Updated – see end of this post.
“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win. – Mahatma Gandhi
We are close to winning.
Over the last three years, the coalition we have built, the Food Babe Army, has had an incredible amount of success and been featured in major newspapers, magazines, on radio stations, and TV shows across the globe. Together, since we as customers control the income for corporate agribusinesses, they are starting to pay attention.
- We’ve highlighted ingredients that are banned in other countries due to health concerns, and forced companies like Kraft, Subway, and Starbucks to show Americans the same respect they show other countries by committing to remove these ingredients in the US. We also inspired one of the largest fast food companies, Chick-fil-A, to commit to stop using antibiotics in the production of their chicken, and to remove controversial chemicals and other artificial ingredients.
- We’ve demanded transparency. We convince some multi-billion dollar corporations from Chipotle to Anheuser-Busch, (and MillerCoors and Starbucks who are dragging their feet) to finally release their ingredients for the first time in history. Scientists may all not agree about how dangerous these ingredients are, but we have the right to know what’s in our food and why it’s there. Because of our efforts these companies can no longer hide behind antiquated regulations that keep Americans in the dark.
- We’ve educated the public about the food system which in turn inspired more companies to change their ingredients for the better like Chipotle, General Mills, WhiteWave (Silk & Horizon) and Panera Bread. And people now are getting the information they deserve to make educated decisions about what they eat. As human beings, we do not have the option to not eat food, so at the very minimum we should have the right to know what is in our food and the right to choose whether we ingest chemical additives or adulterated food.
And while enticing big companies to change is important, I’m even more excited to learn that smart organic companies are now on the general public’s radar and the organic food movement is continuing to grow. They do the right thing and they deserve our business.
But we still have work to do–and, as our consumer coalition gains power, fueled by the influence of social media, resistance is starting to dig in against change.
With this much game-changing activism and success in a short period of time, it comes as no surprise that some powerful corporate executives and some “independent” voices they help to finance, disagree with our work. An intelligent debate is welcomed, but not all the discussion has been civil.
There’s a group of aggressive scientists, biased doctors, skeptics, agribusiness publicists, lobbyists (and their anonymous webpages and social media sites), along with in some cases, well intended but misinformed people (influenced by propaganda) attacking our work, other consumer advocacy groups, my partners, my friends and me, personally.
Did you think the powerful chemical companies and food giants of the world were going to let us waltz right into their world and turn it upside down?
No – they won’t and, as I expected, the people who wish to keep the status quo are attacking me personally while simultaneously trying to discredit the entire Good Food Movement.
Instead of focusing on the issues at hand I’ve raised about the food industry, their go-to criticisms are ad hominem personal attacks: they’ve attacked me, as a woman, in ways they’d never attack my male colleagues. I am personally being subjected to hate speech, harassment and cyber-bullying on a daily basis. I won’t dignify these immature, and often misogynist, remarks with a response. Here are a few examples of the disturbing and graphic recent remarks. Warning: These are extremely offensive.
These bullies have begun to band together to attack and terrorize media publications that feature our hard work and they’ve even started an unethical ruthless campaign to write “one star” reviews about my book that isn’t even released yet attempting to silence new investigations and research into the food industry. They even try to intimidate and outright lie in order to advance their message – taking games right from the Tobacco industry playbook creating a smear campaign against me. Some of their antics include creating fake social media profiles with my likeness, stealing and posting my copyrighted material, modifying my photos inappropriately, and posting my private personal data publicly and even sending me death threats.
Part of the reason I am responding now is because their messages have started to infiltrate the mainstream media. Seemingly reputable news organizations even linked to the hate groups – quoting one of their spokespeople and repeated their ridiculous and biased messages as if they have any merit.
Obviously, some powerful entities in the chemical and food industries have a financial incentive to try to discredit me in the work we have all done together. And that’s why I created this page — to comprehensively address the criticisms levied at our movement to secure a healthy, unpolluted food supply — and the work I have been personally doing in support of this effort.
This is my attempt to drain the swamp so these toxic rumors, innuendos and outright lies can’t be used to divert attention away from the unethical behavior of many food manufacturers.
Because the debate we need to have is about chemicals and our food, it’s not about me.
This page is a living document, and I will add to it and make changes where I see fit. In the future, feel free to reference this page anytime you see a questionable, personal attack on the internet about me, FoodBabe.com or our movement.
What they say: I’m not an expert because I am not a scientist or doctor or nutritionist.
Truth: There is an old saying, “these issues are too important to leave up to the experts.”
I’m grateful for the advances made by generations of tireless independent scientists, doctors, and nutritionists. Without their work, we would not be able to have conversations like the ones we are having here about what goes in our food and why. But just because you have a degree, doesn’t make you right.
For example, for years, the expert food scientists and the FDA said trans fats were safe for consumption. The industry even went as far as saying margarine that was full of trans fat was better for you than butter. Trans fat actually provided no benefit to the consumer, it was a profit-generating ingredient that allowed products to stay on the shelf longer. Now, the CDC estimates that trans fats are linked to 7,000 deaths and 20,000 heart attacks per year!
I’ve never claimed to be a scientist or nutritionist, but a high percentage of the “expert” scientists, doctors, registered dietitians and nutritionists in this field have a financial relationship with the entities I investigate. They oftentimes are unwilling to disclose where their funding really comes from. Some use their credentials to promote and market new inventions by the food industry. Calling me “The Jenny McCarthy of Food” is another sexist attack and shows the low blows these experts are willing to take on an activist who calls them out.
In the same way you don’t need to be a doctor to know smoking causes cancer, you don’t need to have any credentials to read an ingredient label, research food ingredients, teach yourself what to eat or how to take care of your health (in fact, the argument that only a scientist would understand what’s natural and healthy food, makes my point).
On a regular basis, I seek the counsel of many credentialed experts in this field and present my data which often includes access to published, peer-reviewed research.
What ultimately led companies like Kraft, Subway, Chipotle, and Chick-fil-A to change their ingredients were my specific questions about their practices and ingredients. Questions the experts were not asking or lacked the platform from which they could share their findings.
The Food Babe Army empowering their friends and family to these findings is what elicited change from these giant corporations.
When other countries start safeguarding their citizens from certain ingredients, it has to make you wonder why our government hasn’t responded as well — this is where I started — looking for discrepancies and going from there.
