Your Diet Sucks

Join the Feisty Fueled Challenge!Sponsored by Microcosm Coaching and Fly Nutrition. Happy New Year! It’s the season of crash diets and bad advice, so we’re here to cut through the noise with evidence-based answers to your nutrition questions.In this episode, we’re covering: How to pick the best protein powder (and why Kylee has a lot of opinions). The secret to knowing if you’re eating enough without counting calories. Tips for finding the right gel without losing your mind. How to challenge bad diet advice when you hear it. Does compression therapy actually work, or is it a scam? How plant-based athletes can boost their ferritin levels. And more listener questions!Start your year off with smarter fueling and real talk—no BS, no quick fixes, just sustainable solutions that work.

Delve into the bizarre history of racing weight, from ancient Greek athletes sweating it out to modern endurance sports. Discover how society's weight obsession can derail both performance and health. The podcast critiques harmful weight-loss beliefs, highlights the importance of nutrition and mental well-being, and challenges the idea that lighter always means faster. Enjoy some humor about absurd race weight practices while learning to prioritize performance over arbitrary numbers. It's time to rethink what really matters in athletics!

Are superfoods a scam? From açaí bowls to spirulina smoothies to $40 green powders, the "superfood" label has become a $150 billion marketing machine. But most superfood claims are about branding, not science—and the term itself was invented to sell bananas.In this episode, Kylee and Zoë unpack the history of superfoods: how the word went from a 1940s marketing gimmick to a wellness industry obsession. We debunk popular myths, examine the downsides of being hyper-reliant on any single food or ingredient, and walk through what the evidence actually says about foods that improve athletic performance and adaptation.Spoiler: your banana is doing more than that high-antioxidant powder you're spending $60 on. Plus: some spicy takes about blueberries. Checkmate, atheists!

Is biohacking just diet culture repackaged for men? From cold plunges and Bulletproof coffee to ice baths and "optimization" spreadsheets, the wellness industry has found a way to sell restriction to dudes by calling it science. In this episode, Kylee and Zoë trace where biohacking came from, why "one weird trick" thinking is so seductive, and how the trend is feeding disordered eating patterns in male athletes—masked as performance enhancement.We dig into the research on whether any of this actually works, why putting your diet in a spreadsheet doesn't make it healthy, and the question nobody's asking: is biohacking just another way for men to control their bodies under the guise of optimization?If you've ever wondered why the guy at your gym is so passionate about seed oils and morning sunlight, this one's for you.

Take Our Audience Survey!This podcast is supported by Microcosm Coaching and Fly Nutrition. Is your Garmin making you crazy? Whoop, Oura, MyFitnessPal, Apple Watch—activity trackers promise optimization, but research shows they can fuel anxiety, obsessive behavior, and orthorexia in athletes. The line between "data-driven training" and compulsive self-monitoring is thinner than you think.In this episode, Kylee and Zoë dive into the research on when tracking helps performance and when it hurts your health. We explore the psychology of quantification—why we love turning our bodies into spreadsheets—and how the wellness industry profits from making you feel like you're never optimized enough.If you've ever felt guilty for missing your step goal, panicked over a "bad" HRV score, or wondered whether your recovery app is actually recovering anything, this episode will help you figure out where the line is—and whether it's time to take off the watch.

