The Appetite

Are you a "perfectionist" who is exhausted and tired of hustling for your worth? Or perhaps you have entered perfectionism recovery but remain in a long term battle with compulsive perfectionistic striving? Either way, this podcast is just the ticket for you! Take a listen to Lexi Giblin, PhD, Maggie Ritnour, LMHC, LCAT, ATR-BC, RYT, CEDS and Noni Vaughn-Pollard, NDTR, MHC-LP chat about the difference between perfectionism and excellence, the importance of celebrating achievements, and shame as the birthplace of perfectionism. Lexi, Maddie and Noni look through a radically open dialectical behavior therapy (RO DBT) lens to shed light on the topic. Along the way, you will get the inside scoop on the origin story of the Opal mascot: The Owl. To find Noni and Maggie, go to: Roots Art Therapy at https://www.rootsarttherapy.nyc/ Connect with Opal:  www.opalfoodandbody.com Thank you to our team... Editing by David Bazzi Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/

Part 3 of a 3 part series: "Creating Social Change in the Sport World"  Episode 3:  Power of Sharing Your Recovery Journey-- Most people who struggle with disordered eating or an eating disorder grapple with how much and to whom they share their struggle with. Amelia Boone, a world class obstacle racer and ultrarunner, is no exception. Amelia talks about her “why” of sharing vulnerably and openly about her recovery journey with an eating disorder to her social media community.  Listen as Kara Bazzi, co-founder and Clinical Director of Opal, and Amelia talk about the risks and rewards of sharing your story, both in the public and private domains. They explore how to discern when to speak up and when to set personal boundaries in service of your recovery. To get to know Amelia more:   http://www.ameliabooneracing.com/ @arboone11 Connect with Opal:  www.opalfoodandbody.com Thank you to our team... Editing by David Bazzi Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/  

Part 2 of a 3 part series: "Creating Social Change in the Sport World"  Episode 2:  Power of Writing-- Diet culture messages pervade all media- from advertisements, to magazines, to Instagram and TikTok. It's no exception in the sport world- harmful, antiquated messages pop up everywhere that perpetuate disordered eating and body image distress. These harmful messages promote a particular athlete body ideal, overemphasizing the connection between weight and performance. Elizabeth Carey, author, writer and running coach, is determined to change the narrative in media and is taking meaningful action. As a journalist and author, she uses her experience in the sport of distance running, along with her talent and opportunities, to boldly combat the destructive myths that public forums of media serve us. Listen in as Kara Bazzi, Opal co-founder and Clinical Director, talks with Elizabeth about the power of writing to create necessary change. You will leave feeling inspired by hope in the “turning of the needle” that is happening in media, along with considering a personal invitation to use writing as a tool for individual change and healing. To learn more about Elizabeth Carey's work:  www.elizabethwcarey.com   Connect with Opal:  www.opalfoodandbody.com Facebook Instagram: @opalfoodandbody Youtube   Thank you to our team... Editing by David Bazzi Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/

Part 1 of a 3 part series: "Creating Social Change in the Sport World" Episode 1: Power of Coaches-- The "win at all costs" sport culture needs to retire and be replaced by the "whole person athlete" culture. In this episode of The Appetite, Opal co-founder and Clinical Director Kara Bazzi, talks with two coaches who are doing just that-- actively working towards the "whole person athlete" sport culture. Listen as Marie Davis Markham and Robyn McGillis share their story as coaches who developed a community of learning called Wildwood Running to make an impact beyond their respective sport teams in the Portland, Oregon area. Wildwood Running's mission is to guide, empower, connect and educate young female runners and coaches that impact young female runners. Coaches and athletes, tune in to be inspired and learn that a healthy sports culture is possible! To learn more about Wildwood: www.wildwoodrunning.com Connect with Opal:  www.opalfoodandbody.com Facebook Instagram: @opalfoodandbody Youtube   Thank you to our team... Editing by David Bazzi Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/ Administrative support by Camille Dodson

We're excited to bring you our conversation with Christy Harrison MPH, RD, CEDRD author of Anti-Diet and host of the Food Psych podcast. Many of you might know of Christy's work, but might not know what led her to shift her career from working as a journalist reporting on food sustainability to becoming an anti-diet dietitian, author, and host. She breaks down her personal journey with food and eating disorder recovery and how it ultimately led her to write Anti-Diet, a culmination of her research on the history of diet culture, its roots in systems of oppression, Health at Every Size, intuitive eating, and so much more.   Connect with Christy: Website URL: https://christyharrison.com/ Instagram Handle: https://www.instagram.com/chr1styharrison/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/christyharrisonnutrition Twitter Handle: https://twitter.com/chr1styharrison iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/food-psych/id700512884 Book: Anti-Diet: Reclaim Your Time, Money, Well-Being, and Happiness Through Intuitive Eating  Podcast: Food Psych   Connect with Opal:  www.opalfoodandbody.com     Thank you to our team... Editing by David Bazzi Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/ Administrative support by Camille Dodson

"Food is fuel". " You are a machine". "You look fit". "You are what you eat". These are all messages about food and our bodies that are commonplace, yet born out of diet culture. Opal Co-Founder and Clinical Director Kara Bazzi talks with dietitian and endurance athlete Maria Dalzot, RD about how these messages are falling short and not supporting our athletes well-being and performance. In this episode, Maria passionately offers important alternatives to the cultural messages, informed by Intuitive Eating and trauma-informed care. She helps us understand the role our autonomic nervous system plays in our relationship to food and why we need to go beyond prescriptive nutrition interventions in talking with our athletes.    Links: Maria Dalzot RD   The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy: Engaging the Rhythm of Regulation (Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology): Dana, Deb, Porges, Stephen W.: 9780393712377: Amazon.com: Books   Social Determinants of Health | NCHHSTP | CDC   Connect with Opal:  www.opalfoodandbody.com     Thank you to our team...   Editing by David Bazzi Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/ Administrative support by Camille Dodson

You will be happy to bend your ear (maybe again) for this one!  Julie Church, RDN and Carter Umhau, LMHC talk with Erin Harrop (now doctor Erin Harrop, PhD, Assistant Professor at the University of Denver) about healthism, the use of the word "fat," fat liberation and intersectionality.  Dr. Harrop shares their personal experience to spotlight problems with the over-focus on weight in eating disorder treatment. The Appetite crew released this interview 3 years ago and it is even more relevant to our cultural conversation today.  If you are interested in learning more about Health at Every Size, you can join Julie Church for her yearly Introduction to Health at Every Size training this month! Julie's training is available as a pre-recorded webinar and will be followed by a live Q&A panel with Julie, Erin Harrop and Opal dietitian Alyssa Davis on March 23rd at 12pm. You can find more information here.  Links: Dr. Harrop's article in Women and Therapy (2018):  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31595100/   For more learning, Dr. Harrop recommends: 1. Fat Girls in Black Bodies by Joy Arlene Renee Cox Ph.D.  2. The Adipositivity Project: https://theadipositivityproject.zenfolio.com/all 3. Children's book: Free to be Me: Self Love for all Sizes  by Dr. Leslie Williams Connect with Opal:  www.opalfoodandbody.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opalfoodandbodywisdom/ Instagram: @opalfoodandbody Twitter: https://twitter.com/opalfoodandbody?lang=en Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpalFoodandBody/videos      Thank you to our team... Thanks to David Bazzi for editing, Camille Dodson for podcast administrative and social media support.  Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/

