#180: When Gut Issues Make You Afraid to Eat: A Conversation with Digestive Expert Anna Mapson
Rebuilding Trust With Your Body
Release Date: 04/15/2025
Rebuilding Trust With Your Body
Do you feel like dieting is where you shine? Where you can follow the plan, feel in control, and you feel like you’re doing something positive for yourself?...But when you’re not dieting everything falls to pieces and suddenly you’re stuffing your face with cookies and feeling like crap? Dieting offers a sense of structure, security, and the hope that if you just “stick with it” and “do it right” that you’ll have the body (and life) of your dreams. My guest today is a client of mine who grew up in a home shaped by diet culture where her mother was...
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Losing weight would make you happier, healthier and more confident, right? In this episode we’re going to look at what happens when weight loss doesn’t deliver on its promises. I know that this might be hard to hear, but the grass truly isn’t always greener, and even if you don’t believe me (yet) I want you to listen to this episode and hear me out. I’m sharing some facts that might surprise you, and several real life stories and examples that will blow your mind and help you look at your weight differently. This isn’t about giving up on yourself or weight...
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Let’s lay it all out on the table. What feels hard about letting go of dieting? What is holding you back from going all-in with intuitive eating? If we were sitting down on the couch, cozy under blankets with a cup of coffee or tea, what would you tell me about where you feel stuck, scared or uncertain right now? In this episode, we’re digging into the costs of what you lose when you step away from dieting, and stop chasing weight loss. (Because the truth is, it ain’t all sunshine and rainbows.) We’re also going to talk through how to navigate this “messy...
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I used to think that in order to be healthy I had to avoid things like carbs, and fat...and basically anything that tasted good. Even as a dietitian, I got sucked into thinking of food as good/bad, and I approached my eating with restriction being my strategy for health. It wasn't until I flipped things around and started practicing "nutrition by addition" and embracing ALL foods as part of 1) listening to my body, and 2) overall balanced eating, that I saw how it's totally possible to get healthier while eating bagels, pasta, ice cream, and Oreos. That's because the all-or-none...
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Find yourself doing well with your eating during the week, only to end up bingeing on the weekends? Here’s the fix. Let’s face it, whether you’re on a diet, or you’ve been doing intuitive eating (or you’re somewhere in between), weekends are harder with food. There are social events, dinners out, cocktails, tailgates, bridal showers, your kids’ sporting events, and so many things that can throw you off your normal eating routine…and lead to a binge…on the weekends. In this episode, I’m giving you real, simple, and doable ways to stop the weekend binges, so that...
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Let’s be real: the info online about health, wellness and nutrition can be confusing and overwhelming. What’s legit? What’s true? What does it mean for YOU and your body? In today’s episode I’m walking you through the current trends that I’m seeing in the industry as a dietitian, the new diets on the horizon, hot topics in pop culture and healthcare, and what’s worth paying attention to right now for your health. We’re going to cut through the noise, make sense of the science, and call out the BS nonsense that’s out there. Trust me, I’m not holding...
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Around here, no food is off limits. ALL foods can fit (unless you’re straight up allergic to them, obviously). And just like nothing’s off limits with food - nothing’s off limits with your questions. In this Ask Me Anything episode, I’m answering YOUR burning questions that members of my submitted, and grab the fire extinguisher because they’re comin’ in H-O-T-T. Questions Answered: ❓ If I still want to lose weight, does that mean I’m not fully integrating intuitive eating into my life? ❓ Does anyone lose weight with intuitive eating? ❓...
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If you’re wondering how the heck my clients are eliminating overeating and judgmental thoughts, without going on another restrictive diet or giving up their 10pm ice cream…it’s because they’re rewiring all the sneaky ways diet culture still lives rent-free in their heads. >> It’s about learning how to respond when the old patterns come roaring back. >> It’s about WHAT TO DO when it’s 9pm and you’re standing in front of the pantry with zero hunger AND… It’s about rebuilding trust with your hunger cues, ditching the food guilt, and...
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Curious what I say to my clients who want to do intuitive eating AND they still want to lose weight? (Spoiler: This is most of my clients when we first get started.) I am embarrassed to say this, but earlier in my career, I used to tell people, “I don’t do weight loss” and would send them on their way. I wasn’t even willing to help them. Now I meet my clients where they are at. I’m still not going to put them on a diet, but I absolutely will help them explore their relationship with food, their concerns about their weight, what they’re hoping weight loss...
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Whenever someone asks me how they’re supposed to ditch dieting if they have high cholesterol, I love opening their eyes with the wide array of strategies that can help lower their numbers - without cutting out things like butter or eggs, and meticulously logging everything in MyFitnessPal. In this episode, I’m taking you behind-the-scenes on how I discovered I have high cholesterol at 22 years old, and the multitude of things I’ve done to manage it (some strategies more effective than others). I share the things that help, the things that were too extreme, and what I’m...
info_outlineIf you’ve ever felt afraid to eat because of how food makes you feel (bloating, cramping, unpredictable trips to the bathroom), this episode is for you.
I’m joined by Anna Mapson, a registered nutritional therapist who specializes in IBS and digestive health, and who understands the delicate balance between managing gut symptoms and maintaining a healthy relationship with food.
We talk about how food fear can develop when you’re constantly trying to avoid symptoms, how that overlaps with disordered eating, and why simply cutting out more foods isn’t the answer. Anna shares her compassionate approach to gut healing that focuses on adding variety back in, not restricting even more.
We also discuss:
- Why elimination diets can backfire long-term
- The importance of working through food fear
- How to build trust with your body when your symptoms feel out of control
- Practical tips for expanding your diet without flaring your symptoms
Whether you're navigating IBS, other gut issues, or supporting someone who is, this episode will help you feel less alone, and more hopeful about your path forward!
Resources Mentioned
- Download Free Resources for IBS on Anna’s Mapson’s Website
- Connect with Anna Mapson on Instagram
- Listen to Anna’s Podcast: Inside Knowledge for People With IBS
Read the full episode show notes here.
Resources for Your Intuitive Eating Journey
- Intuitive eating education on the blog
- Work with Katy
- Explore the self-paced mini-course Stepping Off The Dieting Rollercoaster
Connect with Katy Harvey
Website: KatyHarvey.net
Instagram: @katyharvey.rd
Facebook: KatyHarveyRD
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