The Full Plate Podcast with Abbie Attwood, MS Abbie Attwood

Today Debra Benfield, RDN, joins the pod to speak with Abbie about the intersection of diet culture, anti-fatness, and anti-aging. This is one you won't want to miss. Because guess what? We're all aging, and it's a privilege. But diet culture continues to sell us a myriad of ways to "prevent" or hide that natural process. Tune in to hear more about how women in mid-life are particularly susceptible to developing disordered eating and what messaging to be wary of.
More topics dicussed:
Peri-menopause and menopause diet culture messages How aging creates vulnerability to damaging diet/wellness culture Mid-life marketing and disordered eating advice Belly fat, strength training, and other incessent messaging about aging Ableism, sexism, and agism coinciding How wellness culture capitalizes on our fear of aging and death Wrinkles, botox, and the skin-care industry Fear-mongering around food and disease The impact of stress and restricive eating on longevity What we can do to reclaim our time and energy and power Debra has helped hundreds of women heal their relationship with food and their bodies over her 35-year career as a Registered Dietitian. She specializes in the prevention and treatment of disordered eating, and brings her passion, expertise, and lived experience to the intersection of pro-aging and body liberation work. Deb’s work is rooted in helping clients recognize internalized ageism and end it, dismantle internalized diet culture and fatphobia, see midlife and beyond as a time of Emergence, nourish their bodies to support vitality and aging, and develop a respectful partnership with their bodies.
Full Plate is listener-supported (no ads!) so please support the show on Patreon for bonus episodes at Patreon.com/fullplate
Patreon is also home to the episode transcripts (which are publicly available to everyone, not just our patrons!). If you’re looking for those, head over to Patreon. 
Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast 
Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness
Find Debra on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/agingbodyliberation/

This is the second episode in a series of episodes I plan on doing with current and former clients. The feedback from the first episode with Dory was so powerful, and I heard you loud and clear: You want to hear from more folks in the messy middle. 
Today I speak with the wonderful Shelby, a client who was part of my group program last fall, a nd someone I care deeply about.
We talk through her story, including what sparked body image concerns as a child, how food became fraught with anxiety and obsession, the impact of chronic illness on body dissatisfaction, how diet culture makes us feel like our bodies are broken, and how we can learn to stop hiding and instead decide to take up space in this world.
Specific topics discussed:
How body image is impacted by culture and lack of diversity Damaging diet culture messages during pregnancy Body changes postpartum How wellness culture preys on chronic illness The harm of body compliments Realizing it's not about health, it's about thinness How chronic illness impacts body image and embodiment Not letting your body hold you back from living your life Full Plate is listener-supported (no ads!) so please support the show on Patreon for bonus episodes at Patreon.com/fullplate
 
Patreon is also home to the episode transcripts (which are publicly available to everyone, not just our patrons!). If you’re looking for those, head over to Patreon. 
 
Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast 
Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness
More on Abbie's group coaching program: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/group-coaching 

Today's episode is a grab-bag of topics! Abbie answers two listener questions -- one about whether protein bars are "diet culture", and the other about the "Almond Moms" trend. She also talks about social media in the context of mental health, sharing her own relationship with Instagram (posting, scrolling, and engaging), and some tips on how to create a safe space in your own feed.
Topics discussed:
Abbie's relationship with Instagram Following accounts that support your mental health Are protein bars "diet culture"? The hyper-fixation on protein in diet culture How to approach foods you ate a lot of throughout disordered eating and dieting Having aversions to "safe" foods How to know whether your food preferences are based in a restrictive mentality What is an "Almond Mom"? Having parents who have their own disordered relationship with food Generational dieting trauma and passing down body shame  
Full Plate is listener-supported (no ads!) so please support the show on Patreon for bonus episodes at Patreon.com/fullplate
 
Patreon is also home to the episode transcripts (which are publicly available to everyone, not just our patrons!). If you’re looking for those, head over to Patreon. 
 
Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast 
 
Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness 
 
Learn more about working with Abbie: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/ 

The amazing and brilliant Dr. Rachel Millner is on the pod to talk about what's on her plate (literally, and figuratively!), her own journey with an eating disorder as a clinician, and to share wisdom and insights into parenting in our thin-obsessed culture. We also get into the American Academy of Pediatrics' guidelnes and how they will harm the mental and physical health of this generation of children, as well as future generations. 
Topics discussed:
Raising children from a HAES / weigh-inclusive perspective Weight stigma in childhood from parents and doctors Rachel’s relationship with food growing up, and how it differed from her siblings Growing up without body trust “Atypical anorexia” as a diagnosis of weight bias and anti-fatness The harm of complimenting weight-loss Knowing you have an eating disorder and not wanting to recover What it takes to recover when you don’t feel committed to healing The AAP guidelines on higher weight children, and the damage it will do to the health and wellbeing of kids Marginalized communities, anti-fatness, and anti-blackness Fighting back against weight stigma in the doctor’s office Dealing with diet culture in schools and with teachers Addressing your own anti-fat bias on the path to healing  
Rachel Millner, Psy.D. (she/her) is a psychologist, supervisor, and fat activist in private practice in Pennsylvania. Rachel has been working with those with eating disorders, disordered eating, and those wanting to heal their relationship with food and body since 2005. Rachel provides fat positive therapy that is rooted in social justice, body trust (r), and fat liberation.  In addition to her clinical work, Rachel frequently gives talks on topics such as eating disorders in higher weight people, providers struggling with eating disorders, and providing fat positive therapy. Rachel has been interviewed for numerous publications about eating disorders and has been interviewed on many podcasts about her work. More on Rachel: https://www.rachelmillnertherapy.com/
 
