In this compassionate and insightful episode, Clarissa and Molly dive into the phenomenon of post-event collapse—the physical, emotional, and psychological crash that can follow highly stimulating or meaningful experiences. Whether it’s a vacation, a major life event, a group share, or even just navigating a family gathering, many in food addiction recovery find themselves disoriented and vulnerable in the days that follow.

They unpack the biology (hello dopamine crash), psychology (emotional contrast effects), and the nervous system’s role (freeze/dorsal vagal responses), and they offer gentle, practical strategies for reentry and recovery. This episode is both validating and empowering—for listeners in recovery and for clinicians supporting them.

💡 Key Takeaways: What Is Post-Event Collapse?

A drop in energy, motivation, or mood after a highly stimulating or stressful event.
Often triggered by dopamine depletion, nervous system overload, and loss of structure.
Symptoms include: fatigue, cravings, irritability, sadness, restlessness, shame spirals, and “vulnerability hangovers.”

🧠 The Science Behind It:

The brain shifts from an activated, goal-directed state (dopamine high) to a depleted, low-stimulation state.
This emotional contrast can feel like going from technicolor to gray.
For those with trauma, neurodivergence, or attachment wounds, this crash may be even more intense.

💬 Common Scenarios That Trigger Collapse:

Vacations (especially with family)
Funerals, weddings, or big work events
Emotional vulnerability (group shares, therapy sessions)
Changes in routine or environment

🛠️ Coping Tools & Recovery Strategies:

Plan for reentry as much as the event itself. Create a 72-hour buffer.
Return rituals: Soft structure for meals, movement, hydration, rest, and reconnection.
Freeze meals or stock Factor meals for post-travel ease.
Anchor with connection: Reach out to your “seen and safe” people.
Use micro grounding tools during events (walking, nature, breath, touch points).
Practice self-compassion: Validate the guilt and exhaustion without judgment.
Communicate proactively with family to soften expectations post-return.

🧰 For Clinicians & Coaches: Normalize post-event collapse as part of the healing arc.
Support clients in building after-care plans (not just event plans).
Teach co-regulation skills and help clients ride the emotional wave.
Watch for perfectionism in recovery and help clients practice grace.
Encourage gentle transitions, especially for those navigating early recovery.

🔄 Favorite Quotes:
“This is the slow after the fast. It’s not failure—it’s your nervous system recalibrating.” – Clarissa
“You don’t have to avoid the guilt. You can rest and feel guilt. Guilt won’t kill us—but burnout just might.” – Clarissa
“This isn’t recurrence—it’s biology. Let’s name it, normalize it, and meet it with compassion.” – Molly
“Have a post-event plan like you’d pack a suitcase—soft landing included.” – Molly

🎁 Bonus Tips:
Live like a tourist: Bring the wonder of vacation into everyday life.
Use group support to “bookend” your events: check-in before, share after.
Teach your clients to identify their own 72-hour needs. There’s no one-size-fits-all.

💌 Questions or Comments?
Email us at: foodjunkiespodcast@gmail.com
We’d love to hear from you—let us know what you want us to cover next!

In this deeply insightful episode, we welcome Ashka Naik, PhD candidate and Director of Research and Policy at Corporate Accountability, a global human rights and social justice NGO. Ashka joins Vera and Molly to explore how food systems have been colonized by powerful industry players, and why the words we use to describe what we eat matter more than ever.

We unpack the political, historical, and spiritual dimensions of what Ashka calls “violent processing”—a system that has robbed us of biodiversity, cultural wisdom, ancestral practices, and even language itself. Drawing connections between ultra-processed food products, neocolonial economic models, and public health crises, Ashka makes the case for reclaiming food as power and justice.

This is more than a conversation about nutrition. It’s a call to collective memory, systemic change, and grassroots action.

🔍 Topics Covered:

• The colonial and corporate roots of ultra-processed food systems
• Food as power: how what we eat reflects who holds control
• The extinction of food knowledge and the myth of “choice”
• From peaceful to violent processing: what got lost in the name of convenience
• Feminism, kitchen culture, and reclaiming traditional food prep as empowerment
• Why we must stop calling ultra-processed products “food”
• Grassroots vs. systemic change: what can individuals and communities do?
• Rethinking the language of “food addiction” through a justice framework
• Lessons from the tobacco wars: how public pressure can drive industry accountability
• The sacredness of nourishment — and how to teach our children to reclaim it

🌱 Resources & References:

• Corporate Accountability
• “Not Food: Time to Call Ultra-Processed Food Products by Their True Name” – Co-authored article by Ashka Naik, Dr. Prescott, and Dr. Logan

📣 Final Message from Ashka:

“Do not let anyone or anything make you believe that you can compromise on your relationship with what nourishes you.”

💡Learn more about Ashka

💌Email us at 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 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.