August 5, 2025 • 30 mins
Mallory Tenor Tarpley shares her journey through eating disorder recovery and what she calls "the middle place"—the complex space between acute illness and full recovery. Her memoir "Slip" explores how recovery isn't linear and challenges the perfectionism that can derail healing progress.
• Mallory developed her eating disorder after losing her mother at age 11
• She wrote "Slip" to represent those in the "middle place" of recovery who are better but not fully recovered
• Recovery involved small steps like changing the order of foods eaten before attempting variety
• Writing helped Mallory bridge emotional gaps and understand her relapse patterns
• She surveyed over 700 people and interviewed 175 respondents to include diverse experiences
• "A slip doesn't have to equal a slide" - slips can be opportunities for growth rather than failures
• As a parent, Mallory focuses on teaching her children that "all bodies deserve respect"
• She created a flower mirror for her daughter with character traits on each petal
• Maintaining support through therapy and dietitian visits remains part of her ongoing recovery
• "Slip" is available wherever books are sold and explores themes of grief, motherhood, and healing
https://www.mallarytenoretarpley.com/
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hey, hey, everybody.
Welcome back to SimpleNutrition Insights.
I'm your host, Leonila Campos,registered dietitian, mother and
advocate for nourishing thebody and mind through
evidence-based compassion care.
Today's guest is someone whosewords are more powerful as they
are vulnerable.
Mallory Tenor Tarpley is ajournalism and writing professor
(00:23):
at the University of Texas, atAustin's Moody College of
Communication and Macomb Schoolof Business.
Her work has appeared in theNew York Times, the Washington
Post and more.
She's also the author of Slip,a memoir that explores their
experience with eating disordersand the complexity of healing.
This is a conversation aboutwriting, recovery, resilience
(00:46):
and the ways our stories caneither weigh us down or set us
free.
Mallory, welcome to the show.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Thank you so much for having me.
I'm looking forward to it.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Yeah, thank you so much for being here.
Let's begin with Slip.
It's such a raw and honestexploration of your experience.
What moved you to write thisbook and what was it like
revisiting the chapter of yourlife through the lens of memory?
Speaker 2 (01:11):
It's a beautiful question.
I for a long time read booksabout eating disorders and found
them very helpful in manyregards, but they were pretty
much all written from theperspective of people who were
fully recovered, and I felt likethere was this lack of a
mirrored image, because I didn'tsee my own narrative reflected
in those books as a woman who isbetter but not all better, and
(01:33):
as a woman who still lives withthe imprints of my eating
disorder.
So I really wanted to write abook that explored what I call
the middle place, which is thisliminal space between acute
sickness and full recovery, andit's a space where progress is
always possible but slips alsohappen.
And so I really wanted to justspeak truth to my own
(01:55):
experiences in that place andalso help other people to feel
less alone, because for a longtime I thought I was the only
person in the middle place.
And then, when I started tointerview and survey hundreds of
people for the book, I realizedthat this space is quite
populous and yet we don't talkabout it enough in eating
disorder circles.
And for me, writing this bookwas incredibly cathartic, but it
(02:17):
was also painful in parts,because I did have to really
recall painful memories.
I had to go back through my oldjournals that I kept when I was
in the throes of anorexia.
I had to go back through all ofmy old medical records, which I
was fortunate enough to attain,and I also revisited the places
where I was treated for myeating disorder as a teenager.
(02:39):
So I had to make sure I wastaking care of myself during
that part of the process becausein many ways I was trying to
re-inhab.
Taking care of myself duringthat part of the process because
in many ways I was trying tore-inhabit my younger self so
that I could write reallypowerfully about those moments
in time.
But I was very deliberate aboutgoing back to therapy once I
started writing this book, justknowing that that could be a
challenge.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
Right, such an amazing story right, but also,
as you mentioned, like beingready to revisit all those
painful memories right and justplanning for it and getting the
support and the help that youneed?
Yes, for sure.
As a dietician and I havecolleagues that work closely
with clients navigating disordereating I deeply appreciate your
(03:23):
honesty and how complicated thehealing journey is.
Were there specific moments inyour recovery where nutrition
played a pivotal role in yourhealing, not just physically but
emotionally?
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Yeah, so definitely.
Especially when I was inresidential treatment, I began
to really think through why Iwas restricting my food intake
and the loss that that created.
There was this loss of desire,certainly a loss of caloric
intake, but also just a loss ofconnection to these foods that I
(03:56):
once really enjoyed eating, andit took me a really long time
to be able to almost reacquaintmyself with these foods that I
had once loved.
But a big part of my recoverywas taking these very slow steps
toward having more variety inmy diet.
So we sometimes would try toswitch up the foods that I ate.
(04:16):
But that proved to be reallydifficult.
So my treatment providers at thetime said well, let's switch up
the order in which you eat thefoods, because I was very
meticulous about eating foods inthe same order.
So we started with this verysmall step of switching up the
order of the foods and then wewould switch up very small
things like having Chex insteadof Rice Krispies for my cereal
(04:39):
right and just making theselittle small changes that
ultimately over time led tobigger ones.
I remember in treatment havingice cream for the first time in
almost four years and justfeeling really anxious about it,
but going to the ice cream shopwith my therapist and also
secretly enjoying it.
I couldn't express the fact atthe time that I really enjoyed
(05:00):
eating that ice cream, but now Ican look back on it and
recognize that I did, and sobeing able to make these choices
in a safe environment in theresidential treatment program
was incredibly helpful.
And then, as I got better, Iwas able to really think through
more of what I wanted to eat,rather than what the eating
(05:22):
disorder was telling me I shouldand shouldn't eat.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
Yeah, and thank you for sharing that, and I'm sure
the entire process right is awork in progress and just trying
different things.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
Yes, it was so helpful just to be able to talk
with someone who knew what Ineeded but who was talking more
about the pleasure behind food,because, I mean, when I was
really sick, eating gave me nopleasure at all.
But I developed my eatingdisorder after my mother died
when I was 11.
And so one of the things thatdieticians and therapists did
(05:58):
was talk with me about the foodsthat I'd once really enjoyed
eating with my mother, and sothen I started to think about
how could I potentiallyincorporate those foods into my
meal plan so that I can begin tothink about the foods that I
once loved, that gave me joy,and how can I find that sense of
joy again with these foods.
