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6 worst things about supermarket food

By Kaya Kozanecka

You walk in for eggs. Maybe some butter. But within minutes, you’re weaving through aisles lined with harsh lighting, glossy labels, and “healthy” claims. The truth is, most supermarket food isn’t designed to feed you. It’s designed to last. To ship well. To look appealing on a shelf and cost as little as possible to produce.

Here are 6 reasons supermarket food is leaving you depleted (and what to do instead)...

1. It’s made to last, not nourish

Most supermarket food is grown, picked, processed, and packaged for one purpose… survival on a shelf. Modified atmospheres, wax coatings, anti-browning agents, ionising radiation, these keep produce “fresh” in appearance while nutrients quietly fade.

Take carrots. The ones sealed in plastic bags, pre-washed and trimmed to uniform size. They might’ve been pulled from the earth weeks ago. Scrubbed. Chlorine-rinsed. Stripped of their soil. Still crunchy, sure, but most of the beta-carotene has oxidised, the enzymes long gone, the soil memory erased. But they still look perfect in their plastic shroud.

Buy local, seasonal, and organic when possible. Even imperfect fruit from a market stall is more vibrant (and flavourful) than jet-lagged blueberries in February.

2. Seed oils lurk in almost everything

Hummus. Pesto. Mayo. Dips. Crackers. Granola. Even sourdough.

The supermarket is drenched in seed oils, often hidden under unassuming names like rapeseed, sunflower, or just vegetable oil. They’re cheap to produce, long-lasting on shelves, and devastating for the human body. High in omega-6 PUFAs, easily oxidised, and deeply inflammatory, they burden the liver, disrupt hormone function, and embed into cell membranes where they stay, for months.

But seed oils are only part of the problem.Products that rely on them are often ultra-processed in other ways too…stabilisers, preservatives, synthetic flavours, gums. When you ditch the seed oils, you also sidestep the long list of lab additives that come along for the ride.

Read your labels. Opt for foods made with butter, olive oil, ghee, or tallow. And if you’re reaching for mayo or salad dressing, consider making your own.

3. Factory-farmed meat is the norm

The truth is, most supermarket meat comes from animals that were never truly well.
Raised in crowded sheds, fed inflammatory grains, and routinely given antibiotics to survive conditions no animal should endure. And that metabolic sickness doesn’t stay in the barn. It carries through to you.

You get the wrong kind of fat (high in omega-6, low in CLA), lower levels of CoQ10, and a fraction of the fat-soluble vitamins your body needs to thrive. Not to mention the quiet stress chemistry of an animal raised in fear.

Whenever possible, choose meat from animals that lived well, pasture-raised, grass-fed, regeneratively farmed. Build a relationship with a local butcher or small supplier. And don’t overlook the cheaper cuts...organs, bones, slow-cook joints. They’re not just more affordable, they’re more nourishing, more mineral-rich, and more ancestrally aligned with how we’re meant to eat.

True nourishment comes from animals who were nourished too.

4. It’s designed to make you overspend

Nothing in the supermarket is accidental. Ultra-processed foods are placed at eye level, not because they’re good for you, but because they’re good for profit margins. End-of-aisle “deals” are often full of sugar, seed oils, and additives, packaged in reds and yellows because research shows these colours increase appetite and urgency. Even the so-called “health food” aisle is stocked with gluten-free cereals, vegan cheese puffs, and keto protein bars, all still ultra-processed, just with better branding.

Go in with a plan. Shop the outer aisles where the real food lives...meat, butter, eggs, produce. Eat before you go. Bring a list. And if something catches your eye, flip it over. If the ingredient list is longer than a short paragraph or includes anything you wouldn’t cook with at home, leave it on the shelf.

5. Fortification is a band aid to cover nutrient void food

Fortified. Enriched. With added B12, iron, folic acid, vitamin D... You’ve seen the labels. But here’s the truth. Fortification is not a sign of nutrient density, it’s a red flag that the food had none to begin with. Modern industrial processing strips grains, dairy, and packaged foods of their natural nutrients.

The solution? Synthetics. Man-made versions of vitamins and minerals are sprayed back in, often in isolated, hard-to-absorb forms that don’t work synergistically with the body.

Folic acid (not folate), cyanocobalamin (a low-grade B12), and ferrous sulfate (an iron salt known to irritate the gut) are just a few examples. And these synthetic nutrients don’t act the same. They can build up, unabsorbed, triggering imbalances. Some are linked to worsened mental health, impaired methylation, and nutrient deficiencies when consumed in excess without real food cofactors.

Meanwhile, truly nutrient-dense foods, liver, egg yolks, bone broth, raw milk, fermented vegetables don’t need fortifying. They’re already perfectly balanced, with bioavailable vitamins in the exact ratios your body recognises and uses.

