Dr. Rhonda Patrick is a scientist who has done extensive research on aging, cancer and nutrition. She has a Ph.D. in biomedical science from the University of Tennessee Health Science center and St. Jude’s children’s research hospital in Memphis Tennessee, a bachelor's of science degree in biochemistry/chemistry from the University of California San Diego and has trained as a Postdoc at the Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute with Dr. Bruce Ames. Her research on the role of insulin signaling in protein misfolding commonly found in neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, was conducted at the prestigious Salk Institute for biological Sciences. Rhonda's podcast and website, both called Found My Fitness, discuss topics such as the role of micronutrient deficiencies in diseases of aging, the benefits of exposing the body to hormetic stressors such as exercise, fasting, sauna use or various forms of cold exposure, and the importance of mindfulness, stress reduction and sleep on health. In this episode we discuss Rhonda's new publication on the role of the APOE4 gene in Alzheimer's Disease, and why eating fish but not taking fish oil DHA supplements help slow the progression of the disease for carriers. We also touch on how we both approach healthy pregnancies and Rhonda's personal nutrition strategies. For complete show notes visit: http://summertomato.com/category/podcast

Bill Marler is a nationally recognized foodborne illness lawyer, an expert in food safety and one of the most influential voices in food policy in the world. His law firm Marler Clark has represented thousands of victims in practically every major foodborne illness outbreak in the United States. In 1993, he represented Brianne Kiner, the young girl that survived the most significant of injuries in the historic Jack in the Box E. coli 0157:H7 outbreak, resulting in a $15.6 million settlement that changed the way we process food in America today. His websites Food Safety News and blog MarlerBlog.com inform millions of readers daily with award-winning reporting on foodborne illnesses. Today, Darya and Bill discuss the latest in food recalls, why eating organic vegetables is just as risky as hamburgers these days, and what we can all do to stay safe. For complete show notes visit http://summertomato.com/category/podcast

James Clear is an author and speaker focused on habits, decision-making, and continuous improvement. His new book Atomic Habits breaks down the four laws of behavior change and explains how striving to get 1% better every day can give you remarkable results. He is a regular speaker at Fortune 500 companies and his work has been used by teams in the NFL, NBA, and MLB. You can follow his work at JamesClear.com. For complete show notes visit summertomato.com

For humans, diets are not sustainable and food is more than just fuel. Dr. Yoni Freedhoff is a family doctor, founder of the Bariatric Medical Institute in Ottawa, Canada, and author of The Diet Fix and the fabulous blog Weighty Matters. Today he sits down with Darya to explain why the key to long-term weight management is enjoying your life. For complete show notes visit summertomato.com

“'This will be my last ice cream ever' is a thought I have had so many times I’m embarrassed by it.” - Paul Late night bingeing is an especially tough habit to break. You repeat the same destructive behavior over and over, knowing it’s wrong, but stopping feels impossible because it doesn’t seem like something you can control. Rationalizing the behavior becomes second nature, and you don’t see a way out. This is Paul’s story. Paul knows his bingeing habit is the reason he is overweight. His late night episodes alone in the kitchen are something he looks forward to, but also wants to stop. It doesn't matter if it’s celery sticks or potato chips, it is the act of being able to eat as much as he wants–with no one around to judge him–that’s such a relief and so rewarding. Sometimes behavior patterns like these can be changed by identifying and avoiding your triggers or finding an alternative outlet for whatever it is your brain is craving. But, those solutions are only useful after you've unraveled why you are using this behavior as a source of relief in the first place. Today I help Paul find his “why” so that he can find peace and enjoy indulgences without regretting or overdoing them. For complete show notes visit http://summertomato.com/category/podcast

Sometimes it can feel as if you are completely alone in your healthstyle struggles. While some problems are fairly commonplace (e.g. How can I fit a workout into my busy workday?), others can feel so uniquely your own that it feels nearly impossible to come up with a solution. In today’s episode I help Ellen tackle a very specific problem, demonstrating the systematic approach I use to breakdown a complex issue and find an answer. On the surface Ellen’s healthstyle is dialed in, and she juggles her family and career in tech like a champ. Unfortunately, several factors have conspired to make it so that she has an objectively unfair cooking arrangement with her husband. Because of it she often feels resentment during dinnertime, which triggers overeating and is ruining a part of her life she deserves to enjoy. Ellen has already tried several strategies to resolve this on her own, but a fix has remained elusive. Today Ellen and I explore her remaining options–a method that involves clarifying the different aspects of the issue that she can and can’t control–and come up with a strategy for her to use moving forward. Ellen’s issue is an example of a problem that is very unique to her situation, but the systematic approach we use to land on a realistic solution can be applied broadly. For complete show notes visit http://www.summertomato.com/category/podcast

