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Food rules can feel like the only thing keeping you together until you realize they’re also keeping you trapped. We sit down with TEDx speaker, best-selling author, and spiritual guide Marla Mervis-Hartmann to get honest about the real engine behind food obsession, body shame, and that relentless “food noise” so many people live with in silence. Her message is simple and challenging: the battle with food often isn’t about food at all, it’s about the wounds and longing underneath it.
We talk about why recovery is cyclical, not linear, and why quick-fix promises in diet culture and the wellness industry can backfire. Marla breaks down the difference between body love and body like, then offers practical, doable steps like working in small increments of time, identifying what your body image voice is trying to protect you from, and asking “Who is talking right now?” when an old critical script shows up. We also name the realities of body size bias and thin privilege, and how to hold anger and grief without letting shame run your life.
Then we go into the layers that can reignite old patterns: aging, perimenopause and menopause, hormonal cycles, and chronic illness. We share how curiosity, nervous system safety, and learning to treat yourself like a best friend can steady you through body changes and hard days, without toxic positivity. If you want a grounded conversation about eating disorder recovery, emotional eating, body image, and self-compassion that actually helps you move forward, press play, then subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find this support.
You can find and connect with Marla, here!
https://www.loveyourbodyloveyourself.com/
https://goloveyourbodyloveyourself.com/emotionaleating
Show notes:
Trigger warning: this show is not medical, nutrition, or mental health treatment and is not a replacement for meeting with a Registered Dietitian, Licensed Mental Health Provider, or any other medical provider. You can find resources for how to find a provider, as well as crisis resources, in the show notes. Listener discretion is advised.
Resource links:
Hilltop Behavioral Health: https://hilltopbehavioralhealth.com/
Alliance for Eating Disorders: https://www.allianceforeatingdisorders.com/
ANAD: https://anad.org/
NEDA: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/
NAMI: https://nami.org/home
Action Alliance: https://theactionalliance.org/
NIH: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/
How to find a provider:
https://map.nationaleatingdisorders.org/
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us
https://www.healthprofs.com/us/nutritionists-dietitians?tr=Hdr_Brand
Suicide & crisis awareness hotline: call 988 (available 24/7)
Eating Disorder hotline: call or text 800-931-2237 (Phone line is available Monday-Thursday 11 am-9 pm ET and Friday 11 am-5 pm ET; text line is available Monday-Thursday 3-6 pm ET and Friday 1-5 pm ET)
If you are experiencing a psychiatric or medical emergency, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.
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