The Appetite

Envy shows up in all kinds of relationships, but how often does it actually make us closer to one another?  Host Carter Umhau, LMHC talks with Opal Co-Founders Kara Bazzi, LMFT, CEDS and Dr. Lexi Giblin, PhD, CEDS about their envy for one another and explore the ways in which their envy--after it almost created distance--brought them into a deeper relationship as business partners and friends. Plus, Lexi brings in her Radically Open DBT expertise to lay out the differences between helpful versus unhelpful envy!

Virginia Sole-Smith--author of The Eating Instinct: Food Culture, Body Image and Guilt in America and co-host of the Comfort Food podcast--joins host Carter Umhau, LMHC to share the story of how the feeding issues that arose for her newborn daughter inspired a new way of thinking about body trust and the diet industry in America. Virginia and Carter talk body image, parenting, feminism, and what it means to relearn your own “eating instinct.”   The Eating Instinct: Food Culture, Body Image and Guilt in America: https://www.amazon.com/Eating-Instinct-Culture-Image-America/dp/1250120985/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1548431931&sr=8-1&keywords=the+eating+instinct virginiasolesmith.com Listen to Virginia on the Comfort Food podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/comfort-food/id1418097194?mt=2

How can perfectionism and the avoidance of failure be keeping you from living out your values and desires? Opal Co-Founder Kara Bazzi, LMFT, CEDS and Carter Umhau, LMHC draw from experiences in their own lives (basketball and writing, respectively) to explore the differences between perfectionism and excellence, and how to embrace mistakes as a means of learning. In sharing both their own stories and their expertise as therapists, Kara and Carter offer an alternative way of being in relationship with yourself around your goals and failures. Links: To explore more of the themes Carter and Kara talked about in this episode, we suggest taking a look at these three books: Mindset by Carol Dweck: https://www.amazon.com/Mindset-Psychology-Carol-S-Dweck/dp/0345472322/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1547780115&sr=1-1&keywords=mindset+carol+dweck Better by Mistake by Alina Tugend: https://www.amazon.com/Better-Mistake-Unexpected-Benefits-Being/dp/1594487855 The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron: https://www.amazon.com/Artists-Way-25th-Anniversary/dp/0143129252/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1547780198&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=artist%27s+way&psc=1

Former collegiate and professional football player Patrick Devenney joins us again for the second of two episodes, expanding on his eating disorder recovery story and sharing the identity crisis that ensued upon leaving professional athletics. Patrick joins Kara Bazzi, LMFT, CEDS (Opal’s Co-founder, Clinical Director, and head of the Sport+Exercise Program) in this laid-back conversation around how issues of identity are impacted at the intersection of sport, masculinity, and eating disorders.    Links:  Patrick Devenny's story: https://www.bornfitness.com/male-eating-disorders/   What Made Maddy Run:  https://www.amazon.com/What-Made-Maddy-Run-All-American/dp/031   Broke: http://www.espn.com/30for30/film?page=broke6356549   Connect with us: theappetite@opalfoodandbody.com www.opalfoodandbody.com www.facebook.com/opalfoodandbody

Former professional football player Patrick Devenny joins Opal Co-Founder Kara Bazzi, LMFT to share his eating disorder recovery story. He offers his perspective on the unique challenges that men--particularly male athletes--face in seeking and receiving care for food and body-related issues. In this first of two episodes, Patrick--an advocate for eating disorder awareness--talks gym culture, why he used to think therapy was "woo woo," and how he moved from keto diets and counting macros to full recovery.

Holiday festivities, time with family, and a change in routine often inspire a diet or “lifestyle change” immediately following. May we suggest that you consider NOT starting a diet this new year? In this episode, Opal's Nutrition Director Julie Church, RDN and host Carter Umhau, LMHC discuss the negative physical and psychological ramifications of diet-mentality, how the diet industry has been rebranded as "wellness," and why eating a lot of the foods you like doesn't make you "bad." Opal: Food + Body Wisdom:www.opalfoodandbody.com 'White People Food' is Creating an Unattainable Picture of Healthby Kirsten Aiken: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/white-people-food_n_5b75c270e4b0df9b093dadbb 12 Reasons to Ditch the Diet Mentality by Christine Byrne https://www.huffpost.com/entry/reasons-to-ditch-diet-mentalit_n_5c19594ee4b0432554c518f3 The Dangers of Dieting and "Clean" Eating:  https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/dangers-dieting-clean-eating

It’s possible that the punishment you inflict on yourself may be preventing you from healthy, happy relationships. In this episode Opal Co-Founder Dr. Lexi Giblin explores why self-punishment can actually be selfish. Plus, Lexi and host Carter Umhau, LMHC offer an alternative—self-forgiveness—which may bring you closer to those around you.    

