The Kick Sugar Coach Podcast

Dr. Vera Tarman, M.D., author of the book Food Junkies and co-host of the podcast Food Junkies, is a medical doctor working in addiction treatment. In addition to her professional expertise, she has her own food addiction recovery story and it includes having lost and kept off 100 pounds over 13 years. In this interview, we explore the topic of how trauma intersects with food addiction. Some camps say trauma causes addiction which implies or suggests that if we heal the trauma, our addiction can heal too or at least fade into the background. It is or was caused by the trauma. It is a trauma response.Others say, trauma and addiction are separate and distinct and may or may not co-occur. There is a correlation, not a causation relationship.Others say the root cause of addiction is not a biochemical brain glitch, nor a misguided attempt at self-regulation, but a spiritual crisis.Listen in as Dr. Tarman weighs in on the topic of how these different threads, these different perspectives on the root cause of addiction, come together into a cohesive narrative. She does not present answers, she depolarizes the perspectives and explores their intersection and interdependence.Enjoyed this episode? We'd love to hear your thoughts—share your feedback with us here!Support the showFlorence's courses & coaching programs can be found at:www.FlorenceChristophers.comConnect with Florence on:FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE

If you suffer from constipation, sugar cravings, and digestive issues, then this interview is for you!My guest this week is Martha Carlin, founder of the BioCollective, a company specializing in understanding our microbiome. This international team of scientists is in the process of sequencing our microbiome (like experts once sequenced our genes). Martha, in my books, is a modern-day superhero. Motivated by her husband’s early diagnosis of Parkinson’s, Martha was desperate to find a way to prevent his condition from deteriorating. Her research pointed to the microbiome as a major factor in the onset of his disease. This led, in partnership with other scientists, to the development of a unique probiotic that proved life-saving for her husband (whose Parkinson’s dramatically improved and is now stabilized). This probiotic is called SugarShift. In this interview, Martha shares details about how this particular probiotic blend saved her husband and has since been proven to reduce sugar cravings, assist with elimination and help with diabetes. The science is fascinating.How does it work?Martha discovered that we have bacteria in our gut that can convert glucose and fructose into mannitol. Mannitol is a sugar that is not digestible to humans but is food for other friendly bacteria in our gut. This means that certain bacteria (which are in this probiotic blend) can convert some of the fructose - including from healthy whole foods - into a benign substance. It changes fructose into something helpful to our microbiome and reduces the amount heading to the liver to be converted into fat. Please note that taking this product is not a free pass to eat as much sugar as you want. It is intended to help you heal your gut, and that cannot be done if you continue to consume excess sugar.Enjoyed this episode? We'd love to hear your thoughts—share your feedback with us here!Support the showFlorence's courses & coaching programs can be found at:www.FlorenceChristophers.comConnect with Florence on:FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE

Dr. Nicole Avena's work is some of the first in the world that scientifically validated what most of us have discovered through personal experience… That sugar can act like an opiate and be addictive.Her peer-reviewed clinical research was on lab animals, and inspired other researchers, medical doctors, and scientists from around the world to conduct their own research, much of which elaborated on and validated her original findings.To say that Dr. Nicole Avena was one of the first scientists in the world to take this topic seriously is not an understatement.Today Dr. Nicole Avena is the author of five books, Hedonic Eating and Why Diets Fail to name a few, and is considered a world expert on the topic of sugar/food addiction, and passionately shares her expertise to help mothers have healthy pregnancies, and raise healthy whole food children.Enjoyed this episode? We'd love to hear your thoughts—share your feedback with us here!Support the showFlorence's courses & coaching programs can be found at:www.FlorenceChristophers.comConnect with Florence on:FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE

Dr. Charles Smith is a medical doctor now working in the addictions field who knows firsthand the pain, shame and grip of substance abuse.In 2009, the American Drug Enforcement Agency burst into his small town medical practice in West Virginia expecting to press criminal charges for writing 3000 fraudulent prescriptions for opiate pills a month. What they discovered was that Dr. Smith wasn’t reselling these pills on the street, he was taking them himself.Dr. Smith’s addiction began with with alcohol and later he became addicted to opioids which he used to ease hangovers.Fortunately, the DEA was the motivation Dr. Smith needed to find his way into treatment and to win the battle over his addictions.Dr. Charles Smith and Dr. Jason Hunt are co-authors of a book called “Know Science, No Stigma”. They are on a mission to destigmatize the phenomenon of addiction and to inspire the others to reach out for the support they need to find recovery.He is living proof that brains and bodies can heal even from extreme substance-abuse, and and that freedom and recovery are truly possible and worth it.Enjoyed this episode? We'd love to hear your thoughts—share your feedback with us here!Support the showFlorence's courses & coaching programs can be found at:www.FlorenceChristophers.comConnect with Florence on:FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE

