food – Healthy Living

January 22, 2025October 7, 2025

“Please, sir, I want some more.”

January 22, 2025 by Laurianne Macdonald, B.Sc., MPH, CHt, and Licensed RTT Practitioner

Oliver’s desperate plea as his tiny skeletal hands presented an empty bowl came to mind as I read the headline regarding red dye No. 3 (erythrosine). The bloviators at CNN and other legacy media touted, boasted, and babbled on and on about the pittance of protection the FDA finally tossed the chronically ill U.S. consumer as if it were a gift of frankincense and myrrh.

Perhaps there was hope of masking the stink of being just another flimflam floating in the swamp of alphabet agencies meant to protect us but that does just the opposite. Maybe they think throwing us a bone will keep us believing in their protective prowess. Just in case there’s another pandemic. Might it be the Biden administration being as spiteful and inept as usual: Wanting to claim cleaning up the food supply as a democratic win.

Whatever the reason, I want more.

First, I want to know why it took more than thirty years from the time it was banned in cosmetics to admit it should not be eaten? The dangerous chemical has been banned from food production in Europe and many other countries for at least as long. Seems our supposed consumer protection agency lost the horse, set the cart aflame, and dropped the ball on that account.

Creepy images of feeble crooked men and high browed witches with walkers offering poisoned candies and treats to my grandchildren keep filling my head. The Biden administration’s agreement allows the carcinogenic red dye to continue to be used in edible preparations for two more years, and four more years in pharmaceuticals. That leaves red dye #40, banned in the EU and other countries since 2001, to continue its dirty work in the U.S.. A 2019 review of red dye #40 reported conclusive evidence that consumption of the synthetic causes hyperactivity, irritability, and increases symptoms of ADHD.

Titanium dioxide is a chemical colorant that makes things beautifully white. But it is not as pure as the driven snow. Found in an array of popular yummies including all kinds of candy, chewing gum, pastry creams, cookies, coffee creamers, cheese, as well as soy, oat, and nut milks, makes this poison positively perverse. This class of carcinogen cannot be ruled out as a mutagenic agent able to damage DNA when ingested, and all types of exposure is potentially causing symptoms of chronic inflammation which leads to the leading cause of death; cardiovascular disease.

So, though my main concern, as always, is to help my readers in taking responsibility for their own health, it is difficult not to get into the red, white, and blue of this issue.

That said, in September of 2003 a Public Health Advisory was issued on FD&C Blue No.1 because of clinical reports of injury upon ingestion. Then a 2013 study published by The Journal of General Physiology indicated that Brilliant Blue (FD&C Blue No. 1) could harm the gastrointestinal system and inhibit cell respiration, potentially leading to conditions like ADHD, hyperactivity, allergies, asthma, and acute Crohn’s. Yet the United States still allows Blue No. 1 to be used in many foods, beverages, and pharmaceuticals today.

So, Red #3 is just a drop in a bucket full of stagnant slime. The FDA is still using reports and studies more than thirty years old to base Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) recommendations. The list of toxic and disease causing food additives, preservatives, and flavor enhancers is scary long. Chemical Cuisine FAQ (link below) offers a database that may help you learn what to look for if not avoid the monsters hiding in our food supply. Beware… their recommendations are more like a game of ‘where is the ball’ with the FDA as the carnie. Do your own research to learn more. The EWG and YUCA have apps for your phone that make it easy while you shop.

Someone once told me when something seems suspect, follow the money. Following the money once again leads us to the pharmaceutical and chemical industries that not only control our food, water, and healthcare industries, they clearly have the majority of legislative souls in our federal governance on the take, afraid of blackmail, or dependent upon evil-doer funds to plug into the power source.

I want more. I want better. I want to see all the dangerous toxic chemicals, even if they are just suspected of being harmful, be removed from the food supply TODAY! Why wait? I want my children and grandchildren to be eating safe and nutritious food right now. I want to believe again, that our leaders and lawmakers want to protect everyone, all of us from harm. Because all lives matter.

Why are our leaders allowing the chemical and pharmaceutical companies to continue to use Americans as Guinea pigs: Big-pharma and the chemical corporations are making trillions of dollars of profit every year because of their partnership with the FDA. The FDA is an agency that stopped doing their job back when the AMA, with the help of Good Housekeeping, propagandized and conditioned our parents into believing doctors and scientists were gods, their word gospel, and a pill could cure anything.

Inevitably, and possibly quite blindly, we gave them the power to make us sick and keep us sick. We believed they could heal, not realizing their cures contain the same dangerous chemicals cited above… and more. So much more.

