What A Fool Believes: Wellness Con Artists + Pop Myths
Some lighter fare on an otherwise heavy week. ❤️🩹
HEY BIG SPENDER
In not surprising but still lame news, a new analysis by WaPo has revealed that more than a few social media influencers are being paid by Big Beverage to promote the “safety” and health benefits of fake sweeteners like aspartame, suggesting that the WHO's concerns over its links to cancer may be overblown, and in an interesting twist, even CANADA is in on this, paying dietitians to suggest that kids who crave sugar probably just need more sugar. I'm soorree? Now more than ever, we need folks questioning the validity of social media and educating themselves. Not that All Too Well readers would ever fall for such blatant mishegas as Coke being good for you. Tricky treat. Boo. :(
ONE WORD: PLASTICS.
Yes we’re back on this (statistically, it takes approximately 30-400 repetitions for people to learn something new). Microplastics and nanoplastics are everywhere. Some are easier to avoid than others. So to refresh: do not take paper receipts, ditch the single-use straws, and no matter what the Tupperware people claim, For The Love of God, Stop Microwaving Plastic. “Microwave-Safe” just means it will not melt. It does not mean it won’t leach toxic plastics into your food. Microwaves should be re-branded as giant popcorn makers. On that…
POP IT LIKE IT’S HOT
My salty/savory tooth is a thing of joy, so imagine my delight to learn that October is officially Popcorn Poppin' Month! Emphasis on poppin’—not to be confused with buying a bag of Smartfood at your local deli (speaking of misnomers, how did this crap outlive SnackWells and Olean?) But DIY does not mean those pre-packaged microwave bags. They are loaded with bad news (read: plastics, PFAs, transfats), please ditch them, pronto. Some better news and fun kernels (sorry) of knowledge: popcorn is gluten-free, a good source of fiber and it's all naturally GMO-free, read here to bust more myths! But organic is still a must, ‘cuz pesticides. To honor this festive month, I bring you:
HERE’S A TIP, MAKE THE CHANGE
I make popcorn 2-3 times a week. I’m not calling it a pillar of wellness but given the aforementioned health benefits, you could do far worse for a salt fix. Now that you’ve ditched the ready-to-eat bags, some tips for popping at home. While old-fashioned popping in oil is still the simplest method (but please do not use “vegetable” oil: more on oils soon), this silicone microwave popping bowl might change your life. Settle down, silicone is safe for food, non-reactive, and BPA-free.
My go-to recipe: pop it your way, and while it’s still hot, drizzle organic olive, avocado oil or unsalted butter, then sprinkle Old Bay, black pepper and nutritional yeast, aka “nooch,” aka nature’s cheez doodle dust; a powerhouse of umami and beneficial compounds. Sit back and savor this golden snack during the Golden Bachelor or the Frasier reboot (if you dare…not sure I do). Incidentally, nooch is also delicious on both Tossed Salads and Scrambled Eggs. Yep.
Editor’s note: I’m aware that wellness purists might take issue with some of these suggestions, but you’re not reading me for the wellness-on-high purity, you’re reading me so you can make small tweaks and still live your life, amiright?
Be well, and also have fun,
xo,
Erica
