Your Diet Sucks
Diet culture, you've met your scientific match. Hosted by an elite ultrarunner/journalist and a registered dietitian, Your Diet Sucks dismantles the myths, trends, and pseudoscience that screw up how we think about food, health, and fitness. Subscribe to bonus episodes here: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/microcosm-coaching0/subscribe
Why Is Everyone Scared of Microplastics?
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There is no plastic spoon in your brain (unless you put one there). There is no credit card in your diet. We regret to inform you that this does not mean everything is fine.
Both of those numbers came from real studies, and both got mangled somewhere between the paper and your feed. Kylee walks through what actually survives scrutiny, where the fertility conversation outruns its evidence, and why the BPA-free sticker on your Nalgene is not the reassurance you think it is.
Zoë traces the w...
Why is Everyone Using Peptides?
BPC-157. TB-500. MOTs-C. If those sound like droids from a Star Wars spinoff, congratulations on your healthy relationship with the internet. For everyone else: peptides are the injectable wellness trend that jumped from bodybuilding forums to med spas to your feed, promoted for healing, muscle, fat loss, and living forever. But what does the science say, and what are peptides, actually?
Some of them became legitimate blockbuster drugs: insulin is a peptide, and so are the GLP-1s. But the ones flooding your feed never went through human trials. They went from lab animal studies straight to "...
The Keto Diet
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Keto promised something no other diet could: cut the carbs, flip a metabolic switch, and burn fat without counting a single calorie. A magic loophole in human physiology. So does it actually work?
This week we trace keto from a deaf Victorian undertaker who accidentally invented the first diet book, to a 1920s epilepsy clinic that turned fasting into medicine, to the bankrupt Atkins empire, to the shirtless guys on TikTok insisting grains ruined their lives. Then we get into the science: what ketosis actually is, why the carb-insulin hypothesis doesn't...
Are Seed Oils Actually Bad For You?
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This is the most requested episode in two years, and the one strangers corner Zoë about the second they find out she hosts a nutrition podcast. Seed oils. Did they secretly poison the country, or did the internet just find a new villain with a great backstory?
We go claim by claim through the anti-seed-oil case. The omega-6 inflammation pathway. The omega-6 to omega-3 ratio, which turns out to matter more for some people than the internet's loudest voices would ever admit. Oxidation when you heat polyunsaturated fat. And the chart that m...
Why Am I So Hungry?
You were taught that hunger is a trick question. Before you're allowed to eat, you have to clear the suspects: you're bored, you're thirsty, you're emotional, you're just not disciplined enough. Somewhere at the bottom of that list, if it makes the list at all, sits the radical possibility that you might simply need food.
This episode is about where that interrogation came from and why most of it is nonsense. Hunger isn't one thing. It's three or four separate biological systems wearing a single word, and the cultural reflex to distrust all of them runs about 800...
Are Artificial Sweeteners Actually Bad For You?
In 1879, a chemist named Constantin Fahlberg sat down to dinner without washing his hands after a day spent handling coal tar. His bread tasted strangely sweet. So he went back to the lab and started tasting everything on his bench until he found the source. That was saccharin, the first artificial sweetener, discovered because a man would not wash his hands before dinner. Nearly 150 years later, we are still arguing about whether the stuff is going to kill us.
This week, Zoë and Kylee dig into the question every diet-soda lover has had to defend at a g...
Should You Count Calories? The Wild History and Questionable Science Behind Calorie Counting
Should you count calories? A century ago, a Los Angeles doctor named Lulu Hunt Peters sold two million copies of a book that taught American women to count calories as a patriotic duty during WWI. She invented the 100-calorie snack pack. She set the 1,200-calorie floor that still haunts diet apps in 2026. The framework she popularized is still running your relationship with food.
This week, Zoë and Kylee dig into the question every active person has wondered about: should you be counting calories? They trace how a unit of heat invented to measure factory worker rations became th...