(06:19):
And ultimately it took a reallylong time, but I was able to.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
Ultimately it took a really long time, but I was able
to.
So thank you for sharing yourstory and writing the book for
others to read as well.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
Yes, I really do hope that it helps people, because I
certainly wish that I had abook like this when I was sick
and in the early stages of myrecovery.
Yeah, I can imagine.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
So often in recovery there's a gap between knowing
and feeling.
How did writing help you bridgethe emotional truths that
weren't always visible duringtreatment?
Speaker 2 (06:57):
So writing has always helped me to make sense of the
world, and it's how I makeconnections between what I think
and what I say and what I do.
And so, in writing the book, Iwas really able to think about
just how hard it was for me inthe early stages of my recovery,
because, looking back on thattime period, it became very
(07:19):
clear when I was writing thebook that I was so intent on
reaching the gold standard offull recovery, and yet I really
didn't know what that meant, andso, in the absence of a real
definition, I thought of it asthis perfectionistic ideal where
I would have to go about myeating and exercise and
schoolwork and everythingperfectly, because I wanted to
(07:40):
be the poster child for fullrecovery.
But that really felt soinsurmountable after a couple of
years, and I did end uprelapsing in college, and
writing about that particularperiod in time helped me to
really just empathize withmyself more, because I was
really stuck in this relapse inwhich I would binge eat one day
(08:02):
and restrict the next, and thislasted for well over a decade.
And yet I kept continue to tellpeople I was fully recovered
during that time, because I wastoo afraid to admit that I was
anything but fully recovered and, looking back on that period in
my life, I wish I could haveextended a hand to my younger
self and said it's okay to askfor help, it's okay to have
(08:25):
these slips in your recovery,because basically when I was in
that relapse I didn't think thatslips were okay and so every
slip would turn into a slidebecause I would feel really bad
about slipping and then I wouldfeel defeated by the slip and
ashamed of the slip, and then Iwould just keep repeating these
negative behaviors.
And it wasn't until I startedthinking about this middle place
(08:47):
framework that I really beganto make meaningful progress
forward, where I could recognizethat slips can happen, but that
progress is also possible andslips don't have to be grounds
for failure.
They can be opportunities forgrowth.
So writing the book helped meto make a lot of connections
between that relapse that Iexperienced and the ways in
which developing this middleplace thinking helped me to
(09:10):
really be able to move forwardin my recovery.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
Right, yes, absolutely, and almost not
feeling ashamed Slips areessentially going to happen and
we don't have to justify thingsright or feel like we're
disappointing anybody.
But we don't know that right inthe moment until we reflect and
, in your case, knowing that,okay, slips are going to happen,
(09:36):
right, and they're not failuresbut maybe an opportunity to, or
part of the progress to you.
So thank you for sharing that.
Are part of the progress too.
So thank you for sharing that.
You've written for some of thetop publications in the country
and now teach futurestorytellers.
How has your relationship withfood, image and identity
influenced your role as a writerand teacher?
Speaker 2 (09:59):
So I love to write personal essays about those very
topics because I don't thinkthat they're discussed enough
and a lot of times they can bewritten from the perspective of
people who are recovered or overtheir issues, and I don't want
to discredit those narratives,because we need to hear those as
well.
But I as a writer tend togravitate more towards stories
(10:21):
about messy middles and storiesthat don't have tidy endings,
that are wrapped up with apretty bow, and in my writing
classes I really encouragestudents to look at the messy
middles, because so often instorytelling we hear about the
beginning and then we hear aboutthe end, but we lose track of
that arc in the middle andthat's where some of the most
(10:42):
meaningful storytelling andprogress can happen.
And it's an act of courage inmany ways to write from that
perspective of being in thismiddle place, because societally
we tend to prefer stories withprotagonists who prevail and who
overcome their disorders andtheir struggles, and I totally
understand why those narrativesare popular.
(11:02):
But I ultimately think thatnarratives about people who are
still in it and really workingtheir way forward and trying to,
despite slips, those storiescan open up a lot of points of
relatability for people.
And those are the stories thatI'm most interested in reading
and thereby also the storiesthat I'm really most interested
in writing.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
Right, absolutely Right, and I think it also puts
that human aspect to it right,like we are human and we're not
going to always have a perfectending or a perfect beginning
right or a perfect middle, andso I think that brings that
human aspect to it too as well,that storytelling right.
And storytelling is so powerful, it really gets the point
(11:44):
across right.
And storytelling is so powerful, it really gets the point
across right and, like youmentioned, I mean people can
relate to those stories too andhave a greater impact as well.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
Yeah, definitely, I know that's always my hope with
a piece of writing is that itwill help other people to feel
less alone, and if I can do that, then in my mind that story has
been a success.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
Yes, once, definitely .
In my practice I see how deeplyshame can silence people's
stories, especially when itcomes to eating disorders or
disorder eating.
How do you learn to separateyour worth from your struggle,
and what would you say tosomeone who's still holding
their story in silence?
Speaker 2 (12:31):
I just hid behind the shame of my own experiences and
found that there was thisdisconnect between the story
that I was sharing with theworld and the one that I was
living out behind closed doors.
So I was telling everyone I wasfully recovered and yet I was
still very much struggling, andthat was partly because there
was just so much shame aroundthis idea of slipping and I
didn't think that it was okay toadmit that I wasn't fully
(12:51):
recovered, nor did I really havethe language to describe what
it would mean if I wasn't.
And so it's really important togive ourselves grace when we
find ourselves in this place andto recognize the progress that
we are making, because so often,if we're in the middle place,
it can be really easy to fixateon our slips and everything
we're doing wrong, but rather,instead of doing that, we can
(13:15):
really think about the fact thatoftentimes we slip when we're
doing really hard things, whenwe are trying to make progress.
Because if you think about thatvery word slip, it suggests some
sort of forward movement,because you can't slip if you're
standing still.
So if we always have shamearound our slips, then we're
going to likely stay silentabout them, and we know that
(13:36):
silence can really keep us stuckand it can make us sick, and so
the extent to which we canrecognize and normalize slips is
so important.
And that's something I'veworked really hard to do in my
own recovery, where if I have aslip, then I look at that slip
and say, okay, this happened,why did it happen, who can I
talk to about it and how do Iget back up now?
(13:59):
Not next week once I'm past mydeadlines, not next month once
the kids are back to school.
How do I get back up now?
