Your Diet Sucks

Do detoxes work? Do you need a juice cleanse to "reset" your body? Is your liver full of toxins? Short answer: no, no, and absolutely not.This week we debunk the $6.3 trillion wellness industry's claims,juice cleanses, detox teas, foot pads, coffee enemas, the Master Cleanse, and everything in between. We cover how your liver actually detoxifies, why your kidneys filter 200 quarts of blood daily without any help from celery juice, and what a 2015 systematic review concluded about the science of detoxes.We also dig into the history, from ancient Greek bloodletting to George Washington's death to John Harvey Kellogg's yogurt enemas (ew?) and the psychology of why we fall for purity narratives. Plus: why athletes are prime targets, the connection between "clean eating" and orthorexia, documented harms (kidney failure, electrolyte imbalances, rectal perforations (again, EW!)), and 8 red flags for spotting detox scams.95+ facts checked, 17 sources cited. Full references at https://www.yourdietsuckspodcast.comSponsors:Tailwind Nutrition – Sports nutrition without the BS. Code YOURDIET20 for 20% off at tailwindnutrition.comOsmia – Small-batch skincare made by a doctor who reads the research. Code YDS20 at osmiaorganics.comJanji – Running gear with purpose. Code YDS at janji.comMicrocosm Coaching – Work with coaches like Zoë and Kylee who get endurance athletes, no shame, no pseudoscience, just evidence-based training. Get connected with a coach at microcosmcoaching.com

The skincare industry is worth over $180 billion globally. The science backing most of it? Let's just say your liver isn't the only organ that doesn't need a detox.This episode is sponsored by Osmia, Science-backed skincare formulated by a physician who actually reads PubMed. Use code YDS20 for 20% off your first order at osmiaskincare.com.This week we're doing something a little different: a partner episode with Osmia, one of our sponsors this season. But if you know YDS, you know we don't do puff pieces. Dr. Sarah Villafranco is a board-certified emergency medicine physician who left the ER to formulate skincare, and brought her doctor brain with her. She's here because she shares our allergy to pseudoscience, not because she's paying us to be nice—and we approached this conversation with the same critical lens we'd bring to any industry deep-dive. (You can read more about how we handle sponsorships and editorial independence at yourdietsuckspodcast.com/our-advertising-ethics-policy.)We talk about why tallow is the new wellness grift (sorry, ancestral girlies), what "natural" actually means when the FDA doesn't regulate it, and why your 20-step TikTok routine is probably making your skin worse. Sarah breaks down the three products that actually matter, explains why thicker doesn't mean more hydrating (remember: hydrate has "water" in it), and makes the case for the least sexy skincare advice ever spoken aloud: consistency.We also get into the ethics of beauty marketing, why "anti-aging" language is completely absent from everything Osmia does, and how to be your own N of 1 experiment when it comes to your skin, which should sound familiar if you've been listening to this show.Plus: the St. Ives Apricot Scrub accountability moment we all needed, why medicated lip balms are a scam, and the skincare equivalent of taking 500 supplements a day.If you've ever felt overwhelmed by serums, confused by "clean beauty" claims, or suspicious that the wellness industry just found a new way to sell you a crisis and then the cure, this one's for you.

Join our Patreon!Get YDS Merch for the holidays!Can you supplement your way to a glow? The $70 billion beauty supplement industry certainly wants you to think so.This week we dig into collagen, biotin, hyaluronic acid, and those $90 greens powders everyone's suddenly drinking, tracing the history from Lydia Pinkham's 19th-century vegetable compound to today's $60 Moon Juice dusts. We break down what the research actually says about "ingestible beauty" (and, crucially, who funded it), why high-dose biotin might give your doctor an unwelcome surprise, and the psychology of why we keep buying products that promise to fix us from the inside out.Also on the docket: the rise of "preventative Botox" among people under 30, the gut-skin axis (real science, grifty applications), and what actually supports skin, hair, and nail health, spoiler, it's boring. If you've ever wondered whether that greens powder is doing anything besides lightening your wallet, this one's for you.This episode is brought to you by:Tailwind Nutrition – Sports nutrition without the BS. Code YOURDIET20 for 20% off at tailwindnutrition.comOsmia – Small-batch skincare made by a doctor who reads the research. Code YDS20 at osmiaorganics.comJanji – Running gear with purpose. Code YDS at janji.comMicrocosm Coaching – Coaches who get endurance athletes. Free consultation at microcosmcoaching.com

Support us on Patreon, and see our full list of references on our website!Do you need to eat like a caveman to unlock your ancestral potential? Spoiler: no, and also, which caveman? The whole premise falls apart the second you ask a follow-up question.This week, we're taking on the Paleo Diet, not just what it says you should eat, but why it exists in the first place. Turns out the history goes way deeper than CrossFit bros and beef sticks. We trace the roots of "ancestral eating" back to 19th-century wilderness cults, Gilded Age masculinity panic, and a 1975 diet book with...some pretty dark roots. From there, we dig into why Paleo took off in Silicon Valley and the manosphere, how it became a $500 million industry selling you a return to nature via Amazon Prime, and what the research actually says about eliminating grains and legumes. Spoiler: your gut bacteria are not thrilled.Kylee breaks down the science on whole grains, the microbiome, and why the "mismatch hypothesis" doesn't hold up to evolutionary scrutiny. Zoë gets lost in Paleo subreddits, finds some surprisingly chill Burning Man content, and connects the dots between diet ideology, gender anxiety, and consumer capitalism.If you've ever wondered why some guy at your gym is very passionate about seed oils, this one's for you.This episode is brought to you by:Janji — Up to 30% off sitewide through December 1st. Code YDS for 10% off your first order at janji.comOsmia — 20% off Friday through Monday. Code YDS20 at osmiaskincare.comTailwind Nutrition — Code YOURDIET20 for 20% off your first order at tailwindnutrition.comMicrocosm Coaching — Book a free consultation at microcosmcoaching.com

Support the show and get bonus content! Join the N of One Club on Patreon for bonus episodes, monthly blogs, and a community of people who also think the wellness industry is full of shit. Starting at just $3/month.Do you really need that $5 mojito-flavored electrolyte packet to survive your morning Zoom meeting? Spoiler: probably not.This week we're talking salt. From ancient Romans literally getting paid in it to the absolute shitshow that was the 1904 Olympic marathon (two water stations for 26 miles—Google it). Kylee breaks down what electrolytes actually are and who actually needs supplemental sodium (endurance athletes sweating buckets) versus who doesn't (everyone sitting at a desk).We cover sweat tests, sodium replacement strategies, and the deeply annoying fact that the symptoms of too much sodium and too little sodium are basically identical. Plus: the explosion of boutique electrolyte brands, IV drip bars, and why everyone has an emotional support Stanley cup. The wellness industry wants to sell you a crisis and then the cure, and electrolytes are having a serious moment.This episode is brought to you by:Osmia – Science-backed skincare. Use code YDS20 at osmiaskincare.comTailwind Nutrition – Endurance fuel that won't wreck your stomach. Code YOURDIET20 at tailwindnutrition.comMicrocosm Coaching – Sports dietitians who understand endurance athletes. microcosmcoaching.comJanji – Running gear with purpose. Code YDS at janji.com