Food, We Need To Talk

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

We’ve all done it: you resolve to… go to the gym, eat healthier, save money. You’re excited and doing great, and then… it’s January 10th and you’re back to grabbing takeout, sitting on your sofa, and thinking, “Eh… I’ve got too much going on right now, next year!” Well what if there was actual research conducted on New Year’s Resolutions and how we can maybe (gasp) actually keep them for once? It turns out–there is. This week, in the first episode of our Resolutions series, we talk to Professor Alexander Rozental and Martin Oscarsson from Stockholm University in Sweden. They published the largest study on the making, keeping, and breaking of New Year’s Resolutions. This week, we find out what kind of goals to set, how to set them, and what to do to ensure that “this year is (actually) different.” 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

Today, we interview Professor Dan Lieberman all about why exercise doesn't have to be so stressful or complicated. This is a look at exercise through the anthropological perspective, and why it’s normal to not "feel like it" sometimes. Find out the answers to questions like: Is sitting actually that bad for you? How much do we need to exercise? Is there such a thing as exercising too much, and more. Professor Lieberman’s book Exercised: Why Something We Never Evolved to Do Is Healthy and Rewarding 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

The holidays are supposed to be the happiest time of the year, and yet, many people would agree "jingle hell" may be more appropriate than "jingle bell." Delicious treats are everywhere, and yet one wonders, is there such a thing as too many cookies? Family is coming together, including that one uncle who always makes some rude comment about your weight, and a whole smorgasbord of feelings--guilt, shame, anxiety, loneliness, and more--are brought to the table along with the pies and roasts. On this episode: how to navigate all things holiday food, family, and emotions to *actually* make it the happiest season of all! 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

Weight stigma, or weight-based discrimination, is a form of stigma that is widely accepted and has been rising over the past few decades. People think that being mistreated because of your body shape or weight is deserved because a person's weight is "their fault." Some even think that "fat shaming" is a way to help people "change" and "become healthier." Today, we discuss the detrimental physical and mental health effects of weight stigma, health effects that are often worse than the documented effects of excess weight. Our guest is psychologist Christine Emmer. Remember to head to our website for our show notes! Follow us on Instagram @foodweneedtotalk. Find Juna on Instagram @theofficialjuna. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

You may have heard online that calorie restriction, or intermittent fasting, or both combined can actually make us live longer. But what does science have to say about this? Today, we talk to Professor John Speakman about the science of calorie restriction, health, and longevity. Remember to head to our website for our show notes! Follow us on Instagram @foodweneedtotalk. Find Juna on Instagram @theofficialjuna. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Today, you've got Q's, we've got A's! What do you do if you don't like resistance training? How do you get back into the gym after a long break? Can you lose weight if you're eating junk food? And how can you get kids to eat healthy without putting certain foods off limits? Join us for this spooky Q&A. Remember to head to our website for our show notes! Follow us on Instagram @foodweneedtotalk. Find Juna on Instagram @theofficialjuna. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices