E13 Unwrapping the Truth About Processed Foods: Impact on Your Health and How to Overcome the Temptation

2025-05-21

Host: Christopher L. Camp, M.D., Creator & Guide | Mayo Clinic Human Optimization Project Guest: Katherine A. Zeratsky, RDN, LD, Assistant Professor of Nutrition, Registered Dietitian | Mayo Clinic – Rochester, MN Would you describe yourself as someone who is busy, wants to save money, and likes things that taste good? That describes a lot of us, and those are some of the most common reasons many of us rely on processed foods. However, these foods can have a major impact on us in ways that are obvious, and others that are n...

Host: Christopher L. Camp, M.D., Creator & Guide | Mayo Clinic Human Optimization Project

Guest: Katherine A. Zeratsky, RDN, LD, Assistant Professor of Nutrition, Registered Dietitian | Mayo Clinic – Rochester, MN

Would you describe yourself as someone who is busy, wants to save money, and likes things that taste good? That describes a lot of us, and those are some of the most common reasons many of us rely on processed foods. However, these foods can have a major impact on us in ways that are obvious, and others that are not so obvious. Not only does what we eat impact our weight, but overconsumption of processed foods impacts nearly every domain of human performance. To tell us more about this topic, our quest this week is Mayo Clinic Registered Dietician and Nutritionist, Kate Zeratsky.

The three big questions she is going to walk us through include:

1. What exactly are processed foods and why do they matter so much to our overall health?

2. Why do so many of us rely on processed foods despite the known downsides?

3. What are the practical steps we should take right now to minimize processed foods in our diets?

Connect with us! Learn more about the Human Optimization Project at: https://ce.mayo.edu/optimize

X: @MayoHumanOpProj
Instagram: @MayoHumanOpProj
YouTube: The Human Optimization Project - YouTube

Email: optimize@mayo.edu

Comments (3)