Food Junkies Podcast

In this episode, Dr. Vera Tarman spoke with Adrienne Sprouse, MD, a Columbia-trained physician with extensive experience in emergency medicine, toxicology, and environmental medicine, as well as more than four decades of stable food recovery.
Adrienne reflected on how growing up in an alcoholic family system shaped her early coping strategies and how food became a primary source of comfort and regulation. Over time, she began to notice that certain foods didn't simply soothe emotional distress but instead triggered a predictable cycle of cravings, symptoms, and relapse. This realization led her to distinguish between compulsive overeating as a behavioral response and food addiction as a physiological reaction to specific foods.
A central focus of the conversation was Adrienne's Prouse Rotational Eating Plan, a structured four-day rotation approach rooted in the concept of cyclic food allergy, originally described by Dr. Herbert Rinkle. Adrienne explained the difference between fixed food allergy—where symptoms occur every time a food is eaten—and cyclic food allergy, where symptoms depend on frequency and amount. She described how repeated exposure to the same foods, common in modern eating patterns, can "stack" in the body and contribute to escalating symptoms such as bloating, edema, headaches, joint pain, and the familiar experience of temporarily "getting away with it" before relapse.
Adrienne also outlined the 24-day home food-testing process described in her book, which was designed to help individuals identify their "sober foods," clarify which foods destabilize them, and create a rotation that supports long-term stability without relying on willpower alone.
The conversation extended beyond biology into emotional and spiritual recovery. Adrienne shared why she believed that a food plan alone was insufficient for many people and how 12-step recovery supported her ability to cope with stress, trauma, and relational dynamics that previously fueled her eating. She described 12-step principles as a stabilizing force that helped her maintain honesty, accountability, and resilience alongside her eating structure.
Adrienne's book, 50 Years of Twelve Step Recovery, was discussed as a synthesis of lived experience, physiology, and recovery practice, offering both individuals and clinicians a broader framework for understanding relapse cycles, abstinence, and whole-person healing.
In this episode:
How Adrienne differentiated compulsive overeating from food addiction physiology

What she meant by "sober foods" and why identifying them reduced chaos and cravings

Why cyclic food allergy patterns are often overlooked

How the four-day rotation was intended to reduce food "stacking" and stabilize symptoms

An overview of the 24-day food testing approach outlined in her book

How certain foods might be reintroduced medically, while acknowledging psychological and spiritual considerations

Why chemical exposures and non-organic foods were discussed as potential contributors to craving

Adrienne's perspective on GLP-1 medications, including their limits in teaching coping skills

How 12-step recovery complemented biological interventions and supports long-term maintenance

About Adrienne Sprouse, MD
Adrienne Sprouse, MD, graduated from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and trained in emergency medicine at Bellevue Hospital, toxicology at the New York City Poison Center, and Nutrition/Allergy/Detoxification/Clinical Ecology with the American Academy of Environmental Medicine. She later served as faculty for the Academy, educating physicians internationally for 17 years. She was Medical Director of Manhattan Health Consultants for decades and was featured in major media outlets including ABC, NBC, Fox Good Day New York, and The New York Times.
She is the author of 50 Years of Twelve Step Recovery, drawing on both long-term personal recovery and decades of clinical practice.
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.

What if the biggest breakthroughs in mental health didn't start with more effort—but with better timing?
In this deeply grounding and wide-ranging conversation, we're joined by Ignacio Cuaranta, a board-certified psychiatrist whose work sits at the intersection of psychiatry, chronobiology, metabolic health, and lifestyle medicine. Trained in Argentina and working internationally, Dr. Cuaranta brings a refreshingly non-dogmatic, biology-forward lens to mental health—one that prioritizes rhythm, regulation, and compassion over blame or biohacking extremes.
Together, we explore why sleep and light exposure may be the most powerful psychiatric interventions we have, how ultra-processed foods disrupt not just metabolism but emotional regulation, and why afternoon crashes, anxiety, impulsivity, and insomnia are often rhythm problems—not personal failures.
In this episode, we discuss:
Why morning light and nighttime darkness are foundational for mood, impulse control, and nervous system regulation
How ultra-processed foods hijack reward pathways, especially when the brain is already fatigued
The overlooked role of chronobiology in psychiatry—and why timing matters as much as content
Afternoon crashes, cortisol dysregulation, and the myth of "low motivation"
Time-restricted eating as a clinical tool, not a rigid rule
Why consistency often matters more than perfection—especially for sensitive nervous systems
Sleep as a keystone habit that makes every other change more accessible
Practical, harm-reduction strategies for winter, shift work, and modern screen-heavy life
Sauna, temperature, and seasonal rhythms—what actually helps and when
Why reducing physiological "noise" can ease cravings, emotional volatility, and mental fatigue
This episode is especially supportive for anyone:
Early in recovery from ultra-processed food use
Living with anxiety, insomnia, or mood instability
Feeling exhausted by self-optimization culture
Curious about nutritional psychiatry, metabolic mental health, and nervous system regulation
Wanting evidence-informed strategies that honor individuality, sensitivity, and real life
Dr. Cuaranta reminds us that regulation is not weakness, sensitivity is not pathology, and recovery doesn't require hacking yourself into submission. Often, the most meaningful change begins by restoring order to the basics: sleep, light, food quality, and rhythm.
If you've ever felt like your nervous system is doing its best in an environment that's working against it—this conversation is for you.
💌 Email us at: [email protected]
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 reflective, clinically rich conversation, Molly and Clarissa begin by looking back on the words that shaped their last year—and naming the ones guiding them forward. From emanate and flourishing to safety and permission, they explore how intention-setting collides with real life, nervous systems, social context, and recovery work.
From there, the episode moves into a nuanced and often uncomfortable topic: "volume addiction." Is overeating whole foods after removing ultra-processed foods simply binge eating disorder in disguise? Sometimes yes. Sometimes no. And sometimes it's something entirely different.
Drawing from decades of combined experience in addiction treatment, mental health, trauma, and eating disorders, Molly and Clarissa unpack:
Why labeling overeating as a new "addiction" can do more harm than good

