Mind & Matter
Whether food, drugs or ideas, what you consume influences who you become. Learn directly from the best scientists & thinkers alive today about how your mind-body reacts to what you feed it.
The weekly M&M podcast features conversations with the most interesting scientists, thinkers, and technology entrepreneurs alive today.
Not medical advice.
At M&M, we are interested in trying to figure out how things work, not affirming our existing beliefs. We prefer consulting primary rather than secondary sources and independent rather than institutional voices. If we encounter uncomfortable truths or the evidence suggests unfashionable ideas may be valid, so be it.
As the host, my aim is to help you better understand how the body & mind work by curating & synthesizing information in a way that yields science-based insights that you can choose to use or disregard in your own life. Taking ownership of your health starts with taking ownership of your information diet.
I am motivated to connect the dots and distill general principles from what I learn, preferring to ask questions and play devil’s advocate to debating or incessantly pushing my own viewpoint.
My beliefs:
- Taking ownership of your health starts with taking ownership of your information diet.
- All knowledge is provisional and we must work hard to prevent ourselves from becoming attached to our favorite ideas & preferred conclusions.
- Wisdom comes from an iterative, trial-and-error process of learning and unlearning. Letting go of pre-conceived notions can be painful, but pain is information.
Sometimes modern discoveries teach us we must unlearn received wisdom. Other times, modern information overload & historical chauvinism cause us to forget ancient wisdom which stills applies. The framework for learning that I embody is inspired by three Ancient Greek maxims inscribed in the Temple of Apollo at Delphi:
- “Γνῶθι σεαυτόν” (Know thyself)
- “Μηδὲν ἄγαν” (Nothing in excess)
- “Ἐγγύα πάρα δ Ἄτα” (Certainty brings insanity)
Mind & Matter
Farm Food: Soy in Animal Feed, Pesticides, Phytoestrogens, Seed Oils & Regenerative Farming
How industrial farming, seed oils, soy, and pesticides impact food nutrition and health. Not medical advice.
TOPICS DISCUSSED:
- Soy’s rise in farming: Originating from paint uses and wartime chemicals, soy became dominant due to subsidies and large-scale farming practices, but introduces high PUFAs, phytoestrogens, and pesticides into animal feeds.
- Feed’s impact on eggs: Chicken feeds high in soy and corn raise linoleic acid levels in eggs compared to low-soy alternatives; low-PUFA eggs improve digestibility for many.
- PUFAs & health effects: Feeding PUFAs fattens animals faster and disrupts human gut lining and metabolism; body fat composition changes take time, linking to chronic issues like low energy.
- Phytoestrogens in soy: These compounds pass into animal products, affecting estrogen signaling and gut health; mainstream nutrition often overlooks their risks despite historical low exposure.
- Dairy variations: Raw milk retains lactoferrin for iron regulation and gut support, plus enzymes and probiotics destroyed in pasteurization; it may resolve dairy intolerances for some.
- Regenerative farming model: Armstrong’s cooperative emphasizes traditional feeds to “resaturate” foods, reducing PUFAs; supports small farms amid declining farm numbers.
- Ancestral diets insight: Traditional diets vary but share low PUFA levels, avoiding modern chronic illnesses tied to industrial fats.
ABOUT THE GUEST: Ashley Armstrong, PhD co-founded Angel Acres Farm in Michigan and now runs Nourish Food Club, a cooperative of small farms producing low-PUFA, soy-free animal foods.
RELATED EPISODE:
- M&M 273: Nutrition Content of Animal & Plant Foods: Beef, Plant-Based Meat, Raw vs. Processed Milk
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For all the ways you can support my efforts
