Maintenance Phase

Estranged parents are showing up in the media to decry the ungrateful adult children who have severed contact. Is this a new phenomenon? Why is the discourse taking off now? And why are Oprah and Mel Robbins here again?? You can play the episode directly through Patreon or use our RSS feed to add it

Mike and Aubrey descend into madness while fact-checking wellness TikToks. It's probably because of the Large Hadron Collider. You can play the episode directly through Patreon or use our RSS feed to add it to your podcast app. Here are the instructions from Patreon. See you next month! M&A

In recent years, tradwives have been a mainstay of the MAHA/raw milk scene. But recently, a number of prominent tradwives have distanced themselves from the movement. What's behind the rise and fall of tradwives? You can play the episode directly through Patreon or use our RSS feed to add it to your

Are you sick of Politically Correct Nutrition that's constantly being pushed by Diet Dictocrats?? So are the raw milk creeps at The Weston A. Price Foundation. This month, Aubrey's walking Mike through the rhetoric and recipes in Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook That Challenges Politically Correc

This month we're talking about the increasing calls for public health experts to align with RFK Jr. to define and regulate "ultraprocessed foods." Not necessarily in that order. You can play the episode directly through Patreon or use our RSS feed to add it to your podcast app. Here are the instruct

Spring has sprung, the flowers are in bloom and the influencers are back on their bullshit. This month, we're digging in on influencer-led wellness brands that are suddenly everywhere: Unwell (Alex Cooper), Khloud Protein Popcorn (Khloe Kardashian), Kin Euphorics (Bella Hadid) and Lunchly (Mr. Beast

By popular request, we're spending some quality time with some quality nonsense. This month, Aubrey walks Mike through the trash and magic of a beloved and long-running reality show. Apologies for Aubrey's audio this episode! We had some technical issues and used a backup recording, so things sound

This month we're tackling our least requested episode: 1980s celebrity diet books. Aubrey walks Mike through diet advice from Sophia Loren, Victoria Principal and Cher, including some truly upsetting recipes. The videos in today's episode: Victoria Principal 1982 Commercial Cher 1987 Gym Commercial

Do humans need food to survive? The answer won't surprise you! This month, Mike walks Aubrey through the dark history of self-proclaimed "breatharians" from the US, Australia and India. You can play the episode directly through Patreon or use our RSS feed to add it to your podcast app. Here are the

While the Trump administration continues to set new personal bests for monstrosity, RFK Jr sets a new personal best for nonsense. This month, we're digging in on his latest drop, the TOTALLY NEW food pyramid. You can play the episode directly through Patreon or use our RSS feed to add it to your pod

Just in time for the griftiest season (new year, new you!!), it's THE 2025 GRIFTIES! Your resident grifter sifters are digging in on SkinnyTok, smart toilets and smaller portions for women and short kings. This episode is NOT end-to-end encrypted. You can play the episode directly through Patreon or

Diets are often grifts, but some are straight up scams. This month, Mike and Aubrey are digging in on a few majorly gutsy diet cons: VISION DIETER GLASSES, THE iPANT, and THE KIMKINS DIET. We're so sorry this one has been delayed! Aubrey has been out dealing with a death in the family. Thank you all

Hey, pals! Two good news updates: first, Mike and Aubrey just recorded our next bonus episode on some truly gutsy DIET SCAMS, and will have that out to you all next week. It's a fun one! Thank you all so much for your understanding on the delay while Aubrey tended to a death in the family. Second: N

Hey gang, This month's bonus episode is running late while Aubrey is handling end-of-life care for a loved one. We're so sorry for the delay! We'll be back on the Patreon feed as soon as Aubrey's ready to record. The episode is still coming, just a bit later than we planned. Thank you so much for yo

We're five! To celebrate we opened the mailbag to look back on how wellness (and we) have changed since we launched this show in October of 2020. You can play the episode directly through Patreon or use our RSS feed to add it to your podcast app. Here are the instructions from Patreon. See you next

Maintenance Phase is turning 5! In October 2020, Mike and Aubrey uploaded our very first episode. Thanks to the enthusiasm of our listeners and the support of subscribers, we're still going strong five years later. So for the show's birthday, we'd love to hear from you all for a listener questions b

