Restrictive Diets Are Traumatic and a Response To Trauma

If someone had told me the truth that going on Weight Watchers at 13 years old would lead to a lack of trust in your body, obsession with food for years to come, an intense fear of food and anxiety around what to eat, and a decade in the restrict-binge cycle, I’m curious if my smart little self would have said, “No thank you. I’ll find a different way to feel safe.” But now I know I was drawn to dieting as a response to other traumatic situations in my life. I was desperate to find some sense of control and be able to land safely into something that could hold me the way I needed to be.And this is what I've seen in my private practice year after year is that restrictive dieting can be traumatic and be a response to trauma. In this week's Satiated Podcast episode, I chat about: The similarities between dieting and trauma Approaching food recovery the same way as trauma recoveryHow diets mimic a trauma response The somatic wisdom and protection diets are trying to offer You can also read the transcript to this week’s episode ​here​: https://www.stephaniemara.com/blog/restrictive-diets-are-traumatic-and-a-response-to-traumaHope you enjoy it and talk to you more soon!With Compassion and Empathy, Stephanie Mara FoxSupport the showKeep in touch with Stephanie Mara:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_stephaniemara/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephaniemarafoxWebsite: https://www.stephaniemara.com/https://www.somaticeating.com/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephmara/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@stephaniemarafoxContact: [email protected] the show:Become a supporter: https://www.buzzsprout.com/809987/supportAll affiliate links: https://www.stephaniemara.com/resourcesReceive 15% off my fave protein powder with code STEPHANIEMARA at checkout here: https://www.equipfoods.com/STEPHANIEMARAUse my Amazon Affiliate link when shopping on Amazon: https://amzn.to/448IyPlSpecial thanks to Bendsound for the music in this episode. www.bensou...

About a year ago in one of my PhD classes, I voiced a huge gripe I had about somatic and nervous system practices. I shared that my friction with them was that they have been stripped down and depersonalized into these practices that anyone can do at any time and will support everyone in any moment to feel calmer or more grounded or safer or more regulated. My teacher replied with, "Well everyone still needs to start somewhere." This gave me a pause to reflect that even if you choose a somatic or nervous system practice that doesn't resonate with your body and is just some blanket suggestion, it can still teach you about what doesn't work for you based on your emotions, sensations, and nervous system states. And then, sometimes you're going to nail it. You're going to choose the exact bodily movement that you needed that brings your body into a place of safety and connection and brings greater ease and breath. So I've updated my perspective that all practices in all moments can be supportive and will be a discovery of yourself and for yourself to know what works for your body and nervous system. I had an amazing experience in this episode being guided through a nervous system practice that quickly changed how I felt.In this week's episode, I chat with Alyssa Chang, neuroscience health coach and the creator of The Regulation Method™, about: The impact of neuroscience on healingInteroceptionTailoring nervous system practices to your individual needsPractical exercises for enhancing awareness of the felt sense of your bodyNavigating sensory overloadThe role of predictability in healingCreating tiny moments of changeYou can also read the transcript to this week’s episode ​here​: https://www.stephaniemara.com/blog/interoception-get-to-know-your-bodys-internal-dashboardThis episode was chock full of nervous system practices so you'll definitely walk away with practices you can incorporate into your day.With Compassion and Empathy, Stephanie Mara FoxKeep in touch with Alyssa: Website: https://www.coachalyssachang.com/Email: [email protected]: https://www.instagram.com/coachalyssachang/Free 45- minute masterclass: https://www.coachalyssachang.com/masterclassoptinSupport the showKeep in touch with Stephanie Mara:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_stephaniemara/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephaniemarafoxWebsite: https://www.stephaniemara.com/https://www.somaticeating.com/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephmara/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@stephaniemarafoxContact: [email protected] the show:Become a supporter: https://www.buzzsprout.com/809987/supportAll affiliate links: https://www.stephaniemara.com/resourcesReceive 15% off my fave protein powder with code STEPHANIEMARA at checkout here: https://www.equipfoods.com/STEPHANIEMARAUse my Amazon Affiliate link when shopping on Amazon: https://amzn.to/448IyPlSpecial thanks to Bendsound for the music in this episode. www.bensou...

