Conspirituality Podcast — Episode: MAHA’s Selective Skepticism (January 17, 2026)

Hosts: Derek Beres, Matthew Remski, Julian Walker
Main Theme:
A sharp critique of the contemporary “MAHA” wellness-influencer movement’s impact on nutrition policy, specifically examining the latest (2026) U.S. Dietary Guidelines under RFK Jr.'s tenure at HHS, their ties to industry, disinformation, and the spread of dietary myths targeting public health efforts.

Episode Overview

Derek Beres takes the lead in this episode, dissecting the latest U.S. Dietary Guidelines and the cultivated outrage and misinformation by New Age grifters and conspirituality influencers. The central argument: the so-called dietary revolution led by Kennedy’s appointees is largely smoke and mirrors—leaning on selective skepticism, misrepresented science, and outright nostalgia-baiting about decades-old policy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The History and Politics of School Milk (01:00–04:30)

• USDA School Milk Policy:
  Discussion of how school milk standards (fat-free/low-fat only) were put in place post-2010 Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act, and how the Trump administration in 2018 reintroduced higher-fat flavored milk, aided by USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue’s agribusiness ties.
• Industry Influence:
  Dairy industry groups strongly supported regulatory changes favoring their products.
  Quote: “Major dairy industry organizations strongly supported Purdue's move, which at the time... honestly, mostly went unnoticed.” (03:04 - Derek Barras)

2. RFK Jr.’s ‘Scientific’ Food Guidelines: More of the Same (03:57–05:15)

• Kennedy’s Leadership:
  The new “inverted food pyramid”—the so-called “Scientific Foundation for the Dietary Guidelines for Americans”—is heavily compromised, especially with dairy and beef prioritization.
• Expert Ties to Industry:
  Noted that several Kennedy dietary advisors have financial ties to beef, dairy, and pork industries.
  Quote: “Three of the nine members have received grants or done consulting work for the National Cattleman's Beef Association.” (05:34 - Derek Barras quoting NYT)

3. Examining the Nutritional Claims (06:29–08:26)

• Mythbusting Full-Fat Milk:
  Kennedy claims children need full-fat milk for unique nutrients, but these are legally restored (or exceeded) in U.S. low- and non-fat milks via fortification.
  Quote: “...skim and low fat milk are required by law to be fortified with vitamins A and D, which restores or exceeds the original content.” (06:56 - Derek Barras)
• Wellness Myths:
  Natural vs. fortified nutrients: differences are negligible in human trials.
• Conjugated linoleic acid & Omega-3s:
  Their amounts in milk are minimal; health effects are inconsistent or limited.

4. Media Performances and the Obsession with Image (08:56–09:29)

• Cringe-worthy Soundbites:
  Kennedy’s supporters celebrate Trump’s testosterone levels in interviews with right-wing media.
  Quote (re: Dr. Oz): “He's got the highest testosterone level that [Dr. Oz has] ever seen for an individual over 70 years old. I know the President will be happy that I repeat that.” (09:08-09:29 - Kennedy proxy)

5. What is Actually in the Dietary Guidelines? (09:57–11:47)

• Comparing Claims vs. Substance:
  Dr. Jessica Nurik (guest, cited at 09:57) confirms new guidelines largely echo past ones: whole grains, fruits/veg, variety of proteins, limits on saturated fat (<10%), sugars, and sodium remain intact.
  Quote: “Despite all the noise, many of the core recommendations in the new guidelines are not a dramatic departure from previous dietary guidance.” (10:06 - Jessica Nurik via Derek)

6. Manufactured Outrage: Fighting a Ghost (11:10–12:15)

• Meme Battles:
  MAHA influencers fixate on the “food pyramid,” which hasn’t actually guided policy since 2011, choosing to fight obsolete representations rather than address current, largely unchanged recommendations.
  Quote: “Kennedy and crew are battling a 34 year old skeleton.” (11:14 - Derek Barras)

7. Selective Skepticism & Misrepresentation of Scientific Evidence (12:35–13:36)

• Saturated Fat Spin:
  New guidelines wrongly claim RCTs do not support cutting saturated fat; the podcast cites large reviews contradicting this.
  Quote: “The guidelines claim that randomized clinical trials or RCTs don't support saturated fat reduction—Which is completely made up.” (12:49 - Derek Barras)

