The Full of Beans Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

This week, I’m joined by Bayada Mohamed Osman, a Sudanese-American advocate, public health professional, and poet with roots in the DMV. Bayada shares her journey navigating eating disorder recovery, the impact of culture and religion, and her advocacy for marginalised communities, including her work supporting Sudan during its ongoing crisis.

Key takeaways:

• Public health & advocacy: How Bayadir's background shaped her understanding of mental health
• Culture & eating disorders: The intersection of culture, religion, and disordered eating in Sudanese & Muslim communities
• Resonating with diagnosis: Why eating disorders don’t fit one mold & how they manifest differently
• Control, trauma & survivor’s guilt: How these factors play a role in disordered eating patterns
• Ramadan & recovery: Navigating fasting while prioritizing health
• Community & healing: Why connection, advocacy, and self-compassion are key in the recovery journey

Timestamps:

[00:34] – Bayadir’s background in public health and advocacy

[05:50] – Being diagnosed with ARFID & eating disorder unspecified

[15:30] – Cultural stigma around eating disorders & mental health

[24:10] – Survivor’s guilt, food security & balancing advocacy

[38:00] – How Bayadir shifted her mindset towards recovery

[44:50] – The role of religion in healing & navigating Ramadan

TW: This episode discusses eating disorders, famine, and war. Please listen with care. If you or someone you know needs support, contact a trusted professional or helpline.

Connect with Bayada:

📲 Instagram: @yourbaya | @bridges.co

🌐 Website: yourbaya | bridges.co

Connect with Us:

🎙️ Subscribe to the Full of Beans Podcast here

📲 Follow Full of Beans on Instagram here

✍🏻 Read our latest blog here

Thank you for listening and being part of this important conversation!

✨ Don’t forget to share this episode with someone who might need it! ✨

In this week's episode, Han is joined by Fiona Hollings (Fi), an autistic advocate who has nearly recovered from anorexia. Fi shares her journey of navigating an eating disorder while being undiagnosed autistic, the challenges of treatment that wasn't tailored to neurodivergent needs, and how understanding her autism helped her move toward recovery. Together, Han and Fi explore the crucial overlap between autism and eating disorders and discuss how treatment can be adapted to better support autistic individuals.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Understanding the Autism-Anorexia Connection: Exploring why autistic individuals may be more susceptible to developing eating disorders.
• Challenges in Traditional Treatment: Why standard eating disorder treatment often fails autistic individuals and what needs to change.
• The Role of Routine and Sensory Considerations: How structure and sensory adaptations can make recovery more manageable.
• Managing Autism to Aid Recovery: How embracing autistic traits can support a sustainable recovery from an eating disorder.
• The Peace Pathway Approach: How this initiative is revolutionizing eating disorder treatment for autistic individuals.
• Taking Action: How listeners can advocate for better treatment adaptations and find support resources.

Timestamps:

• [03:36] - Fi introduces herself and her journey
• [09:33] - The struggles of being autistic in traditional eating disorder treatment
• [16:12] - The impact of an autism diagnosis on recovery
• [24:01] - Practical strategies for recovery while being autistic
• [35:56] - Understanding the Peace Pathway and its role in improving care
• [42:30] - The importance of individualized treatment for eating disorders
• [46:02] - Where to find Fi online and closing thoughts

Resources & Links:

• The Peace Pathway
• Follow Fi on Instagram (@finding_fi_)
• Connect with Fi on LinkedIn

Trigger Warning: This episode discusses eating disorders and neurodiversity. Please take care while listening. If you or someone you know needs support, reach out to a trusted professional or helpline.

Connect with Us:

🎙️ Subscribe to the Full of Beans Podcast here

📲 Follow Full of Beans on Instagram here

✍🏻 Read our latest blog here

Thank you for listening and being part of this important conversation!