One underdiscussed aspect of a body image or food recovery adventure is the importance of rage. What can occur is that all the anger that might be felt about how you were treated in the past gets turned in on your body. Your body becomes the focus of all your rage rather than on a culture that ever taught you that your body should be different than it is. Your food behaviors become a way to express this anger when it doesn't feel like it has an outlet. Somatically, if your experience of rage is scary, overwhelming, and threatening, then it can also feel unsafe to feel and express rage. This is why I like to explore small, safe micro moments of feeling rage so that you get to slowly take it off of your body's appearance or express it with food. What this might look like is drawing rage, writing as if you were rage, putting on a song that taps you into rage and moving as rage would move for one song. This could look like throwing an egg against a tree or ripping a piece of paper. This is all about getting used to the felt sense of rage so that when you start to judge your body, you can feel the rage, express, move through it, and not blame your body for it. In this week's Satiated Podcast episode, I chat with Paula D. Atkinson, liberation psychotherapist, body justice professor and activist, author, and podcast host, about: Trauma of diet cultureImpact of starvationEmbracing rage and how to use it as a tool for body liberationHistory of fatphobiaThe intersection between body image and social justiceImportance of experiencing pleasure and joyYou can also read the transcript to this week’s episode here: https://www.stephaniemara.com/blog/how-embracing-rage-fuels-body-liberationThis was an incredibly powerful episode and I hope you enjoy it! With Compassion and Empathy, Stephanie Mara FoxKeep in touch with Paula here: Website: https://www.pauladatkinson.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pauladatkinson/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pauladatkinsonSupport the showKeep in touch with Stephanie Mara:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_stephaniemara/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephaniemarafoxWebsite: https://www.stephaniemara.com/https://www.somaticeating.com/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephmara/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@stephaniemarafoxContact: [email protected] the show:Become a supporter: https://www.buzzsprout.com/809987/supportAll affiliate links: https://www.stephaniemara.com/resourcesReceive 15% off my fave protein powder with code STEPHANIEMARA at checkout here: https://www.equipfoods.com/STEPHANIEMARAUse my Amazon Affiliate link when shopping on Amazon: https://amzn.to/448IyPlSpecial thanks to Bendsound for the music in this episode. www.bensou...

You may have picked this up by now about how passionate I am about the field of somatic psychology. Learning about how to experience my body on all levels and build awareness of my nervous system states felt like it was learning how to come home to myself. I have often joked that many people who are somatic practitioners were drawn to this work because they have lived much of their life disconnected from their own bodies and I'm no exception. I spent so much of my life outside of my body. It was in learning how to stay with myself in all emotions, sensations, and reactions that I felt like my body could be a home for myself again. This can be a lifelong practice and I feel as though somatics provides the resources on how to be in this practice day after day. Sometimes, the first step toward creating a new perception and sense of safety to come closer to your body is through curiosity and somatic tracking. It can be crucially important to start noticing how your body responds to various internal or external input because this will guide you toward undigested life experiences, nervous system states, and bodily needs. In this week's episode, I chat with Laurie James, author, certified somatic practitioner & coach, and podcaster, about: The power of body awarenessHow to recognize overwhelm and stressUnderstanding the spectrum of personal developmentIncluding the importance of rest and integrationNavigating both needs for stillness and movementThe difference between somatic work and meditationBuilding connection with your bodyYou can also read the transcript to this week’s episode ​here​: https://www.stephaniemara.com/blog/use-these-somatic-tools-during-and-after-tough-timesIf you have any insights from this recent episode, email me anytime and would love to hear from you! With Compassion and Empathy, Stephanie Mara FoxKeep in touch with Laurie here: Website: https://www.laurieejames.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurie.james/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurie-james-8336a0168/Support the showKeep in touch with Stephanie Mara:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_stephaniemara/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephaniemarafoxWebsite: https://www.stephaniemara.com/https://www.somaticeating.com/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephmara/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@stephaniemarafoxContact: [email protected] the show:Become a supporter: https://www.buzzsprout.com/809987/supportAll affiliate links: https://www.stephaniemara.com/resourcesReceive 15% off my fave protein powder with code STEPHANIEMARA at checkout here: https://www.equipfoods.com/STEPHANIEMARAUse my Amazon Affiliate link when shopping on Amazon: https://amzn.to/448IyPlSpecial thanks to Bendsound for the music in this episode. www.bensou...

