Food, We Need To Talk

When it comes to nutrition, it seems like we disagree about nearly everything: carbs, sugar, fat... even fruit. But, it turns out, there's actually a lot that the entire scientific community agrees on. In this episode, we talk to Professor Christopher Gardner about nutrition science, what we've gotten wrong, and more importantly, what we've gotten right. It turns out, nutrition may not be as complicated as we make it seem. Preorder our book! Remember to head to our website for our show notes! Follow us on Instagram @foodweneedtotalk. Find Juna on Instagram @theofficialjuna, and @JunaGjata on YouTube and TikTok. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

A lot of us struggle with our relationship to food. We may be overly restrictive. We may use food to cope with difficult emotions or stress. But for some of us, the struggle goes beyond this, and becomes a dangerous mental illness. Today, we revisit one of our most important episodes exploring eating disorders and disordered eating. How do we know if we have an eating disorder? Who can eating disorders affect? And what does a healthy relationship with food look like? Today, we speak to Professor Jennifer Thomas from Massachusetts General Hospital and and Professor Kristin Javaras from Harvard Medical School. Eating Attitudes Test 9EAT-26) Find more resources at the National Eating Disorders Association. Preorder our book! Remember to head to our website for our show notes! Follow us on Instagram @foodweneedtotalk. Find Juna on Instagram @theofficialjuna, and @JunaGjata on YouTube and TikTok. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

You know that feeling of not being able to stop eating something? Potato chips, Oreo’s, candy—one second you’re opening the package, the next it’s gone. What are ultra-processed foods, and why do they seemingly cause us to lose control? Today, we listen back on one of our favorite episodes featuring journalist Michael Pollan, Professor Paul Kenny on how processed foods affect our brains and even change our food preferences. Preorder our book! Remember to head to our website for our show notes! Follow us on Instagram @foodweneedtotalk. Find Juna on Instagram @theofficialjuna, and @JunaGjata on YouTube and TikTok. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

This is an update to our last episode on alcohol. New research has been accumulating suggesting that perhaps even a glass a day of alcohol is not beneficial. For instance, the new Canadian guidelines say that zero alcohol is the safest amount of alcohol. Today, we revisit the topic with Professor Mariann Piano, Senior Associate Dean for Research, Postdoctoral Fellowship Director. Thank you to everyone who reached out to us to make this episode. Preorder our book! Remember to head to our website for our show notes! Follow us on Instagram @foodweneedtotalk. Find Juna on Instagram @theofficialjuna, and @JunaGjata on YouTube and TikTok. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

If you’ve ever wondered what science has to tell us about being more fulfilled, feeling more joy, and living a good life, this is the episode for you. Today, we talk to happiness researcher and professor Dacher Keltner, from the University of California Berkeley and founding director of the Greater Good Science Center. How much money makes us happy? Is it harder to be happier today than it used to be? And what can we do to live a more meaningful life? Preorder our book! Check out Dacher’s books: Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life Born to be Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life Check out Dacher’s podcast The Science of Happiness Remember to head to our website for our show notes! Follow us on Instagram @foodweneedtotalk. Find Juna on Instagram @theofficialjuna, and @JunaGjata on YouTube and TikTok. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

You’ve seen it on the news, on Tiktok, and on magazine covers. Ozempic is being credited as a magical weight loss solution, allegedly responsible for countless celebrity transformations, and everyone is talking about it. But now, people with diabetes who need the medication are having trouble getting it. What is Ozempic? How does it work? Why does it cause weight loss and is it safe to use? Today, we talk to Dr. Shauna Levy, an assistant professor at Tulane University School of Medicine and a double board certified physician in General Surgery and Obesity Medicine. Preorder the book! Other episodes we mentioned: The Health Effects of Being Called “Fat” How to Create Habits and Hack Your Health Remember to head to our website for our show notes! Follow us on Instagram @foodweneedtotalk. Find Juna on Instagram @theofficialjuna, and @JunaGjata on YouTube and TikTok. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Thank you to everyone who has listened, downloaded, rated, or reviewed, your support made this a possibility, and now, a reality. FOOD WE NEED TO TALK: The Science-based, Humor-laced Last Word on Eating, Diet and Making Peace with Your Body | Published by St. Martin’s Press, releasing on July 11, 2023 Preorder at Barnes and Noble before Friday January 27, and use code “PREORDER25” at checkout for 25% off. Preorder on Amazon. Learn more about the book. If you do preorder, DM us a screenshot @foodweneedtotalk on IG or email us at foodweneedtotalk@gmail.com and we will be picking one person to win a signed hardcover! Thank you all so much, and we can’t wait for you to read it. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Is there anything better than a piping hot cup of coffee on a frigid winter day, or the first cold brew of a beautiful summer? For a lot of us… likely not. Coffee is the way we kick off a day, pick up an afternoon, and rehash the work week with a friend on the weekend. Besides saving us an untold amount of cash, is there any health benefit to giving up coffee? Or is it actually making us live longer? Today we talk to Professor Rob Van Dam from George Washington University. Caf, decaf, or no-caf: what science tells us about coffee, caffeine, and health. Remember to head to our website for our show notes! Follow us on Instagram @foodweneedtotalk. Find Juna on Instagram @theofficialjuna, and @JunaGjata on YouTube and TikTok. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

A cocktail with your friends, a glass of wine after work, a beer at a barbecue–alcohol is everywhere. Undoubtedly, it’s been an integral part of our society for thousands of years. But when it comes to its effects on our health, results can feel more mixed than your favorite margarita. Is alcohol a “poison,” or maybe, in moderation, is it actually ok, or even good for us? Today, we speak to Professor Eric Rimm from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health on the science of alcohol and health. So sit back, relax, and pour yourself a glass… or maybe don’t. Remember to head to our website for our show notes! Follow us on Instagram @foodweneedtotalk. Find Juna on Instagram @theofficialjuna, and @JunaGjata on YouTube and TikTok. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Donuts, cupcakes, lattes, and cookies–sometimes it seems like the best things in life are full of it: the sweet, delicious thing we call sugar. It’s one of the first places we look to when we’re trying to make a “lifestyle change,” and also one of the first places we look to when we need a pick-me-up. Some scientists say that sugar is akin to a poison, giving rise to diseases like diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Others say, it’s not actually that bad. So what’s the truth? This week, we talk to Professor Jim Mann from the University of Otago in New Zealand. Is sugar bad for us? Are all sugars the same? Should we even be giving up sugar at all? Find out on our sweetest episode yet.  Remember to head to our website for our show notes! Follow us on Instagram @foodweneedtotalk. Find Juna on Instagram @theofficialjuna, and @JunaGjata on YouTube and TikTok. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices