I’m standing on the starting line and I’m not thinking about the race I’m about to run. I’m not thinking about how tired I am or how weak I feel. I’m thinking about the size of the legs of the girls on the line next to me. I’m thinking about how much bigger my legs are than theirs. I’m telling myself – I’m not sick enough. I’m sitting at the dinner table with a friend, amidst the closest thing to a relapse I’d ever experienced. “With her, I could just tell. I could never really see it with you.” I

The end-of-the-year holiday season is officially upon us! Whether or not you consider yourself festive, this time of the year inevitably comes with social gatherings centered around food. The purpose of this post is to share the effects Thanksgiving can have for people who have a difficult time around food and some tips to help navigate this busy time. Gathering Around the Table…Can be Stressful In the U.S., Thanksgiving and Christmas are known as the two “eating holidays” in which individuals will consume the highest caloric intake of the year, averaging around 14% more than usual (Dannibale, 2014). The entire

Millions of individuals struggle with binge-eating disorder (BED), characterized by overeating during periods marked with loss of control and followed by lasting distress and guilt. These struggles are highly misunderstood and commonly attributed to a lack of self-discipline and restraint, rather than a true neuropsychiatric eating disorder. Contrary to this belief, BED is a severe condition that can disrupt an individual’s quality of life and may require behavioral treatment and medication (Hunnicutt, 2020). This blog post discusses the groundbreaking discovery of a gene linked to BED, which may further pharmacological applications by improving targeted gene therapy. Previous research has shown

This week, the Living F.R.E.E. Lab wants to highlight some Black nutritionists, influencers, and authors who spread positive messages about body image and eating. The women featured in this post have all done amazing work to bust the myths behind diet-culture and encourage other women to become their most confident selves. By sharing their personal experiences and expertise, they push for the voices of other Black women to be heard. Representation is incredibly important in the health and wellness community, a community in which Black women have been excluded from for far too long. Maya Feller, MS, RD, CDN Maya