In this insightful and compassionate episode, Clarissa and Molly take a deep dive into post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS)—an often overlooked but critical phase in ultra-processed food addiction recovery. While well-known in substance use disorder recovery, PAWS is rarely discussed in the context of food addiction, yet it shows up in significant ways.

Clarissa and Molly break down what PAWS is, why it happens, and how it can show up months or even years into recovery. They share real client experiences, neurobiological explanations, and clinical insights—plus, they normalize what can feel like a confusing and distressing time. They also offer practical strategies for clients and clinicians alike, always with compassion, humor, and a forward-thinking, growth-focused perspective.

💡 Key Takeaways:

✅ What is PAWS? Post-acute withdrawal syndrome describes the emotional, psychological, and physical withdrawal symptoms that can persist or reappear months or years after quitting a substance (including ultra-processed foods). It’s a normal part of recovery, not a failure or a sign that you’re “doing it wrong.”

✅ When it shows up: Typically around the 3-, 6-, and 12-month marks, but can happen later—Molly shared an example of it showing up at 22 months! Can be a surprise to those who believed the cravings and struggles were only short-term.

✅ What it feels like: Physical symptoms: low energy, sleep issues, fatigue, and “meh” motivation. Emotional symptoms: irritability, anxiety, low mood, feeling “flat” or joyless (anhedonia). Cognitive symptoms: brain fog, intrusive food thoughts, and the return of “food dreams.” A heightened sensitivity to emotional triggers and stress, feeling like everything is a “zing” or too much.

✅ It’s actually a sign of healing. The brain is rewiring—dopamine pathways are adapting and recalibrating. It’s part of long-term recovery, a sign that deeper healing is taking place.

✅ Common client fears: “I thought I had this figured out—why am I struggling again?”
“My coping skills don’t work anymore—what’s wrong with me?” Clarissa and Molly reframe this as an invitation to deepen your recovery work and adapt new strategies.

✅ What helps? Revisit the basics: simple structure with food, movement, sleep, and stress reduction. Connection and support: peer groups, Sweet Sobriety, or other safe spaces. Meaningful, non-food dopamine boosts: nature, creativity, connection, movement. Supplements: like omega-3s or l-glutamine (check with your provider!). Clinician support: not pushing but holding space with compassion and curiosity.

✅ For clinicians: Learn about PAWS from the substance use disorder literature—it’s crucial for validating and normalizing the client experience. Support clients without imposing your own fears about relapse—meet them with presence and empathy. Be mindful of co-occurring issues (trauma, chronic illness, medications) that can amplify PAWS. Don’t pathologize or shame—this is part of the healing arc!

This conversation is a powerful reminder that healing is not linear. PAWS can feel like a step backward, but it’s actually a sign of forward movement. As Clarissa and Molly beautifully put it: “You’re not broken—you’re healing.” When PAWS shows up, it’s a call to pause, reset, and give yourself the same compassion and patience you’d offer anyone else in deep healing.

Want to connect? Reach out to the team at:
📧 foodjunkiespodcast@gmail.com

Get Mollys PAWs Presentation here: https://www.sweetsobriety.ca

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 illuminating episode we speak with Dr. Filippa Juul. An epidemiologist and leading researcher on the impact of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) on human health. Together, we unpack what ultra-processed really means, why it's not just about calories or macros, and how these foods are stealthily contributing to the global rise in obesity, chronic illness, and food addiction.

Dr. Juul is Assistant professor at the School of Public Health at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University. She earned her PhD in Epidemiology from NYU GPH in 2020, following a MSc in Public Health Nutrition from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, and a BA in Nutrition and Dietetics from Universidad Autónoma de Madrid in Spain.

Dr. Juul's research focuses on improving cardiometabolic health outcomes at the population level, with a particular interest in the role of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) in diet quality, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. She utilizes large U.S. population studies to examine these associations and is also exploring the biological mechanisms underlying the impact of UPFs on cardiometabolic health.

Dr. Juul explains the NOVA classification system, dives into recent groundbreaking studies, and offers insights into why UPFs are so difficult to resist—and what we can do about it, both individually and at the policy level.

