Food Junkies Podcast

In this episode, Vera and Renae explore bulimorexia—a term used for people who oscillate between restriction and binge/purge behaviors—and how this mixed pattern might help explain stubborn relapse rates across eating disorders and food addiction. Dr. Norton shares her clinical lens on risks (medical and psychological), why some traditional programs may miss the mark, and what a holistic, skills-b...

We've all heard the buzz about GLP-1 medications like Ozempic—are they a miracle cure or a cause for concern? In this episode of the Food Junkies Podcast, Dr. Vera Tarman speaks with renowned physician, researcher, and bestselling author Dr. Michael Greger about the risks, benefits, and natural alternatives to GLP-1 drugs. Dr. Greger breaks down what the science really says: how these medications...

In this episode of the Food Junkies Podcast , Dr. Vera Tarman speaks with Bonnie Newlin , registered dietitian nutritionist, Certified LEAP Therapist, founder of Crave Nourishment , and member of the Lipedema Education Group. Bonnie specializes in the nutritional management of lipedema and chronic inflammation. Lipedema is a progressive adipose and connective tissue disorder that primarily impacts...

In this episode of the Food Junkies Podcast , Dr. Vera Tarman and Clarissa Kennedy welcome back Dr. Nicole Avena — neuroscientist, researcher, and author — to discuss her team's latest paper exploring a provocative question: Could GLP-1 receptor agonists, while reducing food cravings, also negatively impact dopamine regulation, mood, and addiction risk? Dr. Avena breaks down the science behind GLP...

Christine Trimpe is a transformative wellness leader dedicated to empowering professional Christian women to reclaim their health and vitality through her faith-based, holistic approach to weight loss. As the founder of The SugarFreed Me Method and a certified SUGAR® Licensed Practitioner, Christine helps clients achieve lifelong healing from sugar addiction and food-related struggles. Her clients...

Dr. Tro Kalayjian is a board-certified physician in Internal Medicine and Obesity Medicine, and the founder of Toward Health, a virtual metabolic health clinic helping people break free from food addiction and chronic metabolic disease. He's also a founding member of the Society of Metabolic Health Practitioners and an international speaker on metabolic psychiatry, obesity, and nutrition science....

In today's insightful Clinician's Corner episode, Clarissa Kennedy and Molly Painschab delve into chronic invalidation as a trauma response, exploring its origins, impacts, and practical healing strategies. This episode offers clinicians compassionate insights and actionable tools for supporting clients on their healing journeys. Key Highlights: Understanding Chronic Invalidation Chronic invalidat...

We're honored to welcome back Dr. Claire Wilcox, a trailblazer in the field of food addiction. Claire is an addiction psychiatrist, former internist, and associate professor of translational neuroscience at the Mind Research Network. She's worked in everything from eating disorder treatment centers to general psychiatry and is on the frontlines of research, clinical care, and advocacy. Her academi...

In today's episode, we explore the groundbreaking intersection of addiction, biology, and cancer with internationally recognized scientist Dr. Rafael Cuomo. Drawing on insights from his book Crave , Dr. Cuomo reveals how addiction is not simply a behavioral or psychological issue—it's a biological condition that reshapes the terrain of our health and directly contributes to the development of chro...

Dr. Hillary McBride is a therapist, researcher, speaker, and author dedicated to helping people grow, heal, and reconnect with their wholeness. With a PhD in Counselling Psychology from the University of British Columbia, she specializes in trauma, embodiment, eating disorders, perinatal mental health, and psychedelic integration. Known for making complex psychological concepts accessible and mean...

In this compassionate and insightful episode, Clarissa and Molly dive into the phenomenon of post-event collapse—the physical, emotional, and psychological crash that can follow highly stimulating or meaningful experiences. Whether it's a vacation, a major life event, a group share, or even just navigating a family gathering, many in food addiction recovery find themselves disoriented and vulnerab...

Dr. Diana Hill, PhD is a clinical psychologist and internationally recognized expert in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and compassion-based approaches to well-being. She is the host of the Wise Effort podcast and author of The Self-Compassion Daily Journal, ACT Daily Journal, and the forthcoming Wise Effort. Diana teaches individuals and organizations how to build psychological flexibilit...

