Explore every episode of the podcast Conditioned Food Sensitivity

Dr. Ric Arseneau shares practical tools that are good for everyone but are especially helpful for those living with chronic conditions such as mast cell disease, fibromyalgia, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), long COVID, and others. While stress does not cause these conditions, the body’s stress response can significantly amplify symptoms. Dr. Arseneau explains how this process happens and offers techniques to soften the stress response and support healing.

Ric Arseneau, MD FRCPC MA(Ed) MBA FACP CGP, is an academic general internist working out of St. Paul’s Hospital and private practice. He is a Clinical Professor at the University of British Columbia. He has a special interest in medical education and has a master’s degree in Adult Education. Inaddition, he holds an MBA and is certified as a group psychotherapist. Dr. Arseneau is the medical director of the BC Centre for Long COVID, ME/CFS, & Fibromyalgia (BC-CLMF).

You can learn more about the BC Centre for Long COVID, ME/CFS, & Fibromyalgia here and reach Dr. Arseneau through his receptionist (bruno@drricarseneau.ca).

In this episode, Susan Watson and I explore the challengespeople face when certain foods feel uncomfortable due to their sensory characteristics — such as smell, taste, or texture. Susan shares both her personal experience with sensory differences and the valuable insights she’s gained through her work in nutrition counselling, helping clients navigate foodrestrictions with understanding and self-compassion.

Susan Watson is a registered dietitian and eating disorderspecialist, and the founder of A Little Nutrition and Therapy Services Winnipeg—a multidisciplinary practices that help individuals heal their relationship with food and body through a compassionate, weight-inclusive approach. With over 15 years of experience in nutrition counselling and mental health, Susan is passionate about bridging the gap between nutrition care and mental well-being.

You can reach her at www.alittlenutrition.com or  info@alittlenutrition.com.

Positive visualization can help us reshape the beliefs andpatterns that hold us back — yet creating personal audio recordings isn’t always easy. In this episode, we break down the process step by step, exploring how to write your own visualization script, record it with confidence, andweave it into a meaningful daily practice.

Dr. Navidi is a licensed clinical psychologist andco-founder of GI Psychology, a multi-state center specializing in the treatment of GI disorders and chronic pain. He oversees training and outreach for the practice and is also a founder and past president of the Northern Virginia Society of Clinical Hypnosis, as well as a hypnosis trainer for ISSTD. Dr.Navidi has given talks about GI disorders and chronic pain to organizations around the country and has appeared on multiple podcasts, spreading awareness ofevidence-based psychological approaches to GI care.

You can reach Dr. Navidi through his email: admin@gipsychology.com

In this year-end episode, Wendy looks back onsome of the most powerful insights shared by her 2025 podcast guests—especiallyaround the theme of acceptance. Drawing from conversations with her guests, sheexplores how acceptance of symptoms, emotions, and lived experience can reducesuffering and support healing. Wendy also introduces a simple dailyvisualization practice to help listeners soften resistance and make space formeaningful change.

A parent/caregiver's food relationship impacts how their child's feeding relationship develops. For example, many children pick up food fear from a parent.  Jaclyn shares tips on how to turn these challenges into teachable moments with your child.  

A parent/caregiver's relationship to food has a direct impact on their child's feeding development. As they develop, children learn from observation and may adopt similar habits or behaviours from the adults around them. For example, a child may not like a food because their parent/caregiver does not like it; this could even transpire into fear of the food altogether. Jaclyn shares tips on how to turn these challenges into teachable moments with your child.

Jaclyn Pederson, MHI,  is the Chief Executive Officer of Feeding Matters. With more than a decade of experience in program development, Jaclyn Pederson's broad knowledge of programming in the public and social sectors includes program and strategic initiative design, fund development, special events, grant writing, and community engagement. A system thinker and positive team builder, she uses transformational leadership principles to develop energized and efficient workgroups that influence significant organizational and systemic change for all affected by pediatric feeding disorder –such as the development of the expanded PFD Alliance. Jaclyn also manages Feeding Matters' strategic partnerships with numerous professional associations, including the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), the American Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, and the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (NASPGHAN).

You can reach Jaclyn through her website and social media.

https://www.feedingmatters.org 

https://www.facebook.com/feedingmatters 

https://www.instagram.com/feedingmatters 

Elimination diets are a primary risk factor for getting stuck in the Conditioned Food Avoidance and Sensitivity Trap. Julia Cassidy joined me for an insightful discussion on this topic. She highlights the key warning signs that you may have developed a fearful relationship with food and what to do if you notice these red flags.

