Meet Me in the Middle

CW/TW: discussion of weight loss and weight loss drugs What exactly *is* semaglutide and why is it all over TikTok? We walk through the history of weight-loss drugs, what exactly the deal is with Ozempic (and Wegovy, although don't expect Annika to pronounce it correctly) and the complicated ramifications of a global shortage of an important diabetes medication. Link to the clinical trials we disc...

This week, we're talking about WAP. No, not that WAP - Weston A Price you silly! Can you eat nutrient-dense foods AND ALSO vaccinate your kids? Spoiler, we say yes. Last week, we covered The Liver King and it lead us down the path of Weston A Price and Sally Fallon's book Nourishing Traditions - so much so that we decided that the whole topic needed it's own episode. Join us as we foray into the w...

If you've heard the name Liver King in the last few months, you might know a little about what we discuss today (and if not, don't worry - we'll tell you what you need to know) but more than simply the story of Brian Johnson, we dissect what the arc of the rise and fall of wellness influencers generally can tell us about the industry generally. TW/CW discussion in the last 10 minutes about suicida...

If you've ever ordered anything from new-age Hay House publishing, you've probably heard the name Doreen Virtue. Up until the mid-2010s you could hardly shop oracle cards without seeing her name. But if you've ever tried to seek out more information on her, you might be surprised to find very little - Jenny walks us through why and what the arc and crossover of new age and ultra Christian looks li...

Join us as we review the documentary (film?) What The Health. Note - we love and support anyone for whom is choosing a vegan diet for themselves! But we do criticize the methodology where correlation = causation (regardless of what the issue is), and so you'll hear us dissect that in this episode. How many cigarettes are you frying up for your kiddo when you serve them lunchmeat? We'll let you be...

Jenny walks us through the history behind the Netflix series The Empress, especially the health and wellness aspects. Join us as we connect through lines in the patriarchal expectations of women over the last 200 years (and how little has changed). CW/TW: dieting, anorexia, over-exercising. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Whether it feels great for you to make resolutions and revamp yourself starting 12:01 on January 1 or not, you likely have had all kinds of marketing directed at you over the last week to attempt it. We jam on navigating how to decide what feels good and why setting big goals might feel weird to you at this time of year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our final instalment of our nutrition mini-series, Li talks us through a deep dive into orthorexia. Where does a focus on healthy eating become obessive and potentially dangerous? Join us as we share our own personal experiences and look at the research as it stands (as well as where the gaps are). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

TW/CW: dieting, calorie restriction, disordered eating, weight loss On the heels of last week's Health at Every Size Episode, this week we're talking about Intuitive Eating - capitalized I and E, not just eating mindfully. Discussions include outsourcing our own instinct and power and "hyper-palatable" foods. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

TW/CW: dieting, calorie restriction, disordered eating, weight loss Health at Every Size (HAES), popularized with the book of the same name, puts shape around the idea that thin doesn't equal healthy, and the way to be healthy isn't through dieting. More on Lindo here: https://lindobacon.com/about-lindo/ We talk about the persistent myth of permanent weight loss and also look at a critique from wi...

TW/CW: wellness foods, calories, weight. This week's show is unlike anything else we've ever done before - join us as we do a "wellness foods taste test"! We explore not just the experience of joy within processed "wellness" foods but also the claims and promises. This episode is certified joy free™! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

TW/CW: dieting, calorie restriction, disordered eating, weight loss Part 3 of our nutrition mini-series, today we jam on processed foods. So often within the wellness world, this seems to be an easy demon - but what does "processed foods" even mean? And when people are working within a food hierarchy, who decides which processed foods are "bad" and which are "good"? We explore the difference in pe...

TW/CW: dieting, calorie restriction, weight loss, restrictive eating Part 2 (of...6? Or maybe 7? We're still taking your topics you would love to see us cover, please hit up Annika @annikabuckle or Jenny @_jennyomahony_ on Instagram!) in our nutrition within the wellness sphere series! Today, we're diving into the world of intermittent fasting! It's a hot topic these days (especially in the realm...

TW/CW - dieting, calorie restriction, weight loss Welcome - for our 20th episode, we're kicking off a mini series on wellness and nutrition! It could be a maxi-series (if you have any topics you would love to see us cover, please hit up Annika ( @annikabuckle ) or Jenny ( @_jennyomahony_ ) on Instagram!) but for today, join us in casual conversation as we dig in to some of own complicated feelings...

While the term "self-care" is tossed around like confetti these days, there's a disconnect between the history and origins of the concept, and the way we see it used for capitalism and consumer consumption today. This week, we deep dive into the origins and how we got from survival to mani-pedis. We used some amazing resources here, please check out this further reading: http://www.slate.com/artic...

If you are one of the half of the provinces & territories in Canada that has a local election coming up before the end of the year then this episode is especially important for you! And if you're not - well, at some point you will, so this conversation is still relevant! This week, we're talking about why engaging at a local level matters if you truly care about access to wellness for all (or...

We started this week thinking we were going to be talking about the boy bands of the '80s and '90s but we were met with a really shocking twist. If you've never heard about Lou Pearlman, buckle up - we're in for a wild ride. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we talk about a concept that we're calling "Prescriptive Privilege" - so often, wellness advice or coaching suggests (or assumes) that the root of undesirable health outcomes is nothing more than choices. Simply choose organic food, choose to exercise, choose specific supplements - and perfect health can be yours! But what happens for those who live in food deserts, people with disabili...

We know that there are a MILLION pieces of advice around back to school, so this isn't that. Join us for a chat where we get real about what back to school prep looks like for us and share our favourite lifelines. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you were in the Crossfit world this week, you'd know they just wrapped up The Crossfit Games - aka the Olympics of Crossfit. What better time to deep dive! Part of our goal in finding the middle - especially in wellness - is in looking at things that we love too, and if you follow Annika on social media, you've definitely seen her post sweaty "after" pictures from inside a gym that looks suspic...

Part of our goal in finding the middle - especially in wellness - is in looking at things that we love too! And if you talk to Jenny for any length of time you know how much she loves her Peloton! We explore the fast rise of this fitness cult and touch on some of the most problematic issues - not surprisingly, we're left with more questions than we have answers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priv...

This week, we dive into PFAS or polyfluorinated substances - aka Teflon and it's other non-stick friends. Stick with us through a bit of a deep dive into the science and history and then we get into the good stuff - a juicy chat on the way that the idea of "toxins" plays out in the wellness world. *Note this is the first of our summer schedule episodes - you can expect one episode every *other* we...

We don't mince words. This episode might feel different than others that we've created. There just isn't really a middle ground on this issue, so there also isn't really in this episode. But right now, we have a platform, we have some knowledge, and we know if we feel sad, overwhelmed, and helpless, you probably do too. Some of our longest show notes yet: We recorded this in a kind of "911 what ca...

It's our 10th episode and we wanted to give you something special! Welcome to our very first (but not last!) MOVIE NIGHT! We've watched White Hot: The Rise & Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch and we have some feeeeeeeelings. Diversions include reminiscing about our university years and also how generally working in retail is hell, never mind if you spread a thick layer of racism and discriminati...

From the weird bathroom break rules to "rackets", Annika walks us through her experience in one of the early aughts hottest personal development seminars. The crossover between the wellness world and any kind of personal development is often a perfect circle, and The Landmark Forum is no exception. Is it a cult? Is it weird that lululemon sends employees for free? Is it a magnet for bootstrap...