In this episode of the MyoMinds Podcast, George speaks with Mallary Tenore Tarpley, an assistant professor of practice at The University of Texas at Austin's School of Journalism and Media and McCombs School of Business, where she teaches writing and reporting to undergraduate and graduate students.

Mallary specialises in topics including longform feature writing, creative nonfiction, solutions journalism, and nonprofit journalism. A longtime journalist, her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, Teen Vogue, and many more. She also writes a popular weekly newsletter, Write at the Edge, where she shares writing tips and best practices.

Her debut nonfiction book, SLIP: Life in the Middle of Eating Disorder Recovery (Simon & Schuster's Simon Element), blends immersive reporting, social history, and emerging science with Mallary’s own experience, tracing her journey from a childhood with anorexia to her present-day life as a mother in recovery. While working on the book, she received support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to aid her reporting and writing.

Listen to the episode to hear us discuss:

• Mallary’s personal experiences with anorexia, treatment, and recovery.
• The concept of “the middle place” in eating disorder recovery, and why it’s often overlooked.
• Her process of writing SLIP and how the book is structured.

You can find Mallary here:

Website: https://www.mallarytenoretarpley.com/

Weekly Newsletter: https://mallary.substack.com/

Instagram: @mallarytenoretarpley

LinkedIn: Mallary Tenore Tarpley

Get your copy of the book here: https://www.simonandschuster.co.uk/books/Slip/Mallary-Tenore-Tarpley/9781668035016

Please remember that no episode of the MyoMinds Podcast can be used as a replacement for medical advice and/or care.

In this episode of the MyoMinds Podcast, George speaks with Eric Pothen (he/him), a certified eating disorder recovery coach and advocate who serves on the Community Engagement Committee for the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD) and the Peer Council for the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA).

After struggling with an eating disorder for several years, Eric now uses his lived experience to raise awareness and support others on their recovery journeys, particularly around eating disorders, disordered eating, and body image, with a special focus on men.

He is the founder of the apparel company Embrace Wear and host of the podcast Embracing You, both dedicated to helping others embrace themselves and discover beauty and self-worth from within.

This fall, Eric will begin pursuing a degree in Counselling at St. Mary’s University of Minnesota, with the goal of becoming an eating disorder therapist, specialising in working with men and the LGBTQ+ community.

Listen to the episode to hear us discuss:

• Eric’s lived experience of anorexia and his journey through recovery.
• The ways his sexual identity intersected with his eating disorder.
• How his recovery path differed from conventional approaches—and the benefits and challenges of doing things differently.
• Where Eric is now in his recovery, and what embracing himself means today.

You can find Eric here:

Website: https://www.ericpothen.com/

Instagram: @ericpothen

Please remember that no episode of the MyoMinds Podcast can be used as a replacement for medical advice and/or care.

This episode is the sixth of the MyoMinds Stories series (as an ode to the Stories on our website). These episodes focus on our guest's story, how they want to tell it, and what led them to the point where they wanted to tell it here on the pod!

In this episode, George is joined by James Lindsay. Like many of us, James Lindsay is no stranger to stress and anxiety. But in his case, leaving those struggles untreated led to a psychotic episode that hospitalised him for the better part of a month. With the help of medication and therapy, he has now overcome this dark period and is currently living a much happier life.

But his story doesn't end there. Now, he wants to help others avoid the same fate by sharing his experience through his book 'Befriending My Brain: A Psychosis Story', which includes the red flags he recognises in hindsight and the path he charted to recovery. No matter where you are on your own journey, James' story will resonate and remind you, as he puts it, that "recovery is always possible, and hope is never far away."

If you'd like to get a copy of James' book, follow this link:  https://amzn.eu/d/0o8N137

Please remember that no episode of the MyoMinds Podcast can be used as a replacement for medical advice and/or care.

In this special MyoMinds Podcast episode for Eating Disorders Awareness Week (EDAW), I explore this year’s theme: "Anyone can be affected by an eating disorder." During the podcast, I reflect on my own story and how it led to the development of MyoMinds and my current research.

I also discuss my research findings on men’s access to care for eating, exercise, and body image psychopathology, highlighting potential areas where eating disorder stereotypes have influenced healthcare.

I hope you enjoy!

Please remember that no episode of the MyoMinds Podcast can be used as a replacement for medical advice and/or care.

In this episode of the MyoMinds Podcast, George speaks with Anne, a Registered Nutritional Therapist, lecturer, and supervisor. She has been practising for more than ten years and exclusively works in the field of disordered eating. Anne suffered with anorexia in her teens and now draws from her lived experience to blend her knowledge of nutrition with her CBT skills. She works with people all over Europe to help them achieve food freedom. She is also invested in helping other practitioners work with disordered eaters as she recognises that general nutritional advice can be extremely damaging to disordered eaters.

Listen to the episode to hear us discuss:

• What led Anne to specialize in eating disorders and why she chose this field.
• The dogmatic thinking within the nutrition industry and why it’s a problem.
• How to determine whether nutrition advice is something to follow or something to ignore.
• Devil’s advocate: I worry the nutrition industry is like any other money-driven system—if leaning into dogma and making people feel bad about themselves increases sales, then it’ll happen. Is there any point in us talking about it, if it probably won’t change the company’s minds?

You can find Anne here:

Instagram: @theeatingdisordernutritionist

Webpage: https://www.theeatingdisordernutritionist.co.uk/

Please remember that no episode of the MyoMinds Podcast can be used as a replacement for medical advice and/or care.

This episode is the fifth episode of our new series that we are calling "MyoMinds Stories" (as an ode to the Stories on our website). These episodes focus on our guest's story, how they want to tell it and what led them to the point where they wanted to tell it here on the pod!

In this episode, George is joined by Ethan Feinstein. Ethan has lived experience with an eating disorder and is proud to continue to share his experiences and journey in navigating recovery from his eating disorder. He hopes that he can raise awareness and emphasize that eating disorders do not discriminate against sex, age, or background. Ethan resides in Brooklyn, NY, and works in the beauty industry.

Ethan shares his story with his experience of an eating disorder, the trials of recovery, and the difficulties of often being the only male person in eating disorder services.

If you'd like to learn more about Ethan, you can follow the links below!

NEDA:

"Identified Recovery"

"Holiday Hang Up"

"Barrier Into Treatment"

USA TODAY, 6/1/23

PROJECT HEAL:

"His Name was ED"

KATIE COURIC MEDIA

Please remember that no episode of the MyoMinds Podcast can be used as a replacement for medical advice and/or care.

In this episode of the MyoMinds Podcast, George is talking with Craig Lee. Craig is a Counsellor and Psychotherapist in private practice, specialising in eating disorders and body image issues. He has 18 years’ of experience working across behaviour change and mental health services in the NHS, private healthcare, and charity sectors.

Having recovered from an eating disorder and body dysmorphia himself, Craig is committed to delivering compassionate, effective, individualised treatment. His approach is underpinned by seeing recovery as being about so much more than just symptom reduction, with a focus in helping his clients to live a life of meaning and purpose.

Craig and George spoke all about Orthorexia, and how the fitness community unnecessarily focuses on 'optimisation'. We also share a love for the philosopher Viktor Frankl so we nerd out about him and the importance of 'meaning'.

Devil's Advocate Question: For those who want to optimise their fitness and health goals, blood glucose and diet monitoring sounds like the right option. Don’t you think you are just demonising something that is helping people become their ‘best self’?

If you want to hear more from Craig, you can follow him on Instagram: @craigleetherapy

You can also check out his website: https://www.craigleetherapy.co.uk/

Please remember that no episode of the MyoMinds Podcast can be used as a replacement for medical advice and/or care.

Welcome to another episode of our new series that we are calling "MyoMinds Stories" (as an ode to the Stories on our website). These episodes focus on our guest's story, how they want to tell it and what led them to the point where they wanted to tell it here on the pod!

Our guest for this episode is Nikias Tomasiello. Nikias is an online fitness coach and certified nutritionist helping people transform their mindset, lifestyle, and physique with evidence-based training and sustainable, habit-focused nutrition. Having overcome a restrictive eating disorder and an obsessive relationship with food and exercise, he promotes a holistic approach to include fitness within your life without letting it take over.

Nikias and George spoke about their shared and differing experiences and went into great detail about Nikias's journey. We hope you enjoy the episode!

Follow Nikias on Instagram @nikias_fittotransform

You can check out his website and podcast below:

Website: http://www.fittotransformtraining.com/

The Fit to Transform Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/fit-to-transform

Please remember that no episode of the MyoMinds Podcast can be used as a replacement for medical advice and/or care.

