Recovery Reads & Listens: A Curated Guide for Eating Disorders
Finding the right support for eating disorder recovery can feel overwhelming. While therapy and medical care are central to healing, many people also benefit from outside resources—whether that’s hearing stories from others, diving into books that deepen understanding, or tuning into podcasts that bring encouragement and practical insights.
This guide gathers together trusted books, blogs, and podcasts that can help you feel less alone and more equipped along the journey. Consider this a library you can return to when you need education, inspiration, or simply a reminder that recovery is possible.
Books
Let’s start with books. Reading the words of clinicians, advocates, and individuals who’ve walked through recovery themselves can provide both validation and guidance. These books are thoughtful companions—some rooted in science, others in lived experience—that can help you or your loved ones better understand struggles with body image, eating disorders, and the recovery process.
Life Without Ed - by Jenni Schaefer
8 Keys to Recovery from an Eating Disorder: Effective Strategies from Therapeutic Practice and Personal Experience - by Carolyn Costin & Gwen Schubert Grabb
Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Anti-Diet Approach - by Evelyn Tribole, MS, RDN, CEDRD-S & Elyse Resch MS, RDN, CEDRD-S, FAND
Crave: Why You Binge Eat and How to Stop - by Cynthia M. Bulik, Ph.D.
The Body Is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love - by Sonya Renee Taylor
What We Don't Talk About When We Talk About Fat - by Aubrey Gordon
Sick Enough: A Guide to the Medical Complications of Eating Disorders - by Jennifer L. Gaudiani MD, CEDS, FAED
Things No One Will Tell Fat Girls - by Jes Baker
An Internal Family Systems Guide to Recovery from Eating Disorders: Healing Part by Part - by Amy Yandel Grabowski
Beyond Beautfiul: A Practical Guide to Being Happy, Confident, and You in a Looks-Obsessed World - by Anuschka Rees
Beauty Sick: How the Cultural Obsession with Appearance Hurts Girls and Women—and Its Impact on Health and Happiness - by Renee Engeln
More Than A Body: Your Body Is an Instrument, Not an Ornament - by Lexie Kite and Lindsay Kite
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma - by Bessel van der Kolk
Blogs
While books give a deeper dive, blogs offer something different: accessible, ongoing reflections and up-to-date perspectives. Many dietitians, therapists, and advocates share personal stories, practical tips, and reminders that recovery isn’t linear. Here are some blogs worth bookmarking for encouragement and education in bite-sized pieces.
Podcasts
If reading feels overwhelming, or you just want something you can listen to while walking, driving, or resting, podcasts are a wonderful option. They bring voices of experts and people in recovery directly to your ears, making it feel like you’re part of an ongoing conversation about healing, resilience, and hope.
Recovery doesn’t come from resources alone—it happens through support, connection, and professional care. But having tools like these at your fingertips can make the process feel less isolating. Whether you’re highlighting a passage in a book, scrolling through a blog post that resonates, or listening to a podcast on a hard day, each of these resources can remind you that healing is not only possible, it’s happening every day in big and small ways.
If you or someone you love is struggling with an eating disorder, know that you don’t have to do this alone. These resources are here to walk alongside you, but reaching out to a qualified healthcare provider is a powerful next step.