This month we're walking through some recent news stories: What's RFK Jr. Up To? (we recorded this before the "Tylenol causes autism" madness so we'll have to cover that next roundup) The Rise of Kratom (NBC News, FDA, CNN, WVXU, GQ, Toxicology, mental health, kratom as an opioid alternative) Jillia

Hey pals! For this month's bonus episode, we're digging into a media roundup of recent health & wellness reporting and analysis, and we'd love your requests! What wellness & weight loss stories would you like to hear us unpack in this month's bonus episode? Drop links to specific reporting, analysis

Light your scented candles and grab your jade eggs: We're returning to the Goopiverse! This month, Aubrey walks us through the high points of the new Gwyneth Paltrow biography. You can play the episode directly through Patreon or use our RSS feed to add it to your podcast app. Here are the instructi

You may know Mike Huckabee as the former Governor of Arkansas, the current US Ambassador to Israel, or as a sick bassist, but did you also know he wrote a diet book? On this month's bonus episode, we're diving into "Quit Digging Your Grave With a Knife and Fork" and the conflicted world of a former

WE DID IT, FOLKS! We made Mike watch reality TV! This month, based on your suggestions, we're taking a break from the hellscape that surrounds us to talk about the hellscapes on TV: TEMPTATION ISLAND and THE ULTIMATUM: QUEER LOVE. A couple of links: Video speed controller for chrome / Global Speed f

Summer's here, let's bust some hydration myths! You can play the episode directly through Patreon or use our RSS feed to add it to your podcast app. Here are the instructions from Patreon. And if you've got bonus episode requests, as ever, drop them in the comments! See you next month! M&A

God help us, we're catching up with RFK Jr. and his cadre of "Make America Healthy Again" influencers. You can play the episode directly through Patreon or use our RSS feed to add it to your podcast app. Here are the instructions from Patreon. And if you've got bonus episode requests, as ever, drop

Hey, all! We've got a couple of very meaty, substantive bonus episodes coming up for you, but given the state of the world (and requests from you all!), we figure we owe you some fun ones, too. So, in the spirit of our previous bonus episode about the Bachelor and in the spirit of driving Mike up th

This month, fresh off discussing Dave Asprey’s The Bulletproof Diet, we're digging into the movement Asprey calls home: Biohacking. Who are these jokers? Some sources for this episode: The long and gruesome history of people trying to live forever How biohackers are trying to upgrade their brains, t

It's time for a RETURN TO THE TRUE ZONES! This month we're digging into the Netflix docuseries "Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones." It's one revelation after the next: eat vegetables! Move around! Take the stairs instead of the elevator! TRULY GROUNDBREAKING. You can play the episode directly t

We were both in Los Angeles over the holidays so we decided to sample some choice items from EREWHON, PRESSED JUICERY and KREATION KAFE. Plus, Aubrey finally got to shout about her Roman Empire, CAFE GRATITUDE You can play the episode directly through Patreon or use our RSS feed to add it to your po

Continuing our annual tradition of naming the worst, worst and worst wellness trends of the year. (WARNING: this episode was produced in a facility that also processes RFK Jr episodes. May contain trace elements.) You can play the episode directly through Patreon or use our RSS feed to add it to you

This month's bonus episode is a Thanksgiving feast of mains, sides and leftovers featuring our favorite happy meatball. First, we're revisiting the hit podcast "Missing Richard Simmons" and grumpily examining the tropes of podcast storytelling. Then we're playing a clip we cut from our last episode

It's time for the 2024 Grifties, our annual award show for the worst and wildest in wellness! We're looking for your nominees in the following categories: What was the best wellness take from a celebrity or influencer in 2024? What was the worst wellness take from a celebrity or influencer in 2024?

For Halloween we picked one of our scariest topics: What has RFK Jr. has been up to? Updates include a whale head, a bear body and a cameo from Roseanne Barr for some reason. You can play the episode directly through Patreon or use our RSS feed to add it to your podcast app. Here are the instruction

Everything is terrible so we're taking the personality test that doesn't hurt your feelings! You can play the episode directly through Patreon or use our RSS feed to add it to your podcast app. Here are the instructions from Patreon. And if you've got bonus episode requests, feel free to drop those

FINALLY, A VOICE FOR SKINNY BITCHES! This month, Mike is taking us on a deep dive into one of our most requested titles: Skinny Bitch. It's a true time capsule from the dirtbag 2000s. Also, Aubrey is as bad at mean girling as she is at reply guying. You can play the episode directly through Patreon

