The TOWARD Intervention: Beating Food Addiction | Dr. Shebani Sethi - E406
Release Date: 08/04/2025
Low Carb MD Podcast
Pastor Gary Evensen is the longtime leader of North Jersey United Pentecostal Church and an ordained minister with the United Pentecostal Church International. Since his conversion in 1980, he has spent more than four decades in ministry, serving in roles from deacon to pastor and helping lead churches across the country. Alongside his wife Milly—a gifted gospel singer and pianist—he has been deeply involved in missions and church planting, including pioneering their current congregation in Secaucus. Pastor Evensen brings a lifetime of experience in faith, leadership, and personal...
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Dr. Jason Fung is a Canadian nephrologist and leading voice in metabolic health, best known for making the science of fasting and insulin resistance simple, practical, and empowering. Through his books, lectures, and clinical work, he’s helped thousands rethink weight loss, type 2 diabetes, and long-term health by focusing on hormones, not just calories. Dr. Fung is the co-founder of The Fasting Method and a sought-after educator on metabolic health. In this episode, Drs. Tro and Jason talk about… (00:00) Intro (03:12) GLP-1s, hunger, and sustainable weight loss (07:35) The three...
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Peter Cummings is a preventive health practitioner and endurance sports coach with more than 30 years of experience helping people improve metabolic health through exercise, nutrition, and lifestyle change. A Metabolic Health Practitioner (MHP) and Nutrition Network Practitioner (NNP), he specializes in therapeutic carbohydrate reduction, cardiorespiratory fitness, and personalized exercise prescription. Cummings has authored peer-reviewed research in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine – FOCUS and has helped train health professionals to integrate fitness and lifestyle interventions...
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Dr. Alan Schaffer is a board-certified physician specializing in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine. With decades of clinical experience, he focuses on the intersection of respiratory health, sleep disorders, and metabolic health, including the role of nutrition and carbohydrate restriction in improving chronic disease. Dr. Schaffer practices with St. Peter’s Health Partners in New York and is a frequent educator and media guest discussing conditions such as sleep apnea, insomnia, and the broader drivers of cardiometabolic health. In this episode, Drs. Tro and Alan talk...
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Dr. Marion Mass is a pediatrician, educator, and fierce advocate for restoring integrity to American medicine. A co-founder of the nonprofit Practicing Physicians of America, she has been a leading voice calling out the corporate forces reshaping health care and their impact on doctors and patients alike. In this episode, Dr. Brian, Dr. Tro, and Dr. Marion talk about… (00:00) Intro (02:29) Systemic problems in medicine over the last few decades and how we can solve them (05:27) Perverse incentives in health insurance and how health care can be made cheaper (14:40) Conflicts of...
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Cynthia Thurlow is a nurse practitioner, bestselling author, and leading voice in women’s metabolic health. With over two decades of clinical experience, she’s known for translating complex science into practical strategies—helping women navigate perimenopause, optimize fasting, and reclaim energy, resilience, and long-term wellness. In this episode, Dr. Brian, Dr. Tro, and Cynthia talk about… (00:00) Intro (02:28) Hormonal shifts, the microbiome, and metabolic health (07:50) How modern developments in food production and the advent of mass-produced plastics have impacted our...
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Dr. Frank Dumont is Executive Medical Director at Virta Health, where he leads medical strategy to advance safe, scalable metabolic care. A longtime internal medicine physician at Estes Park Medical Center, he previously directed its Wellness Service Line. A Fellow of the American College of Physicians, Dr. Dumont has also served in leadership roles with the Colorado Medical Society and the American Medical Association. In this episode, Drs. Brian and Frank talk about… (00:00) Intro (04:03) How Dr. Frank’s personal health issues and professional experiences as a doctor led him to adopt...
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Michael Prager is a journalist and writer focused on food addiction and the science of ultra-processed foods. Drawing on personal experience and deep reporting, he explores how modern food environments hijack appetite—and what it takes to reclaim health, agency, and freedom around food. He is also the chairman of the Food Addiction Institute and the author of two books: Fat Boy Thin Man and Sustainable You. In this episode, Dr. Tro, Dr. Brian, and Michael talk about… (00:00) Intro (03:15) Michael’s personal health journey dealing with food addiction and how he first became interested...
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When there is no guest to interview, Dr. Brian and Dr. Tro get to talk about whatever they want! Today, that’s the microbiome and metabolic health. The conversation ranges from fasting to microplastics to inulin and beyond. You are not likely to walk away without hearing something about gut health that you’ve never heard before. In this episode, Drs. Tro and Brian talk about… (00:00) Intro (03:24) How the peer review process works for scientific publications (10:50) How the SMHP is tackling the barriers to good science caused by the standard peer review process (17:04) Fasting,...
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Dr. Matt Bernstein is a clinical psychiatrist and leading voice in metabolic psychiatry, with 25 years of experience helping people achieve lasting mental health and functional recovery. A Columbia graduate (summa cum laude) and Penn-trained physician, he completed residency at MGH/McLean, where he served as chief resident and later held senior leadership roles. Now Chief Medical Officer at Ellenhorn, he develops innovative, community-based models for mental health care and serves on advisory boards advancing the metabolic psychiatry movement. In this episode, Drs. Tro and Matthew talk...
info_outlineDr. Shebani Sethi is a Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry and founder of the first academic Metabolic Psychiatry program. Board-certified in both Psychiatry and Obesity Medicine, she bridges the gap between mental health and metabolic health—an approach she calls Metabolic Psychiatry. Dr. Sethi trained at Stanford, Duke, and Johns Hopkins, with expertise in eating disorders, nutrition, and obesity. Her groundbreaking research explores ketogenic and metabolic interventions for serious mental illnesses like bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. A recipient of multiple national awards, Dr. Sethi is a leading voice in rethinking how we treat the mind and body—together.
In this episode, Drs. Tro, Laura, and Shebani talk about…
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(00:00) Intro
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(03:01) What Metabolic Psychiatry is
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(03:50) Recent research studying the links between diet and mental health
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(07:01) The state of food addiction research
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(12:57) How we can help others understand and accept the reality of food addiction
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(19:23) The modern processed food epidemic
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(23:42) The data from recent studies on how the keto diet reduces binge eating and food addiction symptoms
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(24:53) The latest paper worked on by Dr. Tro, Dr. Laura, and Dr. Shebani looking at the impact of various dietary approaches on binge eating and food addiction symptoms
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(29:40) How important social support is in reducing food addiction symptoms
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(33:18) In what sense food can be considered an addictive substance
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(36:02) Dr. Shebani’s personal diet
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(37:22) Parting words of wisdom for anyones struggling with food addiction or obesity
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(39:07) Which interventions Dr. Shebani has found most effective for
For more information, please see the links below. Thank you for listening!
Links:
Please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.lowcarbmd.com/
Our new peer-reviewed study on food addiction and binge eating was just published! CHECK IT OUT: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1612551/full
Dr. Shebani Sethi:
Dr. Brian Lenzkes:
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Website: https://arizonametabolichealth.com/
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Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrianLenzkes?ref_src=twsrc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^author
Dr. Tro Kalayjian:
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Website: https://www.doctortro.com/
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Twitter: https://twitter.com/DoctorTro
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doctortro/
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