Libsyn Directory

#606: Practical Nutrition Strategies for Fat Loss – Luke Hanna

Release Date: 05/19/2026

#616: More Testing, Better Health? Harms of Overdiagnosis & Overtreatment - Austin Baraki, MD

Sigma Nutrition Radio

Medical screening is often framed as an uncomplicated good: if disease is found earlier, treatment can begin earlier and outcomes should improve. This episode examines why that reasoning is incomplete. Screening can produce benefit, but it can also generate false positives, incidental findings, overdiagnosis, overtreatment and diagnostic cascades. Dr. Austin Baraki discusses the distinction between screening people without relevant symptoms and investigating a clinical problem, the probabilistic interpretation of test results, biases that can make screening appear more effective than it is,...

#615: Why Processing Doesn’t Determine the Healthfulness of Plant-Based Diets – Alysha Thompson, PhD

Sigma Nutrition Radio

What does the evidence actually show when we look at plant-based dietary patterns through the lens of food processing? And does classifying foods as “ultra-processed” meaningfully change how we interpret the relationship between plant-based diets and long-term health outcomes? A recent large prospective cohort analysis examined both healthful and unhealthful plant-based dietary patterns, and importantly, stratified the contributing foods based on whether they were classified as ultra-processed or non-ultra-processed. In this episode, the study’s lead author Dr Alysha Thompson, discusses...

#614: The Human Skills of Nutrition Coaching – Krista Scott-Dixon, PhD

Sigma Nutrition Radio

In nutrition and health coaching, one of the central challenges is understanding how people actually change, particularly when life is complex, motivation fluctuates, and behaviour is shaped by emotion, identity, environment, and relationships. In this episode, Dr. Krista Scott-Dixon discusses the human skills that underpin effective coaching practice. We discuss the importance of the coach–client relationship, the role of therapeutic alliance, and how concepts from counselling and psychology can be used appropriately within scope of practice. The discussion also explores autonomy-supportive...

#613: Supplement Safety & Medication Interactions – Giulia Guerrini, MPharm

Sigma Nutrition Radio

Supplement safety is often discussed in very general terms, but in practice the risks depend heavily on the individual. A supplement that is reasonable for one person may be inappropriate for another based on their medications, health conditions, dose, formulation, or the other products they are already using. This becomes especially important when supplements interact with medications or underlying medical conditions. Some interactions can change how a drug is absorbed, metabolised, transported, or cleared from the body. Others can amplify or oppose the drug’s clinical effect, such as...

#612: Does Sweet Taste Exposure Actually Develop Preference? – Prof. Katherine Appleton

Sigma Nutrition Radio

A common idea is that repeated exposure to sweet taste strengthens our preference for sweetness, which then drives greater intake of sweet foods and drinks. This idea is often used in arguments about fruit, low-calorie sweeteners, diet drinks, and the supposed need to “reset” taste preferences by avoiding sweetness altogether. But does the evidence actually support that causal chain? In this episode, Prof. Katherine Appleton, Professor of Psychology at Bournemouth University, discusses what is known about sweet taste exposure, sweet preference, and how these concepts are measured in the...

#611: Electrolyte Mythology: Wellness Marketing vs. Evidence - Zoë Rom & Kylee Van Horn

Sigma Nutrition Radio

Electrolytes have become one of the most heavily marketed areas of modern sports nutrition and wellness. What was once a relatively specific tool for certain endurance athletes has increasingly been reframed as an everyday requirement for hydration, energy, focus, productivity, and general health optimisation. But how much of this messaging is grounded in physiology, and how much is an example of industry taking a real mechanism and extending it far beyond the evidence? In this episode, we examine why many common use cases are unlikely to require an electrolyte product. Along the way, we...

SNP51: Understanding Blood Glucose Reponses

Sigma Nutrition Radio

This is a Premium-exclusive episode. Go to the Premium feed to listen. Or subscribe to . Blood glucose is easy to measure, but not always easy to interpret. This Premium-only episode brings together insights from several previous guests to examine blood glucose responses in more detail. We discuss the misuse of clinical thresholds, the difference between OGTT results and free-living CGM data, and whether “flatter” glucose curves are actually better in normoglycemic people. The episode also covers when repeated high glucose excursions may be worth investigating, how...

#610: Rock, Paper, Salmon – Errors in Interpreting Food Substitution Models

Sigma Nutrition Radio

When considering the health impact of foods, it is important to consider “compared to what?”. Increasing the amount of a certain food or nutrient in the diet, typically implies a displacement of another. While comparisons are more obvious in trials, in epidemiology food substitution models can be useful to help us determine the health effects of increasing/decreasing intake of a food, food group or nutrient. However, these models are often misinterpreted and miscommunicated as if they are a game of “rock, paper, scissors”, where one food beats another, and the losing food must be...

#609: Unprocessed Red Meat & Cancer Risk

Sigma Nutrition Radio

Unprocessed red meat and cancer risk remains one of the most debated topics in nutrition science, partly because the evidence is often presented in overly simplistic terms. The key question is not whether to adopt a vague “balanced” position on red meat, but whether the evidence clearly identifies intake levels at which colorectal cancer risk increases and whether controlled human trials support plausible mechanisms for that risk. A second issue is whether claims that fibre, vegetables, or an otherwise “healthy diet” can neutralise high red meat intake are actually supported by the...

#608: Performance Nutrition in Elite Rugby – James Morehen, PhD

Sigma Nutrition Radio

Performance nutrition in elite sport is often discussed in terms of meal plans, supplements, and macronutrient targets. However, effective practice in professional environments depends just as much on education, trust, communication, and the ability to translate scientific principles into decisions athletes can act on under real-world constraints. In this episode, Dr James Morehen discusses his work across elite rugby, football, and combat sports, with particular attention to the demands of professional rugby. The conversation explores how practitioners support athletes in a high-impact...

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Body composition goals, particularly bodyfat loss, are among the most common reasons people seek support from a nutritionist or health and fitness professional. While the principles are well established, the challenge is helping individuals apply them consistently in real-world conditions.

Many people struggle due to hunger, unrealistic expectations, emotional eating, inconsistent routines, or overly restrictive dieting approaches. These challenges can make fat loss difficult to sustain, even when someone understands what they “should” be doing.

In this episode, Luke Hanna discusses practical strategies for improving body composition, including food diaries, energy-density manipulation, preloads, mindful eating, and realistic goal-setting. The discussion emphasizes identifying individual barriers, collaborating with clients, and building repeatable behaviours that support both fat loss and long-term maintenance.

Luke Hanna holds a Master’s degree in Obesity and Clinical Nutrition from University College London and a degree in Sport and Exercise Science from the University of Portsmouth. He currently works as a nutrition coach and personal trainer.

Timestamps:

[03:15] Interview
[05:39] Client assessment basics
[11:59] Alternatives to tracking
[13:57] Volume eating
[18:56] Preloads before meals
[22:25] Snacking and hunger types
[26:44] Habits and food environment
[30:40] Managing expectations
[33:51] Transition to maintenance
[39:09] Key ideas (premium-only)

Links:

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Instagram: @lukehannanutrition

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