Goals, Grit, and Some Woo Woo Sh*t
"BREAKING NEWS: Your dream life (and your dream bod) isn’t just going to happen because you made a vision board. Join Oonagh Duncan (fitness expert and bestselling author of Healthy As F*ck/Ditch The Diet) to examine the habits of kicking ass every day - so you can create a life of no regrets. Whether you want to lose weight, get rich, or save the whales while writing bestselling mystery novels- get ready to be inspired. This isn’t about incantations and putting the right crystals in your bra. This is about having the courage to take responsibility for your life, the grit to do the actual work and—most importantly—constantly training your brain to be your b*tch. Here’s what you can expect: Sometimes you’ll get the most tender loving b*tch slap in your ear about why you need to exercise - even when you don’t f*cking feel like it. Sometimes you’ll get a sleep expert teach you the exact steps on how to fall back asleep at 3am so you don’t feel like a zombie all day. Sometimes you’ll hear from someone who ran the marathon, kicked the addiction or manifested their dream threesome on the beach and you’ll think “If they can do it, so can I” And when you start thinking thoughts like that… you will be inspired to stop drifting and being a victim of your circumstances - and start actively creating the life you want. It takes Goals. It takes Grit. And it takes some Woo-Woo Sh*t."
Goals, Grit, and Some Woo Woo Sh*t
The Problem With "Eat Real Food, Not Too Much, Mostly Plants" with Jan Dutkiewicz and Gabriel N. Rosenberg
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For years, I've loved Michael Pollan's famous advice: Eat real food, not too much, mostly plants.
It felt grounded. Sensible. Refreshingly free from diet culture nonsense.
But what if one of the most trusted pieces of nutrition advice of the last two decades isn't quite as simple as it sounds?
In this episode, I sit down with food systems researchers Jan Dutkiewicz and Gabriel N. Rosenberg, co-authors of Feed the People. Their book challenges a lot of the assumptions many of us have about food, health, and what it means to be a "good eater."
We dig into the controversy around ultra-processed foods and why that label may not tell us nearly as much as we've been led to believe. We talk about protein powders, plant-based meats, frozen vegetables, sliced bread, and why some foods that get demonized online might actually be perfectly healthy additions to a balanced diet.
We also explore a much bigger question: what happens when we put all the responsibility for fixing our food system on individual consumers?
Jan and Gabriel make a compelling case that nutrition isn't just about personal choices. It's also about policy, affordability, accessibility, labor, agriculture, and the systems that determine what ends up on our plates in the first place.
Some of their arguments challenged my own beliefs. A few made my jaw hit the floor. Like the idea that a Walmart can improve community nutrition more effectively than a farmers' market. Or that obsessing over every ingredient label may be doing more harm than good.
Whether you agree with everything in this conversation or not, I think you'll walk away questioning some of the nutrition "truths" we've all absorbed over the years. And honestly, that's what makes this episode so interesting.
What’s Inside:
- Why "ultra-processed food" may be far too broad a category to be useful
- The difference between food processing and actual nutritional quality
- Why affordability and access matter more than food purity narratives
- How policy, not individual perfection, shapes healthier communities
This conversation reminded me that nutrition is rarely as black and white as social media makes it seem. Sometimes the most useful thing we can do is trade certainty for curiosity. Tell me: what's one food belief you've changed your mind about recently? DM me on Instagram and let me know!
Mentioned in This Episode:
Feed the People: Why Industrial Food Is Good And How To Make It Even Better
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Oonagh Duncan on Instagram
Fit Feels Good
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