On Purpose with Jay Shetty — Episode Summary

Guest: Jessie Inchauspé (Glucose Goddess)
Episode Title: Jessie Inchauspé: 90% of Pregnant People Are Missing THIS Nutrient (Follow THIS Simple Diet To Reduce Glucose Spikes & Protect Your Baby’s Brain & Metabolism)
Release Date: February 23, 2026
Podcast Network: iHeartPodcasts

Episode Overview

This episode features biochemist and bestselling author Jessie Inchauspé (a.k.a. Glucose Goddess), discussing her groundbreaking new book “Nine Months That Count Forever.” The conversation centers on how a mother’s diet during pregnancy programs the baby’s brain, metabolism, and lifelong vulnerability or resilience to disease, why 90% of expecting mothers are missing key nutrients, and practical, science-backed interventions to optimize both maternal and infant health. Jay and Jessie also explore the emotional landscape of pregnancy and miscarriage, break down food myths, and provide actionable dietary strategies for every stage of pregnancy.

Main Themes & Purpose

• Debunking Pregnancy Nutrition Myths: Jessie challenges common misconceptions, notably the "eat for two" adage, and reframes the mother's role from "oven" to "soil" in the creation of life.
• Critical Nutrients & Glucose Control: The conversation details four essential nutrients most mothers lack during pregnancy, with significant implications for the baby’s brain and lifelong health.
• The Impact of Modern Diets: Processed foods and excess sugar are shown to compromise fetal development, with compelling science-based explanations.
• Empowering, Actionable Guidance: Jessie shares evidence-based dietary hacks and ways for mothers (including vegans) to meet their needs, all while acknowledging the stress and systemic shortcomings surrounding maternal nutrition.
• Emotional Realities: The episode is notable for its raw discussion of miscarriage, guilt, societal pressures, and the under-discussed mental load carried by mothers.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Why Pregnancy Diet Matters More Than We’re Told

• Co-creation, Not Passive Growth ([05:04])
  • Jessie dismantles the "bun in the oven" analogy:

    “It implies as the mom, you are an oven... a passive box of heat and time... Actually what happens during the nine months, and specifically what you eat, co-creates the baby.” (Jessie, 05:06)

  • She proposes an alternate metaphor: the mother as "soil" and the baby as a "seed," emphasizing active environmental shaping.

The Four Essential Nutrients During Pregnancy

1. Glucose ([07:46])
   • High blood sugar during pregnancy activates gene switches (epigenetics) making children more prone to type 2 diabetes.
2. Choline
   • Found in eggs; builds the baby’s brain. 90% of expecting mothers don’t get enough. Low choline correlates to fewer neurons and elevated risk for brain defects.
3. Protein
   • Needs are 50% higher than previously thought—most women need ~100g/day. Deficiency sets the baby's metabolism for low muscle mass lifelong.
4. Omega-3s
   • Supports brain development. Babies of mothers with adequate omega-3s score higher on intelligence tests at age four.

“As I was discovering this, I was making that same face. I was like, what? Why is there such a gap between what science knows and what parents are told?” (Jessie, 08:45)

Modern Diets Are Failing Mothers

• High Prevalence of Deficiencies ([09:02])
  • 90% of moms lack choline, 70% lack adequate protein, 75% lack omega-3s.
  • Most moms eat three times the recommended sugar intake.
  • The food system and industry are blamed for this "toxic environment."
• Consequences of Excess Sugar ([10:14, 36:36, 37:46])
  • Excess glucose doesn't just passively “take what the baby needs”—the child is exposed to all excess, programming their metabolic health.
  • Studies show higher risks of diabetes, obesity, even increased association with psychiatric conditions like autism in children of mothers with high gestational glucose.
  • “So your baby's body as he's developing is like, oh, glucose spike... I'm going to store it as fat. Babies’ fat mass at birth is perfectly correlated to the mother's glucose levels.” (Jessie, 36:48)

Understanding Epigenetics

• Critical Window of Programming ([14:31])
  • Epigenetic switches—set during pregnancy via environment and diet—control how active certain genes are.
  • Maternal diet transmits environmental information crucial for setting life-long metabolism and health risk.

Practical Guidelines & Dietary Recommendations

Jessie’s Four Core Actions ([18:26-19:04])

1. Eat Four Eggs Daily
   • Provides full choline requirement for the baby.
2. Protein At Every Meal
   • Ensures adequate fetal growth and lifelong muscle mass programming.
3. Fish or Omega-3 Supplement
   • 2g per day recommended.
4. Limit Sugar
   • Stay under the WHO’s 25g per day recommendation (roughly one glass of juice or half a chocolate bar).

Managing Sugar and Cravings ([21:22-21:41])

• Pregnancy enhances dopamine response to sugar, making resistance harder.
  • “Surveys show that [mothers] actually eat more sugar when they're pregnant than when they're not pregnant.”
• Avoid “eating for two”; the caloric need is only marginally higher (~1.2x, not 2x). Extra glucose needs are very modest.

Strategies for Nausea, Fatigue, and Cravings ([17:11, 61:26])

• First trimester: "Do what you can." Don’t stress about ideal diet due to likely severe nausea.
• Protein-rich foods can help manage nausea and reduce spikes; nuts on waking may help.
• “Sugar helps us feel better... What I did is I always made sure to not have sugar on an empty stomach... always sugar after a meal, never for breakfast.”

