The Impact of Diet Culture on Health and Disordered Eating with Sam Gwazdauskas

Explicit content warning

07/22/20 • 60 min

The impact of diet culture on health can have long and lasting effects. Today’s guest, Sam Gwazdaukas, was first introduced to the diet culture mindset as a child and continued to struggle with it for years to come. The messaging she received was to lose weight, be smaller, eat less, workout more, and this caused her to become obsessive, restrictive, and out of control with both food and exercise. Sam shares her journey from then to now and displays the radical mindset shifts that helped heal her relationship to health. This episode is a prime example of how diet culture can take over our life and yet we can still overcome it with time. Sam shares fitness and body confidence content on her instagram and continues to shed light on the dangers of obsessive health.

In this episode we discuss:

The impact of diet culture on youth and adults
How ‘health’ shifts when diet culture is involved
The pressure to change body shape and size
How media influences our health standards
The isolation of disordered eating
How to identify what’s normal behavior vs disordered eating
Reclaiming your life after an ED
The starvation and surplus mindset
Why words and comments matter
Questions to ask yourself in recovery

Connect with Sam on IG @thesamplan and I’m @emilyfeikls and @letsthrivepodcast

In this episode we discuss:

The impact of diet culture on youth and adults
How ‘health’ shifts when diet culture is involved
The pressure to change body shape and size
How media influences our health standards
The isolation of disordered eating
How to identify what’s normal behavior vs disordered eating
Reclaiming your life after an ED
The starvation and surplus mindset
Why words and comments matter
Questions to ask yourself in recovery

Connect with Sam on IG @thesamplan and I’m @emilyfeikls and @letsthrivepodcast

Previous Episode

Skincare 101 + Tips and Tricks with Celeste Thomas

Skincare is something that we can all relate to. Whether you struggle with your skin or not, today’s guest Celeste Thomas is here to teach the basics and tips of skincare 101. As a registered nurse and holistic skincare guru, Celeste has blended her formal education with her passion and now shares her experience and wisdom from 10+ years in the field. Celeste explains that proper skincare happens from the inside out as our pores are a window to internal health. She shares simple tips and tricks to amplify your skincare routine + educates on the basics of skincare products. There are both lifestyle and product recommendations to aid in your skincare journey. Consider this episode a gateway to the world of skincare as Celeste breaks down the basics of it.

In this episode we discuss:

Creating a skincare routine
Celeste's skin journey + getting started in the field
How lifestyle and internal health impact our skin
Tips and tricks to amplify your skincare
How to work with your skin type
Why certain skin oils aren’t bad for you
The difference between hydrating and moisturizing
Understanding chemical exfoliates
The importance of SPF

Connect with Celeste @celestethomas and I’m @emilyfeikls and @letsthrivepodcast

Next Episode

Navigating Health Education and Career + Overcoming Expectations with Katie Lemons

As a Physician's Assistant and Integrative Nutritionist, Katie Lemons has had a long journey to the present. With years of schooling and experience, Katie shares what it takes to turn a love for health into a deepened education and future career path. In this she shares why she chose to not take the RD route and what it was like to get a masters + attend PA school. Her commitment to education is what allows Katie to now fuse both western and integrative medicine all while navigating the oftentimes confusing field of health. Throughout her time in school and internships Katie had to overcome limiting beliefs and learn from trial and error to fully embrace her situation. She was also faced with expectations along the way of what a ‘healthy’ body should look like and felt let down by the expectations she had set for her school and career path. We discuss how she overcame these ‘let down’ expectations and continued to thrive. Katie is a prime example of someone willing to persevere through the hard times for the eventual sweet ending.

In this episode we discuss:

Katie’s philosophy on health and how she got started in the field
Why she chose to not take the RD route
Her experience getting a Masters and attending PA school
Fusing western and functional medicine/health
How expectations can impact growth and contentment
Accepting moments of trial and error
Dealing with limiting beliefs and imposter syndrome
Navigating the field of health and applying it in life

Connect with Katie @twist_of_lemons and I’m at @emilyfeikls or @letsthrivepodcast

To learn more about starting a podcast, check out my Podcast Consultation Offer! It offers a 20+ page ebook on all things podcasting + one-on-one guidance and support with me. DM or email for more information.