Julia Cassidy is a highly experienced dietitian with 20 years of dedication to weight-inclusive and nutrition-sensitive care within the behavioral health field. Her leadership roles have included Vice President of Clinical Nutrition and Senior Director of Nutrition and Wellness. She is a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist Consultant, a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor, certified in Nutrition Psychiatry, and a Licensed Body Positive Facilitator. Listeners can connect with Julia at julscass@me.com or www.thriving-nutrition.net

Watching other people eat foods you are restricting can be challenging. Janelle shares how she has come to a place of acceptance and compassion over the last 15 years of living with celiac disease.

Janelle Smith, MS, RDN, CEDS (she/her) is a registered dietitian nutritionist and Certified Eating Disorders Specialist with lived and clinical expertise in supporting a peaceful relationship with food in the midst of gastrointestinal distress. She is passionate about educating other providers about disordered eating and GI diseases, so actively forms and leads initiatives with this mission, including the EDGI Training Project and the Dietitians in Gluten and Gastrointestinal Disorders subgroup with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She is advancing eating-disorder informed care at her position with UCLA Health Digestive Disease Nutrition Program, speaks on the topic at conferences, and has published multiple peer-reviewed research articles on the overlap. You can reach her at janellesmithnutrition.com and edgitraining.com

Visualization is a powerful tool to rewire our brain's circuitry and create new pathways that lead to success. Visualization can change our relationship with food and help us move past conditioned food avoidance and sensitivity.

Aaron Volpatti is a cognitive performance and injury coach, speaker, retired NHL player, burn survivor, and a graduate from Brown University- B.Sc Human Biology. He is also the author of Fighter – Defing the NHL Odds. A pioneer in Cinematic Visualization and athletic performance, Aaron's unique practice has helped athletes all over the world. You can reach him at AaronVolpatti.com

Beth Rosen shares her story of accepting that her digestive discomfort was chronic but also realizing there were many treatments she could explore to get back to a great quality of life. She shares her top tips on travelling this road with persistence and patience.

Beth Rosen, MS, RD, CDN, is a weight-inclusive Registered Dietitian specializing in GI nutrition and disordered eating. With 29 years of experience, she runs a virtual practice helping clients manage conditions like IBS, SIBO, and Celiac disease. Beth also educates health professionals through webinars and peer mentoring. Currently the chair of the Dietitians in Gluten and GI Diseases subgroup of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, she's a co-founder of the EDGI Training Project and author of the upcoming book Gut Goals. Learn more at www.BethRosenRD.com.

Food and symptom journalling can be effective when used properly. However, it can also pull you into symptom hypervigilance and the Conditioned Food Avoidance and Sensitivity Trap (C-FAST). Join Wendy and Dr. Melissa Hunt for tips on avoiding these pitfalls. We will also discuss how the brain amplifies sensations in the body and how you can turn the volume down on this communication.

Melissa G. Hunt is a licensed clinical psychologist and serves as the Associate Director of Clinical Training in the Department of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania.  She is a Fellow and Diplomate of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy and a member of the Rome Foundation Psychogastroenterology working group.

Dr. Hunt conducts research on the best approaches for stress management, and into the causes and treatment of depression, anxiety disorders and chronic GI disorders. As a clinical scientist, her emphasis is on translating basic psychological science into treatments that are effective, acceptable, and accessible to patient populations. Her work focuses on identifying the underlying patient factors (e.g. unhelpful beliefs and maladaptive avoidance) that lead to reduced quality of life, impairment and distress, particularly factors that exacerbate chronic health problems and make them harder to cope with, and on developing and disseminating evidence based, empirically supported treatments for folks with GI disorders.  In addition to her research, she maintains an active private practice in clinical psychology in which she specializes in cognitive-behavioral treatment with patients with chronic GI disorders, as well as co-morbid mood, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive, and trauma disorders.  She is the author of two evidence-based, empirically supported self-help books that make CBT accessible to patients with IBS and IBDs, as well as an empirically supported treatment manual on CBT for IBD patients.  You can reach Dr. Hunt at mhunt@psych.upenn.edu.

Annie shares her story of how the bulimia she developed as a teenager morphed into food sensitivity restrictions while she was enrolled in a "wellness" program. She developed chronic health problems and believed that food was the cause and that a restricted diet was the cure. Annie shares how these restrictions impacted her life and how she broke out of the trap and is now enjoying freedom from food.

Annie is a recovered trauma-informed eating disorder mentor and intuitive eating facilitator with a dedicated focus on addressing misinformation in wellness spaces. She connects individuals with vital resources and offers specialized eating disorder recovery coaching, collaborating closely with other treatment providers. Her mission is to guide individuals towards a healthier relationship to food and self, while also equipping them with the skills to navigate and discern accurate information amidst the challenges of misinformation in wellness environments.

