It's Not About Food Podcast with Laurelee Roark

This podcast is last year’s peer educators talking about the 3-prong principle of prevention and recovery of an eating disorder and body hatred so many of their age group suffer from.  ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

How do I know what my natural weight is? On this show I talk about the first principle of Beyond Hunger: Accepting your body as it is. Right now. Allowing yourself to be your natural weight. Right now. And Taking care of the body you have. Right now.  ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Recovery from body hatred and disordered eating provides many layers of learning that unfold uniquely and spontaneously. “Trusting the process” means we all work through these experiences at our own pace and in our own way. We can trust our process is exactly right for us and we don’t have to waste precious time comparing ourselves to others.About Christina LoweAs a Registered Dietitian, Certified Eating Disorder Specialist and IAEDP (International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals) Approved Consultant. Christina has 8 years of experience working with eating disorders with a variety of populations and at different leve. Christina Lowe, RDN, CEDSAs a Registered Dietitian, Certified Eating Disorder Specialist and IAEDP (International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals) Approved Consultant. Christina has 8 years of experience working with eating disorders with a variety of populations and at different levels of care. Eating disorders are a symptom of pain and she wants to help clients connect and understand to the deeper reasonings. She is passionate and dedicated to working in this specialty because she believe s everyone should feel freedom with their food choices, love within their body and control over their mental health.  and dedicated to working in this specialty because she believe s everyone should feel freedom with their food choices, love within their bodyChristina Lowe@willawellness.com ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Truth is our own internal wisdom that defines who we are. Finding our own truth means figuring out the difference between what we’ve been told we should be, verses who we really are. Often time in the past our true feelings, passions, opinions, and experiences were ignored, rejected, or just not encouraged. When we can relearn to identify what our own truth is, we are able to put into action what our heart and soul desires. Dr. Daganzo is an Internal Medicine physician with over 15 years of experience. She holds an MA in Physics from UC Berkeley and an MD from UCSF, bringing a uniquely analytical and integrative approach to patient care. Her advanced training in psychiatry and functional medicine allows her to address health challenges at the intersection of mind and body.Based in Marin County, Dr. Daganzo’s clinic specializes in treating complex chronic conditions, eating disorders, and hard-to-diagnose symptoms. She prioritizes identifying root causes over simply treating symptoms—rejecting the "pill for every ill" mindset in favor of promoting long-term vitality and health span.Committed to science-driven, innovative care, Dr. Daganzo utilizes cutting-edge diagnostics and personalized interventions to empower her patients in achieving optimal wellness. She is known for her deep intellect, logical rigor, and genuine curiosity, balanced by compassion and a relentless dedication to her patients. As a tireless advocate, she ensures each patient receives the specialized, comprehensive care they need to reach their health goals. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Expressing ourselves is a way to live our truth in our bodies, minds and souls. Many times we’ve been taught that to express our feelings, to put up boundaries, to be honest, and to just allow ourselves to be ourselves it might be upsetting to others. The real truth is, if we let ourselves show our “whole self”, it is beneficial for everyone."Expressing Yourself” read by Carol Normandi, page 158.“It's Not About Food” by Carol Normandi and Laurelee Roark.Carol Normandi is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in private practice since 1992. She is a co-founder of Beyond Hunger, Inc. and co-author with Laurelee Roark of two books developing Beyond Hunger’s approach: It’s Not About Food: Ending Your Obsession with Food and Weight (Putnam 1998), and Over It: A Teen’s Guide To Getting Beyond Food and Weight (New World Library 2001). Carol works with adults, children, couples and families, specializing in eating disorders and body image disturbances. She has facilitated support groups, led workshops, and lectured about eating disorders for more than twenty years. Carol provides clinical consultation for Beyond Hunger. She is also the Executive of Amrita Eating Disorder Treatment. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

