Unlearning Diet Culture: Self-Compassion as the Health Plan with Marla Mervis-Hartmann

Send us Fan MailDiet rules, mirror anxiety, and the lie that thinness equals happiness—let’s challenge the script. In this episode of Life, Health & The Universe, I sit down with Marla Mervis-Hartmann—coach, Reiki Master, TEDx speaker, and author of "BE-Friend Yourself-Finding Freedom with Food and Peace with your Body"—to explore what actually leads to peace with food and a kinder relationship with your body.Marla’s story spans both extremes: cycles of binge eating marked by shame and the “thinnest ever” phase that still felt miserable. Those bookends reveal a deeper truth: the problem isn’t your body or your plate—it’s how we cope, and the voices we believe when we’re scared.We dive into:Unlearning diet culture and why self-compassion is the most effective health planIntuitive eating and body trust—how to stabilise physiology before tuning inPerimenopause, hormones, and body image—when your reflection looks the same but feels differentThe mother wound and early imprints that shape how women relate to food and their bodiesGentle tools for navigating binge eating, cravings, and compulsions without shamePractical rhythms that support midlife women: blood sugar balance, sleep, and rituals for “spiky” daysYou’ll also hear scripts for catching your inner critic, ways to rebuild safety and pleasure, and how acceptance isn’t pretending to love what you don’t—it’s choosing to act like a friend even when you can’t. We even touch on men’s body image and the power of performance goals.If you’re ready to stop fighting your body, release diet culture, and find freedom with food, this conversation is for you. Press play, subscribe for more midlife awakening stories, and share the belief you’re most ready to unlearn.Visit our website to find out more about this week's guest.All of our guests, including this one, are included in our Guest Directory so that you can find out more about them and the work that they do.https://midliferebelpodcast.com/guest-directoryIf you'd like to support the show you can buy me a coffee!https://buymeacoffee.com/midliferebelpodcast