

Food Psych Podcast with Christy Harrison
Christy Harrison, MPH, RD, CEDS
Helping people make peace with food since 2013. Registered dietitian nutritionist, certified intuitive eating counselor, and journalist Christy Harrison, MPH, RD, CEDS talks with guests and answers listener questions about making peace with food, healing from disordered eating, learning body acceptance, practicing intuitive eating, escaping harmful wellness culture, and more--all from a body-positive, anti-diet perspective. Along the way, Christy shares her own journey from disordered eater and dieter to food writer and anti-diet dietitian. This podcast challenges diet culture in all its forms--including the restrictive behaviors that often masquerade as wellness and fitness. Food Psych® is designed to offer safe and non-triggering support for listeners in recovery from eating disorders, weight stigma, and body shame. Subscribe for new anti-diet inspiration every week! Learn more and get full show notes and transcripts at christyharrison.com/foodpsych
(Disclaimer: All content in this podcast, including medical opinion and any other health-related information, is for informational purposes only and should not be considered to be a specific diagnosis or treatment plan for any individual situation. Use of the information contained in this podcast does not constitute a doctor-patient relationship.)
(Disclaimer: All content in this podcast, including medical opinion and any other health-related information, is for informational purposes only and should not be considered to be a specific diagnosis or treatment plan for any individual situation. Use of the information contained in this podcast does not constitute a doctor-patient relationship.)
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 5, 2024 • 49min
#327: Hormone-Health Myths and Facts with Endocrinologist Gregory Dodell
Endocrinologist Gregory Dodell, a specialist in hormone health, debunks common myths about hormone balance and weight management. He challenges the effectiveness of fad diets and supplements, arguing against the misconceptions of adrenal fatigue and the Ozempic craze. Dodell emphasizes the importance of a patient-focused approach, advocating for intuitive eating and personalized health strategies. He highlights the complexities of diagnosing hormone-related issues and promotes a weight-neutral perspective on managing hormonal imbalances.

Aug 8, 2024 • 43min
#326: Body Image: What the Evidence Really Says, with Charlotte Markey
Charlotte Markey, a psychologist and body-image researcher, joins the discussion to debunk myths surrounding body image. She tackles the effects of chronic illness and social media on self-perception, highlighting the importance of media literacy. The conversation shifts to the body positivity vs. body neutrality debate and examines how GLP-1 weight loss drugs impact people's views of themselves. Markey emphasizes the need for a nurturing environment to foster self-acceptance and resilience among all individuals navigating body image issues.

Jul 11, 2024 • 54min
#325: Recovering in a Larger Body with Shira Rosenbluth
Eating-disorders therapist Shira Rosenbluth returns to discuss how she was able to get into solid eating-disorder recovery after many years of struggling, her experience of recovering into a larger body and how she navigated weight stigma in that process, being a plus-size bride, how the hype around GLP-1s has affected her recovery (and her clients’), and more. Shira Rosenbluth, LCSW, is a licensed clinical social worker treating clients in New York and California. She has a passion for helping people feel their best in their body at any size and specializes in the treatment of disordered eating, eating disorders, and body-image dissatisfaction using a weight-neutral approach. She’s also the author of a popular body positive blog and has been featured in The New York Times, Insider, The Cut, The Everygirl, InStyle, and Healthline. You can find her on Instagram, @theshirarose. Learn more about her therapy practice at ShiraRosenbluthLCSW.com. Check out Christy’s three books, Anti-Diet, The Wellness Trap, and The Emotional Eating, Chronic Dieting, Binge Eating & Body Image Workbook for a deeper dive into the topics covered on the pod. If you’re ready to break free from diet culture and make peace with food, come check out Christy's Intuitive Eating Fundamentals online course. For more critical thinking and compassionate skepticism about wellness and diet culture, check out Christy’s Rethinking Wellness podcast! You can also sign up to get it in your inbox every week at rethinkingwellness.substack.com. Ask a question about diet and wellness culture, disordered-eating recovery, and the anti-diet approach for a chance to have it answered on Rethinking Wellness. You can also subscribe to the Food Psych Weekly newsletter to check out previous answers!Our Sponsors:* Join Armoire and get up to 50% off your first month: https://armoire.style/PSYCHAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Jun 13, 2024 • 39min
#324: Weight-Loss-Industry Influence in "Obesity" Research with Alexis Conason
Eating-disorders psychologist Alexis Conason discusses the industry influence in 'obesity' research, mental health effects of bariatric surgery, and challenges in discussing pharmaceutical-industry influence. They also explore social media's impact on wellness conversations and critique underlying research in weight-loss recommendations.