Your history with food and dieting didn't start with you. You saw your mothers or fathers diet and their grandparents also dieted and their grandparents also dieted. There is a long history of diet culture passed down from generation to generation and expressed differently in the trendiest, most common diet of the time. This isn't about the food, but that nervous system states, traumas, and lack of safety is being expressed through food in family lineages.  Creating a safer and more stabilizing relationship with food can also be engaging in the healing of past generations who never got a chance to feel safe in their bodies and future generations to have that groundwork that you had to create for yourself. In this week's episode, I chat with Amber Caudle, chef, author, speaker, and coach, about: What a journey to food freedom actually looks likeHow the nervous system plays a role in food recoveryThe importance of self compassion, curiosity and creativityThe work of True Body Intelligence for trauma recoveryThe impact of generational trauma on food behaviors, and steps to build trust in your bodyYou can also read the transcript to this week’s episode ​here​: https://www.stephaniemara.com/blog/rebuilding-body-trust-after-decades-of-dietingHope you enjoy this week's episode and see you all next week! With Compassion and Empathy, Stephanie Mara FoxKeep in touch with Amber: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ambercaudlela/Book: Hungry: https://amzn.to/4vYeW3TWebsite: https://www.nourishyourpowers.com/Support the showKeep in touch with Stephanie Mara:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_stephaniemara/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephaniemarafoxWebsite: https://www.stephaniemara.com/https://www.somaticeating.com/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephmara/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@stephaniemarafoxContact: [email protected] the show:Become a supporter: https://www.buzzsprout.com/809987/supportAll affiliate links: https://www.stephaniemara.com/resourcesReceive 15% off my fave protein powder with code STEPHANIEMARA at checkout here: https://www.equipfoods.com/STEPHANIEMARAUse my Amazon Affiliate link when shopping on Amazon: https://amzn.to/448IyPlSpecial thanks to Bendsound for the music in this episode. www.bensou...

Something I learned from diet culture was that the taste of sweet was "bad." If I craved sweetness then something must be out of balance. There was probably a period of time where craving sweetness sent me into a panic where I had to become a detective to understand why I wanted something sweet. Learning about the five tastes changed my perspective. We have 5 basic tastes that include sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and savory. Experiencing all five tastes can make a meal feel more satisfying and even regulating to your nervous system. Wanting to taste sweetness doesn't mean there is something wrong with you, but that your body is always looking for a balanced, well rounded eating experience. Additionally, the demonization of sweet foods has led to a complete disconnect from the body. One of the first tastes we experience as a baby is sweet. Sweet can be connected to care, warmth, attention, attunement, and connection. What if you’re not out of control with eating sweets, but starving for the bodily experience that sweets provide?In this week's episode, I chat with Michelle Brown, Functional Nutrition and Lifestyle Practitioner and clinical herbalist, about: The somatic experience of foodThe five tastes and how they affect your nervous systemUnderstanding sweetness and its role in nutritionBalancing taste for inner harmonyCravings as body communicationThe connection between taste and emotionsThe importance of enjoying your mealsYou can also read the transcript to this week’s episode ​here​: https://www.stephaniemara.com/blog/five-tastes-calm-or-energize-your-nervous-systemWith Compassion and Empathy, Stephanie Mara FoxKeep in touch with Michelle here: Website: www.botanacea.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michelle_botanacea/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@michelleBotanacea LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-brown-b48a31205/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michellebrownhealthcoachSupport the showKeep in touch with Stephanie Mara:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_stephaniemara/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephaniemarafoxWebsite: https://www.stephaniemara.com/https://www.somaticeating.com/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephmara/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@stephaniemarafoxContact: [email protected] the show:Become a supporter: https://www.buzzsprout.com/809987/supportAll affiliate links: https://www.stephaniemara.com/resourcesReceive 15% off my fave protein powder with code STEPHANIEMARA at checkout here: https://www.equipfoods.com/STEPHANIEMARAUse my Amazon Affiliate link when shopping on Amazon: https://amzn.to/448IyPlSpecial thanks to Bendsound for the music in this episode. www.bensou...

