Is Your Sponge Making You Sick? Shocking Truth | Courtney Swan DSH #1093

Summary

Digital Social Hour Episode Summary Episode Title: Is Your Sponge Making You Sick? Shocking Truth | Courtney Swan DSH #1093
Release Date: January 12, 2025
Host: Sean Kelly
Guest: Courtney Swan

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Introduction to Food Safety Concerns

The episode kicks off with Courtney Swan expressing optimism about increasing public awareness regarding seed oils. She states, “I'm excited about this new year because I feel like more and more people are really becoming conscious of seed oils. I hope that there's going to be a shift or restaurants are going to stop using it” (00:01). This sets the stage for a deep dive into the hidden dangers present in everyday food items.

Rise of the Seed Oil Movement

Courtney discusses the burgeoning movement against seed oils, highlighting the impact of apps like Seed Oil Scout. Maha notes, “Oh, it's already starting because I got Seed Oil Scout three years ago in Vegas. There was maybe one or two restaurants on that whole app, and now there's, like, at least 25” (00:09). This growth signifies a broader societal shift towards cleaner eating practices.

Health Implications: Seed Oils and Colon Cancer

A pivotal point in the conversation is the revelation of a recent study linking seed oils to colon cancer. Courtney emphasizes the severity: “There was a big study that just came out linking it to colon cancer, so I think people are really starting to pay attention” (00:17). This study has galvanized activists and health-conscious individuals alike to advocate for policy changes.

Courtney Swan’s Senate Testimony and Its Impact

Courtney shares her experience testifying before the Senate, stating, “We got a ton of exposure for our movement, which was incredible” (00:50). Maha inquires about the outcomes, and Courtney reveals that this exposure has unified supporters with figures like RK Jr., aiming to drive legislative changes in Washington.

Kellogg’s Sales Decline and Industry Practices

The discussion shifts to corporate practices, particularly Kellogg’s. Courtney points out the backlash against Kellogg’s use of harmful ingredients: “They’re creating these food products here in America that are made with poisons that they don't put in other countries. It's literally an act of terrorism against us” (02:03). This critique is backed by evidence of a 54% sales decline, attributed to public outcry over unhealthy ingredients.

Glyphosate Contamination in Food

A significant portion of the episode delves into glyphosate, a harmful herbicide. Courtney explains its pervasive presence: “We’re spraying them really heavily with a chemical called glyphosate. It’s a herbicide very heavily linked to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma” (03:04). She references a study by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) indicating that “80 to 90% of the grain products on our store shelves had glyphosate contamination” (03:19), emphasizing the widespread nature of this issue.

Differences in Food Regulations: US vs. Europe

Courtney contrasts US food regulations with those in Europe: “They’re forced to create better formulations in Europe where they don’t use those toxic food dyes because they have found that it causes hyperactivity in children” (02:08). This highlights the regulatory gaps that allow harmful substances in American food products.

Strategies for Consumers: Organic Choices and Ingredient Awareness

The conversation offers practical advice for listeners. Courtney recommends using apps like Yuka and Trash Panda to scan and evaluate food labels: “Trash Panda does” (06:28). She also stresses the importance of purchasing organic products to avoid glyphosate exposure, especially in items like chickpeas and peanut butter.

Concerns Beyond Food: Fluoride and Classroom Safety

Maha brings up fluoride in water and its potential impact on IQ: “Lowering IQ by three points. That’s no joke” (07:31). Courtney acknowledges the seriousness and mentions legislative movements to remove fluoride and food dyes from schools, aligning with efforts to protect children’s health.

Kitchen Safety and Household Habits

Shifting focus to household practices, Courtney warns about the dangers of kitchen sponges: “We've had the same sponge for like four months” (11:19). She highlights the rampant bacterial growth and advises regular replacement of sponges to prevent contamination.

Environmental Concerns: Plastic in Dishwasher Pods

The episode also touches on environmental toxins, specifically microplastics from dishwasher pods. Courtney shares a solution: “She opens the plastic part and then just dumps the actual detergent in the machine so that you don’t have” (11:33), reducing plastic waste and potential ingestion of harmful materials.

Holistic Health Practices: Saunas and Air Filters

Concluding the health segment, Courtney advocates for holistic practices like using saunas to detoxify the body and installing high-quality air filters: “Air filters, I think are a really massive one” (12:38). She endorses brands like Jasper for their efficiency and durability, despite higher upfront costs.

Promoting Healthy Alternatives

Throughout the episode, healthy food alternatives are emphasized. Courtney suggests brands like Unreal and Justin’s for healthier candy options during Halloween and recommends choosing products with simple, clean ingredients to avoid hidden toxins.

