Molly and Clarissa get real about the spoken and unspoken "rules" we inherit—from family, culture, religion, peers, and recovery spaces—and how those rules can quietly run our lives. They explore when structure is protective (especially early recovery) and when rigidity shrinks our world. The invitation: notice the rule, name whose voice it is, examine its intention, and rewrite it as a flexible, values-aligned boundary (a loving guardrail) that serves your recovery today.

What we cover

Invisible operating systems: How covert rules ("Don't cry in public," "Finish your plate," "Don't upset Dad," "Work before rest") get encoded as truth and shape choices, identity, and self-worth.

Where rules come from: Family modeling, culture/diet/purity narratives, religion & tradition, media comparison loops, and past painful moments that birthed survival strategies.

When rules help vs. harm: The cast-to-brace metaphor—early structure can be lifesaving; never taking the brace off becomes its own injury.

Food-recovery example: "The kitchen is closed after dinner." Helpful as temporary scaffolding; harmful if it overrides true hunger, fuels all-or-nothing thinking, or becomes punishment.

Language that frees: Swap "I can't" for "I choose not to (right now)." Replace rules with loving guardrails anchored in values, not fear.

Meeting the Rebel: How the inner rebel shows up when we feel controlled, and how flexibility + permission reduces backlash and binge risk.

Compassion over condemnation: Seeing the origin story of a rule reveals it was protective, not defective—which softens shame and opens space to change.

Support matters: Borrowing a "prosthetic prefrontal cortex" from trusted people (group, therapist, friend) to reality-check and practice flexibility safely.

Try this: a simple Rule Audit

Spot it: What's one rule you notice yourself following today?

Name the voice: Whose rule is it (family, program, culture, scared younger you)?

Intention check: What safety or benefit was it trying to create? Does that need still exist?

Cost check: How does it limit you now (shame, rigidity, disconnection from body needs)?

Rewrite it: Old: "I can't eat after dinner." New: "I stop after dinner unless I'm truly hungry—then I have a planned, recovery-friendly snack without shame."

Make it safer: Pre-plan options, text a support person, add a brief grounding before eating, pre-portion, and debrief after.

Nuggets & reframes

"Rules kept me safe then; values-based guardrails grow me now."

"Different doesn't equal dangerous. It's okay if new feels wobbly."

"Recovery should make life bigger, not smaller."

"Permission reduces rebellion."

"Thank you, old rule, for what you protected. I'm choosing something kinder now."

Reflection questions for listeners

Which rule in your life feels most rigid right now? What would a kinder, values-aligned version look like?

If you replaced one "I can't" with "I choose not to—for now," what changes in your body and nervous system?

Who are your go-to people to borrow perspective from when your threat system is loud?

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.

Dr. Vera Tarman sits down with Dr. Cate Shanahan, family physician, nutrition consultant, and author of Deep Nutrition and Dark Calories, to discuss her case against industrial seed oils, how they may influence metabolic and mental health, and why she believes they can intensify sugar cravings and insulin resistance. We explore mechanisms she proposes (oxidation, mitochondrial stress), the "Hateful Eight" oils, and practical swaps that listeners can try if they choose to reduce seed oils. This episode presents a viewpoint that's debated in nutrition science; we encourage critical thinking, self-experimentation within a safe plan, and consultation with your care team.

• Seed oils vs. sugar: Why Dr. Shanahan argues seed oils may drive sugar cravings and insulin resistance.

• Oxidation & mitochondria: Her biochemical rationale for how highly unsaturated oils can oxidize and affect cell energy.

• The "Hateful Eight": Corn, canola, cottonseed, soybean, sunflower, safflower, rice bran, grapeseed—why she cautions against them.

• Historical context: Marketing, refinement, and how these oils entered the food supply.

• Mental health & cravings: Proposed links between oxidized fats, energy instability, mood, and appetite signals.

• Practical swaps: Unrefined olive, avocado, coconut, butter/ghee; flavor-forward nut/seed oils used unheated; reading labels and cooking at home.

