Emotional Brain Training with Dr. Laurel Mellin: Rewiring the Brain to Heal Emotional Eating and Food Addiction | ANEW EP 77

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In Episode 77 of the ANEW Insight Podcast, Dr. Supatra Tovar welcomes Health Psychologist, Nutritionist, and bestselling author Dr. Laurel Mellin, creator of Emotional Brain Training (EBT). In this powerful and thought-provoking discussion, Dr. Mellin shares how emotional eating is often rooted in stress and eating survival circuits, not willpower failure. Through Emotional Brain Training, listeners can begin rewiring the brain to heal lifelong struggles with food addiction, emotional overwhelm, and body shame.

With decades of experience at UCSF, Dr. Mellin developed EBT to provide a brain-based therapy approach that targets the emotional circuits stored in the limbic brain—areas associated with compulsive eating, chronic stress, and mood dysregulation. She explains how trauma and food become unconsciously linked early in life, forming patterns that fuel emotional eating and weight gain, and why conventional diets and cognitive techniques often fail to create lasting change.

Listeners will discover:

• What emotional brain training is and how it works
• How Dr. Laurel Mellin overcame her own food and body struggles through EBT
• The neuroscience of rewiring the brain and how to apply it to everyday stress
• Why GLP-1 natural support is crucial and how to activate it without medication
• The link between cortisol and weight gain, and how to calm stress hormones naturally
• How emotional eating recovery is possible using the Cycle Tool—a practical EBT method
• The eight key brain chemicals driving stress and eating behavior: cortisol, dopamine, insulin, ghrelin, leptin, serotonin, GLP-1, and PYY
• Real-world tools to break free from diet culture and rebuild body trust
• Why EBT can complement or enhance traditional therapy, and how it differs from approaches like CBT and mindfulness
  
  

Dr. Mellin’s journey is not just clinical—it's personal. She candidly shares how a moment of childhood shame formed the survival circuit that led to emotional eating, and how she permanently rewired it through emotional brain training. Her insights remind us that compulsive eating treatment must go beyond willpower and behavior—it must tap into the brain's natural ability to change.

For those struggling with binge eating recovery, body image healing, or the cycle of weight regain, this episode offers a radical new lens on healing: one that’s rooted in neuroplasticity, self-compassion, and the power of emotional connection.

To go deeper, explore the online course Deprogram Diet Culture at anew-insight.com—a comprehensive 7-step method created by Dr. Supatra Tovar to support long-term, diet-free health through neuroscience, nutrition, and psychology.

Here are Dr. Laurel Mellin social media channels link: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B000APE9YS,  https://www.ebtconnect.net/, 

Thank you for joining us on this journey to wellness. Remember, the insights and advice shared on the ANEW Body Insight Podcast are for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before making any changes to your health routine. To learn more about the podcast and stay updated on new episodes, visit ANEW Body Insight Podcast at anew-insight.com. To watch this episode on YouTube, visit @my.anew.insight. Follow us on social media at @my.anew.insight on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Threads for more updates and insights. Thank you for tuning in! Stay connected with us for more empowering stories and expert guidance. Until next time, s