identity as "the dancer" became a double-edged sword during her collegiate BFA program, where innocent health goals spiraled into a restrictive and isolating illness. After a life-alt...

In this enlightening episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini sits down with Registered Dietitian Colleen Christensen to unpack the confusing landscape of "food freedom." Many individuals escaping the clutches of diet culture find themselves swinging from rigid restriction to a state of rebellion where they feel out of control with food. Colleen explains why this "pendulum swing" is a normal part of the p...

In this moving episode of Behind the Bite, Dr. Cristina Castagnini sits down with Katie Kiliszewsk to explore a deeply personal journey through the shadows of anorexia and substance abuse. Katie opens up about the childhood roots of her eating disorder—from being teased by neighborhood kids to the damaging influence of a sports coach—and the sixteen-year battle that followed. They discuss the "all...

In this insightful episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini sits down with psychotherapist Dana Colthart to explore the frequently overlooked connection between Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and eating disorders. While many view eating disorders as being strictly about food or willpower, Dana highlights how underlying traits like perfectionism, rigidity, and "black and white" thinking create a perfe...

In this powerful episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini sits down with Heidi McLachlan to discuss the devastating impact of being labeled "chronic" by the very experts meant to provide hope. Heidi shares her two-decade-long journey with anorexia, which began as a search for identity and quickly became a "safety net" that trapped her in a cycle of hospitalizations and despair. After years of being told t...

Psychiatric medication is often one of the most misunderstood and emotionally charged aspects of mental health treatment, particularly when it involves children, adolescents, and eating disorders. In this insightful episode, host Dr. Cristina Castagnini sits down with Dr. Peyman Tashkandi, a double board-certified psychiatrist, to demystify the role of medication in the recovery process. Dr. Tashk...

In this enlightening episode of Behind the Bite, Dr. Cristina Castagnini welcomes back therapist and author Alli Spotts-De Lazzer to explore the often-misunderstood concepts of self-esteem and confidence. Many people spend years trying to "fix" themselves or chase higher self-esteem, only to find that their sense of worth remains a moving target. Alli introduces "self-acceptance" as the missing li...

In this powerful episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini sits down with Eric Pothen to shine a light on the often-invisible struggle of eating disorders in men. For too long, societal stigmas and the "wellness" industry have allowed disordered behaviors in men to slip through the cracks, masked as fitness goals or masculine ideals. Eric shares his personal journey from struggling with an eating disorder...

In this powerful episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini welcomes back former U.S. Olympian and elite professional boxer Danny O’Connor to discuss the dangerous intersection of weight-class sports and eating disorders. Danny pulls back the curtain on his 15-year career, revealing how extreme weight cutting and binge eating became a normalized, secret struggle that eventually landed him in the ICU on the...

In this powerful episode of Behind the Bite, Dr. Cristina Castagnini sits down with trauma-informed, neurodivergent dietitian Chrissy Overstreet to discuss what happens when an eating disorder hides behind the mask of high achievement and a "normal" appearance. Chrissy opens up about how childhood bullying, generational diet talk, and the intense, grueling environment of the culinary industry perf...

In this poignant and eye-opening episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini sits down with author and mental health advocate Johanna Scoglio to discuss the often-overlooked realities of living with and healing from a long-term eating disorder. Johanna bravely shares how profound grief and family transitions at age 15 triggered her decades-long struggle with food restriction and compulsive exercise—a compuls...

In this episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini sits down with Alana Van Der Sluys to discuss the often-overlooked struggle of undiagnosed eating disorders. Alana shares her personal battle with orthorexia, binge eating disorder, and atypical anorexia—conditions that were exacerbated by the "not sick enough" narrative and societal weight stigma. Together, they explore the dangerous cycle of weekday restr...

In this deeply moving episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini sits down with author Alle C. Hall to explore the complex intersection of childhood trauma and eating disorders. Alle shares her candid 30-year journey of healing, discussing how creativity served as a lifeline when the weight of abuse felt insurmountable. They delve into the often-unspoken realities of relapse during major life transitions li...

In this episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini sits down with Binge Eating Recovery Coach Stefanie Michele to discuss the alarming parallels between modern "wellness" food guidelines and eating disorder behaviors. They dismantle the fear-mongering around carbohydrates, the elitism of "clean eating," and the dangers of new inverted food pyramid trends that demonize essential macronutrients. Stefanie shar...