Solving Addiction with Nutrition | Julia Ross - E408

Julia Ross is a pioneering psychotherapist and bestselling author who has spent over 30 years revolutionizing the treatment of mood disorders, food addiction, and binge eating. A leader in nutritional psychiatry, she's helped thousands break free from cravings and compulsive eating by addressing the brain's biochemical imbalances with targeted amino acids and real food. Her groundbreaking work has empowered people worldwide to restore their natural appetite control, emotional balance, and lasting freedom from unhealthy eating habits—without relying solely on willpower or medication.

In this episode, Dr. Brian, Dr. Tro, and Julia talk about…

• (00:00) Intro

• (03:52) What drew Julia Ross to psychotherapy and how she began to recognize that food addiction and binge-eating were real disorders

• (11:37) The amino acid Tyrosine and how it impacts addiction centers in the brain

• (16:13) Research on the effectiveness of Tyrosine and why the amino acid Dopamine is over-rated

• (19:57) What causes people to crave a substance like sugar

• (21:12) Why food addicted individuals need to focus on eating more protein

• (26:03) Why fat alone is not sufficient to break food addiction in the brain

• (29:29) How amino acids can neutralize stress and help with addiction recovery

• (34:30) SSRIs, tryptophan, and addiction

• (45:08) Micronutrients, amino acid deficiency, and veganism

• (49:31) Whether supplementation is essential for adequate amino acid intake

• (54:11) How the industry has warped our thinking about food and eating

• (58:37) Whether GLP-1s help with food addiction and cravings

For more information, please see the links below. Thank you for listening!

Links:

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Julia Ross:

• Website and Books: https://www.juliarosscures.com

• X: https://x.com/juliarosscures

• FB: https://www.facebook.com/juliarosscures/

Dr. Brian Lenzkes:

• Website: https://arizonametabolichealth.com/

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrianLenzkes?ref_src=twsrc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^author

Dr. Tro Kalayjian:

• Website: https://www.doctortro.com/

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/DoctorTro

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doctortro/

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