1 00:00:03,160 --> 00:00:06,200 Speaker 1: Welcome to stuff Mom Never told you from how Stuff 2 00:00:06,200 --> 00:00:13,760 Speaker 1: Works dot com. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. I'm 3 00:00:13,800 --> 00:00:18,000 Speaker 1: Caroline and I'm Kristen. Kristen. As we are all doing 4 00:00:18,040 --> 00:00:21,360 Speaker 1: a little bit of holidays shopping maybe for our hams 5 00:00:21,760 --> 00:00:24,720 Speaker 1: and our turkeys, our hams and yams. Our hams and 6 00:00:24,840 --> 00:00:28,639 Speaker 1: yams and turkeys and nothing rhymes with turkey except maybe 7 00:00:28,640 --> 00:00:34,360 Speaker 1: to furkey. It would be interesting maybe on your grocery trip, listeners, 8 00:00:34,440 --> 00:00:38,040 Speaker 1: to think about your attitude towards that food that you 9 00:00:38,080 --> 00:00:41,800 Speaker 1: will be making. Right, even though uh, we don't have 10 00:00:42,040 --> 00:00:46,400 Speaker 1: a very like a holiday specific thing to talk about. 11 00:00:46,479 --> 00:00:51,640 Speaker 1: Holiday is the season of feasting. Like presents are cool, sure, 12 00:00:52,159 --> 00:00:54,920 Speaker 1: but what I really enjoy even more than that is 13 00:00:54,960 --> 00:00:58,720 Speaker 1: putting a lot of food in my face. That's right, Yeah, 14 00:00:58,800 --> 00:01:00,720 Speaker 1: to the point where like you have to button the pants. 15 00:01:01,360 --> 00:01:03,920 Speaker 1: Maybe just put on stretchy pants. Get it over with. Yeah. 16 00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:07,200 Speaker 1: And in addition to that, speaking of stretchy pants, the 17 00:01:07,280 --> 00:01:09,640 Speaker 1: holidays are also the most wonderful time with the year 18 00:01:09,640 --> 00:01:12,800 Speaker 1: for the loves. Traditionally you think about like New Year's 19 00:01:12,880 --> 00:01:18,200 Speaker 1: kisses and cuddling up, you know, with chestnuts roasting on 20 00:01:18,319 --> 00:01:22,920 Speaker 1: open fire, kissing under mistletoe, So why not combine all 21 00:01:22,959 --> 00:01:27,280 Speaker 1: of these things in a holiday conversation A feast for 22 00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:34,360 Speaker 1: your ears about food and how food is seeped into 23 00:01:34,680 --> 00:01:37,720 Speaker 1: many different parts of our culture. Yeah, but also how 24 00:01:37,760 --> 00:01:41,400 Speaker 1: pervasive sex is in the culture, and how maybe food 25 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:44,520 Speaker 1: and sex have swapped places. Yeah, and how there's like, 26 00:01:44,720 --> 00:01:49,280 Speaker 1: if anything, so intertwined. So to kick things off, I've 27 00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:52,600 Speaker 1: got a quote here from Dr Helen Fisher, who we've 28 00:01:52,640 --> 00:01:56,440 Speaker 1: referenced many times on the podcast. She's done a lot 29 00:01:56,600 --> 00:02:00,800 Speaker 1: of neurological research on attraction and romance, and she was 30 00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:05,760 Speaker 1: also the chief scientific advisor to match dot com, And 31 00:02:05,840 --> 00:02:09,600 Speaker 1: she says, food, sex, and courtship go hand in hand 32 00:02:09,639 --> 00:02:13,880 Speaker 1: in nature. Food also informs what and how a partner eats, 33 00:02:13,919 --> 00:02:17,200 Speaker 1: like with their hands and if they share such crucial 34 00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:20,440 Speaker 1: things about their habits, health and empathy. We're also built 35 00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:23,480 Speaker 1: to want an adventurous eater, a sign that this individual 36 00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:27,639 Speaker 1: will be flexible, a vital trait for loving and parenting. 37 00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:30,600 Speaker 1: Would you agree that you know if you go on 38 00:02:30,680 --> 00:02:34,480 Speaker 1: a on a meal date with someone you're attracted to, 39 00:02:35,360 --> 00:02:42,480 Speaker 1: that they're eating style what they order influences your attraction. Maybe, 40 00:02:42,919 --> 00:02:44,520 Speaker 1: I mean, I guess I don't want to go on 41 00:02:44,560 --> 00:02:46,919 Speaker 1: a first date with a guy who orders a salad. Yeah, 42 00:02:46,960 --> 00:02:48,760 Speaker 1: I understand that, But I don't really want to go 43 00:02:48,760 --> 00:02:50,000 Speaker 1: on a first date with a guy who orders a 44 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:51,880 Speaker 1: turkey leg and eats it with his bare hands either. 45 00:02:52,040 --> 00:02:53,680 Speaker 1: I don't know what if he ate the turkey lego 46 00:02:53,760 --> 00:02:55,720 Speaker 1: with a knife and fork, that would be weird. Then 47 00:02:55,720 --> 00:02:58,000 Speaker 1: that would be just like George Costanza with a Snickers bar. 48 00:02:58,560 --> 00:03:00,239 Speaker 1: I don't know. There's really no good of a queen. 49 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:03,560 Speaker 1: There is no good in between. So basically, never take 50 00:03:03,600 --> 00:03:08,920 Speaker 1: Caroline on a meal day. I bowling. Bowling is good. Um. 51 00:03:08,960 --> 00:03:11,600 Speaker 1: But one of the reasons why we're asking this question 52 00:03:11,720 --> 00:03:16,560 Speaker 1: of is food the new sex? Is because in January 53 00:03:16,600 --> 00:03:20,200 Speaker 1: two thousand nine, a gal named Mary eber Stott, who 54 00:03:20,200 --> 00:03:23,960 Speaker 1: works at Sanford's Hoover Institution, which is a little more 55 00:03:24,360 --> 00:03:27,440 Speaker 1: conservative leaning, we should say, because this will make more 56 00:03:27,440 --> 00:03:30,519 Speaker 1: sense to we talked about the essay. She she asked 57 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:33,880 Speaker 1: whether or not food and sex have switched places in 58 00:03:34,160 --> 00:03:39,520 Speaker 1: Western culture. Yeah, basically, the attitudes towards sex we're, you know, 59 00:03:39,600 --> 00:03:43,480 Speaker 1: at one time very very conservative, now that they're not now. 60 00:03:43,520 --> 00:03:49,200 Speaker 1: But she she basically uses housewife Betty from and Betty's 61 00:03:49,360 --> 00:03:53,000 Speaker 1: present day granddaughter Jennifer, a thirty year old, to point 62 00:03:53,040 --> 00:03:56,160 Speaker 1: out the differences and attitudes back then and now as 63 00:03:56,160 --> 00:04:00,560 Speaker 1: far as food and sex go, and how Betty would 64 00:04:00,600 --> 00:04:05,200 Speaker 1: have used canned and jarred food, lots of dairy, red meat, 65 00:04:05,240 --> 00:04:08,560 Speaker 1: refined sugar. She didn't care what she ate as long 66 00:04:08,600 --> 00:04:11,800 Speaker 1: as she liked it, right, And then there's Jennifer who 67 00:04:11,840 --> 00:04:14,600 Speaker 1: was all like, no, but you should be a vegetarian. 