The holidays are often painted as a time to get together with friends and family to eat and drink, but for many of us healing our relationship with food, it can feel like pressure, anxiety, and shame. Whether it’s the fear of losing control, the guilt after eating, or the constant battle between wanting to enjoy and trying to be “good”. In this episode, I walk you through what actually makes holiday meals so hard, while offering supportive steps you can take before, during, and after the meal. You’ll learn how to create a more peaceful experience, without falling back into restriction, guilt, or self-criticism.In this episode, you will hear:02:37 – The mixed messages around food 04:50 – Why shame comes from the meaning we've learned to attach to food 08:38 – Grounding techniques for before, during, and after the holiday meal11:30 – Reflecting on fullness without self-criticism15:41 – Why restriction doesn’t rebuild trustIf you feel the holiday pressures, I can promise you you’re not alone. Join me inside the Anti-Diet Holiday Club, a supportive space that actually understands what it’s like to navigate this season in a healing body and practical tools. If you're enjoying the podcast, one of the best ways to show support is by leaving a quick rating and review on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you're listening from. Your words help more women find this space and feel less alone. Until next time, be gentle with yourself.Anti-Diet Holiday Club https://meredith-mackenzie.mykajabi.com/club-waitlist.Website - www.meredithmackenzie.caInstagram - @Dr.MeredithMackenzieFacebook - Meredith MacKenzie Coaching Pinterest - pinterest.com/parallelwellnessYoutube - @Dr.MeredithMackenzie
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The Holiday Guilt Cycle Ends Here
This week on One Body to Love, I’m taking you back to a holiday season that changed everything. I share a personal story from 2009 that became the turning point in my journey with food and body image, when I realized guilt had become my holiday tradition. I’m introducing The Anti-Diet Holiday Club; a limited-time space where joy replaces guilt, and you get to experience peace with food in real time. If you've ever wished for a cozy, confident, guilt-free season, this is your chance!In this episode, you will hear:• 02:46 - The moment I realized guilt had become my holiday tradition• 06:19 - Why “moderation” became another form of control • 07:11 -What food peace actually looks like during the holidays• 08:30 - Why November and December bring such intense vulnerability around food and body image• 09:55 - What you’ll practice inside the Anti-Diet Holiday Club• 11:02 – Kickoff call details: prepping for your “worst case” holiday scenarios togetherYou deserve a holiday that feels like you, not another version of restriction wrapped in tinsel. DM me on Instagram and share your story or join the waitlist at https://meredith-mackenzie.mykajabi.com/club-waitlist. And remember, the Anti-Diet Holiday Club opens its doors Saturday, November 15 at 8 a.m. and closes Monday, November 17 at 8:00 pm, don’t miss it!Anti-Diet Holiday Club https://meredith-mackenzie.mykajabi.com/club-waitlist.Website - www.meredithmackenzie.caInstagram - @Dr.MeredithMackenzieFacebook - Meredith MacKenzie Coaching Pinterest - pinterest.com/parallelwellnessYoutube - @Dr.MeredithMackenzie
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Your Holiday Diet Talk Survival Guide: Staying Grounded and Asserting Boundaries
For those of us healing our relationship with food, the holidays can be a minefield of comments that trigger some of our deepest wounds. In today’s episode of One Body to Love, I’m naming the grief, the shame, and the hypervigilance that diet talk can awaken in spaces that are supposed to feel safe. Whether you’ve spent years healing your relationship with food, or you’re just starting to build boundaries around what you will and won’t tolerate, I want you to know that you are not overreacting. Together, we’ll explore how to navigate holiday meals and family conversations with more agency and grounded self-trust. You don’t have to participate in conversations that harm you.In this episode, you will hear:01:58 - The layers of generational shame that often make up “harmless” comments and why you’re not crazy for getting triggered04:41 - What’s happening in our nervous systems when we feel judged and how to prepare yourself emotionally before you even walk into the room08:06 - Realistic examples of how to handle diet talk in real-time16:28 - Using a gameplan so you can protect your peace while maintaining connection with others20:55 - The importance of checking in with yourself post-gathering before rushing back into your routineIt takes courage to do this work and show up differently. Know that you deserve to be fed, not just with food, but with kindness, presence, and belonging. If this conversation resonated, please support the podcast and spread this message by sending it to someone who could benefit from hearing it. I’ll see you next time!One Body to Love 10-Week Intuitive Eating Programhttps://meredithmackenzie.ca/intuitive-eating-programAnti-Diet Holiday Club https://meredith-mackenzie.mykajabi.com/club-waitlist.Website - www.meredithmackenzie.caInstagram - @Dr.MeredithMackenzieFacebook - Meredith MacKenzie Coaching Pinterest - pinterest.com/parallelwellnessYoutube - @Dr.MeredithMackenzie
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Rooted In Reconnection: Healing from Scarcity, Shame, and Infertility with Hope Mikal
This week on One Body to Love, I’m joined by Hope Mikal, founder of Unicorn Marketing Co., for a deeply honest conversation about healing your relationship with food, your body, and yourself after years of disconnection. From growing up in food scarcity and taking on adult responsibilities at a young age, to navigating a long road with endometriosis and infertility, Hope shares her story with powerful vulnerability. We explore how rebellion, self-protection, and control can shape our body narratives, and how we begin to soften into compassion, even when the journey feels uncertain.In this episode, you will hear:• 01:26 – Growing up with food scarcity and becoming the caregiver too early• 07:26 – Rebellion, survival, and using food to self-soothe• 15:12 – The moment body shame first took root• 21:54 – Receiving an endometriosis diagnosis after a decade of symptoms• 37:01 – Fertility treatments, grief, and honoring emotional limits• 49:04 – Rebuilding body trust through small, nourishing routinesIf Hope’s journey resonates with you, let it be a reminder that healing is rarely linear, and you are allowed to be a work in progress. If you’re moving through your own relationship with food, body image, I’d love to hear from you. Message me on Instagram and let’s continue the conversation. Or if you’re ready to go deeper, the One Body to Love program is here to support you.Connect with Hope:Website:https://unicornmarketingco.caIG: https://www.instagram.com/hellounicornmarketingPodcast: https://www.instagram.com/itsthemagichourpodcasthttps://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/magic-hour-podcast/id1663684286One Body to Love 10-Week Intuitive Eating Programhttps://meredithmackenzie.ca/intuitive-eating-programAnti-Diet Holiday Club https://meredith-mackenzie.mykajabi.com/club-waitlist.Website - www.meredithmackenzie.caInstagram - @Dr.MeredithMackenzieFacebook - Meredith MacKenzie Coaching Pinterest - pinterest.com/parallelwellnessYoutube - @Dr.MeredithMackenzie
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Binge Eating, Business & Becoming a Mom: Finding Peace in the Messy with Julie Fried
This week on One Body to Love, I’m delighted to be joined by Julie Fried. Julie is a mom, business owner and the host of The Systems for Everything podcast. Julie shares her journey with binge recovery, starting with her first binge in middle school, to entering treatment in her early twenties, and how becoming a mother sparked a whole new reason to heal. Julie’s story reminds us that healing is not about perfection. For those who feel like their relationship with food is messy, complicated or still in progress, I hope this episode makes you feel seen.In this episode, you will hear:03:46 - Why she identifies with the term “addiction” and how binge eating mirrors substance use12:50 - What her treatment looked like: inpatient, outpatient, and living without a phone20:38 – Realizing she was hiding behind healing27:07 - The AIP diet: what it taught her and what she loved38:00 - How burnout in business triggered old patterns42:10 - The legacy she wants to leave for her daughter around food, bodies, and self-worthIf Julie’s story resonated with you, I’d love to hear what landed. Come connect with me on Instagram and share your thoughts. And please remember, you don’t have to be fully healed to be worthy of peace, joy, and nourishment. You are allowed to be a work in progress and still deserve love. If you’re ready to take one small step forward, you can start by downloading my Five Steps to End Binge Eating at Night!Connect with Julie:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dallasgirlfridayWebsite: https://dallasgirlfriday.com/Podcast: The System For EverythingOne Body to Love 10-Week Intuitive Eating Programhttps://meredithmackenzie.ca/intuitive-eating-programAnti-Diet Holiday Club https://meredith-mackenzie.mykajabi.com/club-waitlist.Website - www.meredithmackenzie.caInstagram - @Dr.MeredithMackenzieFacebook - Meredith MacKenzie Coaching Pinterest - pinterest.com/parallelwellnessYoutube - @Dr.MeredithMackenzie
About One Body to Love with Dr. Meredith MacKenzie
One Body to Love with Dr. Meredith MacKenzie is a space for honest, unfiltered conversations about food relationships, body image, and the emotional journey to self-acceptance. Hosted by binge eating therapist and intuitive eating coach Dr. Meredith MacKenzie, this podcast dives deep into what it really takes to break free from the cycles of bingeing, restricting and food guilt, in order to finally feel at home in your body. With warmth, insight, and lived experience, this show offers connection and guided support for women who are tired of chasing perfection and ready to reconnect with themselves in a more meaningful way, free from outside pressures.Each week through solo episodes, guest interviews, and real-life coaching conversations, listeners are invited into real, grounded conversations. Ranging from topics of intuitive eating and binge eating recovery, to reclaiming your body, joyful movement, and navigating life in a culture obsessed with size. If you’ve ever whispered, “I don’t know what else to try,” One Body to Love will offer a new perspective, one rooted in compassion, curiosity, and sustainable change. Whether you’re in the thick of it or slowly finding your way forward, this is your reminder that healing is possible and you don’t have to do it alone.
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