How binge eating disorder is diagnosed (and why food type alone doesn't define it)

The roles of nervous system dysregulation, trauma, habit learning, dopamine loops, hormones, and survival biology

Why early recovery often includes a messy stabilization period—and why that's not pathology

The tension between rigid food rules and true safety

Why embodiment, somatic work, mindfulness, and self-compassion are foundational—not optional

They also challenge both food addiction and eating disorder paradigms when they become overly rigid, externalized, or disconnected from lived experience. Instead, they make a compelling case for internal resources over external control, and for recovery approaches that allow experimentation, nervous system safety, and individual variation.
This episode is an invitation to think more broadly, more compassionately, and more critically—about labels, treatment, and what long-term recovery actually requires.
✨ Key themes include:
Safety as a prerequisite for flourishing

Permission to disappoint, experiment, and be fully yourself

Why healing is inherently non-linear and embodied

Moving beyond shame, restriction, and one-size-fits-all answers

If you've ever wondered whether something is "wrong" with you for still struggling after removing ultra-processed foods—or felt boxed in by labels that no longer fit—this conversation offers both validation and a way forward.
📩 Have thoughts or questions? Reach us at [email protected]
 
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, Paige and Jamie from Real Food Recovery join us to explore the powerful intersection of holistic health, nervous system regulation, and long-term recovery from ultra-processed food addiction. They share why they wrote their book, the four core branches that anchor recovery, and why recovery isn't about perfection—it's about resilience, compassion, and sustainable support systems that hold us when life falls apart.
 
With honesty and courage, Jamie shares her story of leaving an abusive relationship and navigating destabilization while protecting her recovery. Together, we dig into spirituality (beyond religion), harm reduction, abstinence debates, nervous system science, ego traps like "I'll start Monday," and how we can meet ourselves with clarity and grace instead of shame.
This conversation is validating, empowering, and deeply human. Recovery isn't about mastering food—it's about building a life worth staying for.
 
🌿 Key Themes We Explore
• The gap in recovery literature and why holistic support matters
• The four core branches of Real Food Recovery
o Whole, single-ingredient foods
o Sleep
o Spirituality (not religion)
o Movement
• Why long-term recovery is a lifelong evolving practice
• How spirituality anchors safety, connection, and presence
• What happens when life collapses and how to keep recovery intact
• Harm reduction vs. abstinence and why recovery isn't "all or nothing"
• Navigating autoimmunity, trauma, and survival mode with self-compassion
• The truth behind "I'll start Monday" and the ego trap of perfection
• Why small, doable changes are more powerful than massive overhauls
• The role of nervous system regulation in cravings, bingeing, and recovery
• How to dismantle shame and return to curiosity, learning, and self-respect
• Why spirituality & slowing down create safety in the brain and body
 
 Powerful Insights & Quotes
🔹 "Two people can have very different experiences—but the big-picture solutions are often the same."
🔹 "We don't push square pegs into round holes. Recovery must be individualized."
🔹 "Food isn't the problem—it's a symptom of the recovery you need."
🔹 "Spirituality isn't religion. It's connection, grounding, and being held when no one else is around."
🔹 "When Maslow's hierarchy collapses, guardrails may look different. Harm reduction can be love."
🔹 "Your brain will always try to keep you in the familiar—even if the familiar hurts."
🔹 "Recovery breaks when life is lived too fast. Safety lives in slowness."
🔹 "There is no shame—only information and opportunity."
 
Listener Takeaways
1) Recovery Must Be Holistic
Food alone isn't enough. Sleep, nervous system care, spirituality, and movement matter just as much—and sometimes more.
2️) Spirituality = Safety
Not religion. Not rules.
A grounding connection, inner wisdom, meaning, and support when life storms hit.
3️) Recovery Isn't Linear—It's Adaptive
There will be seasons of abstinence, seasons of harm reduction, seasons of survival. Compassion keeps recovery intact better than rigidity.
4️) Nervous System First
Bingeing doesn't happen in stillness. It thrives in overwhelm, chaos, shame, and hurry. Slowing down restores choice.
5️) Shame Has No Place in Recovery
Behaviours aren't moral failings—they are signals. We learn, adjust, and move forward.
6️) Tiny Changes Create Stability
Small, compassionate, repeatable steps beat dramatic overhauls every single time.
7️) You Are Allowed to Evolve
Bodies change. Lives change. Recovery plans change. And that is strength, not failure.
 
 Where to Find Paige & Jamie
Website: https://www.realfoodrecovery4u.com
 Programs, resources, and more on holistic food recovery.
 
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.

On today's episode, CJ sits down with the incredibly genuine and courageous Emalyn. Emalyn opens up about her journey with honesty and heart, from sneaking food and hiding her struggle from her husband to realizing that he had always offered unwavering support. She shares what led her to seek treatment in Minnesota and how that experience helped her finally release the shame and guilt she had carried for years. Emalyn's story is one of deep self-discovery, compassion, and freedom; a reminder that addiction isn't a moral failing but a condition we can understand, treat, and recover from.
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]