This episode is the third episode of our new series that we are calling "MyoMinds Stories" (as an ode to the Stories on our website). These episodes focus on our guest's story, how they want to tell it and what led them to the point where they wanted to tell it here on the pod!

Our guest for this episode is Dr Marianne Miller. Dr. Marianne has been in the mental health field for 27 years and has specialized in eating disorders for the last 12 years. She was a full-time academic for 12 years and had a part-time eating disorder practice for much of that time until she left the university and went into private practice full-time in 2018. Dr. Marianne loves working with eating disorders as a therapist and a coach. She takes a non-diet, feminist approach that helps people of all genders live empowered, authentic lives. She embraces the Health at Every Size model, and is neurodivergent and LGBTQIA+ affirming.

Marianne and George spoke about neurodiversity and eating disorders, as well as their shared experiences and how to help people going through similar things. We hope you enjoy the episode!

To find out more about Dr Marianne you can visit their website: https://www.drmariannemiller.com/

You can follow Dr Marianne on Instagram: @drmariannemiller

Please remember that no episode of the MyoMinds Podcast can be used as a replacement for medical advice and/or care.

P.S. it was Madam C.J. Walker!

This episode is the second episode of our new series that we are calling "MyoMinds Stories" (as an ode to the Stories on our website). These episodes focus on our guest's story, how they want to tell it and what led them to the point where they wanted to tell it here on the pod!

Our guest for this episode is Jade Grantham. Jade is the author of ‘Accept That You Are Imperfect’ a book about her personal journey and recovery with an eating disorder that started when she was 12 years old and lasted for over 10 years.

Jade and George spoke about their shared experiences and how to help people going through similar things. We hope you enjoy to episode!

You can get a copy of Jade's book here.

Trigger warning, this is not a self help book - instead it is a raw and honest account of her own personal journey, and how she has come to make sense of what she went through at the time.

Please remember that no episode of the MyoMinds Podcast can be used as a replacement for medical advice and/or care.

This episode is the beginning of a new series on the MyoMinds Podcast that we are calling "MyoMinds Stories" (as an ode to the Stories on our website). These episodes focus on our guest's story, how they want to tell it and what led them to the point where they wanted to tell it here on the pod!

Our first guest is Stu Graham. Stu is a health coach and podcaster who helps people feel more energised, confident and fulfilled by looking at health as a whole and using it as vehicle to make meaningful change. Stu believes that health should add to peoples lives and facilitate them to live a life they love, on their terms.

Stu and George end up talking about all sorts during this episode. We hope you enjoy!

You can follow Stu through the info below:

Instagram: @stu.graham.s25

Website: https://www.s25coaching.co.uk/

Please remember that no episode of the MyoMinds Podcast can be used as a replacement for medical advice and/or care.

I am at the Appearance Matters Conference 2024 (June 11-13) presenting a poster about my first PhD study titled: Men's Formal Help-Seeking for Eating and/or Body Image Pathology: A Systematic Review of Barriers and Facilitators. - (Catchy, right?)

A link to this podcast is in a QR code on the poster so we should be joined by some academics from the conference (welcome!) who can learn a bit more about the study here if they didn't get the chance to ask me at the conference or just wanted to hear more.

I have also done my best to make this interesting for the regular MyoMinds listeners so I hope you enjoy too!

Here are some timestamps for those interested in particular sections:

Rational, aims, and defining terms: 03:15

Methods: 10:03

Results: 14:47

Findings and Recommendations: 23:03

Outro with thanks: 33:21

I would love to hear your thoughts on the study and any questions about it! Feel free to contact me via MyoMinds social media or via the MyoMinds website (MyoMinds.com).

In this episode of the MyoMinds Podcast, George speaks with Matt Davis. Matt is a Registered Associate Nutritionist and the creator of The Flourishing Athlete; aiming to help athletes and fitness enthusiasts develop a positive relationship with food, body and self. Matt has struggled with his relationship with food and body image in the past and is passionate about helping athletes approach food and their body in a healthy way which supports performance, fitness and wellbeing. Having played elite level sport, been a fitness enthusiast and worked as a personal trainer and nutritionist, Matt promotes a predominantly non-diet, body neutral approach towards sports nutrition, fitness and performance. He believes that this education and support is needed in the sport and fitness space to reduce the prevalence of disordered eating, body image concerns and other risk factors for poor mental wellbeing in this population.

Listen to the episode to hear us discuss:

• What the Flourishing Athlete is.
• Why Matt decided to set it up.
• Some of Matt's history with disordered eating, exercise and body image issues.
• How identity plays a role in the negative sides of fitness.

Devils advocate question: Sure, some athletes will end up feeling down when behaving in these ways, but don’t you think that’s just part of the risk of striving for greatness?

You can find Matt here:

Instagram/Threads: @theflourishingathlete

Please remember that no episode of the MyoMinds Podcast can be used as a replacement for medical advice and/or care.

In this episode of the MyoMinds Podcast, I am going solo. November 19th 2023 is International mens day and the theme this year is "zero male suicide", so I am talking about that!

What to expect:

• My story in regards to suicidality
• A lot of rambling and forgetting what I was going to say
• A delve into the research around muscle dysmorphia and suicide
• Some discussion around masculinity and suicide

I hope you enjoy! (I've decided to leave the link out, for those avid listeners. Please leave a review instead!)

Please remember that no episode of the MyoMinds Podcast can be used as a replacement for medical advice and/or care.

In this episode of the MyoMinds Podcast, I speak with Dr. Kyle Ganson. Kyle T. Ganson, PhD, MSW, is an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto's Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work. His research focuses on eating disorders, muscle dysmorphia, and muscle-building behaviours among adolescents and young adults, particularly boys and young men. Dr. Ganson has published over 100 peer-reviewed academic papers in leading adolescent health, eating disorder, body image, and substance use journals. His research has been featured on the CBC, CTV News, U.S. News and World Report, Healthline, Fatherly, and Runner's World, among others. Dr. Ganson has over 8 years of direct clinical social work practice experience and teaches clinical social work courses to MSW students.

Listen to the pod to hear us discuss:

• The prevalence rates of steroid and supplement use
• The risks and benefits of steroids and supplements
• The need to reframe how we view those taking steroids
• Kyle's ideas on how we can move forward

You can follow Kyle on Twitter/X here: https://twitter.com/kyletganson

You can find some of Kyle's work here:

Canadian Study of Adolescent Health Behaviors: https://socialwork.utoronto.ca/canadian-study-of-adolescent-health-behaviors/

Muscle-building supplement Canadian policy analysis: https://socialwork.utoronto.ca/news/video-dietary-supplements-for-muscle-building-and-weight-loss-addressing-knowledge-and-policy-gaps/

Please remember that no episode of the MyoMinds Podcast can be used as a replacement for medical advice and/or care.

In this episode of the MyoMinds Podcast I speak to Lilia Bogoeva.

Lilia Bogoeva is a somatic practitioner, musician, and powerlifter who knows what it's like to give it your all for success, but to struggle with anorexia, bulimia, substance addiction, and depression. As a coach and professional speaker, Lilia helps young people with addictive tendencies to overcome damaging spirals and channel their natural intensity into passion and achievement.

Her signature "Inner Demon Crusher Cycle" is a combination of somatic (mind-body) healing, functional fitness, music therapy, and vocal training to help her clients tap into personal authenticity and align physical, mental, and spiritual health. She is also the singer-guitarist of metal band Karkaza, based out of Alabama, USA.

Her work draws from personal and professional experience in competitive gymnastics, dance, music, and entrepreneurship. Her mission is to take the negative stigma away from trauma healing and addictive personalities, and inspire people to channel their naturally intense drive into healthy and fulfilling pathways. She inspires everyone to master being themselves!

Listen to the full pod to hear us cover:

• Lilia's experience with different mental health struggles
• How faith and religion has help Lilia in recovery
• How Lilia's coaching works
• What 'trauma informed' means to Lilia

This week's Devils Advocate Question: "Athletes and performers need to be tough, they must push through adversity on a regular occurrence. Don’t you think focusing on their trauma will just lead to them feeling sorry for themselves?"

If you would like to follow Lilia or contact her, use the links below:

Website:

www.MyobeatAthletics.com

Tiktok:

https://www.tiktok.com/@lilia_bogoeva

Podcast:

podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lilia-bogoeva

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/MyobeatAthletics

Youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/@myobeat

Lilia's metal band site:

www.Karkaza.com

Please remember that no episode of the MyoMinds Podcast can be used as a replacement for medical advice and/or care.

