Let's Talk About Bodies!

Trigger Warning: in our conversation, we discuss eating disorders, food intake, exercise, and other themes around body image. Please take care of yourselves as you listen and avoid if these topics might be triggering for you.Everyone, please welcome Lindsey Sparks to Let’s Talk About Bodies! (formerly Continued Conversations). Lindsey and I met serendipitously on social media - and we both seemed to be on very similar paths, doing very similar work, and preaching very similar messages of self-compassion. What’s even better is that Lindsey’s nutrition company is called Sparking The Convo, and my podcast, at the time, was called Continued Convos - this was a sign that I needed to have her on this show. And I’m SO glad I did because we had an impactful and fulfilling conversation.I truly hope you enjoy this conversation between two girlies who are very passionate about facilitating conversations around body image. Lindsey has such an array of knowledge when it comes to body image work, and I hope that you are able to take away a few beautiful slices of wisdom from her in our conversation. If you work with a group of young athletes, please consider bringing Lindsey in to chat with them about body image - as she says, “Sometimes all it takes is one honest conversation to break a cycle, challenge a belief, or plant a seed of healing.”Lindsey Sparks is a professional beach volleyball player and the founder of Sparking The Convo, a nutrition education initiative helping athletes build healthy relationships with food, body image, exercise, and, most importantly, themselves. Drawing on her background in psychology, nutrition, and sport, Lindsey leads team workshops that spark honest conversations about body image, give athletes the tools to build healthier relationships with food and their bodies, and connect them with registered dietitians and therapists who specialize in eating disorder prevention and recovery. She is on a mission to change the culture around food and body image for the next generation of young girls.Interested in bringing a Sparking The Convo workshop to your team? The best way to reach Lindsey about booking a workshop is via email at [email protected] Lindsey on InstagramFollow Sparking The Convo on InstagramWhile I’m not a licensed therapist, registered dietician, or medical health professional and cannot speak to body image topics from a clinical, trauma-informed place, I am an expert of lived experience. I’m an academic of my own body, and I’m passionate about facilitating conversations with other humans about their relationships with their bodies. I believe it’s important to continue conversations about healthy body image in creative spaces as a means to heal individuals as well as the collective whole. But just know the information presented in this medium is not professional mental health advice or medical advice, and any questions or concerns you have should always be directed to your health providers. Get full access to Let's Talk About Bodies! at www.letstalkaboutbodies.com/subscribe

Everyone, please welcome Eileen Tull to Let’s Talk About Bodies! I got connected with Eileen through Instagram, and as soon as I saw her page and learned of her work, I knew I had to ask her to come on the show to talk bodies.Eileen’s work in the Chicago Theatre scene and with Fat Theatre Project is incredibly crucial. And her leadership in this space and her fight to change the way the fat experience is represented in stories is admirable. Inclusion of varying body types in art is what makes it beautiful, and telling stories of the joy of existing in a fat body is so, so needed. If you’d like to bring Eileen and Fat Theatre Project to your space, please reach out to her! If you’d like to donate to her 501(c)(3), please reach out to her! Eileen is doing incredible work, and I’m so honored to have been able to talk with her about her body story. Enjoy this one - I cannot wait for you to hear it!Trigger Warning: in our conversation, we discuss addiction, self-harm, and themes relating to food intake, exercise, and body image. Please take care of yourselves as you listen and avoid if these topics might be triggering for you.Eileen Tull (she/her) is a Chicago-based storyteller, theatremaker, poet, educator, and one-woman-show person. She has performed throughout the country, from San Francisco to New York City, including in the New Seeds Festival, United Solo, Dallas Solo Festival, Inverse Performance Art Festival, The Marsh, and Fringe Festivals in Chicago, Cincinnati, Minnesota, Elgin, and San Francisco. Her work has been seen all over Chicago in bookstores, art galleries, bars, old mansions, other non-traditional spaces, and sometimes even in theaters. Directing credits include Household Spirits (Theater Wit), STEPS (Improv Playhouse), No Exit, Happy Days, The Alice Gerstenberg Play Festival, and SpongeBob Squarepants: The Musical (Chicago Park District), Funny, Like An Abortion (Fat Theatre Project/Chicago Danztheatre), The Ostrich (The Terror Cottas), The Mark (Assistant Director - Babes With Blades), and Kassandra at the Top of the World (Fat Theatre Project/The Terror Cottas), which she also wrote. She is a drama instructor with the Chicago Park District, where she has taught creative classes to folks of all ages for over 10 years. Eileen has produced the Gloria Bond Clunie Playwrights Festival at Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre since 2024. Eileen is the founding artistic director of Fat Theatre Project, a collective that tells stories by/about/for/with fat people. She graduated from Loyola University of Chicago with a bachelor’s degree in theatre and from Randolph College with an MFA in Directing and Playwriting.Follow Eileen on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eileen.tull/Follow Fat Theatre Project on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fattheatreproject/Check out Eileen’s Website/Work: www.eileentull.comLearn more about/get in touch with Eileen’s nonprofit, Fat Theatre Project: www.fattheatreproject.com(While I’m not a licensed therapist, registered dietician, or medical health professional and cannot speak to body image topics from a clinical, trauma-informed place, I am an expert of lived experience. I’m an academic of my own body, and I’m passionate about facilitating conversations with other humans about their relationships with their bodies. I believe it’s important to continue conversations about healthy body image in creative spaces as a means to heal individuals as well as the collective whole. But just know the information presented in this medium is not professional mental health advice or medical advice, and any questions or concerns you have should always be directed to your health providers.) Get full access to Let's Talk About Bodies! at www.letstalkaboutbodies.com/subscribe