If you know the word divine means holy or sacred, then you have a clue to the meaning of divinity, which can be a god or other religious being. Anything very holy is full of divinity. Divinity is also the subject of religion itself: divinity students are studying theology. But if you're not into religion, don't worry — you can still enjoy divinity, a type of white, creamy fudge made with egg whites that probably goes well with angel food cake.The definition above was something I could totally get behind. I  found it by googling divinity on the website, “vocabulary.com.” Loved it. Especially because there are other god-like-angelic things that are divine could also taste good…like…Yummmmmy white creamy fudge and Angel food cake. Yes please. When I was able to recover from my addictions, my disorders and my need to control everything frigging thing in my life, but also let go of the idea that being divine was something outside myself, I was able to truly step into who I really was.  What I learned was all parts of me and every thing else in the universe was already divine. We all are body, mind and spirit. We may forget that fact but there it is. No matter who, what or where we are on our journey we are the essence of love, acceptance, peace and joy. Of course we can choose to deny our divinity and go towards a much darker place but we will never really be happy or successful because it’s not our true self. As I’ve been writing about some of the profound things my brother and I talked about as he lay dying was the idea of grace and being pure love as a much easier way to live our lives. One night as I sat with him we talked about how hard our childhood had been. We’d been abused, abandoned, and hurt by the grown ups in our lives. And the pain of it was, for no other reason, than it was probably the way they had been treated by their caretakers. So it was generational, and we eventually we had the power to stop that cycle of suffering ourselves as did they, even though they did not. So the discussion was why? My brother said with tears rolling down his cheeks,” It was so easy to do the right thing. Much much easier than the hard thing which is the wrong thing.”Now I have to say he said this as he was dying of Alzheimer’s, as he had not eaten in days and as he was so very sick. If this is not the definition of being in the divine, of experiencing divinity, of being in the state of grace, I don’t have any idea what would be. My takeaway is we all have a choice. To realize all parts of us are divine because we are pure divinity just by existing. Or, of course, we can step aside our true nature and force ourselves to not be divine. But where’s the fun in that? No where. That’s where. Here is a wonderful article and obituary about my wonderful brother Keith St Clare from Cynthia Laird of the Bay Area Reporter Newspaper. So grateful to the LBGT community for their support and dedication to the truth. Kelsy Keenan, NDTRDirector of Outreach, Nutrition CounselorWilla Wellness CenterDirect: 707-755-1174Office: 707-780-5323Fax: 707-780-5322 ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Author and Founder/CEO, Certified Business Archetype Coach™, Certified Money Coach (CMC)®Deborah Price is the Founder and CEO of the Money Coaching Institute, which provides money coaching services and training to individuals, couples and families.Deborah Price is the Founder and CEO of the Money Coaching Institute and the pioneer of the field of Behavioral Money Coaching. The Money Coaching Institute provides money coaching services and training to individuals, couples, families and business owners.  A former financial advisor for over twenty years with firms such as Merrill Lynch, Mass Mutual, AIG and London Pacific Advisors, Deborah left the financial industry in 2001 to create an entirely new field dedicated to helping people more deeply understand and change their underlying money patterns, emotions and behaviors around money.Coping with money issues, both practically and psychologically, continues to be a major life   struggle for millions of people and yet, there is very little help available. As a result, people often manifest money patterns, beliefs and behaviors that can prevent them from experiencing their full financial potential. Deborah has developed a unique, step-by-step coaching program that helps clients move beyond barriers to their personal and financial success. As a result, client’s experience renewed hope, restored relationships, increased confidence, and enhanced personal and financial success.Through education and awareness, Deborah is committed to empowering others both personally and financially. She is the author of Money Therapy: Using the Eight Money Types to Create Wealth and Prosperity; Money Magic: Unleashing Your Potential for Wealth and Prosperity; and her latest book, The Heart of Money: A Couples Guide to Creating True Financial Intimacy. She is considered one of the foremost experts in her field and speaks and teaches globally. She has trained thousands of Certified Money Coaches (CMC)® in over 36 countries around the world including the USA, Canada, Singapore, England, France, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, South Africa, Holland, and New Zealand and more. dprice@moneycoachinginstitute.com (415) 895-1069 ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

The audio podcast on this newsletter today is read by Carol Normandi from our first book, “It’s Not About Food”. It’s about getting in touch with your spiritual path and you can find it written out on page 137.Carol Normandi ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Inhabit means to live in our bodies, not in our heads. When we learn to be present in our bodies, to move out of the obsessive thinking and into our feelings, we can learn to identify and meet our physical, emotional and spiritual needs. First, we must be aware that we are in the obsession, in the thinking, in the head. Then we cause our breath to being our awareness into our body and explore what we are experiencing in our bodies. The podcast today is me interviewing me about living in the bodies we have, taking care of the bodies we have and loving the bodies we have. I get asked all the time by those who are recovering from disordered eating and body dysmorphia, "how the hell am I supposed to do that?"I agree it seems impossible because so many of us have been told never to accept the weight we have, or the body we have, or the image we have, if it’s not perfect. So we didn’t and it has caused untold damage.  But we can change. We can accept our weight, no matter what it is right now, as a starting point. And then we can work to be satisfied with our natural weight. Which brings up the other question I also get asked all the time. “What is my normal weight? And when will I get there and how will I know that’s it?”The answer is…When we consistently eat when we are hungry, consistently eat what our bodies want to eat and we consistently stop when full…we will go to a weight ourbodies want to be at. When we exercise in a way our bodies want to exercise, get enough sleep, cut down on stress, follow our path and love ourselves body, mind and spirit, no matter what, we will be at our normal size. And of course we have to consider it all at this age, with this DNA, with this life style and with this life…for the rest of our lives. Subject to change cause if we don’t die, we’ll get older. Right? ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

