For most of us, the calorie is just a number on the back of the packet or on the display at the gym. But what is it, exactly? And how did we end up with this one unit with which to measure our food? Is a calorie the same no matter what type of food it comes from? And is one calorie for you exactly the same as one calorie for me? To find out, we visit the spe ... Show More
Jan 13
Canned Tomatoes and the Myth of the San Marzano
Canned tomatoes are a perfect winter food. As you'll know from our tomato episode, the beautiful fruits in fresh aisle of the supermarket are mostly flavorless outside of the summer season—but the tomatoes that get packed in a can are cheap, readily available, and, most important ... Show More
50m 16s
Dec 16
Is Your Cinnamon Fake? Where Does Kefir Come From? Plus: Why Is Citric Acid In Everything? Ask Gastropod!
The season for holiday baking is upon us, and before you spice up your cookies and pies, you’ll probably want to know: is most of the cinnamon on grocery store shelves actually fake? That’s one question we’re investigating this week on behalf of you, dear listeners, in the latest ... Show More
42m 33s
Dec 2
Forget Plain Vanilla: You'll Never See The World's Favorite Flavor the Same Way Again
Today, 'vanilla' often means boring, and yet the edible seedpod of this Central American orchid is one of the most expensive spices in the world, not to mention one of the most popular flavors globally. So how did this coveted bean get such a ho-hum reputation? Listen in this epi ... Show More
50m 45s
Nov 2019
Calories: Nutritionist Kassandra Hobart joins Kristen Holmes and Emily Capodilupo to discuss exactly what calories are, how your body uses them, the challenges in tracking them, plus tips for being smarter and healthier with how you consume them.
<p>Nutritionist Kassandra Hobart chats with WHOOP VP of Performance Kristen Holmes and Director of Analytics Emily Capodilupo about the science of calorie tracking, including what calories really are (4:01), basal metabolic rate and the ways your body burns calories (4:26), a rec ... Show More
44m 55s
Dec 2023
Busting the 'calories in, calories out' myth
<p>Should we be calculating calorie requirements for our clients? Where did the 'calories in, calories out' myth originate? And, what is the set point theory? Learn all this and more in our captivating conversation with obesity researcher, Dr Nick Fuller. Nick describes the casca ... Show More
30m 17s
May 2019
Nutrition 101: Calories, Carbs, Fat, Salt & Sugar
Should we count calories? Are all calories created equal? Will an avocado and a chocolate bar have the same impact if they have the same number of calories? What about fat, and carbs, sugar and salt? Should we be guided by traffic light systems on packaging? Nutrition is incredib ... Show More
44m 18s
Dec 2022
Calories: How to fuel a human
Calories are fundamental to the way many of us view food and our own bodies - you’ll find them on supermarket shelves, restaurant menus, and in cookbooks. But they didn’t start out that way. Originally coined during the study of steam engines and industrial energy, the term ‘calo ... Show More
43m 54s