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In this week's episode of Full of Beans, Han is joined by Tiffany Luxford. Tiffany is a 24-year-old psychology student at King's College London and an expert by experience, whose own journey with anorexia in her late teens now sits at the centre of both her professional focus and personal work. She contributes to co-production research and shares her story in the training of current and future clinicians, helping ensure the voices of people with lived experience remain central to how eating disorder care is shaped. Tiffany also works with services across the UK to help design more compassionate and accessible treatment pathways, and is soon launching The Recovery Wave, a website of resources for anyone navigating recovery, particularly those without access to care or who haven't yet found support that fits their needs. In this week's episode, we discuss: The bullying and social pressure that triggered Tiffany's eating disorderThe impact of unsuccessful A&E trips and delayed eating disorder interventionsFalling between adult and child eating disorder services during COVIDBeing discharged from eating disorder treatment at 18 due to age, not readinessGaps in eating disorder treatment caused by multiple diagnoses, including OCDWhy connection in eating disorder treatment supports and hinders recoveryWhy university became the turning point in Tiffany's eating disorder recoveryDebunking the myth that eating disorder thoughts "never go away"Tiffany's lived-experience resource for eating disorder recovery, Recovery Wave⚠️ Content note: this episode discusses eating disorders, inpatient treatment, and mental health diagnoses including OCD and personality disorder. Please take care while listening. Connect with us: Subscribe to the Full of Beans PodcastFollow Full of Beans on InstagramCheck out our websiteListen on YouTubeConnect with Tiffany via LinkedIn or check out her Tedx Talk

This week on the Full of Beans podcast, Han is joined by Dr Sam Chawner, a senior research fellow at Cardiff University. Sam's research explores the complex links between eating disorders, genetics, neurodiversity and mental health, with a focus on groups who have historically been overlooked in research and clinical practice. His work looks at ARFID (avoidant restrictive food intake disorder) , and he is involved in the NHS Wales ARFID Steering Group and the EDGI (Eating Disorder Genetics Initiative) study, working alongside Beat, and those with lived experience to shape the future of ARFID research and care. In this episode, we explore: The links between eating disorders, genetics and neurodiversityWhy ARFID is still so misunderstoodThe different types of ARFID, including the four subtypesThe overlap between ARFID and neurodivergenceWhat the first ARFID twin study foundThe gaps in ARFID treatment researchThe EDGI study, and how families can take partConnect with Us: Subscribe to the Full of Beans PodcastFollow Full of Beans on InstagramCheck out our websiteListen on YouTubeConnect with Sam on LinkedInFind out more about ARFID hereFind out more about EDGI study here⚠️ Content Note: This episode includes discussion of eating disorders, ARFID, restrictive eating, and fears around choking and vomiting. Please take care while listening. Thank you to @Nightingale Hospital for sponsoring the podcast.

This week on the Full of Beans podcast, Han is joined by Shikha Chopra, a lived experience advocate living with ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder) who is currently navigating pregnancy. Shikha is also autistic and is a member of the ARFID Connect lived experience advisory group, led by Cardiff University. Her advocacy work stems from her own struggle accessing ARFID support through the NHS and her local eating disorder clinic, as well as her experience with recovery and prevention language that didn't fit how she lives with ARFID. In this episode, we discuss: How a traumatic episode of sickness became a turning point in Shikha's ARFIDWhat it felt like for Shikha to finally have a name for her strugglesHow Shikha's GP supported her through her ARFID diagnosisGaps in NHS eating disorder treatment for adults with ARFIDHow peer support groups helped Shikha find validation for her ARFID experienceWhy "acceptance" fit Shikha's ARFID better than "recovery"The link between ARFID, autism and OCDNavigating ARFID and autism through pregnancyAdvocating for her needs during maternity care with an autism health passportShikha's advice for accessing support for ARFID⚠️ Content note: this episode discusses ARFID, disordered eating, trauma, and pregnancy. Please take care while listening. Connect with us: Subscribe to the Full of Beans PodcastFollow Full of Beans on InstagramCheck out our websiteListen on YouTubeFind out more about ARFID Connect hereCheck out Beat ARFID Page hereCheck out First Steps info on ARFID here