In order to create social change, all you need is passion. To think you need a degree in food science or whatever else in order to share your personal journey to inspire people to eat real food or encourage companies to do the right thing is small minded. This is like saying Upton Sinclair, was not qualified to write his groundbreaking book “The Jungle” which exposed the conditions in the meatpacking industry and eventually led to historical consumer protection & safety legislation being passed by the US government.
The bottom line is that many of these people who use this argument to discredit me, don’t want the truth, regarding our food supply, coming out. These detractors are dependent on the food system staying like it currently exists today, developing chemicals that increase profits for food companies.
What They Say: Our findings are based on pseudoscience or we hate science and we are “fear mongering”.
The Truth: If our findings didn’t have any concerns, do not have a solid basis in fact, why are companies willing to drop these controversial chemicals?
Apparently, science that people don’t like—that conflicts with their paid positions or sources of funding — can just be written off as pseudo-science (or an ad hominem attack). Given where we are today, where 1 in 3 women will get cancer, and 1 in 2 men will, I think we need to look for answers on how to live healthier lives and break free from the downward spiral of disease our country is facing. True health starts with the quality of our food supply.
We are, objectively, a nation full of inexplicable illness. I’m not the one who got us here. My job as an activist and consumer advocate will always be to look out for the consumer and empower them to think and question.
Food is not rocket science. People have been eating and cooking food since the beginning of time. What makes food complex is the food industry’s never-ending quest to improve profits – often at the expense of the consumers. That is where the Food Babe Army comes in – we let people know what is really in their food so they can decide for themselves.
I know with my own body, that eliminating food additives was one of the best decisions I ever made — before that I was on several prescription drugs, felt and looked awful. I have more energy now than I did 10 years ago, 10 years older! – How is that possible if there isn’t something to all of this healthy eating? Or more directly, to eliminating the chemicals that major food companies have yet to justify to us with any explanation.
Others without a PhD have also conducted the same experiments, using their bodies and personal experience, and have come to a similar conclusion.
I use a variety of published scientific papers, interviews with experts, studies and opinions from noteworthy and respected public interest groups in my writings (they are usually blue hyperlinked throughout my posts). We are still learning the impacts of the food we eat – much of it hasn’t even been studied – thousands of chemicals in our food supply remain untested. So much new information is being discovered every single day.
In terms of food ingredients, the FDA depends on agribusinesses to review synthetic substances and grants them GRAS status (generally regarded as safe) based on the research by the food companies themselves. Self-regulation! It’s my role, it’s all of our roles, to question this system that has become corrupted and is not, as designed, protecting the public.
Some advocacy groups that I work with and cite on a regular basis include The Environmental Working Group (who’s scientists and experts support my research on azodicarbonamide – the “yoga mat” chemical), The Center of Science In The Public Interest (who’s scientists and experts support all three of my petitions: Kraft, Subway and Beer), National Resources Defense Council, The Center For Food Safety, Consumers Reports / Consumers Union and The Cornucopia Institute – all organizations work with scientists and researchers to bring the latest consumer protection information to the public. Many of my campaigns have been based on what these organizations have thoroughly studied.
If my work is based on pseudoscience why are these organizations working with me and why are prominent physicians like Dr. Mark Hyman, M.D. (the doctor to the Clintons), Dr. Joel Kahn, M.D., and Dr. Frank Lipman, M.D. all fans of my work?
What they say: The phrase “If you can’t pronounce it, you shouldn’t eat it” is not scientific.
The truth: I didn’t come up with this clever phrase, but think it’s generally great advice.
This idea actually originated with Michael Pollan in his prominent book “In the Defense of Food” and later on in “Food Rules” where in rule #7 he stated “Avoid food products containing ingredients that a third-grader cannot pronounce.” I have repeated this advice before, and notably one time in an ABC interview that my detractors like to mention over and over again.
I think it works well in the majority of cases when reading the ingredient label on food products in the grocery store. Not everyone has the time to tirelessly review all the ingredients allowed in our food system. This simple rule makes it easy for the average person to avoid processed food, which I think everyone can benefit from!
If you can’t pronounce it that probably means the material has been part of the human diet for a minute period of time in terms of the human evolutionary or developmental process. Using many of these substances is a grand experiment that many people would prefer not subjecting themselves or their children to.
One point my detractors like to mention is that dihydrogen monoxide which is the chemical name for water is hard to pronounce for some people but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t drink it. I find this an inaccurate and unreasonable comparison because you would never see the words “dihydrogen monoxide” on a water bottle or package of processed food. Another example they use is showing the chemical make of a banana – the same holds true here, you would never find the chemical breakdown of a banana on a food label that contained banana.
What They Say: The dose makes the poison and food additives are safe.
The Truth: That food industry orthodoxy is outdated and dangerous.
Unfortunately, we don’t know the overall dose of food additives we are actually ingesting. How many different food chemicals are people consuming in one meal, in one day, in one year? The overall load, especially for children, has been grossly understated and the interaction between many of these synthetic compounds have never been studied.
For example, a recent study out of Purdue University stated that children are exposed to up to 15 times more artificial food dyes than the dose approved by the FDA. The Deputy Commissioner of the FDA, Michael Taylor, recently admitted to the Washington Post, “We do not know the volume of particular chemicals that are going into the food supply so we can diagnose trends. We do not know what is going on post-market”.
But, we do know disease rates continue to rise at an alarming rate. Instead of attacking me, why aren’t the detractors finding a way to deliver more real food to us instead of inventing chemicals that make food companies richer and us sicker?
Who should we trust? The FDA? The Food Giants? The Food Scientists making these chemicals? Or the foreign governments who are following the precautionary principle of taking these additives out of their food (or commonly, never approving them in the first place)?
What they say: I exaggerated claims about the ingredients in beer – from Propylene Glycol and it’s derivatives to Isinglass (fish swim bladders).
The truth: The beer campaign was all about transparency and we have the right to know what we are drinking.
