The Blog

Chewing and Spitting: Why It Happens and How to Stop

Aug 11.2025

Learn why chewing and spitting happens, its risks, and how to stop for good. A compassionate, practical guide for eating disorder recovery and food freedom.

Link to Chewing and Spitting: Why It Happens and How to Stop

How To Make Recovery Simple

Jul 11.2023

One of the things I hear most from potential clients is how overwhelming and confusing recovery can feel. Today I’m sharing a framework that will change this and show you how to make recovery simple.

Bulimia Recovery - Seven Health: Eating Disorder Recovery and Anti Diet Nutritionist

Bulimia recovery is something I regularly help clients with. As part of this article, I want to describe what bulimia is, some of the misconceptions about it, how it can shift over time and how to get the support that you need so bulimia is a thing of the past.

Now Open To New Clients

Jul 3.2023

Are you looking for eating disorder recovery coaching? For a limited time I’m currently open to new clients.

The Fundamentals Of Full Recovery Webinar Replay

May 12.2023

I’m starting a new group program called The Fundamentals Of Full Recovery. This is a replay of the webinar explaining what’s included in the program.

Link to The Fundamentals Of Full Recovery Webinar Replay

Feeling Cold All The Time

Feb 15.2023

Feeling cold all the time is one of the most common symptoms that clients experience. And far from being just an annoying side effect of an eating disorder, it affects physical symptoms, psychology and the most likely choices. In this article I talk about why it happens and why it’s crucial to correct it.

Weight Gain Even While Restricting

Feb 8.2023

Weight gain is without doubt the biggest fear that clients have. And this is made even worse if weight gain starts to happen, even while restricting. In this post, I explain how this can happen.

Link to Weight Gain Even While Restricting

How To Overcome Orthorexia

Jan 30.2023

Orthorexia is something the public has a growing awareness of but there are still many unhelpful stereotypes with it. In this post I explain what orthorexia is, some of the misconceptions about it and how to overcome it.

The Eating Disorder Voice

Nov 23.2022

It’s common with eating disorders to talk about the “eating disorder self” and the “healthy self.” In the blog post, I talk about how you can be stopped being pushed around by the eating disorder thoughts.

Life Beyond An Eating Disorder

Nov 14.2022

In the post I look at three ideas that I took from Johanna Kandel’s book Life Beyond An Eating Disorder that we didn’t get to cover during our podcast conversation.

2025
Archive

Chewing and Spitting: Why It Happens and How to Stop

Aug 11.2025

Learn why chewing and spitting happens, its risks, and how to stop for good. A compassionate, practical guide for eating disorder recovery and food freedom.

2023
Archive

How To Make Recovery Simple

Jul 11.2023

Bulimia Recovery

Jul 5.2023

Now Open To New Clients

Jul 3.2023

Are you looking for eating disorder recovery coaching? For a limited time I’m currently open to new clients.

The Fundamentals Of Full Recovery Webinar Replay

May 12.2023

I’m starting a new group program called The Fundamentals Of Full Recovery. This is a replay of the webinar explaining what’s included in the program.

Feeling Cold All The Time

Feb 15.2023

Weight Gain Even While Restricting

Feb 8.2023

Weight gain is without doubt the biggest fear that clients have. And this is made even worse if weight gain starts to happen, even while restricting. In this post, I explain how this can happen.

How To Overcome Orthorexia

Jan 30.2023

2022
Archive

The Eating Disorder Voice

Nov 23.2022

Life Beyond An Eating Disorder

Nov 14.2022

In the post I look at three ideas that I took from Johanna Kandel’s book Life Beyond An Eating Disorder that we didn’t get to cover during our podcast conversation.

Surviving Halloween

Oct 25.2022

Are you worried about surviving Halloween because of your eating disorder, disordered eating or dieting history? Read how one of my clients is approaching it.

Responsive Feeding

Oct 12.2022

What is responsive feeding? Today on the blog I look at responsive feeding in the parent and child relationship, as well as for an adult feeding themselves.

