Podcast
Maintenance Phase
Hosted by Aubrey Gordon & Michael Hobbes · EN
Debunking the junk science behind health fads, wellness scams and nonsensical nutrition advice.
35episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Why Don't We Have a Surgeon General?
2d ago01:13:24Summary readyWe’re nearly halfway through Trump's second term and we still don’t have a Surgeon General. What gives?Support us:Hear bonus episodes on PatreonWatch Aubrey's documentaryBuy Aubrey's bookListen to Mike's other podcastGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreLinks!White House withdraws nomination of Janette NesheiwatTrump’s Surgeon General Pick Distorted Key Parts of Her Résumé Dr. Janette Nesheiwat takes role at Walter Reed treating Havana SyndromeWhen Did RFK Jr Start Listening to Calley and Casey Means? What Casey Means and MAHA Want You to FearTrump’s Surgeon General Pick Is Tearing the MAHA Movement ApartTrump surgeon general pick said mushrooms helped her find loveThe Dizzying Rise of MAHA Warrior Calley MeansCasey Means Poised to Become Nation’s Top Doctor Casey Means discloses financial ties to supplement industry Laura Loomer Targets Trump’s Pick for Surgeon GeneralThe Bad Science of Good Energy Trump's Surgeon General Pick Tried to Trademark MAHA Can Trump's latest pick for surgeon general make it through confirmation?New surgeon general pick in deleted posts criticized Trump, RFK JrTrump’s pick for SG sells supplement with ingredient banned by Pentagon Trump’s new surgeon general pick deepens MAHA-MAGA riftThanks to Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song!Support the show
SummarySalt
Jun 1000:53:14Summary readyIn the 1980s, a low-sodium diet was seen as the gold standard for healthy behavior. In 2026, salt has been repackaged as “electrolytes” and is now cast as a core component of wellness. How did we get here?Also, an important correction: One pound of butter to one pound of potatoes is Joel Robuchon’s recipe.Support us:Hear bonus episodes on PatreonWatch Aubrey's documentaryBuy Aubrey's bookListen to Mike's other podcastGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreLinks!The 25 Saltiest Restaurant Meals in America Facts, Issues, and Controversies in Salt Reduction for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease Salt Wars The INTERSALT Study: background, methods, findings, and implicationsSodium reductionSodium Intake Reduction: An Important But Elusive Public Health GoalEffects of Diet and Sodium IntakeSalt intake, stroke, and cardiovascular disease Racial and Ethnic Differences in Sodium Sources and Sodium Reduction Behaviors Among US AdultsThe Great Salt Debate: So Bad?Salt guidelines draw heavy backlashSodium Reduction in US Households’ Packaged Food and Beverage PurchasesBlood pressure lowering efficacy of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors for primary hypertensionThanks to Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song!Support the show
SummaryTim Ferriss’s "The 4-Hour Body" (feat. Peter Shamshiri)
Apr 1601:08:18Summary readyWe're joined by Mike's If Books Could Kill co-host to revisit a biohacking diet book for the boys.Support us:Hear bonus episodes on PatreonWatch Aubrey's documentaryBuy Aubrey's bookListen to Mike's other podcastGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreLinks!The 4-Hour BodyDoes Glycemic Index Matter for Weight Loss? An Examination of the Evidence New! Improved! Shape Up Your Life! The 4-Hour Body: The Real App You Are Working On Is An App Called YourselfThanks to Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song!Support the show
SummaryRussell Brand Part 2
Apr 101:07:13Summary readyWhat do you do when you've flamed out as a Hollywood actor, a political commentator and a wellness guru? You make a YouTube channel.Support us:Hear bonus episodes on PatreonWatch Aubrey's documentaryBuy Aubrey's bookListen to Mike's other podcastGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreLinks!Russell Brand accused of rape, sexual assaults and abuseExposing Russell BrandRussell Brand And The Conspiracy GriftRussell Brand on revolutionCelebrity Capital in the Political Field: Russell Brand’s migration from stand-up comedy to Newsnight“Arthur” lawsuit against BrandBBC says it received five complaints about presenterWoman says star exposed himself to her Russell Brand, SeriouslyHow the U.S. is sabotaging its best tools to prevent deaths in the opioid epidemicRussell Brand And The Conspiracy GriftRussell Brand’s fellow travellers should defend their claims in courtThanks to Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song!Support the show
SummaryRussell Brand Part 1
Mar 1701:14:11Summary readyTracing the left-to-right political trajectory of the unfunniest man in British comedy.Support us:Hear bonus episodes on PatreonWatch Aubrey's documentaryBuy Aubrey's bookListen to Mike's other podcastGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreLinks!Russell Brand accused of rape, sexual assaults and abuseExposing Russell BrandRussell Brand And The Conspiracy GriftRussell Brand on revolutionCelebrity Capital in the Political Field: Russell Brand’s migration from stand-up comedy to Newsnight“Arthur” lawsuit against BrandBBC says it received five complaints about presenterWoman says star exposed himself to her Russell Brand, SeriouslyHow the U.S. is sabotaging its best tools to prevent deaths in the opioid epidemicRussell Brand And The Conspiracy GriftRussell Brand’s fellow travellers should defend their claims in courtThanks to Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song!Support the show
SummaryThe Diet Crimes of Metabolife