Food Allergies, Intolerances, and Sensitivity Tests
This week, Zoë mailed a chunk of her hair to a stranger in Florida. For science. For journalism. For your benefit, really. The $60 hair sample test came back flagging her as "highly reactive" to 210 foods, including emu, ostrich egg, hot dog, and ground horse meat. Reader, she has not eaten ground horse meat in over a decade.
The food sensitivity industry is a multi-billion-dollar grift built on real symptoms and fake frameworks. We trace it from 1906, when allergy was first defined as a real clinical thing, through the 1950s clinical ecology movement, through cytotoxic testing, IgG panels, e...
Is Natural Food Actually Healthier?
In 1997, a 14-year-old named Nathan Zahner convinced 43 out of 50 classmates to sign a petition banning a dangerous chemical called dihydrogen monoxide. The chemical was water. This episode is everything that happened next, scaled up to a $50 billion industry and, eventually, federal food policy.
Zoë and Kylee trace the naturalistic fallacy: the assumption that natural equals good and artificial equals bad. It's the implicit logic behind clean eating, anti-GMO panic, supplement marketing, anti-vaccine rhetoric, and a significant chunk of sports nutrition culture. This episode follows that logic from Sylvester Graham's Victorian theories about white flour and masturbation, through J...
The Caffeine Episode
Find full episode transcripts, show notes, and research at yourdietsuckspodcast.com. Grab merch at teepublic.com/user/your-diet-sucks. And if you want bonus episodes, early access, and our eternal gratitude, support us on Patreon at patreon.com/YourDietSucks.
Caffeine is the most widely consumed psychoactive substance on earth — and somehow it's still got two extremely loud camps screaming past each other. On one side: the wellness-bro "caffeine destroys your adrenals, drink my mushroom latte" crowd. On the other: the guy on TikTok who takes 800 milligrams a day and wants you to up your dose. Both of them ar...
God, Guilt, and the Gospel of Clean Eating
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Diet culture is really good at one thing: finding the places people go to belong, and nesting inside them. This episode follows that instinct back to one of its oldest sources, the American evangelical church. Zoë and Kylee are joined by Leslie Schilling, RDN, CSSD, sports dietitian, eating disorder specialist, and author of Feed Yourself, to trace how food, bodies, and spiritual worthiness got so tangled together, and what it costs the people caught inside that t...
How Whole30 Became a Diet Empire Without a Single Study
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Whole30 has sold millions of books, built a coaching empire, and partnered with Chipotle and Walmart — all without a single peer-reviewed clinical trial. In this episode, Zoë traces the program from its origin on a CrossFit blog in 2009 to its multi-million dollar licensing ecosystem, digs into the loaded vocabulary (sugar dragons, tiger blood, sex with your pants on), and examines what happened when a nutrition science student fact-checked all 450 citations in It Starts With Food. Kylee breaks down how real elimination diets work, why this one poses spe...
Does Intermittent Fasting Actually Do Anything?
Intermittent fasting is the most Googled diet-related term on the planet, except everyone who does it will tell you it's not a diet. It's a protocol. An eating window. A lifestyle. An optimization hack. Definitely, absolutely, under no circumstances a diet. You just don't eat for sixteen hours. Totally different.
In this episode, we trace IF from ancient religious fasting traditions through its secularization and commodification, afrom Martin Berkhan's Leangains forum and its tagline ("fuck breakfast") to Michael Mosley's BBC documentary, Hugh Jackman's Wolverine physique, and Jack Dorsey describing his weekend-long fasts as "hallucinating"...
Do Anti-Inflammatory Diets Actually Work?
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The wellness industry wants you to believe your body is on fire. Tired? Inflamed. Bloated? Inflamed. Sad? Believe it or not, inflamed. But what does inflammation actually mean, and should athletes be worried about it?
In this episode, we trace how inflammation went from a specific biological process to a wellness Rorschach test that can sell you anything from turmeric lattes to $200 supplement stacks. Zoë covers the history, from 1970s eicosanoid research to the glucose goddess's empire of banana fear, while Kylee breaks down what the research actually shows a...