You can read more about her story here.

Amy Slabaugh is a returning podcast guest. We released an episode in September 2023 talking about her journey with chronic, debilitating headaches and the importance of taking one road at a time (i.e. systematically trialling new treatments). Through this approach, she discovered brain training tools that dramatically improved her quality of life.

Amy Slabaugh is a registered dietitian nutritionist specializing in intuitive eating and the dietary management of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). In her practice, she loves working with people to foster a positive relationship with food and learn to nourish their bodies in a way that promotes health. For those who are experiencing adverse reactions in response to food, her goal is to help clients work toward minimizing their symptoms and improving their quality of life. Providing counseling for clients as they work through the C-FAST Treatment course is a great way to do this.

You can reach Amy at AmySlabaugh.com.

Dr. Biesiekierski discusses her groundbreaking research, highlighting the interaction between mind and body in food sensitivity reactions in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Her research was a key finding to support IBS (and other conditions) being classified as Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction (DGBI).  

Dr. Biesiekierski's research focuses on improving diet management for gastrointestinal disorders (particularly irritable bowel syndrome and functional dyspepsia) through mechanistic insights along the gut-brain axis. She is a researcher and senior lecturer with the Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food at Monash University in Australia.

You can reach Dr. Biesiekierski through the Monash University website here.

Dr. Laurie Keefer discusses how a flexible, curious and resilient mindset makes food reintroduction easier. She will also share her expertise and practical tips on how to make this change.

Dr Laurie Keefer, PhD is a GI Health Psychologist and Professor of Medicine and Psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. She has a more than 20 years of experience in the development and implementation of behavioral therapies for chronic digestive disorders, including Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). She currently directs the GRITT Program, an integrated care model for Crohn's and ulcerative colitis patients within the IBD Center at Mount Sinai Hospital. She maintains a clinical practice focused on psychosocial concerns among medically complex IBD.

If you would like help from a GI Psychologist, please visit the GastroPsych section on the Rome Foundation website (access here).

Health psychology focuses on how biological, social and psychological factors influence all aspects of health. However, many people are reluctant to see a health psychologist because the recommendation can sound like, "Your symptoms are in your head" or "Your symptoms are caused by stress; just relax, and you will feel better." This is such a prevalent problem that I wanted to learn more about this field and explore the difference between health psychology and general mental health counselling. We are fortunate to have Dr. Megan Riehl on the podcast today to explain the difference.

Dr. Megan Riehl is a GI psychologist who is a key opinion leader in the area of psychogastroenterology. She is an Associate Professor of Medicine and the Clinical Director of GI behavioral health at the University of Michigan. She is also the Director of Behavioral Health Services and Support for GI OnDemand. Dr. Riehl's clinical research focuses on the delivery of GI behavioral health treatment for patients with disorders of the gut-brain and IBD. Dr. Riehl participates on several national committees dedicated to research and education to enhance the psychosocial functioning of patients with gastrointestinal problems. Together with expert GI dietitian Kate Scarlata, she has co-authored a new book for those living with IBS – Mind Your Gut.

Mind Your Gut is available in March 2024. Learn more here.

Food sensitivity is rarely a simple cause and effect. Biological and psychological factors interplay to produce symptoms. We will talk about the role of symptom expectancy (i.e., nocebo response) in exacerbating symptom severity and how minimizing expectancy can dramatically improve quality of life.

Dr. Simons is a GI psychologist in the Digestive Disease and Surgery Institute at the Cleveland Clinic and specializes in treating motility related gastrointestinal conditions. She is particularly interested in the precipitants and consequences of dietary modification in digestive disease and the overlap between gynecologic and gastrointestinal conditions.

Listeners can contact Dr. Simons via email at simonsm3@ccf.org.

We will discuss how signals between the gut and the brain (gut-brain access) become amplified in irritable bowel syndrome and strategies for calming this communication. The brain similarly communicates with other body parts, so the concepts and strategies apply to symptoms throughout the body.

Joanna Baker is a Dietitian & a Nurse who loves food. Her passion for digestive health stems from a long history of living with gut problems. Joanna knows first-hand how debilitating gut problems can be, but also how much better life is when its well managed. At Everyday Nutrition she works with a team of amazing dietitians who love to support people to resolve digestive issues and make peace with food.

When there is no clear treatment path for your symptoms, you may feel lost or confused by the contradicting treatment options. The frustration often leads to not doing anything (being stuck) or jumping from one thing to the next. Amy will talk about her journey exploring one road at a time.