Everyone please welcome Lizzy Cangro to Let’s Talk About Bodies (formerly, Continued Conversations)! Lizzy and I are both South Bay residents, and we met online (how fun)! I am so glad she was open to joining me for a conversation because this was such an impactful one to be part of. I’m so excited for you to listen in.Lizzy shares about her journey as both a nutritionist and a woman living in a body. She speaks to her book, her work, and what she’s gone through on a personal level when it comes to her body. The work she is doing in the world is very much needed, and I am beyond glad she is showing up for her clients in the ways she does. Wait until the end because her favorite thing about her body is such a good one. Enjoy this one!Trigger Warning: In our conversation, we discuss eating disorders, food intake, over-exercise, and similar themes. Please, please take care of yourselves as you listen, and avoid if these topics might be triggering for you.Lizzy Cangro is a registered nutritionist and author who specialises in helping high-achieving women feel their best even when life is busy. Through her 18-year personal journey of overcoming an eating disorder and battling her body daily, she found her passion and purpose: helping other women heal, trust their bodies and feel like themselves again. Lizzy works with women in all seasons of life, from puberty to post-menopause, using a comprehensive, personalised approach. Holding an MA in Natural Sciences from the University of Cambridge and an MSc in Nutrition from King’s College London, she pairs science-backed advice with an empathetic understanding to help you reach and sustain your goals without restriction, boredom or time-consuming routines. To book a session with her, go to https://bookme.name/lizzycangro/client-call.Details of her multi-award-winning book, Reclaim the Rebel: 12 Rebellious Acts to Achieve Unconditional Love for your Body, can be found at your favourite book retailer, including Amazon, Kindle and Barnes and Noble.Follow Lizzy on Instagram!(While I’m not a licensed therapist, registered dietician, or medical health professional and cannot speak to body image topics from a clinical, trauma-informed place, I am an expert of lived experience. I’m an academic of my own body, and I’m passionate about facilitating conversations with other humans about their relationships with their bodies. I believe it’s important to continue conversations about healthy body image in creative spaces as a means to heal individuals as well as the collective whole. But just know the information presented in this medium is not professional mental health advice or medical advice, and any questions or concerns you have should always be directed to your health providers.) Get full access to Let's Talk About Bodies! at www.letstalkaboutbodies.com/subscribe

Everyone please welcome Phoenix Betancourt to Let’s Talk About Bodies! (formerly Continued Conversations)! Phoenix and I met through the film world, and he’d actually written the most recent short film I’d done, “Happy Anniversary, Babe.” Working with Phoenix was a dream, and I was so excited he was interested in sitting down to talk body image with me.This was such an impactful conversation to be part of, and I am very grateful to Phoenix for so openly sharing his story. I loved hearing about the tools and practices he uses to care for his body and his mind - some of which were really cool aha moments for me, and I hope there are for you too. I cannot wait for you to hear our conversation!Trigger Warning: In our conversation, we discuss eating disorders, food intake, weight gain, weight loss, body dysmorphia, and other topics involved in these themes. Please, please, please take care of yourselves as you listen and avoid if these topics might be triggering for you.Phoenix Betancourt currently resides in Los Angeles, CA where he is pursuing his passion for creative storytelling. He uses his own personal experience combined with years of mental health research in order to bring accurate representation to the screen.Follow Phoenix on Instagram!Love Yourself Like Your Life Depends On It(While I’m not a licensed therapist, registered dietician, or medical health professional and cannot speak to body image topics from a clinical, trauma-informed place, I am an expert of lived experience. I’m an academic of my own body, and I’m passionate about facilitating conversations with other humans about their relationships with their bodies. I believe it’s important to continue conversations about healthy body image in creative spaces as a means to heal individuals as well as the collective whole. But just know the information presented in this medium is not professional mental health advice or medical advice, and any questions or concerns you have should always be directed to your health providers.) Get full access to Let's Talk About Bodies! at www.letstalkaboutbodies.com/subscribe

