Lisa is joined by Manya Ronay, a Level 3 Internal Family Systems (IFS) practitioner, Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES®), and Food Addiction Recovery Advocate (FARA) living in Israel. She works at the intersection of physical health and emotional health, specializing in IFS for eating and mind-body healing. The interview explores the impact of ultra-processed foods on health, the complexities of food addiction versus intuitive eating, and critiques mainstream eating disorder treatments. It emphasizes holistic approaches, including IFS, for healing and empowerment.
Topics Include:
Diet Culture
Anti-Diet Culture
Food Addictions
Eating Disorders
IFS
[0:36] Lisa describes how she connected with Manya through Instagram, feeling a rare connection with someone like-minded. Manya shares that living in Israel during a war affects her nervous system, causing a shutdown stage, but she feels happy to be part of the podcast. She discusses her journey from conventional medicine to holistic practices after being diagnosed with POTS, leading her to explore food and lifestyle changes.
[4:29] Manya explains the concept of ultra-processed foods using the NOVA classification, highlighting their hyper-palatable nature and health impacts. Manya describes her transition to using IFS in her practice, finding it a perfect model for understanding internal and external dynamics in nutrition.
[10:11] Manya discusses how changing her diet helped alleviate severe gastrointestinal symptoms and was a step towards overall healing, including acupuncture and mind-body healing. Manya explains the negative health impacts of ultra-processed foods, linking them to chronic diseases and shorter lifespans, and highlights the high percentage of such foods in typical diets. Manya references Dr. Chris Palmer’s work linking ultra-processed foods to mental health issues by affecting mitochondria and energy production in cells.
[16:59] Manya shares insights from working with a food addiction recovery group, noting that ultra-processed foods can be addictive, similar to substances like alcohol. Lisa examines intuitive eating, suggesting it works for those affected by diet culture but not for those using food to cope with trauma, as it doesn’t address underlying emotional issues.
[33:01] Lisa discusses mainstream eating disorder treatment for being dismissive and leading to high relapse rates. Manya agrees, noting that both eating disorder and food addiction treatments often involve ignoring or fighting internal voices, which can be harmful. Lisa explains the challenges of balancing intuitive eating with health priorities, highlighting a client’s struggle with internal polarization between eating freely and prioritizing health.
[34:29] Lisa and Manya discuss using IFS to address eating issues by acknowledging and listening to different internal voices, promoting a holistic and non-judgmental approach to healing. Manya emphasizes the importance of empowerment and choice in healing, suggesting that feeling in control and having options can contribute significantly to recovery.
[40:52] Manya shares the IFS eating triangle and how it can go in multiple directions, and the bi-directional arrows represent different experiences of individuals. The roles of firefighters and managers in IFS are not always clear-cut. Eating can be a manager role if it is preemptive, showing the model’s imperfections. Intuitive eating and food addiction can be mapped on the same triangle, with intuitive eating going counterclockwise and food addiction clockwise.
[1:06:00] Manya draws parallels between mind-body practices and intuitive eating, highlighting how both can ignore the biological effects of food. They emphasize the importance of understanding how food affects the body beyond just emotional or psychological aspects.
[1:07:39] Lisa reflects on the pendulum swing between diet culture and anti-diet culture, advocating for a balanced approach that considers both intuitive eating and nutritional health. Manya emphasizes that healing and taking care of one’s body is a lifelong journey, not a quick fix. They discuss the importance of continuously attending to one’s health and well-being.
Learn more about Manya and connect at: Website | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | IFS triangles mentioned in episode
*The views of podcast guests do not necessarily reflect the views and beliefs of Lisa Schlosberg or Out of the Cave, LLC.
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