As a young philosophy student in university, I read and loved the works of a famous Danish theologian, philosopher, author, and poet by the name of Soren Kierkegaard. He was born in 1813 and died in 1855. Never. Never in a million years would I have guessed that one day I would have the pleasure of interviewing one of his next of kin. Well I did! True story… Kim Kierkegaard is a direct descendent. For those that do NOT geek out on philosophy, that might not impress you BUT her story of recovery from sugar/ food addiction will! Her story is still unfolding (like all of us) but Kim has transformed her life in a million different ways and shares the details in this up close and personal sugar success story.I hope she inspires you to ditch the white stuff and dine on whole foods instead! If Kim can do it, so can you.Enjoyed this episode? We'd love to hear your thoughts—share your feedback with us here!Support the showFlorence's courses & coaching programs can be found at:www.FlorenceChristophers.comConnect with Florence on:FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE

Oh man, I really enjoyed this interview.  It is one of the most unique I have ever completed.Why? Katie is a medical intuitive and a remarkably good one. She has 153 five star reviews on her Facebook page. She has been extensively featured in the media and has done reading with celebrities who describe her as “eerily accurate”. Her book “Heal From Within” details how learning to tap into her intuition helped her heal from binge eating, bulimia and sugar addiction and how it can help us too. It is her contention that our disordered eating and health challenges are forms of communication from our body/ spirit (maybe both) letting us know we are off track and out of alignment with our authentic self. If we ignore these messages, the messenger will get louder. Our health symptoms will escalate and our addiction will too as we use it to tune out our inner knowing and the pain of disconnection. Inspirational and practical, this interview ends with a suggestion of how we can start tapping into our own intuition through journaling. Bottom line? Healing can happen, the answers are within, and recovery is a journey. Enjoy!Enjoyed this episode? We'd love to hear your thoughts—share your feedback with us here!Support the showFlorence's courses & coaching programs can be found at:www.FlorenceChristophers.comConnect with Florence on:FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE

Christina T. Veselak is the founder and director of the Academy for Addiction and Mental Health Nutrition. She has been a licensed psychotherapist for over 30 years, and currently provides on-line Relapse Prevention Coaching and Mental Health Nutrition to a wide variety of clients.Christina consults for supplement companies as well as IV detox programs and residential addiction treatment, helping them integrate this life-saving nutritional approach into their programs.She is an experienced public speaker, and has presented at conferences and trainings around the country. Christina is also a founding member and former Executive Director of the Alliance for Addiction Solutions, a non-profit organization which promotes the use of nutritional and other natural modalities to support repair of the addicted brain.Christina is committed to staying abreast of the rapidly growing science of orthomolecular psychiatry and functional nutrition & biochemistry for mental health, and is passionate about sharing her knowledge with both the general public and professionals in the fields of addiction recovery & mental health treatment.Enjoyed this episode? We'd love to hear your thoughts—share your feedback with us here!Support the showFlorence's courses & coaching programs can be found at:www.FlorenceChristophers.comConnect with Florence on:FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE

It is my pleasure to share this interview with Sherry Strong. She is a friend, fellow sugar addict in recovery and addiction coach.Her story of reversing obesity is incredible and her elegance and way with words is always a gift to experience. I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I did.Enjoyed this episode? We'd love to hear your thoughts—share your feedback with us here!Support the showFlorence's courses & coaching programs can be found at:www.FlorenceChristophers.comConnect with Florence on:FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE

In this episode, Emily August (a professor of literature and published poet) delivers a deeply persuasive testament to the power of abstinence. Her story of recovery from drugs, cigarettes, alcohol and sugar/flour enables her to see clearly how addictions operate and how to break free.Emily, more than anyone I know, captures how unpopular it is right now in history to advocate abstinence from any foods, including sugar. She says the 'everything in moderation' and the 'intuitive eating' approaches to eating disorders have made the choice to abstain seem extreme or detrimental. And yet how far from the truth this can be for those of us on the addiction spectrum.In this interview, Emily also elaborates on her 'body-neutral fat activist' philosophy. A concept I had not heard before. It is so interesting!This was one of my all-time favorite interviews. I hope you enjoy it!Enjoyed this episode? We'd love to hear your thoughts—share your feedback with us here!Support the showFlorence's courses & coaching programs can be found at:www.FlorenceChristophers.comConnect with Florence on:FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE

In this episode, I interview my friend and fellow coach, Netta Gorman.Netta's story begins with a visit to a naturopathic doctor who suggested she stop eating wheat and sugar to see if her headaches, bloating and low energy would improve. Netta flat-out refused. She thought that suggestion was nothing short of crazy. After all, she wasn't overweight and eating sugar was normal.One day, however, her digestive issues were bad enough that Netta decided to give up these foods as an experiment. She felt so awful the first day she went to bed early and didn't leave her bedroom for 3 days. On the 3rd day, she woke up and felt a shift. Something had lifted. A breakthrough had happened.Netta went on to not only ditch the white powders but transform her mind and body and later started an online club called Life After Sugar.Tune in to hear her inspiring story and what life after sugar is all about.Enjoyed this episode? We'd love to hear your thoughts—share your feedback with us here!Support the showFlorence's courses & coaching programs can be found at:www.FlorenceChristophers.comConnect with Florence on:FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE