Lift the Shame: The Podcast - Mothering Free From Diet Culture, Food Guilt, and Body Shame

The Baby Was Hungry, and So Was I

In this episode of Lift the Shame, Crystal reflects on the tender overlap between postpartum hunger, breastfeeding, body changes, and eating disorder recovery.

For many mothers in recovery, a baby’s hunger can feel easier to honor than their own. The postpartum season often brings intense physical demands — feeding, healing, sleep deprivation, lactation, and constant caregiving — wh...

I thought motherhood would heal me.

Or at least make me strong enough to finally leave behind the parts of myself I felt most ashamed of.

When I found out I was pregnant for the first time, after being told my body may have been too damaged from my eating disorder to carry a child, I felt awe, gratitude, and something that felt like a promise:

By the time this baby is born, I will be healed.

I thought loving my children would be enough...

Maybe part of you wants support because you are tired of carrying this quietly.

And maybe another part of you wants to hide because being seen still feels risky.

That makes so much sense.

In this companion audio, we’re sitting with the tender place so many mothers in eating disorder recovery know well: the longing to be supported and the fear of being seen at the same time.

We’ll gently explore why support can feel both rel...

So many mothers in recovery spend years trying to become “well enough” privately before letting anyone see how hard it still feels.

In this third audio, we’re talking about the kind of support that can actually help in the messy middle — not support that adds more pressure, asks us to perform healing, or gives us more information to keep up with.

But support that helps us feel safely witnessed, less alone, and...

Sometimes the hardest part of recovery in motherhood is not that we don’t know better.

It’s that in the moments we feel activated, frightened, ashamed, or overwhelmed… what we know can suddenly feel unreachable.

In this second audio, we’re talking about:

- the gap between insight and real-life activation

- why protective parts can show up around food, bodies, and control

- how shame grows after the moment has al...

A lot of us quietly believed motherhood would make recovery easier.

That loving our children so much would somehow make the struggle disappear.

And when it didn’t, the shame felt enormous.

In this first audio, we’re talking about:

- why recovery can feel louder in motherhood

- the gap between what we know and what we feel

- why shame grows in isolation

- the kind of support that helps us feel less alone in the messy middle

List...

If you thought motherhood would make eating disorder recovery easier, but instead you’ve found yourself still struggling with food, body image, pregnancy changes, postpartum identity shifts, or old ED thoughts resurfacing — you are not alone.

In this episode, I’m sharing why eating disorder recovery can feel harder in motherhood, not because you’re failing, but because pregnancy, postpartum, feeding children,...

Are your post-holiday struggles with food and body image leaving you feeling lost and guilty? I’m Crystal, your host and intuitive eating dietitian, and today I'll be sharing my personal journey, along with practical tips to help you lift the shame. I'll be your guide as we navigate these struggles, highlight the power of self-compassion, and understand the importance of prioritizing self-care. We'll also chat about the benef...

As the holiday season rolls around, we're embraced by the warmth of family gatherings, yet often find ourselves confronting the frosty undercurrent of diet culture. In today's heartfelt episode of Lift the Shame, I, Crystal your intuitive eating dietitian, share my personal experiences and insights into arming our precious children against the ingrained food traditions and body image remarks that can sour our festive spirit. With a...

Ever wondered how to navigate the difficult terrain of parenting during the festive season while breaking free from the chains of family trauma and shame? This heartening episode of Lift the Shame is your guiding compass. Equipped with insights from a recent parenting conference and personal experiences, we tackle the high-pressure responsibilities that come with holidays and the compulsion to overcompensate. We stress on the neces...

Navigating the murky waters of food dyes and their potential impact on children's behavior can be overwhelming. It's a topic that has puzzled scientists and parents alike, stirring up a sea of mixed research and inconclusive results. As a mother of neurodivergent children, I've walked this path, wrestling with research studies, and trying to make sense of it all. I've been sharing my personal journey and learnings about food dyes, ...

As mothers, we're not just feeding our children; we're helping them build a lifelong relationship with food, their bodies, and their self-image. This journey becomes particularly challenging during candy-centered holidays like Halloween. In this episode, we delve into the tools, strategies, and proactive understanding needed to navigate these sugar-coated occasions. We'll start by focusing on understanding our children's individual...

Are you ready to revolutionize the way your household perceives and interacts with candy? If so, our comprehensive discussion on understanding and navigating the world of sweets with your children is a must-listen. By breaking away from the societal stigmas surrounding sweets, we elucidate the significance of nurturing a healthy relationship with food, particularly candy. Rather than demonizing these treats, we highlight the import...

Ever wonder why we're so quick to snatch that Halloween candy from our kids? What if, instead of demonizing sweets, we use them as a tool for teaching self-regulation and a healthy relationship with food? This is the intriguing conversation we unpack in today's episode, challenging the tradition of the SwitchWitch and the potential negative implications it may pose.

We expose the potential pitfalls of the Switch Witch tradit...

Are you feeling spooked by the avalanche of Halloween treats your child is about to encounter? As a dietitian and a mom, I understand your apprehensions. However, it's time to unmask the myths and fears around sweets. This week, we're starting a mini-series that's going to help parents like you build a healthy, guilt-free relationship between your child and sweets. We'll start by examining the fears around sugar and why it's crucia...

What if diet culture in schools is more impactful than we think? That's what we'll be exploring today, holding up a magnifying glass to the subtle influences our children encounter and discussing how we, as parents, can support them in navigating these murky waters. We'll be examining the systemic issue of curriculum standards at a state and nationwide level, and asking the tough questions about the necessity of health or nutrition...

Are your children being influenced by diet culture without you even knowing? We're peeling back the layers on how diet culture sneaks into classrooms, curriculum, standardized tests, and sports teams. As parents, it's impossible to shield our children entirely from these harmful messages. Instead, we need to arm them with the ability to challenge these narratives with sound critical thinking. We'll talk about the importance of main...

Hey mama, ever felt disheartened seeing your child encounter diet culture outside of your safe home environment? Well, it's time to arm them with critical thinking skills to navigate this tricky landscape. We're about to set out on an exploration of diet culture in schools, understanding its layers, and sharing our thoughts on how to lift this shame together.

When was the last time you thought about the Presidential Fitness ...

Overwhelmed with the daunting task of packing your child's school lunch? Fear not, we're here to take on this challenge together. Equipped with tried-and-true techniques from my own experience and work with clients, this episode is a goldmine of practical advice to help you navigate the school year with a picky eater.

First, we share a simple and fool-proof approach to assembling school lunches that are nutritious and enjoya...