In this deeply insightful episode, we welcome Ashka Naik, PhD candidate and Director of Research and Policy at Corporate Accountability, a global human rights and social justice NGO. Ashka joins Vera and Molly to explore how food systems have been colonized by powerful industry players, and why the words we use to describe what we eat matter more than ever. We unpack the political, historical, and...

Dr. David Kessler is a renowned pediatrician, lawyer, public health advocate, and former Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A graduate of Amherst College, the University of Chicago Law School, and Harvard Medical School, Dr. Kessler has spent his career at the intersection of science, policy, and consumer protection. He served as Dean of the Yale School of Medicine and th...

In this insightful and compassionate episode, Clarissa and Molly take a deep dive into post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS)—an often overlooked but critical phase in ultra-processed food addiction recovery. While well-known in substance use disorder recovery, PAWS is rarely discussed in the context of food addiction, yet it shows up in significant ways. Clarissa and Molly break down what PAWS is,...

In this illuminating episode we speak with Dr. Filippa Juul. An epidemiologist and leading researcher on the impact of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) on human health. Together, we unpack what ultra-processed really means, why it's not just about calories or macros, and how these foods are stealthily contributing to the global rise in obesity, chronic illness, and food addiction. Dr. Juul  is Assista...

Dr. Cynthia Bulik is a clinical psychologist and one of the world's leading experts on eating disorders. She is the Founding Director of the University of North Carolina Center of Excellence for Eating Disorders and also the founder director of the Centre for Eating Disorders Innovation at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden. Dr. Bulik is Distinguished Professor of Eating Disorders in the D...

Dr. Alexandra Sowa, MD is a board-certified physician specializing in internal medicine and obesity medicine. A graduate of Johns Hopkins University, NYU School of Medicine, and Yale University, Dr. Sowa combines top-tier medical training with a deeply compassionate, evidence-based approach to metabolic health. She is the founder and CEO of SoWell Health, a telehealth and clinical service dedicate...

In this compelling episode, Dr. Vera Tarman interviews Dr. Thomas Seyfried, a pioneer in the field of cancer metabolism. Dr. Seyfried challenges the mainstream view of cancer as a genetic disease and presents strong evidence that cancer is fundamentally a mitochondrial metabolic disorder. Dr. Thomas N. Seyfried is a distinguished American biologist and professor at Boston College, renowned for his...

In this powerful and heartfelt episode of the Food Junkies Recovery Stories CJ sits down with Joy M, who shares her courageous story of unraveling the illusion of the "perfect life" to find true recovery and emotional freedom. From childhood trauma and food obsession to substance use, codependency, and the sneaky nature of sugar addiction, Joy takes us through the winding—and at times wild—path sh...

In this episode of Clinician's Corner, Molly and Clarissa explore the often-overlooked realities of long-term recovery . While many recovery programs focus on the acute phases and early abstinence, sustainable recovery demands much more—it asks us to renovate our lives . Drawing from the latest research—including insights from Harvard's Recovery Research Institute and their own published study on...

In this episode of Food Junkies Podcast, Molly and Clarissa sit down with clinical psychologist, researcher, and international food addiction advocate  Dr. Jen Unwin to unpack a trifecta of groundbreaking developments in the field of Ultra-Processed Food Use Disorder (UPFUD). If you've been craving science-backed insight, real recovery stories, and practical hope for the future, this conversation...

In this extraordinary episode, Food Junkies host Dr. Vera Tarman turns the mic on herself—joined by Swedish trailblazer Bitten Jonsson—for a deeply personal, no-holds-barred conversation on their parallel journeys through food addiction, recovery, and advocacy. With over 60 years of combined experience in addiction medicine, Vera and Bitten walk us through the moments they first recognized their s...

In this powerful and timely conversation, we welcome Dr. Eike Buabang, cognitive neuroscientist and Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Trinity College Dublin, to explore one of the most fundamental yet overlooked topics in recovery: habits . Dr. Buabang studies the brain mechanisms behind habit formation—why we repeat behaviors even when they no longer serve us, and how stress, repetition, and enviro...

In this thought-provoking Clinician's Corner episode, Clarissa Kennedy and Molly Painschab dive deep into the ever-popular term "self-sabotage" — and why they believe it's not only inaccurate but potentially harmful in the context of food addiction recovery.   Together, they explore how behaviors often labeled as self-sabotage are actually maladaptive coping strategies, formed through years of sur...