Vani Hari, A Food Activist's Personal Story

Does it take a Doctor or scientist, or someone with a lot of letter and designations after their name to make a difference?

I don't know about you, but I love listening to, learning from and exploring those who share their own passionate journey to find and reclaim health, and then advocate and share that story with and for others!

Let's start with her before and after photo:

It would be easy to think she was on Ozempic, or had surgeries or something, but no! Watch my video or listen to the show to learn more.

Nothing about this book is going to be earth shattering to you or anything new for the most part that you learn. The most important part to me about this book is this is written by an individual, based on her own experiences, her own struggle with weight, acne, and many other chronic health conditions.

She’s not a doctor, she’s not a scientist, and as far as I know, she has no fancy letters after her name.

What she is is a food activist, and someone who has taken on and made changes at Food giant’s like craft, subway, chipotle, Chick-fil-A, and Starbucks, and her latest campaign to take on Kellogg’s an prompt change in the ingredients that they currently add to their foods here in the United States, that are banned in the UK, Europe, and other countries. Why isn’t what’s good for those countries considered good for our country, where they’re based?

A little of her story:

Vani Hari was overweight, struggling with eczema, allergies, asthma, stomach issues, and more. She had been prescribed an ongoing series of antibiotics, steroids, and was experiencing the cumulative effects of those drugs and the toll they ultimately take on the body, the gut and microbiome.

Her parents immigrated from India, and she was raised in Charlotte, NC. As many immigrant families assimilating into American life and culture, fast food, microwave TV dinners and ultra processed foods became part of their standard diet.

Her body did not react well. 

In part 1 she talks about how we’ve been duped, the chemicals that are laced throughout the foods that we eat, and that are causing chronic illness and disease, threatening the longevity of our children, as well as ourselves. And how to cut out the chemical calories that are doing this to you.

In part two she shares 21 days of good food and good habits, and over the course of the next few videos that I’m gonna do I’m gonna break these down in the simplified steps that you can take to begin to build one habit at a time, and release one bad habit at a time.

And in part three, she shares her recipes and her eating plan, I’ve done a number of videos that parallel much of what she shares in her recipes in her food plan, including one of my favorite videos, which is creating a capsule meal plan for yourself.

Her introduction alone is something that so many of us can relate to, and she asked some key questions that I’m going to ask you to consider today:

Do you have extra pounds to lose that you can’t get rid of no matter what diet you follow?

Do you struggle with figuring out what to buy and eat?

Do you find yourself unable to focus during the day?

Do you eat too many processed foods and not enough real food?

Do you want a clear, brighter, and more vibrant complexion?

Do you want to easily create an follow in organic an additive, free diet?

And I’m going to add one more important question to that, do you want that not only for yourself, but also for your children, your family members and other people who care about?

I can assure you that if you answer yes to one or more of these, if you will simply find it within yourself to commit to making small changes on a daily weekly and monthly basis at the end of the year, you won’t even recognize yourself, but I promise you this you will love yourself and you will love the way you look and feel.

This book was written in 2015 and her story goes way back beyond that. So consider that for the last decade, not a lot has changed and she opens in the introduction and talks about sitting at a table across from the craft food products executives, with over 30 Kraft, macaroni and cheese products that are laced with artificial dyes that are being sold in America. And, of course, in Europe, craft remove the dyes and replace them with natural ingredients, like paprika and beta carotene.

And scientist have confirmed what was already suspected that these artificial food dyes which are made from petroleum can cause allergic reactions and may be tainted with carcinogens which are cancer-causing substances. These additives and artificial ingredients have also been linked to at least one study to hyperactivity and children.

Her question "would Kraft Foods consider a label changed toward consumers?" The answer was a swift and blunt no.

After a lot of ongoing conversation and point blank question such as why did you reformulate mac & cheese without artificial food dies overseas but not here in the United States? Artificial food dyes are still allowed in Europe, but big food reformulats them for use here in the US? Why?

Ultimately the Kraft executive stated that they were complying with the FDA laws and look to scientists and regulators when formulating their products.

So who should we be mad at? Big food companies like Kraft Foods? The FDA? Or all of the above?

While we can’t always create change in laws and regulations, the best ability that we have to create change is through our pocketbook. Simply stop buying these products, spread the word one person at a time, via  word of mouth,  social media posts get the word out, And allow these companies to feel the biggest pain of all, which is a major reduction in profits.

Before you buy any food, read the label and ask:

What are these ingredients?

Are these ingredients nutritious?

Where do these ingredients come from?

Would I eat this ingredient alone?

Does it seem logical? Does it follow other philosophies I believe or use?

Am I willing to try and test things for myself?

As she shares, and do I, am not doctor or scientist and this is not medical advice. Sharing ideas that have worked for her, me and millions of others.

How about you?

She shares 21 steps/habits to get you off the treadmill of bad food. 

Surprise: Fast food, ultra processed, dairy, fast food, sugar, responsible meat, eat raw, fats, gross, pantry clean out

A lot has changed in the nearly 10 years.

My plan: 

Avoid - Ultra processed - this alone will lead to the mass elimination of seed oils, excess sugar, refined gluten and flours, fast food, high fructose corn syrup, chemicals you can’t pronounce, preservatives, food colorings, dyes, “natural flavorings”, GMOs, excessive plastic packaging.

Avoid Excess dairy - use as a condiment

Avoid Factory Farmed meat - Buy from companies like Butcher Box and support local farms 

Here are my references to "Big Chain Restaurant Foods Menu Items:" (My apologies for the image quality, but you get the point.

Applebees Menu Items:

Cheesecake Factory Menu Items:

Olive Garden Menu Items:

Chilis Menu Items:

My story of Costco Chicken Tacos - chicken with seasoning, tortillas, cabbage, lettuce, limes, cheese, salsa, cilantro sauce,  over 40 ingredients, most I can not pronounce or buy in the store. Including added wheat gluten, enriched vitamins, canola oil, safflower oil, natural flavors, and more.

I’ll be sharing more. The important thing is we have known this for decades. Thank goodness it it finally having the light shone on it by more people with bigger platforms who can create change and hold regulatory agencies and those in charge accountable.

We the people deserve clean, healthy food.

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