The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show
Wellness Unmasked: Healthy Snacking, Sugar Guidelines & Lipedema Awareness with Switch CEO Susie Boshoff
Date: January 20, 2026
Host: Dr. Nicole Saphier (for Wellness Unmasked)
Guest: Susie Boshoff, CEO of Switch
Episode Overview
This episode of "Wellness Unmasked" dives into the latest updates on nutrition guidelines, scrutinizes the new food pyramid, and raises awareness about lipedema—a misunderstood metabolic condition, especially among women. Dr. Nicole Saphire is joined by Susie Boshoff, CEO of Switch (a sugar-free candy company), to discuss what’s changing in the national dietary conversation, why standard recommendations may miss the mark for many, practical snacking solutions, and Susie’s own journey with lipedema.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The New Food Pyramid and Evolving Nutrition Guidelines
(02:49–09:58)
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Whole Foods Over Processed: Both guests celebrate the shift back to emphasizing whole foods, healthy fats, and pure grains. However, they agree that implementation and interpretation remain challenging, particularly for families on the go.
- Quote: “We’re talking about eating whole natural foods again, healthy fats, pure grains, and getting rid of these sugars and ultra-processed foods because as we know, those have driven up obesity, metabolic disorders and others.” — Dr. Nicole Saphire [02:52]
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Sugar Guidelines: Susie highlights how added sugar limits are now more explicit and easier for people to understand.
- Quote: “They reduce the guidelines on the limits of added sugar, which I thought was pretty exciting... People don’t realize that 4 grams of sugar is a teaspoon.” — Susie Boshoff [04:58]
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Packaging vs. Whole Foods: Boshoff, despite running a snack company, stresses the value of real foods but notes the importance of better-for-you convenience options due to modern lifestyles.
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Hidden Dangers: Both raise the issue of artificial colors and flavors—particularly those derived from petroleum. Susie is passionate about consumer education on petrochemical additives.
- Quote: “These are colors and flavors that are derived from coal tar, from petroleum based chemical ingredients ... which processes in your body are designed to utilize and be nourished by petrochemicals?” — Susie Boshoff [07:29]
2. Shortcomings in the Food Pyramid—One Size Doesn’t Fit All
(08:24–11:40)
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Both agree the new food pyramid is an improvement but is still too generalized, particularly in lumping all grains and proteins together without considering individual metabolic differences, health conditions, or distinctions between processed and whole foods.
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Metabolic Nuance: Susie wishes there was more emphasis on addressing metabolic health, insulin management, and carb-sensitivity—important factors in the modern epidemic of obesity and diabetes.
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Quote: “I would have liked to see a little more nuanced discussion on [metabolic health and insulin] because ... we’re dealing with a metabolic issue.” — Susie Boshoff [08:32]
3. Lipedema—Symptoms, Experience & Awareness
(11:40–18:55)
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Defining Lipedema: Susie shares her diagnosis journey (since ~2011), describing lipedema as a chronic, under-recognized disease characterized by abnormal fat accumulation, especially in the legs, as well as pain, swelling, and easy bruising.
- Quote: “So after I hit puberty, my thighs got big enough that it was alarming for me ... my legs actually hurt. ... You can start getting tenderness in your legs and it could be something as simple as a cat jumping on your lap and suddenly it hurts or spontaneous bruising.” — Susie Boshoff [12:53]
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Personal Impact: Susie explains the pain, physical and emotional toll of lipedema, and her efforts to educate others through her blog, "Lipedema Living".
- Quote: “I have a blog called Lipedema Living, which is just my journey with lipedema and my effort to try to educate people on it more.” — Susie Boshoff [14:16]
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Dr. Safire's Medical Perspective: Dr. Saphire clarifies the medical basics—how lipedema differs from lymphedema, often goes undiagnosed, and is not always linked to lifestyle or willpower.