It is difficult to talk about food without talking about body image. The two are intertwined. For many of you, it was your body's appearance that started the dieting, restricting, and binge eating. It was the internalized messages from a culture that wants to control women's bodies that shaped how you interacted with food. And for many, you may create a stabilizing relationship with food and the body image worries may continue because food was helping to cover up the lack of safety to live in your body. So today, we're going to read some body image Reddit Stories to support you in how you may somatically navigate body image concerns when they arise. In this week's Satiated Podcast episode, I chat about: How nervous system states shape your perception of your bodyBody image concerns can be an attempt at trauma resolution Explorations on the somatic meaning of body image struggles Grief over previous expressions of the body The sensory integration that needs to occur to experience the body differentlyWith Compassion and Empathy, Stephanie Mara FoxSupport the showKeep in touch with Stephanie Mara:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_stephaniemara/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephaniemarafoxWebsite: https://www.stephaniemara.com/https://www.somaticeating.com/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephmara/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@stephaniemarafoxContact: [email protected] the show:Become a supporter: https://www.buzzsprout.com/809987/supportAll affiliate links: https://www.stephaniemara.com/resourcesReceive 15% off my fave protein powder with code STEPHANIEMARA at checkout here: https://www.equipfoods.com/STEPHANIEMARAUse my Amazon Affiliate link when shopping on Amazon: https://amzn.to/448IyPlSpecial thanks to Bendsound for the music in this episode. www.bensou...

This is actually a pretty wild story. During my first year in my PhD, a woman reached out to me through the contact form on my website and was like, "Hey, we're doing similar work! I would love to connect." I starred the email as something I needed to follow up on and then it got completely buried in my inbox. Then, several months later, one of my teachers emailed me and said, "Did you see this dissertation defense coming up? It is on binge eating." I immediately marked it in my calendar as something I had to attend. I arrived at the Zoom dissertation defense and as soon as I see this woman's name I was like, "Why is this person's name sound so familiar?" I sneak off into my inbox and look up her name and lo and behold, it was the same person who emailed me a few months prior. Honestly, I initially felt mortified I had not followed up with her sooner, but I immediately emailed her after the defense was over. We scheduled a Zoom chat and it was amazing how much we had in common. We come from a similar lens that binge eating recovery needs a body-based approach. It is the body and experiencing it internally and externally that is missing from most recovery modalities. In this week's episode, I chat with Dr. Kristina Dobyns, PhD, MS, Registered Somatic Movement Therapist, certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, and certified Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention facilitator, about: What worked and didn't work in Kristina's binge eating recovery journeyWhat she discovered in her research on binge eatingThe importance of building somatic awareness and interoceptionThe role of sensory strategiesUtilizing nutrition as a part of binge eating recoveryChallenging conventional recovery approachesYou can also read the transcript to this week’s episode ​here​: https://www.stephaniemara.com/blog/body-based-strategies-for-binge-eatingYou're about to receive some game changing binge eating recovery strategies and I hope it feels helpful!With Compassion and Empathy, Stephanie Mara FoxKeep in touch with Kristina here: Website: https://www.BeyondBingeEating.comNew Central Hub:  https://www.DrKristinaDobyns.comCarnivore Retreat: https://www.MeatandMovement.comYoutube: www.BeyondBingeEating.com/@BeyondBingeEatingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/BeyondBingeEating/FREE Eat-With-Awareness Bundle: https://beyondbingeeating.com/opt-in/Support the showKeep in touch with Stephanie Mara:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_stephaniemara/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephaniemarafoxWebsite: https://www.stephaniemara.com/https://www.somaticeating.com/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephmara/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@stephaniemarafoxContact: [email protected] the show:Become a supporter: https://www.buzzsprout.com/809987/supportAll affiliate links: https://www.stephaniemara.com/resourcesReceive 15% off my fave protein powder with code STEPHANIEMARA at checkout here: https://www.equipfoods.com/STEPHANIEMARAUse my Amazon Affiliate link when shopping on Amazon: https://amzn.to/448IyPlSpecial thanks to Bendsound for the music in this episode. www.bensou...

