Happy New Year, Insatiable listeners! Welcome to 2026.Today I’m resharing my conversation with parenting expert Dr. Deborah MacNamara, where we explore how food connects to our deep need for belonging, how feeling significant plays into belonging and food choices, as well as the many ways we can heal our relationships with food, fullness, and needing other people.If you want to make real changes with your or your loved ones eating, this episode just might help you make life-changing connections that have been elusive for years and be focused in the right direction for 2026.Tune in, then make sure to check out my new website trucewithfood.com. We discuss:The difference between attachment and belongingWhat Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is missingHow to focus on receptivity in relationships with our kidsWhy food is often the place our relationship dynamics play outThe surprising connection between food, fullness, and vulnerabilitySelf-soothing vs satiationWhy feelings are different than emotionsThe problematic invasiveness of “work mode”Experimenting with being “needy” so we can learn to depend on othersMore about our guest: Dr. Deborah MacNamara is the author of two books, Nourished: Connection, food and caring for our kids (and everyone else we love), and Rest, Play, Grow: Making sense of preschoolers (or anyone who acts like one). She is on Faculty at the Neufeld Institute and the Director of Kid’s Best Bet counselling.Connect with Dr. Deborah MacNamara:WebsiteBooksFacebookInstagramMentioned in this episode:Dr. Gordon Neufeld & Dr. Gabor MatéThe Religion of Wellness Culture with Anne Helen Petersen (Episode 252)Send me (Ali) a text message.Join me February 10th for my free workshop, Untangle Your Food Triggers: Catch Yourself Before You Fall Off Track. Discover why falling off track makes sense and leave with the paradigm shift needed for lasting change without deprivation. I’ll share the driving force behind food sabotage, and it’s not willpower.Sign up now at trucewithfood.com/consistency. Free Workshop: Untangle Your Food Triggers: Catch Yourself Before You Fall Off Track: February 10, 2026 at 12:00pm (EST) You'll see why falling off track with your food makes complete sense (no, that's not a typo) and leave with the most important paradigm shift you can make if lasting change, without feeling deprived, is what you're after. Register today.