Food and symptom journalling can be effective when used properly. However, it can also pull you into symptom hypervigilance and the Conditioned Food Avoidance and Sensitivity Trap (C-FAST). Join Wendy and Dr. Melissa Hunt for tips on avoiding these pitfalls. We will also discuss how the brain amplifies sensations in the body and how you can turn the volume down on this communication.

Melissa G. Hunt is a licensed clinical psychologist and serves as the Associate Director of Clinical Training in the Department of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. She is a Fellow and Diplomate of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy and a member of the Rome Foundation Psychogastroenterology working group.

Dr. Hunt conducts research on the best approaches for stress management, and into the causes and treatment of depression, anxiety disorders and chronic GI disorders. As a clinical scientist, her emphasis is on translating basic psychological science into treatments that are effective, acceptable, and accessible to patient populations. Her work focuses on identifying the underlying patient factors (e.g. unhelpful beliefs and maladaptive avoidance) that lead to reduced quality of life, impairment and distress, particularly factors that exacerbate chronic health problems and make them harder to cope with, and on developing and disseminating evidence based, empirically supported treatments for folks with GI disorders. In addition to her research, she maintains an active private practice in clinical psychology in which she specializes in cognitive-behavioral treatment with patients with chronic GI disorders, as well as co-morbid mood, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive, and trauma disorders. She is the author of two evidence-based, empirically supported self-help books that make CBT accessible to patients with IBS and IBDs, as well as an empirically supported treatment manual on CBT for IBD patients. You can reach Dr. Hunt at mhunt@psych.upenn.edu.

Annie shares her story of how the bulimia she developed as a teenager morphed into food sensitivity restrictions while she was enrolled in a “wellness” program. She developed chronic health problems and believed that food was the cause and that a restricted diet was the cure. Annie shares how these restrictions impacted her life and how she broke out of the trap and is now enjoying freedom from food.

Annie is a recovered trauma-informed eating disorder mentor and intuitive eating facilitator with a dedicated focus on addressing misinformation in wellness spaces. She connects individuals with vital resources and offers specialized eating disorder recovery coaching, collaborating closely with other treatment providers. Her mission is to guide individuals towards a healthier relationship to food and self, while also equipping them with the skills to navigate and discern accurate information amidst the challenges of misinformation in wellness environments.

You can read more about her story here.

Amy Slabaugh is a returning podcast guest. We released an episode in September 2023 talking about her journey with chronic, debilitating headaches and the importance of taking one road at a time (i.e. systematically trialling new treatments). Through this approach, she discovered brain training tools that dramatically improved her quality of life.

Amy Slabaugh is a registered dietitian nutritionist specializing in intuitive eating and the dietary management of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). In her practice, she loves working with people to foster a positive relationship with food and learn to nourish their bodies in a way that promotes health. For those who are experiencing adverse reactions in response to food, her goal is to help clients work toward minimizing their symptoms and improving their quality of life. Providing counseling for clients as they work through the C-FAST Treatment course is a great way to do this.

You can reach Amy at AmySlabaugh.com.