Chasing Excellence An Upside-Down Food Pyramid & New "Healthy" Labels Won't Save Us (w/ EC Synkowski)
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Jan 19, 2026 EC Synkowski, a nutrition expert and founder of Optimize Me Nutrition, joins the discussion to dissect the USDA dietary guidelines and FDA label changes. She reveals how the confusion in nutrition advice is contributing to America's health crisis, emphasizing that whole foods and simplicity are key. Synkowski critiques the new guidelines for lack of impact and clarity and argues that true change requires addressing our food environment rather than relying solely on labels. Her insights aim to empower listeners to make informed dietary choices amidst the overwhelming noise.
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Guidelines Influence Institutions More Than People
- The USDA updates guidelines every five years but most people don't use them for daily diet choices.
- The real influence is on institutions like schools and hospitals, not individual behavior.
Saturated Fat Limit Stayed The Same
- The new guidelines still cap saturated fat at 10% of calories, unchanged from before.
- In practice a mixed macronutrient diet typically yields that same ~10% saturated fat outcome.
Make Guidance Practical And Simple
- Make guidance practical: translate grams per kilogram and percent calories into simple daily numbers people can use.
- Give concrete examples of foods and servings instead of abstract metrics.