The Stages Of Body Grief

Sep 28.2022

Grief is defined as sorrow caused by loss that is associated with distress. Changes to your body can create grief. As part of the blog post, I cover the different stages of body grief and what they look like.

Counterfactual

Sep 12.2022

A counterfactual is thinking about what did not happen but could have happened. Today on the blog I look at how this kind of thinking can impact on recovery.

9 Recovery Lessons

Sep 6.2022

Today on the blog I’m using Betsy Brenner’s book The Longest Match and my conversation with her to talk about nine recovery lessons.

The Myth Of Effortless Perfection

Aug 10.2022

One of the things that can get in the way of reaching out for support or being able to recover is the myth of effortless perfection. I explain what it is and why it is ok to struggle and find life challenging.

Link to The Myth Of Effortless Perfection

It’s Never Too Late To Recover

Aug 2.2022

No matter your age or how long an eating disorder has been going on, it’s never too late to recover. Today on the blog I’m sharing the experience of Julie, a client I’ve worked with over the last 18 months.

Body Image Issues

Jul 28.2022

Body image issues are something I work on regularly with clients. Today I’m looking at how to improve body image through the lens of body image as a trait and body image as a state.

Bone Health

Jul 5.2022

One of the most common issues I see in clients as a result of disordered eating or an eating disorder is poor bone. Today I’m taking a deep dive into bones: their function, what impacts their growth and density, how they are impacted by restriction, the consequences of low bone density and how bone health is connected to all systems in the body.

Recovery In Midlife

Jun 28.2022

Food issues don’t discriminate based on age and over the last handful of years I have been working with more and more people in midlife and beyond. Today on the blog I look at what at the similarities and the differences in recovery in midlife.

Near Enemies In Recovery

Jun 15.2022

Have you heard of the concept of near enemies and far enemies? Today on the blog I explain what it is and how it relates to recovery.

Supporting A Loved One With An Eating Disorder

Jun 7.2022

Are you asking yourself how you can support a loved one with an eating disorder? Read about Mitch’s experience doing this and what he did to help his wife.

Link to Supporting A Loved One With An Eating Disorder

Pushing Past What’s Acceptable

May 16.2022

In recovery, many people hit a wall where they struggle with pushing past what’s acceptable (or what the eating disorder says is acceptable). On the blog today I talk about how to overcome this hurdle.

Acceptance

May 10.2022

One of the most important traits for recovery is acceptance. In today’s blog I’m looking at what acceptance is and some of the ways it’s needed in recovery.

Quasi Recovery Eating Disorder

Apr 27.2022

Today on the blog I’m sharing a testimonial written by Sarah, a past client of mine. She was trapped in a place of quasi recovery but has now transformed her relationship with food, exercise and herself.

Exposure Therapy For Anxiety And Eating Disorders

Apr 19.2022

Eating disorders can be thought of as anxiety disorders. And the antidote to anxiety is exposure. Today on the blog I look at exposure therapy and how to use it as part of recovery.

Link to Exposure Therapy For Anxiety And Eating Disorders

Terminal Uniqueness In Recovery

Apr 11.2022

Terminal uniqueness is a concept taken from many of the twelve-step programs. In this article, I explain what it is and how it gets in the way of eating disorder recovery.

The Fear of Laziness

Apr 4.2022

One of the most common fears that I talk about with clients is the fear of laziness. This blog post looks at why we fear laziness, the problems this fear creates, and how to change your thinking in a more productive way.

Eating Disorder Recovery Weight Gain

Mar 29.2022

Weight gain in the recovery from an eating disorder is crucial and necessary to the healing process. Unfortunately, this process is often stopped all to early. Today on the blog I talk about why this happens and the consequences that this creates.

Link to Eating Disorder Recovery Weight Gain

Hypothalamic Amenorrhea Recovery

Mar 22.2022

Hypothalamic amenorrhea is a long sounding name. This article explains what it is, what are some of the causes, how it’s diagnosed, what are the consequences (because this is about more than not menstruating) and how you can regain your period again.

