In this season finale of Papaya Talk Podcast, Nadia and Alyssa reflect on their podcasting journey together as they prepare to take a summer break. Nadia is approaching her fourth year of college, and they discuss the passage of time, her academic journey, future plans for medical school, and the value of their podcast conversations regardless of listener count. They also touch on college expenses like haircuts and nail care, the normalcy of graduating in 4.5 years versus 4, and Nadia's upcoming six-week study abroad program in Spain. The conversation highlights their close relationship and provides insight into the transitions young adults face as they navigate college and prepare for post-graduation life.

Takeaways

• Value Beyond Metrics: Both Alyssa and Nadia find value in their conversations regardless of listener count, suggesting that authenticity matters more than popularity metrics.
• College Experience Timeline: The episode documents Nadia's college journey, with both Nadia and Alyssa noting how quickly these formative years pass, despite being so impactful.
• Educational Flexibility: Nadia's decision to take 4.5 years to graduate demonstrates the importance of following your own educational path rather than conforming to traditional timelines.
• Transition and Growth: The conversation also reveals the emotional complexity of approaching major life transitions, with Nadia expressing both excitement and uncertainty about her final year of college and gap year plans.
• Family Communication Model: Their candid conversations provide a template for healthy mother-daughter communication during pivotal life stages.
• Future Planning: Nadia outlines her detailed path to medical school, showing thoughtful planning while acknowledging the value of taking time between undergraduate education and medical training.

Chapters

00:09 - Opening chat about haircuts, nails, and college expenses

02:18 - Reflecting on 93 episodes and podcast value beyond listener metrics

05:11 - Discussing previous guests in the podcast and future topics they want to discuss

05:59 - Nadia on her fourth year in college and the quick passage of college years and nostalgic reflections

08:16 - Nadia's 4.5-year graduation plan and gap year before medical school

14:35 - Social perceptions about traditional versus extended graduation timelines

16:43 - Future podcast format and Nadia's upcoming study abroad in Spain

18:36 - Closing thoughts on Spain program details and season wrap-up

In this episode, Nadia and Alyssa compare living conditions in San Francisco versus Boston, focusing on urban challenges that residents face.

The conversation begins with discussing San Francisco's reputation and how news coverage often portrays it negatively, emphasizing homelessness and cleanliness issues.

The discussion then shifts to a specific city problem that Nadia is experiencing in Boston - a mouse infestation in her apartment. She details her experiences with seeing and catching mice, her landlord's inadequate response, and how the situation has affected her daily life. Nadia and Alyssa also touched on tenant rights and landlord responsibilities, concluding with a plan to potentially bring in an expert to discuss both the health implications of living with mice and tenant rights.

Takeaways

• Media portrayal of cities like San Francisco often focuses disproportionately on problems like homelessness and drug use, which can create an exaggerated negative perception.
• Urban living comes with specific challenges like pest control problems, which can be especially difficult for young renters to address.
• Landlord responsiveness varies greatly, and many young renters may not be aware of their tenant rights when facing habitability issues.
• Health concerns related to mice infestations (like exposure to droppings or potential diseases) add another layer of stress to rental problems.
• Having a supportive third party (like a realtor) can help when communicating with difficult landlords, though ultimately it's the landlord's responsibility to maintain safe living conditions.

Chapters

0:10-1:57 - Introduction and San Francisco's Media Reputation

1:58-2:56 - Comparing Boston and San Francisco Living Conditions

2:57-5:42 - Mice Problem in Boston Apartments

5:43-8:12 - Dealing with Mice and Health Concerns

8:13-11:51 - Failed Attempts to Solve the Infestation

11:52-13:21 - Other Urban Living Challenges

13:22-15:56 - Landlord Responsibilities and Tenant Rights

In this episode, Nadia and Alyssa welcome registered dietitian Kerry Blair, founder of Food for Fuel and known on Instagram as "The Gymnast RD." The conversation explores nutrition topics including orthorexia, the differences between registered dietitians and nutritionists, gut health trends, and vitamin supplementation.

Kerry offers evidence-based insights to help young adults navigate nutrition misinformation on social media and provides practical advice for developing healthy relationships with food and understanding when supplements are truly necessary.

Takeaways

• Orthorexia is a form of disordered eating characterized by an unhealthy obsession with "healthy" eating that leads to restrictive behaviors and fears around food.
• Social media significantly contributes to nutrition misinformation and orthorexic tendencies, with studies suggesting 25-30% of young adults may be struggling with orthorexia.
• In the US, registered dietitians have extensive educational requirements (including a master's degree, clinical internship, and board certification), while "nutritionist" is an unregulated title.
• Gut health is an emerging area of nutrition research, and many trendy gut health products lack substantial scientific evidence to support their claims.
• Vitamin and mineral supplements should be taken based on individual needs determined by proper testing, as excessive supplementation can cause imbalances and health issues.

Chapters

00:00 - 01:41: Introduction and welcoming Kerry Blair

01:42 - 05:04: Kerry’s journey to becoming a dietitian and gymnastics nutrition

05:05 - 08:00: Explaining orthorexia and its prevalence among young adults

08:01 - 10:34: Social media's impact on nutrition trends and diet culture

10:35 - 15:45: Navigating nutrition advice and finding reliable information

15:46 - 19:33: The difference between registered dietitians and nutritionists

19:34 - 23:35: Discussion on gut health trends and probiotic products

23:36 - 33:20: Vitamin supplementation, regulation issues, and third-party testing

33:21 - 35:02: Closing thoughts on advocating for proper nutritional testing