In this episode of the MyoMinds Podcast I speak with Graham, a firefighter, yoga instructor, and fan of the pod! Graham and I have been in contact for over a year now and have spoken on the phone many times about general life as well as our shared experiences with mental health concerns. We thought it was about time we brought one of those conversations to you all!

This conversation is also aptly timed as in November 2022 the 'Independent Culture Review of the London Fire Brigade' was released and spoke about some concerns regarding mental health within the workforce. We discuss this and more in the pod.

Take a listen to hear us discuss:

• body dysmorphia and mental health
• Graham's story of mental health
• How yoga has affected Graham's mental health
• Graham's experiences in the fire brigade
• Graham's experience of the 'Walk and Talk 999' group

We skipped the devil's advocate question in this episode, as we touched on so many topics that we didn't feel we needed to!

If you would like to follow Graham on socials you can find him here:

Instagram: Gfunkyogi

Facebook: Gfunkyogi

Please remember that no episode of the MyoMinds Podcast can be used as a replacement for medical advice and/or care.

In this episode of the MyoMinds Podcast I talk to two exercise psychologists, Dr Paula Watson and Clara Swedlund.

Dr Paula Watson is a HCPC-registered Practitioner Psychologist and BPS Chartered Psychologist with 18 years’ experience of developing and delivering health behaviour change interventions, including family-based intervention for children with obesity (GOALS), GP exercise referral, and promoting physical activity for adolescent girls. Until August 2022, Paula worked as a Reader in Exercise and Health Psychology at Liverpool John Moores University before leaving academia to run her independent exercise psychology company (https://madeuptomove.co.uk) where she offers 1-to-1 psychological support for individuals struggling with exercise or diet-related concerns. Paula is currently training for the London Marathon in aid of Mind charity (https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/mind-runner).

Clara Swedlund is a trainee exercise psychologist enrolled in the BPS' Qualification in Sport and Exercise Psychology training pathway. She has 6 years of experience working in the fitness industry as a coach, and 3 years of experience working both as a fitness coach and exercise psychologist. Her work is centred around bridging the gap between the fitness industry and applied exercise psychology, by helping people understand themselves, their relationship with exercise and health behaviours, and their wellbeing. Whilst she mainly works on a 1:1 basis with her clients, she also supports fitness coaches and coaching companies in making their practices more psychologically informed.

In this episode, we talk about a huge range of topics (we could have gone for 6+ hours I think). Some of these topics include:

• What is exercise psychology?
• Different problematic relationships with exercise and what a 'healthy relationship with exercise' looks like.
• The way trauma can affect our relationship with exercise.
• Bodybuilding and how it impacted mine and Clara's lives.

If you would like to get in contact with, or just follow the work of Paula or Clara you can find their information below:

Paula:

Twitter: @paula_watson

Instagram: @mind_runr

Website: https://madeuptomove.co.uk

Clara:

Twitter: @ceswedlund

Instgram: @the_Exerpsych

Website: www.theexerpsych.com

Please remember that no episode of the MyoMinds Podcast can be used as a replacement for medical advice and/or care.

In this episode of the MyoMinds Podcast I speak with Tessa Peters. Tessa is the Founder & CEO of the charity Been There. Been There supports people with body image issues by pairing them through an app with a vetted and trained Mentor who has relatable experience. Tessa set this up in response to her own battle with an eating disorder for 11 years. She desperately searched for help from someone who had gone through something similar and understood. After trying many different forms of professional help, she eventually found her Mentor, which was life changing for her. Being able to feel safe and speak freely without judgment enabled her to no longer feel so ashamed or alone. 

Tessa has worked on Superyachts as a Sous and Crew Chef for most of her career and managed a number of  large scale events including CarFest and Frieze Festival, before embarking upon creating Been There with the purposeful aim of supporting people struggling with their body image and related mental health issues that are so prevalent in today's society. 

Tessa’s mission is to encourage self-acceptance and self-worth in everyBODY;  Been There and its 1-to-1 mentoring service is bringing the solution to help those in need. Tessa wants no one to ever feel alone and encourages us all to help each other more.

Listen to the full episode to hear us discuss:

• Tessa's eating disorder journey
• How Been There works
• How mentoring can help with body image issues
• How you can get involved with Benn There.

Devil's Advocate Question: Couldn’t it be dangerous getting help from someone who has had similar issues? how do you make sure the mentors aren’t making things worse?

You can follow Tessa and Been There on:

Website: Beenthereapp.com

Instagram: @Beenthere.app

Facebook: Been There

Please remember that no episode of the MyoMinds Podcast can be used as a replacement for medical advice and/or care.

In this episode of the MyoMinds Podcast I speak with Dr Jason Nagata, who is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine at the University of California San Francisco and affiliated faculty with the Institute for Global Health Sciences and the Center for Sexual and Gender Minority Health. Jason is one of the researchers spearheading research around muscularity-oriented disordered eating (Hence the title of this episode) and a personal research hero of mine!

Listen to this episode to hear about:

• What is muscularity oriented disordered eating? How does it differ from muscle dysmorphia/bigorexia?
• Who is most at risk of developing these issues and why?
• Are these conditions serious? What happens to people who experience this?
• Is help available and if so, where?
• and more!

The Devils Advocate Question: 'A lot of these people are just trying to build muscle, be the best they can be, and get healthier. Aren’t you just labeling muscle building behaviours as bad and discouraging healthy choices?'

You can Follow Jason and his work on Twitter: @jasonmnagata

Please remember that no episode of the MyoMinds Podcast can be used as a replacement for medical advice and/or care.

In this episode of the MyoMinds Podcast, I speak to Rachelle Rogers. Rachelle is a retired GB Alpine Skier who retired at the age of 19 decided to pursue a career as an airline pilot, having spontaneously decided to have a trial lesson in a light aircraft during her pre-season training. She had struggled to know what to do after finishing school. She applied to university to study Geography, deferred, re-applied to study Sport Science and was still doubting what she wanted to do with her life; despite having good grades she was unsure if university was right for her. But suddenly her direction became clear and she didn’t go to university but committed to an intensive 15 month course to become an airline pilot. Upon retiring she initially lost her love for sport and became disconnected from that world. But gradually over time opened herself back up to it and for a few years has wanted to find a way to support athletes in some way. She recently teamed up with GB swimmer and Chemical Engineering PhD student, Amber Keegan, to launch the Athlete Support Network - a support service designed to offer athlete to athlete support and wants to raise awareness of putting the human first before the athlete.

Listen to hear us talk about:

• Rachelle's experience as an elite athlete
• Her advice for young athletes out there
• Rachelle's relationship with exercise and food
• The upcoming Athlete Support Network

If you would like to keep up to date with Rachelle and Amber's work, use the links below:

Website: http://www.athleteinteractions.com/

Instagram: @athleteinteractions

Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/groups/athleteinteractions/

Please remember that no episode of the MyoMinds Podcast can be used as a replacement for medical advice and/or care.

In this episode of the MyoMinds Podcast, I speak to Sarah Knapp. Sarah is a Sport and Exercise Psychologist in training. She works with clients to help them achieve their personal goals. Sarah is passionate about helping others to perform to their highest level and to feel great during this process. Her interests in sport and exercise stem from training as a dancer in her childhood and as an endurance runner/cyclist as an adult.

Take a listen to hear us talk about:

• What Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT) is
• How REBT works
• Sarah's lived experience with exercise addiction
• Sarah's research looking at if REBT can help those with exercise addiction

If you would like to follow Sarah's work, you can find her here:

Website: www.mindsetforperformance.co.uk

Twitter: @sarahmknapp

P.s. I used a new recording software for this pod and it has messed up the recording a little bit. So occasionally it sounds like me and Sarah are talking over each other. I promise this was a much more civilized conversation than it seems...

Please remember that no episode of the MyoMinds Podcast can be used as a replacement for medical advice and/or care.

We had a load of new listeners following some publicity in different places, so I wanted to do a quick pod describing what MyoMinds is and what it is we do!

I also share a little bit about what's been going on for the last few months. I do feel odd doing these solo pods but I hope you enjoy my ramblings.

More pods will be coming soon!

Please remember that no episode of the MyoMinds Podcast can be used as a replacement for medical advice and/or care.

In the episode of the MyoMinds Podcast I speak with trainee sport psychologist, competitive bodybuilder and coach Clara Swedlund. Clara and I met during a webinar with the Applied Psychologist in Physical Activity Network (APPAN) and realised we could have talked for hours about our opinions on bodybuilding. So we decided to record it!