8. Seed Oil Slander and Ultra-Processed Panic (14:44–18:02)

• “Seed Oil Suck” Narrative:
  Kennedy and others claim linoleic acid is harmful, ignoring robust RCT evidence to the contrary.
  • New studies show vegetable oils are associated with lower cancer and cardiovascular mortality. (15:57-16:27)
• Ultra-Processed Foods:
  The guidelines conflate minimally processed with ultra-processed. They also ignore why people depend on processed foods.
  Quote: “Maha's fetish with the idea that all food should just be pulled from the soil or shot really clouds the issue.” (17:30 - Derek Barras)

9. Misleading Narratives about Protein (19:10–20:19)

• The “Protein War” that Wasn’t:
  Despite claims of a “war on protein,” Americans already dramatically exceed the recommended dietary allowance (RDA). U.S. animal protein consumption is world-leading.
• Environmental Blind Spot:
  The new guidelines focus exclusively on animal protein, avoiding any discussion of environmental costs.
  Quote: “America... consumes more animal protein per capita than every other country except for Iceland. Maybe we're going to take them over next.” (19:39-19:53 - Derek Barras)

10. Fundamental Flaws of MAHA and Wellness Grifters (20:37–22:06)

• Selective Skepticism in Action:
  The movement applies high standards only against disfavored evidence, while accepting weak support for its own claims.
• Not Science, Just Dogma:
  “The fundamental problem with these guidelines, and with MAHA overall, is their selective skepticism... Their recommendations appear science based, but as we're well aware, they actually reflect Kennedy's predetermined viewpoints.” (20:37 - Derek Barras)

11. Final Reflections: Bankruptcy of Values (22:06–22:53)

• Character Matters:
  Kennedy and Trump run government not by evidence, but by principles of activism and image curation—tragically, to the detriment of the nation’s health. Quote: “Tragically for us, the game that Kennedy is playing is going to bankrupt the health of this nation.” (22:46-22:51 - Derek Barras)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Dairy Industry Influence:
  “Three of the nine members have received grants or done consulting work for the National Cattleman's Beef Association.” (05:34 - Derek Barras quoting NYT)
• On Wellness Myths:
  “I know wellness influencers love to claim that fortifying products isn't as good as the natural version, but that's also predominantly...bullshit.” (07:04 - Derek Barras)
• On Manufactured Outrage:
  “Kennedy and crew are battling a 34 year old skeleton.” (11:14 - Derek Barras)
• On Selective Skepticism:
  “Their recommendations appear science-based, but as we're well aware, they actually reflect Kennedy's predetermined viewpoints.” (20:37 - Derek Barras)
• On Environmental Blindspots:
  “It's wild that they repeat natural at every turn when their prescribed actions are destroying nature at such a rapid pace.” (20:37 - Derek Barras)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:00 – The USDA milk controversy and industry influence
• 03:57 – RFK Jr.'s “Scientific” food guidelines and their origins
• 06:29 – Debunking claims about the nutritional superiority of full-fat milk
• 09:08 – Media performances and supporters' cringeworthy claims
• 10:06 – How new dietary guidelines are actually not that new
• 11:10 – Manufactured outrage targeting an obsolete food pyramid
• 12:35 – Discussion of selective skepticism and evidence cherry-picking
• 15:45 – Evidence about seed oils from major studies
• 17:15 – Ultra-processed foods and misleading definitions
• 19:30 – War on protein: a manufactured narrative
• 20:37 – The heart of the problem: selective skepticism revealed
• 22:46 – America’s health at stake; warnings for the future

Tone and Delivery

Derek’s language is frank, at times caustic and profane (“fucking Paul Saladino and Dave Asprey's feed”), but always focused on exposing contradictions, financial conflicts, and scientific sleights of hand. The overall tone is skeptical, witty, and urgent—aimed at arming the listener with context, evidence, and comedic relief against what the hosts see as the cynical opportunism of modern wellness influencers and allied politicians.

Summary

This episode is a thorough debunking of the new dietary guidelines' claim to scientific credibility. Derek points out the real continuity with previous recommendations beneath the manufactured media panic, detailing the industry ties, scientific distortions, and odd political grandstanding that color the conversation about nutrition in 2026. With a blend of sharp wit and detailed analysis, the episode gives listeners the context to see through the latest conspirituality-fueled “health” trends and to draw the line between actual science and opportunistic myth-peddling.