What does eating disorder recovery have to do with the Biden-Harris inauguration ceremony? Take a listen to Opal Co-Founders Lexi Giblin, PhD, Kara Bazzi, LMFT, and Julie Church, RDN consider this question on the heels of the historic inauguration ceremony. They connect the dots through themes of learning to celebrate, divesting from perfectionism, self-compassion, empathy, authenticity, celebration of diversity, and unity.   Links: @amandascgorman @kamalaharris @michelleobama  President Joe Biden's inaugural address: Watch full speech video from Inauguration Day 2021  READ: Transcript of Amanda Gorman's inaugural poem | TheHill Brené on Words, Actions, Dehumanization, and Accountability   Connect with Opal:  www.opalfoodandbody.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opalfoodandbodywisdom/ Instagram: @opalfoodandbody Twitter: https://twitter.com/opalfoodandbody?lang=en Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpalFoodandBody/videos      Thank you to our team... Thanks to David Bazzi for editing, Camille Dodson for podcast administrative and social media support.  Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/

If you haven't heard about or tuned into the Netflix docuseries, MOVE, now's the time! MOVE takes you through the lived experiences of dancers around the globe, and offers a visceral experience of movement that brings transformation and healing- both individually and collectively. These dancers are not motivated to lose weight or change their bodies- their dancing is about passion, healing, emoting and liberating from oppression. The series does a brilliant job of addressing social identities such as race, gender, class, and sexual expression within the context of dance. Kara Bazzi, LMFT, CEDS, Co-Founder, Clinical Director and Head of the Exercise+Sport team at Opal talks with Josh Spell, LICSW, Primary Therapist and Exercise Experiential therapist at Opal, as well as a former professional ballet dancer and consulting therapist for Pacific Northwest Ballet. Kara and Josh offer their reflections on MOVE, tying the themes of the docuseries into the work of healing one's disordered relationship to movement that often comes with the territory of an eating disorder.   If you want to hear more from Josh, talking about body image in dance, yoga and fitness, please consider registering for his upcoming seminar on January 14th at 10am PST. Link here: Body Image in dance, yoga and fitness: Am I contributing to the problem?    Links: MOVE- Netflix   Connect with Opal:  www.opalfoodandbody.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opalfoodandbodywisdom/ Instagram: @opalfoodandbody Twitter: https://twitter.com/opalfoodandbody?lang=en Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpalFoodandBody/videos      Thank you to our team... Editing by David Bazzi Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/ Administrative support by Camille Dodson

Originally released in 2018, we felt this interview was worth repeating! At a time where sports and athletics are turned upside down due to the pandemic, a silver lining is that it's creating new time and space for both athletes and coaches to learn and become more centered in what is most important and enduring in athletics. In this conversation about the influential position a coach has on an athlete's life and performance, Opal Co-Founder Kara Bazzi LMFT, CEDS and Carter Umhau, LMHCA interview Sally Revere, head Cross Country and Track & Field coach at Lakeside High School in Seattle. Sally offers practical advice on how she addresses food and body concerns on her team, as well as addressing the power of coaching from a whole athlete perspective. Kara and Carter bring in questions about temperament as it relates to sport performance, and how a coach can facilitate a sense of community and joy on their team. If you are a coach or an athlete, you don't want to miss this episode! Sally offers incredible wisdom and inspiration from her 30 years of coaching experience. Resources: Letter to Coaches From a Mental Health Therapist, by Kara Bazzi: http://www.opalfoodandbody.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Letter-To-Coaches.pdf  Compulsive Exercise and Eating Disorders, by Caroline Meyer et al: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/erv.1122/abstract  Perfectionism versus excellence: https://wp.me/a5Br2M-7To    Connect with Opal:  www.opalfoodandbody.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opalfoodandbodywisdom/ Instagram: @opalfoodandbody Twitter: https://twitter.com/opalfoodandbody?lang=en Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpalFoodandBody/videos    Thank you to our team… David Bazzi for editing. Camille Dodson for podcast administrative and social media support. Aaron Davidson for the original music  https://soundcloud.com/diet75/

How does being marginalized impact a person's health and physiology? Dr. Lindo Bacon, who has spent their career advocating for social justice at the intersection of weight and health, joins this episode to share about their newest book, Radical Belonging: How to Survive and Thrive in an Unjust World (While Transforming it for the Better). In conversation with Opal Co-Founder Julie Church and host and therapist Carter Umhau, Lindo shares how their experience of  being other-ed for their gender identity led them into their research on interpersonal neurobiology, and why self-help won't save us.    Links: Learn more about Dr. Lindo Bacon and their work at https://lindobacon.com/ Dr. Lindo Bacon on Instagram: @lindobacon Twitter and Facebook: @LindoBaconX   Connect with Opal:  www.opalfoodandbody.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opalfoodandbodywisdom/ Instagram: @opalfoodandbody Twitter: https://twitter.com/opalfoodandbody?lang=en Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpalFoodandBody/videos      Thank you to our team... Editing by Hans Anderson: http://www.hfanderson.com/ Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/ Daniel Guenther at Jack Straw Cultural Center: http://www.jackstraw.org/ Host and Producer Carter Umhau: www.carterumhau.com

Welcome to the first ever episode of The Appetite. Clinicians from Opal: Food+Body Wisdom, an eating disorder treatment center in Seattle, Washington, will meet every week to discuss all things body, food, movement, and mental health. Today you will meet the three women who founded Opal: Psychologist Dr. Lexi Giblin, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Julie Church, and Family Therapist Kara Bazzi. Today's discussion and future conversations will be facilitated by host and Opal therapist Carter Umhau. In this episode we introduce ourselves and Opal, and suss out how the themes that come up in the treatment of eating disorders might speak to one's appetite for life at large. Connect with us: www.OpalFoodandBody.com www.facebook.com/Opalfoodandbodywisdom/ www.twitter.com/opalfoodandbody

What does it look like to center narrative in racial identity work? Aiko Bethea is the principal and founder of Rare Coaching and Consulting, which offers executive coaching to leaders on their diversity, equity, and inclusion journey. She joins host Carter Umhau and Opal Co-Founders Lexi Giblin and Julie Church today in a tender and empowering conversation around what diversity and inclusion work can look like when narrative and shame resilience are part of the process. Aiko has been working with Opal Co-Founders Lexi Giblin, Kara Bazzi, and Julie Church over the last year to reflect on and analyze Opal's systems to make them more actively anti-racist.   Links: Follow Aiko on Instagram: @rare_coach And check out her website at https://www.rarecoaching.net/ and follow her on Linkedin.    Connect with Opal:  www.opalfoodandbody.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opalfoodandbodywisdom/ Instagram: @opalfoodandbody Twitter: https://twitter.com/opalfoodandbody?lang=en Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpalFoodandBody/videos      Thank you to our team... Thanks to David Bazzi for editing, Camille Dodson for podcast administrative and social media support.  Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/ Daniel Guenther at Jack Straw Cultural Center: http://www.jackstraw.org/ Host and Producer Carter Umhau: www.carterumhau.com

How do you know when it's time to let go? On this more reflective and personal episode of The Appetite, Opal Co-Founder's Lexi Giblin, Kara Bazzi, and Julie Church join host  Carter Umhau to explore themes around loss, grief, accepting change, and letting go. Inspired by an announcement from Carter about her departure from the podcast, the crew reflects on where The Appetite has been and where we're headed next!    Links: Stay in touch with Carter Umhau, LMHC via www.carterumhau.com andwww.piththerapy.com   Connect with Opal:  www.opalfoodandbody.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opalfoodandbodywisdom/ Instagram: @opalfoodandbody Twitter: https://twitter.com/opalfoodandbody?lang=en Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpalFoodandBody/videos      Thank you to our team... Host and Producer Carter Umhau: www.carterumhau.com and www.piththerapy.com Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/ Editing by David Bazzi And support from Camille Dodson

