The Pulse Project

Eating disorders in athletes don’t usually start with food — they start quietly in the mind, in identity, and in the pressure-cooker of performance, comparison, and control. In this episode, Stephanie Matre speaks directly to parents, coaches, clinicians, faith leaders, and athletes about the often-missed warning signs, why “high performing” doesn’t mean “healthy,” and how to start hard conversati...

In today’s episode of The Pulse Project Podcast, Stephanie shares a deeply personal, faith-rooted exploration of food addiction as a real, brain-based illness—not a failure of willpower or morality. Drawing from neuroscience, the food industry’s role, traditional Chinese medicine, and Catholic theology, this episode gently but clearly names what keeps so many women stuck in shame and silence. You’...

Join Stephanie as she dissects the body and soul in this unique episode about how Catholics view the creation of human beings, why that creation matters in our relationships, and why understanding this is so important for recovery.  Stephanie references the Catechism of the Catholic Church and its stance that we are called to view and treat our bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit.  She also explo...

In today’s episode, we discuss what’s actually happening in your brain when you crave, binge, restrict, or feel out of control with food — and why this is not a moral failure. Drawing from cutting-edge neuroscience, Dr. Anna Lembke’s work in Dopamine Nation, peer-reviewed research, Scripture, and Catholic moral theology, we’ll explore how dopamine shapes desire, how modern foods hijack the brain,...

Take a deep dive with Stephanie in this Lectio Divina of Luke 2:1-7, the Nativity of our Lord.  Travel back in time to walk beside the holiest of families on their journey to Bethlehem, in the piercing cold, on the eve of this native birth.  Welcome the Christ child with your own eyes and capture the wonder you've always had but never knew.  This episode will paint a new picture of the nativity th...

What's the deal with acupuncture?  Is it science?  Is it voodoo?  Is it REALLY medicine?  Learn the answers to those questions and more in this riveting episode as Stephanie explains, once and for all, the science behind the medicine, the art behind its origins, and the philosophy that runs through the entire practice like a lively pulse.  It is well documented that cultures do not keep practices...

Join Stephanie as she delves into the science behind GAPS, "Gut and Psychology Syndrome," explains what it is, and shares why it is important in the study and treatment of food addiction.  In this episode, you'll learn how the GAPS diet is used to treat all kinds of mental ailments and the unique connection your gut has with your brain.  Stephanie will brush on the TCM theory behind this connectio...

In this episode, you'll learn the truth behind the history of the food industry and why your struggle is not your fault, while willpower is more of a misnomer than a truth, and what mechanisms of the market have mastered in order to keep you stuck and buying more.  Flour, sugar and UPFs (ultra-processed-foods) hijack the brain on purpose and the industry knows exactly how.  Prepare to have your mi...

In this episode, you'll learn a practical tool that you can begin using TODAY immediately.  Square breathing is a technique that reduces anxiety, curbs cravings, enhances energy, increases parasympathetic nervous activity, and reminds us of the breath of God, which lives inside of us.  Learn how and when to use it, why it is a strong tool for recovery and how to apply it to times of prayer, at mas...

Explore the deeper meaning behind cravings for all things that bring you worldly pleasure.  You'll learn the brain components as well as the spiritual components of cravings and how they keep you stuck in cycles that don't serve you.  You'll also learn how they are invitations and stepping stones that can, if you allow them, become stepping stones to get closer to God.  This episode is packed with...

Take a deep dive into The Visitation with Stephanie's Lectio Divina of Luke 1:39-56.  Learn how Mary, Elizabeth, and John can support your recovery as you walk with The Mother of God to the hills of Judah.  This episode, rich in deep imagery, will catapult you into a world that was just getting to know the Son of God.  This Lectio will come alive in your bones as you learn how to relate to John, o...

What is the Pulse Project?  How did it come to be?  This episode will answer those questions.  Stephanie will share her journey through 12 step recovery and how it led her to the creation of her own Catholic food addiction recovery program for women.  You'll learn about how 12 step recovery is an important stepping stone for addicts, and also how it's not the only answer.  You'll also learn why a...

Dive into this Lectio Divina of the incarnation with a twist.  You will get to know Mary's fiat on an intimate level with Christ Himself walking alongside you.  This meditation is a powerful tool to use when you are discouraged or ready to throw in the towel.  By reminding ourselves of our own humanity and how that nature is directly related to the fact that we are indeed created in Christ's image...

Listen to Stephanie's harrowing story of how she developed, suffered from, and then overcame anorexia and bulimia.  This episode is a raw unabridged version of Stephanie's life which details the nature of her disease and how her recovery is connected to her conversion to the Catholic faith.  This episode is a personal account of Stephanie's life and is not meant to aid others in diagnosing, treati...