Eat the Rules with Summer Innanen

I am interviewing Anita Johnston, author of Eating in the Light of the Moon. She talks about the neuroscience and psychology behind our body image and relationship with food, how to get back in touch with who you are and the art of feeling feelings. In this episode, we chat about: How we lose the capacity to be intuitive and express who we are as children and why this influences our relationship with food and our bodies. The masculine systems that contribute to the suppression of our emotions and intuition and their influence on the way we feel about ourselves. The neuroscience of why we feel bad about ourselves and how to change it. The contract between belonging and fitting in and why the desire to fit in creates a disconnect from who we are. Three questions to ask yourself to get in touch with who you are and what you desire. Why loneliness is really about a disconnection from ourselves versus a disconnection from others. The art of feeling feelings and why it’s necessary. Plus, so much more! 

I’m chatting with Krystal Thompson – Professional Yoga Therapist and Intersectional Body Positivity Activist. She talks about how the body positive movement can be more inclusive, what it means to practice body positive yoga, how it can help you heal your body image and details on our upcoming virtual workshop – The Self-Care Shakedown. We also talk about: The moment she decided she was done with dieting and diet culture and how yoga helped her to heal her relationship with her body. How the body positive movement can be more inclusive and expand representation in an effort to uphold the belief that all bodies are worthy of love and respect. Why “all bodies are good bodies” is an exclusionary statement. Blowing up the BS around statements like “as long as she’s happy and healthy”. The co-opting of body positivity in yoga culture and all of the different reasons this is problematic. The various systems of oppression that benefit from you feeling bad about yourself and how to fight back. Everything you need to know about The Self-Care Shakedown. Plus, so much more! 

I’m chatting with Dianne Bondy – Yoga Teacher, Social Justice Activist & leading voice of the Yoga For All movement. She talks about the intersection of racism and diet and yoga culture, why diet culture and yoga cannot co-exist and the white-washing of the yoga industry. What she noticed about yoga culture and how this prompted her to become a social justice activist. Dianne’s experience with discrimination and racism and the influence of this on her body image and self-worth. How the media’s portrayal of people of colour creates stereotypes, perpetuates racism and impacts the self-worth of women of colour. The “white-washing” of yoga culture and how this is counter to the roots of yoga and yoga philosophy. The co-opting of body positivity in yoga culture and all of the different reasons this is problematic. How to study your privilege and viewpoints to be a better ally. How diet culture permeates into yoga culture and why it’s counter to fundamental principles of yoga. Plus, so much more! 

I’m chatting with Mallorie Dunn – creator of SmartGlamour. She gives us a behind the scenes perspective on the fashion industry as it relates to body positivity, including how misleading sizing charts are and how clothing can help you with body acceptance. In this episode, we chat about: What SmartGlamour is all about, why it’s accessible for ALL bodies and why it’s blazing the trail for body positive clothing retailers. The importance of diverse representation in the fashion industry and why the majority of retailers are falling short with their attempts at “body positivity”. How we can support body positivity with our dollars and not just attitudes. How sizing charts are really created, why they are misleading and why you shouldn’t care. Why we need to reclaim the word “flattering” back to its true definition and how it’s current use is demoralizing. How to enjoy the shopping experience and explore new styles. What to look for when shopping if you have a changing body and how clothing can support your body acceptance. Plus, so much more! 

I’m chatting with Melissa Toler – writer, speaker and coach - about the intersection of racism and diet culture, why dieting is violence and how it strips us of our humanity and so much more. Melissa’s experience growing up as a Black woman and how this influenced her body image. The intersection of diet culture and racism and how this influences women of colour. The “Whiteness” of the wellness industry, how this has bled into body positivity and how its messaging is inaccessible to marginalized groups. What women of privilege need to know to do better and help liberate all bodies. Why dieting is violence against ourselves and how it robs us of our humanity. Why the pursuit of weight loss is not a personal choice, even though you may think it is. What to do to reclaim your humanity and autonomy amongst the pressures of diet culture. Plus, so much more! 

It's a special episode because I’m speaking to 4 incredible women, who are just like you. These are 4 of my clients who recently went through the Rock Your Body program and they are here to show you that it is possible to go from hopping to diet to diet and being frustrated with your body, to no longer fretting about your reflection and having so much more confidence in who you are outside of how you look. Rock Your Body is the 12-week online program that gives you a step-by-step way of building up self-worth beyond your jean size with personalized coaching from me and lifetime access to the program—so you wake up in the morning feeling comfortable in your skin and live an amazing life beyond the number on the scale. RockYourBodyNow.com

I’m chatting with fat feminist mother, activist, writer and artist, Amy Pence-Brown, about ageism and body positivity, how misogyny permeates our beliefs and influences behavior that is harmful towards other women. We chat about: Amy’s progression towards feminist to body positive activist and the google search that led her to the fat acceptance movement. What prompted Amy to do her Stand For Self-Love social experiment that went viral. What she learned from the experiment and the experience of the video being seen around the world. The relationship between misogyny and competition and violence amongst women. How to recognize the misogynistic behaviors that women engage in that have become normalized in our culture. How ageism impacts our self-worth and what we can do to fight against harmful narratives on aging. Specific things we can do to embrace aging and age positivity. The added pressures of being a mom trying to raise intersectional feminist children and what most moms are not talking about. Plus so much more!

I’m giving you an epic guide to why diets don’t work, the physical and emotional ramifications of dieting and how to heal to have a good relationship with food. I talk about: What the diet cycle looks like. How it starts and sets us up for failure. How it contributes to worsening self-worth or esteem. What it means to have a diet mentality and the symptoms of this. What it means to eat normally. The side effects and negative ramifications of dieting. Weight regulation, set-point theory and how dieting messes this up. The factors that influence our weight. Myths about health and weight. How to end the restrict-binge cycle. The most important pieces of the puzzle that need to be addressed when learning to eat normally. Plus so much more!  

I chat Bethany Webster - writer, transformational coach, international speaker - we dive deep into the intricacies of our relationship with of our mothers and the way we feel about ourselves, including how you can heal “the mother wound” in order to cultivate self-worth. We chat about: Bethany’s relationship with her mother growing up and how that shaped her body image and self-worth. How she had to heal her mother wound in order to embrace who she is. The beliefs, patterns and dynamics that form our mother wound and the influence of these on our self-worth. The role of the patriarchy in creating the mother wound and how this differs across cultures and generations. The source of the guilt that we have around setting boundaries and breaking co-dependency with our moms. The key questions to ask yourself to overcome this guilt. The steps to take to heal your mother wound, including journal prompts to explore. Plus so much more!

I chat Rachel Cole – certified life coach and women’s empowerment expert - on how to balance being a sensitive individual with autonomy and authenticity, the subtle ways we give our power away and how to reclaim body sovereignty. In this episode, we chat about: Rachel’s history with an eating disorder and how she reclaimed a deep sense of trust with her body. The deep hungers that create our tumultuous relationship with food and the important questions to ask ourselves to break free. Why so many of us are walking around disconnected and untrusting of our bodies. What it means to be a HSP (Highly Sensitive Person), including the gifts, challenges and unique self-care requirements. How to balance being a sensitive individual, while demanding autonomy and being authentic. What to do if we’re ashamed of our sensitivity and feel guilt for advocating for our needs. The difference between body submission and body sovereignty and the sneak ways we give our power away. How to reclaim your body sovereignty. Plus so much more!