Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) have become one of the most talked-about topics in nutrition, but how much of what we hear online is actually supported by evidence?

In this episode, Talia is joined by Registered Dietitian Maeve Hanan to chat about the growing fear around UPFs and explore what the research really tells us. Together, they discuss how foods are classified, why processing does not determine nutritional value, and the impact that anti-UPF messaging can have on our relationship with food.

Episodes drop every Thursday.

What You'll Learn:
• What ultra-processed foods actually are — and why the definition is more complicated than most people realise
• What current research does (and doesn't) tell us about UPFs and health outcomes
• Why food processing doesn't determine whether a food is nutritious
• How anti-UPF messaging can contribute to food anxiety, disordered eating, and guilt around eating
• The role convenience foods can play in supporting health, recovery, and everyday life

Resources & Links:
Website: https://dieteticallyspeaking.com/

Instagram: @dieteticallyspeaking

Maeve's Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/dieteticallyspeaking/sign-up

About our Guest:
Maeve Hanan is a Registered Dietitian who specialises in eating disorders, disordered eating and food freedom. She’s the founder of Dietetically Speaking, a platform offering evidence-based information, practical tools, courses, and one-to-one support to help people build a healthier, more peaceful relationship with food. Maeve advocates for a compassionate, weight-inclusive approach to nutrition, and is passionate about cutting through the online nutrition BS by sharing clear, evidence-based and practical messages (via her website, weekly newsletter and instagram page).

Episode Timestamps:
00:00 – Welcome & introduction
01:02 – What are ultra-processed foods?
06:54 – Are UPFs really harmful? Understanding the evidence
14:00 – Food fear, eating disorders, and the impact of demonising foods
19:17 – Convenience, privilege, and accessibility in nutrition
24:03 – Label reading, food rules, and nutrition misinformation online
29:33 – When food anxiety becomes a concern
30:51 – Final takeaways and practical advice

Connect with Talia:

• Talia’s Instagram: @tcnutrition
• Food Is Food Instagram: @foodisfoodpod
• Website & Mailing List: www.taliacechele.com
• Clinic Enquiries: https://www.taliacecchele.com/contact

Support the Podcast:
If this episode resonated with you, you can support Food is Food by:

• Following or subscribing to the podcast
• Leaving a 5* review
• Sharing this episode with someone who might find it helpful

Disclaimer:
This podcast is for educational and supportive purposes only and is not a substitute for individual medical or dietetic advice.

In this episode, Talia Cecchele breaks down what intuitive eating truly is, dispelling common myths and exploring its core principles. Whether you're recovering from disordered eating or looking to foster a healthier relationship with food, this episode provides clear guidance on how to approach intuitive eating at different stages of your journey.

Episodes drop every Thursday.

What You’ll Learn:

• Clarifying common misconceptions about intuitive eating, such as it being about just eating whatever you want, when you want
• The 10 principles of intuitive eating and how they support a compassionate, anti-diet approach
• How you can apply the different principles at different stages of recovery
• When and how to transition into intuitive eating during recovery from disordered eating

Resources & Links:

• Intuitive Eating, 4th Edition: A Revolutionary Anti-Diet Approach, by Elise Resch and Evelyn Tribole
• Intuitive Eating Official Website - https://www.intuitiveeating.org

Episode Timestamps:
00:00 Understanding Intuitive Eating
03:32 The Principles of Intuitive Eating
20:00 Navigating the Journey to Intuitive Eating

21:54 – The importance of physical and psychological readiness to embrace intuitive eating
30:03 Indicators of Readiness for Intuitive Eating

Connect with Talia:

• Talia’s Instagram: @tcnutrition
• Food Is Food Instagram: @foodisfoodpod
• Website & Mailing List: www.taliacechele.com
• Clinic Enquiries: https://www.taliacecchele.com/contact

Support the Podcast:
If this episode resonated with you, you can support Food is Food by:

• Following or subscribing to the podcast
• Leaving a 5* review
• Sharing this episode with someone who might find it helpful

Disclaimer:
This podcast is for educational and supportive purposes only and is not a substitute for individual medical or dietetic advice.

GLP-1 medications are everywhere right now, but are they appropriate to use in the context of healing relationship with food and long-term wellbeing?

