Nutrition Diva

Super food or expensive pond scum? Is this “green food” worth the greenbacks? Find out what nutritional benefits spirulina offers. Also, we review promising research on saffron for mental health and cognition.

Learn how what you eat affects how you feel.

A couple of recent news stories are causing concern about chemical exposure from foods that we would normally consider healthy. How does this affect your food choices?

Sea moss supplements are promoted as being good for thyroid, digestive, skin and immune health. What’s the evidence to support the claims?

Some argue that obesity does not necessarily increase your health risks. Science suggests otherwise.

Influencers are sounding the alarm about the many alleged dangers of seed oils. Let’s look at the evidence.

Collagen supplements are promoted as a way to plump your skin, cushion your joints, and enhance your workout. What’s the evidence to support the claims?

Monica discusses The Dirty Dozen list and whether or not these foods with the highest level of pesticides are, in fact, unsafe to consume.

Eating fresh local produce is a great idea. But there's no reason to avoid fruits and vegetables because they aren't in season.

Dealing with persistent, intrusive thoughts about food that can make it hard to follow through on healthy behaviors.

Some thoughts on a recent New York Times article highlighting the International PCOS Network's revised guidelines on managing PCOS.

How could the recent trend of taking salt supplements affect your bone health?

Niacin is not a nutrient that you hear too much about. But a new research study has people concerned about their intake.

Some thoughts in response to the latest study linking ultra-processed foods with chronic health conditions and the flaw underlying this research.

Since their wildly successful introduction in 2019, plant-based burgers like Beyond and Impossible have continued to evolve. Let’s take a look at the latest formulations and how they compare to each other and to real beef.

Monica joins Tom Hall on WYPR-FM 's Midday to talk about building healthy communities and fighting food insecurity. Shared here with the gracious permission of Baltimore Public Media.

Tiny plastic particles are ubiquitous in our food, water, and environment. What are the potential harms and what can we do to protect ourselves?

Influencers are claiming that most of us should be taking in a lot more salt than is recommended. Are they right?

A closer look at health claims for a popular greens supplement. Plus, a new study links plant protein with healthy aging.

Some claim that drinking the milk of other animals—or drinking milk beyond infancy—is both unnatural and unhealthy. How do the arguments for and against consuming milk stack up?

Some advice for those who want to help their friends and family eat healthier. And some tips for those just starting out on the healthy eating journey.

A round up of listener questions on processed foods, plant-based meats, and how to make sure you’re getting the right amount of protein, carb, and fats.

It's a good idea to minimize your exposure to pesticides. But you might be surprised to find out where they are (and aren't) lurking.

Food is food. Medicine is medicine. We need both.

Tips for Dryuary and beyond.

You’d like to make some changes to your eating habits. What should you focus on first?

How accurate is the Yuka app?

A new treatment extends the life of fresh produce. But some worry about toxic effects.

A new study finds that reducing your sugar intake doesn’t actually improve blood sugar control–unless you actually have diabetes.

Tips for finding healthy options in convenience stores, airports, fast food restaurants, and strange cities.

Thanksgiving is not a day to diet, but with a few tricks up your sleeve, you can avoid ending up as stuffed as the turkey. Nutrition Diva explains.

There are (at least) four ways that “calories of opportunity” can sabotage your diet.

Dairy is a relatively recent addition to the human diet. How did early humans get enough calcium to develop and maintain healthy bones?

How and where (and why!) mushrooms fit into a healthy eating pattern.

A new class of obesity medications is revolutionizing obesity care. Will this make bariatric surgery obsolete?

A big salad can be the healthiest meal of your day. But it’s also possible for salads to miss the mark. Here are six steps that will help you build the perfect salad.

I want to address some headlines that I’ve seen in the past couple of weeks regarding Ozempic, the diabetes (and, now, weight loss) drug that’s already been the subject of a lot of sensational coverage this year.

Growth is a double-edged sword.

It’s long been clear that we don’t all respond the same way to the same dietary interventions.

I’ve argued in the past that “processed” is really too broad a brush to apply. We really need to take into consideration what the purpose of the processing is before we demonize a food as being too processed.

High-dose calcium supplements have been linked to heart risks. Are calcium-fortified foods any better?

More from Food, We Need To Talk.

Ready for the reality check?

Creatine is one of the few topics I haven’t covered over the course of the last 15 years.

The common condition known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is being renamed. Here’s why.

We needed further research—ideally, controlled trials—to validate the MIND diet's effectiveness. And now the wait is over.

With all of these potential benefits, I bet you’re ready to find out how to include more resistant starch in your diet.

Today’s topic is one that I covered over ten years ago—the claim that today’s fruits and vegetables are less nutritious than they were in previous generations, due to nutrient depletion of the soil they are grown in.