It is time we all made it clear to our senators and congress that we expect more. We expect better from them. Please, share this message with them. At the very least, take the time to do your own research to learn more about how toxic the American food supply actually is. You just might be able to save your children’s and grandchildren’s lives, if not your own.

Resources

https://www.cspinet.org/page/chemical-cuisine-food-additive-safety-ratings

https://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/why-are-some-food-additives-that-are-banned-in-europe-still-used-in-the-us/

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8634323/

https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/chemicals/chem_profiles/titanium_dioxide.html

November 22, 2024October 7, 2025

Monsanto’s Evil Children, Franken-food, GMO, Bio-enhanced, Biologically Modified, Lab Grown, mRNA vaccinated beef… and the “beet” goes on.

November 22, 2024 by Laurianne Macdonald, B.Sc., MPH, CHt, and Licensed RTT Practitioner

Back in the seventies and early eighties it was all about the pesticides and fungicides and chemical fertilizers used to produce our fresh fruits and vegetables. Like all things, there were two sides to the coin. Heads up, the corporate AG industry won with more yield and higher profits. Tails saw local organic growers losing the farm to corporate AG. And in some tragic cases, their livestock, their children, or their own life to cancer.

But those stories only came out from behind the curtain of corporate corruption and political profiteering when some avenger dared to write a book or make a movie. Meanwhile, we got used to having to peel away the most nutritious part of our produce, wash them in vinegar to neutralize the toxins, and drink bottled water.

After all, scientists did the research and declared the risk nominal.

Sounds so close to normal. But you have to wonder why an estimated 125 countries have banned or restricted the use of more than 150 US pesticides, fungicides, and fertilizers. In fact, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, about three million pounds of agricultural pesticides the WHO considers “extremely” or “highly hazardous” are still being used annually in the US.

WHO hazard class	Pesticide	Estimated annual use (lb)	Number of countries ban
Extremely hazardous	PHORATE	500k500k	38
Extremely hazardous	TERBUFOS	383k383k	34
Extremely hazardous	ETHOPROPHOS	131k131k	8
Extremely hazardous	ALDICARB	75k75k	103
Extremely hazardous	CHLORETHOXYFOS	19k19k	29
Highly hazardous	DICROTOPHOS	824k824k	34
Highly hazardous	METHOMYL	636k636k	12
Highly hazardous	CYFLUTHRIN	141k141k	29
Highly hazardous	ZETA-CYPERMETHRIN	131k131k	Unknown
Highly hazardous	TEFLUTHRIN	131k131k	1
Highly hazardous	OXAMYL	101k101k	3
Highly hazardous	FORMETANATE	37k37k	1
Highly hazardous	METHIOCARB	2k2k	4
Highly hazardous	OXYDEMETON-METHYL	2k2k	30
Highly hazardous	METHIDATHION	1010	33
Highly hazardous	FENAMIPHOS	33	6

In the U.S. we’ve been conditioned to believe whatever the governmental and its “protective” agencies, doctors, and scientists tell us. How that happened is a history lesson I’ll save for another time. Just know blind trust was a predictable premeditated affect of greedy leadership.

We the people didn’t bother to notice that the same companies profiting off the manufacturing and use of such chemicals were the same companies paying the “scientists” for tweaked research finding and statistics. The most recent and worst example of this sort of crime against health and humanity was the inimical inoculation incident of 2020. We simply believed what we were told because it sounded like good news.

The cog works of this malfunction include lobbyists who then share the “good news” with our public officials and protective agencies. Believers become benefactors. Now ‘inside trading‘, PAC donations, and backroom deals corrupts our government, politicians, legislation, healthcare system, and food supply.

But hey, I digress. Back to the PSA at hand.

So it was that our fruits look pretty in a bowl on the counter and vibrant veggies brightened our dinner plates. We felt like we were doing good because we were eating fresh.

Hadn’t all the morning shows and health gurus told us so.

It never dawned on us that we were not to blame for our expanding waist lines and ill health. As far as the general public was concerned the FDA seemed to be doing a fine job of protecting us. I guess that is how chemicals seeped into just about every mouthful we swallow and product we purchase now.

Meanwhile, genetically modified organisms (GMO) snuck on scene. Once again the ‘good news’ propaganda kept the public pacified with promises of healthy abundance. I’d be willing to bet you did not know that beet, tomato, potato, sugar, rice, soy, beans, salmon, poultry, and corn where some of the first GMOs?

That is probably because wheat stole the show in the early 90s. Talk about false flags.

