My Eating Disorder Recovery Journey with Lauren Spokes

Today I have a guest on the show and I am talking to Lauren Spokes. Lauren is a passionate food advocate, product sourcing consultant, and mental health advocate, with a personal journey in eating disorder recovery that deeply informs her work. Originally from South Africa, Lauren moved to the UK at 18, where she built a successful career in food sourcing, consulting for leading retailers and brands. Despite her professional success, Lauren struggled with an eating disorder for over six years, which prevented her from fully embracing her love for food. After her own journey of recovery, she found healing and clarity in her ultimate passion—helping others. Lauren now uses her platform, including her food Instagram, to raise awareness about eating disorders, promote food freedom, and share delicious, nourishing recipes. Her mission is to empower others to cultivate a healthy relationship with food while celebrating the joy and creativity that food can bring. Through both her consulting work and advocacy, Lauren is dedicated to helping people live in harmony with food and to supporting retailers in offering products that align with both consumer needs and ethical standards. In today’s episode, Lauren talks about her eating disorder recovery journey. She focuses on how she struggled to accept that she had an eating disorder for 5 years before seeking help. She talks ambivalence around change and an eating disorder as a coping strategy. Lauren shares the importance of acceptance with the eating disorder recovery journey and seeking help from others. She explores the costs of the eating disorder and her family’s concerns. She shares her journey in overcoming the eating disorder and now having been fully recovered for two years. This is an inspiring conversation about what is possible in recovery. I hope that you find it helpful.   To find out more about Lauren: - Instagram: @bespokesfood   This week's sponsors: - CHATPODS: Love the insights from this episode? Make sure you never miss a beat with Chatpods! Whether you're commuting, working out, or just on the go, Chatpods lets you capture and summarize key takeaways effortlessly.  Save time, stay organized, and keep your thoughts at your fingertips.  Download Chatpods directly from App Store or Google Play and use it to listen to this podcast today!   https://www.chatpods.com/?fr=TheEatingDisorderTherapist   Amber Romaniuk http://amberapproved.ca/ Podcast: https://amberapproved.ca/podcast   Harriet's Substack: https://substack.com/@theeatingdisordertherapist   Harriet Frew's current offers: - Online 10 Steps to Intuitive Eating Course https://www.theeatingdisordertherapist.co.uk/online-courses.html Online Breaking Free from Bulimia  https://www.theeatingdisordertherapist.co.uk/bulimia-nervosa-online-course.html Eating Disorders Training for Professionals https://www.theeatingdisordertherapist.co.uk/eating-disorders-training-with-harriet-frew.html Body Image Training for Professionals https://www.theeatingdisordertherapist.co.uk/body-image-training-with-harriet-frew.html