Re-release! Originally published 9/14/23. After receiving an email from Dr. Robert Lustig about his concerns with Jessica's work she was fortunate enough to catch Dr. Lustig on the phone for this interview. In addition to giving her advice on what to tell a patient who needed to choose between a can of ravioli or nothing he shared his beliefs about calories, metabolic health, starvation, and how he distinguishes between what an eating disorder is and what it's not.

Content Note: This episode discusses topics that may be distressing to those who are food insecure, live in areas of food apartheid, experience anti-fatness, and/or have disordered eating.

Part 2 of this episode will air in two weeks.

If you have comments, feedback and/or analysis you can email or send a voice memo to [email protected].

Dr. Lustig's website 

His profiles at UCSF and here. 

Lustig's article that he sent to Jessica.

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Jessica Wilson's book: It's Always Been Ours; Rewriting the Story of Black Women's Bodies

Originally published 9/14/23

Jessica is joined by Lindsay Lee Wallace for the second of two episodes about the womanosphere. The two talk about the performance of the womanosphere, and more of the media side of things including skinnytok and Evie magazine. Evie magazine is the conservative magazine for cis women that encourages us to seek truth and find beauty. Jessica gets the honor of introducing the new body ideal to Lindsay and hears her response. 

Lindsay and Jessica start by talking about the politics of food and the connections to UPF hysteria. 

Slim Secrets of Slavic Women

Nutrition Myth WaPo article

Young conservative women build an alternative to the manosphere

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Jessica Wilson's book: It's Always Been Ours; Rewriting the Story of Black Women's Bodies

The womanosphere is here! Are we ready? In the first of two episodes exploring the womanosphere and what it means for us, dietitian and author Jessica Wilson is joined by Cecily Nelson-Alford to talk about feminism and gender. The two discuss Evie Magazine, social media and why the messages of the womanosphere might be appealing. Cecily talks about how value is attached to womanhood in society and she connects it all with a discussion of the Overton window. 

Fox and Hen bonnets

Young conservative women build an alternative to the manosphere

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Jessica Wilson's book: It's Always Been Ours; Rewriting the Story of Black Women's Bodies

50% off Ozempic for Pride!!! Jessica heads back to NYC this year, this time over Pride weekend rather than before.

A year ago Kent Thosmas, MSW joined Jessica to talk about this ad and her visit to the clinic offering the deal, and what this means for gay men. Kent shared how his Christianity played into his eating disorder and the two talk about queer men, and how religion, queerness, and health are connected. They also talk about the normate body and hardness for gay men. 

Kent’s original reel

Dr. Jeff Iovanonne

Additional ad

And salmon injections…

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You can watch this episode on Spotify and at ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@MakingItAwkwardPod⁠

How to support this podcast? Follow, rate and review and subscribe to ⁠Patreon⁠ membership with access to bonus content and announcements!

Jessica's book: ⁠It's Always Been Ours; Rewriting the Story of Black Women's Bodies⁠

Jessica Wilson, MS RD is joined by Malak (whose last name and appearance we're not sharing to protect her safety) to discuss the intersections of ICE, Palestine and Black liberation. Malak was recently a part of a mental health delegation that traveled to Palestine and shares the stories of those she met.

The two talk settler colonialism, surveillance and over policing. They also talk about a shared humanity, and how people and these fights are not about here vs there. She provides language and context for the wars and battles raging around us and the importance of being seen. 

Black scholars, including Angela Davis, Ta-Nehesi Coats and James Baldwin have long made connections between Palestine and Black people in America, both living under Imperialism, and fighting for justice and freedom and never giving up.

Malak shares multiple ways for people to stay engaged and keep learning.

This episode was 1st published on Juneteenth 2025. 

Innocent Until Proven Muslim

Podcasts:

• Sumud Podcast

• This is Palestine

• Rethinking Palestine

Websites: 

• thepalestineacademy.com

• decolonizepalestine.com

• boycottguide.org

Books: 

• The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine

• Justice for Some: Law and the Question of Palestine

• The Question of Palestine

• The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine

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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

Paul Saladino is LOUD and literally banks on fear. He thinks we live in a zoo. He used to be a carnivore and sold the idea, and then started eating plants. He’s said many deeply ridiculous and dangerous things. He is the reason Erewhon has a raw meat smoothie and the primary reason we overthink seed oils. He knows how much meat Jessica should eat in a day. He’s a Lot. Clips of his claims are sprinkled throughout this podcast. 

Trampus Harmon of Harmon and Son Beef returns to the show to talk about Paul and his customers’ needs on a carnivore diet. The two of them talk about Paul’s carnivore creep, his multiple iterations and influencer culture. Trampus isn’t sure that Paul’s tallow product is all that he claims it to be. 

Paul reminds us that we’re all going to die. 

It was polyester slings not underwear Paul

One example of Paul being incredibly annoying

Raw milk to kids

Paul and seed oils

Physician nutrition specialists

Heart and Soil

Lineage beef tallow–or is it?

