Peace Meal The Emily Program and Veritas Collaborative

Episode description:

Val Schonberg joins Peace Meal to discuss eating disorders during menopause, an often-overlooked period of vulnerability for midlife individuals. She begins by explaining why this life stage carries an increased risk for disordered eating and eating disorders. Our cultural biases toward aging and weight are partially to blame, she says, which can lead providers to misdiagnose or completely miss disordered eating behaviors. To better serve midlife individuals during this vulnerable period, Val urges healthcare providers to re-evaluate their own beliefs about aging, weight, and menopause. She emphasizes that menopause is a natural phase of life and not a “disease” that must be “fixed,” as many problematic cultural messages suggest. Val ends the podcast by expressing her belief that everyone can recover – no matter their age – and that aging is a precious gift. 

Val Schonberg is a Registered and Licensed Dietitian with a master’s degree in nutrition science from the University of Minnesota. She is Board Certified as a Specialist in Sports Dietetics, a Certified Menopause Practitioner with the North American Menopause Society, and a Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Val owns a private practice in Atlanta, Georgia, where she specializes in midlife health and menopause, recreational and professional sports nutrition, all types of eating disorders, and helping individuals break free from dieting and disordered eating. 



Originally from Minnesota, Val’s experience and expertise come from years of practice in many settings, including women’s health, eating disorder treatment, Division 1 college sports medicine, professional dance organizations, and speaking regionally and nationally on numerous nutrition-related topics. In addition to individual nutrition counseling, she is the consulting dietitian for Emory Sports Medicine and Orthopedics, Atlanta Ballet, and the Atlanta Dream WNBA team. 

Val is passionate about providing nutrition care to populations vulnerable to disordered eating and promoting positive nutrition messages that help people make informed decisions about their health and live a life where they are at peace in their relationship with food and their body.

We cover:



* Why the transition to menopause can increase the risk for disordered eating and/or an eating disorder

* How all eating disorder diagnoses are prevalent in middle-aged individuals 

* Why menopausal individuals need support with their mental health as well as their physical health

* How providers can better serve menopausal individuals with disordered eating and/or an eating disorder

* How the public opinion surrounding menopause must be changed to eliminate shame and stigma



In Val’s words:



* On the importance of self-reflection when working with menopausal individuals: “All of us really need to recognize and challenge ageism and weight bias. And, you know, part of that is then being curious, really curious, about your own views about aging, weight, and menopause.”

* On supporting individuals who feel uncomfortable in their bodies: “Some of it is just validating, right? ‘This really sucks,’ instead of, ‘You just need to wake up and be positive about your body and just accept this.’ I am a big fan of body positivity and body acceptance and I do a lot of work with that, but the bridge to get to that space is…. just looking at it, validating it… sitting in the muck together.”

* On recovery and aging: “I really believe that recovery is possible for everyone… and that aging and growing older is one of the best gifts in life.”



Visit EnlightenU Nutrition to learn about the services Val offers. You can also follow her on Instagram (@v.

Episode description:

In this episode of Peace Meal, Rebecca Amis shares her story of recovery from a decades-long eating disorder. Rebecca first traces her path through illness and healing, disclosing the risk factors that may have contributed to her anorexia, as well as the intense life transitions and medical issues that prolonged the disorder and complicated her recovery. 

Loneliness is a common thread through Rebecca’s years of struggles. She shares that she felt invisible and sorely misunderstood by those around her, resulting in the urge to hole up with nothing but the false sense of comfort that her disorder provided. The prospect of following a meal plan and losing the rules and rituals of her eating disorder terrified Rebecca and initially kept her from pursuing treatment. With the encouragement of her support system, she courageously surrendered to help and experienced a profound “rebirth” of self on the other side of suffering.



Rebecca is a 55-year-old woman who now finds joy and freedom and life after spending decades with an under-the-radar eating disorder. She resides in Southern California with her husband and enjoys travel, golf, skiing, napping, writing, and reading. She is writing a book entitled My Sweet Body: Memoirs of a Not So Daisied Life, hoping to touch those who have been affected by a long-term eating disorder.

We cover:



* The intricate interplay of factors in the development of an eating disorder

* The pseudo-safety eating disorders seem to offer during life transitions

* Weighing the decision to seek help for an eating disorder

* How the act of surrendering can help sustain recovery



In Rebecca's words:



* On the significance of treatment: “I stayed, and I ate, I completed my meals, and I met the most beautiful people on this earth. And it was the most meaningful experience – probably aside from having my children – the most meaningful experience I think I’ve ever had…it was magical.”