68 00:04:14,720 --> 00:04:17,239 Speaker 1: I don't eat red meat because of the saturated fat, 69 00:04:17,360 --> 00:04:20,520 Speaker 1: bi organic and so she just paints. So that's the 70 00:04:20,520 --> 00:04:24,560 Speaker 1: food attitude, right, like different food attitudes from the fifties 71 00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:28,280 Speaker 1: and now, and then compares the attitudes towards sex, which 72 00:04:28,279 --> 00:04:31,919 Speaker 1: she says are like completely flip flopped, right, as you 73 00:04:31,920 --> 00:04:38,000 Speaker 1: can imagine, Old Betty in nine has more conservative views 74 00:04:38,040 --> 00:04:41,080 Speaker 1: on sex where it is restricted and bet and Betty 75 00:04:41,200 --> 00:04:44,799 Speaker 1: is really just you know, the signpost for culture culture 76 00:04:44,800 --> 00:04:47,800 Speaker 1: at the time, uh, you know, where you know, sex 77 00:04:48,160 --> 00:04:52,560 Speaker 1: should be restricted to a very heteronormative framework of husband 78 00:04:52,720 --> 00:04:55,479 Speaker 1: and wife, even though of course premarital sex was happening 79 00:04:55,480 --> 00:04:59,440 Speaker 1: but nobody talked about it um. Whereas Jennifer with her 80 00:04:59,720 --> 00:05:05,560 Speaker 1: you know, organic cabinets and peskyterianism is just having sex 81 00:05:05,560 --> 00:05:08,279 Speaker 1: with whoever she wants. Yeah, she would never judge anyone 82 00:05:08,360 --> 00:05:11,480 Speaker 1: for their sexual activity. And while even start makes uh, 83 00:05:11,839 --> 00:05:13,840 Speaker 1: you know, it's an interesting theory to think about, like 84 00:05:13,880 --> 00:05:16,480 Speaker 1: and you could say maybe at first blush, oh, well, 85 00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:21,200 Speaker 1: sure that that switch. I'll buy that switch. But at 86 00:05:21,200 --> 00:05:25,839 Speaker 1: the same time, though, there's also a lot of moralizing 87 00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:29,680 Speaker 1: that is going on in this essay that some people 88 00:05:29,800 --> 00:05:33,279 Speaker 1: were not too fond of, because she's saying that she 89 00:05:33,360 --> 00:05:36,800 Speaker 1: was comparing the junk sex quote of today with the 90 00:05:36,960 --> 00:05:43,440 Speaker 1: junk food of yester year. Um, but I don't well 91 00:05:43,520 --> 00:05:46,400 Speaker 1: know that that's that that's really the case. I mean 92 00:05:46,440 --> 00:05:49,760 Speaker 1: it not that it's a terrible point. I mean it 93 00:05:49,880 --> 00:05:53,599 Speaker 1: is interesting to think about changing attitudes one way or 94 00:05:53,640 --> 00:05:57,480 Speaker 1: the other. I mean she she points out that Betty 95 00:05:57,760 --> 00:06:00,599 Speaker 1: thought that there was a clear, black and white right 96 00:06:00,640 --> 00:06:04,560 Speaker 1: and wrong about sex and thought that her attitudes should 97 00:06:04,560 --> 00:06:10,320 Speaker 1: be universal, And that's opposite for this imaginary Jennifer who 98 00:06:10,360 --> 00:06:14,600 Speaker 1: thinks that her attitudes on food should be universal and 99 00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:17,839 Speaker 1: that everybody should be eating clean, eating organic, you know, local, 100 00:06:17,880 --> 00:06:20,160 Speaker 1: all this stuff, and that, of course I'm right, and 101 00:06:20,279 --> 00:06:23,920 Speaker 1: y'all are wrong for not believing that. Yeah. Um, and 102 00:06:23,960 --> 00:06:26,359 Speaker 1: I also find it interesting that that this argument is 103 00:06:26,400 --> 00:06:31,400 Speaker 1: framed only in terms of two women, because the way 104 00:06:31,440 --> 00:06:35,240 Speaker 1: that we judge women for sex and how they eat 105 00:06:35,279 --> 00:06:40,120 Speaker 1: and therefore their body shape is completely different and far 106 00:06:40,200 --> 00:06:43,400 Speaker 1: more judgmental than how that is applied to men. But 107 00:06:43,480 --> 00:06:47,000 Speaker 1: that's just a bit of an aside. Uh So, there 108 00:06:47,040 --> 00:06:50,720 Speaker 1: were some some people that we've mentioned who we're not 109 00:06:50,760 --> 00:06:56,320 Speaker 1: totally on board with this quote unsubstantiated generalization dressed up 110 00:06:56,360 --> 00:07:00,560 Speaker 1: as an easily digested social theory, so says Avid Bell, 111 00:07:00,640 --> 00:07:06,520 Speaker 1: who is a professor at Johns Hopkins University. Yeah, he says. Basically, 112 00:07:06,520 --> 00:07:11,040 Speaker 1: why her theory doesn't work. According to Bell, is that, yes, 113 00:07:11,120 --> 00:07:13,360 Speaker 1: Americans ate a lot of things back in the day 114 00:07:13,400 --> 00:07:17,160 Speaker 1: that we now consider unhealthy. But he points out a 115 00:07:17,200 --> 00:07:20,080 Speaker 1: glance through magazines at the time reveals an emphasis on 116 00:07:20,120 --> 00:07:25,200 Speaker 1: healthy diets and a strong differentiation between good and bad food. 117 00:07:25,480 --> 00:07:28,440 Speaker 1: So he says, what has changed is not that people 118 00:07:28,480 --> 00:07:32,280 Speaker 1: have suddenly become judgmental, but just the content of their 119 00:07:32,360 --> 00:07:35,600 Speaker 1: judgments has changed. Yeah, and when when it comes to 120 00:07:36,400 --> 00:07:38,800 Speaker 1: food as well, like things were certainly not as Laisy 121 00:07:38,920 --> 00:07:43,000 Speaker 1: fair in when Betty was living, even though Betty might 122 00:07:43,080 --> 00:07:46,840 Speaker 1: not have had as much access to like fresh, organic 123 00:07:47,760 --> 00:07:51,400 Speaker 1: produced and things as we might now um. And it 124 00:07:51,440 --> 00:07:55,200 Speaker 1: also ignores how obesity at that time was still considered 125 00:07:55,240 --> 00:07:58,520 Speaker 1: something of a moral weakness. And it's only been in 126 00:07:59,000 --> 00:08:02,640 Speaker 1: more recent history that science has uncovered things like while 127 00:08:02,640 --> 00:08:04,600 Speaker 1: with the podcast that we did not too long ago 128 00:08:04,640 --> 00:08:07,960 Speaker 1: on how hormones influence said, there's a lot more to 129 00:08:08,040 --> 00:08:10,720 Speaker 1: it than just what you're putting in your body. And 130 00:08:10,760 --> 00:08:14,880 Speaker 1: also Hugo Schweizer, who's a gender studies professor uh points 131 00:08:14,880 --> 00:08:18,200 Speaker 1: out too that it was in the nineteen twenties that 132 00:08:18,240 --> 00:08:22,240 Speaker 1: we have the emergence of good versus bad eating habits. 