Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
If you’ve been trying to eat well but feel stuck sorting through conflicting nutrition advice, this episode is for you. In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Cate Shanahan for a practical conversation about why modern nutrition feels so confusing and how traditional diets offer a simpler framework for long-term health. We talk through how seed oils quietly replaced more nourishing fats in the modern food supply, why they play such a big role in how processed foods impact our health, and how simple fat swaps can make a real difference without changing everything you eat. If you’re looking for clarity, common sense, and realistic steps you can apply in your everyday life, I think you’ll really enjoy this conversation!
In this episode, we cover:
- Why so many people feel overwhelmed and confused by modern nutrition advice and how looking to traditional diets helps cut through the noise
- Dr. Cate’s background in genetics and family medicine and how one generation’s food choices can shape the next
- The four pillars found across traditional cultures that support long-term health (fresh foods, ferments and sprouting, bone broth, and organ meats)
- How modern convenience foods quietly replaced nutrient-dense fats with industrial seed oils
- Why seed oils are the true driver behind why junk food makes people feel and look unwell
- A breakdown of the “Hateful Eight” seed oils to watch for when reading ingredient labels
- The difference between toxic seed oils and neutral refined oils and why not all refined fats are equal
- How to identify truly healthy fats by taste, labeling, and how they’re processed
- Why simply swapping fats (without changing the rest of the meal) can have a major impact on health
- The hidden places seed oils show up (even in organic and “healthy” grocery items)
- A realistic, low-stress approach to reducing seed oils without trying to overhaul everything overnight
- Why consumer demand is finally shifting the food industry toward better fat choices and what that means for home cooks
RESOURCES MENTIONED
Pick up your copies of Dr. Cate’s books:
Deep Nutrition: Why Your Genes Need Traditional Food drcate.com/deep-nutrition-why-your-genes-need-traditional-food
Dark Calories: How Vegetable Oils Destroy Our Health and How We Can Get It Back drcate.com/dark-calories-book
Receive Dr. Cate’s email newsletter by signing up here drcate.com/newsletter-signup
Master the rhythm of sourdough with confidence in my Simple Sourdough course bit.ly/simplesourdoughcourse
Gain the sewing knowledge and skills every homemaker needs in my Simple Sewing series bit.ly/simplesewingcourse
Keep all my favorite sourdough recipes at your fingertips in my Daily Sourdough cookbook homesteadliving.com/daily-sourdough/?utm_source=farmhouseonboone&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=SRD
CONNECT
Dr. Cate Shanahan
Website: drcate.com
Instagram: instagram.com/drcateshanahan/?hl=en
Facebook: facebook.com/DoctorCate
X: https://x.com/drcateshanahan
Lisa Bass of Farmhouse on Boone
Blog: farmhouseonboone.com
YouTube: youtube.com/c/FarmhouseonBoone
Instagram: instagram.com/farmhouseonboone
TikTok: tiktok.com/@farmhouseonboone
Facebook: facebook.com/farmhouseonboone
Pinterest: pinterest.com/farmhouseonboone/_created
Do you have a question you’d like me to answer on the podcast? A guest you’d like me to interview? Submit your questions and ideas here: bit.ly/SFLquestions.
GET MORE FROM THIS EPISODE
Listen to this podcast episode: pod.link/1494284839/episode/OGJiOWQ1OWMtZjU1Ni0xMWYwLTlhMTQtYzNkNjZmNDA3MWZj
View full show notes on the blog: simplefarmhouselifepodcast.com/2026/01/20/seed-oils-healthy-fats-and-why-nutrition-feels-so-confusing-dr-cate-shanahan-episode-325
If you’ve been trying to eat well but feel stuck sorting through conflicting nutrition advice, this episode is for you. In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Cate Shanahan for a practical conversation about why modern nutrition feels so confusing and how traditional diets offer a simpler framework for long-term health. We talk through how seed oils quietly replaced more nourishing fats in the modern food supply, why they play such a big role in how processed foods impact our health, and how simple fat swaps can make a real difference without changing everything you eat. If you’re looking for clarity, common sense, and realistic steps you can apply in your everyday life, I think you’ll really enjoy this conversation!
In this episode, we cover:
- Why so many people feel overwhelmed and confused by modern nutrition advice and how looking to traditional diets helps cut through the noise
- Dr. Cate’s background in genetics and family medicine and how one generation’s food choices can shape the next
- The four pillars found across traditional cultures that support long-term health (fresh foods, ferments and sprouting, bone broth, and organ meats)
- How modern convenience foods quietly replaced nutrient-dense fats with industrial seed oils
- Why seed oils are the true driver behind why junk food makes people feel and look unwell
- A breakdown of the “Hateful Eight” seed oils to watch for when reading ingredient labels
- The difference between toxic seed oils and neutral refined oils and why not all refined fats are equal
- How to identify truly healthy fats by taste, labeling, and how they’re processed
- Why simply swapping fats (without changing the rest of the meal) can have a major impact on health
- The hidden places seed oils show up (even in organic and “healthy” grocery items)
- A realistic, low-stress approach to reducing seed oils without trying to overhaul everything overnight
- Why consumer demand is finally shifting the food industry toward better fat choices and what that means for home cooks
RESOURCES MENTIONED
Pick up your copies of Dr. Cate’s books:
Deep Nutrition: Why Your Genes Need Traditional Food drcate.com/deep-nutrition-why-your-genes-need-traditional-food
Dark Calories: How Vegetable Oils Destroy Our Health and How We Can Get It Back drcate.com/dark-calories-book
Receive Dr. Cate’s email newsletter by signing up here drcate.com/newsletter-signup
Master the rhythm of sourdough with confidence in my Simple Sourdough course bit.ly/simplesourdoughcourse
Gain the sewing knowledge and skills every homemaker needs in my Simple Sewing series bit.ly/simplesewingcourse
Keep all my favorite sourdough recipes at your fingertips in my Daily Sourdough cookbook homesteadliving.com/daily-sourdough/?utm_source=farmhouseonboone&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=SRD
CONNECT
Dr. Cate Shanahan
Website: drcate.com
Instagram: instagram.com/drcateshanahan/?hl=en
Facebook: facebook.com/DoctorCate
X: https://x.com/drcateshanahan
Lisa Bass of Farmhouse on Boone
Blog: farmhouseonboone.com
YouTube: youtube.com/c/FarmhouseonBoone
Instagram: instagram.com/farmhouseonboone
TikTok: tiktok.com/@farmhouseonboone
Facebook: facebook.com/farmhouseonboone
Pinterest: pinterest.com/farmhouseonboone/_created
Do you have a question you’d like me to answer on the podcast? A guest you’d like me to interview? Submit your questions and ideas here: bit.ly/SFLquestions.
GET MORE FROM THIS EPISODE
Listen to this podcast episode: pod.link/1494284839/episode/OGJiOWQ1OWMtZjU1Ni0xMWYwLTlhMTQtYzNkNjZmNDA3MWZj
View full show notes on the blog: simplefarmhouselifepodcast.com/2026/01/20/seed-oils-healthy-fats-and-why-nutrition-feels-so-confusing-dr-cate-shanahan-episode-325
