Scrolling with Hayley (Ep. 240): Exposing Big Food w/ Patrick & Ashley Sullivan

Release Date: February 20, 2026
Host: Hayley Caronia
Guests: Patrick & Ashley Sullivan (Filmmakers, entrepreneurs, Firefly Organic Coffee & Market owners)

Episode Overview

This episode is dedicated to "Maha"—Make America Healthy Again—exploring how Americans are waking up to health and food system deceptions, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. Hayley is joined by Patrick and Ashley Sullivan, creators of the documentary Breaking Big Food: How the American Food System Went Rotten and How It’s Being Revived, and owners of Firefly Organic Coffee and Market in Arizona. The discussion exposes the dark ties between Big Food and Big Tobacco, government corruption in nutrition guidelines, the importance of food sourcing, and how individuals can take ownership of their health—plus memorable stories about coffee, mold, and raw milk along the way.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Origins of the Maha Movement (00:00–04:17)

• Pandemic as a Wake-Up Call: Hayley describes how COVID-19 eroded trust in institutions and triggered public skepticism about official health directives.
• Suburban/Maha Moms: Both Hayley and the Sullivans observe how mothers have become fiercely proactive about family health, searching for truth about food and wellness.
  • Quote (Ashley): “Moms are angry. I think the veil has been lifted...the tiger moms are coming out. No more. I’m going to take control of my family’s health.” (03:54)

2. Patrick’s Health Crisis and Personal Awakening (04:35–07:51)

• Thyroid Cancer Experience: Patrick’s 2014 diagnosis led to surgery, then ten years later, a revelation about the lack of medical curiosity in addressing root causes.
  • Quote (Patrick): “No doctor ever told me how or why the cancer got into my thyroid...I have really come to believe that nutrition is a part of the broader environmental factors.” (06:26)
• Nutrition as Prevention: The Sullivans were influenced by thinkers like Calley Means and now view environmental factors, especially nutrition, as central to disease prevention.

3. The Food Pyramid: Government, Lobbyists, and Misinformation (09:36–13:00)

• Big Tobacco’s Takeover: Patrick reveals jaw-dropping history of Big Tobacco buying major food brands, controlling up to 40% of the food supply by the mid-90s.
  • Quote (Patrick): “By the mid-1990s, the cigarette industry controlled about 40% of the food supply in America.” (11:11)
• Lobbyist Influence: Policy and guidelines like the old food pyramid (high bread, low fat) served industry interests, not public health.
• Stark U.S. Health Contradictions: America makes up 4% of global population but 75% of pharmaceutical profits, and ranks 49th in life expectancy.

4. Understanding Food Labels & Dirty Dozen Ingredients (13:10–15:48)

• Misleading Labels: The FDA’s rounding rules allow “zero sugar” claims despite trace sugars; ingredients are mislabeled or hidden.
  • Quote (Ashley): “They also have different names for certain substances...to mislead.” (14:41)
• Resources: The Sullivans created a “Dirty Dozen Ingredients to Avoid” cheat sheet on ingredientsnobs.com.

5. Firefly Coffee & Mold-Free Coffee (15:27–18:42)

• Starting Firefly: Ashley’s health testing revealed environmental toxins—specifically, coffee was a mold culprit. This drove their push for mold-free, organic coffee.
  • Quote (Ashley): “Coffee is actually one of the main culprits. It’s a very common thing to find mold or mycotoxins in coffee beans.” (16:29)
• Health Self-Ownership: Testing showed sources (food/environment) for toxins, and the drive for transparency led to Firefly’s unique offerings.

6. The Raw Milk Debate (19:59–25:02)

• Raw Milk vs. Pasteurized: Hayley’s firsthand experience: “I felt like I had been lied to my whole life about milk.” (20:59)
• Pasteurization Consequences: It destroys lactase enzyme—many who think they’re lactose intolerant might simply be reacting to pasteurized, not raw, milk.
  • Quote (Patrick): “A lot of people that think they are lactose intolerant…there’s no lactase in the pasteurized milk.” (21:53)
• Regulatory Hurdles: Arizona allows raw milk sales but not preparation in coffee shops, so Firefly lets customers DIY raw milk lattes ("Naked Latte").

7. Eggs, Allergies, and Gut Health (26:20–31:39)

• Egg Propaganda: Historic fearmongering about eggs shifted, especially as consumers source from local, pasture-raised chickens.
• Food Sensitivities & Gut: Sullivans blame gut microbiome damage—additives, seed oils, pesticides—for epidemic of allergies and intolerances.
  • Quote (Ashley): “All these gums and emulsifiers…our bodies just really weren’t designed to eat these things.” (24:21)
• Europe vs. U.S.: Fewer additives and tighter regulations abroad mean Americans often feel better eating “forbidden” foods in places like Italy.

