Today's episode explores whether certain foods can be addictive, with insight from Dr. David Kessler, former FDA Commissioner and author of "Diet, Drugs, and Dopamine." Monica and Dr. Kessler discuss the concept of food addiction, compulsive eating, and the brain's reward system.

Transcript: https://nutrition-diva.simplecast.com/episodes/can-we-really-be-addicted-to-food-with-dr-david-kessler/transcript

References

Evidence for sugar addiction: behavioral and neurochemical effects of intermittent, excessive sugar intake - PubMed

Addiction-like reward dysfunction and compulsive eating in obese rats: Role for dopamine D2 receptors - PMC

Female mice are more prone to develop an addictive-like phenotype for sugar consumption | Scientific Reports

Frontiers | Shifts in naturalistic behaviors induced by early social isolation stress are associated with adult binge-like eating in female rats

Addictive Junk Food: A Simple Story for a Complex Problem - ConscienHealth

Chemical Complexity of Food and Implications for Therapeutics | New England Journal of Medicine

New to Nutrition Diva? Check out our special Spotify playlist for a collection of the best episodes curated by our team and Monica herself! We've also curated some great playlists on specific episode topics including Diabetes and Gut Health!

Also, find a playlist of our bone health series, Stronger Bones at Every Age.

Have a nutrition question? Send an email to nutrition@quickanddirtytips.com.

Follow Nutrition Diva on Facebook and subscribe to the newsletter for more diet and nutrition tips.

Find Monica's blog and other programs at Nutrition Over Easy.

Nutrition Diva is a part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network.

LINKS:

Transcripts: https://nutrition-diva.simplecast.com/episodes/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/QDTNutrition/

Newsletter: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/nutrition-diva-newsletter

Nutrition Over Easy: https://nutritionovereasy.com

Quick and Dirty Tips: https://quickanddirtytipscom

There’s a lot of buzz about molecular hydrogen–and there is some science to talk about. Let’s sort the hope from the hype.

References:

Hydrogen Water: Extra Healthy or a Hoax?—A Systematic Review - PMC

You might also like these related episodes from topics discussed in this episode:

Red yeast rice extract

Berberine

Fatty liver

Transcript: https://nutrition-diva.simplecast.com/episodes/molecular-hydrogen-legit-breakthrough-or-the-latest-overhyped-supplement/transcript

New to Nutrition Diva? Check out our special Spotify playlist for a collection of the best episodes curated by our team and Monica herself! We've also curated some great playlists on specific episode topics including Diabetes and Gut Health!

Also, find a playlist of our bone health series, Stronger Bones at Every Age.

Have a nutrition question? Send an email to nutrition@quickanddirtytips.com.

Follow Nutrition Diva on Facebook and subscribe to the newsletter for more diet and nutrition tips.

Find Monica's blog and other programs at Nutrition Over Easy.

Nutrition Diva is a part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network.

LINKS:

Transcripts: https://nutrition-diva.simplecast.com/episodes/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/QDTNutrition/

Newsletter: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/nutrition-diva-newsletter

Nutrition Over Easy: https://nutritionovereasy.com

Quick and Dirty Tips: https://quickanddirtytipscom

As we enter our senior years, bone loss accelerates and the risk of fractures rises—but there’s still plenty we can do. In this final episode of our special series "Stronger Bones at Every Age," we share practical nutrition, lifestyle, and exercise strategies to preserve bone density, reduce fall risk, and maintain mobility and independence in later life.

"Stronger Bones at Every Age" is a special limited series made possible in part by the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff. This series is dedicated to providing the same evidence-based, unbiased information you've come to expect from the Nutrition Diva, reflecting the editorial integrity and professional expertise of our host.

For more information on the topics discussed in this episode, visit https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/bones.

You can also find citations for the entire series at https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/bones#citations.

New to Nutrition Diva? Check out our special Spotify playlist for a collection of the best episodes curated by our team and Monica herself! We've also curated some great playlists on specific episode topics including Diabetes and Gut Health!

Have a nutrition question? Send an email to nutrition@quickanddirtytips.com.

Follow Nutrition Diva on Facebook and subscribe to the newsletter for more diet and nutrition tips.

Find Monica's blog and other programs at Nutrition Over Easy.

Nutrition Diva is a part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network.

LINKS:

Transcripts: https://nutrition-diva.simplecast.com/episodes/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/QDTNutrition/

Newsletter: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/nutrition-diva-newsletter

Nutrition Over Easy: https://nutritionovereasy.com

Quick and Dirty Tips: https://quickanddirtytipscom

Fiber and protein can both work to tame your appetite. But both have a lot of other important jobs to do as well. Can we optimize for both?

Transcript: https://nutrition-diva.simplecast.com/episodes/beef-vs-beans-a-shootout-at-the-breakfast-corral/transcript

New to Nutrition Diva? Check out our special Spotify playlist for a collection of the best episodes curated by our team and Monica herself! We've also curated some great playlists on specific episode topics including Diabetes and Gut Health!

Have a nutrition question? Send an email to nutrition@quickanddirtytips.com.

