What "food" product do Americans spend 2.7 billion dollars on per year? Gum! This week on Let's Get Real, Erica Wides is crusading against gum. It doesn't provide nourishment, and it's filled with toxic chemicals; why are we so drawn to gum? Find out how gum has evolved in our society from being a treat to a performance enhancer. Hear about the social history of gum, and how the stigma of chewing gum has dissolved. Performance-enhancing gum cannot hydrate an athlete, and caffeine-infused gum cannot replace sleep! Learn more about the twitsted marketing of gum on this week's episode of Let's Get Real! Thanks to our sponsor, Cain Vineyard & Winery.

"Gum makes you hungrier because it stimulates your salivary glands and tells your brain that food is coming!" [8:05]

-- Erica Wides on Let's Get Real

Persian food has always been known for it's fresh, bright ingredients, and Louisa Shafia is here to highlight and update Persian cuisine with The New Persian Kitchen. This week on Eat Your Words, Cathy Erway calls up Louisa to talk about her family's Iranian history, and the culture's affinity for seasonality. Hear what recipes from the book are great for mid-summer days, and why Louisa traveled to Los Angeles for the book's research. Learn the proper way to dissect a pomegranate, and hear about some refreshing drinks that feature rose water. Want to learn more from Louisa? Tune into this episode to hear about her upcoming events and demonstrations! This program has been sponsored by BluePrint Cleanse. Thanks to The California Honeydrops for today's music.

"Persian food, at its essence, is about fresh ingredients... writing the book was a matter of taking Persian food back to its roots. It's a very seasonal cuisine." [6:50]

-- Louisa Shafia on Eat Your Words

On today’s episode of U Look Hungry, Helen Hollyman is reporting from the Big Easy, as she sits down and chat with Ali Mills, the mastermind/bartender behind the hottest New Orleans pop up bartenders salon/speakeasy, Dash & Pony. Tune in to hear them talk about the contemporary New Orleans cocktail scene, termite swarms, bugs, and why you’ll find them in your booze. Why is it okay for bartenders to be rude? Find out all of this and more on this week's installment of U Look Hungry. This program has been sponsored by Tekserve. Thanks to Shadowbox for today's music.

"Firstly, I'm a bartender. I want people to come into the bar and have a good time, and I want it to be fast. I think mixologists are the ones who develop the recipes." [19:00]

-- Ali Mills on U Look Hungry