What if food addiction, emotional eating, or feeling out of control around food aren’t failures of willpower, but predictable brain-based survival responses… and understanding the neuroscience is the key to lasting change?

This was one of the most surprising and emotionally rich conversations I’ve had both because of the science and the depth of lived experience Dr. Susan brings.

Dr. Susan Peirce Thompson, PhD is an Adjunct Associate Professor of Brain & Cognitive Sciences at the University of Rochester, a New York Times bestselling author, and a leading expert in the psychology of eating.

🎙️ Episode 45: The Neuroscience & Psychology of Food Addiction: Eating, Weight Loss, & Body Image with Dr. Susan Peirce Thompson

If you’ve been searching for “food addiction,” “emotional eating,” or “how to change your relationship with food,” this episode is exactly what you need.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

🧠 What’s happening in your brain when you eat

🧠 Why food addiction is neurologically different from “bad habits”

🧠 Why willpower alone often fails to create lasting change

🧠 How reward pathways and dopamine shape eating behavior

We also cover:

🧠 How body image is formed in the brain

🧠 The psychological risks of restriction-based approaches

🧠 First steps toward rebuilding a healthier relationship with food

Food addiction, emotional eating, and body image struggles are deeply rooted in the brain’s reward and survival systems. In this neuroscience-driven episode of Mind Over Grey Matter, Alex Nashton and Dr. Susan Peirce Thompson explore how dopamine, brain chemistry, and neuroplasticity influence eating behavior and weight regulation. This conversation reframes food addiction as a brain-based pattern rather than a moral failure, offering compassionate, science-backed tools for sustainable change. If you’ve struggled with cravings, shame, or repeated cycles of dieting, this episode provides clarity, relief, and a new path forward.

🎧 Listen now on Apple, Spotify, or anywhere you get your podcasts.

Want more science-backed tools for rewiring your brain and transforming your life?

• Follow Alex on Instagram @alex_nashton

• Follow the show @mindovergreymatterpodcast

• Explore more resources, workshops, and programs at www.alexnashton.com

Apply for 1:1 Coaching with Alex

Join Alex's free challenge: 5 Days to Overcome Anxiety

Episode Resources:

Food Addiction Quiz

Follow Dr. Susan Peirce Thompson on Instagram

Learn more about Bright Line Eating

Learn more about Dr. Susan Peirce Thompson here

Read Dr. Susan’s books here

Keywords: neuroplasticity, how to rewire your brain, neural pathways, change your brain, emotional rewiring, neuroscience of food addiction, dopamine and eating behavior, emotional eating psychology, sustainable weight loss neuroscience, body image and the brain, cravings and habit loops, brain-based behavior change, rewiring relationship with food

#FoodAddictionRecovery #NeuroscienceOfEating #EmotionalEatingHealing #BrainBasedWeightLoss #DopamineAndHabits #BodyImagePsychology #MindOverGreyMatter #Neuroplasticity

What if peace, purpose, and self-mastery begin with understanding how your brain is wired?

This episode is a rare, expansive conversation with one of the most influential neuroscientists of our time.

Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor is a Harvard-trained neuroanatomist, NYT bestselling author, and TED speaker.

If you’ve been searching for “right brain vs left brain” or “whole brain living,” this episode is exactly what you need.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

🧠 The functional differences between brain hemispheres

🧠 How to access peace through right-brain awareness

🧠 Why humans are feeling beings who think

🧠 How neuroscience informs purpose and meaning

We also cover:

🧠 Conscious choice and emotional regulation

🧠 Healing through brain awareness

🧠 Living with greater clarity and compassion

Understanding your brain changes how you experience life. Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor explains how whole-brain awareness allows for deeper peace, agency, and fulfillment. This episode bridges neuroscience, spirituality, and self-mastery in a way that feels both grounded and expansive.

🎧 Listen now on Apple, Spotify, or anywhere you get your podcasts.

