Food Junkies Podcast

Renowned psychologist and neuroscientist Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett discusses her personal and professional journey, the brain's model of the world, upcoming free 12-week workshop on food addiction and eating disorders, brain responses to disordered eating, overcoming life difficulties, and tips for sparking creativity.

Dr. David L. Katz is a specialist in Internal Medicine, Preventive Medicine/Public Health, and Lifestyle Medicine, with expertise in nutrition. The recipient of numerous awards for teaching, writing, and contributions to public health, Dr. Katz was a 2019 James Beard Foundation Award nominee in health journalism, has been a widely supported nominee for the position of U.S. Surgeon General, and has received three honorary doctorates.  He is a 2023 recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Doctors’ World Gala. He holds multiple US patents, has over 200 peer-reviewed publications, has published many hundreds of online and newspaper columns; and has authored/co-authored 19 books to date, including multiple editions of leading textbooks in nutrition, preventive medicine, and epidemiology. His most recent book for a general audience, How to Eat, co-authored with Mark Bittman, was a 2021 IACP Awards finalist. His career-long focus has been translating science into action for adding years to life, life to years, and on the confluence of human and planetary health. In this episode: Dr. Katz explains how addiction is possible and why it exists We discuss how food could fit into meeting criteria for addiction Dr. Katz shares his opinion on labeling food addiction and obesity as diseases We discuss culinary medicine and tastebud rehab Dr. Katz explains why emphasis on whole foods remains a steady recommendation despite new fad diets We get some of Dr. Katz’s book recommendations, and he answers our signature question Follow Dr. Katz: Website: https://davidkatzmd.com/ Books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/David-L.-Katz-MD/author/B001IXPPG2?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrDavidKatz/   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 todays podcast registered social workers and dual licensed mental health and addiction counsellor Molly, Bethany and Clarissa discuss what to look for in a counsellor and some questions to ask them before you start working with them. Here is a helpful guide we created for you as well! Questions to ask a Food Addiction Professional Before Working with them Education / Training / Certifications: What is their educational background?  Where did they receive their degree/training in counseling/psychology/food addiction/coaching?  How long have they been practicing?  What licenses and certifications do they have? Which professional organizations do they belong to?  Confidentiality:  What is their policy regarding privacy and confidentiality?  Do they adhere to professional ethical standards and keep client information secure?  Professional Standards:  Are they in therapy themselves? How recently? How regularly?  Do they seek peer consultation?  Do they participate in supervision? Treatment Style:  How many clients have they had with similar circumstances to yours?  When was the last time they worked with someone similar to you?  Have them describe their ideal client.  What are their strengths and limitations are as a Food Addiction professional?  What is their general philosophy and approach to helping?  Are they more directive or more guiding?  What does a typical session look like?  How long are the sessions?  What kind of homework/reading do they give their clients?  How do you prepare for your first session?  What therapeutic approach or modalities does the Food Addiction professional utilize?  Are they trained in specific methods: Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), Psychodynamic Therapy, Somatic Practices or Mindfulness-Based approaches?  How do they tailor their approach to meet your individual needs? Treatment Goals and Progress:  How do they collaborate with their clients to establish treatment goals?  How often do they assess progress?  What strategies do they use to monitor and adjust the treatment plan?  How do they set up counseling goals? What are they like?  Tell them what you define as success for you. Availability and Scheduling:  What are their working hours and availability?  How far in advance do they typically schedule appointments?  Are there any options for remote or online sessions?  Is it all 1:1 or are there group sessions?  How often would they anticipate seeing you? For how long? Costs:  What are the fees for each session?  What are their sliding-scale options?  Are there any additional charges/expenses to consider: assessments or paperwork fees?  Do they accept insurance, and if so, which providers?  Do they offer a contract where all this info is stated?  Refund Policy:  What is the cancellation or no-show policy?  Are there any provisions for refunds if sessions are missed or terminated prematurely? Follow Clarissa, Molly and Bethany: https://www.sweetsobriety.ca