How has whiteness in the running world contributed to the toxicity around sport culture? Runner Alison Désir joins host and therapist Carter Umhau and Opal Co-Founder and Head of the Exercise + Sport Program, Kara Bazzi, to talk about the intersection of race and running, and why representation and mental health support in running—and the athletic world at large—matters. Alison Désir is a runner, mental health advocate, activist, speaker, and mother. She is the founder of the Harlem Run club, Meaning Through Movement, and Womxn Run the Vote. After the murder of Ahmaud Arbery, who was killed while running as a Black man, Alison called out the running community for being divided by race. She leads the running world in building a healthier and more inclusive community and, in this episode, it's clear why...Alison's passion, wisdom, and expertise are on full display!      Links:   Find Alison on Instagram @alisonmdesir and learn more about her here: http://alisonmdesir.com/ and here: https://www.oiselle.com/pages/alison-desir   Check out Alison's Meaning Through Movement events on fitness and mental health: https://www.meaningthrumovement.com/   Find out how you can be a part of the virtual relay, Womxn Run the Vote: https://racery.com/r/womxn-run-the-vote/ and on Instagram @Run4AllWomen Check out the Harlem Run Club: http://www.harlemrun.com/about and on Instagram @HarlemRun   Read Alison's article called Ahmaud Arbery and Whiteness in the Running World: https://www.outsideonline.com/2413115/ahmaud-arbery-murder-whiteness-running-community       Connect with Opal:  www.opalfoodandbody.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opalfoodandbodywisdom/ Instagram: @opalfoodandbody Twitter: https://twitter.com/opalfoodandbody?lang=en Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpalFoodandBody/videos      Thank you to our team... Editing by Hans Anderson: http://www.hfanderson.com/ Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/ Daniel Guenther at Jack Straw Cultural Center: http://www.jackstraw.org/ Host and Producer Carter Umhau: www.carterumhau.com

How does Opal think about anti-racism work within eating disorder treatment?  After a bit of a hiatus following the murder of George Floyd and the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement, this episode breaks the silence on what we've been learning and implementing within the walls of Opal: Food + Body Wisdom around anti-racism. Co-Founders Julie Church, Lexi Giblin, and Kara Bazzi sit down with host Carter Umhau to discuss what Opal's been up to the last few months and how treatment at Opal hasn't been adequately anti-racist in the past and what they plan to do about it. They'll share a bit about their own process, how they see the need for anti-racism work within the eating disorder field, and touch on what this looks like in the HAES, RO DBT, and sport worlds.    Links: Aiko Bethea and RARE: Coaching and Consulting   Gloria Lucas -- Nalgona Positivity Pride   Desiree Adaway --Whiteness at Work Summer Series   Barbara Love --The Liberatory Consciousness Model   The Racial Healing Handbook by Anneliese Singh   How to Be Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi   15 Characteristics of White Supremacy Culture by Kennith Jones and Tema Okun   White Fragility by Robin Diangelo   The Body is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love by Sonya Renee Taylor     Connect with Opal:  www.opalfoodandbody.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opalfoodandbodywisdom/ Instagram: @opalfoodandbody Twitter: https://twitter.com/opalfoodandbody?lang=en Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpalFoodandBody/videos      Thank you to our team... Editing by Hans Anderson: http://www.hfanderson.com/ Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/ Daniel Guenther at Jack Straw Cultural Center: http://www.jackstraw.org/ Host and Producer Carter Umhau: www.carterumhau.com

Has your relationship to food changed since the pandemic began? Whether you're snacking more, eating a different variety of food, or finding yourself restricting or bingeing due to high emotions, we imagine a lot could have shifted. While a mainstream perspective might tell you to use this “opportunity” to “take control of your diet,” we have a very different perspective. Opal Co-Founder and Nutrition Director Julie Church, RDN, CEDRD-S, CD and host and therapist Carter Umhau, LMHC are sharing their insights on the difference between emotional eating and binge eating, why you should give yourself grace right now (and always!), and how to reframe the expectations you may have right now for your eating. They'll be walking through specific scenarios that may have impacted your eating, as well as explaining what is happening in your body right now due to the collective stress of the coronavirus.    Connect with Opal:  www.opalfoodandbody.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opalfoodandbodywisdom/ Instagram: @opalfoodandbody Twitter: https://twitter.com/opalfoodandbody?lang=en Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpalFoodandBody/videos      Thank you to our team... Editing by Hans Anderson: http://www.hfanderson.com/ Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/ Camille Dodson @opalfoodandbody.com Daniel Guenther at Jack Straw Cultural Center: http://www.jackstraw.org/ Host and Producer Carter Umhau: www.carterumhau.com

 Who are you outside of the identity of your job? Over the last year, Opal: Food + Body Wisdom's Co-Founders (Kara Bazzi, LMFT, CEDS, Julie Church, RDN, CEDRD-S, CD, and Lexi Giblin, PhD, CEDS) each took a month away from Opal in order to rest and recharge. They'll be sharing how they spent their free time, the questions of identity that arose, how their perspectives changed around work and life, and how they brought these changes back into their work lives upon returning to Opal. This conversation took place pre-coronavirus and addresses an experience that is certainly not comparable to the widely experienced circumstances around work now—skyrocketing unemployment rates, a whole new world of working from home, and the immense gratitude we feel for all the healthcare and essential workers that are putting themselves and their families on the line to take care of the rest of the world. Instead of never releasing this episode, we wanted to offer it with the hope that it will get your juices flowing on new ways to be thinking about the changes in work that you may be going through. At the very least, we hope it's entertaining!      Connect with Opal:  www.opalfoodandbody.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opalfoodandbodywisdom/ Instagram: @opalfoodandbody Twitter: https://twitter.com/opalfoodandbody?lang=en Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpalFoodandBody/videos      Thank you to our team... Editing by Hans Anderson: http://www.hfanderson.com/ Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/ Daniel Guenther at Jack Straw Cultural Center: http://www.jackstraw.org/ Host and Producer Carter Umhau: www.carterumhau.com

Why does delight matter? We believe that, during the coronavirus pandemic, delight offers an opportunity for mindfulness, connectedness, and a boost to your mental health. Inspired by a This American Life episode called, “The Show of Delights,” Opal Co-Founders Kara Bazzi, LMFT, CEDS, Dr. Lexi Giblin, PhD, CEDS, and Julie Church, RDN, CEDRD-S, CD are talking with host and therapist Carter Umhau, LMHC about what delight is, and how we can distinguish it from joy and pleasure. They'll also be sharing what delights each of them and how these things have a place in their lives, particularly during the time of COVID-19. Join us for this feel-good episode!   Links: We were so inspired by This American Life's episode about delight, that it became the jumping off point for this episode. Listen to it here and enjoy: https://www.thisamericanlife.org/692/the-show-of-delights Chatbooks:   https://chatbooks.com/   Connect with Opal:  www.opalfoodandbody.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opalfoodandbodywisdom/ Instagram: @opalfoodandbody Twitter: https://twitter.com/opalfoodandbody?lang=en Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpalFoodandBody/videos      Thank you to our team... Editing by Hans Anderson: http://www.hfanderson.com/ Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/ Daniel Guenther at Jack Straw Cultural Center: http://www.jackstraw.org/ Host and Producer Carter Umhau: www.carterumhau.com

Did you tune into Netflix's docuseries, Cheer? What did you think of the Navarro team culture portrayed? In light of all the tv-watching that's been happening while sheltering in place, we decided to keep it casual for this episode and chat about our perspective on this inspiring and intense show that follows the Navarro College cheer squad as they train for competitive cheerleading championships in Daytona, Florida. Kara Bazzi, LMFT, CEDS is one of Opal's Co-Founders, head of the Exercise + Sport program, eating disorder expert, and a former collegiate athlete. She chats with host and therapist Carter Umhau, LMHC, about the coaching style of Monica Aldama, and how it straddles the lines between a demand for perfectionism versus excellence, discipline versus dogma, all while creating a true team family. As professionals that work closely with those struggling with compulsive exercise, athlete identity, and eating disorders, Kara and Carter had a lot to talk about!   Connect with Opal:  www.opalfoodandbody.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opalfoodandbodywisdom/ Instagram: @opalfoodandbody Twitter: https://twitter.com/opalfoodandbody?lang=en Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpalFoodandBody/videos      Thank you to our team... Editing by Hans Anderson: http://www.hfanderson.com/ Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/ Daniel Guenther at Jack Straw Cultural Center: http://www.jackstraw.org/ Host and Producer Carter Umhau: www.carterumhau.com

