Curate Your Health Podcast
with Dr. Heather Hammerstedt
Why Do We Crave Crunchy Food?
Crunch is multisensory reward plus stress relief plus dopamine anticipation. Here's the neurochemistry behind why crunchy food feels so satisfying - even when you're not hungry.
Read on!Why Your Hunger Hormones Fight Weight Loss for the Long Haul
A landmark study showing that after weight loss, your appetite hormones shift to drive regain - and those changes are still there a year later. It's biology, not willpower.
Read on!Metabolic Flexibility, Insulin Resistance & Aging
One of the least flashy but most powerful concepts in longevity: your body's ability to switch between burning carbs and fat. Here's why it matters - and how to restore it.
Read on!The Biggest Loser Study: Why Metabolism Stays Slow for Years
Six years after the competition, contestants had regained much of the weight - and their metabolisms were still burning hundreds of calories a day less than expected. A landmark look at lasting metabolic adaptation.
Read on!OMA Clinical Practice Statement: Obesity Definition, Diagnosis & Practice (2022)
The Obesity Medicine Association's clinical statement: defining obesity as a chronic disease, diagnosing it beyond BMI, reducing weight bias, and running an obesity-medicine practice.
Read on!Obesogens: Could Environmental Chemicals Be Fueling Obesity?
A review proposing that everyday environmental chemicals - in air, food, packaging, and household products - disrupt hormones and metabolism in ways that promote weight gain, alongside diet and lifestyle.
Read on!Protein + Complex Carb Pairing Chart (Training-Focused)
What to pair before and after training to maximize muscle repair, limit muscle loss, and support metabolic flexibility - plus GLP-1-specific guidance.
Read on!Even 5-10% Weight Loss Delivers Real Health Benefits
A foundational review showing you don't need to reach an "ideal" weight to get healthier - a modest 5-10% loss meaningfully improves blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol.
Read on!How Menopause Shifts Body Composition & Belly Fat
A study measuring body composition across the menopause transition: postmenopausal women had less muscle and more belly fat across every weight category - and the shift was most striking in "normal-weight" women.
Read on!Matching Weight Medications to Your "Obesity Phenotype" Improves Results
A trial found that choosing weight medication based on a person's "phenotype" - the main driver of their eating - nearly doubled weight loss (about 16% vs. 9% at a year).
Read on!Quick Whole-Food Breakfast Ideas
Seven fast, whole-food, protein-forward breakfasts for busy mornings - no recipe-following required.
Read on!Oxidative Stress in Obesity, Metabolic Syndrome & Diabetes
A deep review on "redox" biology - the balance of oxidation in your cells - and how it goes off-kilter in obesity, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes. Why oxidative stress and metabolism are inseparable.
Read on!