Episode 246: Dr. Bart Kay - Quit the Carbs or Quit the Fat? Sorting Strategy from Science
Food Junkies Podcast
Dr. Vera Tarman sits down with Dr. Bart Kay—former professor of health sciences turned “nutrition science watchdog”—to unpack a big, practical question for people in recovery from ultra-processed food use: If sugar needs to go, what about other carbs? And where does dietary fat fit in? We explore Dr. Kay’s perspective on the Randle (Randall) cycle, insulin resistance, mixed macro diets, seed oils, ketogenic/carnivore patterns, and real-world considerations for folks with sugar/UPF addiction who struggle to “moderate.” We also discuss staged change (don’t flip your diet...
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FJ Recovery Stories Episode 28: Sunnie Meadows
Food Junkies Podcast
Meet Sunnie, whose name fits her perfectly; she is truly a ray of sunshine. With warmth and openness, she shares her personal journey with food addiction in a way that brings hope and healing to others. Sunnie has the rare gift of championing everyone, celebrating victories both big and small, and reminding us that every step forward matters. Her honesty and courage light the path for those still struggling, and her kindness uplifts all who know her. She is an inspiration, a bright soul, and I feel so blessed to call her my friend. I just absolutely love her! Feel free to join our supportive...
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Episode 245: Renae Norton, PhD - Bulimorexia
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-based, harm-reduction treatment can look like (family involvement, gentle re-feeding, DBT/EMDR, food quality, and relapse prevention). Note: Some views expressed are the guest’s opinions and...
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Episode 244: Dr. Michael Greger
Food Junkies Podcast
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 work, their long-term implications, and why many people stop using them. He also highlights how diet, exercise, and fiber-rich foods can naturally boost GLP-1, reduce cravings, and support lasting...
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Episode 243: Bonnie Newlin, RDN - Lipedema, Food Addiction & the Power of Anti-Inflammatory Nutrition
Food Junkies Podcast
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 women, often misdiagnosed as obesity. Bonnie shares her own story of living with lipedema—including a 170-pound weight loss, delayed diagnosis, and eventual lipidema reduction surgery—and how food...
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Episode 242: Dr. Nicole Avena on GLP-1s
Food Junkies Podcast
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-1 drugs, their effects on the brain’s reward pathways, and why these mechanisms might lead to unintended consequences such as anhedonia, apathy, and depressive symptoms. Together, they examine...
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Food Junkies Recovery Stories Episode 27: Christine Trimpe
Food Junkies Podcast
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 experience dramatic transformations, including sustained weight loss and breakthroughs in physical, emotional, and spiritual health, with over 80% retention in her programs. After a personal...
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Episode 241: Dr. Tro Kalayjian - TOWARD Health
Food Junkies Podcast
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. But what makes Dr. Tro’s work truly powerful is that it’s personal. He grew up in a household affected by obesity and struggled with his own weight into adulthood, reaching over 350 pounds....
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Episode 240: Clinician's Corner - Chronic Invalidation
Food Junkies Podcast
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 invalidation occurs when emotions, needs, or perceptions are consistently dismissed, causing internalization of critical voices. Common invalidating statements include "You're too sensitive," "It's not that...
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Episode 239: Dr. Claire Wilcox - Rewire Your Food-Addicted Brain: Fight Cravings and Break Free from a High-Sugar, Ultra-Processed Diet Using Neuroscience
Food Junkies Podcast
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 academic textbook Food Addiction, Obesity and Disorders of Overeating has helped shape the professional dialogue—but today, we’re talking about her newest book, Rewire Your Food-Addicted Brain: Fight...
info_outlineDr. 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 has received numerous awards for her pioneering work, including Lifetime Achievement Awards from the National Eating Disorders Association, the Academy for Eating Disorders, and the International Society of Psychiatric Genetics. She has written over 750 scientific papers, and several books aimed at educating the public about eating disorders.
Currently, Dr. Bulik's focus is in the reconceptualization of eating disorders as being a metabo-psychiatric diseases. Food Junkies is keen to explore this interest in how metabolic disease plays a role in disordered eating: can this construct be the common ground to start to understand the muddy waters between eating disorders and food addiction?
In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
💡 The Myth of Choice: Why anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating are not willful acts, but biologically driven conditions with strong genetic roots.
🧬 The Metabo-Psychiatric Model: Dr. Bulik's innovative framework showing how genetic and metabolic pathways interact to shape eating disorder vulnerability.
⚖️ The Energy Balance Switch: Why people with anorexia feel better in a state of starvation—and how this paradox rewrites what we thought we knew.
📈 New Genetic Discoveries: How genome-wide association studies (GWAS) are uncovering shared and distinct risk factors for anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder—and possibly food addiction.
🔄 The Overlap with Addiction: Where eating disorders and food addiction intersect—and why treatment needs to consider both psychological and nutritional healing.
🧠 Recovery Isn’t Just Psychological: Why intuitive eating and one-size-fits-all treatment plans may not work for everyone—and what truly individualized care could look like.
🧭 Hope Through Science: How understanding the biology behind disordered eating can reduce shame, validate lived experience, and open new doors for healing.
🔗 Topics Touched:
Why abstinence-based recovery may be life-saving for some—and harmful for others
The risk of relapse tied to negative energy balance and undernourishment
What we can learn from addiction recovery in developing dual-diagnosis programs
The danger of renourishing with ultra-processed foods
ARFID, orthorexia, and the need for diagnostic nuance
The promise of personalized treatment using genetic risk profiles
💬 A Quote to Remember:
“Recovery from an eating disorder is an uphill battle against your biology. It’s not a lack of willpower—it’s a metabolic and psychiatric legacy that deserves compassion and understanding.”
Be a part of Cynthia's Research: https://edgi2.org/
Follow Cynthia: https://www.cynthiabulik.com
🌱 Sensory Modulating Strategies for Binge Eating & Food Addiction
Saturday, May 31, 2025
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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.