Anyway. GM wheat spreading into fields where it had not been sowed was scary news. Especially when you consider that GM wheat containing Roundup recumbent DNA was supposed to be sterile. Roundup being one of those chemicals on the WHO’s highly hazardous to human health list and all.

This Frankenstein food product reproducing with organic wheat was equivalent to fallen angels mating with earthbound women. Yup. Since then, all hell has broken loose. It is now near impossible to not eat GMOs, especially given the inexhaustible number of GM products grown in the U.S.

Just a few frightening facts to consider: Corn is used to make high fructose corn-syrup. HFCS is in an estimated 85% of our packaged foods, including protein and health-nut bars. Beet juice is touted to be a health drink. Eggs, salmon, soy, and that wonderful apple a day that promises to keep the doctor away are all GMOs.

More than 30 countries have banned GMOs. Not the U.S.

The terms “GMO,” “biologically enhanced,” and “bioengineered” are often used interchangeably. As defined by the FDA, a genetically modified organism is any organism containing altered genetic material, while “bioengineered” identifies products that contain detectable genetic materials not created through conventional breeding or that are found in nature.

And, I’m not sure all that murky mumbo-jumbo matters. The fact is, under the current labeling laws, organic is even more subjective. Industry standards report that products containing 70% or more verified organics can use the term. That is because of a legislative loophole.

The Stabenow-Roberts GMO-Labeling bill (S. 764), signed into law by President Obama in 2016 mandates labeling only when there is a substantial difference in the nutritional or safety characteristics of a new food. Since the FDA does not consider genetically modified and bioengineered products create substantial differences in nutrition and safety, this law masquerades as protective.

It also makes it abundantly clear that our democratic government-ship is neither ethically or morally committed to lead this country in the pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness. It did not matter that studies show the increased use of genetically modified and bioengineered products in the US correlates with increases in chronic inflammatory diseases like celiac, colitis, food allergies, type II diabetes, neuritis, tendonitis, eczema, vaginitis, and cardiovascular disease. (https://www.businessinsider.com/things-that-wouldnt-exist-without-gmos-2015-8) They didn’t follow the science when the science went against lining their pockets.

So my best advice; quit all packaged food, fast food (especially McDonalds), and choose your meals carefully when dining out. Eat as close to nature as possible whenever possible. Eat local and seasonal produce, remembering the following PLU code rhyme: 9 is fine, 8 we hate, 3 or 4 soak before.

And please, stay informed, because now we have mRNA vaccinated beef, CRISPR technologies, and lab grown meat to worry about. Because the beat goes on.

November 8, 2024October 7, 2025

How MAHA is Transforming America’s Health Agenda

December 8, 2024 by Laurianne Macdonald, B.Sc., MPH, CHt, and Licensed RTT Practitioner

“Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) is igniting a health revolution in America.” Its goal is to disarm big guns like the chemical companies, Big-pharm, and greedy AG corporations that hold our government, legislators, and protective agencies like the FDA, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) hostage.

Greed and corruption has led to widespread chronic disease, environmental degradation, and rampant public distrust. The Standard American Diet (SAD) is killing us and our children! It is affecting our economy. Many US foodstuff, meat, and dairy products are banned in other countries. https://www.wnct.com/on-your-side/consumer-watch/common-us-foods-that-are-banned-in-other-countries/

At least 38 countries have banned phorate, glyphosate, and other “extremely hazardous” insecticides the US continues to produce and use. The World Health Organization considers about 150 agricultural pesticides hazardous to humans that US corporate farmers continue to use.

According to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), as of 2021, the European Union has banned or restricted over 1,000 food additives, including:

150 synthetic food colorings
200 preservatives
150 emulsifiers and stabilizers
100 flavor enhancers
50 sweeteners

In contrast, the United States has a more lenient approach to regulating food additives, with the FDA allowing many substances that are banned or heavily restricted in other countries. However, the FDA does have a process for evaluating and regulating food additives, and some substances have been banned or restricted in the US due to health concerns.

“MAHA seeks to drive a transformative agenda by aligning the health-conscious, independent-minded voters with candidates who have the ability to disrupt the status quo. This includes prioritizing regenerative agriculture, preserving natural habitats, and eliminating toxins from our food, water, and air. The PAC’s purpose is to create a broad coalition of voters who are committed to reclaiming America’s health, liberty, and environmental integrity—ensuring that these critical issues are front and center.

MAHA isn’t just a political entity; it’s a movement with a singular purpose: to ensure that the next four years are defined by a commitment to public health, sustainable practices, and a government that truly serves the people. This PAC is the bridge that connects a vision for a healthier America.”