Follow Nutrition Diva on Facebook and subscribe to the newsletter for more diet and nutrition tips.

Find Monica's blog and other programs at Nutrition Over Easy.

Nutrition Diva is a part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network.

LINKS:

Transcripts: https://nutrition-diva.simplecast.com/episodes/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/QDTNutrition/

Newsletter: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/nutrition-diva-newsletter

Nutrition Over Easy: https://nutritionovereasy.com

Quick and Dirty Tips: https://quickanddirtytipscom

During midlife, the focus shifts from building bone to preserving it. In the third installment of our special series "Stronger Bones at Every Age," we explain how nutrition, physical activity, and lifestyle habits in your 30s to 60s can help maintain bone density, prevent loss, and support long-term skeletal health.

"Stronger Bones at Every Age" is a special limited series made possible in part by the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff. This series is dedicated to providing the same evidence-based, unbiased information you've come to expect from the Nutrition Diva, reflecting the editorial integrity and professional expertise of our host.

For more information on the topics discussed in this episode, visit https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/bones.

You can also find citations for the entire series at https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/bones#citations.

New to Nutrition Diva? Check out our special Spotify playlist for a collection of the best episodes curated by our team and Monica herself! We've also curated some great playlists on specific episode topics including Diabetes and Gut Health!

Have a nutrition question? Send an email to nutrition@quickanddirtytips.com.

Follow Nutrition Diva on Facebook and subscribe to the newsletter for more diet and nutrition tips.

Find Monica's blog and other programs at Nutrition Over Easy.

Nutrition Diva is a part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network.

LINKS:

Transcripts: https://nutrition-diva.simplecast.com/episodes/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/QDTNutrition/

Newsletter: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/nutrition-diva-newsletter

Nutrition Over Easy: https://nutritionovereasy.com

Quick and Dirty Tips: https://quickanddirtytipscom

Do you think of these labels as being more or less interchangeable? Today, we’ll clear up some of the confusion around multi-grain and whole grain labels.

New to Nutrition Diva? Check out our special Spotify playlist for a collection of the best episodes curated by our team and Monica herself! We've also curated some great playlists on specific episode topics including Diabetes and Gut Health!

Have a nutrition question? Send an email to nutrition@quickanddirtytips.com.

Follow Nutrition Diva on Facebook and subscribe to the newsletter for more diet and nutrition tips.

Find Monica's blog and other programs at Nutrition Over Easy.

Nutrition Diva is a part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network.

LINKS:

Transcripts: https://nutrition-diva.simplecast.com/episodes/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/QDTNutrition/

Newsletter: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/nutrition-diva-newsletter

Nutrition Over Easy: https://nutritionovereasy.com

Quick and Dirty Tips: https://quickanddirtytipscom

Teens and young adults are in their final window to build strong bones for life. In the second installment of our special series "Stronger Bones at Every Age," we explore how nutrition, physical activity, and lifestyle habits during this critical stage shape lifelong bone health—and how parents and caregivers can support healthy development.

"Stronger Bones at Every Age" is a special limited series made in partnership with the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff.

For more information on the topics discussed in this episode, visit https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/bones.

You can also find citations for the entire series at https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/bones#citations.

New to Nutrition Diva? Check out our special Spotify playlist for a collection of the best episodes curated by our team and Monica herself! We've also curated some great playlists on specific episode topics including Diabetes and Gut Health!

Have a nutrition question? Send an email to nutrition@quickanddirtytips.com.

Follow Nutrition Diva on Facebook and subscribe to the newsletter for more diet and nutrition tips.

Find Monica's blog and other programs at Nutrition Over Easy.

Nutrition Diva is a part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network.

LINKS:

Transcripts: https://nutrition-diva.simplecast.com/episodes/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/QDTNutrition/

Newsletter: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/nutrition-diva-newsletter

Nutrition Over Easy: https://nutritionovereasy.com

Quick and Dirty Tips: https://quickanddirtytipscom

Juicing promises an easy way to cram more fruits and veggies into your day—but is it really a shortcut to better health?

Mentioned in this episode:

Are free radicals good for you? (Nutrition Diva #128)

Food segregation (Nutrition Diva #34)

Does blending destroy fiber? (Nutrition Diva #270)

What are the benefits of a raw food diet? (Nutrition Diva #99)

You can find all the episodes listed above and more on "juicing" in our newest Spotify playlist!

New to Nutrition Diva? Check out our special Spotify playlist for a collection of the best episodes curated by our team and Monica herself! We've also curated some great playlists on specific episode topics including Diabetes and Gut Health!

Have a nutrition question? Send an email to nutrition@quickanddirtytips.com.

Follow Nutrition Diva on Facebook and subscribe to the newsletter for more diet and nutrition tips.

Find Monica's blog and other programs at Nutrition Over Easy.

Nutrition Diva is a part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network.

LINKS:

Transcripts: https://nutrition-diva.simplecast.com/episodes/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/QDTNutrition/

Newsletter: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/nutrition-diva-newsletter

Nutrition Over Easy: https://nutritionovereasy.com

Quick and Dirty Tips: https://quickanddirtytipscom