Nutrition Bites

Other than a sense of adventure and entertainment, one key reason why people eat spicy food is the common belief that it’s good for you! Folklore has it that eating spicy food can cure colds, boost your metabolism and even induce birth when a woman is past her due date. And while some of these are simply urban legends, the health allure around spice is not entirely false. Which brings us to today’s question: can spicy food improve our health? Let’s dig in.Want to recommend an episode topic? Send me a message on Instagram or TikTok @nutritionbitespodcastCredit to MonoSheep for the theme music.

Over the past year many people have felt the weight of their food bill. With an inflation and recession double whammy, food prices have increased at astronomical rates. From produce to cooking oil to bread and meat nearly every category of food has been affected by inflation. So it's no surprise that many people are trying to save on food. But considering how closely tied diet is to our health, it’s super important we don’t compromise nutritional quality during times of financial constraint. Which begs the question, how can you eat healthy on the cheap?Want to recommend an episode topic? Send me a message on Instagram or TikTok @nutritionbitespodcastCredit to MonoSheep for the theme music.

Whether it’s on-the-go, during a work break, or late at night to accompany a TV show, snacking is a shared human experience. But in the past few decades snacking has transformed into something we do wherever and whenever. And with our lives becoming increasingly time-constrained, grabbing a quick bite in between meals seems like a necessity. But this habit is starting to affect our health - causing unintended weight gain and contributing to the rise of chronic diseases. So is snacking inherently unhealthy? Or is there something else to blame for its bad reputation? Tune in to find out.Want to recommend an episode topic? Send me a message on Instagram or TikTok @nutritionbitespodcastCredit to MonoSheep for the theme music.

Eating plant-based is no longer a trend, it’s an established lifestyle. This  vegetarian diet for non-committal folks is centred around plants with the occasional inclusion of meat. But there are no hard and fast rules. And by and large, it's a pretty healthy way of eating. After all, many experts and organizations advise us to consume less meat. But how much healthier is strict adherence to a vegetarian diet compared to just eating less meat overall? Tune in to find out.Want to recommend an episode topic? Send me a message on Instagram or TikTok @nutritionbitespodcastCredit to MonoSheep for the theme music.

Everyone’s motivations for buying organic differs, but one of the most commonly listed reasons is that it is healthier for you. Now organic farming was first and foremost developed to protect the environment, but could these old-school agricultural ways also benefit our health? Tune in to Nutrition Bites to find out! Want to recommend an episode topic? Send me a message on Instagram or TikTok @nutritionbitespodcastCredit to MonoSheep for the theme music.

Having a full head of hair is a societal expectation - at least that’s what the media tells us. Apart from George Costanze in Seinfeld, you don’t see many balding characters, actors, or singers.  But hair loss and thinning are clinical conditions that affect all genders, and over half of the global population will experience this. Supplements on the market today promise to  target the root causes of hair thinning and promote faster-growing, thicker, fuller and stronger hair. But are  these pills and gummies actually helping us, or are they merely preying on our vanity and wallets. Tune in to find out !Want to recommend an episode topic? Send me a message on Instagram or TikTok @nutritionbitespodcastCredit to MonoSheep for the theme music

Sugar substitutes, which include artificial sweeteners, are substances that provide a sweet taste while contributing few or no calories. They are primarily used as an additive in packaged foods and beverages, like Diet Coke or sugar-free gum. The main benefit of sugar substitutes is that they provide an option for people to consume sweet foods and drinks, while helping to reduce their overall added sugar and caloric intake.  In theory, this can provide assistance with weight management and blood sugar control. But is that really the case? New research is hinting that the very opposite might be true, that artificial sweeteners are actually causing us to gain weight and worsen Diabetes. Tune in to find out the truth! Want to recommend an episode topic? Send me a message on Instagram or TikTok @nutritionbitespodcastCredit to MonoSheep for the theme music

