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Welcome to our semi-annual best books episode! We're talking about the best of the best (so far) for this year, and hope to give you lots of fun reading recommendations for the summer. Kara and I share 5 of our top favorites from 2026 so far. We'd love to hear from you - what have your favorite reads been so far this year?  A few of the recommendation categories you'll hear in this episode: Best fantasy that's not a billion pages Most unique magic system Best rom com Most unique fantasy world Best overall fantasy Book that will get you out of a reading slump Tune in for the details! Find your hosts: @millennialbodyimageproject  @danamonsees_cns @kara_mccartney

It's a new era for diet culture, and body image is TOUGH right now. What do you do when it feels like all your friends are on a diet, a GLP-1, or talking about it??  In this episode, I sat down with Caitie Corradino — registered dietitian nutritionist, breathwork facilitator, yoga teacher, fitness instructor, and body image specialist — for a conversation about the pressure so many of us feel to look a certain way, and what we can actually do about it. Plus, the absolute insanity of hollywood and beauty standards, and how no one can escape the mindf*** of GLP-1's. Grab your free non-diet Gut Health Audit here! - https://bit.ly/3RVZfLT  We unpack: Why the recent buzz around GLP-1 weight loss drugs is stirring up old body image wounds What the Devil Wears Prada 2 cast's appearances sparked in conversations around aging, Hollywood, and body dysmorphia How social media amplifies unrealistic beauty ideals — and why it's not just "in your head" Caitie's mind-body-soul toolkit: from affirmations and mindset work to breathwork, yoga, and emotional reflection Why community and honest conversation are the antidote to unrealistic beauty culture Find Caitie: Instagram @caitie.c.rd Full Soul Nutrition Podcast: Deep Breaths and Dance Breaks Find your host: millennialbodyimageproject.com @millennialbodyimageproject  @danamonsees_cns

What happens to your body image when you live in a body the world labels as "different"—and how does finding the right community change everything? In this episode, I'm talking with filmmaker Julie Forrest Wyman about body image, identity, and what it actually means to belong in your body. Through her film The Tallest Dwarf, Julie shares her experience navigating multiple identities—including dwarfism, queerness, and the fat positivity space—and how those intersections shape body image and belonging. We dig into the blind spots in mainstream body positivity, why representation alone isn't enough, and how community can fundamentally shift your relationship with your body. We also talk about what real inclusivity looks like in practice—not just in theory. Watch the film The Tallest Dwarf for free on Youtube thru July 4th, and then on the PBS app after! Resources mentioned: Link to watch the film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsoDZ7hu0xg  Instagram: @thetallestdwarffilm / @julieforrestwyman  Independent lens films Find your host: @millennialbodyimageproject @danamonsees_cns realfoodwithdana.com

How elimination diets, gut health protocols, and functional medicine can lead to food stress and disordered eating patterns If you've ever felt dismissed, turned to food to find answers, and ended up more overwhelmed than before—you're not alone. We're diving into the functional medicine pipeline and the fine line between supportive healing and harmful restriction. This episode offers a more compassionate, sustainable lens on navigating chronic symptoms. Find your host: @millennialbodyimageproject  @danamonsees_cns www.realfoodwithdana.com Related Episodes: IBS, Gut Health & Disordered Eating: Breaking the Cycle of Food Fear with Samina Qureshi Lab testing 101: the Whole-Hearted Eating way Can you manage chronic health conditions without food restriction?

A compassionate, real-talk look at how GLP-1 medications impact appetite, food noise, nutrition, and your relationship with food. In this episode, I'm joined by Jessica Brown—clinical nutritionist, self-compassion teacher, and author of Beyond the Shot—to explore GLP-1 medications and the deeper work of healing your relationship with food. We discuss what these medications can (and can't) do, key nutrient deficiencies to watch for, and their potential role in chronic and inflammatory conditions. We also talk about how to use the "space" GLP-1s can create to build self-awareness, challenge food rules, and shift long-standing beliefs about food and body. Disclaimer: This episode includes general discussion of weight and GLP-1 medications, so if that's in any way triggering for you, I suggest you skip this episode. None of this is medical advice—my goal is to provide balanced, evidence-based information so you can make informed decisions with your healthcare team. Find our guest: Instagram @thelovingdiet Book: Beyond the Shot Find your host: millennialbodyimageproject.com @millennialbodyimageproject  @danamonsees_cns