The Vegetarian Diet
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Can you build muscle, train hard, and actually perform on a vegetarian diet? Do plant-based eaters need more protein? Is iron deficiency a real concern or just wellness industry noise? This week, Zoë and Kylee dig into what the research actually says about vegetarian diets for athletes and active people, no Game Changers propaganda, no carnivore fear-mongering, just science.
Turns out vegetarian athletes do need about 20-30% more protein than omnivores to ac...
BONUS: How Do You Eat For 603 Miles? World Record Fueling with Megan Eckert
This episode is presented in partnership with Mount to Coast.
Use code YDS10 for 10% off at mounttocoast.com
What does it take to run 603 miles in six days?
We recorded this episode live at The Running Event with Megan Eckert, who set the women's six-day world record this past May at the Gomu World Championships in France, becoming the first woman in history to break 600 miles. She also holds the women's backyard ultra world record (362 miles at Big Dog's) and somehow still works full-time as a middle school special education teacher and high...
Men, Masculinity, Body Image and Disordered Eating
We brought the husbands on for this one. Sean Van Horn and TJ David join us to talk about eating disorders in men, disordered eating in male athletes, and how the wellness industry preys on masculine insecurity with different packaging but the same playbook.
First up: a game called Influencer or Dictator, where the guys guess whether quotes about discipline and suffering came from David Goggins or Joseph Stalin. It was harder than it should have been.
Ten million American men will experience an eating disorder. Men make up 25 percent of cases, but only 10 percent...
REPLAY: The Science of New Year's Resolutions (And Why 91% Fail)
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Every January, gyms overflow and 91% of resolutions get abandoned before spring. In this episode, we trace the surprisingly ancient history of New Year's resolutions—from Babylonian harvest promises to Roman offerings to Janus—and explore why our brains are so bad at sustaining behavior change.
We debunk the myth that habits take 21 days to form (it's actually 18 to 254 days), explain why willpower is one of the least effective tools for lasting change, and dig into t...
Detoxes, Toxins, and Cleanses: The Science (and the Scam)
Do detoxes work? Do you need a juice cleanse to "reset" your body? Is your liver full of toxins? Short answer: no, no, and absolutely not.
This week we debunk the $6.3 trillion wellness industry's claims,juice cleanses, detox teas, foot pads, coffee enemas, the Master Cleanse, and everything in between. We cover how your liver actually detoxifies, why your kidneys filter 200 quarts of blood daily without any help from celery juice, and what a 2015 systematic review concluded about the science of detoxes.
We also dig into the history, from ancient Greek bloodletting to George Washington's...
Tallow, Toxins, and TikTok: What Skincare Gets Wrong Partner Episode with Osmia
The skincare industry is worth over $180 billion globally. The science backing most of it? Let's just say your liver isn't the only organ that doesn't need a detox.
This episode is sponsored by Osmia, Science-backed skincare formulated by a physician who actually reads PubMed. Use code YDS20 for 20% off your first order at osmiaskincare.com.
This week we're doing something a little different: a partner episode with Osmia, one of our sponsors this season. But if you know YDS, you know we don't do puff pieces. Dr. Sarah Villafranco is a board-certified emergency medicine physician...
Are Beauty Supplements a Scam?
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Can you supplement your way to a glow? The $70 billion beauty supplement industry certainly wants you to think so.
This week we dig into collagen, biotin, hyaluronic acid, and those $90 greens powders everyone's suddenly drinking, tracing the history from Lydia Pinkham's 19th-century vegetable compound to today's $60 Moon Juice dusts. We break down what the research actually says about "ingestible beauty" (and, crucially, who funded it), why high-dose biotin might give your doctor an unwelcome surprise, and the psychology of why we keep buying products...
Unpacking the Paleo Diet
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Do you need to eat like a caveman to unlock your ancestral potential? Spoiler: no, and also, which caveman? The whole premise falls apart the second you ask a follow-up question.
This week, we're taking on the Paleo Diet, not just what it says you should eat, but why it exists in the first place. Turns out the history goes way deeper than CrossFit bros and beef sticks. We trace the roots of "ancestral eating" back to 19th-century wilderness cults, Gilded...
Do You Actually Need Electrolytes?