133 00:08:22,560 --> 00:08:27,040 Speaker 1: And this is also again something that's more applied to women. Um. 134 00:08:27,080 --> 00:08:30,240 Speaker 1: And it reminded me of the nineteen sixty three book 135 00:08:30,280 --> 00:08:33,040 Speaker 1: by Murial Spark, The Girls of Slender Means UM, that 136 00:08:33,120 --> 00:08:37,559 Speaker 1: I read recently, and it's tracks these women in England 137 00:08:37,679 --> 00:08:40,640 Speaker 1: post World War Two, and there's a character in there 138 00:08:40,640 --> 00:08:43,360 Speaker 1: who is obsessive about her food and like a lot 139 00:08:43,400 --> 00:08:46,880 Speaker 1: of it has to do with them, um, you know, 140 00:08:47,000 --> 00:08:50,640 Speaker 1: selectively eating things in order to stay slim. So we 141 00:08:50,679 --> 00:08:53,240 Speaker 1: were still you know, back in the day. It's not 142 00:08:53,320 --> 00:08:56,679 Speaker 1: it's nothing new for us to be choosy. I mean 143 00:08:56,720 --> 00:08:59,240 Speaker 1: a lot of people also are arguing not only Schwitzer 144 00:08:59,280 --> 00:09:01,000 Speaker 1: but also Andrew's all of It at the Atlantic are 145 00:09:01,040 --> 00:09:05,200 Speaker 1: basically arguing that maybe either status putting too much weight 146 00:09:05,400 --> 00:09:08,600 Speaker 1: on the morality aspect of both sex and food, and 147 00:09:08,600 --> 00:09:12,040 Speaker 1: that they don't exactly line up when you flip flop them. Yeah, 148 00:09:12,160 --> 00:09:16,200 Speaker 1: so perhaps this you know, kind of cultural argument that 149 00:09:16,600 --> 00:09:20,000 Speaker 1: food is the new sex, uh, you know, in theory 150 00:09:20,640 --> 00:09:22,640 Speaker 1: doesn't really hold up. I'm gonna go ahead and say 151 00:09:22,640 --> 00:09:25,520 Speaker 1: that I don't. I don't buy that so much just 152 00:09:25,640 --> 00:09:29,480 Speaker 1: because it's too sweeping of a statement to make. But 153 00:09:29,559 --> 00:09:32,360 Speaker 1: when I think about is food the new sex, I'm 154 00:09:32,360 --> 00:09:34,560 Speaker 1: more to think about it on the level of like, 155 00:09:35,160 --> 00:09:41,199 Speaker 1: would I rather have this brownie than have intercourse? Like 156 00:09:41,440 --> 00:09:45,520 Speaker 1: or be you know, intimate or close to another person? Right? 157 00:09:45,679 --> 00:09:50,719 Speaker 1: Like do we eat instead of nurturing instead of feeding 158 00:09:51,040 --> 00:09:55,680 Speaker 1: our relationships? Right? I don't know, it depends on the brownie. 159 00:09:55,679 --> 00:09:58,320 Speaker 1: I guess. Well, it seems like that it is kind 160 00:09:58,320 --> 00:10:02,120 Speaker 1: of this meme that stay get off online because how 161 00:10:02,120 --> 00:10:04,480 Speaker 1: many headlines do you see where it's like, women think 162 00:10:04,480 --> 00:10:09,200 Speaker 1: about chocolate more than six, men think about will six 163 00:10:09,360 --> 00:10:13,440 Speaker 1: more than six. So yeah, so speaking of who is 164 00:10:13,440 --> 00:10:17,880 Speaker 1: thinking about what when and more than whom women in 165 00:10:17,920 --> 00:10:23,440 Speaker 1: particular surveys have found do think about food more than sex. 166 00:10:23,640 --> 00:10:28,040 Speaker 1: Maybe maybe maybe because these are these studies are coming 167 00:10:28,080 --> 00:10:32,640 Speaker 1: from diet companies, yeah, that are serving women diet exclusive 168 00:10:32,760 --> 00:10:36,680 Speaker 1: and female yeah dieters. So yeah, this was written about 169 00:10:36,679 --> 00:10:40,880 Speaker 1: in Time. In December, a survey survey by shape Smart, 170 00:10:40,960 --> 00:10:43,600 Speaker 1: which is a group that creates personal health plans for 171 00:10:43,600 --> 00:10:47,960 Speaker 1: its customers, found that of women think about food every 172 00:10:48,040 --> 00:10:51,360 Speaker 1: thirty minutes, compared to ten percent of women who think 173 00:10:51,400 --> 00:10:55,679 Speaker 1: about sex over the same time span. Yeah. But you 174 00:10:55,720 --> 00:10:58,240 Speaker 1: know what I found more concerning, you know who cares 175 00:10:58,280 --> 00:11:02,080 Speaker 1: whether or not like women think about I think about 176 00:11:02,120 --> 00:11:04,520 Speaker 1: food more than sex because you know what, I'm hungry, 177 00:11:05,000 --> 00:11:09,559 Speaker 1: Like Yeah, like I can have a sandwich in my cubicle. 178 00:11:10,040 --> 00:11:14,280 Speaker 1: I can't have sex in my cubicle. Um, but what 179 00:11:14,280 --> 00:11:17,240 Speaker 1: if by more concerning is the statistic that like sixty 180 00:11:17,640 --> 00:11:20,440 Speaker 1: of women in relationships are not happy eating in front 181 00:11:20,440 --> 00:11:22,680 Speaker 1: of their partner and half of them are shy undressing 182 00:11:22,679 --> 00:11:24,120 Speaker 1: in front of their partner. Maybe you should be thinking 183 00:11:24,160 --> 00:11:27,480 Speaker 1: about those things more of these shame factors, and these 184 00:11:27,480 --> 00:11:32,040 Speaker 1: surveys are not helping shame factors. Um. But to talk 185 00:11:32,040 --> 00:11:36,360 Speaker 1: about some more of these questionable Yeah, these questionable survey results. 