Podcast Summary: The Ultimate Human with Gary Brecka – Ep. #193

Guest: Jen Smiley

Topic: How to Read Food Labels to Avoid the Hidden Toxic Ingredients in Your Food!

Release Date: August 19, 2025

Main Theme & Purpose

In this episode, host Gary Brecka sits down with clean-eating advocate and “Wake Up and Read The Labels” founder Jen Smiley to demystify food labels, expose deceptive marketing, and empower listeners to make simple, effective food swaps that reduce inflammation and improve long-term health. Jen shares both her personal journey toward health through label reading and actionable tips for parents and busy people seeking clean, nourishing options.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Deceptiveness of Food Labels

• Marketing Overload: Food packaging is “98% marketing,” designed to emphasize what’s not inside (sugar-free, fat-free, non-GMO, etc.) rather than what actually is.
  “What you're seeing on a label, it's 98% marketing. It's their billboard. They're trying to tell you what's not inside.” – Jen (00:00, 15:03)
• Ingredient List is Key: Ingredients are listed in tiny print, often filled with unrecognizable additives and preservatives. “I can't even pronounce these ingredients... if you don't recognize an ingredient, neither does your body.” – Jen (00:13, 12:16)

2. Personal Journey: From Health Issues to “Wake Up and Read The Labels”

• Jen was diagnosed with asthma in her 20s and experienced bloating, skin issues, and stubborn weight. Her journey began when she and her husband started experimenting with food swaps, cutting out obscure processed ingredients, and quickly noticed positive results.
• Her success led her to help family and friends—her father, diagnosed with prostate cancer, reduced his PSA levels with diet alone, surprising doctors. “Every two weeks he'd send me a screenshot from LabCorp, and it was actually shrinking [his PSA].” – Jen (08:50)

3. The Real Risks: Additives, Inflammation & "Clean Swaps"

• Additives/preservatives extend shelf life and intensify taste but also increase inflammation—a root cause of chronic illness, fatigue, and “modern” malaise. “These preservatives… made the food look better, taste better, extended shelf life, and ultimately it’s leading to inflammation.” – Jen (12:16)
• Swapping out products with clean, simple ingredients can yield fast health improvements—often without complex protocols. “When someone feels the effects of just swapping out these foods, not changing their habits, just the foods, they’re going to feel the effects quick.” – Jen (03:00)

4. Food Industry Tactics: Engineering Addiction

• Foods are chemically engineered to stimulate dopamine and suppress feelings of fullness (satiety), contributing to overconsumption and even addiction. “It's being engineered chemically to stimulate our dopamine and to avoid satiety. So our kids love it.” – Gary (00:34, 13:00)

5. Misleading Labels: Organic, Non-GMO, Gluten-Free, and More

• Many health claims are marketing ploys:
  • Non-GMO appears even on foods that cannot be genetically modified (like salt or orange juice). “Salt doesn't have DNA to genetically modify… But the orange juice says non-GMO. So it’s a way for you to think it’s healthier.” – Jen (15:50)
  • Organic doesn’t always mean chemical-free; proximity to conventional farms or certain “approved” chemicals still apply.
  • “All Natural” and “Simply” labels are meaningless. “There’s no real definition for ‘all natural’... no substance, they're all charm.” – Jen (15:39, 34:44)
  • Gluten-free, vegan, and other “free-from” labels can conceal processed, unhealthy ingredients.
    “There's gluten-free Oreos… probably non-GMO, vegan, gluten-free Oreos. How many more labels could we get on there?” – Jen (33:24)

6. Practical Tips for Parents

• Kids model habits more than instruction; parents must lead by example.
  “Kids will never listen to what you say, but they never fail to repeat what you do.” – Jen (00:53, 20:59)
• Simple swaps: Cassava and collagen waffles, “clean” chips, grass-fed beef. Up to 48 small swaps/year makes a big difference.
• How to sneak healthier ingredients into meals, and encourage gradual transitions (21:43 – 24:33).

