Food Addiction vs. Binge Eating: What’s the Difference and Why It Matters with Dr. Vera Tarman

Beyond Binge Eating

In this episode, Kristina talks with Dr. Vera Tarman, medical director and food addiction expert, about the complexities of food addiction and the journey of true recovery. Dr. Tarman shares her deep understanding of food addiction, comparing it to substance addiction, and discusses the challenges individuals face with compulsive eating behaviors that persist despite clear negative consequences.

✨ Key Topics Discussed:

The Difference Between Abstinence and Recovery:

Dr. Tarman explains that abstinence is just the starting point. True recovery requires a deeper transformation that involves social, psychological, and spiritual changes. Without these, a person risks staying in a state of white-knuckling, where struggles and deprivation remain unresolved.

Understanding Food Addiction:

Dr. Tarman compares food addiction to substance addiction, highlighting the compulsive behaviors that persist despite harmful outcomes. She discusses the need to address these patterns with proper assessment and targeted intervention.

Treatment Approaches and Abstinence-Based Recovery:

The conversation delves into abstinence-based approaches, where stopping compulsive eating behaviors is the first step, but it should be followed by more profound internal and external changes.

The Role of Sweeteners and Intermittent Fasting:

Dr. Tarman discusses the potential pitfalls of sweeteners and intermittent fasting, particularly for individuals with a history of food addiction/eating disorders. She advises caution and a personalized approach to treatment that prioritizes mental and emotional health.

Social and Spiritual Transformation:

She emphasizes that lasting recovery requires a social change (support networks), a psychological change (therapy and emotional work), and a spiritual quest for meaning, which helps replace food as a source of comfort with more meaningful pursuits and connections.

🗣️ Dr. Tarman also shares valuable resources for listeners:

📚 Her book, Food Junkies: Recovery from Food Addictions (2nd Edition), is available in Audible, Kindle, and other formats.

🤝 The Facebook group "I’m Sweet Enough: Sugar-Free for Life", is a supportive community where newcomers and long-term members can ask questions, seek advice, and find encouragement.

🎧 The Food Junkies Podcast, where Dr. Tarman collaborates with experts like Clarissa Kennedy and Molly Painschab, discussing topics like cheese addiction and ongoing research insights into food addiction.

📺 YouTube Channel: Vera Tarman MD, offering informative talks and insights on topics like intermittent fasting, volume addiction, the biology of food addiction, and much more.

If you're struggling with food addiction or seeking support for a loved one, this episode provides practical insights, real-world strategies, and hope, showing that abstinence is only the beginning. Dr. Tarman's expertise offers a roadmap to a more meaningful recovery path—one where you replace compulsive behaviors with purpose, connection, and inner growth.

Let’s use abstinence as the foundation for a life of purpose, connection, and true transformation. 💖

Ready to apply for 1:1 coaching? I empower educated, ambitious women to finally break free from binge eating and food addiction so they can reclaim their well-being and health. Through tailored mindfulness practices, sensory tools, abstinent nutrition, and other holistic methods, I help navigate them to freedom from compulsions so they can live out their unique, wild journey of life as they choose.

If you'd like to set up a complimentary call to see if I can help, book a call at https://calendly.com/beyondbingeeating-info/getting-to-know-one-another?month=2024-11

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Disclaimer: The information on this channel is for educational purposes and is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice or therapy.