In this episode of Holistic Health Radio, host Sarah Liz King explores the difference between true food preferences and those driven by eating disorders. Through a series of self-reflection questions, she helps listeners determine whether their food choices stem from personal enjoyment or from restrictive rules imposed by an eating disorder. Sarah emphasises the importance of examining emotions, physical and emotional satisfaction, openness to new foods, comfort in social situations, and...

In this podcast episode, Sarah Liz King addresses a listener's question about low libido even after recovering their period from hypothalamic amenorrhea. She explains that hormones, medication, stress, and fatigue can all impact libido. Sarah discusses the concept of desire and suggests creating awareness and curiosity about increasing desire. She advises against comparing one's libido to others and instead focusing on what feels fulfilling. Sarah encourages listeners to prioritise self-care...

In this podcast episode, Sarah Liz King explores the concept of intellectualising emotions and the importance of feeling and acknowledging them instead. She uses the analogy of waves on a beach to illustrate how people often analyse emotions from a distance instead of immersing themselves in the experience. Sarah discusses signs of intellectualising emotions, such as overemphasis on logic and reasoning, and offers five steps to shift away from this habit. She also shares her personal...

In this podcast episode of Holistic Health Radio, host Sarah Liz King addresses a listener question about her approach to clients. Sarah explains that she has never given up on a client, but there are times when she realises that the current treatment is not effective for the client's goals. She emphasises the importance of finding the right treatment team and modalities, and suggests bringing in additional health professionals or exploring different approaches. Sarah also discusses the...

In today's episode of Holistic Health Radio I discuss the importance of deleting certain apps from our smartphones to enhance our healing journey. I focus on apps that can be detrimental to those recovering from eating disorders or hypothalamic amenorrhea, such as MyFitnessPal, step counter apps, social media apps, and intermittent fasting apps. Additionally, I recommend downloading apps like Recovery Record, Mood Kit, Breathe Relax and Focus, and Train Heroic to support recovery. During the...

In this podcast episode, Sarah Liz King discusses the differences between lactation amenorrhea and hypothalamic amenorrhea. Lactation amenorrhea occurs when a woman is exclusively breastfeeding and high levels of prolactin suppress the production of sex hormones, preventing the menstrual cycle. Hypothalamic amenorrhea, on the other hand, is caused by a suppression of the hypothalamus, resulting in low estrogen levels and amenorrhea. Factors such as low energy availability, overtraining, or...

In this episode of Holistic Health Radio, host Sarah Liz King interviews Korey Baruta, an accredited practicing dietitian and credentialed eating disorder clinician. Korey shares their personal journey with an eating disorder and how it shaped their career. They discuss the importance of weight-neutral and trauma-informed approaches to healthcare, as well as the intersectionality of eating disorders with LGBTQIA+ and neurodivergent identities. They also explore the challenges and...

In this podcast episode, our host Sarah sits down with Dr. Nicky Keay, a medical doctor specialising in hormones, to discuss hormone replacement therapy (HRT). They delve into the various situations where HRT can be used, with a particular focus on hypothalamic amenorrhea (HA). Dr. Keay explains how HRT can be utilised as a temporary measure to protect bone health in individuals with HA. She provides valuable recommendations for the appropriate use of HRT in this context, emphasising the...

Are you ready to reset and prioritize your recovery journey? In this episode of Holistic Health Radio, Sarah Liz King introduces the "Recovery Reset" challenge as a modified version of the popular 75 Hard challenge. But here's the question: What if there was a way to achieve discipline and mental toughness without compromising your well-being? The Recovery Reset challenge focuses on nourishing your body, practicing mindful movement, rest, and self-care habits. Sarah explains that while the...

Are you someone who has recovered from hypothalamic amenorrhea and wondering if you can train hard again? The short answer is yes, but the long answer is maybe. In this episode of Holistic Health Radio, I, Sarah Liz King, an exercise physiologist and health coach, discuss the conditions that need to be met before increasing exercise and emphasise the importance of taking a slow and sustainable approach to avoid the risk of losing one's period again. I explain that finding the right balance...

In this episode of Holistic Health Radio, Sarah provides advice on how to navigate the fitness industry while recovering from hypothalamic amenorrhea (HA). She addresses a listener's question from Abby, a Pilates instructor, and advises her on how to modify her work schedule and reduce physical demonstrations, as well as tips on fuelling her body and taking breaks to rest. Sarah emphasises the importance of thinking about long-term career goals and transitioning towards them while respecting...

In this episode (#202), titled 'How I got my period back naturally after losing it for 10 years | HA Recovery Advice, Tips and Q&A,' I take you on a personal journey through my struggle with hypothalamic amenorrhea (HA) and how I successfully regained a regular menstrual cycle using lifestyle changes. Join me as I provide an overview of HA, its causes, and common symptoms. I share my own experience of dealing with a missing period for a decade and the various strategies I employed to...

