Artificial Dyes and Children’s Health with Dr. Staci Whitman

00:00Monday, welcome to Baby Steps Nutrition Instagram Live. Today I have on someone phenomenal,

00:07Dr. Staci Whitman. She is a functional pediatric dentist. She is the founder of

00:13NoPo Kids Dentistry, where she takes a whole body holistic approach to teeth with her patients.

00:22Dr. Staci was on episode 136 of the Baby Steps Nutrition Podcast.

00:29We dove deep into the oral microbiome and how that's linked to overall health in children.

00:36Today, she is here talking about a different but critically important topic, which is her

00:44experience at the Kellogg's headquarters.

00:53I see her right now.

01:04How are you?

01:04Good.

01:05Welcome back.

01:05Yeah, you must be exhausted. I'm sure it was quite a, not even a trip, but an experience of a lifetime.

01:14Yes, it was. And I am tired. Thank you for acknowledging that. Yes, it was wonderful. I was so honored to be invited to be part of the group that went to Kellogg's. This is something I've been really passionate about is just advocating for changing our food landscape.

01:33as a pediatric dentist, I go to battle and to war with big food every day. I never really

01:39thought of that or realized that in dental school. And one day I just had to have this

01:45aha moment to say, what are we really doing? Like, you know, if you just are a mechanic

01:50filling teeth all day, you can lose sight of the bigger issue. And so why, what is this disease

01:56process and why is it so rampant? And it's food. It's all about the food and how our food has

02:02changed and our landscape has changed. And it's the ultra processed foods and then specifically

02:07like what all these ingredients are doing to our children and the cumulative effects. And so it's

02:13something I've been kind of ranting and raving about for a long time. And then to be asked by

02:19Vani Hari, the food babe to join as a representative to oral health in children and the oral health

02:26epidemic, it was really an honor. Because, you know, oral health doesn't get discussed as much

02:32as some of the other issues like obesity and, you know, type 2 diabetes, metabolic disease. And I

02:37understand why, but it's part of the conversation, certainly. And so it was wonderful. It was a

02:44pinch me moment. And I met all of these amazing advocates and influencers that I'm such a huge

02:49fan of um and all the wonderful work that they're doing and um it felt I think it's the really one

02:58of the first things in my life that I felt really impact I was making a big impact an impact on a

03:05larger scale so it was very emotional for me um it was extremely disappointing you know so we

03:14vani um gathered over 400 000 signatures so this was the biggest petition um in the food industry's

03:25history and um the turnout was incredible you may read articles that there were dozens of people

03:31there no there were i would i would guess over a thousand people there many were children moms

03:37it was really beautiful and people were united about the cause and the frustrations and all

03:47all had stories of their own personal illness or illnesses in their in their children and that's

03:52what motivates motivates us and so we marched to Kellogg's and unfortunately not surprisingly

04:00but unfortunately they did not want to hold a conversation which is extremely disappointing

04:06you know so I was hopeful they'd at least for optics have a conversation and you know all they

04:15had to do is say we appreciate your concerns thank you for these petitions we will discuss

04:21this as a board and a team and we will get back to you but they wouldn't even do that so it was

04:27really a slap in the face and I think just um emphasizing the level of corruption and greed

04:34that there is at these levels and it sounds cynical um but but it really is true yeah you know

04:40they they really just care about money and the bottom dollar and they do not care about the

04:47american people and our children and our health care crisis whatsoever um and a lot of money's

04:55at stake you know to take food dyes out and put in naturally colored ingredients like blueberry

05:02juice and watermelon juice it's expensive I mean they will they would lose money yeah um and

05:09you know kids may may miss one of the reasons they like the colors um the Kellogg's will tell

05:18you is that they've done focus groups and that kids prefer the more brightly colored cereal

05:25and that they'll eat more of it yes so if they eat more of it then parents need to buy more of it

05:31um and so they would probably have challenges with sales in that regard too but but to me when

05:40you look at the end of the day this is a multi-billion dollar company and they might lose

05:45a few billion you know at some point the greed is just really it's disgusting that's to be honest

05:52with you to swallow and as a mother as a pediatric dietitian this is something i talk about all the

05:57time is and kids often are so surprised and they'll say well i don't understand why would

06:03people want to make people sick and i said unfortunately it comes down to profit and it

06:08comes down to the dollar sign and i myself grew up in canada i've traveled to europe

06:13and then i'm here and it just it's so frustrating and it's something that i talk about all the time

