200th Episode: Best of the Diva!
In honor of her 200th episode, the Nutrition Diva looks back at some of the topics that moved readers the most over the last 4 years.
Monica Reinagel, MS, LD/N, CNS
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200th Episode: Best of the Diva!
This is the 200th episode of the Nutrition Diva podcast! It’s been a little over 4 years since my very first podcast, in which I talked about foods and nutrients that help protect the skin from sun damage. (Check out Eat Your Sunscreen.)
I remember wondering whether I might start to run out of topics after a few dozen shows. I needn’t have worried! Almost right away, questions started pouring in—and there seems to be no end to the fascinating conversations to be had about food and nutrition. In fact, the vast majority of the first 200 episodes have been on topics and questions sent in by listeners and readers.
Some of my favorites included whether certain foods could boost brain function, whether it’s possible to reverse Type 2 diabetes with the right diet, and whether you need to combine foods in certain ways to assist digestion. It’s always fun to dig into the research or to take a closer look at the conventional wisdom with an open mind. Your favorite question? Well, the episode that has gotten the most page views on our website is the one on whether carbonated water is bad for you. Have you read it?
I have to confess that tracking down answers to your questions about food and nutrition has made me much better-informed—as well as more humble about the fact that none of us can know it all and that all of us occasionally get it wrong! One of the things I’ve come to love about the interactive nature of digital publishing is that we all have an opportunity to learn from each other. I really appreciate all the comments and responses—even arguments—that you post on the episodes, as well as the discussions and debates we’ve had on the Nutrition Diva Facebook Page.
View the entire Ask the Diva archive here!
Making Weight Loss Easier
Although I try to cover all the different angles on “eating well and feeling fabulous,” weight loss has certainly been a common theme. I’ve done shows on everything from alleged negative-calorie foods, to strategies for fighting childhood obesity, to how to break a weight loss plateau. I’ve talked about ways to eat less without feeling hungry, busted myths about whether eating more often boosts your metabolism, and offered tips on overcoming an unsupportive environment.
The all-time most listened to Nutrition Diva episode, by the way, was on whether low carb diets are the best way to lose weight. This was one in a five-part series on different diet strategies and how to find the approach that works best for you. Because one of the things I’ve learned from all of the feedback of Nutrition Diva listeners is that there really is no one solution that is going to work for everyone.
One Size Doesn’t Fit All
Certain topics seemed to elicit very emotional responses from readers and listeners, such as whether raw milk is better for you or whether you should even drink milk at all. My episode on the pros and cons of consuming dairy products has gotten more comments than any other show in the archives.
Although I never shy away from controversy, I’ve come to appreciate that, when it comes to food and nutrition, there are lots of issues where rational people may simply disagree (to say nothing of the irrational ones!). For one thing, nutrition is an evolving science—we simply don’t know everything there is to know. And because we’re all different, we won’t all respond the same way to the same methods. Finally, our food choices are rarely dictated by nutritional considerations alone. Ethical, religious, economic, cultural, aesthetic, and logistical considerations may also come into play.
Rather than tell you what you should or shouldn’t eat, I’ve tried to help you evaluate the various claims, sort fact from fiction, and (because these things are rarely black or white!) weigh the pros and cons—so that you can make an informed decision based on your own needs and priorities.
How to be Your Own Diva
Along the way, I’ve also tried to give you some tools that will enable you to evaluate nutrition information more critically on your own. For example, in an episode on whether industry funded research can be trusted, I talked about the different kinds of bias that can affect researchers and how to spot them. In my episode on the pros and cons of raw milk, I talked about the problem of basing an argument on anecdotal evidence. In the most recent of many episodes I’ve done on whether fructose is toxic, I illustrated how easy (and common) it is to start with a true fact and twist it into a completely false conclusion. And in a recent episode on the alleged dangers of red meat, I suggested two questions that you should always ask yourself when reading about the latest nutrition research.
So when the time comes for me to take off the Nutrition Diva tiara, any number of you will be ready to step into these sparkly, silver, cartoon shoes! But that won’t be for a long time yet—I’m having too much fun!
Keep in Touch
So, what will the next 200 episodes bring? You tell me! Keep those comments, questions, arguments, and suggestions coming. Email them to nutrition@quickanddirtytips.comcreate new email or post them on the Nutrition Diva Facebook page or the show’s webpage at nutritiondiva.quickanddirtytips.com.
Your curiosity and enthusiasm for eating well and feeling fabulous are what makes my job the best one in the world!
200, Woman on Scale and Vegetable Face images from Shutterstock
About the Author
Monica Reinagel is a board-certified licensed nutritionist, author, and the creator of one of iTunes’ most highly ranked health and fitness podcasts. Her advice is regularly featured on the TODAY show, Dr. Oz, NPR, and in the nation’s leading newspapers, magazines, and websites. Do you have a nutrition question? Call the Nutrition Diva listener line at 443-961-6206. Your question could be featured on the show.