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Do you really need that $5 mojito-flavored electrolyte packet to survive your morning Zoom meeting? Spoiler: probably not.
This week we're talking salt. From ancient Romans literally getting paid in it to the absolute shitshow that was the 1904 Olympic marathon (two water stations for 26 miles—Google it). Kylee breaks down what electrolytes actually are an...
How Nutrition Guidelines Became Political
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This week on Your Diet Sucks, Zoë and Kylee dive headfirst into the messy, fascinating world of food policy, the history, politics, and corporate influence that quietly shape what ends up on your plate. From the creation of the first dietary guidelines to the low-fat craze that reshaped grocery store shelves, we unravel how government agencies, industry lobbyists, and “expert” committees turned nutrition advice into a political negotiation.
Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport Explained: Causes, Symptoms, and How to Recover from REDs
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This week, Zoë and Kylee dig into one of the most misunderstood topics in endurance sports: RED-S, Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport. We break down what it actually is (spoiler: it’s not just “overtraining”), how to recognize early warning signs, and what the latest science says about recovery.
From the old-school concept of the female athlete triad to the 2024 “Does RED-S Exist?” paper, we trace how the conversation ar...
Cannabis, Culture, and the Runner’s High
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This week on Your Diet Sucks, we’re digging into cannabis, how a plant got tangled up in politics, culture wars, and moral panic, and how that continues to shape the way we study it, regulate it, and talk about it today. We trace the science, the stigma, and the shifting rules, from Harry Anslinger’s racist propaganda campaigns to today’s confusing contradictions (why is cannabis still banned in spo...
Menopause, Diet and Body Image
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Your mom probably didn’t sit you down to explain hot flashes, vaginal atrophy, or why your metabolism doesn’t suddenly tank the second you hit menopause. That’s where we come in. In this episode of Your Diet Sucks, Zoë and Kylee dig into the messy, complicated, and very normal reality of perimenopause and menopause—because more than half the population will experience it, and yet nobody talks about it. We trace the wild history of “treatments” like leeches and arsenic, unpack the real science around carbs, prote...
What's the Best Diet for the Environment?
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What does your dinner have to do with the climate crisis? In this episode of Your Diet Sucks, Zoë and Kylee dig into the science, the politics, and the messy cultural baggage around food and the environment. From beef’s outsized carbon footprint to the confusing debates over almond milk vs. oat milk, we break down what actually matters for athletes and active people who want to fuel performance without trashing the plane...
The Carnivore Diet
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This week, Zoë and Kylee tackle the carnivore diet, the internet’s most extreme eating trend. From raw liver smoothies at Erewhon to shirtless influencers promising that “meat heals everything,” the carnivore diet has exploded in popularity. But what really happens when you cut out all plants and live on ribeye steaks, bacon, and bone broth?
We explore the strange history of meat-only diets, from 1920s Bellevue experiments to modern influencers like Shawn Baker and Paul Saladino. We unpack the claims about plant “toxins,” the allure of ketosis, and why athletes, especially...
You Can't Boost Your Metabolism
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We’ve all heard the promises: “Rev your metabolism with this one weird trick!” But does any of it actually work? In this episode of Your Diet Sucks, Zoë and Kylee dive deep into the history of metabolism myths, from ice chewing and celery diets to vibrating chairs, bulletproof coffee, and the latest TikTok hacks. We break down what metabolism actually is, why you probably don’t need to “hack” it, and what really matters for long-term health and performance.
We talk about why spicy food won’t magically mel...
Bonus: What Your Blood Work Can Actually Tell You (with Eternal)
This is a sponsored partner episode with Eternal, a company focused on helping athletes and active people better understand their health. Eternal’s Foundations membership tracks over 70 biomarkers with athlete-specific reference ranges and turns that data into actionable steps for fueling, recovery, and long-term health.
In this conversation, Eternal’s lead performance dietitian Kelsey Bailey walks us through:
Why athletes might want to include biomarker testing in their training toolkit
Which blood markers are most important—and which often get overlooked
How to interpret results without getting lost in data
Prac...
Can You Hack Your Hormones?