06:19but it's such a hard concept sometimes for people to grasp and of course living where we live

06:24everything tends to become political and it's like well why should we care so much and i'm sure

06:30you've heard of this is like why kellogg's and why breakfast cereals and is this even going to

06:35make a difference right yeah i'm sure you've heard it oh those are the conversations that

06:39have started out of such a big significant event which is fine i think it opens up the discussion

06:45but it's also surprising and a little heartbreaking to be like well there are these people out there

06:50that are advocating for children and still people question yeah yeah it's it is you have to have

06:58thick skin and I'm getting better at that it's really hard when people troll and attack you

07:06and I've received my a little bit of that and certainly you know Vani has I mean she's a warrior

07:12and I don't know why the reason is I think it's a feeling of hopelessness by some people so why

07:20Kellogg's. Well, because they promised in 2015, they were going to remove their food dyes in the

07:28BHT and they didn't. So that's a great place to start. A corporation made a false promise to the

07:35public that they were going to clean up their cereals of which they already have cleaner

07:39versions. So we're not asking them to reformulate. They have the formulations. They just need to

07:46produce them in the United States and sell them in the United States like they do in Germany and

07:51the UK and Canada um so it's also just important to emphasize the power of just one small step

08:01so like if you're a health coach do you expect your client to completely change their health

08:09overnight? Do you expect them to start, you know, grounding and cold plunging and eating

08:17no ultra processed foods and yeah, you know, and like resistance training? No, you have to chip

08:24away at it. And it's the same with our food system. So part of it is to hold them accountable

08:30for that first promise they made. And then also it is symbolic. It is a symbolic movement to say,

08:38hey we demand change we're targeting kellogg's first because of their promise and the fact that

08:45they have cleaner versions elsewhere so this is just it's low-hanging fruit at this point you know

08:53yes we can get into seed oils and sugars and all the other additives and things but this is low

09:00hanging fruit um because they offer cleaner versions in other countries they know why do

09:06they offer those versions in other countries? Because in those other countries, those ingredients

09:10are either significantly restricted with warning labels on the boxes or they're banned. Yes. So

09:16they know, they have the information that these cause harm, that these contribute to ADHD and ADD

09:22and gastrointestinal issues and inflammation and cancer, you know, neuroatypical behaviors,

09:29et cetera, et cetera. They have this information. They're choosing to ignore it for the United

09:33of state citizens because we buy it because we keep buying it and so that's why we're saying

09:39boycott them you know they wouldn't even take our conversation so boycott them now the challenge is

09:47and i will say there's more coming i mean i'm now involved agreed behind the scenes trust me

09:54this isn't the end this is just the beginning of the plans to um hold these companies accountable

10:02and it won't just be Kellogg's and so we agree with all of you and what you're saying we also

10:08agree that you know breakfast cereal isn't particularly healthy and there's all these

10:13other ingredients but what's important to know we are in our health and wellness bubble here on

10:17social media my followers are all generally of the same tribe right like we share similar

10:25philosophies there are many people that don't even know or have access to the information

10:30that these ingredients can be harmful to their children and or they don't have access to other

10:36foods. So a wonderful service that we offer children in many schools is free breakfast.

10:43Okay, that is an amazing thing that we do. However, when you look at the foods being provided,

10:49they are devoid foods with no nutrition and just chemical upon chemical upon chemical.

10:56and it's it's a lot of Kellogg cereal being served and so yes they're getting calories and

11:03they're feeling somewhat full but we know that their blood sugar is off the charts they won't

11:08be able to focus in the classroom you know it's affecting them in other ways systemically and

11:15long term and so the argument is we're slowly poisoning our children so why can't we at least

11:22just clean up those foods we're not saying take them away we understand it's a big ask to say

11:27let's start serving bacon and eggs every morning okay so you could still offer this cereal but

11:34make it a little bit cleaner just a little bit cleaner could have a big impact um and again going

11:40back to health coaching it's like when you tell your client let's just start with drinking one

11:45extra glass of water a day like it's the little things or for me just floss three times a week

11:51let's just start there it's the same thing let's keep the cereal because that's what we have right

11:58now but let's clean it up um so that the kids aren't getting the food dyes in the bhg preservative

12:04which has been linked to endocrine disruption and cancer and gut you know gut inflammation

12:11it is about the bigger message and as you said like especially i work with children you work

12:18with children we're also sending them a message that adults are their advocates i mean they're

12:22not going to go out there and petition but it's also how are we role modeling what messages are

