Episode 232: Clinicians Corner - The Hidden Challenges of PAWS in Food Addiction Recovery
Food Junkies Podcast
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, why it happens, and how it can show up months or even years into recovery. They share real client experiences, neurobiological explanations, and clinical insights—plus, they normalize what can...
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Episode 231: Dr. Filippa Juul "Ultra-Processed Food: The Hidden Crisis"
Food Junkies Podcast
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 Assistant professor at the School of Public Health at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University. She earned her PhD in Epidemiology from NYU GPH in 2020, following a MSc in Public Health Nutrition from...
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Episode 230: Dr. Cynthia Bulik
Food Junkies Podcast
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 Department of Psychiatry at UNC, Professor of Nutrition in the Gillings School of Global Public Health, and Professor of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Karolinska Institute. Dr Bulik...
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Episode 229: Dr. Alexandra Sowa, MD The Ozempic Revolution
Food Junkies Podcast
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 dedicated to treating metabolic dysfunction with personalized nutrition, lifestyle interventions, and medication when appropriate—including the use of GLP-1 receptor agonists like Ozempic. Dr. Sowa is the...
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Episode 228: Dr. Thomas Seyfried - Cancer as a Metabolic Disorder
Food Junkies Podcast
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 pioneering work in cancer metabolism. With a Ph.D. in Genetics and Biochemistry from the University of Illinois, Urbana, and postdoctoral training in neurochemistry at Yale University School of...
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Food Junkies Recovery Stories Episode 26: Joy M
Food Junkies Podcast
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 she walked to reclaim her health and voice. Tune in to hear how one Easter basket sparked a lifetime pattern, how trauma flipped the switch, and how Joy finally broke free through community,...
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Episode 227: Clinician’s Corner - Recovery Is a Lifestyle, Not a Lifeboat – Maintaining Long-Term Recovery
Food Junkies Podcast
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 food addiction outcomes—they break down the average 17-year journey toward stable remission and emphasize that recovery is a process, not a finish line. 🧠 Topics include: The 3 stages of...
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Episode 226: Dr. Jen Unwin on Consensus, Recovery Outcomes, and the Future of Food Addiction Treatment
Food Junkies Podcast
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 delivers. Together, we explore: 🧠 Two Major Research Milestones • The Delphi Consensus Paper, which brings together 40 global experts to define and validate Ultra-Processed Food...
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Episode 225: Dr. Vera Tarman & Bitten Jonsson Reflect on Food Addiction Recovery
Food Junkies Podcast
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 struggles with food and sugar, the evolving science of addiction, and how their professional paths have shaped the global conversation around Ultra-Processed Food Addiction. 💡 What You’ll Hear...
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Episode 224: Dr. Eike Buabang - Breaking the Habit Loop: How Our Brains Build—and Battle—Behavior Patterns
Food Junkies Podcast
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 environment shape our choices. Drawing from both neuroscience and real-world applications, he offers practical insights into how we can intentionally disrupt compulsive patterns and support lasting...
info_outlineIn this compelling episode of the Food Junkies Podcast, we welcome Michael Prager, author of Fat Boy, Thin Man and Sustainable You. Michael shares his transformative journey from struggling with food addiction and obesity to becoming an accomplished author, journalist, and advocate for food addiction recognition. With over 30 years of journalistic experience, including 14 years at the Boston Globe, Michael combines his storytelling skills and personal experience to shine a light on the realities of food addiction and the systemic changes needed to address it.
Michael discusses:
- His journey through food addiction and recovery.
- The pivotal moments led him to seek help and embrace a 12-step program.
- The inspiration behind his books, Fat Boy, Thin Man, and Sustainable You.
- His advocacy work with the Food Addiction Institute and the fight for institutional recognition of food addiction.
- The parallels between food addiction and substance addiction.
- The role of willingness and surrender in recovery.
- Why institutional and cultural shifts are essential for addressing food addiction effectively.
Episode Highlights:
- [08:15] Michael’s “rock bottom” and how his recovery began.
- [21:30] Why food addiction deserves recognition as a substance use disorder.
- [37:45] Reflections on the food industry, body positivity, and systemic responsibility.
- [44:10] Advice Michael would give his younger self about food addiction.
Key Quotes:
- “Food addiction is real. Once the world understands this, we can offer better solutions that provide relief to those who are suffering.”
- “Recovery is about more than just physical health—it’s a spiritual transformation that impacts every part of your life.”
- “We don’t eat because we have space to fill. We eat for 100 other reasons, and addressing those reasons is key to recovery.”
Resources Mentioned:
- Fat Boy, Thin Man by Michael Prager
- Sustainable You by Michael Prager
- Food Addiction Institute
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The content of our show is educational only. It does not supplement or supersede your healthcare provider's professional relationship and direction. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified mental health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition, substance use disorder, or mental health concern.