🎙️ EP#371 | GUEST | What’s Really in Your Food? A Food Scientist Exposes the Truth with Dr. Bryan Quoc Le

Step behind the scenes of the food industry with this jaw-dropping episode featuring Dr. Bryan Quoc Le, food scientist and founder of Mendocino Food Consulting. From decoding preservatives to unveiling the truth about gut health, Bryan joins Ray to deliver a Deep Shallow Dive into what we’re really eating—and how it's made. This is not just another conversation about calories and sugar; it's a brutal reality check on the systems feeding us daily.

Bryan shares powerful insights on how modern food science is shaped more by profit margins than public health. From preservatives that disrupt your gut microbiome to misleading food labels and the shocking truth about sugar alcohols, this episode connects the dots between what we eat and the chronic inflammation epidemic. You’ll never look at “fat-free” or “sugar-free” the same way again.

But it doesn't stop there. Bryan opens up about his personal health journey—including his 2,000-mile walk from California to Louisiana in memory of his father. Along the way, he discovered how the body responds to food in real time and how disconnected we’ve become from listening to our own bodies. Prepare for an unforgettable exploration of food, science, and the deep human story underneath it all.

🔥 Top 7 Key Points:
🤯 How Preservatives Impact Your Gut
🔥 The Dark Economics of Food Science
🥤 What "Sugar-Free" and "Fat-Free" Really Mean
🧬 The Critical Role of the Gut Microbiome
🌱 Why Fiber is More Important Than You Think
🚶 Bryan’s 2,000-Mile Walk for Healing
💡 The Power of Listening to Your Body

🔑 Keywords & Themes:
food science, preservatives, gut microbiome, inflammation, obesity epidemic, sugar-free, fat-free, food labels, processed food, food industry, food additives, chronic illness, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, aspartame, sucralose, sugar alcohols, fiber, plant-based meat, Impossible Burger, Beyond Meat, fermented foods, protein bars, hydration, ayahuasca, walking meditation

⏳ Chapters & Timestamps:
⏳ 00:00 – Intro to Dr. Bryan Quoc Le & Food Science
⏳ 02:30 – Why the U.S. Food System Is Broken
⏳ 06:40 – Gut Microbiome & Preservatives
⏳ 10:30 – The Sugar Trap and Long-Term Health
⏳ 14:20 – Plant-Based Meats and Gut Reactions
⏳ 17:50 – Fiber, Fermentation, and Gut Healing
⏳ 22:00 – The Protein Bar Dilemma
⏳ 27:00 – Cultural Food Philosophies: East vs. West
⏳ 33:00 – Bryan’s 2,000-Mile Journey Across America
⏳ 38:00 – LSD, Psychedelics, and Conscious Eating
⏳ 44:00 – Big Food vs. Real Food
⏳ 55:00 – Bryan’s Consulting Work and Industry Integrity

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