* On the most surprising parts of recovery: “The freedom and the joy. That has been huge. There aren’t any shackles. There are no more shackles. I’m not bound anymore. To look back and realize that for so many years, I had those shackles and knowing that freedom is now possible.”

* On advice to someone struggling and losing hope about recovery: “Try to surrender. Just try it… Try to trust the people that are wanting to help you. Lean on them. Use their trust for a little bit until you can trust yourself… Recovery is possible.”



Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. 

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About the podcast:

Peace Meal is a podcast hosted by The Emily Program and Veritas Collaborative that covers topics related to eating disorders, body image, and how society may influence our thinking.

You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, and tell your friends!

Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information.

Episode description:

This month’s Peace Meal guest is Sarah Rzemieniak, who brings multiple perspectives to a rich discussion about eating disorders, healing, and recovery coaching. Drawing from her personal experience and professional background in dietetics and coaching, Sarah begins by sharing some of the temperamental and social factors related to the development of her eating disorder. Though she sought help soon after her anorexia was recognized at age 13, Sarah acknowledges that her recovery was not without challenges and setbacks. She shares how meditation played an essential role during a particularly difficult relapse, helping her to get out of her head and ground herself in her body. 

Now an eating disorder recovery coach, Sarah uses her personal experience, education, and training to support clients in implementing the skills and tools learned in treatment into the “here and now” of their lives. Sarah ends the podcast by sharing her wishes for her young son’s relationship with himself and offering advice for people who feel like recovery is out of reach.



Sarah is a Carolyn Costin Institute Certified eating disorder recovery coach, working in private practice as a coach since 2018, where she provides one-on-one recovery coaching to individuals worldwide. Before this, Sarah worked as an eating disorder dietitian until she realized her true passion was in the coaching and counseling aspect of the work. Sarah has her own lived experience of an eating disorder and considers herself fully recovered from anorexia nervosa. 

We cover:



* How certain temperament traits can contribute to the development of an eating disorder

* Why relapsing is common in eating disorder recovery and does not mean you have failed 

* How weight-loss dieting can lead to recovery setbacks

* The power of meditation in recovery

* How recovery can fundamentally change the way you view yourself and your life 



In Sarah’s words:



* On the difficulty of breaking free from societal pressures: “For me, it didn’t feel like it was necessarily about the praise because I wasn’t getting praise anymore. I looked unwell. But still, there was this definite sense that [thinness] is something that society values and praises.”

* On meditation: “There’s something about starting to meditate that actually was quite transformative. …[I’m] in my head so much and just being so controlled by these rigid rules and anxieties. So [starting to mediate] actually was quite profound.”

* On how her relationship with herself changed in recovery: “I feel less run by fear. That’s a huge, huge difference.”



You can connect with Sarah, learn about recovery coaching, and find resources for the recovery journey at her website, sarahrzemieniak.com.

Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977. 

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About the podcast:

Peace Meal is a podcast hosted by The Emily Program and Veritas Collaborative that covers topics related to eating disorders, body image, and how society may influence our thinking.

You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Google Podcasts.

Episode description:

Stacey Brown, RN, joins us in this episode of Peace Meal to reflect on the role of nursing in eating disorder care. She begins by acknowledging the lack of eating disorder education and training in nursing programs; it wasn’t until she began interacting with patients that she fully understood the impact of these illnesses on every body system. Stacey’s experiences have set her on a mission to speak to nurses at all levels about best practices when caring for patients with eating disorders, including developing strong emotional intelligence. She highlights the importance of every care team member and multidisciplinary collaboration to meet a patient’s full range of needs. The episode concludes with Stacey’s words of wisdom for the next generation of eating disorder nurses.



Stacey serves as the Vice President of Nursing at Accanto Health, the parent company of The Emily Program and Veritas Collaborative. Stacey practiced as an Intensive Care/Critical Care nurse, ER nurse, and Cardiac Cath Lab nurse for several years prior to working in the field of mental health. Since transitioning her nursing care into the world of eating disorders in 2007, Stacey has worked extensively in areas of utilization review management, nursing administration, and consulting. She is passionate about her work and loves helping nursing teams learn how to develop strong clinical and critical thinking skills that are based on best and safe practices.