For decades the multi-billion dollar beer industry (along with the entire alcohol industry) has gotten away with not disclosing their ingredients and I find this appalling. That’s why I started a petition to ask the 2 largest beer companies to disclose their ingredients. I pointed out several of the ingredients beer manufacturers are allowed to use in our beer according to the Treasury Department, where beer is regulated. I listed these ingredients in the video I created for my petition that received over 40,000 signatures in 24 hours and that ultimately forced Anheuser-Busch and Miller Coors to start disclosing their ingredients for the first time in history. Propylene glycol (which is found in airplane deicing liquid, aka “anti-freeze”) and propylene glycol alginate that is derived from kelp are both allowed to be used in alcohol. In fact, Fireball Whisky recently had to remove it’s products from shelves in Europe because it contained too much propylene glycol (the antifreeze variety). Corona beer uses propylene glycol alginate. Regardless of which propylene glycol ingredient is used in an alcohol product, I believe we have the right to know what ingredients we are consuming. The same goes for “Isinglass” – which is made from fish swim bladders. I know this ingredient has been used for centuries and not harmful, but this is a real issue for vegans & vegetarians. They deserve to know if an animal product was used in its production and I’m not personally convinced that these fining agents are completely left behind in the tank bottom, especially since Guinness admits that their beer may contain trace amounts. Along with these ingredients, I have exposed several other very controversial chemicals in beer my detractors fail to mention, like caramel coloring level IV, carrageenan and high fructose corn syrup. Who will hold the alcohol industry accountable for transparency, if we don’t?
What They Say: I have an eating disorder.
The Truth: Deciding to opt out of the “Standard American Diet” is not an eating disorder.
Would this accusation ever be leveled at one of my male counterparts?
I want to live the best life imaginable and that starts with caring enough about my body to put the best nutrients in it. Eating healthy is about self-love, not self-hate.
Saying no to fake food and synthetic food additives is not disordered thinking — it’s smart.
For most of my life I wasn’t proud of the way I looked. I felt terrible and ugly because of the dead nutritionless food I was eating. And now that I that feel amazing and confident, I find it incredibly sexist that people use my appearance to ridicule and personally attack me like this.
I’m the healthiest I’ve ever been in my life – I’m off of all prescription drugs and feel great. It doesn’t come easy in this over-processed world — and that’s why I am here writing about the things I’ve discovered and tips that have helped me achieve a level of health I would have never dreamed of before when I was eating the Standard American Diet. This is the reason I wrote my books, The Food Babe Way, Feeding You Lies, and Food Babe Kitchen.
What They Say: I’m in it only for the money or I’m a snakeoil salesman
The Truth: I left a secure career without any guarantee or safety net that this new role as a full time food activist would ever support me.
The people who use this attack don’t know me or my story. When I quit my secure corporate job, in December of 2012, I wasn’t making any money blogging. Everyone needs to find a way to make a living and I feel very lucky that I’ve figured out how to do that without compromising my values. I have now dedicated my life to create a better food system and I feel good knowing my work contributes to the knowledge of others and their quality of life.
I work harder now, than I ever have in my life. I spend my days investigating, writing, meeting with experts and consumer organizations, traveling to conferences, speaking, and attending food trade shows.
For example, it can take me weeks to investigate certain food companies, calling headquarters, emailing customer service, visiting their farms, manufacturing plants or headquarters and talking to their employees to bring my readers the facts. Writing all of what I’ve learned through my investigations takes even longer.
Now, due to a lot of hard work, the blog does make money which helps pay the expenses for my wonderful team’s salaries, to grow our movement, and donate to consumer advocacy groups and GMO labeling campaigns. I’m making a living because of all the passion and investment my staff and I have put into it — not because I thought it could be some get-rich-quick-scheme.
What They Say: I blackmail companies, extorting food companies for money after investigations.
The Truth: For companies that truly want to gauge consumer sentiment, and position their brands in a more healthy “space” in the supermarket I’m available as a consultant — but that work has never impacted the information that’s available on foodbabe.com
This is what sets me apart from most activists. I have a background in consulting at major corporations and helping them to change — it’s what I did for 13 years before Food Babe became my full time career. I know how companies operate, how slow or fast changes can be made, I know the bureaucracy — so that makes me capable to not only hold these companies accountable for the harmful ingredients they are using — but also to help them see the pathway get these changes implemented faster.
I would never allow my interest in public health to be compromised — that is why most major agribusinesses won’t hire me — but some brave one’s are willing to engage in a collaborative process.
But even then, I would never compromise my personal independence and integrity — and I can prove it.
For example, after Chick-fil-A hired me as a consultant, I continued to publicly pressure them to source chicken that wasn’t raised with antibiotics on multiple national TV outlets, on this blog and on social media. This pressure eventually led to their decision to go antibiotic free in 5 years. (And they put in writing). Working from the inside can have real tangible results. Before walking into Chick-fil-A headquarters they thought my main concern was the MSG in their food — but I explained to them, this was secondary compared to the antibiotics issue.
I will consult, but get one thing straight; I am not a corporate spokesperson. I will not be restrained from overtly criticizing or challenging any of my past or current clients. You can buy my advice but you can’t buy my likeness, my logo or my endorsement.
There are brands that sponsor this website through advertising, located in the right hand site of the blog – and these are the brands I personally buy and/or use. I would never have them partner with me otherwise.
What They Say: When I give speeches I won’t stick around for Q&A
The Truth: I will gladly answer questions on stage, but follow the guidelines of the event coordinators decisions.
This is the most preposterous criticism I’ve seen and I think it’s pretty representative of how ridiculous these accusations have gotten. There was controversy surrounding a talk I gave at a University recently when a professor — who publicly supports and argues for Monsanto and other biotech companies by writing for their industry funded websites — claimed that I refused to answer questions following my talk. Yeah, okay.
Except anyone who was there heard the moderator make an announcement to the student body that I would stay after and answer everyone’s questions, but not on stage because my talk went over the time allotted because students needed to leave to attend other events and classes.
When I stepped down from stage, I had a long line of students and teachers waiting to talk to me, and I stayed long enough to speak with all of them which I really enjoyed. If this professor wanted to ask me questions, why wasn’t he brave enough to come speak to me in person? Was he just attempting to publicly humiliate me? Was he more interested in recognition than real debate?
This professor also claimed I was “whisked away in a limo,” I was actually offered a ride by the University organizer in her light-colored Prius. The last time I checked a Prius looks nothing like a limo. The truth just doesn’t have the same kind of utility when you’re trying to discredit someone.