• Diet nuance: Why some low-carb or plant-forward eaters thrive when minimizing seed oils; where refined proteins fit.

• If you experiment with reducing industrial seed oils, pair it with whole-food carbs and adequate protein to support energy stability.

• Favor unrefined, flavor-forward oils (e.g., extra-virgin olive oil) and avoid reheating/frying oils repeatedly.

• Improvements people report first: steadier energy, fewer GI symptoms, fewer cravings—but your mileage may vary.

• This topic is scientifically contested; treat it as a hypothesis to test safely, not a moral rule.

Dr. Cate Shanahan is a board-certified Family Physician with over 20 years of clinical experience reversing disease at its root by avoiding the big three toxic ingredients. She has spent decades translating the warnings of toxicologists about the harms of vegetable oils and sharing those insights here on DrCate.com, with patients, podcast hosts, and in her NY Times bestselling books, including The FatBurn Fix, Deep Nutrition, and Food Rules.  Her passion is helping people feel their best.

After getting her BS in biology from Rutgers University, she trained in biochemistry and genetics at Cornell University's graduate school before attending Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. She practiced in Hawaii for ten years where she studied ethnobotany and her healthiest patient's culinary habits. She combined all these scientific fields to write Deep Nutrition: Why Your Genes Need Traditional Food. Together with Dr. Tim DiFrancesco and NBA legend Gary Vitti, she created the PRO Nutrition program for the LA Lakers and helped forge a partnership between Whole Foods Market and numerous NBA teams.

Her insights on the role of seed oils in human disease have been incorporated into Paleo, primal, low-carb, and keto practices.  

In May of 2018, she began as Director of Metabolic Health at ABC Fine Wine and Spirits, a progressive, family-run company focused on saving money while improving health. 

She's also the Medical & Scientific Advisor at CB Supplements, overseeing their premium-grade multi-collagen protein, and for Beliv, a forward-thinking Latin American beverage company.

Follow Dr. Cate:

Website: https://drcate.com/ 

Dr. Cate's books: https://drcate.com/which-drcate-book-should-i-buy/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DoctorCate/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drcateshanahan

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.

Host Dr. Vera Tarman speaks with Daniel Trevor—entrepreneur-turned "citizen scientist" and author of Unholy Trinity: How Carbs, Sugars, and Oils Make Us Fat, Sick, and Addicted, and How to Escape Their Grip. After a near-fatal heart attack, Daniel dove into medical literature, clinician interviews, and self-tracking. He shares the arguments behind his book, why he believes hyperinsulinemia is a "gateway disease," how diet patterns may influence cardiometabolic risk and cravings, and the testing he advocates so people can "don't guess—test." We also discuss controversy in nutrition science, harm-reduction ways to experiment with food choices, and how to navigate mixed messages from experts.

About our guest

Daniel Trevor has founded high-tech companies, worked in anti-aging projects, and spent 20 years as an actor and musician. His health crisis catalyzed a research journey that informed Unholy Trinity. He now writes and speaks about low-carb/keto to carnivore approaches, lab testing, and lifestyle change.

What we cover

Daniel's pivot from "Mr. Healthy" to heart-attack survivor and researcher

Hyperinsulinemia → insulin resistance → cardiometabolic disease (Daniel's "gateway disease" model)

Why some people see a rise in LDL on low-carb diets and what advanced lipoprotein testing (e.g., NMR LipoProfile) may reveal

"Lean-mass hyper-responder" profile: high LDL with low triglycerides and high HDL—what it means and why it's debated

Coronary artery calcium (CAC) scores, soft vs. calcified plaque, and the "CAC paradox" as Daniel understands it

Grains, seed oils, and sugar: Daniel's case for their role in appetite, cravings, and disease risk; critique of popular diet guidance

Statins, side effects, and absolute risk/benefit as presented by Daniel (and why shared decision-making matters)

Practical, harm-reduction steps: food substitutions, lab work, and building a sustainable plan

Where Daniel's thinking intersects—and conflicts—with mainstream guidelines, and how listeners can evaluate claims

Key takeaways

"Don't guess—test." Daniel urges listeners to use accessible labs and scans (prioritizing a small set if resources are limited) and to pair results with symptoms and function.

