Diet Culture Rebel Podcast

"Just because a food is categorized as an ultra-processed food does not make it bad or unhealthy."
Ultra-processed foods are making headlines, being blasted as addictive and dangerous, but what does the evidence actually tell us? In this episode, I unpack what ultra-processed foods really are, how the NOVA classification system defines them, and why the research linking them to binge eating, “food addiction,” and eating disorders is more complex than it sounds. We also explore how diet culture, restriction, and personal food history shape our relationship with food, and why finding peace with food requires more compassion and less moralizing of food.
What You’ll Learn:
What ultra-processed foods actually are, how they’re defined in research, and why these definitions matter
How media messaging about ultra-processed foods can activate guilt and food anxiety
What current research actually says about the links between ultra-processed foods, binge eating, and so-called “food addiction”
The limitations of using “food addiction” scales and why your dieting history can shape your behaviors around these foods
The power of habituation: how repeated, less-restricted exposure to ultra-processed foods can actually decrease binges
Why context, including diet culture, weight stigma, socioeconomic status, and upbringing, matters more than the headlines ever mention

Resources:
Examining the Nova Food Classification System and the Healthfulness of Ultra-Processed Foods
Grab the Hunger & Fullness Scale Guide at DietCultureRebel.com/hungerfullnessscale and take your next step toward building trust with your body and food.
Connect with me over on Instagram at @diet.culture.rebel.

Struggling with food, but not sure where to start?
You don’t have to feel 100% ready to get support. If you're tired of obsessing over food or feeling stuck in the diet cycle, my team of Registered Dietitians is here to help. We offer one-on-one nutrition counseling—and we accept insurance! Spots are limited, so head to https://dietculturerebel.com/insurance to see if we’re covered in your state and learn how to get started.

"Yoga is a place where I can let go of who I decided that I'm supposed to be and see myself from a different perspective."
Do you ever feel like movement is just another box to check off instead of something that actually feels good? In this episode, I’m joined by yoga teacher, author, and entrepreneur Jessamyn Stanley to talk about how diet culture and anti-fat bias shape our relationship with exercise and why so many people experience movement as punishing or shameful. Jessamyn shares her journey from a less-than-inspiring first yoga class to developing a more compassionate relationship with her body by simply giving herself permission to try. Together, we unpack how to untangle movement from pressure to change your body, navigate fitness spaces that don’t always feel inclusive, and rebuild trust, presence, and self-respect through practices like yoga...even on days when body love feels out of reach.
What You’ll Learn:
How diet culture shapes our relationships with exercise, making movement feel forced, punishing, or like a chore
Why shame shows up so often in fitness spaces, and how to approach body image with compassion and respect instead of pressure to “love” your body
Practical ways to rebuild trust with your body and make movement genuinely enjoyable
The ways yoga and intuitive eating both teach you to check in with your body’s cues and respond with care instead of control
How to begin separating wellness practices (like yoga) from diet culture narratives and reclaim movement for yourself
The power of advocacy, showing up shamelessly, and why seeing real, diverse bodies in movement spaces matters for everyone

Connect with Jessamyn:
Instagram: @theunderbellyyoga
Instagram: @mynameisjessamyn
Website
Join The Underbelly for free

Struggling to know when to eat or when to stop isn’t a failure… it could be a byproduct of following diet rules instead of your body’s cues. The free Hunger & Fullness Scale Guide helps you ditch the noise and tune back into the cues your body is sending to build trust with your body and food. Get it at DietCultureRebel.com/hungerfullnessscale.
Come back next week for another episode and connect with me over on Instagram at @diet.culture.rebel.
Struggling with food, but not sure where to start?
You don’t have to feel 100% ready to get support. If you're tired of obsessing over food or feeling stuck in the diet cycle, my team of Registered Dietitians is here to help. We offer one-on-one nutrition counseling—and we accept insurance! Spots are limited, so head to https://dietculturerebel.com/insurance to see if we’re covered in your state and learn how to get started.

