Bright orange cheese puffs. Daffodil-yellow snack cakes. Lime green soda. These are clearly ultra-processed foods. But, what about your frozen veggie burger, your protein cookie, or even that whole wheat bread you buy at the grocery store? You might not think you eat ultra-processed foods, but unless you’re living 100% farm-to-table, you probably do. So, are ultra-processed foods as scary as they sound? Should we stop eating them altogether… and is that even possible? On this episode of Mayo Cli...
Jul 01, 2025•41 min
Alcohol can be a social lubricant at awkward happy hours, or a way to take the edge off after a long day. But over time, how can regular drinking lead impact our sleep, dispositions, or even our likelihood of developing cancer? On this episode of On Nutrition, we talk with registered dietitian and Culina Health founder Vanessa Rissetto about how to escape the cultural pressure to drink, and her extreme path to quitting cold turkey. Sign up to receive Mayo Clinic Press emails. Find us online at M...
Jun 17, 2025•41 min
One in three Americans has a pre-diabetes diagnosis -- and about 12 percent of the US population has some form of diabetes. What can be done to prevent it? Is it reversible? And are there any home remedies -- like cinnamon? On this episode of On Nutrition, we talk with registered dietitian and Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist Gina Wimmer about how people with diabetes and pre-diabetes can eat well and live well, despite their diagnosis. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.co...
Jun 03, 2025•45 min
When you're pulling an all-nighter, or driving a long distance, you may be tempted to grab an energy drink to stay alert. But once the caffeine has faded...what impact has it left on your brain, heart, and sleep quality? And is there a safe way to have an energy drink in moderation? On this episode of On Nutrition, we talk with cardiologist Dr. Anna Svatikova about her research on energy drinks, the growing number of young people who drink them, and whether or not to crack open that can. Find us...
May 20, 2025•35 min
It's common to have some sort of health tracker on your phone, wrist -- or even around your finger. But is recording all activity in our diet and exercise actually necessary? And can knowing ALL our health data ever be harmful? On this episode of On Nutrition, we talk with dietitian and nutritionist Ro Huntriss about our obsession with our own metrics, the ever-evolving world of AI, and how to properly engage with healthcare technology. Find us online at Mayo Clinic Press for more health and wel...
May 06, 2025•43 min
One in six people struggle to conceive. Factors like age and irregular menstrual cycles are out of their hands -- but their diet, however, is completely under their control. That said, is there actually any correlation between what we eat and our fertility? On this episode of On Nutrition, we talk with reproductive endocrinologist Dr. Ali Ainsworth about subfertility, supplements, and whether pomegranate can help you get pregnant. You can purchase Mayo Clinic Guide to Fertility and Conception fr...
Apr 22, 2025•31 min
You did it: you found the right diet, exercise routine, surgery or medication to help you lose weight. Now what? On this episode of On Nutrition, we talk with nurse practitioner Julia Jurgensen about why keeping weight off is so difficult, what's worked for people who've maintained weight loss long-term, and the tools and teams available to help you along the way. Find us online at Mayo Clinic Press for more health and wellness articles, podcasts and books. Do you have feedback, questions or top...
Apr 08, 2025•42 min
If you were around during the 90's, you probably remember the low-fat and fat-free craze: skim milk, low-fat snacks... and god forbid you ate a plate of eggs. Today, we know a lot more about fat, and that certain types of fat are actually an important part of a healthy diet. So, how do you keep track of which fats you're supposed to eat, and which you're supposed to avoid? On this episode of On Nutrition, we talk with Dr. Kyla Lara-Breitenger to untangle our notions of "good" and "bad" fats, dem...
Mar 25, 2025•35 min
In this special episode, we'll hear On Nutrition host Tara Schmidt as a guest on Mayo Clinic Health Matters ! Ozempic. Wegovy. Mounjaro. Zepbound. You’ve probably heard the name of one of these drugs in the past few years—maybe you’ve even thought about taking them. Every day, more Americans are taking these drugs known as GLP-1s, either for chronic conditions like diabetes or, increasingly, for weight loss. So do these drugs deliver on the promise of easy weight loss? And are they right for eve...
Mar 18, 2025•35 min
Have you ever felt energized after a hearty salad, or sluggish after a slice of cake? Or maybe tomatoes upset your stomach, or alcohol triggers your migraines. Integrative nutrition is all about this connection between what we eat, how we feel, and the bigger picture of our health. And that's before we even get into all the supplements you can take. On this episode of On Nutrition, we talk with Dr. Brent Bauer, director of the Mayo Clinic Complementary and Integrative Medicine Program, about how...
Mar 11, 2025•40 min
Everybody does it. And yet there seems to be an aura of shame around our bowel movements and potential complications, like anxiety poops, constipation, and IBS. Well, no longer! On this episode of On Nutrition, we talk with gastroenterologist Dr. Iris Wang about the best way to poop, various tummy troubles, and how treatments like hypnotherapy might be able to help. Buy Dr. Wang's book, Boo Can't Poo , from Mayo Clinic Press today. Find us online at Mayo Clinic Press for more health and wellness...
Feb 25, 2025•41 min
Many of us are aware of intermittent fasting, an eating pattern that involves taking breaks from food for certain periods of time. But what are the actual benefits of these brief fasts? What are the ideal times to stop eating? And who should - and shouldn't - try it? On this episode of On Nutrition, we talk with professor Dr. Maria Collazo-Clavell about intermittent fasting's different schedules, side effects, and how to do it safely. Find us online at Mayo Clinic Press for more health and welln...