In this podcast we touch on:

• Clara's past with disordered behaviours and how bodybuilding has helped in her recovery
• My past with disordered behaviours and how bodybuilding hindered my recovery
• The positives and negatives of engaging in bodybuilding
• Why do some people have positive relationships with bodybuilding and others don't?
• and more!

This episodes Devil's Advocate question: Bodybuilding seems to promote steroid use and extreme self-critical behaviour surrounding one’s body. Don’t you think it should be stopped?

To find Clara you can follow her on social media:

Twitter: @ceswedlund

Instagram: @the_exerpsych / @clarasw_vwphysique

You can also visit her website: https://claraswedlund.wixsite.com/myjourney

Please remember that no episode of the MyoMinds Podcast can be used as a replacement for medical advice and/or care.

In this episode of the MyoMinds Podcast I speak with Amy Gardner. Amy is a registered dietitian with over 20 years of experience using psychology, mindfulness and yoga as tools to help improve peoples relationships with exercise and food. Amy is also the author of the book "iMove, Helping Your Client Heal From Compulsive Exercise" which educates around compulsive exercise and outlines the iMove Method.

During our discussion we spoke about:

• Both of our relationships with exercise
• Why Amy decided to write iMove
• How the iMove method works
• The ways meditation and mindfulness can affect our relationships with exercise
• Our experiences with the spiritual side of meditation and mindfulness

You can also find Amy on social media:

Instagram: @imovewithamy and @mwnutr

Facebook: @imovemethod and @MetroWestNutr

Website: metrowestnutrition.com (iMove website in development)

You can also get a free e-copy of her book at: imovebook.com

Please remember that no episode of the MyoMinds Podcast can be used as a replacement for medical advice and/or care.

In this episode of the MyoMinds Podcast, I speak with Clinical Psychologist Dr Sarah McDonald. Sarah specialises in eating disorders and works in an eating disorder service. Sarah and I share experiences with eating disorders and poor relationships with exercise as well as a deep interest in the topic of both.

In this podcast you can expect discussion surrounding:

• Sarah's experiences with eating disorders and exercise addiction.
• What exercise addiction is.
• How we might differentiate between addiction and just a "love for exercise"
• How we tackle the prevalence of exercise addiction (estimated to be in 8% of gym goers)
• The role of a psychologist in helping those with exercise addictions
• and more!

This episode's Devil's Advocate question: "There's a plethora of research that clearly shows positive mental health responses to exercise, why would psychologists try to stop that?"

Please remember that no episode of the MyoMinds Podcast can be used as a replacement for medical advice and/or care.

In this episode of the MyoMinds Podcast, I talk with freelance journalist and contributing editor to Men's Health Magazine, Jamie Millar. Myself and Jamie have been involved in a number of conversations over the last few months and we thought it would be useful to share one of those conversations with you lot!

Here's what to expect:

• How Jamie got into writing and his journey towards his current success.
• The role bullying played in Jamie's adoption of fitness.
• Both of our experiences of the pressures of masculinity, and how these have played into some of our thoughts/behaviours.
• Jamie's work with Men's Health, writing articles on male body image, steroids and more.
• Jamie's experiences interviewing celebrities like Henry Cavill, Jason Statham and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
• The time Jamie made it onto the cover of Men's Health.

Devils Advocate Question: "Don’t you think teaching people about disordered muscle related behaviours will make it more likely people adopt them?"

If you would like to follow Jamie and his work, you can follow him on:

Instagram/Twitter: @mrjamiemillar

You can view his articles on Men's Health's website.

Please remember that no episode of the MyoMinds Podcast can be used as a replacement for medical advice and/or care.

In this episode of the MyoMinds Podcast I speak with Victoria Kleinsman the food freedom and body image coach. Victoria works to empower high achieving women who "can't stick to a diet anymore" to feel normal around food & to love themselves.

Listen to the pod to hear us discuss:

• The importance of doing what is meaningful
• The ways we organise our routine
• Victoria's experiences with Anorexia, Bulimia and Binge Eating Disorder
• Victoria's experience with an abusive relationship and how this intertwined with her disordered eating and body image issues
• Victoria's thoughts on the fitness industry
• Victoria's coaching business
• And more!

To find Victoria you can follow her on Instagram: @victoriakleinsman

You can also visit her website: https://victoriakleinsman.com/

Make sure to listen to my guest appearance on Victoria's podcast here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5SN8zmozWthOk1cIgyTJvp?si=9fb4ff45c74b44ac

Please remember that no episode of the MyoMinds Podcast can be used as a replacement for medical advice and/or care.

Disclaimer - In this episode we talk about disordered eating, disordered exercise and suicide. Please take care if choosing to listen.

In this episode of the MyoMinds Podcast I speak with the founder of Run Talk Run, and now Walk Talk Walk, Jessica Robson.

Listen to the full podcast to hear us discuss:

• Our relationships with exercise and how they have changed over time
• Jess's experiences with bulimia
• What is Run Talk Run?
• Why Jess started Run Talk Run
• How Run Talk Run is progressing
• Our advice for people wanting to start their own business

To find Jess you can follow her on:

Instagram: @Jessicamaryrobson

Twitter: @runtalkrun

Also make sure you head over to the Run Talk Run website: https://www.runtalkrun.com/

In this episode of the MyoMinds Podcast, I speak with Hannah Lewin a personal trainer who specialises in working with people with eating disorders (ED). Hannah is also the founder of Mind+Motion an online resource of exercise for people recovering from an ED.

Listen to this podcast to hear us discuss:

• The role of exercise in ED recovery.
• How to start a conversation with a client/gym member you are worried about.
• The do's and dont's for PT's working with clients who have an ED.
• What is Mind+Motion?

This week's Devils Advocate question: People with ED’s tend to have a bad relationship with exercise, so shouldn’t we be discouraging these people away from exercise?

To find Hannah you can follow her social media:

Instagram/Twitter: @hannahlewinpt

And you can follow Mind+Motion on:

Instagram/Twitter: @mindplusmotion

Please remember that no episode of the MyoMinds podcast can be used as a replacement for medical advice and/or care.

Disclaimer - In this episode we talk about eating disorders, disordered eating, and body image issues. Some of this might be upsetting for listeners.

In this episode of the MyoMinds Podcast I speak with Dr. Russell Delderfield who works at the University of Bradford and specialises in eating disorders (ED's) in men and boys.

Listen to the full podcast to hear us talk about:

• The ins and outs of eating disorders in men
• Muscularity oriented disordered eating and body image concerns
• Seeing the body as separate from the self
• The potentially disordered behaviours underlying the fitness community
• Societal pressures put on men
• The role of masculinity in male ED's

The Devil's Advocate question: Don’t men with ED’s just need to man up?

To find Russell you can follow him on Twitter: @MaleEDResearch

In this episode of the MyoMinds Podcast, I speak with Teanna, a competitive Brazilian jujitsu (BJJ) athlete. We go in-depth about Teanna's past with bulimia and poor mental health, as well as how she has recovered from some of these struggles.

Listen to the full podcast to hear us discuss:

• What BJJ is and why you should try it
• How Teanna got into BJJ
• Teanna's experiences with bulimia and how she recovered
• Our opinions on food tracking within sport

The episode's Devils Advocate Question: "Don’t you think teaching people to fight will lead to more violence and have a negative influence on their life?"

To follow Teanna you can go to her Instagram: @teanna_taylor_bjj

Please remember that no episode of the MyoMinds podcast can be used as a replacement for medical advise and/or care

In this episode of the MyoMinds Podcast I speak with Micky David, the actor and writer staring in the up coming short film "Bulking up" which follows the life of someone developing muscle dysmorphia.

Listen in full to hear us discuss:

• Micky's experience with muscle dysmorphia
• How the plans for the film are going
• Our opinions on the disordered behaviours rooted in the fitness community
• The pressure put on men by tv and film
• The fine line between dedication and obsession

This episodes Devils Advocate Question: Don’t you think all this focus on muscle dysmorphia steering people away from great traits such as dedication and self control?

Here's the link for Bulking up's GoFundMe page: https://www.gofundme.com/f/bulking-up?member=14394825&utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link_all&utm_source=customer

To find Micky and to follow the film's progress follow:

Instagram: @bulkingupshortfilm

Twitter: @Bulking_Up

Please remember that no episode of the MyoMinds podcast can be used as a replacement for medical advice and/or care.

Disclaimer - In this episode we do touch on some aspects of poor mental health, these might be upsetting for some.