After the last few rage-filled bonus episodes, we're dimming the lights and gazing into each other's eyes. This month, Mike and Aubrey explore the storied "36 Questions To Fall In Love." You can play the episode directly through Patreon or use our RSS feed to add it to your podcast app. Here are the

We went a little easy on the Cass Report in our last main feed episode, so we're back to [Mortal Kombat voice] FINISH HIM!!! You can play the episode directly through Patreon or use our RSS feed to add it to your podcast app. Here are the instructions from Patreon. Also: This bonus is a little diffe

Do the arguments about trans rights sound familiar to you? They did to us, too. This month, we're talking through the stark parallels between the arguments against queer marriage and the arguments against trans health care. You can play the episode directly through Patreon or use our RSS feed to add

Oprah's got a new special about weight loss. Is it 1986? No, it's 2024 and we're watching "Blame, Shame and the Weight Loss Revolution"! You can play the episode directly through Patreon or use our RSS feed to add it to your podcast app. Here are the instructions from Patreon. As ever, leave a comme

Despite being almost 90 minutes long, our COVID CONSPIRACIES episode covered just a fraction of the misinformation bouncing around the country in 2020. So to cover some of the viral myths and zombie statistics we didn't get to, we decided to have a little watch party for a coronavirus conspiracy cla

Can someone's diet cure their schizophrenia? Of course not! But some real jerky psychologists & MDs in the '70s decided to tell people it could. This month, we're diving back into Aubrey's diet book collection—and this time, we're focusing on diets that claim to have psychological and behavioral eff

From its $22 smoothies to its celebrity clientele, Erewhon has become the go-to super-woo supermarket for America's super wealthy. But what's the story behind this pop culture punching bag? What does the name mean? And what do $14 kale chips taste like?? You can play the episode directly through Pat

It's the most wonderful time of the year: The Grifties! This month, we dig in on the best and worst (mostly worst) of wellness and weight loss in 2023. Plus, we remember the true reason for the season—deranged billionaires. You can play the episode directly through Patreon or use our RSS feed to add

It's time for the 2023 Grifties, Maintenance Phase's annual award show to (dis)honor the worst and wildest in wellness! We're looking for your nominees in the following categories: What was the worst wellness take from a celebrity or influencer in 2023? What was the biggest wellness scandal of 2023?

We asked for your victories against anti-fatness and diet nonsense and you all came through in a big way. In this month's bonus episode (recorded back in September), we're celebrating your biggest wins: Setting boundaries, showing up for fat people and changing systems for the better. Chaos gremlins

Phew! We had a wild month putting our Ozempic episode together and we wanted to process how and why it was so difficult with each other and our closest internet-friends. We also wanted to have a looser, less formal recording session to rant about some of the worst Discourse we've seen. Join us in a

This month we watched Tucker Carlson's documentary "The End of Men" and WE HAVE THOUGHTS. We're tackling the REAL questions posed by this documentary: is this the series finale of men? Is there an entire generation of American children who simply don't know how to walk? And why is anyone talking abo

Edited to add: we've recorded this episode for release in the next few months! Thank you all so much for sending us your many audacious, impactful wins. :: Hey, dreamboats! For an upcoming bonus episode later this fall, we want to celebrate the change you all are making in your communities, big and

We miss you! We had to take a break this month because Mike developed a (humiliatingly Zelda-related) hand condition. He's figured out how to research episodes using voice commands but we're still working on a solution for editing. We'll be back on the main feed as soon as we can and of course we'll

This month we're digging into a 1965 classic that dares to ask: Have you considered that the reason you don't get boners is that your wife is TERRIBLE? Plus, Aubrey gives Mike a pop quiz about aphrodisiacs. As usual, you can play the episode directly through Patreon or use our RSS feed to add it to

Hey, team-- For August's bonus episode, we're taking your questions! If you've got questions for us, send them our way. Send your listener questions to maintenancephase@gmail.com. Please include your pronouns, your first name, and whether/how you'd like to be identified on the show. And stay tuned f

Aubrey's been on a whirlwind tour the last few weeks promoting "Your Fat Friend" so we decided to turn on our mics and catch up. As usual, you can play the episode directly through Patreon or use our RSS feed to add it to your podcast app. Here are the instructions from Patreon. See you next month!