This week on the Full of Beans podcast, Han is joined by Ella Clarke, a lived experience advocate currently working for LENs as an Expert by Experience. Ella has her own lived experience of an eating disorder and ADHD, and spent three years in hospital under a section. She now uses that experience to spread awareness and give others hope that recovery is genuinely possible. Outside of her advocacy work, Ella volunteers at Redgate Farm animal sanctuary, is proud crazy cat lady to Bella, a 14-year-old cat she adopted from Redgate last year, and this year travelled to Borneo to volunteer at a sanctuary for orangutans and sun bears. In this episode, we discuss: What motivates Ella to work as an Expert by Experience in eating disorder recoveryElla's experience of hospital admission and treatment for an eating disorderWhy listening to the person, not just the diagnosis, matters in eating disorder treatmentElla's experience of misdiagnosis and falling through the gaps between mental health servicesHow Ella's ADHD diagnosis became a turning point in her eating disorder recoveryThe overlap between ADHD, anorexia and binge eating disorderThe small, incremental steps that helped Ella rebuild her relationship with foodWhy normalising food, rather than commenting on it, supports eating disorder recoveryReconnecting with hobbies, identity and life beyond the eating disorder, including Ella's trip to Borneo⚠️ Content note: this episode discusses eating disorders, hospital admission, self-harm, and mental health diagnoses including ADHD and personality disorder. Please take care while listening. Connect with us: Subscribe to the Full of Beans PodcastFollow Full of Beans on InstagramCheck out our websiteListen on YouTubeConnect with Ella via LinkedIn

This week on the Full of Beans podcast, Han is joined by Shannon Travers-Spencer, who has lived experience of anorexia, autism, ADHD, ARFID and chronic illness, and shares their journey online. Shannon is a passionate advocate for inclusive care for neurodivergent individuals within eating disorder services, and spoke at this year's Dump The Scales march about navigating the UK's eating disorder system, and the barriers and accommodations they faced along the way. In This Episode: Shannon's experience of ARFID from childhood, and anorexia developing later as a teenagerUntangling autism, ARFID and anorexia when they overlap so closelyWhy an autism diagnosis partway through inpatient treatment changed everything about Shannon's careThe nuance clinicians face in adapting treatment without it being exploited by the eating disorderHow Shannon and a dietitian mapped out "autism-safe" versus "anorexia-safe" foods to understand what was really driving their eatingHow undiagnosed autism may have contributed to the development of Shannon's eating disorderPractical, simple adjustments that can make a significant difference in autistic-affirming careWhy listening to the patient, and being willing to adapt language and approach, matters more than any grand overhaulThe importance of joined-up care between eating disorder services and mental health teams⚠️ Content note: this episode discusses eating disorders, ARFID, autism, suicidality, and inpatient psychiatric treatment. Please take care while listening. Connect with us: Subscribe to the Full of Beans PodcastFollow Full of Beans on InstagramCheck out our websiteListen on YouTubeConnect with Shannon via Instagram @a.froggy.lifeWatch Shannon's Dump The Scales speech hereCheck out the Peace Pathway here

This week on the Full of Beans podcast, Han is joined by Lexie Kirwan-Jones. Lexie is a psychology student at Durham University, an eating disorder peer support worker, and someone involved in research relating to eating disorders and neurodivergence. As Lexie shares, her university experience hasn't been a straight line, but is one that might sound similar to those who have been navigating an eating disorder at university. After taking a year out of her costume design degree due to her eating disorder, she re-evaluated her career plans and returned to university in 2024 to study psychology to pursue a career in clinical psychology. In this episode, we discuss: Lexie's honest account of living with bulimia and disordered eatingWhy bulimia and binge-purge cycles can feel worse than restrictive eating disorders, despite looking "healthy" on the outsideHow weight-focused feedback in eating disorder treatment can reinforce disordered behavioursUnderstanding binge eating disorder: what a binge actually feels like, and why it isn't about willpowerThe turning point in Lexie's eating disorder recoveryWhy the right GP can make all the difference in accessing eating disorder treatmentHow university stress and perfectionism fuelled Lexie's eating disorderTaking a year out of university for eating disorder recovery, and the fear of judgementLexie's advice for navigating university with an eating disorder⚠️ Content note: this episode discusses eating disorders, including restriction, binge eating and bulimia, and disordered eating behaviours. Please take care while listening. Connect with us: Subscribe to the Full of Beans PodcastFollow Full of Beans on InstagramCheck out our websiteListen on YouTube