In this episode of the MyoMinds Podcast, I speak with Sofia Martins the Founder of the Neuroscience of Dance. A business that teaches workshops and offers consultancy surrounding neuroscience and how this can help dancers.

In our conversation we touch on:

• What is neuroscience?
• How did Sofia start her business?
• How neuroscience can be used to help dancers, athletes, and gym goers.
• How you can implement changes in your life to take advantage of neuroscience.
• How dancing can affect your mood.
• The importance of creativity.
• And more!

The find Sofia you can follow her on:

Her website: www.neuroscienceofdance.co

Instagram: @neuroscienceofdanceartscience

Twitter: @neurosciofdance

Disclaimer - in this episode I talk a bit about my experiences with poor mental health, these anecdotes may be distressing for some people.

I have a new microphone on the way, I am very sorry for the monstrosity that is my audio quality in this episode.

In this episode of the MyoMinds Podcast, I speak to Mark McGuigan, an occupational therapist by trade and the founder of Willow Grove Consultants. Through Willow Grove Consultants, Mark works with athletes and sports clubs to improve mental health in sport.

Every time I speak with Mark we always end up talking for a long time and often go off on many tangents, and this conversation was no different. Here are some of the things we touched on:

• What is an occupational therapist and how can they help with mental health?
• The importance of doing what is meaningful
• The wonders of failure.
• Why Mark started Willow Grove Consultants
• The barriers in place that are slowing the adoption of mental health care in sport
• How sport can begin to improve it's environment to support athletes
• Why we think women's sport is more open to the inclusion of mental health care
• And much more!

Devils Advocate: Don’t you think prioritising mental health in sport will result in less effort from athletes (missing training/not competing, like Simone Biles) and therefore worse athletes?

To find Mark and his work through Willow Grove Consultants follow them on:

Their website: https://www.willowgrove.consulting/

Instagram: @wgcmentalhealth

Twitter: @WGCMentalHealth

Disclaimer - In this episode we talk about eating disorders and mental health issues, please take care if choosing to listen.

Firstly, I just want to apologise for the occasional skips within the recording, I've tried my best to edit around them.

In this episode of the MyoMinds podcast I speak with Kings College London research associate Una Foye about all things emotions and experiences.

In this conversation we touch on many topics, such as:

• What emotional intelligence is
• How understanding our emotions can impact our life
• The importance of recognising the nuances of your own mental health experience
• The difficulties we can face when trying to "be yourself"
• The different experiences of eating disorder "recovery"
• Our responsibility to our mental health
• And Una's distaste for cheese...

I loved speaking with Una and I hope you all enjoy it too.

To find Una you can follow her on twitter: @unafoye

Disclaimer - In this podcast we talk about eating disorders and other mental health experiences that may be distressing to people. Please take care.

In this episode of the MyoMinds Podcast I speak to clinical psychologist and author of "Skewed To The Right: Sport, Mental Health and Vulnerability", Dr. Amy Izycky.

This conversation spans many different topics, including:

• Amy's experience with the disordered behaviors that are normalised in certain sports.
• The presence of lasting generational trauma.
• The ins and outs of psychoanalysis.
• When disordered exercise and eating behaviours become a problem.
• The role of masochism in athlete mental health.
• Grief in injury and sports retirement, and how this may link to athlete alcoholism and drug use.
• The importance of creating a "pyramid" rather than a "tower" of who you are.

Todays Devil's Advocate question: Athletes don’t need a psychologist, back in the day they just pulled up their socks up and carried on, what’s the point?

Make sure to check out Amy's book "Skewed To The Right". To find Amy you can follow her on:

Instagram: @amyizycky

Disclaimer - in this episode we talk about eating disorders, excessive exercise, and other mental health issues. Please take care if you decide to listen.

In this episode of the MyoMinds Podcast, I speak with endurance running coach Daniel Robinson. Dan has lived experience with an eating disorder, a Ph.D. in sport psychology, and years of experience as a coach.

Through this conversation, we attempt to tackle to problem of how we can begin to improve coaching to help alleviate and/or prevent eating disorders in sport. We touch on topics like:

• How best to implement experts by experience to help implement change.
• The importance of recognising imposter syndrome as well as your ego.
• Whether there is a truly appropriate way of coaching
• The issues that come with creating a fear of being "cancelled" for coaching in a suboptimal manner
• How can coaches create an atmosphere that is helpful for athletes with eating disorders?
• Is it right to aim to always be happy?

Today's devils advocate question: We know coaches can influence athletes mental health so shouldn’t we be shunning all coaches for so many athletes having mental health issues?

To find Dan, you can follow his awesome initiative The Oregano Project, which supports refugee athletes, online:

Instagram: @theoreganoproject

Twitter: @oregano_project

Disclaimer - In this episode we talk about eating disorders and suicide, please take care when deciding to listen.

In this episode of the MyoMinds Podcast, I speak with ex-boxer Aiden Mortimer. This conversation instantly became relaxed as me and Aiden share a lot in common. Together we discuss:

• How bulimia affected Aiden's life
• The potentially problematic side to weigh cutting sports like boxing
• The issues with defining ourselves within sport
• The role of masculinity in our lives

This episodes devil's advocate question: "Boxing is a sport where you take pain, shouldn’t boxers be gritting their teeth through emotional struggles too?"

To find Aiden you can follow him on Instagram: @aidenmortimer

Disclaimer - In this episode we talk about eating disorders, body dysmorphia, and suicide.

In this episode of the MyoMinds Podcast... Suzanne Samaka is the face of the new campaign looking to introduce the legal requirement that edited social media posts are labelled clearly.

Through are discussion we talk about:

• The reasons why Suzanne started this mission of hers
• The effects edited media can have on women and men
• Why we might feel the need to promote our "best" on social media
• The impact ones physical appearance can have an a medical diagnosis

Todays' Devils Advocate: "Don’t you think people should just stop comparing themselves to these images, how will some text at the bottom change that?"

You can sign the petition by following this link: https://www.change.org/p/change-social-media-laws-to-state-when-content-is-filtered-or-edited?utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=custom_url&recruited_by_id=a6058840-2e84-11e6-8eb3-1d3cde6b4778

Follow Suzanne and her mission on:

Instagram: @protectyouthmentalhealth

Twitter: @SuzanneSamaka

Today on the MyoMinds Podcast, I speak with Professor Gerome Breen who is the Principal Investigator for EDGI (Eating Disorders Genetics Initiative).

In this episode Gerome and I discuss topics such as:

• How genetics can influence the likelihood of developing an ED
• How EDGI's genetic research hopes to progress
• Prof. Breen' aspirations for the implementation of this research
• How YOU can be involved in EDGI's research
• Prof. Breen's opinion on the recent UK government scheme hoping to track the diet and exercise behaviours of the UK population

Todays' Devils Advocate question: "Isn't it more important we focus on research about care? Who cares about genes?"

To sign up to EDGI's research you can click the link here: https://edgiuk.org/

You can also take a look at some of the papers we mentioned during the podcast below:

• Genetics of eating disorders in the genome-wide era
• Genome-wide association study identifies eight risk loci and implicates metabo-psychiatric origins for anorexia nervosa

Disclaimer - In this podcast we talk about disordered eating and body dysmorphic behaviours and thoughts.

In this episode, I spoke with P.h.D student and powerlifter Luisa Vargas about her recently published paper titled "Weight on the bar vs Weight on the scale". Luisa and I delve into the pressure women are subjected to as strength athletes, and how this contrasts with societal pressures.

We also discuss the different pressures on men and women in powerlifting, the role of the coach and suggest good practice for coaches in the sport.

To find Luisa you can follow her on:

Instagram: @the.luisavargas

Twitter: @LuisaFPVargas

In this episode, I speak with Amy-Rose and Tamar, the duo behind [Mask]ulinity.

[Mask]ulinity is a documentary-style photo project exploring the diverse themes affecting every man in today's world. Be it generational, environmental, societal, emotional or mental, everyone falls victim to pressure. For athletes, the heat is turned up on these, where performing in the public eye goes beyond trophies and accolades, often adding expectation and public labeling into the mix.

Please help turn this project into a book by pledging via Kickstarter (link in @guns_for_roses Instagram bio).

The team has until 15th August 2021 to rise £11,000 to get this book to print.

To find Amy-Rose and Tamar you can head to Instagram:

Amy-Rose: @guns_for_roses

Tamar: @fuelledbymacros

Disclaimer - within this episode we talk about muscle dysmorphia and related mental health concerns, including steroid use and poor wellbeing. This includes examples of behaviours and thoughts from anonymised stories.