186 00:11:36,360 --> 00:11:40,040 Speaker 1: There was one from match dot com and it found 187 00:11:40,080 --> 00:11:43,640 Speaker 1: that if forced to choose, of single women would rather 188 00:11:43,640 --> 00:11:46,680 Speaker 1: give up sex than their favorite food for a year, 189 00:11:47,200 --> 00:11:51,320 Speaker 1: and six of single men would do the same thing. Yeah, 190 00:11:51,640 --> 00:11:55,760 Speaker 1: I don't know. Um. There was another study by Atkins, 191 00:11:56,240 --> 00:12:00,400 Speaker 1: another diet company, that found that of UK men thought 192 00:12:00,400 --> 00:12:03,360 Speaker 1: about food more than sex, and that just over thirty 193 00:12:03,440 --> 00:12:06,400 Speaker 1: seven percent thought about eating more than they thought about 194 00:12:06,400 --> 00:12:09,640 Speaker 1: their significant others. That's a lot. There's a lot of 195 00:12:09,679 --> 00:12:12,560 Speaker 1: not thinking about your significant other. I guess, well, what 196 00:12:12,600 --> 00:12:14,680 Speaker 1: about if you're does it count if you're thinking about 197 00:12:14,679 --> 00:12:18,040 Speaker 1: eating with your significant other, like what you're gonna make 198 00:12:18,160 --> 00:12:23,199 Speaker 1: for the dinner that you will eat together? Maybe I don't. Apparently, 199 00:12:23,240 --> 00:12:25,520 Speaker 1: like I am totally going to bat for thinking about 200 00:12:25,600 --> 00:12:29,079 Speaker 1: food all of the time. Well, there was another stat 201 00:12:29,120 --> 00:12:32,040 Speaker 1: from that study that kind of made me raise an eyebrow. 202 00:12:32,080 --> 00:12:35,400 Speaker 1: They found that ten of the women surveyed would feel 203 00:12:35,400 --> 00:12:37,920 Speaker 1: worse cheating on a diet than cheating on a partner. 204 00:12:38,400 --> 00:12:41,600 Speaker 1: I mean, I guess that's a minority, but still, yeah, 205 00:12:41,679 --> 00:12:44,960 Speaker 1: and again, like we're talking we should be more concerned 206 00:12:44,960 --> 00:12:48,440 Speaker 1: about all the body shaming that's going on rather than 207 00:12:48,520 --> 00:12:50,920 Speaker 1: like what may or may not be happening in the 208 00:12:50,960 --> 00:12:56,559 Speaker 1: bedroom in my opinion. Um, But thankfully there was a study. 209 00:12:56,640 --> 00:12:59,400 Speaker 1: I think we've cited it before. I know that I've 210 00:12:59,600 --> 00:13:02,439 Speaker 1: blogged about it. UM a while ago. Just came out 211 00:13:02,440 --> 00:13:06,800 Speaker 1: of Ohio State and totally a debunked the myth that 212 00:13:06,920 --> 00:13:10,720 Speaker 1: men think about sex every seven seconds or whatever it is. UM. 213 00:13:10,960 --> 00:13:14,600 Speaker 1: I also found that because it took a we finally 214 00:13:14,640 --> 00:13:18,320 Speaker 1: have a sample pool of men and women to look at. 215 00:13:18,840 --> 00:13:21,800 Speaker 1: And men do think about sex more than women, but 216 00:13:21,840 --> 00:13:25,440 Speaker 1: they also think about food more than women as well. 217 00:13:25,520 --> 00:13:29,040 Speaker 1: They think about sex nineteen times a day on average, 218 00:13:29,040 --> 00:13:31,400 Speaker 1: and these are college undergraduate dudes. I'd be curious to 219 00:13:31,440 --> 00:13:34,439 Speaker 1: see how it changes over age. An average of seventeen 220 00:13:34,440 --> 00:13:37,560 Speaker 1: times a day for sex and eighteen times a day 221 00:13:37,600 --> 00:13:40,360 Speaker 1: for food, So it's pretty equal. But for women we 222 00:13:40,480 --> 00:13:44,640 Speaker 1: still got you know, doing it on the brain. On average, 223 00:13:44,679 --> 00:13:46,959 Speaker 1: we think about sex ten times a day and think 224 00:13:47,000 --> 00:13:50,719 Speaker 1: about food fifteen times a day. Yeah, so men are 225 00:13:50,760 --> 00:13:53,960 Speaker 1: thinking about sex and food more than we are, but 226 00:13:54,000 --> 00:13:56,079 Speaker 1: we're still thinking about sex and food quite a bit. 227 00:13:56,640 --> 00:13:59,320 Speaker 1: But what what do you think is in that gap though, 228 00:13:59,440 --> 00:14:02,520 Speaker 1: where we're it's like in the gas between like the 229 00:14:02,880 --> 00:14:06,880 Speaker 1: food sex thoughts. My roommate would say that women are 230 00:14:06,880 --> 00:14:10,680 Speaker 1: thinking about shopping. I know, he's such a dude. Yeah, 231 00:14:10,720 --> 00:14:14,200 Speaker 1: I'm going to do it that I'm probably thinking about. 232 00:14:14,480 --> 00:14:20,320 Speaker 1: Um nope, still food still yeah, No, I start planning, 233 00:14:20,360 --> 00:14:21,960 Speaker 1: like what am I going to do for lunch around 234 00:14:21,960 --> 00:14:25,280 Speaker 1: ten thirty, because usually ten thirties about snack time. Yeah, 235 00:14:25,320 --> 00:14:28,840 Speaker 1: I've had breakfasted around eight ten thirty, I'm starting to 236 00:14:28,880 --> 00:14:31,960 Speaker 1: need a granola bar by noon. I'm like, yeah, it's 237 00:14:31,960 --> 00:14:35,520 Speaker 1: harving a sandwich. Let's change the tell this podcast to 238 00:14:36,120 --> 00:14:40,800 Speaker 1: Christine Caroline's food diary. But no, on that note, though, 239 00:14:40,960 --> 00:14:43,760 Speaker 1: and after this week and move on. It is true 240 00:14:43,800 --> 00:14:47,000 Speaker 1: that at this morning I did. I looked up at 241 00:14:47,040 --> 00:14:49,760 Speaker 1: the clock and realized that I was planning tomorrow night's 242 00:14:49,800 --> 00:14:53,320 Speaker 1: meal in the morning today. I don't know what that's now. 243 00:14:53,400 --> 00:14:55,440 Speaker 1: If you run out of tasks, maybe it's time to 244 00:14:55,520 --> 00:14:59,720 Speaker 1: start that shopping list. Talked about making the grocery. Um, 245 00:15:00,440 --> 00:15:07,240 Speaker 1: what happens though in relationships, like when maybe food does 246 00:15:07,400 --> 00:15:12,520 Speaker 1: start to overshadow the bedroom. Yeah, well, you brought up 247 00:15:12,520 --> 00:15:15,040 Speaker 1: that whole thing about is a brownie more important than 248 00:15:15,520 --> 00:15:18,760 Speaker 1: intimacy with your partner. John DeVore over at The Frisky 249 00:15:18,920 --> 00:15:21,760 Speaker 1: wrote a column about this that he was really worried 250 00:15:21,920 --> 00:15:25,520 Speaker 1: that people were making food more important in their relationships 251 00:15:25,680 --> 00:15:28,360 Speaker 1: damn sex, and he says that when that happens, the 252 00:15:28,400 --> 00:15:32,360 Speaker 1: relationship is over. There's no more excitement. You clearly are 253 00:15:32,400 --> 00:15:34,680 Speaker 1: not thinking about each other and getting each other to 254 00:15:34,720 --> 00:15:38,160 Speaker 1: the bedroom. You're just thinking about, like about takeout menu? 255 00:15:38,200 --> 00:15:41,800 Speaker 1: Should we peruse this evening? Oh but it's greating takeout 256 00:15:41,880 --> 00:15:45,520 Speaker 1: with someone else? I know. I yeah, but I don't. 257 00:15:45,520 --> 00:15:49,120 Speaker 1: I don't find a problem thinking about eating with a partner. 