Full Plate is listener-supported (no ads!) so please support the show on Patreon for bonus episodes at Patreon.com/fullplate
 
Patreon is also home to the episode transcripts (which are publicly available to everyone, not just our patrons!). If you’re looking for those, head over to Patreon. 
 
Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast 
Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness
Learn more about working with Abbie: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/ 

Christy Harrison, RD MPH CEDS, joins Abbie on the pod to talk all things wellness culture. This conversation is such an important one, as they explore how the diet culture contrived version of wellness preys on those with medical conditions, is steeped in healthism, and perpetuates misinformation about pseudo-scientific diagnoses. Christy's second book, "The Wellness Trap", just released last week, so you'll also get to her more of the BTS on her book launch and writing process in this episode, too!
Topics discussed:
Our love affair with chips of all kinds Christy's experience launching her second book in a different stage of life and as a new mom Creating boundaries and protecting your mental and emotional well-being on social media Wellness misinformation during pregnancy and postpartum Debunking dubious diagnoses: "adrenal fatigue", "candida overgrowth", and "leaky gut" How our consumption of social media influences our experience of diet and wellness culture The spread of misinformation and disinformation about health conditions How fearing food harms our health and wellbeing Chronic illness and wellness culture Finding trustworthy sources of information How diets cherry-pick insignificant studies or cite studies that don't support their claims The meaning behind Christy's new book cover and new podcast art Christy Harrison, MPH, RD, CEDS is a journalist, registered dietitian, and certified intuitive eating counselor. She’s the author of The Wellness Trap: Break Free from Diet Culture, Disinformation, and Dubious Diagnoses and Find Your True Well-Being (coming in April 2023) and Anti-Diet: Reclaim Your Time, Money, Well-Being, and Happiness Through Intuitive Eating.  
Christy is also the coauthor, with psychotherapist Judith Matz, of The Making Peace with Food Card Deck.
Christy is the producer and host of two podcasts, Rethinking Wellness and Food Psych, which have helped tens of thousands of listeners around the world think critically about diet and wellness culture and develop more peaceful relationships with food. In addition to her media work, Christy offers online courses and private intuitive eating coaching to help people all over the world make peace with food and their bodies.
Full Plate is listener-supported (no ads!) so please support the show on Patreon for bonus episodes at Patreon.com/fullplate
Patreon is also home to the episode transcripts (which are publicly available to everyone, not just our patrons!). If you’re looking for those, head over to Patreon. 
Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast 
Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness
Apply for Abbie's summer group coaching cohort: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/group-coaching 

You won't want to miss this incredibly healing conversation. Dr. Anita Johnston joins Abbie to discuss the magic of metaphors and story-telling in ED recovery, and how we can return home to our authentic selves to find freedom. They discuss why highly intuitive and deeply feeling people tend to be most vulnerable to eating disorders, and how to use those gifts as superpowers in recovery.
Topics covered:
How being highly sensitive impacts disordered eating and healing The safety and security that EDs can provide Anita's childhood in Guam and how that shaped her experience with food, body, and herself Our illusion of control in having an eating disorder Storytelling and metaphor in ED treatment Language of recovery and healing Disordered eating thoughts and behaviors as a coping mechanism and distraction Following our joy and authenticity to freedom from diet culture Emotional literacy and boundaries Why those who suffer from EDs are the ones that the world needs most Mothering energy and how to provide that to ourselves Anita Johnston, Ph.D., CEDS is a clinical psychologist and certified eating disorder specialist and supervisor, working in the field of women’s issues and eating disorders for over 35 years. She is the author of the best selling book, Eating in the Light of the Moon and co-creator of the Light of the Moon Cafe, a series of online interactive courses and women’s support circles, and Soul Hunger workshops. She is currently the Clinical Director of Ai Pono Hawaii eating disorder programs with out-patient programs on Oahu and the Big Island of Hawaii, and an ocean-front residential program on Maui. Full Plate is listener-supported (no ads!) so please support the show on Patreon for bonus episodes at Patreon.com/fullplate
Patreon is also home to the episode transcripts (which are publicly available to everyone, not just our patrons!). If you’re looking for those, head over to Patreon. 
Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast 
Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness 
Abbie’s website: www.abbieattwoodwellness.com
Light of the Moon Cafe: https://lightofthemooncafe.com/
Anita's website: https://dranitajohnston.com/
Find Anita on Instagram: @dranitajohnston