Life After Sugar

Dr. Nathan Bryan has spent years researching human health and physiology... but during his medical training, he received zero dedicated training in nutrition.

In this episode, we talk about what he learned after his medical training and through his research, and how the nutritional quality of our food has degraded over time.

Dr. Nathan and I talk about how we consumers need to educate ourselves (which is easier said than done with all the confusing info out there!).

We also talk about sugar, insulin resistance, intermittent fasting, nutrient deficiencies, and whether supplements can...

You probably don't need another diet, another list of foods to avoid, or another reminder about what you already know you should be doing.

If you've been struggling with sugar cravings for years, the problem may not be a lack of information... or a lack of willpower.

It may be that you're trying to change a deeply ingrained pattern without the right process, support, and accountability.

In this episode, I explain why so many capable, motivated women can know exactly what they want to change and still find themselves back in the same...

For Sharon, sugar was much more than a sweet treat.

Sugary foods were something she used to help her through all-nighters and cope with difficult times.

But eventually, she realized that sugar was was helping her cope with difficult relationships and family issues.

In this episode, Sharon shares her journey from eating brownie batter straight from the bowl to adopting a raw vegan lifestyle.

She talks about the difficult events that fuelled her sugar addiction, and the moment she realized she didn't want to spend the next 40 or 50 years feeling miserable.<...

What does sugar have to do with heart disease? 

According to Dr. Geoffrey Boone, preventive cardiologist, much more than most people realize. 

After decades of helping people prevent heart disease, he explains how sugar contributes to inflammation, damages the lining of the arteries, and why these changes can begin years before any symptoms appear.

In this episode, we talk about why Dr. Boone believes prevention still isn't the main focus of healthcare, how modern imaging can detect heart disease long before a heart attack, and why highly processed foods have become such a pr...

You've probably tried to stop eating sugar on your own.

More than once.

And it can work for a while. 

You promise yourself you'll do better, you rely on willpower, and maybe you even have a few good days or weeks. 

But when life gets stressful or overwhelming, it's all too easy to slip back into old habits.

In this episode, I talk about why lasting freedom from sugar cravings isn't about having more knowledge or finding the perfect meal plan. 

It's about getting the right support and...

Many of us turn to sugar or comfort food without really understanding why. 

In fact, most of us haven't been taught how to name or cope with our emotions.

For Lisa, emotional eating became a way of coping with life's difficult moments when she was a child. It wasn't until much later in life that she began to uncover what she really needed to do when her emotions overwhelmed her.

In this episode, Lisa shares how childhood experiences, including the loss of her brother at the age of six, shaped her relationship with f...

A dramatic sugar crash during a swimming race at just 11 years old became the turning point that shaped Jodie's entire approach to health.

In this episode, Jodi shares how that early experience led her to question the role of sugar, discover the power of whole foods, and become much more aware of how food affects the body. 

We also explore inflammation, the gut and skin microbiome, why what you eat shows up on your skin, and how Jodi's decision to eat differently led to her creating a line of natural plant-based skincare products.

J...

Did you know that your body already makes its own natural version of Ozempic?

In this episode, you'll hear how GLP-1 works as a natural hormone, and why drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy exist: they copy the same hormone but are designed to last much longer.

You'll hear how the GLP-1 that naturally disappears from your body in two minutes got turned into an appetite-reducing drug that lasts a full week.

You'll also hear about what happens to people's weight after they stop taking GLP-1 drugs, as well as what leptin resistance actually...

In this episode, you'll hear from Dr. Jonar, an internal medicine physician and lifestyle medicine expert, about his own struggle with processed sugar.

Sugar was at the heart of Dr. Jonar's emotional eating, insulin resistance, and prediabetes. 

He explains why so many chronic diseases are driven by lifestyle, why nutrition receives so little attention in medical training, and how processed sugar affects the brain, the gut microbiome, and long-term health.

We also discuss sugar addiction, diabetes, GLP-1 medications, the role of the microbiome, and why changing your habits is more often the key t...

In this episode, Meg shares how she was diagnosed with anorexia at just 13 years old, and spent the next 16 years in and out of treatment before finally reaching full recovery in her late twenties.

You'll hear Meg talk candidly about what it was like to be a dangerously underweight teenager caught in a cycle of perfectionism and control.

Meg describes what treatment actually looked like for her, and the gap she found between learning coping tools in a clinical setting and applying them in real life.

You'll also hear how her eating disorder...