What they say: I believe water can turn into Satan or Hitler crystals when they are microwaved
The Truth: I consulted several different sources, and made a personal decision to avoid microwaves in my house.
I’ll admit it. My microwave blog post was not my most impressive piece of work. When I wrote it, I just started blogging and wanted to share several opinionated reasons why I avoid microwaves. My detractors would rather have you talk about this irrelevant blog post (that is over 7 years old and removed from my site) than any of the food research and investigations I am uncovering.
In the post, I quoted this information directly from New York Times best-selling book “The Messages in Water.” Of course, I see how the research presented in that book could come across as hokey – or dare I say it, putting a tin foil hat on. But more seriously, even esteemed journalists like Michael Pollan think microwaves are creepy – with or without satan crystals. In his latest book “Cooked,” he explains… “The microwave oven which stands at the precise opposite end of the culinary (and imaginative) spectrum from the cook fire, exerts a kind of antigravity, its flameless, smokeless, anti sensory cold heat giving us a mild case of the willies. The microwave is as antisocial as the cook fire is communal.”
What They Say: I’m anti-vaccine.
The Truth: I’m not against all vaccinations.
I know this is a highly debated topic and it makes sense there will be some controversy. I find it interesting that my detractors are just recently bringing up yet another blog post that I wrote over three years ago about the flu shot and claiming that I am against all vaccines because of it. They’ll use any old card they can find to make people angry and turn against me.
The reason I wrote specifically about the flu shot was because my friends asked me to, they wanted to know my opinion and why I choose not to take it (obviously a very personal decision many of us faced with).
Actually, the majority of Americans don’t take it. Only 34% of adults do. I don’t take it because of the ingredients it contains and based on the evidence showing it’s ineffectiveness (it says so even on the package insert!) A myriad of health experts agree with my decision too, everyone from Dr. Mark Hyman here and here, Functional Medicine Practitioner Chris Kresser, Dr. Frank Lipman, Dr. Joseph Mercola and more. My decision does not make me anti-vaccine like my detractors would like the public to believe. A healthy debate about the propriety of many vaccines has and will go on.
What they say: I ban anyone that disagrees with me on social media
The truth: I give my moderators full authority to delete comments and ban insulting, harassing, or cyberbullying commenters.
There are several groups that condone violating social media platforms terms of service by allowing their members to create fake profiles and new pages to harass me and others who challenge the status quo and the food industry. My team is given the ultimate authority and discretion when they are monitoring comments on the blog or on our social media. If you are part of the hate groups that personally attacks me (or anyone else), are vulgar or insulting, repeatedly post the same comment in a harassing manner on multiple threads, use profanity, threats, or use impersonation, your comment will be deleted and/or your profile banned, it’s very simple.
This policy is very similar to other reputable websites – even The New York Times. I can only hope that we never have to do what Popular Science had to do recently. They completely turned off all comments due to trolling.
I think of my blog and social media pages as my home. I will let anyone in my house, act inappropriately they will be asked to leave. A healthy debate is fine, but someone can make their point without stepping over the line and becoming abusive.
For those of you that have defended our movement through countless discussions on the web, in forums and social media, THANK YOU! The truth shall prevail!
Remember, we need to keep our conversation focused on the food industry that is polluting the environment and our bodies and government agencies that aren’t protecting our collective health and consumer rights – not the haters. They want us to take our eye off the ball and distract us. Don’t let them win…Shake it off. Onward!
Xo,
Vani
“To avoid criticism say nothing, do nothing, be nothing.” ― Aristotle
Updated 1/16/2015: As is traditional in print journalism, I am going to start a Corrections/Editor’s Note feature on my web site. I want to be sure that if there are any mistakes, we admit and correct them immediately. I hope other web sites will follow and consider the same. Almost 4 years ago, before I had much of a following when my blog was a hobby, I made a mistake about oxygen inside airplanes. I took that post down as a result, but in the future if there is a mistake I will admit and correct it immediately with an editor’s note within the post.
Updated 1/25/2015: On January 22nd, 2015 a group of science students from the IFT Student Association wrote me a letter. Here is my response.
Updated 3/15/2015: On March 13, 2015, a freelance writer for the NY Times published a Style piece called “Taking on the food industry, one blog post at a time” – See my response here.
Updated 4/6/2015: On April 6, 2015, Gawker hired an ex-pesticide chemist to write a very unprofessional post about our work untiled “Food Babe Blogger is Full of $hit” – See my response here.
Thank you for your efforts towards sharing your findings on the food industry. Those who oppose you are scared of their own health truth! Bashing you is easier than making changes to their own health.
Please know that YOU are important to those who are open to learning the truth about our food industry and to those who are willing to make the changes needed to improve our health! No one said that it would be easy to be healthy! I (and my loved ones) are worth the time and effort that it takes to learn about nutrition and health. Food is medicine!
You are helping so many people with all you do every day. Your blog is a beacon of truth in the sea of corporate American lies. You are a hero to me and yes, it is a terrible thing they are doing to sully your name, but their words just bounce off, don’t they. Because your attackers have no true arguements against you. You just report truth about the food supply and how to help us find true health. Truth always wins in the end.
Please don’t let these ignorant bullies deter you from doing what you’re doing. It has helped our family and several of my friends to better their health.
Vani thank you for your bravey and your courage. Change often does not come easily. You have been makking incredible strides nd I have been amazed to witness the power that one voice can make when passion and drive and belief are behind what you do. let me know how else I can support you. I have joined the FB page. Keep going Vani the world needs you and so do our kids!
I’m thankful for you Food Babe and for you standing up to these big corporate entities and not backing down. I’m just curious – why don’t you post the full names of all these idiots that are posting disgusting comments about you? Keep doing what you do – your army loves you!
You know you’re good people. We know you’re good people, because we are too. But we all have to stay strong by coming from the heart. You’re doing great Food Babe!
This other noise is just noise.
