While food addiction is still not considered a formal medical condition, it is clear from mounting evidence that it will soon be recognized as something that can be covered by medical planning. And while this book is more of a survey course, is very dense, has far too much medical terminology, and doesn't make as sounded a case as it should, there is still good info in here.

Most of the book is a discussions of the topic. I appreciated that the author goes into depth but it is mind numbingly written at times and not very accessible or friendly. The author has dealt with addiction herself and that perspective is greatly appreciated. As well, there are so many aspects to food addiction - from psychological to physiological, external influences to commognition, history and manufacturing. These are all explored in depth with good insights but also a LOT of terminology to slog through.

Unfortunately, the book felt too narrowly focused on food addiction and used very questionable sources. Quotes from e.g., Nina Eichholtz (long known to be in the pocket of big beef) seems very counterintuitive in a book about the evils of the food industry and how they obfuscate facts. Similarly, quotes from Dr. Benjamin Bikman, who supports keto dieting (a very unscientifically proven or explored approach to health) felt also problematic. Their quotes were convenient to the points the author was making but it really destroyed credibility for me. I couldn't help but feel that the solutions presented were good in the short term for sugar addiction but could have disastrous consequences on long term health if they became the new norm for addicted individuals. There is a lot of focus on eating more fat and protein instead.

One point I really did appreciate is that the focus of getting rid of food addiction should never be on weight loss - something which brings a whole new set of roadblocks and repercussions.

In all, very dense, hard to read, the solutions come very late and are short, and deal mostly with avoidance and mindfulness. There is a bigger picture here that seems to have been missed about nutrition beyond food addictions. It is worth the read if you can get past all the heavy medical jargon and factoids (and the 1000 times the Food Junkies podcast is plugged). Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

This is not the authors' fault at all - unfortunately this was just a bit too triggering for me and I had to step away from it before finishing, but found it to be thorough, practical, and appreciate that the authors are able to distill the complexity of addiction as well as robust scientific research into palatable takeaways for the reader

I have read that food addiction is one of the most challenging addictions to manage. Please notice I chose the word manage, not quit. We are required to eat to live; we can not quit food or we will die. How in the world do we manage food addiction when food choices are ones we have to make each and every day?

I am so thankful for the opportunity to read Dr. Claire Wilcox's book, Rewire Your Food-Addicted Brain. I was intrigued by the title, specifically the idea that one can rewire your brain to think differently about food addiction. I know that this is possible on other contexts, for example I try to reframe situations, and/or change my response to challenges in my life. I was curious as to how we can change our response to food.

I found Dr. Wilcox's approach to be research based, and allows for individual differences. She provides an easy to understand primer on food addiction and the ways that our food choices impact us. I appreciate that she not only provides choices of food plans to address food addiction, but also addresses mental health through building resilience. Her "harm reduction" approach gives permission to food addicts to find a plan that is best suited for them, without feeling like a failure for not following a black and white plan. She understands the challenges of food addicts and gifts them with strategies to manage their addiction and have hope for the future.

Thank you to Dr. Wilcox, New Harbinger Publications, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Rewire Your Food-Addicted Brain is an eye-opening and thought-provoking book that dives into the lesser-understood topic of food addiction. Since there’s limited research specifically on food addiction, the author draws heavily from existing studies on addiction and eating disorders sometimes leaning a bit heavily into the science, which can feel dense at times. Still, the overall tone remains informative and practical, with a strong focus on actionable strategies.

The core of the book promotes a keto or low-carb lifestyle, encouraging readers to stay away from hyper-palatable, highly rewarding foods that are trigger foods. What stood out to me was how the author doesn’t just demonize junk food and highly processed stuff she also explains how even “healthified” versions of addictive foods can fuel the same unhealthy behaviors. One unforgettable anecdote illustrates this perfectly: the author describes being so obsessed with her homemade cookies (made with “healthy” fruit jam) that she rationalized eating them even after breaking a glass jar into the dough, telling herself there might not be that much glass in them. It’s a jarring but honest look at how powerful food addiction can be.

The book offers tools to help readers identify their addiction triggers and recognize when they’re about to give in. It emphasizes mindfulness, journaling, getting a good nights rest and planning ahead, rather than relying solely on willpower. There’s also a memorable section on “volume eating” a tendency to binge on large quantities of even healthy foods (hello whole watermelon), which can still be physically and emotionally harmful despite the food’s nutritional profile.

