In this episode, I talk with a client of mine, Alana Asch, who was enrolled in the Rise Up Nutrition Group Coaching program. Alana unpacks her disordered relationship with food from a child until now in her late 20s, beginning with food anxiety and severe restriction, then a diagnosis of anorexia nervosa as a teenager. She reveals how competitive and controlling traits, when applied to eating, ultimately hurt her physically and mentally. Alana opens up about her experience in an eating disorder treatment facility that proved unsuccessful as she fought to manage her anxiety through controlling her food. A lack of support and feelings of being out of control then led Alana down a path of overexercising, alcohol and drugs. These behaviors, alongside self-harm and promiscuity, commonly accompany mental health struggles as sufferers substitute one for another. Despite a masters degree in strength and conditioning and a solid nutrition understanding, Alana reflects on the difficulty she had applying her knowledge to herself. Through the Group Coaching program, Alana was able to unpack the belief she held about having a “sugar addiction”: restricting during the day led her to craving sweets in the evening. Alana explains how this holiday season, by fueling correctly and learning that all foods fit, she has noticed a difference in her mindset when surrounded by an abundance of the sweet treats she used to crave so much. At Rise Up Nutrition, we aim to keep our clients active throughout their program, allowing them to experience how optimal fueling benefits performance. Alana shares how fueling with more carbohydrates throughout the day translated to increased energy and improved performance in the gym. We touch on the value of a coach, both for athletics, mindset and nutrition, and Alana’s coaching business, The Better Coach. Alana underlines the importance of seeking professional help, no matter your knowledge level, from someone you trust and can truly empathize with your struggles. Alana Asch’s Official Bio: Alana Asch was one of my clients and a certified strength and conditioning coach with a master’s degree in exercise science. Alana grew up a female athlete, focusing on soccer. Her soccer team ran a lot for their training, so when she stopped playing soccer she continued running and completed several marathons and half marathons. After being confused as to why she could run a marathon but not do one pull-up, she became interested in strength and conditioning. That’s when she went back to school and obtained a master's degree and, as mentioned, is now a strength and conditioning coach with her own business, The Better Coach. When she’s not coaching others, Alana enjoys training herself. Though not training for any specific event at the moment, Alana enjoys getting after some runs and weight training regularly. Find Alana and her business, The Better Coach, on Instagram @thebettercoach And online at alanaasch.com  Learn more about Lindsey's Services and the Team at Rise Up Nutrition: www.RiseUpNutritionRUN.com Worried that you have RED-S? Curious to know how we could help or how you can recover fast?! Download the RED-S Recovery Race & see how you place for more support: www.RiseUpNutritionRUN.com/REDS