8. The Compound Effect of Food Additives (32:49–34:36)

• Hidden Dangers: “It’s in the less than 2%” is no comfort when all foods contain questionable ingredients; cumulative exposure is the threat.
  • Quote (Ashley): “If it’s a tiny amount in everything...it’s the compound effect.” (33:39)
• Homemade Solutions: Hayley prefers simple homemade dressings and recommends retraining taste buds away from processed flavors.

9. Ozempic & Quick Fix vs. Lasting Health (34:36–37:13)

• Ozempic Critique: Hayley is openly critical of using diabetes meds for quick weight loss, arguing lifestyle change is sustainable and preferable.
  • Quote (Hayley): “Everyone deals with food noise...the less bad stuff you eat, the less you crave it.” (35:52)
• Inspiration from Documentary: Leah Hope’s 200+ lb. loss by “gaining health, not losing weight” is highlighted as a model of gradual, real change.

10. The Path Forward: Hope, Bottom-Up Change, and the Role of Big Food (37:39–40:55)

• Big Food’s Role: Patrick is cautiously optimistic that, under the right incentives, major players might respond to public demand for real change.
  • Quote (Patrick): “There’s a great opportunity for Nabiscos, the Crafts...to respond to this new consumer demand." (39:06)
• Power of the Dollar: Real transformation comes from consumers “voting with their wallet”—local sourcing, micro markets, and supporting direct-to-consumer.

Scrolling Time: Viral Videos & Guest Reactions

1. Farmer Cutting Out Big Corporations (41:24–44:14)

• Viral clip: A farmer shares about bypassing corporate buyers by selling directly to consumers for better prices.
• Reactions:
  • Ashley: “That is fantastic! Now is the time for sure.”
  • Patrick: Advocates for shifting away from monocropping and toward regenerative agriculture and local micro-markets.

2. Chicken Mystery: Grocery Store Horror (44:40–46:09)

• Viral clip: A woman’s store-bought chicken disintegrates into strange “stringy” pieces.
• Reactions:
  • Ashley: “Definitely not [farm-to-table]. There is 3D meat in grocery stores now...I don’t know. I don’t trust it.”
  • Patrick: “Let the chickens play in the fields and we’ll eat their eggs and not really do as much meat. That stringy stuff looked disgusting.”

3. Mattress Chemicals and Skin (46:30–49:42)

• Viral clip: A woman’s cystic acne cleared up when she ditched a suspect mattress.
• Reactions:
  • Ashley: “Pillows and mattresses...they’re putting chemicals in all of it. Don’t ask me why.”
  • Patrick: “Usually, cost-cutting is the reason. Each new skill [you learn] is a superpower.” (Recommends not getting overwhelmed—change is incremental.)

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “Moms are angry...the tiger moms are coming out.” (Ashley, 03:54)
• “No doctor ever told me how or why the cancer got into my thyroid.” (Patrick, 06:26)
• “By the mid-1990s, the cigarette industry controlled about 40% of the food supply in America.” (Patrick, 11:11)
• “You can’t milk an oat.” (Patrick, 24:02)
• “If it’s a tiny amount in everything...it’s the compound effect.” (Ashley, 33:39)
• “The less bad stuff you eat, the less you crave it.” (Hayley, 35:52)
• “Your body will start to crave [healthy food]. It changes everything.” (Ashley, 34:34)
• “Each new skill...is like a new superpower.” (Patrick, 49:21)

Resources Mentioned

• Dirty Dozen Ingredients to Avoid: ingredientsnobs.com
• Firefly Organic Coffee & Market: Scottsdale, AZ ([Google Maps])
• Breaking Big Food documentary: Available on Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video
• Firefly coffee beans: jigsawhealth.com
• Instagram: @fireflycoffee

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 00:00 – Maha & the pandemic: roots of health skepticism
• 04:35 – Patrick’s cancer story & personal motivation
• 09:36 – Food pyramid, Big Tobacco in food industry
• 13:10 – FDA labeling tricks, reading food labels
• 15:27 – Mold in coffee & Firefly’s start
• 19:59 – Raw milk revelations & regulatory workarounds
• 26:20 – Eggs, allergies, food propaganda
• 32:49 – Salad dressings/additives & homemade swaps
• 34:36 – Ozempic debate and sustainable health changes
• 37:39 – Big Food’s future: industry and consumer action
• 41:24 – Viral Video 1: Farmers vs. Big Food
• 44:40 – Viral Video 2: Chicken supply chain weirdness
• 46:30 – Viral Video 3: Toxins in mattresses/household goods

Takeaways

This episode delivers a deep dive into how America’s food system got captured by industry, why trusting labels isn’t enough, and how a generation of “Maha Moms” are pushing for transparency, local sourcing, and real nourishment. It blends shocking statistics with practical advice—like reading ingredients lists and embracing gradual change—while encouraging listeners to reclaim their health, one empowered choice at a time.