"I've felt the option is either cake or not cake. And so then how do you start a habit to NOT do something?" - Mindy Mindy was excited when she found Summer Tomato. The thought of being able to lose weight without counting calories or going on another strict diet was a revelation. Right away she bought a pedometer to make sure she was getting enough steps everyday, stopped counting calories and started focusing on cooking Real Food for herself and her family. But as time passed Mindy wasn’t losing weight with her new healthstyle, she was gaining. Mindy was hoping that giving up dieting would automatically end her cravings for sweets at the end of the day, but it didn't and without trying to restrict herself she started eating more than ever. Now she wonders if it's even possible for her to stop. In fact, when she reached out to us she asked if it would be possible for her to keep her bingeing habit and do something else to lose the extra pounds. In this episode Mindy and I examine her current habits and triggers to help her recognize that there is actually a third path available. One that doesn't require her to give up sweets, but does help her find a healthier alternative to regular bingeing. It's difficult to believe that you can lose weight without restricting your eating if the only thing you've ever done instead is overeat. Finding the solution takes some experimentation, as well as recognizing and reframing your limiting beliefs so you can imagine yourself taking a different path. For complete show notes visit http://www.summertomato.com/category/podcast

“You have to rig the game so you can win, set yourself the lowest minimal bar to do something. That was really the key to my success.” – Sarah It has happened to the best of us. You get a little older, your life changes, you start moving less, maybe have a kid or two, and before you know it the extra pounds have slowly crept on. And when you finally realize something needs to be done about it you find you can't lose it as easily as you used to. This can be a crucial moment in a person’s life. Do I hop on a diet and get back to my target weight right away or do I look at my lifestyle and start thinking long-term? The latter can seem like a daunting task and you may lack confidence in your ability to do it. But that is a mistake. This insight was the key to Sarah's success. Having been raised on whole foods she found Summer Tomato and immediately identified with the philosophy of using Real Food to lose weight. She knew dieting was not the answer. Exercise was a different story. Sarah knew that developing a consistent workout routine would be crucial for her success, but that it would also be her most challenging obstacle to overcome. In this episode Sarah explains the very small yet critical mindset shift she made that enabled her to not only build an exercise routine, but to look forward to it every day. If you hate exercise and have been trying to develop a routine for years without success I invite you to try Sarah’s approach. It’s a game changer. For complete show notes and links visit: http://www.summertomato.com/category/podcast

Getting inspired is easy. A great article, book, or documentary can be incredibly powerful in sparking a desire for a new direction in your life. But no matter how desperately you want to change, internalizing a new philosophy enough to permanently modify your behavior can feel impossible. This is how Anne used to feel when she would read Summer Tomato. After several years of striving to have the "perfect" diet that eventually destroyed her relationship with food, she was ready to embrace joy in eating and prioritize her own happiness (in addition to health). But she would read articles like How to Eat Half a Donut and think that while it sounded amazing, there was no way she could ever do something like that. Clearly I (Darya) was fooling myself into using willpower and not thinking it's really willpower, or was a different breed of human altogether. Normal people don't eat half a donut. Anne had her doubts she was capable of truly leaving her old habits behind, but she kept trying because she knew she couldn't go back to her former restrictive mindset. Today she's called in to proudly share her success story of how she was finally able to build up a set of positive experiences that gave her the confidence and ability to choose foods based on her needs and values, rather than her fears and impulses. She no longer believes that willpower and restriction are necessary for her to control her own behavior, and can easily walk away from an unfinished donut or cupcake if it isn't bringing her the joy she expected. She explains the exact steps she took that led to her transformation and enabled her to finally internalize the foodist mindset she only understood intellectually, but not emotionally, until this year. If you've been struggling to believe you're capable of leaving your restrictive dieting mindset behind for good, Anne's story will give you both the hope and practical advice you need to get there. For complete show notes visit http://www.summertomato.com/category/podcast

“A binge never happens in a peaceful, loving environment. So, if you can create that environment somehow for yourself that's going to be the way.” – Maria Have you tried everything to quit binge eating and nothing seems to work? Are you still on the fence about whether or not practicing mindfulness will actually help your situation? If the answer is yes then today’s episode may change your life. To say that Maria had it tough growing up would be an understatement. The torment she suffered as a child had such a huge impact that it penetrated every facet of her life, resulting in severe depression and a binge eating disorder. One day after a particularly painful binge, Maria came to a crossroads with herself. She knew it was time to get better or her life would end. A series of serendipitous events soon unfolded and she arrived into the world of practicing mindfulness. It was here that her healing process started to begin. Today Maria speaks openly about her journey. She describes how mindfulness changed her mindset, her relationship with her body, and how it brought joy to her life literally for the first time. She also reveals the exact tools she used that made it possible for her to quit bingeing for good. Maria says that her life now amazing. She credits mindfulness for enabling her to finally find peace and create a loving environment that allows her to thrive, one that she's realized she deserved all along. Maria now takes the lessons she has learned and helps people with their binge eating disorders. She is an incredibly strong woman with an extraordinary story. For complete show notes visit: http://www.summertomato.com/category/podcast