Every single week I am at an event, in a store, or scrolling Instagram and I see people buying products that are marketed as healthy but are absolutely loaded with ingredients that are quietly destroying their health.
And I get it. I was there too. I spent years thinking I was doing everything right — buying products off the shelf at Whole Foods, grabbing protein bars before workouts, adding collagen powder to my coffee — and not once flipping the label over to read what was actually in them. And then I started testing my biomarkers, working with functional medicine doctors, and diving deep into the research. What I found changed everything.
This is your complete guide to never being fooled by a label again.
The front of any food or supplement package is pure marketing. It is completely unregulated. Companies can put anything they want on the front — “clean,” “natural,” “healthy,” “high protein,” “keto-friendly,” “gut health,” “immune support” — none of it is verified, tested, or regulated.
The only place that cannot lie is the back — the ingredients list and the nutrition facts panel.
My rule: I never look at the front. I go straight to the back every single time. The ingredients list is organized by quantity — whatever is listed first makes up the largest portion of the product. If sugar, seed oil, or a synthetic ingredient is in the first three spots, I put it back. The shorter the ingredients list, the better. Real food does not need a paragraph of ingredients to exist.
This is one of the biggest categories of harm hiding in health products right now.
Sucralose (Splenda) is proven to damage the gut microbiome, disrupt healthy gut bacteria, and impair insulin response even without calories. It is in protein powders, energy drinks, protein bars, greens powders, and pre-workouts — even in brands positioning themselves as health brands. There is no excuse for any health company to be using this in 2025.
Aspartame has been linked to headaches, neurological symptoms, and metabolic disruption. The WHO recently classified it as a possible carcinogen. It is still showing up in diet sodas, sugar-free gum, protein shakes, and low-calorie snacks everywhere.
Acesulfame Potassium (Ace-K) is almost always paired with sucralose or aspartame to amplify sweetness. It has been shown in animal studies to affect brain function and insulin signaling — and it is frequently hidden in products that also claim to be zero sugar.
Sugar alcohols — maltitol, sorbitol, xylitol, erythritol — are marketed as natural alternatives but cause significant gut distress, bloating, and diarrhea. Maltitol in particular spikes blood sugar almost as much as regular sugar while being marketed as diabetic friendly. Erythritol has recently been linked in studies to increased cardiovascular risk.
High fructose corn syrup is metabolized almost entirely by the liver — the same pathway as alcohol — and is strongly linked to fatty liver disease, insulin resistance, and obesity. It is hiding in sauces, dressings, protein bars, cereals, and even some supplements.
What I use instead: Monk fruit only. It is derived from a real fruit, does not spike blood sugar, does not disrupt gut bacteria, and has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for centuries. Small amounts of raw honey or pure maple syrup in whole food contexts only.
Seed oils include canola oil, vegetable oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, corn oil, soybean oil, cottonseed oil, grapeseed oil, and rice bran oil. These oils are extracted using extremely high heat and chemical solvents like hexane — a petroleum byproduct — and are heavily refined and deodorized before they reach you.
This process creates oxidized lipids and trans fats that directly damage your cells. Seed oils are extremely high in omega-6 fatty acids which cause inflammation when consumed in excess and out of ratio with omega-3s. They overload the liver and cause oxidative stress through the exact same mechanism as alcohol.
They are linked to cardiovascular disease, metabolic dysfunction, insulin resistance, gut inflammation, and neurological decline. And they are hiding in almost every processed food — protein bars, granola, crackers, nut butters, salad dressings, sauces, chips, baked goods, pre-made meals, and restaurant food. Even products at Whole Foods contain seed oils. You still have to read the label.
What to cook with instead: Grass-fed butter and ghee, beef tallow, organic extra virgin olive oil for cold use and low heat, organic coconut oil, and organic cold-pressed unrefined avocado oil for higher heat cooking.
Artificial Colors — Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2, Red 3 are derived from petroleum. They are linked to hyperactivity in children, allergic reactions, and potential carcinogenic activity. They have been banned in most European countries for decades and are still widely used in the United States. They are hiding in protein powders, energy drinks, gummies, supplements, and packaged snacks.