And that framing of slippingand thinking about recovering in
that way can be really helpfulin terms of removing the stigma
and shame that so oftenaccompanies slips.
Speaker 1 (14:20):
Right, absolutely, thank you.
And just knowing, right that ifwe speak up, it helps to you,
know, to give back up to you,but also it can help others,
right, that are probably, as youmentioned, struggling with the
same things, thinking thatthey're alone.
Right, and so now you have,almost like, this community that
hopefully can help each otherout.
And I love what you said aboutwhat can I do now, right, as
(14:43):
opposed to like dragging it foranother week or two, which might
be harder.
Right To be able to get out of,as opposed to that, but also
the process that you have.
Right, the reflection that, ifit happens, trying to figure out
why, by essentially finding theroot cause and what is going to
help you to move forward.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
Yes, exactly, because I think one of the biggest
misconceptions of the middleplace is that it's about
settling for stagnancy, andthat's not what it's about.
It's rooted in the idea and thebelief that recovery is
possible, but it's really aboutrecognizing that those slips do
happen and we need to be able tonot let those stop us right.
(15:25):
A slip doesn't have to equal aslide.
So how do we look at thoseslips and figure out the ways in
which they can ultimately helpus to move forward Right?
Speaker 1 (15:34):
Yes, absolutely.
Your book doesn't just focus onfood.
It focuses on control, loss,perfectionism and grief.
As a professional working inboth health and narrative spaces
, I found that balance powerful.
In narrative spaces, I foundthat balance powerful.
How do you ensure that sleepdidn't become just another
(15:55):
eating disorder memoir, butsomething more expansive?
Speaker 2 (16:00):
That was so important to me as a writer because in
many ways, I acknowledge that Iam someone who fits the
stereotypical mold of someonewith an eating disorder, in that
I identify as a female, I livein a smaller body, I'm middle to
upper class, and so I didn'twant this to just be my story
alone.
I really wanted to weave my ownstory together alongside the
(16:23):
narratives of other people.
So I ended up serving over 700people from 44 states and 37
countries, all of whom havelived experience with an eating
disorder, and I interviewed 175of those survey respondents and
clinicians and researchers, andI really weaved together my own
personal narrative with thoseother narratives, alongside the
(16:45):
latest research and for me thatwas so important One because,
again, I want to make peoplewith eating disorders feel seen
and heard.
I also want to dispelmisconceptions about who does
and doesn't struggle, becausevery often eating disorders are
misunderstood, and I really wantthis book to help educate
people around eating disorders,and certainly those in the
(17:06):
medical community, but alsocaretakers and educators as well
.
I think all too often we look atbooks on eating disorders and
we think, well, I don't have aneating disorder, I don't know
anyone who does, so that book'snot relevant to me, but we could
all benefit from learning moreabout eating disorders because,
more likely than not, we aregoing to be touched by an eating
(17:27):
disorder or affected by one atsome point in time in our lives,
whether it ends up being us whostruggle individually or people
we know, and so the more we canlearn about them, the more we
can work at eating disorderprevention.
And being able to do that withthis book was so important to me
because I really want this tojust be a resource and a public
(17:49):
service for lots of differentfolks who are interested in
eating disorders and who want tolearn more about them.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
Right and you're absolutely right that, even if
maybe you don't have an eatingdisorder right, but you might
know somebody or you might beable to help somebody that maybe
is showing some signs right ofeating disorders and being able
to, as you mentioned, preventionright, being able to help them
and support them.
Oftentimes even families rightstruggle with like understanding
(18:18):
what an eating disorder is orhow to help their loved ones or
their friends, and so you know,being able to have a resource
like your butt slip candefinitely help right.
And put it in not such ascientific way where it's like
hard to like digest right, butit's more so like a story that
you're telling to yes, exactlythat is.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
One of the benefits of being a journalist by trade
is that I can take research andthen really interview the people
behind the research and thendescribe it in a way that is
easy to understand, because weknow that sometimes it can be
quite complicated when you startreading about genetics or the
brain, and I do talk a lot aboutjust how the brain is affected
by eating disorders and howgenetics play into the
(19:02):
development of eating disorders.
So I really wanted to try totake that compelling research
that's being done and just makeit a lot more accessible to the
average reader.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
And it's just amazing the work that you did to be
able to write your book rightand backed by science, and just
all the interviews and surveysthat you did.
I can imagine all that work,but also all the connections
that you created right.
I bet that was amazing.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
Yes, yeah, I really got to learn so much in the
process of writing this book andalso got to meet so many
amazing individuals, so Iconsider myself really lucky
just because of the community ofsupport that this book has
created.
Yeah, amazing.
Speaker 1 (19:45):
As a mom of two myself, I often think about how
we model our relationships withfood in our bodies to our
children.
What kind of conversations doyou hope to have, or are already
having, with your kids aboutthis topic?
Speaker 2 (19:59):
So it's something I think a lot about as a mom,
because my kids are seven andnine, I have a boy and a girl,
and I do know that there aregenetic risks that can be
associated with eating disorders.
So when I started working onthis book, I came across this
statistic that loomed reallylarge for me, and it was the
fact that girls who have arelative with anorexia nervosa
(20:22):
are 11 times more likely todevelop the disorder themselves.
But when I talked withgeneticists for the book, they
assured me in some ways thatthat does not mean that we are
doomed if our parents have hadan eating disorder, nor are our
children genetically doomed ifwe've had one, because we don't
inherit eating disorders.
We inherit a risk to them andcertainly there are these
(20:43):
genetic risk factors, but thereare also genetic protective
factors.
There are environmental riskfactors and environmental
protective factors, and I know Ican't control genetics, but I
can control environment to anextent, particularly as my kids
just are younger and before theyare exposed to social media and
other things.
(21:03):
So I try really hard to createan environment in which they
recognize that all bodies areworthy of respect.
I often tell them all bodiesdeserve our respect, no matter
how tall or small, no matter howshort or tall, and that's
something that I really try toemphasize with them, because I
don't want them to grow upthinking that being overweight
(21:25):
is something that is morallywrong, right.
I also really try to help themto see themselves outside of
what they look like.
So when my daughter turned ninea couple months ago, I made her
this mirror, and it's in theshape of a flower, and on each
petal I painted a word thatdescribed who she is so creative
, kind, empathetic.
Because I want her to look inthe mirror and see who she is
(21:48):
and not just what she looks like.
Because all too often we'regoing to get these messages that
tell us that our weightdetermines our worth, and I want
my kids to recognize that theyare going to hear those messages
because we live in a societythat's steeped in diet culture.
But I want them to recognizethat they don't have to
internalize those and they don'thave to necessarily let those
affect the choices that theymake around food and their
(22:10):
bodies.
So we talk about how food isfuel.
Food helps them to take upspace.
It gives them energy to playand move around in their day,
and I really try to look at foodthat way, as opposed to talking
about food as being good or bad, because very often when we
think about kids, they don'thave the ability to really look
(22:33):
a whole lot at nuance, and soit's very easy for children to
ascribe moral values to foodwhere if you say that a certain
food is bad, then a child maythink that they're then bad if
they're eating that food.
So I really try to avoid thoselabels which may seem innocuous
but they can end up beingpernicious, particularly if a
child is already predisposed todeveloping an eating disorder.
Speaker 1 (22:57):
I love that.
Oh my goodness, I think it's sopowerful.
Why you said because it's sotrue, right, the way that we
talk about our bodies, the waythat we talk about food in front
of our kids, right, we are therole models, even if sometimes
we feel they're not listening tous.
They are listening all the timeabout our bodies or about food,
(23:18):
or this food is bad, as youmentioned, right.
They're going to be like, well,if I eat that food, then I'm
bad, and so then internalizingthat, right, and we can
definitely see a cascade of,like negative things about that.
And I love that flower mirrorthat you created for your
daughter.
I think that is such awonderful idea and such an
(23:38):
amazing way to see you knowherself, as these other
descriptive words that do notinvolve the body, right, or how
she looks.
You know what makes herbeautiful in different ways, so
it's amazing.
Speaker 2 (23:52):
Thank you.
Yeah, she uses the mirror a lot, which makes me happy and just
also makes me happy to thinkabout her and my son really just
recognizing what their body cando for them.
We talk about how the body isnot an ornament but an
instrument, and so I don'texpect them to always
unconditionally love their bodyas they get older, because that
can sometimes feel unrealisticand can almost be a form of
(24:15):
gaslighting if we're alwaystelling children that they have
to love their bodies.
But I really want them torespect their bodies.
I would love for them tounconditionally love their
bodies as well, but more so Iwant them to just really be
appreciative of what theirbodies do for them.
Speaker 1 (24:30):
Amazing.
Thank you so much for sharingthat, and I think it's such a
powerful statement for all theparents and anybody right that
is essentially out therelistening, because we can use
those words for ourselves, too,to describe ourselves, the way
that we look or the way that wewant diet culture to see us, but
essentially, the words that weprovide to this world that goes
(24:54):
beyond our looks is empowering.
Let's talk routines.
Writing, like recovery, oftenrequires structure, requires
structure, grace andself-compassion.
Do you have any rituals ornutrition habits that help you
stay grounded as both a writerand a person in long-term
recovery?
Speaker 2 (25:15):
yes.
So when it comes to writing, Idefinitely have a routine where
I get up very early to write.
So to write this book, assomeone working full time with
two young kids, I had to get upat 4am to work on this book, and
that habit has just stuck forbetter or worse.
So I get up very early, but Ialso find that I just need a
(25:37):
burst of energy at that time ofday.
So I always have a cup of icedcoffee with cream in it, and
then I always have at least onepiece of chocolate, and that's
just almost like a little treatfor myself, but it's just a way
to feel energized at the startof the day.
And then I still make sure thatI have my meals.
One thing that I sometimes haveto do is just set reminders to
(26:01):
eat.
Not that I'm not ever thinkingabout food, but sometimes I just
need to make it more of apriority, because in this middle
place, I recognize that I stilldo have tendencies to restrict
my food intake if I'm reallystressed or if I'm just super
busy throughout the day.
So I have to be reallydeliberate about that, and so
that is part of my routine,alongside still seeing a
(26:23):
dietician.
So I still do see a therapistand a dietician because it can
be really easy at certain pointsin our recovery to think, well,
we don't need that anymore orwe should be on that.
But for me it's about justmaintenance and about being held
accountable and having someonewho I can talk to about what
I've eaten or when I've hadslips, and that has become a
(26:45):
really important part of myroutine and a form of self-care
in a lot of ways.
Speaker 1 (26:52):
I love that you share those essentially your support
group right, and who keeps youaccountable, and just providing
support right, because you areabsolutely correct that when we
get busy or when we get stressedor like when we have more of
these stronger emotions, right,we sometimes kind of go back to
what we think right is going tohelp us, as opposed to like what
we actually need to do and sohaving those professionals right
(27:16):
to support you and guide youwhen you need it, or just for
maintenance, as you mentionedright, and to help during those
slip times, it's definitelyhelpful to have that support.
Mallory, let's talk about yourbook a little bit more, right?
Where can listeners find it?
Any other thoughts or commentsthat you want to provide the
listeners before we wrap up?
Speaker 2 (27:38):
Sure.
So the book is out andavailable wherever you buy books
.
So it's on Amazon, it's onTarget's website, it's in your
local independent bookstore.
If they don't have it in stock,you can always order it through
them.
So I really hope that readersand listeners will check out
this book, because it's allabout eating disorders, for sure
(28:00):
, but it's also about theseother themes that people can
relate to, even if they haven'thad an eating disorder.
So in many ways, the middleplace is an apt term for where
so many of us see ourselves inlife.
I think about it even withregard to grief and loss, how I
haven't arrived at some place ofclosure since losing my mom,
even though she's been gonealmost 30 years.
(28:20):
I still carry the load of thatloss, but it's lighter now than
it once was.
So I'm very much in the middleplace with grief and loss, and I
think that a lot of listenerscould relate to that concept of
the middle place.
I'll just say, too, that itfeels really meaningful to be
putting this book out into thisworld at this moment in time,
because I write a lot about lossand grief and motherhood in the
(28:41):
book as well, and I just turned40, which is the age my mom was
when she passed away.
So it feels very symbolic tojust be publishing this book at
the moment in time when I'moutliving my mother.
So for anyone interested inthose scenes of motherhood and
loss and grief, there's probablya lot for you in this book as
well.
Speaker 1 (29:01):
Right.
Thank you so much for sharingthat and happy belated birthday
as well.
I will make sure to share thelinks to your social media, if
that's okay with you.
If you have anything else thatyou want me to share, I will
also add it to the show notes.
But, mallory, thank you so muchfor sharing your story and for
allowing us into such anintimate part of your life as a
(29:22):
dietician.
I believe stories like yoursare essential in reframing how
we think about recovery, foodand self-worth To those
listeners.
If you or someone you love isstruggling with eating disorders
, know that you're not alone.
Recovery is not linear, butit's possible and your story is
worth telling.
Thanks again, mallory, and toeach of you for tuning in.
(29:46):
Be sure to subscribe and leavea review.
And thank you again for allthat you do and remember to stay
safe.
Hey, hey, everybody.
Welcome back to SimpleNutrition Insights.
I'm your host, Leonila Campos,registered dietitian, mother and
advocate for nourishing thebody and mind through
evidence-based compassion care.
Today's guest is someone whosewords are more powerful as they
are vulnerable.
Mallory Tenor Tarpley is ajournalism and writing professor
(00:23):
at the University of Texas, atAustin's Moody College of
Communication and Macomb Schoolof Business.
Her work has appeared in theNew York Times, the Washington
Post and more.
She's also the author of Slip,a memoir that explores their
experience with eating disordersand the complexity of healing.
This is a conversation aboutwriting, recovery, resilience
(00:46):
and the ways our stories caneither weigh us down or set us
free.
Mallory, welcome to the show.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Thank you so much for having me.
I'm looking forward to it.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Yeah, thank you so much for being here.
Let's begin with Slip.
It's such a raw and honestexploration of your experience.
What moved you to write thisbook and what was it like
revisiting the chapter of yourlife through the lens of memory?
Speaker 2 (01:11):
It's a beautiful question.
I for a long time read booksabout eating disorders and found
them very helpful in manyregards, but they were pretty
much all written from theperspective of people who were
fully recovered, and I felt likethere was this lack of a
mirrored image, because I didn'tsee my own narrative reflected
in those books as a woman who isbetter but not all better, and
(01:33):
as a woman who still lives withthe imprints of my eating
disorder.
So I really wanted to write abook that explored what I call
the middle place, which is thisliminal space between acute
sickness and full recovery, andit's a space where progress is
always possible but slips alsohappen.
And so I really wanted to justspeak truth to my own
(01:55):
experiences in that place andalso help other people to feel
less alone, because for a longtime I thought I was the only
person in the middle place.
And then, when I started tointerview and survey hundreds of
people for the book, I realizedthat this space is quite
populous and yet we don't talkabout it enough in eating
disorder circles.
And for me, writing this bookwas incredibly cathartic, but it
(02:17):
was also painful in parts,because I did have to really
recall painful memories.
I had to go back through my oldjournals that I kept when I was
in the throes of anorexia.
I had to go back through all ofmy old medical records, which I
was fortunate enough to attain,and I also revisited the places
where I was treated for myeating disorder as a teenager.
(02:39):
So I had to make sure I wastaking care of myself during
that part of the process becausein many ways I was trying to
re-inhab.
Taking care of myself duringthat part of the process because
in many ways I was trying tore-inhabit my younger self so
that I could write reallypowerfully about those moments
in time.
But I was very deliberate aboutgoing back to therapy once I
started writing this book, justknowing that that could be a
challenge.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
Right, such an amazing story right, but also,
as you mentioned, like beingready to revisit all those
painful memories right and justplanning for it and getting the
support and the help that youneed?
Yes, for sure.
As a dietician and I havecolleagues that work closely
with clients navigating disordereating I deeply appreciate your
(03:23):
honesty and how complicated thehealing journey is.
Were there specific moments inyour recovery where nutrition
played a pivotal role in yourhealing, not just physically but
emotionally?
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Yeah, so definitely.
Especially when I was inresidential treatment, I began
to really think through why Iwas restricting my food intake
and the loss that that created.
There was this loss of desire,certainly a loss of caloric
intake, but also just a loss ofconnection to these foods that I
(03:56):
once really enjoyed eating, andit took me a really long time
to be able to almost reacquaintmyself with these foods that I
had once loved.
But a big part of my recoverywas taking these very slow steps
toward having more variety inmy diet.
So we sometimes would try toswitch up the foods that I ate.
(04:16):
But that proved to be reallydifficult.
So my treatment providers at thetime said well, let's switch up
the order in which you eat thefoods, because I was very
meticulous about eating foods inthe same order.
So we started with this verysmall step of switching up the
order of the foods and then wewould switch up very small
things like having Chex insteadof Rice Krispies for my cereal
(04:39):
right and just making theselittle small changes that
ultimately over time led tobigger ones.
I remember in treatment havingice cream for the first time in
almost four years and justfeeling really anxious about it,
but going to the ice cream shopwith my therapist and also
secretly enjoying it.
I couldn't express the fact atthe time that I really enjoyed
(05:00):
eating that ice cream, but now Ican look back on it and
recognize that I did, and sobeing able to make these choices
in a safe environment in theresidential treatment program
was incredibly helpful.
And then, as I got better, Iwas able to really think through
more of what I wanted to eat,rather than what the eating
(05:22):
disorder was telling me I shouldand shouldn't eat.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
Yeah, and thank you for sharing that, and I'm sure
the entire process right is awork in progress and just trying
different things.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
Yes, it was so helpful just to be able to talk
with someone who knew what Ineeded but who was talking more
about the pleasure behind food,because, I mean, when I was
really sick, eating gave me nopleasure at all.
But I developed my eatingdisorder after my mother died
when I was 11.
And so one of the things thatdieticians and therapists did
(05:58):
was talk with me about the foodsthat I'd once really enjoyed
eating with my mother, and sothen I started to think about
how could I potentiallyincorporate those foods into my
meal plan so that I can begin tothink about the foods that I
once loved, that gave me joy,and how can I find that sense of
joy again with these foods.
(06:19):
And ultimately it took a reallylong time, but I was able to.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
Ultimately it took a really long time, but I was able
to.
So thank you for sharing yourstory and writing the book for
others to read as well.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
Yes, I really do hope that it helps people, because I
certainly wish that I had abook like this when I was sick
and in the early stages of myrecovery.
Yeah, I can imagine.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
So often in recovery there's a gap between knowing
and feeling.
How did writing help you bridgethe emotional truths that
weren't always visible duringtreatment?
Speaker 2 (06:57):
So writing has always helped me to make sense of the
world, and it's how I makeconnections between what I think
and what I say and what I do.