Amy Slabaugh is a registered dietitian nutritionist specializing in intuitive eating and the dietary management of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). In my practice, I love working with people to foster a positive relationship with food and learn to nourish their bodies in a way that promotes health. For those who are experiencing adverse reactions in response to food, my goal is to help you work toward minimizing your symptoms and improving your quality of life. Providing counseling for clients as they work through the FAST Freedom Program is a great way to do this.

You can reach Amy at AmySlabaugh.com.

You are probably familiar with the vicious cycle of food avoidance leading to additional sensitivities. Dr. Burton Murray will share her clinical experience, and research showing this cycle can be reversed! She describes avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) and how cognitive behaviour therapy can help patients regain a full quality of life.

Dr. Helen Burton Murray is the Director of GI Behavioral Health in the Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Neurointestinal Health. Dr. Burton Murray specializes in psychogastroenterology, specifically in the intersection of gastrointestinal conditions and eating disorders. She has a particular expertise in the treatment of rumination syndrome and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder. 

To learn more about the GI behavioural Health clinic at the Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Neurointestinal Health, please call 617-726-5565.

When patients do not have a diagnosis and concrete management plan for their symptoms, they typically feel helpless and out of control. Johannah Ruddy shares her story of working with Dr. Drossman to take charge of her health.

Subscribe to receive a  summary of the valuable tips after each episode. Get off the elimination diet roller coaster, rebuild your food trust and expand your diet with support from the FAST Freedom Program.

Johannah is a doctoral student in the School of Pharmacy & Health Sciences at Campbell University and her research is focused on the impact of stigma in chronic illness and gender based health care inequalities. She is also the Chief Operating Officer and Executive Director of the Rome Foundation. In addition to her professional experience, she is a digestive health patient and patient advocate.

Dr. Douglas Drossman is trained in both gastroenterology and psychiatry. He is professor emeritus of medicine and psychiatry at the University of North Carolina, President Emeritus and chief executive officer of the Rome Foundation and president of the center for education and practice of biopsychosocial care and DrossmanCare.

Dr. Drossman and Johannah have co-authored two books in their Gut Feelings Series: Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction and the Patient-Doctor Relationship and The Patient's Story. Personal Accounts of the Illness Journey.

Language around food sensitivities is often black-and-white, and foods get labelled as "safe" or "unsafe." Dédé Wilson and I will talk about the impact of this black-and-white approach. Softening your language can change your relationship with food and make space for freedom.

Subscribe to receive a summary of the valuable tips after each episode. Get off the elimination diet roller coaster, rebuild your food trust and expand your diet with support from the FAST Freedom Program.

Dédé Wilson, co-founder of the low FODMAP resource website FODMAP Everyday®  is a Monash University trained and FODMAP Friendly Accredited FODMAP diet educator, who lives with irritable bowel syndrome herself. She is also a professional recipe developer and author of The Low FODMAP Diet Step-by-Step and devotes her time to helping others learn to THRIVE on the low FODMAP diet. She will help you learn how to become IBS symptom-free - while eating deliciously. You can connect with Dédé through the contact us box on the home page of FODMAP Everyday .

Food and health struggles can drain your body's energy - leaving you feeling weak, helpless and frustrated. Lisa Marie Rankin will share self-care rituals and practices to re-energize and strengthen your ojas. Start 2023 on the right track with Lisa's inspiring tips!

Lisa Marie Rankin is an author, teacher, and Ayurvedic wellness coach. She helps women heal their bodies and ignite their feminine power so they can live with health, radiance, and inspiration. Visit her website at LisaMarieRankin.com. 

Lisa is offering listeners free registration to her Ayurveda Essentials mini-course. You'll learn how to use Ayurveda principles and practices in your everyday life to increase your energy, beat belly bloat, and stress less. You'll also learn your Aryuvedic mind and body type, and get a dinacharya (daily routine) checklist. 

When done properly, elimination diets can be extremely beneficial. Unfortunately, most people approach elimination diets haphazardly and jeopardize their long-term physical and mental health. I will discuss my top nine tips for planning and working through systematic diet elimination.

With a career spanning 30 years, Wendy has had the privilege of working with and learning from hundreds of food-sensitive clients. Her passion is creating engaging online programs to help clients struggling with restricted eating rebuild their body and food trust and expand their diet. As an expert in food hypersensitivities, Wendy has spoken at many national conferences and has sat on the medical advisory committees of non-profit organizations.

Retraining your brain is a common buzzword these days. But what exactly does it mean and how does it apply to food sensitivities? Simone Albert will share her insights on the overlap between fear and food reactions and how to change these automatic reactions.   Simone is the principle counsellor and founder of Food Allergy Counselling in Australia. She's a registered counsellor, registered nurse, author and mum of two teenagers living with allergies. She provides support, guidance and evidence-based strategies and techniques to families and individuals navigating the psychological life transition that comes with a new chronic condition diagnosis. Her book Beyond the Allergy Diagnosis is available through Amazon. It is an exceptionally good book and I would recommend it to anyone living with anaphylactic food allergy.

