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Post by jeremysgirl on Aug 14, 2025 12:28:18 GMT
There's Money to be Made from MAHA. Food Companies Want InGift article for you. I have so, so, so many thoughts. 1) Does every single thing in America need to be for sale? I am over capitalism (fueled by the ridiculous internet movements) just constantly having to "cash in" on every, damn thing. 2) This "food" still isn't food! If we want to make our society healthier, we need policies that give people the opportunity to cook from scratch with actual food. 3) Are people really dumb enough to think that a powder made with exotic tree bark is going to magically infuse them with good health? AHHH....UGH....I'm really in a mood this morning. 
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SweetieBsMom
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Jun 25, 2014 19:55:12 GMT
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Post by SweetieBsMom on Aug 14, 2025 12:53:52 GMT
I'm right there with you. Everyone is out to make a buck at the expense of everyone else. It's exhausting because you can't trust anything. They're going to say it's good for you, but is it? 5-10 years down the line we'll hear "oh, yeah, we thought it was good for you but it's causing X, Y, Z now". BUT as long as the companies are making money, screw everyone else.
I've stumbled on the 'grind my own flour' side of TT and I am INTRIGUED.
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Post by jeremysgirl on Aug 14, 2025 13:46:31 GMT
It's exhausting because you can't trust anything. This is the most exhausting thing about the whole MAGA movement. I cannot believe that people believe some of these things to the point where I'm like they are totally putting us on just to muddy the waters because they don't like actual facts. I think the top level players are just doing it on purpose to cash in on public stupidity.
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Post by Merge on Aug 14, 2025 13:47:54 GMT
I'm right there with you. Everyone is out to make a buck at the expense of everyone else. It's exhausting because you can't trust anything. They're going to say it's good for you, but is it? 5-10 years down the line we'll hear "oh, yeah, we thought it was good for you but it's causing X, Y, Z now". BUT as long as the companies are making money, screw everyone else. I've stumbled on the 'grind my own flour' side of TT and I am INTRIGUED. I got introduced to that level of crunchy way back at La Leche League meetings almost 25 years ago. Never quite went that far. In response to the OP, yes, the "wellness" industry is a huge money maker. Insofar as they can monetize "wellness" while ignoring the things that might actually allow people to improve their health, I'm sure both RFK and Trump are in.
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Post by jeremysgirl on Aug 14, 2025 14:06:20 GMT
In response to the OP, yes, the "wellness" industry is a huge money maker. Insofar as they can monetize "wellness" while ignoring the things that might actually allow people to improve their health, I'm sure both RFK and Trump are in. It's so frustrating. There is article after article in the Times that say the same thing, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, if you actually must eat meat fish, maybe chicken. Avoid red meat and don't drink alcohol. That's it, that's the message. They keep repeating it over and over again. Get MAHA right on that.
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Post by blueswede on Aug 14, 2025 14:07:27 GMT
Dr. Oz and the surgeon general as well. It's just another way to grift. Supplements can be expensive and don't necessarily provide any benefits.
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Post by Merge on Aug 14, 2025 14:12:36 GMT
In response to the OP, yes, the "wellness" industry is a huge money maker. Insofar as they can monetize "wellness" while ignoring the things that might actually allow people to improve their health, I'm sure both RFK and Trump are in. It's so frustrating. There is article after article in the Times that say the same thing, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, if you actually must eat meat fish, maybe chicken. Avoid red meat and don't drink alcohol. That's it, that's the message. They keep repeating it over and over again. Get MAHA right on that. Of course, even if they put the correct message out, they still need to address the problems in our culture that prevent many people from accessing and cooking whole, healthy foods.
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naby64
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Post by naby64 on Aug 14, 2025 14:15:53 GMT
Are people really dumb enough to think that a powder made with exotic tree bark is going to magically infuse them with good health Yes, my mother would take that hook, line, and sinker. She has a gallon size baggie of pill bottles when she comes to see me. Rather than work on herself, her diet, and her lifestyle she will just take a magic pill. I have groaned aloud over and over with her about it. I've stumbled on the 'grind my own flour' side of TT As I was scrolling yesterday I think I must have found that side also but kept scrolling. I'll give it a look but don't think I'll be doing it anytime soon.