This show is about using the example of a spiral as a recovery mechanism from disordered eating, body disturbances, addictions, depressions, anxieties and so many other coping mechanisms people suffer from. The progress towards health when followed by the non linear idea of a spiral allows for the development of new and more effective coping strategies used to achieve complete wellness. Taylor Houston Taylor of The Golden Yarrow is a Holistic and Functional Nutritionist, Clinical Herbalist and Flower Essence Practitioner, Health-Supportive Chef, Personal Trainer, and Reiki Healer. As a third-generation wellness practitioner and entrepreneur, Taylor comes from a long lineage of women in the health space, carrying forward a deep-rooted passion for whole foods, healing plants, the earth, and joyful movement. Taylor helps others reconnect with their bodies and nature to cultivate balance, vitality, and self-nourishment. Taylor's journey—from the fast-paced culinary world to holistic wellness—shaped her unique approach, blending nutrition, delicious meals, herbalism, and movement to support lasting transformation. Through one-on-one integrative health coaching, herbal consultations, and private chef services, Taylor empowers others to trust their innate wisdom and live in harmony with themselves and the natural world.  Ways to connect with Taylor: Email I Website I Substack I Instagram ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

This show is about finding and following our purpose. We are all here to share our gifts and our experiences as we walk our many paths of discovery. We find our calling by listening to our inner voice and doing what feels right and true to ourselves.Erin Byous, MFT has been working with individuals and families since 2010. She’s worked in private practice and for a large healthcare organization as a therapist and also a mental health educator. Erin currently works at Willa Wellness Center in Petaluma where she facilitates groups and teaches classes focused on building helpful skills to replace eating disorder behaviors (and other harmful long term coping strategies). In addition to the treatment of eating disorders, Erin also has experience in the treatment of anxiety, depression, substance use problems, and perinatal mood disorders ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Spiritual Being Visualization by Carol Normandi from our book, “It’s Not About Food”. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Laurelee and Carol talk about what is true recovery and how to get there. Carol has been working with eating disorder recovery since 1988 when she co-founded Beyond Hunger with Laurelee Roark, a non-profit that provides support groups and eating disorder prevention education. In 1998 they published their first book It's Not About Food, based on their own recovery and their work with eating disorder clients. They later published Over It: A Teens Guide to Ending the Obsession with Food and Weight, and Body Love Cards. For more information about Carol or Amrita Treatment Center please contact her below. Carol Normandi, LMFT, Lic. #29505, 30 N. San Pedro Road, Ste. 265, San Rafael, CA 94903, (415) 488-1104  ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Trust is knowing that our bodies are living intelligences, giving us immediate feedback about what does and doesn’t work for us. When we stop viewing our bodies as something we need to manipulate, we can begin seeing them as very wise teachers. When we start to trust our bodies, we can listen and understand what they need. Jenny Sederholm, LCSW While I have been a Licensed Clinical Social Worker for 14 years, life quieted and expanded for me eleven years ago when I was intensively trained in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. I co facilitated a DBT Yearlong program for three years at Kaiser Permanente while training clinicians in DBT skills and principles.  Through DBT, my perceptions were blown to pieces as I practiced intentional awareness, mindfulness and ever present dialectics. I also came to appreciate the functional power of life skills and understanding the purpose of our emotions.My life journey has since brought me to the Willa Wellness team. Here, I am honored to share with and grow alongside those whom are struggling with eating disorders. Through our work together, we strive to uncover the worn out stories that keep us from the freedoms that are our birthright. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

This week’s offering is about creativity. It’s a recording Carol Normandi and I made. It’s on our CD of several visualizations found in our book, It’s Not About Food. We talk about using Creativity as a way to recover from disorder eating and body disturbances. I hope you have as much fun listening to it as we did making it.  ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Today’s podcast is about the many miracles of recovery and remembering we are at choice to either accept the miracles or to step around them. Recovery is about opening our hearts to life, to health and to love for ourselves. Melanie Larson MA, RDNNutrition DirectorWilla Wellness Center Email: melanie@willawellness.com (mailto:marie@willawellness.com) Website: www.willawellness.com (http://www.willawellness.com/)Pronouns: she/her/hers ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

This show is about learning how to set boundaries and being at choice about our own needs. By setting limits or saying no we protect our integrity based on our own truth. Kari Floberg is a Marriage and Family Therapist in Northern California. She holds degrees from New York University and the California Institute of Integral Studies.  In her private practice, she works with individuals and groups, offering paths to come home to their true selves and find freedom from food and weight obsession. Bringing 12 years of clinical experience in a variety of settings, plus her lived experience of recovery from an eating disorder, she understands the nonlinear nature of change, with reverence and compassion.  She draws upon expressive arts, attachment theory, parts work, mindfulness and somatic practices for healing. Her previous career as a performing artist, in theater and dance, informs how she shows up in the world; trusting the emergent and creative process. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Carol Normandi and I recorded this visualization about healing the spiritual wound within us. It is found on Pg 128 of our book, It’s Not About Food, 2010, Penquin Putnam, NY, NY. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★