Conclusion and Call to Action

In wrapping up, Courtney promotes her initiative “Real Foodology,” encouraging listeners to engage with her podcast and social media platforms for more insights: “Where we're not censored” (13:01). Both hosts express gratitude for her contributions and the valuable information shared.

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Notable Quotes

• Courtney Swan on seed oil awareness: “I'm excited about this new year because I feel like more and more people are really becoming conscious of seed oils. I hope that there's going to be a shift or restaurants are going to stop using it.” (00:01)

• Courtney Swan on glyphosate’s risks: “It’s a herbicide very heavily linked to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.” (03:04)

• Courtney Swan on kitchen safety: “We've had the same sponge for like four months.” (11:19)

• Courtney Swan advocating for clean products: “Buy the products that you know are clean and safe. Buy the organic food whenever you can. Buy whole real foods.” (12:28)

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Final Thoughts

This episode of Digital Social Hour, hosted by Sean Kelly with guest Courtney Swan, serves as a critical exploration of hidden health hazards in everyday products. From the dangers of seed oils and glyphosate to household practices that impact our well-being, the discussion underscores the importance of informed consumer choices and advocates for systemic changes in food industry regulations. Courtney's insights and actionable advice empower listeners to make healthier decisions and contribute to a broader movement towards safer, more transparent food and household products.

Transcript

[Courtney Swan]

I'm excited about this new year because I feel like more and more people are really becoming conscious of seed oils. I hope that there's going to be a shift or restaurants are going to stop using it.

[Maha]

Oh, it's already starting because I got Seed Oil Scout three years ago in Vegas. There was maybe one or two restaurants on that whole app, and now there's, like, at least 25.

[Courtney Swan]

There was a big study that just came out linking it to colon cancer, so I think people are really starting to pay attention.

[Maha]

All right, guys, Courtney Swan is back. It's been a while. How you been?

[Maga]

Good.

[Courtney Swan]

How have you been?

[Maha]

I've been great. Maha and Maga, right?

[Courtney Swan]

A lot has happened since the last time I saw you. If you had told me when we talked a year and a half ago that this would be all converging together, I wouldn't have believed you.

[Maha]

Who would have thought you would testify a Senate?

[Courtney Swan]

Oh, my God. That was so incredible. I'm so grateful for that experience. It's so surreal.

[Maha]

Yeah. So what was the outcome of that? Because I saw a lot of viral clips, so did anything come from that?

[Courtney Swan]

Yeah, I mean, we got a ton of exposure for our movement, which was incredible. I think it got a lot of people on the same page with RK Jr and the whole Maha movement. Yeah, we're hoping to do a lot more of those because we're hoping that we can actually drive change. That was kind of a beginning step to. To get the conversation started and make people aware of it so that hopefully we can start driving more change in Washington so we can actually change the policy.

[Maha]

Yeah. And a big part of what I was seeing was the ingredients in the food, right? Yes, that was the main issue.

[Maga]

Yeah.

[Courtney Swan]

And actually, if anybody has seen the Kellogg's thing that's been going on, that's kind of where. That's where Vonnie started. Started talking about all of that and started her, like, cancel Kellogg's because she wanted to create a movement behind that. And I think that's. I mean, she just testified or not testified, but she did a speech yesterday saying that they're down 54 in sales.

[Maha]

What? Yeah, 54.

[Courtney Swan]

And she started that at the Senate, and it created just like a wildfire.

[Maha]

And that's a huge company. So when you hear 54% for, like, a small business, that's. That's still a lot, but for them, that's hundreds of millions, right?

[Courtney Swan]

Oh, yeah. Well, and it's also. I mean, it makes sense. You know, it's un American. The fact that These American companies are creating these food products here in America that are made with poisons that they don't put in other countries. It's literally. It's an act of terrorism against us.

[Maha]

Yeah.

[Courtney Swan]

Against our own people.

[Maha]

Yeah. Because you read the same ingredients in Europe.

[Courtney Swan]

Exactly.

[Maha]

Nowhere close. Right.

[Maga]

Yeah.

[Courtney Swan]

Well, and a lot of. If they. If they get the American version in Europe, it actually comes with a warning label on it. But they're forced to create better formulations in Europe where they don't use those toxic food dyes because they have found that it causes hyperactivity in children. There's also links to cancer.

[Maha]

Wow, that's nuts. And are the most harmful ingredients in something like that, the food coloring, the food dyes?