Ever feel like you're doing everything "right"… but still completely burned out? It might not be you—it might be ADHD. In this episode, Dana sits down with Liz Lewis to talk about the real experience of ADHD in women—think chronic burnout, people pleasing, and masking so well no one (including you) saw it coming. They dig into why so many women are getting diagnosed later in life, how societal pressure to "hold it all together" plays a role, and why productivity hacks aren't the solution. This is a conversation about unlearning, self-trust, and finally understanding your brain in a way that actually helps. Find Liz! Book: You are Not the Problem - Late-Diagnosed ADHD Women and the Invisible Forces That Shape Us {coming June 2026} Substack: Yes, And… with Liz Lewis Instagram: @lizlewisliterary Bonus! If you preorder the book, you can get access to Liz' private podcast (check out the details here!) Find your host: millennialbodyimageproject.com @millennialbodyimageproject  @danamonsees_cns

When gut health advice starts to feel like a list of foods you can't eat, it might be making your IBS—and your relationship with food—worse. IBS, gut health issues, and food fear often get tangled together—and untangling them isn't as simple as cutting out more foods. In this episode, I'm joined by GI dietitian Samina Qureshi to talk about the very real overlap between IBS and disordered eating—and why more restriction isn't always the answer. We get into how long-term low FODMAP, expensive functional testing, and supplement-heavy protocols can sometimes backfire, making symptoms (and anxiety around food) worse—not better. You'll also walk away with practical strategies for constipation, bloating, and those tough body image days. Plus: we're myth-busting bread, white rice, and cultural foods—and calling out the kind of "gut health advice" that might be doing more harm than good. Find our guest: Samina Qureshi on Instagram: @inclusive.ibs.dietitian https://www.wholesomestart.com/  Find your host: @danamonsees_cns @millennialbodyimageproject  Dana Monsees Nutrition

What do you wear when your body changes? In this episode, personal stylist Nicole Garfunkel joins us to talk about reclaiming personal style during eating disorder recovery—without body shame or size rules. Nicole shares her own journey with body image and PCOS, the powerful parallels between food and fashion, and how clothes can either reinforce body shame or support healing. We discuss her trauma-informed approach to closet clearing, why keeping clothes that no longer fit can be emotionally harmful, and how to build a wardrobe that works for your body right now. Listen in for practical, body-neutral tips for navigating shopping, experimenting with personal style, and reclaiming confidence without chasing trends or sizes. Find Nicole: Website: https://stylingconfidential.com IG & TikTok - @styling_confidential  Resources mentioned: Whering, Index Find your host: www.realfoodwithdana.com for all our episodes! @millennialbodyimageproject  @danamonsees_cns

Dietitian Maria Terry is back — and we're talking about how to have a "sturdy girl season" for body image, resilience, strength and nutrition. From navigating body image in a post-Ozempic world, to embracing strength and self-trust over aesthetics, we dig into grief, aging, and the messy middle of doing health without diet culture. Find Maria: Instagram: @vitamin_ri  Sign up for Sunday brunch! - https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/450781/90970568407385754/share  Website: marriaterrynutrition.com Find your hosts! @millennialbodyimageproject  @danamonsees_cns

Welcome to our annual best books episode! This year we're switching things up and doing book awards and superlatives for each category, like best book of the year, best series, biggest gut punch, etc. We hope you get lots of recommendations from this episode, and send us your recommendations with favorites from this year too!  Full list of recommendations here: https://www.realfoodwithdana.com/best-books-of-2025/ Find your hosts: @danamonsees_cns @kara_mccartney

Why "healthy habits" can make us feel like we're failing — and how body image, perfectionism, and all-or-nothing wellness get tangled together. Feel like you need to earn body acceptance through your healthy habits? Let's talk about the all-too-familiar spiral—when the things we do to support our health start to feel like they're never enough… and our body image takes the hit. In this episode, we're unpacking what happens when body image struggles get wrapped up in our "healthy habits"—and how easy it is to feel like we're failing when those routines shift.  What we cover: Why tying health behaviors to body changes can backfire How to spot all-or-nothing thinking in your routines - and how to build in flexibility instead What acceptance-based therapy actually means Boundaries, balance, and the beauty of ebb and flow If you've felt this way, you're definitely not alone - listen in! Find your hosts: millennialbodyimageproject.com @millennialbodyimageproject  @danamonsees_cns