We cover:



* The power of a multidisciplinary, collaborative treatment team

* The importance of family/support system education

* How Stacey educates professionals in the field to challenge bias

* How eating disorder nurses help at all levels of care to ensure patients get the medical and emotional care they need

* How nurses can hold space for sitting with difficult emotions



In Stacey’s words:



* On the nurse’s role in collaborative eating disorder care: “In our setting, one of the most important things that we learn [is] how to validate and also to redirect the client to the appropriate caregiver. It’s not my role to be their therapist. It’s not my role to overstep and try to be their dietitian. My role is to be their nurse, to address their medical needs, to be validating and listening and compassionate, but also know when to redirect back to other care providers.”

* On her passion for eating disorder advocacy: “We have fought tooth and nail as a country to really provide effective treatment and coverage for people who have mental illness and eating disorders. And that is one of the things that drives me. That is not fair. That is not right. And I will stand up and advocate for people who are not treated appropriately. That’s what drives my passion.”

* On her advice to clinicians with lived eating disorder experience:  “If it’s your personal experience with something that is driving your passion—awesome… That passion is going to take you a long way. And: Remember to separate yourself enough so that you are letting the client or the patient have their experience. Not your experience.”



Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977.

-

About the podcast:

Peace Meal is a podcast hosted by The Emily Program and Veritas Collaborative that covers topics related to eating disorders, body image, and how society may influence our thinking.

You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, a href="https://www.stitcher.com/s?

Episode description:

Katie Gantt, MHS, RD, LDN, RYT, is a registered dietitian who has been working in the field of eating disorders and disordered eating for over five years. Katie is passionate about helping moms have a healthy pregnancy and postpartum period by finding health without dieting and challenging disordered eating patterns. She is the owner of Kathryn Gantt Nutrition where she uses her clinical expertise and yoga training to help moms reconnect with their bodies and their relationship to food in a positive, trauma-informed style. Katie focuses on mindful and intuitive eating, Health At Every Size (HAES), and non-diet approaches when counseling clients and helping parents raise intuitive eaters.



Katie joins us in this episode of Peace Meal to discuss how pregnancy and postpartum can complicate or instigate an eating disorder. Offering a wealth of firsthand insights on this nuanced topic, Katie shares cultural and biological factors that make women susceptible to eating disorders during this period of life. She acknowledges the difficulty of speaking up when triggered by uncomfortable comments from providers, who may be unaware of their weight bias and their potential reinforcement of eating disorder behaviors. Katie then identifies practical tips for how providers can better serve these populations. Lastly, she acknowledges the beautiful potential for recovery-oriented body appreciation during pregnancy and postpartum.

We cover:



* How pregnancy and postpartum are uniquely poised to impact those with a history of eating disorders or disordered eating

* The limited eating disorder training among OBs, and how this contributes to missed disordered eating behaviors during pregnancy

* Weight-neutral approaches to prenatal and postpartum healthcare

* How to manage gestational diabetes in a way that doesn’t contribute to disordered eating thoughts and behaviors

* How to hold space for body appreciation within pregnancy and postpartum



In Katie’s words:



* On the lack of screening for disordered eating during pregnancy: “Over 90% of women are never screened for disordered eating in pregnancy, at all. So if you don’t provide that information or if you don’t yourself quite realize that you have a disordered relationship with food, it’s most likely never going to come up when you’re with your OB.”

* On the special considerations for pregnant or postpartum women in eating disorder recovery: “Statistically, if we have a history of an eating disorder regardless if it’s active or not in our pregnancy, there is a significantly higher risk of it recurring in the first year postpartum. And you couple that with women who have had a history of an eating disorder who have a 30% higher risk of developing postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety – that can be a really risky time for women.”

* On eating disorder recovery and body appreciation during pregnancy: “It’s not uncommon to see eating disorder remission during pregnancy. There’s this sense of, ‘this is kind of a cool thing that’s happening [to my body].’ For some of my clients, it’s the first time they have ever had body appreciation.”



Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977.

-

About the podcast:

Peace Meal is a podcast hosted by The Emily Program and Veritas Collaborative that covers topics related to eating disorders, body image, and how society may influence our thinking.

You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, a href="https://www.stitcher.com/s?

The holidays can be especially challenging for those experiencing or recovering from an eating disorder. Guest Kezia Reeder, a passionate advocate for recovery, joins Peace Meal to share how her eating disorder affected her holiday plans and celebrations. She discusses how to navigate these food-centric occasions and support those who are, and then reflects on the gift of recovery.