Feb 11, 2025•29 min
Organic or non-organic? Fresh or frozen? Generic or brand name? The art of buying groceries is a delicate balance of finding food that's healthy, but won't break the bank. On this episode of On Nutrition, we talk with dietitian Kristen Blixt about the best strategies for calculating a food budget, choosing affordable items, and not wasting that last bit of spinach in the fridge. Mayo Clinic's Healthy Recipes USDA's MyPlate Kitchen USDA's National Farmers Market Directory Still Tasty Find us onli...
Jan 28, 2025•39 min
You're probably used to thinking about your weight as some big, scary number that can influence how you feel about yourself. But what if weight was just a number? Simply a piece of information that had little to do with your actual health. On this episode of On Nutrition, we talk with family medicine physician Dr. Leslie Williams about the harm of centering weight in and out of healthcare, and how providers and patients can adopt a weight-neutral approach. Find us online at Mayo Clinic Press for...
Jan 14, 2025•37 min
Sugar - particularly added sugar - is in nearly all of our food. Whether you have a sweet tooth or not, it's important to know the benefits and consequences of all three kinds of sugar, and how we can adjust our relationship to them. On this episode of On Nutrition, we talk with dietitian-nutritionist Lisa Lammert about the history of added sugar, whether it's possible to have a sugar addiction, and if sugar substitutes are as effective as we might think. Find us online at Mayo Clinic Press for ...
Dec 17, 2024•40 min
You might not think about magnesium unless you're searching for sleep aids, but it's a mineral essential to your body's functioning. Without it, you'd quite literally fall apart. On this episode of On Nutrition, we talk with dietitian and nutritionist Joy Heimgartner about the magic of magnesium and how it's been so misunderstood. Find us online at Mayo Clinic Press for more health and wellness articles, podcasts and books. Do you have feedback, questions or topic suggestions? Email us at mcppod...
Dec 03, 2024•32 min
The phrase "meal planning" can immediately trigger a sense of dread. But brainstorming healthy recipes, cooking, and portioning out all your meals for the week doesn't have to be a slog. On this episode of On Nutrition, we talk with Chef Jen Welper - author of the cookbook " Cook Smart, Eat Well " - about her favorite methods for meal prep. She'll share strategies for conquering the kitchen, from family meals to holidays. Find us online at Mayo Clinic Press for more health and wellness articles,...
Nov 19, 2024•39 min
A snide remark from a coworker. Airplane seats that only fit a certain size. A provider’s insistence that your knee pain is due to overweight. More than 40% of U.S. adults have experienced stigma due to their weight. But where does it come from, and how can it come between you and your healthcare? On this episode of On Nutrition, we talk with psychologist Dr. Afton Koball about the harmful impact of weight bias, and how providers and patients can push back against stereotypes, in the medical fie...
Nov 05, 2024•33 min
Many of the eating habits we learn or adopt in childhood can continue into adulthood. So let's take a trip down memory lane. What was the nutritional advice when we were kids, and how has it changed or evolved? How do parents influence our eating and exercise? And is it actually fair to blame your parents? On this episode of Mayo Clinic on Nutrition, we talk with pediatrician and childhood eating disorder specialist Dr. Angela Mattke — and host of Mayo Clinic Kids — about habit-building, habit-b...
Oct 24, 2024•33 min
The rise in diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's could have a surprising source: the gut. Scientists are still exploring the link between the gut and the brain, but there is evidence that a balanced holistic lifestyle could reduce stress, inflammation, and, potentially, the risk of neurodegenerative conditions. On this episode of On Nutrition, we talk with gastroenterologist Dr. Partha Nandi about his new book, "Heal Your Gut, Save Your Brain: The Five Pillars of Enhancing Your Gut and Opti...
Oct 08, 2024•40 min
There’s this one weird trick doctors don’t want you to know… because it doesn’t work. It’s natural to hope for a one-size-fits-all, lose-weight-fast-and-forever solution. And if your sibling or friend is doing it or you saw it on TikTok, it can be tempting to just give it a try and see what happens. But what's the science behind these diets? Are some better than others? And will your nutritionist judge you if you try one? On this episode of Mayo Clinic on Nutrition, we talk with Dr. Summer Allen...
Sep 24, 2024•34 min
Many of us have reached for a sweet or salty treat out of loneliness, anxiety, or stress. But where does the emotional impulse to eat come from? And does what we eat impact our mood too? Find us online at Mayo Clinic Press for more health and wellness articles, podcasts and books. Do you have feedback, questions or topic suggestions? Email us at mcppodcasts@mayo.edu . Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy...
Sep 10, 2024•39 min
People choose to ‘go vegan’ for a myriad of reasons, from animal welfare to environmentalism. But is veganism automatically healthier just because it's plant-based? What do people need to know before they make the whole food switch? On this episode of On Nutrition, we talk with Dr. Dawn Mussallem, a longtime vegan and doctor of osteopathic medicine, about how a plant-based diet has helped both herself and her patients—and how it could help you. Find us online at Mayo Clinic Press for more health...
Aug 27, 2024•42 min
"Diet" is one of those words where two people can say it and mean totally different things. And in a medical nutrition context, those differences are important. So what do we mean when we talk about diet vs. dieting? And how can we move from restricting how we eat to being more mindful of our habits? Because when it comes to food, what's on our mind and what we put in our mouths matter. On this episode of On Nutrition, we talk with Dr. Donald Hensrud about diet, dieting, and the topic that has l...
Aug 13, 2024•39 min
"Mayo Clinic on Nutrition" digs into the latest nutrition trends and research to help you understand what’s health, and what’s hype. Together with Mayo Clinic dietitian Tara Schmidt, we’ll unravel the complexities of modern diets, offer evidence-based nutritional advice, and debunk common myths about the things we eat. Whether you want to understand a dietary concern, manage your weight, or simply eat better, we’ll learn how to make nutrition choices to not just eat well, but be well. Advertisin...
Apr 09, 2024•2 min
