Our Most Honest Conversation About ‘Big Wellness,’ Pharma & Food Lies with Illie Pt. 1

Summary

Podcast Summary: Realfoodology – Episode: Our Most Honest Conversation About ‘Big Wellness,’ Pharma & Food Lies with Illie Pt. 1

Introduction

In this compelling episode of the Realfoodology podcast, host Courtney Swan engages in an in-depth conversation with her repeat guest and dear friend, Illie Bala, known on Instagram as @healthily. The discussion delves into the intricate dynamics between the wellness industry, Big Pharma, and the pervasive misinformation surrounding food and health. This episode, released on July 22, 2025, forms the first part of a two-part series addressing critical issues in America's food and health systems.

Key Topics Discussed

1. The Battle Between Big Wellness and Big Pharma

   Courtney and Illie explore the emerging narrative that pits the wellness industry against Big Pharma. They express frustration over attempts to tarnish the reputation of wellness advocates by labeling them as misleading influencers.

   Notable Quote:
   [02:02] A (Courtney Swan): “We were talking about a specific, let's say, quote, unquote. Dr. Yeah. On Instagram. I don't really want to name names, but she's very confusing to me because she makes an attack on people that are trying to change things.”

   Illie emphasizes the importance of solution-based approaches, criticizing those who merely highlight problems without offering actionable solutions.

   Notable Quote:
   [02:28] B (Illie Bala): “I just have to. I cannot be bothered with people who aren't solution based... We want to fix things and we want to move forward.”

2. The Anti-Maha Movement and Its Impact

   The conversation shifts to the Anti-Maha movement, a controversial online trend opposing holistic health initiatives. Courtney and Illie argue that much of the backlash is directed more at the messengers rather than the legitimate concerns about the food system.

   Notable Quote:
   [03:21] B: “It's more like, well, we don't like the messenger versus the message at hand.”

3. Resurgence of Traditional Fats: Beef Tallow in Fast Food

   The hosts discuss the renewed interest in traditional fats like beef tallow, citing examples such as Steak 'n Shake incorporating beef tallow in their cooking processes. They debate the health implications and the broader impact on the food industry.

   Notable Quote:
   [05:06] B: “We both agreed, like, that's not making America healthier.”

4. Challenges in Revamping School Lunch Programs

   Courtney recounts an interaction with students at Hillsdale College regarding the overhaul of school lunch programs initiated by Michelle Obama. The pushback from students highlights the struggle to balance healthy options with appealing tastes for children.

   Notable Quote:
   [08:39] A: “If we can make these little changes over time... pull the artificial dyes out first, then we can go for the preservatives and then we can go for other things.”

   Illie underscores the importance of incremental changes, especially in environments where children rely solely on school meals for nutrition.

   Notable Quote:
   [06:44] B: “We're trying to change even just that curriculum... we have to force brands like Kellogg's to get rid of those dyes.”

5. Economic and Accessibility Barriers to Healthy Eating

   The hosts tackle the misconception that healthy eating is prohibitively expensive. They argue that whole, real foods can be more affordable and stress the economic burden of processed foods and fast food options.

   Notable Quote:
   [33:06] A: “If you're focusing on more whole real foods, it's actually cheaper now. Just buy ground beef and beans and eggs.”

   They also discuss the socioeconomic disparities that limit access to healthy foods, particularly in food deserts where fresh options are scarce.

6. Critique of the Medical and Nutrition Education Systems

   Courtney and Illie are highly critical of Western-trained dietitians and doctors who, in their view, adhere to outdated science heavily influenced by pharmaceutical funding. They highlight the detrimental effects of such biases on patient care and public health.

   Notable Quote:
   [16:30] A: “They have such a bias and a lot of their education was funded largely by the big pharmaceutical companies.”

   The discussion includes personal anecdotes about ineffective medical treatments and the lack of dietary recommendations from healthcare professionals.

   Notable Quote:
   [43:09] A: “No, they're not doing their due diligence anymore because they have now been taught, follow the science.”

7. The Need for Updated Research and Regulation

   The hosts call for a comprehensive review of food additives and baby formula regulations, pointing out that much of the current research is outdated or biased due to corporate influences.

   Notable Quote:
   [20:05] B: “Any other brand that tries to come in has such a hard time because you have to follow the guidelines that were made in the freaking 70s.”

   They advocate for independent research free from corporate funding to establish safer and healthier food standards.

8. Media Influence and Public Perception

   Courtney and Illie discuss how media narratives and corporate sponsorships have shaped public perception, often undermining genuine wellness initiatives by promoting processed foods and artificial additives.

   Notable Quote:
   [60:21] B: “They get obliterated... It's all about creating the most polarizing view.”

Conclusions and Insights

The episode underscores the deep-rooted issues within America's food and healthcare systems, highlighting the conflicts of interest between wellness advocates and large corporations like Big Pharma and major food brands. Courtney and Illie advocate for a grassroots movement to promote real, whole foods and transparent, unbiased research in nutrition and health. They emphasize the importance of making incremental changes to improve public health, especially for vulnerable populations relying on institutional food programs like school lunches.

Final Thoughts

This episode serves as a call to action for listeners to question established norms, seek out reliable information, and support initiatives that prioritize genuine health over corporate profits. Courtney Swan and Illie Bala encourage a shift towards a more informed and proactive approach to nutrition and wellness, aiming to heal America's broken food system through education, advocacy, and community-driven change.

Stay Tuned

This insightful conversation is part one of a two-part series. Be sure to tune in next week for part two, where Courtney and Illie continue their honest exploration of the intersections between big wellness, pharmaceuticals, and the pervasive food industry myths.

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Connect with Realfoodology:

• Website: www.realfoodology.com
• Instagram: @realfoodology
• New Episodes Every Tuesday

Transcript

[A]

On today's episode of the Real Foodology.

[B]

Podcast, if these RDs, these Western minded RDs and these Western minded doctors did their job, people would not have to go to quote unquote wellness influencers to try to figure out what is wrong with them.

[A]

Hello, friends. Welcome back to another episode of the Real Foodology Podcast. Today's guest is a repeat guest and also a dear friend of mine, ILI Bala. You probably know her on Instagram as healthily and I had such a fun time with this episode. This was not like a normal podcast episode that I do. And I mean that in the best way because we were really just in flow of just kind of chatting back and forth and it very much felt like just a conversation that she and I have as friends. And I think you're really going to enjoy this episode. We talk about a lot of different, just strange stuff that's happening online right now, like this notion of quote unquote, big wellness, as if it's competing with Big Pharma and trying to paint wellness in this light of it being really bad and trying to compare it to Big Pharma, which is just ridiculous. And you will hear our thoughts and our takes on that. We also talk about our thoughts on beef tallow and its resurgence in our food supply and companies like Steak n Shake now Cooking with Beef Tallow. So we talk about that. We talk about the Anti Maha movement, which is just a really bizarre thing that's happening online right now. And just, I mean, so much more. This was a long episode, so we split this into two parts. This is part one, so tune in next week for part two. Illy, I'm so happy to have you back on the podcast.

[B]

I'm so excited to be here.

[A]

We are going to talk about all the things that we have been talking about in Behind Closed Doors. Exactly. For a while now.

[B]

We're bringing the texts we're bringing to the big screen.

[A]

Let's go. Okay, so we were just talking about this and I just want to dive into it and I wish we had been recording during that. But I digress. So we're going to try to remember everything we just said.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So we're talking about a specific, let's say, quote, unquote. Dr. Yeah. On Instagram. I don't really want to name names, but she's very confusing to me because she makes an attack on people that are trying to change things. So there's like two things happening right now where she is naming all the issues that we have in our food system right now, but then she's attacking all the people that are trying to change it. So we keep talking about, we're like, okay, well, what is the solution? What is your solution?

[B]

Yeah, I mean, this is just one of those things where it was like, I just have to. I cannot be bothered with people who aren't solution based. Like, you and I are just such people that always like, we want to fix things and we want to move forward. You know, we're just business people in that way. And like, we've healed so much in our own life where I'm like, just tell me what we can do. And I think the Maha movement in general has brought out just obviously anything politics is going to be polarizing, right? There's always going to be like, I don't like that because it's politics. And I get that. As somebody who like, has been neutral pretty much my whole life, like, I've always gone back and forth and I'm like, tell me why I should, like, be part of this or like, why I should like that, you know? But I think watching a lot of the anti Maha content, I can't believe that's even a freaking word like anti Maha. It just feels like it's more like, well, we don't like the messenger.

