The Full of Beans Podcast

This week on the Full of Beans podcast, Han is joined by Shikha Chopra, a lived experience advocate living with ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder) who is currently navigating pregnancy. Shikha is also autistic and is a member of the ARFID Connect lived experience advisory group, led by Cardiff University. Her advocacy work stems from her own struggle accessing ARFID support through the NHS and her local eating disorder clinic, as well as her experience with recovery and prevention language that didn't fit how she lives with ARFID.In this episode, we discuss:How a traumatic episode of sickness became a turning point in Shikha's ARFIDWhat it felt like for Shikha to finally have a name for her strugglesHow Shikha's GP supported her through her ARFID diagnosisGaps in NHS eating disorder treatment for adults with ARFIDHow peer support groups helped Shikha find validation for her ARFID experienceWhy "acceptance" fit Shikha's ARFID better than "recovery"The link between ARFID, autism and OCDNavigating ARFID and autism through pregnancyAdvocating for her needs during maternity care with an autism health passportShikha's advice for accessing support for ARFID⚠️ Content note: this episode discusses ARFID, disordered eating, trauma, and pregnancy. Please take care while listening.Connect with us:Subscribe to the Full of Beans PodcastFollow Full of Beans on InstagramCheck out our websiteListen on YouTubeFind out more about ARFID Connect hereCheck out Beat ARFID Page hereCheck out First Steps info on ARFID here

This week on the Full of Beans podcast, Han is joined by Ella Clarke, a lived experience advocate currently working for LENs as an Expert by Experience. Ella has her own lived experience of an eating disorder and ADHD, and spent three years in hospital under a section. She now uses that experience to spread awareness and give others hope that recovery is genuinely possible. Outside of her advocacy work, Ella volunteers at Redgate Farm animal sanctuary, is proud crazy cat lady to Bella, a 14-year-old cat she adopted from Redgate last year, and this year travelled to Borneo to volunteer at a sanctuary for orangutans and sun bears.In this episode, we discuss: What motivates Ella to work as an Expert by Experience in eating disorder recoveryElla's experience of hospital admission and treatment for an eating disorderWhy listening to the person, not just the diagnosis, matters in eating disorder treatmentElla's experience of misdiagnosis and falling through the gaps between mental health servicesHow Ella's ADHD diagnosis became a turning point in her eating disorder recoveryThe overlap between ADHD, anorexia and binge eating disorderThe small, incremental steps that helped Ella rebuild her relationship with foodWhy normalising food, rather than commenting on it, supports eating disorder recoveryReconnecting with hobbies, identity and life beyond the eating disorder, including Ella's trip to Borneo⚠️ Content note: this episode discusses eating disorders, hospital admission, self-harm, and mental health diagnoses including ADHD and personality disorder. Please take care while listening.Connect with us:Subscribe to the Full of Beans PodcastFollow Full of Beans on InstagramCheck out our websiteListen on YouTubeConnect with Ella via LinkedIn

This week on the Full of Beans podcast, Han is joined by Shannon Travers-Spencer, who has lived experience of anorexia, autism, ADHD, ARFID and chronic illness, and shares their journey online. Shannon is a passionate advocate for inclusive care for neurodivergent individuals within eating disorder services, and spoke at this year's Dump The Scales march about navigating the UK's eating disorder system, and the barriers and accommodations they faced along the way.In This Episode:Shannon's experience of ARFID from childhood, and anorexia developing later as a teenagerUntangling autism, ARFID and anorexia when they overlap so closelyWhy an autism diagnosis partway through inpatient treatment changed everything about Shannon's careThe nuance clinicians face in adapting treatment without it being exploited by the eating disorderHow Shannon and a dietitian mapped out "autism-safe" versus "anorexia-safe" foods to understand what was really driving their eatingHow undiagnosed autism may have contributed to the development of Shannon's eating disorderPractical, simple adjustments that can make a significant difference in autistic-affirming careWhy listening to the patient, and being willing to adapt language and approach, matters more than any grand overhaulThe importance of joined-up care between eating disorder services and mental health teams⚠️ Content note: this episode discusses eating disorders, ARFID, autism, suicidality, and inpatient psychiatric treatment. Please take care while listening.Connect with us:Subscribe to the Full of Beans PodcastFollow Full of Beans on InstagramCheck out our websiteListen on YouTubeConnect with Shannon via Instagram @a.froggy.lifeWatch Shannon's Dump The Scales speech hereCheck out the Peace Pathway here

This week on the Full of Beans podcast, Han is joined by Lexie Kirwan-Jones. Lexie is a psychology student at Durham University, an eating disorder peer support worker, and someone involved in research relating to eating disorders and neurodivergence.As Lexie shares, her university experience hasn't been a straight line, but is one that might sound similar to those who have been navigating an eating disorder at university. After taking a year out of her costume design degree due to her eating disorder, she re-evaluated her career plans and returned to university in 2024 to study psychology to pursue a career in clinical psychology.In this episode, we discuss:Lexie's honest account of living with bulimia and disordered eatingWhy bulimia and binge-purge cycles can feel worse than restrictive eating disorders, despite looking "healthy" on the outsideHow weight-focused feedback in eating disorder treatment can reinforce disordered behavioursUnderstanding binge eating disorder: what a binge actually feels like, and why it isn't about willpowerThe turning point in Lexie's eating disorder recoveryWhy the right GP can make all the difference in accessing eating disorder treatmentHow university stress and perfectionism fuelled Lexie's eating disorderTaking a year out of university for eating disorder recovery, and the fear of judgementLexie's advice for navigating university with an eating disorder⚠️ Content note: this episode discusses eating disorders, including restriction, binge eating and bulimia, and disordered eating behaviours. Please take care while listening.Connect with us:Subscribe to the Full of Beans PodcastFollow Full of Beans on InstagramCheck out our websiteListen on YouTube

This week on the Full of Beans podcast, Han is joined by Jessica Parker and Gemma Fieldsend, co-founders of Cog-Spark, a mental health training and consultancy organisation with more than 40 years of combined experience across mental health, psychology, education and research. Gemma brings extensive clinical experience from senior roles within the NHS, higher education and specialist mental health services, while Jessica's background is in psychology, education and doctoral research focused on eating disorder prevention and early identification. Together, they combine frontline and clinical experience with research to deliver evidence-based, practical training to schools, universities, workplaces and community organisations. As pupils head back to school, this episode focuses on helping educators and parents recognise and respond to eating disorders in school-aged children.In this week's episode, we discuss:Why eating disorders don't have a "look," and can affect any child regardless of background, age or genderEarly warning signs of eating disorders in school-aged children, beyond weightRecognising ARFID and sensory eating difficulties in schoolsHow perfectionism and high achievement can mask an eating disorder in childrenHow to talk to a child when concerned about an eating disorderPractical strategies for schools to support children with eating disordersHow to talk to parents about a suspected eating disorder in their childRemoving blame and shame from eating disorder conversations with familiesWhy joined-up support between schools and families improves eating disorder recovery in children⚠️ Content note: this episode discusses eating disorders, disordered eating, and supporting children and young people. Please take care while listening.Connect with us:Subscribe to the Full of Beans PodcastFollow Full of Beans on InstagramCheck out our websiteListen on YouTube