Want more science-backed tools for rewiring your brain and transforming your life?

• Follow Alex on Instagram @alex_nashton

• Follow the show @mindovergreymatterpodcast

• Explore more resources, workshops, and programs at www.alexnashton.com

Apply for 1:1 Coaching with Alex

Join Alex's free challenge: 5 Days to Overcome Anxiety

Episode Resources:

Learn more about Dr. Jill at drjilltaylor.com

Click here to watch Dr. Jill’s viral TedTalk

Get My Stroke of Insight here

Get Whole Brain Living here

Keywords: neuroplasticity, right brain left brain, whole brain living, neuroscience of consciousness, emotional regulation brain hemispheres, self mastery neuroscience, brain and meaning of life, healing the brain

#WholeBrainLiving #NeuroscienceWisdom #BrainHemispheres #MindOverGreyMatter #DrJillBolteTaylor

What if pleasure wasn’t indulgent… but essential for brain rewiring, healing, and vitality?

This solo episode explores why pleasure is a biological requirement, not a luxury.

If you’ve been searching for “neuroscience of pleasure” or “how pleasure rewires the brain,” this episode is exactly what you need.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

🧠 Why pleasure increases neuroplasticity

🧠 The role of nitric oxide in arousal and healing

🧠 What’s happening in your brain during orgasm

🧠 How pleasure supports mental and emotional health

We also cover:

🧠 Expanding pleasure beyond sex

🧠 Nervous system regulation through joy

🧠 Reclaiming pleasure without shame

Pleasure is a powerful neurological signal of safety. In this episode, Alex breaks down how pleasure activates neuroplasticity, supports healing, and strengthens emotional resilience. This science-backed conversation reframes pleasure as a core pillar of nervous system health.

🎧 Listen now on Apple, Spotify, or anywhere you get your podcasts.

Want more science-backed tools for rewiring your brain and transforming your life?

• Follow Alex on Instagram @alex_nashton

• Follow the show @mindovergreymatterpodcast

• Explore more resources, workshops, and programs at www.alexnashton.com

Apply for 1:1 Coaching with Alex

Join Alex's free challenge: 5 Days to Overcome Anxiety

Episode Resources:

Women's Retreat to Puglia, Italy with Alex & Chrissy Constable June 1-8th

Keywords: neuroplasticity, neuroscience of pleasure, nitric oxide and the brain, orgasm neuroscience, pleasure and nervous system, emotional regulation through pleasure, rewiring the brain with pleasure, brain chemistry of joy, somatic healing

#ScienceOfPleasure #NeuroplasticityTools #EmbodiedJoy #NervousSystemHealth #MindOverGreyMatter #PleasureIsHealing

What if lost desire isn’t about falling out of love… but losing polarity, presence, and nervous system connection?

This Valentine’s Day episode is a masterclass in bringing intimacy back online emotionally, physically, and neurologically.

Megan Lambert & James Mattingley are coaches, facilitators, and intimacy educators helping couples create passionate, purpose-driven relationships.

If you’ve been searching for “rekindling intimacy” or “polarity in relationships,” this episode is exactly what you need.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

🧠 How polarity fuels attraction and desire

🧠 Why long-term relationships lose spark

🧠 The neuroscience of presence and embodiment

🧠 How to move from “brain on a stick” into felt connection

We also cover:

🧠 Reigniting passion without forcing chemistry

🧠 Pleasure, play, and nervous system regulation

🧠 Celebrating love through embodiment, not performance

Desire thrives in safety, polarity, and presence. Megan and James unpack how nervous system regulation, embodiment, and conscious polarity allow couples to reconnect — even after years together. This neuroscience-driven conversation offers practical tools to bring intimacy back online without pressure or shame.

🎧 Listen now on Apple, Spotify, or anywhere you get your podcasts.

Want more science-backed tools for rewiring your brain and transforming your life?