May 8, 2024 • 39min
#323: The Hidden Risks of Weight-Loss Drugs: Behind the GLP-1 Hype with Ragen Chastain
Writer and weight-inclusive health/fitness professional Ragen Chastain discusses the risks of GLP-1 drugs for weight loss, conflicts of interest in drug manufacturer influence, the co-opting of weight stigma, and challenges in integrative medicine spaces regarding body size beliefs.

Apr 11, 2024 • 58min
#322: From Picky Eating to Peace with Food: Feeding Kids with Heidi Schauster
Dietitian and author Heidi Schauster joins us to discuss why putting kids on gluten-free diets or other elimination diets in the name of health often backfires; how parents can help kids develop a good relationship with all foods, including demonized ones like sugar; developmentally appropriate ways to talk to kids about nutrition; why pleasure is actually more important than nutrition; and more. Heidi Schauster, MS, RD, LDN, CEDS-S, SEP is a nutrition and body image therapist, Somatic Experiencing (SE)™ practitioner, clinical supervisor, and Embodiment Warrior who writes about whole-self wellness. She has practiced in the Boston area for nearly 30 years and is the author of the award-winning book Nourish: How to Heal Your Relationship with Food, Body and Self and the new book Nurture: How to Raise Kids Who Love Food, Their Bodies, and Themselves (Bookshop affiliate links). Heidi is a lifelong dancer, a plant lady, and the proud mama of two outrageous young women. Join the Nourishing Words mailing list on her website (https://www.anourishingword.com/) or Substack, or follow her on Instagram @nourishingwords. Check out Christy’s three books, Anti-Diet, The Wellness Trap, and The Emotional Eating, Chronic Dieting, Binge Eating & Body Image Workbook for a deeper dive into the topics covered on the pod. If you’re ready to break free from diet culture and make peace with food, come check out Christy's Intuitive Eating Fundamentals online course. For more critical thinking and compassionate skepticism about wellness and diet culture, check out Christy’s Rethinking Wellness podcast! You can also sign up to get it in your inbox every week at rethinkingwellness.substack.com. Ask a question about diet and wellness culture, disordered-eating recovery, and the anti-diet approach for a chance to have it answered on Rethinking Wellness. You can also subscribe to the Food Psych Weekly newsletter to check out previous answers!Our Sponsors:* Join Armoire and get up to 50% off your first month: https://armoire.style/PSYCHAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Mar 14, 2024 • 49min
#321: Eating-Disorder Healing and the Importance of Community Support with Akiera Gilbert
Project HEAL CEO Akiera Gilbert joins us to discuss her relationship with food growing up, why she didn’t realize she had an eating disorder, how she finally began to find healing, the importance of community in disordered-eating recovery, what to do if community feels tricky to you, and more. Akiera Gilbert (she/her), CEO of Project HEAL, reminds us that eating disorders are more than personal struggles—they're a critical public health issue. Project HEAL is recognized as the leading national non-profit focused on creating equitable access to eating disorder care. In 2023 alone, they provided access to over $5 million worth of free services, including treatment placement, clinical assessments, cash assistance, insurance navigation, and meal support. Previously, Akiera founded Body Reborn to foster healing spaces for people of color who struggle with food and body image. Driven by her belief that healing is our collective right, she is actively transforming mental healthcare to be more affirming, accessible, and affordable. To explore Akiera’s vision and the transformative impact of Project HEAL’s work, visit theprojectheal.org. Check out Christy’s three books, Anti-Diet, The Wellness Trap, and The Emotional Eating, Chronic Dieting, Binge Eating & Body Image Workbook for a deeper dive into the topics covered on the pod. If you’re ready to break free from diet culture and make peace with food, come check