Oh em GEE, guys!
Food Babe is on The Skinny Confidential today…EEK!
Lemme tell ya, this interview is ON POINT because the investigator of all food investigators, Vani Hari, knows her crap.
Literally though.
She knows which foods/food brands are CRAP & which food are not CRAP.
Anyway, I found interviewing Vani reallllllly informative. She’s done the research on specific restaurant chains/gross brands & calls them on their shady shit.
I don’t know about you but I’m not a fan of shadiness. Especially when it comes to my food.
SO. I’ve been an avid reader of Food Babe ever since Vani launched her site…& since her book The Food Babe Way came out today, I figured it would be perfect timing to get her on TSC.
Read on to find out what the hell is in our food ( remember ignorance is not BLISS! ):
| Introduce yourself |
Vani Hari: My name is Vani Hari. I am the author of my new book The Food Babe Way, passionate food activist and the creator of FoodBabe.com.
| Why did you create Food Babe? |
VH: FoodBabe.com was born in April 2011 from my years of learning, investigating and researching how to live a healthy lifestyle in this overly processed world. When I first began investigating the food I was eating, I stumbled upon groundbreaking information that changed my choices forever. I really wanted to help my friends and family, so I started to share this information with them. As I began to apply this knowledge, my personal health improved dramatically. I lost over 30 pounds, my skin cleared and I stopped taking the several prescription drugs I was on. My friends and family begged me to start a blog in order to share everything I had uncovered. My first blog investigation was into my favorite yogurt chain. After the CEO responded to my writings by yanking some of the misleading marketing, I got my first taste of what it was like to be an activist. I continued researching and writing about the injustices and corrupt practices of the food industry. Over the past three and a half years, FoodBabe.com has grown to have a readership of over 4 million inspired individuals who are seeking to lead heather lives and rid our food system of deadly ingredients. It is through the help of the entire Food Babe Army ( amazing activist readers ) that the investigations and petitions on FoodBabe.com have been able to force some of the largest food corporations to change, including Kraft, Chick-fil-A, Chipotle, Subway, Anheuser-Busch, & Starbucks.
| Describe GMOs in simple terms |
VH: “Genetically modified organisms” (GMOs) are in 90% of our processed food. GMOs are foods biologically manufactured in laboratories — injected with new DNA, viruses, herbicides, insecticides and/or other chemicals — to be resistant to synthetic chemicals and are completely different than hybridizing techniques allowed by nature. These foods have only been in our food supply since 1996 and long-term independent health studies were not conducted before they were approved. The companies that create GMOs want us to believe that they are no different than conventional crops. Yet, GMOs receive patents by the U.S. Patent Office because they have been deemed to be unique and different. Over 64 countries around the world require GMOs to be labeled or regulated. The U.S. does not. This is one of the most un-American policies that exist. We have the right to know what’s in our food just like people in countries like China and Russia do — especially when some studies have linked the chemicals used in conjunction with GMOs to a wide variety of diseases like infertility and cancer ( << more on my GMO post here ).
| What’s the biggest misconception about food in general? |
VH: That eating healthy is hard.
Eating healthy is a commitment, but it does not have to be difficult. Just like anything in life you have to take it step by step and one day at a time.
This is why I wrote The Food Babe Way: to give readers a day by day approach to breaking free from the hidden toxins in their food. This was the book I wish I had when I initially set out to lose weight, started eating healthier, and started learning about our food system and how corrupt it has gotten.
| If you had to eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be and why? |
VH: That’s easy! It would definitely be kale. I love kale.
| What are five healthy snacks that are always in your refrigerator? |
Almond butter
Kale ( duh! )
Green juice
Kimchi
Raw vegetables cut up & ready to eat
| Name the top five companies that are the absolute worst when it comes to chemicals ( Call them out! Call them out! PLEASE!! ) |
1.) Kraft – As an American staple in most houses, Kraft’s iconic products are full of some of the worst food additives ( including all of the sickening 15 – I discuss in The Food Babe Way ).
2.) Monsanto – Monsanto is one of the companies behind the increased use of pesticides in farming. I always choose organic produce to ensure that the food I am eating has not been doused with a loosely regulated chemical cocktail.
3.) Kellogg’s – Their cereals are dead food. They do not give life to your body and are nutritionally void.
4.) Starbucks – Pesticide sprayed coffee, Monsanto milk, caramel coloring level IV, & outrageous amounts of sugar are just a few of the reasons.
5.) McDonald’s- Antibiotic filled meat is just one of the many problems on McDonald’s list. Avoid McDonald’s if you want to feel and look good.
| Describe life before Food Babe |
VH: I began my food journey, like most people, by following the standard American diet. As a successful management consultant, I was either in the office eating whatever take-out was available, or I was on the road eating every meal out. Although this lifestyle allowed me to fit in with my peers and work crazy hours, it also took a huge toll on my body and I became very ill. Over the holiday season over ten years ago, I found myself in a hospital bed. I was sick, overweight, & I was ready to change! I made health my number one priority from that point forward.
| Give us a day of eating for you |
VH: I wake up and start my day with warm lemon water and cayenne pepper. I go into great detail in The Food Babe Way about the benefits of following this one simple habit. After my lemon water, I have a green juice or a green smoothie. If I have a juice in the morning I make sure to follow it with a more substantial breakfast later. Fruit, coconut milk, chia seeds, & hempseeds has been a favorite combo of mine recently.
