Cristina Castagnini, PhD, CEDS

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Cristina Castagnini, PhD, CEDS

Dr.Castagnini is a licensed psychologist in CA. Specializing in the treatment of eating disorders as well as general mental health issues.

She hosts tge weekly podcast, Behind the Bite, which is part of the The Los Angeles Tribune podcast network. As I licensed psychologist, I specialize in giving you the tools to navigate life's bumpy roads. We all struggle with roadblocks and I'm completely focused on you finding a solution. My style is focused, practical and results-driven. I have particular success with clients struggling with eating disorders and insomnia. If you're ready for help, I'm available. My office is centrally located in San Ramon, Ca.

02/14/2026

NEW PODCAST!⁠ 🎤 ⁠ ⁠ ⁠
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THE ‘HEALTHY EATING’ TRAP: WHEN WELLNESS TURNS INTO AN EATING DISORDER (ORTHOREXIA, BODY TRUST & RECOVERY) WITH VIRGINIA NEWMAN
⁠
In this episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini sits down with Virginia Newman, known as "The Radical Dietitian," to expose the dangerous line between wellness culture and Orthorexia.

They discuss how the pursuit of "clean eating" and dietary purity can spiral into a debilitating eating disorder that shrinks your life while masquerading as health.

Virginia shares her personal journey from a back injury that triggered a food obsession to finding true freedom through Body Trust.

Together, they dismantle the myths of anti-fatness, explore the brutality of recovery in a diet-obsessed world, and explain why your body was never the problem to be solved.

To listen click: https://behindthebitepodcast.com/the-healthy-eating-trap-when-wellness-turns-into-an-eating-disorder-orthorexia-body-trust-recovery-with-virginia-newman-ep-273/

02/13/2026

This week's podcast guest Virginia Newman has worked as an eating disorder dietitian for almost a decade in her practice The Radical Dietitian supporting folks in recovery.

Her clients are mostly on the higher end of the weight spectrum (fat), neurodivergent, and have significant trauma histories.

Her motivation for the work comes from her personal story, being teased as a kid for her body size and her own story of orthorexia and recovery.

She has been trained and certified with The Center for Body Trust as a body trust specialist and trained with the Embodiment Institute last year and weaves embodiment into her work with both clients and clinicians.

Through client work, mentoring, and speaking she hopes to shift the lens for people from focusing on their bodies as objective problems to be solved towards focusing on the external issues that made them feel this way in the first place.

KEY TOPICS DISCUSSED:

- How Orthorexia hides in plain sight under the guise of "healthy living" and "food as medicine."

- The concept of "dissonance points" that signal something is wrong with your relationship with food.

- Why recovery feels so brutal when the world praises disordered behaviors and fears weight gain.

- The profound difference between living in your head (following rules) versus living in your body (feeling cues).

- How to handle the grief of losing the privileges and validation that came with a smaller body.

Listen Here: https://behindthebitepodcast.com/the-healthy-eating-trap-when-wellness-turns-into-an-eating-disorder-orthorexia-body-trust-recovery-with-virginia-newman-ep-273/

02/11/2026

This week's podcast guest Alana Cahoon is a transformational Mindfulness Coach, Energy Healer, and sought-after Speaker who empowers high-achieving professionals to align their careers and lives with their soul purpose.

With a strong track record of supporting successful tech entrepreneurs in launching and scaling their companies, she brings a unique blend of strategic insight and spiritual wisdom to her coaching practice.

Tune into her podcast Creating Abundance for a wealth of wisdom!

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

- The critical difference between "working to live" vs. "living to work."

- Why society is currently operating more from a place of fear than trust.

- The "10-Count Exercise" to immediately lower stress levels.

- How to meditate even if you think you "can't" sit still.

- Practical ways to access your inner wisdom and manifest the life you want.

Listen here: https://behindthebitepodcast.com/stressed-out-and-stuck-in-your-head-how-to-come-back-to-the-present-with-mindfulness-coach-alana-cahoon-272/

02/10/2026

NEW PODCAST!⁠ 🎤 ⁠ ⁠ ⁠
⁠
STRESSED OUT AND STUCK IN YOUR HEAD? HOW TO COME BACK TO THE PRESENT WITH MINDFULNESS COACH ALANA CAHOON
⁠
In this episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini sits down with Alana Cahoon to tackle the pervasive issue of stress and anxiety in our modern, fast-paced world.

Together, they explore the cultural pressure to "live to work" rather than "work to live," and how this mindset contributes to burnout and disconnection.

Alana shares practical, accessible tools to help listeners stop spiraling into future worries or past regrets, offering a path to reclaim peace and presence in the everyday through grounding techniques and a shift in perspective.

To listen click: https://behindthebitepodcast.com/stressed-out-and-stuck-in-your-head-how-to-come-back-to-the-present-with-mindfulness-coach-alana-cahoon-272/

02/04/2026

In this compassionate solo episode, I explore the rising trend of a "Soft January" and validates those who feel exhausted by the traditional "New Year, New Me" pressure.

I dig deep into the psychology of perfectionism and people-pleasing,
explaining why the failure of rigid resolutions often feels like a personal character flaw rather than a flaw in the system itself.

I offer a fresh perspective on motivation, challenging listeners to separate their self-worth from their productivity and to view "good enough"not as settling, but as a profound act of self-trust and resilience.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

- The meaning behind the "Soft January"trend and why it’s gaining traction.

- Why high-functioning perfectionists are most at risk for the "New Year' Crash".

- The difference between feeling "inspired" versus feeling "evaluated"by your goals.

- How to identify "Conditional Worth" and stop tying your value to your output.

- Why "good enough" is actually a healthier, more sustainable form of discipline.

Listen here: https://behindthebitepodcast.com/if-january-feels-heavy-this-episode-is-for-you-ep-271/

02/03/2026

NEW PODCAST!⁠ 🎤 ⁠ ⁠ ⁠
⁠
IF JANUARY FEELS HEAVY, THIS EPISODE IS FOR YOU with Dr Cristina Castagnini
⁠
In this solo episode, I explore why so many people are quietly opting out of New Year’s resolutions and resonating with the idea of a “Soft January.”

Not because they don’t care about growth, but because years of trying to do things the “right” way have left them feeling like failures when those plans inevitably didn’t stick.

We talk about how January pressure mirrors diet culture, perfectionism, and people-pleasing, especially for those who’ve spent years believing they weren’t disciplined or consistent enough.

I unpack why the problem was never you, but the systems that set you up to internalize failure.

This episode isn’t anti-goals or anti-change. It’s about separating growth from self-worth, and learning how “good enough” can be a powerful corrective experience.

If you’ve ever walked away from a resolution, a reset, or a new start feeling like you were the failure, this episode is for you.

To listen click: https://behindthebitepodcast.com/if-january-feels-heavy-this-episode-is-for-you-ep-271/

Address

2010 Crow Canyon Place, Suite 100
San Ramon, CA
94583

Telephone

+19252525808

Website

https://www.behindthebitepodcast.com/

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Our Story

As I licensed psychologist, I specialize in giving you the tools to navigate life's bumpy roads. We all struggle with roadblocks and I'm completely focused on you finding a solution.

My style is focused, practical and results-driven. I have particular success with clients struggling with eating disorders and insomnia.

If you're ready for help, I'm available. My office is centrally located in San Ramon, Ca. Please visit my website: https://www.freedomtowellness.com