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Post by jeremysgirl on Aug 14, 2025 14:17:27 GMT
It's so frustrating. There is article after article in the Times that say the same thing, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, if you actually must eat meat fish, maybe chicken. Avoid red meat and don't drink alcohol. That's it, that's the message. They keep repeating it over and over again. Get MAHA right on that. Of course, even if they put the correct message out, they still need to address the problems in our culture that prevent many people from accessing and cooking whole, healthy foods. Agreed. I have executive function issues. I love to cook. (And I'm pretty good at it.) But I will never win an award for speed. I know there are lots of arguments, cost, food deserts, lack of education around how to actually menu plan and prepare good food, etc. And I do think that the time argument holds a lot of water, especially for people like me. I could not have prepared the same kinds of meals I do now when my children were younger because of the amount of time it actually takes me to prepare a meal because of the way my brain functions. So I am all about removing barriers.
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Post by jeremysgirl on Aug 14, 2025 14:19:24 GMT
Yes, my mother would take that hook, line, and sinker. She has a gallon size baggie of pill bottles when she comes to see me. Rather than work on herself, her diet, and her lifestyle she will just take a magic pill. I have groaned aloud over and over with her about it. This would make me nuts. I give you a lot of credit for how you manage your relationship with your mother. She is not easy. 
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FuzzyMutt
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Post by FuzzyMutt on Aug 14, 2025 14:47:15 GMT
Are people really dumb enough to think that a powder made with exotic tree bark is going to magically infuse them with good health Yes, my mother would take that hook, line, and sinker. She has a gallon size baggie of pill bottles when she comes to see me. Rather than work on herself, her diet, and her lifestyle she will just take a magic pill. I have groaned aloud over and over with her about it. I've stumbled on the 'grind my own flour' side of TT As I was scrolling yesterday I think I must have found that side also but kept scrolling. I'll give it a look but don't think I'll be doing it anytime soon. Same 🙄 She doesn’t trust the medicine her doctor prescribed her for her diabetes… but is wanting to send money to Dr Oz (gag) for his pills. She also doesn’t trust the medication prescribed for her high blood pressure… she just takes pills with cinnamon in them. Now… does she exercise or try to improve her diet? (They have the resources to do better.) Nope.
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naby64
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Post by naby64 on Aug 14, 2025 14:53:05 GMT
She doesn’t trust the medicine her doctor prescribed her for her diabetes… but is wanting to send money to Dr Oz (gag) for his pills. She also doesn’t trust the medication prescribed for her high blood pressure… she just takes pills with cinnamon in them. Now… does she exercise or try to improve her diet? (They have the resources to do better.) Nope. All of this. Except she does take the pills the docs prescribe. Because it is easier than modifying her diet. She doesn't add anything to them but takes them like they are the best thing in the world. Now, does she think she knows better than her doctors. 100%! She was just in and out of the hospital 2 weeks ago due to not following orders. When she comes to my house for the weekend and I cook, it's that "weird stuff you eat". Oh, you mean whole foods, veggies, non-dairy. Because I know what dairy does to me? Because shouldn't you make some of those changes as the "doctors" that have done the allergy tests say you are allergic to everything? Now I don't know that for a fact, it is just what she tells me. So who knows?
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Post by jeremysgirl on Aug 14, 2025 14:56:51 GMT
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Post by pantsonfire on Aug 14, 2025 15:00:32 GMT
Looking forward to reading this while we are at the hospital and will share my thoughts.
