Episode 28: A Peer Mentor’s Perspective: Healing, Hope, and Empowerment with Kelsey Gilchriest
Release Date: 04/23/2025
Episode 47: Co-Parenting Through an Eating Disorder: What to Do When You’re Not Aligned
Plateful Parenting Podcast
In Episode 47, Christine and Chanel dive into one of the most emotionally charged—and incredibly common—realities families face during eating disorder treatment: what happens when parents (or co-parents) don’t agree on what the child needs, what “serious” looks like, or how to move forward. This episode is honest, grounded, and deeply validating—especially for the parent who feels like they’re carrying the weight of appointments, decisions, advocacy, and fear… while also trying to keep the home calm for a child who’s already struggling. Together, Christine and Chanel explore:...
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Episode 46: New Year, Same Me: Choosing Compassion Over Control
Plateful Parenting Podcast
In Episode 46, Christine and Chanel dive into the cultural noise of “New Year, New You” and why this pressure-filled mindset doesn’t support real well-being—especially for parents raising kids in recovery or trying to model a healthy relationship with food, movement, and self-worth. Instead, they offer a grounded, uplifting alternative: New Year, Same Me — with more intention, gentleness, and gratitude. Through personal stories, humor, and evidence-based insight, they unpack: ✨ Why extreme resolutions don’t last—and what actually does ✨ How perfectionism, “willpower,” and...
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Episode 45: Culture, Body Image & Belonging with Jane Lee
Plateful Parenting Podcast
In Episode 45, Christine sits down for a deeply personal and moving conversation with Jane Lee — community leader, advocate, and proud Korean American — to explore how culture, identity, and family dynamics shape our earliest experiences with food and body image. Jane shares powerful reflections from her childhood as a Korean immigrant growing up in the Midwest, navigating the contrast between traditional Korean food culture and American diet messaging, and how comments about her size, appetite, and appearance influenced her relationship with her body throughout adolescence and adulthood....
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Episode 44: Raising Plant-Forward Kids (Without Food Rules) featuring Plant-Based Juniors
Plateful Parenting Podcast
In Episode 44, Christine and Chanel sit down with Alex Caspero, RD of Plant-Based Juniors — one of the most trusted, evidence-based resources for parents who want to raise plant-forward kids without shame, rigidity, or overwhelm. Alex brings a deeply practical, accessible, non-dogmatic approach to feeding kids more plants — and this conversation is packed with tools for calm mealtimes, picky eating, body neutrality, and supporting kids in eating disorder recovery. We explore: ✨ What “predominantly plant-based” really means (hint: it doesn’t mean vegan or restrictive) ✨ How to...
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Episode 43: Food, Body, and Parenting with Dr. Alexis Conason
Plateful Parenting Podcast
In Episode 43, Christine and Chanel sit down with Dr. Alexis Conason—clinical psychologist, eating disorder specialist, and author of The Diet-Free Revolution—for a powerful, compassionate conversation about breaking generational cycles of food and body shame. Together, we explore: ✨ How to raise kids with body trust while you’re still healing your own ✨ What to say when your teen says, “I feel fat” ✨ How to manage parent anxiety when a child says they’re “full” after just a few bites ✨ Mindful eating vs. intuitive eating—what’s the real difference? ✨ The...
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Episode 42 — GLP-1s, Body Autonomy & the Intuitive Eating Legacy with Evelyn Tribole
Plateful Parenting Podcast
🎙 Episode 42 — GLP-1s, Body Autonomy & the Intuitive Eating Legacy with Evelyn Tribole In this powerful follow-up conversation, Chanel is joined once again by Intuitive Eating co-founder and trailblazer Evelyn Tribole. Together, they unpack the current wave of GLP-1 medications—including Ozempic and Wegovy—and explore how these drugs intersect with body image, nutrition culture, and the core tenets of intuitive eating. This episode isn't just a hot take on a trend. It's a deep dive into bodily autonomy, health equity, and what it means to reclaim trust in your body in a world that...