• Follow Alex on Instagram @alex_nashton

• Follow the show @mindovergreymatterpodcast

• Explore more resources, workshops, and programs at www.alexnashton.com

Apply for 1:1 Coaching with Alex

Join Alex's free challenge: 5 Days to Overcome Anxiety

Episode Resources:

Women's Retreat to Puglia, Italy with Alex & Chrissy Constable June 1-8th

Get James’ free e-book: Polarity: A Definition for Lovers

Get Megans book here

Join the waitlist for Megan & James’ next couples retreat

Join James & (Alex’s current coach) Jan-Willem van der Heiden for Warrior Camp in May

Follow Megan on Instagram here

Follow James here

Listen to Episode 31: Microbiome Magic: Neurotransmitters, Mood, & Gut-Brain Axis with Chrissy Constable on Spotify or Apple Podcasts

Keywords: neuroplasticity, polarity in relationships, rekindling intimacy, desire neuroscience, nervous system and attraction, embodiment and intimacy, long term relationship desire, emotional safety and passion, somatic connection, pleasure and presence

#RelationshipPolarity #ReigniteDesire #EmbodiedIntimacy #NeuroscienceOfLove #NervousSystemConnection #LongTermLove #MindOverGreyMatter

What if femininity, desire, and submission weren’t contradictions to feminism… but powerful, embodied expressions of choice, safety, and self-trust?

This episode explores how feminine embodiment isn’t about shrinking yourself: it’s about expanding into who you actually are beneath cultural conditioning.

Kelley Bode is a relationship & dating coach helping women heal the past, embody feminine energy, and create deeply polarized, fulfilling relationships.

If you’ve been searching for “feminine embodiment” or “femininity and feminism,” this episode is exactly what you need.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

🧠 How societal messaging shapes women’s relationship to femininity

🧠 The neuroscience of safety, desire, and attraction

🧠 How feminine embodiment supports deeper intimacy and polarity

🧠 Why powerful submission is rooted in nervous system regulation

We also cover:

🧠 Feminism vs femininity (and why they don’t have to compete)

🧠 Healing relational wounds that block desire

🧠 Creating relationships aligned with your authentic self

Feminine embodiment isn’t a performance: it’s a regulated, grounded state of being. In this episode, Kelley Bode breaks down how healing the nervous system allows women to access desire, polarity, and intimacy without abandoning their autonomy. This neuroscience-driven conversation reframes femininity as a source of strength, safety, and relational power.

🎧 Listen now on Apple, Spotify, or anywhere you get your podcasts.

Want more science-backed tools for rewiring your brain and transforming your life?

• Follow Alex on Instagram @alex_nashton

• Follow the show @mindovergreymatterpodcast

• Explore more resources, workshops, and programs at www.alexnashton.com

Apply for 1:1 Coaching with Alex

Join Alex's free challenge: 5 Days to Overcome Anxiety

Episode Resources:

Women's Retreat to Puglia, Italy with Alex & Chrissy Constable June 1-8th

Join Kelley on Instagram here

Click here to learn more about Kelley’s membership Womanhood

Join the next round of Frequency of Love with Kelley Bode and her partner Matt Cama

Listen to Episode 31: Microbiome Magic: Neurotransmitters, Mood, & Gut-Brain Axis with Chrissy Constable on Spotify or Apple Podcasts

Keywords: neuroplasticity, feminine embodiment, femininity and feminism, desire and attraction neuroscience, polarity in relationships, feminine energy healing, nervous system and intimacy, embodiment practices for women, relational polarity neuroscience, emotional safety and desire

#FeminineEmbodiment #NervousSystemHealing #PolarityInLove #DesireAndSafety #EmbodiedFeminine #NeuroscienceOfAttraction #WomenAndRelationships #MindOverGreyMatter #FemininePower

What if the struggle many men face isn’t a lack of emotional capacity—but cultural conditioning that disconnects them from their bodies, feelings, and authentic expression?

This episode invites a deeper, more nuanced conversation about masculinity, safety, and nervous system health.

Ryan Miller is the host of the IGNITE U podcast and educator in somatics, breathwork, embodied tantra, and movement-based healing.

🎙️ Episode 40: Redefining Modern Masculinity: Self-Expression, Mental Health, & Creating Safety with Ryan Miller

If you’ve been searching for “men’s mental health” or “healthy masculinity,” this episode is exactly what you need.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

🧠 How cultural messaging shapes male nervous systems

🧠 Why emotional suppression impacts mental health and relationships

🧠 What creates safety for authentic self-expression

🧠 The role of embodiment in emotional regulation

We also cover:

🧠 Masculinity, polarity, and relational safety

🧠 How men can reconnect with their bodies and emotions

🧠 Creating freedom of expression without losing groundedness

Modern masculinity is being renegotiated and the nervous system is at the center of that shift. In this episode, Alex and Ryan Miller explore how somatics, emotional literacy, and embodiment support men’s mental health and relational safety. This conversation offers a compassionate, neuroscience-informed perspective on redefining masculinity in a way that supports both strength and vulnerability.

🎧 Listen now on Apple, Spotify, or anywhere you get your podcasts.

Want more science-backed tools for rewiring your brain and transforming your life?

• Follow Alex on Instagram @alex_nashton

• Follow the show @mindovergreymatterpodcast

• Explore more resources, workshops, and programs at www.alexnashton.com

Apply for 1:1 Coaching with Alex

Join Alex's free challenge: 5 Days to Overcome Anxiety

Episode Resources:

Marshall Rosenberg’s Nonviolent Communication (YouTube Video)

Listen to Ignite U with Ryan on Spotify or Apple Podcast

Follow Ryan on Instagram

Episode 5: The Power of Pleasure: Healing Trauma Through Vagus Activation with Lauren Harkness

Episode 36: Money, Sex, & Shame: The Power of Having Uncomfortable Conversations with Victoria Lutzhoft

Keywords: neuroplasticity, modern masculinity, men’s mental health, emotional expression neuroscience, somatic healing for men, nervous system safety, embodiment practices, trauma-informed masculinity

#ModernMasculinity #MensMentalHealth #EmbodiedHealing #NervousSystemSafety #HealthyMasculinity #SomaticWork #MindOverGreyMatter #RyanMiller

What if imposter syndrome isn’t a confidence issue, but a predictable brain pattern shaped by fear, comparison, and nervous system threat responses?

This solo episode breaks down imposter syndrome through a neuroscience lens without pathologizing or shaming.

🎙️ Episode 39: This Is Your Brain on Imposter Syndrome with Alex Nashton

If you’ve been searching for “imposter syndrome neuroscience” or “why I feel like a fraud,” this episode is exactly what you need.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

🧠 What imposter syndrome actually is—and what it’s not

🧠 Where imposter thoughts live in the brain

🧠 How fear circuits hijack confidence and self-trust

🧠 How neuroplasticity allows us to rewire self-belief

We also cover:

🧠 The difference between humility and self-doubt

🧠 Why high-achievers are especially prone to imposter syndrome

🧠 Practical tools to build internal safety and confidence

Imposter syndrome isn’t evidence that you’re failing. It’s evidence of a nervous system trying to protect you from perceived threat. In this episode, Alex explores the neuropsychology behind imposter syndrome and offers brain-based strategies to regulate fear, strengthen self-trust, and step into confidence without forcing positivity or performance.

🎧 Listen now on Apple, Spotify, or anywhere you get your podcasts.

Want more science-backed tools for rewiring your brain and transforming your life?

