When Food Becomes a Substance: Inflammation, Emotional Numbing, and the Clean Body Reboot

In today’s world, many of us are doing the best we can. We read the labels, buy organic, skip the fast food—but still feel tired, inflamed, bloated, and burned out.

As a certified health coach and substance use counselor, I’ve worked with hundreds of women who are deeply wellness-aware—yet unknowingly using food as a coping mechanism. Especially ultra-processed foods high in sugar, refined grains, alcohol, and seed oils. These act as substances, not nourishment, in the way they hijack our brain chemistry and burden our bodies…