Heal with Grace

67. The Overlap Between Eating Disorders and Chronic Illness

• Grace Secker

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0:00 | 29:47

In this episode of, Grace dives deep into a topic that affects so many of us—disordered relationships with food, especially for those navigating chronic illness and pain. Grace explores how perfectionism, control, and fear around food often intersect with chronic symptoms, leading to a cycle of anxiety, restriction, and dysregulation. 

She shares her personal journey with disordered eating and how rigid food rules worsened her symptoms. Grace breaks down the subtle but dangerous shift from mindful eating to fear-based eating, the personality traits that make people with chronic illness more vulnerable to disordered eating, and how wellness culture and functional medicine can unintentionally lead to harmful restrictions.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

  • How chronic illness and disordered eating mimic each other
  • Why perfectionism and control around food often lead to more harm
  • The key differences between mindful eating and fear-based eating
  • How fear of food impacts digestion, inflammation, and nervous system regulation
  • Why rigid wellness culture rules may be sabotaging your healing journey
  • Practical ways to heal your relationship with food and build trust with your body

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