In this episode of Food is Food, Talia is joined by eating disorder dietitian Aoife McMahon for a compassionate, nuanced conversation about GLP-1 medications, weight stigma and food noise.

Together, they chat about how GLP-1 medications work, why they’ve become so popular, and the growing concerns around nutrition, food preoccupation, eating disorder risk, and long-term outcomes. They also explore the rise of the term “food noise,” the impact of diet culture and healthcare stigma, and why individualised care matters so much.

Episodes drop every Thursday.

What You’ll Learn:

• What GLP-1 medications are and how they influence appetite, fullness, and food pleasure
• The potential nutritional risks and side effects associated with GLP-1 medications
• How GLP-1 use may intersect with disordered eating, eating disorders, and food preoccupation
• Why “food noise” may actually reflect hunger, restriction, or disconnection from body cues
• The role weight stigma and healthcare inequality play in access to GLP-1 medications

Resources & Links:

• Follow Aoife on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatirishdietitian/
• Aoife’s website: www.centreforliberatingnutrition.com
• Listen to Aoife McMahon’s podcast: Inside Bariatrics

Key Research Referenced:

Ryan, D. H. et al. (2024). Long-term weight loss effects of semaglutide in obesity without diabetes in the SELECT trial. Nature Medicine, 30(7), 2049–2057. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-024-02996-7

Ragen Chastain Substack Article

About our Guest:
Aoife McMahon is a CORU and HCPC Registered Dietitian specialising in relationship with food, body image, and inclusive nutrition care. Aoife has extensive experience across bariatric care, GLP-1 support, and weight management services. She is passionate about helping people navigate these complex decisions with less shame and more autonomy, recognising that the desire to pursue weight loss is deeply understandable in a world where weight loss products, treatments, and messaging are everywhere. Aoife is the host of podcast: Inside Bariatrics.

Episode Timestamps:
00:00 – Welcome & introduction
01:02 – What GLP-1 medications are and how they work
05:00 – Appetite suppression, food pleasure & side effects
07:16 – Safe GLP-1 use in eating disorder recovery
17:40 – Why relationship with food support matters alongside GLP-1s
19:38 – Weight stigma, healthcare inequality & access to medications
25:05 – What the research says about long-term GLP-1 outcomes
29:00 – Weight stigma in healthcare settings
36:58 – “Food noise” vs food preoccupation explained

Connect with Talia:

• Talia’s Instagram: @tcnutrition
• Food Is Food Instagram: @foodisfoodpod
• Website & Mailing List: www.taliacechele.com
• Clinic Enquiries: https://www.taliacecchele.com/contact

Support the Podcast:
If this episode resonated with you, you can support Food is Food by:

• Following or subscribing to the podcast
• Leaving a 5* review
• Sharing this episode with someone who might find it helpful

Disclaimer:
This podcast is for educational and supportive purposes only and is not a substitute for individual medical or dietetic advice.

Are supplements really necessary — or is the wellness industry overselling them?

In this episode of Food is Food, Talia is joined by registered dietitian and author Josie Porter to chat about some of the most popular supplements trending online right now, including creatine, magnesium, electrolytes, collagen, probiotics, NMNs, CoQ10, and omega-3s.

Together, they explore what the research actually says, where supplements may be helpful, and why a food-first approach still matters most. This conversation cuts through fear-based wellness messaging around longevity and offers an evidence-informed perspective.

Whether you’re curious about supplements, feeling overwhelmed by wellness trends, or wondering which supplements are actually worth your money, this episode will help you make more informed decisions.

Episodes drop every Thursday.

What You’ll Learn:

• How to approach supplements through a food-first, non-diet lens
• The difference between promising research and marketing hype
• How supplement regulation works in the UK
• When supplements may genuinely be supportive or necessary

Resources & Links:

• Josie Porter’s new book: How Not To Take Supplements (out on June 4th)
• US Probiotic Guide: https://usprobioticguide.com/

About our Guest:

Josie Porter is a registered dietitian with a special interest in binge eating disorder, weight management, women's health and gut health. She has worked across leading NHS services and in private practice. You can find Josie on Instagram.