Food Babe I’m thankful for all the hard work you did and I too have devoted my life to eating pure whole foods, our bodies are not designed to eat unnatural chemicals and therefore do not belong in our food. Your beautiful because you eat the way we’re supposed to eat and those that criticize you are jealous of you and wish they too could look as beautiful as you. Chemicals, pesticides and chemical food additives have already been proven to cause cancer, diabetes and a host of other insidious diseases, the majority of stupid Americans continue to eat these toxic foods and therefore suffer all the diseases obesity and sicknesses, rapid aging and plain butt ugly courtesy of the greedy chemical companies. Then these butt ugly weak sick people depend on more chemicals to get well, known as pharmacuticles to try and counteract the damage these toxic chemicals in our food cause, which only mask the symptoms, not cure anything just put more huge profits in the chemical companies pocket. The fourth leading cause of death in America is side effects from pharmacuticle drugs which kill over 200,000 people each year. Chemical companies created a false need in our food supply because of their corporate greed. Organic food is all we should ever eat for optimal health, energy and vitality and you are what you eat is the truest statement ever made and Vani your beautiful because you eat pure whole foods and take care of your body and those idiots that criticize you are the ones who will die of cancer or some other insidious disease, while you are an example to all people who want to eat clean to follow your way because that is the right way, I Love you Vani and keep up the awesome work in exposing these nasty toxic chemicals added to our food. Your the best!!!
Vani…don’t let ignorant uninformed individual’s keep you from doing what’s right. I appreciate all you do to keep myself and people like me aware of all chemical and additives that are being used in the processing of our food, that other countries have banned or would never allow to be used in the first place. If people think what you do isn’t right…then what do they think of the people who are killing them slowly that use the banned substances in the foods they ingest on a daily basis. Keep your head up and keep pressing on, because if you don’t you will be doing the world a great disservice by giving up and giving into the haters.
It would seem you have struck a cord. I would consider responses negative or not as a form of flattery and you have gained fame with your information and message. This is a good thing. People are talking and I would anticipate change is coming. Keep it going Vani!!
I know all along how bad and relentless profit driven with no good products many corporate are. We the people need to stand up and take control of our destiny. Stop corporate brainwash and be freed from blind consumer slaves. Thanks for your great effort and courage. I think they are desperate so they start to get nasty…Keep up the good work!
May God continue to bless you and your staff. I wonder if these so called big corporations actually eat the poison that they feed to general public? My answer is no! That’s why they are buying out heirloom seeds and hoarding it… I also find it quite funny that monsanto actually came out with a evil commercial stating that they want to “feed” the world.. blah blah and that everything is okay. ..
It is disturbing how low the opposition will go. Whenever there is TRUTH there will be a fight against it, particularly when the TRUTH begins to gain momentum and movement. Vani, thank you for the work you do in uncovering the unknown in our US food system with the intention of creating a less ignorant and more informed, educated and wise society. My children and I are GRATEFUL for the investigations posted by you on FOOD BABE, and some confirms what we already knew and changes we had already made and others inform us and help us to continue to have a more and more healthy lifestyle. Unfortunately, there is BIG money and politics involved in and connecting the US food, Health and pharmaceutical systems. As these complicated webs knowingly and unknowingly work together to strive to keep the American mainstream in poor health through poor, but “affordable”, food choices, then the mainstream American will continue to look for and buy pharmaceuticals (a HUGE money maker), continually using marketed solutions for the SYMPTOMS of physical and mental issues instead of PREVENTING symptoms and causes by beginning with a more clean, less chemical saturated diet.
God Bless you and all of America that we will stand together to fight for INTEGRITY and TRANSPARENCY in the US food system!
Hi Vani,
Although I have never written on your blog, I have read almost all of your posts which are very informative and thorough. What you are doing is providing a great service to the Americans and everyone else in general and you will be greatly rewarded in the long run.
Please do not be disheartened by the trolls as there will always be someone who will oppose the truth. I hope u succeed more and expose these fake food giants and emerge triumph from these endeavors.
May God keep u safe and guide u in your life and help you overcome whatever hudles that come your way.
Thank you for wvety
Hi Ms Hari,
I just wanted to say that you are an inspiration to us all. I have to laugh at someone who says you have have certain training or education just to ask certain critical questions that should be fundamental to all of us. I want my children to have a world with a food supply that is not controlled by Monsatan and the like. Heck, I want that world for myself too! 🙂
Thanks for these things:
1. your leadership
2. your honesty
3. your PASSION!
4. your commitment to others
5. your commitment to the TRUTH
6. your attention to detail
7. your project management
8. your internet campaigns
9. your COURAGE to do and say the things that need to be said!
10. your sincerity – when we are dealing with the ultimate insincerity – LIES!
11. your intellectual commitment – to comb through and clarify the complexity of things like the muddying of the issues, vagueness of terms like ‘natural’ etc etc – things that the food industry .
Again, no degree required. If honesty, integrity, passion, committment to truth, etc were synonymous with so many of the current ‘experts’, then there would be no need for any food freedom activism!
I find it very intriguing that people can have such STRONG, Negative opinions about something they know nothing about! Obviously you are very well educated in this department, maybe they are jealous of that. Until
You have done your own research people, do not pick apart someone with your uneducated opinions, you look really silly. Keep
Up the good work Vani 🙂
My best advice would be to try not to let people get to you. No matter what you post on the internet and no matter how much you pour your heart into the work you produce on your beautiful website certain people will react negatively. People also exaggerate and misinterpret the information that is passed on to them in a negative fashion.
There are several reasons for this kind of behavior, but a well adjusted, mature, and content person would express their arguments in an honorable fashion.
Think about it? These people are most likely CHILDREN. How many self sufficient people with jobs, money, a career, kids etc. spend their time behind computers trolling and everything they see…?
People need to get a life, democracy is one thing but bullying is another, and these are BULLIES. I don’t care if a person is a child or an adult no one should have to endure bullying.
I am so sorry that you had to go through this. Know that you have been of great help to lots of people such as myself.
They are using Psychological misinformation / disinformation… The problem is, they aren’t good at it… If they were good, they would challenge your work with truth… They wouldn’t need to offend you or make any ill comments…
They can’t refute anything and they know it, so they act like little kids throwing a tantrum… Keep up what you do, and as far as those Amazon ratings, everyone I know reads the one stars first to figure out if the people talking about the product are smart enough to operate it…
Bobbie,
I read your comments with disinterest. You present no facts, proof, or any scientific backup for your diatribe. it was therefore a wasted effort. Oh, and by the way, if you would learn to spell, that might help. As is, you merely display the depth of your ignorance..
Cheers,
John
John,
You keep following the sheep and don’t do any research yourself…all that tells me is you are lazy and can’t be bothered trying to stay healthy…keep eating crap mate and enjoy and long and pill ridden life…
Vani keep up the good fight ignore these numbskulls.
