Stuff That We Like/Enjoy at Least at This Point in Time

S8E8 (Ep 93) 32 Days, 400 Pages, One Very Complicated Opinion on Dracula

Caleb and Christina spent 32 days reading Dracula together and have thoughts. The short version: it's a classic for a reason, and also it takes a while to get there. Bram Stoker wrote the whole thing as journals, letters, and newspaper clippings, which is either a brilliant narrative device or a genuine endurance test depending on where you are in the book. Probably both. The atmosphere is real, the horror holds up, and by the end you understand why this particular vampire became the vampire. But there's also a stretch somewhere in the middle where you will wonder if anything is ever going to happen again. They get into what actually makes the book work (and what doesn't), whether it deserves its reputation, and what it's like to read a 19th century novel on a deadline you set for yourself. Two hosts. One very long book. Thirty-two days. Contact us at stuffthatwelikepodcast@gmail.com [stuffthatwelikepodcast@gmail.com] with any questions, concerns, or corrections! — Caleb & Christina

S8E8 (Ep 92) The Paleo Diet / Weird Laws in the USA

This week Caleb tries to figure out if the paleo diet is actually backed by science or just a really compelling story, and Christina ranks weird laws that somehow still exist in the United States.Caleb breaks down where the paleo diet actually came from a gastroenterologist named Walter Voegtlin wrote about it in 1975, almost nobody read it, and then Crossfit discovered it around 2010 and turned it into a lifestyle brand. The core idea is simple: if a caveman could have found it, eat it. If it required a factory, skip it. But the evolutionary argument has some real holes in it, turns out we actually don't know what paleolithic people ate, and our bodies have been quietly adapting to agricultural foods for thousands of years. Caleb gets into what the research actually shows (the short version: it probably works, just not for the reason people think) and where the diet falls apart if you try to make it permanent.Christina goes through some of the strangest laws still on the books across the country and ranks them. It's exactly what it sounds like and somehow still manages to be educational.Two hosts. Two unrelated topics. One episode that somehow makes sense by the end.

S8E7 (Ep 91) How Going Vegan Changed Everything ft. Carrie

Christina's mom Carrie joins us this week, and she came with receipts. She walks us through how she went from a standard American diet to full-on vegan, not from a trend or a documentary, but because of one doctor who made her feel like she had no other logical choice. That doctor is Dr. Brooke Goldner, and if you want to go down that rabbit hole yourself, her website is smoothieshred.com. Carrie also shares the actual recipes she makes every week, the ones she swears by. We've got them all listed below so you can try them yourself. Super Green SmoothieMakes 80 oz in a high-powered blender (Carrie uses a Vitamix). If you don't have a high-powered blender, grind your chia and flax seeds fresh before blending, pre-ground seeds lose a lot of their omega-3 value from oxidation. * 16 oz spinach or power greens (pack it in tight) * 1-2 cups fruit (frozen mixed berries, or 1-2 peeled lemons and 2-3 green apples, or bananas/mangoes for sweeter) * 1/4 cup flax seeds and 1/4 cup chia seeds (1/2 cup total -- great for omega-3 and anti-inflammatory) * 40-50 oz water * Optional: 1 cup high-quality vegan protein powder (Designs for Health Plant Protein Meal, PlantFusion Complete Vegan Protein Powder, or Huey Vegan Protein Powder) * Optional extras: raw ginger root, broccoli, celery Blend until smooth but not warm. Carrie makes hers the night before and stores it in mason jars so it's cold and ready the next morning. Green Salad Dressing * 8 cups celery * Small handful of cilantro * 2/3 cup lemon juice * 1/2 cup water * 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil * 6 tablespoons minced garlic * 6 tablespoons Dijon mustard * 1/2 teaspoon salt * 1/2 teaspoon pepper Blend in a Vitamix with the tamper, stirring as it blends. Celery Ice CreamThis is a full Vitamix pitcher -- cut the recipe in half or quarters if you want less. * 3 cups frozen mixed berries * 4 cups chopped frozen celery * 1-2 cups protein powder * 4 cups water Blend until smooth. It's exactly what it sounds like and apparently it works. Two hosts. Two unrelated topics. One episode that somehow makes sense by the end.

S8E6 (Ep 90) Attila the Hun: How One Man Collapsed an Empire Without Conquering It

He never lost a battle. He brought the Roman Empire to its knees without ever actually conquering it. And he died on his wedding night under circumstances nobody could fully explain. This week Caleb and Christina go deep on Attila the Hun. They cover how a man from the Eurasian steppe built the most feared fighting force in the known world, why the Roman Empire paid him massive amounts of gold just to stay away, and what made his style of leadership so different from every other ruler of his era. They also get into the mythology that built up around him, what was real, what was exaggerated, and what the people who lived through it actually experienced. Plus Christina makes a point about the Huns and China that will permanently ruin a Disney movie for you. Two hosts. One villain. A lot of dead Romans. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@stuffThatWeLikeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/stuffthatwelikepodcastContact us at stuffthatwelikepodcast@gmail.com ...

S8E5 (Ep 89) Keto Was Invented for Epileptic Kids (Not Weight Loss) | Saddam Hussein's Rise to Power

A diet created in 1921 to treat seizures in children became one of the most Googled diets on the planet. And a man who reportedly joined an assassination attempt as a teenager ended up ruling a country of 22 million people for over two decades. This week: keto and Saddam Hussein. Caleb breaks down what the keto diet actually is, how ketosis works, and what the science actually says versus what influencers are selling. He traces the diet from its medical origins at Johns Hopkins through the Atkins era, all the way to bulletproof coffee and Reddit threads. Spoiler: the first 10 pounds on keto is mostly water, not fat. And most of the benefits come from cutting processed junk, not the ketones themselves. Christina covers the rise of Saddam Hussein, from his early years in rural Iraq to the moves that made him one of the most feared leaders in modern history. How does a man who authorized chemical weapons attacks on his own citizens hold power for over two decades? The answer has less to do with one man and more to do with what happens when an entire government is designed around loyalty. Two hosts. Two unrelated topics. One episode that somehow makes sense by the end. Contact us at stuffthatwelikepodcast@gmail.com with any questions, concerns, or corrections!