Nutrition For Mortals 100 Years of Diet Food (Summer Re-Release)
Jul 9, 2025
Join the hosts as they explore a century of wacky diet fads. From the grapefruit craze of the 1920s to the controversial 100-calorie packs of the 2000s, each decade's quirks and consequences unfold. Learn about the dangers of the Master Cleanse and the absurdity of the Sexy Pineapple Diet. They also dive into how these trends impact our relationship with food, revealing the psychological effects of deprivation and cravings. Finally, find out if we're doomed to repeat these cycles or if it's time to reclaim our relationship with food.
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Grapefruit Diet Origin Story
- Jen and Matt recount the 1920s "grapefruit diet" tied to Ethel Barrymore and Hollywood pressure at the Mayo Clinic.
- The plan often meant 500–600 calories daily and caused fainting and malnutrition in practitioners.
The Master Cleanse History
- Jen and Matt discuss Stanley Burroughs' cayenne cocktail (Master Cleanse) from 1941 and its extreme fasting protocol.
- Burroughs later faced legal trouble and the cleanse persisted culturally, including Beyoncé using it in 2006.
Cabbage Soup Fad
- The cabbage soup diet rose in the 1950s as a single-food plan where people ate mostly cabbage soup for weeks.
- Variants allowed odd additions like multiple bananas on a day and resurfaced in the 1980s with many names.
