37. Overcoming disordered eating and stepping into your power Ft. Ali Bonar, CEO of Oathaus

The Food Therapy Podcast

There are so many amazing food brands and healthier alternatives to some of our favorite snacks in the food and wellness market. Sometimes the branding and messages behind these foods can be a bit problematic, because what exactly is "healthier" anyway? But, not all companies are like this. In today’s episode, we talk to Ali Bonar, CEO and Co-Founder of Oat Haus, the world’s first oat-based spread that literally tastes like liquid Teddy Grahams! The company is on a mission to bring joy and play back into eating. Ali created their flagship product, granola butter, while in recovery from her decade-long battle with orthorexia binge eating and exercise addiction. She's now on a mission to help others love themselves and feel less alone while promoting a brand that focuses on a holistic narrative to health. During our conversation, Ali shares how her road to recovery actually led to her creating this amazing idea. She talks about struggling with orthorexia and her relationship with food, why looks can be deceiving and not everyone “looks” like they have an eating disorder, and why you should give yourself that additional permission to eat what you want and to love yourself and listen to yourself as is. In this episode we cover:

• Get to know the entire story behind Ali, her journey with orthorexia, and what inspired her to create the Oat Haus brand [1:56]
• Healthy fats are great, but Ali wanted to make the alternatives tastier with a better branding message and narrative to other “healthy” brands [10:24]
• Enjoying food without shame and guilt [20:23]
• How Ali prioritizes her mental health and how she connects her workouts to her menstrual cycle [29:05]
• Ali’s morning ritual [37:44]

Connect with Ali: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alibonar/ https://www.instagram.com/oat.haus/