Episode 8: How to Break Free from The Cycle of Addiction
Show Notes
Episode DescriptionAddiction doesn’t always disappear when you remove the substance. Sometimes, it finds somewhere else to go.
Grammy-nominated producer, songwriter, and We The Kingdom founding member Ed Cash knows this firsthand. After years of drug and alcohol addiction, multiple treatment centers, and time in jail, Ed got sober at just 19 years old. But as his life began to change, he eventually found himself struggling with another form of addiction: food.
At one point, Ed was roughly 90 pounds overweight. His physical health began to change when he discovered Jordan Rubin’s The Maker’s Diet and followed its 40-day, three-phase approach, eventually losing the excess weight and maintaining that transformation for decades.
In this episode of The Jordan Rubin Show, Jordan and Ed explore the deeper story behind his recovery—from addiction, anxiety, and food to identity, forgiveness, faith, and learning to stop living for the approval of others. Ed also shares the remarkable story of surrendering music after getting sober, and how God eventually restored the very calling he thought he had lost.
Watch through to the end for the complete Addiction & Metabolic Health Support Protocol, including principles from The Maker’s Diet for addressing insulin, infection, and inflammation, supporting the gut, improving metabolic health, and doing the inner work that can help break addictive patterns.
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About Ed CashEd Cash is a Grammy-nominated producer, songwriter, musician, and founding member of the two-time Grammy-nominated Christian band We The Kingdom. Throughout his career, he has helped create some of contemporary Christian music’s most influential songs, including producing Chris Tomlin’s “How Great Is Our God.” As a member of We The Kingdom, Ed has helped the multigenerational family band reach more than one billion cumulative streams.
Behind that success is a remarkable story of recovery and restoration. As a teenager, Ed struggled with severe drug and alcohol addiction, went through five treatment centers, and spent time in jail before getting sober at age 19 in 1991. Afterward, he walked away from music completely for two years, believing it had contributed to the destructive path he had been on.
Sobriety ultimately became the beginning of a much longer healing journey.
Ed has spoken openly about battling severe anxiety after getting sober, replacing substance addiction with food, and later recognizing unhealthy patterns around work. His journey has also included losing roughly 90 pounds, rebuilding his relationship with music, and doing deeper work around identity, forgiveness, faith, and his need for approval.
In 2024, Ed celebrated 33 years of sobriety by returning to Minneapolis—the city where he first got sober—to record We The Kingdom’s live EP 33 on the exact anniversary of his sobriety. Today, his story is a powerful testimony of what can happen when recovery extends beyond giving something up and becomes an opportunity to rebuild your health, identity, faith, and calling.
Connect with Ed CashWebsite: edcash.com
Youtube: @wethekingdom
Instagram: @edcashstudio
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Medical DisClaimerThis podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or another qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your diet, supplements, medications, or healthcare plan.
Protocols
Addiction & Mental Health Support Protocol
(4-5 Minute Read)Addiction doesn’t always disappear when you give up the substance. Sometimes, it finds somewhere else to go.
That’s exactly what happened to Grammy-nominated producer and We The Kingdom founding member Ed Cash. After overcoming drug and alcohol addiction as a young man, Ed eventually found himself battling a new struggle with food and carrying roughly 90 pounds of excess weight.
In this episode of The Jordan Rubin Show, Ed shares how discovering The Maker’s Diet helped him transform his health, while deeper work around faith, identity, forgiveness, and the need for approval helped him address what was driving his addictive patterns in the first place.
Confidence doesn't always arrive with a bold entrance. Sometimes, it builds quietly, step by step, as we show up for ourselves day after day. It grows when we choose to try, even when we're unsure of the outcome. Every time you take action despite self-doubt, you reinforce the belief that you're capable.
The key to making things happen isn't waiting for the perfect moment; it's starting with what you have, where you are. Big goals can feel overwhelming when viewed all at once, but momentum builds through small, consistent action.
You don't need to be fearless to reach your goals, you just need to be willing. Willing to try, willing to learn, and willing to believe that you're capable of more than you know.