Food & Life Freedom Podcast
With Emma Townsin, Registered Dietitian and Certified Intuitive Eating Counsellor
The Intuitive Eating and Anti-Diet Podcast
The Food & Life Freedom Podcast is here to help you explore your relationship with food and body, to overcome out-of-control eating such as binge or emotional eating and take the guilt out of food.
We are so much more complex and interesting than the diet-y messages and food rules make us out to be. When we start working with our bodies (rather than against them), we can find our food and life freedom!
Use the links to follow on your favourite podcasting platform or listen directly below to stop feeling stress over food.
S2 E12. How body respect can help overcome emotional eating and feeling stressed around food
Stressful emotional eating issues often stem from issues with our body. In this episode we will explore
- What body respect is
- How a poor relationship with your body can trigger emotional eating
- How to work with your body from a body respect approach
So you can feel good around food!
Further support
S2 E11. How to cope with diet culture during the holiday season
The holidays is no holiday for diet culture. These 3 steps can help you stay grounded and confident in your own body and avoid being drawn back into dieting.
Further support
S2 E10. Body acceptance while living with a chronic illness or condition.
Grace weaves her story of navigating MCAS (Mast Cell Activation Syndrome) and vulvodynia into her professional knowledge as we explore body image as more than just our appearance but our sense of self and body trust. She shares some support and tips for how to improve body image for those navigating a chronic condition.
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Get more support in the Anti-diet guide to overcoming emotional eating - learn more here!
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S2 E9. How to ditch diet culture for good with Krista Beck
Krista and I discuss the first principle of intuitive eating - rejecting the diet mentality. We explore why we can feel stuck dieting, how to spot sneaky "not-a-diet" diets and the first steps you can take to move away from dieting to make space to become an intuitive eater.
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S2 E8. Overeating, binge eating or emotional eating? What's the difference.
Experiencing stressful eating is more common than we realise but we don't talk about it enough!
This episode we will explore
- The difference between overeating, binge eating and emotional eating
- Why you might experience stressful or eating out-of-control
- Some tips to start feeling good around food
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Get more support in the Anti-diet guide to overcoming emotional eating - learn more here!
Further support
S2 E7. A non-diet approach to health during midlife and menopause with Sherry Pratt
Today Sherry and I discuss the challenges many women face while navigating midlife and menopause while living in a diet culture. From navigating emotions, weight changes, life changes and our society's erasure of aging women, there can be a lot to process and accept which can for some lead us toward dieting as a way to try control a changing internal and external world. Sherry shares some non-diet support and tips for those approaching or navigating this time of life.
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S2 E6. Self care for binge eating with Toni Rudd
Binge eating is very common, although if we are struggling with out-of-control eating, it might not feel like it. It is a topic we don't talk about much in our culture.
Toni and I are here to change that and take the shame and stigma out of binge eating. We explore:
- What binge eating is
- Why we might develop binge eating
- What we can do to start feeling good around food
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S2 E5. Why mind-body connection is so important for intuitive eating
Dieting tells you your body cannot be trusted. It tells you your body is wrong and it's normal to feel in a fight between body and mind.
This is not true and we can feel at peace with food while supporting our bodies to feel their best. The key is having a strong mind-body connection.
We will cover:
- what mind-body connection is
- what it can tell us (and why this is important)
- how you can improve your mind-body connection
Further support
S2 E4. Navigating Postpartum body image with Raquel Griffin
Raquel and I discuss body image after pregnancy and how societal pressures and "bounce back" culture can fuel poor body image and sometimes lead to a difficult relationship with food. Raquel shares really helpful tips for navigating body image in the postpartum phase.
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S2 E3. What to do when you can't stop thinking about food
If food is always on your mind, there is nothing wrong with you. Obsessive food thoughts are simply body communication. In this episode we explore what your body might be trying to communicate when you can't stop thinking about food and some ways you can start feeling good around food.
Further support
S2 E2. Communicating intuitive eating with men with Jeff Ash
Jeff and I discuss why intuitive eating and body acceptance messages don't always resonate with men and how we can communicate intuitive eating in a way that is better understood by men. This can help men access support and male partners can be better able to support an intuitive eating journey.
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S2 E1. Body shame and distress during weight changes with Amanda Mittman
Amanda and I discuss why we can feel body shame and distress around our body especially during periods of life when our body goes through changes. Amanda shares really helpful tips and support to navigate body shame and distress and develop a positive relationship with food and body.
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Season 2 trailer - I'm back!
The Food & Life Freedom Podcast is back!
I have so many interesting and knowledgable guests lined up (dietitians, therapists, personal trainers, health coaches, social workers) who all practice from a non-diet approach.
