49. the similar brain chemistry behind eating disorders & addiction with Taylor Angelise

Join Kait and Taylor Angelise, registered nutritionist and eating disorder recovery advocate, as they have a conversation that is long overdue. The profound and scientifically backed overlap between eating disorders and addiction.

From compulsive behavior and dopamine-driven cycles to isolation, secrecy, and relapse rates, Taylor and Kait break down why these two struggles share so much more than anyone in traditional treatment is acknowledging.

In the episode, they also get personal, sharing their own experiences with the way one coping mechanism can quietly replace another when the root cause goes unaddressed. This episode also tackles the hard truth about finding the right provider, why the wrong one can make things worse, and why advocating for yourself, even when you feel like you don't deserve to, might be the most important thing you do in recovery.

This is one of the conversations the treatment world isn't really having yet. Until now.

Episode takeaways:

• Eating disorder brains and addiction brains show nearly identical patterns

• Both are driven by the same dopamine and reward chemistry

• Compulsive behavior is the core overlap between the two

• You can't outthink a chemical reaction it was never about willpower

• When one coping mechanism fades another can quietly take its place

• The wrong provider can set recovery back and that is not your fault

• Advocating for yourself in the darkest moments is hard but necessary

• The future of eating disorder treatment may look a lot more like addiction treatment

Episode guest: Taylor Angelise is a certified holistic nutritionist and therapeutic practical herbalist based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. She holds an honours diploma from the Institute of Holistic Nutrition with an additional certification in nutrition and mental health, plus formal training in herbal medicine and holistic lab interpretation allowing her to view medical diagnostics through a body, mind, and nervous system lens.

But her work isn't just academic, it's deeply personal. At 17, Taylor was hospitalized for anorexia nervosa. What followed were years of struggle and frustration as conventional approaches failed to address the root of what was happening in her body and mind. Eventually she moved to Mexico, where she unintentionally found what had been missing all along: safety, connection, nourishment, and a new relationship with food and herself. Healing came not from force, but from understanding the deep connection between the nervous system, nutrition, mental health, and environment.

Taylored Path Nutrition & Herbal Medicine was created for those who feel like they've tried everything and still don't feel at home within themselves. Taylor works with clients across Canada, the United States, and the UK.

📞 Interested in 1:1 recovery coaching? Book your FREE discovery call

Connect with Kait

📸 @bitebybiterecovery

🔗 bitebybiterecovery.org

🍒 Kait’s Recovery Resources

Connect with Taylor

📸@Tayloredpathnutrition

🔗www.tayloredpathnutrition.ca

📩support@tayloredpathnutrition.ca

UK 📩support@tayloredpathnutrition.co.uk

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