258 00:15:50,120 --> 00:15:53,200 Speaker 1: But he's saying that a month in, if you get 259 00:15:53,240 --> 00:15:55,840 Speaker 1: more excited about perusing the takeout menus together then picking 260 00:15:55,840 --> 00:15:59,680 Speaker 1: new sexual positions, you guys are done zo. Yeah, I 261 00:15:59,680 --> 00:16:02,040 Speaker 1: mean that sounds like it's more a case of just 262 00:16:02,600 --> 00:16:06,600 Speaker 1: a barometer of your attraction to the other person. Well. 263 00:16:06,600 --> 00:16:09,640 Speaker 1: He also brings up the junk food versus junk sex argument, 264 00:16:09,800 --> 00:16:13,960 Speaker 1: saying like, well, sex as omnipresent, cheap, It's so disposable 265 00:16:13,960 --> 00:16:16,280 Speaker 1: that it's easy to forget. It's one of our primary 266 00:16:16,360 --> 00:16:20,840 Speaker 1: pursuits as humans. So maybe we should be eating at 267 00:16:20,880 --> 00:16:24,800 Speaker 1: like bajillion star restaurants and then going home and having 268 00:16:25,040 --> 00:16:28,720 Speaker 1: very very interesting intimate sex with each other bajillion star sex, 269 00:16:29,200 --> 00:16:34,640 Speaker 1: jillion star sex frommers rated this sex, um, and like, 270 00:16:34,680 --> 00:16:38,200 Speaker 1: it makes total sense to that food and sex are 271 00:16:38,280 --> 00:16:41,680 Speaker 1: so intertwined. We haven't even talked about like like food sex, 272 00:16:41,840 --> 00:16:45,080 Speaker 1: you know, like that a horrible scene in a Varsity 273 00:16:45,120 --> 00:16:48,240 Speaker 1: Blues with the whipped cream or nine and a half weeks. Yeah, 274 00:16:48,280 --> 00:16:49,800 Speaker 1: I didn't even see that. I don't even I don't 275 00:16:49,800 --> 00:16:53,520 Speaker 1: even want to know. Um, but it makes sense so 276 00:16:53,680 --> 00:16:56,840 Speaker 1: that these things are so intertwined and we do obsessed 277 00:16:56,880 --> 00:16:59,640 Speaker 1: with both of them so much because it's one of 278 00:16:59,640 --> 00:17:04,639 Speaker 1: our re like primal needs as humans. We need sleep, 279 00:17:04,720 --> 00:17:07,160 Speaker 1: we need sex, and we need food in order to survive, 280 00:17:07,600 --> 00:17:10,560 Speaker 1: and that's it. And in our brains, these two things 281 00:17:10,640 --> 00:17:16,399 Speaker 1: are very closely intertwined because of how eating and having sex, 282 00:17:16,480 --> 00:17:22,520 Speaker 1: especially good sex, uh, services our rewards systems and makes 283 00:17:22,600 --> 00:17:25,640 Speaker 1: us feel all nice inside. Yeah, because all these drives 284 00:17:25,680 --> 00:17:29,840 Speaker 1: are coming from the same place, right, the hypothalamus. Yes, well, 285 00:17:29,880 --> 00:17:32,399 Speaker 1: so christ and I, um, if you're if you're up 286 00:17:32,400 --> 00:17:35,040 Speaker 1: on your podcast, ladies and gentlemen, we did a podcast 287 00:17:35,160 --> 00:17:38,800 Speaker 1: on hormones and obesity and the hormones that drive you 288 00:17:38,840 --> 00:17:41,159 Speaker 1: to eat that make you hungry, make you like, okay, well, 289 00:17:41,160 --> 00:17:43,400 Speaker 1: I'm not hungry anymore. I'm not gonna eat myself to death, 290 00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:47,160 Speaker 1: which is a good thing to have. Um. Those brain 291 00:17:47,240 --> 00:17:51,119 Speaker 1: chemicals do inhibit and stimulate feeding. They also seem to 292 00:17:51,200 --> 00:17:55,040 Speaker 1: be involved in the modulation of mood and perhaps reward, 293 00:17:56,200 --> 00:17:59,639 Speaker 1: similar to like the good hormones that are released when 294 00:17:59,680 --> 00:18:03,040 Speaker 1: you're having sex with someone. Right. Um, and sexual behavior 295 00:18:03,200 --> 00:18:05,960 Speaker 1: also regulated by the brain, and there's a lot going 296 00:18:05,960 --> 00:18:08,600 Speaker 1: on with the hypothalamus as well, but we also have 297 00:18:08,720 --> 00:18:13,680 Speaker 1: the spinal cord and endocrine glands involved, and it motivates 298 00:18:13,680 --> 00:18:17,479 Speaker 1: like our sex drive motivates a wide range of planned 299 00:18:17,480 --> 00:18:21,680 Speaker 1: behaviors in the same way that our hunger drive motivates 300 00:18:21,680 --> 00:18:24,800 Speaker 1: these behaviors. It's like full body engagement. We when we 301 00:18:24,800 --> 00:18:27,720 Speaker 1: are hungry, when we want to eat, and when we 302 00:18:28,240 --> 00:18:31,239 Speaker 1: want to have sex. Right, Like, I don't know if 303 00:18:31,240 --> 00:18:34,000 Speaker 1: you've seen me angry, I don't want to see you. 304 00:18:35,680 --> 00:18:38,520 Speaker 1: That is quite a drive when I am hungry and like, okay, 305 00:18:38,560 --> 00:18:41,040 Speaker 1: I can start to get hungry, like okay, thanks, like 306 00:18:41,119 --> 00:18:42,880 Speaker 1: going fine, It's all right. If I can just get 307 00:18:42,880 --> 00:18:45,000 Speaker 1: a granola bar here in a second, I'll be okay 308 00:18:45,359 --> 00:18:47,159 Speaker 1: And then I start to get angry and I just 309 00:18:47,200 --> 00:18:49,760 Speaker 1: can't stop until I'm like that's I'm like the Snickers 310 00:18:49,800 --> 00:18:52,919 Speaker 1: bar commercial. Some people see Red Caroline Susan, which is 311 00:18:54,040 --> 00:18:59,600 Speaker 1: watch out. That's right. But there's also interesting sleep studies, 312 00:18:59,640 --> 00:19:01,919 Speaker 1: like all these studies that have shown all of the 313 00:19:02,119 --> 00:19:04,560 Speaker 1: horrific things that can happen to your brain and your 314 00:19:04,560 --> 00:19:07,919 Speaker 1: body and your whole system if you don't get enough sleep, 315 00:19:08,400 --> 00:19:10,080 Speaker 1: and that can really mess with a lot of things 316 00:19:10,119 --> 00:19:15,280 Speaker 1: in your body temperature control, metabolic balance, immune function. And 317 00:19:15,560 --> 00:19:20,000 Speaker 1: again we've got hormones, because hormones essential to sexual development 318 00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:23,399 Speaker 1: and reproductive capability are released on a schedule that is 319 00:19:23,440 --> 00:19:26,840 Speaker 1: related to sleep. Yeah, it's all intertwined in the circle 320 00:19:26,920 --> 00:19:29,440 