As many of you know, I went on my first diet when I was 13 years old. It was Weight Watchers and it shifted how I viewed my body for a decade. I saw it as something weak and that I could control. It would take years of nutritional, mind, and body studies to realize my body was never the enemy I was taught to see it as. I sometimes wonder how things might have been different if I had learned as a kid and teenager how to interact with my body and food from a place of trust. I eventually would see a nutritionist when I was twenty years old and it was she who told me sometimes you will overeat and sometimes you may undereat but when you zoom out over a month you'll see that your body got the nutrition it needed. Learning this bodily trust at a younger age might have offered a framework for how to safely land inside of my body rather than constantly leaving it. In this week's Satiated Podcast episode, I chat with The Holistic Kids, four brothers on a mission to educate and empower kids from the inside out, about: Their journey to learning more about holistic healthDiscovering the impact of food on their health and wellbeingTheir revolutionize acronymThe importance of mindfulnessHow they have navigated technology and social media when everyone around them is using it more and moreThe role of nature, stress management, and play in healthYou can also read the transcript to this week’s episode ​here​: https://www.stephaniemara.com/blog/4-teens-on-a-mission-to-revolutionize-teen-healthI found it fascinating to hear from four teens about what they're noticing about what it is like to be a teenager these days. So whether you're in the process of supporting a teenager or remember what it was like to be a teen, this episode will give you a peek into what the younger generations are currently navigating. Hope you enjoy it!With Compassion and Empathy, Stephanie Mara FoxKeep in touch with The Holistic Kids: Book: The Teen Health Revolution: https://amzn.to/43xeeyKWebsite: https://theholistickidsshow.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/holistickidsshow/Support the showKeep in touch with Stephanie Mara:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_stephaniemara/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephaniemarafoxWebsite: https://www.stephaniemara.com/https://www.somaticeating.com/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephmara/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@stephaniemarafoxContact: [email protected] the show:Become a supporter: https://www.buzzsprout.com/809987/supportAll affiliate links: https://www.stephaniemara.com/resourcesReceive 15% off my fave protein powder with code STEPHANIEMARA at checkout here: https://www.equipfoods.com/STEPHANIEMARAUse my Amazon Affiliate link when shopping on Amazon: https://amzn.to/448IyPlSpecial thanks to Bendsound for the music in this episode. www.bensou...

Diets teach us to view the body as a project. You can tinker with what you're eating and transform your body into something different. Then fitness culture doubles down and provides the message that you can shape your body to be whatever you want it to be, you just have to put up with messages like no pain, no gain and a complete disconnection from your body, how it feels, and what resonates with it. I know I spent years and years in this ping pong game of diets and body shaping. Then, saying F this, swinging the pendulum to the opposite side and eating everything I had deprived and barely moving my body, only to still feel horrible that I went crawling back to a diet again because I had no clue what else to do. There is a lot that gets sacrificed seeing the body as a project and this realization often only occurs after months and years when you realize you don't know who you are anymore, how to exist in your body, or what it actually needs. Yet, releasing the habitual relationship with the body as something to change and alter will also potentially change your relationships, the environments you've been interacting with, and the conversations you engage in. It isn't that easy when everyone around you is also in their own body project to say, "hey, ya know what, I'm done working on my body." In this week's episode, I chat with Savala Nolan, writer, author, public speaker, and professor at UC Berkeley about: The journey of recovering from diet cultureUnderstanding the language and psychological impact of dietingEnding the body project and facing the fears and cost of body liberationQuestioning societal normsPractical steps toward body liberationYou can also read the transcript to this week’s episode ​here​: https://www.stephaniemara.com/blog/breaking-free-from-diet-cultureThis was such a fantastic conversation. Savala describes exiting diet culture in a way that I've never heard someone capture what it is actually like and what a person may come to face in the process. If you have any insights from this episode, let me know! With Compassion and Empathy, Stephanie Mara FoxKeep in touch with Savala: Website: https://savalanolan.com/Substack: https://savala.substack.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/savalanolan/Support the showKeep in touch with Stephanie Mara:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_stephaniemara/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephaniemarafoxWebsite: https://www.stephaniemara.com/https://www.somaticeating.com/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephmara/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@stephaniemarafoxContact: [email protected] the show:Become a supporter: https://www.buzzsprout.com/809987/supportAll affiliate links: https://www.stephaniemara.com/resourcesReceive 15% off my fave protein powder with code STEPHANIEMARA at checkout here: https://www.equipfoods.com/STEPHANIEMARAUse my Amazon Affiliate link when shopping on Amazon: https://amzn.to/448IyPlSpecial thanks to Bendsound for the music in this episode. www.bensou...