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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

The first MAHA report, the “Make Our Children Healthy Again Assessment” came out on 5/22/25, and Selena Salfen, MPH RDN, and Meghan Cichy MPH RDN join Jessica to discuss it. The report came out at least two additional times, due to “formatting errors” which was a fancy label for AI errors. NOTUS was the first news outlet to report the citations that don’t exist. The three discuss what RFK gets wrong in the report and spend time talking about the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. They bring up which industry funded research MAHA seems to endorse, and the opportunities MAHA has to demolish current policies and programs just to bring them back, claim them and make them weaker. 

The episode has a bonus voice note from Selena’s kiddo about why she created her own food list after learning about Dr. Casey Means’s ultimate food list.

Exciting addition! Selena’s kiddo’s food list. 

Meghan’s version of the report

⁠LA Times article⁠ with Dr. Robert Lustig about Dr. Casey Means

The WIC program

Vaping psychedelics

EPA rollback of Biden’s PFAS limit

Selena and Meghan’s first episode

MAHA Commission and the fact sheet 

Hurdles for SNAP use

School Nutrition Association position paper

Food Resource and Action Center

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This podcast’s origin story! Originally airing 10/26/23 Jessica is joined by nurse practitioner Calvin Gilbert to recount their presentation about weight stigma in trans care at UCSF’s 2023 Trans Health Summit and what led to a medical doctor being escorted out of the room. Jessica talks with Calvin about what happened the previous day and why it motivated her to start Making it Awkward and make a name tag for herself that says “Arts and Crafts Manager.”

Jessica is returning to the same conference this week! She will be wearing her name tag and looking for the same people she met the first time around and if anything has changed. She will be making it awkward and reporting back if anything else entertaining happens!

There are two more episodes about BMI and trans care following this one: 

The Research on BMI and Gender Affirming Care

Is Non-binary Identity a 3rd Gender Category?; USPATH Conference Reflections

You can find out more about Lyon Martin Community Health Services

You can contact the show at [email protected]

Follow Jessica on Instagram @jessicawilson.msrd and TikTok @byjessicawilson

You can watch this episode on Spotify and at https://www.youtube.com/@MakingItAwkwardPod

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How to support this podcast?

Follow/subscribe, rate and review!

Buy Jessica's book It's Always Been Ours.

The Trump administration has talked about using awards, scholarships and cash as incentives to have more children. People see Elon as a leader in pronatalism conversations. Dr. Eoin Flaherty is back on the show to connect the dots between population control, pronatalism, and the environment. Eoin talks with Jessica about the Better Baby fairs of the 1900s and the two talk about how race is the underpinning of pronatalism even if no one speaks about it directly. The two talk about fertility hysteria, and the difference between fertility rates and birth rates.

Eoin shares what research is next for him, and Jessica thinks that he might get the attention of Make America Healthy Again evangelists. 

Eoin on YouTube

Some mentions from the episode:

Alison Pill’s episode

Dr Paul Saladino AKA Captain Cotton Underpants

Adriana Smith

Timeline of Ireland abortion laws

Maternal death rates in the US

Dr. Harvey Kellogg RELATION OF PUBLIC HEALTH TO RACE DEGENERACY

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Questions about the show? Guest pitches? Email [email protected]

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Selena Selfan, MPH, RD is back for the next installment in the re-grifting series! She is the resident Means Siblings Scholar and talks to host Jessica Wilson, MS RD about her deep dive! Dr. Casey Means is currently the presumptive nominee for Surgeon General. Her brother Calley Means is a special advisor to RFK Jr and cofounder of Truemed. The two are fervent MAHA supporters and foot soldiers in RFK’s fight. 

Listeners will learn about the Means siblings’s upbringing and the love and support for their parents. And then plot twist: their father, Grady Means wrote a gender expansive children's book. 

Selena shares how Cassie has evolved in her career, and spits Calley’s facts like a pro. The two talk about the grift of the Means siblings and Selena’s prediction for Calley’s future. 

The Means siblings have direct connections to Dr. Mark Hyman and Dr. Andrew Huberman, our first and second grifters. Stay tuned for the next one about Dr. Paul Saladino.

See Selena’s bibliography below!

Calley’s Politico interview

Tucker Carlson interview 

Deadly Lightbulbs

Surgeon shortage

Oregon Medical Board

Casey’s Instagram posts about Jessica:

August 28, 2024 - https://www.instagram.com/p/C_QjRljJ1mr/?hl=en

August 29, 2024 - https://www.instagram.com/p/C_N6qSPPcT2/?hl=en

Instagram - Never. Buy. Ultraprocessed. Food. Ever. Again.

Casey's sponsors with conflicted research:

Pendulum, newsletter, study funded by Pendulum

Mitopure, Newsletter, study funded by Mitopure

Life expectancy data

health insurance stat

FSA/HSAs:

https://www.numerator.com/resources/blog/fsa-hsa-consumer-spending/

https://www.ebri.org/content/new-analysis-of-3.2-million-flexible-spending-accounts-finds-average-contributions-increasing-while-half-forfeiting-funds-to-their-employers 

Forbes list of growing industries

Like this episode? You can rate, review, subscribe, follow, share and comment!

Questions about the show? Guest pitches? Email [email protected]

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