Poisoning ourselves has somehow become normal. Isn’t that weird?

The foods and drinks most people consume every day are slowly destroying their health — yet no one seems to care. Fruity Pebbles might taste amazing, but they’re loaded with endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Granola bars are marketed as “healthy,” but are often packed with gut-damaging seed oils.

Even the so-called “health foods” many of us grew up with — Gatorade, protein bars, beef jerky — are full of artificial additives, preservatives, synthetic vitamins, and flavorings. What’s crazy is these products are completely unnecessary. Real food does a better job without the toxic side effects.

An apple gives you electrolytes — without the Red 40.
A pasture-raised steak delivers protein, creatine, iron, and micronutrients — no need for a powder or bar.
Raw milk, fresh eggs, wild-caught fish — these are the original superfoods.

Most people don’t connect their daily brain fog, bloating, or fatigue to their food choices. But once you start eating real food, the difference becomes undeniable.

So how do you know what’s real and what’s toxic? Where do you actually buy food you can trust?

Step 1: Learn to Identify Toxic Foods

It’s simpler than you think. You don’t need to count calories or obsess over macros. Instead, read the ingredients label — not the nutrition facts.

If a food has more than one ingredient, you probably shouldn’t eat it.

Let’s say you’re buying ham. If the ingredient list includes things like sodium phosphate, dextrose, or “natural flavors,” put it back. It should just say: ham.

Also ask yourself: Is this food made by nature, or made in a factory?
Manmade foods — protein bars, water flavor packets, “zero sugar” snacks — are usually more harmful than they’re worth.

Watch out for these red flag ingredients:

• Seed oils (canola, soybean, corn, sunflower)
• Artificial sweeteners (sucralose, aspartame, acesulfame K)
• “Natural flavors”
• Preservatives (BHT, TBHQ, sodium nitrite)
• Anything ending in -ose (dextrose, maltose, fructose)

Clean food swaps:

Toxic	Real Food Alternative
Gatorade	Water + sea salt
Granola bars	Handful of raw nuts and fruit
Protein bars	Hard-boiled eggs or jerky from grass-fed sources
Soda	Mineral water with lemon

Step 2: Avoid the Usual Places

If you want to eat clean, stop shopping where the poison is sold. That means skipping mainstream grocery chains like Walmart and Meijer as your primary food source. And whatever you do, avoid food from gas stations or dollar stores — these are graveyards for nutrition.

Why are grocery stores so bad?
Because their focus is shelf life, not your health. Foods are designed to last forever and taste addictive — not to nourish you.

If you must shop at a big box store, follow this rule:

Stick to the outer edges — that’s where the real food usually lives.

That means:

• Produce section
• Meat and seafood counter
• Dairy (stick to full-fat, minimal-ingredient options)

Avoid the center aisles as much as possible — that’s where processed snacks, cereals, and “health foods” hide with fancy packaging and toxic ingredients.

Quick Grocery Triage Checklist:
✅ Is it a single ingredient?
✅ Would my grandparents recognize this as food?
✅ Does it need a nutrition label to convince me it’s healthy?

Step 3: Get Your Food From the Source

Your body deserves better — and you can do better. Start with your local farmers markets. Most areas have them, and they offer everything from raw milk and sourdough bread to pasture-raised meat and seasonal produce.

It’s totally possible to live off food from farmers markets alone — no boxes, no barcodes, just real nourishment.

Even better, buy directly from a farm. Look up local farms that offer:

• Pasture-raised meats
• Fresh eggs
• Raw dairy
• Seasonal produce
• Homemade pantry staples like tallow, lard, or fermented veggies

Questions to ask at farmers markets or farms:

• “Are your animals pasture-raised?”
• “Do you use any synthetic fertilizers or pesticides?”
• “Is your meat 100% grass-fed?”
• “Do you sell raw milk or farm-fresh eggs?”

If you don’t have access locally (which would honestly surprise me), online farm stores are your next best bet. My favorite is:

• Seven Sons Farms – Indiana-based, pasture-raised meats, ships nationwide.

Other great resources:

• EatWild.com – Find local farms that raise animals on pasture
• LocalHarvest.org – Search farmers markets and CSAs near you

Pro tip: many farms offer CSA boxes (subscription-style food boxes) that are often cheaper and fresher than grocery store options.

What to Expect When You Switch to Real Food

Within a few weeks of ditching the processed junk and eating real, whole foods, most people report:

• Better digestion and less bloating
• Clearer skin
• Stable, lasting energy
• Improved sleep
• Fewer cravings
• Better mental focus and mood

You’re not meant to feel like crap all day — and it’s not normal. Once your body is fed properly, you’ll wonder how you ever lived off boxes and barcodes.