Speaker 1: of life. We uh you know, in order to have 321 00:19:30,359 --> 00:19:33,919 Speaker 1: good sexual functioning, we need good physical health, which requires 322 00:19:33,920 --> 00:19:37,719 Speaker 1: the good food, which also necessitates good sleep, and you know, 323 00:19:38,080 --> 00:19:41,200 Speaker 1: and so on and so forth. So it's a good 324 00:19:41,320 --> 00:19:45,720 Speaker 1: thing that we are so obsessed in a way with 325 00:19:45,880 --> 00:19:50,400 Speaker 1: food and sex. But what happens though, when some wires 326 00:19:50,440 --> 00:19:55,800 Speaker 1: do get crossed and things like eating to soothe emotions 327 00:19:55,960 --> 00:20:01,080 Speaker 1: rather than hunger or as replacements for uh, sex or 328 00:20:01,119 --> 00:20:04,560 Speaker 1: other kinds of needs takes over. Yeah, that would be 329 00:20:04,600 --> 00:20:08,080 Speaker 1: emotional eating, and reading about emotional eating because I was like, 330 00:20:09,440 --> 00:20:12,080 Speaker 1: I'm mentally stronger than this. I'm not an emotional eater. 331 00:20:12,160 --> 00:20:14,320 Speaker 1: And then, of course, as I'm reading over exactly what 332 00:20:14,359 --> 00:20:18,320 Speaker 1: emotional eating is, what constitutes it, I was like, oh God, 333 00:20:18,480 --> 00:20:20,679 Speaker 1: I am an emotional eater, because it's not that I 334 00:20:20,680 --> 00:20:24,600 Speaker 1: eat if I'm sad or angry or happy necessarily, it's 335 00:20:24,640 --> 00:20:27,879 Speaker 1: really what I'm bored. Well, tell tell our listeners what 336 00:20:27,920 --> 00:20:32,240 Speaker 1: emotional eating is. Yeah, So basically, you're trying to soothe 337 00:20:32,440 --> 00:20:36,520 Speaker 1: something in yourself when you're eating emotionally, and some signs 338 00:20:36,560 --> 00:20:39,719 Speaker 1: of that are that emotional hunger comes on suddenly, so 339 00:20:39,760 --> 00:20:46,000 Speaker 1: you're like cupcakes, whereas physical hunger comes on gradually. With 340 00:20:46,040 --> 00:20:49,840 Speaker 1: emotional eating, you crave a specific food, likely a comfort food, 341 00:20:50,200 --> 00:20:55,440 Speaker 1: which people eat too basically obtain or maintain a good feeling. Yeah, 342 00:20:55,480 --> 00:20:59,840 Speaker 1: Whereas if that growlling kicks in and you're super hungry, 343 00:21:00,520 --> 00:21:06,440 Speaker 1: then you are open to a wide arrange of options, right, like, yes, 344 00:21:06,520 --> 00:21:09,320 Speaker 1: I'll go with the chicken, that's fine, Whereas if you're 345 00:21:09,840 --> 00:21:13,080 Speaker 1: emotionally hungry, you're gonna be like, oh my god, I 346 00:21:13,119 --> 00:21:15,200 Speaker 1: have to have cake, and I have to have it now. Yeah, 347 00:21:15,200 --> 00:21:17,960 Speaker 1: And not only that, when you are eating for hunger, 348 00:21:18,480 --> 00:21:21,080 Speaker 1: once the body's full, it will release the lepton that 349 00:21:21,160 --> 00:21:25,280 Speaker 1: tamps down on that signal saying eat, eat, eat, Whereas 350 00:21:25,359 --> 00:21:29,000 Speaker 1: if you are emotional eating, the lepton isn't gonna come in, 351 00:21:29,040 --> 00:21:32,160 Speaker 1: and so you're much more likely to over eat all 352 00:21:32,200 --> 00:21:36,040 Speaker 1: the cupcakes them. Well, is it also emotional eating? I 353 00:21:36,040 --> 00:21:38,639 Speaker 1: feel like every time I have a beer, I really 354 00:21:38,640 --> 00:21:41,800 Speaker 1: want some salty snacks. Is that just I don't know 355 00:21:41,840 --> 00:21:44,760 Speaker 1: if that's something different. I think maybe that's the beer 356 00:21:44,800 --> 00:21:49,280 Speaker 1: hormone it's released in your brain. It could be um. 357 00:21:49,480 --> 00:21:52,479 Speaker 1: One interesting study that we found this is in the 358 00:21:52,560 --> 00:21:56,800 Speaker 1: Journal of Clinical Investigation in August talks about emotional eating. 359 00:21:56,840 --> 00:21:59,400 Speaker 1: You know, do we do we maybe just like eat 360 00:21:59,440 --> 00:22:02,080 Speaker 1: that cupcake ache and just mentally kind of feel better 361 00:22:02,600 --> 00:22:04,760 Speaker 1: or is there something more to it? And this study 362 00:22:04,880 --> 00:22:08,159 Speaker 1: found that we do receive a soothing effect on a 363 00:22:08,200 --> 00:22:12,240 Speaker 1: biological level when we eat emotionally, when we eat that 364 00:22:12,320 --> 00:22:16,560 Speaker 1: comfort food. And basically what happened researchers fed subjects through 365 00:22:16,640 --> 00:22:19,800 Speaker 1: feeding tubes, so you don't see the cupcake or whatever. 366 00:22:20,280 --> 00:22:24,240 Speaker 1: You're just getting either a solution of saturated fatty acids 367 00:22:24,359 --> 00:22:27,920 Speaker 1: because comfort foods are often fatty or a saline solution 368 00:22:28,000 --> 00:22:32,480 Speaker 1: through a tube. Then the researchers exposed the subjects to 369 00:22:33,040 --> 00:22:37,080 Speaker 1: sad stuff, pictures of sad people, they listened to sad music, 370 00:22:37,520 --> 00:22:40,200 Speaker 1: and they found that the subjects who received the fat 371 00:22:40,320 --> 00:22:43,040 Speaker 1: were less depressed than the control group who received the 372 00:22:43,080 --> 00:22:47,560 Speaker 1: sailine solution. And for further proof, I'm like getting super excited. 373 00:22:47,640 --> 00:22:49,720 Speaker 1: My voice was going way up. They did an m 374 00:22:49,800 --> 00:22:52,560 Speaker 1: r I that showed that the solution, the fatty acid solution, 375 00:22:52,640 --> 00:22:57,240 Speaker 1: actually dampened activity in parts of the brain involved in sadness. 