YDS is supported by Microcosm Coaching and Fly Nutrition. Should you trust fitness influencers? From ancient Roman gladiators shilling olive oil to today's #fitspo accounts pushing supplements, humans have always been influenced—but social media has supercharged it. Studies show the people we interact with online can have real, measurable impacts on our mental and physical health—and athletes are especially vulnerable.In this episode, Kylee and Zoë unpack why health misinformation spreads so fast, who's most susceptible to influence, and the documented harms of scrolling through heavily filtered images and dubious nutrition advice. We trace the history of endorsement culture, break down the psychology of why we trust strangers on the internet, and offer tools to protect yourself without deleting every app.If you've ever felt worse about your body or your fueling after 10 minutes on Instagram, this episode is your antidote.ReferencesNational Research Council (US); Institute of Medicine (US); Woolf SH, Aron L, editors. U.S. Health in International Perspective: Shorter Lives, Poorer Health. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2013. 4, Public Health and Medical Care Systems. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK154484/Suciu, P. (2024, June 3). History of influencer marketing predates social media by centuries – but is there enough transparency in the 21st century?. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/petersuciu/2020/12/07/history-of-influencer-marketing-predates-social-media-by-centuries--but-is-there-enough-transparency-in-the-21st-century/ Ivanka Prichard, Eliza Kavanagh, Kate E. Mulgrew, Megan S.C. Lim, Marika Tiggemann,The effect of Instagram #fitspiration images on young women’s mood, body image, and exercise behaviour, Body Image, Volume 33, 2020, Pages 1-6, ISSN 1740-1445, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2020.02.002. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1740144519302578)Lup K, Trub L, Rosenthal L. Instagram #instasad?: exploring associations among instagram use, depressive symptoms, negative social comparison, and strangers followed. Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw. 2015 May;18(5):247-52. doi: 10.1089/cyber.2014.0560. PMID: 25965859.Pilgrim, K., Bohnet-Joschko, S. Selling health and happiness how influencers communicate on Instagram about dieting and exercise: mixed methods research. BMC Public Health 19, 1054 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-7387-8Yu Wu, Jane Harford, Jasmine Petersen, Ivanka Prichard,“Eat clean, train mean, get lean”: Body image and health behaviours of women who engage with fitspiration and clean eating imagery on Instagram, Body Image, Volume 42,2022, Pages 25-31,ISSN 1740-1445, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2022.05.003. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1740144522000821)Langin, K. (2018, March 8). Fake news spreads faster than true news on Twitter—thanks to people, not bots | science | AAAS. Science.org. https://www.science.org/content/article/fake-news-spreads-faster-true-news-twitter-thanks-people-not-bots Tagliaferro, L. (2024, March 5). 50+ essential fitness statistics, facts and trends (2024). Future Fit. https://www.futurefit.co.uk/blog/fitness-statistics/#:~:text=Instagram%20and%20YouTube%20are%20among,326%2C863%20and%20on%20Instagram%20232%2C502. 

YDS is supported by ⁠Microcosm Coaching. In this episode, Kylee and Zoë dive into the evolving conversation around Orthorexia—a term for an unhealthy obsession with healthy eating. We explore the impact of societal norms, social media, and misinformation on people's relationship with food, particularly athletes. As more people seek to "clean up" their diets, we’re seeing how rigid rules and an obsession with food purity can disrupt lives. We’ll unpack how Orthorexia isn't officially recognized in the DSM but still significantly impacts mental and physical health, drawing from professional insights and research. We also chat through how athletes and active folks can work towards a more balanced approach to nutrition, and avoid the pitfalls of over-restriction.  References Conviser JH, Fisher SD, McColley SA. Are children with chronic illnesses requiring dietary therapy at risk for disordered eating or eating disorders? A systematic review. Int J Eat Disord. 2018; 51: 187–213. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.22831 Scheiber R, Diehl S, Karmasin M. Socio-cultural power of social media on orthorexia nervosa: An empirical investigation on the mediating role of thin-ideal and muscular internalization, appearance comparison, and body dissatisfaction. Appetite. 2023 Jun 1;185:106522. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2023.106522. Epub 2023 Mar 8. PMID: 36893917. Turner PG, Lefevre CE. Instagram use is linked to increased symptoms of orthorexia nervosa. Eat Weight Disord. 2017 Jun;22(2):277-284. doi: 10.1007/s40519-017-0364-2. Epub 2017 Mar 1. PMID: 28251592; PMCID: PMC5440477. Lakritz C, Tournayre L, Ouellet M, Iceta S, Duriez P, Masetti V, Lafraire J. Sinful Foods: Measuring Implicit Associations Between Food Categories and Moral Attributes in Anorexic, Orthorexic, and Healthy Subjects. Front Nutr. 2022 Jun 13;9:884003. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2022.884003. PMID: 35769379; PMCID: PMC9234570. Mai Adnan Abdullah, Huda Mustafa Al Hourani, Buthaina Alkhatib, Prevalence of orthorexia nervosa among nutrition students and nutritionists: Pilot study, Clinical Nutrition ESPEN, Volume 40, 2020, Pages 144-148, ISSN 2405-4577, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnesp.2020.09.175. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405457720303624) Koven NS, Abry AW. The clinical basis of orthorexia nervosa: emerging perspectives. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2015 Feb 18;11:385-94. doi: 10.2147/NDT.S61665. PMID: 25733839; PMCID: PMC4340368. Michaela J. Barnett, Weston R. Dripps, Kerstin K. Blomquist, Organivore or organorexic? Examining the relationship between alternative food network engagement, disordered eating, and special diets, Appetite, Volume 105, 2016, Pages 713-720, ISSN 0195-6663, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2016.07.008. Niedzielski A, Kaźmierczak-Wojtaś N. Prevalence of Orthorexia Nervosa and Its Diagnostic Tools—A Literature Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021; 18(10):5488. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18105488 Foyster M, Sultan N, Tonkovic M, Govus A, Burton-Murray H, Tuck CJ, Biesiekierski JR. Assessing the presence and motivations of orthorexia nervosa among athletes and adults with eating disorders: a cross-sectional study. Eat Weight Disord. 2023 Dec 9;28(1):101. doi: 10.1007/s40519-023-01631-7. PMID: 38070009; PMCID: PMC10710386. Foyster M, Sultan N, Tonkovic M, Govus A, Burton-Murray H, Tuck CJ, Biesiekierski JR. Assessing the presence and motivations of orthorexia nervosa among athletes and adults with eating disorders: a cross-sectional study. Eat Weight Disord. 2023 Dec 9;28(1):101. doi: 10.1007/s40519-023-01631-7. PMID: 38070009; PMCID: PMC10710386. Hafstad, S.M., Bauer, J., Harris, A. et al. The prevalence of orthorexia in exercising populations: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Eat Disord 11, 15 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-023-00739-6

