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
Aug 19
Tomatoes: A Love Story
The tomato is Gastropod’s favorite flavor of summer, and we’re not alone: today, it’s the most popular vegetable on the planet, despite the fact that it's technically a fruit. But, until a couple of hundred years ago, the tomato wasn't really anyone's favorite. In South America, ... Show More
50m 48s
Aug 5
The Most Dangerous Fruit in America
It's the epitome of summertime: there’s nothing like a cold, juicy slice of red watermelon on a swelteringly hot day. But, once upon a time, watermelons were neither red nor sweet—the wild watermelon has white flesh and a bitter taste. This episode, we scour Egyptian tombs, decay ... Show More
45m 20s
Jul 22
The Colorful Tale of Mexico's A-maize-ing Grain
This might sound corny, but the relationship between maize and humanity is essential. We rely on corn—globally, more maize is grown than wheat or rice—and, in turn, corn is utterly dependent on us, to the extent that it's lost the ability to reproduce without our help. But corn's ... Show More
50m 56s
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.
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 recent ... Show More
44m 55s
Dec 2023
Busting the ‘calories in, calories out’ myth
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 cascade ... 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