
EP 150 - Eating Well Without the Weight of Perfection
From The Real Dish by Chef Mareya, The Fit Foodie
September 8, 2025 · 39 min · Episode 150
About this episode
Chef Mareya discusses the relationship between food and mental health, sharing personal experiences and strategies for finding balance.
September is Mental Health Awareness Month, today we're diving into something that affects way more people than you might realize—our relationship with food. Now, if you love food like I do but also care about your health and fitness, you've probably felt this at some point: Am I enjoying this too much? Am I eating too much? Too little? Should I be more disciplined? I've been on both sides of this fence—from my life as a chef celebrating every flavor to my time training for a bikini competition where food became numbers and rules. Today, I want to share my story, give you some stats that will make you pause, and—most importantly—show you how you can find a beautiful balance between loving food, reaching your goals, and protecting your mental health. This is an episode you'll want to refer back to and SHARE with the people you love. Let's dig in. 00:00 Introduction to Food Guilt and Mental Health 01:03 Chef Mareya's Personal Journey with Food 02:24 From Celebrating Food to Food as a Prison 03:40 The Extremes of Bodybuilding and Exhaustion 07:42 Statistics on Orthorexia and Disordered Eating 10:09 The Role of Brain Health in Food Choices 12:35 The Five Pillars of the Fit Foodie…
People in this episode
Host: Chef Mareya
Topics covered
- mental health
- relationship with food
- food guilt
- nutrition
- fitness
- disordered eating
- balance
Keywords
- mental health awareness
- food relationship
- orthorexia
- disordered eating
- fit foodie philosophy
- nutrition tips
- bodybuilding
- food guilt
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