What would it look like to live a life purposeful beyond our bodies? Ally Rae Pesta’s healing journey led her to yoga – a form of movement where she began a different dialogue with herself. Today, she’s a 200-HR certified yoga teacher, certified eating disorder recovery coach, and author of “Beyond My Body.”

Healing from an eating disorder changes more than your mental health. Author Mary Esposito shares how she found comfort and joy in new passions - and how those passions changed her life. Read her blog for a story full of discovery.

While certain assumptions remain prevalent for many people, reductive misconceptions leave behind considerations of critical eating disorder characteristics, specifically symptomatic behavior, like the experiences shared by Rayah’s participants: Jeffrey, Nicole, and Joyce. Read on to hear more about their lived experience and participation in her project.

Coming home for the holidays can be hard, especially if you’re healing from disordered eating and being home invokes triggering memories. In our latest blog, Jordyn Kaprowski shares tips from the “Home for the Holidays” Toolkit she created in preparation for her college winter break.

We’re thrilled to share that community care nonprofit Body Reborn & Project HEAL are joining efforts to expand access to eating disorder healing. Body Reborn founder Akiera Gilbert has been selected to be Project HEAL’s next CEO, with current CEO Rebecca Eyre staying on as an advisor. Three of Body Reborn’s Board Directors will also be joining Project HEAL’s board, and Project HEAL will be providing Body Reborn’s signature community care programming for BIPOC.

“Holiday foods” like pumpkin pie, ham on the bone, stuffing, and more can be sort of…ick to a lot of folks, especially those already dealing with selective eating patterns. In this blog, Project HEAL Program Manager Stephanie Albers gives five tangible tips for folks who might need a little extra support around food for the holiday season.

The traits that made Geoff Walker a high performer in the Navy were, unfortunately, also the things that his eating disorder latched onto. Now, in medical retirement and Bulimia recovery, Geoff offers guidance to military leadership for preventing and caring for service members with eating disorders.

Leah Stiles served as a dedicated Sailor in the United States Navy for 20 years. But, underneath the brave exterior, she was battling an eating disorder in silence. Today, she’s retired and is the founder of SEA WAVES, an organization dedicated to combating eating disorders in the military.

When Jason Wood was diagnosed with Orthorexia in 2020, he didn’t see himself in any support resources. Websites, books, and support groups solely featured women, leaving him to feel isolated and abnormal. Three and a half years later, he’s healed, published a book, given dozens of talks, joined the team at ANAD, and started his own men’s support group!

Insurance is failing millions of Americans, especially those with eating disorders. Alexa Grayson, Insurance Navigation Program Manager at Project HEAL shares in detail the barriers and insurance obstacles individuals encounter when seeking eating disorder treatment and how insurance fails to help people heal from their eating disorders.

John Rossi knows the power of both finding and creating a safe mental health community firsthand. Now, well into eating disorder recovery and having found other like-minded musicians, John’s band "Ivy League" travels the country partnering with local mental health organizations to uplift their resources to concertgoers.

Self-care, a deeply personal practice that is different for everyone, is an important part of mental and physical wellness. It is also a practice that wellness and lifestyle businesses have learned to co-opt in order to make more money.

After 35 years of being controlled by an eating disorder, Jessica has finally found and learned to love herself.

Therapist and Project HEAL Board Member, Wednesdae Reim Ifrach, wasn’t always brave. But at 22, while knee-deep in their eating disorder and newly wading into the world of scary movies, Wednesdae discovered the movie Halloween. In it, they saw the relationship between their eating disorder and themself depicted clearly for the first time.

In recognition of Weight Stigma Awareness Week, Project HEAL Clinical Assessment Program Manager Stephanie Alberts speaks to the “wait” of weight stigma.

Eurocentric approaches to eating disorder treatment marginalize and exclude sufferers of differing identities. Maryam shares how the lack of cultural competency at her treatment center created an additional barrier to healing.

Suicidal thoughts and her eating disorder caused Ayanna to push away her family and high school friends. Only after someone finally noticed that she wasn’t okay and checked in with her did she seek out help and begin to heal.

Suicide is a topic that hides in the shadows. All too often it goes unaddressed, even when we may sense someone is struggling. In honor of World Suicide Prevention Day, Tara Criscuolo shares the warning signs of suicide and tips for how to have a conversation with someone you’re concerned about.

Many people find themselves developing an emotional attachment to their eating disorder and inadvertently begin to consider it as a large part of their identity. Eve shares how learning to separate herself from her eating disorder helped her heal.

When Shauna began her disordered eating healing journey, she found an untapped inner well of resilience. Now on the other side, she shares tips for finding and nurturing your own resilience.