Food, We Need To Talk

Having a good relationship with food is complicated. Sure, we should be eating our fruits and veggies, of course we should exercise, but when does this go too far? Is not being able to eat cake at a birthday party truly "healthy?" Today, we talk to Jordan Syatt, a record-holding powerlifter and formerly Gary Vee's personal trainer, about how to develop a healthy relationship even with "unhealthy" food. Note: We discuss restriction, binge eating, and eating disorders in this week's episode....

We usually think of stress as a "bad" thing, something to be avoided–but is stress actually bad for our health? How does stress affect our eating and our food choices? Why do some of us gain weight when we get stressed, while others lose weight? This week, we talk to Professor Daryl O'Connor of University of Leeds all about stress, food, and our waistlines. All shownotes can be found on our website: https://www.foodweneedtotalk.com

You know those people who have it all together—their eating, their exercise, their work life—all seemingly with no effort? Well, it turns out it's not because they have amazing "self-control" or "will power." It's actually because they have really good habits. In this episode, we speak to Professor Wendy Wood all about how to create new habits, break bad ones, and the power of habit hacking and habit stacking. All the shownotes can be found on our website: https://www.foodweneedtotalk.com

From the time of the Victorians to the time of the Kardashians, there's always been a body type that's been "in." The only problem? It's always changing. In this episode, we talk to Dr. Katharina Vester of American University about the origins of body ideals and how they have impacted society and culture over time. Having a six pack used to mean you were broke? Only men were allowed to watch their weight? The surprising history of dieting and our bodies. All shownotes on our website:...

We all have that little voice inside our heads—you know the one: calling you names, criticizing everything you do, just in general being a negative Nancy. Although we may think "tough love" will get us to our goals faster, it turns out it may actually backfire and make it harder to be successful. On this episode, we talk to Dr. Kristin Neff all about the science of self-compassion, and how practicing it may actually help us stick to our goals and live happier, healthier lives. You can find...

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 Dr. 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. Find all shownotes on our website.

We've all heard advice like "take the stairs!" or "park in the furthest spot," but can this stuff actually make a difference? What's the point of movement if it's not leaving you out of breath, dripping in sweat, and sore the next day? This week, we talk to Dr. James Levine about the powerful health (and non-health) benefits of non-exercise. Get ready to bust out the bike desk.

You know the feeling: you start eating right, working out, you’re seeing some progress and then…your body just stops responding. Over 80% of diets fail, but WHY? Juna and Eddie talk to Dr. Paul MacLean, Professor of Medicine and Pathology at University of Colorado School of Medicine, about what happens at the end of a diet and the biological drive to regain weight. Tune in to find out what happens to appetite, movement, fat storage and more AFTER the diet.

The metabolism may seem like a magical concept: some people eat whatever they want and don’t gain weight. Others so much as look at a dessert and feel the pounds creeping on. But what do we know about our metabolism? Can it speed up? Can it slow down? Does yo-yo dieting damage our metabolisms? On this episode, Juna and Eddie talk to Dr. Herman Pontzer, Associate Professor of Evolutionary Anthropology at Duke University all about the ins and outs of human energy expenditure, and what hunter...

Are all calories created equal? Do calories even matter? Are calories ALL that matter? In this episode, Juna and Eddie talk to EC Synkowski, founder of Optimize Me Nutrition, about those little things we all love to hate: calories. What are they, and should we even be paying attention? Listen up, the answer may surprise you… You can find EC on Instagram, here: www.instagram.com/optimizemenutrition And her amazing website, here: https://optimizemenutrition.com

Juna and Eddie are back to tackle all the health and fitness topics you guys requested most! With guidance from some of the world’s top experts, some witty banter, and a good helping of dad jokes, Juna and Eddie dive deep into the science behind intermittent fasting, metabolism, aging, fat loss, microbiome and more. Find out what works, what doesn’t, and why, every two weeks right here on Food We Need to Talk, a science-based, humor-laced approach to health and fitness.

Hosts Juna Gjata and Dr. Eddie Phillips return with a special message, and another great podcast recommendation. Juna and Eddie are hard at work making the second season of Food, We Need To Talk, but in the meantime be sure to check out Anything For Selena. In Anything for Selena, host Maria Garcia takes listeners on a deeply personal journey into the life and legacy of the Mexican-American popstar Selena Quintanilla. She shares how Selena's music and unapologetic sense of identity helped...

We want to tell you about another great podcast: Inappropriate Questions from the CBC. Inappropriate Questions is back with Season! Hosts Elena Hudgins Lyle, a queer millennia, and Harvinder Wadhwa, a dad, talk to people who have been asked uncomfortable questions like: “Did you lose weight?” or “How old are you?” or “Can I speak to your manager?” Each episode unpacks where these questions come from and explores more respectful ways to get curious. If you like what you hear, subscribe:...

As you know our "Food, We Need To Talk" season just ended, but I want to tell you about another great podcast produced by WBUR that is just starting its season, "Kind World": https://www.wbur.org/kindworld "Kind World" wants to be your 2020 counter-programming! From pandemics to politics, the news out there definitely isn't great. But "Kind World" promises to restore your faith in humanity. Each week the team brings you one story about how an act of kindness transformed lives. Listen to...

From weight stigma to the "Health At Every Size" movement, Eddie and Juna dig into the complex issue of body image with Dr. Mark Berman, Dr. Lesley Williams, Janet Tomiyama, Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford and Sal Distefano.

Juna reveals that she is battling an eating disorder and explores how and why dieting can tip into problem territory, and what to do about it. Experts in this episode include Jenny Thomas, co-director of the Eating Disorders Clinical and Research Program at Massachusetts General Hospital and Kristin Javaras, clinical psychologist at McLean Hospital.

Want a flat stomach? A faster metabolism? Maybe to get rid of that cellulite? Well, there's a supplement for that. If only it were so easy... But as with most things in life, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Guests in this episode include champion lifter Layne Norton and Dr. Pieter Cohen.

Juna and Eddie answer listeners' questions about exercise, from "how much is enough" to "how much is too much?"

"Stress eating" can shift food preferences toward sugar and fat, leading Eddie and Juna to try the famous "raisin exercise." They also check in with Dr. John Denninger at the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine and Dr. Marc Potenza at Yale School of Medicine.

From potatoes to quickie "food challenges," Eddie and Juna answer questions from listeners.