YDS is supported by ⁠⁠Microcosm Coaching. ⁠Do you actually need supplements? The sports nutrition industry wants you to believe you can't perform without a cabinet full of pills, powders, and proprietary blends. But what does the research actually say—and how do you separate evidence from marketing?In this episode, Kylee and Zoë break down the supplement landscape: which ones have solid evidence behind them (spoiler: it's a short list), which are a waste of money, and which might actually be harmful. We cover protein powders, creatine, BCAAs, greens powders, and the unregulated Wild West of sports supplements—including the heavy metals and unlisted ingredients that sometimes show up in third-party testing.Whether you're wondering if you need to add something to your stack or looking for permission to simplify, this episode will help you make evidence-based decisions without the hype.

YDS is supported by ⁠⁠Microcosm Coaching. ⁠Most people with eating disorders don't look sick—and that's part of the problem. Eating disorders affect people of every size, gender, race, and athletic ability, but myths about who gets them and what they look like keep millions from getting treatment.In this episode, Kylee and Zoë debunk the most harmful misconceptions: that EDs only affect young white women, that you have to be underweight to be diagnosed, that recovery means "just eating more," and that athletes are somehow immune. We trace the history of how eating disorders have been understood (and misunderstood) in medicine, examine how weight stigma impacts treatment access, and explain why so many cases are labeled "atypical"—even though they're actually the norm.Then, we offer practical solutions for fixing a system that's failing the people who need it most.REFERENCES:Kazdin, C. (2023). What’s eating us. St Martin’s Press. Dell'Osso L, Abelli M, Carpita B, Pini S, Castellini G, Carmassi C, Ricca V. Historical evolution of the concept of anorexia nervosa and relationships with orthorexia nervosa, autism, and obsessive-compulsive spectrum. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2016 Jul 7;12:1651-60. doi: 10.2147/NDT.S108912. PMID: 27462158; PMCID: PMC4939998.Niedzielski A, Kaźmierczak N, Grzybowski A. Sir William Withey Gull (1816-1890). J Neurol. 2017 Feb;264(2):419-420. doi: 10.1007/s00415-016-8250-9. Epub 2016 Aug 8. PMID: 27502084; PMCID: PMC5306080.Harrop EN, Hutcheson R, Harner V, Mensinger JL, Lindhorst T. "You Don't Look Anorexic": Atypical anorexia patient experiences of weight stigma in medical care. Body Image. 2023 Sep;46:48-61. doi: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2023.04.008. Epub 2023 May 24. PMID: 37236121; PMCID: PMC10524894.Beaumont, P. J. V. (1994). Diagnoses of Eating Disorder or Dieting Disorders: What may We Learn from Past Mistakes? International Journal of Eating Disorders, 16(4).Beres, D. (2024, February 27). Eating disorders in men and boys aren’t rare, but they may be harder to diagnose. Teen Vogue. https://www.teenvogue.com/story/eating-disorders-in-menEating disorder statistics. National Eating Disorders Association. (2024, April 30). https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/statistics/Guest, Lawson, N., Burak, E. W., Kaneb, N., & Mondestin, T. (2023, November 2). New federal rules seek to strengthen mental health parity. Center For Children and Families. https://ccf.georgetown.edu/2023/11/02/new-federal-rules-seek-to-strengthen-mental-health-parity/Heiden-Rootes, K., Linsenmeyer, W., Levine, S., Oliveras, M., & Joseph, M. (2023). A scoping review of research literature on eating and body image for transgender and nonbinary youth. Journal of Eating Disorders, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-023-00853-5The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA). CMS.gov. (n.d.). https://www.cms.gov/marketplace/private-health-insurance/mental-health-parity-addiction-equityRamaswamy, N., & Ramaswamy, N. (2023, July 1). Overreliance on BMI and delayed care for patients with higher BMI and disordered eating. Journal of Ethics | American Medical Association. https://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/article/overreliance-bmi-and-delayed-care-patients-higher-bmi-and-disordered-eating/2023-07Why BMI is a flawed health standard, especially for people of color. (n.d.). https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/healthy-bmi-obesity-race-/2021/05/04/655390f0-ad0d-11eb-acd3-24b44a57093a_story.html

