valentine's day

therapy has recently become a major part of my life and with that came a very eye-opening realization: everyone needs to go to therapy. there are so many benefits to including therapy in your support system, and it has been an instrumental part to my eating disorder recovery. I hope this episode gives you many solid reasons to advocate for therapy and possibly include it in your life.  0.00 updates 5.26 my transition to therapy / my past preconceived notions about therapy 7:54 reasons to go to therapy I know therapy is a very privileged practice to include in your life, but there are many solutions nowadays. here is a link that will provide cheaper and more accessible therapists: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists  Alright, see you guys for season 2!

In this episode, I list some practical ways in which you can help Ukraine, including how to stay informed, where to donate, how to contact your congressional representatives, and more.  Links to resources below (Will also be available in the bio of @ourfreebodies on Instagram):  masterfile of links/resources gathered by Ukrainian activists: https://ukrainewar.carrd.co/ Places to donate - Razom For Ukraine - https://linktr.ee/RazomForUkraine Donations to OVD-Info - https://donate.ovdinfo.org/?utm_source=tg&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=nowar UNHCR medical aid infor: https://donate.unhcr.org/int/en/ukraine-emergency?utm_source=gwa%2Fhps&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=HQ_GW_EN_UA NOVA humanitarian aid donation link: https://novaukraine.org/ Please check them out. 

life lately has demonstrated its worth. I've recently had an experience that has allowed me to internalize THREE important lessons that I will carry with me for the rest of my life and wanted to share it all with you guys. I also talk about a 10-month update on my ED recovery, the Olympics (before the women's event), and how I got out of my depressive episodes. it's a ramble, but an insightful and healthy one. 

an ode to valentine's day – a quick message for you all to take care of those you love, including yourself. reminder: this podcast loves you a lot. 

DISCLAIMER: I am not discrediting veganism or vegetarianism. I am very passionate about animal rights and the environment. But I am here to say that you should not live this lifestyle as a means to hurt yourself in ED recovery. for those who struggle with eating disorders, is veganism simply a socially acceptable mechanism to encourage food avoidance and restriction? the answer is mostly YES. there are a lot of reasons to become vegan: to advocate for animal rights, to reduce our environmental footprint, to lower the risk for chronic diseases by reducing your cholesterol levels, etc. however, this type of motivation is often coupled with an inherently restrictive eating pathology. it makes recovery way more convoluted than it should be because it motivates disordered eating habits. so how can one live an eco-friendly life without making dietary changes? it's easy! in this episode, I provide many tips that will allow you to help the environment and participate healthily in ED recovery at the same time.  timestamps below: 0:00 updates on my life  10:00 the toxic relationship between veganism and EDs 18:53 ways you can live sustainably without food restriction and avoidance enjoy!

yes, it's the end of January, and I'm making a resolution episode. in this week's light-hearted episode, I am going to tell you guys about 3 major lessons I learned in 2021 and my resolutions for 2022 (timestamps provided below for guidance). I really think this episode will give you guys lessons to keep in mind for the new year and resolutions that you may want to implement into your own lives (that are NOT RELATED TO changing your physical attributes). there are also updates provided at the VERY beginning regarding my mental state, ED recovery process, exercise, friendships, etc. I hope we can all accomplish our resolutions wonderfully with courage and conviction. 2022 will treat us right! I'm excited to see what's to come <3 enjoy. Timestamps: 0:00 happy and sad updates (my mental state, ED recovery process, exercise, friendships, etc.)  12:00 3 MAJOR lessons I learned in 2021  23:30 resolutions! Thank you guys for listening! this podcast has received a lot of love lately, and I am really grateful.  

GUYS i'm so excited for this episode. today's guest is Vanessa Nagoya – a content creator/YouTuber who has amassed a digital community of over 400,000 followers across all media. she creates daily (NYC) vlogs, fashion videos, and all sorts of fun videos (and she's a swiftie). but most incredibly, she has brought her audience along her eating disorder recovery journey and is an inspiring advocate for mental health and vulnerability in the media. in this episode, we discuss EVERYTHING from Nessa's FULL ED story, how media played a role in her relationship with food and body image, the importance of good support systems, the validation of men (lol), to the faults of the current healthcare system (how doctors stereotype EDs). trust me, you'll want to listen to the whole thing. enjoy! I've included useful timestamps below for guidance: 3:05 - Nessa's personal eating disorder journey (includes exercise, body image, etc.) 37:58 - how being a content creator played a role in ED recovery, body acceptance, and self-image.  46:15 - Nessa's mental health account @hearismyheart  51:38 - general tips from Nessa on exercise, diet, fear foods, self-care activities, toxic friendships, media control, how to be content with being alone, intuitive eating, and MORE. Here are Vanessa's socials: main - @vanessanagoya mental health account - @hearismyheart if you read up to this point, comment "of course it's men.." on Nessa's and my posts.   

HELLLOOOOO happy 2022!! The very first episode of the year will feature Ms. Anita Ong, who is the light in my life. Anyways, in this riveting conversation, we discuss mental health in our figure skating careers (and our personal journeys), the value of thinness in performative sports, the toxicity of hustle culture, toxic coach-student relationships and how that translates into post-retirement life, existentialism (lol), and MORE. It's an important conversation that Our Free Bodies has never had, so please enjoy!!! And if you're in the city, go to Anita's family restaurant NANA RAMEN for some delicious food <3 support local businesses.  Anita's socials: Instagram - @_anitaong Family restaurant (Instagram) - @nana.ramen

this week's episode is an Our Free Bodies' collaboration with Colonize This Podcast represented by a co-host (and my very close friend) ALINA RAHIM!! we touch on body image and mental health in sports (ft. our personal experiences), the human biological set point weight and how everyone is literally built different, the psychological problem of body-shaming BIPOC athletes, the toxicity of diet culture, the damaging physical and mental effects of conforming to the thin body ideal in sports, etc. it is such an important and incredible conversation, and you all need to take a listen! please be sure to check out Colonize This on all available platforms (link to media provided below). they touch on current affairs regarding uplifting WOC communities, and they are literally changing the narrative of modern-day activism with their voices!  Colonize This Instagram: @colonizethispod Link to listen: https://anchor.fm/colonizethis 

hey guys! in this week's episode, I will be touching on how to talk to your parents when you have an eating disorder. I talk about how important the role a parent plays in developing EDs and "unlearning" them. I further include a lot of my personal experiences in how my parents exacerbated my ED and tips I used to open up and talk to them about what I was going through (including how I got them to understand my illness). since I've told my parents, they have taken an active, supportive, and understanding role in my recovery journey, and I can only wish that response upon everyone that suffers from an ED. I hope this episode is helpful...I sound a bit tired (I am) but enjoy!!