[A]

Yeah, yeah.

[B]

Versus, like the message at hand. There's a lot of things I don't like that people say. And maybe I don't like that it's either what they say or the person that it's coming from. But I could admit, okay, this is probably a good route that we're going. And I think my issue with a lot of these anti Maha people, whether it's doctors or dietitians or whatever, is like, you're just attacking the people that are, that are trying to make a change in the world. Like, I've just seen you evolve in so many ways just over the past couple months from going to Kellogg's now to speaking at universities and like going people going to Congress and Senate and just like really trying to make a difference. Like, we're not just making videos on the Internet anymore. You know, like, we are going to schools and we are rallying for things. And I've even connected with my local politician just recently to be like, what kind of bills are even being passed in Florida right now? Because I have no clue. And I want to know, and I want to know what I can advocate for. And now we have a bill that was also like, florida is also trying to ban artificial food dyes, which is great, you know, so it's like, I want to get behind that because I want to actually create change. I don't want to just be a quote unquote, wellness influencer. So just like seeing people like her just kind of poke jabs at people, but also sharing the same exact messages that we've all been sharing, like, yeah, the system is like, no, Sherlock. Like, hello.

[A]

That's why we're all out here fighting for our lives, trying.

[B]

We have a Maha movement. Because the system is literally hot garbage. And it's been like that for a generation, like literal generations, you know. And like, we were even talking about the whole formula thing. Like, I get everybody was scared because at first they were talking about like, we're going to do the vaccines and we're going to do fluoride and everything's going to be beef tallow. And like, yeah, like, I think we both agreed, like, that's not making America healthier.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

But I also don't think people realize there's so many bottom level things that we could be doing for now while we work from the other end. It's like kind of like burning a match at both ends to kind of get to the middle. Like, that's how I, I'm viewing Maha right now is like, okay, what are like little things that we can, we can advocate for, like getting rid of artificial dyes in our food system or like getting rid of. What was it we just got rid of? Red two, Red three. Red three.

[A]

Well, actually just passed yesterday as we're recording this, they just passed a full ban on food dyes.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And they're gonna be pulling out of school lunches. Here's the thing that people are not understanding about all of this. I get the pushback. People are saying, okay, well, you take the artificial dyes out and it's not going to change the health of the food. It is still going to be like sugary cornballs, right?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And then there's a lot of parents that are like, well, just don't feed that to your children. Well, okay, so a lot of people, for good reason, but a lot of people like to talk about the lower socioeconomic children specifically. And this is a huge argument and pushback of accessibility and affordability. Well, there are a lot of children where their only meals that they're getting at school every day are through the school system. And guess where they're getting all their artificial food dyes from? From the school system. So if we can make these little changes over time. Yeah, it's not going to happen overnight. But let's start pulling the things out that know that are harming people. This is what I don't understand. We're not going to change all this overnight. But if we can start pulling these little things out, pull the artificial dyes out first, then we can go for the preservatives and then we can go for other things. Those will make differences, especially in those children who are only getting fed meals at their school.

[B]

Yeah, people don't realize that whole aspect of. We live in a society where, yes, a hundred percent, there are socioeconomic disparities throughout the whole country and there are a plethora, if not thousands, if not millions of children right now that their only meal for lunch is whatever they're getting at school. Like you said, why wouldn't we want to try to at least change that for now while we fix the entire like. Exactly. Because also people don't realize, snap and all these. Who is creating the, the meals for that, those programs and deciding what is the, what is nutrition? The American Academy of Dietetics. So we're never going. We're not. I don't, I don't want to say never, never, because you never know what's going to happen. But we are trying to change even just that curriculum. And what people are assume, like what they realize is the food pyramid. Right. Like what, what we look at is like the. Now it's like my plate or whatever. Yeah, it's like my plate. You have like a glass of milk and grains and vegetables. Like that is what is contributing to what children are eating every single day at school. So we're not going to be able to change that curriculum overnight. But what we can do is force it from the other end, which is now we have to force brands like Kellogg's who are very reluctant to change their artificial dyes and get that, get rid of those dyes in their cereal. They kind of have no choice because entire states are banning these ingredients entirely. So that's going to cause one of two things brands to have to force to change their entire food. Like the way that they're creating their food and putting in better dyes through like natural ways. And the second thing is it also makes room for new and clean brands like for example, like Lovebird to come in and have those opportunities. Because now schools are going to be like, so what are we going to be able to feed our kids? Our kids still need cereals and they still need all these other things that are easy and non perishable. And this gives room for other small businesses to Come in and offer your children better meals.

[A]

Yes. And actually, speaking of school lunches, I got a really cool question from a student last night. So I went and spoke at Hillsdale College, and one of the students brought up. So when Michelle Obama tried to revamp our whole school system, our school lunches, a lot of the conversation and pushback was from teachers that were noticing the kids were, like, throwing away a lot of their food. They weren't eating a lot of it. And the girl asked me, she said, how could we actually. How can we combat that? Because a lot of these kids are not wanting to eat these healthier options. Of course, like, if a kid is given a choice between, like, a Domino's pizza slice and, like, broccoli and chicken, of course they're all going to choose the pizza. And what I said is that we need to start looking at food from an entirely different lens than what we're doing right now. Because what Michelle Obama did was essentially like, they took all the sodium out, they took all the salt out, which we've been villainizing salt. And actually, salt is really good for you. You need it for electrolyte balance in your body. And then they were giving them, you know, bland broccoli. And I think they were still even giving them, like, pizza and stuff, but it was all. It was all garbage. And I was like, look, what we need to do is just make really simple foods for kids. Like, get like, a really clean pasta that's two ingredients, like durum wheat and chickpea pasta.

[B]

Like, it doesn't have to be, like, rocky, you know, like, and then put.

[A]

Butter on it, put some salt on it, and put some parmesan cheese and done. Kids will eat that up.

[B]

Yeah. High protein with the chickpeas and parmesan. Parmesan, like, and some chicken and just.

[A]

Feed them real food. But we're. We're essentially like, opening these plastic bags and dumping them in fryers and then feeding them to kids. And we're either giving them these highly ultra processed food, like, products like chicken fingers and all this stuff, or they're getting like, these really bland. Like, I feel like it reminds me of, like, nutrition from, like, the 80s where it was just like, have bland chicken and broccoli and, like, a rice cake. Mmm.

[B]

Yeah. Disgusting. Yeah. No, I don't even want to eat that. No, I think that's also what people think, like, the wellness space is. Is just eating bland foods. Now. People, you know, now it goes like full circle to just like, the beef towel talk. Like, yeah, we don't think that, you know, frying fries and beef tallow makes the entire establishment healthier. By. By no means, but I will say, like, versus people putting vegetable oil and dowsing everything in vegetable oil because it really is about that ratio. And if kids are getting it at home and now they're getting it in school because they've been told it's not that bad and it's not healthy and we're not giving them the full complexity of what is actually bad about the canola or about the vegetable oil. People just think, okay, then it must be fine because this is what like, kind of the anti Maha side is promoting and they try to poke holes. And I understand, because that's what politics in general does. But you're essentially just agreeing with us when we say, like, yeah, we don't think that it's making a fast food chain healthier, you know, but then, like I said, full circle goes to. There are a lot of people where that is their only option. There are food deserts. And like, what is a food desert? You don't have fresh food around. You only have, like, gas stations and fast food chains. So if we can improve the type of food that fast food chains that these people, like, have act these communities have access to, then we're slowly improving their health over time. You like? Yeah, I'm personally, me, I'm not going to go to, like, a steak and shake. I think that's what it's called. Like, I'm not, I'm personally not going to go to a steak and shake just because they're frying their fries and beef tallow. Like, yeah, I, I just, I'm not going to do that. I know it's not healthy for me, but I know as, like, where a lot of the steak and shakes are, that's a lot of, like, the only food a lot of people have in that area. Like, in those areas, they don't have a Whole Foods, they don't have farmer's markets and things like that.

