Real Food Recovery Podcast™ was created from a society wrestling with ultra-processed food addiction and the quiet exhaustion that comes from feeling stuck in destructive patterns. After decades of obsession, frustration, and starting over, Paige Alexander holds this space to speak honestly about what it actually takes to heal, offering lived experience, grounded insight, and practical tools to rebuild a life rooted in peace instead of chaos.

Today’s conversation challenges a common narrative: being told your symptoms are “normal” or that your labs look “fine.” Gut health is not a trend. Leaky gut, clinically known as intestinal permeability, is a real breakdown of the gut lining that can contribute to inflammation, immune dysfunction, food sensitivities, and chronic symptoms long before anything shows up on paper.

Paige is joined by Lola MacLean to unpack what is happening inside the body after years of ultra-processed food exposure, why healing often begins with slowing down instead of adding more, and how simple, consistent shifts can help restore resilience in both the gut and the nervous system.

If you are recovering from the effects of ultra-processed foods and looking for clarity, stability, and a more sustainable path forward, this conversation will meet you where you are.

Learn more about Lola MacLean: Functional Health Consulting for Women with Gut Health Issues
 Instagram: Click Here!
LinkTree: Click Here!

Share your story or questions: [email protected]
 More resources: www.realfoodrecovery4u.com

Real Food Recovery Podcast™ is an original educational podcast focused on sustainable nutrition, self-trust, and recovery-aligned living.
 © 2026 Paige Alexander — All rights reserved.
 Unauthorized use, reproduction, or distribution of this content is prohibited. This podcast feed and all episodes are original works created and owned by Paige Alexander under Real Food Recovery™.

Catch our YouTube version here:  https://youtu.be/QD5_3TyHGDk?si=5YLZuo79dmM2yUjo

Real Food Recovery Podcast™ was created from a society wrestling with processed food addiction and the deep ache that comes from feeling trapped in destructive patterns. After decades of obsession, frustration, and starting over more times than can be counted, Paige Alexander holds this space to speak honestly about what it truly takes to heal. Each episode opens the door to the real, raw, and often messy journey of recovery offering compassion, lived experience, and practical tools that help rebuild a life grounded in peace instead of chaos.

In this episode, Paige sits down with Laura Eiman, who shares her powerful transformation from decades of sugar addiction and junk food dependency to 25 years free from sugar and ultra-processed foods. Once struggling with obesity, divorce, and feeling completely directionless, Laura describes how she reached a breaking point that forced her to rebuild her life from the inside out.

Her turning point came when she began studying the mindset of Navy SEALs, Olympic athletes, and Greek philosophers, applying their principles of discipline, resilience, and mental toughness to her own recovery. From that work, she developed a confidence-based system that helped her break free from destructive habits and rebuild self-trust.

Today at 72, Laura shares how she continues to live with what she calls “invincible confidence,” and how daily mindset practices rooted in discipline and purpose have allowed her to stay free from sugar addiction for decades.

This conversation explores what it really takes to break long-standing food addiction patterns, how identity and mindset shape recovery, and why building confidence is often the missing piece in lasting change.

If you’ve ever felt stuck in cycles of food addiction, self-sabotage, or starting over, this episode offers a powerful reminder: change is possible at any age, and identity, not willpower, is what drives lasting recovery.

Learn more about Laura: lauraeiman.com
Share your story or questions: [email protected]
More resources: www.realfoodrecovery4u.com

Real Food Recovery Podcast™ is an original educational podcast focused on healing your relationship with food, rebuilding self-trust, and creating a sustainable, recovery-aligned way of living.
© 2026 Paige Alexander — All rights reserved.

Catch our YouTube version here:  https://youtu.be/qR_Ka-kG1Zc?si=YdoS5DGsuPGx7Sju

What happens when you’re trying to heal your body—but your home life feels stressful, heavy, or even toxic? In this episode of the Real Food Recovery Podcast, Paige Alexander talks about the challenge of overcoming emotional eating and processed food addiction while navigating a difficult relationship or marriage. Stress at home can impact your nervous system, cravings, and ability to stay consistent with healthy habits, making recovery feel even harder. If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing everything you can to heal—but your environment keeps pulling you back—this episode is for you. We explore the connection between stress and emotional eating, how relationships influence food choices, why your environment matters in recovery, and small, realistic ways to support your healing during difficult seasons. Real Food Recovery™ helps people break free from processed food addiction and rebuild a life rooted in nourishment, peace, and self-trust. You are not alone, and you are allowed to heal—even in imperfect circumstances.