What if the thing standing between you and your "life after sugar" isn't sugar at all? 

What if it's the way you think?

In this episode, you'll learn about a trap so many women fall into: a habit of overcomplicating things until failure feels inevitable. 

You know the pattern. 

You set an impossible rule, break it by lunchtime, throw in the towel, and reach for the sugar because... well, you already "messed up."

You'll also find out why a sugar-free life may be perceived as being complicated, when the tru...

Cassandra grew up on a classic American diet, sugar included.

It wasn't until her 20s that she started noticing the connection between what she was eating and how she was feeling. As someone with ADHD, the moment she cut out sugar and experienced real mental clarity for the first time, there was no going back.

In this episode, Cassandra explains what mindful eating is: It means bringing awareness to what you eat, how you eat it, and how it makes you feel.

We talk about why North American food culture works against us...

What's the connection between gut health and sugar cravings?

In this episode, ZuZu, a holistic healthcare practitioner, explains how poor gut health, candida, and SIBO can actually drive your cravings, and why healing the gut can make those cravings disappear almost entirely.

She also explains why your body only needs one teaspoon of sugar in the bloodstream at any given time, why grains and starches count as sugar, and how excess sugar damages the nervous system and why this affects everything from digestion to neurotransmitter production. 

So if you've been struggling with bloating, c...

If you've ever asked yourself the question: Why aren't I sugar free yet? with frustration, this episode is for you. 

In my experience, one of the most common — and most damaging — expectations around going sugar-free is that it should happen instantly, completely, and permanently. 

Spoiler: it doesn't always work that way, and it doesn't have to.

In fact, I challenge the idea that going sugar-free should be instant and effortless — like someone waving a magic wand. (Me, for example!)

Actually, being sugar-free isn't just about how much sugar you eat, it's about ho...

My guest this week is Helen Ye, who grew up in Guangzhou, China.

In this episode, Helen shares how she learned from an early age that food is medicine and that balance is everything. As an Ayurveda practitioner and psychic, she brings a fascinating Eastern perspective to what's really driving cravings for sweets and sugar.

Helen explains the difference between Eastern and Western sugar, and why some people are more prone to sugar addiction. She also goes deeper into why healing your inner child may be at the root of healing your cravings. 

H...

In this episode, I'm talking with Dr. Kelly McCann, a medical doctor with a background in integrative medicine, and she connects the dots between mold exposure, gut health, and sugar cravings in a way I've never heard before. 

And then she takes it even deeper — into the emotional and spiritual side of why we reach for sweetness in the first place.

Because as Dr. Kelly explains, sugar cravings aren't just about willpower or habit.

In fact, they can be a signal from your body that something much deeper needs attention, like a void in...

This episode will walk you through my new book, called "Break Free from Sugar Cravings".

I'm so excited that this book is finally out in the world! (It's available here)

Based on my 12-week program, the Freedom from Cravings Formula, I wrote this book so that it can offer you more than just recipes or a food list.

This book is designed to be a practical step-by-step guide to help you think more deeply and get insights into changing your relationship with food, especially sugar.

Why?

Because...

Monica grew up in Australia with pretty health-conscious parents. But as life got busier and more stressful, she started eating more and more sugar. 

And eventually, working in the health industry of all places, she was diagnosed with Hashimoto's.

In this episode, Monica breaks down what Hashimoto's actually is, why it's so often missed or misdiagnosed for years, and why sugar plays a much bigger role in this autoimmune condition than most people — and most doctors — realize.

This one is especially relevant if you're a woman in your 40s, 50s, or beyond, because as Mo...

Suann grew up in northeastern Canada eating the way most of us did: a diet full of sugary cereals and processed foods.

But when she grew older, she started listening to her body. She became vegetarian, then vegan, moved off-grid, and built a life that suits her. 

And she's never felt more free.

In this conversation, we talk about what Suann calls embodiment — what it actually means to feel at home in your body, to know what it needs, and to trust it. And how that connects to the way we eat, the way...

In this episode, I want to talk about something that confuses a lot of people: cholesterol. What it actually is, why your body needs it, and why the LDL number on your lab report doesn't tell the whole story.

A new documentary that just came out in April 2026 called The Cholesterol Code got me thinking. 

It follows Dave Feldman, an engineer who went low-carb, stabilized his blood sugar, felt great, but then saw his LDL go up, and decided to find out why. 

What he discovered is turning a lot of what we th...