Thank you so much Food Junkies listeners! We have reached episode 150 and we could not think of a better guest to celebrate it with than one of our favourite, mind blowing leaders in the field Dr. David Wiss. Dr. Wiss became a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) in 2013 and founded Nutrition in Recovery, a group practice of RDNs specializing in treating eating and substance use disorders. He earned his Ph.D. in Public Health with a minor in Health Psychology from UCLA. Dr. Wiss is a scientific author with over 20 peer-reviewed publications, a nutrition and health consultant, functional medicine practitioner, recovery coach, and passionate educator. Today we are going to learn ALL about his revolutionary new Wise Mind Nutrition app which focuses on the intersection of nutrition and mental health. Dr. Wiss also speaks to us about his recent article “How the Nutrition Field Became Toxic and What We Can Do About It.” His thoughts on 12 step food programs, AND what he has learned in 17 years in recovery. Thank you for listening and enjoy this episode! Todays Topics: The Wise Mind Nutrition app and who it is for His article “How the Nutrition Field Became Toxic and What We Can Do About It.”  The food industry is paying 'influencer’ dietitians to shape our eating habits How to to discern whether the nutritional advice is credible or not His thoughts on 12 step food programs What he has learned in his 17 years of being in recovery  “I had to be rigid to get free, but I didn’t get free to spend the rest of my life being rigid. I want to be more like water and less like rocks.” What is next for him Follow David: Nutrition in Recovery: https://www.nutritioninrecovery.com 20 Peer-Reviewed Publications: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=qTHIYQEAAAAJ&hl=en Wise Mind Nutrition: https://wisemindnutrition.com

Vincent Santiago is a Ph.D. student in clinical psychology at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) in Toronto, Canada. His research interests include eating disorders, food addiction, body image, bariatric surgery, health psychology, anxiety disorders, LGBTQ+ health, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), and motivational interviewing.   In this episode, Vincent describes his doctoral dissertation project, a randomized controlled trial that explored the use of an intervention for food addiction (the concept that individuals can be addicted to foods, particularly highly processed foods). This intervention combined Adapted Motivational Interviewing, a person-centered counseling approach, and CBT skills for eating-related issues, with a focus on harm reduction and moderation. Vincent’s master’s thesis explored psychosocial factors, such as attachment style and emotion regulation, related to cigarette smoking following bariatric surgery. For his undergraduate thesis, he studied the influence of video messages on healthier eating among students who engaged in restrained and unrestrained eating. Clinical Interests Vincent’s clinical interests include the assessment and treatment of various mental health issues, including eating disorders, anxiety disorders (e.g., social anxiety disorder), and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). He is particularly interested in using approaches from CBT, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, and Motivational Interviewing. Vincent completed his predoctoral internship at the London Clinical Psychology Residency Consortium in London, Ontario, and practicum placements at: (1) the Psychology Training Clinic within the Department of Family and Community Medicine at St. Michael’s Hospital; (2) the Intensive Residential and Day Treatment Program for OCD at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre; and (3) the Eating Disorders Program at Toronto General Hospital, where he currently works as a Mental Health Clinician. Vincent was also involved as a study therapist at TMU in clinical trials providing CBT related to post-bariatric surgery issues, as well as social anxiety disorder, substance use, and HIV sexual risk behavior. Professional and Community Involvement Vincent is committed to fostering the growth of psychology and those interested in the field. He is involved in mentorship programs with undergraduates, graduate students, and early career psychologists as part of the TMU Psychology Graduate Students’ Association, the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA), and the American Psychological Association (APA). He served a 2-year term as a Student Representative in the Psychologists in Hospitals and Health Centres section of the CPA. Vincent co-organized the inaugural "Diversifying Psychology Recruitment Event" at TMU in 2020. The goal of this event was to provide more information about applying to graduate school for students from traditionally underrepresented groups, particularly students identifying as Black, Indigenous, and a Person of Colour. Vincent previously volunteered in LGBTQ+ organizations that offer peer support, workshops, and social activities in the community.   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.