For lunch, I usually have a salad and soup. I don’t do snacks that often, but I do have afternoon tea with something sweet – usually some golden berries ( they taste just like sour patch kids ) or a piece of raw chocolate.
Before dinner I eat another huge salad with unlimited veggies and a homemade dressing. Making dressing at home is so easy and it will keep you from literally pouring food additives and GMOs over your fresh greens.
I try to make dinner as simple as possible. My go-to is a simple piece of grilled fish, broccoli and a sweet potato. Each month I share a months worth of Food Babe approved recipes and grocery shopping lists as a part of The Food Babe Eating Guide. You can learn more about my Eating Guide here.
| Five foods that make your hair, skin, and nails grow and make your hair glow? |
Filtered water
Avocado
Coconut oil ( bonus: I use coconut oil directly on my skin as a makeup remover and moisturizer )
Leafy greens
Hempseed ( << my favorite found here )
| What’s something simple that someone could do to increase their energy level? |
VH: Nix the processed food! It’s often loaded with sugar and additives that can zap your energy and brainpower. Instead, start each day with a green drink – either a green smoothie or green juice made with dark leafy green vegetables. Consuming green drinks is the best way to get a ton of nutrition in your body at once, which naturally gives you a lot of energy. I have several delicious green drink recipes on my website to get you started.
| Tell us about your book! Why does everyone need a copy? |
VH: There’s a way to look good and feel great without always needing to be on a diet. The Food Babe Way contains the 21 essential habits that I taught myself to take control of my health.
I take someone through the simple changes they can make to live a more energetic and vibrant life while still being exposed to the food system we have today.
I share the life changing habits that have allowed me to maintain my weight for over a decade after losing the extra pounds I had been holding onto – including how to eat out, travel for work, and snack effectively.
After learning to maintain these habits I have never had to diet again, despite the challenging environment we live in with an abundance of tricky marketing and addictive additives in our food that make us eat more than we should. This book is for anyone who is tired of the food industry hijacking their taste buds and wants to take matters into their own hands and become their own food investigator, nutritionist and food activist.
We have the power to change our health faster than anyone else and I wrote this book to show people how to do just that.
+ Check out Vani’s book here & follow Vani on Instagram here.
P.S. A TSC recipe will be up on Vani’s site next week so stay tuned!
That’s so awesome that you have Vani on TSC!! I’ve been following her this past year. She has great information and so informative. Great job on the interview, loved it! Its a good reminder that we need to pay more attention to the things we consume.
http://www.metanoialiving.com
Thanks Fiorella! I agree. I’m checking all my ingredients as we speak!
Great article! Kraft and Kelloggs are being removed from my toddlers diet immediately! I need this book 🙂
Yay! Good to know : ) x
Such an amazing interview and I could not agree more. Eating healthy isn’t hard – it’s just about finding whole, natural ingredients! Keep it clean and simple! Love love love this!
Yay! Happy you liked it : )
Lauryn,
Can you write a post on all of the health food bloggers you follow. I love your posts and pretty much religiously buy the items you recommend! I just can get enough and what to have more health and wellness beauty bloggers to follow!
Sincerely,
Stephanie
Yes I will definitely write this out! Food Babe & The Balanced Blonde are awesome!
Nice Interview; taking proper consideration of what we consume must be of paramount essential to us.
Thanks Moses!
I am OBSESSED with Vani Hari! I love the Food Babe website, and totally love how she is really fighting for all of us to eat healthier and to hold big companies accountable for what they are doing to us! And I love that she doesn’t like starbucks, their coffee always tasted like pesticide to me and I wish their cult following would help change how they create coffee!
Thanks for having her on! Absolutely adore her! You are SO lucky you got to chat with her!
Cynthia
http://www.sensiblysharp.com
She’s amazing! Glad you enjoyed the interview, Cynthia!
loved this interview! i recommend watching the documentary “hungry for change.” it’s a game changer!
I will definitely watch this : ) sounds great!
Ok, let me preface this by saying I am all about eating real food. That’s definitely something all of us here have in common. Avocados and kale are 10000x better than cereal and McDonald’s, no question. Having said that, I am also a professional scientist, and Food Babe promotes what is simply bad science. It’s sensationalism and fear-mongering wrapped up in a nice package of making informed choices and I gotta say, I don’t dig that. This article touches on that: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2014/12/04/364745790/food-babe-or-fear-babe-as-activist-s-profile-grows-so-do-her-critics
Again, we have some beliefs in common about eating real food and the horribly sad state of American nutrition, and I do believe that Food Babe’s intentions are good. But, I think there is a middle ground to be had, one that is more responsible and does not include sensationalized and misleading claims.