In this week's episode, Han is joined by Sam Bowen. Han met Sam at the gym, and they instantly clicked. Sam's happy-go-lucky, supportive attitude stood out as so different from the rest of the fitness industry. Sam has been incredible in supporting Han's recovery—not just physically, but mentally too—helping Han feel confident and empowered. Sam focuses on balance, fun, and finding what works for his clients lifestyle, avoiding the restriction and negativity so common in fitness culture. With Sam, fitness is about building strength, confidence, and happiness in a way that truly fits you.

This week, we discuss:

• Reframing fitness from aesthetic goals to performance goals that improve your life.
• Making exercise a part of someone's life rather than an obsession or self-sabotage.
• The importance of getting to know clients and being flexible in your approach to fitness.
• How to encourage others to get into the gym if they're concerned or anxious.
• A balanced approach to nutrition rather than the restrictive, strict diets.
• The truth behind diets, quick fixes and a different perspective to Ozempic.
• Eating to fuel your life, not just your training.

To learn more about Sam, follow him on Instagram @sambowenpt or visit his website https://www.coachingbysb.co.uk/.

Please note that this podcast explores topics some individuals may find difficult to hear and should not be used as a replacement for professional advice. If you need further support after this podcast, please consider talking to someone you trust. You may also wish to reach out to your GP or mental health professional.

We've included a list of additional support options in case you need them:

Samaritans are here for whatever you are going through. You can call free any time, from any phone, on 116 123.

FirstSteps Eating Disorders is an eating disorders charity for children and their families, young people, and adults affected by eating difficulties and disorders. You can call them on or email info@firststepsed.co.uk.

Beat Eating Disorders is an eating disorder charity offering support for those with or supporting someone with an eating disorder. You can call their helpline for free on 0808 801 0677 (England), 0808 801 0432 (Scotland), 0808 801 0433 (Wales), 0808 801 0434 (Northern Ireland).

In this weeks episode, Han is joined by Livia Sara. Livia is the founder of Liv Label Free, where Liv works as a food freedom coach to support individuals with eating disorders to embrace their autistic characteristics in their recovery, rather than trying to change them.

In this weeks episode, we discuss:

• What is Liv Label Free, and what was Livia's journey?

• Labels and diagnoses, how they can affect our identity, and how this can vary for eating disorders and neurodiversity.

• Understanding the difference between eating disorder behaviours and autism, and how they can be s destructive or supportive respectively.

• How treatment services can adapt their approach to support individuals for their individuality, promoting long term recovery.

To find out more about Livia and her work, you can find her on Instagram @livlabelfree or visit her website www.livlabelfree.com

Please note that this podcast discusses eating disorder behaviours that some individuals make find challenging to hear. Please tread lightly and check in with yourself along the way. Note: this podcast should not be used as a replacement for therapeutic support.

In this weeks episode, Han is joined by Emma Carter. Emma has personal experience of supporting her daughter with an eating disorder. Emma started to jot down a few notes about her experience, which has now led to her writing a book through the lens of a mother’s eye and the depths of a mother’s heart regarding the highs and lows of her daughter's battles with anorexia. By describing their journey, Emma hopes to help others on a similar path, which can sometimes feel lonely, isolating, and sometimes shameful.

In this weeks episode, we discuss:

• What to do if you notice potential signs of an eating disorder, or how to pick up on the signs that retrospectively seem "obvious".

• How to navigate your loved one's ambivalence and to get support.

• Emma's experience of supporting Poppy, and how this can change throughout someone's journey.

• How Emma supports herself in order to make sure she can support Poppy, and the reality that this isn't easy in the beginning.

• How Emma has supported her son and ensured his needs were met whilst his sister was ill.

• Why Emma started to write, and how this progressed into her book "Slaying Monsters Dodging Doughnuts".

• How Emma navigated the darkest, lowest moments and remained hopeful throughout Poppy's recovery.

• Tips Emma has for separating the eating disorder from her daughter, and how this has supported Poppy's recovery and brought them together.