And so, in writing the book, Iwas really able to think about
just how hard it was for me inthe early stages of my recovery,
because, looking back on thattime period, it became very
(07:19):
clear when I was writing thebook that I was so intent on
reaching the gold standard offull recovery, and yet I really
didn't know what that meant, andso, in the absence of a real
definition, I thought of it asthis perfectionistic ideal where
I would have to go about myeating and exercise and
schoolwork and everythingperfectly, because I wanted to
(07:40):
be the poster child for fullrecovery.
But that really felt soinsurmountable after a couple of
years, and I did end uprelapsing in college, and
writing about that particularperiod in time helped me to
really just empathize withmyself more, because I was
really stuck in this relapse inwhich I would binge eat one day
(08:02):
and restrict the next, and thislasted for well over a decade.
And yet I kept continue to tellpeople I was fully recovered
during that time, because I wastoo afraid to admit that I was
anything but fully recovered and, looking back on that period in
my life, I wish I could haveextended a hand to my younger
self and said it's okay to askfor help, it's okay to have
(08:25):
these slips in your recovery,because basically when I was in
that relapse I didn't think thatslips were okay and so every
slip would turn into a slidebecause I would feel really bad
about slipping and then I wouldfeel defeated by the slip and
ashamed of the slip, and then Iwould just keep repeating these
negative behaviors.
And it wasn't until I startedthinking about this middle place
(08:47):
framework that I really beganto make meaningful progress
forward, where I could recognizethat slips can happen, but that
progress is also possible andslips don't have to be grounds
for failure.
They can be opportunities forgrowth.
So writing the book helped meto make a lot of connections
between that relapse that Iexperienced and the ways in
which developing this middleplace thinking helped me to
(09:10):
really be able to move forwardin my recovery.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
Right, yes, absolutely, and almost not
feeling ashamed Slips areessentially going to happen and
we don't have to justify thingsright or feel like we're
disappointing anybody.
But we don't know that right inthe moment until we reflect and
, in your case, knowing that,okay, slips are going to happen,
(09:36):
right, and they're not failuresbut maybe an opportunity to, or
part of the progress to you.
So thank you for sharing that.
Are part of the progress too.
So thank you for sharing that.
You've written for some of thetop publications in the country
and now teach futurestorytellers.
How has your relationship withfood, image and identity
influenced your role as a writerand teacher?
Speaker 2 (09:59):
So I love to write personal essays about those very
topics because I don't thinkthat they're discussed enough
and a lot of times they can bewritten from the perspective of
people who are recovered or overtheir issues, and I don't want
to discredit those narratives,because we need to hear those as
well.
But I as a writer tend togravitate more towards stories
(10:21):
about messy middles and storiesthat don't have tidy endings,
that are wrapped up with apretty bow, and in my writing
classes I really encouragestudents to look at the messy
middles, because so often instorytelling we hear about the
beginning and then we hear aboutthe end, but we lose track of
that arc in the middle andthat's where some of the most
(10:42):
meaningful storytelling andprogress can happen.
And it's an act of courage inmany ways to write from that
perspective of being in thismiddle place, because societally
we tend to prefer stories withprotagonists who prevail and who
overcome their disorders andtheir struggles, and I totally
understand why those narrativesare popular.
(11:02):
But I ultimately think thatnarratives about people who are
still in it and really workingtheir way forward and trying to,
despite slips, those storiescan open up a lot of points of
relatability for people.
And those are the stories thatI'm most interested in reading
and thereby also the storiesthat I'm really most interested
in writing.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
Right, absolutely Right, and I think it also puts
that human aspect to it right,like we are human and we're not
going to always have a perfectending or a perfect beginning
right or a perfect middle, andso I think that brings that
human aspect to it too as well,that storytelling right.
And storytelling is so powerful, it really gets the point
(11:44):
across right.
And storytelling is so powerful, it really gets the point
across right and, like youmentioned, I mean people can
relate to those stories too andhave a greater impact as well.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
Yeah, definitely, I know that's always my hope with
a piece of writing is that itwill help other people to feel
less alone, and if I can do that, then in my mind that story has
been a success.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
Yes, once, definitely .
In my practice I see how deeplyshame can silence people's
stories, especially when itcomes to eating disorders or
disorder eating.
How do you learn to separateyour worth from your struggle,
and what would you say tosomeone who's still holding
their story in silence?
Speaker 2 (12:31):
I just hid behind the shame of my own experiences and
found that there was thisdisconnect between the story
that I was sharing with theworld and the one that I was
living out behind closed doors.
So I was telling everyone I wasfully recovered and yet I was
still very much struggling, andthat was partly because there
was just so much shame aroundthis idea of slipping and I
didn't think that it was okay toadmit that I wasn't fully
(12:51):
recovered, nor did I really havethe language to describe what
it would mean if I wasn't.
And so it's really important togive ourselves grace when we
find ourselves in this place andto recognize the progress that
we are making, because so often,if we're in the middle place,
it can be really easy to fixateon our slips and everything
we're doing wrong, but rather,instead of doing that, we can
(13:15):
really think about the fact thatoftentimes we slip when we're
doing really hard things, whenwe are trying to make progress.
Because if you think about thatvery word slip, it suggests some
sort of forward movement,because you can't slip if you're
standing still.
So if we always have shamearound our slips, then we're
going to likely stay silentabout them, and we know that
(13:36):
silence can really keep us stuckand it can make us sick, and so
the extent to which we canrecognize and normalize slips is
so important.
And that's something I'veworked really hard to do in my
own recovery, where if I have aslip, then I look at that slip
and say, okay, this happened,why did it happen, who can I
talk to about it and how do Iget back up now?
(13:59):
Not next week once I'm past mydeadlines, not next month once
the kids are back to school.
How do I get back up now?
And that framing of slippingand thinking about recovering in
that way can be really helpfulin terms of removing the stigma
and shame that so oftenaccompanies slips.
Speaker 1 (14:20):
Right, absolutely, thank you.
And just knowing, right that ifwe speak up, it helps to you,
know, to give back up to you,but also it can help others,
right, that are probably, as youmentioned, struggling with the
same things, thinking thatthey're alone.
Right, and so now you have,almost like, this community that
hopefully can help each otherout.
And I love what you said aboutwhat can I do now, right, as
(14:43):
opposed to like dragging it foranother week or two, which might
be harder.