Link to Hypothalamic Amenorrhea Recovery

2021
Archive

What To Do After Binge Eating

Nov 9.2021

The question of what to do after binge eating is a common one. This article looks at ideas for both the short term and long term to help make binge eating a thing of the past.

Intuitive Eating Isn’t Working

Oct 8.2021

Intuitive Eating has become much more popular in recent years. But despite this popularity, many people struggle to take the ideas and principles in the book and make it a reality of their lived experience. Today on the blog we are looking at some of the most common stumbling blocks that lead to people feeling like intuitive eating isn’t working.

Falling Down The Eating Disorder Rabbit Hole

Jul 23.2021

Much like YouTube, our mind constantly shows us a stream of content and makes recommendations of things we might also be interested in. This information is often unhelpful and this is especially the case when you have an eating disorder. But there are ways you can change this.

Link to Falling Down The Eating Disorder Rabbit Hole

Ten Beliefs That Prevent Recovery

Jun 9.2021

Eating disorder recovery is difficult and there are many beliefs that prevent recovery. Find out the most common beliefs that keep people stuck and how you can overcome them.

Link to Ten Beliefs That Prevent Recovery

Quasi Recovery

Mar 23.2021

Quasi recovery is the name for when recovery is only partially complete. This is fine if recovery is continuing, but a problem when this becomes a destination. The article explores all the reasons why this can occur and how you can know if you are still in quasi recovery.

Do I Have Binge Eating Disorder?

Mar 8.2021

Binge Eating Disorder is the most commonly diagnosed eating disorder. In this article, we explain what binge eating disorder is, what are the reasons that it occurs, some of the misconceptions about it, and how to get the support that you need so binge eating disorder is a thing of the past.

Link to Do I Have Binge Eating Disorder?

Anorexia Recovery

Feb 23.2021

Anorexia recovery can be a challenging process. Here we explain the diagnosis of anorexia, the many symptoms that arise because of it and the many areas that are focused on as part of recovery.

I Can’t Stop Eating

Feb 16.2021

This weeks blog looks at how common it is for people to believe they can’t stop eating and the many explanations they come up with for this. However, we look at all the factors at play and why this is temporary and not permanent.

2020
Archive

The Fear Of “Overdoing” Recovery

Sep 30.2020

This weeks blog looks at the fears around “overdoing” recovery and what you might be holding on to. It looks at what is really at the heart of recovery.

Link to The Fear Of “Overdoing” Recovery

The Benefits Of A Strong Therapeutic Relationship

Sep 8.2020

Being a good practitioner is about a lot more than scientific knowledge. In this weeks blog, I delve into Motivational Interviewing or Motivational Conversation as I describe it and the importance of a strong therapeutic relationship for change.

Link to The Benefits Of A Strong Therapeutic Relationship

Anxiety And Eating Disorders

Aug 28.2020

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness and are on the rise. For many who suffer from anxiety, they also develop disordered eating, an eating disorder and or over-exercise.

RED-S – Relative Energy Deficiency In Sport

Aug 19.2020

RED-S or Relative Energy Deficiency In Sport demonstrates why exercise isn’t always positive. To benefit from exercise we need adequate rest and energy coming in. And when there is a deficiency in the amount of energy coming in many problems can occur.

Link to RED-S – Relative Energy Deficiency In Sport

The Hypothalamus: Master Controller Of Health

Aug 11.2020

Many people are aware of the hypothalamus’ role in reproduction and being connected to periods ceasing. But it’s role is much bigger than this, being the master controller of all systems in the body (whether directly or indirectly).

Link to The Hypothalamus: Master Controller Of Health

Is My Metabolism Broken?

Aug 4.2020

One of the most common questions I’m asked: Is My Metabolism Broken? There is so much confusion around metabolism. Here we explain what it is, the myths and truths, what slows it down, what supports it and if it can be permanently broken.

What Is Diet Culture?

Jul 28.2020

It used to be easy to know when you are on a diet but that has now changed. Today’s post covers the shift that dieting has taken, with the emergence of “diet culture” and how it leads you away from experiencing true health.

