The Food & Body Podcast

What if finding food freedom isn't about more willpower, but about understanding your emotions, reconnecting with your body and even using AI in a completely unexpected way? Could creativity, movement and storytelling offer a different approach to changing your relationship with food?   In this episode of The Food & Body Podcast, psychotherapist Becca is joined by Kayla McDonald, writer, podcaster and former health coach, to explore her unconventional approach to food freedom. Drawing on her personal experiences, Kayla introduces her Food Freedom Fantasy Method, combining nervous system regulation, Dance Alchemy, archetypes and AI-powered storytelling to support emotional wellbeing and a more compassionate relationship with food and the body.   In this episode, we discuss:   [01:57] – Kayla's personal journey with food, body image and the pressures of the wellness industry [07:14] – Introducing the Food Freedom Fantasy Method and Dance Alchemy [08:55] – Five limiting beliefs and their connection to emotional eating, control and self-worth [17:00] – Using movement, embodiment and nervous system regulation to reconnect with your body [21:55] – Understanding emotional triggers and developing alternative ways to respond [27:28] – How archetypes and parts work can support self-compassion, motivation and inner conflict [41:23] – Using AI and creative storytelling as tools for self-reflection and personal growth [45:13] – The importance of human connection, professional support and safeguarding when using AI [51:24] – Why food freedom isn't one-size-fits-all: restriction, permission and learning to trust yourself   Connect with us:   💜 Kayla McDonald: www.embodiedwritingwarrior.com Food Freedom Fantasy book and resources: www.foodfreedomfantasy.com   💚 Find out more about Becca's therapy services:  www.beccarobinsonchinntherapy.com   💛 Becca: @becomingwithbecca_therapist / [email protected]   💜 The podcast: @thefoodandbody_podcast   Could AI, movement and imagination help us understand our relationship with food in a different way, or does this approach raise questions for you?   Let me know in the comments below!   If you've got a moment, please like, subscribe and share this episode to help more people discover a different way of thinking about food, health and body image.   #foodfreedom #intuitiveeating #bodyimage #ai #bingeeatingrecovery #therapy #bodyacceptance #recovery #mindfulmovement #podcast

Ever feel like there's a constant battle in your head about what you should or shouldn't eat? That critical inner voice might be keeping you stuck in food rules, guilt and the binge-restrict cycle. But learning to recognise it could be an important step towards food freedom. In this episode of The Food & Body Podcast, I explore the concept of the eating disorder voice, drawing on my experience as a psychotherapist and my previous work with Beat, the UK's leading eating disorder charity. We look at how these thoughts can influence your relationship with food, why they can be so difficult to let go of, and how understanding them can support recovery. I also explore the different voices within Intuitive Eating, including the Food Police, Diet Rebel and Nurturer, and how they can help you develop a more compassionate relationship with food and yourself. ⏱️ In this episode: 00:00 – Introduction: Understanding your inner food voice 00:39 – What is the eating disorder voice? 03:03 – How food rules, guilt and self-criticism show up 05:10 – Why the eating disorder voice can feel protective 07:30 – Four ways recognising this voice can support recovery 18:08 – Intuitive Eating: The Food Police, Diet Rebel and Nutrition Informant 22:13 – Developing supportive voices: Self-compassion, boundaries and gentle nutrition 29:08 – Finding your own approach to food freedom 💜 Work with me I'm Becca, an integrative psychotherapist focusing on helping people understand and change their relationship with food and their body so they can live freer, more authentic lives.  I offer online therapy and a free 15-minute consultation to explore whether working together might be right for you. 🌐 Website: https://www.beccarobinsonchinntherapy.com 📧 Email: [email protected] 🎙️ Connect with The Food & Body Podcast Instagram: @thefoodandbody_podcast  📧 Email: [email protected]  If this episode resonated with you, I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments. And if you'd like to hear more conversations about food freedom, body image, intuitive eating and recovery, please review, follow and share to help this podcast reach others who might find it helpful.

