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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:

Start your year off with smarter fueling and real talk—no BS, no quick fixes, just sustainable solutions that work.

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Kylee and Zoë wade into the murky waters of "racing weight"—a concept that’s been messing with athletes’ heads since the early days of endurance sports. From ancient Greek wrestlers sweating it out in bathhouses to modern-day endurance athletes chewing gum to spit out extra grams (yes, that’s a thing), the obsession with weight and performance has a long, bizarre history.

We unpack the origins of this idea, critique the pseudoscience and harmful messaging it often comes with, and dig into why lighter doesn’t always mean faster. Along the way, we examine why weight has become such a fixation in endurance sports and how that obsession can derail not just your performance, but your overall health.

Whether you’ve been told you need to hit an “ideal weight” to perform your best, or you’re just curious about why athletes fixate on the scale, this episode is a deep dive into why chasing racing weight can do more harm than good. Spoiler alert: You’re more than your power-to-weight ratio.

Tune in for the history, the science, and the many reasons you don’t need a scale to measure your worth—or your speed. Plus, a surprising history lesson involving figs, bloodletting, and why we don’t recommend using Horny Goat Weed to prep for your next race.

Ask Kylee and Zoë Anything! We're looking for listener questions for an "Ask Us Anything" episode in the New Year!

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In this episode, Kylee and Zoë dive unpack the history of superfoods and why the term might have more to do with marketing than science (spoiler alert, I guess?). We debunk some popular superfood myths and examine the downsides of being hyper-reliant on any one food or ingredient when it comes to maximizing health and performance. Then, we walk through the foods with a strong base of evidence for improving athlete performance and adaptations.

Plus, some spicy takes about bananas. Checkmate, atheists!

Kylee and Zoë dive deep into the culture and science of biohacking, from cold plunges to Bulletproof coffee to see why we're all obsessed with the idea that "one weird trick" can have huge results. We unpack where the idea of biohacking came from, and how it has become a major factor in many athletes, especially men's diets. We'll look at some studies that show how the trend is feeding into many men's disordered relationships with food, and ask the question: is biohacking just another way for dudes to mask disordered eating under pseudoscience?

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This podcast is supported by Microcosm Coaching and Fly Nutrition. 

Does tracking your sleep, steps, and nutrition actually make you healthier?

In this episode of Your Diet Sucks, Kylee and Zoë dive into the research on when activity trackers help and when they might hurt your health. Whether it's orthosomnia or jogging laps around the parking lot, we examine how the quest for optimization can undermine your well-being and how obsessively tracking your metrics and stats can actually lead to worse health outcomes - and even bad sex?!?

YDS is supported by Microcosm Coaching and Fly Nutrition.

How influential are influencers, anyway?

Studies show that the folks we interact with (or don’t!) virtually on social media can have a real impact on our mental and even physical health. 

From ancient Roman gladiators shilling olive oil and wine to today’s #fitspo influencers shilling supplements and diet hacks, everyone has the capacity to be influenced. In this episode of Your Diet Sucks, Kylee and Zoë unpack why misinformation spreads so quickly online, who is the most susceptible to influence - and the potential harms that mindless scrolling through idealized and heavily doctored images can have on athletes.

References

National 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/s12889-019-7387-8

Yu 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. ⁠

Kylee and Zoë dive into the Wild West of supplementation for athletes. We unpack the history of how athletes have been trying to gain an edge since the very first Olympics (with figs!) and how a lack of regulation makes it tough to know what substances are backed by evidence and what supplements belong in a gas station bathroom. We discuss what athletes should know about contamination and competition and what questions everyone should ask themselves if they're considering taking a supplement. Plus - the many uses of Horny Goat Weed!

YDS is supported by ⁠⁠Microcosm Coaching. ⁠

At least 30 million Americans have an eating disorder, but only 1 in 10 people gets the treatment they need. Why?

Kylee and Zoë debunk common myths about eating disorders, from who they affect to how they’re treated. We dive into the history of eating disorders and how common misbeliefs about mental illness shape their treatment today. We examine how weight stigma impacts treatment and why so many EDs are considered “atypical.” Then, we offer some practical solutions for fixing a f*cked-up system by debunking common misconceptions. 

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-men

Eating 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/s40337-023-00853-5

The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA). CMS.gov. (n.d.). https://www.cms.gov/marketplace/private-health-insurance/mental-health-parity-addiction-equity

Ramaswamy, 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/2023-07

Why 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