Episode Timestamps:

00:00 – Welcome & introduction
00:54 – What are NMNs and do they actually support longevity?
04:34 – CoQ10, heart health, and antioxidant claims
09:03 – Creatine: performance benefits vs online hype
13:58 – Supplement regulation and safety concerns in the UK
17:33 – Greens powders, liver health, and “natural” marketing
20:01 – Electrolytes: who actually needs them?
24:17 – Magnesium supplements for sleep and constipation
33:07 – Omega-3 supplements and bridging nutritional gaps
36:56 – Probiotics: what the science really says
44:19 – Collagen for skin, joints, and healthy ageing
48:32 – Final thoughts on a food-first approach to supplements

Connect with Talia:

• Talia’s Instagram: @tcnutrition
• Food Is Food Instagram: @foodisfoodpod
• Website & Mailing List: www.taliacechele.com
• Clinic Enquiries: https://www.taliacecchele.com/contact

Support the Podcast:
If this episode resonated with you, you can support Food is Food by:

• Following or subscribing to the podcast
• Leaving a 5* review
• Sharing this episode with someone who might find it helpful

Disclaimer:
This podcast is for educational and supportive purposes only and is not a substitute for individual medical or dietetic advice.

In this episode of Food is Food, Talia sits down with sports nutritionist & disordered eating dietitian Elle Kelly to chat about hypothalamic amenorrhea (HA), RED-S, low energy availability, and the impact of under-fuelling on the body.

They discuss why losing your period can happen at any body size, the role of carbohydrates and energy distribution in recovery, and why getting your period back is about so much more than fertility. This conversation also challenges common misconceptions around exercise, calorie targets, and what “healthy” really looks like.

Episodes drop every Thursday.

What You’ll Learn:

• What hypothalamic amenorrhea (HA) and RED-S actually are
• Why period loss can happen at any weight or body size
• The hidden signs of low energy availability beyond losing your period
• Why carbohydrates and adequate fuelling matter for hormone health
• The importance of energy distribution throughout the day
• Whether you really need to stop exercising to recover your cycle
• Why getting your period back is about overall health — not just fertility

Resources & Links:

• Follow Elle Kelly on Instagram: @ellekellynutrition
• Elle's email: elle@eknutrition.com

About our Guest:

Elle is a registered dietitian and sports dietitian specialising in disordered eating, sports nutrition & period recovery. After working in acute eating disorders and whilst doing her masters in sports nutrition, Elle recognised the crossover of disordered eating in the athlete space and has spent the last few years growing her clinic and developing the Refuel & Revive program which supports active women and athletes to develop a healthy relationship with food, exercise and their bodies, so they can get their period back to support their performance and life.

Episode Timestamps:

00:00 – Welcome & introduction
02:00 – What is hypothalamic amenorrhea (HA)?
05:15 – Understanding a “normal” menstrual cycle
08:15 – HA vs RED-S: what’s the difference?
13:00 – Is 2500 calories enough to recover your period?
16:00 – Carbohydrates, exercise & hormone health
21:00 – Energy distribution and under-fuelling throughout the day
24:15 – Do you need to stop exercising to recover your period?
28:50 – Why recovery isn’t just about energy in vs energy out
29:30 – “Why would I want my period back?”

Connect with Talia:

• Talia’s Instagram: @tcnutrition
• Food Is Food Instagram: @foodisfoodpod
• Website & Mailing List: www.taliacechele.com
• Clinic Enquiries: https://www.taliacecchele.com/contact

Support the Podcast:
If this episode resonated with you, you can support Food is Food by:

• Following or subscribing to the podcast
• Leaving a 5* review
• Sharing this episode with someone who might find it helpful

Disclaimer:
This podcast is for educational and supportive purposes only and is not a substitute for individual medical or dietetic advice.

In this episode of Food is Food, Talia breaks down one of the most important studies in eating disorder research — the Minnesota Starvation Experiment, led by Ancel Keys in 1944. This is one of Talia's favourite topics to discuss in clinic, and she gets vulnerable about a major gap in her own knowledge: the fourth phase of the study, which most clinicians don't talk about.

