

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

Oct 23, 2025 • 30min
MAHA Won't Pay For a Candy Bar, But We're Paying For Measles; Dr. Carole 2.0
MAHA and Cuteservatives are okay with spending millions on measles outbreaks yet want to control people's food choices in the name of "health." People are able to buy raw milk with SNAP, yet shouldn't be allowed to buy a candybar? The math is not mathing. Today's episode is a follow up to the episode released 10/1/25, "Fauci Needs to Be Locked Up!" with Dr. Carole Lieberman. Jessica responds to some of Dr. Carole's claims, and has a good time with her own acronym for ways to avoid getting COVID. THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS! Buy raw milk with SNAP ADHD medications and substance use RFK's CDC on vaccines Herd immunity Clip Jessica posted on Instagram of Dr. Carole Jessica's MAHA Mindy makeover RFK fires CDC workers and then brings them back Dr. Fauci work timeline Measles can cost $47K per case 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

Oct 9, 2025 • 55min
Re-Release! Poppers 101, RFK Jr, B*tt Stuff and the State of Sex Ed with Blake Flaugher, MPH
Jessica Wilson, MS. RD. is joined by Blake Flaugher, MPH, to give Jessica a full breakdown of poppers and RFK Jr.'s AIDS denialism. Jessica is very curious about butt stuff and Blake expertly answers her questions. He also answers a listener question about the spectrum of asexuality. The two have this conversation at a brewery and got the opportunity to make things awkward! Blake updates Jessica on the state of sex education in 2025 and shares what he's found grounding and motivating as he continues to do this work. Blake's first Making it Awkward ep AIDS denialism FDA crackdown on poppers Legality of poppers Go Ask Alice 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 How to support this podcast? Follow/subscribe, rate and review and share with a friend! Jessica Wilson's book: It's Always Been Ours; Rewriting the Story of Black Women's Bodies

Oct 2, 2025 • 39min
Fauci Needs to Be Locked Up! With "The Terrorist Therapist," Dr. Carole Lieberman, M.D., M.P.H.
Psychiatrist Dr. Carole Lieberman, M.D., M.P.H. joins Jessica Wilson, M.S. RD. for a robust conversation about COVID, Dr. Fauci, RFK Jr., the MAHA report and whether supplements can fix our mental health. Dr. Carole specializes in the psychology of terrorism, criminal behavior, and political breakdown. She's a frequent guest on Fox News, Newsmax, OAN, and leading patriot platforms. Her bold insights expose how psychological tactics once used by foreign enemies are now being weaponized against the American people. Dr. Lieberman connects the dots between radical indoctrination, media-fueled hysteria, and how psychological warfare is now being deployed inside the U.S.—not just abroad. I was so compelled by this interview that I'll be having a follow up episode exploring her ideas! If you have thoughts, ideas or want to send a voice memo with your feedback about this episode you can email them to MakingitAwkwardpod@gmail.com. Dr. Carole on FOX news re: the VP debate RFK Jr. and wellness farms Elizabeth Blackwell First MAHA report Second MAHA report Recent Interviews with Carole Lieberman Real America's Voice with Eric Bolling NY Post on Bryan Kohberger OAN with Dan Ball Joe Pags Show

Sep 25, 2025 • 43min
The Fetishization of Asian Women and Subverting Stereotypes with Kaila Yu
Kaila Yu, author of the newly released Fetishized; A Reckoning with Yellow Fever, Feminism, and Beauty, joins Jessica Wilson, MS RD the show to talk about the fetishization of Asian women. Kaila reflects on the women in the media who influenced her, and her path into the pinup and import modeling industry. She devotes a chapter to the book and film Memoirs of a Geisha and Jessica and Kaila talk about the ways the book and movie continue to impact societal views of Asian women. They also got into the origins of the model minority myth and the connections to trad wives today. In Fetishized Kaila also explores the legacy of U.S. occupation in shaping Western perceptions of Asian women. Kaila in Teen Vogue re: Love Island Fetishized; A Reckoning with Yellow Fever, Feminism, and Beauty Kaila on Instagram Fetishized in NYT! Atlanta spa shooting "Oxford Study" on social media Debunking "Oxford Study" Like this episode? You can rate, review, subscribe, follow, share and comment! Questions about the show? Guest pitches? Email makingitawkwardpod@gmail.com You can become a Patreon member! You can watch this episode on the Spotify app and 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

Sep 18, 2025 • 41min
The MAHA Strategy Report: Policy Amateur Hour with Trampus Harmon, Selena Salfen, MPH RD, and Meghan Cichy, MPH RD
MAHA's Making Our Children Healthy Again Strategy Report is out, and "strategy" is a generous term for this document. Beef farmer Trampus Harmon and public health dietitians Selena Salfen and Meghan Cichy return to the show to share their thoughts. Post production note: Dr. Casey Means has resumed the path to becoming Surgeon General and is declaring her conflicts of interest. Dr. Jessica Knurick newsletter Marion Nestle Wellness Farms RFK Jr on autism Trampus on collagen and beef tallow Trampus on raw milk Meghan and Selena on the first MAHA report Meghan and Selena on Levels and CGMs Meghan and Selena on the first 100days of RFK Selena and the Levels intro Selena's Regrifting episode on Casey and Calley Means Like this episode? You can rate, review, subscribe, follow, share and comment! Your Apple Podcast reviews will be read by my dad! 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