What if your relationship with food isn't just about food, but how society makes you feel about your body? Could weight stigma, social expectations and fear of judgement be keeping you stuck in binge eating patterns?   In this episode of The Food & Body Podcast, psychotherapist Becca is joined by dietitian and researcher Dr Jo Moscalu to explore her groundbreaking research into women's lived experiences of binge eating. We discuss how societal pressure, childhood experiences, weight discrimination and healthcare attitudes shape our relationship with food, and why finding food freedom is about so much more than changing what we eat. In this episode, we discuss: [00:25] – The Reality of Earning a Doctorate: The grueling 6-year rollercoaster, dealing with imposter syndrome, and the anti-climactic feeling of finally becoming a "Doctor".   [04:16] – Food Police & Power Dynamics: How dietitians and patients alike are entrenched under the institutional power structures of healthcare.   [05:09] – Deconstructing the BMI & The Stigma of "Binge": Why medical categories alienate bodies and how diagnostic language shifts blame onto the individual.   [08:58] – Public Persona vs. Private Reality: Unpacking Dr Jo's unexpected interview findings where participants focused entirely on how the world views their eating habits.   [12:25] – Healthcare Stigma from Childhood: The lifelong trauma of childhood weight-shaming and navigating weight discrimination from GPs and medical professionals.   [15:53] – Red Flags When Choosing a Dietitian: How to identify a truly weight-neutral, eating disorder-trained practitioner who won't gaslight your symptoms.   [22:12] – Binge Eating as a Form of Resistance: Exploring the psychological swing between conforming to rules and using food to "rebel" against societal expectations.   [25:35] – Why Binge Eating Recovery is a Radical Feminist Act: Moving away from the male gaze, body policing, and reclaiming autonomy over your physical self.   [41:55] – The Trap of Anti-Diet Rules: Why the "anti-diet" movement can sometimes feel just as rigid as diet culture, and the vital need for individual curiosity over black-and-white thinking.   [46:35] – The Hill to Die On: A collective call to action for weight-neutral healthcare and dismantling the culture of shame.   Connect with us: 💜 Jo: @binge.eating.dietician / https://bingeeatingdietitian.com/ 💜 Find out more about Becca's therapy services: https://www.beccarobinsonchinntherapy.com 💜 Becca: @becomingwithbecca_therapist / @thefoodandbody_podcast   How has society shaped your relationship with food and your body? Do you think recovery is a radical feminist act? Let me know in the comments below!   If you've got a moment please like, subscribe and share this episode to help more people discover a different way of thinking about food, health and body image.   #FoodFreedom #FoodNoise #IntuitiveEating #BodyImage #DietCulture #BingeEatingRecover

  What happens when a lifetime of dieting, food rules and food noise finally gives way to food freedom? And what happens when a serious health diagnosis challenges everything you thought you knew about healthy eating?   In this episode of The Food & Body Podcast, I'm joined by Suanne, our first listener guest, who shares her journey from decades of restrictive eating and struggles with food and body image to finding a more peaceful relationship with food in her 60s. We explore how diet culture shaped her beliefs, the role of food restriction in her relationship with food, and how a kidney cancer diagnosis completely changed her understanding of what it means to eat healthily. It's a conversation about challenging food rules, redefining health and discovering that food freedom looks different for everyone.   In this episode, we discuss: [00:35] How Suanne's relationship with food began changing in her teenage years [01:09] The cycle of restrictive eating, overeating and feeling out of control [07:52] Shame, secrecy and feeling alone in your struggles with food [12:30] Why dieting and weight loss never provided lasting food freedom [16:17] Challenging food rules and learning to give yourself permission to eat [24:36] How a kidney cancer diagnosis changed Suanne's relationship with food and health [28:37] Why foods labelled as "healthy" aren't necessarily right for everyone [34:25] Weight stigma, body size and why we can't judge someone's health by looking at them [36:20] Navigating nutrition trends and conflicting health advice [40:37]  Finding food freedom through permission, flexibility and satisfying meals [48:37] Making peace with body image and enjoying life beyond food rules     Connect with us: 💜 Suanne: @suannebd 💜 Find out more about my therapy services: https://www.beccarobinsonchinntherapy.com 💜 Instagram: @becomingwithbecca_therapist / @thefoodandbody_podcast   If Suanne's story resonates with you, I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments. What has helped you change your relationship with food? And if your experience has been different, you're welcome to share that too.   Don't forget to like, subscribe and share this episode to help more people discover a different way of thinking about food, health and body image.   #FoodFreedom #FoodNoise #IntuitiveEating #BodyImage #DietCulture

