At Freedom With Nutrition, clients come seeking support not just for disordered eating, but for the layered, often misunderstood experiences that come with having multiple health conditions. This may include neurodivergence, chronic illness, digestive disorders, or autoimmune disease. Each of these co-occurring conditions (very often an individual might live with more than one co-occurring condition alongside their eating disorder) can profoundly affect a person’s relationship with food, their body, and their ability to nourish themselves consistently.
Rather than approaching recovery with a one-size-fits-all plan, at Freedom With Nutrition you will receive individualized, compassionate nutrition care that honors the complexity of your body and life. Clients here are not seen as "noncompliant" or "resistant." They are people who have been living in systems that haven’t accounted for their full experience.
OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) and Eating Disorders
People with OCD often experience intrusive, repetitive thoughts and compulsive behaviors that can overlap with eating disorder patterns. For example, compulsions like counting, checking, or rigid food rituals may be a way to manage anxiety or gain a sense of control. These behaviors can create additional barriers to recovery, as the obsessive nature of thoughts around food may be difficult to break free from.
In working with individuals with OCD, it’s crucial to understand that the eating disorder behaviors—whether restricting, bingeing, or purging—are often a way to cope with intrusive thoughts and feelings. The eating disorder may temporarily alleviate distress, but it comes at a significant cost to both mental and physical health. The treatment approach must be flexible. Recovery plans must include cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and exposure and response prevention (ERP) techniques to manage obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors in a compassionate, nonjudgmental way.
ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) and Eating Disorders
For clients with ADHD, traditional nutrition advice often fails to acknowledge the challenges of executive functioning, interoceptive differences, and sensory sensitivities. Eating may be inconsistent, impulsive, or entirely forgotten. Appetite can be blunted by stimulant medications, or fluctuate depending on focus, energy, or overstimulation.
Working with individuals who have ADHD means providing structure and support tailored to their unique needs. This could include strategies for mindful eating, using external cues to remember meals, and providing tailored nutrition support to ensure adequacy and a healthy routine for those who are prescribed ADHD medication by their physician or psychiatrist. These modifications are crucial to helping the individual regain a balanced relationship with food without shame or self-blame.
Autoimmune Disorders, Dysautonomia, MCAS, and GI Issues in Eating Disorder Recovery
When the body’s needs fluctuate, nutrition must adapt. Clients with autoimmune diseases, dysautonomia, MCAS or GI disorders often face unpredictable appetite, fatigue, and food tolerance. Eating may shift depending on flare cycles, medications, and physical pain or discomfort.
Freedom With Nutrition supports clients with:
Flexible nutrition guidance and planning that adjusts recommendations in light of symptoms, energy levels, and functional capacity
Helping clients let go of “perfect eating” pressure, especially after restrictive medical diets
Addressing inflammation or food triggers while being careful of not encouraging orthorexic eating patterns
When indicated, collaborating with other members of your healthcare team to best support your recovery
This is not about clean eating or rigid food rules. It's about nourishment that respects the reality of chronic illness.
Recovery in these cases requires a careful balancing act. Eating disorder treatment must be adapted to respect the individual’s unique physiology pertaining to their comorbid condition. This is done while also addressing the eating disorder, so that there is freedom in their relationship with food, to the extent feasible without aggravating their co-occurring condition. For example, someone with IBS or gastroparesis might need a specialized, gut-friendly diet that still supports their nutritional needs and recovery goals. These individuals often require a flexible recovery plan that can evolve as their physical health fluctuates. Importantly, their journey toward healing may look different from others, and that’s okay. The approach should always be adjusted to suit their individual needs.