Why are so many people struggling with sugar cravings, binge eating, obesity, and chronic disease — even when they desperately want to stop?

In this episode of the Kick Sugar Coach Podcast, we explore the growing scientific movement to recognize ultra-processed food addiction as a legitimate medical condition. Joined by clinical health psychologist Dr. Jen Unwin, we unpack the evidence behind food addiction, why ultra-processed foods may hijack the brain’s reward system, and why official recognition could change the future of treatment, research, and recovery.

Dr. Jen Unwin shares her personal journey with sugar addiction, her work helping people reverse type 2 diabetes through low-carb and whole-food approaches, and the international effort to have “Ultra-Processed Food Use Disorder” recognized by major medical organizations like the WHO and DSM.

🎙️ IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL DISCOVER:

• Why ultra-processed food addiction is a legitimate medical condition — not a lack of willpower
• The groundbreaking work Dr. Unwin and her husband Dr. David Unwin have done helping over 150 patients achieve drug-free type 2 diabetes remission
• The ongoing campaign to get ultra-processed food use disorder recognized by the WHO's ICD and the American Psychiatric Association's DSM
• The CRAVED screening tool — 6 simple questions that can help identify food addiction symptoms
• Why official recognition would unlock research funding, treatment programs, and real change
• How GLP-1 medications relate to food addiction treatment
• What YOU can do right now to support the movement

If you’ve ever wondered why some foods feel impossible to control, this conversation offers both insight and hope. 

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Most people think sugar is just a health issue—but the truth goes much deeper.

In this episode, we uncover the dark history behind sugar no one talks about—a story that goes beyond cravings and calories and into slavery, sugar plantations, and systems like convict leasing that continued forced labor long after emancipation.

Registered nurse Shun Foreman shares how her journey started with understanding sugar’s impact on the body—diabetes, metabolic disease, and chronic illness—and led her to a much bigger realization: the story of sugar has been largely left out of what we’re taught.

This conversation connects the dots between:

•  the historical roots of sugar production 
•  the exploitation tied to sugar plantations 
•  the long-term impact on communities and health 
•  and why sugar continues to affect behavior and well-being today 

We also explore why awareness alone isn’t enough to break free from sugar—and how understanding your deeper “why” can change the way you approach it for good.

If you’ve ever struggled to cut sugar, felt stuck in cycles with food, or sensed there’s more to the story than “just eat less,” this episode will give you a perspective you likely haven’t heard before.

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Is eliminating sugar a symptom of an eating disorder, or is it the key to ultimate food freedom?

In this episode of the Kick Sugar Coach podcast, Florence sits down with Toronto-based psychotherapist Brian Maummel to untangle the complex intersection of food addiction, binge eating, and weight management. Drawing from his own lived experience with exercise bulimia and binge eating, as well as his deep clinical expertise, Brian breaks down why the popular "all foods fit" model simply doesn't work for everyone—and why choosing an abstinence model might be the most self-loving decision you can make.

Tune in to discover:

• The "All Foods Fit" Trap: Why traditional binge-eating recovery advice often fails people on the food addiction spectrum.
• The Trigger Food Test: A practical framework (3 days, 3 weeks, 3 months) to identify the foods causing your cravings and quiet your mental "food noise."
• Healing the Root: Why addressing low self-esteem and body shame must happen if you want to find lasting peace with food.
• Brian’s 1-Year Milestone: How going completely sugar-free erased Brian's chronic back pain and transformed his mental clarity.

If you are tired of the restrict-and-binge cycle and want to learn how to nurture a positive, sustainable relationship with food and your body, this episode is for you.

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Most people trying to beat sugar addiction focus entirely on what they eat — cutting sugar, eliminating flour, cleaning up their diet. But according to certified food addiction counselor Amanda Leith, that's only half the battle. And without the other half, relapse is almost inevitable.

In this episode, Amanda breaks down why abstinence-based food plans alone are not addiction treatment — and what the missing piece is that keeps so many people stuck in the cycle of quitting and starting over.