The guys that claim you have no science to back you up only needs to question the big food producers why they add all these ingredients into our food supply.The good news is that our choices are getting better ,when it comes to more natural healthy foods.The educated consumer will stop buying food products with questionable ingredients .Also just because the FDA says it is ok does not mean it is.They can be manipulated by the big GMO producers.Shame on them for not being honest to the American people!
Best regards,
Fritz
Hi Vani
Thank you for all your hard work and for educating me on the chemicals in our diet! It’s incredibly scary to think we are consuming so much cr*p unknowingly. Ignore the bullies and critics – they are only doing this as you are making such an impact! Green eyed monster to a whole new level!
Please don’t stop – it’s amazing what you are doing.
X
Why would you even post or give the haters any space on here… This as you know is very negative Energy and has no place near a very positive raw food lifestyle. The two are at opposite ends of the spectrum. Some day they will wake up.. Thank you !!!
As I Heard at one point in my life: if they can’t stand your light, have them wear glasses!!! God bless you Vani, keep on your amazing work.
What really gets me is the simple fact that you even have to advocate for REAL FOOD in the first place. “IT” should not even BE an issue. ALL these poisons should NEVER have been allowed into the food system. We are human beings. We ALL have the same maker (whomever you choose that to be). We ALL require food. We DO NOT require poisons, chemicals & the like in our food/water etc. We are not here to make YOU rich. End of story. Corporations are the DEVIL & we do not wish to play. The ones that DO NOT eat the chemicals HAVE a clue. That is what they are pissed about. It is no longer silenced. ROCK on Vani & The Food Babe Army!!
I am a leaving proof that eating organic vegan raw took away all my chronics deaceases that Doctors told me for years that didn’t have cures. One thing you can be sure… when somebody attacks that way is because they can’t proceess the reality and they prefer to be in denial and sick that see the truth. Keep up the good work for those that choose to enjoy live the way God intended … Healthy and happy… Healthy by Choice!!!!
I’d like to be part of your movement.. and more. You go girl (and guys, and girls- her staff)!
I’m surprised it’s taken this long to get hate mail! All those haters are just jealous they haven’t accomplished everything that you have. I think the more hate mail you get the more you should realize that you are doing the right thing. You have brought Corporate America to their knees and they don’t like having a woman point that out to them. Your Food Babe site rocks and I can’t believe everything you have accomplished and all the articles you have published and researched. You’ve got the public to actually think about what they are eating and realize how corporations dupe us into their clever packaging and misleading ingredients, all to turn a big profit. No time in our history have people been so overweight and unhealthy. Everyone who sticks their neck out gets hate mail. Turn it around and consider it a compliment and ride it out. They are just jealous of your success. Dr Oz gets hate mail. Movie stars get hate mail. Anyone in the public eye gets hate mail sooner or later. Don’t let them erode your confidence. You need a tough skin to be popular these days. Take a deep breath and know that you’ve made it to the big time! (Note what a limited vocabulary your haters have. They must use the same limited dictionary)
I’m a huge fan VAN!!
I sent your link to all of my Friends List on Facebook, and encouraged them all to repost to their own lists. May not seem like much, but if enough people do the same, we will quickly overwhelm the ignorant opposition.
Stay the course.
We have truth on our side, and it is the most important issue of our time.
If they want to consume nasty chemicals and mystery ingredients, then so be it!
All of us will continue to eat organic and non-GMO great food, and dance, swim, and run marathons, while they jealously wish they would have joined us. How many of them are big corporation shills?
It’s unfortunate when people that disagree with others resort to attacking them in personal ways, rather than debating the subject. (Modern day political practices 🙁
The bottom line question to ask ourselves is: “Do we really need, or do our bodies flourish in any way when we add chemicals, dyes, preservatives, hormones, antibiotics, or artificial anything into our food? And then, you decide your Truth for yourself/family and move on…and allow others to make their informed choices as well. Really, we can all live in harmony without attacking, bullying, or humiliating one another.
Keep the Faith Vani!
Please don’t worry about them. I appreciate everything you do!!!
Since I am someone who is, what I would call, environmentally toxic, (from years of working with chemicals through ownership of a Commercial Cleaning Company), I am effected by numerous things that I come in contact with. I call myself the human gauge for all that is bad in the world. My company now uses Green Cleaning products as a result. I find the food we (Americans) eat effects me the same way as the cleaning products. As a result to years of getting sick after eating certain things I have cleaned up my diet considerably. Did I read anything to make this decision? No! My body tells me when something is not good. All the talk in the world from manufacturers, corporations etc. can’t dispute what our actual health tells us. By the way I am healthy now and also for all of you that think this is just another attack against big corporations or something politically motivated, I am a capitalist and I say yeah to making all the money you can but not at the expense of others. Just do what is right. You know what it is. You will feel better inside and sleep better unless of course you don’t have a conscious. I just recently discovered “The Food Babe”. Keep up the good work you are doing.
Your obviously doing a good work here. Keep up the good fight!!!!!
I’m sorry you have to deal with these idiots. They’ll be paying for it later with health problems due to the garbage they’re eating. Karma…
Vani, You go girl!!! The truth you speak needs to be said. I have been reading labels for 20 years and understand the effects of the chemicals and toxic additives sold as food in our country. My reply to those who want to be negative or try to tell me what to feed my family……….please feel free to feed our portion to your children. Go ahead eat up!! Enjoy !! Swallow every last bite while I pay attention to what I feed my family, where I spend my money and at least try to make good educated decisions. We should encourage those that want to criticize the more intelligent involved consumer to eat our portion of the crap sold as food. They will be the ones ill and finding an early grave. Oh well. Your message is one of truth, your advice is accurate, your recipes are healthy and delicious. So what do you have to defend. Nothing. I went shopping today for ingredients that will nurture, heal and sustain my family. I left behind gmo’s, and a host of other toxins so those who think the items are safe will have plenty to choose from. Be strong. Do what you know is right. There are people who need to know the truth and are open to hear it, those that aren’t won’t. With love and respect.
Reading the comments made about you and your work it is clear they are from unschooled and juvenile minds.