[A]

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[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So if we can make these little swaps over time. Yeah. Again, like are we going to go eat at Steak and Shake and are we going to say that it's healthy? No. But if we can Start slowly getting all the additives out. I think it's pretty incredible that in general, we're just having conversations around this now because we do know, like, for example, we know that canola oil, when it's. When it's being fried every single day, over and over again, it creates these carcinogenic compounds in there. So at least, like, look, they're gonna go there regardless. Like, they're gonna go to Steak and Shake regardless. Yeah, we can at least start swapping out some of the ingredients for stuff that are a little bit healthier. Are we saying that going in and get. Getting fries at Steak and Shake is a healthy, nutritious meal?

[B]

No.

[A]

No.

[B]

Everyone together. No, it's just. It's so ridiculous to think that. But that's. That's unfortunately the, like, that we're seeing on social media of people trying to minimize all the work that, you know, quote unquote, wellness influencers, which mind you a lot. It's so funny that it's always these people that are like, my credentials, and they're always like, boasting their credentials, but then they're minimizing all the hundreds of doctors that are part of this movement as just wellness influencers when that's just clearly not the case. And to be honest, I am proud to be one of the, quote, unquote wellness influencers that can advocate for change. You know, that did get invited to go and rally against Kellogg's, and now I'm working with, like, politicians in, you know, Florida to try to really advocate for better food, like, better food systems. Like, I'm part. I'm. I'm happy to do that instead of, you know, like, sitting and be like, guys, this is what I ate today, and this is my red light therapy. And this is what, you know, like, no hate to that. But, like, that's not what I do. So it's like, to minimize. And to be honest, wellness influence aren't even involved in. They're like, I want nothing to do with this.

[A]

Like, because they're literally hating on us. And you know what is I find really incredibly confusing is a lot of these people that are hating are the ones that are. So they're fighting us in. In every direction. So they're fighting us, saying that people are in food deserts and all they have access to is fast food. So let them have their fast food because they don't have anything else. It's accessible and affordable. And then we go, okay, we're trying to meet people, people where they are. So let's slowly start like changing some of the ingredients in the fast food communities. And then they're going, what? What? Oh my God. And then they're fighting us on changing the ingredients, literally. What do they want? What do they think is the solution?

[B]

You want it to stay the same or. But then they're like, well, it's a systemic issue, so we need to go to like the top. And it's like, have you seen how hard it is just to get one thing banned? Like, just one thing. Like, you know, it took 30 years to ban red die number three.

[A]

It took 30 years.

[B]

You think I'm gonna wait until my, my kids have kids? You know what I'm saying? Like, no, the system has been built like, like, it's literally been built like this. The easiest thing, which is still very hard, is to slowly get these additives and preservatives out of our food. That is like, first course of action. That and even what RFK Jr. Is doing right now to even just say, hey, FDA, let's go back and let's even review how, you know, we haven't reviewed formula since the 1970s. Let's start. Let's, let's do that. Right? Because the formula industry is pretty much dominated by like the same three brands, right? And it's all corn syrup based. And any other brand that tries to come in has such a hard time because you have to follow the guidelines that were made in the freaking 70s. So all these new brands that are coming in and trying to do it without the, without the canola oil, without the vegetable oil are having such a hard time because those have always been the rules since the 70s. So now if, like we go, sorry, like just now if we go back and we start to evaluate the research, what is it to say, what if corn syrup isn't the best way? What if it's coconut? What if it's, I don't know, I'm just throwing other oils out there. But what if it's something completely, entirely, entirely different? Who are we to say that the way that it's been done up until now that people advocate for, like, this is the way that it has to be? It has to be corn syrup. Because abc, whatever scientific data, what's to say that that's actually how it's supposed to be?

[A]

Well, we haven't studied this in so long, and we know that a lot of the funding is coming from the food companies themselves because of something called gross, which is a loophole that we have here in the United States where the companies, the, the foxes are Guarding the hen house. The companies say themselves. They go to the FDA and they say, well, we studied this and we know that it's healthy. And then they put it in all their products. And this is exactly what with corn syrup. We are not putting corn syrup in baby formula because we think it's healthy. It's because we have a surplus of corn in this country. It's literally cheap. And we have so much of it, we have so much in excess that we're putting it in our formula. But then we're telling our dietitians and our doctors to tell moms that, oh, well, they put this in there because they're really concerned about the health of the babies. And then what you were saying about the formula companies that are the ones that are trying to do better for our health, not only are they having a hard time, they literally, legally are not allowed to write on the bottle that it is infant formula. They have to write toddler formula in order to get around all of this, because they're not using the seed oils that the FDA has said that are absolutely needed in baby formula. And look, we just. All we're asking is to study it. Like, what I would love. I'm going to. It's going to be really interesting to see what happens. And you and I have texted about this when they start conducting these studies. And if they do find out that corn syrup is not the healthiest, that we probably shouldn't be putting canola oil and soybean oil in our formulas. Are these RDs that are right now just fighting us like the science says? The science says, Are they gonna change their tune because now the science is gonna be updated or are they still gonna be fighting us?

[B]

Yeah, there's a couple foots I'd like to see in mouths when this comes back around, because that's the whole thing, I think, also. And people don't realize, like, the. What a lot of people have been in wellness was not because we followed the science. It's because, like, we.

[A]

Well, we followed the signs.

[B]

And up until we got sick. Yeah, like, that's what we were doing. We followed the signs until it got us sick, had to scurry off and find different ways to heal ourselves. And it usually came back to avoiding a lot of the other. And don't. Don't get me wrong, I see so much bullshit on social media. Like, I see it and I can see it from both sides. Like, I sometimes go on my own, like my own for you page, and I see, like, tried and true wellness influencers that are really just promoting just. Yeah, I get it. Just because you healed yourself doesn't make you like a nutrition expert. You shouldn't be handing out meal plans and doing all these things. I, 100%, I, I'm down with that. Like I, I get that there is really no regulation but like you and I have said so many times, if the, if these RDs, these Western minded RDs and these Western minded doctors did their job, people would not have to go to quote unquote wellness influencers to try to figure out what is wrong with them. Yeah, we would not have to do. I would have never had to do that. If my OB GYN listened to me about how I felt on birth control, you think I would have done an experiment on myself? Be like, what would happen if I, yeah, I felt terrible and I felt like shit, I had to do it all on my own. But if they actually helped me, that would be such a, I'd have such a different experience. I would actually have trust in the medical system. Be like, oh my God, you actually helped me. Now the only person I freaking trust is myself. And you know, now I can use my own discernment. But they get mad at people. But then you guys are neglecting people and you're gaslighting people. Like I just posted the other day that there was an OB GYN who was like, you know, birth control isn't contributing to fertility problems or whatever and you know, have hun. She had to turn off her comments but hundreds of women were like, yeah, that wasn't the case for me. So where do you think? And then Those same OB GYNs and doctors and Western minded RDs are going to go on social media and be like, oh, I got my degree and people still listen. Listen to wellness influencers. Well I wonder why exactly.

