This is the 19th episode in our incredible Body Positivity Series. This life changing series will help you see, think and feel differently about your body. Listen to all the episodes and share them with the people you love! And start being proactive about how you think and feel about your body today! The magic happens on the mat.

Learn more about 6 Week Body Positivity Yoga Series with Isha Warriors

Today's insightful interview is with Lauren Harding, LSW. Lauren is a psychotherapist and certified eating disorder coach. She received her masters in social work at IUPUI and has experience working with a variety of clients including those who have experienced trauma, anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. She also has experience working at an eating disorder residential eating disorder treatment center and over time has developed a passion for helping individuals who struggle with eating disorders/disordered eating, chronic dieting, activity addiction, and negative body image. She completed an independent eating disorder recovery coaching training and certification through the Carolyn Costin Institute and is specially trained to support a client and the client’s treatment team in making day-to-day behavior changes necessary for recovery. Lauren is passionate about helping others to heal their relationship with food, their body, but most importantly with themselves. You are going to love her!

Today you will hear about...
1. Common misconceptions about eating disorders like...

• That people with eating disorders look emaciated.
• That people with eating disorders always make themselves throw up.
• That its an eating disorder only when people have really OVERT behaviors.

2. How do you recognize if there is an eating disorder present?
-It’s tricky because our culture has normalized so many behaviors that COULD BE a red flag, so look for CONSTANT...

• preoccupation with external self
• always trying to change self
• dieting
• exercising
• trying to better themselves & become perfect defined by external & unreal expectations

-Do you or your teen struggle with anxiety, depression, obsessive compulsive disorders? They are more at risk to develop an eating disorder.

3. So what do we do?!

• First look at yourself. There might be something going on with your OWN relationship with food that you need to work on.
• Let go of the shame of inevitable failures.
• Important to ask questions to understand where your kid is at BEFORE it becomes a disorder. Have “help me understand” conversations.
• Get help from a therapist, psychotherapist, counselor etc
• Educate yourself. Knowledge is power.

NEDA https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/
Youtube Search: "Parents and eating disorders"
"Your Dieting Daughter" by Carolyn Costin
https://www.amazon.com/Your-Dieting-Daughter-Dissatisfaction-Disordered/dp/0415890845

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This is the 18th episode in our incredible Body Positivity Series. This life changing series will help you see, think and feel differently about your body. Listen to all the episodes and share them with the people you love! Start being proactive about how you think and feel about your body today! The magic happens on the mat.
Learn more about 6 Week Body Positivity Yoga Series with Isha Warriors

Christy is a certified Functional Nutritionist and has a dietetic degree from Michigan State University. She is also a Certified Lifestyle & Functional Medicine Coach and certified personal trainer. Her passion for health and fitness is fueled from own her personal journey of healing from anorexia nervosa and bulimia. And today we get to hear the tools that have helped her reach her best health over the last 4 decades. Every day, Christy turns the painful experiences of her past into a purpose to help others reach their ultimate health as well.

Instagram: @coachchristy_emerginghealth

What led a ten year old to eating disorders?

1. Book “Gaining”by Aimee Liu points out some kids are just more prone to wanting perfection.
2. Need for control.
3. Felt a need to punish myself for feeling “bad” emotions.
4. I got compliments on my maturing thin figure. Fed my obsession.
5. Because I was anorexic, my body craved food…then I couldn’t stop binging and then I HAD to purge to relive myself of the guilt and disgust I felt for eating food.
6. Cutting out certain foods made me feel clean. It took me decades to realize this need to feel clean stemmed from sexual abuse I experienced from a close relative. Parents need to know that sexual abuse is often a trigger for eating disorders…Because of shame, confusion and guilt. I never told my parents. I never told anyone.

You said you were in such a dark place…What flipped the light bulb on for you?

• One my dad came crying to me and in a very sincere and loving way helped me understand that I was not only hurting myself. I was hurting my family. “I am only hurting myself” is the biggest lie someone with disordered eating tells themself.
• I started to educate myself.
• My mom had me put more input into what was made for dinner and planning out meals.
• I went on to study nutrition in college and absorb everything I could about food and how it affects the body and brain.

What would you tell parents?

1. Break the secrets and the hiding wide open. Have very open conversation with them. “You are only as sick as the secrets you keep.”
2. Come from a place of love not judgement. They are already feeling so much shame.
3. Help them connect what food does for their body versus telling them food is good or bad. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNvkSi0XrL0
4. Help them understand how it is affecting their health and their family
5. Educate yourself and offer resources to your loved one so they can

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This is the 17th episode in our incredible Body Positivity Series. This life changing series will help you see, think and feel differently about your body. Listen to all the episodes and share them with the people you love! Start being proactive about how you think and feel about your body today! The magic happens on the mat.
Learn more about 6 Week Body Positivity Yoga Series with Isha Warriors

"Diet Culture" defined.

• Smaller bodies are the goal.
• Losing weight is the norm. We all should be doing it.
• If you are bigger…you will have to go on a diet to lose weight to live a better life.
• We see hunger as a problem that needs to be solved through extremes.
• I will become a different version of myself that is skinny = happy/better
• The diet will be worth it no matter the time or cost.

Tools to thrive in life.

1. Talking about our struggles. It takes away the power that the struggle has over us. There is nothing to be embarrassed about.
2. Have the courage to ask for help!
3. Acknowledge the thoughts that are keeping you stuck. When you feel gross/fat etc “I don’t love how I am feeling right now-I wonder what is happening outside of my life that might factor in to why I am feeling this way?” DO NOT IGNORE THE THOUGHTS .
4. Be open to the statement, "YOU DON'T HAVE TO LIVE LIKE THIS" ie Diet Culture's definition of beautiful, happy, strong, etc
5. The food isn’t actually the problem-it’s the thoughts about food.
6. Look at picture of younger self and talk to that inner child kindly!
7. Practice BODY NEUTRALITY.
8. Practice food neutrality-Instead of food is good or bad.
9. Body & food neutrality is NOT glorifying obesity
10. Don’t assume that thin people are happy “thin-ness does not = happiness”
11. What we REALLY want is to feel pretty, to be seen, to being valued AND YOU CAN FEEL THOSE THINGS IN EVERY BODY TYPE.
12. Be ok with leaning into discomfort, so you do not miss out on life experiences.
13. Take time to ask yourself "Why am I feeling ugly, etc? What is happening in my life right now that might be the real culprit?"
14. Life is so much easier when you free up all the brain space and the energy you used to worry about all those things.
15. It is HARD TO BELIEVE IT IS TRUE…give yourself grace as you practice.
16. “I don’t like how my stomach looks and I am still funny, loving, Ella.”
17. My body is the least interesting thing about me.
18. We don’t need to bond over "hating ourselves" comments
19. Set boundaries in your life so you don’t surround yourself with triggering circumstances and people
20. Don't wait “till things get bad” to get help. Seek professional help now.
21. Don’t be afraid to TAKE UP SPACE.
22. Eating disorders THRIVE ON SHAME. So talk about it. Yep. it's important enough to repeat!!

BOOKS:
"The F*** It Diet" by Carolyn Dooner
"More Than A Body" by Lindsay & Lexi Kite
"Breaking Free From Body Shame" by Jess Connolly
"8 Keys to Recovery from an Easting Disorder" by Carolyn Cos

Support the show

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Send us a text

Support the show

Please consider clicking below to make a one time donation to help "Monday Mindset With Isha Warriors" reach more people across the world!

Donate Here