In this episode you'll discover:

• Why removing sugar isn't enough to recover from sugar addiction
• The "roundabout" of addiction — and how the physical and mental sides trap you in a loop
• What the mental obsession really is (it's not what most people think)
• Why "just this once" is the most dangerous thought in recovery
• How your emotional barometer fills up — and why sugar is always waiting when it does
• The difference between treating obesity, emotional eating, and food addiction
• Why sugar addiction may be harder to treat than drug and alcohol addiction
• What full recovery actually looks and feels like

If you've ever quit sugar, cleaned up your eating, and still found yourself back at square one — this episode explains why. Real recovery from sugar addiction isn't just about what's on your plate. It's about healing the whole person: physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. And according to Amanda, that kind of freedom is possible for everyone — no matter how long you've been struggling or how many times you've tried. 

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What if the foods we were told are “healthy” are actually driving the modern epidemic of obesity, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes?

In this episode, Daniel Trevor — citizen scientist and heart attack survivor — breaks down the science behind his book Unholy Trinity and explains how refined carbohydrates, sugar, and industrial seed oils are fueling insulin resistance, metabolic dysfunction, and chronic disease.

After suffering a heart attack despite believing he was healthy, Daniel dove deep into peer-reviewed research and uncovered what he believes is the true root cause of modern illness: hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why 93% of Americans are metabolically unhealthy and don't know it
• The one blood test your doctor almost never orders — but could save your life
• How big food engineers your food addiction at the molecular level
• The 70-year cholesterol lie that's still driving billions in statin prescriptions
• Why "heart healthy whole grains" may be spiking your blood sugar more than a Snickers bar
• The silent role of insulin resistance in heart disease, Alzheimer's, cancer, and fatty liver disease
• How to reverse metabolic disease through diet — without expensive supplements or prescriptions

If you’re concerned about obesity, prediabetes, heart disease, cholesterol, fatty liver, or metabolic health, this conversation will challenge what you think you know.

Most chronic diseases don’t start with symptoms — they start with silent metabolic dysfunction.

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You're eating clean. You're exercising. You're doing everything right. But your blood sugar is still unstable, your energy crashes, and nothing seems to work. What if the problem isn't your diet—it's your light?

In this episode, I sit down with Danielle Hamilton, a metabolic health expert and quantum circadian practitioner, who reveals the shocking truth about how artificial light is disrupting your metabolism, insulin sensitivity, and hormonal balance—without you even realizing it.

Danielle breaks down:
• How morning sunlight improves insulin sensitivity and metabolic flexibility
 • Why blue light at night raises cortisol and blood sugar
 • The link between circadian rhythm, mitochondria, and glucose metabolism
 • How red and infrared light support cellular repair and healing
 • Why vitamin D from sunlight is different from supplements
 • How seasonal eating impacts blood sugar regulation
 • The connection between EMFs, sleep quality, and metabolic health
 • Practical strategies to reset your light environment starting today

If you're struggling with blood sugar, insulin resistance, or metabolic issues despite doing "all the right things," this episode will change the way you think about health. The answer might be simpler than you think—and it's right outside your window.

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Are you stuck in yo-yo dieting, sugar cravings, or binge-restrict cycles—and blaming yourself for it?

 If food feels like it’s calling you, if one meal can spiral into weeks or months off track, this episode may change how you see your struggle forever.

In this powerful conversation, Dr. Tro Kalayjian, board-certified physician in internal medicine and obesity medicine, breaks down the 3 clinical signs of food addiction—and why willpower, discipline, and “trying harder” often make things worse, not better.

You’ll learn how compulsion, loss of control, and continuing despite consequences show up in real life, why so many people feel out of control around sugar and processed foods, and why shame and self-blame are not the solution.

This episode is for you if you’ve ever:

• Tried everything to lose weight but can’t keep it off
• Felt addicted to sugar, bread, chocolate, or ultra-processed foods
• Wondered why you have discipline in other areas of life—but not with food
• Experienced binge eating, emotional eating, or constant cravings
• Been told to “just eat less” or “have more willpower” and felt defeated

Dr. Tro also explains:

• The 3 C’s of food addiction (used clinically)
• Why one “off-plan” meal can trigger relapse for months
• The difference between obesity and food addiction
• Why some people need support, not restriction
• How metabolic health, insulin resistance, and blood sugar play a role
• What actually helps people achieve long-term weight loss without shame

If you’re a health professional, coach, or caregiver, this episode will also help you recognize food addiction in patients and loved ones—and respond with compassion instead of blame.

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What if the real challenge isn’t losing weight… but keeping it off?