[A]

Well, because they are not, they're not realizing that they have such a bias and a lot of their education was funded largely by the big pharmaceutical companies. And look, we are not here to say that, you know, all medicine is bad. Obviously thank God we wouldn't be here without antibiotics. Like we're not dumb. But it's, it's situations like this where women are literally being put on birth control for 10 plus years not being communicated to about what the actual risks and side effects are of birth control. I don't know if a lot of people know this, but when they first introduced birth control for like our parents generation, they were only meant to be on it for like weeks at a time. And now women are being put on it for years, years, years. And then they're going to their doctor and they're saying, well I'm having all these side effects and like I don't feel great and I'm depressed, depressed. And then they get put on SSRI and they're not being communicated with the fact that most of the time if you're on birth control, you end up depressed because it, it's nutri. It's depleting your nutrients, it messes with your brain, it messes with your hormones. Like we're not communicating this with women. And then like you just said, every single one of us have a story. I can guarantee you that everyone listening has some story where they went to their doctor and they were like, I'm feeling like X, Y and Z and they sent you home being like it's all in your head. Or you, you just have a little anxiety or here, just take this prescription drug and you're sitting there going, no, I don't feel good. And something is off. And they're not doing their due diligence anymore because they have now been taught, follow the science. You have to follow this, you know. And look, I'm not like shitting on science obviously. Thank God we have innovations all the time in science. This is part of the problem is that a lot of this science that a lot of these Doctors and these RDs that are referencing are, it's outdated.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

We have since as a population anecdotally seen all of this happening in the last like 10 years with birth control is a great example of that. All these women are waking up being like, what, what have I been on? I'm having these hor. Horrible side effects and then we're not studying it and then we're gaslighting women. After a really long busy day, all I want to do is just relax, chill on the couch and hang out with Hector. That's where cure nutrition comes in. Their Serenity Gummies are my go to ally after a long day when I just want to unwind and chill. The gummies aren't just tasty treats. They're a powerful blend of science backed ingredients like ashwagandha, reishi, mushroom, l theanine and a tiny microdose of thc. Each ingredient is carefully selected to support mind, body, calm and balance, helping me navigate life's whirlwind moments with clarity and ease. At the end of the day, I like to use Serenity Gummies as a natural alcohol free way to unwind. Whether I'm resetting after a packed schedule or carving out space for quick meditation. My gummies help me find my daily dose of peace and presence. Presence without the negative alcohol effects, artificial flavors, sugars or dyes. I am obsessed with the passion fruit flavor. It's sweet with just a hint of earthiness. And I love that each gummy is precisely dosed to guide me to my happy place. Right now, Cured Nutrition is offering my listeners an exclusive 20 off Serenity Gummies with a monthly subscription. Just head to curednutrition.com realfoodology and use the code Real Foodology at checkout. Remember, protecting your peace is just one gummy away. Take a moment for yourself. You deserve it. You know that moment when something works so well, like you immediately start texting your friends about it? That was me with seeds DS01 daily symbiotic. I recommended it to my entire family, everyone I know. Because once I felt the difference in my digestion, my energy, and honestly, just feeling lighter every day, I knew I had to share it. DS01 isn't your average probiotic. It's a clinically validated 2 in 1 probiotic and prebiotic formulated with 24 strains that support your entire body from gut health and bloating to immune function and even skin clarity. Over a million people have felt the difference and 92% of them have recommended it to someone they love. I take it every single day. Within the first couple of weeks I noticed less bloating and more regularity and I just felt good. It's one of those tools I'll never stop using. Ready to experience a probiotic that actually works, go to seed.com real foodology and use code 25 real foodology to get 25 off your first month. That's seed.com real foodology. Code 25 real foodology.

[B]

And I think also like nutrition science. I don't even know why when it comes to nutrition, people even go, well, where's the study to support that? Because nutrition science is like the most wishy washy type of science. You and I can eat exactly the same and have wild, totally different outcomes.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Like there's so many different systems in the body. I can eat a mango and you can eat a mango and we can have a completely different reaction to that mango. And I'm not talking allergies. I'm just talking metabolically in general. Like, we see this literally in twins where they eat exactly the same and they have completely different outcomes. So for us to be like, where's the study to support that when it comes to basic nutrition, like the fact that I get. Where's the study to support that commons under me Just saying, don't consume ultr processed foods and be like, why is it. I don't know. How about, where's the study to support that eating the exactly this way for 50 years is good? Because according to our statistics, it's not looking good. It looks. It looks really bad. Like, abort mission. Whatever we've been doing up until this point, everyone needs to stop.

[A]

Like, well, if you want the science, how about the fact that people are eating? I don't even know. Someone should do a study on this. On average, how many different additives, different preservatives, different just fake food?

[B]

The hundreds every day.

[A]

And we have no idea what all of those in combination together in the body are doing. Maybe, maybe they're not doing anything. But can. Can we study it?

[B]

I mean, they've never been tested, right? Like, you can test like just canola, right? But we've never tested like the combination of canola and, you know, artificial dyes together. Like, what is that together? And. And what. The thing is what people don't realize too, and this is what a lot of people goes over their head. Like, yes, single ingredients have like, been maybe studied briefly or they go through that grass, like, generally recognize the safe. But the combination of all these additives in one thing. Like, nobody studied what a Hostess cupcake is going to do to us over time. Like, if we only eat a Hostess cupcake over time. I mean, we kind of saw it with like, Super Size Me. We're all traumatized by that documentary, but, like, you know, we all saw. I mean, and that ended up being like, not quite accurate because it was like an alcoholic or whatever. But I digress. You know, he was just like, he's like, actually had bigger demons. But, you know, like, we've seen like, what people that only eat that type of food go through. And it's actually crazy. My friend, she went, she had a viral video because she had to go to the hospital for. She went to like a surgery center. She had surgery on her elbow and in the, you know, in the vending machines. The. They has horrible crap in there. Like, it's just like disgusting food, you know? Yeah, yeah, it's not food. It's just like shitty snacks and whatever. And I. She's a. She has a health page. So she posted the vending machine. She's like, this is the vending machine that's like in hospitals. Like, it's disgusting. There was like, she got so much hate for that video because people were like, if I'm. If I'm going into surgery, I want a can, I want candy. I don't want a salad. Like, the str. Like, I'm so stressed out. Like, I just want a sweet treat. I don't want an apple. Like, this is what. This is what we've turned into. Like, her comments were so bad. I literally told her to turn off the comments. I'm like, I've never seen hate like this in my whole life. And I'm like, I don't know if it's like, because of this anti Maha movement where it's becoming even worse, where people, like, just hate anything healthy, but it's like, that's not the flex that you think it is. Like, if you're going. Like, somebody was like, I'm literally going into cancer treatment. I don't want an apple. Like, I don't want to eat a salad. Like, I don't want chicken breast. Like, they're like, I want candy. I want this. And I'm like, the. The cognitive dissonance that's going on. Like, nobody's saying that you can't have cake and you can't have fries. It doesn't have to be the worst option. Yes, it does not have to be the worst option. I have the least restrictive diet. I actually was more restrictive following 8020, because time I had that 20%, I'm like, oh, okay, well, I can't have that anymore because I already had my candy for the week. I already had my 20 diner food. And then I had to, like, really hunker down the rest of my 80%. Where now, like, we're gonna go grab dinner. I'm probably gonna have some dessert. Like, I'm not shy about it. You know what I'm saying? Like, I'm way less restrictive eating a whole food diet than I was trying to always find a sweet treat snack that's like Oreos and, you know, milkshakes.

[A]

This is what I think a lot of general Americans don't understand yet. I think some of them are starting to wake up to it. But this is why I get so frustrated by these accounts that are just fully attacking Maha on every level. Why can't we have a vending machine that has chocolate bars in there that just is made with real ingredients?

[B]

Yeah, give me some Hugh Kitchen chocolate bars. You wouldn't even know the difference. Especially like, the milk chocolate one. It tastes identical to, like, exactly.

[A]

Or get some, like, unreal bar. Like, they make one that's like a Snickers bar. And it tastes so similar. Like, we're not saying we're going to take away, you know, we want to take away.

[B]

This is actually a healthier vending machine brand that I saw an airport once, and it sells, like, meals. I'll have to say farmer's fridge. Is it farmer's fridge? Is it that one? It's like a white. I think it's. It might be that one.

[A]

It has, like, full meals in it, right?

[B]

It has, like, meals. Like, why wouldn't you want that in a hospital where people are going to be there for hours and you could use a meal? Like, I've been in hospitals. First off, my mom works at a cancer hospital, so I've seen what are in the vending machines, and it's not pretty. And everyone knows now that, like, her daughter is healthily so, like. Like, the nurses will always ask, like, what should I eat and what's I drink? Like, I get it. You guys don't have my mom. Like, I had to convince my mom to, like, have time for a meal and stuff, because she's like, I'm not gonna go to a vending machine and get, like, a Skittles, you know, Like, I need a meal. Imagine we had farmers fridge, whatever the heck it was called all over hospitals in America. Like, how do. Can somebody rally? Can we get, like, a go. Like a GoFundMe going for them? They should be in every hospital.

