The Appetite

Part 3 of a 3 part series: "Creating Social Change in the Sport World"  Episode 3:  Power of Sharing Your Recovery Journey-- Most people who struggle with disordered eating or an eating disorder grapple with how much and to whom they share their struggle with. Amelia Boone, a world class obstacle racer and ultrarunner, is no exception. Amelia talks about her “why” of sharing vulnerably a...

Part 2 of a 3 part series: "Creating Social Change in the Sport World"  Episode 2:  Power of Writing-- Diet culture messages pervade all media- from advertisements, to magazines, to Instagram and TikTok. It’s no exception in the sport world- harmful, antiquated messages pop up everywhere that perpetuate disordered eating and body image distress. These harmful messages promote a particula...

Part 1 of a 3 part series: "Creating Social Change in the Sport World" Episode 1: Power of Coaches-- The "win at all costs" sport culture needs to retire and be replaced by the "whole person athlete" culture. In this episode of The Appetite, Opal co-founder and Clinical Director Kara Bazzi, talks with two coaches who are doing just that-- actively working towards the "whole person athlete" sport c...

We're excited to bring you our conversation with Christy Harrison MPH, RD, CEDRD author of Anti-Diet and host of the Food Psych podcast. Many of you might know of Christy's work, but might not know what led her to shift her career from working as a journalist reporting on food sustainability to becoming an anti-diet dietitian, author, and host. She breaks down her personal journey with food and ea...

"Food is fuel". " You are a machine". "You look fit". "You are what you eat". These are all messages about food and our bodies that are commonplace, yet born out of diet culture. Opal Co-Founder and Clinical Director Kara Bazzi talks with dietitian and endurance athlete Maria Dalzot, RD about how these messages are falling short and not supporting our athletes well-being and performance. In t...

You will be happy to bend your ear (maybe again) for this one!  Julie Church, RDN and Carter Umhau, LMHC talk with Erin Harrop (now doctor Erin Harrop, PhD, Assistant Professor at the University of Denver) about healthism, the use of the word "fat," fat liberation and intersectionality.  Dr. Harrop shares their personal experience to spotlight problems with the over-focus on weight in ea...

What does eating disorder recovery have to do with the Biden-Harris inauguration ceremony? Take a listen to Opal Co-Founders Lexi Giblin, PhD, Kara Bazzi, LMFT, and Julie Church, RDN consider this question on the heels of the historic inauguration ceremony. They connect the dots through themes of learning to celebrate, divesting from perfectionism, self-compassion, empathy, authenticity,...

If you haven't heard about or tuned into the Netflix docuseries, MOVE, now's the time! MOVE takes you through the lived experiences of dancers around the globe, and offers a visceral experience of movement that brings transformation and healing- both individually and collectively. These dancers are not motivated to lose weight or change their bodies- their dancing is about passion, healing, e...

Originally released in 2018, we felt this interview was worth repeating! At a time where sports and athletics are turned upside down due to the pandemic, a silver lining is that it's creating new time and space for both athletes and coaches to learn and become more centered in what is most important and enduring in athletics. In this conversation about the influential position a coach has on an at...

Let us re-introduce you to Shilo George--- our guest from episode 57 (which is a worthwhile listen too!!) where she shared honestly about mental health and food concerns as a "super-fat, indigenous, queer woman".  Shilo is a Southern Cheyenne-Arapaho and Scottish international speaker, trainer, and owner of Łush Kumtux Tumtum Consulting. Today Julie Church, Opal Co-Founder and Nutrition Direc...

How does being marginalized impact a person’s health and physiology? Dr. Lindo Bacon, who has spent their career advocating for social justice at the intersection of weight and health, joins this episode to share about their newest book, Radical Belonging: How to Survive and Thrive in an Unjust World (While Transforming it for the Better). In conversation with Opal Co-Founder Julie Church and...

What does it look like to center narrative in racial identity work? Aiko Bethea is the principal and founder of Rare Coaching and Consulting, which offers executive coaching to leaders on their diversity, equity, and inclusion journey. She joins host Carter Umhau and Opal Co-Founders Lexi Giblin and Julie Church today in a tender and empowering conversation around what diversity and inclusion work...

How do you know when it’s time to let go? On this more reflective and personal episode of The Appetite, Opal Co-Founder’s Lexi Giblin, Kara Bazzi, and Julie Church join host  Carter Umhau to explore themes around loss, grief, accepting change, and letting go. Inspired by an announcement from Carter about her departure from the podcast, the crew reflects on where The Appeti...

