If you’ve ever wondered why PCOS feels so confusing, why the symptoms don’t line up, why the advice is contradictory, why the solutions feel like guesswork, you’re not imagining it. PCOS is one of the most misunderstood conditions out there, and the internet has not helped. Everywhere you turn, there’s another promise to “balance your hormones,” another restrictive plan, another fear-based warning about what will happen if you don’t get it “right.”

Healing isn’t supposed to be perfect or linear, and when we stumble, it doesn’t mean we’ve failed. It’s a moment, one that can actually offer us valuable information about what still needs care, attention, and compassion.

In this week’s episode, we’re unpacking what it actually means to feel “normal” around food, and why that word can be both confusing and powerful. Because when most of us say we want to feel normal, what we really mean is that we want freedom. Freedom from guilt. Freedom from rules. Freedom to trust ourselves again. We’ll talk about how to rebuild that trust, how structure can be the surprising foundation for flexibility, and why connecting with your body, and with other people, is such a vital part of the healing process.

The holidays are a time of joy, connection, and celebration. But they can also stir up difficult emotions, memories, and patterns, especially if you’ve experienced trauma or struggled with disordered eating. In this episode, we’re diving into the complex and often misunderstood relationship between eating disorders and trauma.

You’re in a meeting, at school, or out with friends, and instead of focusing on what’s in front of you, all you can think about is what you’ll eat next, what you shouldn’t have eaten, or what you’ll allow yourself later. That constant mental chatter, what many call food noise, can be exhausting.

In this episode, I break down what treatment can look like when someone is struggling in the “middle” of the spectrum. Not in a medical crisis, but still needing real support to heal their relationship with food. We’ll explore the three core pillars of treatment (what I call the “three-legged stool”), the role each professional plays, and why collaboration across the team matters so much.

In this episode of Understanding Disordered Eating, I’m joined by my good friend and colleague, Sydney Green, MS, RD, to unpack the truth about body image: what it really means, how it shows up in daily life, and why it’s so intertwined with our relationship to food. 

For decades, the conversation has been clouded by vague definitions, conflicting philosophies, and the fear that “recovery” might not even be possible. In this powerful conversation, I sit down with Carolyn Costin, a renowned therapist, author, and pioneer in the eating disorder field, to dig into what recovery actually looks like, why she believes full recovery is possible, and how to strengthen the “healthy self” rather than fight against the eating disorder voice.

In this episode, I’m breaking down what separates the two, how to recognize when things may be shifting into dangerous territory, and why the labels themselves matter less than the impact food and body image struggles are having on your daily life. 

In this episode, I’m diving into the messy, real-life struggle of being present, especially when it comes to food, body stuff, and the feelings we’d really rather not deal with. From binge-eating as emotional escape to zoning out mid-meeting, it turns out our disconnect from the present moment isn’t random... It’s learned, rehearsed, and maybe even a little protective.

In this episode, I’m diving deep into the overlap between imposter syndrome and complicated relationships with food and body image. From the masks we wear to feel “enough,” to the inner critic that just won’t shut up, we’re peeling back the layers of what it means to doubt ourselves, hard, while trying to appear like we’ve got it all together.

You know that feeling when someone says, “Wanna hear a secret?” and suddenly your ears perk up? Secrets are juicy. But they’re also heavy, sneaky little burdens that shape our relationships, our bodies, and even how we eat. Seriously. Today, we’re diving back into the murky waters of secrets with none other than the incredible Dr. Katheryn Zerbe. If you’ve been around the UDE fam for a while, you’ll remember her from our earlier episode on secrets and eating disorders (if not, press pause and go listen to that one first—we’ll wait).

I’m unpacking the idea I’m calling The Perfectionist Paradox—where striving for perfection actually gets in the way of the thing you’re trying to do well in the first place. Neat trick, right?

In this episode, we dig into the messy, misunderstood world of eating disorders—the biology, the psychology, and all the medical myths that keep getting passed around like bad advice on the internet. Ever wondered why meds don’t seem to "work" for some people with anorexia? Or why the heck BMI is still a thing? Yeah, we go there.

If you’ve ever found yourself saying, “No, but really, my situation is different,” we’re talking about that too. Because while yes, biology and hormones play a role, a lot of us are way too quick to jump to, “I need a drastic fix” before we’ve even tried addressing our relationship with food (or, you know, feelings).

The messages we receive about food, body image, and self-worth can be overwhelming, making it difficult to break free from the patterns that keep us stuck. But real recovery isn’t just about changing behaviors; it’s about transforming the way we relate to ourselves at the deepest level.

If the thought of skipping a workout makes you panic, if you plan your entire day around movement, or if you’re starting to wonder whether your “healthy” habits might not actually be that healthy… then, my friend, this episode is for you. 

The truth is, our brains are wired to avoid pain and chase comfort—it’s a survival thing. The more we run from discomfort, the stronger it gets. It’s like that pushy friend who won’t take a hint and just keeps showing up. So, what if instead of dodging it, we actually learned to sit with it? What if facing discomfort head-on could make us more resilient, more in control, and—dare I say—even happier?

Let’s be real: there’s a lot of noise out there. People love to throw around these terms like they’re buzzwords for an Instagram post, and frankly, it’s getting old. So, instead of repeating the same tired lines, we’re actually going to dig into the why and how behind it all. 

This week, I am joined by Sarah Rzemieniak,  a Carolyn Costin Institute Certified eating disorder recovery coach. Together, we’re diving into the oh-so-light (read: deeply complex and slightly terrifying) topic of whether clinicians with lived experience should—or even can—work in the field. Should they disclose? Should they keep it locked up tighter than a secret family recipe? And most importantly, how do we make sure we’re actually helping our clients, not just bringing our own baggage into the room?