How gut bacteria make your child crave carbs and reject healthy food - Dr. Cody Golman

In this episode, we cover:

- Why kids and adults crave sugar—and how to gently reverse it

- The difference between sugar-burning and fat-burning brains

- What to do when your child only eats white foods

- Why broccoli makes your child feel worse before it helps

- Why emotions like sadness and anger need to be felt, not fixed

These are areas close to Dr. Cody Golman’s heart. As a former Army tank commander turned natural health practitioner, Dr. Golman has spent the last two decades helping people reset their hormones and heal their metabolism through food, lifestyle, and emotional awareness.

This episode is not about judging parents—it’s about helping them make sense of their child’s real needs and begin a reset journey without shame.

Episode Highlights

1:13 – “Did you know we’re born fat-burners? And that your IQ, energy, sleep, even behavior is better when your brain runs on fat?” — Cody explains the body’s natural metabolic state and what flips it.

3:23 – “Excess sugar in a child’s brain can look like ADHD. In adults, it can look like dementia.” — Cody reframes sugar’s impact on brain function.

4:50 – “Most kids’ diets are 100% sugar, and so are the parents’.” — Kim recognizes the emotional hit for families.

7:20 – “We’re not trying to make parents feel bad—we’ve all been lied to about food.” — Cody reassures parents it’s not their fault.

11:42 – “Pain is a motivator. You don’t need to feel shame—but don’t fall for the idea that loving your fat means accepting disease.” — Cody on facing hard truths with compassion.

15:44 – “The American government allowed cancer-causing dyes in our food. The same cereals in other countries are made with beet juice.” — Cody exposes food regulation gaps.

17:10 – “Sugar isn’t evil. It’s a powerful fuel. But if it’s your brain’s only fuel, expect meltdowns, mood swings, and poor memory.” — Cody on sugar’s double-edged sword.

21:52 – “You’ll flip into the primitive brain—the part that only avoids pain and seeks pleasure.” — Cody on why chronic sugar turns kids into dopamine chasers.

24:16 – “We had a kid who could tell which brand of canned food he was given, even when the can was swapped.” — Kim on real-world sensory-driven food restrictions.

25:50 – “White foods like bread and pasta break down into sugar. It’s not just candy.” — Cody clarifies hidden sugars.

27:12 – “When we help the brain regulate its chemistry, allergies and food restrictions can disappear.” — Claudie (via Kim) on the brain–gut connection.

28:45 – “The body is not the cause. The body is the loudspeaker. The root is in the brain.” — Cody on treating symptoms by rebalancing perceptions.

30:45 – “Children often express what parents repress.” — Cody opens a controversial and powerful take on emotional projection.

34:26 – “What if you’ve been eating Fruit Loops for 20 years? Where do you even begin?” — Kim prompts Cody for practical advice.

35:08 – “Remove bread, cereal, sugar, pasta—just for 40 days. That’s enough to reset hormones for many people.” — Cody shares his starting point.

37:37 – “Most adults don’t know how to feel an emotion. They just reach for a donut.” — Cody on sugar as emotional avoidance.

41:58 – “We’re not teaching kids to process emotions—we’re teaching them to distract.” — Cody calls out a cultural parenting issue.

43:26 – “In 2019, I couldn’t walk or spell my name. That’s when I learned about gut bacteria.” — Cody shares his personal turning point.

44:28 – “White bread was invented to show wealth—it’s bleached and ‘enriched’ after all nutrients are stripped.” — Cody gives a jaw-dropping food history lesson.

46:55 – “When you eat broccoli and feel sick, it’s not the broccoli—it’s the bad gut bacteria dying off.” — Cody explains the die-off effect.

52:50 – “You can eat a whole box of donuts but not a box of steaks.” — Cody on how fat triggers fullness but sugar tricks hunger.

53:58 – “When you burn fat, you can trust your hunger. When you burn sugar, you can’t.” — Cody’s final mic-drop moment.