In this powerful interview, Susan Peirce Thompson, PhD—adjunct associate professor of brain and cognitive sciences, bestselling author, and founder of Bright Line Eating—breaks down the surprising psychology of weight loss maintenance and why so many people regain weight even after making progress.

Most programs focus on short-term weight loss. But lasting success comes from learning how to maintain your results without living in constant food obsession, diet mentality, or the exhausting cycle of starting over.

In this episode, we explore the three deep identity shifts that make long-term weight maintenance possible. We also discuss the psychology behind food addiction, why ultra-processed foods hijack the brain, and what it takes to build a sustainable eating plan in today’s modern food environment.

If you’ve ever felt stuck in the dieting merry-go-round, struggled with food noise, or wondered why weight loss doesn’t last—this conversation will change how you see the journey.

In this episode, you’ll learn:
• Why weight loss maintenance is the missing piece of the conversation
• The psychology of keeping weight off long-term
• How to stop the constant mental battle with food
• Why willpower isn’t reliable (and what works instead)
• The identity framework behind lasting transformation
• How to move from dieting → to a sustainable lifestyle
• Practical strategies to maintain weight without obsession

Whether you're still trying to lose weight or you’ve already lost weight and want to keep it off, this episode is about creating a life where you feel free, peaceful, and stable—not constantly gaining and losing.

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If you’ve ever asked yourself “Why can’t I stop craving sugar?” or “Why do I feel out of control around carbs?”—this interview will change how you see your body, your brain, and your sugar cravings.

In this powerful conversation, Eric Edmeades (founder of WildFit, author of Post Diabetic and The Evolution Gap) explains why sugar cravings are not a character flaw, a lack of discipline, or “just emotional eating.” They’re often ancient survival wiring—a deeply human instinct designed to keep us alive when sweet foods were rare and seasonal.

But today, sugar isn’t seasonal. It’s constant. And when your environment changes faster than your biology can adapt, the result is cravings, overeating, metabolic dysfunction, weight gain, and blood sugar instability.

In this interview, Eric breaks down the difference between natural sugar in whole foods (fruit, honey, root vegetables) versus refined sugar and ultra-processed foods—and why modern “food-like substances” keep your appetite switched on. You’ll also learn how ancestral food rhythms, metabolism, and food psychology can help you reduce cravings and rebuild trust with your hunger signals—without obsessing over meal plans, calorie counting, or extreme restriction.

You’ll Learn:

• Why sugar cravings feel irresistible (and why it’s not about willpower)
• The truth about sugar: it’s not evil—it’s too available
• Why refined sugar and corn syrup behave differently in the body than real food
• The seasonal way humans evolved to eat (and why it matters today)
• How “always-available” carbs impact insulin, appetite, and cravings
• Why meal plans often backfire (and what to do instead)
• The 3 metabolic states humans evolved to run:
  • Sugar burning
  • Fat burning
  • Autophagy (cellular cleanup through fasting)
• How to retrain your intuition around food when your appetite has been “hijacked”
• A food-first approach to improving blood sugar, energy, and long-term health

If you have ever felt powerless against sugar cravings, or wondered why you can’t maintain weight loss despite "trying everything," this conversation will change your biological perspective forever.

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If willpower, meal plans, and “just quit” advice actually worked, sugar addiction wouldn’t keep coming back.

In this deeply honest conversation, Florence sits down with Dr. Ann Weiser Cornell, a pioneer in trauma-informed healing and Inner Relationship Focusing, to explore the real reason so many people relapse with sugar and ultra-processed foods — and why it has far less to do with food than we’ve been taught to believe.

This episode unpacks how trauma, emotional shutdown, and inner conflict drive compulsive eating, why control and restriction often make cravings worse, and how learning to relate differently to our emotions can dissolve the inner war that keeps us stuck.

You’ll learn:

• Why sugar is often used to avoid overwhelming emotions
• How trauma disconnects us from body wisdom and choice
• Why “shoulds,” discipline, and control backfire with addiction
• What it actually means to heal the root of cravings
• How self-led decisions create peace — not inner rebellion

This is not a conversation about dieting.

It’s about safety, presence, and learning how to meet what comes up when the sugar goes down.

If you’ve ever wondered why you keep going back to sugar — even when you don’t want to — this episode will change how you see addiction, healing, and yourself.

Enjoyed this episode? We'd love to hear your thoughts—share your feedback with us here!

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Florence's courses & coaching programs can be found at:
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