Key Takeaways

🧠 It's About the Processing
Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are engineered for convenience and hyper-palatability—not nourishment. Processing changes how the body absorbs and responds to food, often leading to overeating and poor metabolic health.

📚 NOVA System in a Nutshell
Group 1: Whole/minimally processed (e.g., fruit, eggs, plain yogurt)
Group 2: Cooking ingredients (e.g., oil, sugar, salt)
Group 3: Processed foods (e.g., canned veggies, artisanal cheese)
Group 4: Ultra-processed (e.g., nuggets, soda, protein bars)

🍟 Why We Overeat UPFs
Soft, fast-eating textures bypass satiety signals
High energy density = more calories, less fullness
Hyper-palatable combos (fat + sugar/salt) trigger cravings
Rapid absorption causes blood sugar spikes and crashes

🧬 Health Risks & Mechanisms
Linked to inflammation, gut imbalance, and poor glycemic control
Some additives may be harmful or addictive
Genetic factors may influence vulnerability to UPF addiction

🚸 Policy & Public Health
UPFs make up 60–70% of the modern diet
Strong links to obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and poor mental health
Regulation on marketing, school meals, and additives is critical
Teaching cooking skills and nutrition literacy is essential

❤️ Rethinking Nourishment
Nourishment means satisfying, whole-food meals—not restriction
True recovery is about reclaiming joy, not giving up pleasure

💬 Quotes:
“We regulate food by volume, not calories—and UPFs pack a punch.”
“Nourishment is key to living a healthy, happy life.”
“UPFs don’t just harm—they replace what heals: real food and connection.”

📣 To Policymakers:
The obesity crisis is urgent. Make whole, nourishing foods affordable and accessible. Regulate what’s sold and marketed—especially to children.

Follow Dr. Juuls Research: https://www.researchgate.net/scientific-contributions/Filippa-Juul-2070176684/publications/3

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. Cynthia Bulik is a clinical psychologist and one of the world's leading experts on eating disorders. She is the Founding Director of the University of North Carolina Center of Excellence for Eating Disorders and also the founder director of the Centre for Eating Disorders Innovation at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden. Dr. Bulik is Distinguished Professor of Eating Disorders in the Department of Psychiatry at UNC, Professor of Nutrition in the Gillings School of Global Public Health, and Professor of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Karolinska Institute.

Dr Bulik has received numerous awards for her pioneering work, including Lifetime Achievement Awards from the National Eating Disorders Association, the Academy for Eating Disorders, and the International Society of Psychiatric Genetics. She has written over 750 scientific papers, and several books aimed at educating the public about eating disorders.

Currently, Dr. Bulik's focus is in the reconceptualization of eating disorders as being a metabo-psychiatric diseases. Food Junkies is keen to explore this interest in how metabolic disease plays a role in disordered eating: can this construct be the common ground to start to understand the muddy waters between eating disorders and food addiction?

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
💡 The Myth of Choice: Why anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating are not willful acts, but biologically driven conditions with strong genetic roots.
🧬 The Metabo-Psychiatric Model: Dr. Bulik's innovative framework showing how genetic and metabolic pathways interact to shape eating disorder vulnerability.
⚖️ The Energy Balance Switch: Why people with anorexia feel better in a state of starvation—and how this paradox rewrites what we thought we knew.
📈 New Genetic Discoveries: How genome-wide association studies (GWAS) are uncovering shared and distinct risk factors for anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder—and possibly food addiction.
🔄 The Overlap with Addiction: Where eating disorders and food addiction intersect—and why treatment needs to consider both psychological and nutritional healing.
🧠 Recovery Isn’t Just Psychological: Why intuitive eating and one-size-fits-all treatment plans may not work for everyone—and what truly individualized care could look like.
🧭 Hope Through Science: How understanding the biology behind disordered eating can reduce shame, validate lived experience, and open new doors for healing.

🔗 Topics Touched:
Why abstinence-based recovery may be life-saving for some—and harmful for others
The risk of relapse tied to negative energy balance and undernourishment
What we can learn from addiction recovery in developing dual-diagnosis programs
The danger of renourishing with ultra-processed foods
ARFID, orthorexia, and the need for diagnostic nuance
The promise of personalized treatment using genetic risk profiles

💬 A Quote to Remember:
“Recovery from an eating disorder is an uphill battle against your biology. It’s not a lack of willpower—it’s a metabolic and psychiatric legacy that deserves compassion and understanding.”

