48. Navigating Chronic Illness and Recovery with Anita Dharwadkar, RD, LDN

There are so many different types of chronic illnesses, from IBS to Crohn's Disease, that make healing your relationship with food infinitely more complicated.    It’s not as simple as “read the intuitive eating book, eat when you’re hungry!” (let’s be real – that’s a boiled-down version of intuitive eating, anyway). When someone’s body responds differently to different foods due to a chronic illness, how do they navigate recovery from disordered eating and heal their relationship with food?    Anita Dharwadkar talks with me today about just that. If you struggle with a chronic illness and want to heal your relationship with food, then this episode is for you… but even if you don’t, this is a really interesting conversation that will allow you to pick out pieces that do apply to you – and help you understand that recovery and intuitive eating is not a one-size-fits-all process.     Anita is a Registered Dietitian who practices in the Boston area. She’s an anti-diet dietitian who practices Health at Every Size. She’s been trained to work with eating disorders and has worked with all levels of care.    Right now, she’s working as an outpatient nutrition therapist in Cambridge, Massachusetts with Marci Evans (who was actually on the podcast a few weeks ago!). Anita has a passion for working with the intersection of eating disorders and chronic illness, specifically in adolescents.    Listen now to our discussion about the complexities of navigating recovery from an eating disorder with a chronic illness. Tweetable Quotes   “Be gentle with yourself. Know that this isn’t going to happen overnight. You didn’t develop disordered eating… overnight, it’s going to take time and that’s frustrating.” – Anita Dharwadkar, RD, LDN   “Every time that you are choosing to eat, you’re making a good, nourishing choice and getting yourself one step closer.” – Anita Dharwadkar, RD, LDN   Resources:  Anita’s Instagram, @Dietitian_Anita    Anita’s Email, [email protected]    Anita’s practice website    LEAVE A REVIEW + help someone who may need this podcast by sharing this episode.  Sign up for my weekly newsletter here!   You can connect with me, Rachelle Heinemann, on Instagram at @rachelleheinemann, through my website www.rachelleheinemann.com, or email me directly at [email protected]