Please note that this podcast discusses topics some individuals may find triggering such as eating disorder behaviours and recovery. Please tread lightly, check in with yourself, and remember this is not a replacement for clinical advice.

To find out more about Emma, and her book, head over to www.emmacarter.co.uk or follow Emma on Twtitter @Emma_Carter007.

In this weeks episode, Han is joined by Rachel Evans. Rachel is a bulimia recovery specialist and has created her practice to use her personal experience of recovering from an eating disorder to support clients as a chartered psychologist in their eating disorder recovery journey. Rachel specialises in bulimia recovery and joins us today to discuss navigating this recovery process from her personal and clinical experience.

This week we discuss:

• What is bulimia?

• How to navigate reducing bingeing and purging behaviours.

• How eating disorders thrive in isolation, and tips on navigating this so eating disorder behaviours don't take over.

• The motivation people may have behind engaging in behaviours, and how to work through these in recovery.

• The consequences of behaviours associated with bulimia, and how they may not always show up immediately.

• How to support someone else who is trying to recover from bulimia and reduce behaviours?

To find out more about Rachel, you can find her on Instagram @rachel.evans.phd or visit their website https://eatingdisordertherapist.co.uk/.

You can also find a summary of the book that Rachel recommends here: https://embodieddietitian.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Sick-Enough.pdf or find the full version by searching "Sick Enough: A Guide to the Medical Complications of Eating Disorders - Jennifer L. Gaudiani".

Please note that this podcast discusses behaviours associated with eating disorders, particularly bulimia nervosa, that may be challenging for some individuals. Please tread lightly and check in with yourself along the way, and remember this should not be used as a replacement for clinical advice.

In this weeks episode, Has is joined by Adam Fare, Zoe Burnett, and Christina Taylor. Adam, Zoe and Christina are mental health campaigners who all have a range of mental health illnesses and neurodiversity lived experiences.

In this weeks episode, we discuss:

• The importance of friendship and community in recovery, particularly individuals who have been there and understand your difficulties.

• How we can work together to get all voices heard, rather than individual voices that may not share every experience?

• Stigmas that they have experienced, and how they support each other to navigate these challenges to ensure they continue with their activism and awareness-raising work.

• How you can navigate friendships with similar mental health conditions so you don't create a friendship around it, which encourages anti-recovery behaviours and an ED identity.

• Finding identity beyond an eating disorder.

• How to navigate support groups, making friends, and boundaries in sharing struggles with each other in mind.

To find out more about Zoe, Adam, and Christina, you can find them at:

• Zoe - @barefootrebel1 or @firststepsed

• Adam - @adamfare1996

• Christina - @chtaylor_ or @beated

In this weeks episode, Han is joined by Dewald Louw. Dewald is a Counselling Psychologist based in Cape Town, South Africa, and currently works as a remote therapist at Orri, a private eating disorder clinic in London. Dewald has extensive experience working with adolescents and adults in inpatient and private settings and has observed the unique mental health challenges that often go unnoticed in boys and men which make it difficult for them to embrace therapeutic environments.

This year, Eating Disorder Awareness Week (2023) focuses on eating disorders in boys and men. In this weeks podcast, we discuss:

• The prevalence of eating disorders in men and why this may be higher than expected.

• The signs and symptoms in boys & men compared with girls & women.

• Muscle dysmorphia and its presence in men, and how to distinguish a disorder from a healthy relationship with exercise.

• The idea that, similar to women and girls, eating disorders are a form of protection and ability to survive, not just a food and body issue.

• How masculinity impacts the development of eating disorders.

• The role of group therapy in male eating disorder recovery.

• How to make eating disorder treatment centres more accessible for boys and men, allowing them to access the treatment they require.

• The need for male-appropriate screening tools and assessments.

• How ORRI are supporting boys and men with eating disorders and what's behind their #RememberYourBROS.

To find out more about ORRI you can visit www.orri-uk.com, or find @ORRI_UK on Instagram or Twitter.