out Christy's Intuitive Eating Fundamentals online course. For more critical thinking and compassionate skepticism about wellness and diet culture, check out Christy’s Rethinking Wellness podcast! You can also sign up to get it in your inbox every week at rethinkingwellness.substack.com. Ask a question about diet and wellness culture, disordered-eating recovery, and the anti-diet approach for a chance to have it answered on Rethinking Wellness. You can also subscribe to the Food Psych Weekly newsletter to check out previous answers!Our Sponsors:* Join Armoire and get up to 50% off your first month: https://armoire.style/PSYCHAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Feb 29, 2024 • 13min
Preview: Let Your Community Be Your Compass with Akiera Gilbert
In honor of Eating Disorders Awareness Week (EDAW), we’re sharing a teaser of next month’s episode. It’s with Akiera Gilbert, the new CEO of Project HEAL, whose theme for EDAW is “let your community be your compass.” In this mini-episode, Akiera shares the importance of community when it comes to eating-disorder recovery, her goals with Project HEAL, and a little glimpse of her own process of healing from an eating disorder. There’ll be lots more in the main episode, which is a classic Food Psych format where we talk about her relationship with food growing up and how she found healing. Look for that in a couple weeks, and meanwhile we hope you enjoy this preview! Akiera Gilbert (she/her), CEO of Project HEAL, reminds us that eating disorders are more than personal struggles — they're a critical public health issue. Project HEAL is recognized as the leading national non-profit focused on creating equitable access to eating disorder care. In 2023 alone, they provided access to over $5 million worth of free services, including treatment placement, clinical assessments, cash assistance, insurance navigation, and meal support. Previously, Akiera founded Body Reborn to foster healing spaces for people of color who struggle with food and body image. Driven by her belief that healing is our collective right, she is actively transforming mental healthcare to be more affirming, accessible, and affordable. To explore Akiera’s vision and the transformative impact of Project HEAL’s work, visit theprojectheal.org. Check out Christy’s three books, Anti-Diet, The Wellness Trap, and The Emotional Eating, Chronic Dieting, Binge Eating & Body Image Workbook for a deeper dive into the topics covered on the pod. If you’re ready to break free from diet culture and make peace with food, come check out Christy's Intuitive Eating Fundamentals online course. For more critical thinking and compassionate skepticism about wellness and diet culture, check out Christy’s Rethinking Wellness podcast! You can also sign up to get it in your inbox every week at rethinkingwellness.substack.com. Ask a question about diet and wellness culture, disordered-eating recovery, and the anti-diet approach for a chance to have it answered on Rethinking Wellness. You can also subscribe to the Food Psych Weekly newsletter to check out previous answers!Our Sponsors:* Join Armoire and get up to 50% off your first month: https://armoire.style/PSYCHAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Feb 22, 2024 • 1h 1min
#320: Healing from Emotional Eating, Chronic Dieting, Binge Eating, and Body Shame with Judith Matz and Amy Pershing
Therapists Judith Matz and Amy Pershing discuss emotional eating, chronic dieting, and body shame. They explore trauma's role in binge eating, the distinction between chronic dieting and healthy eating, and healing through food relationships. The conversation also delves into body image complexities and the process of writing their collaborative book.

Aug 29, 2023 • 3min
Are You Looking for Support with Intuitive Eating? New Course Enrolling Now!
Learn about the new cohort of the Intuitive Eating Fundamentals course, designed to help break free from dieting and make peace with food. The course provides community support, expert Q&A, and teaches intuitive eating principles and hunger and fullness recognition.