503: Alex Clark—Don't Eat That

Mike Rowe (0:03)

And welcome to another episode of The Way I Heard It. How are you, Chuck?

Chuck (0:09)

Great, Mike, how are you?

Mike Rowe (0:11)

Are you hungry after that one?

Chuck (0:12)

No, not entirely, not entirely.

Mike Rowe (0:16)

This episode is called Don't Eat That, because honestly, everywhere I turn, everywhere I look, it seems that that bit of advice in some way, shape or form is being articulated and directed toward me with an increasing level of passion and enthusiasm. Is it just me?

Chuck (0:33)

No, in particular, this Alex Clark really brought the passion and enthusiasm.

Mike Rowe (0:39)

Yeah, you know, I don't know if you know her. She's made the rounds, and every week or so, she seems to be getting more and more traction out there in the ecosystem of whatever this is. How do people get known these days anyway? I mean, you know, all of a sudden, you're everywhere all at once.

Chuck (0:58)

Yeah, video goes viral. You know, you say something off-color or...

Mike Rowe (1:04)

Maybe controversial.

Chuck (1:05)

Controversial.

Mike Rowe (1:06)

Yeah. Yeah. Alex Clark has said some controversial things. She has a very successful podcast that's growing by leaps and bounds called Culture Apothecary.

What Alex is doing is taking on virtually everything and every one of it feels like the stuff from seed oils to the stuff in toothpaste that really shouldn't be in toothpaste. And I'm not talking about fluoride. I'm talking about sugar and all sorts of other things. Stuff that's in the lotions. Virtually everything in your makeup. It feels to me as if virtually everything has something in it that's just either unpronounceable, unnecessary or bad for us. Yeah.

Chuck (1:51)

Everything's going to kill us in one way or another, it seems.

Mike Rowe (1:55)

Yeah. So there's this movie called Breaking Big Food that I watched a couple of months ago by a couple of Sullivan's, I think, right?

Chuck (2:05)

Yeah, that's right. Patrick and Ashley.

Mike Rowe (2:07)

Yeah. And, you know, they're just on a mission. He got sick and, you know, a lot of it had to do with his diet. And so they just kind of turned their lives around like so many people are doing. And Alex Clark is mentioned in this movie. In fact, she's featured.

And more recently, she's been to the White House to express her frustration with an executive order that did not, in fact, ban the use of a chemical, most often associated with Roundup. I think it's called, that starts with a G and ends with a Thane.

Alex Clark (2:40)

There you go.

Mike Rowe (2:40)

It's not glutathymine. That's what I want to say.

Alex Clark (2:42)

Are you sure?

Mike Rowe (2:43)

Yeah, because I drink that every night for my liver now. Oh, really?

Alex Clark (2:47)

Yes.

Mike Rowe (2:47)

It's not glutathymine, but it's something like that. Anyway, she's a lot of fun because she cares deeply, and she's well-informed, and she's very controversial because she's taking on the establishment. And the establishment does not like to be taken on, but she's pissed.

She's pissed off because, among other things, a study was released not that long ago that argued a bowl of Lucky Charms had the nutritional equivalents of a bowl of ground beef.

Chuck (3:16)

That is just ridiculous. It's like common sense would tell one that that's not true.

Mike Rowe (3:22)

Yes.

And so whatever's happening in our culture more broadly has really been synthesized into Alex's brain and to her podcast and to the mission that she is clearly on. So I thought it would be a kick to hear from her, and I was right. She has a lot to say. She's smart. She's funny. She's convicted.

Chuck (3:43)

Yep.

Mike Rowe (3:44)

You'll meet her.

And you'll remember her. Right after this.

Alex Clark (3:49)

Do do do do do do do do do do do do.

Chuck (3:51)

Dumb.

Mike Rowe (3:53)

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