the EYWC wellness edit Alicia Pope Hey Reader, You’ve probably heard the government is shut down again, and it's now tied for the second-longest in history. The main disagreement? Whether to extend Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits: the financial help that allows millions of Americans to buy private health insurance if their job doesn’t provide it. Think small businesses and independent contractors. We talk a lot about food and lifestyle here, but even with the cleanest diet, you still...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
the EYWC wellness edit Alicia Pope Hey Reader, It has been a wild week, which has left me craving some healthy comfort food. And while I'm working on perfecting my recipe for protein-rich pulled pork mac and cheese and home-made healthier snickers, I want to share a tried and true classic cookie that is super easy to make and very delicious. It also makes me appreciate the small, little habits that help me deal with the craziness of the modern world and keep stress at bay (or at least more at...
3 months ago • 1 min read
the EYWC wellness edit Alicia Pope Hey Reader, I shared a video recently on my Instagram of a guy making McDonald’s at home with all the preservatives and additives. It was funny, and also eye-opening. You can watch it here. Watching this video, it’s easy to think: “If we just ban preservatives, pesticides, and additives, the problem will be solved.” But history shows that’s not how it works. When BPA was banned, it was replaced with BPS and BPF, which are just as harmful. Trans fats were...
3 months ago • 2 min read
the EYWC wellness edit Alicia Pope Hey Reader, If your news feeds are anything like mine, you have heard a decent bit about artificial dyes and food colorings. And it can be super confusing to figure out what's actually going on, so I thought I'd summarize some of the important bits here. Here's a quick recap on the background Ultra-processed foods are often colored to look more palatable and fresh than they are. Compared to other countries, colored foods sold in the US have a higher...
6 months ago • 4 min read
the EYWC wellness edit Alicia Pope Hey Reader, There's been a lot of talk about hallucinations this week... and probably not the type you're thinking of. ;) I'm talking about AI hallucinations. This is when AI makes stuff up. This happens because generative AI (like ChatGPT and Gemini) is designed to do just that: generate content. It is not designed to research, summarize existing facts, or fact-check. It is designed to create something that matches the prompt and seems plausible. You can...
6 months ago • 4 min read
the EYWC wellness edit Alicia Pope Hey Reader, First, I'm so happy you're here. It's amazing to me that we live in a time where like-minded people trying to improve their health can band together on the interwebs and share knowledge and help each other grow and improve, bit by bit. A lot is going on with health in policy these days, and I find myself wanting to share the latest legislation and policy because it deeply affects our shared goals of building a healthier community and country. It...
7 months ago • 2 min read
the EYWC wellness edit Alicia Pope Good morning Reader, I woke up to some news that I thought you would be especially interested in. Due to recent budget cuts and firings, the FDA has suspended its quality and safety testing of milk. What it sounds like is happening is that a major laboratory that performs quality testing will be closed ahead of schedule. This lab was planned to close eventually, but there is no interim lab, and the new lab is not yet ready. This means right now, there is a...
8 months ago • 3 min read
the EYWC wellness edit Alicia Pope Hey Reader, There's been a lot of confusing actions lately with large impacts on our daily health. I wanted to take a minute to talk through a couple of them. We are here (in this proverbial health newsletter space) because we believe in the power of lifestyle and healthy food to heal the body and build better lives. Part of that is avoiding substances that could be damaging or toxic, like food additives and ultra-processed foods designed to build addictions...
8 months ago • 3 min read
the EYWC wellness edit Alicia Pope Hey Reader, Recently I saw a short clip from Dr. Becky Kennedy on the experience of learning that I think applies to a health journey as much as any other journey. There is this temptation in all of us to have a quick fix. To just take this probiotic or eat paleo and have all our health problems miraculously fade away. The problem is, that's fantasy. Because just like life, our bodies and the environments in which they exist are incredibly complex. Our lives...
9 months ago • 2 min read