- Quote: “Someone could have very large legs, but their arms and waist can seem very normal. … No matter what they do, they can lose weight and they can get very thin up top, [but] their legs don’t respond.” — Dr. Nicole Saphire [18:55]
4. Treatments and Community Support
(20:16–25:54)
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Evolving Treatments: Susie notes new research and care standards, sharing that there are now more options (compression, surgery, dietary management) for people with lipedema. She emphasizes inflammation control, carb avoidance, and the importance of a supportive community.
- Quote: “First of all, you want to minimize inflammation first and foremost, because that is the biggest driver ... I have found that by limiting my carbs and not having sugar, I don’t experience the lymphedema aspect of it.” — Susie Boshoff [20:41]
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Self-Assessment: Early signs can include “lumpy” tissue (“like grains of rice, then like a bag of beans”) and ankle or knee area changes, with tenderness or pain.
- Memorable anecdote: “I had surgery where they actually removed some of the lipedema nodules ... one of them shot out of my shin … and it hit the camera and made a knocking noise.” — Susie Boshoff [24:46]
5. Advocacy & Practical Solutions
(25:54–27:52)
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Where to Learn More: Susie encourages listeners to check her blog, "365 Days of Awesome", and her company’s website, switchsweets.com, for resources on non-inflammatory, blood sugar–friendly snacks.
- Quote: “My big thing is making sure that there’s no blood sugar impact in any of the products and that there’s no ingredients that drive inflammation.” — Susie Boshoff [26:21]
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She points out the challenge in making healthy convenience foods and inspires other founders to keep human health at the center rather than profit.
- Quote: “There’s always a path to something that’s better, but it’s a matter of taking the time to research it and maybe not being so profit driven that we’re willing to forego human health as a byproduct of that.” — Susie Boshoff [27:27]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
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On food additives (07:29):
“These are colors and flavors that are derived from coal tar, from petroleum based chemical ingredients … which processes in your body are designed to utilize and be nourished by petrochemicals?” — Susie Boshoff -
On sugar in children’s snacks (04:58):
“People don’t realize that 4 grams of sugar is a teaspoon … if [my granddaughter] has a granola bar and it has 12 or 16 grams of sugar in it, she’s getting three to four teaspoons of sugar for her little body.” — Susie Boshoff -
On the reality of the Standard American Diet and metabolic conditions (09:58):
“Is it perfect? Absolutely not … people aren’t created equally, meats aren’t created equally. … It’s a good starting ground.” — Dr. Nicole Saphire -
On Lipedema and hidden suffering (14:16):
“As women with lipedema, we think we’re like this weird anomaly, but we’re really not. … The more women share their legs, the more you kind of see.” — Susie Boshoff -
On patient empowerment (27:54):
“Nutrition guidelines, they’re a starting point, but they’re not a diagnosis … If you’re dealing with something like lipedema … it’s probably not a failure of willpower. It’s your body working against you physiologically.” — Dr. Nicole Saphire
Timestamps for Key Segments
- New Food Pyramid & Sugar Guidelines: 02:49–09:58
- Shortcomings in Current Nutrition Advice: 08:24–11:40
- Lipedema Awareness & Susie’s Story: 11:40–18:55
- Medical Summary & Treatments: 18:55–25:54
- Community, Advocacy, and Practical Tools: 25:54–27:52
- Final Thoughts & Takeaways: 27:54–End
Tone & Takeaway
This episode is candid, warm, and educational. It balances scientific explanations with real-world, emotionally resonant stories. The hosts speak in an accessible, conversational style, breaking down complex topics while giving a strong call to self-advocacy—encouraging listeners to view nutrition guidelines as a template, not a verdict, and to seek answers if standard advice isn’t working for their bodies.
Resources Mentioned
For listeners:
If you’re struggling with persistent weight, especially in your legs, alongside pain or bruising, consider discussing lipedema with your healthcare provider. And keep questioning, learning, and advocating for health beyond the standard guidelines.