Is people-pleasing connected to overeating? Do you find it hard to say no to people... and food? In this episode of The Food and Body Podcast, therapist Harriet Frew joins me to explore the deep links between people-pleasing, masking, self-abandonment, and emotional eating. We discuss why trusting your own experience can be so difficult, how people-pleasing overlaps with neurodivergence/ADHD, and how out of control eating can become a "protected space" or escape from constantly putting others first. If you struggle to recognize your own needs, find yourself trapped in cycles of resentment and guilt or find indulging in overeating is your only "you time", this honest conversation offers actionable strategies for building boundaries and finding safety within yourself. 📌 Subscribe to the channel for more honest conversations on finding a peaceful relationship with food, body image, and self-acceptance. ⏱️ Timestamps & Chapters 00:00 — Introduction: People-pleasing & eating disorders 03:30 — Harriet’s story: Bulimia and the need to please 08:15 — Kindness vs. Self-Abandonment 13:40 — The overlap with ADHD, neurodivergence & masking 21:10 — Why binge eating becomes a protected escape 29:45 — The roots of people-pleasing: Culture, family & rejection 37:20 — Practical steps: Moving past "just say no" 45:00 — How relationships change when you set boundaries 🔗 Connect with Us Connect with Harriet: Instagram @theeatingdisordertherapist_ Podcast: The Eating Disorder Therapist on all major platforms (1.5 million downloads).  https://harrietfrew.podbean.com/ YouTube  https://www.youtube.com/@theeatingdisordertherapist Website: theeatingdisordertherapist.co.uk   Connect with Becca: Instagram: becomingwithbecca_therapist Email: [email protected] Website: wwww.beccarobinsonchinntherapy.com (coming soon) Follow the podcast info: Instagram: @thefoodandbody_podcast      

What can nervous system regulation teach us about body image, food freedom and recovery? And how can somatic therapy help us understand the nervous system, emotions and the patterns we develop around food and our bodies? In this episode of Once Upon A Binge, I’m joined by Stefanie Michele. As a recovery coach and Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, Stef takes a somatic approach to recovery, body image and emotional wellbeing. After recovering from decades of out of control eating and restriction herself, Stef helps women understand and change their relationship with food and body image. Her work focuses on the intersection of nervous system regulation, eating behavior, body image, and self-trust. We explore what somatic therapy actually means, how trauma and the nervous system can affect our relationship with our bodies, and how simple body-awareness practices can support healing without becoming another thing to “get right”. Together, we explore: What a somatic approach to recovery actually means and how it differs from simply thinking differently How trauma and the nervous system can influence the way we experience our bodies, emotions and food Why behaviours can serve different purposes and what our nervous system may be communicating through them How different nervous-system states can feel in the body, including heightened energy, heaviness, numbness and calm Why changing a habitual nervous-system response isn't about simply trying to stop an urge or feeling Simple ways to work with nervous-system regulation in everyday life How parts work, curiosity and compassion can help us understand conflicting feelings and protective responses The role of movement and stillness in somatic work, including using movement for release, regulation and soothing Why our bodies can continue to associate certain situations with danger even when we consciously know we are safe The difference between changing the way you think about your body and changing the way your body actually feels How body image, safety and belonging can become connected to ideas about body shape and appearance Becca's experience of sitting with difficult old photographs rather than immediately avoiding or deleting them How seeing other people's bodies differently can help create new associations around confidence, self-expression and body acceptance Reconnecting with hunger and fullness cues without relying on numbers, scales or intensive tracking Learning to notice subtle physical signals such as hunger, fullness and discomfort with less judgement or fear Why recovery can involve a much broader process of reconnecting with yourself rather than simply trying to fix one particular symptom How body awareness can gradually become more instinctive and natural Why somatic therapy doesn't have to be spiritual, “woo-woo” or complicated What Steph means by “somatic drops” or “somatic sprinkles” — small moments of body awareness that can be incorporated into everyday life How to begin reconnecting with your body without turning it into another task, rule or form of perfectionism This is a conversation about somatic therapy, nervous system regulation, body image, food freedom and recovery — and about learning to listen to your body with a little more curiosity, compassion and less judgement. If you're interested in body image recovery, improving your relationship with food, understanding your nervous system or exploring a more compassionate relationship with your body, this episode is for you.   💜 Connect with the podcast: - Instagram - @onceuponabingepodcast - Email - [email protected]     Connect with Becca: - Instagram – @bingefreeandbeautiful - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/beccarobinson/ - Email - [email protected]   Connect with Stef: - Email – [email protected] - Instagram - @iamstefaniemichele - Website - https://www.iamstefaniemichele.com/  

