Dive Into Health MD

About Dive Into Health MD

Dive Into Health MD is where physical, cognitive, and financial wellness collide. Your everyday habits are shaping who you are—and there’s so much worth exploring. On this podcast, we dive into the nuances of all three pillars, with a special passion for food. From uncovering how to find high-quality ingredients to navigating the modern food landscape, we break down the knowledge you need to make choices you can genuinely feel confident about. No pressure. Just curiosity. And a whole lot of discovery. Hosted by Dr. Akshita Mehta, with frequent appearances by Dr. Divya Kurian.

Publisher

Dr. Akshita Mehta

Category

education · health & fitness

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

2 Apr 2026

Latest episode

12 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

23 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   12 Oct 2026

   Why Today's Food Has Less Nutrition Than in 1950 with Dr. Donald Davis

   Vegetable nutrient decline is real — and your broccoli has measurably less nutrition than it did in 1950. Researcher Dr. Donald Davis explains the dilution effect, glyphosate as a desiccant on wheat, and why over half of American calories are basically cookie ingredients. Dr. Donald Davis trained in chemistry and spent his career at the University of Texas at Austin studying nutrition under Roger J. Williams, discoverer of pantothenic acid. His landmark 2004 paper comparing nutrient content in 43 vegetables between 1950 and 1999 remains widely cited. He is 84 years old and still grows his own vegetables outside Houston. In this episode, you'll learn: – How do I find nutrient dense foods today? – Why vegetable nutrient content has declined since 1950 — and why it's not the soil – What the "dilution effect" is and how yield-focused farming drives nutrient loss – How pesticide use reduces phytochemicals in produce — and why organic has more – How glyphosate is used as a desiccant on wheat right before harvest — and the gut health implications – Why added sugars, refined grains, and separated oils now make up over half of American calories – Why the low-fat dietary push likely contributed to rising obesity rates – What to prioritize if you can't buy everything organic — soft-skinned fruits first Timestamps: [00:00] – Introduction and Dr. Davis's background in nutrition research [01:21] – The 2004 paper: nutrient decline in 43 vegetables from 1950 to 1999 [06:00] – The dilution effect: yield farming vs. nutritional quality [11:35] – How crop selection and dwarfing genes changed our food's physical form [13:25] – How pesticides reduce phytochemicals — and why organic produces more [15:02] – Hydroponics, stress-grown food, and phytochemical complexity [17:59] – Why hydroponic food can be labeled organic in the US but not Europe [19:18] – Pesticide risk in conventional vs. organic produce — the Benbrook research [21:40] – Which foods carry the highest pesticide residue (strawberries, peaches, soft-skinned fruits) [26:05] – Glyphosate: weed killer, desiccant, and why levels are rising [35:31] – GMOs and why the real concern is pesticide pairing, not the modification itself [38:07] – The three cooking ingredients that make up over half of American calories [46:26] – Why whole fat dairy, peanuts, and tahini beat butter and vegetable oil [54:03] – Butter: why it's nutritionally closer to sugar than to milk [57:43] – The low-fat paradox and how removing fat may have driven obesity [1:00:27] – Obesity as malnutrition: why nutrient-poor calories drive hunger cycles [1:04:46] – Hybridization, ancient varieties, and regenerative farming 👇 Drop a comment: do you buy organic? Which foods do you prioritize? Connect with Dive Into Health MD: Book a discovery call (https://koalendar.com/e/meet-with-akshita-mehta-2) | Email: hello@diveintohealthmd.com (mailto:hello@diveintohealthmd.com) | YouTube: youtube.com/@diveintoHealthMD (http://youtube.com/@diveintoHealthMD) | Instagram: instagram.com/diveintohealthmd (http://instagram.com/diveintohealthmd) | LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/diveintohealthmd (http://linkedin.com/in/diveintohealthmd) Research: Davis, D.R., Epp, M.D., & Riordan, H.D. (2004). Changes in USDA Food Composition Data for 43 Garden Crops, 1950 to 1999. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 23, 669 - 682. This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. #nutrientdecline #organicfood #glyphosate #ultraprocessedfood #wholefoods #foodquality #regenerativefarming #lifestylemedicine #foodismedicine #diveintohealthmd

2. 

