Welcome to The Remedy with Dr. Rani Whitfield. We're medicine, music, literacy, and other hot topics. Meet. I'm your host, family doctor by day hip hop, doc by night, hip hop doc for life. Today we're opening the refrigerator and maybe some eyes. I know you've heard the phrase, you are what you eat. But what if what you're eating is slowly killing you? Not in some dramatic movie style way, but silently over years. This episode is not about scare tactics. It's about awareness. It's about giving you the power to make better decisions in a food industry designed to keep us confused and addicted. Let's get into it. Now, picture this, you're at the store trying to do the right thing for yourself or your family. You grab what's labeled whole grain, low fat, natural, but the truth, that box of crackers you just picked up has 11 grams of added sugar and three different types of inflammatory seed oils. These ingredients aren't just in junk food. They're in everyday items we assume are safe. And the problem is our bodies weren't designed to handle this constant chemical load. Let me say this. If you can't pronounce it, your body probably can't process it, and if grandma wouldn't cook with it, maybe you shouldn't feed it to your kids. I remember a patient of mine, mid forties, non-smoker, pretty active guy, came in for his yearly checkup. His cholesterol was through the roof and his blood sugar was creeping up. He told me he cut out fried foods and fast foods, which was great, but when we looked closer, his daily diet was full of hidden sugars. Artificial sweeteners and seed oils disguised in protein bars, flavored yogurts, salad dressings, and healthy frozen meals. That's the reality a lot of people are facing. We think we're eating better, but the food industry is always two steps ahead. Slapping, misleading labels on processed products while packing them with ingredients that promote inflammation, spike sugar, and disrupt our hormones. Let's talk about what to look for. Added sugars, especially in foods marketed as healthy. They are everywhere. Granola bars, pasta sauces, even bread. Then there are the seed oils, canola oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, all highly processed and oxidized leading to inflammation over time. Don't forget the artificial sweeteners like sucralose and aspartame, which can mess with your gut microbiome and blood sugar regulation. And then there's the vague catchall natural flavors. Sounds wholesome, but it can mean just about anything. So how do we fight back? Read the ingredient list first before the nutrition label. If there are more than three to five ingredients you don't recognize, put it back and shop the perimeter of the grocery store. Not so much in the middle. The perimeter is where the real food lives. Produce meats, dairy, the middle aisles, that's where the food science lives. And I am not talking about science that heals. This is the science that hooks food engineered in labs to hit that perfect bliss point where sugar, salt, and fat collide to hijack your brain and keep you craving more. It's not an accident. It's by design. These ultra processed foods are less about nourishment and more about addiction. They're carefully crafted to override your natural hunger cues and turn you into a lifelong customer. And it starts early cradle to the grave. Marketing kids get hit with cartoon characters, colorful packaging and fun snacks, and by the time they're teens, they're loyal to the brands that fill their lunchboxes. As adults, we're bombarded with health halos terms like low fat, lean, or natural, that sound good, but mean nothing. It's a cycle designed to keep us eating, not thinking. If this conversation got you fired up, you'll appreciate what I'm reading right now. Don't Eat This Book by Morgan Spurlock. You might remember his documentary Supersize Me, but this book dives even deeper. It unpacks the fast food industry, exposes deceptive marketing tactics and shows how processed food culture became the norm in America. It's witty, sharp, and honestly disturbing in the best way. It'll make you think twice before you hit that drive-thru or grab a frozen entree with lean in the name. Now back to these food labels. I want you to visualize this, a so-called healthy protein bar. It's got 25 ingredients. Half of them sound like something from a chemistry lab. This is marketed to athletes and parents as a smart snack. But here's the question. Would you take all those unpronounceable chemicals, blend them up and hand them to your child in a cup? Because that's essentially what the food industry is doing. We're not just eating food anymore. We're eating fear, fatigue and false promises. We're being sold convenience at the cost of our health. With all this talk about food, I took a break from it all and put on some feel good music. Right now I'm vibing to Soul Food by Goodie Mob. That album that was more than music, it was a message. It reminded us that food is culture, food is history, food is resistance. But somewhere along the way, we traded slow cooked greens and cornbread for box dinners and microwavable, mac and cheese. That shift wasn't just about time, it was about power. It was about control, and we lost something in the process. So what's The Remedy? Start small. Read the labels, cook more. Ask questions, and see your doctor on a regular basis. You also have to share the knowledge. And remember, your health isn't built in the clinic. It's built in the gym and in the kitchen. Thanks for rocking with me on the Remedy with Dr. Rani Whitfield. where medicine, music, literacy, and other hot topics always collide. And remember, we're born looking like our parents, but we die looking like our decisions. Choose wisely. Especially when you're at the grocery store. Remember to like, share, subscribe, leave a comment and let's interact and dialogue. It's Tha Hip Hop Doc. They call me H2D. Come on y'all, let's get hip hop, healthy, peace and blessings. I'm out y'all. The content on the Remedy with Dr. Rani Whitfield is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult with your healthcare provider for personalized medical guidance. Dr. Rani Whitfield is a licensed family physician, but the information provided on this podcast should not replace professional medical consultation.