Vani, Your campaign only came to my attention because of a piece written in the press regarding the fact that you are unqualified to give opinion regarding food additives and GMOs. There was an orchestrated walkout on one of your debates by half of the audience that were obviously paid to do so. But after reading the piece I went to your website and looked at what you were saying I realised that you were the one who was on the side of the public and and pointing out the gross misconduct of the food giants and I immediately became a fan. I applaud you for being able to withstand this level of vitriol. When you they start this sort of campaign against you it means that they are taking you seriously as a threat but remember that this can backfire against them as when they go mainstream them it draws your campaign to a wider audience and might actually increase the audience for you message, as it did with me. Keep strong and stick it to them!
There bulling is as toxic as their food.
Dear Vani. You are doing great work. The world needs someone like you, someone who fights for transparency and unites people to stand up for their health. It seems to me that what was said to and about you results from fear – fear, because your informations could be right and people would have to start thinking and drop their comfortable habits.Doing this hurts and means to be different. It costs time, energy and effort. So they attack you like children with senseless critic that has no ground but hurts. You know who you are, what you do and why you do it. Fight for your respect but don’t let bad comments destroy you! Lots of love from Switzerland, Mina
Dear, dear Vani, I learned that the first physician who realized he should be washing his hands before touching sick people, or performing surgery on them; he was actually persecuted unmercifully! And then there was the case of Galileo when he advised the Church that Earth and the other planets rotated around the sun! There are even doctors today who do not realize that our best health comes from natural, nutritious food and that natural foods make good medicine. But, alas, where ever there are two or more people there is politicking. We don’t have to defend ourselves and we don’t need to give others’ ignorance any space or our energy. I received a notice from FaceBook just a couple of days ago that there are a lot of instances of belligerence occurring on the website and we just must delete them when we find them. I would not have called our group an “army” only because there is so much talk of war all the time that I don’t want anything even remotely related to hostility anywhere near me. I would hope that if there is anyone who feels their opposing views were valid, they would offer to debate you publicly with the proper demeanor and in full integrity. Any thing less, for example, the despicable comments you have received are beneath your dignity and are totally undeserving of any response other than to be deleted. Their existence is only a reflection of the writers’ bad judgment and manners and have nothing to do with you whatsoever. Yours is not the only alternative information “station” I tune in to – they span a wide range of topics and the one thing they all agree on is that we need to stop drawing lines in the sand between ourselves and those with opposing views and invite them to live happily side by side with us, allowing each other to have their own views; loving each other in spite of our different opinions and accepting each other as we are and enjoying our differences. When we can do that, we will actually have the desire and energy to work together to make a better world and stop creating justification for war or even unpleasantness between ourselves. Have some faith, Dear Lady, it will take awhile, but good sense, good intentions and good humor will win out eventually. No one said this will be easy – you are up against BIG money. I’ll bet most of those ugly comments are from people who work for the ad agencies or businesses related to the junk food industry. You are way ahead of them: you are telling the truth AND you are spreading the good word very well or they wouldn’t even notice you.
You are bringing awareness that we must fight for the right to have safe food and the moncanto and other organizations that are killing us are in fear of their pocket books. We are winning and because of you we are stronger than ever. Greed will not be the big winner and health they will not deny us. Vani, you are doing a great job!
Love your mission. Keep on keeping on. In profound gratitude.
Ditto!
Greetings Vani,
Ignorance is bliss and in these times, will be short lived with all of the toxins in the food and water; unless ‘ya duu yar work!!’ Those who don’t are doomed. If you relay on the government or big business to look out for you, you won’t make it past 2nd base. America , a year plus ago, just dropped from the 24th healthiest nation to the 36th. If the government and big Ag/Food Industry were doing their job, governed by integrity, responsibility and truth, it doesn’t make sense that Alzheimer’s, Heart disease, Diabetes, High Blood Pressure and Cancer would and are still increasing!!! Alzheimer’s Disease is also called Diabetes III. Opps! The American Diet is so pro-Inflammatory; excessive Omega 6 ratio to Omega 3. Cancer is soon to be 1::2/family member. The answer has and always will be, ‘You are what you eat.’ Your body never lies because if your body is chronically subjected to inflammation, diet caused, you are headed for chronic disease; period. Your body has 2 brains, your gut and the other, hopefully, can still be found in your head. The neural activity within your digestive system is many times larger. Science and health experts are saying, that your gut runs your head; not the other way around. Wrong food combining eventually causes an acidic environment which leads first to mental fatigue; period. This life style of creating an acidic pH within our body will next lead to chronic disease and pain pathways!.The doctor’s first question to ask a new patient, a hundred plus years past, was, . . . . .” How’s your digestion?” Important question b/c your personal history. is 85 % of your diagnosis!! If you have a health problem, go sit down and track your digestive issues. If you do have digestive issues, that is your body telling you,’ your on the wrong path.’ What are you eating or not eating?. If man makes it you are hurting yourself. Start eating what God has made. Your best bet is ‘organic;’ They knew back then that digestion was the key to getting your health back and or maintaining your health. Today’s AMA does not believe in nutrition; just treat with pharmos. Today, the average American at 61 years of age, takes 19 prescription drugs daily. Opps! Bottom line this country has lost its way. No longer putting our trust in God but in man. Today’s big business is based on greed. GMO, chemical companies, pharmo and congress are all big business. All of which exist at our expense. The good news is people are waking up.. Food Babe is running full steam ahead spreading the facts based upon truth!. Food Babe, you are not alone. Your rippling affect is just going to get larger. The big boys may win more battles but we, the people, will win this war. Real Faith can move mountains and prayer is the best way to work with God.
jp
p.s. know that what these blank blankZ say and see is really a reflection of what they really see and hear on the inside.
Keep up the great work, Vani. I’m gonna go ahead and leave some overused, but appropriate phrases right here:
Haters Gonna Hate.
Shake It Off.
Wow – people can be unrelenting. Stay strong on your journey and delivering the information you uncover to the public. We need more people who care about the truth and to help the majority make the choices they need for proper nutrition and health. It has been too long where companies have fed us processed foods and chemicals and are very much like the pharmaceutical industry… all profit – and not caring about the cause and effect of chemicals in the body.
I believe in what you are doing… there are a lot more of us out there! Please keep uncovering the truth Vani!