Traumatic experiences associated with food can quickly pull us into the FAST and lead to conditioned food sensitivity. Makena Osborne shares a scary event that she recently went through and how she navigated through the fear.

Makena is a student at the University of British Columbia, majoring in psychology! She models internationally (Paris Fashion Week, Vancouver Fashion Week, Western Canada Fashion Week and modelling for clothing companies around Canada). Currently, she lives in Kelowna, British Columbia and works part-time at Saje Natural Wellness.

Shame - an inevitable part of chronic illness - can be a roadblock to recovery. Johannah shares the impact of shame on her health and how she found the courage to move past it. In addition to softening her symptoms, this journey has positively influenced every aspect of her life.   Johannah has a master's degree in education and a career in non-profit management. She is also the executive director of the Rome Foundation and secretary-treasurer for the center for education and practice of biopsychosocial care. In addition to her professional experience, she is a digestive health patient and patient advocate. She is a co-author of the book, Gut Feelings: Disorders of the Gut-Brain Interaction (DGBI) and the Patient-Doctor Relationship. Contact her through Twitter @johannahruddy.  

I discuss five key points to help you reflect on this crucial question. I challenge black-and-white misperceptions about sensitivities and offer listeners a different perspective on how to approach food and their health.

When you have sensitivities, food can dominate your life. Batch cooking may be the answer to help you spend less time thinking about food or working in the kitchen. Kathlena (aka The Allergy Chef) tells us how batch cooking can bring time, financial, emotional and mental freedom.

You can reach Kathlena through her website TheAllergyChef.com.

Audrey has been a FAST Freedom coach for six months and has done a fantastic job helping her clients move past their restricted diet struggles. She shares inspiring stories and examples of what changes have made the most significant difference in her clients' lives.

Audrey is an IBS specialist dietitian, co-author of The 28-Day Plan for IBS Relief: 100 Low FODMAP Recipes to Soothe Your Symptoms of IBS, and FAST Freedom practitioner. Many people with IBS or unexplained symptoms have unnecessarily stopped eating many of the foods that they love. Audrey coaches her clients to help relieve their symptoms and rebuild confidence in food again. You can find her at www.ibsnutrition.com.

Depression is common for those suffering from food sensitivities or mysterious symptoms. I will discuss the reasons for this connection and strategies to get out of the rut and live a full life.

Johannah tells her moving story of feeling helpless when every doctor dismissed her symptoms. Eventually, she withdrew from the medical system and assumed her only option was to live with her debilitating symptoms. Luckily, Johannah met Dr. Drossman and learned that her symptoms stemmed from a previous food poisoning incident that led to disordered gut-brain communication. She worked with Dr. Drossman to create a management plan that addressed her body and brain.

Johannah has a master's degree in education and a career in non-profit management. She is also the executive director of the Rome Foundation and secretary-treasurer for the center for education and practice of biopsychosocial care. In addition to her professional experience, she is a digestive health patient and patient advocate.

Dr. Douglas Drossman is trained in both gastroenterology and psychiatry. He is professor emeritus of medicine and psychiatry at the University of North Carolina, professor emeritus and chief of operations of the Rome Foundation and president of the center for education and practice of biopsychosocial care and DrossmanCare.

Dr. Drossman and Johannah are co-authors of two books Gut Feelings - Disorders of the Gut-Brain Interaction and the Patient-Doctor Relationship and the second book which will be coming out in the near future Gut Feelings - The Patient Story.

 

Communicating with your doctor can be challenging – especially if your symptoms are difficult to explain and there is no straightforward treatment. Patients often feel disrespected and shut down during their appointments. However, a supportive partnership with your doctor is possible. Dr. Drossman will share his insightful tips from his book Gut Feelings - Disorders of the Gut-Brain Interaction and the Patient-Doctor Relationship: A Guide for Patients and Doctors.

Dr. Douglas Drossman is trained in both gastroenterology and psychiatry. He is professor emeritus of medicine and psychiatry at the University of North Carolina, professor emeritus and chief of operations of the Rome Foundation and president of the center for education and practice of biopsychosocial care and DrossmanCare.

Dr. Drossman explains how we need to look at the big picture when searching for the cause of distressing symptoms (i.e. disorders of the gut-brain interaction). For example, when patients focus exclusively on the role of food, they may miss the treatments that are most likely to help them get back to a good quality of life.

