Podcast Summary: Conspirituality Episode 245: "Raw Dogging Wellness" featuring Mallory DeMille

Introduction

In Episode 245 of the Conspirituality podcast, titled "Raw Dogging Wellness," hosts Derek Barris, Matthew Rimsky, Julian Walker, and guest Mallory DeMille delve into the burgeoning trend of raw diets within the wellness community. This episode critically examines the promotion of raw milk, raw meat, and raw water by influencers, highlighting the pseudoscientific claims and potential health risks associated with these practices. The discussion also explores the intersection of raw wellness trends with broader conspiratorial and spiritual movements.

1. The Rise of Raw Wellness Trends

The episode opens with Mallory DeMille showcasing her raw diet, emphasizing unprocessed and uncooked foods. She lists her daily consumption of raw T-bone steak, raw bison liver, raw milk, and other raw products, presenting them as natural and health-promoting.

Mallory DeMille [02:12]: "Today I had a raw T bone steak with raw bison, bone marrow, raw bison liver and raw milk."

The hosts introduce the central theme: the increasing advocacy for raw diets as a means to achieve better health, often intertwined with conspiracy theories and distrust of mainstream health guidelines.

2. Raw Milk Advocacy and Conspiratorial Ties

Mallory discusses the surge in raw milk promotion, particularly following RFK Jr.'s political nomination. Influencers like Dave Asprey are mentioned for their supportive stance on raw milk, despite lacking credible scientific backing.

Mallory DeMille [03:24]: "In my wellness watching, I've seen an influx in the promotion of All Things Raw, but definitely more intensely since RFK Jr's nomination back in November."

Derek Barris critically analyzes the scientific validity of studies cited by raw milk proponents, pointing out methodological flaws and biases.

Derek Barris [11:14]: "One of them relied on parental reports of milk consumption, which is subject to recall bias because they didn't actually keep records, which is what they do in clinical science."

Mallory shares her background in dairy farming, reinforcing the importance of pasteurization to prevent bacterial infections, contradicting the raw milk narrative.

3. Influencers and Pseudoscientific Claims

The discussion moves to influential figures like Paul Saladino, who downplay the risks of raw milk even amidst outbreaks like bird flu. The hosts emphasize the dangers of relying on anecdotal evidence over scientific research.

Julian Walker [13:24]: "It's so easy to find out that the health benefits of raw milk that they claim are completely unfounded, while the dangers are potentially very severe."

Mallory highlights the skewed presentation of raw milk benefits versus risks on platforms like TikTok, where benefits are presented as absolute truths, minimizing potential dangers.

Mallory DeMille [15:56]: "But when searching raw milk on TikTok... benefits are framed as absolute, it's just listed as benefits, but the risks are framed as potential, making them seem less likely."

4. The Evolution of Raw Food Movements

Derek Barris provides a historical context, tracing the raw food movement back to the 19th century and its ties to natural health retreats and influential figures like John Harvey Kellogg. The episode explores how raw foodism has evolved, particularly within the back-to-the-land and modern wellness movements.

Derek Barris [22:08]: "Swiss physician Maximilian Oscar Bercher Benner is credited with kicking off the modern raw food movement... He also championed the benefits of sunbathing, cold showers."

Julian Walker adds that terms like "superfoods" have been overused and revived in modern marketing strategies, aligning raw food trends with contemporary wellness branding.

5. Raw Water: A New Frontier in Wellness Marketing

Mallory introduces the concept of raw water, examining how it's marketed as pristine and untouched, despite being repackaged tap water. The hosts dissect the marketing tactics and lack of regulation surrounding raw water products.

Mallory DeMille [30:40]: "I know there needed to be a better option. So I did my research and came across Alive Waters."

Julian Walker underscores the problematic nature of such marketing, where beauty and purity are emphasized over factual accuracy.

Julian Walker [31:50]: "But I'm just playing. It was the whole structured water scam... alkaline water was closely tied to those Kangen water MLM products."

Derek Barris cites a microbiologist’s perspective on the safety concerns of raw water, contrasting it with the regulated safety of tap water.