Hit follow to see the episodes as they are released weekly from the 4th October!
Season 1
S1 Bonus. Do you need a diet plan or intuitive eating?
We will look at the differences between following a diet plan compared with intuitive eating and explore the 6 signs to look out for that intuitive eating may be your path to finding food freedom.
So tune in to this 10 minute bonus episode that will help you break down what path you need to take to find food freedom.
References
S1 E10. How to deal with emotional eating without dieting
This week we are exploring emotional eating. If you find yourself feeling out of control around food when big emotions come up, this episode will support you with the steps you need to recover from emotional eating without turning to dieting.
We will cover:
- Why we eat for emotional reasons
- The positive role it can serve in your life
- How to know when emotional eating is harmful
- 4 steps you can take to deal with stressful emotional eating.
References
S1 E9. Stress and gut health with Nickie Hursthouse
How does stress and your nervous system influence your gut symptoms? If you experience IBS or gut symptoms, it can be tempting to turn straight to food. But, as we will learn, the gut responds to much more than just food.
We will cover:
1. What is stress and why we need to stop trying to "reduce" it
2. How stress can impact the gut with both physical and nervous system changes
3. When to try food modifications and when to explore your nervous system responses
4. What you can do to reduce the impact of stress on your gut
About Nickie
S1 E8. What does it mean to be healthy?
What does it really mean to be “healthy”? Is health a personal responsibility? And how much impact does diet and exercise really have on our health? By understanding what makes you feel healthy, rather than what our culture says should be healthy, you can prioritise the areas of your health and wellbeing that really matter to you.
References
S1 E7. What is diet culture?
Today we explore diet culture and how it relates to principle 1 of Intuitive Eating - rejecting the diet mentality. We will explore what diet culture is, the 6 most common lies we are told about food and bodies and how we can actively start rejecting diet culture.
Exploring and letting go of diet culture is the number one step to finding a peaceful and easy relationship with food and your body so this is a must listen episode as you start becoming an intuitive eater.
References
S1 E6. How to start Intuitive Eating with Ela Law
Emma speaks with Ela Law, Nutritionist and Certified Intuitive Eating Counsellor about how to let go of weight loss dieting and get started with Intuitive Eating.
This episode is a must listen for those newer to intuitive eating. We explore why dieting has become about acceptance and safety rather than health, how our sense of identity fits in with becoming an intuitive eater and Ela provides support and advice on the most important first steps to take to become an intuitive eater.
About Ela Law
S1 E5. The 10 principles of intuitive eating
What are the 10 principles of intuitive eating? As a Dietitian and Certified Intuitive Eating Counsellor, I see many myths and just plain innacurate information about intuitive eating. So, to bust through this, let's break down the principles to learn how intuitive eating really helps you to stop feeling stressed over food and feel good in your body.
Click the play button to listen!
References
S1 E4. What is Intuitive Eating?
What is intuitive eating, how it can support a positive relationship with food AND healthy eating, and I'll share my best tips to get started with intuitive eating.
We will discuss:
- why body trust and connection is so important for intuitive eating
- our innate processes that naturally guide our eating
- how our cultural food and body ideals create a disconnect with our body
- how a disconnect drives disordered eating behaviours such as emotional eating and binge eating
- what eating can feel like as an intuitive eater
- my top 3 tips to get started with intuitive eating
For more, grab your free e-book "5 steps to get started with intuitive eating"
References
S1 E3. Non-diet approach for PCOS with Cordula Henggeler
Today I am joined Registered Dietitian and PCOS expert Cordula Henggler. Cordula shares her knowledge and helpful advice about how you can support your body to manage PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) symptoms without diets and food restriction.
Click the play button to listen!
About Cordula
S1 E2. The problem with weight loss dieting for health
"I don't want to diet but I need to lose weight for health, what should I do?"
We discuss how you can work towards health goals or health improvements without falling into the diet cycle trap. We discuss what the research actually says about weight loss diets and health improvements, why we are constantly told to "just lose weight" (as if it's that simple) and what you can do for your health and general wellbeing.
Click the play button to listen now!
References
S1 E1. Why weight loss diets don't work
In this first episode we are exploring the biological changes that happen in your body when you weight loss diet so you can take away the guilt and shame you might have felt towards your body if you have not been able to stick with a diet. You don't fail a diet, a diet fails you!
Click the play button to listen now!
Read the episode here.
References
Season 1 Trailer - The Intuitive Eating and Anti-Diet podcast
For anyone finding food stressful or feeling a disconnect with their body when it comes to eating or your emotions, this podcast is for you.