Dr. Douglas Drossman is trained in both gastroenterology and psychiatry. He is professor emeritus of medicine and psychiatry at the University of North Carolina, professor emeritus and chief of operations of the Rome Foundation and president of the center for education and practice of biopsychosocial care and DrossmanCare. Additionally, Dr. Drossman has co-authored the book, Gut Feelings: Disorders of the Gut-Brain Interaction (DGBI) and the Patient-Doctor Relationship.

Shelly answers one of my burning questions about the benefits of observing the breath vs regulating it. She takes us through a meditation to encourage longer, smoother and softer breathing (but not necessarily deep). This practice can help calm the nervous system, decrease hypervigilance and minimize a variety of physical or mental health symptoms. Shelly also explains that "deep" breathing can sometimes lead to over-breathing with the upper chest and neck muscles, which can activate the sympathetic nervous system and may be counterproductive for some people.

 

Shelly is a physiotherapist, yoga therapist, author, educator, and pioneer of PhysioYoga with over 23 years of experience integrating yoga into physiotherapy and specializes in areas of chronic pain, pelvic health, and professional burnout. She lectures at physiotherapy and yoga programs, contributes to research, presents at conferences globally, provides mentorship for professionals, and offers courses and resources for healthcare professionals and the general population. Shelly has authored book chapters in rehabilitation textbooks and is the co-editor/author of Yoga and Science in Pain Care: Treating the Person in Pain. She maintains a clinical practice in Sylvan Lake, Canada and believes compassion is the foundation of healthcare. Visit www.physioyoga.ca to learn more.   www.physioyoga.ca and on social media: Instagram & Twitter: @proskoyoga FB page: Prosko PhysioYoga Therapy

When you lose the joy of eating because of a restricted diet, life can become bland. However, non-food sources of joy can bring back some pleasure and excitement. Melanie reminds us why joy is vital and how we can intentionally create opportunities to enrich our lives. 

Melanie Mitchell Epp is an author, speaker and coach who knows that true change happens when we change how we think. She wrote an empowering book called "I Don't Think So" that tells the story of how she overcame the greatest challenges of her life. She does one to one coaching and she has an online program called Your Whole Hearted Life, dedicated to helping people overcome pain, patterns and powerlessness. Melanie believes that change is possible for anyone who wants it. If you want to experience change in your life, Melanie can show you how to make that happen. You can find her at www.melaniemitchellepp.com

When you have sensitivities, getting overly focused on food and forgetting about your eating environment is easy. Instead, take the time to create an inviting environment and bring enjoyment back to your meal! In addition to more enjoyment, a better relationship with food can reduce your reactivity. Kristin will share her insightful tips to make meals more pleasurable, even on a restricted diet.

Kristyn is a registered dietitian helping men and women in midlife eat better & feel better with food, not diets, through coaching, mindfulness and nourishment. She provides energy, education and a shame-free space to talk about your food and nutrition struggles. I can testify that she is a culinary wizard. Her Instagram posts are mouth-watering.

Nutrition is one of the most powerful, yet under-used therapies for our health and wellness. If you are hungry for healthy, sustainable nutrition strategies to help you feel better and reclaim your best health, you can reach Kristyn through her website at www.EnergizeNutrition.ca

When you have food sensitivities, it is easy to get in a repetitive-food rut and resent food. Kathlena's stories and creative meal ideas will empower you to break out of this rut and rediscover the joy of eating.

Kathlena has over 200 food allergies & intolerances, including most water. The members of her household also have food allergies and special diets, none of them the same. After being told she had 30 days to live, she made it her mission to help the food allergy community thrive. Three years from her lowest point, she and her team have published cookbooks, started a bakery, done nationwide outreach, developed recipes and resources, and more. You can reach Kathlena through her websites (raise.theallergychef.com OR goraise.net), Instagram (@theallergychef), Youtube (theallergychef) and Facebook (freeandfriendly).

After a severe food anaphylactic reaction, Kristina experienced significant anxiety when eating out. She shares her stories of how she got back to a comfortable relationship with food by rebuilding her body and food trust.

Kristina Seefeldt has navigated anaphylactic food allergies her whole life. Born and raised in Alberta, Kristina moved to Toronto in 2015 to pursue her Master of Arts in Criminology at the University of Toronto. She currently works at Toronto Community Housing's Community Safety Unit. Work aside, Kristina is a yoga teacher, a dedicated traveller (when the world is not in the throes of a pandemic!), and despite her allergies, a huge foodie. You reach Kristina through IG @kristina.flows.

Vigilance describes how careful you are with your food restrictions. Your quality of life will suffer if you are either under- or over-vigilant. Kristina shares her journey of finding a healthy degree of vigilance.