[A]

I. Well, I think Sweet Green should be.

[B]

In every hospital, too. Yeah. Give me those French fries and that. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? Like, there's so many better options. And, like, Sweet Green is, like, a perfect example of a brand that, like, wants to do better and is doing better and. And they can go literally nationwide. True food. Obviously, we know, like, how amazing they're doing, and people do want it. I just. That that comment section really shocked me, and it just. It was scary, dude. I'm like, wouldn't. Wouldn't you want healthy food if you're going through surgery or, God forbid, cancer treatment? Like, isn't that. What. What do you. That. What does that make you feel good?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And it doesn't. Again, you can still have the. Call the cakes and the candies and things.

[A]

Just have it be made with real food.

[B]

That's it. It does not have to be so complicated, you know, And I get. People want to talk about it's more expensive and, like, I totally understand that part of it, too.

[A]

That's a symptom of our broken food.

[B]

Exactly. And then it goes full circle, you know.

[A]

Yeah, well, and this is, I love to talk about this actually, because people always say, and look, I, I am by no means saying that like, some healthier options are more expensive.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But if you're focusing on more whole real foods, it's actually cheaper now. Just buy, I like ground beef and beans and eggs. Well, eggs right now are a different story.

[B]

Talking about the eggs, but in general.

[A]

They usually are like a healthier, like cheaper, more affordable option. All these ultra processed fake foods are actually really expensive now. And fast food is really expensive now too.

[B]

Fast food is actually so expensive.

[A]

Insane.

[B]

Oh my God. I don't even want to tell you. We were so busy. Like, obviously my husband and I, we work together and just some days we're just so busy with just live healthfully and stuff. And, and we, we went like, I think it was like a month. We were eating like a lot of true food and just like eating like we have like a sourdough pizzeria like by our house and stuff like that. So we were like eating out a little bit more. And like, our bill was so crazy at the end of the month. Like, and it's crazy because, like, true food's like, really not that bad, price wise. Like sweet greens, really not that bad. We have like a bole, which is like a bowl. Like you make like just healthier bowls and stuff. And our bill was so crazy. And literally the next month we're like, we're only cooking. And it was literally like, I want to say, like, not even a fracture. Like it was like more than, than half, less, like cheaper. Just making simple meals because like, we're also not snackers. I remember just when I used to eat a lot of different types of snacks. Like, yeah, if you want to get all the fancy snacks and like always buying like the chocolate and the chips and the candy, of course it adds up. But if you, like, you plan out your meals, like, I'll have salmon, I'll have like, I'll make a stew which lasts me like two days, like a chuck roast. I make a lot of soups and steaks. Like those really. It does not add up in the way that people think it adds up. And like, rice is really cheap. Beans are really cheap. Like, you just get shit in bulk. Grains are really cheap in general. Like, you have oatmeal. Like, oatmeal can be great if it's like really simple and organic, you know, Like, I think we've made it. We've gone down, we've gone down the pipeline so far that people really, like, have enjoyed the propaganda so much that it's so expensive to eat healthy that people don't even try anymore. Like, we've just ingrained it in our heads that it's so expensive. Like, don't even bother, like, looking at the comparison, because it's just so expensive when, like, even getting a happy Meal today is, like, at least $10. $10ameal. I could make two meals for $10.

[A]

I could feed me and my fiance almost all day.

[B]

Yeah, it's just ground beef and avocados, you know, And I'm getting, like, all the nutrition that I need. So. Yeah, I think that's a lot of the propaganda, too, is when you have a bunch of these, like, Western RDs that are telling people it's expensive and you can't do it, and you have no time to cook, and you are less fortunate, and you don't know how to do. Like, you don't know how to cook well because they're not teaching you. Like, you're just making people feel really dumb, honestly, like, it's offensive how dumb you're making people feel.

[A]

Well, and they make up a lot of stories, too. I had this one woman. They're always white. I'm just gonna say it. It's always white women that are making these comments. And this woman wrote out this wildly long comment about how. How. I don't even remember what the video was, but she was talking about how. Well, how dare you talk about healthier options, Courtney? Because some people don't even have refrigerators. And I sent it to a friend of mine, and he was like, bro. He's like, what?

[B]

Like, you're telling people they don't have. Like, I feel like that's also just a portion of, like, racial profiling. Like, you're just assuming that, but somebody lives, like, less than you, that they don't have all the, like, basic necessities. Even Albanians, dude. Like, I'm like, I come from an immigrant household. Like, we didn't grow up eating crazy food. Like, my mom and my dad always. Always cook, like, Albanian food. And it was my dad, I remember him telling me growing up, like, a sweet treat for him was bread with sugar. Like, you would put sugar on it, and that was, like, a sweet treat. And, like, Albanians especially. And I'm sure a lot of, like, immigrants can relate. A lot of the meals that we made were usually flour, water, and egg. And they found a way to make, like, 30 different meals just from those. Those three things. Like, almost every Albanian base food is like flour, water and egg. Like, I like, my mom can make like five different types of breakfast, three ingredients, and then whatever they had extra, which was like meat or it would be like spinach or cheese, then they would like add that in and now you have like 20 different meals. So like, literally just being an immigrant in general has made us so much more resilient when it came to, like, just because you were living in poverty didn't mean you didn't have nutrition. You know what I'm saying? Like, my dad came from literally nothing in Albania going through the war and stuff. And like the stories that he would tell me that like, they always just had food because his mom just was so versatile with the things that she, she had. It was a privilege to be able to eat out.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You know, we're today, now we're telling people that it's a privilege to cook at home, which is, it's like so, it's become so opposite. And again, I do blame a lot of it on just the way that our system has been built, but it's been built like that on purpose. I mean, I showed you the video I made on the Victory Gardens, which was like from World War II, where even the White House had a garden because they were trying to ration all the food. And they said, okay, well, we're all struggling with the war. A lot of our fresh food is going to, you know, war ridden, like where the war is, where soldiers are. So if people want to make food, you have to grow a garden. And like, so, so much of the United States used to be gardens. And then once, you know, Chef Boyardee and like Nestle came around, it was actually the, the Spaniards and really like the, the black Americans, like living in America that were maintaining the gardens. Gardens. And it was more of a privilege to be able to get canned and ready made food in America, like for like the upper, upper white class. Yeah. Because that's how it was. To see that change over the past couple of decades is like the most heart wrenching thing. And it's just unfortunate that like, I don't know if we'll ever be able to like flip it again. But I know that like now with this movement, which has never happened before, it might be a possibility, like this might be a real thing that could happen for us where we can see this completely change, where it's no longer a privilege to be able to just make a meal at home and it's cheaper than going out. You know, like we might be able to do that. And yeah, I just think people are, like, in touch with a lot of, like, the reality of like, what it means to especially, like I said, I'm coming from like an immigrant household. Like, my parents would be like, we can't eat out because we can't afford it. Yeah, well, that's how I grew up. Like, I wasn't. My, all my friends were like, let's go to McDonald's. Let's go to pizzeria. My parents, like, we can't afford that. Like, we, we have food at home.

[A]

You know, Know what's amazing about that is that you may, you may have not even realized that at the time, but you were actually eating so much healthier than your friend.

[B]

Yeah, for sure. And at the time I'm like, I want pizza, I want McDonald's.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. And at the time you're probably like, oh, like, I feel so poor and like a loser because all my friends are going to McDonald's. I had a similar story, a little bit different. I don't come from an immigrant family, but one of my best girlfriends growing up would go to Burger King, like almost every single night. Her parents would take her to Burger King. She'd get all the toys.

[B]

So she's rich.

[A]

Exactly, exactly. And my mom was like, my mom has always been very into nutrition. And so she would, I would beg her. Like, you remember when McDonald's started having, like, beanie babies?

[B]

Oh, my God. Yeah, those are the best.