In this episode titled "7 Healthy Habits That Can Lead to Period Loss," we delve into the seemingly positive habits promoted by diet culture that can have detrimental effects on our menstrual cycle and overall well-being. We explore how these habits, when taken to extremes, can lead to hypothalamic amenorrhea and negatively impact our relationship with food, exercise, and body image. Firstly, we discuss the practice of training on an empty stomach and its potential consequences for hormonal...

In this episode titled "The Unspoken Realities of Eating Disorder and Hypothalamic Amenorrhea Recovery," I share my own personal experiences and explore 10 unspoken realities that people with these conditions often face. I discuss the feeling of falling behind in life and the sense of loneliness that comes with feeling like nobody truly understands what you're going through. I also delve into the emotional toll of these conditions, including the intense sadness and constant crying that can...

Are you struggling with hypothalamic amenorrhea and wondering how to recover your period and reclaim your health? In this episode, Sarah dives deep into your burning questions about HA recovery, covering everything from the causes and symptoms of this condition to the most effective strategies for regaining your menstrual cycle. Join us as we explore the biochemical reasoning for needing sufficient carbohydrates in your diet, the impact of exercise and stress on HA recovery, and the...

In this episode, we dive deep into the challenges of responding to hunger in eating disorder and hypothalamic amenorrhea recovery. We explore the various reasons why people may struggle to respond to hunger, such as body image concerns, fear of losing control, fear of judgement, fear of weight gain, negative self-talk, and comparison to others. Host Sarah Liz King also provides five practical tips that can be implemented right away to help overcome these challenges and respond to hunger in a...

In eating disorder and hypothalamic amenorrhea recovery, feeling tired and fatigued is a common experience. It's frustrating and can make the recovery process feel even more challenging. But what are the root causes of recovery fatigue? In this episode of Holistic Health Radio, we'll explore the various factors that contribute to feeling tired during recovery, and what you can do to support your body through this process. One of the key factors contributing to recovery fatigue is nutrient...

Calorie counting can be a difficult habit to break, especially for those going through eating disorder and hypothalamic amenorrhea recovery. The constant focus on numbers and restriction can create a harmful relationship with food and hinder progress towards a healthier lifestyle. Fortunately, there are five essential tools that can help individuals let go of calorie counting and develop a more intuitive approach to food. Mindful Eating: mindful eating involves being present and engaged...

In this episode of Holistic Health Radio, host Sarah Liz King shares six tips for managing eating disorders or hypothalamic amenorrhea recovery while in high school or college. During this podcast, listeners will gain valuable insights and strategies, including: Building and identifying a support system to aid in their recovery journey. Creating a rough eating and exercise plan that promotes a healthy relationship with food and physical activity. Practicing self-care to reduce stress and...

In this episode of Holistic Health Radio, Sarah Liz King delves into the topic of cutting down exercise during recovery from an eating disorder, disordered eating, or hypothalamic amenorrhea. She identifies six key reasons why it can be challenging to take a break from exercise during the recovery process. Firstly, Sarah discusses exercise addiction as a primary reason for struggling to cut down on exercise. She also highlights the fear of weight gain and negative body image as common...

Eating disorders are complex mental illnesses that affect millions of people worldwide. They can manifest in a variety of ways, including anorexia, bulimia, ortherexia and binge eating disorder among others. One of the most insidious aspects of these disorders is the lies they tell us, which can prevent us from seeking the help we need to recover. In our latest podcast episode, "12 Lies Your Eating Disorder is Telling You," we explore the most common falsehoods that eating disorders use to...

In this episode of Holistic Health Radio, we dive into the fascinating world of hormones and their impact on our health and performance. Our guest, Dr. Nicky Keay, is an expert in exercise endocrinology and author of "Health Hormones and Human Potential: A guide to understanding your hormones to optimise your health and performance." Here is a breakdown of what we cover in this episode: Introduction to Dr. Nicky Keay and her work in exercise endocrinology What hormones are and their role...

In this episode of Holistic Health Radio, I sit down with Taylor B-W, an artist who shares her personal story of body image, dieting, and overcoming an eating disorder. Taylor speaks about her journey with body image as a teenager, and the pressure she felt to look a certain way as she pursued her acting career. She discusses how her healthy workout routine turned into an obsession with food and exercise, and how she eventually realised she needed help to overcome her eating disorder....

In this episode, we'll be discussing body acceptance and how to break away from the rules that fashion says about how we should or must dress according to our body type. Our guest, stylist Kate Burgess, will share her insights on dressing to feel your best, and why it's important to acknowledge that body fluctuations are normal. She'll also talk about how dressing well is a really important form of self-care. In today's episode we cover: Body Acceptance: Kate will discuss why it's...

Oftentimes, when I'm working with clients, an interesting conversation comes up around money. Some feel super conscious of spending any money, while others feel they spend too frivolously and can't seem to manage their money wisely. More often than not, what I say to clients is that "your relationship with food can often influence your relationship with money." The relationship that many people have with money can be seen as an extension of their relationship with their eating disorder and...