This week on the Full of Beans podcast, Han is joined by Jessica Parker and Gemma Fieldsend, co-founders of Cog-Spark, a mental health training and consultancy organisation with more than 40 years of combined experience across mental health, psychology, education and research. Gemma brings extensive clinical experience from senior roles within the NHS, higher education and specialist mental health services, while Jessica's background is in psychology, education and doctoral research focused on eating disorder prevention and early identification. Together, they combine frontline and clinical experience with research to deliver evidence-based, practical training to schools, universities, workplaces and community organisations. As pupils head back to school, this episode focuses on helping educators and parents recognise and respond to eating disorders in school-aged children. In this week's episode, we discuss: Why eating disorders don't have a "look," and can affect any child regardless of background, age or genderEarly warning signs of eating disorders in school-aged children, beyond weightRecognising ARFID and sensory eating difficulties in schoolsHow perfectionism and high achievement can mask an eating disorder in childrenHow to talk to a child when concerned about an eating disorderPractical strategies for schools to support children with eating disordersHow to talk to parents about a suspected eating disorder in their childRemoving blame and shame from eating disorder conversations with familiesWhy joined-up support between schools and families improves eating disorder recovery in children⚠️ Content note: this episode discusses eating disorders, disordered eating, and supporting children and young people. Please take care while listening. Connect with us: Subscribe to the Full of Beans PodcastFollow Full of Beans on InstagramCheck out our websiteListen on YouTube

This week on the Full of Beans podcast, Han is joined by Ruby Phelan and Margherita Barbieri to talk about their new film, The Last Pancake. Ruby is a multi-award-winning filmmaker, activist and illustrator who wrote and directed the film, and previously worked as a director's assistant on Netflix's The Crown after her acclaimed short The Mermaid & the Artist. Margherita is a British-Italian actor and producer, best known for starring as Simone in Spellbound for ITV and Hulu, and leads as Amanda in the film. The Last Pancake is a magical-realist drama in which Amanda ventures to the titular cafe, awakens her suppressed appetite, and finds herself reunited with her nine-year-old self. The film is independently produced by Ethan McDowell of AnyOther Productions, with support from mental health organisation Voices with Impact, and also stars Lia Williams (The Capture, The Day of the Jackal) as Martha and introduces Luana Souza Rodrigues as Little Amanda. In This Episode: The story behind The Last Pancake and depicting recovery's fear and braveryReconnecting with your inner child in eating disorder recoveryThe neurodivergent overlap with eating disordersThe subtle details in the film that spoke so directly to the eating disorder experienceWhy "shedding" relationships is one of recovery's hardest, least talked about parts in recoveryThe quiet power of simply being there for someone, without needing to fix anythingRedirecting determination and drive from disordered eating into something life-affirmingUsing storytelling to open conversations that are hard to put into words⚠️ Content note: this episode discusses eating disorders, disordered eating, and recovery. Please take care while listening. Connect with us: Subscribe to the Full of Beans PodcastFollow Full of Beans on InstagramCheck out our websiteListen on YouTubeConnect with the team:The Last Pancake on Instagram (@thelastpancakefilm)Writer & Director - Ruby Phelan - @ruby_phelanAmanda - Margherita Barbieri - @alwaysmargiProducer - Ethan McDowell - @ethansmcdowellProduction Company - AnyOther. Productions - @anyother.productionsFollow Ruby and Margi's recovery community, @play.brave, on TikTok

This week on the Full of Beans podcast, Han is joined by Sophie du Plessis, a final-year Master of Nursing student in Adult and Mental Health Nursing at King's College London and founder of ED Informed. Sophie previously studied psychology at the University of Toronto, where she capped off a 15-year career as a national-level swimmer, co-captaining the varsity women's team to a second-place finish at Canadian Nationals. Drawing on her background in competitive sport and her own lived experience of an eating disorder, Sophie set up ED Informed, a campaign calling on gyms and fitness spaces to become eating disorder informed. She's currently working with Beat to develop accredited training for fitness staff to help them recognise and signpost people at risk of disordered eating and compulsive exercise, alongside piloting screening measures at the King's College London campus gym. In This Episode: Sophie's journey from competitive swimming to compulsive exercise and eating disorderSpotting the difference between healthy training and compulsive exerciseWhy disordered exercise can sneak in quietly, unnoticedDiscipline vs wellness culture vs compulsive exerciseSigns gym staff can look out for in clientsSophie's work piloting eating disorder awareness training for gymsRebuilding a healthy relationship with exercise after an eating disorderSophie's vision for ED Informed and eating disorder-informed gyms⚠️ Content note: this episode discusses eating disorders, compulsive exercise, and body image. Please take care while listening. Connect with us: Subscribe to the Full of Beans PodcastFollow Full of Beans on InstagramCheck out our websiteListen on YouTubeConnect with Sophie and ED Informed via her website or Instagram (@edinformed)Health policy petition: https://www.change.org/EDInformed_HealthPolicy

This week on the Full of Beans podcast, Han is joined by Dr Stella Kozmér, an NIHR SPCR-funded Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Exeter, a Researcher at the University of Oxford, and an incoming Trainee Clinical Psychologist at the University of Oxford. Coming from an Eastern European background, Stella's research focuses on the identification and management of binge eating disorder and bulimia nervosa in primary care settings, using mixed-methods research to inform NHS clinical guidelines, policy and practice. Her work is driven by her own lived experience, which she integrates into the core of what she does. In This Episode: Stella's personal and professional journey into binge eating disorder researchHow Stella felt in recognising BED after a decade of not having a name for itWhy Stella felt stigma and shame disclosing her mental health issues in healthcareWhy lived experience is a strength in research, not a bias to hideWhy primary care screening tools for binge eating disorder and bulimia fall shortThe problem with SCOFF and other outdated eating disorder screening criteriaHow weight stigma affects whether binge eating disorder gets identified at allWhy GPs are hesitant to talk about BED without services to refer patients toThe real-world cost of untreated binge eating disorder and its comorbiditiesHow to use the diabetes care model as a blueprint without more fundingA review of GLP-1 medications for binge eating disorderWhat the GLP-1 evidence does and doesn't tell us, and the misuse risks to considerWhy treatment for binge eating disorder must be personalised, not one-size-fits-all⚠️ Content note: this episode discusses eating disorders (including binge eating disorder and bulimia), disordered eating, weight stigma, obesity, and prescription medication. Please take care while listening. Connect with us: Subscribe to the Full of Beans PodcastFollow Full of Beans on InstagramCheck out our websiteListen on YouTubeConnect with Dr Stella Kozmér: via LinkedInRead Stella's research via Research Gate

This week on the Full of Beans podcast, Han is joined by Elle Mace, a food psychology and body image practitioner, international speaker and debut author of Food Freedom, published by Vermilion/Penguin later this year. Elle brings together years of clinical training with her own lived experience to help people find a calmer, more peaceful relationship with food. Alongside her one-to-one and speaking work, Elle hosts the More to Life podcast. She delivers accredited training for fitness and sports professionals on body image, disordered eating and GLP-1 medications. Elle's approach is simple: food freedom is psychological, and everyone deserves the understanding and support to get there. In this episode, we explore: Elle's journey to writing Food Freedom and putting her disordered eating experience into wordsWhy awareness is the hardest, and most essential, first step in recoveryHow toxic wellness culture can disguise itself as something healthyElle's experience of body dysmorphia and how it showed up beyond just weight and shapeElle's shift between different eating disorders over the years, and why none of them ever really "ended" on their ownThe rock-bottom moment that led Elle to ask for helpWhat eating disorder recovery actually looked like for ElleWhy relationships, jobs and old patterns sometimes have to shift as part of getting wellProtecting your energy in recovery, and why that isn't the same as being selfishWhy hearing relatable, lived experiences can land differently to clinical informationConnect with Us: Subscribe to the Full of Beans Podcast Follow Full of Beans on Instagram Check out our website Listen on YouTube Connect with Elle via Instagram (@iamellemace), LinkedIn or via her website www.ellemace.com⚠️ Content Note: This episode discusses eating disorders (including restriction, binge eating and bulimia), body dysmorphia, and body dissatisfaction. Please take care while listening.

This week on the Full of Beans podcast, Han is joined by Zelah Glasson. Zelah is a trans man, content creator and fitness coach who has been openly sharing his transition journey over the past two and a half years, and has lived experience of bulimia. Zelah recently made history as the first transgender man to appear on the ITV version of Big Brother, further amplifying his voice and visibility. He is now building an online personal training business focused on supporting and empowering others within his community. In this episode, we explore: Zelah's journey to personal training for trans and queer clientsZelah's bulimia recovery story and NHS eating disorder treatment gaps The difference between "In recovery" vs "recovered" How shame and control are related to bulimiaThe impact of public conversations about men's eating disordersZelah's experience of gender dysphoria, body dysmorphia and transitioningThe importance of trans representation in fitnessUsing exercise as a coping mechanism and understanding the difference between exercise and compulsive exerciseHow to build sustainable fitness habits centred on enjoyment, flexibility, and body awarenessConnect with Us: Subscribe to the Full of Beans PodcastFollow Full of Beans on InstagramCheck out our websiteListen on YouTubeConnect with Zelah via Instagram (@zelahglasson) and TikTok (@zelahglasson)⚠️ Content Note: This episode includes discussion of eating disorders (bulimia), body dysmorphia, gender dysphoria, and the relationship between exercise and disordered eating. Please take care while listening.

This week, Han is joined by Jessica Mackney, an HCPC-registered Art Psychotherapist passionate about how art therapy can help people explore experiences that may be difficult to put into words and build meaningful therapeutic relationships, while increasing awareness of the role art therapy plays in supporting recovery in eating disorder treatment. Working from a trauma-informed, non-judgemental approach, Jess supports people across the lifespan with eating disorders, autism, SEN, and complex trauma, across the NHS, education, and non-profit sectors, with a particular focus on young people and eating disorders. In this episode, we explore: What art therapy actually is beyond common misconceptions ("just drawing or painting")How the relationship between therapist, client and the artwork itself carries meaningWhy perfectionism and control (often present in eating disorders) can make engaging with art materials difficultHow art therapy offers a route into communication when verbal expression feels inaccessible or unsafeThe role of choice, agency and non-judgement in the therapy spaceWorking with people who are non-verbal or struggling to access words for their experienceHow the connection between body, senses and materials can support reconnection for those with eating disordersHan's own experience of art, perfectionism, and rediscovering creativity after her eating disorderHow art can hold and express difficult emotions — including anger and frustration — safelyWays people can explore the benefits of creative expression at home, distinct from clinical art therapyConnect with Us: Subscribe to the Full of Beans PodcastFollow Full of Beans on InstagramCheck out our websiteListen on YouTubeConnect with Jessica via LinkedIn. ⚠️ Content Note: This episode includes discussion of eating disorders, disordered eating, and self-harm. Please take care while listening, and know that this podcast is always here to come back to.

Have you ever been in and out of hospital so many times that everyone around you quietly stopped believing you'd ever get better, so you started to believe it too? This episode is for you." This week on the Full of Beans Podcast, I'm joined by Hannah Whitfield, a creative activist, writer, speaker, performer and founder of Legally Detained - a lived-experience-led creative platform transforming survival into power through art, activism and unapologetic storytelling. Her work explores neurodivergence, trauma, mental health systems, eating disorder recovery, inclusion and the power of creative expression. Through speaking, writing, performance, consultancy and her podcast No Longer Legally Detained, Hannah challenges systems that ask people to become smaller to survive, and instead creates work that says: we were never broken - we were surviving worlds that were never built with us in mind. In this episode, we explore: Where Legally Detained came fromHannah's experience of psychiatric admissionsBeing placed on a ward that didn't believe her eating disorder was "real" Becoming a "revolving door patient" across CAMHS, adult services, and secure careThe problem with BMI criteria as a gatekeeper for treatmentWhere restrictive practice crosses the line from safety into crueltyThe rock-bottom moment that changed everythingHow an ADHD diagnosis helped Hannah understand her own patterns for the first timeReframing recovery: it's not a "utopia," it's learning to ride the waveWhy purpose and belonging, not just words, are what help people recoverConnect with Us: Subscribe to the Full of Beans PodcastFollow Full of Beans on InstagramCheck out our websiteListen on YouTubeConnect with Hannah via Instagram @legallydetained, her website, blog, or podcast: No Longer Legally Detained. ⚠️ Content Note: This episode contains discussions of eating disorder treatment, inpatient care, and iatrogenic harm. Please take care of yourself while listening.

Have you ever walked into a healthcare setting and felt like one part of your identity was being used to explain away everything else? This one is for you. Eva Echo (she/they) is a distinguished activist, writer, and TEDx speaker, focusing on transgender+ rights, intersectionality, and eating disorders. After hearing Eva speak at the Dump the Scales march, I basically ran after her to get her on the podcast, and I am so glad I did. Eva has spent years fighting for trans+ people in healthcare, including taking NHS England to the High Court over unlawful waiting times, and many other incredible projects. She also has her own lived experience of an eating disorder, autism, and ADHD, and this conversation weaves all of that together in a way I haven't heard anywhere else. In this episode, we explore: Eva's experience of restrictive eating and how it developed alongside her identity as a trans womanHow autism and ADHD intersect with her eating disorderThe moment a GP told Eva she couldn't have an eating disorder and it's lasting impactEva's experience of Trans broken arm syndromeWhat medical gatekeeping looks like across eating disorders, gender identity, and neurodivergence,Eva's legal challenge against NHS England and the landmark ruling that came from itWhy the NHS can feel like a conveyor belt instead of individualised careEva's path analogy in relation to eating disorder recoveryEva's message to anyone who has never felt truly seen or heardEva's message is simple, and I think it is everything: be your own kind of beautiful. Connect with Us: Subscribe to the Full of Beans PodcastFollow Full of Beans on InstagramCheck out our websiteListen on YouTubeConnect with Eva via Instagram (@evaech0)⚠️ Content Note: This episode contains discussions of eating disorders, medical gatekeeping, gender identity, neurodivergence, and experiences of suicidal ideation. Please take care of yourself while listening. Photo credit: Lunar Sea.