Do You Have a Sweet Tooth or a Sugar Addiction? The 6 Signs with Dr. Jen Unwin

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Is sugar addiction real, and why do so many women swap alcohol for sugar the moment they stop drinking? In this episode of Stronger, Bolder, Wiser, I sit down with clinical psychologist Dr. Jen Unwin, a leading expert on sugar and ultra-processed food addiction, to answer exactly that.

We unpack why sugar is the hardest addiction to quit, how it wires the brain's reward pathways from childhood, and why willpower was never the problem. Jen walks us through her CRAVED self-assessment for spotting food addiction, explains food noise, GLP-1 weight-loss drugs and the damage of decades of low-fat diet culture, and shares the practical steps to break the sugar cycle for good. From trigger foods and protein-rich breakfasts to sleep, exercise, hormones and HRT in midlife.

Key Topics Covered

• Why sugar is the hardest addiction to break, and how childhood exposure wires the brain for it

• Why women who quit alcohol so often swap it for sugar and secret pantry binges

• The CRAVED framework: a simple 6-point test to know if you have a food addiction

• How ultra-processed "triple threat" foods (salt, sugar, fat) override your natural off switch

• Why being overfed but undernourished drives cravings, and how protein and fat switch them off

• Practical steps to quit sugar: clear trigger foods, rebuild breakfast, protect sleep and exercise

Dr. Jen Unwin is a consultant clinical health psychologist with over 30 years in the NHS and a leading voice on ultra-processed food and sugar addiction. With her GP husband Dr. David Unwin, she pioneered drug-free type 2 diabetes remission programs featured in the BBC's "The Truth About Carbs". A food addict in recovery herself, she co-founded the Collaborative Health Community, co-created the CRAVED screening tool, and wrote "Fork in the Road: A Hopeful Guide to Food Freedom".

Website: https://www.the-chc.org/X: https://x.com/drjenunwin

Timestamps:

Sugar addiction and whether it's actually real (00:00)

Why sugar is the hardest addiction to quit (01:38)

Why sugar is the first gateway drug (08:16)

Hidden sugar in foods marketed as healthy (13:00)

How the CRAVED test screens for food addiction (18:19)

Food noise and how GLP-1 weight loss drugs affect cravings (29:28)How low fat diet culture failed women (32:12)

How nutrient dense eating kills sugar cravings (36:35)

How to quit sugar and where to start (44:13)

How to identify your sugar trigger foods (47:45)

Handling social pressure and finding support quitting sugar (51:53 )The hidden self care load women carry (57:52)

How hormones and HRT affect sugar cravings (59:31)

Food rules Q&A in a rapid fire round (01:05:57 )

What life after quitting sugar looks like (01:11:57)

Final takeaways on quitting sugar for good (01:14:39)

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If you want to join a space where women feel safe to be seen, ask the questions they don't always say out loud and connect with others going through the same, join my free Facebook group, Women's Wellbeing Collective here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/342319476897067
And if changing your relationship with alcohol is something you want to explore further, you can find my book Beyond Booze on Audible, Spotify, Kindle and Amazon. Click the link here: https://sarahrusbatch.com/beyond-booze