Do you start every morning with a mug of coffee or tea? If so, welcome to the billion-member morning brew club! Drinking coffee and/or tea has been a standard ritual for thousands of years, but for such a popular, and historic drink, not many people understand the health implications. Are these caffeinated beverages benefitting our health? Harming it? Both? Neither? Tune in to find out.Want to recommend an episode topic? Send me a message on Instagram or TikTok @nutritionbitespodcastCredit to MonoSheep for the theme music

If you’ve ever been frustrated at the mismatch between the way you eat, and how you look on the outside, or feel on the inside, you’ve likely blamed the scapegoat of human variability - genetics.  While you can adapt your lifestyle and modify your environment to live healthier, you can’t change your DNA. And the genetic diversity between people means there is no “one-size fits all” approach to nutrition. An eating pattern that works for your friend may be terrible for you. So the idea of analysing your DNA, and prescribing a diet based on your unique genetic code, seems fantastic. But is it even possible to do? And is it actually the nutrition solution some make it out to be? Tune in to find out. Want to recommend an episode topic? Send me a message on Instagram or TikTok @nutritionbitespodcastCredit to MonoSheep for the theme music

Our modern way of eating certainly necessitates criticism. But the once harmless suggestion of "eating clean" has now been tarnished thanks to a takeover by food-shaming influencers. In the clean eating world the rules of what’s good and bad aren’t well defined, and can even change depending on who’s giving the instructions. So it’s about time we untangle this powerfully branded dietary approach, and determine how holy clean eating really is. Tune in to find out more!Want to recommend an episode topic? Send me a message on Instagram or TikTok @nutritionbitespodcastCredit to MonoSheep for the theme music

Industrial processing has long helped to improve the shelf-life and stability of food, allowing it to be consumed out of season, and stored without a refrigerator. It's also been used to enhance taste and texture and create magical sensory experiences like with Cool Ranch Doritos. Without  knowing it, many of your weekly items are likely highly or ultra processed, that is, manufactured with additives and little whole foods. But because processing can alter the nutritional properties of food, health scientists, and governments are concerned. So should health agencies advise us to moderate our intake of these items like they do with alcohol? It’s not an easy answer, and exactly why ultra-processed foods are at the centre of the latest nutrition debate hosted by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Tune into Nutrition Bites for the down-low on this nerdy nutrition battle.Want to recommend an episode topic? Send me a message on Instagram or TikTok @nutritionbitespodcastCredit to MonoSheep for the theme musicInterested in the debate papers? Access them via the links below:For: https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/advance-article/doi/10.1093/ajcn/nqac122/6602407Against: https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/advance-article/doi/10.1093/ajcn/nqac123/6602408

Every summer the search term “bloat” peaks on Google - with good reason. The hot weather uniform of a little less clothing and a little more skin often invokes a sense of self-consciousness about our stomachs. While the infamous food baby is a natural, albeit, annoying result from our stomach expanding after a meal, bloat is a whole other ball game.Bloating is the feeling of tightness, pressure or fullness in your belly and is caused by excessive gas in our digestive tract.  Not only can it cause you to look inflated, but it can also be incredibly uncomfortable. While a lot of the motivation to prevent bloating is driven by vanity, for many it can be an awful experience that disrupts their daily lives, or even a symptom of an underlying health condition. So tune in to learn more about bloating, what causes it, and what we can do to manage it.Want to recommend an episode topic? Send me a message on Instagram or TikTok @nutritionbitespodcastCredit to MonoSheep for the theme music

Vitamin D  is one of those odd nutrients in the sense that we don't really consume it via food. Instead, we make it on our own from exposure to  UV rays. This so-called sunshine vitamin is vital  to build and maintain strong bones, but over the past decade it’s also been given a reputation for being a panacea of sorts, able to prevent cancer, fight depression and boot our immune system. But is this cure-all hype actually deserved? And if so, what does that mean for those of us who are cooped up inside for half the year, and slathered in SPF the other half?  Tune in to find out.Want to recommend an episode topic? Send me a message on Instagram or TikTok @nutritionbitespodcastCredit to MonoSheep for the theme music

