Transforming Health Through Nutrition, Empathy, and Research

Tomorrow doesn’t have to feel like a nutritional minefield. After years of working with people navigating the intersection of mental health and food, I’ve learned that the most peaceful holidays happen when we stop performing and start being present.

These aren’t your typical Thanksgiving tips—no “earn your meal” nonsense here. Just real strategies grounded in dialectical thinking and nutrition science to help you stay grounded in YOUR version of dignity.

You’re not broken. You don’t need fixing. You just need permission to show up as you are.

Save this for tomorrow morning when you need the reminder 💜

#thanksgiving #nutritiontips #mentalhealthawareness

Your therapist should know about your sleep. Your doctor should ask about your loneliness. Your psychiatrist should understand nutrition. But they don’t, because we built mental healthcare wrong. Swipe to see what the science actually supports—and what’s been missing from your treatment all along.

#functionalmedicine #mentalwellness #nutritionalpsychology

What happens when we create space for honest conversation? 🤔

On October 23, 2025, in West LA, something remarkable unfolded. Not just another panel—but a true “town hall” where people courageously shared their lived experiences at the intersection of recovery and psychedelic medicine.

The voices that emerged:

* Treatment providers admitting what they see behind closed doors
* Recovery advocates wrestling with their own transformations
* Clinicians sharing both miracles and concerns

What struck me most wasn’t the expertise on stage—it was the vulnerability in the room. People named their truth, even when it challenged conventional recovery wisdom.

We held space for ALL perspectives:

* Those who found healing through plant medicine
* Those who maintain traditional sobriety paths are sacred
* Those still figuring out where they stand

No dogma. No judgment. Just humans exploring together.

What questions are you sitting with around recovery and emerging treatments?

Panelists: @drjoycebraverman @yeshaiablakeney_ @kalenflynnmd @skylightpsychedelics @mistamarcos

Grateful to so many others: @_deanmoses @bobby.gillam @miracleworkher @d.a.wiss @amyquinnlcsw @daveg_limitless @embodiedalchemycoach @mysticvessel_music @leisureproject.co

Leave a comment to let me know what topics to cover at my next event!!! Complex issues only 🫶🏼

The food industry just launched a new “transparency” coalition, and I want you to see what’s actually happening here.

PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Nestlé, General Mills, Tyson, and Kraft Heinz have formed Americans for Ingredient Transparency (AFIT). They say they want to cut through confusion and ensure clear ingredient information. Sounds good, right?

Those of us who know the playbook aren’t buying it. They’re calling this what it actually is: a coordinated effort to block stricter state food safety laws and prevent future protections from passing.

This is the playbook we’ve been tracking for years—the same strategy Big Tobacco used. When states start passing laws that threaten their business model, they don’t reformulate. They federalize and water down protections under the guise of “uniformity.”

What gets me is the timing. California banned certain additives. West Virginia went after synthetic dyes. More states are proposing ingredient-specific restrictions. And suddenly, industry needs a “transparency coalition” that happens to advocate for federal pre-emption of these state laws?

I’m here to help you see the patterns. The fact that this coalition exists tells us something important: public pressure and state-level action are working. They wouldn’t spend millions on this if it weren’t threatening their bottom line.

Keep asking questions. And don’t fall for PR campaigns dressed up as consumer protection.

California just passed AB 1264, and nobody’s talking about it.

By 2032, schools will phase out “ultraprocessed foods of concern” - foods linked to behavioral issues, metabolic disease, and yes, addiction-like eating patterns in kids.

The food industry has fought this for DECADES. And look, I get it - some nutrition professionals are worried this will create “food fear” or orthorexia. But here’s what they’re missing:

We’re not talking about demonizing foods. We’re talking about a policy that finally acknowledges what the research has been screaming: the food environment matters. Kids’ developing brains are vulnerable. School food accounts for a significant portion of their daily intake.

The bill even bans artificial food dyes by 2027 - substances that have required warning labels in Europe for years, while American kids have been the test subjects.

Here’s the part that gets me fired up: they’re using peer-reviewed science to define which foods are “of concern.” Looking at links to cancer, cardiovascular disease, and behavioral issues. Checking what other countries have already banned. This is evidence-based policy, finally.

But (and there’s always a but) - they’re exempting USDA commodity foods. Which we can unpack another day, regarding corporate capture.

Look, I’ve been in the trenches of the nutrition field. I’ve seen the conflicts of interest. I’ve watched well-meaning professionals get co-opted by the agendas of food companies. This isn’t perfect, but it’s a step forward.

We need nuance. We need to protect kids without creating disordered eating. We need to change the food environment while respecting food culture and access to food.

California’s doing something. It’s messy, it’s slow, but it’s movement.

What do you think - should your state do this too? Or is this government overreach? I actually want to hear both sides.

Drop a comment. Let’s discuss it like adults who care about children’s brains.

#schoolnutrition #ultraprocessedfood #mentalhealth #nutrition #wisemindnutrition

The Fledgling Society was birthed from a pocket of recovery enthusiasm in West LA. Young people enthusiastic about a better life and helping others achieve the same. That enthusiasm still exists today. However, many folks (including myself) have evolved. Rigidity and dogma no longer serve us, but they are definitely part of how many of us got here🧎‍➡️

After many years of leading a recovery workshop on Zoom, we have decided to end it and many folks from the group will be starting smaller in-person workshops📚

Today we celebrated the end of another workshop cycle and started a 14-mile walk, to keep some of the customs alive…🚶🏻‍♂️

My heart is bursting with love and gratitude for all the people I have healed with over these last 19 years, particularly those from the workshops! ♥️

Onward 🌱

#fledglingsociety