Doctor Vs Comedian

For the next few weeks, the guys will be re-airing some of their favourite episodes from our archives.

Today, Asif and Ali discuss ultraprocessed foods (no medical topic today). To start off, Asif quizzes Ali about his favorite snack foods (1:29). Then Ali gives Asif a quiz on ultraprocessed foods from the New York Times. They then discuss the obesity epidemic and the the theory that ultraprocessed foods may have contributed to this (25;17). They then go over the NOVA food classification system and give examples of ultraprocessed foods. Asif discusses how often people consume ultraprocessed foods and the scientific evidence that these might be detrimental to health. Finally, Asif and Ali discuss recommendations for trying to decrease your intake of ultraprocessed foods.

The opinions expressed are those of the hosts, and do not reflect those of any other organizations. This podcast and website represents the opinions of the hosts. The content here should not be taken as medical advice. The content here is for entertainment and informational purposes only, and because each person is so unique, please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions.

Music courtesy of Wataboi and 8er41 from Pixabay

Contact us at [email protected]

Follow us on Social media:
Twitter: @doctorvcomedian/
Instagram: doctorvcomedian

Show Notes:

Are the Foods in Your Cart Ultraprocessed? https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/01/05/well/eat/ultraprocessed-foods-challenge-quiz.html
Why Is the American Diet So Deadly? https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/01/13/why-is-the-american-diet-so-deadly
Ultra-Processed Diets Cause Excess Calorie Intake and Weight Gain: An Inpatient Randomized Controlled Trial of Ad Libitum Food Intake: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31105044/
Ultra-processed food exposure and adverse health outcomes: umbrella review of epidemiological meta-analyses: https://www.bmj.com/content/384/bmj-2023-077310
What doctors wish patients knew about ultraprocessed foods: https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/public-health/what-doctors-wish-patients-knew-about-ultraprocessed-foods#

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the next few weeks, the guys will be re-airing some of their favourite episodes from our archives.

Today, Ali and Asif interview misinformation expert Timothy Caulfield about his new book, ‘The Certainty Illusion: What You Don’t Know and Why It Matters ’. They start off by discussing Tim’s background and how he became involved in the battle against misinformation and how he deals with internet trolls. Ali then asks Tim about certain topics he addresses in his new book including gluten, fresh vs frozen sushi and organic foods. Asif then asks Tim about some topics from his book regarding the Covid-19 pandemic including “white hat bias” and MD hucksters and the raw milk movement. They then touch on the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) movement and the implications of the appointment of RFK Jr in the Trump administration in the US. Finally they discuss pop culture and the misinformation campaigns against Blake Lively and Amber Heard.

The opinions expressed are those of the hosts, and do not reflect those of any other organizations. This podcast and website represents the opinions of the hosts. The content here should not be taken as medical advice. The content here is for entertainment and informational purposes only, and because each person is so unique, please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions.

Music courtesy of Wataboi and 8er41 from Pixabay

Contact us at [email protected]

Follow us on Social media:
Twitter: @doctorvcomedian/
Instagram: doctorvcomedian

Show Notes:

The Certainty Illusion: What You Don't Know and Why It Matters: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/713451/the-certainty-illusion-by-timothy-caulfield/9780735245884
Who Trolled Amber? https://www.tortoisemedia.com/listen/who-trolled-amber
What to know about the Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni drama: Legal complaint, PR accusations and more: https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/blake-lively-justin-baldoni-it-ends-us-lawsuit-what-know-rcna185274

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the next few weeks, the guys will be re-airing some of their favourite episodes from our archives.

Today, on a special episode, Asif and Ali interview addiction expert Dr. Jason Giles. For over two decades, Dr. Giles has helped more than 10,000 patients overcome substance use disorders. Dr. Giles combines clinical expertise with personal experience, having navigated his own journey to recovery 25 years ago. Dr. Giles is the founder and Medical Director of Addiction Doctors, a leading telemedicine practice specializing in comprehensive addiction care.

Dr. Giles discusses his personal story with addiction and how this led him from anesthesiology to addiction medicine. Asif and Ali then ask Dr. Giles about whether certain jobs or personality types are predisposed to addiction, and then ask about some “hot button issues” including forced addiction treatment,decriminalization of illegal drugs, and if you should pay people to stay sober. They also discuss whether people need to “want” to stop using. They then ask Dr. Giles about inpatient versus outpatient treatment and the role of telemedicine and Ali asks about the role of organizations such as AA and NA.