Branded as the “fasting plan that lets you eat”, ProLon is a 5-day subscription dietary program that is designed to support healthy aging. Compared to more traditional fasting regimes where one goes many hours without food, ProLon allows you to consume a small amount of calories every day. It's based off a concept called The Fasting Mimicking Diet which tricks your body into thinking it's fasting when in reality you are eating. The benefit? A younger you (on the inside). But if this sounds too good to be true, know you are not alone in your skepticism. Tune in to uncover the truth about this latest diet craze. Want to recommend an episode topic? Send me a message on Instagram or TikTok @nutritionbitespodcastCredit to MonoSheep for the theme music.

Supplement trends are a dime a dozen these days, and the latest powder to make a name for itself promises youthful skin, injury recovery, and better bones. Collagen is a special protein, in fact, it is the most abundant protein in our body. With key functionality in so many of our organs and tissues, one would think that adding a little boost of collagen into our diet would make us healthier. But the science seems skeptical at best - especially when it comes in the form of trendy bone broth. Tune in to find out more.Want to recommend an episode topic? Send me a message on Instagram or TikTok @nutritionbitespodcastCredit to MonoSheep for the theme music.

Despite its reputation as a goopy and gross place, our gut hosts an incredibly complex world of microorganisms. With such a big influence on how we feel, trying to create a healthy digestive tract is a goal for many.  Two ways to encourage a merry microbiome are by taking prebiotics and probiotics. But these terms often elicit a lot of confusion - not just about their difference but what they even do. Tune in to find out more.Want to recommend an episode topic? Send me a message on Instagram or TikTok @nutritionbitespodcastCredit to MonoSheep for the theme music.

Insects are a great source of sustainable protein that have the potential to feed the world en masse, at a cheap price, and with a small environmental footprint. While two billion people regularly consume insects today, many people in Western countries are still uncomfortable with the idea of beetle burritos or cricket curries. But considering the health and wellbeing of our planet relies on us to change how we eat, we may have to start bugging out soon. Tune in to find out more about insects as our future diet staple, and just how nutritious they really are. Want to recommend an episode topic? Send me a message on Instagram or TikTok @nutritionbitespodcastCredit to MonoSheep for the theme music.

Athletic Greens is an incredibly popular supplement backed by celebrities and investment bankers. This green-coloured powder, which is added to water for a morning beverage, is packed with 75 different vitamins, minerals, powdered fruits and veggies, probiotics, prebiotics, and plenty of other "natural” ingredients. With a potion-like consistency and plenty of promises of better health, it’s easy to see why people are keen to try this daily powder out. But is this another too good to be true wellness product? Tune in to find out.Want to recommend an episode topic? Send me a message on Instagram or TikTok @nutritionbitespodcastCredit to MonoSheep for the theme music.

According to their LinkedIn, Noom is the world’s leading behaviour change company, disrupting the weight loss and healthcare industries by combining artificial intelligence, mobile tech, and psychology to help people adopt long-term habits.  It’s the latest it girl weight loss program and their advertisements can be found plastered across your digital universe. But what’s really the deal with this company that promises it  will be “the last weight loss program you’ll ever need”? And is it any different from the hundreds of other diets out there? Tune in to find out more.Want to recommend an episode topic? Send me a message on Instagram @nutritionbitespodcastCredit to MonoSheep for the theme music.

The early days of the COVID-19 pandemic were marked by a lot of memorable moments, including many that had to do with food. From bare grocery store shelves to shuttered restaurants to the sourdough craze, our relationship with eating drastically shifted. Researchers around the world sent thousands of surveys to try and quantify just how the pandemic was changing the way we eat. What did they find out? Tune in to hear!Want to recommend an episode topic? Send me a message on Instagram @nutritionbitespodcastCredit to MonoSheep for the theme music.