How has whiteness in the running world contributed to the toxicity around sport culture? Runner Alison Désir joins host and therapist Carter Umhau and Opal Co-Founder and Head of the Exercise + Sport Program, Kara Bazzi, to talk about the intersection of race and running, and why representation and mental health support in running—and the athletic world at large—matters. Alison Désir is a runner,...

How does Opal think about anti-racism work within eating disorder treatment?  After a bit of a hiatus following the murder of George Floyd and the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement, this episode breaks the silence on what we’ve been learning and implementing within the walls of Opal: Food + Body Wisdom around anti-racism. Co-Founders Julie Church, Lexi Giblin, and Kara Bazzi...

Has your relationship to food changed since the pandemic began? Whether you’re snacking more, eating a different variety of food, or finding yourself restricting or bingeing due to high emotions, we imagine a lot could have shifted. While a mainstream perspective might tell you to use this “opportunity” to “take control of your diet,” we have a very different perspective. Opal Co-Founder and Nutri...

 Who are you outside of the identity of your job? Over the last year, Opal: Food + Body Wisdom’s Co-Founders (Kara Bazzi, LMFT, CEDS, Julie Church, RDN, CEDRD-S, CD, and Lexi Giblin, PhD, CEDS) each took a month away from Opal in order to rest and recharge. They’ll be sharing how they spent their free time, the questions of identity that arose, how their perspectives changed around work and l...

Why does delight matter? We believe that, during the coronavirus pandemic, delight offers an opportunity for mindfulness, connectedness, and a boost to your mental health. Inspired by a This American Life episode called, “The Show of Delights,” Opal Co-Founders Kara Bazzi, LMFT, CEDS, Dr. Lexi Giblin, PhD, CEDS, and Julie Church, RDN, CEDRD-S, CD are talking with host and therapist Carter Umhau, L...

Did you tune into Netflix’s docuseries, Cheer? What did you think of the Navarro team culture portrayed? In light of all the tv-watching that’s been happening while sheltering in place, we decided to keep it casual for this episode and chat about our perspective on this inspiring and intense show that follows the Navarro College cheer squad as they train for competitive cheerleading champions...

 How have you been doing lately? Mental health is of utmost importance during the coronavirus pandemic. In this mini episode, we’re offering you a Loving Kindness meditation, led by Opal Co-Founder, Executive Director and Radically Open DBT expert Dr. Lexi Giblin, PhD, CEDS. Lexi will walk you through this externally-focused meditation which will ask you to connect to your heart’s center and...

How have social distancing and sheltering-in-place impacted your relationship to exercise? There is loss of all kinds during this time—there are relational and fiscal losses, losses of routine and identity, and of course, loss of life. However, as an embodied people, there is a lot freedom our bodies have lost—including when it comes to movement and exercise. Opal: Food + Body Wisdom Co-Founder an...

 How have you experienced unwanted energy and emotion during the coronavirus pandemic? The Appetite crew is getting vulnerable and answering this question, using the Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy (RO DBT) skill of self-inquiry. Opal Co-Founder and RO DBT expert Dr. Lexi Giblin, PhD, CEDS shares how the skill of self-inquiry can be used during this time to move toward emotion in...

How has the global pandemic impacted your relationship to food? As restaurants close, grocery shelves are emptied, and anxiety levels go up, you deserve compassion when it comes to the way your body is responding to this global pandemic. For those struggling with disordered eating or eating disorder recovery, we’re here to help with guided meal support. Julie Church, RDN, CEDRD-S, CD—Opal: Food+Bo...

What might it be like to be a professional athlete—the symbol of health and strength in our culture—and to have a gut instinct that something is not well in your body? This was the case for elite runner and marathoner Tina Muir, when after nine years without a period she decided to stop running altogether, recover from amenorrhea, and try to get pregnant. Now the author of Overcoming Amenorrhea: G...

How can we best prepare for the psychological impacts of social distancing during the age of Coronavirus? In this episode, host and therapist Carter Umhau, LMHC shares her experience with self-isolating a couple weeks ahead of the curve in Seattle, a city already ahead of the curve in shelter-in-place mandates than most other US cities. Opal: Food + Body Wisdom’s Co-Founders, Lexi Giblin, PhD, CED...