BONUS: Diet Culture & Disordered Eating with Francesca Rose
Going deep through the layers of eating disorders, supporting loved ones, and finding the way back to self love. One of the most powerful conversations yet...
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Introduction
[1:42] Meet Francesca:
Francesca Annenberg of Francesca Eats Roses is an author, blogger, vegan chef and yoga teacher – and aspiring ED counselor. She has been in recovery from an eating disorder for the last 12 years and she shares her journey and insights on her Instagram page, @francescaeatsroses. She is the author of the ebook, Eat With The Moon, a guide and recipe book on how to naturally balance female hormones, which has received over 69 000 downloads.
[2:42] Francesca and I met at a festival in Guatemala!
PART ONE: Francesca's Story
[3:32] 1. I’ve loved meeting you and getting to know you. Could you tell the listeners and I a bit more about your story? Specifically your inspiring strength from battling with eating disorders, hormone imbalances, and coming back to self love.
Francesca grew up with an interest in food and wellness and movement. She was involved in ballet, sports, and horseback riding. From a very young age she felt that wellness and healthy eating was worked into her identity. Always one of the smaller students in the class, she identified as “small,” also a late bloomer.
She is often very shy, and describes it as a defence mechanism of afraid to be wrong, and not perfect. There was a strong drive to succeed in school and in the ballet culture, without feeling rejected or embarrassing herself.
Her eating disorder developed as “the most obvious coping mechanism for” herself. It was something she felt she learned and developed as a way to cope in the world. She felt it helped her maintain her “small person” identity and also to reject her tough feelings that she didn't want to engage in. It allowed her to be numb to the bad feelings, but also to the good feelings as well.
After finishing school things got pretty bad, and she entered an eating disorder clinic for eating disorder treatments. At the time she didn't want to be there and she didn't believe she needed help.Bus she says that the clinic was something that “really kicked me in the right direction.” Since then it's been a long and interesting journey.
Another big part is when she decided to go off the contraceptive pill. After thinking about going off the pill, she decided to stop (cold turkey), while travelling in Spain at a yoga retreat. She doesn't recommend this method of going off the pill, however it was a very big step in her recovery. Travelling also helps Francesca shake things up and to shed some shit.
[11:50] #2. How were you able to overcome some of those big challenges? What was the turning point into your recovery?
The clinic, and the people who were there was an interesting thing for me to see
The contraceptive pill was another. There was pressure from other people, and an internal and external journey of taking care of her health.
A Podcast called Food Psych by Christy Harrison – it was the first time Francesca thought about intuitive eating and many other parts of the diet culture that has helped her more recently.
For recovery to be completely sustainable and long-lasting, it has to come from within. But also considering the pain she put her parents and her friends through.
The eating disorder can be a very selfish thing, and a very “me-focused” thing, and brooding her perspective allowed her to see the concern for her loved-ones
[15:18] #3. How do you think your journey has shaped who you are today?
“If it wasn't for the struggles and this pain, I wouldn't have gotten into deeper self-awareness and self-discovery…
At a point the eating disorder served to protect me, but now it's time to let this go…
It's given me more depth; without the darkness, there's no light…
So in a way it's given me more clarity and direction, and connected me with so many people. It's shaped me in many ways, but it's also not me.“
[18:28] #4. What are some practical and/or holistic practices or tools one can use for support in their healing journey when struggling with disordered eating?
Therapy; group therapy
Dieticians (or someone who can provide customized meal plans); someone to guide you through intuitive eating
Play; art; dance; allow the inter child to come out; creativity; get into flow states of having fun
Yoga; exercise (being careful of which type of yoga and exercises you do)
Being in nature; going to the beach
Taking the pressure off the need to do anything specific; don't stress about checking off a goal
Journalling; meditation
Women's groups; women's circles
Working with people who have physical and mental disabilities
Setting boundaries from certain people in real life
Go on “challenge outings”
Social outings; trying new things; go with a friend or mentor
Be in nature
Gratitude at every meal; thinking about how the earth grew the food, how it was prepared; acknowledge how the food will make you feel; pausing before each meal
Changing your routine
Looking at your exercise routine, are you doing it if you're enjoying it?
