064: Interview with Dr Grace, Host of the Uncommon Medicine Podcast064: Interview with Dr Grace, Host of the Uncommon Medicine Podcast
You're Sober! Now What?
Tamar Medford talks with Dr Grace about joint pain, inflammation, sugar addiction and natural strategies that may support brain and body repair after substance use. Their chat blends science, humour and practical ideas for people in recovery who want to feel physically better.
57:05•30 Nov 2020
Joint Pain, Sugar Cravings and Sobriety: Dr Grace Gets Real About Healing the Body
Episode Overview
- Chronic joint pain often starts with inflammation, so looking at food intake and basic blood markers can be just as important as analysing joint mechanics.
- Trans fats, excitotoxins, corn, sugar and GMOs are highlighted as a “big five” to reduce for anyone dealing with pain, inflammation or cravings.
- Sugar lights up the same brain receptors as heroin, which may explain why moderation feels impossible for many people in recovery.
- Supporting brain and gut repair with omega-3s, 5-HTP (with medical guidance), probiotics, Aloe Vera juice, apple cider vinegar and live fermented drinks may help reduce cravings.
- Cheaper, less invasive options such as ozone therapy and prolotherapy are presented as alternatives to repeated steroid injections or very costly stem cell treatments for damaged joints.
“"Sugar actually triggers the exact same receptors in the brain as heroin, and it's just as addictive."”
Curious about how others manage their sobriety alongside real-life health issues like joint pain, sugar cravings, and lingering damage from past substance use? This conversation between host Tamar Medford and Dr Grace blends humour, science, and straight-talking advice for anyone in recovery who wants their body to catch up with their alcohol-free life.
Dr Grace, a chiropractor and self-confessed science geek, shares how her background as a professional athlete and years working with celebrities and high performers shaped her approach to integrative care. She explains why so many people in their 40s feel constantly achy and outlines a practical two-step plan: first tackle inflammation through diet and blood markers, then address structure with strength work and targeted therapies like cold laser, PEMF, ozone and prolotherapy, rather than relying on repeat steroid injections.
For those with a history of addiction, the discussion gets especially relevant. Dr Grace links sugar to the same brain receptors as heroin and calls out processed foods, trans fats, corn, sugar and GMOs as major inflammation and craving triggers. She describes how omega-3s, 5-HTP (under medical supervision), gut repair, probiotics and an alkalising diet may support brain and body repair after substance use.
Simple tricks like mineral-rich salt under the tongue and proper hydration to calm binge urges make this feel doable, not theoretical. Tamar brings her own lived experience of addiction into the mix, asking the questions many in recovery quietly have: why do some foods set off the same compulsive patterns as alcohol, and what can you actually do about it day to day?
If you’re alcohol-free but your joints, cravings or energy levels haven’t got the memo yet, this chat might be the nudge to start treating your body as carefully as you treat your sobriety. What small change could you test this week to feel just a little better in your own skin?
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