Challenge What The Future Holds: WTF Is Next For Health?🔮

Please pass on the carrots, and let's everyone try to stay grounded, shall we?

5 min read

WHAT’S UP, DOC?

🥕 When making your Thanksgiving shopping list, you may want to check it twice before planning that crudité plate.  A massive recall on carrots was issued following an E. coli outbreak that so far has left 15 people hospitalized and one person dead. I personally almost dismissed this headline, assuming that it only applied to those dreaded and misnamed mongrels of the vegetable kingdom, “baby” carrots, or at the very least, non-organic carrots, but I was wrong.  The recalled list included well-known organic brands like Bunny-Luv, Trader Joe’s and Wegman’s, and the impacted lot was on shelves until October 23, so check your fridge for any stowaways and maybe make a nice pickle plate instead.  Orange you glad I didn’t make a fake tan joke?

CEREAL KILLERS

Depending on where you get your news (more on this below), you may have seen a recent trending hashtag #CancelKelloggs, or you may have missed it altogether.  There’s been a recent brouhaha among activists and wellness leaders like Dr. Josh Axe to boycott the cereal giant over its continued use of food dyes- which have been linked to a variety of childhood health problems including ADHD, allergies, asthma, GI issues, eczema, and learning disabilities- in US products despite being banned in other countries with stricter regulations. 

• Example: Kellogg’s Froot Loops in the US include four dyes including Red 40 and Yellow 5, that are banned for use in Kellogg’s Froot Loops in Canada. 😝

Over 450,000 people have signed on supporting the dye ban, making it the largest food petition in US history.  And just last week, CEO and healthy food entrepreneur Jason Karp, himself a stakeholder in Kellogg’s, went in front of the Texas Senate Committee on Health & Human Services to discuss banning Kellogg’s and other artificial ingredient cereals in schools.  Watch the meeting starting around minute 21 for some powerful stats and opening remarks.

THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM WHERE IT HAPPENED

📣 A PSA that can’t go unsaid.  I publish this newsletter to a broad audience, and it’s important to me to stay in my lane.  This is not a political publication, and I have no agenda aside from the goal you already know: to gather wellness news and info from the field, and report back to you in a way that feels accessible, giving you the tools to help you make your own health decisions.  But Trump’s election and his nominations for those in positions of massive influence over our nation’s health have made this an increasingly politicized topic, for better or for worse. While RFK Jr’s nomination is controversial, to say the least, I don’t believe that every item on his menu is worthy of immediate rejection or dismissal based solely on party preferences- it’s antithetical to our mission. Our current “health” care system is unquestionably broken, and I believe that more mainstream emphasis on preventative modalities and lifestyle practices over more pills and antiquated treatments is ultimately a good thing.  But living in good health should be a nonpartisan issue-  it is not a privilege, it is a right. 

My worry: that the culture of misinformation and intentional confusion in our deeply divided society will proliferate, and people will take everything that’s fed to them at face value in the name of “trust,” lumping good science in with messy, lazy clickbait and partisan propaganda and crippling our ability to be discerning. 

My hope: that some of what is on the table- banning harmful chemicals, raising the standards of our food quality, etc- will yield some meaningful change. And that every issue can be evaluated individually, without losing sight of the main mission: to help us climb from our rank as DEAD LAST in preventable mortality and life expectancy among high-income nations.  

No one knows what the future holds. All I can do is try to inspire you with good information, with as little bias and as solid sourcing as possible, to help you make your own choices. And of course a side order of snarky opinions, wordplay and musical Easter eggs, I gotta be me! 🤩

K thx, back to the show.

Tarot > Carrot

IS THIS ANYTHING?

In that spirit, a new section I introduced recently where we look at some of the noisiest trends and ideas from Wellness Wonderland to understand the full picture and determine if it’s a Well-Yes, call bullshit, or in many cases, let you decide for yourself. Considering that 1 in 5 adults get their news from social media influencers, NOW kinda seems like a pretty, pretty good time to start reading the fine print. 😐

Let’s look at Grounding Sheets.

The idea is based on a topic we’ve covered before—grounding/earthing, i.e. going barefoot in nature to reconnect with the earth, where some suggest an exchange of energy between your body and the soil helps to literally change your charge. By this same logic, a sheet and/or a mattress woven with conductive materials and connected to a grounded electrical source is said to allow electrons from the Earth to travel into your body and promote rest and healing.

• The Tokkers say: Positively charging your bedding to stay more connected to the earth will heal your body from disease and improve sleep quality.

• The experts say: The health benefits of connecting with nature are unequivocal, but while there is evidence that grounding via earth or devices can help heal inflammation and recovery, it cannot cure disease and should not replace medical treatment.

• I say: I’ll do almost anything in the name of deeper sleep but I personally want LESS tech in my routine, not more, so I’ll pass. But if you try it, drop a comment and let us know how it goes!

🛍️ BUY THE WAY- HEALTHY SHOPPING DEALS FOR YOU 🎁

• What if all it took for better health outcomes was sleep, air and water? I chatted with Dr Michael “The Sleep Doctor” Breus for an upcoming pod. His new book is out December 3 but pre-order now and get extra goodies worth $199+!

• Enter WGM x TrueMed’s Thanksgiving Giveaway by sharing a 2025 health goal for the chance to win health-boosting prizes from top brands (yes, just for setting a goal!) My goal: to sell more merch.

• ALL TOO WELL MERCH ALERT- support your favorite newsletter for Small Business Saturday! Mugs, hats, tees, pleez!

Happy Thanksgiving, all. I am grateful for YOU. 🙏🏻
And also for this cuteness that will make your whole weekend.