Right To be able to get out of,as opposed to that, but also
the process that you have.
Right, the reflection that, ifit happens, trying to figure out
why, by essentially finding theroot cause and what is going to
help you to move forward.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
Yes, exactly, because I think one of the biggest
misconceptions of the middleplace is that it's about
settling for stagnancy, andthat's not what it's about.
It's rooted in the idea and thebelief that recovery is
possible, but it's really aboutrecognizing that those slips do
happen and we need to be able tonot let those stop us right.
(15:25):
A slip doesn't have to equal aslide.
So how do we look at thoseslips and figure out the ways in
which they can ultimately helpus to move forward Right?
Speaker 1 (15:34):
Yes, absolutely.
Your book doesn't just focus onfood.
It focuses on control, loss,perfectionism and grief.
As a professional working inboth health and narrative spaces
, I found that balance powerful.
In narrative spaces, I foundthat balance powerful.
How do you ensure that sleepdidn't become just another
(15:55):
eating disorder memoir, butsomething more expansive?
Speaker 2 (16:00):
That was so important to me as a writer because in
many ways, I acknowledge that Iam someone who fits the
stereotypical mold of someonewith an eating disorder, in that
I identify as a female, I livein a smaller body, I'm middle to
upper class, and so I didn'twant this to just be my story
alone.
I really wanted to weave my ownstory together alongside the
(16:23):
narratives of other people.
So I ended up serving over 700people from 44 states and 37
countries, all of whom havelived experience with an eating
disorder, and I interviewed 175of those survey respondents and
clinicians and researchers, andI really weaved together my own
personal narrative with thoseother narratives, alongside the
(16:45):
latest research and for me thatwas so important One because,
again, I want to make peoplewith eating disorders feel seen
and heard.
I also want to dispelmisconceptions about who does
and doesn't struggle, becausevery often eating disorders are
misunderstood, and I really wantthis book to help educate
people around eating disorders,and certainly those in the
(17:06):
medical community, but alsocaretakers and educators as well
.
I think all too often we look atbooks on eating disorders and
we think, well, I don't have aneating disorder, I don't know
anyone who does, so that book'snot relevant to me, but we could
all benefit from learning moreabout eating disorders because,
more likely than not, we aregoing to be touched by an eating
(17:27):
disorder or affected by one atsome point in time in our lives,
whether it ends up being us whostruggle individually or people
we know, and so the more we canlearn about them, the more we
can work at eating disorderprevention.
And being able to do that withthis book was so important to me
because I really want this tojust be a resource and a public
(17:49):
service for lots of differentfolks who are interested in
eating disorders and who want tolearn more about them.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
Right and you're absolutely right that, even if
maybe you don't have an eatingdisorder right, but you might
know somebody or you might beable to help somebody that maybe
is showing some signs right ofeating disorders and being able
to, as you mentioned, preventionright, being able to help them
and support them.
Oftentimes even families rightstruggle with like understanding
(18:18):
what an eating disorder is orhow to help their loved ones or
their friends, and so you know,being able to have a resource
like your butt slip candefinitely help right.
And put it in not such ascientific way where it's like
hard to like digest right, butit's more so like a story that
you're telling to yes, exactlythat is.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
One of the benefits of being a journalist by trade
is that I can take research andthen really interview the people
behind the research and thendescribe it in a way that is
easy to understand, because weknow that sometimes it can be
quite complicated when you startreading about genetics or the
brain, and I do talk a lot aboutjust how the brain is affected
by eating disorders and howgenetics play into the
(19:02):
development of eating disorders.
So I really wanted to try totake that compelling research
that's being done and just makeit a lot more accessible to the
average reader.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
And it's just amazing the work that you did to be
able to write your book rightand backed by science, and just
all the interviews and surveysthat you did.
I can imagine all that work,but also all the connections
that you created right.
I bet that was amazing.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
Yes, yeah, I really got to learn so much in the
process of writing this book andalso got to meet so many
amazing individuals, so Iconsider myself really lucky
just because of the community ofsupport that this book has
created.
Yeah, amazing.
Speaker 1 (19:45):
As a mom of two myself, I often think about how
we model our relationships withfood in our bodies to our
children.
What kind of conversations doyou hope to have, or are already
having, with your kids aboutthis topic?
Speaker 2 (19:59):
So it's something I think a lot about as a mom,
because my kids are seven andnine, I have a boy and a girl,
and I do know that there aregenetic risks that can be
associated with eating disorders.
So when I started working onthis book, I came across this
statistic that loomed reallylarge for me, and it was the
fact that girls who have arelative with anorexia nervosa
(20:22):
are 11 times more likely todevelop the disorder themselves.
But when I talked withgeneticists for the book, they
assured me in some ways thatthat does not mean that we are
doomed if our parents have hadan eating disorder, nor are our
children genetically doomed ifwe've had one, because we don't
inherit eating disorders.
We inherit a risk to them andcertainly there are these
(20:43):
genetic risk factors, but thereare also genetic protective
factors.
There are environmental riskfactors and environmental
protective factors, and I know Ican't control genetics, but I
can control environment to anextent, particularly as my kids
just are younger and before theyare exposed to social media and
other things.
(21:03):
So I try really hard to createan environment in which they
recognize that all bodies areworthy of respect.
I often tell them all bodiesdeserve our respect, no matter
how tall or small, no matter howshort or tall, and that's
something that I really try toemphasize with them, because I
don't want them to grow upthinking that being overweight
(21:25):
is something that is morallywrong, right.
I also really try to help themto see themselves outside of
what they look like.
So when my daughter turned ninea couple months ago, I made her
this mirror, and it's in theshape of a flower, and on each
petal I painted a word thatdescribed who she is so creative
, kind, empathetic.
Because I want her to look inthe mirror and see who she is
(21:48):
and not just what she looks like.
Because all too often we'regoing to get these messages that
tell us that our weightdetermines our worth, and I want
my kids to recognize that theyare going to hear those messages
because we live in a societythat's steeped in diet culture.
But I want them to recognizethat they don't have to
internalize those and they don'thave to necessarily let those
affect the choices that theymake around food and their
(22:10):
bodies.
So we talk about how food isfuel.
Food helps them to take upspace.