John grew up in Indiana eating Hungry Man dinners, boxes of sugary cereal, and green-frosted Ninja Turtle pies... and no-one ever told him sugar was a problem! 

By his early 30s he was pushing 290 pounds, prediabetic, and on blood pressure medication.

After discovering low-carb eating and spending years experimenting with ketosis, John learned how to train his body to burn fat instead of sugar and refined carbs for fuel. 

John's wake-up call at age 46 led him to build Rebel Health Alliance, which is a virtual clinic available across all 50 states where physicians, dietitians, st...

Christine spent 30 years trapped in the cycle of yo-yo dieting. 

She tried everything from Weight Watchers to a hospital-supervised liquid protein program. But nobody ever taught her why her body was working against her. 

In this episode, Christine opens up about growing up on the Standard American Diet (SAD), the childhood bullying that shaped her relationship with food, and how she reached 230 pounds.

It was when she began to understand the role of insulin, carbohydrate intolerance, and emotional eating in her health struggles that her life changed.

But Christine's story doesn't sto...

What do you say when someone offers you something with sugar in it… and you don’t want it?

Or you kind of do... but you don't want to sabotage your efforts to break free from sugar cravings?

In this episode, I walk you through simple, real-life ways to respond without feeling rude, awkward, or pressured to explain yourself.

We also look at what’s really going on in those moments, including the self-doubt that can show up later, even after you’ve said no.

This is about learning to have more com...

Angela grew up with a lot of stress and tension around food at home.

In her 20s, she struggled with severe sugar addiction alongside anxiety and depression, using sugar as a primary coping mechanism.

In this conversation, Angela shares how that breaking point led her to eat more mindfully, and how learning to be present in everyday moments slowly changed her relationship with food, cravings, and emotions.

Today, Angela  is a functional and integrative health practitioner. Her work blends physiology, nervous system regulation, and mindfulness, with a strong emphasis on helping women understand w...

When Violet's husband’s health crisis forced them to look for solutions, sugar and white flour weren’t even on the list.

In this episode, Violet shares how her husband’s Crohn’s disease led them to completely rethink the way they eat. 

They were trying to keep him off of meds because he didn't like the side effects that came with them. 

But when their version of healthy eating wasn't working, Violet and her husband decided to dive into functional medicine. And that really changed their whole perspective on nutrition. 

They immedi...

If you’ve ever thought about cutting sugar, flour, and processed foods, it's better to be prepared for what you might experience.

In this episode, I talk about the symptoms people often call “detox” and what’s actually happening in the body during that transition. 

We look at why you might be peeing more, why headaches are so common, what metabolic flexibility means, cravings, and why the brain and body can feel temporarily worse before they start to feel better.

I also talk about what helps during this phase, including food, salt, rest, and why t...

Evon Dennis grew up in a large family where most meals were home-cooked. But as her family’s income increased, so did the presence of ultra-processed foods. 

After leaving home as a teenager, and becoming a young mom, food became comfort for Evon. It became numbness. It became a coping tool.

In this episode, Evon shares:

You can do everything “right” and still not feel like you're "good enough".

In this episode, I talk with Courtney, a health coach and former dancer, about growing up in diet culture, and how looking healthy on the outside doesn't always reflect how we feel on the inside.

We talk about why weight loss so often backfires (hint: it's not your fault!).

And we also talk about how perfectionism undermines consistency. 

Courtney shares how becoming a mother made her realize that there's a gap between looking healthy and actually feeling well.

...

If you’re over 50 and sugar cravings feel stronger or harder to manage than they used to, you’re not imagining it.

In this episode (which I recorded a few weeks before my 56th birthday), I talk about what’s actually happening in the body after midlife and why the strategies that used to work often stop working. 

For most of us, shifting hormones affect blood sugar, stress, sleep, and cravings, so it's understandable that sugar can start to feel like the quickest way to calm yourself down.

But sugar's not a real friend...

You probably don’t need more health information. Chances are, you’re already overwhelmed by it.

In this episode, I talk with Jenn Trepeck, health coach and author of Uncomplicating Wellness, about why eating well and taking care of yourself has become so confusing, and why it doesn’t have to be.

We talk about how to make sense of all the conflicting nutrition headlines, why chasing the “right” plan often backfires, and how you can learn to listen to your own body. 

Jenn and I also talk about sugar cravings, and how you can shi...

Cravings don’t usually come out of nowhere. 