[Courtney Swan]

I mean, there's also glyphosate, which is not actually on the label. This is what I testified in this Senate about, is that Bayer bought Monsanto, an agrochemical company, back in 2018, and they control largely our entire food supply because they're in charge of the seeds, and the genetically modified seeds are getting into our food system. And they're spraying them really heavily with a chemical called glyphosate. It's a herbicide very heavily linked to non Hodgkin's lymphoma. In fact, they've been sued $2.2 billion, I think now they've had to pay out to farmers for getting non Hodgkin's lymphoma.

[Maha]

They're still using it, and they're still.

[Courtney Swan]

Spraying in all of our food, and it's all over conventional. I mean, there was a study that came out through the EWG Environmental Environmental Working Group last year. They found that 80 to 90% of the grain products on our store shelves had glyphosate contamination.

[Maha]

Oh, my gosh. So all the bread. All the bread.

[Courtney Swan]

I mean, Cheez, its, you name it. Like all the Kellogg cereals, Fruit Loops, and we're feeding these to our children. Cheerios. Actually, they did an independent study, and they came across. They found that they were really high in glyphosate.

[Maha]

That's crazy.

[Maga]

Yeah.

[Maha]

And they market that as a heart healthy meal.

[Courtney Swan]

Yeah. They also market it directly to children.

[Maha]

Right. I saw. I think it was Bonza, one of the healthier ones. They had a ton of glyphosate in it.

[Courtney Swan]

They actually. That was really wild. So I have a. My friend Zinn, Honeycutt has a company called Moms Across America, and they do a lot of independent testing.

[Maha]

Yeah.

[Courtney Swan]

And they found that bonsai had the highest amount of glyphosate than any other food product they've ever seen.

[Maha]

Crazy chickpeas, huh?

[Courtney Swan]

Chickpeas are one that if you're eating them, make sure that they're organic because otherwise they're really. They're very heavily sprayed with glyphosate.

[Maha]

So all the nuts and seeds. Yes, those have glyphosate on them too?

[Maga]

Yeah. Yep.

[Courtney Swan]

Almonds all. Exactly. Peanut butter. Peanut butter actually is really heavily sprayed with glyphosate as well. So you want to make sure that. I mean, unfortunately the reality is, is that if you're not buying organic, it's probably doused in glyphosate.

[Maha]

I used to love me a peanut butter jelly growing up.

[Courtney Swan]

Oh, I love peanut butter.

[Maha]

Peanut butter fluff, peanut butter jelly.

[Courtney Swan]

I know, it's such a classic, but look, you can still do that, right? But you need to get real bread. American bread, like wonder Bread or Sara Lee or any of those breads. They don't mold. I just saw a video actually that was going viral of this woman that had all these different breads. It was like Sara Lee and Wonder Bread and they had been sitting out on her counter for months. They didn't mold.

[Maha]

Wow.

[Courtney Swan]

Real bread is supposed to mold within three to four days. So you can have your peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but get real bread where it's just made with really simple ingredients like flour, salt, yeast.

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[Courtney Swan]

Water.

[Maha]

We started making our own at our house.

[Courtney Swan]

See, that's amazing.

[Maha]

Sourdough.

[Courtney Swan]

And then you get an organic peanut butter and you get a real fruit spread that's not made with high fructose corn syrup. And then you can enjoy that peanut butter and jelly. But it's about the ingredients.

[Maha]

Crazy. Do you use the Yuka app when you shop?

[Courtney Swan]

Yeah, it's great. I also really like Trash Panda. It's another really good one. If people don't know what that app is, you can just go to the grocery store and you can look at any label and scan it in the app and then it tells you all the ingredients and it tells you whether or not you should buy that.

[Maha]

But one thing with you go though, I'll say is they don't account for seed oils.

[Courtney Swan]

Oh, yeah. See, Trash Panda does.

[Maha]

Oh, they do. Yeah. Okay. So I got to switch to Trash Panda.

[Maga]

Yeah.

[Courtney Swan]

Trash Panda is really good.

[Maha]

And I started using seed oil scalp.

[Courtney Swan]

Oh, seed oil scalp. I travel so much and I use it all the time. And it also helps me find new restaurants in my city. I just moved to Denver.

[Maha]

Yeah.

[Courtney Swan]

And I check it all the time for new restaurants because they're always putting new ones on there.

[Maha]

I love that.

[Courtney Swan]

I'm. I'm excited about this new year because I feel like more and more people are really becoming conscious of seed oils.

[Maha]

Yeah.