Getting Stuck in Quasi Recovery

Jul 20.2020

The world can make it a difficult place to reach full recovery. This will help you recognise when you are stuck in quasi recovery and some of the reasons that might keep you trapped.

Body Acceptance – 5 Tips You Should Try Today

Jun 15.2020

A detailed list of five practical tips for silencing shame and improving your body image.

Link to Body Acceptance – 5 Tips You Should Try Today

You’re Really Just Hungry

May 25.2020

A deep dive into the sensation of hunger – the different ways it can show up, why it can be hard to hear, and the importance of relearning how to understand the signals our body gives us.

Intuitive Eating Gets Easier, I Promise

May 18.2020

While the intuitive eating journey can be long and winding, it truly does get easier over time. Today’s post covers the challenges of giving up dieting and the reasons why sticking with intuitive eating is still worth it.

Link to Intuitive Eating Gets Easier, I Promise

Binge Eating Breakdown: What it is, What it isn’t, and What to do About it

Apr 20.2020

A in-depth explainer about what actually defines binge eating, what seems like a binge but isn’t, and what you should do about it.

Link to Binge Eating Breakdown: What it is, What it isn’t, and What to do About it

Developing a Healthy Coping Progression

Mar 16.2020

What is a healthy coping progression and how do you develop it? While coping strategies are highly individual, we’re diving into what healthy ones look like and how to find what works for you.

Link to Developing a Healthy Coping Progression

The Unintentional Relapse

Feb 24.2020

Recovery from an eating disorder is hard work, and it’s not always a linear process. Today’s blog post explores unintentional relapses, why they occur, and what to do about them.

Three Things You Should Know About Emotional Eating

Feb 17.2020

Is emotional eating really that bad? What can it tell us about ourselves? What happens when you resist it?

Link to Three Things You Should Know About Emotional Eating

Recovery Would Be Easier If…

Feb 12.2020

Why does it always seem like recovery from disordered eating would be easier if things were different?

Breaking Free of Binge Eating

Feb 3.2020

Sharing some words from a past client who struggled with disordered eating and binge eating for many years before coming to Seven Health.

The Four Phases of Inquiry in Recovery

Jan 27.2020

Diving into the phases of inquiry (curiosity, challenge, possibility, change) and how to use them as a helpful framework during recovery from disordered eating.

Link to The Four Phases of Inquiry in Recovery

Fear is a Poor Motivator (updated version)

Repost

Jan 20.2020

People regularly use fear as a motivator for change. But does it help over the long term or is there a better way to create lifelong habits?

Link to Fear is a Poor Motivator (updated version)

Compensatory Exercise Isn’t Healthy, It’s a Disordered Eating Behavior

Jan 6.2020

Diving into why obsessing over “burning off” the food you eat through exercise is actually a disordered behavior and what to try instead.

Link to Compensatory Exercise Isn’t Healthy, It’s a Disordered Eating Behavior

2019
Archive

Milkshakes, Ice Cream, and Blowing Your Diet

Repost

Dec 13.2019

Why trying hard to avoid eating “bad” foods, feeling guilty when you do, and self-esteem all impact how much you eat and how you feel about it.

Link to Milkshakes, Ice Cream, and Blowing Your Diet

Is It Possible To Overcome Disordered Eating?

Dec 11.2019

My client Alice shares her experience working together to overcome disordered eating and body image and talks about what her life is like now.

Link to Is It Possible To Overcome Disordered Eating?

Do You Know How To Change Your Thoughts?

Oct 23.2019

Discussing how our thoughts and feelings impact our minds and physiology. In addition, I cover three helpful ways to reframe your outlook and change your thoughts.

Link to Do You Know How To Change Your Thoughts?

The Meaning Of Fitness

Repost

Aug 19.2019

Answering questions on fitness, including what it really means, how it’s different depending on your context, and how it’s talked about in the media is usually wrong.

Eating Disorder Recovery

Aug 13.2019

Thoughts directly from a client on eating disorder recovery, what working together has been like, and the changes she's seen in her life.

