🔄 Transfer Addiction: When Substance Recovery Shifts Into Orthorexia with Sydney Greene

In this episode of Shoulders Down, Leah sits down with certified eating disorder specialist Sydney Greene, to explore the overlap between disordered eating and substance use.

Sydney shares her personal story of growing up around addiction, developing orthorexia, and later navigating sobriety — only to find her compulsive behaviors shifting toward exercise, clean eating, and wellness. Leah and Sydney unpack how addiction and disordered eating often co-occur, why recovery isn’t always linear, and how socially praised behaviors can mask deeper struggles.

Together, they discuss the concept of transfer addiction, how one compulsive behavior can replace another, and why healing requires addressing the underlying unmet needs — not just the behavior itself.

⚠️ Content Warning ⚠️

This episode includes discussion of substance use, addiction, suicidal thoughts, and grief. Listener discretion is advised.

You’ll hear about:

• Sydney’s personal story with substance use and disordered eating
• What “transfer addiction” means and how it shows up in recovery
• Why sobriety can sometimes intensify disordered eating behaviors
• Why intuitive eating may not be appropriate early in addiction recovery
• The overlap between orthorexia, compulsive exercise, and addiction

Mentioned in this episode:

• 🥗 Orthorexia: When “Healthy" Eating Becomes Dangerous
• 🧗‍♀️Wellness Culture in Mountain Towns with Katie Campbell
• 🥛 Proteinification, Pilates, Glucose Monitors & The Wellness Trends That Shaped 2025

More From Sydney

• Website: sydneygreenehealth.com
• Instagram: @greenehealth

More From Leah:

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• Apply to The Embodied Method, my 1:1 coaching program
• Join my self-paced course, The Return
• Subscribe to Leah's Youtube Channel
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• Follow me on Instagram for more intuitive eating content @leahkern.rd
• Visit my website to learn more about my coaching offerings
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