The holidays used to fill me with panic and dread. But since recovery from disordered eating and dieting, my mind has shifted focus. Free from hours of obsessing about food, exercise, and my body, I now have much more time to focus on what I’m thankful for. That’s why I want to share 8 recovery resources I’m grateful for this holiday.
8 Recovery Resources I Love
1. HAES Health Sheet Library
Link: HAES Health Sheets Library
The Health At Every Size Health Sheets are a wonderful resource. These sheets were created to give weight-neutral, evidence-based care options for many common health conditions. Unfortunately people in larger bodies are often NOT given evidence-based care when doctors ignorantly prescribe weight loss for serious medical concerns.
In our fatphobic culture, all too often health issues are incorrectly blamed on weight. The medical industrial complex is one of the most fatphobic systems in our world. Sadly people typically receive fat shaming and poor advice when they visit doctors. Or even worse, they avoid doctors out of fear for how they will be treated.
One of my favorite recovery resources
Check out this website if you’re afraid that letting go of restrictions will lead to poor health. Or if you’ve been told by a medical professional that you “need to lose weight” in order to handle a health issue.
Not only does this site include health sheets for 12 different conditions, but it also discusses why intentional weight loss should never be recommended for health concerns. Some resources include printable self advocacy cards for doctor appointments, books and articles about Health at Every Size, and links to research regarding the harmful effects of dieting and weight stigma
2. Food Psych- The Podcast
Link: Food Psych- The Podcast
This podcast hosted by Christy Harrison is an amazing place to dive in if you’re ready to learn about the ways dieting and diet culture harm us all. In her weekly episodes Christy answers listener questions and interviews a wide variety of guests. She also openly shares her own experiences of healing from disordered eating and becoming an anti-diet dietitian and writer.
Christy’s book AntiDiet – Reclaim Your Time, Money, Well-Being, and Happiness Through Intuitive Eating is another excellent resource. I highly recommend this helpful book for anyone interested in learning about the ways diet culture steals our joy.
3. SabrinaStrings.com
Link: SabrinaStrings.com
Sabrina Strings is the author of the eye opening book Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia. This book is a must read for anyone interested in the history of fatphobia and how it evolved. Learning that diet culture has it’s roots in racism was a game changer for me on my personal journey. My battle to recover from an eating disorder took on new meaning as I began to understand the social justice aspect of this work.
Recovery is about making choices in life that align with our personal values. For me, acceptance of all people regardless of their race or or a size is important. Seeing the humanity in every person regardless of what they look like is a value of mine. Pursuing thinness is directly in opposition from this value.
At SabrinaStrings.com you can learn more about the book, Strings’ work, and links to numerous podcasts she has been interviewed on. Check it out here.
4. Recovery Warriors
Link: Recovery Warriors
Recovery Warriors is a multimedia resource hub for all things related to eating disorder recovery. Their website includes hundreds of articles about food, mind, and body from professionals and survivors of eating disorders. Recovery Warriors also produces a wide variety of podcasts and offers virtual programs to help people heal.
Recovery Warriors holds a very special place in my heart. I stumbled upon their website in 2016, when I was at a very low point of my journey. I couldn’t believe I was still struggling with food and body into my 40’s. I’d begun to worry I may never be free of the chaos and despair in my head.
Recovery resources can change your life.
When I found The Recovery Warrior Podcast, I listened to episode after episode. I couldn’t believe my ears as I heard warrior after warrior share their stories of hope and healing. There is something trans formative about realizing you’re not alone. A tiny seed of hope grew within me and I finally started to believe that maybe I could recover after all. Because of the podcast, I decided to reach out for help, eventually sought treatment, and found recovery.
In 2017 I worked up the courage to submit some of my writing to Recovery Warriors and as I found my voice I went on to become a lead contributor and eventually the Editor of their online magazine. Check out RW here.
5. Isabel Foxen Duke’s Website
Link: Isabel Foxen Duke Website
If you aren’t familiar with Isabel, I encourage you to check out her page here. Her free video training series is a brilliant starting point for this work, and you get access to it by simply entering your email on her site. Her blog is filled with short to the point writings about how to break free from dieting and binging. She’s been a guest on dozens of podcasts. Her quick wit and to the point advice is life changing for so many people struggling with food and body issues.
As my mentor, Isabel has personally guided me through my journey of recovery. I was lucky enough to study under her and obtained my coaching certification through her professional mentorship training.
6. Dances with Fat/ Ragen Chastain
Link: Dances With Fat Website
This website, put together by fat activist Ragen Chastain, is overflowing with helpful information for anyone working to challenge our current diet culture. As an athlete, writer, self identified fat person, and activist, Ragen helps people all over the world stand up to our fatphobic society and take back their lives. Her work includes speaking to doctors and medical professionals to educate them about Health at Every Size as she advocates for fair and just treatment of all patients, regardless of their weight or size.
Her blog is filled with helpful information including advice for how to fight for weight neutral health care. For a small monthly fee, members of her page get access to monthly workshops, an online workshop video library, as well as exclusive content. I highly recommend signing up for her blog updates as well as her membership here.
7. More-Love Org
Link: More-Love Org
This is my favorite resource for any parent concerned about raising kids who are free from body shame, eating issues, and eating disorders. This comprehensive website contains articles and numerous resources such as a scientific research library, a weight neutral professional directory, and an online parenting course. All parents concerned about raising a resilient child in our diet obsessed culture should check out the website here.
8. Tabatha Farrar’s YouTube Channel
Link: Tabatha Farrar’s YouTube Channel
If you’re looking for a no nonsense approach to recovering from restriction- check out Tabatha Farrar’s YouTube page. Her sassy personality delivers honest and helpful advice as she answers questions from viewers. Tabitha is an anorexia survivor, coach, author of multiple books (which I highly recommend), as well as an animal lover. If you’re ready for some encouragement to truly nourish yourself and get on with your life, check out her videos here.
There they are, my top 8 favorite recovery resources.
Bookmark this page so you can come back to it any time. Please share this page with anyone you think will benefit from it. I hope these recovery resources are useful for you. My wish is for you to find freedom from food and body obsessions so you may connect with yourself and your loved ones this holiday season.
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