Sneaky labels, and the revolving door of regulator capture

Wildlife, ecosystems, language, nutrition, sustainable living, and personal recommendations

Happy Wednesday my friend,

Today we’re getting into the “revolving door” and why regulators becoming industry executives is a dangerous, slippery slope when it comes to food, medicine, agriculture and health. As usual, these observations are not about a particular party or politician, but about the system itself and how we need a new design if we are to ever see honest regulation that the public can trust.

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Wednesday Wisdom

December 17th, 2025
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Backlit sugar cubes.

🏷️ LABEL DECODER: Sugar “Split” on Ingredient Lists
Ingredient lists are required to be shown in order by amount, so the first ingredient is the most, and the last is the least. But brands can “split” sugar into multiple forms like dextrose, maltose, and rice syrup so none of them shows up first, even if sugar would be the top ingredient when combined. If you want a cheat sheet, bookmark this list of the many names sugar can hide under.

❤️ THE 10-SECOND SHIFT
If you feel called, add your name to this petition to remove EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. This is not about parties, it’s about public health and keeping chemical and pesticide regulation anchored in independent science, not industry pressure.

🌿 NATURE CONNECTION
On your next walk, let your eyes go long: find the farthest ridgeline or horizon and stay with it for one minute, then keep walking with that wider perspective. Research on “awe walks” in nature found increases in positive emotions and decreases in daily distress over time.

WORD OF THE WEEK

Metanoia: the journey of changing your mind, heart, self, and way of life.

🍳 What’s for dinner? Toxic PFAs?!

My wife and I have tested a lot of so-called “healthy” non-stick pans over the years, and most either fall apart quickly or come with coatings that aren’t so friendly to our health (or the planet).

We were excited to discover these pans from Chef’s Foundry, and after using them ourselves, we can honestly say they’re the most resilient and best-designed non-stick pans we’ve come across.

Unlike conventional cookware, these pans don’t rely on toxic coatings that can leach into your meals over time. They’re crafted to be both safe and durable, so you don’t have to choose between performance in the kitchen and protecting your health.

After getting to know the founder personally, I feel confident recommending them to our Earth Conscious Life community.

Right now, ECL readers can reduce an EXTRA 20% (from the already half off) using code EARTH20 with this link: Chef’s Foundry Pans.

Detoxify your kitchen and make sure every meal supports your body instead of burdening it. Small choices like this add up… and swapping out your cookware is one of the easiest ways to make a big impact on your health.

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🍎 NUTRITION 101 🍎

NARINGENIN: A citrus flavonoid found in grapefruits and oranges that supports liver detoxification, reduces inflammation, and helps regulate blood sugar. It’s also being explored for its antioxidant and antiviral properties, making it a versatile compound for metabolic and immune health. Click for a REVIEW OF THE STUDIES.

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🌏 DEEP DIVE 🌏

Gorgeous earth planet

The EPA and FDA Revolving Door, and Why It Breaks Trust

I’ve spent years telling stories about health and environmental harm, and I keep running into the same uncomfortable pattern. People who write and enforce the rules often cycle into the very industries those rules are meant to restrain. Even when everything is technically legal, it creates a conflict of interest (or “revolving door”) that is hard for the public to unsee, and that is the heart of the issue.

When regulators know that the next job offer may come from the companies they are overseeing, the incentives shift. It does not require a conspiracy. It only requires human nature, career ambition, and a system that treats “industry experience” as a credential for public oversight. The result is predictable: public confidence erodes in pesticide decisions, drug approvals, and safety assessments.

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