When I was 18 and just starting college, I was navigating a rocky period of partial recovery from an eating disorder. I was overwhelmed with anxiety and frequent panic attacks that made daily life feel nearly impossible. Out of sheer desperation, I took my mother’s advice and signed up for a yoga class at my school. Skeptical at first, I didn’t expect much—but attending that first class turned out to be a pivotal step toward true healing. Yoga, which originated in ancient Ind

Recovering from anorexia is undoubtedly life-changing and often life-saving, but it can also be a difficult journey. Committing to treatment has the power to improve the lives and well-being of both the individual and their family, yet it’s important to recognize the common challenges that may complicate this process. For many, the hardest part of anorexia recovery is coping with weight gain. Gaining weight during recovery can be extremely tough on physical, psychological, an

A positive pregnancy test often marks the beginning of an overwhelming flood of information, especially regarding what to eat or avoid. This period, already filled with emotional intensity, can become even more complicated for those with a history of eating disorders. During my own pregnancy, I found comfort in relying on intuitive eating—an approach that helped me stay grounded and connected to my body throughout those transformative nine months. Although intuitive eating du

The first time I encountered the term mechanical eating  was during my nutrition studies. It was presented as a clinical, somewhat rigid method—primarily used in treating acute eating disorders. The approach was portrayed as formulaic: a strict regimen that had to be followed precisely for any progress to be made. But through my experience as an eating disorder dietitian, I’ve come to see mechanical eating in a very different light. Far from being rigid or one-size-fits-all,

I’ll never forget the time a guy I had just started dating invited me over for dinner and said, “I’m making steak and salad—no carbs tonight.” Then there was another guy who, while enjoying a hearty Italian meal, admitted his biggest fear in life was “getting fat.” At that point, I was several years into recovery from an eating disorder, so their disordered comments didn’t trigger me. But if I’d been earlier in my healing, those interactions could’ve had a serious impact. Eve

When I first began working as a dietitian in an eating disorder treatment center, I often heard patients described as "resistant,"...

'Tis the season for social media (and the media, in general) to fire away fear-mongering, oppressive and nonscientific messaging as we...

As human beings, it's only natural to develop identities out of what we do and the roles we take on during our time on earth. I believe...

Feeling all of our emotions and dealing with them in life-supportive ways is hard work. The other option? Try to ignore, suppress or numb...

Did you have to cancel your dream vacation before the world shut down in 2020? Chances are good there was at least one trip the pandemic...

Navigating emotions may be the hardest part of being a human. Over the last couple of years, it’s safe to say we have been collectively...

In light of it being Eating Disorders Awareness Week, I am re-sharing a post I wrote for Yoga for Eating Disorders, a wonderful online...

Hi there & thanks for reading. This is a post for any human, and particularly those who are in the midst of healing relationships to...

Hi and thanks for reading! I have taken a hiatus from blogging over the summer and I’m happy to be back writing about the things I’m...

In light of May being Mental Health Awareness Month, I am choosing to share some of my own journey, in hopes that someone will be...

Self-worth is a topic that almost always comes up in conversation with my clients. It makes sense because when we are healing our...

OK, so I am a bit late on this but it’s still February, right?! On Valentine’s Day, I was thinking about relationships and which ones are...

During the last two Januarys, my dear friend and colleague Amanda Marks and I led New Year’s retreats in the mountains of north Georgia....

Sounds weird, right? That disordered or obsessive thoughts around food and body can actually be used to your advantage? One of my clients...

Hello blog readers! Thank you for being here. Today, I am co-writing with my longtime friend and fellow dietitian (AND yoga teacher!)...