12:26we giving to them how are we setting these sustainable lifelong habits right why i call

12:31my practice baby steps it's taking those small steps but we want it to be sustainable and i'm

12:36all about knowledge is power and so i think in this particular case a lot of people are just so

12:41fixated on it's a breakfast item it's a one ingredient and and you know a 30 ingredient

12:46package but it sends such a big message and I think part of the reason why Kellogg's maybe

12:52didn't respond which was shocking for a lot of people is the panic that set in knowing how big

12:57I mean I don't think there's a single person that didn't hear about this in the news I mean

13:02I would be shocked if someone's like what what happened at Kellogg's yeah because media picked

13:07it up which was great everywhere and there are a lot of people that are talking about it both you

13:12know at the community level and then of course at the national level so I think it's that big message

13:16that's being sent of like we're not okay with this we're not going to accept this and we're

13:21going to empower other people to make that choice hopefully when they're at a grocery store of what

13:27business is not to support exactly I mean yeah you're supporting the evil empire and I was

13:33cautious with how I described them until that day and the fact that they didn't take the meeting I

13:39am full-blown ahead just saying they are corrupt and greedy and evil they're not good people I

13:46don't know how they sleep at night I honestly don't is the money worth it I mean I want to have

13:50this like philosophical I know you make like 1 billion isn't enough you need 40 I mean I just

13:58don't it's so gross to me um but what's what was really beautiful is the kids all the kids that

14:04were there and first of all what a cool experience to say hey you have a voice you can advocate for

14:10yourself in this way with a community it was really touching and powerful but also like how

14:15and these brands should be worried is because these kids are growing up now knowing that they're

14:21the villain and so what I teach my children is to be mad at these companies so instead of me saying

14:28oh this is poison this is toxic this is going to give you cancer I say look at this food look at

14:33this this frankenfood that they're trying to trick you these companies are trying to trick you kids

14:40and you should be upset because they're putting fun colors and cartoon characters and all they

14:45care about is money because this is not healthy food for you it might taste good but you're going

14:53to feel bad later and then what is it doing long term and so changing it so that they the kids

15:00are upset because they're being duped you know and so they're going to become teenagers and

15:06young adults and adults who I think are going to have this tremendously powerful voice now I hope

15:11it happens faster than that but it may not we need to be realistic and I think Kellogg should

15:19be worried because this is the next generation coming up and I really think I think their

15:25company is going to be challenged I really do I think they could be they could they could be going

15:30under one day i i would like to see that and i i would like to see i mean and i've seen this a lot

15:37we need government we need change at the government level we are also very well aware of this

15:44we also want change at the government level we want the fda to be you know doing their job and

15:51regulating better and we we all want the same thing but you have to be strategic about it and

15:57my other argument to anyone keyboard worrying out there is it's really easy to say why are you doing

16:05this this won't help you should you should do it this way I don't want to hear that like be part

16:11of the solution so if you have better ideas then join a committee join a team talk to the school

16:19districts talk to the grocery stores you know have these conversations this grassroots approach but

16:25Don't just sit there and judge or criticize other people who are genuinely, we're really

16:31trying to get our kids healthy again.

16:35And who are the victims are our children, you know, and as moms, hell have no fury like

16:41an angry mom, right?

16:43And so let's join together as mom is like protecting our children and all ideas are

16:49welcome but let's not shoot each other down when we're just trying to do our best you know yeah

16:57and and it's not easy this is not an easy undertaking and we we all are very aware of that

17:03trust me so um but it's baby steps just like you said it has to be and dr stacy for those who are

17:10watching parents caregivers educators really anyone who cares what are those realistic small

17:17steps that they could take when they feel so powerless and hopeless yeah where should we start

17:22yeah that's great um you know cleaning up the diet as best as you can but listen i understand

17:32when you're busy and you're maybe working long hours multiple jobs maybe your life is just chaotic

17:40that can be hard so cooking at home as much as you can with whole foods i mean i would like

17:47organic but even if they're not just less things out of packages and boxes is more ideal and then

17:54trying to find products that maybe are a little bit cleaner um i think that's important drinking

18:01water like just trying to hydrate and drink water and you can make it interesting like add

18:07berries or a splash of juice or cucumbers or ice or electrolytes or something to it.