Repost: Anovulatory Cycles

Repost

Aug 6.2019

What are anovulatory cycles? What causes them? What can you do about it?

Competent Eater vs. Healthy Eater

Aug 3.2019

The problems with healthy eating, and how learning to trust and listen to our bodies can help us become competent eaters instead.

Link to Competent Eater vs. Healthy Eater

What Will People Think Of Me?

Jun 5.2019

Recently, I found I was having the same conversation with a bunch of different clients. And I thought that if they are all asking this question, then there are probably...

Sick Enough

May 14.2019

Over the years, I’ve noticed a particular belief that many of my clients have. And I can only imagine just how many people never even seek help because of this...

Understanding Calorie Requirements

Feb 25.2019

Dealing with people’s misconceptions around calories and what the body really needs to support itself.

Link to Understanding Calorie Requirements

The Problem with Body Positivity

Feb 12.2019

A couple of weekends ago, I went to the London premiere of Fattitude. It’s a documentary about fat discrimination; the prejudice that fat people experience on a day to day...

Link to The Problem with Body Positivity

Digestive Issues When Reintroducing Foods

Feb 5.2019

Over the years, I’ve created many articles and podcasts about different aspects of digestion. I’ve looked at some of the reasons digestive issues occur in recovery. I’ve talked about the benefits of eating slowly. I’ve...

Link to Digestive Issues When Reintroducing Foods

Your Perfect Day (Updated)

Repost

Feb 1.2019

What does your perfect day look like? From what clients tell me, it is much more simple and straightforward than most people would think.

Relative Deprivation (updated version)

Repost

Jan 30.2019

Our impressions or feelings about a situation are not about absolutes, but are in comparison to the social norms that we are exposed to. Rather than comparing ourselves globally, we compare ourselves to the people in the “same boat as ourselves”.

Link to Relative Deprivation (updated version)

Weight as a Moral Issue (updated version)

Repost

Jan 25.2019

While weight concerns and even “fat shaming” is couched in “concerns about someone’s health,” it’s really about morality.

Link to Weight as a Moral Issue (updated version)

Your Body Is A Manor House

Jan 23.2019

The analogy of your body being like a manor house is a helpful way to inspire appreciation while at the same time understanding what it takes to look after it (or repair it following times of neglect).

How’s Your Sleep?

Jan 18.2019

Surprising factors I see with my clients that contribute to poor sleep and what changes you can make to improve your sleep.

Understanding Self-Care

Repost

Jan 15.2019

Self-care is more than bubble baths and massages. It should be bigger picture and be about how you run your life and make healthful choices on a daily basis

Do You Know What’s Causing Your Health Problems?

Repost

Jan 11.2019

The causes of our health problems are not always as obvious to us as they may appear.

Link to Do You Know What’s Causing Your Health Problems?

2018
Archive

Why Is Change So Hard?

Oct 16.2018

Making change seems like it should be easy. You decide it’s a good idea and you want to try. Then why is it so common that nothing happens and not much actually changes?

Why do Digestive Issues Occur in Recovery?

Aug 20.2018

Digestive Issues In Recovery I was recently doing an audit of my past clients, going through the records for each client I’ve worked with over the last couple of years....

Link to Why do Digestive Issues Occur in Recovery?

How Restriction Impacts on Your Health

Aug 10.2018

How Restriction Impacts on Your Health One of the most common reasons people come to me for help is because they want “control with their food”. Unfortunately, their current experience...

Link to How Restriction Impacts on Your Health

The Opportunity Cost of Dieting

Jul 30.2018

The Opportunity Cost Of Dieting It’s now pretty common advice to hear that “you need to get better at saying no”. Because we constantly take too much on, we don’t...

Is Your Memory As Accurate As You Think?

Jul 18.2018

On flashbulb memories and how our memories of certain events, no matter how important or influential, can begin to change over time.

Link to Is Your Memory As Accurate As You Think?