Kristina Seefeldt has navigated anaphylactic food allergies her whole life. Born and raised in Alberta, Kristina moved to Toronto in 2015 to pursue her Master of Arts in Criminology at the University of Toronto. She currently works at Toronto Community Housing's Community Safety Unit. Work aside, Kristina is a yoga teacher, a dedicated traveller (when the world is not in the throes of a pandemic!), and despite her allergies, a huge foodie. You reach Kristina through IG @kristina.flows.

It is easy to get caught in a futile struggle to try and get other people to understand and accept your food sensitivities. Christine shares stories of how this led to frustration and why she keeps her explanations to a minimum.

Christine Myers is a wife and a mom of two. She is a chronic illness warrior, nutritional therapy practitioner student, former pastry chef , content creator and a board member of the non-profit organization Lichen Sclerosus support network. For years she has struggled with numerous chronic illnesses and food sensitivities. She shares her delicious recipes and her journey to thriving with chronic illness and food sensitivities through her website (www.insicknessandinwellness.com) and Instagram (@insicknessandinwellness).

Christine shares her anger and frustration with food restriction and her journey to thriving and helping others. If you are stuck in food-restriction grief, Christine's down-to-earth stories will help you take steps forward.   Christine Myers is a wife and a mom of two. She is a chronic illness warrior, nutritional therapy practitioner student, former pastry chef , content creator and a board member of the non-profit organization Lichen Sclerosus support network. For years she has struggled with numerous chronic illnesses and food sensitivities. She shares her delicious recipes and her journey to thriving with chronic illness and food sensitivities through her website and Instagram (@insicknessandinwellness).

A hypervigilant limbic system looks for danger around every corner. When fear drives our awareness, we experience physical sensations more intensely and worry that it is the beginning of a symptom flare. Balanced awareness helps us differentiate between harmless physical sensations and symptoms.

Kristy Arbon, BA, BSW, Cert. MSC is founder and CEO of HeartWorks Training LLC, teaching from a trauma-informed and strengths perspective approach. She supports people in developing self-compassion, mindfulness, embodiment, shame resilience and intuition through training, mentoring, researching and writing. Kristy's offerings have deep roots in the traditions of mindfulness, sensory modulation, interoceptive awareness, embodiment, Polyvagal theory, neuroscience, Buddhist philosophy, Mindful Self-Compassion, internal parts work, and exploration of archetypes. She is the developer of the Somatic Self-Compassion curriculum, a Certified Mindful Self-Compassion teacher, and a qualified Social Worker.   Reach Kristy through - kristy@heartworks.training, kristyarbon.com, Facebook - @KristyArbon, Instagram - kristyarbon

Food labels (this food is high in histamine) and health labels (I am histamine intolerant) are easy to pick up from our fear-based media. Unfortunately, they profoundly affect our relationship with food and may lead to unnecessary restrictions. Let go of those labels and find the freedom to expand your diet.

Alyssa Lavy, MS, RD, CDN is a registered dietitian who believes that food should be satisfying, nourishing and delicious. She is the owner of Alyssa Lavy Nutrition & Wellness LLC, a private practice based in Connecticut with a focus on digestive health. She provides in person and virtual nutrition counseling with a highly individualized approach, as well as personal training and nutrition consulting for businesses. Alyssa regularly contributes to national media outlets, such as Women's Health, Shape, Reader's Digest, Cooking Light and more. You can follow her on Instagram @alyssalavyrd and Facebook @alyssalavynutrition. Additionally, you can also visit her website and view recipes and nutrition news on her blog at alyssalavy.com or contact her directly (alyssa@alyssalavy.com).

Reintroducing dairy brought new freedom to Judy's life, but her inner dialogue questioned if the fifteen-year restriction was necessary or if she had unwittingly complicated her life. Judy describes how self-compassion helped her overcome this shame and regret.

Brooke describes how wellness culture can lead us down a path that makes the symptoms we are trying to "fix" worse. For example, we are bombarded by messages that the "right diet" will heal the gut and is a panacea for a myriad of medically unexplained symptoms. But with so many conflicting messages about what the "right diet" actually is, we are left confused and frustrated.