[27:28] #5. In the case where it isn't you who has the eating disorder, but a close friend or loved-one, how can we support their journey?
Everyone is different, but some things to consider:
DON'T:
Focus on the weight
Make their healing your responsibility
DO:
Focus on internal qualities; what do you love about them from the inside out?
Invite them to connect with nature, and find ways to bring the joy back into their lives
Set boundaries; you can't make this person get better
PART TWO: Recognizing Diet Culture
[31:18] #6. There is a lot of external “stuff” influencing women, and Diet Culture is one of them. What is diet culture exactly?
“Like with any culture, there's a set of beliefs that govern the culture and beliefs that govern the culture and orientation, and diet culture is no different. It is a set of beliefs that we may or may not be aware of. It governs to how we relate to our bodies and to each other…
Diet culture is everywhere. In some ways it's subtle and in some ways it's very loud and pronounced.”
Thin Privilege and the underlying messages that diet culture suggests
[38:29] #7. It's clear to see why diet culture can be dangerous and lead to disordered eating, so how can we resist diet culture?
Educate yourself, and change the conversation, create boundaries, etc.
PART THREE: Solutions & Next Steps
[40:20] #8. I personally have not had an eating disorder, but I have experienced an eating disorder. Something that I have been practicing for the last couple of years is Intuitive Eating. Could you speak on this? What is it, and how does it work?
“Intuitive eating is listening to internal cues rather than external rules.”
– Evelyn Tribole, original Intuitive Eating Pro and creator of the H.A.E.S. (Health At Every Size) Model
It's a practice, and with practice it gets easier; you'll become stronger and more empowered every time.
[41:53] #9. Francesca, I've got to be honest with you, I LOVE food! And I was drooling over your Instagram and website! Tell us all about your vegan meals/recipes, your ebooks, and where we can get them!
Instagram: @francescaeatsroses
Website: www.FrancescaEatsRoses.com
Ebook: Eat with the Moon
PART FOUR: Rapid Fire Round
[46:08] 1. What are you currently reading? Or favourite book?
Women Who Run with the Wolves [Buy it Here!]
Daring Greatly by Brene Brown [Buy it Here!]
A Return to Love by Marianne Williamson [Buy it Here!]
[47:18] 2. What do you love most about being a woman?
I love that I'm a woman and can connect with women. Being able to dance intuitively in this round-circular way. I love the polarity of my inner child and my inner mother. The playfulness and the nurturing and being able to feel and share them both at the same time. All the different female archetypes that we can play with. I love the softness, and compassion that emanates form women very naturally. Being able to create.
[48:29] 3. What does “Empowerment” mean to you?
To be empowered is to have the privilege to be my most authentic self. Doing what I love without fear, judgement, doubt, or shame. When I'm aligned and clear and not only inspired but also inspiring others.
[49:25] 4. What are you currently working toward?
Currently working on myself. Working on myself and a more aligned version of myself. Lots of exciting physical projects that are happening? May happen? Will happen? But really the focus is working on myself. Shedding the layers that are holding me back. Working on being able to give and receive love more openly. I'm also working on my communication skills. Being able to voice when I'm not feelings safe, voice when something doesn't feel right to me, voice when I'm upset. Working on being more open and vulnerable around others. Working on accepting my body. It doesn't necessarily have to be body love all the time but just kind of acceptance. Working on softening and surrendering. working on accepting my desires and pursuing them without shame. Showing up authentically as much as possible. So it's a lot of work.”
DEEPEST GRATITUDE & THANK YOU FRANCESCA!!!
Podcast Host
Valerie LaVigne
Valerie is the creator and founder of Valerie LaVigne Life and the Women's Empowerment Show. She helps busy and empowered women create healthy habits so that they can become the best version of themselves and transform their lives. Learn more about Valerie here!
