Do you tend to eat on the couch and with distractions, rather than at the dining room table? Are you someone that avoids the dining room table because of past trauma related to mealtime? Are you just trying to navigate this whole food peace journey, and are looking for some direction? Listen now for some steps you can take today. Subscribe and leave a review here in just seconds. Check out this summer's special blog post series: Empowering Your PCOS Journey. It aims to help you understand PCOS, improve your relationship with food, and advocate for better care. You will be hearing from nutrition grad student Kimberly Singh and her experiences with PCOS as well as evidenced based info to help arm yourself with the most up-to-date research.  We are so excited to release our first blog post on Wednesday June 14th. Episode's Key Points: Vulnerability is a part of healing our relationship with food, but there is also a time and place for NOT being vulnerable! It's all about balance. Rachel Cole joins to talk more about vulnerability and food peace! Having a nourishing and safe place during mealtime as a child is super important! If we don't have that, it can really impact our relationship with food and eating in adulthood. Expand your choices!! Your food behavior shouldn't be dictated but "should's," but instead by what you honestly want to do. There's a time and a place for non-distracted eating, but don't force it! Eat where you feel SAFE. There's no timeline, should's, or black and white thinking... it's all about being "choiceful!" Pleasure is an important part of the eating experience, and we should embrace that. Make sure that the food you're eating is something that you WANT to experience. How do we re-parent our traumatized childhood selves without giving them all the power? Reach out to a therapist to work through this struggle, and have an active dialogue with that child! Put in the effort to make the dining area welcoming and safe... create a warm environment, and make the area available to you with zero pressure to eat there. Make small steps... what would it be like to have one meal at the table? Or just a cup of tea? Start with the lowest hanging fruit! Immerse yourself in the experience with non-judgmental awareness. We should strive to make ALL areas of our literal and metaphorical houses welcoming and comfortable for us. Have compassion for the ways that we take care of ourselves, even if our coping mechanisms aren't the most sustainable!! If your experience doesn't feel good, start getting curious about what would make it feel better. EXPERIMENT!! Explore, get feedback from your body and your emotions, and continue to check in. We are the expert of our own bodies... connect to your body, embrace embodiment, and explore body trust! Listen to a podcast or invite or call a friend while eating if you're feeling lonely and want company, and don't feel like watching the television. Don't be afraid to reach out for support in any capacity to help you through this food peace journey! Show Notes: Link to subscribe to the weekly FREE Food Peace Newsletter. It is sent out every Tuesday morning and no spam EVER. By signing up, I will also send you Love Food's Season 1's Food Peace Syllabus. "Dieting is a Violent Act" by Rachel Cole Finding Yourself in the Kitchen by Dana Velden Rachel Cole's FEAST program Eating Disorder Dietitian Julie Dillon RD blog Do you have a complicated relationship with food? I want to help! Send your Dear Food letter to LoveFoodPodcast@gmail.com.  Click here to leave me a review in iTunes and subscribe. This type of kindness helps the show continue! Thank you for listening to the Love, Food series.