376 00:22:57,560 --> 00:23:03,040 Speaker 1: So basically, hormones are getting released similar to sexual activity. Yeah, 377 00:23:03,080 --> 00:23:07,600 Speaker 1: and that's controlling all of the facets and rituals of 378 00:23:07,760 --> 00:23:12,520 Speaker 1: eating a fatty comfort food. So in that way, yes, 379 00:23:12,560 --> 00:23:17,280 Speaker 1: we can. We can totally replace sex with food, which 380 00:23:17,560 --> 00:23:22,320 Speaker 1: probably will not have the healthiest results though, because maybe 381 00:23:22,320 --> 00:23:26,320 Speaker 1: it's that that's saturated fat. Apparently, why can also can 382 00:23:26,359 --> 00:23:30,200 Speaker 1: we do a podcast on why the unhealthiest foods are 383 00:23:30,240 --> 00:23:33,040 Speaker 1: the tastiest foods? I guess it goes back to our 384 00:23:33,080 --> 00:23:37,879 Speaker 1: evolutionary past, when it's we're queued into fatty things for 385 00:23:38,080 --> 00:23:41,320 Speaker 1: energy storage to keep us going. But still in the 386 00:23:41,359 --> 00:23:47,119 Speaker 1: modern era, really really chaps me. Yeah, because the co 387 00:23:47,200 --> 00:23:50,120 Speaker 1: author of the study does point out that evolution has 388 00:23:50,200 --> 00:23:54,960 Speaker 1: made every aspect of feating as rewarding as possible. Although now, 389 00:23:55,040 --> 00:23:56,840 Speaker 1: of course that may not be a good thing because 390 00:23:56,880 --> 00:24:00,399 Speaker 1: if we get rewarded by cupcakes every five minutes, we 391 00:24:00,520 --> 00:24:03,000 Speaker 1: might not be very healthy anymore, right, because that that 392 00:24:03,200 --> 00:24:07,960 Speaker 1: kicked in when food was scarce. But now food is everywhere. 393 00:24:08,440 --> 00:24:11,520 Speaker 1: We are surrounded by foods, and usually foods that are 394 00:24:11,600 --> 00:24:15,120 Speaker 1: not good for us. Well maybe ever, stat would argue 395 00:24:15,119 --> 00:24:18,400 Speaker 1: that we're also surrounded by sex all the time. That's 396 00:24:18,440 --> 00:24:23,200 Speaker 1: not good for us, cheap extramarital sex all over the place. 397 00:24:23,400 --> 00:24:28,440 Speaker 1: What would Jennifer say. Jennifer would say. She would say, yes, 398 00:24:28,600 --> 00:24:35,080 Speaker 1: that the sex is uh just cheapening our our lives 399 00:24:35,280 --> 00:24:39,159 Speaker 1: because we're just treating it like basically like ho hosts 400 00:24:39,320 --> 00:24:41,400 Speaker 1: were just eating them. We're just eating it and it's 401 00:24:41,560 --> 00:24:45,960 Speaker 1: making us Or would that be well no, though she 402 00:24:45,960 --> 00:24:49,000 Speaker 1: would say that the sex are the new twinkies, you know, 403 00:24:50,320 --> 00:24:53,600 Speaker 1: so anyway, but one thing, not only are we surrounded 404 00:24:53,600 --> 00:24:59,640 Speaker 1: though by these readily accessible foods, we are also now visually, 405 00:24:59,680 --> 00:25:03,480 Speaker 1: even if we're not eating, we are visually surrounded by 406 00:25:03,680 --> 00:25:09,600 Speaker 1: images of food. We're talking about food porn and in 407 00:25:09,640 --> 00:25:13,639 Speaker 1: our next episode, Feast Part two, because we've got to 408 00:25:13,640 --> 00:25:16,840 Speaker 1: take a break. It's Christmas Eve and we need to 409 00:25:17,040 --> 00:25:20,800 Speaker 1: gorge ourselves to prepare for Feast. To to talk about 410 00:25:20,920 --> 00:25:24,880 Speaker 1: more specifically, like what happens with the impact of all 411 00:25:24,920 --> 00:25:30,240 Speaker 1: this food porn we're now surrounded with and foodie culture, 412 00:25:31,200 --> 00:25:34,800 Speaker 1: moving the conversation away from sex a little bit into 413 00:25:35,440 --> 00:25:40,240 Speaker 1: our culture at large and our general obsessions with food, 414 00:25:40,440 --> 00:25:43,360 Speaker 1: Like why do we even like we watch food on television? Now? 415 00:25:43,680 --> 00:25:46,080 Speaker 1: I can't, it's so hard for me. But we'll get 416 00:25:46,080 --> 00:25:47,680 Speaker 1: into that in the next one. We'll get a yeah, 417 00:25:47,720 --> 00:25:49,800 Speaker 1: tune in. We Caroline and I are going to take 418 00:25:50,119 --> 00:25:53,760 Speaker 1: a break and break all of the rules and eat 419 00:25:53,800 --> 00:25:58,480 Speaker 1: everything that we can. Lots of ham m only gonna 420 00:25:58,480 --> 00:26:00,040 Speaker 1: need a lot of water. I'm gonna make a and 421 00:26:00,160 --> 00:26:01,960 Speaker 1: sandwich and mean, if it's in hand between two pieces 422 00:26:01,960 --> 00:26:05,720 Speaker 1: of ham, make some mustard, rabbit and bacon, call it 423 00:26:05,760 --> 00:26:08,240 Speaker 1: a day, pig. So you want to hear from you though, 424 00:26:08,280 --> 00:26:11,760 Speaker 1: Do you think that uh, food is the new sex? 425 00:26:11,840 --> 00:26:17,040 Speaker 1: Has food ever replaced sex in a relationship that you've had? 426 00:26:18,119 --> 00:26:22,080 Speaker 1: Let us know all of your thoughts and holiday wishes 427 00:26:22,800 --> 00:26:26,280 Speaker 1: that we can make come true. Ham Ham Mom stuff 428 00:26:26,440 --> 00:26:29,480 Speaker 1: at Discovery dot com. I hope we have not offended 429 00:26:29,560 --> 00:26:33,800 Speaker 1: any vegetarians or vegans out there work. Yes, there we go. 430 00:26:34,280 --> 00:26:37,159 Speaker 1: Now before we get to our listener letters, got a 431 00:26:37,240 --> 00:26:40,160 Speaker 1: quick word from our sponsor that brought us this episode 432 00:26:40,160 --> 00:26:42,840 Speaker 1: of stuff Mom Never Told You, and it is audible 433 00:26:43,280 --> 00:26:46,840 Speaker 1: dot com where you can go and choose from hundreds 434 00:26:46,920 --> 00:26:52,040 Speaker 1: of thousands of downloadable titles to listen to all sorts 435 00:26:52,160 --> 00:26:56,760 Speaker 1: of e books of your choosing. And listeners of stuff 436 00:26:56,800 --> 00:27:00,280 Speaker 1: Mom Never Told You can actually go to audible podcast 437 00:27:00,640 --> 00:27:05,000 Speaker 1: dot com slash stuff Mom. Don't worry, we will repeat 438 00:27:05,119 --> 00:27:08,840 Speaker 1: that U r l uh and download a free audio 439 00:27:08,920 --> 00:27:12,280 Speaker 1: book of your choosing. And since we're talking all about food, 440 00:27:13,000 --> 00:27:16,800 Speaker 1: I would recommend going over to audible podcast dot com 441 00:27:16,840 --> 00:27:22,120 Speaker 1: slash stuff Mom and downloading for free In Defense of 442 00:27:22,240 --> 00:27:25,960 Speaker 1: Food by Michael Pollen, who is one of my favorite 443 00:27:26,359 --> 00:27:28,840 Speaker 1: food writers out there. He works for the New York Times. 444 00:27:28,840 --> 00:27:32,920 Speaker 1: So don't delay head on over to audible podcast dot 445 00:27:32,960 --> 00:27:37,600 Speaker 1: com slash stuff Mom. And thanks to our sponsor Audible 446 00:27:37,680 --> 00:27:40,639 Speaker 1: for bringing us this episode. And now let's get to 447 00:27:40,960 --> 00:27:48,119 Speaker 1: some listener mail. And now back to our listener letters, 448 00:27:48,160 --> 00:27:51,400 Speaker 1: and I said before our our word from our sponsor 449 00:27:51,600 --> 00:27:55,879 Speaker 1: that we uh, we had letters. We actually have a letter. 