How To Change Your Mind

Jul 10.2018

Do you feel like the way you think about the world or yourself is permanent? Or that your personality is set because “that’s just the way you are?” By looking at meditation, LSD and the default mode network, we explore if this is really the case.

What’s Causing Your Health Problems?

Jul 3.2018

The human body is incredibly resilient. It can take extended periods of neglect or overwork and still continue to function as if everything is fine. However, there’s a downside to...

Link to What’s Causing Your Health Problems?

What Do You Really Want?

May 22.2018

How discovering who you really are and what you like doing is the best way to find joy and fulfillment.

Observing Your Emotions

May 10.2018

Can learning to view our emotions as an observer help shorten the amount of time the uncomfortable ones stick around?

Is It Helpful Or Harmful?

Mar 13.2018

How do we start to recognize when “healthy eating” has crossed the line from improving overall health to detracting from it?

Why Is My Period Irregular or Absent? Two Common Reasons

Feb 27.2018

Why Is My Period Irregular Or Absent? Irregular and absent periods, as well as the many unpleasant symptoms that can occur leading up to and during your period, are surprisingly...

Link to Why Is My Period Irregular or Absent? Two Common Reasons

Overcoming Dieting

Feb 14.2018

Last week, Weight Watchers announced that it plans to offer free memberships to teenagers in the US. Let me give my two cents.

Fear of Vegetables

Jan 17.2018

When vegetables are a food you associate with dieting, what does it mean when you start craving them?

The Rider, The Elephant, And The Path

Jan 3.2018

It’s that time of year again, the time of “new year, new you!” The time when people make big plans to change their life…and invariably change very little.

Link to The Rider, The Elephant, And The Path

2017
Archive

The Stories We Tell Ourselves About Our Weight

Dec 20.2017

A client recently sent me an email telling me about a show she’d watched called The Truth About Slim People. She wanted to know what I thought about it. I...

Link to The Stories We Tell Ourselves About Our Weight

The Health Halo

Dec 6.2017

Exploring the “health halo” and how our perception of food can alter our consumption of it.

Expectations, Restrictions, and Binges

Nov 22.2017

Exploring when a binge is actually a binge and when it’s just skewed perception.

Link to Expectations, Restrictions, and Binges

Health and “Lifestyle Factors”

Aug 14.2017

How much do “lifestyle factors” really affect our health? And how much control do we really have over them?

The Benefits of Eating Slowly

Aug 2.2017

How eating slowly increases mindfulness and can improve health.

How Objective Is Nutritional Science?

Jul 19.2017

Taking a look at implicit bias in nutritional science.

Link to How Objective Is Nutritional Science?

Being Evidence-Based

Jul 11.2017

Why there’s more to being a great nutrition practitioner than just being “evidence-based “

Common Vs. Normal

May 30.2017

A certain behavior being common in a population does not equate to it being normal. Acceptance of these behaviors can lead to tolerance of harmful behavior.

Body Wisdom

May 9.2017

Recognizing your body’s innate wisdom and learning how to dig deeper and ask why your body is manifesting the signs and symptoms you are experiencing.

My Morning Walk

Apr 24.2017

My daily walks and the many ways they support my health and well-being.

How Our Mind Fills In The Gaps

Apr 18.2017

Information processing, our brains, false positives and negatives and how they impact the assumptions we make about the world around us.

Possibility, Probability and the Survivorship Bias

Mar 14.2017

The role of survivorship bias in our perception of how easy it is to achieve success.

Link to Possibility, Probability and the Survivorship Bias

Over-Identification In Recovery

Mar 7.2017

Over-identification with an eating disorder and it’s impact on the recovery process.

Spotify, HyperNormalisation, and Living In Echo Chambers

Feb 7.2017

I’m a music lover. As a young kid of 9 or 10, I remember having a Walkman and listening to cassettes on long car journeys. It was mostly stuff my...

Link to Spotify, HyperNormalisation, and Living In Echo Chambers

Understanding Self-Care

Jan 24.2017

Self-care is more than bubble baths and massages. It should be bigger picture and be about how you run your life and make healthful choices on a daily basis