Be a part of Cynthia's Research: https://edgi2.org/

Follow Cynthia: https://www.cynthiabulik.com

$15USD

--> Learn more and/or REGISTER HERE

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. Alexandra Sowa, MD is a board-certified physician specializing in internal medicine and obesity medicine. A graduate of Johns Hopkins University, NYU School of Medicine, and Yale University, Dr. Sowa combines top-tier medical training with a deeply compassionate, evidence-based approach to metabolic health.

She is the founder and CEO of SoWell Health, a telehealth and clinical service dedicated to treating metabolic dysfunction with personalized nutrition, lifestyle interventions, and medication when appropriate—including the use of GLP-1 receptor agonists like Ozempic.

Dr. Sowa is the author of The Ozempic Revolution, where she brings clinical insights and practical tools to the forefront of the obesity and food addiction conversation. Her work emphasizes sustainable habit change, patient-centered care, and bridging the gap between medical treatment and behavioral health.

Formerly collaborating with low-carb pioneer Dr. Eric Westman, Dr. Sowa continues to advocate for integrating dietary strategies with hormonal and pharmaceutical interventions for a holistic approach to weight and health.

Dr. Sowa is a nationally recognized voice in the field, regularly featured in publications such as The New York Times, Forbes, and CNN Health. She is passionate about helping patients reclaim their health and reframe their relationship with food through science, empathy, and empowerment.

💊 What are GLP-1s really doing to “food noise”?
📉 Why do some lose weight and others don’t?
🥼 What role should lifestyle, nutrition, and yes—food addiction support—play in treatment?
💬 How do we deal with the emotional grief of losing food as a comfort?
💪 And how can obesity doctors and food addiction counselors work together for real, lasting healing?

Whether you're a clinician, someone using GLP-1s, or navigating food addiction recovery—this is the conversation you don’t want to miss.

Follow Dr. Sowa: https://alexandrasowamd.com

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 compelling episode, Dr. Vera Tarman interviews Dr. Thomas Seyfried, a pioneer in the field of cancer metabolism. Dr. Seyfried challenges the mainstream view of cancer as a genetic disease and presents strong evidence that cancer is fundamentally a mitochondrial metabolic disorder.

Dr. Thomas N. Seyfried is a distinguished American biologist and professor at Boston College, renowned for his pioneering work in cancer metabolism. With a Ph.D. in Genetics and Biochemistry from the University of Illinois, Urbana, and postdoctoral training in neurochemistry at Yale University School of Medicine, Dr. Seyfried has dedicated his career to exploring the metabolic underpinnings of cancer and other neurological diseases.

Dr. Seyfried is best known for his groundbreaking book, Cancer as a Metabolic Disease: On the Origin, Management, and Prevention of Cancer (2012), where he presents compelling evidence that cancer is primarily a mitochondrial metabolic disorder rather than a genetic one. This perspective builds upon the early 20th-century findings of Otto Warburg, who observed that cancer cells rely heavily on fermentation for energy production, even in the presence of oxygen—a phenomenon known as the Warburg effect. Dr. Seyfried's research suggests that targeting cancer's metabolic dependencies, such as glucose and glutamine, through dietary interventions like the ketogenic diet, could offer non-toxic therapeutic strategies.

We explore:

How cancer cells fuel themselves differently from healthy cells
The connection between sugar, ultra-processed foods (UPFs), and cancer growth
The Warburg Effect and the roles of glucose and glutamine in tumor development
Whether refined sugar is carcinogenic like tobacco
Why Dr. Seyfried believes ketogenic diets and caloric restriction can be powerful cancer therapies
How his views align with metabolic psychiatry (Dr. Chris Palmer’s Brain Energy)
The controversial yet promising approach of "press-pulse" therapy
The potential for preventing cancer through dietary change

Follow:

https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/schools/morrissey/departments/biology/people/faculty-directory/thomas-seyfried.html

https://tomseyfried.com

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 powerful and heartfelt episode of the Food Junkies Recovery Stories CJ sits down with Joy M, who shares her courageous story of unraveling the illusion of the “perfect life” to find true recovery and emotional freedom. From childhood trauma and food obsession to substance use, codependency, and the sneaky nature of sugar addiction, Joy takes us through the winding—and at times wild—path she walked to reclaim her health and voice.

