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From metabolism gummies to spicy foods, the Keto diet to intricate exercise routines—it seems there’s always something that is being sold or promoted to speed up your metabolism. But do most of us even know what our metabolism IS? And is there any way to hack it (you know, so we can eat pizza all day and not stress about it)? In this episode, Dr. Jen outlines what science knows about this process and why the myths and misunderstandings about our metabolism’s ability to change can actually do us more harm than good. https://go.ted.com/BSTscript10

Sniffing a fragrant flower, inhaling the aroma of a good cup of coffee, breathing in your loved one’s signature scent–these are just a few of the joys you might feel deprived of when you lose your sense of smell. But smell is a surprisingly underrated sense and many of us don’t know– How DOES our sense of smell work? Is it related to taste? And if we lose it, how do we get it back? Dr. Jen Gunter walks us through the fascinating wonders and mysteries of smell, unpacks the latest neuroscience about the sense and its links to taste, and investigates how language can shape our perception of the many odors that our nose (and entire olfactory system!) picks up daily. You can read the text transcript for this episode at https://go.ted.com/BSTscript9

Can you REALLY boost your metabolism? Is blue light actually ruining your sleep? How much vaginal yeast is healthy and when is it … too much? Body Stuff is BACK for a second season to bust the lies you’re told—and sold—about your personal health. Join Dr. Jen Gunter as she addresses common myths– from breaking down the incredible ways our senses of taste and smell work, to debunking some of the harmful misconceptions about opioids, to addressing the biggest pain on our backs (literally). Whether you are curious to learn more about the world inside you, or are wanting to escape the online hot takes that promise to tell you how to optimize your health, this season dives even deeper into helping you understand how your body REALLY works. Produced in partnership with Transmitter Media.

WorkLife with Adam Grant is back for a fifth season! Organizational psychologist Adam Grant knows that you spend a quarter of your life at work–and in this show, he talks to some of the world’s most unusual professionals to discover how we can actually enjoy all that time. From breaking down “The Great Resignation” to identifying the work culture that’s right for you, to learning the art of the pitch, this season is packed with actionable insights to help you make work not suck. To hear episodes right now, find and follow WorkLife with Adam Grant wherever you're listening to this.

When a dentist tells us something is wrong with our teeth, we tend to follow their advice. But when Mona visits two different dentists, they give her two wildly different diagnoses (with wildly different price tags). So how do we know who's telling the tooth? Mona digs up the dental data to look for answers, and finds that in reality, the study of dentistry is riddled with holes. This is an episode of Am I Normal? with Mona Chalabi, another podcast from the TED Audio Collective. If you like it, you can find all the episodes by following Am I Normal? with Mona Chalabi wherever you're listening to this.

Put down the cayenne-lemon water, and step away from the “diet” teas, says Dr. Jen Gunter. She’s joined by a hepatologist who explains why these cleanses and “natural” detoxes can do more harm to your body (and bank account) than good, and shares what you can do to keep your body’s natural detox system running smoothly. Thanks to Dr. Kaveh Hoda and Dr. Alan Levinovitz for sharing their insights on this episode.

Anxiety exists to keep us alive. But how can you tell when it crosses the line from survival instinct to serious problem? For the more than 30-percent of Americans who will experience an anxiety disorder, stigma around mental health problems makes it hard to find out. Dr. Jen breaks down where those stigmas originated, the science behind our brain’s threat-detection system, what makes it malfunction, and the most effective ways of treating it. Thanks to our guests, Dr. Kali Cyrus and Professor Helen King, for sharing their insights in this episode. Read the full text transcript at go.ted.com/BSTscript7

There are YouTube tutorials, magazine columns, and entire online communities dedicated to finding the “perfect skin care routine.” But what we consider to be “perfect” skin is rooted in racist, sexist and ageist ideas. So what do we need to do to protect this amazing organ that is the first line of defense for the body? Jen is joined by a dermatologist who helps scrub out skin care myths and shares acne-fighting essentials, and a sociologist who digs into the roots of racism in medicine and how they impact the access to care for people of color. Read the full text transcript at go.ted.com/BSTscript6

We’ve been told products like goji berries and pomegranate juice will boost your immune system—but attempts at “boosting” your immune system can do more harm than good. In fact, over the counter supplements contribute to over 20,000 ER visits per year! So is there a safe way to boost our immune systems, and should we even be doing it in the first place? An immunologist takes us through the body and down the “wellness” aisle to debunk products you’ve been sold and shares what you can really do to improve your body’s most important defense system. Read the full transcript for this episode at go.ted.com/BSTscript5

Got milk? When it comes to building strong bones, you shouldn’t just stick to the dairy aisle—but many people are starting to skip it all together, with a demonic narrative evolving around milk in recent years. So which should we believe? To find out, Jen travels to the hills of Mongolia to learn all about lactase and breaks down the basics of what makes bones weak, and where to find the key ingredient to make them stronger (spoiler: it’s not in your grocery cart). Read the full text transcript for this episode at go.ted.com/BSTscript4

There are only two mammals who have evolved to survive after their child bearing years: toothed whales and humans. This stage of life is called menopause, and it makes humans an evolutionary wonder! But our perception of it has been shaped by centuries of stigma and shame—up until recently it was even considered a "disease" by the medical establishment that needed to be cured. Menopause isn’t a disease, but that doesn’t mean it’s a party either. There can be troublesome symptoms for many people. So you might be thinking, “I’m not in menopause now” or “I’m not going to go through menopause, ever. Why should I care?” Dr. Jen tells us why while taking us through the complex history of how we got here, giving hot tips on managing hot flashes, and sharing why menopause shouldn't be viewed as the end of the race, but a victory lap.  You can read the text transcript for this episode at go.ted.com/BodyStuffTranscript3

When most people think about poop, they think about shame and embarrassment. It’s something they don’t want to talk about and that prevents us from learning things—like the number of times a day we should be going number two—that can keep us healthy! On this episode, Dr. Jen tells us why some of the things we’ve been told about poop are a load of crap, what makes the gut the “second brain” of the body, and how what you eat goes from food to feces. By the end, you’ll know everything you need to achieve “poophoria.”  You can read the text transcript for this episode at go.ted.com/BodyStuffTranscript2

Glowing skin, increased energy, higher mental function and weight loss: These are just a few of the benefits we have been promised for the low cost of 8 glasses of water a day. But can this magical elixir really do all that it claims? Dr. Jen Gunter takes us behind the fascinating (and scandalous) history of hydration pseudoscience, unpacks the investigative report that ROCKED the beverage industry, and sits down with a nephrologist who tells us what's fact and what's fiction about our kidneys. It will quench your thirst for the truth about hydration. You can read the text transcript for this episode at go.ted.com/BodyStuffTranscript1

Dr. Jen Gunter is here to bust the lies you’re told—and sold—about your health. Each week she'll debunk a medical myth while helping you to understand how your body really works.