[Courtney Swan]

And it's made it so hard to eat out if you're trying to avoid seed oils. But I feel like people are becoming so conscious of it that it's going to. I hope that there's going to be a shift or restaurants are going to stop using it.

[Maha]

Oh, it's already starting because I got seed oil scout three years ago in Vegas. There was maybe one or two restaurants on the whole app.

[Courtney Swan]

Wow.

[Maha]

And now there's like, at least 25, so that's amazing. Yeah, it's definitely growing.

[Courtney Swan]

Well, there's a. There was a big study that just came out linking it to colon cancer.

[Maha]

Wow.

[Courtney Swan]

Yeah, it just came out like two weeks ago. And so I think people are really starting to pay attention.

[Maha]

Also, the fluoride studies are concerning. I mean, lowering IQ by three points.

[Courtney Swan]

I mean.

[Maga]

Yes.

[Maha]

That's no joke.

[Courtney Swan]

No. And there's a couple states I can't remember. Where was it in? It might have been in New York, where they were saying they're going to take the fluoride out of the water. I don't remember what.

[Maha]

New York, Cali. I don't know.

[Courtney Swan]

I don't think California. California actually just passed a law, though, that they're no longer going to allowed food eyes in schools.

[Maha]

Oh, nice.

[Courtney Swan]

Which is huge because that's going to take out all of, you know, the Kellogg's, Cere, Fruit Loops.

[Maha]

Yeah. Do you think soda vending machines should be banned in schools?

[Courtney Swan]

I do. I know this is kind of controversial because people don't want to have their food controlled, but the way that I view this is it's similar to, like, look at what happened with ddt.

[Maha]

Yeah.

[Courtney Swan]

When we found out that DDT was seriously harming people, we had to have the government intervene because we can't just have a free for all with all these chemicals in our food system.

[Maha]

Yeah.

[Courtney Swan]

And with something like soda. I feel like having them in schools. I just think that they shouldn't have direct access to that. I think that once you're an adult and you're free to make your own decisions, like, not saying that kids aren't, but I just feel like it's pushed on them at such a young age.

[Maha]

Yeah.

[Courtney Swan]

That we shouldn't allow them in schools. I mean, they're loaded with sugar. We know they're terrible for you. They're linked to diabetes, non alcoholic fatty liver disease, which is rising in teens like crazy right now. I personally think. Yeah, they should be in school.

[Maha]

Yeah. What candy did you give out on Halloween at your house?

[Courtney Swan]

So actually I wasn't home this year for Halloween and now I've been traveling so much, I'm like, where was I? But my plan was I was gonna get the Unreal candy bars.

[Maha]

Okay.

[Courtney Swan]

I'm not the. Like, get raisins and popcorn. Like, I'm. I'm a true. I love Halloween and I. It was one of my favorite holidays growing up and I loved getting the candy, but I want the healthy candy. So get like the Unreal bars where they make like snicker bars and they're just without the high fructose corn syrup.

[Maha]

And all the ingredients I've had.

[Courtney Swan]

Yes. I actually really like smart sweets.

[Maha]

Yeah. I'll say. Sprouts has some decent candy. Yeah, Sprouts and Whole Foods.

[Maga]

Yes.

[Courtney Swan]

Yeah, exactly. That's where I go. So I would have just done a Whole Foods and I would have gotten like all the different Unreal Gems are really good too. Like, they're M M's.

[Maha]

Yeah.

[Courtney Swan]

Those are Amazing.

[Maha]

Justin's peanut butter cups or whatever.

[Courtney Swan]

Yes, those are also. Justin's. Just came out with peanut butter M M's. And they're so good.

[Maha]

I gotta try that. Are the nuts organic, though, in it?

[Courtney Swan]

Yes, they are. That's a good question. I'm pretty sure they are. I think all their stuff is organic.

[Maha]

Yeah. I'm so careful when I shop on the shelves these days at grocery stores. I try to stay on the outside.

[Courtney Swan]

Yeah, no, it's good. That's smart.

[Maha]

Even, like, I used to buy a lot of freezer stuff. I kind of chilled on that.

[Courtney Swan]

I used to do that in college.

[Maha]

And then I realized, because I don't use microwaves anymore.

[Courtney Swan]

Same. I don't use a microwave. I haven't used a microwave in, like, 20 years.

[Maha]

Whoa. Well done. You beat me by 20. 19 years and six months.

[Courtney Swan]

I actually. I actually did not even have a microwave in my home for, like, 10 years. My last two homes, they haven't built in the kitchen. Yeah, but when it wasn't in the kitchen, I wouldn't even buy a microwave. I just didn't even have one.

