Making It Awkward

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

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!

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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

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?

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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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

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

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

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

You can buy awkward merch!

You can become a Patreon member!

How to support this podcast?

Follow/subscribe, rate and review!

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

It's been 100 days of Hellth in America and boy do we need a vacation. This week Jessica is joined by dietitians Meghan Cichy and Selena Salfen to discuss what has happened in public health this year, and break down the MAHA Commission. They talk through what RFK Jr. and MAHA have been up to and how it will impact childhood nutrition. Jessica asks Selena and Meghan what happened to "childhood obesity."

Jessica starts the episode with some brief nutrition policy updates.

Dad is back to read a couple of reviews.

Dr. Kevin Hall's resignation on X and in NYT

The end of milk safety

Food dyes

The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) announced Healthy Dairy in Schools Commitment

$660M lost for school lunches

MAHA Commission and the fact sheet

Hurdles for SNAP use

School Nutrition Association position paper

Food Resource and Action Center

Let's Eat; Be Real

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

How to support this podcast? Follow/subscribe, rate and review and share with a friend!

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

How do we get beef tallow and is it actually less processed than seed oils? And if companies are using colostrum for their supplements, are they taking it away from baby cows? Dr. Sarah Dougherty and Beef farmer Trampus Harmon return to the show for a spirited conversation about the renaissance of cow byproducts. Trampus explains how he makes tallow at home and discusses market trends for cow byproducts.

Jessica shares the claims made by Bloom and Armra about how they source their colostrum and Sarah explains all that would need to go into a colostrum supplement if we were going to be sure it was ethical.

They end their conversation by discussing collagen and whether it's worth the hype.

Collagen claims, and research

Birkocorp tallow processing

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

How to support this podcast? Follow/subscribe, rate and review and share with a friend!

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

Re-release Making America Healthy Again Part 2! Original air date: 10/31/24.

Jessica talks with three guests for their reflections on her interview with Jeff Hutt, spokesperson for the Make America Healthy Again PAC and shares email feedback from a listener and her 18 year old daughter.

Medical sociologist Dr. Natalie Ingraham joins the show to talk about the people part of MAHA and the concept of "again." Jessica discusses the interviews of Calley Means and Charlie Kirk that she dove into. Natalie talks about the regulations of the 80s versus 90s and has some solutions we could try if we're interested in future changes.

Jessica then talks to Kent Thomas about the men of it all in the MAHA conversation, and he asks Jessica why she's looking into MAHA in the first place.

Lastly Jessica brings you a conversation with her dad about his reflections of the episode. That chat was wide ranging and opened up many future podcast episodes.

Video of Charlie Kirk in the episode

TIME article referenced

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You can leave an awkward rating and review of this show!

You can email the show at [email protected]

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

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

Great British Bake-Off alum Mike Wilkins joins the show to talk about farming and queerness in the UK! He is a fourth -generation farmer, working alongside his family on their farm, Nolands. He has a weekly Instagram series about what he's been up to on the farm and it's an absolute joy to watch. In this episode Jessica and Mike chat about the intersections among farming, queerness and mental health. A note that this episode talks about farmers' contemplating ending their own lives to save their farms.

Mike is an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community within farming, and was an ambassador for the National Farmers Union in 2022. Mike and Jessica also talk about the farm inheritance tax in the UK.

Mike competed in the 15th season of The Great British Bake-Off, and having done so will now be making his own wedding cake. Mike's baking style is both homely and wholesome. He likes making big, hearty bakes using high-quality local ingredients that can satisfy lots of people at parties and gatherings. He especially loves using seasonal fruits and edible flowers from his garden and farm.

Mike also answers Jessica's burning question: Is Alison Hammond as delightful as she seems?

Nolands livestock

Nolands arable

Shop Nolands

Alison Hammond's book

You can buy Making it Awkward merch!

You can become a Patreon member!

You can contact the show at [email protected]

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

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

How to support this podcast? Follow/subscribe, rate and review and share with a friend!You can buy Jessica Wilson's book: It's Always Been Ours; Rewriting the Story of Black Women's Bodies

Soda taxes take 2. Jesica is joined by Raeann Bowlds, MPH and Blake Flaugher, MPH to discuss Dr. Kelly Brownell's claims that crack, soda, Cheetos, and baby formula do the same things in our brains and our bodies. The three talk about tobacco and soda taxes to see if the two are the same, and what Berkeley CA has done (or hasn't done) with its soda tax revenue. Jessica asked Blake and Raeann to teach her about public health because she couldn't understand it if the steps to make healthy food a human right were addressing predatory marketing and adding labels to food. The three enjoy a conversation over adult beverages, with which they can live in harmony.

Berkeley Commission

$929,000 spent by Berkeley for it's soda tax campaign

Dr. Kelly Brownell

Philadelphia soda taxes

Seattle soda taxes

Places with soda taxes

Sugar taxes reduce consumption

You can buy awkward merch!

You can become a Patreon member!

You can contact the show at [email protected]

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

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

How to support this podcast? Follow/subscribe, rate and review and share with a friend!

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

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

https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jessica-wilson-ms-rd/its-always-been-ours/9780306827693/