Dr. Maisha Davis joins the pod for a hilarious chat about using constant glucose monitoring devices (CGMs), the Levels app and the Oura ring. The two talk about how and why collecting and reviewing health data can be comforting to some people, and also how using a CGM could be a slippery slope. 

Jessica and Maisha are currently using the Dexcom 7 and they share what their experiences have been using that brand. Maisha took extra steps to calibrate the CGM while Jessica didn’t go through the trouble and the two talk about how a CGM is only as good as its reliable responses. 

The two discuss the case of Cassie Cattie, a Nurse Practitioner, whose Oura ring detected her cancer 8 months before she received a diagnosis, but was that information helpful? 

Maisha also introduces us to their newest bff, the Ninja Creami and the secret to eating ice cream for breakfast. 

You can find more information about CGMs in this episode.

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

What can listeners take from Jessica’s conversation with Dr. Robert Lustig? She looks at the interview through a historical lens and addresses eugenics and war. She then shares some possible present day applications. Jessica also shares feedback she’s gotten from listeners and from a few people working for UCSF.

Lustig’s article in Frontiers: ⁠https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2023.1098453/full

You can contact the show at [email protected]

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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!

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

Dr. Lexi Brown returns to the show to talk to Jessica about her hospitalization last year and the options she was given to treat her epilepsy. Not interested in brain surgery, Jessica was willing to try the next option: a ketogenic diet. Since January Jessica has been trialing a ketogenic diet to mixed results, mostly due to her questionable choices. Today she’s sharing what impact the diet has had on her for the past seven months and what she, reluctantly, should do going forward. Lexi talks to Jessica about taking her health seriously and how she should go about her CGM experiment. 

Ketogenic diet history

Keto diets for epilepsy in kiddos

Jayson Carr recently died from a brain eating amoeba 🙁

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

RFK Jr wants us all to be using wearable devices! Presumptive Surgeon General, Casey Means, co-founded Levels Health which pledges to unlock our metabolic health through the use of a constant glucose monitor(CGM). What is a CGM, what promises are made by Levels, and should we care? Jessica and Selena Salfen are going to find out! The two have teamed up in August to use a CGM, link it to Levels and let the app work its biometric magic. The two will be optimized in just two weeks, according to Dr. Robert Lustig, medical advisor to Levels.

Today is just an introduction, there’s so much more to say about wearables and personal data, we will be back with more of a conversation and our metabolic results!

Lustig on Levels; understanding your lab results

RFK Jr at Energy and Commerce hearing

Take Back Your Health campaign

Levels podcast archives

What is a CGM

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

Chrissy King joins Jessica Wilson, MS RD for a conversation about being childfree by choice. Chrissy talks about how she made her decision and how Jessica didn’t ever think it was a choice she needed to make. Chrissy got to share her thoughts on many things including the marketing of parenthood, the idea of it taking a village to raise a child and aging like the Golden Girls.

The two talk about how they’ve been asked about their decision not to have kids 347 times but it’s not the norm to randomly ask parents why they decided to have kids.

They both talk about how much their moms poured into their upbringing and how that impacted how they viewed them and their decision not to have kids. They also talk about what it’s like to live in a society in which parenthood, particularly motherhood, is the norm. 

After wrapping this conversation Chrissy and I discussed the potential for backlash from this conversation and that parents might take our choices personally. Either way we’d love to hear your feedback!

Motherhood Should Come with a Warning Label

Childfree Reddit

Chrissy King

Chrissy’s book

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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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

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

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