When ultra-processed foods hijack reward circuits

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: 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.