 How have you been doing lately? Mental health is of utmost importance during the coronavirus pandemic. In this mini episode, we're offering you a Loving Kindness meditation, led by Opal Co-Founder, Executive Director and Radically Open DBT expert Dr. Lexi Giblin, PhD, CEDS. Lexi will walk you through this externally-focused meditation which will ask you to connect to your heart's center and offer love, warmth, and kindness to others. Allow yourself the time to pause, breathe deeply, and send loving thoughts to those out there that are on your mind--a far away friend, the healthcare workers at your local hospital, or even that worried-looking grocery clerk you saw earlier this week. We hope you feel free to return to this episode again and again when you need a moment to re-center.    Links:  http://www.radicallyopen.net/   Connect with Opal:  www.opalfoodandbody.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opalfoodandbodywisdom/ Instagram: @opalfoodandbody Twitter: https://twitter.com/opalfoodandbody?lang=en Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpalFoodandBody/videos      Thank you to our team... Editing by Hans Anderson: http://www.hfanderson.com/ Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/ Daniel Guenther at Jack Straw Cultural Center: http://www.jackstraw.org/ Host and Producer Carter Umhau: www.carterumhau.com

How have social distancing and sheltering-in-place impacted your relationship to exercise? There is loss of all kinds during this time—there are relational and fiscal losses, losses of routine and identity, and of course, loss of life. However, as an embodied people, there is a lot freedom our bodies have lost—including when it comes to movement and exercise. Opal: Food + Body Wisdom Co-Founder and head of the Exercise + Sport Program, Kara Bazzi, LMFT, CEDS offers a way to understand your relationship to exercise through the lens of the stages of grief. In conversation with host and therapist Carter Umhau, LMHC, Kara shares how she's handling the grief of not getting to move in the ways she so enjoys and inspires curiosity in listeners about what and how they may be grieving during this pandemic.      Connect with Opal:  www.opalfoodandbody.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opalfoodandbodywisdom/ Instagram: @opalfoodandbody Twitter: https://twitter.com/opalfoodandbody?lang=en Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpalFoodandBody/videos      Thank you to our team... Editing by Hans Anderson: http://www.hfanderson.com/ Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/ Host and Producer Carter Umhau: www.carterumhau.com Social Media and Publishing by Camille Dodson 

 How have you experienced unwanted energy and emotion during the coronavirus pandemic? The Appetite crew is getting vulnerable and answering this question, using the Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy (RO DBT) skill of self-inquiry. Opal Co-Founder and RO DBT expert Dr. Lexi Giblin, PhD, CEDS shares how the skill of self-inquiry can be used during this time to move toward emotion in a compassionate, curious, and containing way. Lexi, along with Opal's other two Co-Founders—Kara Bazzi, LMFT, CEDS and Julie Church, RDN, CEDRD-S, CD—and host and therapist Carter Umhau, LMHC will each reflect on what has been coming up for them emotionally during the shelter-in-place order. We hope that this episode will serve as both companionship and inspiration to you during this time where emotions are high, and each one of them arrives with something to teach you.    Connect with Opal:  www.opalfoodandbody.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opalfoodandbodywisdom/ Instagram: @opalfoodandbody Twitter: https://twitter.com/opalfoodandbody?lang=en Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpalFoodandBody/videos      Thank you to our team... Editing by Hans Anderson: http://www.hfanderson.com/ Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/ Daniel Guenther at Jack Straw Cultural Center: http://www.jackstraw.org/ Host and Producer Carter Umhau: www.carterumhau.com

How has the global pandemic impacted your relationship to food? As restaurants close, grocery shelves are emptied, and anxiety levels go up, you deserve compassion when it comes to the way your body is responding to this global pandemic. For those struggling with disordered eating or eating disorder recovery, we're here to help with guided meal support. Julie Church, RDN, CEDRD-S, CD—Opal: Food+Body Wisdom's Co-Founder and Nutrition Director—sits down with host Carter Umhau, LMHC to walk listeners through the fundamentals of full permission of food and attuned eating in action! She'll talk through the stages of selecting food to eat, setting the stage for eating, attuning to hunger and fullness cues, and how to move on from food after you're done with a meal! If you're ready for some food, grab a plate and start listening! This episode can be a companion to your mealtime or an inspiration for later to eat with structure, mindfulness, and pleasure in mind. Links: Marc David's eater's agreement: https://psychologyofeating.com/the-eaters-agreement/    Ellyn Satter's "How to Eat" Resources: https://www.ellynsatterinstitute.org/how-to-eat/the-joy-of-eating-being-a-competent-eater/     covid19eatingsupport on Instagram: offering hourly meal support every day   Connect with Opal:  www.opalfoodandbody.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opalfoodandbodywisdom/ Instagram: @opalfoodandbody Twitter: https://twitter.com/opalfoodandbody?lang=en Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpalFoodandBody/videos      Thank you to our team... Editing by Hans Anderson: http://www.hfanderson.com/ Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/ Daniel Guenther at Jack Straw Cultural Center: http://www.jackstraw.org/ Host and Producer Carter Umhau: www.carterumhau.com

What might it be like to be a professional athlete—the symbol of health and strength in our culture—and to have a gut instinct that something is not well in your body? This was the case for elite runner and marathoner Tina Muir, when after nine years without a period she decided to stop running altogether, recover from amenorrhea, and try to get pregnant. Now the author of Overcoming Amenorrhea: Get Your Period Back. Get Your Life Back., podcast host of Running for Real, and voice of inspiration for the running community, Tina has fallen back in love with running. She sits down with Opal: Food + Body Wisdom Co-Founder Kara Bazzi, LMFT and host and therapist Carter Umhau, LMHC to discuss disordered eating, her former body image struggles as a runner, and how she's using her voice to promote mental health in athletes. (Disclaimer: This episode was recorded before the COVID-19 global pandemic began.) Links: Tina Muir on Instagram: @tinamuir88  Learn more about Tina Muir on her website: www.tinamuir.com Running for Real podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/running-for-real-podcast-celebrating-runner-highs-embracing/id1225735334 Buy Tina's book, Overcoming Amenorrhea: Get Your Period Back. Get Your Life Back on Tina's website https://tinamuir.com/product/overcoming-amenorrhea/ or on amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Overcoming-Amenorrhea-Your-Period-Back-ebook/dp/B07ML1TSSP/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=tina+muir&qid=1585942045&sr=8-   Connect with Opal:  www.opalfoodandbody.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opalfoodandbodywisdom/ Instagram: @opalfoodandbody Twitter: https://twitter.com/opalfoodandbody?lang=en Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpalFoodandBody/videos      Thank you to our team... Editing by Hans Anderson: http://www.hfanderson.com/ Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/ Daniel Guenther at Jack Straw Cultural Center: http://www.jackstraw.org/ Host and Producer Carter Umhau: www.carterumhau.com

