Your Diet Sucks

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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.com

Osmia – Small-batch skincare made by a doctor who reads the research. Code YDS20 at osmiaorganics.com

Janji – Running gear with purpose. Code YDS at janji.com

Microcosm 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.com

Osmia — 20% off Friday through Monday. Code YDS20 at osmiaskincare.com

Tailwind Nutrition — Code YOURDIET20 for 20% off your first order at tailwindnutrition.com

Microcosm 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.com

Tailwind Nutrition – Endurance fuel that won't wreck your stomach. Code YOURDIET20 at tailwindnutrition.com

Microcosm Coaching – Sports dietitians who understand endurance athletes. microcosmcoaching.com

Janji – Running gear with purpose. Code YDS at janji.com

Support us on Patreon!⁠⁠

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This week on Your Diet Sucks, Zoë and Kylee dive headfirst into the messy, fascinating world of food policy, the history, politics, and corporate influence that quietly shape what ends up on your plate. From the creation of the first dietary guidelines to the low-fat craze that reshaped grocery store shelves, we unravel how government agencies, industry lobbyists, and “expert” committees turned nutrition advice into a political negotiation.

• ​Tailwind → tailwindnutrition.com, code YOURDIET20 = 20% off first order.
• ​Janji → janji.com, code YDS = 10% off first order.
• ​Microcosm Coaching → ⁠⁠microcosm-coaching.com⁠⁠, book a free consultation call.
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We talk about how the USDA’s dual role, both promoting agriculture and protecting public health, set the stage for decades of conflict, and how the sugar and processed food industries learned to play the game better than anyone. It’s a story full of backroom deals, scientific sleight of hand, and the kind of marketing spin that turned “moderation” into the most profitable word in nutrition.

Thanks to Janji for supporting YDS!

Your Diet Sucks is hosted by Zoë Rom and Kylee Van Horn, RDN, and brings a skeptical, evidence-based lens to the big stories shaping how we eat, move, and live.