Podcast Summary: What Are You Made Of?

Host: Mike "C-Roc" Ciorrocco
Guest: Amber Romaniuk
Episode: Overcoming Emotional Eating: How Amber Romaniuk Transformed Her Life
Date: February 13, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Mike "C-Roc" Ciorrocco welcomes Amber Romaniuk, host of the "No Sugarcoating Podcast" and a digestive and hormone expert with over 11 years of experience helping women heal their relationships with food. Amber shares her deeply personal journey of overcoming emotional eating and food addiction, offering insights on the root causes, healing processes, and the broader societal issues fueling these struggles. The conversation dives into performance, mindset, addiction, body image, healing, and purpose, packed with actionable advice and personal reflections.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Amber’s Personal Journey with Emotional Eating

• Background: Amber originally studied to be a broadcast journalist but her struggles with emotional eating redirected her life’s purpose.
  • "I really struggled unconsciously with emotional eating my whole childhood, teens. And then after my first breakup… I just started binge eating." (01:46)
• Low Point and Turning Moment:
  • She recalls the turning point: retrieving food from the garbage, realizing her addiction was out of control, and her physical health severely declining.
  • “My low point moment… was just like, what did I just do? Why am I doing this? I can't believe it.” (03:40)

2. The Nature of Addiction

• Addiction extends beyond substances like alcohol or drugs—food, shopping, TV, and technology can all be mechanisms for dopamine-seeking.
  • “An addiction is addiction, right?... I noticed my addiction more from food and then… shopping every day, spending money I didn't have.” (04:31)
• Many addictive behaviors are rooted in seeking comfort, even when suffering.

3. Root Causes: Self-Worth, Body Image, and Family Dynamics

• Unworthiness: Many turn to food or other addictions to fill a perceived void.
  • “When we don't feel good enough, we have a void that we're trying to fill with food, alcohol, whatever it is... I really struggled with body image.” (07:06)
• Societal and Family Programming: Media pressures, food industry tactics, and family habits create a fertile ground for disordered eating.
  • “Women are so targeted in North America. The pressure from Hollywood, media, magazines... It pulls you completely out of having an internal connection with yourself.” (07:25)

4. All-or-Nothing Mentality & Perfectionism

• The cycle of binging-restriction is often fueled by an "all or nothing" approach, leading to pendulum swings and unsustainable habits.
  • “Once we wire that pathway in the brain of all or nothing, it will light up...” (09:50)

5. Societal Structures and The Business of Addiction

• The food, diet, and pharmaceutical industries profit from keeping people addicted, unwell, and disconnected.
  • “Look at the food industry creating addictive food. Look at the weight loss and diet industries trying to make you a lifetime customer... They're all in cahoots to have you be disconnected and out of touch with who you are so that you can be a profit to them.” (12:13)

6. Hope, Healing, and Changing the Narrative

• Amber emphasizes full recovery and self-definition, opposing the idea that people must always carry their past addictions with them.
  • “You can fully heal this and leave it behind you. It does not have to be something you drag along with you.” (17:09)

7. Inspiring Others (by Example, Not Force)

• Healing best ripples to others when demonstrated, not preached.
  • “I think the living demonstration and embodiment is a great place to start because then if they have questions, they can ask. Otherwise, I don't force it on anybody.” (28:34)
• Importance of respecting others' journeys, practicing detachment, and accepting that not everyone is ready for change—even close family.
  • “Learning the art of detachment, which can feel really hard at first, is very powerful.” (29:41)

8. The Role of Spirituality and Energy Healing

• Amber describes energy work and self-healing as pivotal in her recovery – sometimes more than food changes or supplements.
  • “Some of my biggest healings happened when I had energy work done or learned how to do it myself. It wasn't the food. It wasn't a supplement. It was that part.” (24:48)

9. Systemic Change and the Power of Consumer Choice

• Empowerment through consumer choices (“voting with your dollars”) and awareness is highlighted as a way to fight industry manipulation.
  • “The first biggest, powerful step that any citizen can do is vote with their dollars. Look at Kellogg’s... they've lost over 40% of their profit because... people are fed up.” (20:50)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On rock bottom:
  • “If I keep doing this, I don't think I'll make 30. Like, I was so destructive with my body... The binges, the restriction, trying all these crazy diets.” – Amber (02:29)
• Addiction is multi-faceted:
  • “We get so in our comfort zones even if we're suffering… It was so safe and familiar for me to self sabotage with food...” – Amber (04:31)
• On societal pressures:
  • “Women are so targeted in North America. The pressure from Hollywood, media, magazines... You’re chasing a number on the scale. You’re chasing looking a certain way.” – Amber (07:25)
• Industry incentives:
  • “If you're busy fighting with your body, you're busy in addiction, you probably don't really feel very confident… It's easy to control and manipulate you...” – Amber (12:13)
• On healing and labeling:
  • “You can fully heal this and leave it behind you. It does not have to be something you drag along with you.” – Amber (17:09)
• The impact of demonstration:
  • “I just came into it being like, I’m unapologetically being myself, and if that’s accepted, great. And if not, it’s probably not the right relationship.” – Amber (27:49)
• On sugar addiction:
  • “You realize... that sugar is 10 times more addictive than cocaine. And that's why I could not stop eating it, and it wasn't me and that I wasn't crazy.” – Amber (25:08)
• Consumer power:
  • “The first biggest, powerful step that any citizen can do is vote with their dollars.” – Amber (20:50)

Important Timestamps

• [01:46] Amber’s entry into emotional eating and the beginnings of addiction
• [03:40] The rock-bottom moment: retrieving food from the garbage
• [07:06 - 09:08] Root causes: Unworthiness, body image issues, and family patterns
• [12:13] Societal programming, media, and food industry tactics
• [17:09] Amber’s vision for healing, purpose, and her take on recovery labels
• [20:50] The power of consumer choice in driving industry change
• [24:48] The role of energy healing in Amber’s recovery
• [25:08] Sugar’s addictive nature compared to cocaine
• [28:34] On inspiring others by example instead of preaching
• [29:41] Practicing detachment and allowing others their own journey

Amber’s Vision and Where to Find Her

• Vision: Help eradicate food addiction, emotional eating, and binge eating worldwide through education, mindset healing, and systemic action.
  • “My big vision is to help eradicate food addiction and emotional eating and binge eating from this planet, fully 100%.” (17:09)
• Podcast: The No Sugarcoating Podcast
• Website: amberapproved.ca
• Social: @amberromaniuk

Tone and language: Deeply honest, empathetic, down-to-earth, and actionable with a blend of personal storytelling and broader societal critique. Both Mike and Amber mix humor and gravity, fostering a safe space for reflection and growth.