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SweetieBsMom
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Post by SweetieBsMom on Aug 14, 2025 15:05:23 GMT
Yes, my mother would take that hook, line, and sinker. She has a gallon size baggie of pill bottles when she comes to see me. Rather than work on herself, her diet, and her lifestyle she will just take a magic pill. I have groaned aloud over and over with her about it. As I was scrolling yesterday I think I must have found that side also but kept scrolling. I'll give it a look but don't think I'll be doing it anytime soon. Same 🙄 She doesn’t trust the medicine her doctor prescribed her for her diabetes… but is wanting to send money to Dr Oz (gag) for his pills.
She also doesn’t trust the medication prescribed for her high blood pressure… she just takes pills with cinnamon in them.
Now… does she exercise or try to improve her diet? (They have the resources to do better.) Nope. This was 100% my Dad while he was alive. Drove me CRAZY. ![]()
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pinklady
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Post by pinklady on Aug 14, 2025 15:24:33 GMT
I've stumbled on the 'grind my own flour' side of TT and I am INTRIGUED. Dawn McVey, a card maker, I used to follow started this a couple years ago. She started out slow then it turned into a cult like movement. She bakes all her own breads, tortillas, bagels, etc. My first thought was who the hell has this kind of time? It may be better for me but you know what, I don't live in the 1800's, I'm not gonna be a slave to my kitchen. Give me my Kroger sourdough bread with all it's preservatives.
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Post by Merge on Aug 14, 2025 15:36:17 GMT
I've stumbled on the 'grind my own flour' side of TT and I am INTRIGUED. Dawn McVey, a card maker, I used to follow started this a couple years ago. She started out slow then it turned into a cult like movement. She bakes all her own breads, tortillas, bagels, etc. My first thought was who the hell has this kind of time? It may be better for me but you know what, I don't live in the 1800's, I'm not gonna be a slave to my kitchen. Give me my Kroger sourdough bread with all it's preservatives. I believe that, like a the Ballerina Farms lady, a lot of those influencers either have hired help or simply lie about what they are doing.
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Post by jeremysgirl on Aug 14, 2025 15:40:59 GMT
Dawn McVey, a card maker, I used to follow started this a couple years ago. She started out slow then it turned into a cult like movement. She bakes all her own breads, tortillas, bagels, etc. My first thought was who the hell has this kind of time? It may be better for me but you know what, I don't live in the 1800's, I'm not gonna be a slave to my kitchen. Give me my Kroger sourdough bread with all it's preservatives. I believe that, like a the Ballerina Farms lady, a lot of those influencers either have hired help or simply lie about what they are doing. That Ballerina Farm lady was in the NYT. I went to her Instagram to see what she was about. And there is no way she's doing all that on the regular with all those kids. She has to have help.
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Post by crimsoncat05 on Aug 14, 2025 16:08:50 GMT
I haven't' read the article, but yeah... it's all smoke and mirrors to make money for the companies. processed food companies make money by processing REAL food into something else more processed, or ultra-processed. There is MORE of a profit margin in processing than in selling the raw carrot, or whatever. Also, the processed food can sit on a shelf / in a freezer / wherever, whereas a fresh carrot has a (very short) finite life span before it has to be tossed. Carrots don't have lobbyists, or government subsidies. Sugar, beef, corn, and soybeans, etc. have lobbyists and government subsidies. it's all capitalist bunk. The major food companies are now taking their plays from the tobacco companies' playbooks... and most of them are owned by those same companies, if you go 'up' far enough in the company ownership. Creating a "bliss point" for food, getting kids hooked on soft drinks when they're toddlers so that Coke has a customer for life; artificial flavorings; food additives; dyes; whatever... it's all for profit. I recently read the book Ultra-Processed People by Dr. Chris Van Tulleken -- it was EXCELLENT -- and will never look at ANY packaged food product the same way again. Doesn't mean I don't eat them sometimes, but at least I'm better informed about the game the companies are playing-- with our health-- for their (enormous) profit margins. One sobering thought in that book is that the typical US / UK diet ONLY consists of something like 15 fruits / vegetables, and 2 or 3 protein sources. (I don't remember the exact numbers, but it was appallingly low.) ETA: I realize I really didn't address the OP jeremysgirl ... lol. My comment above is why I am super-skeptical of ANYTHING the MAHA crowd puts out there. Fruit loops without artificial dyes are STILL an ultra-processed food, and STILL unhealthy. They're just doing performance art for the masses.