The opinions expressed are those of the hosts, and do not reflect those of any other organizations. This podcast and website represents the opinions of the hosts. The content here should not be taken as medical advice. The content here is for entertainment and informational purposes only, and because each person is so unique, please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions.

Music courtesy of Wataboi and 8er41 from Pixabay

Contact us at [email protected]

Follow us on Social media:
Twitter: @doctorvcomedian
Instagram: doctorvcomedian
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

NB: We will be off on Dec 26 and Jan 2 and will return with new episodes on Jan 9, 2026.

As a special bonus for our loyal listeners, Ali and Asif present a special episode discussing their favourite Christmas/Holiday movies. Listen to hear what they think about ‘Elf’, ‘Scrooged’, ‘Home Alone’, ‘Christmas Vacation’ and other holiday classics. Also find out if they think ‘Die Hard’ is a actually a Christmas movie and why one of them hates ‘Love Actually’ with a passion.

The opinions expressed are those of the hosts, and do not reflect those of any other organizations. This podcast and website represents the opinions of the hosts. The content here should not be taken as medical advice. The content here is for entertainment and informational purposes only, and because each person is so unique, please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions.

Music courtesy of Wataboi and 8er41 from Pixabay

Contact us at [email protected]

Follow us on Social media:
Twitter: @doctorvcomedian
Instagram: doctorvcomedian

Show Notes:

“Love, Actually”: The worst Christmas movie ever: https://www.salon.com/2012/12/19/love_actually_the_worst_christmas_movie_ever/
"Now I Have a Machine Gun. Ho Ho Ho.": https://www.slate.com/articles/arts/dvdextras/2007/12/now_i_havea_machine_gun_ho_ho_ho.html

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

NB: We will be off on Dec 26 and Jan 2 and will return with new episodes on Jan 9, 2026.

Today, Ali and Asif review their favourite entertainment from 2025. They discuss the best movies, TV shows, movies and books from the year (2:32). Listen to hear what they thought about ‘Fantastic 4: First Steps’, ‘Happy Gilmore 2’, ‘Sinners’, ‘Weapons’, ‘One Battle After Another’, ‘A Nice Indian Boy’, ‘Once Upon a Time Gaza’, ‘Adolescence’, ‘Mo’, ‘The Pitt’, ‘The Chair Company’, ‘The Studio’, ‘North of North, ‘The Beast in Me’, etc. They also discuss some comedy specials including specials by Mike Birbiglia, Bill Burr, Steph Tolev and Roy Wood Jr.

Then Asif asks Ali about the top medical news stories of the year (53:00). They discuss the good (the Nobel prize in medicine, CRISPR use in genetic disorders), the bad measles outbreaks) and the ugly (RFK Jr and MAHA).

The opinions expressed are those of the hosts, and do not reflect those of any other organizations. This podcast and website represents the opinions of the hosts. The content here should not be taken as medical advice. The content here is for entertainment and informational purposes only, and because each person is so unique, please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions.

Music courtesy of Wataboi and 8er41 from Pixabay

Contact us at [email protected]

Follow us on Social media:
Twitter: @doctorvcomedian
Instagram: doctorvcomedian

Show Notes:

Inside RFK Jr.’s first nine months leading HHS: https://www.statnews.com/2025/11/20/rfk-jr-hhs-track-record-examined-status-report/
Tracking RFK Jr.’s promises to remake health in America: https://www.statnews.com/2025/09/10/rfk-jr-maha-promise-tracker-fact-check/
Canada no longer measles-free as outbreaks spread: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/nov/11/canada-loses-measles-free-elimination-status
A huge outbreak has made Ontario the measles centre of the western hemisphere: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/06/measles-outbreak-ontario-canada
FIFA’s Gianni Infantino faces ethics complaint over Trump peace prize: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/12/10/fifas-gianni-infantino-faces-ethics-complaint-over-trump-peace-prize
Immune system breakthrough wins Nobel medicine prize for US, Japan scientists: https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/brunkow-ramsdell-sakaguchi-win-2025-nobel-medicine-prize-2025-10-06/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Infant with rare, incurable disease is first to successfully receive personalized gene therapy treatment: https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/infant-rare-incurable-disease-first-successfully-receive-personalized-gene-therapy-treatment
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.