Feb 1200:57:08Summary readyThe rags-to-riches tale of how an illegal methamphetamine manufacturer became a legal methamphetamine manufacturer.Support us:Hear bonus episodes on PatreonWatch Aubrey's documentaryBuy Aubrey's bookListen to Mike's other podcastGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreLinks!How the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 Weakened the FDAMad About MetabolifeStimulant Propels Diet EmpireThe dangers of the herb ephedra - Harvard Health An Historical Review of Steps and Missteps in the Discovery of Anti-Obesity Drugs Weight Loss the Herbal Way: No All-Natural Silver BulletOver-the-Counter-Strategy - The Washington Post Anxious Pill-Maker Puts ABC Interview on the WebA 'Neutral' Comment, a Company's Tough ReactionMetabolife Intern., Inc. v. Wornick (S.D. Cal. 1999) Ephedra hearings in the US House of Representatives Expert Panel Finds Flaws In Diet Pill Safety StudyLetter Urging a Criminal Investigation of Metabolife - Public Citizen Perspective; Regulation of Dietary Drugs Is Long OverdueNo Limit, for Now, on a Dieting SupplementU.S. Bans Dietary Supplement Linked to Number of DeathsThanks to Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song!Support the show
SummaryRaw Milk
Nov 1301:05:43Summary readyOnce widely banned, raw milk consumption is on the rise and states are repealing their bans. No one’s happier about that than the far right. How did we get here?NOTE: In the retelling of Pasteur’s early pasteurization, Aubrey misspoke! The culprit wasn’t lactic yeast, it was lactic acid bacteria. Sorry for the slip up!Support us:Hear bonus episodes on PatreonWatch Aubrey's documentaryBuy Aubrey's bookListen to Mike's other podcastGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreLinks!Milk!: A 10,000 Year Food FracasU.S. Consumer surveyThe Effects of Pasteurization on VitaminsLingering Heat over Pasteurized MilkHow pasteurization improves safetySwill-Milk and Infant MortalityAlta Dena (Court case 1, Court case 2, Alta Dena's raw milk history)A Raw Milk Magnate Has Spent Years Fighting Public Health AgenciesShould This Milk Be Legal?The Amish farmer who ignited outrage over raw milkWhy Are People Promoting Raw Milk? The Quest for Raw MilkSome Raw Truths About Raw MilkRight Wing Commentators Are Pushing MisinformationHow Raw Milk Went From Hippie to MAGA Here's why raw milk drinkers need to be concerned about bird fluInfluencers promote raw milk Thanks to Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song!Support the show
SummaryThe Food Babe
Sep 2500:52:58Summary readyOne blogger bravely pushes back against Starbucks, Subway and basic scientific facts.Support us:Hear bonus episodes on PatreonWatch Aubrey's documentaryBuy Aubrey's bookListen to Mike's other podcastGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreLinks!Taking On the Food Industry, One Blog Post at a TimeHow the ‘Food Babe’ Went From Obama Ally to Trump CrusaderActivist or Capitalist? How the 'Food Babe' Makes MoneyLatest Food Scare: What Is The 'Yoga Mat' Chemical - And Why Is It In Your Food? Almost 500 Foods Contain The 'Yoga Mat' Compound. Should We Care? Are You Eating This Ingredient Banned All Over the World?The "Food Babe" Blogger is Full of Shit Are Microwaves Safe? Global Food Security Index 2022 Differences between EU and US nutrition labels go far beyond ounces and gramsIs Food Really Better in Europe?Vani Hari: How She Grew Her Food Blog Into An EmpireFood blogger asks Kraft to stop using dye in mac and cheeseMeet the food blogger influencing RFK Jr.Food Babe blogger Vani Hari taking heat over health science Thanks to Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song!Support the show
SummarySeed Oils
Aug 2601:18:44Summary readyWhy are you, as a man, afraid of sunflowers.Support us:Hear bonus episodes on PatreonWatch Aubrey's documentaryBuy Aubrey's bookListen to Mike's other podcastGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreLinks!The O6-O3 ratio: A critical appraisalSeed Oils: Are They Actually Toxic?No need to avoid healthy omega-6 fatsOmega-6 Fatty Acids and Risk for Cardiovascular DiseaseDo Seed Oils Make You Sick?Seed oils: Are they healthy or harmful?ToxGuide: HexaneDietary linoleic acid intake and blood inflammatory markersEffect of dietary alpha-linolenic acid on blood inflammatory markersChanges in consumption of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acidsThe Skinny on FatsDietary oleic acid drives obesogenic adipogenesisHow Seed Oils May Be Affecting Your Body Fat and HealthStanford nutrition expert breaks down effects of seed oilsThe Newest Bitcoin Diet Trend Is Hating ‘Seed Oils’Omega-6 Fatty Acids and Coronary Artery DiseaseThe Great Con-olaThanks to Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song!Support the show
SummaryHerbalife
Jul 10, 202500:56:56Summary readyWe’re talking about our first diet MLM and IT’S A REAL DOOZY!Support us:Hear bonus episodes on PatreonWatch Aubrey's documentaryBuy Aubrey's bookListen to Mike's other podcastGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreLinks!Herbalife: Weighty Profits and Government Probes Herbalife Exec's Death Prompts Bizarre FalloutAutopsy on Herbalife founder finds death caused by accidental overdose The Uncertain Start of a Remarkable LifeNobel Prize Winner Didn't Disclose Herbalife Contract Latinos crucial to Herbalife's financial healthLatino Group Demands Herbalife ProbeThe Big Short War The Siege of HerbalifeAfter Big Bet, Hedge Fund Pulls the Levers of PowerHerbalife Will Restructure and Pay $200 Million to Settle FTC Charges An inside look at the $200 million FTC settlement U.S. says Herbalife to pay $123.1 million to resolve China bribery case Herbalife announces new CEO to lead the L.A. nutrition companyClips!Mark Hughes' origin storySenate committee hearing Celebrity endorsementFormer Herbalife Distributors Speak OutThanks to Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song!Support the show
Summary