

Making It Awkward
Jessica Wilson, MS RD
What's going on with health and food policy right now? Each week dietitian and author Jessica Wilson shares her conversations with experts in their field or on their farm and figures out how we got here and why. Jessica has followed the ultra-processed food hysteria to trad wife pipeline and the direct path from COVID conspiracies to RFK Jr to the current administration.
From her conversation with the Make America Healthy Again spokesperson to the Oregon beef farmer this podcast connects it all. Listen each week as she brings something new to the conversation and at times makes it awkward.
From her conversation with the Make America Healthy Again spokesperson to the Oregon beef farmer this podcast connects it all. Listen each week as she brings something new to the conversation and at times makes it awkward.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Feb 12, 2026 • 53min
Parasociality, Straight Women's Sexuality, and the Cultural Response to Heated Rivalry with Lindsay Lee Wallace
Lindsay Lee Wallace returns to talk about why she thinks women who have sex with men are drawn to Heated Rivalry. She wrote in, Yearning and Submission in 'Heated Rivalry', "Women who yearn and submit are often main characters—but they are simultaneously seen as frivolous and typical. Their yearning and submission aren't treated as meaningful, or as specific to them and their relationships… So it can feel easier and freer to step back from the equation entirely. Watch two men yearn for one another, which maintains their masculinity." Lindsay and Jessica talk about that article and explore additional topics including parasocial relationships, what makes Heated Rivalry simply good television, and the pop culture pundit panic in late 2023 when a UCLA survey found that Gen Z wanted less sex in media. Intimacy coordination Dance parties Heated Rivalry made in Canada Good things that happened because of Heated Rivalry Rachel Reid receiving Parkinson's treatment Rachel Reid Like this episode? You can rate, review, subscribe, follow, share and comment! Questions about the show? Guest pitches? Email makingitawkwardpod@gmail.com You can buy awkward merch! You can become a Patreon member! You can watch this episode at https://www.youtube.com/@MakingItAwkwardPod Follow Jessica Wilson on Instagram @jessicawilson.msrd and TikTok @byjessicawilson Jessica Wilson's book: It's Always Been Ours; Rewriting the Story of Black Women's Bodies

Feb 5, 2026 • 59min
Heated Rivalry: Queerness, Coming Out and the Hags That Move the Story Along with Blake Flaugher, MPH
Blake Flaugher, MPH returns to the show to chat about all things Heated Rivalry. He shares some topics that have been left out of the discourse, and teaches us about the importance of seeing romance in gay relationships, the role of hags in gay men's lives, and representation of bottoming. Blake and Jessica share their coming out stories, discuss if we're beyond conversations about coming out, and their thoughts on body norms in the show. The topics they discuss today will add to the story if you've watched it, it will give you a unique lens should you choose to watch it and will teach you things about queer culture if you never plan to watch. Like this episode? You can rate, review, subscribe, follow, share and comment! Questions about the show? Guest pitches? Email makingitawkwardpod@gmail.com You can buy awkward merch! You can become a Patreon member! You can watch this episode at https://www.youtube.com/@MakingItAwkwardPod Follow Jessica Wilson on Instagram @jessicawilson.msrd and TikTok @byjessicawilson Jessica Wilson's book: It's Always Been Ours; Rewriting the Story of Black Women's Bodies Welcome back to MIA, Jessica Wilson, dietitian and author of IABO. you can find me on IG at.

Jan 29, 2026 • 20min
Bonus Episode: Community Commitment and MAHA Hypocrisy; F*** ICE
F*** ICE. This bonus episode shares the stories of immigration and ICE occupation from Making it Awkward guests. Hear stories of immigrants in LA, what it's like to be on the ground in Minneapolis right now, and a story from a mom in Charlotte deliverying groceries to neighbors too afraid to leave their homes. HCMC protest https://www.kare11.com/article/news/local/breaking-the-news/hcmc-doctors-staff-protest-ice-impact-hospital-patients/89-3696c23f-6afb-44ea-8e02-7286543dabdd Smitten Kitten https://smittenkittenonline.com/ Like this episode? You can rate, review, subscribe, follow, share and comment! Questions about the show? Guest pitches? Email makingitawkwardpod@gmail.com You can buy awkward merch! You can become a Patreon member! You can watch this episode at https://www.youtube.com/@MakingItAwkwardPod Follow Jessica Wilson on Instagram @jessicawilson.msrd and TikTok @byjessicawilson Jessica Wilson's book: It's Always Been Ours; Rewriting the Story of Black Women's Bodies

Jan 22, 2026 • 1h
Jessica's Monch Monch Ad & Dr. Robert Lustig's Fiber Fail
Jessica Wilson, MS. RD. made a social media ad for Dr. Robert Lustig's Monch Monch; a fiber supplement that's supposed to act like a sponge in our digestive tract. Now listeners get to hear the ins and outs of the partnership and about the supplement from top to bottom. Our favorite podcast editor Jen Jacobs returns to this side of the show to hear about the whole commercial making process, behind the scenes conversations, science claims, typos and product reviews. The two have a great time! This episode includes product reviews from former guests on the show, from buyers on reddit and amazon, and Selena's kiddo in her commercial acting debut. Listeners should stay tuned after the interview for more reviews and the full commercial! Howie Mandel is a partner of Monch Monch Lustig's paper for the World Economic Forum Lustig's article in Frontiers Lustig's part 1 episode: "No Food is Better Than Bad Food" Lustig's part 2 episode Biolumen Like this episode? You can rate, review, subscribe, follow, share and comment! Questions about the show? Guest pitches? Email makingitawkwardpod@gmail.com You can buy awkward merch! You can become a Patreon member for as little as $3/month!! You can watch this episode at https://www.youtube.com/@MakingItAwkwardPod Follow Jessica Wilson on Instagram @jessicawilson.msrd and TikTok @byjessicawilson Jessica Wilson's book: It's Always Been Ours; Rewriting the Story of Black Women's Bodies Welcome back to MIA, Jessica Wilson, dietitian and author of IABO. you can find me on IG at.

13 snips
Jan 15, 2026 • 1h 2min
The Manly Man's Inverted Food Triangle: Dissecting the Dietary Guidelines with Meghan Cichy MPH, RDN.
Meghan Cichy, MPH, RDN — a registered dietitian and public health analyst — breaks down the new inverted food triangle. They critique its design, who it targets, and the ‘real food’ rhetoric. Conversations cover protein emphasis, industry influence, missing ultra-processed definitions, alcohol guidance, and the triangle’s appeal to manosphere-style audiences.

Jan 8, 2026 • 49min
Thought Hygiene: Manifesting, Magical Thinking and OCD with Lindsay Lee Wallace
Have you been thinking clean thoughts and manifesting for 2026? Lindsay Lee Wallace returns to the show to talk about the idea of thought hygiene, OCD, magical thinking and manifesting. Lindsay shares the highlights of the conversation she had with a manifestation coach and she brings her thoughts about wellness as a line item in your budget. Lindsay and Jessica start the episode with a discussion about Dr. Robert Lustig and his company's first product, Monch Monch, a supposed fiber sponge that soaks up sugar. A quick note that the Dietary Guidelines for Americans is out and that will be next week's episode! Like this episode? You can rate, review, subscribe, follow, share and comment! Questions about the show? Guest pitches? Email makingitawkwardpod@gmail.com You can buy awkward merch! You can become a Patreon member! You can watch this episode at https://www.youtube.com/@MakingItAwkwardPod Follow Jessica Wilson on Instagram @jessicawilson.msrd and TikTok @byjessicawilson Jessica Wilson's book: It's Always Been Ours; Rewriting the Story of Black Women's Bodies