The above was quoted directly from the MAHA PAC website. Join MAHA today @ https://www.maha.vote/#join-the-movement

April 19, 2013October 3, 2025

Natural & Healthful Weight Loss: Part II

May 7, 2013 by Laurianne Macdonald, B.Sc., MPH, CHt, and Licensed RTT Practitioner

Part II: Herbs & Supplements

It is no wonder, what with the US being named third fattest country in the world, 50% of Americans already dieting, and nearly 65% of us wishing to lose 20 lbs or more, that in 2012 over $1 billion dollars was spent on weight loss pills alone. Market data suggest the weight loss products and programs make up a $60 Billion dollar a year industry. Amazingly, over half of all diet industry’s claims are false. But that explains why $147 Billion dollars were spent on obesity related medical issues in 2012.

There is no and never will be a little magic pill that shrinks fat cells, burns calories, and curbs cravings… that is in anyway natural. Pharmacology is derived from the classic Greek word ‘pharmakon’, meaning poison. Pharmaceutical companies have wizened to the market trend, fooling consumers and loop-holing labeling legislation with corporate subsidiary names like

And my all-time favorite, NATUREX. (Am I the only one who sees an oxymoron here?)

So, now these types of manufacturers get away with touting their All Nature, From Nature, or Ultimate Botanical Benefits hoping consumers looking for that healthy pill, will not look past the pretty green label. They hope you will not remember that it is the processing of “active ingredients” that turns an organic compound into poison. Below is a list of some of the products these companies are currently producing besides Green Coffee Bean with Svetol®. There’s a bit of redundancy for you. Did you know that Svetol is simply a brand name for Green Coffee Bean Extract? Does too much of a good thing ring a bell?

Re-Body/Green Coffee Bean Extract products
ResVitale
Reserveage
Hydroxycut/Hardcore and Hardcore Elite
Genesis Today/Pure Green Coffee Bean with Svetol
Xenadrine XT
RealDose Weight Loss Formula No.
Nutrigold®
NanoLean™
go4trim
Diet Formula With Svetol®
Total DIET Success
Kleissinger Labs
Bodylogix®
Thermogenesis™
Trim Energy®
NatureWise™
Sports Research SVETOL/Green Coffee Bean Extract
Wonder Labs 100% Svetol

When there are more shelves filled with powders, products, and pills than those that carry natural and organic whole foods, it’s easy to understand how we lost our way and why it is so hard to tell the difference between the good, the bad, and the ones that actually work.

The one thing we should all know by now is that health does not come in a bottle. Be wary when the great O (Oprah) orates on how wonderfully easy it was to lose fifty while supplementing with Hoodia or as Dr. Oz endorses Svetol®. Dr. Oz’s latest wonder product is taking the market by storm: Garcinia Cambogia. Hydroxycitric acid, the active ingredient in this little green pumpkin shaped fruit from India is what is in Hydroxycut and many other diet pills and supplements. It is also the ingredient that like ephedrine was recalled by the FDA because of an association with health problems like liver damage, seizures, cardiovascular disorders, and rhabdomyolysis, (a type of muscle damage that leads to even more health problems). That is not to say that the product itself is bad for you, but the processing used to extract the active ingredients often results in the lost synergy with other alkaloids and tannins in the originating plant. Again I will refer to Food Synergy, written by Eliane Magee.

And don’t get me wrong. There are many pure and natural extracts and whole extract products out there that help curb an appetite, regulate blood sugar, maintain good cholesterol level, and even burn fat. Ginger root, capsicum (hot pepers), Avena Sativa (oats), and cynara scolymus (globe artichoke) all aid fat metabolism. Turmeric, blue cornflower, berberis vulgaris (barberry) help liver function and therefore possibly lipid digestion. B12, raspberries, and caffeine (the subtler organic green coffee bean extract, not Svetol®) are all easily accessible supplements that are used to help maintain a healthy weight and stimulate the metabolic processes. Traditional Chinese medicine often combines the following herbs in weight loss and appetite suppressant remedies.

Humulus lupulus (Hops) may help with emotional eating, perhaps because of its calming effects.

Alchemilla Vulgaris (Lady’s Mantle, Lions Foot, Bear’s Foot, Nine Hooks), is an astringent used for detoxification.

Olea Europea, (Olive) is a diuretic and glycolic stabilizer that helps maintain metabolic homeostasis.

Cuminum Cyminum, (Parsely) and

Mentha spicata, Longifolia (spearmint) are popular digestive aids.

Simply Natural & Cafe carries a wide variety of weight loss and metabolic enhancing products and the staff is always happy to help you find what might work best for you.