In this episode, I speak with Dr Christian Edwards a senior lecturer and researcher at Worchester University. Chris specialises in muscularity, muscle dysmorphia and the narratives that surround it.

Together we go through:

• The difference between a drive to be more muscular and a clinical presentation of muscle dysmorphia
• What pushes people towards muscle dysmorphia
• Why people are drawn to steroid use and how it can trap people, making it difficult to stop.
• How people struggling with muscle related issues can begin to move away from it
• How friends, family and organisations can start to help people experiencing muscle dysmorphia.

To find out more and to get in touch with Christian go to:

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Christian-Edwards

Twitter: @ChrisJEdw

Email: C.edwards@worc.ac.uk

Christain also mentioned other thing throughout the podcast that you can check out here:

• Men and Boys Coalition resources http://www.menandboyscoalition.org.uk/boys-and-young-mens-education-toolkit/
• Dove self-esteem project https://www.dove.com/uk/dove-self-esteem-project.html
• ASUK https://www.anabolicsteroids.org.uk/resources-anabolic-androgenic-steroids-aas/
• Overcoming body image problems - https://www.whsmith.co.uk/products/overcoming-body-image-problems-including-body-dysmorphic-disorder/rob-willson/david-veale/paperback/9781845292799.html

In this episode, I talk to Lucie Clement, A.K.A The Dance Psychologist. Lucie is a former researcher and lecturer who now specialises in educating dancers and people working in dance about psychology and the evidence-based choices dancers can make to support their well-being.

Within this conversation, we touch on a wide variety of topics spanning over the dance and sporting world. Lucie explains her work around creativity and how she feels it is the opposite of perfectionism. We talk about the roles coaches can play to influence athlete well-being both positively and negatively, and we talk about how organisations are playing their part in dance.

To see more of Lucie's work you can head to her website:

WWW.thedancepsychologist.com

Her twitter: @LucieDancePsych

And her Instagram: @Thedancepsychologist

Disclaimer – In this episode we talk about different experiences of disordered eating and body image issues.

I have to apologise for my mic in this episode, I sound a little strange from time to time (more strange than normal at least). This should hopefully be fixed by the next pod!

In this episode, I speak to British, European and World taekwondo champion and now hypnotherapist, Stuart Wade. Stuart shares his experiences of being bullied at school which led to low self-esteem and low self-confidence. He explains how combat sports helped with this but may have also been a mask for some disordered thoughts around the way his body looked and the way he should eat. He shares with us how this all affected his life, particularly at university where friends would point out his mood swings due to intense dieting.

We then go onto Stuart’s more recent venture, hypnotherapy. Stuart delves into the physiology of hypnosis and gives us an in-depth explanation of how he runs his therapy sessions with athletes.

To find Stuart you can go to his Instagram: @hypnoptstu

Thanks for listening!

Disclaimer - In this episode we talk about eating disorders and suicide. Please take care when listening.

In today's episode, I speak to the comedian and author Dave Chawner.

This conversation is full of laughs and still dives into Daves and my personal experiences. This is also the first time I have ever spoken about the relationship between sex, relationships, and eating disorders, as Dave explains how the three are closely related for him.

Dave explains his experiences with anorexia, including when he first realised he had an eating disorder and some of the misconceptions he's noticed from others.

Finally, we talk about Dave's comedy, including his answer to "when did your eating disorder become funny?" and "who do you write your comedy for?".

You can follow Dave on twitter: @DaveChawner

You can watch Dave's work through his TED talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqbL-UhhyPk

Here's a link to Dave's book: https://www.worldofbooks.com/en-gb/books/dave-chawner/weight-expectations/9781785923586?gclid=CjwKCAjw8cCGBhB6EiwAgORey7RPsdHgznLsHb1FsmZPr1JdBeiv6TwhZloVSD3zYnlBcy3bHailGBoC334QAvD_BwE

Disclaimer - In this episode we talk about eating disorders and other mental health issues, please take care.

I had the pleasure of recording this podcast with mental health campaigner James Downs. Touching on our shared interests as well as James' lived experience.

We talk about the sheer lack of research investigating the nuances in eating disorder experience, and why it is so important that this changes. We also talk a lot about how, often due to this lack of understanding, society and services can take a simplified and reductionist view of the eating disorder experience. Things such as " ALL people with eating disorders have an ED voice" or "eating disorders are ALL about control".

James goes on to talk about his experiences having ADHD, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, and an eating disorder, including his time in eating disorder services and undertaking Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT).

Finally, James shares his newfound love for dance and yoga, including his views on how it helped with his recovery and how it may help others.

To find James you can check him out on:

Instagram: @Jamesldowns

Twitter: @Jamesldowns

Disclaimer - In this episode we talk in-depth about eating disorders and how they have affected both of us, please take care when listening.

In this episode, I talk to England cross country athlete Lucie Tait-Harris. Lucie goes deep into her experiences with anorexia and bulimia. She describes how they took over her life, putting her in hospital and causing serious depression.

Lucie also describes her journey away from her eating disorders and how she uses exercise in a way to help her recovery.

This is such an honest and open episode and we both hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer - In this episode we talk about disordered eating, mental health issues and other potentially triggering topics.

I spoke with 2 x Olympian Marilyn Okoro about her incredible story from a single-parent home to Olympic athlete. Marilyn gives advice to any student-athletes, sharing her experience of working two jobs and still accomplishing her first call-up to the Commonwealth games during her 3rd year of her undergrad! We also go into the struggles Marilyn experienced during her years in sport, with many coaches acting abusively towards her and labeling her as "too big".

Marilyn has overcome adversities time and time again and now is looking to teach others. She is in the process of writing a book and provides mentoring for people going through similar experiences to her.

You can find Marilyn on social media:

Twitter: @mokoro4

Instagram: @marilynokorooly

Disclaimer - We talk about eating disorders, disordered eating, and body image issues throughout this episode

In this episode, I talk with Dr Carolyn Plateau the researcher, lecturer, and expert in eating disorders from Loughborough University.

Together we explore the definitions surrounding eating disorders and disordered eating, the pressures surrounding the fitness/sports community and how that affects us, and how we all can help people going through these experiences.

To access Dr Plateau's online course click this link: www.deia.org.uk

And here are her contact details:

Twitter: @CarolynPlateau

Email: C.R.Plateau@lboro.ac.uk

Disclaimer - In this episode we talk about disordered eating, exercise addiction, and muscle dysmorphia which could be potentially triggering.

In this episode, I speak with Dr. Ieuan Cranswick who is a researcher and lecturer at Leeds Beckett University. Ieuan and I share an interest in muscularity and the reasons people (like ourselves) feel the drive and compulsion towards muscle-oriented behaviors. We frame the talk around a recent research paper he has had published called '"Oh take some man-up pills": A life-history study of muscles, masculinity, and the threat of injury'. Looking at the reasons people tend to be driven towards these behaviors and what happens when a barrier presents itself (e.g. injury).

To find Ieuan, you can follow him on:

Instagram: @icsportstherapy

Twitter: @ICSportsTherapy

This episode is dedicated to the wonderful sir captain Tom. I and Hannah from the full of beans podcast decided to record this special edition for the 100 challenge. We ask and answer 100 "get to know you better" questions, this is definitely a chilled episode to listen to whilst drinking several cups of tea. We hope you enjoy it.

This weekend, we are celebrating Captain Tom's 101st birthday to raise money for the incredible Captain Tom foundation which supports charities for young people's mental health. You can donate here: https://captaintom.org/captain-tom-100

To find Hannah go follow her on...

Instagram: @thefobpodcast

Twitter: @thefobpodcast

Disclaimer - In this episode we talk about Katie's experiences with an eating disorder and with OCD, these may be potentially triggering so please take care.

In this episode, I talk to Katie Avis, one half of the e.k.nutriton team. I heard Katie's story whilst listening to my friend's podcast "The Full of Beans Podcast" and had to get her on the show!

Katie and I share a lot of things in common, both going through spinal surgery, both going to Durham University, and both experiencing eating disorders.

We delve into Katie's story, talking about her experiences of OCD and anorexia and how these manifested during her university life. Katie also shares her experience and advice surrounding CBT (Cognitive behavioral therapy) as a so-called expert after going through it twice, once for OCD and once for Anorexia.

To find Katie you can follow her nutrition business on Instagram: @e.k.nutrition

In this episode, I speak with elite high jumper and commonwealth games athlete, Jayne Nisbet. Jayne's story of battling through her eating disorder, nearly losing her dream opportunity but eventually making it to the Glasgow commonwealth games is inspiring.

