144 - From Doughbirds to Donuts - America's Struggle with Easy Mode Eating (ft Amanda Sick)

How has subsisting on “easy meat” influenced America’s collective gut bacteria? And how do we break away from generations of bad eating habits?

On today’s episode we welcome special guest and food writer Amanda Sick, a health and wellness advocate who uses her platform to encourage healthier lifestyles. With her help we’ll dive into the history of American diets and our nation's obsession with meat. Starting off by tracking our cultural evolution from eating whatever flew past the early pioneer cabins, to eating whatever we drive past on our way home from work.

And if you think you’re guiltless when it comes to fast food, ask your kids, because we also talk about TikTok and its highly questionable relationship with Dunkin Donuts. Specifically highlighting how advertisers have shifted away from adult consumers to promoting directly to young people. Why have fast-food companies moved their ad dollars to social media platforms? Why are influencers accepting their money? And are teens actually listening to attractive peers telling them to eat doritos and donuts?

Finally, we’ll get into the fascinating connection between gut bacteria and the brain, and how our microbiome can influence our food cravings and mood. In doing so we’ll find the answer why America has never truly outgrown the "easy-mode" lifestyle. (Hint: it isn’t because we’re all fat and indulgent. The answer is more ‘weird-science’ than ‘willpower.’)

Follow Amanda Sick:

https://www.instagram.com/plant__creations/

https://www.instagram.com/amanda.sick/

https://tlavagabond.substack.com/p/from-junk-food-to-whole-food

Buy Amanda’s Ebook:

https://myplantcreations.com/e-book

Show Links:

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20230120-how-gut-bacteria-are-controlling-your-brain

https://www.fws.gov/story/whither-went-eskimo-curlew

https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/meat-consumption-in-america.html

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/brief-history-americanitis-180954739/

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/06/how-americans-used-to-eat/371895/

https://www.amazon.com/Putting-Meat-American-Table-Transformation/dp/0801882419

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db322.htm

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/digestive-diseases.htm

https://www.healthline.com/health/gerd/facts-statistics-infographic#Who-gets-GERD

https://www.science.org/content/article/meet-psychobiome-gut-bac

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