"I truly worry about the impact that scary claims like this can make on people's relationships with food and their bodies."
Bold headlines about weight loss and health risks seem to be everywhere these days. In this episode, I unpack a meta-analysis claiming intentional weight loss may be associated with a reduced risk of all-cause mortality by 15% and explain what the research actually says, what it leaves out, and why the headlines don’t tell the full story. I also share the emotional impact these messages can have, especially if you’re struggling with food and body image, and break down the limitations of the most-cited study.
What You’ll Learn:
How to critically analyze bold claims about weight loss and health
Why headlines about weight and mortality are often more misleading than they seem
What the Look AHEAD study really found (and why its impact on the meta-analysis matters)
Why intentional weight loss rarely leads to the dramatic results diet culture promises
How research often gets twisted or oversimplified to create anxiety around eating, body size, and health
Simple steps you can take to chip away at internalized anti-fat bias and widen your perspective

Resources:
Meta-Analysis: Intentional weight loss and all-cause mortality: a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials
Look AHEAD Study: Cardiovascular Effects of Intensive Lifestyle Intervention in Type 2 Diabetes
Grab the Hunger & Fullness Scale Guide at DietCultureRebel.com/hungerfullnessscale and take your next step toward building trust with your body and food.
Connect with me over on Instagram at @diet.culture.rebel.

Struggling with food, but not sure where to start?
You don’t have to feel 100% ready to get support. If you're tired of obsessing over food or feeling stuck in the diet cycle, my team of Registered Dietitians is here to help. We offer one-on-one nutrition counseling—and we accept insurance! Spots are limited, so head to https://dietculturerebel.com/insurance to see if we’re covered in your state and learn how to get started.

"If we are not clear on what our values are, they will be prescribed for us."
Is living by someone else’s “shoulds” quietly running your life? In this conversation with psychotherapist and Momwell founder, Erica Djossa, we unpack how inherited expectations around productivity, motherhood, and diet culture can pull you away from your true values and impact your relationship with food and your body. You’ll leave with practical steps and reflective questions to identify what actually matters to you, build self-trust, and choose peace over burnout.
What You’ll Learn:
How our definition of health is shaped, and sometimes distorted, by family, society, and diet culture
Why living a values-aligned life can anchor your food and body healing journey
Simple ways to start untangling the “shoulds” from your true priorities
How to use your values as a compass when food rules and comparison creep in
Strategies to sort out which values are genuinely yours, and which are inherited or anxiety-driven
How self-compassion and curiosity can guide you through value discovery, even when it feels messy or emotional

Connect with Erica:
Instagram: @momwell
Momwell website
Erica's website
Free Values Sort

Struggling to know when to eat or when to stop isn’t a failure… it could be a byproduct of following diet rules instead of your body’s cues. The free Hunger & Fullness Scale Guide helps you ditch the noise and tune back into the cues your body is sending to build trust with your body and food. Get it at DietCultureRebel.com/hungerfullnessscale.
Come back next week for another episode and connect with me over on Instagram at @diet.culture.rebel.
Struggling with food, but not sure where to start?
You don’t have to feel 100% ready to get support. If you're tired of obsessing over food or feeling stuck in the diet cycle, my team of Registered Dietitians is here to help. We offer one-on-one nutrition counseling—and we accept insurance! Spots are limited, so head to https://dietculturerebel.com/insurance to see if we’re covered in your state and learn how to get started.

“When overeating is not treated like a moral failure, it loses its power.”
Do you feel the pressure to finish every bite on your plate, even after you’re full, and wonder why it’s so hard to stop? You’re definitely not alone. In this episode, we unpack the roots of clean plate club struggles, from childhood dinner table rules and food scarcity to family beliefs and diet culture, and explore why it’s not simply a matter of discipline. I share my own story and help you reframe these habits with compassion instead of shame, recognizing how they may have once served you. You’ll walk away with practical tools to build mindful pauses into your meals, reconnect with your hunger and fullness cues, and eat in a way that truly feels good - without guilt or outdated rules attached.
What You’ll Learn:
Why stopping when you’re full isn’t about willpower or discipline, and what’s actually driving the struggle
How childhood experiences, praise, and family dynamics might have shaped your “clean plate club” habits
Why compassion (not self-blame) is the key to loosening the grip of these patterns
Powerful mindset shifts to start eating what and how much feels good to you
How to reconnect with your body’s hunger and fullness signals
Practical action steps to gently break free from automatic plate-cleaning

Resources:
Grab the Hunger & Fullness Scale Guide at DietCultureRebel.com/hungerfullnessscale and take your next step toward building trust with your body and food.
Episode 230, The Hunger and Fullness Scale: What It Is and How to Use It
Connect with me over on Instagram at @diet.culture.rebel.

Struggling with food, but not sure where to start?
You don’t have to feel 100% ready to get support. If you're tired of obsessing over food or feeling stuck in the diet cycle, my team of Registered Dietitians is here to help. We offer one-on-one nutrition counseling—and we accept insurance! Spots are limited, so head to https://dietculturerebel.com/insurance to see if we’re covered in your state and learn how to get started.