What I appreciated most was the balance of personal insight, scientific explanation, and practical advice. The book doesn’t promise quick fixes, but it does offer hope and a roadmap for those who are ready to confront the emotional and biological roots of their food habits. This was an ARC copy so the online materials were not available yet but there should be a robust about of online support to go with the book and you can also listen to the podcast that inspired it, Food Junkies Podcast.

I took a chance with this book because of the title and the subject as I don't often do nonfiction. I'm really glad I did.

I assumed this was going to be a diet book that I would maybe get a few tidbits of useful, new information from. Instead this wasn't a diet book exactly it was a deep dive into the relationship with food and what you can do about it.

Cleaning up your diet is a good thing to begin with but these days with all the fast food out there and all the crap they put in food on the shelves at the store it becomes harder and harder to know what you're eating and how to change. This book goes into all of that but also the why behind it. Why the food is like that, why it affects you the way it does, and what you can do about it.

My favorite part of the book though is the, 'what can you do,' isn't a DO THIS END type of thing. Sure you can cut everything out completely and it might work for you (the book goes into the pros and cons) but you can also try other methods that aren't an all or nothing type of deal (the book goes into pros and cons). It gives several different ways to tackle the same issue which is really nice as the same thing doesn't work for everyone.

Just the way the book approaches different topics and issues from several sides and always gives a why behind it all. I highly suggest it if you find yourself struggling with cleaning up your diet.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I never read self-help books, but this is so relevant for today’s health landscape.

<b>“The more you feed a sweet tooth, the more likely it is to grow into a sweet fang.”</b>

This bridges the intimidating gap between academic research and real-world application, providing work practices, real-people examples, and scenarios that we all find ourselves in.

Importantly, this book is NOT about weight loss. This is actually a very positive book regarding body image and living in bigger bodies and finding and knowing your own body’s needs. It even delves into eating disorders and how to differentiate between them. It also provides a lot of resources.

At the forefront, this book places a lot of the blame on how companies are capitalising on “vanishing caloric density” foods - ultra-processed foods that are crafted to dissolve in your mouth so fast that your brain doesn’t realize it ate anything at all.
Did you know it takes only 5 seconds for sugar to light up the reward synapses? This is higher than drugs, tabacco, gambling, etc.

<b>Brains that were more sensitive to food cues and were motivated to consume high-calorie foods when they were available were evolutionarily advantageous. These prehistoric systems are still in our brains, and in today’s food environment, the lights in them are going on and off like a pinball machine.
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This gets more personal which makes it easier to digest and relate to - it recognises the constant exhaustive battle with yourself.

This breaks down the stigma surrounding all forms of addiction and shows you how our brain is wired to send signals to enforce such addictions or habits.

<b>If you slip often, don’t label yourself a “chronic relapser” but a “chronic never-giver-upper.” Slips aren’t failures; they’re chances to learn.</b>

This book gave me much to think on.
This book doesn’t just inform; it empowers readers to take control.

I did not find the practices that avant garde, so I think this was more empowering in terms of information for me.
Whilst backed up by a lot of evidence and sources, of course, this is still relatively new and I can see where subjectivity may have coloured certain stances.

Arc gifted by New Harbinger Publications, Inc.

As someone who has struggled with food addiction, finding easy to digest information that doesn’t feel overwhelming can be a struggle. This book was packed with information and various approaches to heal your relationship with food. I found it to have various tactics and not have a “shameful” feeling to the approach, though it could sometimes still be overwhelming. I recommend others who are struggling to give this a read. I learned things I hadn’t known before.

While waiting for food addiction to be recognized as a real diagnosis, in this book there are tools to check if we have this problem and strategies to learn how to manage it. Obviously, this essay is not a substitute for a professional, but it always comes in handy to have a couple of tricks up my sleeve for not buying chips at the supermarket when I go grocery shopping and am already starving, for example, and in my case of course.

Mentre si aspetta che la food addiction venga riconosciuta come una vera e propria diagnosi, in questo libro ci sono gli strumenti per verificare se abbiamo questo problema e delle strategie per imparare a gestirla. Ovviamente questo saggio non sostituisce un professionista, ma fa sempre comodo avere un paio di trucchi nella manica per non comprare le patatine al supermercato quando vado a fare la spesa e sto giá morendo di fame, per esempio e nel mio caso ovviamente.

I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.