Sep 11, 2025 • 1h 17min
Leveling Down: Levels Health, CGMs and the False Promises of Data-Driven Health with Selena Salfen and Meghan Cichy
Would you ever add chia seeds to your latte? Levels Health, a health-tech startup co-founded by presumptive Surgeon General Casey Means, is a deeply unserious company and provides both hilarious and irresponsible guidance on its app. Public health dietitians Selena Salfen and Meghan Cichy return to the show to discuss our 30 days of using a CGM paired with the Levels app. Jessica didn't find what she was looking for in her CGM data and laughed at the app's inaccuracies. Meghan thought she was working harder than Levels, and found both more helpful and nicer CGM feedback with ChatGPT. Selena shared her history with health anxiety and her longer term use of a Stelo CGM. She shares how her experience was impacted when Levels provided her with incorrect data and biometric analyses. The three get into whether we should be using CGMs and if so, under what conditions. The three also discuss the most recent Levels podcast #280 and how it seems to answer a lot of concerns Selena and Jessica had in the CGM intro episode. The episode also discussed a lack of research to back up claims made by Levels and Casey Means herself. Host Ben Grynol and guest Dom D'Agostino, PhD took an unexpected turn and veered into the closed off "adult" section of Blockbuster; could there be a tie to food choices and curiosity? Imprecision Nutrition? Intraindividual Variability of Glucose Responses to Duplicate Presented Meals in Adults Without Diabetes Casey's Instagram post with her food scores 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

Aug 28, 2025 • 1h 14min
Re-Grifting: Bryan Johnson's Blueprint and the Cult of Longevity with Jen Jacobs
Bryan Johnson made a fortune and then decided to spend it on rivaling Jesus Christ and developing his Blueprint supplement line. Johnson was born, raised and married Mormon before leaving that religion and family to pursue eternal life on his own. He is the health and tech crossover personified. His quest for longevity has led him to replace his plasma with that of his teenage son, and receive gene therapy in an unregulated area of Honduras. Johnson's life is pretty much an algorithm, which is fitting because he believes we should fire ourselves because our brains can't be trusted. The Netflix doc about his quest to not die was released this year and Jessica Wilson, MS RD is joined by editor extraordinaire, Jen Jacobs, to discuss it. Jen is a cult enthusiast and breaks down what about Johnson's quest smells fishy. 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 Conspirituality podcast about Johnson Louis Theroux Don't Die community Ro Crisis lifeline

Aug 21, 2025 • 38min
Wearable Devices and "the Delusion of Knowledge" with Dr. Maisha Davis
Dr. Maisha Davis joins the pod for a hilarious chat about using constant glucose monitoring devices (CGMs), the Levels app and the Oura ring. The two talk about how and why collecting and reviewing health data can be comforting to some people, and also how using a CGM could be a slippery slope. Jessica and Maisha are currently using the Dexcom 7 and they share what their experiences have been using that brand. Maisha took extra steps to calibrate the CGM while Jessica didn't go through the trouble and the two talk about how a CGM is only as good as its reliable responses. The two discuss the case of Cassie Cattie, a Nurse Practitioner, whose Oura ring detected her cancer 8 months before she received a diagnosis, but was that information helpful? Maisha also introduces us to their newest bff, the Ninja Creami and the secret to eating ice cream for breakfast. You can find more information about CGMs in this 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

Aug 14, 2025 • 30min
Re-Release! Part 2: "No food is better than bad food" says UCSF's Dr. Lustig
What can listeners take from Jessica's conversation with Dr. Robert Lustig? She looks at the interview through a historical lens and addresses eugenics and war. She then shares some possible present day applications. Jessica also shares feedback she's gotten from listeners and from a few people working for UCSF. Lustig's article in Frontiers: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2023.1098453/full You can contact the show at makingitawkwardpod@gmail.com Follow Jessica on Instagram @jessicawilson.msrd 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

Aug 7, 2025 • 1h 6min
Ketogenic Diets For Epilepsy: Jessica's Keto Experience with Dr. Lexi Brown
Dr. Lexi Brown returns to the show to talk to Jessica about her hospitalization last year and the options she was given to treat her epilepsy. Not interested in brain surgery, Jessica was willing to try the next option: a ketogenic diet. Since January Jessica has been trialing a ketogenic diet to mixed results, mostly due to her questionable choices. Today she's sharing what impact the diet has had on her for the past seven months and what she, reluctantly, should do going forward. Lexi talks to Jessica about taking her health seriously and how she should go about her CGM experiment. Ketogenic diet history Keto diets for epilepsy in kiddos Jayson Carr recently died from a brain eating amoeba 🙁 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