How can we best prepare for the psychological impacts of social distancing during the age of Coronavirus? In this episode, host and therapist Carter Umhau, LMHC shares her experience with self-isolating a couple weeks ahead of the curve in Seattle, a city already ahead of the curve in shelter-in-place mandates than most other US cities. Opal: Food + Body Wisdom's Co-Founders, Lexi Giblin, PhD, CEDS, Kara Bazzi, LMFT, CEDS, and Julie Church, RDN, CEDRD-S, CD, ask Carter the questions, exploring topics such as loneliness, loss of routine, experience of food, and relationship to exercise during this unprecedented time. Julie, Lexi, and Kara offer insights and wisdom from their areas of mental health and eating disorder expertise. While this episode speaks to the privileged experience of getting to self-quarantine and work from home, it doesn't significantly address the growing economic crisis or the experience of the many people working jobs to keep the rest of us afloat, with no option to stay at home. Despite these gaps, we hope this conversation offers you a place to find resonance and support while we all live into the new, challenging realities of the COVID-19 pandemic.   Links: Deliciousness Matters, by Sam Sifton for the New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/18/dining/deliciousness-matters.html Encouraging Messages from Italians in Quarantine: https://www.theatlantic.com/video/index/608113/italy-coronavirus/ Research: The psychological impact of quarantine and how to reduce it: rapid review of the evidence: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30460-8/fulltext?dgcid=raven_jbs_etoc_email Research: The Healing Benefits of Nature: https://www.opalfoodandbody.com/reflections-on-covid-19-and-spending-time-in-nature/     Connect with Opal:  www.opalfoodandbody.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opalfoodandbodywisdom/ Instagram: @opalfoodandbody Twitter: https://twitter.com/opalfoodandbody?lang=en Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpalFoodandBody/videos      Thank you to our team... Editing by Hans Anderson: http://www.hfanderson.com/ Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/ Daniel Guenther at Jack Straw Cultural Center: http://www.jackstraw.org/ Host and Producer Carter Umhau: www.carterumhau.com

As the pandemic is rapidly removing what we've come to rely on in our day-to-day lives, it is becoming clear that we are not only in a health and economic crisis, but also a crisis of mental health. Opal's Co-Founders Julie Church, RDN, CEDRD-S, CD, Kara Bazzi, LMFT, CEDS, and Dr. Lexi Giblin, PhD, CEDS sit down with host and therapist Carter Umhau, LMHC to offer an inspiring call to self-care and grace during an unprecedented time. Listen in to hear what Opal has to say about how to take care of your mental health as well as your relationship to food and exercise in the era of coronavirus.    Encouraging Messages from Italians in Quarantine: https://www.theatlantic.com/video/index/608113/italy-coronavirus/ Research: The psychological impact of quarantine and how to reduce it: rapid review of the evidence: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30460-8/fulltext?dgcid=raven_jbs_etoc_email   Connect with Opal:  www.opalfoodandbody.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opalfoodandbodywisdom/ Instagram: @opalfoodandbody Twitter: https://twitter.com/opalfoodandbody?lang=en Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpalFoodandBody/videos      Thank you to our team... Editing by Hans Anderson: http://www.hfanderson.com/ Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/ Daniel Guenther at Jack Straw Cultural Center: http://www.jackstraw.org/ Host and Producer Carter Umhau: www.carterumhau.com

 “Leaning out” and manipulating body weight have been widely accepted modes of performance preparation for elite athletes. But as the sports world wakes up to the harm that the emphasis on weight manipulation can have on athletes' mental and physical health (like in runner Mary Cain's story), this question should be front and center: Is it ever appropriate to manipulate weight and body composition to enhance sport performance? What about using instrumental eating strategies to enhance performance? Opal Co-Founder and Exercise + Sport Director Kara Bazzi, LMFT, CEDS sits down with host Carter Umhau, LMHC to discuss periodization in sport, attitudes around racing and competition, and what nutritional skills are essential for athletes to master before even contemplating nutritional strategies for performance enhancement.    Links:  The Appetite Episode 23: Was I Only Fast Because I Was Anorexic?   The Appetite Episodes 64-67: four-part series on Ellyn Satter's eating competency skill   Tina Muir podcast    RED-S in Sport time for a revolution in sports culture and systems to improve athlete health and performance.    Connect with Opal:  www.opalfoodandbody.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opalfoodandbodywisdom/ Instagram: @opalfoodandbody Twitter: https://twitter.com/opalfoodandbody?lang=en Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpalFoodandBody/videos      Thank you to our team... Editing by Hans Anderson: http://www.hfanderson.com/ Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/ Daniel Guenther at Jack Straw Cultural Center: http://www.jackstraw.org/ Host and Producer Carter Umhau: www.carterumhau.com

Does design impact mental health? Inspired by Opal's recent remodel, Opal Co-Founder, Executive Director, and design-enthusiast Dr. Lexi Giblin PhD, CEDS sits down with host Carter Umhau, LMHC to talk about the psychology behind Opal's interior design. Lexi will describe how even the smallest details at Opal were chosen to reflect Opal's mission of offering transformative healing to our clients. She also addresses how—even while the process of eating disorder recovery seeks to deemphasize appearance—the aesthetics of space can support healing and connection.   Links: Take a Tour of Opal's new space   Connect with Opal:  www.opalfoodandbody.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opalfoodandbodywisdom/ Instagram: @opalfoodandbody Twitter: https://twitter.com/opalfoodandbody?lang=en Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpalFoodandBody/videos      Thank you to our team... Editing by Hans Anderson: http://www.hfanderson.com/ Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/ Daniel Guenther at Jack Straw Cultural Center: http://www.jackstraw.org/ Host and Producer Carter Umhau: www.carterumhau.com

What should you do if a medical provider is offering a treatment recommendation based on your BMI? In the second of a two-part series, Opal Co-Founder and Nutrition Director Julie Church RDN, CEDRD-S, CD is answering this listener question (and others!) about the Body Mass Index. In conversation with host and therapist Carter Umhau, LMHC we're diving into even more about the racist and unscientific measurement that a Belgian astronomer created without the intention of it becoming our main measurement of health.  Links:   The Bizarre and Racist History of the BMI: https://elemental.medium.com/the-bizarre-and-racist-history-of-the-bmi-7d8dc2aa33bb   Connect with Opal:  www.opalfoodandbody.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opalfoodandbodywisdom/ Instagram: @opalfoodandbody Twitter: https://twitter.com/opalfoodandbody?lang=en Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpalFoodandBody/videos      Thank you to our team... Editing by Hans Anderson: http://www.hfanderson.com/ Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/ Daniel Guenther at Jack Straw Cultural Center: http://www.jackstraw.org/ Host and Producer Carter Umhau: www.carterumhau.com

 Can you actually measure health? BMI— or Body Mass Index—has become a widely embraced measurement of health, but is actually based on an entirely unscientific and racist 19th century research project. In this first episode of two parts, Opal Co-Founder and Nutrition Director Julie Church, RDN, CEDRD-S, CD sits down with host Carter Umhau, LMHC to talk about the history of the BMI, why it's bogus, and what the implications of this reductionistic measurement are on our health.  Links: The Bizarre and Racist History of the BMI: https://elemental.medium.com/the-bizarre-and-racist-history-of-the-bmi-7d8dc2aa33bb   Connect with Opal:  www.opalfoodandbody.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opalfoodandbodywisdom/ Instagram: @opalfoodandbody Twitter: https://twitter.com/opalfoodandbody?lang=en Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpalFoodandBody/videos     

Body Image can be a struggle at any time, but what about when you've had a baby? For the birthing person, one's relationship to food and body can be vastly impacted by the perinatal experience. In a roundtable conversation, Opal: Food + Body Wisdom Co-Founders Julie Church, RDN, CEDRD-S, CD, Kara Bazzi, LMFT, CEDS, and Lexi Giblin, PhD, CEDS are sharing their (quite varied) experiences of pregnancy and being postpartum. As eating disorder experts, their stories serve as a reminder that everyone's body and story is different. From the experience of infertility, the role of recovery during pregnancy, and thoughts on the “pre-baby body,” we're jumping in!   Connect with Opal:  www.opalfoodandbody.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opalfoodandbodywisdom/ Instagram: @opalfoodandbody Twitter: https://twitter.com/opalfoodandbody?lang=en Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpalFoodandBody/videos      Thank you to our team... Editing by Hans Anderson: http://www.hfanderson.com/ Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/ Daniel Guenther at Jack Straw Cultural Center: http://www.jackstraw.org/ Host and Producer Carter Umhau: www.carterumhau.com