📩 [email protected] | 🌐 www.realfoodrecovery4u.com

© 2026 Paige Alexander — Real Food Recovery™. All rights reserved.

Catch our YouTube Episode:  https://youtu.be/Q577PVE2Qds?si=c5OF0uvDS3GTtZ4E

Are we being told the full truth about cholesterol—and its role in heart disease?

In this episode of the Real Food Recovery Podcast, Paige Alexander sits down with Maria Cross, author of How to Feed Your Brain, to explore the connection between cholesterol, brain health, metabolism, and the modern diet.

In a world driven by ultra-processed food, rising anxiety, and chronic health struggles, many people are left confused about what actually supports healing. This conversation breaks down the science and challenges common beliefs about food while connecting them to mental health, gut health, the immune system, and long-term wellness.

Maria Cross specializes in nutrition and brain health, with a growing focus on adults over 55 who want to maintain a sharp mind, stable mood, and metabolic health as they age.

Together, we explore:

•   The truth about food and brain health 
•   How processed food impacts brain function and mood
•   The connection between gut health, immunity, and metabolism
•   Why the body must be viewed as a complete, interconnected system
•   Practical ways to support long-term cognitive and physical health

If you’ve ever felt confused, frustrated, or overwhelmed trying to “do the right thing” for your health, this episode will help you reconnect to what actually works.

Real Food Recovery helps people break free from processed food addiction and rebuild a life rooted in nourishment, peace, and self-trust.

You are not alone in this.

📩 Share your questions or story: [email protected]

🌐 Learn more: www.realfoodrecovery4u.com

© 2026 Paige Alexander — Real Food Recovery™

Enjoy this episode on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/T70Ed6k0l90?si=pTqKibsrevistT-2

Real Food Recovery Podcast developed from a society wrestling with processed food addiction and the deep ache that comes with feeling trapped in destructive patterns. After decades of obsession, frustration, and starting over more times than can be counted, Paige Alexander holds this space to speak honestly about what it takes to heal. Each episode opens the door to the real, raw, and often messy journey of recovery—offering compassion, lived experience, and the practical tools that helped rebuild a life grounded in peace instead of chaos.

Join us as we welcome functional medicine practitioner, Dr. Vohn Watts. Dr. Watts is at the forefront of gut‑brain, functional medicine, helping thousands translate “symptoms as signals” into lasting recovery. A former military intelligence professional turned clinician, he blends systems‑level thinking with evidence‑informed practice to solve the two upstream drivers of chronic illness, deficiency and toxicity. As the author of Foundational Wellness: The Simple System That Ends Doctor Dependency Forever, he offers a clear, stepwise framework that turns complex science into simple daily habits. Today, he advises executives, teams, and media on building energy, focus, and resilience in a high‑stress, digital‑first world. You can find Dr. Watts at https://aegisformulas.com/

Every conversation is an invitation to feel less alone. Alongside personal stories, Paige takes time to share listener questions about addiction, recovery, mindset, and the emotional work that makes lasting change possible. If you’re searching for hope, understanding, or simply someone who “gets it,” this podcast is here to walk with you.

Questions, stories, or thoughts can be shared anytime at [email protected], and more resources can be found at www.realfoodrecovery4u.com.

© 2026 Paige Alexander — Real Food Recovery. All rights reserved.

Real Food Recovery™ is an original educational podcast focused on sustainable nutrition, self‑trust, and recovery‑aligned living.

Unauthorized use, reproduction, or distribution of this content is prohibited

This podcast feed and all episodes are original works created and owned by Paige Alexander under Real Food Recovery™.

Real Food Recovery Podcast developed from a society wrestling with processed food addiction and the deep ache that comes with feeling trapped in destructive patterns. After decades of obsession, frustration, and starting over more times than can be counted, Paige Alexander holds this space to speak honestly about what it takes to heal. Each episode opens the door to the real, raw, and often messy journey of recovery—offering compassion, lived experience, and the practical tools that helped rebuild a life grounded in peace instead of chaos.

Don’t miss this opportunity to fall in love with Michelle.  Michelle Petties is a TEDx speaker, Food Story coach, and author of the award-winning memoir Leaving Large: The Stories of a Food Addict. She reveals how emotional wounds, cultural expectations, and personal history—not hunger—often shape how we manage food. After battling emotional overeating for over four decades and gaining and losing over 700 pounds, Michelle discovered that the key to lasting weight loss wasn’t another diet—it was rewriting the stories behind her eating.