[Maha]

The food, first of all, it doesn't taste as good.

[Maga]

No.

[Maha]

Cooking out the nutrients.

[Courtney Swan]

It's also. It kind of weirds me out when you look at a package and it says 40 minutes in the oven or 2 minutes in the microwave. What is happening in the microwave?

[Maha]

Yeah, that's a lot. There's a little.

[Courtney Swan]

Yeah, that's crazy. That's like a huge difference.

[Maha]

I just feel better. I've been, like, just eating out of the oven lately, you know.

[Courtney Swan]

Eating out of the oven?

[Maha]

Yeah. Well, just like, even, like, the thing you microwave, the takeout containers, there's plastic in it.

[Maga]

Yes.

[Maha]

So you're eating plastic, So I put it in glass. Yeah.

[Courtney Swan]

You have to, to be honest.

[Maga]

Yeah.

[Courtney Swan]

I try not to do that often, but when I do. Yeah. I'll put it in glass and then heat it up in the oven. Or just put it in a pan on the stove. Yeah, it really doesn't take that long. It takes a couple minutes on the stove, in a pan. It's not a big deal.

[Maha]

Yeah. Kitchen's one of the most dangerous places in the house if you're not doing it right.

[Maga]

Yes.

[Courtney Swan]

Teflon pans. Big deal. I think we talked about this on your show.

[Maha]

Yeah.

[Maga]

Yeah.

[Maha]

I just found out about sponges from Dr. Pompa.

[Courtney Swan]

Wait, I don't know about this, actually.

[Maha]

Yeah. So do you use a sponge at home? So after, like, two days, the bacterial growth is so like massive.

[Courtney Swan]

I mean, it makes sense that you.

[Maha]

Need to be constantly swapping out your sponge, but most people do not.

[Courtney Swan]

Oh yeah, we've had the same sponge for like four months.

[Maha]

That's what I'm saying.

[Courtney Swan]

I need to go.

[Maha]

So there's so much bacteria on that that it's just getting everywhere. You think you're cleaning a plate, you're making it worse.

[Courtney Swan]

It makes sense. Yeah, yeah.

[Maha]

And dishwasher pods are another big one.

[Courtney Swan]

Well, those are plastic coated.

[Maha]

Yeah.

[Courtney Swan]

So actually a girlfriend of mine found pods that she really liked and so what she does is she opens the plastic part and then just dumps the actual detergent in the machine so that you don't have. Because it puts microplastics all over your.

[Maha]

I didn't even think about that. But yeah, when you throw it in the laundry machine, the plastic's gone. Where is it exactly?

[Courtney Swan]

It melts and then it goes into the water all over your dishes. I know, it's so. It's. Look, it's one of those things that I try to remind people, but you can really go down a bunch of rabbit holes and really freak yourself out and become super paranoid. You just can't allow yourself to do that. Like you just buy the products that you know are clean and safe. Buy the organic food whenever you can. Buy whole real foods. Prioritize that. Good. Get good filtered water, do the things that you can control and then just try not to stress about the breast because our bodies are also resilient. There's many things we can do. Like sweat. We've talked about this. Get in the sauna, sweat everything out and just hope for the best.

[Maha]

I can't wait to sauna tonight because I've been traveling. I haven't done in three days. I'm like craving it. I'm like addicted.

[Maga]

Yes.

[Courtney Swan]

It makes you feel so good.

[Maha]

Yeah, I got. And also air filters.

[Maga]

Yes.

[Courtney Swan]

Air filters, I think are a really massive one.

[Maha]

Massive, yes.

[Courtney Swan]

And they can be a big investment up front. But if you get a good. I really like the brand, Jasper. They are expensive, they have a higher price tag, but they have a lifetime warranty. They will always replace it for you. And he even said when they update the machinery on it that he will send everybody out the new updates on everything because he's guaranteed that like once you buy one, you have it for.

[Maha]

Oh, wow.

[Courtney Swan]

And they're really superior.

[Maha]

That's cool. I'll look into that one. Yeah. Shout out to him. Where could people support your mission And Maha?

[Courtney Swan]

Yeah, At Real Foodology. So I have a podcast. It's called Real Foodology. And then I also have an Instagram account and a TikTok. Real Foodology. I'm also an X and I'm trying to grow that right now.

[Maha]

Let's go.

[Courtney Swan]

Real Food. Ology.

[Maha]

All right.

[Courtney Swan]

Where we're not censored.

[Maha]

Yeah, we'll link it below. Thanks. Come on.

[Courtney Swan]

Again, thank you so much.

[Maha]

Yeah.