Look Here. Not Here.

RFK Jr. was just confirmed as the Health Secretary.

I’ll be one of the first to say I’m thrilled. The U.S. just got its first Functional Medicine advocate in a top health position—someone who lives what he preaches. At 71 years old, he’s in phenomenal shape. One of his closest friends is Dr. Mark Hyman, my Functional Medicine teacher, who has been advocating for clean food for over 30 years.

Yet, his confirmation was one of the most contentious - divided strictly along party lines. And the reason had nothing to do with your health or mine. Instead, it’s because everyone knows he will go after two of the most powerful lobbyists in the U.S.: Food and Big Pharma.

I followed this confirmation closely because, for the first time, I felt like we’d finally have a true patient advocate in our health system. RFK Jr. has spent his entire career fighting for clean water and child health, yet they tried to demonize him as an anti-vaxxer—using the same divisive trick that worked so well during COVID. I’m thrilled that this classic bait-and-switch of “Look here—not here” failed this time.

To give you a sense of my perspective, I’ve had several celiac patients over the years. These patients account for about 1% of the U.S. population. When they ingest gluten, they get incredibly ill. One of my most extreme cases was a patient who whenever she ingested gluten, would have reactions that mimicked a stroke.

About five years ago, I got a text from a celiac patient vacationing in Italy. He was excited since he was eating all kinds of bread and pizza—without any issues- and had to share. That was when I realized just how dramatically different our food is in the U.S. compared to most of the world.

Recently, a patient asked me how they should eat while traveling in Europe. My answer? “Don’t worry about what you eat—you’ll have far better food there than would ever get in the U.S.” I say this since it seems now that every patient returns from Europe reporting they ate whatever they wanted, felt amazing, had more energy, and often lost weight on their trip.

To me, this highlights the most fundamental failure of our federal health oversight: clean food and clean water. And yet, we have anything but that.

Back in 2017, I tested many of my patients for environmental toxins, and the levels of gas derivatives in our water—known carcinogens—were astronomical. I went to the Lake Travis water district, which manages sanitation for the drinking water. I was told their purification techniques aren’t required to remove those chemicals—or many others. Frankly, I stopped testing patients because everyone had a toxic water burden of the same chemicals. Instead, I started recommending Reverse Osmosis systems for home use—because that’s the only way to ensure truly clean water.

And it’s not just our water.

The FDA has approved over 10,000 chemicals in our food system. For comparison, Europe has only approved about 300. Here are just a few examples:

• Artificial Food Dyes (in cereal, baked goods, candy, sports drinks, sodas, mac & cheese)

  • Made from petroleum. Banned in Europe.

• Farmed Salmon (fed grains, antibiotics, and synthetic chemicals to turn their gray flesh pink)

  • Stick to wild-caught salmon only.

• Brominated Vegetable Oil (found in sports drinks and citrus sodas)

  • A poisonous chemical linked to organ damage and birth defects.

• Synthetic Hormones (in U.S. dairy but banned in Europe)

  • Linked to breast, colon, and prostate cancer. Causes infertility and udder inflammation in cows.

• BHA/BHT (in cereal, gum, butter, and nuts)

  • Added to prevent rancidity but proven to cause cancer in rats.

• Arsenic (still found in U.S. chicken feed)

  • Yes, arsenic.

The US is ranked last in health outcomes among all first-world nations. A directional shift is necessitated. I am optimistic for the first time from a political perspective (and I am not a political guy).

As I always say: Physical health starts and ends in the 'kitchen' every single time. Yet, this requires clean food and clean water. If we can’t even get this right, how can we expect to improve our nation’s health?

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Summer Body Prep

Spring is approaching, so it’s time to ditch those oversized sweatshirts and get summer-ready!

Remember: Health (and your summer body) starts and ends in the kitchen. Focus on lean protein and non-starchy veggies to fuel your progress. If you need support with appetite, hormones, or peptides, feel free to reach out via the patient portal—we can discuss the best options for you.

For women: One game-changing option for lean muscle gain and fat loss is the peptide CJC/Ipamorelin via subcutaneous injection. I’m always amazed at how women on this protocol often hit their best DEXA scan results! These women also have their fundamentals locked in—clean eating and consistent exercise are key.

Grateful to be your physician guide.

Kevin Hoffarth MD, IFCMP
BioFIT Medicine

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