Everyone, please welcome Cami Codell to Let’s Talk About Bodies! (formerly Continued Conversations)! Cami and I met doing theatre in Chicago back in 2015, and so, this conversation was such a beautiful point of reconnection for the both of us. We’d recently discovered that we were doing similar work in the body image space - Cami, a trauma-informed therapeutic yoga teacher focusing on the body, and I a body image advocate talking about bodies in a helpful (not hurtful) way. And it was just such a wonderful experience for us to share in this conversation about this topic having both come from the same creative world. We discuss a multitude of heavy, yet extremely important topics when it comes to our bodies, culture, and mental illness - some involving the arts as well. Again, please take care of yourself as you listen through ♥️Before we dive in, I was on Cami’s 3 OMs podcast this summer. Check out our episode here!Cami’s energy is overwhelmingly infectious, and she is just an insanely impressive wealth of knowledge when it comes to body work. She drops some tough statistics to hear and uncovers a few somewhat taboo topics of conversation when it comes to our bodies. She is such a light in this world, and I am so glad she is doing the work she’s doing - it’s very much needed, especially in the movement space. I was deeply moved by my conversation with Cami, and I cannot wait for you to hear it for yourself!Trigger Warning: in our conversation, we discuss themes of diet culture, eating disorders, death, body image, disordered eating, statistics involving eating disorders, and disordered movement patterns. Please, please, please take care of yourselves as you listen and avoid if these topics might be triggering for you.Cami Codell, E-RYT became a certified Kripalu yoga teacher in 2017 and specializes in trauma-informed therapeutic yoga for pregnancy/postpartum, children/families, and disordered eating/body image. She has taught & trained in various settings in North America, Europe, & Asia, including studios, schools, outpatient and residential psychiatric treatment, senior care facilities, and more. Cami’s aim is to lovingly support people’s total well-being using the practice of yoga, starting with our youngest generation. In addition to teaching yoga, Cami is a blog writer and host of the 3 OMs Podcast, in which she and her guests chant OM three times at the start of each interview. Cami is part of the ownership and lead teaching team of Amala School of Prenatal Yoga, training yoga teachers in working with the perinatal population. For more info visit camicodellyoga.com and amalaschoolofyoga.com. Cami’s writing can be found on Substack, and her podcast on Substack, Spotify, & Apple Podcasts.Connect with Cami:Cami’s WebsiteYoga for Disordered Eating & Body ImageCami’s Recovery Story: “Heaven is a Fed Girl”Other Substack articles about eating disorders and body image:“Your Relationship with Food and Your Body Isn’t Just About You”“When Being Healthy Starts to Kill You”“Your Body is Your Friend”3 OMs Podcast: Substack Apple Podcasts Spotify(While I’m not a licensed therapist, registered dietician, or medical health professional and cannot speak to body image topics from a clinical, trauma-informed place, I am an expert of lived experience. I’m an academic of my own body, and I’m passionate about facilitating conversations with other humans about their relationships with their bodies. I believe it’s important to continue conversations about healthy body image in creative spaces as a means to heal individuals as well as the collective whole. But just know the information presented in this medium is not professional mental health advice or medical advice, and any questions or concerns you have should always be directed to your health providers.) Get full access to Let's Talk About Bodies! at www.letstalkaboutbodies.com/subscribe