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This week on Your Diet Sucks, we’re talking hormones: what they are, what they do, and why they’ve become the latest scapegoat for every diet culture grift on the internet. From adrenal fatigue (not real) to seed cycling (also not real), Zoë and Kylee cut through the pseudoscience and explain what actually supports hormone health—like eating enough, managing stress, and getting some damn sleep. We also take a look at the unhinged history of hormone manipulation (yes, monkey testicle transplants come up), why cortiso...
Why is Everyone Obsessed With Protein?
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Why is everything suddenly protein? From protein cereal to protein chips to protein water (??), it feels like the world has gone macro-mad. In this episode, Zoë and Kylee dig into the science, history, and cultural obsession behind the most overhyped, but still important, nutrient on the label: protein.
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Tailwind Nutrition - use code YOURDIET20 for 20% off!
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We b...
Biohacking or B.S.? The Truth About Ketone Supplements
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Are ketone supplements the next big thing in sports performance, or just overpriced hype that tastes like jet fuel? In this episode of Your Diet Sucks, Zoë and Kylee break down the science behind exogenous ketones, including what they are, how they work, and whether they actually improve endurance, recovery, or brain function.
We explore the difference between ketone esters, salts, and precursors like Ketone IQ, plus the wild backstory—from epilepsy treatments to DARPA’s “Metabolic Dominance” program to the Tour de...
The Female Athlete Nutrition Industrial Complex
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This week on Your Diet Sucks, we’re digging into one of the most misunderstood—and over-marketed—topics in endurance sports: nutrition for female athletes.
You’ve probably heard the myths: women should eat for their body type, avoid carbs during their cycle, or that we're not just small men when it comes to fueling. But most of that advice isn’t based on solid science; it’s based on outdated research, rigid stereotypes, and a whole...
What the Science Really Says About Diet and Longevity
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Can fasting really slow aging? Does calorie restriction work for humans, or just for mice and yeast? And how much protein do you actually need to age well?
This week on Your Diet Sucks, we break down the evidence behind the most talked-about interventions in the longevity space, what holds up under scrutiny, what doesn’t, and why you might not need a supplement stack to live longer, and enjoy life.
We dig into:
The actual science on...
BONUS: Why Are Athletes Low-Key Obsessed with Baking Soda?
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This common kitchen staple might boost your endurance—or send you sprinting to the porta potty. In this Patreon-exclusive episode, we break down the science of sodium bicarbonate: what it is, how it works, who should (and shouldn’t) use it, and why it’s become the legal white powder of choice for some elite athletes.
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Blood Sugar Bullsh*t: Carbs, CGM’s, AIC: Everything You Need to Know
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Are CGMs the new step counter—or a $200 anxiety machine? In this episode, Zoë and Kylee discuss blood sugar basics, why fluctuations are normal, and how endurance athletes can make sense of numbers like A1C and glucose spikes without spiraling into diet culture doom.
We break down:
Why blood sugar goes up (and why that’s not a bad thing)
What CGMs actually tell you (and what they...
Is Organic Food Better?
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Is organic food actually healthier—or just more expensive? This week on Your Diet Sucks, Zoë and Kylee break down the real science behind organic food, including what “organic” really means for produce, meat, and packaged snacks. We cover nutrition claims, pesticide exposure, antioxidant levels, and whether organic food impacts inflammation, gut health, or performance. We also dive into the environmental trade-offs of organic farming, the high cost of certification, and why that $19 strawberry feels morally superior. Plus: the truth behind...
Bonus: The Science of Sweat and Hydration for Athletes
Want to try Skratch for free?Use code YDSAMPLE at skratchlabs.com for a free Fuel Sample Pack, including singles of their Sport Drink Mix, Super High-Carb Sport Drink Mix, Energy Bar, and Energy Chew.
This bonus episode of Your Diet Sucks is brought to you in collaboration with Skratch Labs, creators of science-backed hydration and fueling products made for athletes and anyone who sweats on purpose.
Whether you're training for an ultramarathon, recovering from a high-intensity workout, or just trying to feel more human after hot yoga, this episode is packed with insights for you...