What would you wear if you were more concerned with self-expression than you were about something “flattering” or “thinning”? Drawing from her experiences doing “retail therapy” outings with clients, Dr. Lexi Giblin describes the psychology of clothing beyond thin-optics. Host Carter Umhau, LMHC chimes in about past body image concerns and her own struggle to define a style congruent with her sense of self.   #theselfacceptancerevolution #haes #healthateverysize #eatingdisorderrecovery #allfoodsfit #retailtherapy #selfacceptancerevolution #foodandbody #healthpodcast #EDpodcast #stylelikeu #intuitiveeating #bodyposi #antidiet #antidietproject #selfcarenotselfcontrol #recoverypodcast

Mark Canlis, third generation co-owner of Canlis, a Seattle fine dining institution, Relais & Chateau property, and James Beard award winning restaurant--joins Kara Bazzi, LMFT, CEDS, Julie Church, RD, CD, CEDRD, and host Carter Umhau, LMHC around the table, to share stories in the spirit of Thanksgiving. As the women of the Appetite bring their clinical expertise and compassion for those struggling around issues of food, dieting, and body image, Mark shares the poetic landscape of the restaurant world and the real reasons to gather.

In this second of a two-part series, this episode will literally take you inside the dressing room and in front of the mirror with The Appetite. Exploring self-expression and her identity through style, host Carter Umhau, LMHC gets led through a styling session at Armoire--a Seattle fashion rental startup. Opal Co-Founder Lexi Giblin, PhD shares her thoughts on the psychology of clothing, while Armoire CEO Ambika Singh and stylist Marie-Caroline Moir share their philosophy on using clothes as a tool for empowerment and risk-taking.

In Part 1: Good Grief, we discussed processing grief through ritual and how grief is part of our relationships with food and body.  For Part 2,  Clinical Director and Opal Co-Founder Kara Bazzi and Primary Therapist and host of The Appetite Carter Umhau talk with Arlene Thomas about her story of profound loss and how she was able to integrate her own experiences into her work as a therapist and to transform her life and relationships.

Have you ever considered that maybe your unprocessed grief could be keeping you from the transformations you’re desiring in your life? Opal Co-Founders Julie Church, RD,CD, CEDRD, Kara Bazzi, LMFT, CEDS and Lexi Giblin, PhD., CEDS join host Carter Umhau, LMHC to explore the necessity of grief and how mainstream American culture often doesn’t hold space for rituals and rights around the grief we all hold. Listen in for Lexi’s story about a recent grief ritual she participated in, and dietitian Julie’s thoughts on why eating with emotion is part of good grief.  

Halloween is on its way and there’s likely candy everywhere...and that’s not a bad thing! This episode is certainly for  adults who feel like you don’t have enough “willpower” when you’re suddenly around candy, but also for parents, struggling to figure out what attitude they should have when letting their kids have candy.  Opal Co-Founder Julie Church, RDN, CD, CEDRD sits down with host Carter Umhau, LMHC and challenges common misconceptions around the “addictive” nature of candy.  Links: Article: The sticky topic of Halloween candy https://www.ellynsatterinstitute.org/family-meals-focus/30-halloween-candy/ Research: The effect of sugar on behavior or cognition in children. A meta-analysis. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7474248 Research: Hyperactivity: is candy causal? https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8747098  

What does it look like for two middle-school-aged girls to have been parented by eating disorder specialists? Opal Co-Founders Kara and Lexi talk about parenting around food and body image concerns.  Plus  their daughters Ila and Sophia join host Carter Umhau, LMHC to dish out the wisdom!

Does weight really matter when it comes to sport performance? Host Carter Umhau, LMHC, and Kara Bazzi, LMFT, CEDS explore culture around food and body within the sport world, and the idealization of the athlete. Kara, Clinical Director and former division I collegiate distance runner, shares her own experience with an eating disorder, and we bring in dietitian Kelly Finan, RDN with the hard science to break some myths around the importance of low weight in sport performance. Links: Lane 9, a resource for athletic women struggling with eating disorder or amenorrhea recovery: https://medium.com/lane-9-project NEDA coaches and athletic trainers toolkit: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/sites/default/files/Toolkits/CoachandTrainerToolkit.pdf