As the new year begins, many people want to support their health with nutrition — without falling back into rigid resets, rules, or diets. But if you've spent time in the non-diet space, you've likely heard the advice: "Just listen to your body." What happens when that advice feels confusing, overwhelming, or even shame-inducing? In this episode, we unpack why "just listen to your body" often doesn't work for people recovering from disordered eating, chronic dieting, or managing chronic illness. We explore why hunger and fullness cues can feel unreliable or nonexistent, what actually builds body trust, and how to use gentle structure and support — without returning to diet culture — to nourish your body in a sustainable way. Episodes mentioned: "Why can't I stop eating?" Real talk on overeating, binge eating, and scavenger eating So you broke up with dieting…now what? Overcoming new year body image sunday scaries  When you know too much about diet culture (and don't know what to do now) Find your hosts: millennialbodyimageproject.com @millennialbodyimageproject  @danamonsees_cns @cristinahoytnutrition

What's the difference between being "just bendy" and hypermobile EDS? Dietitian Cheryl Harris joins us to bust hypermobility myths, explain why diagnosis is so difficult, and talk through connections with the gut, nervous system, POTS, mast cells. Plus, how do hypermobility and hEDS impact nutrition and our relationship with food? Cheat sheet: EDS = ehlers danlos syndrome HSD = hypermobility spectrum disorder hEDS = hypermobile EDS POTS = post orthostatic tachycardia syndrome Find our guest: Cheryl Harris - https://www.harriswholehealth.com/ Find your hosts: millennialbodyimageproject.com @millennialbodyimageproject  @danamonsees_cns A few studies referenced: Garcia-Fischer I, Abber SR, Silvernale C, Rodis J, Burton-Murray H, Staller K. Exploring Transdiagnostic Eating Disorder Symptoms and Disorder of Gut-Brain Interaction Symptoms in Individuals With Connective Tissue Disorders. Int J Eat Disord. 2025 Oct 20. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.24576 Epub ahead of print. PMID: 41116197. Pollack B, von Saltza E, McCorkell L, et al. Female reproductive health impacts of Long COVID and associated illnesses including ME/CFS, POTS, and connective tissue disorders: a literature review. Front Rehabil Sci. 2023;4:1122673. Published 2023 Apr 28. doi:10.3389/fresc.2023.1122673 Monaco A, Choi D, Uzun S, Maitland A, Riley B. Association of mast-cell-related conditions with hypermobile syndromes: a review of the literature. Immunol Res. 2022;70(4):419-431. doi:10.1007/s12026-022-09280-1

If you've ever felt like emotional eating is a moral failing, this episode is for you! This week we're unpacking emotional eating myths, stigma, and why some approaches to "healing" emotional eating are actually making the problem worse. We'll also talk about how improving your relationship with food shouldn't hinge on weight loss - and what you can do instead. Check out our holiday food & body image support series here! You'll get 9 short episodes & 3 pdf resources designed to support your nutrition and your relationship with food through the festive season. Find your hosts: millennialbodyimageproject.com @millennialbodyimageproject  @danamonsees_cns @cristinahoytnutrition patreon.com/millennialbodyimageproject for additional episodes & resources!

We're diving into how to navigate holiday food noise and diet talk during the holidays! With Thanksgiving and the December holidays coming up, conversations around diet and body image can be triggering and pervasive. This episode offers tips and scripts for responding to diet talk, creating boundaries, and protecting your mental health. Whether you choose to engage or step away, we've got practical advice and a downloadable PDF guide to help you handle these situations with confidence - or avoidance!  Download the guide: Navigating Diet Talk at Holiday Events ...or Grab our full holiday food & body image support series (including the PDF above) on Patreon In our holiday support series, you'll learn how to reframe your mindset, set boundaries, and ensure you can enjoy the holiday season without letting food noise or body image issues disqualify you from the joy and connection that this time of year brings. This includes 9 episodes and 3 PDF resources, including a holiday recipes ebook!  Find your hosts: millennialbodyimageproject.com @millennialbodyimageproject  @danamonsees_cns @cristinahoytnutrition