YDS is supported by ⁠⁠Microcosm Coaching. ⁠ Kylee and Zoë take a magic school bus ride into the microbiome! We go back (waaay back) into the origins of the human microbiome and examine the research on how gut biota affects and interplays with athletic performance. Put your gloves on, because we’re digging into Zoë’s microbiome to get to know her on a very, very intimate level (the microbial level!). We also discuss common and uncommon causes of GI distress and what athletes can do to support their gut health (spoiler alert: you probably don’t need all that kombucha). Yong, E. (2018). I contain multitudes: The microbes within US and a grander view of life. Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers.  Mohr, A.E., Jäger, R., Carpenter, K.C. et al. The athletic gut microbiota. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 17, 24 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-020-00353-w Bressa, C., Bailén-Andrino, M., Pérez-Santiago, J., González-Soltero, R., Pérez, M., Montalvo-Lominchar, M. G., Maté-Muñoz, J. L., Domínguez, R., Moreno, D., & Larrosa, M. (2017). Differences in gut microbiota profile between women with active lifestyle and sedentary women. PLOS ONE, 12(2). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0171352  Clarke SF, Murphy EF, O'Sullivan O, et alExercise and associated dietary extremes impact on gut microbial diversityGut 2014;63:1913-1920. Estaki, M., Pither, J., Baumeister, P. et al. Cardiorespiratory fitness as a predictor of intestinal microbial diversity and distinct metagenomic functions. Microbiome 4, 42 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40168-016-0189-7 Jang, LG., Choi, G., Kim, SW. et al. The combination of sport and sport-specific diet is associated with characteristics of gut microbiota: an observational study. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 16, 21 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-019-0290-y Petersen, L.M., Bautista, E.J., Nguyen, H. et al. Community characteristics of the gut microbiomes of competitive cyclists. Microbiome 5, 98 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40168-017-0320-4 Flint, H. J., Scott, K. P., Duncan, S. H., Louis, P., & Forano, E. (2012). Microbial degradation of complex carbohydrates in the gut. Gut Microbes, 3(4), 289–306. https://doi.org/10.4161/gmic.19897 Scheiman J, Luber JM, Chavkin TA, MacDonald T, Tung A, Pham LD, Wibowo MC, Wurth RC, Punthambaker S, Tierney BT, Yang Z, Hattab MW, Avila-Pacheco J, Clish CB, Lessard S, Church GM, Kostic AD. Meta-omics analysis of elite athletes identifies a performance-enhancing microbe that functions via lactate metabolism. Nat Med. 2019 Jul;25(7):1104-1109. doi: 10.1038/s41591-019-0485-4. Epub 2019 Jun 24. PMID: 31235964; PMCID: PMC7368972. Marttinen, Maija, Reeta Ala-Jaakkola, Arja Laitila, and Markus J. Lehtinen. 2020. "Gut Microbiota, Probiotics and Physical Performance in Athletes and Physically Active Individuals" Nutrients 12, no. 10: 2936. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12102936