Who benefits from making Americans fat, tired, and sick? Big food and big pharma that’s who. Grocery stores are brimming with ultra-processed, sugar-laden alternatives to real food, and doctors benefit monetarily from dolling out pharmaceuticals that only treat symptoms, not illnesses. To determine what individuals can do to live a healthy life and make more nutritious food choices, Positive Psychology Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with two doctors who have researched the effects of processed foods and sugar consumption. Dr. Robert Lustig uses six simple words as a golden rule when it comes to nutrition and health. He dispels common food myths and chronic diseases as detailed in his book, Metabolical. And, Dr. Robert Barrett discusses the dark sides of social media, smartphone use, and the real drug problem in the U.S., all from his latest book, Hardwired.

About Lisa’s guests:

Robert H. Lustig, M.D., M.S.L. is an emeritus professor of pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology and a member of the Institute for Health Policy Studies at the University of California, San Francisco. His 2009 YouTube lecture, “Sugar: The Bitter Truth”, has accrued 12 million views. He is also the Chief Science Officer of the nonprofit Eat REAL, dedicated to reversing childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes by bringing real food into schools. He has never taken money from the food industry, so has no conflicts of interest.

Book: Metabolical: The Lure and the Lies of Processed Food, Nutrition, and Modern Medicine

Dr. Robert Barrett has spent much of his life studying behavior, group dynamics, and organizational culture, and is the recipient of fifteen major academic awards for his contributions to the way we perceive and remedy deep conflict.

Book: Hardwired: How Our Instincts to Be Healthy are Making Us Sick