They’re often the body’s way of asking for relief, comfort, or a break from stress, even when it feels like the craving is “just for sugar.”

In this episode, my guest is Dr. David Clark, a board-certified gastroenterologist who spent decades working not only with people who suffer with digestive issues, but also chronic pain, fatigue, and cravings. 

In this fascinating conversation, we explore what Dr. David calls neuroplastic symptoms: how cravings begin in the mind, and can be a signal about your deeper needs...

What is emotional eating?

For a long time, I didn’t think emotional eating had anything to do with me. I thought I just liked sugar. 

I thought I needed more discipline. I thought I should “do better.”

You may relate.

In this episode, I share my own experience with comfort foods and the role sugar played in helping me cope and unwind at the end of a long day. 

I talk about why comfort foods feel so comforting, how emotional eating is different from trauma responses. 

If you’ve...

My guest this week, Dr. Elizabeth Wanek, has a chemistry degree, a medical doctorate, and decades of practice.

She challenges conventional healthcare thinking by connecting physics, chemistry, and biology to how we see energy, food, sugar, and cravings.

You don't need a science background or a medical degree to get inspiration from this episode.

In fact, both Elizabeth and I agree that the basics of biochemistry and human metabolism should be taught in school as early as possible!

To get my personalized guidance to stop emotional eating and break free from...

What actually counts as a whole food — and why does that matter when it comes to sugar?

In this episode, I unpack the difference between foods with added sugars and whole foods that naturally contain sugar, like fruit and dairy. 

I talk about what “minimally processed” really means, why "food products" that contain forms of added sugars have quietly become part of everyday eating...

and how all of this affects cravings, blood sugar, and our general health.

I also give my own opinion on the latest US nutrition guidelines that were publish...

In this episode, Mirinda shares her honest journey with sugar, dieting, and the lifelong food noise so many women know well. 

Growing up with mixed messages about food and years of yo-yo dieting, Mirinda explains how sugar slowly began to rule her mood, her thoughts, and her sense of self.

We talk about what finally changed: shifting away from weight loss and rules, and toward nourishing her body, stabilizing blood sugar, and focusing on how food actually made her feel. 

Mirinda shares how letting go of processed sugar, eating real food and healthy fa...

In this episode, I’m joined by Aaron, a family physician who explains why most doctors get surprisingly little training in nutrition — and how that gap shaped the way medicine treats chronic disease. 

Aaron shares how his upbringing influenced his relationship with sugar, why Type 2 diabetes in kids has risen so dramatically.

Aaron also talks about the personal turning point that changed his approach to health: adopting his daughter and fighting to support her with real food instead of default medical “standard care.”

We also talk about why real food — including healthy fats — simplifies so...

Cutting or reducing sugar can feel incredible… and also uncomfortable.

In this episode, I talk honestly about both sides of the journey to your "life after sugar" — the benefits we love and the challenges we don’t always talk about.

This episode is for you if you’ve ever wondered:

You don’t need to be perfect to change.

You just need to hav...

Hi, it's Netta.

I'm recording this episode in December 2025, and if your year wasn’t perfectly sugar-free… don't worry. 

I'm guessing that nobody's year was perfect — not even mine! ;-)

In this episode, I explore what it really means to make progress without expecting perfection — and why being human matters more than being “perfect.”

I share my own ups and downs, how diet culture feeds that all-or-nothing mindset, and why emotional eating isn’t really about the food.

Whether your year was sugar-free or not, I hope that this episode will he...

In this episode, I talk with Dr. John Oberg about his groundbreaking work helping people with Type 2 diabetes.

His medical practice dramatically improves their blood sugar through small, sustainable changes. 

He shares behind-the-scenes details from his clinical research, including how his team helped patients lower their A1C from dangerously high levels in just weeks, and why a personalized, step-by-step approach works better than strict diets. 

We dive into sugar, insulin, real-life behaviour change, and why tiny “micro-changes” can create massive health shifts, especially to treat or prevent Type 2 diabetes. 

This convers...

In this episode, I’m chatting with Ty, who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when he was just 8 years old.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition where the pancreas stops making insulin, so the body can’t regulate blood sugar on its own and needs insulin from injections or a pump to survive.

Ty takes us behind the scenes of what that has really looked like: from massive early insulin pumps, constant injections, organ transplants, and dialysis, to the medical tech that’s helped him survive and thrive. 

We talk about sugar, carbs, food, m...