18:15I think it's really important to be on a sleep schedule and try to synchronize your circadian

18:22rhythm with that of the earth, you know, in the sun. So we're staying up way too late,

18:27including our kids on blue screens with junk light and we're off and it has a lot of profound

18:33health impacts on us so early to bed early to rise you know like look back at some of these

18:39phrases there's a truth to them so I think sleep is paramount I also think being outside get let's

18:46we've lost touch with nature we need to get back outside get the kids outside more you know playing

18:54hiking walking getting dirty um you'll notice kids when you put them in those environments they just

19:02light up yes they might complain at first but then magically they become creative um enjoy us and and

19:10it's really beautiful and it's because ancestrally that's where we're supposed to be we're supposed

19:15to be outside and in the sun and in in the clean environment getting dirty getting microbes um so

19:23I think that's important too and then just trying to find joy I think um we've lost that a bit and

19:29getting back to connection and you know like re-instill like family game night you know maybe

19:35it's just for 10 minutes or eat dinner together if you can even if it's one night a week or maybe

19:40it's a lunch i think human connection and and our kids i i think it's it's we've lost it and it's

19:49really important and i truly believe if some of these other things are addressed and dealt with

19:54then the breakfast cereal maybe is less important you know i mean but it's it's just so multifaceted

20:02um and and we understand that it's a layered layered issue but i think the most the more we

20:10can get back to nature and like how we used to live ancestrally and whether you're a spiritual

20:16person or not or you're you know into science and evolution or you're a mix of all the things

20:21I think we can all agree we've lost touch um with that and I think it's it's taking a major effect

20:30and toll on our health um and I find people that have gotten back in touch with nature they they

20:36light up and they glow in a way that others don't and those are all the important things that don't

20:42make headline news right and so sometimes people complicate matters but it really goes back to the

20:48basics and we can focus on these things which are important but what can people do day to day and

20:53it's all the things that you said is you got to prioritize your health because unfortunately in

20:57this country especially there are not enough people at that level who care enough to want

21:03to make those changes so we have to start with ourselves as much as possible you really do you

21:08have to be an advocate for yourself you have I think people just need to really cherish um their

21:15their health like you said I mean we need to put that on a pedestal more than anything and it's so

21:20cliche but nothing else matters except your health and if you've suffered from a health issue or seen

21:25a loved one suffer from a health issue you you will understand and I think I think many people

21:31haven't had that experience but the minute you do you will understand what we're saying you know it

21:37it trumps everything so especially for our kids yeah and I love everything that you just said so

21:43give us sort of the highlight and then things that you feel there's still room for improvement

21:48and it is a lifelong battle of course but what can we expect where can things go yeah yeah I think

21:56the highlight really is just how many people have been supportive I think the highlight is how

22:03connected we are how we all really want the same thing what a big movement this is how many media

22:08outlets have picked this up people are talking about it and whether it's in a good way or bad

22:14way I believe no press is bad press so I just think it's a wonderful um it's a wonderful moment

22:21that we were kind of fed up like there's a big shift happening and I think we're realizing we're

22:26reaching a crux with our chronic health issue care issues um that we have to do something

22:32differently or it it's it's not gonna it's not gonna end well for us you know so I think that's

22:39the highlight um and then what's coming I mean I don't know I just think there's going to be more

22:45grassroots movement um we'll see how this translates to the to government uh you know

22:53that can get all complicated too to start talking about and and try to keep it apolitical

22:58um which i've been trying to do because i think this it's it yes there's politics involved but

23:06really there's so much more than that you know um so that those are my hopes i will tell you

23:13there are people out there working really hard and committing their entire life to this um often

23:21volunteered and um with a lot of um damage to their armor if you will you know there's battle

23:32wounds they're they're sacrificing a lot for the betterment of humanity and um our species and i

23:39admire them so much so i just ask everyone try to give everyone more love um and try

23:46try to get off the hate on social media can we just stop if you disagree with something please

23:55just scroll you know we not everyone needs to hear everyone's opinion i i see posts all the

24:01time that i disagree with and i have that moment and it might be with colleagues like dentists

24:06that i follow right that i disagree with and there's quite a few out there right now let me

24:10tell you and i just and i have to restrain myself because that is they're entitled to all those

24:18opinions you know i think if you think the information's damaging it's okay to maybe speak

24:24up but like don't let it get to you like you know try to keep moving on and stay positive and

24:31you know lead with joy i think we need to lead with more joy and less anger and fear and hate

24:36yeah um and there's just so much of that and if you find that every time you go online you are

24:43filled with fear and anger and hate may I suggest a detox from social media agreed which I've done

24:50before too maybe you guys have seen my platform has gone silent for months it's intentional is

24:56it good for my business and my brand no but it's really good for my health um which is the most

25:02important thing so you just you need to do what's right for you and um don't worry social media will

25:08always be there yeah that's true you can always come back to it you always say look into something

25:15with openness and curiosity like not so much focus on maybe the person behind it whether whatever

25:21personal beliefs and feelings you have but it's like what is that message and then maybe do your

25:25own homework right you don't always have to be influenced by others but like sort of dig deeper

25:31into the topic and understand where it comes from and the history and then form an opinion i always

25:36feel like we just have these opinions that are not really based on research but it's like that

25:40needs to happen agree so you so you know what you're having an opinion on and then also projecting

25:46that opinion onto others too i think that's where we sort of get lost when these topics arise i

25:52totally agree with you in fact i had a friend once say it was a long long long time ago maybe

25:5920 years ago and I think I had sent him like an article and the headline was really sensational

26:05and then like the the blurb underneath was even more sensational and I sent it to him

26:11and he said Stacy did you actually read this article and I said no you know he said

26:19don't send me stuff until you read it yeah and so we're it's clickbait and so many people read

26:27a headline or hear a talking head say this is poison don't you know it's it's all the algorithm

26:34it's you guys should be mad about this too it's as mad as we should be at kellogg's it's the

26:39algorithm and it's tricking you yeah and you can't just take what someone says at face value you have

26:47to be your own investigator you know and then follow the accounts that you trust and then

26:54formulate your own opinions you're right because this person's going to say meat kills you and

26:59this person's going to say meat save them and this person's going to say you know avocado oil

27:04will make your hair fall out who knows what people are saying out there you like you have to use

27:09logic and reasoning and pick and choose what resonates for you but then this all says go

27:14back to the basics all of that stuff it doesn't matter that's like nickel and diming like you

27:21stick to the basics you will live a beautiful prosperous healthy life and then you can filter

27:27out all the noise and just start watching cute like dog and cat videos which is way better

27:31none of those which are clickbait unfortunately right yeah i know i've been watching more cute

27:38animal videos they make me happier perfect world um dr stacy where can our audience find out more

27:44about you yeah work that you do yeah so i'm here you can see my handle but it's a doctor spelled

27:49out d-o-c-t-o-r underscore stacy s-t-a-c-i and my website is drstacy.com doctors also spelled out

27:58and I just started doing online consultations um for children because so many people are reaching

28:04out for second opinions or they just want a deeper dive on their children's oral health

28:09and my clinical schedule changed a little bit so I freed up some time that I can offer that now

28:14um for people that can't come see me or for people that are thinking of traveling to see me

28:19but they can't make that decision they want to talk to me first so I do offer those now and I

28:25also have courses and guides um and I I do have a toothpaste line it's an oral microbiome

28:31um supportive toothpaste called fig f-y-g-g stands for feed your good guys because I'm all about the

28:38oral microbiome um and you can go to fig.com to check that out too awesome thank you so much and

28:45And for those of you who don't know who I am, I'm Argavon, pediatric dietician.

28:49I have a podcast.

28:50Dr. Staci was on episode 136 of the podcast.

28:55And we talked about the oral microbiome, another huge topic that I feel needs more attention.

29:01And if you have any questions, follow us, ask us.

29:05I'm going to link all of the things that you mentioned for our audience.

29:09Any last words of advice, wisdom, favorite quote?

29:13I will just say, I just like to pump up parents, and I just want to say you're all doing a beautiful job caring for your children.

29:21You really are.

29:22I know it's a tough gig we have right now, trying to filter and siphon through all the information, and it can be overwhelming and very stressful.

29:31And I'm with you.

29:33It stresses me out sometimes, too, but just know you're doing a wonderful, wonderful job.

29:38And at the end of the day, I really believe children need to feel safe and loved.

29:42Yes.

29:42And so if you're checking those boxes, you're crushing it.

29:47So just keep it up.

29:49I love that.

29:50Safety, love, and joy, right?

29:52I should always fall back on those three things.

29:54Thank you to everyone who joined.

29:56Happy Monday.

29:57Hopefully I can have you back on and we'll have a great update.

30:00And Kellogg and other companies hopefully will follow suit and send those big messages

30:05that health really should be the most important priority.

30:09Thank you so much for being here.

30:11thank you for all the work that you do and i'm so glad that we connected yes

30:15thank you thank you for your work too bye everyone thank you