We talk about Jayne's experiences with bulimia, what it was like to be an elite athlete with an eating disorder and whether athletes are at higher risk of developing these issues.

You can purchase Jayne's eating disorder recovery book here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Free-ed-Free-Yourself-Sabotage-Again-ebook/dp/B075KH5PCQ

And you can find Jayne herself on social media:

Instagram: @jaynenisbet

Twitter: @_beYOUtiful_U

Disclaimer - In today's episode we talk about eating disorders and suicidal thoughts, please take care if you choose to listen.

In today's episode I talk to Laura Beth, the ultra-distance runner and volunteer at First Steps ED.

Laura shares her experiences with bulimia and with depression. We go into how Laura began developing disordered thoughts towards food at 7 years old, how this slowly transitioned into bulimia and how she has now found a place where she can help others through her work with the charity First Steps ED. Me and Laura also discuss how gym environments can help and hinder eating disorder recovery and we talk about our experiences taking medication for our mental health.

You can find Laura on Instagram: @laura_beth__

In this episode, I speak with Char (@Charmacpt), the female powerlifter and owner of Unified strength gym.

In this episode, we go through so many different topics, from the negative pressure that got Char started in lifting, to her experiences of 7 years of counseling. Char also gives her advice to those who own/work in a gym and want to create a supportive environment. She also shares what she does to support her own mental health in day-to-day life.

Char is truly strong of mind and body, I really hope you all enjoy this chat!

You can find Charl in Instagram: @charmacpt

In this episode, I speak with Hannah from the incredible new eating disorder podcast The Full of Beans Podcast.

Hannah speaks to us about her experiences growing up around disordered eating behaviour, experiencing an eating disorder, being diagnosed with atypical anorexia, her road to recovery and her current experiences.

Hannah told me afterwards that this is the first time she has spoken about some of these things so please do give her all the praise she deserves!

You can find Hannah on her podcasts platforms:

Instagram: @thefobpodcast

Twitter: @thefobpodcast

DISCLAIMER - this episode touches on many difficult subjects, including sexual assault. Please take care if you decide to listen.

Today I speak with my friend Rob, he has been through so much in his life and this podcast is dedicated to his triumph over these adversities. We speak about Rob's difficulties at school, being picked on for being gay and dealing with eating issues, his struggles through university, with alcoholism and assault, and his post-uni life where he hit rock bottom before he started to turn things around.

Rob is now working on a doctorate and is delivering counseling, using his experiences to help others.

I was holding back tears on multiple occasions during this episode, I hope you all enjoy!

Follow Rob on Instagram: @robertjonescounselling

In this episode, I talk to Luke Burrows, the founder of Grow2Gether the personal growth community.

We discuss how Luke turned his life around from severe anxiety to now being the CEO of this inspiring community. Luke talks about his personal growth mindset and we discuss our methods to improve the way we think.

Check out Luke on Insta: @reallukeburrows

And Check out Grow2Gether too: @Grow2Gether

In this episode, I talk about my experiences with muscle dysmorphia, disordered eating, and exercise addiction.

I recorded this episode a while ago and never got round to posting because I was worried it wasn't structured well enough. But now I figured this may be helpful for some people to listen to my rambles about my experiences, so here goes...

Go check out MyoMinds.com

This episode is a special edition for Eating Disorder Awareness Week 2021. I am joined by author, award winning mental health campaigner and public speaker Hope Virgo as well as specialist CAMHS nurse, with 25 years of experience in eating disorder services, Mark Taylor.

We talk about all things eating disorder: personal experiences, the positives and negatives of services for people with eating disorders, the issues with government movements towards obesity, what to do if you want help for an eating disorder and what people who work in exercise/sport can do to help people with eating disorders.

This really is an episode for anybody and everybody who is interested in eating disorders. 

You can find our guests here:

Hope Virgo:

Twitter: @HopeVirgo

Instagram: @hopevirgo_

Mark Taylor: 

Twitter: @MaarkTaaylor

His podcast (The eating disorder insights podcast)Twitter: @ED_Insights_Pod

UK ED support:

BEAT eating disorder charity: https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk

First Steps ED charity: https://firststepsed.co.uk

ED service app: https://www.chasingthestigma.co.uk

Worldwide ED support:

This website lists support all over the world: https://www.feast-ed.org/worldwide-list-of-ed-advocacy-organizations/

In this episode, I speak with the 2017 Mr Universe Luke Bagster. We share a mutual love for bodybuilding and in this episode we go through the ins and outs of being a professional bodybuilder.

Luke reveals the intense pressure he put on himself and put on him by the culture surrounding bodybuilding. We discuss the constant feelings of not being big enough or lean enough and the stress to always look and act as a dominating presence.

As the podcast goes on Luke gives his advice for gym-goers and aspiring bodybuilders to still train and eat to excel in the sport but also not consume themselves with pressure and stress.

To find Luke you can follow him on Instagram: @granitebagster

In today's episode, I speak with (soon to be Dr) Rachel Langbein, a PhD student and ex-endurance athlete whose first academic paper has recently been published.

Rachel has spent the last 3 years researching the experiences of athletes who have gone through Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S). RED-S is a blanket term for the repercussions that come from low energy input in athletes/exercisers.

We share a lot of areas of interest and go down many different paths. This was such a fun and interesting episode to record, and I hope you all enjoy it!

You can find Rachel on:

Insta: @rachellangbein

Twitter: @rachellangbein

And you can find her published work here:

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02640414.2021.1883312?forwardService=showFullText&tokenAccess=H7R79UG8HA9JZNJU849F&tokenDomain=eprints&doi=10.1080%2F02640414.2021.1883312&doi=10.1080%2F02640414.2021.1883312&doi=10.1080%2F02640414.2021.1883312&target=10.1080%2F02640414.2021.1883312&journalCode=rjsp20

In this episode, I speak with Alex, who tells me all about his experiences battling with poor mental health whilst living underwater, with hardly any connection to the outside world. This episode is so interesting and gave me a new perspective on the lives of people doing these kinds of jobs.

You can find Alex on his Instagram account @alex.journal.journey

In this episode, we are joined by a man with so many weird, wonderful, and sometimes scary experiences. Donato has worked previously as a mental health nurse, he has won multiple social media awards, he has interviewed some incredible people and also now happens to be an international standard distance runner!

We talk about the idea of seeing things as objective (not good or bad), about Donato's wonderful community and we hear about Donato's, multiple, life-threatening experiences.

I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did. We continued speaking for a good hour or so even after I stopped the recording!

You can find Donato on Instagram: @poetwithpace

Youtube: Donato G Poet with Pace

Facebook: Poet with Pace

Twitter: @PoetwithPace

In this episode, I talk with Joss Walden, Masters student in Health Psychology, BEAT ambassador, and Taste Life course facilitator.

This conversation is filled with insights into eating disorders as Joss tells me about her work with Taste Life, a course designed to have people recover from an eating disorder, Her lived experience with anorexia and delves into her interest of the neuropsychology of eating disorders.

Make sure you give Joss a follow on Instagram:

@honeyareyouhappy

@Joscelinejoy

And on Twitter:

@Josswalden

So I haven't posted in a while on social media and I haven't been releasing any podcasts, what's happened?

The truth is, I've been struggling with my own mental health. In this podcast, I talk about what I have been going through for the past couple of months and at the end, I give my tips to help you if you've been struggling.

Warning - this contains some possibly triggering moments about self-harm and suicide.

Ben and I talk about the power fitness influencers have and how some are using it to, whether knowingly or not, promote disordered eating thoughts and behaviours.

We speak about Ben's recent controversy with comments on a Gymshark sponsored athlete as well as our opinions on the current culture surrounding fitness. We then go onto talking about Ben's personal history with disordered eating and compulsive exercise, the reason he is so passionate about debunking this misinformation.

Give Ben a follow on Instagram/TikTok: @bgjfit

I spoke with David Cotterill, the ex-professional football player, mental health consultant, and a member of the Crystal Matrix team.

In this episode we delve into the experiences of David's life, growing up with huge pressures to excel in his sport. This led to serious mental health difficulties for David, which showed itself through self harm and drinking alcohol. During this conversation, David gives us the perspective of a professional athlete, what it is like to be judged by millions of people each week, and how he coped.