Yes – THIS! Thank you!
My thoughts exactly when I saw this! There is a reason they reference her as “The Jenny McCarthy of food”. Please gals, don’t take what food babe says too seriously. I totally believe in eating healthy, but my close friend (who has a phd in chemistry) gave me a huge lecture about how Food Babe is doing more harm than good and a lot of what she promotes is just completely not true, scientifically speaking.
Anyone with any kind of real scientific background is aware of this, but people who don’t study science (aka most people) are easily duped into believing whatever she says. Just eat as healthy as you can and don’t pay attention to the overhyped nonsense!! xx
Thank you for mentioning this!
Lane, I agree with you 100%. Food Babe, while her intentions may have started off good, has grown her business through sensationalism and fear mongering. There is a huge stigma around GMOs and this is exactly why it is so difficult for researchers to be able to study them properly. They must rely on funding from big corporations who obviously have their own profit-oriented motives.
Would love for bloggers to approach these types of issues from a more scientific orientation rather than referencing a bunch of blogs and papers from online magazines. Go to the source. UCbiotech.org is a great resource for those who want to learn more about GMOs, pesticides and etc.
Yes yes yes. I was hoping someone would mention this! She has no formal education to back up her claims. Which would be sort of okay, except she truly acts like an authority. She rarely provides links or citations for legitimate, peer reviewed, research to back up what she says. She does fear monger. If you were to believe everything that Food Babe says, then you wouldn’t be eating much of anything. There is middle ground to be had, but Food Babe isn’t on it.
Will check this out! Thanks for sharing Lane!
Also definitely agree that plants and more natural foods are going to (obviously!) be better for you than junk and McDonald’s, but this Food Babe is a fear-monger. She doesn’t understand science, and it seems like even when she does, she kinda ignores it. She is going after companies to make changes on things that don’t really affect people anyway. A good article on understanding this:
http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/02/the-food-babe-enemy-of-chemicals/385301/?utm_source=SFTwitter
I think she started off with great intentions and has some good general ideas about food, but seems like she is kind of getting as bad as these big, bad industries she is so worked up about. And I love your blog, but I think a lot of people read it and take what you say and what you endorse as fact, and this is just a little irresponsible.
OMG this is so informative! Thank you for sharing! 🙂
xoxo
http://modernensemble.com
Glad you liked the interview, Jen!
I LOVE her already! You know, sadly, I had never heard of The Food Babe. She sounds incredibly smart and well-read, so I’d love to learn more from her book — I know there are some foods I should be avoiding and would like to get more of the reasoning why. Thank you for introducing me to Vani! 🙂
Isn’t she cute? : )
I try to limit processed foods or only buy them from trusted brands that are free of many of the nasty additives!
Great interview. Love the Food Babe!
She makes money off of scaring people with pseudoscience. Hardly a hero…
Thank you so much for introducing her! I love her message and what she does!
Kari
http://www.sweetteasweetie.com
Great interview! I’ve been following Food Babe on Facebook for a while and it is so inspiring to see all the changes in the food industry that she has pushed for.
Thanks cutie! Glad you enjoyed it. xx
god i absolutely love her haha! i have a question- i drink a huge liter of water in the morning and i squeeze lemon into it, but its usually cold or room temperature. does it matter if the water is warm??
lovemadisonbailee.blogspot.com
I like my water super cold or super hot : ). I’m not sure which one is right! xx
Madison, I drink lemon water every morning with a little cayenne, ginger, and turmeric and it gives me so much energy. I almost never get sick anymore, even though I work around kids, bc it’s suppose to boost your immune system. Food Babe and Kimberly Snyder both say to add everything to half a glass of room temp or cold water. Then, top off the second half with boiling water to make water that’s pretty warm but not all the way hot, because too much heat kills the beneficial enzymes.
I love your blog and I think you are a fantastic writer, but hosting the Food Babe on your site made me call into question the other health and wellness advice you have posted :/. Are you going to address the mixed reviews on this blog post?
Hi Meredith!
I’m flattered you like the blog!
I don’t always agree with every single person’s point of view that I interview. But ultimately I try to bring a lot of people’s perspectives/opinions to TSC to mix it up so the blog is not just about me.
I will definitely check out the above information though! I’m very open to hearing every side of the story.
All in all, TSC isn’t just my opinion— it’s more of women coming together sharing different kinds of info.
Hope that addressed it! Happy Thursday <3 Lauryn
I want to try the lemon water thing!
http://www.FashionSnag.com
This is awesome! Been following Vani for a while now! Great source of info and knowledge. You are right, she knows her stuff!!!!
Great post.
xx – Mariam
FoodBabe is awesome!
Love this interview! And love the Food Babe… She is so inspirational and informative. Thank you Lauryn for having diligent and intelligent women on TSC! <3
Love this! I will definitely be checking out her blog and book – it’s so crazy once you start reading food labels and really digging into what’s in your food. Like almond milk and all the crap that’s in the Almond Breeze varieties that so many people drink. YUCK.