For Non-Omnivores ([30:36])

• Vegan mothers will need to supplement choline and omega-3s (from algae or synthetic sources), as plant sources are inadequate in practical amounts.

Supplements vs. Food ([30:36-31:33])

• Whole foods are better absorbed, but supplements are necessary if animal foods are avoided.
• Example: “If you're vegan, that would mean you have to eat 8 pounds of soybeans per day, 8 pounds to get enough choline. So take a supplement.”

Foods and Substances to Avoid ([33:08])

• Alcohol: “When you drink, your baby’s blood alcohol level goes up by the same amount.”
• Cigarettes, recreational drugs, toxic chemicals, plastics (as much as possible—especially heated plastics).
• Excessive sugar: directly correlates to baby’s metabolic programming.

Evidence of Diet-Brain Connection ([29:09, 41:46, 64:56])

• Choline and omega-3s create neurons; sugar and glucose spikes increase inflammation and may harm microglia brain cells responsible for optimal neural pruning.
• Animal studies confirm cognitive, anxiety, and IQ differences in offspring based on maternal diet.
• “Babies from the moms who exercised solved the mazes twice as fast and had 80% fewer anxiety symptoms. The only difference was the physical activity during pregnancy.” (Jessie, 64:46)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the “Bun in the Oven” Myth

  “As the mom, you are an oven... No, man, seriously, that you are this passive box of heat and time. It implies all you gotta do is keep the temperature at the right temperature and just wait... Actually, what happens during the nine months, and specifically what you eat... co-creates the baby.”
  — Jessie Inchauspé ([05:04])

• On Choline Deficiency

  “For choline, 90% of moms aren’t getting enough... If you’re vegan, that would mean you have to eat 8 pounds of soybeans per day, 8 pounds to get enough choline. So take a supplement.”
  — Jessie Inchauspé ([30:38])

• On Societal Responsibility

  “Society has, excuse my language, f***ed up the food that is available today... It’s leading to all sorts of stuff, from heart disease to diabetes... The food system has been failing them.”
  — Jessie Inchauspé ([42:13])

• On Miscarriage & Grief
  Jessie’s detailed, vulnerable story about her “silent miscarriage” and the lack of societal discourse resonates deeply:

  “I had no symptoms. I had been walking around for a month with a dead embryo... It was so freaking painful.”
  ([47:23])

• On the Impact of Small Tweaks

  “Just these small tweaks can have an outsized impact on your baby's vulnerability to disease.”
  — Jessie Inchauspé ([72:45])

• Redefining the Pregnancy Journey

  “You have the kid’s whole life to do stuff, and you do. But these nine months are having such a big impact.”
  — Jay Shetty ([79:14])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [05:04] — Deconstructing the “bun in the oven” myth; reframing the mother’s role in baby’s development.
• [07:46] — The four essential nutrients for pregnancy and their lifelong effect on the baby.
• [09:02, 09:56] — Prevalence of deficiencies and the impact of excess sugar in modern diets.
• [14:31] — The science of epigenetic programming during pregnancy.
• [18:26] — Jessie’s four core dietary recommendations for pregnancy.
• [30:36] — Whole food vs. supplementation, especially for non-omnivores.
• [33:08, 34:19] — Foods, substances, and environmental chemicals to avoid during pregnancy.
• [36:36–41:46] — Glucose spikes, inflammation, and the risk of metabolic and psychiatric conditions; epigenetics in action.
• [47:23–56:49] — Jessie’s personal miscarriage story, emotional journey, and lessons for everyone.
• [61:26] — Managing pregnancy fatigue, dopamine, and dietary hacks for cravings and blood sugar.
• [64:46] — Exercise and its effect on baby’s brain and anxiety.
• [69:26] — The lifelong influence of pregnancy programming.
• [72:45] — Case study: UK sugar rationing and long-term diabetes risk in children.
• [73:58] — The “This or That” pregnancy nutrition game.

Tone, Language & Approach

Jay Shetty brings his signature warmth, curiosity, and determination to make scientific insights practical for everyday listeners. Jessie is approachable, funny, deeply knowledgeable, relatable as a mother, and candid about both science and emotion.

Takeaways for Listeners

• Mothers aren’t just “hosts”—their nutrition directly programs the baby’s future health.
• Focus on four core nutrients: choline, protein, omega-3s, and keep glucose in check.
• Real-world hacks: more eggs, fish/omega-3 supplements, protein at every meal, sugar vigilance, and exercise—even small movements help.
• The healthcare system and food environment are currently ill-equipped to support optimal prenatal nutrition—self-education and advocacy are essential.
• Emotional honesty and seeking support around miscarriage and the pressures of pregnancy can foster healing and resilience.
• Small, doable dietary tweaks can yield enormous, lifelong benefits for your child.

Recommended For:
Anyone pregnant, hoping to be, supporting someone who is, or who wants a deeper understanding of how nutrition interacts with health across generations.

Further Listening:
Jay’s earlier interviews with Jessie Inchauspé and with Michelle Obama, especially for navigating life changes and relationship growth.

Book Plug:
“Nine Months That Count Forever: How Your Pregnancy Diet Shapes Your Baby’s Future” by Jessie Inchauspé (Release: March 17, 2026)