Check out David on social media:

Instagram: @Davidcotterill11

Twitter: @Cotterill_david

Also, check out the Crystal Matrix:

Website: https://crystalmatrixmethod.com/

Instagram: @thecrystalmatrixmethod

I spoke with professional strongman Luke Fullbrook, Luke has competed at The Worlds Strongest Masters competition and Britians strongest man. He is a personal trainer and S&C coach and has recently suffered a severe tricep injury.

In this conversation we go over Luke's life adversities, being bullied at school, dealing with suicide in the family, and the crippling comparison that comes with being a strength athlete. Luke also shares his experiences with counseling, training with the 2017 Worlds Strongest Man Eddie Hall, and how he deals with social media pressures.

I spoke with Ben who is a Loughborough University student and the founder of the upcoming app SPOT, which plans to connect people through exercise.

We talk about a wide range of topics, from finding who you are to the toxic nature of bodybuilding social media. We also talk a lot about how social media seems to drive us all to portray ourselves in a certain way and limits us to thriving outside of this definition.

To check out Ben and SPOT go follow the Instagram: @meetlivespot

I speak with my friend Guille about dieting tracking for eating disorders.

Those of you who have followed MyoMinds for a while may remember Guille, he helped us with some posts and with promoting. Myself and Guille have lived experience with eating disorders but we differ in one specific way. For myself, tracking my diet was a catalyst for my ED, making it worse and worse over time, but for Guille tracking helped him recover from his ED.

So in this episode we have an open discussion about our ED experiences and how tracking affected us. We hope you enjoy!

Hope Virgo is an award winning mental health campaigner and the founder of the #Dumpthescales campaign trying to remove the BMI requirement to receive help for an eating disorder that is currently in place.

In this episode, we talk about Hope's experiences with an eating disorder and delve more into how exercise played a role in her experience. We also talk about the power of social media, giving our tips on how to make it less toxic. We also discuss how great talking and sharing your emotions with others can be and share our tips on how to get the most out of these conversations.

To find Hope, check out her website: http://hopevirgo.com/index.html

Her social media: @hopevirgo_

And please go sign her petition (currently has over 100,000 signatures): https://www.change.org/p/eating-disorders-are-not-just-about-weight-dumpthescales

Carly is one half of the duo (Alongside Leah) with set up the campaign WorkEDout. They are fighting to raise awareness and education surrounding eating disorders in the fitness community.

In this episode, we learn about Carly and Leah's story and the barriers of a PT and client relationship when an eating disorder is involved. We also touch on the research that they completed, finding that half of the PT's they asked had experienced disordered eating at some point.

Carly gives some advice for PT's who experience a client with disordered eating and together we also share our experiences of talking about mental health for the first time.

I really enjoyed this conversation, to find out more about the WorkEDout campaign check out their website: https://workedout.co.uk/

Or their social media: @workedoutcampaign

Mark is a personal trainer who has recently began his project to help indirviduals with mental health issues get into the gym.

Mark has personal experiences struggling with suicidal thoughts that led to an event that changed his life. This moment made Mark realise he needed a new purpose and began to daunting commitment to a more physically active life. There were ups and downs but Mark is now doing all he can to help other people improve their lives the same way he improved his.

To find Mark check out his website: https://www.mdthept.com/

Or his social media: @mdpt.mentalandphysicalfitness

I spoke with Troy (aka @The_Weightlifting_Lawyer) about personal experiences with poor mental health and how exercise plays a role in both our lives.

A recent masters graduate in Law and powerlifter, Troy is also known for his openness about his personal mental health struggles. In this chat we both share our experiences with poor mental health, sharing stories and revealing how we now cope day to day. Troy also opens up about his past struggles with alcohol and how he found a way to now be over 16 months sober.

The podcast is filled with raw and emotional moments from two fitness loving men, as we both try to be as honest and open as we can.

Please go follow Troy on instagram: @The_weightlifting_lawyer

I spoke with psychotherapist Rob Smith about the role of trauma in the development of disordered eating and compulsive exercise in exercisers, athletes and the general population. Rob also teaches us about some of the neuroscience behind these behaviours, explaining the physiological response to traumatic events.

We also explore real world applications of the theories after I open up about my own personal experiences.

Make sure you check out the charity Rob works for First Steps ED:

www.firststepsed.co.uk

@firststepsed

And Rob's practice and youtube videos:

www.robsmithpsychotherapy.co.uk

@RobSmithPsychotherapy (Social Media)

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsBkWEhJSh9MSev7FIlMCvg

I spoke with Brid, the founder of Free With Brid. She works with women who are struggling with binge eating to move away from their fears around food.

Brid and I talk about our personal experiences with binge eating disorder. We learn all about Brid's story of struggling with loneliness whilst at university and while traveling and how this led to her eating disorder.

We both share some insights and details above our experiences and find out we have rather similar stories! Later on in the episode we also go into our recovery process and how Brid now helps others who are going through binge eating episodes.

Make sure you check out Brid's instagram: @freewithbrid

And her website: www.freewithbrid.com

We spoke with elite powerlifter Thomas Davis (TD Smash), getting his thoughts on mental health in the gym, his own experiences and his advice for others.

In this interview we talk about:

- What it is like to be one of only 6 people to bench press 700lbs (317.5kg) raw

- The importance of accepting his personal mental health struggles

- His experiences during COVID-19

- His advice for upcoming strength athletes

Make sure you check out his Instagram: @TDsmash

We spoke with the author of the new book "Suicidal to Superhuman", Mike Dayem. Mike wrote this thought provoking book to share his knowledge, hoping to help people understand the struggles of suicide and how to thrive from that place.

This book is helpful not only for those struggling but for anyone who wants to improve their own self awareness, mindfulness or wants to further understand mental health. In this interview we speak about:

. How suicidal thoughts can lead to positives

. The importance of discovering your authentic self

. The trap of the "auto pilot" and tips to avoid it

. Mike's views on exercise for mental health

Make sure you check out Mike's book and up coming programs on his website: https://www.mikedayem.com/

And check out his Instagram: @mikedayem

We spoke with award winning GP, author, clinical advisor for @studentmindsorg and mental health consultant Dr Dominique Thompson.

Drawing from her expertise we hear Dom’s views on:

. Perfectionism in life and in the fitness/sport community

. What to do if you think you might be struggling with disordered eating or compulsive exercise

. The reasons some GP’s may struggle to help with an eating disorder (with tips for you to work around it!)

. And more!

A fantastic insight from an expert! Don’t forget to check out Dom’s TED talks and books, which are linked on her website: https://buzzconsulting.co.uk

And make sure you follow Dom on social media:

IG/Facebook/Twitter: @drdomthompson

LinkedIn: Dominique Thompson

We spoke to Clair who is the co-founder of Emotion-In-Motion. There aim is to help young people improve their mental health through dance expression and psychoeducation. In this interview we spoke about:

. The ins and outs of Emotion-In-Motion

. How dance can improve mental health

. What psychoeducation is and how it can improve your life

. Eating disorders and the stigmas that surround them

Make sure you check out Emotion-In-Motion:

Website: https://www.emotion-in-motion.org/

Instagram/Facebook: @emotioninmotion.empowerment

Also check out the founders at: @sweetassassincb @hakimsaber @raincrew

In this interview we speak with Jason Lampkin, ex-professional footballer at Manchester United and Aston Villa and now one of the co-founders of MyFootballMind.

We talk to Jason about:

. Issues in academy football from his experiences at Man Utd

. How comparing to others can be positive and negative

. Warnings when looking at fitness advertising

and more!

Make sure you check out Jason at:

Insta: @jslampkin

And of course check out the awesome new company MyFootballMind at:

Insta: @myfootballmind

Facebook: myfootballmind

Website: https://www.myfootballmind.com/

We interviewed Gurpreet from Brixton Yoga, we talk about:

. The meaning of "yoga"

. How yoga can improve the way we think and feel

. The importance of the mind-body connection and more!

Brixton yoga have now offered over 100 days of free online yoga during the COVID-19 lockdown (getting 100+ households in some classes) and continue to do so.

Make sure you check them out on Instagram: @brixtonyoga

And on their website: https://www.brixtonyoga.co.uk/

You can also contact them on: info@brixtonyoga.co.uk

We spoke to AfN registered associate nutritionist Louise who runs the freelance nutrition company Loutritious. In this video we get to know Louise as she reveals the issues with current diet culture, how it affects us and how we can begin to unravel it to improve our relationship with food. We also discuss the pitfalls in nutrition degrees, at undergraduate level and masters level providing tips for any aspiring or current nutrition or fitness professionals.

You can find more about Louise at: https://www.loutritious.com/

Instagram/twitter: @loutritious

Or email her at: loutritious@outlook.com