Unpacking the Ultra-Processed: How to Curb the Health Risks of Convenient Food

Bright orange cheese puffs. Daffodil-yellow snack cakes. Lime green soda. These are clearly ultra-processed foods. But, what about your frozen veggie burger, your protein cookie, or even that whole wheat bread you buy at the grocery store? You might not think you eat ultra-processed foods, but unless you’re living 100% farm-to-table, you probably do. So, are ultra-processed foods as scary as they sound? Should we stop eating them altogether… and is that even possible?On this episode of Mayo Clinic on Nutrition, we talk with Dr. Stephen Kopecky about the ultra-confusing world of ultra-processed foods.Purchase Dr. Kopecky's book, Live Younger Longer, from Mayo Clinic Press today.Find us online at Mayo Clinic Press for more health and wellness articles, podcasts and books.Do you have feedback, questions or topic suggestions? Email us at [email protected] Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Alcohol can be a social lubricant at awkward happy hours, or a way to take the edge off after a long day. But over time, how can regular drinking lead impact our sleep, dispositions, or even our likelihood of developing cancer?On this episode of On Nutrition, we talk with registered dietitian and Culina Health founder Vanessa Rissetto about how to escape the cultural pressure to drink, and her extreme path to quitting cold turkey. Sign up to receive Mayo Clinic Press emails. Find us online at Mayo Clinic Press for more health and wellness articles, podcasts and books.Do you have feedback, questions or topic suggestions? Email us at [email protected] Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

One in three Americans has a pre-diabetes diagnosis -- and about 12 percent of the US population has some form of diabetes. What can be done to prevent it? Is it reversible? And are there any home remedies -- like cinnamon?On this episode of On Nutrition, we talk with registered dietitian and Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist Gina Wimmer about how people with diabetes and pre-diabetes can eat well and live well, despite their diagnosis.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

When you're pulling an all-nighter, or driving a long distance, you may be tempted to grab an energy drink to stay alert.But once the caffeine has faded...what impact has it left on your brain, heart, and sleep quality? And is there a safe way to have an energy drink in moderation?On this episode of On Nutrition, we talk with cardiologist Dr. Anna Svatikova about her research on energy drinks, the growing number of young people who drink them, and whether or not to crack open that can.Find us online at Mayo Clinic Press for more health and wellness articles, podcasts and books.Do you have feedback, questions or topic suggestions? Email us at [email protected] Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

It's common to have some sort of health tracker on your phone, wrist -- or even around your finger. But is recording all activity in our diet and exercise actually necessary? And can knowing ALL our health data ever be harmful?On this episode of On Nutrition, we talk with dietitian and nutritionist Ro Huntriss about our obsession with our own metrics, the ever-evolving world of AI, and how to properly engage with healthcare technology.Find us online at Mayo Clinic Press for more health and wellness articles, podcasts and books.Do you have feedback, questions or topic suggestions? Email us at [email protected] Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

One in six people struggle to conceive. Factors like age and irregular menstrual cycles are out of their hands -- but their diet, however, is completely under their control. That said, is there actually any correlation between what we eat and our fertility?On this episode of On Nutrition, we talk with reproductive endocrinologist Dr. Ali Ainsworth about subfertility, supplements, and whether pomegranate can help you get pregnant.You can purchase Mayo Clinic Guide to Fertility and Conception from Mayo Clinic Press.Find us online at Mayo Clinic Press for more health and wellness articles, podcasts and books.Do you have feedback, questions or topic suggestions? Email us at [email protected]. Additional resources: Mayo Clinic infertility informationresolve.orgasrm.orgAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

You did it: you found the right diet, exercise routine, surgery or medication to help you lose weight. Now what?On this episode of On Nutrition, we talk with nurse practitioner Julia Jurgensen about why keeping weight off is so difficult, what's worked for people who've maintained weight loss long-term, and the tools and teams available to help you along the way.Find us online at Mayo Clinic Press for more health and wellness articles, podcasts and books.Do you have feedback, questions or topic suggestions? Email us at [email protected] Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

If you were around during the 90's, you probably remember the low-fat and fat-free craze: skim milk, low-fat snacks... and god forbid you ate a plate of eggs. Today, we know a lot more about fat, and that certain types of fat are actually an important part of a healthy diet. So, how do you keep track of which fats you're supposed to eat, and which you're supposed to avoid?On this episode of On Nutrition, we talk with Dr. Kyla Lara-Breitenger to untangle our notions of "good" and "bad" fats, demystify cholesterol, and embrace the tastiness—and healthiness—that fat can bring to our food.Find us online at Mayo Clinic Press for more health and wellness articles, podcasts and books.Do you have feedback, questions or topic suggestions? Email us at [email protected] Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this special episode, we'll hear On Nutrition host Tara Schmidt as a guest on Mayo Clinic Health Matters!Ozempic. Wegovy. Mounjaro. Zepbound. You’ve probably heard the name of one of these drugs in the past few years—maybe you’ve even thought about taking them. Every day, more Americans are taking these drugs known as GLP-1s, either for chronic conditions like diabetes or, increasingly, for weight loss. So do these drugs deliver on the promise of easy weight loss? And are they right for everyone? This episode, we talk with Mayo Clinic dietitian Tara Schmidt about the drugs that have taken weight loss culture by storm.Find us online at Mayo Clinic Press for more health and wellness articles, podcasts and books.Do you have feedback, questions or topic suggestions? Email us at [email protected] Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Have you ever felt energized after a hearty salad, or sluggish after a slice of cake? Or maybe tomatoes upset your stomach, or alcohol triggers your migraines. Integrative nutrition is all about this connection between what we eat, how we feel, and the bigger picture of our health. And that's before we even get into all the supplements you can take.On this episode of On Nutrition, we talk with Dr. Brent Bauer, director of the Mayo Clinic Complementary and Integrative Medicine Program, about how we can combine integrative nutrition with conventional medicine to get the best of both worlds. You can purchase Dr. Bauer's book, Mayo Clinic Guide to Holistic Health, at Mayo Clinic Press.Find us online at Mayo Clinic Press for more health and wellness articles, podcasts and books.Do you have feedback, questions or topic suggestions? Email us at [email protected] Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy