Eating Disorder Recovery, Religious Trauma, and Reclaiming Your Power with Angel Casas

Today I have my first ever male guest on the podcast! I vet my podcast guests carefully, and I know you're gonna love our conversation today. Angel and I originally connected over an Instagram post, and when I realized there was another anti-diet personal trainer in the Chicago area, we immediately decided we needed to meet up in real life. After hearing about his very unique story and having some really great conversations this summer, I knew he was a voice that I needed to share with you here. Angel Casas is a weight inclusive personal trainer and DEI activist in the fitness and health space. His professional background is in the real estate and insurance industry but when Covid hit he decided to start a fitness business dedicated to helping people lose weight. Since he himself had lost over 100 pounds, he wanted to teach others how to do it as well. However, helping people lose weight, brought to light his own disordered relationship with food and fitness. He admitted himself into an eating disorder treatment center which was where he learned all things about diet culture, fatphobia, white supremacy, and so many other systems of oppression. This eye-opening experience made him realize how harmful and racist diet culture is, particularly for BIPOC. He now teaches his clients about how to connect to their bodies through intuitive eating and joyful movement and therefore reclaiming the power that was originally robbed from them. On this episode we talk about: Angel's experience with an eating disorder and recovery as a man of color. Why we need to uplift BIPOC voices in both fitness and eating disorder recovery. The intersection of eating disorders, being LGBTQIOA, and religious trauma. Mental health and why we need to destigmatize it. How his experiences with all of the above cause him to change the way he trains clients. So much other good stuff! Work with Angel Follow Angel on Instagram Follow Angel on TikTok Work with me Get on the Kettlebell Social Interest List! Follow & tag me on Instagram/Threads