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SweetieBsMom
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Post by SweetieBsMom on Aug 14, 2025 16:39:40 GMT
Another thought on this.....
The fact that US has ingredients, in our food, that HAS BEEN BANNED in other countries tells me all I need to know about our food companies....
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Post by jeremysgirl on Aug 14, 2025 16:57:55 GMT
processed food companies make money by processing REAL food into something else more processed, or ultra-processed. There is MORE of a profit margin in processing than in selling the raw carrot, or whatever. I think a lot of it too has to do with this: Sugar, beef, corn, and soybeans, etc. have lobbyists and government subsidies. But yeah, totally right. Creating a "bliss point" for food, getting kids hooked on soft drinks when they're toddlers so that Coke has a customer for life; artificial flavorings; food additives; dyes; whatever... it's all for profit. Michael Moss's book, Salt, Sugar, Fat is a great expose on this. I recently read the book Ultra-Processed People by Dr. Chris Van Tulleken -- it was EXCELLENT This book was a turning point for me. I already was pretty steeped in cooking from scratch. To my palate, it just tastes superior. But this really just drove it right home for me that UPF isn't healthy by any stretch of the imagination. Good comments!
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Post by iamkristinl16 on Aug 14, 2025 17:06:07 GMT
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Post by jeremysgirl on Aug 14, 2025 17:21:13 GMT
I loved this reel so thank you for sharing. If you read Ultra Processed People it is clear that UPF is a problem everywhere. We can debate the degree to which it is and whether some countries' strategies for dealing with it are crafted better. But I think this brings up a good point too, as I said above there have been numerous nutrition articles in the NYT lately. There is pretty clear consensus, except maybe on dairy. I don't believe that it is really news to anyone to read my list above. But we as a society (I can't comment on Europe) in the US are clearly eating these processed foods. We can debate the whys. I wish we would because it might actually lead to some policies that are actually helpful. But in the absence of those policies that will truly impact Americans' health, I dunno, maybe we should be concerned with healthier UPF. Because it's going to be eaten by a big share of Americans. If it's inevitable, shouldn't we support (I know it's a drop in the bucket of what the US needs) making it better? This question is just some random thinking I was doing on this. Not directed at you specifically Kristin. I mean I don't want people to eat it. But I do have a tendency to be idealist and not look closely at the reality of the situation.
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iowgirl
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Post by iowgirl on Aug 14, 2025 18:04:57 GMT
That Ballerina Farm lady was in the NYT. I went to her Instagram to see what she was about. And there is no way she's doing all that on the regular with all those kid I called BS on her too. I only had 3 kids and not living on a truely large farm and it was all I could do to get 3 kids, my husband and I fed good meals 3 times a day. If I baked bread, it was the frozen Rhodes loaves  I kept my house clean, my yard mowed, a small garden going, all the accounting done, and trust me - there wasn't time to fiddle fart around like she does! LOL I also helped (and still do) on the farm, but when the kids were small it was only during really busy harvest and my MIL kept the kids during the day, god bless her! Carrots don't have lobbyists, or government subsidies. Sugar, beef, corn, and soybeans, etc. have lobbyists and government subsidies. Oh yes they do! They have big lobbyist vying for their cause in DC. THey don't get direct subsidies like the big commodities do, but they have quite a few programs to help them out, including subsidized Crop Insurance and programs from the USDA to help smaller farms (Bolthouse and Grimmway are "Big Carrot" and have a lot of influence in DC regarding water rights and other policies directly related to their ag practices. The fact that US has ingredients, in our food, that HAS BEEN BANNED in other countries tells me all I need to know about our food companies.... While I am sure there are some additives and ingredients that are banned, many are just used under different names in Europe and other countries. Red 40? Yep, they say it is banned in Europe, but that's BS. They just have it named something else. E129 is used in Europe. It is Red 40. I question when people say they can't eat gluten here, but are fine with it in France. France buys a huge amount of US wheat. All of Europe buys US wheat. The breadbasket of Europe is the Ukraine. Things are not going so great there for wheat farmers right now. Even when Ukraine was producing well, Europe still buys a LOT of US wheat. So the pasta's that you are importing from Italy most likely are made with US wheat or some US wheat. If you want science based facts - follow Dr. Jessica Knurick. Dr. Jessica Knurick She is on Instagram and other platforms. She breaks down the science to debunk the myths and just plain wrong MAHA information. She is easy to understand. She advocates for a healthier lifestyle, but tells the truth about things like HFC vs sugar. They are metabolized the same. One is not worse than the other. But reducing your overall sugar intake IS important. Parents need to watch what they are feeding to their children! I never said "No sugar" or "No HFC" to my kids. But I taught them MODERATION!