Nina Teicholz is a science journalist and author of the New York Times bestseller, The Big Fat Surprise, which upended the conventional wisdom on dietary fat–especially saturated fat—and spurred a new conversation about whether these fats in fact cause heart disease.  Teicholz’s work on nutrition, policy, and health has been published in the BMJ, PNAS Nexus (a journal of the National Academies of Sciences), the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Financial Times, The Atlantic, among many other national publications. She now writes a Substack column called “Unsettled Science.” Teicholz has appeared on numerous podcasts and TV shows including ABC’s Nightline, Good Morning America, CBC Radio, NPR shows, MSNBC, the Joe Rogan Show and more. Her book was named a “must read” by the BMJ and The Lancet, as well as one of the year’s *Best Books* by the Economist, Wall Street Journal and Mother Jones; It continues to be called a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the amazing story of how we came to believe fat is bad for health—and what a better diet might look like. Nina is also the founder of the Nutrition Coalition, a non-profit working to ensure that nutrition policies are based on the best and most rigorous science—work for which she was asked to testify before the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Canadian Senate. Teicholz is a graduate of Stanford and Oxford Universities and previously served as associate director of the Center for Globalization and Sustainable Development at Columbia University.  Teicholz attended Yale and Stanford where she studied biology and majored in American Studies. She has a master’s degree from Oxford University and served as associate director of the Center for Globalization and Sustainable Development at Columbia University. A former vegetarian of 25+ years, from Berkeley, CA, Teicholz now lives in New York city with her husband and two sons. 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 todays podcast Molly and I interview Bonnie J Kaplan, PhD. Bonnie is Professor Emeritus in the Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary. She has published widely on the biological basis of developmental disorders and mental health – particularly, the contribution of nutrition to mental health. Her efforts to educate about the role of nutrition in brain health resulted in her selection in 2017 as one of 150 Canadian Difference Makers in Mental Health, in honour of Canada’s 150th birthday. In 2019 she was honoured with the Dr. Rogers Prize for Excellence in Integrative, complementary medicine. In 2021 she was chosen as one of the top “7 Over 70” in Calgary, partly for her book The Better Brain, written with Professor Julia Rucklidge and published by Harper Collins, as well as her two charitable funds supporting research by junior colleagues who study nutrition and mental health (over $1 million CAD distributed). Her primary goal is to bring nutrition education and treatment to the forefront of mental health care. The best news is Dr. Kaplan is coming to my hometown Parry Sound on November 2nd to present at the Stockey Centre on the topic of “The Importance of Nutrition for Brain Health and Resilience.” This event was going to be hosted at the Parry Sound Hospital but there was pushback from a doctor there who her work was not based in science. I found this so hard to believe since Bonnie has spent so much of her life in the field of research, and has 142 peer reviewed publications to prove it. So as a community of passionate people about how our food choices can be an incredible tool to enhance mental health we found a way to host it here anyways and make it FREE for the general public. So ALL OUR WELCOME to attend this event which will be held from 1pm – 3pm, November 2nd at the Stockey Center in Parry Sound. All donations are going to two local programs to provide fresh food for their participants at The Drop supporting local youth and Hope Pregnancy Center supporting local pregnant moms. Thanks to Home Depot and Sweet Sobriety for sponsoring this event. Todays Topics: •     Her personal story and AHA moments •     How food/nutrition impact our mental health? •     Does she think the current mental health crisis has anything to do with our food system? •     Is a whole food diet sufficient for everyone? •     What are micronutrients? •     Is there is a micronutrient formula for addiction? •     Research on micronutrients for ADHD and Depression •     Research on micronutrients and resilience through environmental traumas •     The pushback she receives on her work from the medical field Follow Bonnie: Website: https://bonniejkaplan.com Book: TheBetterBrainbook.com 5 min video on what micronutrients do in the brain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWIBf5ALLj4&t=4s Recent essay in Psychiatric Times: https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/nutritional-treatments-the-next-frontier-in-psychiatry A Conversation.com piece I wrote: https://theconversation.com/junk-food-and-the-brain-how-modern-diets-lacking-in-micronutrients-may-contribute-to-angry-rhetoric-170863 And finally, the two charitable funds she manages: In Canada, it is held by the Calgary Foundation. https://calgaryfoundation.org/. Click on DONATE, then enter the word nutrition into the search field and you will find the Nutrition and Mental Health Fund. In the USA, it is held by FJC.org — Click on DONATE, and enter Nutrition and Mental Health Fund into the appropriate field. 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.

Vanessa Sperandio is a professor at the UT Southwestern Medical Center in both the departments of microbiology and biochemistry. She joined the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health as the chair of the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology in spring 2022. Sperandio's research focuses on the signaling mechanisms between mammalian hosts, their beneficial microbiota, and bacterial pathogens. Sperandio was a 1997 fellow of the Pew Charitable Trust and was elected to the American Academy of Microbiology in 2013.[3] She is also a Kavli Frontiers of Science Fellow by the National Academy of Sciences and selected as a Burroughs Wellcome Fund Investigator in the Pathogenesis of Infectious Diseases.   In this episode: Personal/Professional Journey Our relationship with Bacteria Neurotransmitters Microbiome Imbalance Nutritional Therapy Interventions Processed Foods and our gut How to eat for our gut microbiome Supplements and Probiotics Psychedelics, Microbiome, and Addiction   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.  

Today we speak with scientist Dr. Caroline Davis. Dr. Davis is a pioneer in the academic study of food addiction. Researching in the 1990s, when most people were studying aberrant eating from purely an eating disorder model. Dr Davis was connecting the dots of addiction from within her eating disorder research.  Dr. Davis is an established academic with a strong track record in the areas of psychobiological risk factors for obesity and disordered eating, as seen by her numerous publications in high quality journals and her many conferences presentations at international meetings. Her psychogenetic work has examined the role of brain reward mechanisms in the regulation of appetite and overeating. She also has a strong interest in biologically-based personality traits that moderate food consumption and interface with environmental risk factors.  She was one of the first to examine the role of brain reward mechanisms in the regulation of appetite and overeating. Dr. Davis is professor emeritus in the department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences at York University, and was also cross-appointed to the Psychology Program at York University. In addition, she had an Affiliate Scientist position at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, and in the Department of Psychiatry, University Health Network, both in Toronto. 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. Tabri is the Director of the Mental Health and Addictions Laboratory and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada. Dr. Tabri’s research explores how different transdiagnostic factors (e.g., overvalued ideation, perfectionism, and impulsivity) may function together to proliferate and maintain engagement in various health-compromising behaviors (e.g., disordered eating and gambling). The ultimate aim of this line of research is to enhance the prevention, assessment, and treatment protocols of various mental health disorders. Dr. Tabri also researches the mental health and well-being implications of group membership. This research integrates social identity theory with theories from clinical and health psychology to understand how group-related factors (e.g., perceived intergroup threat, group-based emotions, and social identification) affect the mental health and well-being of group members. The goal is to develop an integrative framework of how group membership may affect our mental health and well-being. In this interview, we cover: Nassim Tabri's Personal and Professional Journey and Current Research The Nexus Between Eating Disorders and Gambling Problems Orthorexia Nervosa and Transdiagnostic Mechanisms in Eating Disorders Transdiagnostic Factors in Disordered Eating and Gambling Common Factors in Disordered Eating and Gambling Recovery and Community Building Changing Your Life for Recovery Appearance Focused Self Concept and Disordered Eating The Impact of Cultural Messaging on Eating Disorders and Appearance Standards Discussion on Mental Health and Research Collaboration   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.