450 00:27:56,720 --> 00:28:00,960 Speaker 1: Because this letter was so comprehensive and act with information, 451 00:28:01,600 --> 00:28:04,040 Speaker 1: wanted to to share it. And it is in response 452 00:28:04,080 --> 00:28:06,480 Speaker 1: to our episode that we did a while ago on 453 00:28:06,800 --> 00:28:11,800 Speaker 1: crazy cat ladies and whether or not this parasite is 454 00:28:11,880 --> 00:28:15,760 Speaker 1: making cat owners crasy. So yes, this is a very 455 00:28:15,800 --> 00:28:19,600 Speaker 1: extensive letter from Aaron covers a lot of ground about T. Gandhi, 456 00:28:19,680 --> 00:28:22,280 Speaker 1: which is the parasite that you know, you can potentially 457 00:28:22,280 --> 00:28:26,560 Speaker 1: pick up from your cat and become insane relatively speaking. Okay, 458 00:28:26,640 --> 00:28:31,000 Speaker 1: so she says that we missed some key factors. Kristen, Oh, 459 00:28:31,040 --> 00:28:33,520 Speaker 1: I know, she said, I don't think you ever mentioned 460 00:28:33,520 --> 00:28:37,080 Speaker 1: how the cats pick up taxo. Cats become infected after 461 00:28:37,119 --> 00:28:40,880 Speaker 1: consuming intermediate hosts like rodents, birds, and other small animals 462 00:28:40,920 --> 00:28:45,560 Speaker 1: harboring tissue cysts. Cats may also become infected directly by 463 00:28:45,720 --> 00:28:50,960 Speaker 1: ingestion of sporelated oosis possibly that's how it's pronounced, but 464 00:28:51,160 --> 00:28:54,840 Speaker 1: the prevalence of this o sis shedding in cats is 465 00:28:54,960 --> 00:28:58,080 Speaker 1: very low. Even though at least fifteen cats have been 466 00:28:58,080 --> 00:29:02,080 Speaker 1: infected with Toxoplasma apps point, this means very few cats 467 00:29:02,120 --> 00:29:04,120 Speaker 1: at any one time are actually able to pass their 468 00:29:04,120 --> 00:29:07,240 Speaker 1: infection onto people. Infection is more common in pets that 469 00:29:07,280 --> 00:29:11,120 Speaker 1: go outside, hunt or are fed raw meat. You also 470 00:29:11,280 --> 00:29:14,800 Speaker 1: didn't mention that humans can get tea gandhi from meat. Animals, 471 00:29:14,800 --> 00:29:17,440 Speaker 1: bread for human consumption, and wild game may also become 472 00:29:17,480 --> 00:29:22,080 Speaker 1: infected with tissue cysts after ingestion of those technical things 473 00:29:22,080 --> 00:29:26,600 Speaker 1: the spirrelated stuff in the environment, Humans can become infected 474 00:29:26,680 --> 00:29:29,840 Speaker 1: by any of several roots bullet points, eating under cooked 475 00:29:29,840 --> 00:29:33,480 Speaker 1: meats of animals, harboring tissuests, consuming food or water contaminated 476 00:29:33,520 --> 00:29:38,680 Speaker 1: with cat feces, blood transfusion, or organ transplantation trans plus 477 00:29:38,720 --> 00:29:42,120 Speaker 1: sint ely from mother to fetus, And she points out 478 00:29:42,160 --> 00:29:46,560 Speaker 1: the risk of contracting toxoplasma infection from cleaning the litter 479 00:29:46,600 --> 00:29:49,000 Speaker 1: box of a house cat is very small, especially if 480 00:29:49,040 --> 00:29:53,000 Speaker 1: a few simple precautions are observed. Clean your cats litter 481 00:29:53,040 --> 00:29:55,840 Speaker 1: box every day. Always wash your hands with soap and 482 00:29:55,880 --> 00:29:59,080 Speaker 1: water after cleaning the litter box. Keep your cat indoors, 483 00:29:59,240 --> 00:30:02,040 Speaker 1: keep sandbox so have covered so outdoor cats don't contaminate 484 00:30:02,080 --> 00:30:05,160 Speaker 1: them with stool. Cook all meat, especially pork, lamb utton, 485 00:30:05,160 --> 00:30:08,200 Speaker 1: and wild game to an inter internal temperature of a 486 00:30:08,240 --> 00:30:12,160 Speaker 1: hundred and fifty three degrees fahrenheit ensure children don't eat sand, 487 00:30:12,680 --> 00:30:15,960 Speaker 1: which I think is a general good policy. Anyway. She 488 00:30:16,040 --> 00:30:18,640 Speaker 1: goes on to say that a lot of the t 489 00:30:18,840 --> 00:30:24,800 Speaker 1: Gandhi research is currently being criticized, so maybe we just 490 00:30:24,840 --> 00:30:27,920 Speaker 1: shouldn't worry about it as much, and she asks us 491 00:30:27,960 --> 00:30:31,640 Speaker 1: please do not encourage cat fear. So thank you Aaron 492 00:30:31,760 --> 00:30:35,120 Speaker 1: for for laying down some info. Yeah, we would never 493 00:30:35,320 --> 00:30:39,280 Speaker 1: want to encourage cat fear. If anyone heard my story 494 00:30:39,320 --> 00:30:42,560 Speaker 1: about Sir Lancelot, come on, cat that is not my 495 00:30:42,600 --> 00:30:46,040 Speaker 1: own that I have named. You probably know I am 496 00:30:46,080 --> 00:30:50,160 Speaker 1: a Felino file. I made that up. I'm not sure 497 00:30:50,160 --> 00:30:52,200 Speaker 1: if filano file is a correct way to say a 498 00:30:52,200 --> 00:30:55,560 Speaker 1: cat lover, but you get my point. Uh. And also 499 00:30:55,880 --> 00:30:59,360 Speaker 1: another point is this Happy holidays to all, And if 500 00:30:59,360 --> 00:31:01,280 Speaker 1: you were listening to the US on your holiday break, 501 00:31:01,320 --> 00:31:05,440 Speaker 1: congratulations and thank you, and may all of your holiday 502 00:31:05,520 --> 00:31:10,120 Speaker 1: wishes come true and feast away go for it. Uh. 503 00:31:10,360 --> 00:31:12,280 Speaker 1: And if you have anything you'd like to send our 504 00:31:12,320 --> 00:31:15,240 Speaker 1: way again, our email addresses mom stuff at Discovery dot com. 505 00:31:15,520 --> 00:31:18,840 Speaker 1: Give us a holiday present. Follow us on Twitter at 506 00:31:18,880 --> 00:31:21,720 Speaker 1: mom Stuff Podcast. You can follow us on Tumbler. And 507 00:31:21,840 --> 00:31:24,280 Speaker 1: stuff mom never told you dot tumbler dot com and 508 00:31:24,280 --> 00:31:26,200 Speaker 1: of course you can find us on Facebook as well. 509 00:31:26,560 --> 00:31:28,520 Speaker 1: And if you are bored over the holidays and want 510 00:31:28,520 --> 00:31:31,920 Speaker 1: to get that brain real smart, you know the best 511 00:31:31,920 --> 00:31:35,400 Speaker 1: place to go. It's our website how stuff works dot 512 00:31:35,400 --> 00:31:40,760 Speaker 1: com for more on this and thousands of other topics. 513 00:31:40,880 --> 00:31:47,239 Speaker 1: Does it have stuff works dot com?