Faith-Filled Food Freedom | Disordered Eating, Body Image, Weight Loss Obsession, Anxiety, Nutrition

206. The Hidden Ways Sleep Deprivation Fuels Emotional Eating with Dr. Benjamin Long, MD

Sleep deprivation doesn’t just make you tired. It quietly changes how food feels, how emotions show up, and how hard it is to feel at peace in your body.When you’re exhausted, cravings feel stronger, food thoughts feel louder, and self-control feels out of reach. You may know sleep matters, but in this season it feels unproductive, unrealistic, or impossible. And that tension often spills straight into food guilt and emotional eating.In today’s episode, I’m joined by Dr. Benjamin Long, a dual board-certified sleep medicine physician and seminary student who helps people see sleep as both a medical need and a gift from God. Together, we explore the connection between sleep deprivation and emotional eating, why exhaustion makes food freedom feel harder, and how faith reshapes the way we think about rest.A few things you can expect to hear in this episode include…🧠 How sleep deprivation intensifies cravings and food thoughts🍪 Why exhaustion makes emotional eating feel harder to resist📖 A biblical perspective on sleep as trust, not weakness⏳ The connection between control, productivity, and rest🌙 A gentler way to think about sleepless nights in this seasonResources mentioned:> Get Dr. Benjamin’s NEW BOOK, Sleep Habits Journal: Practices, Prayers, and Devotions to Ease Your Sleepless Nights> Connect with Dr. Benjamin Long on Instagram @thewholeheartedmdYour Next Steps to Food Freedom & Better Body Image:> Become a VIP Podcast Insider HERE to access BONUS resources and my weekly personal newsletter, The Full Plate Press.> Join our FREE Facebook community, Food Freedom & Body Image Support for Christian Women, to ask your questions about cultivating a joy-filled relationship with food, your body, & Jesus.Got a question about food freedom, body image, faith, or nutrition? Leave me a SpeakPipe voice note here for a chance to have your question answered on an episode of the Faith-Filled Food Freedom podcast!If you love the show and are finding it valuable, be sure to leave a 5-star rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Listen to your podcasts somewhere else? No worries!  You can leave your podcast review here instead 😉.Connect with Brittany on Instagram @brittanybraswellrd*Reminder - Podcast content is not meant to be taken as professional nutrition or medical advice, or to replace counseling with a licensed therapist. Please consult with your own treatment team.

205. If You Want Food Freedom This Year, Stop Chasing Motivation and Start Doing These 7 Things

What if the reason food freedom keeps feeling out of reach isn’t because you lack motivation, but because you’re leaning on the wrong thing altogether?If you’ve been telling yourself you just need more motivation to eat better, be more consistent, or stop spiraling with food, this episode is going to challenge that belief in the most relieving way. The constant pressure to “get it right” can quietly fuel body image anxiety, food guilt, and that exhausting sense of starting over again and again.In today’s episode, we’re peeling back why motivation is such an unstable foundation for food freedom—and what actually helps you feel calmer, more grounded, and more at peace in your body. This conversation will help you rethink what progress really looks like and why consistency doesn’t have to feel heavy, restrictive, or overwhelming.A few things you can expect to hear in this episode include…🧠 Why relying on motivation can actually increase food noise and body anxiety🌱 The subtle daily anchors that quietly reshape your relationship with food🗓️ How consistency can feel safer and more freeing than “trying harder”🔁 What might be keeping you stuck in the start-over cycle without realizing it🙏 The surprising connection between faith, everyday practices, and body peaceResources mentioned:> Steal my top 10 body checking reduction strategies with The Body Image Cheat Sheet.> Become a VIP Podcast Insider HERE to access BONUS resources and my weekly personal newsletter, The Full Plate Press.> Join our FREE Facebook community, Food Freedom & Body Image Support for Christian Women, to ask your questions about cultivating a joy-filled relationship with food, your body, & Jesus.Got a question about food freedom, body image, faith, or nutrition? Leave me a SpeakPipe voice note here for a chance to have your question answered on an episode of the Faith-Filled Food Freedom podcast!If you love the show and are finding it valuable, be sure to leave a 5-star rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Listen to your podcasts somewhere else? No worries!  You can leave your podcast review here instead 😉.Connect with Brittany on Instagram @brittanybraswellrd*Reminder - Podcast content is not meant to be taken as professional nutrition or medical advice, or to replace counseling with a licensed therapist. Please consult with your own treatment team.

204. “I’m Not Sick Enough to Need Help”: The Hidden Medical Consequences of Under-Eating with Tanna Vayon, PA-C