Derek Barris [38:34]: "The Environmental Protection Agency routinely screens for nearly 100 contaminants to ensure tap water is safe. In contrast, raw water remains untested, unregulated and untreated."

6. Raw Meat and Its Dangers

The conversation shifts to raw meat consumption, with Matthew Rimsky and Mallory DeMille sharing personal anecdotes about the perceived benefits of raw meat diets. The hosts counter these claims by explaining the scientific consensus on the need for cooking meat to eliminate harmful bacteria.

Matthew Rimsky [48:10]: "But regardless of what he's feeding you, it's still going to give you diarrhea."

Derek Barris emphasizes the risks of foodborne illnesses like E. coli and the lack of substantial health benefits from raw meat diets.

Derek Barris [52:31]: "Cooking meat does degrade certain heat-sensitive nutrients, but you're talking about B vitamins that are widely available elsewhere."

7. Case Studies of Influential Raw Dieters

The episode examines specific influencers such as Christian Van Camp and Scott Lives, who advocate for raw dieting despite evident health risks. Mallory DeMille criticizes their methods and the lack of scientific backing, highlighting the disconnect between influencer claims and medical advice.

Mallory DeMille [49:00]: "Christian is the perfect case study for the problematic wellness influencer. He's incredibly conspiratorial... shares wildly false and dangerous health information."

Julian Walker discusses the cultural and emotional factors that make individuals susceptible to adopting and promoting such pseudoscientific practices.

Julian Walker [47:50]: "It's just a matter of risk assessment when pitching products and services like shooting fish in a barrel for these people."

8. Psychological and Sociocultural Underpinnings

Matthew Rimsky and Julian Walker explore the psychological motivations behind the adoption of raw wellness trends, drawing parallels to Freudian concepts of autonomy and societal control. They argue that the distrust in institutional guidelines fosters a community that embraces raw practices as a form of rebellion and self-empowerment.

Matthew Rimsky [41:12]: "We've lost control of our own shit. And we're no longer in raw or direct relationship with life."

Julian Walker [46:32]: "The types of things that these all rely on... require some basic scientific literacy."

They posit that shared emotional fervor and a desire for authenticity drive the persistence of these movements despite clear evidence of their risks.

9. Conclusion and Final Remarks

As the episode wraps up, the hosts reflect on the broader implications of the raw wellness trend within the conspiratorial and spiritual landscape. They emphasize the need for critical thinking and informed decision-making to counteract the spread of pseudoscientific health practices.

Matthew Rimsky [56:34]: "If their goal is respectability... the fixation is really more broad. It's about feeling disconnected."

Julian Walker [47:50]: "If you use this in an individualistic way... these movements are probably dealing with shared forms of emotional fervor."

The hosts call for greater awareness and understanding of how such wellness trends operate, urging listeners to seek evidence-based information and remain vigilant against manipulative marketing tactics.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Mallory DeMille [02:12]: "Today I had a raw T bone steak with raw bison, bone marrow, raw bison liver and raw milk."

• Derek Barris [11:14]: "One of them relied on parental reports of milk consumption, which is subject to recall bias because they didn't actually keep records, which is what they do in clinical science."

• Mallory DeMille [03:24]: "In my wellness watching, I've seen an influx in the promotion of All Things Raw, but definitely more intensely since RFK Jr's nomination back in November."

• Julian Walker [31:50]: "But I'm just playing. It was the whole structured water scam... alkaline water was closely tied to those Kangen water MLM products."

• Derek Barris [38:34]: "The Environmental Protection Agency routinely screens for nearly 100 contaminants to ensure tap water is safe. In contrast, raw water remains untested, unregulated and untreated."

Final Thoughts

Episode 245 of Conspirituality serves as a critical examination of the raw wellness movement, exposing the pseudoscientific foundations and potential health hazards of raw diets. By dissecting the narratives of influencers and contextualizing them within historical and psychological frameworks, the podcast underscores the importance of skepticism and informed health choices in an era rife with misinformation and conspiratorial thinking.