Protein and structure can reduce chaos. He advocates prioritizing animal protein, minimizing refined carbs/sugars and seed oils, and making like-for-like swaps to lower cravings.

Context matters. Individual responses vary (genetics, meds, comorbidities, history with restriction/addiction). Go slow, track, and use support.

Hold nuance. Nutrition science evolves; some claims remain contested. Use informed consent and a collaborative care team.

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.

Ellen Bennett is a Registered Dietitian, researcher, and leading voice in the emerging field of Ultra-Processed Food Addiction (UPFA). As Operations Manager for Liberate, delivered in partnership with the Public Health Collaboration (PHC), she leads educational programmes designed to support both individuals and clinicians in understanding and navigating food addiction through an evidence-based, compassion-driven lens.

Currently completing her PhD at Coventry University, Ellen's research explores addiction-informed interventions for UPFA, including feasibility studies, the development of screening tools, and critical analyses of existing clinical frameworks.

With 16 years in 12-step fellowships and 14 years of sustained recovery following an 11-stone (70 kg) weight loss, Ellen brings a rare integration of scientific expertise, lived experience, and humanity to her work. Her blend of rigour, warmth, and humour has made her a sought-after speaker at conferences, podcasts, and universities, where she continues to champion a more honest, hopeful, and research-aligned conversation about food addiction and recovery.

Social Media:

🔗 www.liberatetoday.org 🔗 www.phcuk.org

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/PHCukorg

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/PHCukorg

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/public-health-collaboration

Youtube https://www.youtube.com/PHCukorg

X https://twitter.com/PHCukorg

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. 

CJ welcomes Kat to the podcast! Kat's story is one of courage, honesty, and deep resilience. Having carried the heavy weight of trauma and the challenges of living with morbid obesity, she brings with her a fighter's spirit and a bubbly energy that shines through every word. Kat is refreshingly open about her struggles, and her willingness to share is matched only by her desire to lift up the next person walking a similar path. Today, we get to hear not only about her battles, but about her remarkable strength and the hope she brings to others.

Feel free to join our supportive community on Facebook: Sugar-Free for Life Support Group - where we believe "I'm Sweet Enough."

If you're considering personalized assistance, CJ, a Certified Addiction Professional specializing in Food Addiction, is here for one-on-one coaching. Reach out to CJ at [email protected] 

Interested in sharing your recovery story on our show? We'd love to hear from you! Please email [email protected] 

In this episode, Molly Painschab and Clarissa Kennedy reconnect after three transformative weeks together—first in London for the International Food Addiction and Comorbidities Conference, then exploring the magic of Scotland. From castles and waterfalls to ancient standing stones, they share the joy of work, play, and community in recovery.

But the heart of today's conversation is the fawn response—a trauma survival strategy often misunderstood as "people pleasing." Drawing on their own stories and professional experiences, Molly and Clarissa explore how fawning develops, why it feels so challenging to change, and how it manifests in recovery and relationships.

• Fawning explained: Why it's more than people pleasing and how it functions as a survival strategy.

• Personal stories: Growing up in emotionally immature households, learning to appease, and the impact on identity and relationships.

• Adaptive vs. maladaptive fawning: When appeasement helps us survive—and when it harms us.

• Symptoms and signs: From difficulty saying no, over-apologizing, and hypervigilance to identity loss and emotional exhaustion.

• Why fawning is reinforced: Cultural, gender, and relational factors that reward compliance at the cost of selfhood.

• Professional insights: What clinicians and helpers need to know about clients who fawn—including vulnerability to relapse, self-neglect, and difficulty with boundaries.

• Pathways to healing: Building awareness, practicing small boundaries, parts work, somatic tools, and self-compassion as antidotes to shame.