 

Brooke Bulloch, RD is a non-diet Dietitian, CEO at Food to Fit Nutrition, and mom. She earned a BSc in Nutrition from the University of Saskatchewan and her work experience began with the Regional Health Authority in 2009.
Brooke has been working in private practice since 2012 and today her practice is comprised of a team of HAES-aligned dietitians with various expertise supporting the areas of pediatrics, gastrointestinal disorders, chronic conditions, women's health including PCOS and fertility, intuitive eating, and eating disorders.
Brooke is an experienced media spokesperson and contributes regularly to Co-op's in store Table Magazine and online Food Blog. Since 2011 Brooke has been featured in CBC radio, The Globe and Mail, Huffington Post, Canadian Living, Chatelaine, Cottage Life Magazine, Inside Fitness, and has a monthly segment on Saskatoon's Global News Morning.
As a working mom and business owner, Brooke values simplicity in nutrition planning along with a curious, non-diet approach to food and eating. Contact Brooke: www.foodtofit.ca; @brookebullochrd; @foodtofit_nutrition

Kristina and her mom, Pat, reminisce about Kristina's challenges growing up with multiple, severe anaphylactic food allergies. Despite these restrictions, the family continued their foodie ways, and Kristina grew up with a positive relationship with food. They share the family rituals and traditions that made this possible.

Kristina Seefeldt has navigated anaphylactic food allergies her whole life. Born and raised in Alberta, Kristina moved to Toronto in 2015 to pursue her Master of Arts in Criminology at the University of Toronto. She currently works at Toronto Community Housing's Community Safety Unit as a compliance and training specialist. Work aside, Kristina is a yoga teacher, a dedicated traveller (when the world is not in the throes of a pandemic!), and despite her allergies, a huge foodie. You reach Kristina through IG @kristina.flows.

Madeline started her diet expansion journey with impulsive reintroductions. These unsuccessful attempts reinforced her fear and food restrictions. When she learned to step back and make intentional changes, she found success and ended her restricted diet struggles.

Madeline Erlich is a Registered Dietitian and graduate student at the University of Toronto. She recently completed a post-graduate diploma in Dietetic Education from Brescia University College, an affiliate college at the University of Western Ontario. She also holds a BASc in Nutrition and Food from Ryerson University and a BAH in Health Studies from Queen's University. Madeline was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2015 after a lifetime of health challenges. Her attempts to heal her body after diagnosis led her to struggle with dietary hypervigilance and conditioned food sensitivities. Having now overcome the Food Avoidance and Sensitivity Trap, she uses these experiences to help clients break out of the cycle as well. Contact Madeline at FASTFreedomProgram.com.

After recording our initial self-compassion podcast, I realized that my inner dialogue was not as kind as I thought, and I asked Kristy for a follow-up episode. She shares her wisdom about softening resistance and connecting compassionately with ourselves when the present moment is challenging.

Kristy Arbon is founder and CEO of HeartWorks Training LLC, teaching from a trauma-informed and strengths perspective approach. She supports people in developing self-compassion, mindfulness, embodiment, shame resilience and intuition through training, mentoring, researching and writing.

Kristy's offerings have deep roots in the traditions of mindfulness, sensory modulation, interoceptive awareness, embodiment, Polyvagal theory, neuroscience, Buddhist philosophy, Mindful Self-Compassion, internal parts work, and exploration of archetypes. She is the developer of the Somatic Self-Compassion curriculum, a Certified Mindful Self-Compassion teacher, and a qualified Social Worker.

Reach Kristy through - kristy@heartworks.training, kristyarbon.com, Facebook - @KristyArbon, Instagram - kristyarbon

Kristy talks about the importance of self-compassion when struggling with medically unexplained symptoms – especially when we feel frustrated and uncertain. We often look outside ourselves for nurturing in times of distress, but our inner champion is our greatest source of comfort.

Kristy Arbon, BA, BSW, Cert. MSC is founder and CEO of HeartWorks Training LLC, teaching from a trauma-informed and strengths perspective approach. She supports people in developing self-compassion, mindfulness, embodiment, shame resilience and intuition through training, mentoring, researching and writing.

Kristy's offerings have deep roots in the traditions of mindfulness, sensory modulation, interoceptive awareness, embodiment, Polyvagal theory, neuroscience, Buddhist philosophy, Mindful Self-Compassion, internal parts work, and exploration of archetypes. She is the developer of the Somatic Self-Compassion curriculum, a Certified Mindful Self-Compassion teacher, and a qualified Social Worker.

Reach Kristy through - kristy@heartworks.training, kristyarbon.com, Facebook - @KristyArbon, Instagram - kristyarbon

Samantha's early life trauma left her vulnerable to being sucked into diet restrictions, which eventually led to a dark place in her life. Fortunately, she had the strength to find her way out and use her experiences to help others.

 Samantha Gilbert, FNC, CHNP, CNC spent most of her life battling severe depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and body image dysmorphia. Since finding her own path to wholeness, she is dedicated to helping others find this same healing path.
For 12 years I've helped couples, women, and children from 13 countries heal their mind and body. I'm an expert in creating customized therapies to place you on a path to healing. Only then can true healing begin and continue with love, empathy, compassion, and biochemical individuality. Reach Samantha at eatfor.life