Diet Culture Dropout

Body security "I feel accepting and excited about the body I am in, despite still perceiving some of those problematic messages." Jessica Curran is a local psychotherapist who helps clients disentangle their self-worth from their bodies. In this episode we discuss: Jessica's personal experience of difficult body talk conversations during pregnancy. Defining what body security is. Explain how peopl...

Today I interview Sarah Kendell who is a dietitian in Ontario who specializes in binge eating disorder. We work on unpacking this eating disorder. Here is what we review: What is binge eating disorder and other names that people will resonate with Review the official clinical definition of Binge Eating Disorder Discuss how common it is and the age of onset What are some risk factors for developing...

Today's episode is all about plus size shopping from an expert with loads of lived experience. Shelly shares the challenges, distressing moments and biggest advice for anyone dressing their plus size body with fashionable well-fitting clothes.  This episode was inspired by a list Shelly shared with me of various plus size stores. It was more than a list of store names but tips on how their cl...

Today’s episode is coming from a collaborative conversation I had with Kerri Fullerton ND. A Naturopathic doctor who is doing radical work in her field. We dive into the topic: Are food interventions low risk or high? Here is what we cover: She shares her journey of becoming a Naturopathic doctor Explains the way she use to practice as a fresh grad and the 'normative approach" used by in most Natu...

Julie Sweeney and I discuss the heavy topic of weight stigma and fatphobia. The first of many conversations about this topic on the podcast.  What we cover in this episode: How do you define weight stigma and fatphobia. The different levels of fatphobia one can have. How weight stigma directly impact people’s health Julie shares real-life situations of weight stigma coming up for her personal...

In this solo episode I review the final principle in the Intuitive Eating series. Principle #10 which is Honour Your Health with Gentle Nutrition. Here is what I discuss in this episode: Explore this final principle Explain why it is imperative this is the last step in the Intuitive Eating journey Review what body-food congruence is and how this shapes your food decisions moving forward Provide ex...

This week I review the Intuitive Eating principle #9 Exercise: Feel the Difference. I dive into this principle with Natalie Hastings a Registered Dietitian located in northern Ontario. She shares her wisdom and advice for anyone interested in improving their relationship to movement.  Here is what we chat about: - Explore the word exercise and what people typically think this includes. -...

This week I review the principle #8 Respect Your Body. I dive into this principle with Renee Hamati a Zumba instructor and Intuitive Eating Counsellor. In this loaded episode we cover: - How do you begin to define body respect? - Is this place accessible to everyone? - Renee's journey with respecting her body and how this has evolved for her.  - What are some ways to begin showing your body r...

This week I review the principle #7 Cope with Your Feelings With Kindness. I dive into this principle with Dr. Megan Gallagher a Clinical Psychologist at Integrated Wellness in Ottawa. In this loaded episode we cover: What coping mechanisms are Why they are essential and can build a sense of resilience What influences the development of various coping mechanisms (hear, see, and life experience) Em...

This week I review the 6th principle which is discover the satisfaction factor. I dive into this principle with a dietitian colleague Erin Jenkins. In this loaded episode we cover: - Our own personal food culture experience where satisfaction was present - Why satisfaction is not the norm in Western cultures and why that is a big problem - How one gets started with this process? - Various sensory...

Up next in the Intuitive Eating series is principle #5 Feel Your Fullness. I am joined with Christine McPhail. A Registered Dietitian who is also working on her Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology. In this episode we: - Attempt to describe fullness  - Describe common barriers to experiencing fullness - Discuss the factors that influence fullness - Explain the ways diet culture gets...

Come join the conversation I had with Lori Short- Zamudio a kick ass non-diet Registered Dietitian. We talk about the fourth principle of Intuitive Eating which is Challenging the Food Police.  This episode is jam packed! Here is what we cover: - We start off by Lori sharing extensively her identities or privileges. Adding in a few more layers of identity that have not been covered so far. -...

Come join the conversation I had with Kalin Herbach an Alberta based Registered Dietitian. We talk about the third principle of Intuitive Eating which is Make Peace with Food. This is an essential step when you are recovering from restriction or deprivation. Taking the morality out of food is necessary when healing your relationship with food.  We talk about: - How diet culture has came up fo...

Up next in the Intuitive Eating series is principle #2 Honour Your Hunger. I am joined with an experienced colleague Suzanne Dietrich. She is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Intuitive Eating Counsellor from Waterloo Ontario. In this episode we: - Define what hunger is - Discuss the impacts chronic dieting and disordered eating have on people’s hunger signals - Explore how diet culture wa...

This new year instead of dieting.... learn about Intuitive Eating!! Intuitive Eating is a self-care eating framework. It is a personal process of honoring your health by listening to your body and paying attention to the messages and acting in a responsive and compassionate way. Only you know when your satisfied with a meal or need to attend to your self-care. There is no external rules to dictate...

In this week's podcast I had the privilege to interview a local primary school teacher Kate Winn. She has made some big shifts in the classroom to support her students autonomy with food and provide a supportive culture around food. Listen to learn more about: - How traditionally snacks and lunch was approached within her classroom  - The challenges with the "old way" of doing things and how...

How does diet culture come up in elementary schools?  In this episode Gwen and I discuss the various ways diet culture sneaks into the schools for our children. The impact teachers and support staff have on their student’s relationship with food is significant. It is always most supportive to work collaboratively with the school and your child when tackling these dilemmas. Gwen shares how die...

Being pregnant comes with a whole host of feelings, experiences and of course a side plate of diet culture. Join my conversation with Sam Thomas a Dietitian from British Columbia. We unpack how diet culture comes up for women during pregnancy. Looking at it creeping in from our culture, within the medical office and from well-meaning loved ones. We also dive into the harms it can have on mom and b...

Diet culture is really loud, toxic and has seeped into all facets of our lives. We daily have reminders from diet culture telling us we are not good enough in our current body and need to be “fixed”. The messaging has become so widespread and embedded in our culture. Which makes it very hard to recognize. This week I dive into defining it, identify ways it comes up, talk about why it is hard to br...

A weight-centric approach is how I was taught, mentored and practiced initially as a Registered Dietitian. So how did I get to becoming a HAES (Health at Every Size) and body inclusive dietitian? In this episode I share the process, my lived experience, uncomfortable moments and unjust situations as a healthcare provider. By no means is the process ever finally over. I am constantly learning...