Speaking as a licensed healthcare professional, I LOVE your work!!!! What you are doing is critical to the health of Americans. (Nice to know they appreciate it, eh?) I routinely recommend that my clients read your blogs and try your recipes. I would surmise that two things are going on here- you are a huge success in your work. Thus, you have angered the “shadowy” figures who want to control what we eat, how we live, and how we think. So- kudos!!! You are making a difference! Secondly, the “shadowy” figures are notoriously known as cowards. Because they ARE. As such, they hire Internet “trolls” (people who are eating the chemicals of the industry and drinking the “Kool-Aid.”) The naughty behavior of these individuals is influenced both by greed and harmful effects of the chemicals they are taking in. Sugar, alone, alters mood!
I commend you in your work. You are a true public servant who has chosen to use ALL of her God-given gifts for the good of mankind. You ARE making a difference. You and your team have challenged the status quo and are winning. That is an amazing achievement. Stay the course. (I know you will.). As Margaret Mead said,” Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed individuals can change the World. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” And Mark Twain, “Great Spirits have always encountered violent opposition from MEDIOCRE minds.” Soldier on….Nough said.
I correct my source of the last quote- Albert Einstein said that, not Mark Twain. Oops!
I stand corrected. The second quite was made by Albert Einstein, not Mark Twain. Whoops!
I believe what you are doing is very helpful to more people in the world than they’ll ever know. I recently learned about you and your blog when your Subway “azodicarbonamide” petition went viral on Fb. I won’t stop reading your blog because you continue to look after our best interest. Those who are filled with hatred can’t see the bigger picture and by the looks of some of their hurtful comments, they don’t understand what you stand for. Most likely, they are not educated in health and nutrition. Please continue to spread knowledge for those of us who care. Thank you!
“Let food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food.”
Thank you Vani for all of your hard work! I appreciate you being a voice for all the people who want transparency and accountability in the food industry.
Another serious issue with microwave ovens:
I want to share that I got rid of my microwave when I measured the radiation that was leaking from it with a high frequency meter. I had no idea that I was being microwaved along with my food, even when I was standing 10 feet away. I have measured more powerful microwaves that radiate further than 15 feet away.
I replaced it with a Cuisinart Steam/Convection oven. I steam to reheat my food. I am happy to eat healthier and remove that source of radiation from my home.
“A Wellness Guide for the Digital Age”, by Kerey Crofton is a good resource for those interested in reducing the radiation in your environment.
You are doing a great job! Please keep it up.
I received my PhD in the physical sciences, from Princeton University in the late 1960’s. One of the most important lessons that I learned at Princeton was that I could teach myself anything I really needed to know. Apparently you can do the same. A lot of people can. Years of post graduate training culminated in my learning this lesson. You learned it by traveling a different path! Do my degrees make me smarter? I don’t think so. My degrees are a comment on my abilities. They are not a comment on anyone else’s lack of abilities. When I wanted to learn about physics I studied physics under Nobel Prize winners. When I wanted to learn about organic farming, I read books and talked to organic farmers.
After a bought of cancer and other serious health problems, I eventually chose to get off of all pharmaceutical preparations and eat unadulterated foods that I mostly prepare myself. This has had a major impact on my well being. In fact, I control my diabetes exclusively with dietary principles that I’ve developed. These principles go well beyond the glycemic index model, which was not sufficient for me to either restore or maintain my health.
I’m writing a book about these principles. A good part of this book is essentially a cookbook that provides a practical demonstration of how these principles are applied.
To minimize one’s blood sugar response to eating a meal, carbs must be balanced by an appropriate amount of protein. Carbs raise blood sugar, which triggers an insulin release. Protein also triggers an insulin release, as does alcohol.
(1) If chemical toxins in either our food or our environment have compromised our insulin production capability and/or our insulin storage capacity, our blood sugar control can be overwhelmed by ingesting too many carbs during a meal, and/or through insulin storage exhaustion by ingesting too much protein during the meal.
(2) In addition, if these chemicals toxins have damaged our liver, so that it doesn’t respond appropriately to the presence of insulin, we will also have problems with blood sugar control.
This second scenario is type 2 diabetes, and the first scenario is chemically induced diabetes. Chemically induced diabetes is very similar to type 1.5 diabetes without detectable antibodies being present in the blood. My clinical experience suggests that it is highly probable that a good portion of those diagnosed with type 2 diabetes are really a mixture of type 2 and chemically induced diabetes. Unfortunately, while modern medicine acknowledges the possibility of chemically induced diabetes, the possibility of it being a cumulative effect of repeated micro-poisonings from our food and environment is ignored.
In addition to balancing carbs and protein, ingestion of sufficient soluble fiber is mandatory along with limitations on fructose ingestion.
Because of all of the above restrictions, a good portion of one’s calories must come from eating healthy fat, something we have been misled to believing is bad. Healthy fats are organic coconut oil, organic butter, pure organic sesame oil, pure organic extra virgin olive oil, and the fats from avocados, nuts, seeds, organic eggs and (for non-vegetarians) toxin free fish oil, to name the most relevant. Other vegetable cooking oils must be avoided like the plagues that they help induce.
Keep up the good work! Many of those that don’t heed your warning, will eventually need to buy my book, if they are lucky enough to find out about it.
Enough said, don’t waste one mor minute defending yourself! We believe in you and your work. At the end of your day say a little prayer for these sick people:)
Dawn, I absolutely agree with you. Vani’s attackers don’t have a leg to stand on and they know it. They respond with hate and personal attacks rather than any real explanation as to why they disagree with her and her mission.
Keep on keeping on Vani! Next time, ask them if they’ve ever spent the niht with a mosquito, should they bring up the idea that you are too small to harm. You are just one, and that is bad enough for the greedy ones. Not to mention your army, and together, we make a swarm!!! Way to go Babe!
Yeah what they said. I work with one of the haters. I was shocked that “alternative” ( I just call it healthy eating) views of what we eat are so threatening to an otherwise smart, educated person. I am also saddened that one of his strongest goals is to take away my/ our right to choose what I/ we eat. Specifically in regards to labelling, as if more information about the ingredients in our food is somehow bad. How can it possibly be bad. Keep up the good work. Please!! One more thing, as new scientific studies are done, we learn more and more. I for one don’t have a problem understanding that today’s scientific fact, May be disproved tomorrow.