Through workshops, retreats, and her ebook Mind Over Meals, she helps others uncover their food truths, rewire their thinking, and create lasting change from the inside out.

Links:
1.       Download your free copy of Mind Over Meals: 7 Secrets to Rewire Your Brain for Healthy Eating. https://go.michellepetties.com/mindovermeals
2.       Book Michelle to speak or conduct a workshop for your organization. https://go.michellepetties.com/letstalk
3.       Watch Michelle’s TEDx Talk, A Food Addict's Lesson: Confusion. Clarity. Recovery. Please comment, like, and share it with your network. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJLr53XlIV4
4. Book a Personal Visualization Consultation, https://go.michellepetties.com/pvc
5. Get your signed copy of Leaving Large: The Stories of a Food Addict, https://Leavinglarge.com
6. Here is the link to my portfolio, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bwxhm8KbbjtfsjEc1w8qD7Qqe8LJ4EEj/view
7. Yes, I’m Social:
Subscribe to My YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIbMxXOSCNH--MCNru4WuLw

Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/iambrandnewnow

Follow me on Facebook: https://facebook.com/iambrandnewnow

Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-petties/

Read my essays:https://vocal.media/humans/loving-your-self

Tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/@iambrandnewnow?lang=en

Every conversation is an invitation to feel less alone. Alongside personal stories, Paige takes time to share listener questions about addiction, recovery, mindset, and the emotional work that makes lasting change possible. If you’re searching for hope, understanding, or simply someone who “gets it,” this podcast is here to walk with you.

Questions, stories, or thoughts can be shared anytime at [email protected], and more resources can be found at www.realfoodrecovery4u.com.

© 2026 Paige Alexander — Real Food Recovery. All rights reserved.

Real Food Recovery™ is an original educational podcast focused on sustainable nutrition, self‑trust, and recovery‑aligned living.
Unauthorized use, reproduction, or distribution of this content is prohibited.
This podcast feed and all episodes are original works created and owned by Paige Alexander under Real Food Recovery™

Real Food Recovery Podcast developed from a society wrestling with processed food addiction and the deep ache that comes with feeling trapped in destructive patterns. After decades of obsession, frustration, and starting over more times than can be counted, Paige Alexander holds this space to speak honestly about what it takes to heal. Each episode opens the door to the real, raw, and often messy journey of recovery—offering compassion, lived experience, and the practical tools that helped rebuild a life grounded in peace instead of chaos.

This Episode is not to be missed, join us as we dive deep with Dr Teitelbaum.  Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D. is one of the most frequently quoted post viral CFS, fibromyalgia, energy, sleep and pain medical authorities in the world. He is the author of 12 books including You Can Heal from Long Covid, the best-selling From Fatigued to Fantastic!, Pain Free 1-2-3, The Complete Guide to Beating Sugar Addiction, Real Cause Real Cure, The Fatigue and Fibromyalgia Solution, and the popular free Smart Phone app Cures A-Z. He is the lead author of eight research studies and three medical textbook chapters on effective treatment for fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. Dr. Teitelbaum appears often as a guest on news and talk shows nationwide, including past appearances on Good Morning America, The Dr. Oz Show, Oprah & Friends, CNN, and FoxNewsHealth. www.EndFatigue.com www.Vitality101.com Facebook Support Group: Recovering from Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue, and Long COVID
Facebook Page | Instagram

Every conversation is an invitation to feel less alone. Alongside personal stories, Paige takes time to share listener questions about addiction, recovery, mindset, and the emotional work that makes lasting change possible. If you’re searching for hope, understanding, or simply someone who “gets it,” this podcast is here to walk with you.

Questions, stories, or thoughts can be shared anytime at [email protected], and more resources can be found at www.realfoodrecovery4u.com.

© 2026 Paige Alexander — Real Food Recovery. All rights reserved.

Real Food Recovery™ is an original educational podcast focused on sustainable nutrition, self‑trust, and recovery‑aligned living.

Unauthorized use, reproduction, or distribution of this content is prohibited.

This podcast feed and all episodes are original works created and owned by Paige Alexander under Real Food Recovery™

Real Food Recovery Podcast developed from a society wrestling with processed food addiction and the deep ache that comes with feeling trapped in destructive patterns. After decades of obsession, frustration, and starting over more times than can be counted, Paige Alexander holds this space to speak honestly about what it takes to heal. Each episode opens the door to the real, raw, and often messy journey of recovery; offering compassion, lived experience, and the practical tools that helped rebuild a life grounded in peace instead of chaos.

