Share

cover art for #209 Why a calorie is not a calorie with Dr Robert Lustig

The Doctor's Kitchen Podcast

#209 Why a calorie is not a calorie with Dr Robert Lustig

Do we eat too much sugar? This is a question I pose myself, as I like to trick myself into thinking that because I eat so well the majority of the time it makes up for my sweet tooth. But actually when I review my eating habits, I always choose dessert, I tend to snack a lot during the day and I eat way too much ‘healthy’ chocolate.


And perhaps after hearing Dr. Robert Lustig, Professor of Pediatric Endocrinology at the University of California, talk on the subject today, you might be inclined to review your sugar intake yourself.


Dr. Lustig has become a leading public health authority on the impact sugar has on fueling the diabetes, obesity and metabolic syndrome epidemics, and on addressing changes in the food environment to reverse these chronic diseases.


Today we talk about why excess sugar is so bad for our health, what the benefits of cutting our sugar intake could be, why there is nothing wrong with fruit, the differences between sugars, the blood tests we should be ordering and of course why a calorie is not necessarily a calorie.


Dr Lustig also reveals some incredibly exciting research that he and friend of the podcast Dr Rachel Gow have collaborated on, where they re-engineered ultraprocessed food to be metabolically healthy. Could this be the answer to a public health crisis? Only time will tell.



🎬 Watch the podcast on YouTube here

📱 Download The Doctor’s Kitchen app for free


You can download The Doctor’s Kitchen app for free to get access to all of our recipes, with specific suggestions tailored to your health needs and new recipes added every month. We’ve had some amazing feedback so far and we have new features being added all the time - check it out with a 14 day free trial too.


Do check out this week’s “Eat, Listen, Read” newsletter, that you can subscribe to on our website - where I send you a recipe to cook as well as some mindfully curated media to help you have a healthier, happier week.


🥗 Join the newsletter and 7 day meal plan

📷 Follow on Instagram

🐦 Tweet me


More episodes

View all episodes

  • Snacksize 20: Carbs & Fertility

    06:44
    Today’s snacksize Doctor’s Kitchen podcast is about the rates of infertility and what diet could have to do with fertility with specific reference to carbohydrates.Can simply changing the quality of carbohydrates in your diet affect fertility positively? Dr Harriet and I have a full discussion of the impact on diet on episode #102 Eating for Fertility where we talk about processed food, healthy sperm and egg production and more if you wanted to dive into this topic further.🎬 Watch the podcast on YouTube hereYou can download The Doctor’s Kitchen app for free to get access to our recipes, with specific suggestions tailored to your health needs and new recipes added every month. Start your 14-day free trial here.🥗 Join the newsletter and 7 day meal plan📷 Follow on Instagram🐦 Tweet meWe would love to get your feedback on the subject matter of these episodes - please do let me know on our social media pages (Instagram, Facebook & Twitter) what you think, and give us a 5* rating on your podcast player if you enjoyed today’s episode.
  • #248 How to Lower Cholesterol with Food

    36:01
    These are my evidence based recommendations for specific foods you should be eating everyday to lower cholesterol.We’ve done a full dive into what cholesterol is, why we need it, how we measure it and why it’s important to get certain measures of cholesterol in our blood down to as low levels as possible, on episode #202 of the podcast.Todays episode is specifically tackling the foods and doses of foods I personally consume daily to keep cholesterol levels in check. As part of a heart healthy protocol, I feel that these additional ingredients can be safely added to most peoples diets with positive results.🎬 Watch the podcast on YouTube here📱 Download The Doctor’s Kitchen app for free*🌐 View full show notes, including guest details, on our website*The Doctor's Kitchen App gives you access to all of our recipes, with specific suggestions tailored to your health needs and new recipes added every month. We’ve had some amazing feedback so far and we have new features being added all the time - check it out with a 14 day free trial too.Do check out this week’s “Eat, Listen, Read” newsletter, that you can subscribe to on our website - where I send you a recipe to cook as well as some mindfully curated media to help you have a healthier, happier week.🥗 Join the newsletter and 7 day meal plan📷 Follow on Instagram🐦 Tweet meWe would love to get your feedback on the subject matter of these episodes - please do let me know on our social media pages (Instagram, Facebook & Twitter) what you think, and give us a 5* rating on your podcast player if you enjoyed today’s episode
  • Snacksize 19: Train your inner child