• Follow Alex on Instagram @alex_nashton

• Follow the show @mindovergreymatterpodcast

• Explore more resources, workshops, and programs at www.alexnashton.com

Apply for 1:1 Coaching with Alex

Join Alex's free challenge: 5 Days to Overcome Anxiety

Keywords: neuroplasticity, imposter syndrome neuroscience, fear and confidence, self-doubt and the brain, nervous system safety, rewiring confidence, high achiever psychology, emotional regulation tools

#ImposterSyndrome #BrainBasedConfidence #NeuroscienceOfFear #SelfTrust #NervousSystemHealing #MindOverGreyMatter #EmotionalRegulation #Neuroplasticity

What if your exhaustion, poor sleep, or mood swings aren’t caused by a lack of discipline, but by a circadian system that’s constantly fighting modern life?

This episode reframes sleep, energy, and health through the lens of light, timing, and biology.

Professor Russell Foster is head of Oxford’s Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology and founder of the Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute.

🎙️ Episode 38: Circadian Neuroscience: How to Master Your Body Clock with Russell Foster

If you’ve been searching for “circadian rhythm science” or “how light affects sleep and mood,” this episode is exactly what you need.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

🧠 How light information becomes biological signals in the brain

🧠 Why melatonin is not the driver of sleep

🧠 The health consequences of circadian disruption

🧠 How modern lifestyles interfere with our internal clocks

We also cover:

🧠 Evidence-based strategies to reset your circadian rhythm

🧠 The role of daylight in mental and emotional health

🧠 How circadian timing influences longevity and disease

Circadian rhythms are foundational to physical, emotional, and cognitive health. In this episode, Alex and Professor Russell Foster explore the neuroscience of the body clock, revealing how light, timing, and behavior shape sleep, mood, and long-term wellbeing. This neuroscience-driven conversation offers practical insights for restoring alignment in a world that constantly pulls us out of sync.

🎧 Listen now on Apple, Spotify, or anywhere you get your podcasts.

Want more science-backed tools for rewiring your brain and transforming your life?

• Follow Alex on Instagram @alex_nashton

• Follow the show @mindovergreymatterpodcast

• Explore more resources, workshops, and programs at www.alexnashton.com

Apply for 1:1 Coaching with Alex

Join Alex's free challenge: 5 Days to Overcome Anxiety

Episode Resources:

Get Russell’s book Life Time here

Learn more about the Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute here

For more interviews with Russell click on the following:

Desert Island Discs

Life Scientific

In Our Time

Start the Week

Just One Thing

Keywords: neuroplasticity, circadian rhythm neuroscience, body clock regulation, light and mental health, sleep science, circadian disruption effects, neuroscience of sleep, biological timing, energy regulation

#CircadianRhythm #SleepScience #BrainBasedHealth #LightAndHealth #NeuroscienceOfSleep #BodyClock #MentalHealthTools #MindOverGreyMatter #RussellFoster

What if true self-care isn’t about doing everything alone… but about knowing when to stand sovereign in yourself and when to lean into connection, nature, and community?

This episode explores why hyper-independence often masquerades as self-care and what actually supports long-term wellbeing.

Rory Callaghan is an author, speaker, health futurist, digital nomad, and allied health professional based in Bali, Indonesia.

🎙️ Episode 37: The Self-Care Paradox: Navigating Sovereignty and Connection with Rory Callaghan

If you’ve been wondering “what self-care really means” or “why I still feel disconnected despite doing all the right things,” this episode is exactly what you need.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

🧠 Why connection is a biological requirement—not a weakness

🧠 How nervous system regulation depends on both autonomy and belonging

🧠 What gets in the way of deeper relationships with others and yourself

🧠 How information overload disrupts embodied decision-making

We also cover:

🧠 The role of nature in restoring nervous system balance

🧠 Navigating self-trust in a world of conflicting wellness advice

🧠 Creating meaning, coherence, and connection beyond productivity

Self-care isn’t just about optimizing habits. It’s about restoring our relationship with ourselves, others, and the world around us. In this episode, Alex and Rory Callaghan explore the neuroscience and philosophy of wellbeing through the lens of sovereignty, connection, and nervous system health. This conversation offers a grounded, expansive perspective on what it truly means to care for yourself in a complex, overstimulating world.

🎧 Listen now on Apple, Spotify, or anywhere you get your podcasts.

Want more science-backed tools for rewiring your brain and transforming your life?

• Follow Alex on Instagram @alex_nashton

• Follow the show @mindovergreymatterpodcast

• Explore more resources, workshops, and programs at www.alexnashton.com

Apply for 1:1 Coaching with Alex

Join Alex's free challenge: 5 Days to Overcome Anxiety

Episode Resources:

Click here to learn more on Rory’s platform selfcare.global

Read Rory’s book here

Join Rory on Instagram here

Learn more about coaching with Rory

New Year’s Neuroscience of Manifestation Masterclass with Alex Nashton is happening online Jan. 12th! Click here to save your spot for $22

Yoga Nidra Teacher Training with Alex starts online January 17th. Click here to learn more and save your spot!

Keywords: neuroplasticity, nervous system self-care, sovereignty and connection, neuroscience of wellbeing, community and mental health, nature and nervous system, decision fatigue neuroscience, holistic self-care, embodied health practices

#SelfCareParadox #NervousSystemHealth #EmbodiedWellbeing #HolisticHealth #ConnectionAndHealing #BrainBasedWellness #MentalHealthTools #MindOverGreyMatter #RoryCallaghan

This episode dives straight into the conversations most people avoid and why healing happens when we stop avoiding them.

Victoria Lutzhoft is a coach, community builder, and guide in emotional intelligence, embodiment, and feminine-led healing.

🎙️ Episode 36: Money, Sex, & Shame: The Power of Having Uncomfortable Conversations with Victoria Lutzhoft

If you’ve been searching for “shame in the brain” or “why talking about money and sex feels so hard,” this episode is exactly what you need.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

🧠 Where shame lives in the brain and nervous system

🧠 How shame inhibits expression, desire, and connection

🧠 Why being witnessed in community is neurologically healing

🧠 What creates safety for vulnerable, honest conversations

We also cover:

🧠 The relationship between shame, behavior, and self-silencing

🧠 How to begin talking about sex and money without shutdown

🧠 Why discomfort is often the gateway to freedom

Shame thrives in isolation, but healing happens in connection. In this episode, Alex and Victoria Lutzhoft explore the neuroscience of shame and how it shapes our relationship with money, sex, and self-expression. Through a nervous-system-informed lens, this conversation offers powerful insights into how safe connection, embodiment, and honest dialogue can rewire deeply held patterns and expand personal freedom.

🎧 Listen now on Apple, Spotify, or anywhere you get your podcasts.

Want more science-backed tools for rewiring your brain and transforming your life?

• Follow Alex on Instagram @alex_nashton

• Follow the show @mindovergreymatterpodcast

• Explore more resources, workshops, and programs at www.alexnashton.com

Apply for 1:1 Coaching with Alex

Join Alex's free challenge: 5 Days to Overcome Anxiety

Episode Resources:

If you’re curious to learn more about or from Vic, you can book a 30 Minute Connection Conversation here.

Click here to join Vic over on Instagram

Learn more on Vic's website here

New Year’s Neuroscience of Manifestation Masterclass with Alex Nashton is happening online Jan. 12th! Click here to save your spot for $22

Yoga Nidra Teacher Training with Alex starts online January 17th. Click here to learn more and save your spot!

Keywords: neuroplasticity, shame in the brain, money and shame, sex and shame, nervous system safety, emotional expression neuroscience, healing through connection, trauma and vulnerability, rewiring shame responses, community healing

#ShameHealing #NervousSystemSafety #EmbodiedHealing #EmotionalIntelligence #MoneyAndSex #TraumaInformed #BrainBasedHealing #Vulnerability #MindOverGreyMatter #VictoriaLutzhoft