Podcast Summary: Realfoodology – "Why Most Diets Fail: Ultra-Processed Foods, Plant-Based Myths & Real Satiety"

Host: Courtney Swan
Guest: Brian Sanders (Food Lies docu-series creator, Sapien Center founder)
Date: January 7, 2026

Episode Overview

Courtney Swan welcomes Brian Sanders to tackle widespread dietary confusion in today's world. They break down why most diets fail, discuss the trap of ultra-processed foods, debunk plant-based myths, and highlight what real human satiety is – all rooted in evolutionary food wisdom. Drawing from first-hand experiences with traditional cultures, scientific research, and personal journeys, they clarify what truly constitutes a healthy human diet and why system-wide change must come from the bottom up, not the top down.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Root of Dietary Confusion (05:34 – 09:00)

• Why is nutrition so confusing today?
  • There’s a flood of conflicting information, from plant-based evangelists (like Blue Zone proponents) to carnivore extremists.
  • People earnestly want to be healthy but don't know what to believe.
  • Brian: “I've interviewed hundreds of doctors and scientists... I'm trying to distill the best information from the best people and give it to people with actionable advice.” (06:39)
  • Revealed: For decades, mainstream advice (low fat, avoid red meat, eat lots of grains) led Brian’s own family to metabolic disorders.

Different Types of Calories

• Food is more than calories. “It's protein, vitamins and minerals, fats and carbs...protein and vitamins/minerals are the building blocks; fats and carbs are energy.” (07:20)
• Grouping all calories together misses crucial nutritional nuance; focusing only on calories leads to protein/micronutrient deficiencies and muscle loss, e.g., with popular GLP-1 drugs (Wegovy/Ozempic).

2. Ultra-Processed Foods & the Satiety Crisis (10:16 – 15:00)

The "Protein Leverage Hypothesis"

• Why do people overeat ultra-processed foods rather than “binge on salmon”?
  • Processed foods are engineered to be hyperpalatable and low in protein and nutrients, so you eat more seeking satiety that never comes.
  • Brian: “Food manufacturers...put less vitamins, minerals, and protein...it’s beneficial to them to get you to eat more.” (11:12)

Real-World Evidence

• Animal studies: Rodents on low-protein chow overeat until reaching their protein “quota,” becoming obese and unhealthy despite similar protein intake.
• Same mechanisms at work in humans today: constant hunger for nutrients, leading to chronic overeating and relentless snacking.

Personal Stories

• Courtney: “When I was younger...I felt like I was in this prison of just, oh my god, how am I going to get through the day without eating all the time? Because I’m starving all the time...” (14:49)
• Both now emphasize they rarely need to snack after shifting to nutrient-dense foods.

3. Whole Foods vs. Processing & Modern Satiety (17:58 – 21:33)

• The wholeness (“cellular structure”) of food matters. Even before ingredient concerns, mechanical processing changes how food interacts with the gut and satiety hormones (GLP-1, others).
• Brian: “The real magic of your diet is avoiding processed foods. That’s the absolute magic.” (19:33)

The Role of Animal Foods

• “Adequate protein and nutrients...requires animal food. I do not believe in vegan diets...but you could eat a plant-based diet and still be okay if you have some animal foods.” (20:10)
• “You don’t have to crush steaks like Sean Baker, but we just need some of this animal nutrition and we need whole foods.” (20:20)

4. Ancestral Wisdom: Lessons from the Maasai and Hadza (23:44 – 33:48)

Diets of Traditional Societies

• Maasai: Survive for months on raw milk and blood, are tall, muscular, and have remarkable dental health.
  • “Strongest, tallest people I’ve ever seen...huge, wide jaws, teeth healthy. These guys are like six-two, just muscled, just looking great, living a long time.” (25:19)
• Hadza: Hunt for fresh meat daily, eat raw liver and cooked brains, little plant food except fibrous tubers.
• Both groups display vitality into old age, free of chronic modern diseases—contradicting the view that plant-based diets are superior.

Insights on Human Longevity

• Oldest members in these groups reach their 70s despite no modern medicine, suggesting natural human lifespan could be much longer under optimal conditions.

The Blue Zones Myth

• “A lot of these blue zones are actually animal based by calories and someone like Dan Buettner who has an agenda will go around and just see what he wants to see.” (00:00 & 34:44)
  • Memorable moment: Brian confronting Dan Buettner at a conference, challenging the narrative that Blue Zones are plant-based success stories.
  • Real-life Blue Zones eat plenty of animal foods: “If you look at their calories, that's animal based…over 50% calories.” (35:30)
  • The real magic: whole food diets, purpose, community, movement, sleep—not plant vs. animal dogma.

5. The Dangers of Industrial Oils ("Seed Oils") (44:22 – 48:10)

• “Industrial oils” are a more neutral term than “seed oils,” which has become politicized.
• Brian on logic: “Is that better, logically, or this highly processed new oil we just invented? ...Just think.” (46:03)
• Studies citing benefits are plagued by confounding variables; population data murky at best.
• Tangible benefits: Eliminating industrial oils improved nearly all health markers for Brian and many others — “99 got better...my LDL went up a little bit. So is it that LDL is just trying to kill me, or do we have the wrong view of LDL?” (48:10)
• Courtney: “We’ve gotten cholesterol largely wrong.” (48:28)

6. Systemic Failures & Why Solutions Won’t Come From the Top (50:41 – 58:18)

On the Health Policy Divide

• Health has become tribalized and politicized, causing infighting among those who should be allies.
• Right vs. left: one side emphasizes personal responsibility, the other outsourcing health to institutions—the latter usually failing (e.g., the DMV, the post office as metaphors).
• Brian: “I don’t get political, because I don’t think this stuff is solved from the top down...it needs to come from the bottom. That’s why I’m making Food Lies.” (53:48)
• Courtney: “We have the DMV trying to run our health right now and it’s an absolute disaster mess.” (52:24)

The Profit Motive in Processed Foods

• Real food has thin margins; processed foods have huge profits and thus dominate marketing, policy, and research agendas.
• “No one’s making money on lettuce or strawberries...They’re making money in the processed foods.” (07:36, 57:12)

One Size Fits All Approaches Don't Work

• “The problem with why diet’s confusing…no one is accurate about what makes a good diet…MyPlate is not individualized. It’s not healthy.” (55:32)

7. Practical Takeaways: Building a Real Food, Satiating Diet (61:44 – 65:50)

Brian’s Simple Diet Philosophy

• “Simple, sustainable, enjoyable.”
• Eats single-ingredient foods: broth, rice, burger patties, steak, fish, sauerkraut, fruits.
• Preps meals quickly, batch cooks, avoids complexity.

Efficient Exercise for Modern Life

• “I do two 30 minute [gym] sessions a week using drop sets to failure...It’s efficient, sustainable, and works for 95% of the population.” (59:08)
• Movement throughout the week (walking, sports), but little formal gym time.

Satiety Is Key

• His new product, Brights Beauty, combines bioavailable animal protein, collagen, organ meats, and supporting micronutrients to deliver lasting satiety and beauty benefits. “It helps you be satiated...and then you will hopefully lose weight.” (66:19)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Blue Zones narrative:
  • Brian (00:00): “A lot of these blue zones are actually animal based by calories and someone like Dan Buettner who has an agenda will go around and just see what he wants to see.”
• On processed foods:
  • Brian (11:12): “It's actually beneficial to food manufacturers to put less vitamins, minerals and protein ... to get you to eat more.”
• On system change:
  • Brian (53:48): “I don’t get political, because I don’t think this stuff is solved from the top down... it needs to come from the bottom.”
• On profit and food industry:
  • Brian (57:12): “No one’s making money on lettuce or strawberries either. ... They’re making money in the processed foods.”
• On personal experience:
  • Courtney (14:49): “I felt like I was in this prison of just, oh my god, how am I going to get through the day without eating all the time? Because I’m starving all the time.”

Segment Timestamps (Approximate)

| Segment | Topic | Timestamp | |---------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|-------------| | Introduction & Why Nutrition Is Confusing | Dietary advice confusion, Brian’s background | 05:34–09:00 | | Satiety & Protein Leverage | Processed foods, overeating, rodent studies | 10:16–15:00 | | The Magic of Whole Foods | Processing impact, nutrient density | 17:58–21:33 | | Lessons from Maasai & Hadza | Traditional diets, Blue Zones deconstructed | 23:44–34:44 | | Debunking Plant-Based Myths | Blue Zones, ancestral eating, animal foods | 34:44–37:37 | | Industrial Oils ("Seed Oils") Debate | Health effects, study flaws, LDL/cholesterol | 44:22–48:10 | | Why Policy Won’t Save Us | Top-down vs. bottom-up, industry influence | 50:41–58:18 | | Real Food, Sustainable Change | Simple diet, sustainable movement | 61:44–65:50 | | Brights Beauty Launch | “Anti-snacking” product for satiety/beauty | 63:53–66:50 |

Conclusion

Brian Sanders and Courtney Swan deliver a comprehensive, myth-busting conversation, dismantling popular dietary dogmas and showing that real, whole, nutrient-rich foods – especially animal foods – are fundamental to health and satiety. They warn against industrially processed edibles and top-down policy solutions, advocating for a grassroots return to ancestral wisdom and sustainable, individualized approaches. The episode delivers both a compelling case for food system reform and accessible real-life strategies for listeners to reclaim their health.

Find Brian at:

• Instagram: @food.lies
• Food Lies docu-series (trailer on YouTube)
• Sapien.org/Sapien Center (Austin, TX)

Key Quote:
"Change has to come from empowered people who understand what a genuinely healthy diet looks like." (Brian, 53:57)