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Post by Merge on Aug 14, 2025 22:19:41 GMT
That Ballerina Farm lady was in the NYT. I went to her Instagram to see what she was about. And there is no way she's doing all that on the regular with all those kid I called BS on her too. I only had 3 kids and not living on a truely large farm and it was all I could do to get 3 kids, my husband and I fed good meals 3 times a day. If I baked bread, it was the frozen Rhodes loaves  I kept my house clean, my yard mowed, a small garden going, all the accounting done, and trust me - there wasn't time to fiddle fart around like she does! LOL I also helped (and still do) on the farm, but when the kids were small it was only during really busy harvest and my MIL kept the kids during the day, god bless her! Carrots don't have lobbyists, or government subsidies. Sugar, beef, corn, and soybeans, etc. have lobbyists and government subsidies. Oh yes they do! They have big lobbyist vying for their cause in DC. THey don't get direct subsidies like the big commodities do, but they have quite a few programs to help them out, including subsidized Crop Insurance and programs from the USDA to help smaller farms (Bolthouse and Grimmway are "Big Carrot" and have a lot of influence in DC regarding water rights and other policies directly related to their ag practices. The fact that US has ingredients, in our food, that HAS BEEN BANNED in other countries tells me all I need to know about our food companies.... While I am sure there are some additives and ingredients that are banned, many are just used under different names in Europe and other countries. Red 40? Yep, they say it is banned in Europe, but that's BS. They just have it named something else. E129 is used in Europe. It is Red 40. I question when people say they can't eat gluten here, but are fine with it in France. France buys a huge amount of US wheat. All of Europe buys US wheat. The breadbasket of Europe is the Ukraine. Things are not going so great there for wheat farmers right now. Even when Ukraine was producing well, Europe still buys a LOT of US wheat. So the pasta's that you are importing from Italy most likely are made with US wheat or some US wheat. If you want science based facts - follow Dr. Jessica Knurick. Dr. Jessica Knurick She is on Instagram and other platforms. She breaks down the science to debunk the myths and just plain wrong MAHA information. She is easy to understand. She advocates for a healthier lifestyle, but tells the truth about things like HFC vs sugar. They are metabolized the same. One is not worse than the other. But reducing your overall sugar intake IS important. Parents need to watch what they are feeding to their children! I never said "No sugar" or "No HFC" to my kids. But I taught them MODERATION! TIL that we have a Big Carrot lobby in the US. Fascinating!
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Post by iamkristinl16 on Aug 14, 2025 23:36:27 GMT
Everyone who is selling a book or supplement or has links to products that they recommend is making money off of their "advice." I am also leary of people who think their way is the only way and are so dug into their "lifestyle" that they have no objectivity in looking at current research.