It gives them energy to playand move around in their day,
and I really try to look at foodthat way, as opposed to talking
about food as being good or bad, because very often when we
think about kids, they don'thave the ability to really look
(22:33):
a whole lot at nuance, and soit's very easy for children to
ascribe moral values to foodwhere if you say that a certain
food is bad, then a child maythink that they're then bad if
they're eating that food.
So I really try to avoid thoselabels which may seem innocuous
but they can end up beingpernicious, particularly if a
child is already predisposed todeveloping an eating disorder.
Speaker 1 (22:57):
I love that.
Oh my goodness, I think it's sopowerful.
Why you said because it's sotrue, right, the way that we
talk about our bodies, the waythat we talk about food in front
of our kids, right, we are therole models, even if sometimes
we feel they're not listening tous.
They are listening all the timeabout our bodies or about food,
(23:18):
or this food is bad, as youmentioned, right.
They're going to be like, well,if I eat that food, then I'm
bad, and so then internalizingthat, right, and we can
definitely see a cascade of,like negative things about that.
And I love that flower mirrorthat you created for your
daughter.
I think that is such awonderful idea and such an
(23:38):
amazing way to see you knowherself, as these other
descriptive words that do notinvolve the body, right, or how
she looks.
You know what makes herbeautiful in different ways, so
it's amazing.
Speaker 2 (23:52):
Thank you.
Yeah, she uses the mirror a lot, which makes me happy and just
also makes me happy to thinkabout her and my son really just
recognizing what their body cando for them.
We talk about how the body isnot an ornament but an
instrument, and so I don'texpect them to always
unconditionally love their bodyas they get older, because that
can sometimes feel unrealisticand can almost be a form of
(24:15):
gaslighting if we're alwaystelling children that they have
to love their bodies.
But I really want them torespect their bodies.
I would love for them tounconditionally love their
bodies as well, but more so Iwant them to just really be
appreciative of what theirbodies do for them.
Speaker 1 (24:30):
Amazing.
Thank you so much for sharingthat, and I think it's such a
powerful statement for all theparents and anybody right that
is essentially out therelistening, because we can use
those words for ourselves, too,to describe ourselves, the way
that we look or the way that wewant diet culture to see us, but
essentially, the words that weprovide to this world that goes
(24:54):
beyond our looks is empowering.
Let's talk routines.
Writing, like recovery, oftenrequires structure, requires
structure, grace andself-compassion.
Do you have any rituals ornutrition habits that help you
stay grounded as both a writerand a person in long-term
recovery?
Speaker 2 (25:15):
yes.
So when it comes to writing, Idefinitely have a routine where
I get up very early to write.
So to write this book, assomeone working full time with
two young kids, I had to get upat 4am to work on this book, and
that habit has just stuck forbetter or worse.
So I get up very early, but Ialso find that I just need a
(25:37):
burst of energy at that time ofday.
So I always have a cup of icedcoffee with cream in it, and
then I always have at least onepiece of chocolate, and that's
just almost like a little treatfor myself, but it's just a way
to feel energized at the startof the day.
And then I still make sure thatI have my meals.
One thing that I sometimes haveto do is just set reminders to
(26:01):
eat.
Not that I'm not ever thinkingabout food, but sometimes I just
need to make it more of apriority, because in this middle
place, I recognize that I stilldo have tendencies to restrict
my food intake if I'm reallystressed or if I'm just super
busy throughout the day.
So I have to be reallydeliberate about that, and so
that is part of my routine,alongside still seeing a
(26:23):
dietician.
So I still do see a therapistand a dietician because it can
be really easy at certain pointsin our recovery to think, well,
we don't need that anymore orwe should be on that.
But for me it's about justmaintenance and about being held
accountable and having someonewho I can talk to about what
I've eaten or when I've hadslips, and that has become a
(26:45):
really important part of myroutine and a form of self-care
in a lot of ways.
Speaker 1 (26:52):
I love that you share those essentially your support
group right, and who keeps youaccountable, and just providing
support right, because you areabsolutely correct that when we
get busy or when we get stressedor like when we have more of
these stronger emotions, right,we sometimes kind of go back to
what we think right is going tohelp us, as opposed to like what
we actually need to do and sohaving those professionals right
(27:16):
to support you and guide youwhen you need it, or just for
maintenance, as you mentionedright, and to help during those
slip times, it's definitelyhelpful to have that support.
Mallory, let's talk about yourbook a little bit more, right?
Where can listeners find it?
Any other thoughts or commentsthat you want to provide the
listeners before we wrap up?
Speaker 2 (27:38):
Sure.
So the book is out andavailable wherever you buy books
.
So it's on Amazon, it's onTarget's website, it's in your
local independent bookstore.
If they don't have it in stock,you can always order it through
them.
So I really hope that readersand listeners will check out
this book, because it's allabout eating disorders, for sure
(28:00):
, but it's also about theseother themes that people can
relate to, even if they haven'thad an eating disorder.
So in many ways, the middleplace is an apt term for where
so many of us see ourselves inlife.
I think about it even withregard to grief and loss, how I
haven't arrived at some place ofclosure since losing my mom,
even though she's been gonealmost 30 years.
(28:20):
I still carry the load of thatloss, but it's lighter now than
it once was.
So I'm very much in the middleplace with grief and loss, and I
think that a lot of listenerscould relate to that concept of
the middle place.
I'll just say, too, that itfeels really meaningful to be
putting this book out into thisworld at this moment in time,
because I write a lot about lossand grief and motherhood in the
(28:41):
book as well, and I just turned40, which is the age my mom was
when she passed away.
So it feels very symbolic tojust be publishing this book at
the moment in time when I'moutliving my mother.
So for anyone interested inthose scenes of motherhood and
loss and grief, there's probablya lot for you in this book as
well.
Speaker 1 (29:01):
Right.
Thank you so much for sharingthat and happy belated birthday
as well.
I will make sure to share thelinks to your social media, if
that's okay with you.
If you have anything else thatyou want me to share, I will
also add it to the show notes.
But, mallory, thank you so muchfor sharing your story and for
allowing us into such anintimate part of your life as a
(29:22):
dietician.
I believe stories like yoursare essential in reframing how
we think about recovery, foodand self-worth To those
listeners.
If you or someone you love isstruggling with eating disorders
, know that you're not alone.
Recovery is not linear, butit's possible and your story is
worth telling.
Thanks again, mallory, and toeach of you for tuning in.
(29:46):
Be sure to subscribe and leavea review.
And thank you again for allthat you do and remember to stay
safe.
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