What does it take to eat for the health of humans and the planet? In this episode of The Ty Beal Show, Dr. Walter Willett, the world’s most cited nutritionist, gives a sneak peek at the upcoming 2025 EAT-Lancet Commission and provides his take on ultra-processed foods and seed oils.

From his family farm in Michigan to leading Harvard's Department of Nutrition for 25 years, Dr. Willett shares the journey that led him to pioneer nutritional epidemiology. At the center of this conversation is the planetary health diet—a flexible framework to address human and planetary health.

What you'll discover:

• The 2025 EAT-Lancet Commission's updated recommendations (releasing October 3rd)
• How to adapt the planetary health diet from vegan to omnivore preferences
• The limitations of the NOVA ultra-processed food framework
• The health effects of seed oils like soybean and canola oil
• How Dr. Willett's trans-fat research transformed American food policy

Dr. Willett addresses the seed oil controversy with decades of research, explaining why these oils have helped reduce heart disease rates since the 1950s. He also reveals why the real drivers of obesity aren't seed oils but sugar-sweetened beverages and refined starches, and how the planetary health diet balances individual health with global sustainability and equity.

Find Dr. Walter Willett's research at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and learn more about the EAT-Lancet Commission.

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What does the science say about plant-based diets, longevity, and cardiovascular health? In this episode of The Ty Beal Show, Dr. Gil Carvalho, research scientist and host of Nutrition Made Simple with over a million monthly viewers, cuts through the noise to reveal what the evidence shows.

Dr. Carvalho challenges common assumptions about plant-based eating, explaining why the term itself is misleading and how Mediterranean, pescatarian, and even well-planned omnivorous diets can be equally health-promoting. Drawing from Harvard's landmark healthy aging studies and genetic research, he reveals how optimized nutrition patterns can add 10-12 years to your lifespan—but warns against the dangerous mythology surrounding certain dietary extremes.

This deep-dive conversation explores the mechanics of cardiovascular disease, with Dr. Carvalho breaking down why ApoB—not LDL cholesterol—is the gold standard for assessing heart disease risk. He shares his personal experience with genetic risk factors including elevated Lp(a), explaining when imaging tests like coronary calcium scores become valuable and how to optimize lipid levels through diet, lifestyle, and targeted medications.

What you'll learn:

• Why "plant-based" encompasses everything from Mediterranean to vegan diets—and why the distinction may matter less than you think
• The critical difference between ApoB and LDL cholesterol for predicting heart attacks
• Why B12 deficiency on vegan diets can cause irreversible nervous system damage
• How isometric exercises like wall squats can lower blood pressure as effectively as medication
• Why weight loss consistently improves glucose metabolism regardless of diet type

Dr. Carvalho also shares his personal experiments with statin medications, revealing how different drugs affected his insulin resistance and ApoB levels differently, and explains why promising new Lp(a)-lowering medications might revolutionize cardiovascular prevention within the next few years.

Whether you're navigating conflicting dietary advice, concerned about cardiovascular risk, or simply want to understand what nutritional science says about plant-based diets, this episode provides evidence-based clarity from one of the field's most trusted science communicators.

Find Dr. Gil Carvalho's work at Nutrition Made Simple on YouTube and follow him on X and Facebook.

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Can what you eat actually treat depression? In this episode of The Ty Beal Show, Dr. Ally Jaffee, MD, a psychiatry resident doctor and co-founder of NutriTank, reveals the science behind nutritional psychiatry and why your gut health might be the key to mental wellness.

Dr. Jaffee, winner of the 2024 Cura Mental Health Advocate of the Year Award, shares her deeply personal journey into psychiatry—from losing her grandfather to suicide at two weeks old to experiencing her own clinical depression during medical school. Her story illuminates the concept of the "wounded healer" in healthcare and how lived experience can enhance, rather than compromise, clinical practice.

Drawing from landmark research including the SMILES trial—the first randomized controlled trial to show dietary intervention could put depression into remission—Dr. Jaffee explains how the gut-brain axis creates a bidirectional pathway between our digestive system and mental health. She breaks down why people with inflammatory bowel disease have higher rates of mental illness, and how restoring gut microbiome balance can enhance both mood and medication effectiveness.

What you'll learn:

• Why medical schools barely teach nutrition despite diet being the leading cause of death worldwide
• The "triple F" approach to brain health: fermented foods, fiber, and fish
• How NutriTank is revolutionizing medical education across the UK and influencing national health policy
• Why traditional psychiatric treatment often jumps straight to medication instead of addressing root causes
• The power of "safe disclosure"—when healthcare providers thoughtfully share their own experiences
• How social prescription is transforming mental health treatment for young people
• Why closing "third spaces" like youth centers contributes to rising adolescent loneliness
• The remarkable story of transforming psychiatric ward culture through cooking programs

Dr. Jaffee also addresses the mental health crisis among young people, explaining how creative arts, nature therapy, and non-traditional interventions can succeed where conventional talk therapy fails. From spoken word poetry to surf therapy, she reveals innovative approaches that are helping disconnected youth find community and healing.

Whether you're struggling with mental health challenges, curious about the food-mood connection, or interested in how healthcare systems can evolve beyond the "pill for every ill" mentality, this episode offers hope and practical insights from a passionate advocate working to transform both medical education and patient care.

Find Dr. Ally Jaffee's work at NutriTank and follow her on LinkedIn and Instagram.

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