    05:01
    Questioning my habits and traits as an adult and leaning into the lens of childhood experiences has been pretty game changing for helping me understand the ‘why’ in my behaviours. And it’s only after understanding the ‘why’, that we can attempt to reconcile and revamp any mindsets that may not be serving us.Todays snacksize is taken from episode #105 with Katie Warriner and Emma Guns where we talk about negativity bias and the brain.Katie describes in very simple and relatable terms how even the stories we tell ourselves as children, can impact overarching beliefs in adulthood that translate into patterns of behaviour.🎬 Watch the podcast on YouTube hereYou can download The Doctor’s Kitchen app for free to get access to our recipes, with specific suggestions tailored to your health needs and new recipes added every month. Start your 14-day free trial here.🥗 Join the newsletter and 7 day meal plan📷 Follow on Instagram🐦 Tweet meWe would love to get your feedback on the subject matter of these episodes - please do let me know on our social media pages (Instagram, Facebook & Twitter) what you think, and give us a 5* rating on your podcast player if you enjoyed today’s episode.
  • #247 Chocolate’s Health Benefits with Dr Rupy Aujla

    39:46
    I love chocolate. I eat it most days as a snack or as a dessert with some fresh berries, apples or simply on its own. It’s phenomenal and I’ve always loved it. But what about its health benefits?Today we are diving deep into the science behind why chocolate could improve your brain, your heart, your gut health and even help you live longer? And yes, it does need to be dark chocolate, but you’ll find out how dark you need to go for the benefits on todays podcast.The luxurious treat is pretty amazing, and we’ve already decided as a team that we’re going to do another episode where we talking about processing methods, sourcing, how to tell what is good vs bad quality chocolate and even do a live taste test on YouTube, where you can also watch this episode!🎬 Watch the podcast on YouTube here📱 Download The Doctor’s Kitchen app for free*🌐 View full show notes, including guest details, on our website*The Doctor's Kitchen App gives you access to all of our recipes, with specific suggestions tailored to your health needs and new recipes added every month. We’ve had some amazing feedback so far and we have new features being added all the time - check it out with a 14 day free trial too.Do check out this week’s “Eat, Listen, Read” newsletter, that you can subscribe to on our website - where I send you a recipe to cook as well as some mindfully curated media to help you have a healthier, happier week.🥗 Join the newsletter and 7 day meal plan📷 Follow on Instagram🐦 Tweet meWe would love to get your feedback on the subject matter of these episodes - please do let me know on our social media pages (Instagram, Facebook & Twitter) what you think, and give us a 5* rating on your podcast player if you enjoyed today’s episode
  • Snacksize 18: How to resolve conflicts

    05:56
    Today’s snacksize Doctor’s Kitchen podcast is all about conflict aversion and how that permeates into our behaviours in adulthood. If you’re anything like me, I hate conflict and actively avoid it. But leaning into the uncomfortableness of what is a normal product of problem solving, is an important skill that we should all practice. Whether it’s at work, in friendships or in romantic relationships, resolving conflicts is a necessary exercise.This clip is taken from the full episode #107 about building exceptional relationships with David Bradford and Carole Robin, authors of the brilliant book ‘Connect’.🎬 Watch the podcast on YouTube hereYou can download The Doctor’s Kitchen app for free to get access to our recipes, with specific suggestions tailored to your health needs and new recipes added every month. Start your 14-day free trial here.🥗 Join the newsletter and 7 day meal plan📷 Follow on Instagram🐦 Tweet meWe would love to get your feedback on the subject matter of these episodes - please do let me know on our social media pages (Instagram, Facebook & Twitter) what you think, and give us a 5* rating on your podcast player if you enjoyed today’s episode.
  • #246 How to choose the best Spices with Ren Patel

