Behind The Bite

In this poignant episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini sits down with oncology nurse educator Robby Wallace to discuss the often-overlooked physical and emotional toll of cancer treatment. While medical teams focus on eradicating the disease, patients are frequently left to navigate profound shifts in their body image, identity, and daily functionality on their own. Robby sheds light on the gaps in the...

In this episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini sits down with Virginia Newman, known as "The Radical Dietitian," to expose the dangerous line between wellness culture and Orthorexia. They discuss how the pursuit of "clean eating" and dietary purity can spiral into a debilitating eating disorder that shrinks your life while masquerading as health. Virginia shares her personal journey from a back injury t...

In this episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini sits down with Alana Cahoon to tackle the pervasive issue of stress and anxiety in our modern, fast-paced world. Together, they explore the cultural pressure to "live to work" rather than "work to live," and how this mindset contributes to burnout and disconnection. Alana shares practical, accessible tools to help listeners stop spiraling into future worrie...

If January feels heavy — not motivating, not inspiring, not like a fresh start — this episode is for you. In this solo episode, I explore why so many people are quietly opting out of New Year’s resolutions and resonating with the idea of a “Soft January.” Not because they don’t care about growth — but because years of trying to do things the “right” way have left them feeling like failures when th...

In this critical and timely episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini is joined by Melainie Rogers, Founder and CEO of BALANCE Eating Disorder Treatment Center, to navigate the chaotic "wild west" of the current weight loss landscape. As GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Wegovy saturate the market, Melainie pulls back the curtain on the alarming side effects that are often swept under the rug—from signifi...

In this episode, Dr. Cristina sits down with James Cappola, a seasoned fitness trainer and co-founder of Zero Shortcuts Training, to dismantle the toxic "no pain, no gain" mentality that plagues the fitness industry. James opens up about his own history with exercise bulimia and body dysmorphia, revealing how he appeared to be the picture of health—sporting a six-pack and muscles—while secretly ba...

In this insightful episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini sits down with Holly Toscanini, a former weight loss expert turned intuitive living coach, to dismantle the "someday" myth. Holly shares her powerful pivot from running medical weight loss programs to realizing that chasing a number on the scale was actually shrinking her life, not expanding it. Together, they pull back the curtain on the toxic b...

In this powerful episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini sits down with Wednesdae Reim Ifrach to dismantle the toxic "New Year, New You" narrative and explore the deep intersections between eating disorders, gender identity, and medical trauma. Wednesdae shares their harrowing story of being "prescribed" an eating disorder by a pediatrician at age 10 and how the pursuit of thinness masked a deeper strugg...

In this eye-opening episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini sits down with Zoe Harwood to dismantle the dangerous myths surrounding the BMI and the concept of "clean eating." Zoe shares her personal journey from a professional dancer praised for her "discipline" to a woman battling severe Orthorexia—a condition often hidden behind a mask of health and wellness. They discuss how the medical community freq...

This impactful episode features Debra Benfield sharing her expertise and personal journey through diet culture, ageism, and self-acceptance. The conversation, hosted by Dr. Cristina Castagnini, delves into the pervasive cultural pressures surrounding aging, food, and body image. Debra explains how undernourishment is often disguised as discipline, urges listeners to question “anti-aging” marketing...

For nearly a decade, Greta was told by doctors, coaches, and the sports culture around her that losing her period as an athlete was just part of the game—a sign of dedication and discipline. It wasn't until after college, when she discovered research on relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S), that she realized her body had been screaming for help all along. Through her personal recovery and p...

In this powerful and deeply vulnerable episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini welcomes Nikki DuBose, a model, author, advocate, and PsyD student, who shares her courageous journey from childhood trauma and eating disorders to a thriving modeling career that masked deep internal struggles, and ultimately to full recovery and healing. For years, Nikki lived the life everyone envied—gracing magazine covers...

In this heartfelt and deeply relatable episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini welcomes Heidi Dueweke, a Licensed Professional Counselor and Certified Personal Trainer, who shares her powerful journey from years of self-criticism and rigid food rules to true healing and self-acceptance. For much of her life, Heidi believed discipline, control, and self-denial would finally bring her peace. Instead, those...

In this powerful and eye-opening conversation, Dr. Cristina Castagnini welcomes Dr. Erin Harrop (they/them) — a licensed medical social worker, assistant professor at the University of Denver, and leading researcher on eating disorders, weight stigma, and inclusive healthcare. Dr. Harrop brings both professional expertise and personal lived experience to the discussion, shedding light on how syste...

In this enlightening episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini welcomes Dr. Jillian Lampert, one of the nation’s leading experts in eating disorder treatment and policy. Together, they unpack the complexities of navigating eating disorder care—from identifying the right level of treatment to understanding how virtual care has reshaped access in the modern era. Dr. Lampert blends three decades of profession...

In this insightful and deeply personal episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini sits down with Asher M. Seruya, a psychotherapist whose lived experience with eating disorders, neurodivergence, and Jewish identity informs their clinical practice and advocacy work. Together, they unpack the complex intersections of culture, family, identity, and neurodiversity that shape how we experience food and body imag...

In this deeply compassionate and informative episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini speaks with Jane Reagan, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Certified Eating Disorder Specialist, counselor, and creator of The Eating Disorder Recovery Roadmap for Parents. Jane shares both her professional expertise and her personal journey of supporting her own daughter through anorexia. Together, Cristina and Jane...

In this powerful and deeply personal episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini sits down with Robyn Goldberg, RDN, a nationally recognized registered dietitian nutritionist, author, and podcast host. Robyn shares her journey as a lifelong athlete—from competing in tennis at the collegiate level to training for triathlons—and the painful lessons she learned when her body broke down after years of being told...

In this powerful and moving episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini welcomes Kerry Melachouris, a former performer turned CCI-certified Eating Disorder Coach and psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. Kerry brings both lived experience and clinical insight to the table as she shares her decades-long battle with anorexia, bulimia, overexercise, and atypical anorexia—and her journey to full recovery...

In this insightful and heartfelt conversation, Dr. Cristina Castagnini welcomes Orlee Klempner, an integrative practitioner specializing in Internal Family Systems (IFS), mindfulness, and trauma-informed yoga. Orlee opens up about her personal journey of growing up in a culture steeped in dieting, body image pressures, and early medical trauma. Through her story, Orlee shares how shame and compari...

In this episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini welcomes Dalia Kinsey, RD—a queer, Black registered dietitian and holistic wellness practitioner—for an honest and liberating conversation about food, body image, and diet culture. Together, they unpack why fear-based food rules backfire, how cultural messages shape our relationship with eating, and what it really takes to heal from toxic beliefs around foo...

In this inspiring episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini talks with Samantha Brior, founder of Safe Sam’s, a unique product line and community resource designed to support individuals and families going through eating disorder recovery. Sam shares her personal story of recovery, how her lived experience inspired her to create snack bars specifically for those in treatment, and how her journey evolved in...

In this deeply moving and inspiring conversation, Dr. Cristina Castagnini welcomes Haley Schiek, an eating disorder recovery coach and founder of COSANA Coaching, to share her personal journey from years of struggling with anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating to building a life of freedom, purpose, and joy. Haley recounts how childhood bullying, social media pressures, and the cultural obsession wi...

In this inspiring episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini welcomes Sherry Shaban, Certified Athletic Therapist, Osteopath, Hypnotherapist, and creator of the Make Peace With Food method. Sherry shares her powerful personal journey from being a competitive athlete, to a life-altering accident that left her in chronic pain, to rediscovering strength, and eventually questioning everything she had been taugh...

In this special milestone episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini celebrates the 250th episode of Behind the Bite ! Unlike most episodes, today it’s just Dr. Cristina—no guest—reflecting on the journey of this podcast and diving into one of the most insidious forces impacting our body image and relationship with food: media-driven diet culture. Dr. Cristina unpacks decades of harmful ads, reality TV show...