From the physical and psychological impact of restriction, to the emergence of binge eating and purging behaviours in men with no prior history of eating disorders, this episode is essential listening for anyone in recovery from an eating disorder, working through disordered eating, or simply wanting to understand what under-eating does to the human body and mind.

Episodes drop every Thursday.

What You’ll Learn:

• The four phases of the Minnesota Starvation Experiment and the physical, psychological and behaviour changes that occur in semi-starvation
• The biology of "Food Obsession": learn why hoarding recipes, dreaming of food, and ritualistic eating are often biological responses to malnutrition rather than personality traits or the eating disorder itself.
• Understanding Compensatory Hyperphagia: the "unsatiable" hunger that often follows a period of restriction
• Using the landmark 1944 study to understand that physical and psychological symptoms of starvation are reversible through consistent, adequate nutritional rehabilitation.

Key Research Referenced:

• Keys, A., Brozek, J., Henschel, A., Mickelson, O., & Taylor, H.L. (1950). The biology of human starvation (Vols. 1–2). University of Minnesota Press.
• Kalm, L.M. & Semba, R.D. (2005). They starved so that others be better fed: Remembering Ancel Keys and the Minnesota Experiment. Journal of Nutrition, 135(6), 1347–1352.
• Dulloo AG. Physiology of weight regain: Lessons from the classic Minnesota Starvation Experiment on human body composition regulation. Obesity Reviews. 2021;22(S2):e13189. https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.13189DULLOO
• Tucker, T. (2007). The great starvation experiment: Ancel Keys and the men who starved for science. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press.

Episode Timestamps:

• 00:00 – Welcome & introduction to the Minnesota Semi-Starvation Study.
• 04:05 – Phase 1: The Control Period.
• 06:25 – Phase 2: The Semi-Starvation Period. The physical and psychological impact of undereating
• 12:24 – Phase 2: Behavioral changes
• 16:40 – Phase 3: Controlled Rehabilitation. Why low-calorie "re-feeding" didn't work and the need for high energy intake.
• 21:00 – Phase 4: The Unrestricted Phase. Compensatory hyperphagia and the reality of extreme hunger.
• 25:46 – Long-term Follow-up. Insights on weight overshoot, body composition, and total symptom reversal.
• 33:27 – Closing thoughts: Finding hope in nutritional rehabilitation.

Connect with Talia:

• Talia’s Instagram: @tcnutrition
• Food Is Food Instagram: @foodisfoodpod
• Website & Mailing List: www.taliacechele.com
• Clinic Enquiries: https://www.taliacecchele.com/contact

Support the Podcast:
If this episode resonated with you, you can support Food is Food by:

• Following or subscribing to the podcast
• Leaving a 5* review
• Sharing this episode with someone who might find it helpful

Disclaimer:
This podcast is for educational and supportive purposes only and is not a substitute for individual medical or dietetic advice.

In this episode, Talia is joined by Dr Nicky Keay to explore the often overlooked consequences of under-eating and over-exercise on hormones and bone health.

Together, they unpack how low energy availability can disrupt the menstrual cycle, reduce estrogen and impact bone health. They also discuss DEXA scans, osteoporosis, HRT and REDS.

What You’ll Learn:

• The hormonal consequences of under-fuelling and over-exercising
• The link between amenorrhoea, low oestrogen, and bone health
• The difference between osteopenia and osteoporosis
• The latest guidance around HRT for functional hypothalamic amenorrhoea
• Blood tests that may be useful when assessing REDS and bone health

Resources & Links:

• Dr Nicola Keay’s website: www.nickykeayfitness.com
• Dr Nicola Keay on social media: @drnikkikeay
• Personal Energy Availability Questionnaire (PEAQ): https://mypeaq.streamlit.app/
• Books by Dr Nicola Keay:
  • Hormones, Health and Human Potential
  • Myths of Menopause

About our guest:

Nicky is a medical doctor specialising in exercise endocrinology. Nicky’s clinical endocrine work provides personalised approach for hormone health, offering health advisory appointments, with a focus for those experiencing relative energy deficiency in sport (REDs) and women experiencing perimenopause and menopause.