    59:09
    I have the Queen of Spice from Ren’s Kitchen on the show today talking about everything to do with sourcing and investing in the best spices for your food, not just from a nutritional standpoint, but a flavour perspective too. I’ve always been a fan of spices for their medicinal properties, but today I was blown away by how much Ren taught me about spices and I was shocked at how different spices can taste in their raw whole form.Ren has been in the spice business for years and has some of the best chefs and restaurants use her spices. Tom Kerridge, Bubala, Palomar, Raffles hotel, Ottolenghi to name a few.Remember, spices add diversity to your plate – they count as 1/4 point each and we’re aiming for 30 different plant points a week! Even used in small amounts, the addition of spices is suggested to improve gut microbiome composition and reduce markers of inflammation. Plus they have been part of the diet of human populations for thousands of years and add a ton of flavour.Today we talk what we’re doing WRONG when using spices, what Ren has taught people in her cooking classes and how to source correctly and how to spot the best spices in the market.You can find out more about Ren and Rens Pantry on her website renspantry.com. 🎬 Watch the podcast on YouTube here📱 Download The Doctor’s Kitchen app for free*🌐 View full show notes, including guest details, on our website*The Doctor's Kitchen App gives you access to all of our recipes, with specific suggestions tailored to your health needs and new recipes added every month. We’ve had some amazing feedback so far and we have new features being added all the time - check it out with a 14 day free trial too.Do check out this week’s “Eat, Listen, Read” newsletter, that you can subscribe to on our website - where I send you a recipe to cook as well as some mindfully curated media to help you have a healthier, happier week.🥗 Join the newsletter and 7 day meal plan📷 Follow on Instagram🐦 Tweet meWe would love to get your feedback on the subject matter of these episodes - please do let me know on our social media pages (Instagram, Facebook & Twitter) what you think, and give us a 5* rating on your podcast player if you enjoyed today’s episode
  • BONUS Make Better Bread with Karen O’Donoghue

    57:28
    Karen O’Donoghue is a champion for not only better bread, but also better food quality, choices and better growing methods.You can hear the passion in Karens message and I love her commitment to the craft of sourcing, fermenting and baking. She’s a force, and I love her energy. I think you will too.Soaking and sprouting is clearly something Karen believes we should be doing more of. And if I think back to traditional methods of cooking in my families kitchen, these vital steps are things that we wouldn’t have skipped. Soaking peas, nuts and seeds. Combining specific spices and herbs with them. This is an artform that increases the nutritional value of our food, but is rapidly being lost as we move toward more convenience and speed. Something that I realise I’m guilty of myself in todays podcast.Karen and her company, Happy Tummy Co inform people about the need to spend more on health, invest in the soil and re-engage with the food supply. I love the message and the enthusiasm. As uncomfortable as it may be to hear the hard truths presented in an unforgiving way, I think sometimes it’s important to hear the message in it’s raw form.You can check out Karen’s bread, recipes and idyllic bakery in Ireland at www.thehappytummyco.com PLUS, we cooked up her scones and an incredible Teff porridge in the studio that you can find on YouTube. 🎬 Watch the podcast on YouTube here📱 Download The Doctor’s Kitchen app for free*🌐 View full show notes, including guest details, on our website*The Doctor's Kitchen App gives you access to all of our recipes, with specific suggestions tailored to your health needs and new recipes added every month. We’ve had some amazing feedback so far and we have new features being added all the time - check it out with a 14 day free trial too.Do check out this week’s “Eat, Listen, Read” newsletter, that you can subscribe to on our website - where I send you a recipe to cook as well as some mindfully curated media to help you have a healthier, happier week.🥗 Join the newsletter and 7 day meal plan📷 Follow on Instagram🐦 Tweet meWe would love to get your feedback on the subject matter of these episodes - please do let me know on our social media pages (Instagram, Facebook & Twitter) what you think, and give us a 5* rating on your podcast player if you enjoyed today’s episode
  • Snacksize 17: How to overcome resistance to habits