[A]

I was like, I need all the beanie babies. I want to collect them all. And my mom was like, no, like, I'm making you food at home. And I fought her, and I fought her. She still brings this up, like, probably once a month where she's like, hey, remember when you wanted McDonald's and Burger King every night and I didn't let you? Are you glad now? And it is, it's so funny. You're so right. It is. It's completely flip flopped. Whereas now it's considered a privilege to just be able to cook and eat at home. And look, I know that we're going to get some pushback from people saying it's about the convenience. The convenience is killing us. And I, I get it. But it's. At a certain point we have to recognize and realize. Realize that the convenience is actually killing us. And when you make something a priority, I don't care. Care how busy you are. You make time and room for a priority. You do.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Like, I used to work three jobs. I remember I would call my mom from the bathroom sobbing every night from this freaking job that I worked at where I was like, I would go in at like 8pm and I would leave at like 2am and then I would go work at Starbucks at like 7am the next morning. I was so tired and I was barely scraping by. But even then, like, this is right when I started learning about all this food and about our food system and I went out of my way. The only days that I had off, I was cooking and I was prepping and I was bringing all my meals with me that I made from scratch at home and I would put it in the fridge or like, I would do whatever. I would, like bring it in a cooler bag and leave it in the back. So, like, you make time for the things that are priorities. And unfortunately we're in a time and place in our lifetime where if you do not make time for your wellness, you'll be forced to make time for your illness. Illness. Like 74 of Americans are obese right now.

[B]

Yeah. I think also if we're like, continue to push this narrative that people can't do it.

[A]

Yeah. And I think that's coddling them.

[B]

Yeah. I mean, if you, if I'm told every single day you can eat healthy, it's so expensive, you can't eat healthy because you have no time, it's so hard to eat healthy, you're gonna just want to go right back, I'm never gonna do it. And it's, and it's this like, subconscious propaganda that we're getting every single day that it's really hard, that it's impossible, and we're not giving the tools to people to make better choices. Right. Like, if we're telling people that everything is fine in moderation and everything's a chemical, well, like it doesn't really give room for people to be inquisitive about the choices that they make. You know, like, they're never gonna think about, you know, making the correlation between their chronic symptoms and the foods that they eat. I mean, my doctors didn't, when I first had all my health problems, they didn't even think to put two and two together. And that's just been like a trend in the modern medicine space is they don't put two and two together together. And any, you know, more holistic minded doctor with the same PhD is telling them that there is a dietary correlation. They're like, well, you're lying to people or you're just like pseudoscience and it's just a load of bullshit. And now you have two people with the same degree arguing and they can't agree. It's like wild.

[A]

Well, and it's actually not helping people. Like, I know you have a story where you got sick and I have a similar story where I had crazy eczema. I had eczema all under my eyes and all in my lid of my.

[B]

Eyes and I couldn't have eczema. Now it's like crazy.

[A]

It's crazy. Everyone has it. And I also had in the back of my scalp. And for years, like I was really struggling with. It was embarrassing. It was literally on my eyes.

[B]

I had it on my face too. I like as a kid. It was just horrible.

[A]

It's horrible.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And they'd give me, you know, the creams and the steroids and all the crap. That never did anything about it, by the way. No one thing ever once said anything to me about my diet. It wasn't until I started finally getting into into healthy eating. I cut out gluten, I stopped eating ultra processed foods. It was literally gone like this. And it has never come back. Yeah, but we're not telling people that. No, we're just putting them on more creams, more steroids. We're telling them, oh, it's absolutely nothing to do with your diet. Just go on an anti inflammatory.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And then we're not telling them to change their diet. So no wonder. This is another thing actually that I wanted to talk to you about is I'm seeing this trend now online where everyone's not everyone. There's a subset of people online pushing back on the wellness community and they're calling it Big Wellness. They're like, big wellness makes so much money and it's predatory on people. Well, Big Wellness exists because we have a pharmaceutical industrial complex. That is exactly what we just said. People are going to their doctors and they're saying, I'm suffering. Like I have a rash on my face that will not go away. And you just keep giving me more medicine and you are telling me to my face that my diet has nothing to do with it. So what do you think people are going to do? People are going to start seeking other alternatives because they're seeing online that people like you and me, we go on and we're like, hi, I used to have eczema, it's gone now because I changed my diet.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So big, big quote unquote, big wellness is just a symptom of a broken system that's not actually helping people. So, yeah. So, okay, so wellness is making money, but at Least it's making money off of people that are getting well.

[B]

Yeah. Like what are we mad about? People are going to the gym and eating healthy. Oh my God, call the police. What is going on? Like, literally call the SWAT team and get all these people out of the gyms. Like, what are they doing?

[A]

Right?

[B]

Look, I'm not, I don't understand what people are so angry about. Like, I get people are trying to make the correlation that like, big, like the wellness industry is a sick, what was it, $6.3 trillion industry and that big pharma is only like, like less than that, whatever the freaking number is.

[A]

I don't know if I believe that, but.

[B]

Okay, no, because they also said like, whoever was making this big, like graph or whatever, they were pulling in. They were pulling in so much stuff. Like, they were pulling in so much random stuff. I mean, do I believe that it's worth a lot yet? Because that you're putting in supplements and all these different types of gyms and you're also putting like workout gear and anything that would be related to like bettering somebody's life and we're mad about that? Like what, what, what would you like people to do? More. More medicine? Well, that's what we need, more medicine. Stop going to the gym. Just take Ozempic. Like, right. What are we. I don't actually understand what that, like, what the correlation between like touting big wellness is. Like, you're. What are you trying. I don't get the. Like, when I saw that, I was like, what are we mad at here? Literally, people are going to the spa.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Why can't get a facial?

[A]

Like, we mad about that?

[B]

No, I don't. Yeah, when I saw the video, like when I saw the. Whoever freaking posted it and then they were like, I'm like, okay, I. Now I just know who, who to block because if you repost this, I'm just gonna block you because I don't understand, like, what we're upset about. I'm happy people are spending money to go to the gym. And guess what? Even if you're on medication, you should still be doing things to better your life. You should still be going to the gym and eating well and going to the spa and spending money on, you know, supplements and things like that. Like, I wish somebody told me that birth control depletes so many different nutrients. Cuz at least I could have taken those and not been like, literally like postpartum after birth control. Like, my hair was falling out, I had ac, acne. I had like, no Energy. Like, I wish we were told that. Like, I have so many friends that were, like, on medicine for a long time, and they were never told that it depletes, like, really important nutrients, whether it's B vitamins or different types of minerals. And they're like, I wish somebody even told me that. But now we have, like, a slew of people that are like, supplements. Like, oh, you're a supplement shill. Like, you just want to sell supplements. And it's like, okay. You're like, are we like, well, we're mad at vitamin D now. Like, what are we? Fish oils are bad. Like, people can't take magnesium. Like, are we denying the science of that?

[A]

Now I know.

[B]

Like, what are we talking about?

[A]

And why are people mad that people are making a living off of people getting better? This is what I don't understand. Look, I understand there will always be bad actors in every single industry ever. It just is the fact. Yeah, there will always be people taking advantage, but for the most part, this entire movement is grounded on a bunch of people that either are looking to get better because they don't feel good or they have figured out something that is helping a lot of people and they want to help. Help people.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So why are we so mad that people are making money off of people getting well, but we're not mad at pharmaceutical drugs that are just, like, predatory on people. I mean, think about the average American. I don't actually know what the number is. We should look this up. But the average American is on, you know, X amount of prescription drugs. Majority of that is because someone gets put on one drug and then they get put on another drug to counteract the side effects. Oh, and then they have more side effects, and then they have put on another drug, and then all of a sudden they're on, like, six drugs that are counteracting all the other ones that they were put on in the first place, when largely a lot of that stuff could have been addressed with diet and lifestyle changes in the first place. And then people are mad at everybody getting better. And then companies that are making money off of people getting better. I don't understand. Meanwhile, Big Pharma is just laughing all the way to the bank while every American is on medication.

[B]

Yeah, I had to. Like, there's this quote that I tweeted about, and it said 90 of adults over the age of 65 will have at least one chronic illness, while 77% will have two or more. For the vast. I said, for the vast majority of adults, you'll spend the last decade of your life suffering. Like, this is not a drill.

[A]

Th. This is not a drill.