A special bonus conversation between three long-time podcasters at Quick and Dirty Tips.

I wondered whether I might run out of things to talk about after 50 or 100 episodes. I needn’t have worried.

An interview with Juna Gjata and Dr. Eddie Phillips, co-hosts of the hit podcast Food, We Need to Talk.

When you get to the fish counter, you've got some decisions to make.

What research we have on berberine is primarily in the context of managing elevated blood sugar levels. And the results have been promising.

Soy contains compounds that are very similar to human estrogen. Some see that as a bonus, other warn against. What’s the science say?

We’ve spent the last 70 or so years searching for a sweetener that had no calories, no impact on blood sugar, no other ill effects—effectively, no consequences.

Let’s get a reality check on the nutritional attributes of brown rice.

Would a hypothetical consequence that might play out years or decades in the future be more compelling than whatever actual consequences are playing out right now?

Why are almond farmers the ones in the crosshairs here?

Registered Dietitian Jill Weisenberger joins me to talk about prediabetes: how it’s diagnosed, what that means for your health, and what you can do to reverse the condition.

Both cholesterol and triglyceride levels can be affected by your diet and lifestyle—and lifestyle modification is always the first step, before pharmaceutical interventions.

A listener wrote to ask about some surprising dietary advice she came across in Dan Beutner’s Blue Zones Kitchen.

The idea that diverse diets place stress on the immune system is new to me.

For those without any complicating factors, what’s the case for high-dose K2 supplementation?

Registered Dietitian and author of the new book Regular talks about taming unruly bowels and achieving inner peace.

I have gotten a whole slew of interesting questions from listeners, many of them in response to recent episodes. So I’m dedicating today’s show to clearing out my inbox!

One of the big new trends in wellness is people using continuous glucose monitors (or CGMs) as a tool for weight loss, athletic performance, or general health optimization (aka bio-hacking).

Is a low FODMAP diet a good way to manage IBS?

As long as we’re on the subject, let me tackle a couple of other internet myths and misunderstandings about water.

When researchers found this unexpected association between erythritol levels in the blood and increased risk of cardiovascular events, they decided to dig a little deeper.

Not everyone agrees that saturated fat is a problem.

Today we’re poking holes in the oft-repeated advice to consume lean sources of protein.

Asking people to focus on what you want them to eat more of is often more effective than having them focus on what you want them to eat less of.

Let's clear up some common misconceptions about alcoholic beverages and review some new research on the risks and benefits of regular consumption.

These two terms describe completely different aspects of food.

Is even a single ounce of dark chocolate too much to have on a daily basis?

In order to create low-carb candy and bread, manufacturers replace sugar with artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols. As a result, a lot of keto-friendly foods are quite high in fiber.

Cathy writes: “Twenty years ago we were told that we were eating too much protein. And now the advice is to eat more protein, especially for middle-aged women. What changed in that time?”

I’d like to take this opportunity to reflect on how we in the health media communicate about the topics, trends, and research that we cover—and why it matters.

The health benefits attributed to chocolate stem mostly from compounds known as cocoa flavanols—antioxidants that are unique and specific to the cacao bean.

I frequently get emails from listeners who do shift work, asking for strategies to help mitigate these negative effects. So, a recent study testing the effects of time-restricted eating on shift workers got my attention.

Paul Saladino, the guy promoting the Carnivore Diet, actually thinks that most humans would be healthier if they adopted a plant-free diet on a permanent basis.

Could we all benefit from some extra enzymes?

I heard from two different listeners who had heard scary stories about people ending up in the hospital after eating certain foods that we generally think of as good for us.

You would think that this question would have been settled by now. But there’s not as much research as you might expect.

Taking in more protein than is strictly necessary to meet your minimum biological needs has several potential advantages. But there's a problem.

The food and nutrition industry is in a tizzy over a report from The Washington Post.

Hair loss—especially when it's sudden or at a young age—can be a sign of certain medical conditions or nutrient deficiencies.

Two listener questions about sugar and protein.

Sometimes, our bodies just need a little help.

This week, I have an update to a story that I started covering way back in 2016.

Does egg protein get you any further than the same amount of protein from dairy, soy, nuts, wheat, or beef?

Sweetened cereals are aggressively fortified. But do the benefits outweigh the potential risks?

Can chewing more help you lose weight?

Will artificial sweeteners help you lose weight?

Let's tackle some of the great listener questions we've received recently.

A popular diet claims that you need to eat right for your blood type. What’s the evidence?

Does dairy block antioxidants in fruit?

How does the nutritional value of dehydrated fruits and veggies compare to the produce in its more natural form?

Research shows that eating prunes every day has multiple benefits. But is it too much sugar?