Welcome back to Real Food Recovery. We took a short, intentional pause over the past month, and today we’re stepping into a new season of the podcast, one that’s more deeply aligned, more focused, and grounded in the full picture of healing. Moving forward, you can expect conversations that go beyond food to include grief, trauma, nervous system regulation, and motivational, real-life stories that offer a roadmap for sustainable recovery. This time away strengthened the direction of this work, and we’re excited to be back and moving ahead with greater clarity and purpose. During this brief pause, Paige was able to complete additional training in trauma- and grief-informed support, which has helped further shape the direction of the conversations you’ll be hearing here. It’s deepened our focus on the nervous system and the root causes behind our relationship with food.

With that being said we have the honor of being here w Shae today, our resident certified functional nutrition counselor and certified health and life coach, with trauma-informed and nervous system training; here to help us make sense of our bodies, minds, and stories, while aiming to keep us grounded in real, honest, and raw ways, all while staying totally human along the way. Today we wanted to talk about a topic that’s been heavy on our minds, and that isVerbal Grounding: Say It to Stay Safe: Using Verbal Grounding in Recovery and Grief!!!

Every conversation is an invitation to feel less alone. Alongside personal stories, Paige takes time to share listener questions about addiction, recovery, mindset, and the emotional work that makes lasting change possible. If you’re searching for hope, understanding, or simply someone who “gets it,” this podcast is here to walk with you.

Questions, stories, or thoughts can be shared anytime at [email protected], and more resources can be found at www.realfoodrecovery4u.com.

CHAPTERS:
00:00 "Verbal Grounding for Healing"

07:20 "Verbal Grounding: Biology and Control"

10:54 "Articulating Feelings Reduces Fear"

14:33 "Silence and Emotional Struggles"

17:51 "Abandonment, Suppression, and Self-Soothing"

22:56 "Verbal Grounding and Self-Reassurance"

31:15 "Pain Signals Presence and Regulation"

38:11 "Escaping Stress, Finding Presence"

43:30 "Facing Cravings with Self-Trust"

49:00 "Daily Grounding Practices Explained"

53:19 "Silence Isn't Brokenness"

58:22 "Real Food Recovery Insights"

© 2026 Paige Alexander — Real Food Recovery. All rights reserved.
Real Food Recovery™ is an original educational podcast focused on sustainable nutrition, self‑trust, and recovery‑aligned living.
Unauthorized use, reproduction, or distribution of this content is prohibited.
This podcast feed and all episodes are original works created and owned by Paige Alexander under Real Food Recovery™

Real Food Recovery Podcast developed from a society wrestling with processed food addiction and the deep ache that comes with feeling trapped in destructive patterns. After decades of obsession, frustration, and starting over more times than can be counted, Paige Alexander holds this space to speak honestly about what it takes to heal. Each episode opens the door to the real, raw, and often messy journey of recovery; offering compassion, lived experience, and the practical tools that helped rebuild a life grounded in peace instead of chaos.

If you have ever wondered, what has been done to my nervous system? Why does it feel like my body is betraying me?  Then you are in the right place!  Welcome to the Real Food Recovery Podcast.  I'm Paige Alexander, host and creator, and this podcast exists to help people understand one powerful truth:  When we reconnect with real food, we don't just change our diet.  We change our brain.  We change our nervous system. And often… we change the entire trajectory of our lives.  And I know this because it was me.  So buckle up and listen in as we take a deep look into the world of ultra processed food use disorder, and all of its many effects.

Every conversation is an invitation to feel less alone. Alongside personal stories, Paige takes time to share listener questions about addiction, recovery, mindset, and the emotional work that makes lasting change possible. If you’re searching for hope, understanding, or simply someone who “gets it,” this podcast is here to walk with you.

Questions, stories, or thoughts can be shared anytime at [email protected], and more resources can be found at www.realfoodrecovery4u.com.

CHAPTERS:
00:00 "Real Food Recovery Podcast"

03:46 "Sugar: Comfort or Misery?"

09:26 "Survival Mode and Food Cycle"

12:04 "Restoring Balance Through Biology"

13:41 "Real Food, Real Recovery"

© 2026 Paige Alexander — Real Food Recovery. All rights reserved.
Real Food Recovery™ is an original educational podcast focused on sustainable nutrition, self‑trust, and recovery‑aligned living.
Unauthorized use, reproduction, or distribution of this content is prohibited. This podcast feed and all episodes are original works created and owned by Paige Alexander under Real Food Recovery™.