Do sleep, step, and nutrition trackers actually improve your health—or sabotage it? Zoë Rom and dietitian Kylee Van Horn unpack the science on fitness trackers, orthosomnia, obsessive tracking, and when optimization leads to worse health (and even bad sex). Evidence-based answers, with humor.

How influential are influencers, really?

Turns out, the people we follow on social media—whether we engage with them or not—can significantly impact both our mental and physical health.

In this episode of Your Diet Sucks, Kylee and Zoë trace the history of influence, from ancient Roman gladiators promoting olive oil and wine to modern #fitspo influencers selling supplements and diet hacks. We explore why misinformation spreads so quickly online, what makes certain people more susceptible to it, and the hidden costs of endless scrolling through curated, filtered, and idealized images.

Is it possible to be too focused on eating “clean”?

In this episode of Your Diet Sucks, Kylee and Zoë explore Orthorexia, a term used to describe an unhealthy obsession with healthy eating. We dive into how social media trends, cultural ideals, and diet misinformation have fueled the rise of orthorexia—especially among athletes and active people.

Although orthorexia isn’t officially recognized in the DSM, research shows it can have serious impacts on both mental and physical health. We unpack how rigid rules around food purity can lead to disordered eating patterns, performance setbacks, and increased anxiety around nutrition.

From figs in ancient Greece to powders in a modern gym bag, athletes have always chased an edge. But when it comes to supplements, how do you know what actually works—and what belongs in a gas station bathroom?

In this episode of Your Diet Sucks, elite ultrarunner Zoë Rom and registered dietitian Kylee Van Horn dig into the wild history of sports supplements, from the first Olympic athletes to today’s crowded supplement aisle. We break down what every athlete should know about contamination, safety, and banned substances, and explain why regulation is so murky. You’ll learn how to separate science-backed supplements from snake oil, the big questions to ask before adding anything to your routine, and yes…all the unexpected uses of Horny Goat Weed.

Whether you’re an endurance athlete, a weekend warrior, or just curious about performance nutrition, this episode will help you cut through the hype and make smarter, safer decisions about supplements.

At least 30 million Americans will struggle with an eating disorder in their lifetime, yet fewer than 1 in 10 ever receive the treatment they need. Why is the gap so huge?

In this episode of Your Diet Sucks, registered dietitian Kylee Van Horn and elite ultrarunner Zoë Rom bust the most common myths about eating disorders—who they affect, how they’re diagnosed, and why treatment so often fails. We trace the history of eating disorder research, unpack how weight stigma and diet culture shape care today, and explain why so many cases get labeled “atypical.” Finally, we dig into solutions: how shifting beliefs about mental health and nutrition can improve access to evidence-based treatment and help dismantle a broken system.

If you’ve ever wondered about the real science behind eating disorders, the impact of stigma, or how treatment can change for the better, this episode is for you.

All aboard the magic school bus into the gut microbiome!

In this episode of Your Diet Sucks, Zoë and Kylee trace the origins of the human microbiome and explore how gut bacteria impact athletic performance, recovery, and overall health. We dig into Zoë’s own microbiome results (yes, it gets personal at the microbial level!) while unpacking the latest research on gut health and endurance sports.

Why do diets feel so culty these days? From Paleo bros to Keto fanatics, extreme eating plans often look more like belief systems than health strategies.

In this episode of Your Diet Sucks, Zoë and Kylee unpack the psychology of diet culture and explore why people are drawn to rigid food rules. We dive into the science and history of fad diets — from Paleo to Keto and beyond — and share tips on how to recognize when a diet crosses the line into a full-blown “diet cult.”

If you’ve ever questioned why nutrition trends spark so much devotion (and division), this episode helps you spot the red flags and cut through the hype.

Alcohol and athletics have always had a complicated relationship. From our primate ancestors’ first taste of fermented fruit to the modern post-race beer tent, drinking and sport seem inseparable — but why?

In this episode of Your Diet Sucks, Zoë and Kylee trace the history of alcohol and endurance sports and dig into the science of how alcohol actually affects performance, recovery, and health. We explore why humans evolved to enjoy alcohol, why it remains so closely tied to running culture, and what the research really says about its impact on athletic performance. (Spoiler: three shots of whiskey will not make you faster on the treadmill.)

If you’ve ever wondered whether that celebratory beer after a long run helps, hurts, or just tastes good, this episode unpacks the evidence.

Would you run 100 miles without eating? Some athletes have tried — but should you?

In this episode of Your Diet Sucks, we explore the history and science of fasting for endurance athletes. From early experiments in “train low” strategies to the modern hype around intermittent fasting, we dig into why runners and athletes are drawn to the idea of doing more with less fuel. We break down the potential benefits of fasting — fat adaptation, metabolic flexibility, and simplicity — alongside the risks and downsides, like reduced performance, higher injury risk, and impaired recovery.

If you’ve ever wondered whether fasting can actually help your running or if it’s just another diet trend, this episode gives you the evidence-based answers.

Welcome to episode one! Get to know hosts Kylee Van Horn and Zoë Rom and why they’re endlesslessly fascinated with food. In this episode, we ask why athletes seem so prone to diet bullsh*t and pseudoscience. We discuss how social media has hastened the spread of pseudoscience and why “experts” tend to overstate their experience. We conclude with a discussion of Bullsh*t Red Flags to help you identify diet nonsense in the wild.