• Grief and growth: Naming the loss that comes with shifting out of fawning while also reclaiming voice, choice, and authenticity.

This week, reflect on a time you said "yes" when you truly wanted to say "no." What small, safe boundary might you practice instead? Notice how your body responds, and give yourself permission to honor your needs—one step at a time.

✨ Resources Mentioned

• Are You Mad at Me? by Meg Josephson

• Sweet Sobriety Membership & Groups: www.sweetsobriety.ca

💌 Email Us: [email protected]

The content of our show is educational only. It does not supplement or supersede your healthcareprovider'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.

Have you ever wondered why cravings for junk food can return weeks—or even months—after you've stopped eating it? Neuroscience has an answer.

In this fascinating episode, Dr. Vera Tarman speaks with Dr. Guillaume de Lartigue, Associate Professor at the Monell Chemical Senses Center and the University of Pennsylvania. His groundbreaking research reveals how the hippocampus—the brain's memory hub—stores food-related memories that can later be reactivated by sights, smells, or even routines like watching Netflix at night. These memory cues, combined with the dopamine-driven reward system, help explain why ultra-processed foods are so hard to resist.

Together, Dr. Tarman and Dr. de Lartigue explore:

• The difference between metabolic hunger, hedonic hunger, and memory-cued hunger

• How fats and sugars create separate memory traces in the brain—and why foods combining both are especially addictive

• Why food memories can trigger cravings long after the food itself is gone

• How childhood exposure, stress, and even in-utero diet shape lifelong vulnerability to food cues

• The impact of artificial sweeteners on memory, satiety, and "the broken stop switch"

• Why food marketing deliberately exploits our memory circuits

• Emerging treatments: from behavioral retraining to potential drugs that could dampen food-related memories

Dr. de Lartigue's research shows that food cravings aren't just about willpower—they're wired deep into our biology. But with awareness, deliberate habit-building, and future medical advances, there is hope for reshaping how our brains respond to ultra-processed foods.

✨ Key Takeaway: Our brains remember every rewarding food experience, and those memories are designed to pull us back for more—even when we're not hungry. Recognizing this isn't weakness—it's science.

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. 

In this episode of the Food Junkies Podcast, Dr. Vera Tarman welcomes Dr. Anna Barbieri, a board-certified gynecologist and integrative medicine physician who specializes in menopause, perimenopause, PCOS, and PMS. Dr. Barbieri is also a certified menopause practitioner and co-founder of Electra Health, where she blends conventional medicine with holistic, evidence-based approaches to women's hormonal health.

Together, they explore the fascinating, complex, and often overlooked role hormones play in shaping women's appetite, cravings, and relationship with food across the lifespan. From the ups and downs of PMS and perimenopause, to the challenges of menopause and PCOS, Dr. Barbieri explains how sex hormones, stress hormones, and appetite-regulating hormones intersect—and what women can do to support their health through these transitions.

💬 Topics covered in this episode:

• What hormones are and how they regulate appetite (ghrelin, leptin, CCK, GLP-1)

• The influence of estrogen and progesterone on hunger and satiety

• Cortisol, stress, and why cravings often center on sugar and carbs

• PMS, perimenopause, and menopause: why cravings change across the cycle and lifespan

• The role of progesterone in mental health, postpartum depression, and brain function

• PCOS, insulin resistance, and appetite regulation

• Visceral fat, metabolic risk, and why body composition shifts after menopause

• Thyroid health, autoimmunity, and the overlap with perimenopausal symptoms

• GLP-1 medications: opportunities and cautions for women's health

• Hormone therapy (HRT/MHT): benefits, risks, and myths

• Lifestyle and supplement strategies to support hormonal balance

✨ Key Takeaways:

• Hormones are powerful, interconnected, and influence not only physical but also emotional and mental health.

• Appetite changes in PMS, perimenopause, menopause, and PCOS are not simply about willpower—they're tied to real physiological shifts.

• Cortisol, stress, and sleep disruption can drive cravings and weight gain, particularly in midlife.

• Hormone therapy can help manage symptoms and may protect long-term health, but lifestyle changes—nutrition, movement, stress relief, sleep, and mindful supplementation—remain essential.

• Women can age well with or without hormone therapy by taking intentional steps to support metabolic and emotional health.

🎙️ About our guest: Dr. Anna Barbieri is a practicing gynecologist, certified menopause practitioner, and integrative medicine physician based in New York City. She is a fellow of the University of Arizona's Integrative Medicine Fellowship and co-founder of Electra Health, a digital platform revolutionizing women's healthcare. She is passionate about helping women understand their hormones and use both conventional and holistic tools to feel their best.

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. 

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 overnight), what "abstainer vs. moderator" can mean in food recovery, and how to keep any nutrition experiment aligned with your health team and your recovery plan.

What we cover

• The "Randle cycle," plain-English: why mixing higher carbs and higher fats may worsen metabolic friction, and why choosing one dominant fuel is central to Dr. Kay's model.
• Insulin resistance re-framed: why Dr. Kay views it as a protective cellular response (his position) and how that informs low-carb/carnivore advocacy.
• Carbs in recovery: "quit sugar" vs. "how low is low?"—Dr. Kay's thresholds (e.g., ≤50 g/day unlikely to cause problems in his view) and why many with UPF addiction do better with abstinence than moderation.
• Fats & satiety: why dietary fat often increases fullness cues; practical guardrails; "can you eat too much fat or protein?"
• Seed oils: Dr. Kay's strong critique of industrial seed oils and his inflammation concerns.
• Cholesterol worries on low-carb/carnivore: why lipid numbers may rise and how Dr. Kay interprets A1C and lipid changes (controversial; see note below).
• GLP-1s, metformin & meds: Dr. Kay's take on drug mechanisms vs. root-cause nutrition changes.
• Change management: why he recommends a 4–6 week ramp instead of an overnight switch to very low-carb/carnivore; supporting thyroid, energy, and the microbiome while you transition.
• Recovery lens: abstainer vs. moderator, harm-reduction steps when "only food will regulate," and building a plan that supports mental health and addiction recovery.

Key takeaways

• Abstinence can be a kindness. If you're a "can't moderate sugar" person, treating sugar/UPFs as an abstinence-worthy trigger can protect your recovery.
• Don't crash-diet your microbiome. If you're experimenting with lower-carb or carnivore, step down over 4–6 weeks with plenty of electrolytes, hydration, and support.
• Pick a lane with macros. In Dr. Kay's model, mixing higher carbs with higher fats is the most metabolically problematic; choosing one dominant fuel source may reduce friction.
• Numbers are data, not destiny. Lipids and A1C can shift on low-carb—interpret changes with a clinician who understands your whole picture (medical history, meds, symptoms, goals).
• Harm-reduction still counts. If full abstinence isn't feasible today: remove red-light foods first, shrink access, use "pause + plan" tools, and reach out before the binge.

About our guest

Dr. Bart Kay is a former professor of human physiology, nutrition, and vascular pathophysiology with teaching/research stints in New Zealand, Australia, the UK, and the US. He's consulted for elite sport and defense organizations and now educates the public on YouTube as a self-described nutrition myth-buster. One of his core topics is the Randle cycle and its implications for diet composition.

Dr. Kay's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Professor-Bart-Kay-Nutrition

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.

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 community on Facebook: Sugar-Free for Life Support Group - where we believe "I'm Sweet Enough."

If you're considering personalized assistance, CJ, a Certified Addiction Professional specializing in Food Addiction, is here for one-on-one coaching. Reach out to CJ at [email protected] 

Interested in sharing your recovery story on our show? We'd love to hear from you! Please email [email protected] 

If you find inspiration in recovery narratives, you won't want to miss the Food Junkies Podcast. Check it out at https://www.foodjunkiespodcast.com/.