What assumptions do you think are made about pregnancy and the postpartum experience? Doula Davinah Simmons and postpartum-focused therapist Julie Davidson, LMHC join Carter Umhau, LMHC to explore the ways in which our society under-prepares the birthing person or mother for the “emotional infancy” that begins when baby arrives.  They'll explore how the perinatal experience brings about new body image concerns, can impact eating disorder recovery, and the identity crisis that can often ensue. This conversation elucidates the powerful work that is required in matrescence, and why this “development phase” requires a new way of thinking about body, personhood, attachment, and becoming.    Learn more about the work of Davinah Simmons at https://www.bornrooted.com/ and on Instagram @rootedbirthdoula Learn more about Julie Davidson, LMHC's work at http://www.juliedavidsoncounseling.com/ and on Instagram @onbeingamother Alexandra Sacks' TED talk on matrescence: https://www.ted.com/talks/alexandra_sacks_a_new_way_to_think_about_the_transition_to_motherhood?language=en   Connect with Opal:  www.opalfoodandbody.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opalfoodandbodywisdom/ Instagram: @opalfoodandbody Twitter: https://twitter.com/opalfoodandbody?lang=en Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpalFoodandBody/videos      Thank you to our team... Editing by Hans Anderson: http://www.hfanderson.com/ Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/ Daniel Guenther at Jack Straw Cultural Center: http://www.jackstraw.org/ Host and Producer Carter Umhau: www.carterumhau.com

Can we truly control our bodies in order to change the way we look? As talk of New Year's “lifestyle changes,” diets, and new exercise regimens fill our feeds, we're here to talk about a major function of the body impacted by unhealthy dieting and changes in exercise: METABOLISM. In this episode we're exploring what it is, how it works, and whether or not the assumptions diet culture has made about our ability to control it are scientifically valid. (Spoiler alert: they aren't.) In conversation with host, therapist and not-a-scientist Carter Umhau, LMHC, Opal Co-Founder and Nutrition Director Julie Church, RDN, CEDRD-S, CD expertly explains and debunks myths around metabolism, explaining how dieting can harm our metabolic processes for good.  Links: Thanks to Taylor Chan, MS, RD, CPT for the banner art today! Check them out here: https://www.instagram.com/foodandfearless/?hl=en Connect with Opal:  www.opalfoodandbody.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opalfoodandbodywisdom/ Instagram: @opalfoodandbody Twitter: https://twitter.com/opalfoodandbody?lang=en Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpalFoodandBody/videos      Thank you to our team... Daniel Guenther at Jack Straw Cultural Center: http://www.jackstraw.org/ Editing by Hans Anderson: http://www.hfanderson.com/ Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/ Host and Producer Carter Umhau: www.carterumhau.com

What makes a good coach? With no agreed upon definition of a "qualified coach," this is a question often ignored! Julie McCleery, PhD, of the Center for Leadership in Athletics at the University of Washington, joins us to talk about how the often toxic culture in sports could be transformed through better, more holistically-minded training for coaches. With Opal: Food+Body Wisdom's Exercise+Sport Director Kara Bazzi, LMFT, CEDS, and host and therapist Carter Umhau, LMHC, Julie discusses how allegations of abuse in the professional sports sphere reflect our need for a more robust understanding and care of the athlete as a whole person. Julie will offer context around her training model of “Ambitious Coaching” and how coaches can approach youth sports differently to create positive change starting in athletes' younger years. Links: Make sure you join us for the “Creating a Healthy Sports Culture:  Facilitating Athletes' Positive Relationship with Food, Body, and Exercise.” Workshop hosted by Opal: Food + Body Wisdom at the University of Washington THIS Saturday January 11th. More information is available here: https://www.opalfoodandbody.com/event/creating-a-healthy-sports-culture/ Learn more about the Center for Leadership in Athletics here: http://sites.education.washington.edu/ “What To Do If You Have (or Notice) an Abusive Coach” by Elizabeth Carey: https://www.runnersworld.com/runners-stories/a30150327/what-to-do-if-you-have-an-abusive-coach/   Connect with Opal:  www.opalfoodandbody.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opalfoodandbodywisdom/ Instagram: @opalfoodandbody Twitter: https://twitter.com/opalfoodandbody?lang=en Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpalFoodandBody/videos      Thank you to our team... Daniel Guenther at Jack Straw Cultural Center: http://www.jackstraw.org/ Editing by Hans Anderson: http://www.hfanderson.com/ Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/ Host and Producer Carter Umhau: www.carterumhau.com

Are you sick of making New Year's resolutions you don't keep? Instead of goal setting, try commuting to self-exploration! As an alternative to resolutions, Lexi Giblin, PhD, CEDS leads The Appetite crew in the journaling process of “self-inquiry,” a Radically Open DBT concept in which you move toward discomfort for the sake of growth. Lexi, along with Opal Co-Founders Kara Bazzi, LMFT, CEDS and Julie Church, RDN, CEDRD-S, CD, and host Carter Umhau, LMHC share from their journals about the hopes they have for the new year and the kinds of questions they hope to live into.   Connect with Opal:  www.opalfoodandbody.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opalfoodandbodywisdom/ Instagram: @opalfoodandbody Twitter: https://twitter.com/opalfoodandbody?lang=en Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpalFoodandBody/videos      Thank you to our team... Daniel Guenther at Jack Straw Cultural Center: http://www.jackstraw.org/ Editing by Hans Anderson: http://www.hfanderson.com/ Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/ Host and Producer Carter Umhau: www.carterumhau.com

How do the holiday festivities impact your diet? For many—especially those already struggling with a disordered relationship to food and body—the holiday season can be chock-full of challenges. From holiday drinks with friends, to office parties, to busy schedules, and all of the special treats and seasonal foods, there's a lot that's both exciting and stressful! Opal Co-Founders Kara Bazzi, LMFT, CEDS and Julie Church, RDN, CEDRD-S, CD and host and therapist Carter Umhau, LMHC talk about how to approach the novelty of the holidays through attuned eating skills. In this episode, they'll offer not only helpful tips on how to prepare on the day of a big food-filled party, but also how to embrace the celebratory spirit.    Connect with Opal:  www.opalfoodandbody.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opalfoodandbodywisdom/ Instagram: @opalfoodandbody Twitter: https://twitter.com/opalfoodandbody?lang=en Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpalFoodandBody/videos      Thank you to our team... Daniel Guenther at Jack Straw Cultural Center: http://www.jackstraw.org/ Editing by Hans Anderson: http://www.hfanderson.com/ Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/ Host and Producer Carter Umhau: www.carterumhau.com