    05:41
    Today’s snacksize Doctor’s Kitchen podcast is all about embracing the framework and mechanisms that drive both change and inaction. If you understand the drivers of both, then behaviour change becomes a lot easier.Understand the blockers and motivators for your desired outcome and intentionally design the perfect environment bit by bit. Journaling is a great practice for this and it’s something that I’ve been putting into practice more recently as I try and carve out time to write my next book.This clip is taken from the full episode #100 Four Lifestyle Equations Everyone needs to know, where I talk about a selection of formulas that I try and put into practice each day.🎬 Watch the podcast on YouTube hereYou can download The Doctor’s Kitchen app for free to get access to our recipes, with specific suggestions tailored to your health needs and new recipes added every month. Start your 14-day free trial here.🥗 Join the newsletter and 7 day meal plan📷 Follow on Instagram🐦 Tweet meWe would love to get your feedback on the subject matter of these episodes - please do let me know on our social media pages (Instagram, Facebook & Twitter) what you think, and give us a 5* rating on your podcast player if you enjoyed today’s episode.
  • #245 Ozempic. The truth about the side effects and risks of this Magic Pill with Johann Hari

    01:25:57
    Johann Hari is back on the podcast today and he looks completely different to the last time I saw him. He’s lost an incredible amount of weight, his face looks completely different and it’s all because of a drug you’ve probably already heard of. Ozempic.Also known as GLP-1 agonists, these drugs were initially used by doctors like myself in General Practice for type 2 diabetics, but have now found a use case to treat obesity.For over a year, Johann has been self treating with the drugs and diving into the history of how these drugs were discovered and utilised. From the lab to the pharmaceutical companies & the doctors surgery to the popular pages of celebrity gossip columns; Johann tells the full story without shying away from the potentially dangerous reality of the sideffects and risks of these popular medications.We talk about:What Ozepmic and similar drugs do to your brain and gutHow it impacts addiction to food and other substancesWhat the potential risks are including cancer, pancreatitis and bowel obstructionWhy UPF and obesity are the main concernYou can purchase Johann’s newest book, ‘Magic Pill: The Extraordinary Benefits and Disturbing Risks of the New Weight Loss Drugs’, available on 2nd May 2024, here: https://amzn.to/3Ulz2UB Johann Hari is a New York Times best-selling author, his books include, ‘Chasing the Scream’, ‘Lost Connections’, and ‘Stolen Focus’. He has written for the world’s leading newspapers and magazines, and has twice been named ‘National Newspaper Journalist of the Year’ by Amnesty International.Content Correction Note:During this podcast with Johann Hari, discussing the new weight-loss drugs, (at circa 1m 44s) - Johann mentioned that the British food critic Jay Rayner took Ozempic and subsequently lost his pleasure in food. This comment was incorrect and it was, in fact, a different writer. We apologise for any confusion caused here.🎬 Watch the podcast on YouTube here📱 Download The Doctor’s Kitchen app for free*🌐 View full show notes, including guest details, on our website*The Doctor's Kitchen App gives you access to all of our recipes, with specific suggestions tailored to your health needs and new recipes added every month. We’ve had some amazing feedback so far and we have new features being added all the time - check it out with a 14 day free trial too.Do check out this week’s “Eat, Listen, Read” newsletter, that you can subscribe to on our website - where I send you a recipe to cook as well as some mindfully curated media to help you have a healthier, happier week.🥗 Join the newsletter and 7 day meal plan📷 Follow on Instagram🐦 Tweet me