What if the question isn’t whether you’re “sick enough”… but whether your body has been paying the price in silence?So many women stay stuck in food rules and under-fueling because everything looks fine on the surface. Labs come back “normal.” Life keeps moving. And the lie whispers that help is only for people who’ve hit rock bottom — not someone like you who’s still holding it together.In today’s episode, I sit down with Tanna Vayon, a Physician Assistant specialized in eating disorder treatment, who has lived this story from the inside herself and now treats it from the clinical side. We explore what restriction actually does beneath the surface and why waiting until things look “bad enough” can quietly delay healing your body desperately needs.A few things you can expect to hear in this episode include…🧠 Why feeling “mostly fine” can be one of the most deceptive signals🩺 What medical red flags often get missed, even with “normal” labs🌿 How your body adapts to under-fueling in ways you might not realize🩸 The hidden cost of losing your period (and why it’s never a win)⏸️ The powerful first step most women skip, and why it matters SO muchResources mentioned:– Sick Enough by Dr. Jennifer Gaudiani– Search the FINDINGbalance Christian Treatment Finder for a Christian eating disorder provider– Get on the waitlist for The Stronger CollectiveYour Next Steps to Food Freedom & Better Body Image:> Become a VIP Podcast Insider HERE to access BONUS resources and my weekly personal newsletter, The Full Plate Press.> Join our FREE Facebook community, Food Freedom & Body Image Support for Christian Women, to ask your questions about cultivating a joy-filled relationship with food, your body, & Jesus.Got a question about food freedom, body image, faith, or nutrition? Leave me a SpeakPipe voice note here for a chance to have your question answered on an episode of the Faith-Filled Food Freedom podcast!If you love the show and are finding it valuable, be sure to leave a 5-star rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Listen to your podcasts somewhere else? No worries!  You can leave your podcast review here instead 😉.Connect with Brittany on Instagram @brittanybraswellrd*Reminder - Podcast content is not meant to be taken as professional nutrition or medical advice, or to replace counseling with a licensed therapist. Please consult with your own treatment team.

203. The UNCONVENTIONAL New Year, New You Strategy That Will Improve Your Body Image Without the Pressure to Lose Weight

What if improving your body image this year had nothing to do with changing your body?If the start of the new year already feels loaded with pressure (to lose weight, feel confident, or finally “get your body together”), you’re not imagining it. Those expectations sneak in fast, and before you know it, your body becomes a project instead of a place you live. That constant tension alone can keep body anxiety loud, even when nothing is technically “wrong.”In today’s episode, we’re talking about a surprisingly simple, unconventional shift that can immediately reduce body image stress… without dieting, restriction, or another New Year overhaul. This conversation isn’t about forcing confidence. It’s about creating real mental space, lowering daily body focus, and starting the year with more peace than pressure.A few things you can expect to hear in this episode include…👙 Why something you wear every single day may be quietly fueling body image anxiety🧠 How constant discomfort keeps your mind stuck on your body (even when you don’t realize it)🚗 What your friend’s car has to do with your body image🧺 The UNCONVENTIONAL experiment that can instantly reduce daily body shame and mental noise🌱 Why choosing comfort is not giving up, but a faith-filled act of stewardshipYour Next Steps to Food Freedom & Better Body Image:> Become a VIP Podcast Insider HERE to access BONUS resources and my weekly personal newsletter, The Full Plate Press.> Join our FREE Facebook community, Food Freedom & Body Image Support for Christian Women, to ask your questions about cultivating a joy-filled relationship with food, your body, & Jesus.Got a question about food freedom, body image, faith, or nutrition? Leave me a SpeakPipe voice note here for a chance to have your question answered on an episode of the Faith-Filled Food Freedom podcast!If you love the show and are finding it valuable, be sure to leave a 5-star rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Listen to your podcasts somewhere else? No worries!  You can leave your podcast review here instead 😉.Connect with Brittany on Instagram @brittanybraswellrd*Reminder - Podcast content is not meant to be taken as professional nutrition or medical advice, or to replace counseling with a licensed therapist. Please consult with your own treatment team.

202. Setting 2026 Goals Already? Why Jesus Would Tell You to Do THIS First

What if the way you’re approaching your 2026 goals is quietly working against the very freedom you’re praying for?As the year wraps up, there’s often an unspoken pressure to get ahead — to think harder, plan better, and finally figure yourself out. That urgency can feel responsible and faithful, but it can also carry a weight that shows up as food stress, body anxiety, and constant mental chatter.In today’s episode, we’re slowing the pace to look at what Jesus consistently did before major decisions — and why rushing straight into plans might be costing you clarity. This conversation isn’t about fixing yourself or adding another spiritual to-do. It’s an invitation to approach the year ahead differently than you ever have before.A few things you can expect to hear in this episode include…🕊️ Why planning can feel faithful while still being rooted in pressure🔇 The subtle difference between stepping away and checking out🧠 How internal noise can shape decisions without you realizing it📖 What Scripture reveals about timing, direction, and discernment🛠️ A more grounded way to approach 2026 without forcing clarityResources mentioned:> Become a VIP Podcast Insider HERE to access BONUS resources only available to our VIP list.> Join our FREE community in the Food Freedom & Body Image Support for Christian Women Facebook group to ask your questions about cultivating a joy-filled relationship with food, your body, & Jesus.Got a question about food freedom, body image, faith, or nutrition? Leave me a SpeakPipe voice note here for a chance to have your question answered on an episode of the Faith-Filled Food Freedom podcast!If you love the show and are finding it valuable, be sure to leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Listen to your podcasts somewhere else? No worries!  You can leave your podcast review here instead 😉.Connect with Brittany on Instagram @brittanybraswellrd*Reminder - Podcast content is not meant to be taken as professional nutrition or medical advice or to replace counseling with a licensed therapist. Please consult with your own treatment team.