Based on her research into REDs, Nicky developed the free online personal availability questionnaire (PEAQ). Nicky is medical advisor to Scottish Ballet and offers talks on a variety of hormone topics at international conferences for organisations and groups. Nicky is the author of “Hormones, Health and Human Potential” and editor of “Myths of Menopause”.

Episode Timestamps:
00:00 – Introduction
00:32 – How under-eating and over-exercise affect hormones
02:57 – Why periods may stop when the body is conserving energy
05:30 – What DEXA scans can and cannot tell us
08:38 – Understanding osteopenia, osteoporosis, Z-scores and T-scores
27:45 – Can osteoporosis be improved?
37:34 – What HRT is and when it may be indicated
42:22 – Why the oral contraceptive pill is not bone-protective in FHA
52:28 – Helpful blood markers for REDs and bone health
56:08 – Why vitamin D matters more than “normal range” alone

Connect with Talia:

• Talia’s Instagram: @tcnutrition
• Food Is Food Instagram: @foodisfoodpod
• Website & Mailing List: www.taliacechele.com
• Clinic Enquiries: https://www.taliacecchele.com/contact

Support the Podcast:
If this episode resonated with you, you can support Food is Food by:

• Following or subscribing to the podcast
• Leaving a 5* review
• Sharing this episode with someone who might find it helpful

Disclaimer:
This podcast is for educational and supportive purposes only and is not a substitute for individual medical or dietetic advice.

Digestive symptoms are one of the most common — and misunderstood — experiences in eating disorder recovery. In this episode, Talia is joined by eating disorder dietitian Marci Evans to unpack the complex relationship between restrictive eating, IBS symptoms, the nervous system, and gut health.

This episode is for anyone navigating bloating, constipation, gastroparesis, IBS symptoms, or digestive discomfort in recovery — and for clinicians wanting a deeper understanding of the gut-brain connection in eating disorder care.

Episodes drop every Thursday.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why digestive symptoms are so common in eating disorders and disordered eating
• The connection between the nervous system, anxiety, stress, and gut function
• Why under-eating and restrictive diets can worsen IBS-like symptoms
• Practical tools to support digestion without food restriction

Resources & Links:

• Website: marcird.com (including clinician training and workshops)
• Instagram: @marciRD
• Free Resource: marcird.com/_resources/23tools

About our Guest:
Marci Evans is a Certified Eating Disorder Registered Dietitian and Supervisor (CEDS-C) and a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor practicing from a weight-inclusive, anti-oppression lens.

She has dedicated her career to counseling, supervising, and teaching in the field of eating disorders. She launched the Food and Body Image Healers® Training Institute in 2015, an online platform helping dietitians and clinicians build the skills to specialise in eating disorder care. Since then, more than 3500 clinicians have taken her nutrition counseling and body image courses and focused workshops.

Marci continues to lead a weight-inclusive private practice, teaches graduate-level nutrition counseling at Simmons University, and has a forthcoming book, Nourishing Recovery: A New Integrated Approach to Nutritional Care for Eating Disorders.

Episode Timestamps:
00:00 – Welcome & introduction
01:48 – Why digestive issues are so common in eating disorders
03:29 – The “chicken or egg” relationship between IBS and eating disorders
09:25 – The gut-brain connection: stress, anxiety & digestion
14:29 – Gut-directed hypnotherapy & non-diet approaches to IBS symptoms
16:20 – Low FODMAP diets in eating disorder recovery
22:09 – Nervous system regulation tools
25:30 – Exercise, undernourishment & pelvic floor health
32:08 – Are digestive symptoms always reversible in recovery?
36:21 – Food intolerance testing: what’s evidence-based?
42:29 – Bloating, constipation & practical digestive support tools
46:26 – Free resources for clinicians & recovery support

Connect with Talia:

• Talia’s Instagram: @tcnutrition
• Food Is Food Instagram: @foodisfoodpod
• Website & Mailing List: www.taliacechele.com
• Clinic Enquiries: https://www.taliacecchele.com/contact

Support the Podcast:
If this episode resonated with you, you can support Food is Food by:

• Following or subscribing to the podcast
• Leaving a 5* review
• Sharing this episode with someone who might find it helpful

Disclaimer:
This podcast is for educational and supportive purposes only and is not a substitute for individual medical or dietetic advice.