   5 Oct 2026

   Collagen Banking, Perimenopause & Skin Longevity with Dr. Mary Alice Mina

   Your skin starts losing collagen in your 20s — and at menopause, up to 30% can drop in 5 years. Board-certified dermatologist Dr. Mary Alice Mina breaks down how to bank collagen before you need it, what perimenopause does to your skin, and why some peptide injections at med spas are landing patients with permanent scars. Dr. Mina shares insights on skin health, aging, and the evolving role of social media in medicine. Dr. Mary Alice Mina is a board-certified dermatologist and fellowship-trained Mohs surgeon based in Atlanta. She runs a direct-pay practice, teaches residents and medical students, and hosts The Skin Reel podcast, where she covers evidence-based skin health for real life. Keywords: skin health, aging, skincare, prevention, social media, dermatology, collagen, lasers, supplements, hormone therapy Key Topics: – What collagen banking is and when to start (hint: your 30s) – Why perimenopause causes up to 30% collagen loss and what drives skin changes in midlife – How retinoids build collagen 300% — and why they outperform supplements – What biostimulants like Sculptra and Radiesse actually do under the skin – The difference between CO2, Erbium, and microneedling lasers for collagen stimulation – Why AGEs from sugar accelerate skin aging and how to reduce them through diet – The new US-approved sunscreen ingredient (Bemotrizinol/BEMT) and what it means for UVA protection – Why peptide injections at med spas are causing mycobacterial infections and permanent scarring – How stress and the skin's own HPA axis directly affect skin health Chapters: [00:00] – Introduction: Dr. Mina's path from dancer to dermatologist-entrepreneur [01:00] – Why doctors need to be public-facing — the void filled by influencers [07:27] – Skin as an organ: more than aesthetics [09:09] – Intrinsic vs. extrinsic aging: what you can and can't control [13:32] – Collagen banking: how to start and what actually works [17:48] – Lasers for collagen: CO2, Erbium, and microneedling explained [18:43] – Biostimulants: Sculptra and Radiesse — how they build collagen precisely [23:01] – Sunscreen basics: SPF 30+, UVA/UVB, and the new BEMT ingredient [28:07] – Perimenopause and skin: estrogen, fat redistribution, and collagen loss [32:17] – Stress and the skin's HPA axis [34:32] – Diet, sugar, AGEs, and collagen degradation [37:47] – The peptide injection warning: what's going wrong at med spas [44:16] – Men's skincare basics [45:55] – Serum shelf life and vitamin C oxidation [51:46] – Dr. Mina's morning routine and sleep habits Connect with Dr. Mary Alice Mina Podcast: The Skin Reel (available wherever you listen to podcasts and on YouTube) Instagram: search @Dr. Mary Alice Mina Connect with Dive Into Health MD Book a discovery call: (https://koalendar.com/e/meet-with-akshita-mehta-2) Email: hello@diveintohealthmd.com (mailto:hello@diveintohealthmd.com) YouTube: youtube.com/@diveintoHealthMD Instagram: instagram.com/diveintohealthmd LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/diveintohealthmd This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. #collagenbanking #perimenopauseskin #skinlongevity #dermatologist #skinaging #retinol #lifestylemedicine #sunscreen #diveintohealthmd #theskinreel

3. 

   28 Sept 2026

   Fibermaxxing, Seed Oils, and Protein- What the Research Shows with Dr. Christopher Gardner

   Are you protein maxing when you should be fibermaxxing? Stanford nutrition researcher Dr. Christopher Gardner breaks down the real protein numbers, debunks the seed oil fear, and shares what his landmark twin study actually showed — no influencer spin. Dr. Christopher Gardner is a Professor of Medicine at Stanford University and Director of Nutrition Studies at the Stanford Prevention Research Center. He led the identical twin study featured in the Netflix documentary You Are What You Eat and is currently running a 120-person randomized controlled trial with San Francisco firefighters on plant-rich diets. keywords: food, nutrition, joy in eating, firefighter health, regenerative farming, documentary, plant-rich diet, planetary health, protein requirements, diet quality, seed oils, fats, vegetarian, vegan, carnivore, nutrition science, dietary guidelines In this episode, you'll learn: – Why most Americans already exceed the protein recommendation — and what the numbers are – How the body handles extra protein: no storage pool exists; it converts to carbohydrate – Why the amino acid "incompleteness" of plant protein is largely a myth – What fibermaxxing is and why the fiber gap matters more than the protein gap – The seed oil debate: cold-pressed vs. chemically extracted and what it means for health – Why replacing seed oils with beef tallow contradicts decades of cardiovascular science – What Gardner's 600-person Stanford weight loss trial showed about diet quality vs. diet type – The real story behind the twin study muscle loss finding — a misrepresented outlier Timestamps: [00:00] – Protein storage explained: why extra protein converts to carbohydrate, not muscle [02:28] – How protein requirements are calculated and where Americans land (0.66 → 0.8 → 1.2 g/kg) [09:57] – Protein in perimenopause and aging: where the high-protein craze is coming from [10:34] – Why people feel better on high-protein diets — what is actually driving the change [15:49] – Carnivore vs. vegan diets: why the human body is more resilient than diet wars suggest [17:03] – Why a definitive long-term trial comparing extreme diets may never exist [23:35] – Inside the Stanford twin study and the Netflix documentary You Are What You Eat [26:09] – The muscle loss controversy: what Gardner says really happened [30:36] – Full fat vs. low fat dairy: what the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee found [38:23] – Seed oils explained: omega-6, omega-3, and where the fear is coming from [44:37] – Cold-pressed vs. chemically extracted oil: does quality of the oil matter? [47:53] – The firefighter study: what Gardner is researching right now Connect with Dive Into Health MD Book a discovery call (koalendar.com/e/meet-with-akshita-mehta-2): Email: hello@diveintohealthmd.com (mailto:hello@diveintohealthmd.com) YouTube: youtube.com/@diveintoHealthMD (http://youtube.com/@diveintoHealthMD) Instagram: instagram.com/diveintohealthmd (http://instagram.com/diveintohealthmd) LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/diveintohealthmd (http://linkedin.com/in/diveintohealthmd) This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. #fibermaxxing #seedoils #proteinmyth #plantprotein #lifestylemedicine #stanfordnutrition #twinstudy #guthealth #nutrition #diveintohealthmd

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Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

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