I used to listen to a lot of health related podcasts and was a little more "crunchy" than I am now (although that was more in ideals than in practice much of the time, tbh). I stopped listening to them when it seemed like everything is bad and dangerous. For example, one of my favorite podcasters lost me during Covid when he made comments that were anti-mask and said that the anxiety about getting Covid was causing more problems than Covid itself. All in the same podcast episode where he was talking about how bad lip balm is for us and a number of other random things that are silently killing us apparently.
I like Jessica Knurick because she is down to earth and knows what she is talking about. I also like that she is trying to get people to understand that people are focusing on the wrong things. Like the guy who said lip balm was dangerous but Covid was being exaggerated, the current MAHA people are focusing on things like "seed oils" and wins like making Coke with sugar, but are ignoring all of the bigger things that are creating a system of poor health.
Last week I saw a post of a clip from Fox News where they had a "Texas mom" who is an influencer on to try to explain why HFCS is bad. She said, "We don't have the proper enzymes and stuff to break it down." That was their expert. And guess what one of the things that people are selling? Enzymes and stuff.
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Post by sassyangel on Aug 14, 2025 23:47:08 GMT
Of course there is… everything in Trump world is a grift.
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Post by pantsonfire on Aug 15, 2025 14:34:16 GMT
This last quote stuck out to me... “It goes back to the ‘Make America Healthy Again’ thing. It’s a reclaiming of authenticity. It’s like, what my mom made for dinner was from clean ingredients and as a result, I’ve got the health benefit.”Um...I would disagree. Food in the 1950s was very heavy on bad oils, lots of sugar, lots of white bread and bad carbs. Then in the 80s we had Hostess as a food group and I remember friends bringing soda to school. The 1990s our schools had soda vending machines and carts full of sugary food. The 60s were a bit better with more fruits and vegetables BUT the diet culture that started in the 60s was very bad. Just because someone is thin doesn't mean they are healthy. Like jeremysgirl social media and "influencers" have really taken a hold on complaints and what you should do or eat and sell sell sell. Food should never be about money. It shouldn't be about sales. It should be about making sure people have access to quality food that is whole and readily available along with ways to properly store said food. It shouldn't cost an arm and a leg to eat. Kids and adults need free cooking classes. Gardening classes. If you want lower income households to not have processed foods than give them free electricity and gas as well as a decent fridge and stove so they can store and cook foods. Teach them how to shop and store safely store foods. Give them ease of access to grocery stores in food deserts. Transportation that is easily accessible. To me access and cost is the biggest gap in "MAHA." You can change the ingredients all you want but its still processed. That's what I think. I might add more later
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Post by jeremysgirl on Aug 15, 2025 14:37:23 GMT
That's what I think. I might add more later Well I agree with everything you said. 
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Post by pantsonfire on Aug 15, 2025 14:38:55 GMT
There's Money to be Made from MAHA. Food Companies Want InGift article for you. I have so, so, so many thoughts. 1) Does every single thing in America need to be for sale? I am over capitalism (fueled by the ridiculous internet movements) just constantly having to "cash in" on every, damn thing. 2) This "food" still isn't food! If we want to make our society healthier, we need policies that give people the opportunity to cook from scratch with actual food. 3) Are people really dumb enough to think that a powder made with exotic tree bark is going to magically infuse them with good health?AHHH....UGH....I'm really in a mood this morning.  We have a store here called Clarks. There are 2 total I believe. Our local one is in Loma Linda which has been deemed a blue city due to health of patients and how long they live. Being Seventh Day Adventist, there is no meat. It is all fruits and vegetables. Some eat limited meat but definitely no pork. That store always has a line for its various elixirs and shots. All claiming to keep you healthy. I have never seen such a huge vitamin section. GF heaven. A long isle of cold pro and pre biotics. Organics. It's like if Sprouts and Whole foods had a child and it's the best ever. Could those elixirs and shots help? Who knows but I am sure it is a combo of things - diet, amount of exercise, and supplements. Certainly not air quality! The IE has bad air.
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