Artificial Flavors — a single “artificial flavor” listing can contain hundreds of undisclosed synthetic chemicals. They are designed in a lab to trigger dopamine and make you crave more — essentially engineered addiction. If the label says artificial flavors, put it back.
Preservatives to avoid: BHA and BHT are synthetic antioxidants classified as possible carcinogens. Sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite are found in processed meats and linked to increased colorectal cancer risk. Potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate can form benzene — a known carcinogen — when combined with vitamin C in products.
Emulsifiers are some of the most underrated offenders in this category. Carrageenan is derived from seaweed but shown to cause gut inflammation and intestinal damage even in small amounts. Polysorbate 80 disrupts gut microbiome integrity and promotes intestinal permeability. Carboxymethylcellulose is linked to gut inflammation and metabolic syndrome. Soy lecithin is usually GMO derived and frequently from hexane-extracted soy. These are in protein powders, nut milks, protein bars, and many supplement capsules.
Fillers in supplements are things most people never think to look for. Magnesium stearate can coat the intestinal wall and reduce nutrient absorption. Titanium dioxide is a whitening agent classified as a possible carcinogen by the IARC. Hydrogenated vegetable oil is a trans fat used as a coating in some supplement capsules.
Non-organic produce and grains are heavily sprayed with glyphosate, paraquat, chlorpyrifos, and dozens of other pesticides. Glyphosate is classified as a probable carcinogen by the WHO and named by environmental medicine specialists as one of the top two worst toxins currently affecting human health.
Glyphosate disrupts the shikimate pathway — which our gut bacteria use — meaning it acts as an antibiotic in your gut, killing beneficial microorganisms. It is linked to leaky gut, hormonal disruption, thyroid dysfunction, neurological conditions, and immune dysregulation.
Non-organic wheat in the US is frequently sprayed with glyphosate directly before harvest as a drying agent — meaning your bread, pasta, and cereals are essentially pre-loaded with it. Non-organic soy and corn are almost entirely GMO and heavily glyphosate-treated.
Protein powders made from non-organic pea protein, rice protein, or whey from non-organic cows carry significant pesticide and heavy metal load. Green powders and collagen products are some of the worst offenders for heavy metal contamination — including lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury.
What I look for: Certified organic wherever possible, especially for anything I consume daily. Grass-fed and grass-finished for all animal products. Third-party tested for glyphosate and heavy metals with published results.
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When I pick up any food or supplement product, here is my exact checklist:
Ingredients list:
Minimal ingredients — five or six maximum
Every ingredient is a real, recognizable food
Nothing I cannot pronounce
No seed oils of any kind
No artificial sweeteners — monk fruit only
No sugar alcohols
No artificial colors or flavors
No synthetic preservatives
Sourcing:
Certified organic or verified unsprayed
Grass-fed and grass-finished for all animal products
Non-GMO verified
Testing and transparency:
Third-party tested for heavy metals and glyphosate with published results
GMP certified manufacturing
Brand is transparent about sourcing
These are my absolute hard nos in any product I consume:
Sucralose, aspartame, acesulfame potassium, any artificial color, any artificial flavor, any seed oil, high fructose corn syrup, maltodextrin, carrageenan, polysorbate 80, BHA and BHT, titanium dioxide, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil of any kind, and soy protein isolate.
Screenshot this list. Save it. Take it to the store with you.
Next time you are standing in the supplement aisle or at the grocery store, flip the label. Read the back. Ask yourself — do I recognize every single ingredient on this list as a real food? If the answer is no, put it back.
This is not fear mongering. This is information that every single person deserves to have. Your body is the most important investment you will ever make. Everything you put into it is either working for you or working against you. There is no neutral.
Subscribe so you never miss an episode all about the top health and longevity hacks. And if this resonated with you, share it with someone you love — because the more people we can wake up to what is actually in their food, the healthier this world gets.
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