What if your relationship with food and your body isn’t a failure of willpower — but a response to trauma? In this episode of Once Upon a Binge, I’m joined by psychotherapist, professor and body liberation activist Paula D Atkinson to explore a concept that may completely change the way you understand binge eating, dieting and body image: diet culture trauma. We talk about how dieting and restriction can affect the brain and nervous system, why binge eating can continue even when you don’t think you’re restricting, and how shame and self-abandonment can keep the binge cycle going. We also explore something I found particularly powerful: the idea that disordered eating can sometimes become a way of reclaiming ownership of your body after years of feeling that your body belongs to everyone else. And if you’ve ever thought, “But I’m not restricting — I just binge,” this conversation may give you a very different, trauma-informed way of understanding what’s happening. In this episode, we discuss: 1:46 - Paula’s personal journey from childhood body shame and anorexia to becoming a therapist and body liberation activist 10:22 - What “diet culture trauma” actually means 10:54 - The trauma of starvation and what the Minnesota Starvation Experiment can teach us about restriction 11:18 -Why your body may respond to dieting as though it is experiencing a threat to survival 12:18 -  Why you can still be affected by restriction years after your first diet 12:51 -  How diet culture can create body obsession and disordered eating 13:00 - Self-abandonment, body abandonment and internalising other people’s opinions about your body 17:16 - What diet culture trauma might look like if you binge but don’t believe you restrict 19:18 - Why food can be a way of regulating the nervous system 20:56 - Mental restriction, food rules and the “famine tomorrow” that can keep binge eating going 24:05 - How shame after a binge can actually reinforce the binge cycle 28:08 -  Whether diet culture trauma affects people in thin/straight-sized bodies differently from people in larger bodies 25:12 - How diet culture can teach us to distrust our own bodies and instincts 28:41 - Why fatphobia harms people of all body sizes 32:15 - Acute, chronic, complex and vicarious trauma — and where diet culture trauma fits 34:07 -  The connection between body comments, objectification, sexual trauma and disordered eating 35:06 - How food and eating behaviours can become a way of reclaiming ownership and control of your body 40:16 -What it means to stop abandoning your body and begin seeing your body as being on your side 42:29 - How curiosity can help you begin questioning the beliefs you’ve inherited about your body 44:03 - Paula’s experience appearing on Jubilee’s Surrounded with Jillian Michaels — and what really happened behind the scenes If you’re struggling with binge eating, emotional eating, food guilt, body hatred or the feeling that you’re constantly fighting against your body, I hope this conversation gives you a different perspective. You don’t have to learn how to control your body better. What if the work is learning how to stop fighting it? 💬 Have you ever thought about your relationship with food or your body through a trauma lens? Let me know in the comments — I’d love to hear your thoughts.   💜 Connect with the podcast: - Instagram - @onceuponabingepodcast - Email - [email protected]     Connect with Becca: - Instagram – @bingefreeandbeautiful - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/beccarobinson/ - Email - [email protected]   Connect with Paula: - Email – [email protected] - Instagram - @pauladatkinson - Website - https://www.pauladatkinson.com/  

What happens when years of dieting stop working? When you’re done with hating your body? In this episode of Once Upon a Binge, Becca is joined by Flo, a coach and diversity & inclusion consultant, who shares her powerful lived experience of disordered eating. From growing up watching her mum diet, to years of restriction, binge eating and believing that losing weight would finally make her confident and happy, Flo opens up about what really kept her stuck—and the unexpected moment that changed everything. Together, they explore why dieting can become an eating disorder, why recovery only works when you're truly ready, and how curiosity, intuitive eating and reconnecting with your body can help you find freedom from food obsession. They also discuss body image, diet culture, "fitspiration", friendships, values, and why recovery is about so much more than food. If you've ever wondered whether life without constant thoughts about food and your body is really possible, this conversation offers both honesty and hope. Becca and Flo talk about: 00:00 Meet Flo 01:30 Coaching Meets Recovery 05:03 Why Diet Culture Is Everywhere 06:08 How Childhood Shapes Body Image 07:07 From Restriction to Binge Eating 17:24 The Promise of Thinness and Power 20:16 When Therapy Doesn't Help 21:14 The Hen Do That Changed Everything 26:21 Recovery Readiness & The Fitspiration Era 28:38 Why Recovery Isn't Black and White 29:14 The Anger That Fuelled Recovery 29:59 Learning to Trust Body Signals 32:58 Gentle Nutrition vs Food Freedom 35:01 Emotional Emptiness & Using Food to Cope 36:33 Curiosity Instead of Self-Judgement 39:15 Why Women Bond Through Body Talk 41:58 Values, Identity & Life Beyond Food 48:16 When Recovery Changes Friendships 50:23 Creating a Recovery-Friendly Social Media Feed 53:17 Final Takeaways & Hope for Recovery If you found this episode helpful, please like, comment, subscribe and share as it helps my channel grow and reach more people who need to hear these conversations. 💜 Connect with the podcast: - Instagram - @onceuponabingepodcast - Email - [email protected]     Connect with Becca: - Instagram – @bingefreeandbeautiful - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/beccarobinson/ - Email - [email protected]   Connect with Flo: - Email – [email protected] - Instagram - @diversityintheboardroom - Website - https://www.diversityintheboardroom.co.uk/    