Jan 1, 2026 • 56min
Childfree By Choice; Joyful, Unapologetic Childfree Women Frighten the Patriarchy
Re-release! Chrissy King joins Jessica Wilson, MS RD for a conversation about being childfree by choice. Chrissy talks about how she made her decision and how Jessica didn't ever think it was a choice she needed to make. Chrissy got to share her thoughts on many things including the marketing of parenthood, the idea of it taking a village to raise a child and aging like the Golden Girls. The two talk about how they've been asked about their decision not to have kids 347 times but it's not the norm to randomly ask parents why they decided to have kids. They both talk about how much their moms poured into their upbringing and how that impacted how they viewed them and their decision not to have kids. They also talk about what it's like to live in a society in which parenthood, particularly motherhood, is the norm. After wrapping this conversation Chrissy and I discussed the potential for backlash from this conversation and that parents might take our choices personally. Either way we'd love to hear your feedback! Motherhood Should Come with a Warning Label Childfree Reddit Chrissy King Chrissy's book

Dec 25, 2025 • 1h 6min
The Caucacity of the Mediterranean Diet with Sherene Chou, MS. RDN.
Re-release! Jessica talks with Sherene Chou about the whiteness of the Mediterranean Diet and its origins. The two chat about their mixed reviews of speaking at Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health's Healthy Kitchens Healthy Lives. Sherene discusses a variety of "healthy diets" out there and how they fall short of meeting the moment. She also spills the beans on the next superfood. Jessica is very excited that Sherene has worked at the restaurant at the center of Bad Vegan! Should the two watch and review for an episode!? Blue Zones, Planetary Diet/EAT-Lancet diet, EAT-Lancet diet twitter war Info on MedDiet research The Whiteness of the Mediterranean Diet https://www.sherenechou.com/ https://foodandplanet.org/ You can become a podcast patreon! You can rate and review this show! You can email the show at makingitawkwardpod@gmail.com Follow Jessica on Instagram @jessicawilson.msrd and TikTok @byjessicawilson You can watch this episode on Spotify and at https://www.youtube.com/@MakingItAwkwardPod Jessica's book: It's Always Been Ours; Rewriting the Story of Black Women's Bodies

10 snips
Dec 18, 2025 • 40min
Confinement Nannies and MAHA's Luxury of Taking From Other Cultures with Sherene Chou, MS., RD.
Sherene Chou, MS., RD., a registered dietitian and maternal health commentator, shares her insights on the Chinese tradition of confinement nannies after experiencing it firsthand. She discusses cultural appropriation concerns, especially related to public figures adopting these practices while supporting anti-immigrant policies. Sherene also highlights the importance of postpartum care, the challenges of breastfeeding and pumping, and how vital nourishment is during recovery. She offers advice for prospective parents and reflects on immigrant resilience in motherhood.

Dec 11, 2025 • 1h 9min
Calley Means is In Over His Head and Giving True Crime Vibes with Selena Salfen, MFA., MPH., RDN.
Calley Means has returned to the White House as a Senior Advisor supporting food and nutrition policy. Since his return the Dietary Guidelines have been delayed and should(may) now be delivered to us in January 2026. Additionally, TIME has reported that there may be a return to the Food Pyramid in the updated Guidelines. Selena Salfen returns to the show to share the many reasons why Calley should be a White House intern and not a Senior Advisor, and definitely not in charge of nutrition policy. Jessica and Selena discuss Calley's "documentary" Breaking Big Food; an infomercial that went on for way too long. The "doc" was presented by Jigsaw Health, which is a wellness company that sells supplements to consumers, and, of course, partners with Calley Mean's Truemed. Jessica also shares details of Calley and Casey Means's childhood that have been left out of the narrative of their mother's illness and death. It seems like Gayle Means was quite a character! Calley never registered as a lobbyist and was in a sweat lodge with RFK Like this episode? You can rate, review, subscribe, follow, share and comment! Questions about the show? Guest pitches? Email makingitawkwardpod@gmail.com You can buy awkward merch! You can become a Patreon member! You can watch this episode at https://www.youtube.com/@MakingItAwkwardPod Follow Jessica Wilson on Instagram @jessicawilson.msrd and TikTok @byjessicawilson Jessica Wilson's book: It's Always Been Ours; Rewriting the Story of Black Women's Bodies