Everyone, please welcome Halle Hunt to Let's Talk About Bodies! Halle and I met through mutual friends a few years ago, and I was so excited to bring her in for a conversation. She is the first pro athlete I’ve spoken with on this show, and she brings an extremely important lens to the conversation - being at the intersection of both athlete and model, and all that comes along with these two identities in terms of our bodies.Halle opened up about her story of struggle and redemption in such beautiful ways, and I am endlessly grateful for her vulnerability in sharing as much as she did in our conversation. We touched on an array of themes in the realm of body image, and I got chills multiple times listening back through to edit this one. I’m also excited to say Halle will be coming back on the show to continue our conversation and dive a bit deeper, but for now, and I cannot wait for you to hear Part 1 of our conversation!Trigger Warning: In our conversation, we discuss injury, eating disorders, disordered eating, food intake, and exercise. Please take care of yourselves as you listen and avoid if these topics might be triggering for you.Halle Hunt is a professional beach volleyball player and former Division I indoor and beach volleyball athlete. Outside of competition, she works in clinical research and models, balancing high-performance athletics with a career in healthcare. She is passionate about sharing her experiences as an athlete and encouraging others to pursue excellence both on and off the court.Subscribe to Halle’s SubstackFollow Halle on Instagram(While I’m not a licensed therapist, registered dietician, or medical health professional and cannot speak to body image topics from a clinical, trauma-informed place, I am an expert of lived experience. I’m an academic of my own body, and I’m passionate about facilitating conversations with other humans about their relationships with their bodies. I believe it’s important to continue conversations about healthy body image in creative spaces as a means to heal individuals as well as the collective whole. But just know the information presented in this medium is not professional mental health advice or medical advice, and any questions or concerns you have should always be directed to your health providers.) Get full access to Let's Talk About Bodies! at www.letstalkaboutbodies.com/subscribe

Everyone please welcome Aidan Rees to Let's Talk About Bodies! Aidan and I have known each other for a long time now, and I was so excited to sit down with her to talk body image. We both met in the acting space, and Aidan is both a brilliant actor, teacher, and all-around creative human being. I cannot wait for you to dive into this one.Aidan shared so much of her story and also dropped some incredible knowledge in our conversation. We went deep into the body image talk, and we unpacked a LOT in this hour-long chat. Please, please enjoy Aidan’s brilliance and thoughts and shares. I walked away from our conversation thinking about these themes and topics for days after, and I hope that you take as many golden nuggets away from our conversation as I did!Trigger Warning: On our conversation, we discuss some themes around food intake, exercise, and body alterations. Please take care of yourselves as you listen and avoid if these topics might be triggering for you.Originally from Salt Lake City, Aidan is based in LA where you can find her acting, writing, doing comedy, and playing soccer. Honored to be an Angeleno, Aidan believes it is a privilege to be a transplant and finds joy participating in local mutual aid. She is a graduate of AMDA College and Conservatory, The Second City, and has found her home in sketch and storytelling. Her proudest piece of work is her solo show Smoochy Girl. She was once asked, “Aidan, why can’t you just sing the melody for once?”Follow Aidan on Instagram!(While I’m not a licensed therapist, registered dietician, or medical health professional and cannot speak to body image topics from a clinical, trauma-informed place, I am an expert of lived experience. I’m an academic of my own body, and I’m passionate about facilitating conversations with other humans about their relationships with their bodies. I believe it’s important to continue conversations about healthy body image in creative spaces as a means to heal individuals as well as the collective whole. But just know the information presented in this medium is not professional mental health advice or medical advice, and any questions or concerns you have should always be directed to your health providers.) Get full access to Let's Talk About Bodies! at www.letstalkaboutbodies.com/subscribe

Everyone please welcome Sara McKinley to Let's Talk About Bodies! Sara and I met through the acting world, and I’ve been wanting to chat with her for a while now, so I’m thrilled she joined me for a conversation about body image! Sara comes from the world of acting, and she also shares her lens on personal injury and navigating chronic pain.Along with diving deep into the throes of moving through a personal injury that impacted her life and career, as well as discussing how she’s affected by chronic pain on a daily basis, Sara so delicately opened up about the lessons she learned from her dad’s dieting, as well as sharing her own relationship with food. Healing from diet culture is not linear, and I’m grateful to Sara for talking about this subject, along with others, so compassionately. I truly, truly cannot wait for you to hear our conversation!Trigger Warning: In our conversation, we discuss diet culture, weight, and numbers pertaining to these topics. Please take care of yourselves as you listen and avoid if these topics might be triggering for you.Hi, I’m Sara McKinley! I’m an actress, published author, former dog trainer and long time equestrian, originally from Ann Arbor, Michigan. I got my BFA in Acting from Michigan State University and have been in LA for almost 7 years now. I love to read, travel, hang out with my animals and do anything creative. I’m a huge MCU and fantasy fan, and I hope one day I get to play a role in something similar! My dream is to ride horses for movie productions or work with dogs on set, while also acting as well!Follow Sara on Instagram!Sara’s IMDbBuy Sara’s (beautiful) book!Sara’s Actors Access(While I’m not a licensed therapist, registered dietician, or medical health professional and cannot speak to body image topics from a clinical, trauma-informed place, I am an expert of lived experience. I’m an academic of my own body, and I’m passionate about facilitating conversations with other humans about their relationships with their bodies. I believe it’s important to continue conversations about healthy body image in creative spaces as a means to heal individuals as well as the collective whole. But just know the information presented in this medium is not professional mental health advice or medical advice, and any questions or concerns you have should always be directed to your health providers.) Get full access to Let's Talk About Bodies! at www.letstalkaboutbodies.com/subscribe

Everyone please welcome Evan Neilson to Let's Talk About Bodies! Evan is my very first male guest on this series!!! Evan and I were connected through his sister, Megan Neilson (who I’ve known for many years now), and I’m so grateful he was open to chatting body image in the arts with me! Evan comes from the high school and college theatre world, as do I, and he is now an educator with special ed students and still works within the arts and performs today. Our self-image stories of growing up as young kids and coming into adulthood were oddly aligned, so it was truly a joy to dive into this topic with Evan.Evan is a joy of a gentleman, and I have been thinking about this conversation ever since we recorded. There are so many important points we touched on here. We opened the book and talked through a lot of poignant themes within body image specifically when it comes to the male experience, and I cannot wait for you to hear our very important conversation!Trigger Warning: in our conversation, we discuss weight, weight loss, diet culture, over-exercise, disordered eating habits, and more. Please take care of yourselves as you listen and avoid if these topics might be triggering for you.Evan is a special education teacher and lover of many things- movies, theatre, music, dogs, basketball, running, biking… OH, and ice cream! Outside of the classroom, one could often find him at the movie theater if he’s not busy coaching speech team or working on a stage production.Evan doesn’t post much on socials but feel free to give him a follow on Twitter @hellomrevan (he will never call it X) or on Letterboxd @evan_neil.(While I’m not a licensed therapist, registered dietician, or medical health professional and cannot speak to body image topics from a clinical, trauma-informed place, I am an expert of lived experience. I’m an academic of my own body, and I’m passionate about facilitating conversations with other humans about their relationships with their bodies. I believe it’s important to continue conversations about healthy body image in creative spaces as a means to heal individuals as well as the collective whole. But just know the information presented in this medium is not professional mental health advice or medical advice, and any questions or concerns you have should always be directed to your health providers.) Get full access to Let's Talk About Bodies! at www.letstalkaboutbodies.com/subscribe

Everyone please welcome Mallory Gonyea to Let's Talk About Bodies! Mallory and I met through The Spark Membership (shoutout Amy McNabb for bringing us together!), and I’m so grateful she was willing to sit down with me for a body image conversation.Mallory is a Nashville-based actress who recently started her own production company. She also used to be a semi-pro soccer player, so her understanding of her body and self-image runs deep. Mallory dropped so many incredible tidbits in our chat - I was blown away by her knowledge of the body, and I cannot wait for you to hear our conversation!Trigger Warning: in our conversation, we discuss themes surrounding body image, the beauty industry, and diet culture. Please take care of yourselves as you listen and avoid if these topics might be triggering for you.Mallory Gonyea is an award winning actress, writer, and producer based out of Nashville, Tennessee. As a former semi-pro athlete, she has built a career centered around strong, complex female characters, bringing a unique blend of physicality, emotional depth, and authenticity to her work. She is also the founder of Eden Pictures, and independent production company focused on creating bold, female centered stories. Outside of filmmaking, Mallory embraces loving her body by training in CrossFit and Boxing and is passionate about encouraging women to embrace strength, confidence, and overall wellness.Follow Mallory on InstagramCheck out Mallory’s IMDbRead Mallory’s Bold Journey Article(While I’m not a licensed therapist, registered dietician, or medical health professional and cannot speak to body image topics from a clinical, trauma-informed place, I am an expert of lived experience. I’m an academic of my own body, and I’m passionate about facilitating conversations with other humans about their relationships with their bodies. I believe it’s important to continue conversations about healthy body image in creative spaces as a means to heal individuals as well as the collective whole. But just know the information presented in this medium is not professional mental health advice or medical advice, and any questions or concerns you have should always be directed to your health providers.) Get full access to Let's Talk About Bodies! at www.letstalkaboutbodies.com/subscribe