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 episode of the Food Junkies Podcast, Dr. Vera Tarman speaks with Dr. Jon Davis, a principal investigator on the study Changes in Alcohol Use After Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Dr. Davis is a principal scientist at Nova Nordisk, where he researches how gut-brain signaling mechanisms regulate appetite and metabolic disorders. His work explores the neurobiological connections between obesity, bariatric surgery, and substance use disorders—examining how bariatric procedures may increase the risk of alcohol use disorder (AUD) through gut microbiome and brain reward pathway alterations.
The Food Junkies Podcast team is particularly interested in whether similar mechanisms might predispose post-bariatric surgery patients to sugar or food addiction.
What We Discuss in This Episode:
🔹 Dr. Davis’ Background & Research Journey – From an interest in neuroscience and memory formation to studying brain plasticity, substance use, and ultimately, bariatric surgery.
🔹 Unexpected Discoveries – How interviews with post-bariatric surgery patients and their spouses revealed a pattern of increased alcohol consumption.
🔹 Clinical Findings – Research has consistently shown that some patients who were low consumers of alcohol pre-surgery develop AUD post-surgery, while frequent drinkers pre-surgery may actually reduce their consumption afterward.
🔹 Mechanisms at Play:
- Gut Rewiring & Alcohol Sensitivity – How changes in gut absorption impact blood alcohol levels.
- Hormonal Influences – The role of GLP-1 and ghrelin in regulating appetite, alcohol consumption, and cravings.
- Dopamine & Reward Pathways – The link between obesity, food reward, and neurochemical changes post-surgery.
🔹 Rodent Models & Sugar Sensitivity – Research demonstrating that bariatric surgery increases rodents’ sensitivity to both alcohol and sugar, potentially explaining post-surgery changes in cravings.
🔹 Long-Term Outcomes & Weight Regain – Data suggests that 30–50% of bariatric surgery patients regain weight within five years. What are the implications for food addiction recovery?
🔹 Pharmacological & Surgical Interventions – Comparisons between bariatric surgery and GLP-1 medications (such as Ozempic and Mounjaro) in regulating appetite and cravings.
🔹 The Debate on Food Addiction – Where the scientific community stands on whether food addiction should be classified as an addiction akin to substance use disorders.
Key Takeaways:
✔ Bariatric surgery alters the gut-brain axis, leading to changes in both alcohol and sugar sensitivity.
✔ Some post-surgical patients are at increased risk for developing AUD due to heightened alcohol absorption and reward pathway changes.
✔ Neurobiological and hormonal factors contribute to food cravings and hedonic eating post-surgery.
✔ Obesity is often associated with low dopamine levels, and bariatric surgery may help restore dopamine balance, reducing food cravings.
✔ Long-term post-surgery weight regain is common, raising questions about sustainable solutions for metabolic disorders.
Future Directions & Research Needs:
🧪 Neuroscience of Post-Bariatric Surgery – More studies are needed on brain dopamine changes post-surgery.
📊 Longitudinal Studies – Tracking post-surgical patients' eating behaviors, alcohol consumption, and cravings over time.
🧠 Behavioral & Psychological Interventions – Combining pharmacology, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and digital tools to personalize weight loss and addiction treatment.
💡 Preventive Approaches – Identifying high-risk individuals pre-surgery to provide better education and support for long-term success.
Final Thoughts from Dr. Davis:
"If I could give my younger self advice, I’d say: Keep an open mind. Science is about asking what if and following the data wherever it leads."
Resources & Links:
🔗 Study: Changes in Alcohol Use After Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery
🔗 Learn more about Dr. John Davis’ research at Nova Nordisk
🔗 Food Junkies Podcast – Subscribe for more episodes on food addiction, recovery, and science-backed solutions
🎧 Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform!
💬 Join the Conversation:
Have you experienced changes in alcohol or food cravings post-bariatric surgery? Let us know in Vera's Facebook Group: Sugar-Free for Life: I'm Sweet Enough
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.