Please note that this podcast discusses eating disorder behaviours that some individuals may find triggering. Please check in with yourself along the way, and remember that this is not a replacement for therapeutic support.

In this weeks episode, Han is joined by H Coakley. H is a queer, non-binary registered nutritionist dietitian, who works with individuals with eating disorders and disordered eating. H works with folks from a range of identities and experiences, including queer, trans and gender non-conforming individuals.

.In this weeks episode, we discuss:

• H's personal experience of an eating disorder and how this has led to their work as a dietitian with queer, trans, non-gender confirming, individuals with eating disorders or disordered eating.

• The unique experiences that trans and non-gender conforming individuals may experience, and how this may contribute to an eating disorder including gender dysphoria and dysmorphia.

• H's approach to unpacking an individual's unique experiences, and how to work through this to move away from an eating disorder and build new coping mechanisms that are more supportive.

• H's experience of working with clients on hormonal replacement therapy, and how this has impacted clients.

• The importance of developing alternative coping mechanisms, and understanding that just changing your body may not provide the relief from the eating disorder individuals expect.

• How H's recovery aligns with their work as a dietitian.

• How healthcare systems can work with trans, queer, and gender non-conforming clients to ensure their unique experiences are acknowledged and respected.

To find out more about H, you can find them on Instagram @pandowellness or visit their website https://www.pandowellness.org/.

You can also find out more about the FedUp Collective where H works to support trans+, intersex, and gender-diverse people who are experiencing eating disorders to get the support they require and deserve. You can find them on Instagram @fedupcollective or visit https://fedupcollective.org/.

Please note that this podcast episode discusses topics such as eating disorders, gender dysphoria and dysmorphia, and other topics that individuals may find difficult. Please tread lightly, check in with yourself, and remember that this podcast is not a replacement for therapeutic advice.

In this weeks episode, Han is joined by Jennifer Danby for a Valentine's Day special; taking a deep dive into our relationship with ourselves and others, and an eating disorder. Jennifer is a Clinical Lead and Family Therapist in a specialist lifespan eating disorder service in London and specialises in emotion-focused family therapy. Jennifer joins us today for a valentine’s special, to talk about our relationship with self and how this is affected by an eating disorder. Jennifer is also conducting a research study at Imperial College London, which involves providing psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy to individuals with an anorexia nervosa diagnosis to determine whether this could be an alternative, effective, treatment for people in the future.

In this weeks episode, we discuss:

• Jennifer's work in eating disorders, and how this has led her to work in emotion-focused family therapy.

• How eating disorders affect the relationship with self and others, as well as how an eating disorder relationship exists.

• The characteristics that may lead to eating disorder development, and how they may predispose you to an eating disorder, but don't need to be abolished.

• The study Jennifer is conducting using Psilocybin to provide psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy for women with an anorexia nervosa diagnosis when treatment hasn't been accepted in a successful way.

  • The research behind the use of Psilocybin in mental health treatment and how this can help individuals to tap into emotions and feelings suppressed by the eating disorder.

  • The addictive nature associated with eating disorders and if this is affected by using psychedelics in trials.

  • The hopes for the study going forward, and overall for the treatment of anorexia nervosa.

Please note that this podcast discusses the relationship with eating disorders which some individuals may find challenging. Please check in with yourself and tread lightly, and remember this episode should not be replaced for clinical advice. Please note that this podcast is not encouraging illegal drug use.

To find out more about Jennifer and her research, you can read more here:

https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/get-information-and-support/about-eating-disorders/research/eating-disorder-research/psilocybin-as-a-treatment-for-anorexia-nervosa-a-pilot-study/

https://www.mentalhealthfoundations.ca

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/psychedelic-research-centre/trials/panorexia/

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.735523/full?&utm_source=Email_to_authors_&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=T1_11.5e1_author&utm_campaign=Email_publication&field=&journalName=Frontiers_in_Psychiatry&id=735523