What if recovery didn’t have to be perfect to be real? We’re joined by author Johanna Scoglio, whose new memoir, When the Water Still Holds Me: Letters Through the Tides of a Long-Term Eating Disorder, opens a candid window into life with a long-term eating disorder and the everyday courage it takes to heal. Johanna shares how shame kept her silent for years, how harm reduction and values-based choices gave her traction, and why support that sits beside you beats pressure that pushes. The story of Friday pizza nights leading to pizza in Italy reveals a practical, compassionate path: small exposures, steady presence, and a focus on what matters most.We dig into the myths that stall progress, like the idea that recovery must be symptom-free to count, and talk about creating definitions that fit real lives. Johanna speaks directly to loved ones about grieving the recovery story they imagined, then walking alongside with patience and flexibility. She also offers a thoughtful guide for teachers and coaches whose words shape how young people see food, bodies, and effort. From ditching “healthy vs unhealthy” lessons to normalizing rest and fueling, her advice shows how small shifts in language and modeling can change trajectories.For clinicians, Johanna highlights collaboration, autonomy, and the power of slowing down with clients on long journeys. She reflects on the unconditional hope that kept her moving and introduces A Dragonfly’s Dream, her peer-led nonprofit for adults navigating recurring or long-term eating disorders. The dragonfly, born in the dark, transformed in light, honors her grandmother and the quiet resilience many carry. If you’ve ever felt “too late” to heal, this conversation offers a different compass: define your why, take kinder steps, and let community hold you steady. Liked what you heard? Subscribe, share with a friend who needs hope today, and leave a review to help others find the show.

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:

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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If body talk leaves you tired, you’re not alone. We dig into the honest, nuanced space between loving your body and hating it—and why body neutrality can be the most freeing path forward. With one of us practicing as a therapist and the other as a dietitian, we blend emotional insight with practical nutrition tools to help you move through tough body days without sacrificing your life, your relationships, or your meals.

We start by defining body positivity, neutrality, and negativity in plain language, then show how diet culture twists “self-love” into a checklist you can never finish. Instead of chasing a look, we pivot toward function: How does your body help you show up today? What choices—enough food, steady snacks, hydration, rest—rebuild trust when image anxiety spikes? You’ll hear how counseling meets care at the table, from psychoeducation that calms the nervous system to meal rhythms that stabilize mood and keep you present when thoughts get loud.

Postpartum realities bring the conversation to heart-level. We talk about clothes fitting again as a win for expression, not worth; how to handle body comments with a simple thank you and a boundary; and why neutrality is essential during pregnancy’s uncontrollable changes. Stretch marks, shifting curves, new textures—none of it defines your value. Presence does. Your kid won’t remember your swimsuit size; they will remember you laughing in the pool.

If you’re ready to trade perfection for presence and pressure for respect, press play and join us. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs gentler body talk, and leave a review to tell us what part helped you most.

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:

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.

Support the show

Fear, texture, and shame don’t stand a chance when the stakes are low and the support is real. We’re joined by creator Andrew Luber also known as, ARFID Andrew, whose wildly honest food exposures have helped thousands put words to what ARFID actually feels like: a body that misfires at the sight, smell, and feel of certain foods, and a brain that plans the entire day around avoiding them. Andrew opens up about why rigid rituals backfire, how spontaneity reduces anticipatory anxiety, and the unexpected role of humor in building tolerance without making the struggle a joke.We dig into the difference between picky eating and ARFID’s “day-shaping” reality, then reframe recovery through the lens of process addiction. Instead of fighting a substance, you’re reversing an avoidance pattern, approaching what you’d usually escape. Andrew shares how filming with friends, treating exposures like low-pressure moments, and expecting the occasional gag reflex can take the edge off. We trade practical strategies: scaling exposures, changing textures and formats, pairing new foods with safe ones, and avoiding the “just one more bite” trap that turns mealtime into a test. From rapid-fire food takes (bananas as the ultimate nemesis, “complimentary” rice, cottage cheese as baby formula energy) to navigating restaurants, dating, and family meals, this conversation is both candid and compassionate. Andrew also previews his upcoming film “An ARFID Date” and a new peer support offering built in partnership with therapists and dietitians. If you’re a parent, partner, or professional, you’ll leave with language, tools, and perspective to keep mealtimes lighter and progress sustainable.Subscribe for more honest conversations on mental health, nutrition, and recovery. If this helped, share it with someone who needs a lower-stakes next step, and leave a review so others can find the show.

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:

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.

Support the show