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Episode 41: Breaking Cycles — Recovery, Reflection, and Raising Resilient Kids with Dawn Smith-Theodore
Plateful Parenting Podcast
Season 2, Episode 6 of The Plateful Parenting Podcast With Christine Heller & Chanel Kenner, RD Guest: Dawn Smith-Theodore, LMFT | Author of Mother, Men & Me and Tutu Thin In this powerful continuation of our conversation with therapist, author, and former professional dancer Dawn Smith-Theodore, we explore how generational patterns, perfectionism, and secrecy shape our children’s relationships with food, body, and identity. Dawn opens up about her new memoir Mother, Men & Me: A Memoir of Anxiety, Anorexia, and Affairs—and the courage it took to revisit her past in order to...
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Episode 40: “What a Farmer Wants You to Know About Food” with Dennis Bulani
Plateful Parenting Podcast
In this episode of Plateful Parenting, Chanel Kenner, RD and Christine Heller sit down with Dennis Bulani, farmer and author of What a Farmer Wants You to Know About Food. Together, they unpack one of the most overlooked aspects of how families relate to food—where it actually comes from. From his boots-on-the-ground perspective, Dennis walks us through the disconnect between modern food marketing and real-life farming. We talk about: The myths about “big ag” and what terms like “organic,” “natural,” and “non-GMO” actually mean The rise of fear-based food messaging and...
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Episode 39 — Beyond Wellness: What Actually Builds Body Trust in Our Kids (Part 2)
Plateful Parenting Podcast
Episode 39 — Beyond Wellness: What Actually Builds Body Trust in Our Kids (Part 2) Hosts: Chanel Kenner, RD & Christine Heller 🎧 Season 2, Episode 3 In Part 2 of our deep dive into body trust, we unpack the modern “wellness” culture our kids are growing up in—because it’s no longer just about what’s said at the dinner table. From “clean eating” to weight-loss injectables to viral “SkinnyTok” trends, today’s kids are swimming in messages that make it harder to trust their bodies. We explore: 🔹 The rebranding of diet culture as wellness 🔹 The cultural messaging...
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Episode 38: Recovery, Rewriting, and Real Talk with Morgan Gallo
Plateful Parenting Podcast
Season 2, Episode 4 of The Plateful Parenting Podcast With Christine Heller & Chanel Kenner, RD Guest: Morgan Gallo, comedian, advocate & host of My Body, My Jokes What happens when recovery challenges your career, your identity, and everything you thought you wanted? In this powerful and honest conversation, Christine and Chanel sit down with Morgan Gallo—actor, dancer, and former touring comedian—to talk about her recovery from a 15-year eating disorder, the impact of growing up with body-shaming messaging, and how she's learning to prioritize peace over performance. From...
info_outlineIn this powerful episode of Plateful Parenting, cohosts Chanel Kenner RD and Christine Santucci are joined by Kelsey Gilchriest, a peer mentor with Equip and an inspiring voice in the eating disorder recovery space. Kelsey shares her personal recovery story, her work supporting families as part of Equip’s care team, and her insights on what makes peer mentorship such a unique and vital piece of the treatment process.
Together, we explore how lived experience can complement clinical care, what families need to hear during the hardest moments, and how Kelsey helps parents navigate their fears, frustrations, and hope throughout their child’s healing journey. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to work with a peer mentor—or how connecting with someone who’s “been there” can change the course of recovery—this is a must-listen.
Kelsey also offers encouragement for parents feeling isolated or overwhelmed, reminding us that recovery is not only possible—it’s powerful.
Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
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Equip Health – Virtual eating disorder treatment that includes peer and family mentorship alongside medical and therapeutic support
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Kelsey Gilchriest’s Contributor Page on Equip – Read Kelsey’s articles and personal insights from recovery
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Peer Mentorship at Equip – Learn more about the role of mentors in Equip’s treatment model
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National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) – Education and support resources for families navigating eating disorders
Disclaimer:
This podcast is intended for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or nutritional advice. Always consult your care team for individualized guidance. The opinions shared by our guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Plateful Parenting or its hosts.