One of my listeners, Emily, shared a question that sent me down a nerdy rabbit hole. She grew up in Canada eating potatoes as a staple and can eat a lot of them with no problem but rice makes her full really fast. Her Indonesian friends are the opposite: they can eat a lot of rice, but potatoes shut them down fast.

In this episode, we explore whether there’s any scientific reason behind this so come join me and find out what the data really says!

In this episode:

• Where potatoes and rice originated, how they spread globally and how many varieties exist
• How we define fullness
• Expected satiety
• Gastric emptying explained and what it implies for rice vs potatoes
• Why rice and potatoes aren’t single foods
• The genetics angle
• The answer to the question

Connect with Noha:

• Topic requests: itsneverjustfood@gmail.com
• Follow the podcast on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠
• Follow Noha on: ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠
• Learn more about working with Noha ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠

References mentioned in the episode:

• Spooner, D.M., & colleagues (overview chapters / syntheses on potato domestication and diversity). Cambridge / academic syntheses on potato biodiversity and domestication.
• Zheng, Y. et al. (2016). Rice Domestication Revealed by Reduced Shattering of Archaeological rice from the Lower Yangtze Valley. Scientific Reports.
• Irvine, M.A. et al. (2013). Increased familiarity with eating a food to fullness underlies increased expected satiety. Appetite.
• Amr, A.M. et al. (2024). Potatoes Compared with Rice in Meals with either Animal or Plant Protein Reduce Postprandial Glycemia and Increase Satiety in Healthy Adults: A Randomized Crossover Study. Journal of Nutrition.
• Debry, G. et al. (1988). Relationship between rate of gastric emptying and glucose and insulin responses to starchy foods. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
• Holt, S.H.A. et al. (1995). A satiety index of common foods. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
• Perry, G.H. et al. (2007). Diet and the evolution of human amylase gene copy number variation. Nature Genetics.

Today, we're exploring everything chocolate which wasn't something that ever started out with an intention to be used in sweet concoctions!

In this episode:

• Where chocolate originated and what it looked like
• How chocolate made its way to Europe
• Cacao vs cocoa vs chocolate
• Where cacao grows, harvesting, and the supply chain situation
• How chocolate is made
• The different types of chocolate out there
• Why people crave chocolate
• Health benefits vs risks
• How to temper chocolate at home

Connect with Noha

• Topic requests: itsneverjustfood@gmail.com
• Follow the podcast on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠
• Follow Noha on: ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠
• Learn more about working with Noha ⁠⁠here⁠⁠

References mentioned in the episode:

• History.com. History of Chocolate
• NOAA Climate.gov. Climate and Chocolate
• International Cocoa Organization (ICCO). Fine or Flavour Cocoa
• Encyclopaedia Britannica. How Is Chocolate Made?
• FDA. Standard of Identity for White Chocolate
• Barry Callebaut. Ruby chocolate launch/overview
• Hormes, J.M. (2017). Does culture create craving? Evidence from the case of menstrual chocolate craving. PLOS ONE.
• Arisi, T.O.P. et al. (2024). Effects of Cocoa Consumption on Cardiometabolic Risk Markers.
• Valrhona (L’École Valrhona). Tempering chocolate

If you think sushi started in the same format you know and love today, you’re not alone but, its origins are totally different. Tune in to learn more!

In this episode:

• Sushi’s origin story
• What counts as sushi
• The main types of sushi:
• Kimbap is not “Korean sushi”
• How sushi became popular outside Japan
• What it takes to be a sushi chef and what omakase means
• The health side: benefits & risks
• Making sushi at home safely, what tools you need, and what imitation crab actually is

Connect with Noha

• Topic requests: itsneverjustfood@gmail.com
• Follow the podcast on Instagram
• Follow Noha on: Instagram and TikTok
• Learn more about working with Noha here

References mentioned in the episode:

• PBS. The History of Sushi
• Michelin Guide. A Brief History of Sushi in America
• Japan Experience. The job of sushi chef in Japan
• Michelin Guide. What is omakase?
• Healthline. Imitation Crab: Is It Real Crab and Should You Eat It?