Does sport culture need to change? We say, absolutely—and especially around weight! Mary Cain was the fastest high school distance runner in the world until she joined the best distance running program in the country, the Nike Oregon Project, coached by Alberto Salazar. From there, the abusive pressure to become thinner and thinner consumed her running career, leading her to disordered eating and suicidal thoughts, until she finally quit the team. In this episode of The Appetite, Opal Co-Founder and head of the Exercise + Sport Program Kara Bazzi, LMFT, CEDS sits down to talk about how Mary Cain's story has started a landslide of advocacy within the distance running world. Kara explores how the culture of sport has become toxic, and what coaches can do about it. Join Opal: Food + Body Wisdom on January 11, 2020 for our coaches workshop (hosted at the University of Washington): Creating a Healthy Sports Culture:  Facilitating Athletes' Positive Relationship with Food, Body, and Exercise   Watch the NYT Opinion piece on Mary Cain via YouTube: “I Was the Fastest Girl in the World, Until I Joined Nike”  Read Mary Cain's OpEd in the New York Times:  Sports Illustrated on Nike Mary Cain tells her story on the Clean Sport Collective podcast Mary Cain on The Science of Sport podcast The Amelia Boone Interview: How the "Queen of Pain" Faces Down Her Demons Lauren Fleshman, “I Changed My Body for My Sport. No Girl Should.” | NY OpEd Jen Rhines on Weight and Body Composition in Running  Hierarchy of Food Needs  Relative Energy Deficiency-Syndrome (RED-S) Clinical Assessment Tool     Connect with Opal:  www.opalfoodandbody.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opalfoodandbodywisdom/ Instagram: @opalfoodandbody Twitter: https://twitter.com/opalfoodandbody?lang=en Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpalFoodandBody/videos      Thank you to our team... Daniel Guenther at Jack Straw Cultural Center: http://www.jackstraw.org/ Editing by Hans Anderson: http://www.hfanderson.com/ Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/ Host and Producer Carter Umhau: www.carterumhau.com

What does food and body wisdom look like? With the concept front and center in Opal's name, we decided to poll the staff (dietitians, therapists, and beyond!) to hear what body wisdom means to them. From pursuing the wisdom of one's appetite cues, attachment style, and experience of privilege, our awesome staff came at this topic from all sides, all while exemplifying the Opal spirit. Listen to this unique episode where we leave the studio and record within the walls of Opal.   Links:  Connect with Opal:  www.opalfoodandbody.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opalfoodandbodywisdom/ Instagram: @opalfoodandbody Twitter: https://twitter.com/opalfoodandbody?lang=en Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpalFoodandBody/videos      Thank you to our team... Daniel Guenther at Jack Straw Cultural Center: http://www.jackstraw.org/ Editing by Hans Anderson: http://www.hfanderson.com/ Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/ Host and Producer Carter Umhau: www.carterumhau.com

How does your body carry emotion? Did you know that the answer to this question can serve as a window into understanding not only your relationship to food but your attachment style and personality as well? Opal's Milieu Therapist Lead, Madeline Young, BS, RYT, LMT, joins host Carter Umhau, LMHC to discuss her work with somatic psychotherapy and Core Energetics. Carter and Madeline will discuss the connections between mind, body, and emotions and how this can be applied in eating disorder recovery. Madeline will walk listeners through a visualization exercise to better understand these concepts through embodied learning.  Links:  More about the Seattle School of Body Psychotherapy and a a place to find their blog: http://www.bodypsychotherapyschool.com/ Learn more about Madeline's offerings: https://www.madelinelyoung.com/    Connect with Opal:  www.opalfoodandbody.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opalfoodandbodywisdom/ Instagram: @opalfoodandbody Twitter: https://twitter.com/opalfoodandbody?lang=en Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpalFoodandBody/videos      Thank you to our team... Daniel Guenther at Jack Straw Cultural Center: http://www.jackstraw.org/ Editing by Hans Anderson: http://www.hfanderson.com/ Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/ Host and Producer Carter Umhau: www.carterumhau.com

Why is anger an important emotion? The Appetite crew talks about why anger is useful, and how our perception and expression of it is impacted by gender and race. Opal: Food + Body Wisdom Co-Founders Kara Bazzi, LMFT, CEDS and Lexi Giblin, PhD, CEDS let you into a small moment of anger between them, displaying how we often “sanitize” anger. Then, with host Carter Umhau, LMHC, we discuss how Beyoncé's visual album, “Lemonade” portrays the many facets of anger, and why we think it's so effective.    Links:  Good and Mad Book  Watch Beyoncé's visual album, by purchasing “Lemonade” on iTunes: https://music.apple.com/us/album/lemonade/1460473526     Connect with Opal:  www.opalfoodandbody.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opalfoodandbodywisdom/ Instagram: @opalfoodandbody Twitter: https://twitter.com/opalfoodandbody?lang=en Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpalFoodandBody/videos      Thank you to our team... Daniel Guenther at Jack Straw Cultural Center: http://www.jackstraw.org/ Editing by Hans Anderson: http://www.hfanderson.com/ Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/ Host and Producer Carter Umhau: www.carterumhau.com

How does talk about diets and weight impact you? One of the hardest things about recovery from an eating disorder is holding onto a new awareness of your needs, desires, and thoughts around food while out in the “real world.” This is especially difficult during the holiday season. Dr. Lexi Giblin, PhD, CEDS, Kara Bazzi, LMFT, CEDS, and Julie Church, RDN, CEDRD-S, CD, Co-Founders of Opal: Food + Body Wisdom, brainstorm with host Carter Umhau, LMHC about ways to combat the unnecessary commentary.    Links:  The Body Project   Connect with Opal:  www.opalfoodandbody.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opalfoodandbodywisdom/ Instagram: @opalfoodandbody Twitter: https://twitter.com/opalfoodandbody?lang=en Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpalFoodandBody/videos      Thank you to our team... Daniel Guenther at Jack Straw Cultural Center: http://www.jackstraw.org/ Editing by Hans Anderson: http://www.hfanderson.com/ Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/ Host and Producer Carter Umhau: www.carterumhau.com

 Is it normal to lose your period when changing up your diet or exercise routine? Nicola Rinaldi, PhD joins the podcast today to discuss her journey to recover her period once it was lost, and offers her wealth of knowledge on hypothalamic amenorrhea (aka the loss of one's period). Drawing from the research in her book, No Period. Now What?, Nicola joins Carter Umhau, LMHC and Opal Co-Founder Julie Church, RDN, CEDRD-S, CD to explain how even small caloric deficiencies can cause disruptions in menstruation, how weight bias impacts the treatment of this, and why menstruation matters beyond fertility.    Links:  No Period. Now What? By Nicola Rinaldi, PhD  No Period Now What Facebook support group    Helpful info sheets and chapters (free downloads): Http://noperiod.info/HA http://noperiod.info/HAvsPCOS    Work with Nicola directly   Blog posts: Time to recovery is not associated with length of time period was missing, http://noperiod.info/time. Time to recovery after going all in: http://noperiod.info/time2. Birth control pills and HA: http://noperiod.info/bcp Why estrogen, progesterone don't jumpstart cycles: http://noperiod.info/progesterone     Connect with Opal:  www.opalfoodandbody.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opalfoodandbodywisdom/ Instagram: @opalfoodandbody Twitter: https://twitter.com/opalfoodandbody?lang=en Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpalFoodandBody/videos      Thank you to our team... Daniel Guenther at Jack Straw Cultural Center: http://www.jackstraw.org/ Editing by Hans Anderson: http://www.hfanderson.com/ Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/ Host and Producer Carter Umhau: www.carterumhau.com

Do you work out to deal with your emotions? There are so many messages out there that exercise will make you happier, healthier, and thinner…but none of these assumptions are a given, especially when movement is your only way to regulate or have a good day. This episode will explore the connection between exercise and emotions—unpacking the much more nuanced reality in order to broaden our understanding from the simplistic “exercise = happiness” equation. Opal: Food + Body Wisdom's Co-Founder and head of the Exercise + Sport Program, Kara Bazzi, LMFT, CEDS sits down with host and therapist Carter Umhau, LMHC to talk overexercise, exercise avoidance, and how the inclusion of emotion in movement can be a place of beauty and healing.    Connect with Opal:  www.opalfoodandbody.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opalfoodandbodywisdom/ Instagram: @opalfoodandbody Twitter: https://twitter.com/opalfoodandbody?lang=en Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpalFoodandBody/videos      Thank you to our team... Daniel Guenther at Jack Straw Cultural Center: http://www.jackstraw.org/ Editing by Hans Anderson: http://www.hfanderson.com/ Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/ Host and Producer Carter Umhau: www.carterumhau.com

