Making It Awkward

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

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.

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

Alison Pill, an actor renowned for her diverse film and TV roles, joins the conversation to dissect Cheryl Hines's memoir. They critique its disjointed editing and explore how Cheryl’s ‘dangerous optimism’ shapes her narrative. The trio discusses Cheryl's early acting days, her quirky anecdotes with RFK Jr., and the fallout with friend Tig Notaro over political choices. The chat takes a candid turn, examining red flags in Cheryl's marriage, including bizarre stories and family dynamics, all while reflecting on the consequences of life under the spotlight.

Selena Selfan, MPH, RD is back for the next installment in the re-grifting series! She is the resident Means Siblings Scholar and talks to host Jessica Wilson, MS RD about her deep dive! Dr. Casey Means is currently the presumptive nominee for Surgeon General. Her brother Calley Means is a special advisor to RFK Jr and cofounder of Truemed. The two are fervent MAHA supporters and foot soldiers in RFK's fight. Listeners will learn about the Means siblings's upbringing and the love and support for their parents. And then plot twist: their father, Grady Means wrote a gender expansive children's book. Selena shares how Cassie has evolved in her career, and spits Calley's facts like a pro. The two talk about the grift of the Means siblings and Selena's prediction for Calley's future. The Means siblings have direct connections to Dr. Mark Hyman and Dr. Andrew Huberman, our first and second grifters. Stay tuned for the next one about Dr. Paul Saladino. See Selena's bibliography below! Calley's Politico interview Tucker Carlson interview Deadly Lightbulbs Surgeon shortage Oregon Medical Board Casey's Instagram posts about Jessica: August 28, 2024 - https://www.instagram.com/p/C_QjRljJ1mr/?hl=en August 29, 2024 - https://www.instagram.com/p/C_N6qSPPcT2/?hl=en Instagram - Never. Buy. Ultraprocessed. Food. Ever. Again. Casey's sponsors with conflicted research: Pendulum, newsletter, study funded by Pendulum Mitopure, Newsletter, study funded by Mitopure Life expectancy data health insurance stat FSA/HSAs: https://www.numerator.com/resources/blog/fsa-hsa-consumer-spending/ https://www.ebri.org/content/new-analysis-of-3.2-million-flexible-spending-accounts-finds-average-contributions-increasing-while-half-forfeiting-funds-to-their-employers Forbes list of growing industries 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

Jocelyn Green, an autism-focused researcher and communicator, joins the discussion to tackle vital issues in autism research and the ethics surrounding it. They delve into the controversial claim that 37% of individuals may lose their autism diagnosis, shedding light on misinterpretations in clinical studies. Jocelyn emphasizes the nuances of masking behaviors, especially in girls, and critiques the stigma attached to labels. The conversation also explores the societal pressures faced by autistic individuals and the importance of understanding support needs over simplistic categorizations.

Dr. Theresa Lyons, an Ivy League-trained scientist and founder of Navigating AWEtism, shares her journey as a mom to a non-speaking autistic daughter. She discusses her groundbreaking research suggesting that 37% of autistic children might lose their diagnosis. Topics include the vital roles of sleep, diet, and functional medicine in supporting health improvements, and the complexities surrounding interventions. Lyons emphasizes the importance of empowerment in therapy and offers insights into personalized healthcare for autistic kids, paving the way for future discussions.

Dr. Bethany Johnson returns to the show to share the deep history of the plague, and how we should be thinking about it today. She talks about how anti-Chinese and anti-Mexican sentiment impacted the mitigation and spread of the plague in the early 1900s. Bethany also talks about how climate change may impact infectious disease, antibiotic resistance, lyme disease, pet safety, mitigation measures, and what the defunding of government organizations will mean for us. She also has advice for all of those of us–and our dads out there–with wood piles in our backyard. Plus a few updates about The Means Sibs. Bethany's first episode on measles! You can buy awkward merch! You can join the Patreon! You can contact the show at makingitawkwardpod@gmail.com Follow Jessica Wilson on Instagram @jessicawilson.msrd and TikTok @byjessicawilson You can watch this episode at https://www.youtube.com/@MakingItAwkwardPod How to support this podcast? Follow/subscribe, rate and review! Jessica's dad will read reviews and comments on the air! Jessica Wilson's book: It's Always Been Ours; Rewriting the Story of Black Women's Bodies ABC News: Casey Means Senate statement Breaking Big Food Calley Means has left the White House 1630 plague WHO Manual for plague surveillance, diagnosis, prevention and control CDC page on plague Traces of life in the death registries of the 1630 plague in Milano

We've been a lot of places with RFK Jr, his conspiracy theories, magical thinking, lies, his meltdowns in front of Senate committees, and seen that he doesn't understand half of the things he talks about. Exhibit A: He thinks babies are grown in placentas Let's make sure we're clear on RFK's indisputable, irrefutable cause of autism going forward. Today I share his gold standard science-certified cause of autism. Selena Salfen's quote Tylenol ad Like this episode? You can rate, review, subscribe, follow, share and comment! Leave a review or comment and my dad will read it on the show! 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

Kyle Davis, MSW, LICSW, joins the show to talk about his experience with Assertive Community Treatment for supporting people with severe and persistent mental illness. He shares details of that model today and what autonomy can actually look like when people are out of institutions and living in society. In Jessica's interview with psychiatrist Dr. Carole Lieberman, Dr. Carole shared her belief that one of the biggest problems in psychiatry is that people with mental illness were released from institutions, and given the least restrictive environment for their care. This claim warranted a full follow-up episode and Kyle joined the show to share his thoughts about the claim that people can develop insight while living in institutions and he shares how a multi-disciplinary approach proves that people heal best in their communities and is more beneficial long-term than having more community clinics. 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