Plus: Princess culture and girls’ body image | Christy discusses the evidence on sugar and health—specifically what the science really says about the links between sugar and the risk of various chronic diseases, as well as the inherent limitations of the data. Plus, in honor of Halloween this week, she shares some thoughts (and some data) on princess culture and girls’ body image, and why she’s starting to let go of some of her angst about her daughter’s current princess obsession.| rethinkingwellness.substack.com
Christy answers a listener question about dealing with pregnancy weight gain when you’re working to make peace with food and your body.| rethinkingwellness.substack.com
Critical thinking and compassionate skepticism about wellness and diet culture, and reflections on how to find true well-being. Click to read Rethinking Wellness, by Christy Harrison, MPH, RD, a Substack publication with tens of thousands of subscribers.| rethinkingwellness.substack.com
Cultural critic and author Amanda Hess joins us to discuss her new book, Second Life: Having a Child in the Digital Age. We talk about the intersection of pregnancy, early parenthood, and technology, her experience using a popular period app to track her pregnancy, how she navigated self-blame and cultural stigma when her baby was diagnosed with a rare genetic condition, and more. Behind the paywall, we get into the pervasiveness of diet culture in pregnancy, the natural-childbirth movement a...| rethinkingwellness.substack.com
A deep dive into laser acupuncture for IVF, plus some exciting personal news | Christy discusses her experience with IVF and the intersection of infertility and complementary/alternative medicine, including a deep dive into the science on laser acupuncture for fertility. She also shares some personal news.| Rethinking Wellness
Physician and writer Mara Gordon joins us to discuss diet and wellness culture among medical doctors, why she took Ozempic for weight loss (and what made her quit), how she came to practice weight-inclusive care, and lots more.| Rethinking Wellness
And should you eat organic in recovery from disordered eating? | Christy answers an audience question about organic foods, addressing whether organics are better for human health than conventional ones, potential environmental impacts, and important questions to consider if you’re recovering from disordered eating.| Rethinking Wellness
Clinical psychologist and author Jennifer Caspari (You Are More Than Your Body) joins us to discuss how to accept your body when you have a chronic illness, chronic pain, or disability. We talk about her experience living with cerebral palsy, how to practice body neutrality, the importance of emotion-regulation skills, and how to navigate the tension between self-acceptance and not liking the way things are. Behind the paywall, we get into wellness culture’s toxic beliefs about chronic illn...| Rethinking Wellness
Vaccine inserts can sound scary, but a deeper look at the science tells a different story. Christy reads a guest post from a former anti-vaxxer who shares one thing that helped change her mind.| Rethinking Wellness
Eating-disorders dietitian Marci Evans joins us to discuss the current science on “food addiction” (sometimes called “ultraprocessed food addiction”)—and what’s changed since I first interviewed her about this topic for Food Psych back in 2016. We get into how food addiction is defined and measured (and what that definition leaves out), the overlap between disordered eating and high scores on food-addiction scales, how food-addiction discourse perpetuates weight stigma, the nuance...| Rethinking Wellness
On the shaky evidence behind intermittent fasting and cold showers—and why following early-stage research can be such a waste of time| Rethinking Wellness
If you’re feeling anxious about the recent panic headlines, read this. | Christy discusses why some wellness influencers advocate avoiding sunscreen, and what the science really says about common UV-protective ingredients, vitamin D production, and more.| Rethinking Wellness
Plus, the links: ChatGPT’s alarming interactions with users, a "new Joe Rogan" promotes the same old health misinformation, and more.| Rethinking Wellness
Introducing our new feature: Letters to the Editor | Christy reads a letter from a listener that offers a unique point of view on the intersection of GLP-1s and diet culture. We’re also debuting a new feature and a way to get involved with the podcast!| Rethinking Wellness
Endocrinologist Gregory Dodell joins us to discuss myths and facts about hormones, including the problems with doing diets and supplement protocols for “hormone balancing,” why weight-loss recommendations aren’t helpful for hormone health, how to manage thyroid conditions without falling prey to wellness fads, the truth about “adrenal fatigue,” the Ozempic craze, and more.| Rethinking Wellness
Plus, the links: Pharma-industry influence on GLP-1 guidelines for teens, blurred lines between wellness and medical tech, and more.| Rethinking Wellness
Critical thinking and compassionate skepticism about wellness and diet culture, and reflections on how to find true well-being. Click to read Rethinking Wellness, by Christy Harrison, MPH, RD, a Substack publication with tens of thousands of subscribers.| rethinkingwellness.substack.com
Journalist and author Kate Leaver joins us to discuss her experience with long Covid, all the weird wellness-y stuff she tried out of desperation, and why it’s so hard to think critically about interventions that promise healing when you’re so sick you barely have the energy to read an email, let alone do a deep dive into the science. She also shares how working with a naturopath as a kid sparked her eating disorder, how she found her way to recovery, and lots more.| rethinkingwellness.substack.com