[B]

No. Like, we are, like, this is a full on attack on people and now we're upset that people are trying to better themselves. And like, I, I don't give a. Like, I'm the first one to talk about all the supplements that are in the wellness space. Like, I've been. Like, even before I started Live Healthily, I. I've been talking my. About so much BS in that middle ground. There's middle ground everywhere. Like, nothing is as black and white as people want to try to make it seem. And I get it. The most polarizing content does the best. I understand. Because, like, the more hate you get. Yeah, that's a big part of the problem. The more hate you get, the more followers you get. And then you get this like, cult, like, following and everybody's like, and then they have somebody new to attack every single week. And I get a dopamine high off of it. I'm like, get a hobby. Touch some grass. Like, do something else. Literally anything. I will give you a hobby. I will you, like, if you DM me, I will give you something to do. Please. Like, anything. But that's like the issue that we're having with people is that they just want to have the most polarizing view and then there's all this nuance in the middle. Yes. I'm sure out of all that big wellness, if I were to go through the list of what they were considering Wellness, I throw 90% of it out with the first freaking in the garbage.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

But at least, at least people are trying to help others heal. At least, like, that is like the bare minimum in this country. And guess what? If these big corporations aren't going to do it, the people, we, the people need to step up. And I'm glad that a lot of us are. Like, it makes me really proud. Like, I know, like, I'm obviously, I'm a business owner and like, that's my whole mission and that's what I'm trying to do. And like, you're literally doing the same thing with, with your podcast and like, literally going like, knocking on doors, advocating for change. We've never seen a movement like this in American history when it comes to our food system. The fact that it's even being brought up like, yes, Michelle Obama tried to do it and the fact that nobody listened just proves that we weren't even ready for it. I'm sure if she did that today, we'd all be ike I'd rally behind. Come on, Michelle. Call me. Like, I'll rally behind. Behind. You know, but it's like that people were not ready. People still aren't ready. I'm even shocked that we're like, me, I was like, oh, my God, we're talking about health.

[A]

We're doing this.

[B]

The media, the mainstream media is talking about health. Like, literally, like, call my mother. But yeah, I'm like, what is going on? Like this. We've. We've never. Like, when has this ever happened? You know? And everyone's like, michelle did it. Michelle taught to you. You guys didn't want it. It's like, no, the world was not ready for it.

[A]

Not only that, I actually did a podcast episode on this. And I don't think a lot of people realize what actually happened with Michelle Obama. By the way, I know everyone loves her. This is not a personal attack on Michelle Obama. But what actually ended up happening is her original message. I don't know if you remember this was, we need to get the additives out of the food. We need to have kids eating less sugar. And then she kind of like disappeared for like a hot second with the movement and then came back out out with, let's move. Sponsored.

[B]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[A]

Bars, candy. Oh, and she's sponsored by all these big food corporations. And essentially what happened was she started talking about all these additives and all the crap and all the ultra processed foods that we were eating and was saying, this is a problem. We need to get our kids off these foods.

[B]

And Mars is like, how about you focus on them just exercising.

[A]

Exactly. And all these big companies were like, hey, we're gonna come sponsor you. This is great. And then she has freaking candy bars and other. I can't remember. I talk about this on my podcast. And I went through, like, all the. The major sponsors. You can also just Google it and look it up. Information. And then the whole. The whole movement changed then to, okay, let's focus on exercise, because everyone's not exercising enough. And it's like, dude, okay, yeah, I mean, true problem.

[B]

But, yeah, like, I also, like, the other thing that pisses me off is like, we can do multiple things at once. Like, why do we have to pick.

[A]

One and eat and walk more like, and encourage kids to get back in PE because apparently a lot of schools have, like, canceled pe. I don't know if that's true, but I don't know.

[B]

But, like, I. I use every excuse in the book during pe, so they're definitely not strict enough. I'm like, oh, my tummy hurts. I have a hangnail.

[A]

I have a hangnail. You know, myself that I had exercise induced asthma.

[B]

Oh.

[A]

I was like, trying to exercise induced asthma. I can't run. They're like, sure, yeah.

[B]

They're like, yeah, whatever. It was like. And then when you realize as an adult that like, all our nurses were just like our age, like, yeah, yeah, I'm not like, whatever. They're like, yeah, yeah, go, go back. Cool. Here's your freaking note with my stupid signature. Yeah. It makes no sense.

[A]

No, it's just everything.

[B]

Yeah. People don't realize the. The, like, how corrupt these industries are. They have so much money. I mean, even like Mr. Kellogg, whatever the hell his name is, he's been trying to, like, literally slither on by everything that happened. The Kellogg's hq when we went, that was. And yeah, that was like, just crazy. Like, Like, I mean, we're all in the group chats. Like, we know they have been. He's been trying so hard to, like, act like this isn't a big deal and like, he just got absolutely obliterated now that, like, RFK Jr. Is in office and he's going to be, like, really hunkering down. So, like, now he has no choice but to, like, bend the knee, you know? But, like, we know how hard these companies have been trying their best to continue to lobby against, like, everything that we've been doing. And now, like, he's put in a corner. Like, now he kind of has no choice but, like, if rfk, like, wasn't in office and all this, like, he'd. He'd breeze right on by. It would be no problem.

[A]

Oh, he would continue doing this. And what's so nefarious about this is that his company is creating these products for other countries, but then creating a different one for here in America. So they're already making it. And that's what's so insane.

[B]

And his, like, justification was like, well, like, like 90% of our products don't have artificial dyes.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

It's like, well, tell me what the 10. Where the 10% is and where are.

[A]

You getting the most money from? Yeah, it's probably that 10% percent.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Because that's where they're making the bulk of their money. No, it's so. It's so nefarious. And there was. I. We were just watching a video right before we started recording about this particular doctor. Dr. Dr. Lol, where she was saying, okay, well, why do Americans keep holding this high standard for EU regulations? Like, why why do they hold it to such a high regard? It's like, well, because they don't allow all the additives that we allow in this country. And they have actually done the studies. In fact, I would love for her to see the video of the FDA sitting in front of Bernie Sanders like two months ago, where they point blank, literally admitted to Bernie Sanders, we are behind the research. We haven't even done the research. They haven't even done the research. And then we're looking over at the EU and they have a cautionary approach, and this is why everyone's holding them at such a high regard, is because in the EU they go, you know, let's, let's do some studies on this. Let's like wait maybe five or ten years and not put this in our food system right away because we want to be sure that this is actually healthy and okay for us. And then in the United States, we're like, come one, come all, let's just throw it in. And then if it's bad, we figure out it's bad later. We'll just pull it out, it's fine. And then it takes 30 years to pull it out.

[B]

Yeah, it's nuts. My grandkids will do it. Exactly.

[A]

They're like, it's fine.

[B]

Yeah, that'll be. I'll put it on my will. Maybe someone else will do it on my will. But no, but it's actually funny because when I try to find especially studies on like artificial sweeteners because, like, you know, we don't want sucralose. And a lot of the study is talking about them being good are from the US And a lot of them talking about them being not being greater from the uk like almost every single time. Like, I found like a couple studies from Spain that were talking about like, how horrible sucralose is, but then you can find like a study in the United States saying, like, it's so good for you because it's like, that's like the number one sugar free. Every, like, alternative that people use outside of like stevia, which is considered a natural sweetener. But like, yeah, people, like, we see it, they just have. They're just doing way less biased research. That's really what it is. You know, and also people don't understand, like, about research is that there has to be money put behind it. You know me, like, I'm sure you get it too. Like, there's people who work. I get a couple researchers, they're like, oh, we've been trying to get funding to like, do this, this research on what I remember one specifically was the gut brain connection. And like, how lot of these additives affect that connection. And they're like, we've just been trying to get funding for like, just to like, do this one, like, small study. And then even when they do the study, it's like, oh, well, it wasn't like a meta analysis of like, there's.

[A]

Always just like only 10 people.

[B]

Oh, it was only this. Or like, it was. And. But then what's funny is, is like every artificial sweetener, like, study that is out there is like based on like two weeks. But that's fine. Now we have to. That's. That's more than enough that we need only two weeks. Meanwhile, people are consuming this for like their whole life and in like liters a week.

[A]

Well, and also too, a lot of those studies are getting pushed through by the food companies themselves that want to be able to use those sweeteners. And this sounds conspiratorial, but y', all, this is literally what happens with gross. This is why RFK Jr wants to go after. It's generally recognized as safe, which is our way of determining whether or not a food company can put something into the food system through the fda. And you know how a company gets to put a food additive into their food and bring it into the food system? They present their research to the fda. They go, here, we found that it's safe.