Tune in to hear how one Easter basket sparked a lifetime pattern, how trauma flipped the switch, and how Joy finally broke free through community, curiosity, and a whole lot of compassion. Her story is a beautiful reminder that it’s never too late to begin again—and that healing is possible, one real food choice at a time. Warning: You may leave this episode feeling inspired, understood, and ready to toss those “dang nuts.”

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 cjnguy@myfoodaddictioncoach.com

Interested in sharing your recovery story on our show? We'd love to hear from you! Please email FJRecoverystories@gmail.com

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/.

In this episode of Clinician’s Corner, Molly and Clarissa explore the often-overlooked realities of long-term recovery. While many recovery programs focus on the acute phases and early abstinence, sustainable recovery demands much more—it asks us to renovate our lives.

Drawing from the latest research—including insights from Harvard’s Recovery Research Institute and their own published study on food addiction outcomes—they break down the average 17-year journey toward stable remission and emphasize that recovery is a process, not a finish line.

🧠 Topics include:

• The 3 stages of long-term recovery and why it takes time

• What “discovery” looks like after recovery stabilizes

• The role of coping skills, daily structure, and stress management

• Why routine = safety for the recovering brain

• The neuroscience behind mindfulness and relapse prevention

• How community support, peer connection, and giving back drive lasting change

• Permission to grow, evolve, and let go of what no longer serves your recovery

Molly and Clarissa also share personal reflections and client experiences that bring the research to life—reminding us all that recovery isn’t just about what we stop doing, but about what we start creating.

🔄 Whether you're early in recovery or navigating the path of long-term healing, this episode will offer validation, insight, and hope.

🧭 Key Links:
• 🎟 Register for IFACC 2025
• 📄 Read the Delphi Consensus Paper
• 📄 Read the 12-Month Outcome Study on Food Addiction Recovery

🔗 Sweet Sobriety Foundations Course

💌Please email questions, concerns, and topics to foodjunkiespodcast@gmail.com

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 Food Junkies Podcast, Molly and Clarissa sit down with clinical psychologist, researcher, and international food addiction advocate Dr. Jen Unwin to unpack a trifecta of groundbreaking developments in the field of Ultra-Processed Food Use Disorder (UPFUD). If you’ve been craving science-backed insight, real recovery stories, and practical hope for the future, this conversation delivers.

Together, we explore:

🧠 Two Major Research Milestones

• The Delphi Consensus Paper, which brings together 40 global experts to define and validate Ultra-Processed Food Addiction as a diagnostic concept
• The 12-Month Outcome Study, which demonstrates remarkable long-term improvements in food addiction symptoms and mental wellbeing across diverse international recovery programs

🌍 The Upcoming International Food Addiction & Comorbidities Conference (IFACC 2025)

Hosted in London this September, this two-day event will bring together clinicians, researchers, and the recovery community to spotlight UPFA’s role in mental health, metabolic illness, trauma, and more.

🗓 This Saturday’s Live Virtual Event – April 26

Don’t miss the Food Relationship Fix hosted by Dr. Tro Kalayjian and team—including talks from Dr. Jen, Dr. Rob Cywes, and more. All proceeds go directly toward supporting IFACC 2025 and furthering food addiction advocacy.

Whether you're a clinician, a coach, someone in recovery, or simply food-addiction-curious, this episode is packed with inspiration, cutting-edge data, and an invitation to step into hope. Dr. Jen’s message is clear: Recovery is not just possible—it’s probable.

🧭 Key Links:
• 🎟 Register for IFACC 2025
• 🎥 Join the Food Relationship Fix virtual event this Saturday (April 26)
• 📄 Read the abstract of the provisionally accepted Delphi Consensus Paper (coming soon!)
• 📄 Read the 12-Month Outcome Study on Food Addiction Recovery

💌Please email questions, concerns, and topics to foodjunkiespodcast@gmail.com

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.