7. Navigating Restaurants and Eating Out

• Ask about oils used (“I’m allergic to canola, can you cook in butter?”).
  • Opt for char-grilled items, avoid marinated oils (often seed oils).
• Bring your own olive oil or request lemon and wasabi as a soy sauce alternative at sushi. “Squeeze your lemons in the wasabi and mix it up. Game changer for your sushi.” – Jen (39:25)

8. Problem Ingredients to Avoid

• In Breads: Potassium bromate, banned in Europe, used in U.S. for dough rise—linked to cancer (26:27).
• In Non-Dairy Milks: Dipotassium phosphate (emulsifier), carrageenan, preservatives. Opt for brands with 2–3 ingredients.
• In Protein Bars & Sauces: Brown rice syrup (glycemic index of 98), dextrose, sucralose, acesulfame potassium.
• In Chickens: Costco rotisserie chicken contains carrageenan, dextrose, sodium phosphate (“induces aging”).
  “Costco’s chicken has carrageenan, it has dextrose, and it has sodium phosphates, which is an additive that's been shown to induce aging.” – Jen (56:30)

9. The Case for Local, Real Food—#MALA ("Make America Local Again")

• Support local farmers and markets; nutrient density and quality are often far superior.
  • Apps exist to locate reputable sources locally.
  • Story of “Farmer Lee Jones” and ultra-nutritious regenerative produce.
• Eating local and at home can actually be cheaper in the long run, with fewer medical issues and more satiation.

10. Fighting Deceptive Food Culture & Marketing

• Over $14B is spent marketing processed foods, much of it targeted at children.
• Normalization of sickness—a culture where chronic illnesses, fatigue, and medications are now the default. “What we’ve normalized—sickness is the sickness.” – Gary (59:32)
• Aim to normalize home-cooked meals, movement, and sunlight.

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On food marketing:
  “They're like a dating app profile—they are no substance, they're all charm.” – Jen (15:39)
• On ingredient awareness:
  “If you don't recognize an ingredient, neither does your body.” – Jen (00:22, 12:16)
• On processed food’s impact:
  “When you have chemicals added as preservatives… our body doesn't recognize... it also doesn't know how to eliminate.” – Gary (19:29)
• On leading by example:
  “Kids will never listen to what you say, but they never fail to repeat what you do. So it has to start with the parent.” – Jen (00:53)
• On affordable clean eating:
  “It can often be less expensive to eat organic and less expensive to eat whole foods. Once you learn how to navigate this…” – Gary (55:45)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00–04:36 – Jen’s introduction & personal wake-up moment
• 08:19 – Story of helping her father with prostate cancer via diet change
• 11:28–12:52 – The “store aisle test” for ingredient lists
• 15:03–18:55 – Deceptive labeling: Non-GMO, organic, “all natural”
• 21:42–25:19 – Kids, clean eating at home, habit-building
• 26:27–29:22 – Common hidden additives in breads, non-dairy milk, protein bars
• 33:24–34:44 – The gluten-free/vegan “halo” and label shams
• 36:27–39:23 – Restaurant tips, travel strategies, the “wasabi-lemon” sushi hack
• 47:24–49:46 – Inside food advertising, the marketing of processed foods
• 53:20–54:22 – Artificial sweeteners to avoid
• 55:10–57:54 – Bulk/rotisserie chickens, why you should care
• 59:25–61:08 – Normalization of chronic illness, importance of real food
• 62:11 – Jen’s ultimate human tip: The lost art of home cooking

Actionable Takeaways

• Always check the ingredient list, not just the bold claims or nutrition facts.
• Replace one product per week with a cleaner swap to overhaul your pantry within a year.
• Shop local, support farmers, and aim to eat real, minimally processed food.
• Be skeptical of marketing terms (“all natural,” “non-GMO,” “gluten-free,” “simply”)—check what's actually in the product.
• For families: Focus on building healthy habits and tasty meals rather than lectures or restriction.

How to Connect & Learn More

• Jen Smiley’s app: Read The Labels — scan products for clean/unclean ratings.
• Follow Jen: @wakeupandreadthelabels on Instagram, YouTube, Podcast
• Jen’s weekly newsletter: thelabelletter.com (anti-inflammatory recipes, swaps, tips)
• Discount: Use code “GARY” for 10% off Jen’s app.
• Gary Brecka: theultimatehuman.com/VIP for exclusive content and community.

Closing Reflection

The episode ends with Jen’s heartfelt belief in the importance of the nightly family meal and the lost art of cooking—as the true foundation of ultimate health, connection, and community.

“The lost art in most people's lives and homes is the art of cooking. Just cooking a meal.” – Jen (65:37)

Summary prepared to provide a comprehensive guide to the episode’s transformative insights into food choice, label reading, and reclaiming health through informed, simple action.