[B]

I did it.

[A]

And then we have all these like, bro science, like, guys on Instagram being like, well, the science says I'm like, oh, you mean the science that the American Beverage association paid for?

[B]

Yeah, that one. You know what's funny that we haven't mentioned is like, all these, like, all these like, like Western. It's usually Western rds. And I don't get me wrong, I love rds. I have so many that follow me that are like, more holistic minded. And they're like, they can't say anything because they'll get.

[A]

They get just annihilated.

[B]

Yeah, they get obliterated. Like, they're not even allowed to talk, that they're more holistic. Like, they're just not allowed to do it. They can't even mention that they don't like canola or any of these things, but they exist. And, And I love you.

[A]

We see you. Shout out.

[B]

Yeah, we see you, Esther. Non Western rds. But it's funny because you always have like, the Western RDs that will talk about how, oh, I can't, like, I can't Wait for my check to come in. Like. Like, trying to act like they're not getting paid, but. What's so funny. And I always remember this because I'm like, you guys are so embarrassing for this. But when they did that huge roundup, the FTC came for all those Western RDs that were promoting, like, it was pretty much they were promoting aspartame and, like, other artificial sweeteners, and they weren't disclosing that they were being paid by the corporations to be like, we love aspartame came and we, you know, chug it all the time. And then they got pretty much nailed. Like, it was like all these big.

[A]

Oh, they got letters sent.

[B]

Yeah, they got letters sent to them. It was like this whole thing that. To take everything down, whatever. One was like a cancer dietitian. Like, it was just crazy.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And I remember reading the article that was made about them, and one of these big corporations made a statement saying that we. They really appreciate these articles. RDs creating this narrative of everything in moderation because it really helps their advertising. So what's embarrassing is you guys are doing the work for free. You guys are literally doing it for free. They actually don't have to pay you because you're. You're creating the narratives for them. And then they're pushing the ads. They're literally able to hunker down on that narrative and be like, oh, yeah, the RDs were just talking about everything as a chemical and. And everything in moderation. Write that down, Jim. We're using that in our next ad.

[A]

Those are the experts, so we're gonna go with that.

[B]

Yeah. Yeah.

[A]

Well, and I think a lot of people aren't making this connection too. So that's absolutely happening. But also, a lot of these RDs are getting these talking points from their education that is largely being swayed by these corporations. Exactly.

[B]

They just keep on, like, supporting everything that's. And they. They're not asking for any type of change or anything like that. I mean, also, I think, you know, one specific person that talks about this a lot aren't following the. The dietary layout enough. Right. We're not following it enough. So let's ask why people aren't following it. Maybe it's not. It doesn't work. Yeah, maybe. Let's think about that. Maybe it's people. We need to rework it in a way that is actually attainable for the average American. Like, to be honest, I couldn't even tell you, like, what is on the E. All if you. If all the eat plate Thing was my plate, whatever the heck it's called. They need to find a different name that I can rem. If that was just like, eat real food, have like a cup of berries a day, cool, I can maintain that. But it's like, you need this much fiber. And there's my grain. Denver, like, and I don't even think, like, me is like, an important role in any of it.

[A]

You know, most people that try to go by that end up getting really sick. I mean, Kelly Means talks about this with his mom. And his mom unfortunately died a couple years ago from an aggressive form of. I forgot what kind of cancer she had. It was maybe colon cancer. I can't remember exactly. Exactly. Don't quote me on that. Or come for me. I don't remember exactly. But he talked about how his mom thought that she was relatively healthy because she was following what the guidelines were saying. And then she just kept getting on more and more medications. It was like, this is what happens in the American system, is that she thinks that she's pretty healthy. And then all of a sudden she gets diagnosed with diabetes. And so then they put her on metformin. And then a couple years go down the line and then they say, oh, you have heart disease. And then they put her on a statin. You have high cholesterol statin, you know, and then they just keep putting you on all these drugs. Well, those are all warning signs that something is going on and continuing to go wrong. Exactly. And no one's having a sit down intervention with people going, huh, okay, so your blood sugar is really high. Your cholesterol is getting, like, concerningly high. No one's actually having a conversation with diet. And if they are, they're like, oh, well, just eat more grains. And you know, here's the food pyramid. And they'll send you with little like, yeah, like 1980s, like, printout.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

That they have in their office.

[B]

Yeah. Where are you getting all this paper? Because my dad, like went to the doctor for migraines and they printed out like a dietary thing. And first off, like, it's like a mass thing that they print. Like, he just like went into a drawer and he just has like 500 papers in there and it all says the same exact thing. I remember he sent it to me and he's like this. Because I was like, show me what your doctor is recommending for your migraines. Because, like, for me, like, studying, like, functional therapies and things, I'm like, you should probably be doing like a mineral analysis, like, seeing what your mineral stores are like, let's see what's going on. And instead they sent him home with a paper that said he can eat Velveeta Mac and cheese.

[A]

Oh, my God.

[B]

And jello.

[A]

That is so. I. I know this is happening, but it still is shocking to me. It's similarly. It's similarly to, like, when you have a loved one that ends up in the hospital. My dad had heart surgery, like five years years ago. And actually it takes a lot to shock my dad because I've been talking to my dad about this stuff for like 20 years.

[B]

Yeah, aren't we all?

[A]

But my dad gets.

[B]

We need a support group.

[A]

Literally.

[B]

Our parents don't listen to us.

[A]

Literally, though. I have been trying so hard with my dad and so it takes a lot to shock him.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And my dad got a heart surgery done at a really prominent, in his words, like, the best of the best, like, heart surgery center or whatever. Right after he came out of surgery, do you know what they gave him? They literally brought him a tray of fried chicken.

[B]

No.

[A]

And macaroni and cheese. And even my dad, he's sending me photos. And I was like, like, where's the vegetables? No, literally, though. It was.

[B]

No, literally have to send you. I have the paper because I, like, I remember him sending it to me. I'm gonna have to send it to you because it's. The list is so shocking. I'm like, velveet. Like, it's crazy. The brand.

[A]

Brand.

[B]

Like, it's specifically that brand. And it just shows that there has to be some sort of incentive. Incentive for them. And it's like, I will actually, to be honest, show me the study that Velveeta Mac and chin is good for. For migraines. Show me. Actually, I need proof because where are you getting that list from? I've never even heard that Mac and cheese is like a superfood.

[A]

No, like, it's a superfood.

[B]

Like, it's good. It's great for migraines. Like, what are we, Angelo Nuts Jello?

[A]

I know.

[B]

That's like the most, least nutritious food in the world. It's literally like eating air. Like, what is. Like, it's not even made with like real jell grass fed gelatin. You know what I'm saying?

[A]

I know.

[B]

It's crazy. Blew my mind.

[A]

Oh, my God, it's so.

[B]

I need to burn those pamphlets. Like, just el.

[A]

Mom, wait. Take photos first and then post them online because I really want to see those.

[B]

Like, yeah, I put my spy gear.

[A]

On thank you so much for listening to the Real Foodology Podcast. This is a Wellness Loud production produced by Drake Peterson and mixed by Mike Fry. Theme song is by Georgie. You can watch the full video version of this podcast inside the Spotify app or on YouTube. As always, you can leave us a voicemail by clicking the link in our bio. And if you like this episode, please rate and review on your podcast app. For more shows by my team, go to wellnessloud.com see you next time. The content of this show is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for individual medical and mental health advice and doesn't constitute a provider patient relationship relationship. I am a nutritionist, but I am not your nutritionist. As always, talk to your doctor or your health team first.

[B]

Are you ready to rock middle age? I'm Dr. Tina Moore, Gen X truth Teller and holistic physician.

[A]

On the Dr. Tina show, one of.

[B]

Apple podcast Top Alternative Health shows, I share what actually works for metabolic health, hormones and strength.

[A]

Backed by decades of clinical results, not trends. From loving the gym and hitting your protein goals to peptides and microdosing GLP1s.

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It'S all done the right way, not the hype way.

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Because menopause doesn't have to suck if you're fit. New episodes every Thursday, produced by Drake.

[B]

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