What's the difference between being “in recovery” versus being “recovered” from an eating disorder? And is full recovery possible? At Opal, we believe that YES—it definitely is! Today Opal Co-Founders Dr. Lexi Giblin, PhD, CEDS, Kara Bazzi, LMFT, CEDS, and Julie Church, RDN, CEDRD-S, CD are talking with host Carter Umhau, LMHC about what the process of recovery looks like, why it's different than the traditional recovery model (which is based off of substance use addiction), and how to know you've arrived at the end of your recovery journey. Links:  Carolyn Costin's webpage on this topic: https://www.carolyn-costin.com/recovered-vs-recovering   Connect with Opal:  www.opalfoodandbody.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opalfoodandbodywisdom/ Instagram: @opalfoodandbody Twitter: https://twitter.com/opalfoodandbody?lang=en Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpalFoodandBody/videos      Thank you to our team... Daniel Guenther at Jack Straw Cultural Center: http://www.jackstraw.org/ Editing by Hans Anderson: http://www.hfanderson.com/ Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/ Host and Producer Carter Umhau: www.carterumhau.com

 What would your personal style look like if you weren't concerned about size or body image? Hear how Erin Drischler has changed lives through changing the closets of women in recovery from eating disorders. Through The Garment Project—the non-profit she founded—those in recovery are getting a chance to find clothing without having to deal with the often triggering experience of navigating clothing size. Erin talks in this episode with host Carter Umhau, LMHC about how her own recovery story inspired the empowerment of so many others'!   Links:  Learn more about (or donate to) The Garment Project: https://thegarmentproject.org/  The Garment Project on Instagram: @thegarmentproject   Connect with Opal:  www.opalfoodandbody.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opalfoodandbodywisdom/ Instagram: @opalfoodandbody Twitter: https://twitter.com/opalfoodandbody?lang=en Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpalFoodandBody/videos      Thank you to our team... Daniel Guenther at Jack Straw Cultural Center: http://www.jackstraw.org/ Editing by Hans Anderson: http://www.hfanderson.com/ Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/ Host and Producer Carter Umhau: www.carterumhau.com

Are you ready for a change? We're exploring what  the stages of change are and why acknowledging ambivalence is often the linchpin when it comes to transformation.  In a roundtable conversation that touches on self-care, creative habits, routines, and recovery, Opal Co-Founders Dr. Lexi Giblin, PhD, CEDS and Julie Church, RDN, CEDRD-S, CD sit down with host Carter Umhau, LMHC to explore the many things that get in the way of making the changes you desire, and what they're each doing about it!   Connect with Opal:  www.opalfoodandbody.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opalfoodandbodywisdom/ Instagram: @opalfoodandbody Twitter: https://twitter.com/opalfoodandbody?lang=en Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpalFoodandBody/videos      Thank you to our team... Daniel Guenther at Jack Straw Cultural Center: http://www.jackstraw.org/ Editing by Hans Anderson: http://www.hfanderson.com/ Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/ Host and Producer Carter Umhau: www.carterumhau.com

How are bodies political? The vibrant dietitian and podcast host Aaron Flores, RDN (of Dietitians Unplugged) joins Opal's Nutrition Director Julie Church, RDN, CEDRD-S, CD and host Carter Umhau, LMHC to share his feminist perspective on the politics of being in a fat body. Aaron talks about how being fat (as a cis, white man) has given him access to understanding the lack of safety people with more marginalized identities experience being in their bodies. Carter, Aaron, and Julie will explore male body image, fat phobia, privilege, and the entirely unethical dieting scheme Weight Watchers has been recently marketing to children.   Links: Follow along with Aaron Flores, RDN's via his… IG: https://www.instagram.com/aaronfloresrdn/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/aaronfloresrdn Website: www.smashtheweightriarchy.com Listen to Aaron on Dietitian's Unplugged: http://dietitiansunplugged.libsyn.com/ Redefining Wellness: The Ultimate Diet-free Guide for Teenagers  Sign the petition to stop the kurbo app.    Connect with Opal:  www.opalfoodandbody.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opalfoodandbodywisdom/ Instagram: @opalfoodandbody Twitter: https://twitter.com/opalfoodandbody?lang=en Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpalFoodandBody/videos      Thank you to our team... Daniel Guenther at Jack Straw Cultural Center: http://www.jackstraw.org/ Editing by Hans Anderson: http://www.hfanderson.com/ Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/ Host and Producer Carter Umhau: www.carterumhau.com  

What does it take to heal? Obviously there's a lot to it, but we'd dare to say that COURAGE (in all its forms) is at the heart of it all. Opal Co-Founder and Executive Director Dr. Lexi Giblin PhD, CEDS joins host and therapist Carter Umhau, LMHC to explore the many types of courage and their roles within eating disorder recovery. Lexi and Carter will pull from psychologist Rollo May's work, which defines courage within four spheres: physical, moral, social, and creative.    Links:   Rollo May's book, The Courage to Create: https://www.amazon.com/Courage-Create-Rollo-May/dp/0393311066/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=courage+to+create&qid=1569283078&sr=8-1 Jesh de Rox on The Creativity Habit podcast, as Carter mentioned: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-creativity-habit/id1211324060?i=1000434382827   Connect with Opal:  www.opalfoodandbody.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opalfoodandbodywisdom/ Instagram: @opalfoodandbody Twitter: https://twitter.com/opalfoodandbody?lang=en Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpalFoodandBody/videos      Thank you to our team... Daniel Guenther at Jack Straw Cultural Center: http://www.jackstraw.org/ Editing by Hans Anderson: http://www.hfanderson.com/ Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/ Host and Producer Carter Umhau: www.carterumhau.com

Do you trust your body's appetite cues? It's all about internal regulation on the last of this four-part series inspired by Ellyn Satter's “Eating Competency Skills” and we're talking body wisdom. Opal Co-Founder and Nutrition Director Julie Church, RDN, CEDRD-S, CD talks with host and therapist Carter Umhau, LMHC about the wisdom your body holds around food and eating. They'll be exploring the power of honing this skill, which is the heart of intuitive eating.    Links: Ellyn Satter Institute Take the ecSI ( Satter Eating Competency Inventory) Secrets of Feeding a Healthy Family by Ellyn Satter     Connect with Opal:  www.opalfoodandbody.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opalfoodandbodywisdom/ Instagram: @opalfoodandbody Twitter: https://twitter.com/opalfoodandbody?lang=en Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpalFoodandBody/videos      Thank you to our team... Daniel Guenther at Jack Straw Cultural Center: http://www.jackstraw.org/ Editing by Hans Anderson: http://www.hfanderson.com/ Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/ Host and Producer Carter Umhau: www.carterumhau.com

What habits and routines can support healthy eating?  This third of our four-part series on Ellyn Satter's eating competency skills, offers a look into how to build a healthy context and environment to support your food choices. Opal Co-Founder and Nutrition Director Julie Church, RDN, CEDRD-S, CD talks with host and therapist Carter Umhau, LMHC about grocery shopping, a full pantry, and all that should happen to metaphorically set the table for success. This episode continues to define healthy eating through the question of how to eat, rather than what to eat.    Links: Ellyn Satter Institute: https://www.ellynsatterinstitute.org/ Take the ecSI ( Satter Eating Competency Inventory) here: https://www.ellynsatterinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/ecSI-2.0-Test-scoring-restricted.pdf     Connect with Opal:  www.opalfoodandbody.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opalfoodandbodywisdom/ Instagram: @opalfoodandbody Twitter: https://twitter.com/opalfoodandbody?lang=en Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpalFoodandBody/videos      Thank you to our team... Daniel Guenther at Jack Straw Cultural Center: http://www.jackstraw.org/ Editing by Hans Anderson: http://www.hfanderson.com/ Music by Aaron Davidson: https://soundcloud.com/diet75/ Host and Producer Carter Umhau: www.carterumhau.com