Are GLP-1 weight loss injections really the breakthrough they're being made out to be? Or are we missing some of the bigger psychological and physical questions? From Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro to "food noise", binge eating, body image and weight stigma, GLP-1 medications are dominating conversations online. But are they really the answer? In this episode of Once Upon a Binge, host and psychotherapist Becca Robinson sits down with nutritional therapist Lisa Unger for a balanced, evidence-informed conversation about the benefits, risks and unanswered questions surrounding GLP-1 medications. Rather than taking a "for or against" position, this episode explores the complexity behind these drugs—including why they can be genuinely life-changing for some people, why they may not work for others, and the potential psychological and physical risks anyone should know before making a decision. They discuss: 01:39 Why GLP-1s are divisive 02:57 Clients and eating disorders 05:26 Poll results and why now 06:42 How GLP-1s work 10:27 Research gaps and dosing 12:17 Weight loss vs food noise 13:54 Shame and fatphobia pressure 17:00 When it fails and coping swaps 20:46 Therapy without food noise 24:42 Nutrition and muscle loss risks 27:21 Training Injuries Concerns 28:21 Low Energy and Nutrition 28:43 Staying on for Life 31:20 Shame and Medication Parallels 32:56 Eating Disorder Motivations 34:56 Access Risks and Black Market 39:30 Body Image Backlash 43:12 Food Culture and Portions 45:13 No Magic Wand Wrap Up 49:16 Final Thoughts and Feedback   💜 Connect with the podcast: Instagram - @onceuponabingepodcast Email - [email protected] Connect with Becca: Instagram – @bingefreeandbeautiful LinkedIn -   / beccarobinson   Email - [email protected] Connect with Lisa: Email – [email protected] Instagram - @_lisaunger Website - https://lisaunger.co.uk/

Can you be healthy in a larger body? Does BMI really measure health? In this episode of the Once Upon a Binge Podcast, registered dietitian Alice joins Becca to discuss Health at Every Size (HAES), intuitive eating, body image, menopause, eating disorder recovery, weight stigma, and why weight isn't the whole picture when it comes to health. Many of us have been taught that losing weight automatically means becoming healthier. But is that actually true? Together, Becca and Alice explore what the research says about BMI, Health at Every Size, intuitive eating, and how to support your physical and mental health without becoming trapped in the cycle of dieting, restriction and shame. They also talk about the emotional impact of body changes caused by menopause, cancer treatment, illness, ageing, and eating disorder recovery, and why learning to trust your body again can be one of the hardest—and most important—parts of healing. In this episode: 00:00 – Introduction to Alice and her work as a registered dietitian 02:00 – What Health at Every Size (HAES) really means 05:20 – Supporting people through body changes after cancer treatment 10:00 – Why weight gain after illness can be so distressing 15:00 – The similarities between cancer recovery, menopause and eating disorder recovery 19:00 – Why women's bodies naturally change throughout life 24:30 – Challenging unrealistic expectations around body image 28:00 – Using science and CBT-informed strategies to build body acceptance 34:00 – The role of a dietitian alongside therapy 39:00 – Common fears about weight gain, health and identity 43:30 – Debunking myths about BMI and health 51:00 – Why BMI is a poor measure of individual health 56:30 – The dangers of weight cycling and repeated dieting 59:30 – What intuitive eating actually is (and what it isn't) 1:05:00 – Rebuilding trust in your body after illness or an eating disorder 1:10:00 – How to advocate for yourself if your healthcare provider focuses only on weight 1:17:00 – Weight stigma, anti-fat bias and navigating healthcare 1:24:00 – Gentle nutrition after eating disorder recovery 1:32:00 – How to improve your health without returning to restrictive dieting 1:38:00 – Why food is about connection, culture and joy—not just nutrition 1:44:00 – Final thoughts on healing your relationship with food and your body If you've ever struggled with body image, binge eating, emotional eating, dieting, weight gain, menopause, or eating disorder recovery, this episode will help you understand your body with more compassion and confidence. If you enjoyed this conversation, please like the video, subscribe to the channel, and leave a comment below – this helps the channel grow and help others through our conversations. We'd love to hear your biggest takeaway or any questions you'd like us to answer in a future episode. #HealthAtEverySize #IntuitiveEating #EatingDisorderRecovery #BodyImage #Menopause #FoodFreedom 💜 Connect with the podcast: - Instagram - @onceuponabingepodcast - Email - [email protected]     Connect with Becca: - Instagram – @bingefreeandbeautiful     - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/beccarobinson/ - Email - [email protected]   Connect with Alice: - Instagram – @hamptonnutrition - Website - https://hamptonnutrition.co.uk/ - Email - [email protected]