Eat food that doesn’t need a label to prove its worth. Prioritise real, whole ingredients. If something is “fortified,” ask yourself: what did they take out that now needs putting back in? And could you get that nutrient, in a better form, from real food instead? Fortification isn’t nourishment. It’s marketing.

6. It trains you to forget where food comes from

There’s an intimate connection with food that humans have carried for millennia, one rooted in soil, season, and story. For thousands of years, we gathered, bartered, harvested, hunted. We walked the land that grew our food, knew which neighbour raised the chickens, and which field would yield the sweetest berries come summer.

But in the past hundred years, barely a blink in human history, that relationship has been severed. We’ve been distanced from our food by fluorescent aisles, plastic wrap, and endless logistics. And in those same 100 years, food has quietly lost up to 75% of its nutrients.

Over time, this changes something subtle but profound. You forget that food was once alive. That it was raised, grown, harvested, not manufactured. That nourishment is a relationship, not just a transaction. And when you forget where food comes from, you lose part of your instinct to care for it, and for yourself.

Eat close to the source. Choose real, whole foods. Learn the names of the people who grow what’s on your plate. And let the Organised App help guide you home, to farms near you, to seasonal eating, to the feeling of knowing where your food came from.

We were never meant to be strangers to our sustenance.

Published on: July 30, 2025

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Hormone disruptors in our most intimate places

We’re taught to blame our bodies for hormonal chaos... our ovaries, our cycles, our “imbalances,” our “unlucky genes.” But the real disruption? It’s delivered daily, from the outside in, to the most sacred parts of our bodies. The supermarket razor you glide across your bikini line. The tampon you reach for without thinking. The aftercare cream marketed to soothe your freshly shaved skin. All of these contain ingredients we rarely question. But they’re placed on the most absorbent areas of the female body, areas with high blood flow, rich lymphatic tissue, no protective enzyme barrier, and open, permeable skin. Here's what to do instead... Shaving Most women begin shaving before they’ve even understood the rhythms of their cycle. We’re handed plastic razors as teenagers, pastel pink, aloe vera striped, packaged like toys, and taught to view hair as a flaw to remove. But what we’re not taught is that the razors themselves carry ingredients. That the moisture strips often contain synthetic estrogens. That the plastic glides across micro-abrasions invisible to the eye, while releasing parabens, phthalates, titanium dioxide, and synthetic fragrance. When mixed with warm water and steam, these compounds absorb fast , especially in areas rich in hormone-regulating lymphatic tissue. Under the arms, a place rich in lymph nodes. Around the bikini line, where skin is thin and richly vascularised. Over thighs and calves, areas that absorb everything we put on them. Skip the plastic. Use a simple, stainless steel safety razor, no strips, no colourants, no microplastics. Lather with something your great-grandmother might’ve used...olive oil soap, Aleppo soap, or just plain coconut oil. And after shaving, let the skin rest, or soothe it with tallow balm, shea butter, or raw calendula oil. Pads & tampons The vaginal canal is one of the most sensitive and absorptive places in the female body. And yet, it’s where we insert bleached cotton, synthetic fragrance, super-absorbent polymers, and pesticide-laced fibre, month after month. Anything inserted into the vaginal canal bypasses the liver and goes straight to systemic circulation. That makes it more absorbent than your stomach. Most tampons and pads are treated like sterile medical products. But they’re not. Cotton is one of the most heavily sprayed crops in the world. Chlorine bleaching produces dioxins, which can disrupt the endocrine system. “Fragrance” can legally contain hundreds of unnamed chemicals. Plastic linings block airflow. Synthetic materials disrupt vaginal flora. And all of this happens while your body is already working hard to release, because bleeding is a natural detox process. A time when the body clears what it no longer needs.A better way to bleed If you can, use organic, unbleached cotton pads or tampons, free from pesticides, fragrance, and chlorine-based bleach. Or try cloth pads made from natural fleece or wool backing. And if that feels like too big a leap? Even just swapping from scented to unscented is a powerful first step. Small changes add up. Many women notice shorter, lighter, less painful periods when they make the switch to natural fibres. Whether it’s the reduced chemical load, a drop in inflammation, or simply the body exhaling in relief, something shifts. You feel it. A little less resistance. A little more ease. Why this matters so much All of these areas are hormonal centres, home to dense clusters of lymphatic tissue... the axillary nodes under the arms, the inguinal nodes at the groin, the mammary lymphatics around the chest, each part of a vital system responsible for filtering waste, regulating immune function, metabolising hormones. The lymphatic system has no pump It doesn’t circulate with force like the heart does with blood. It moves slowly, gently, through breath, muscle movement, gravity... and what we apply to the skin. Especially in these high-absorption zones. Hormones rely on lymph to clear. Steroid hormones like estrogen and progesterone are processed in the liver, but they’re moved out through the lymph. If that flow slows down, hormones linger. They recirculate in their more potent, unbound forms. This is how estrogen dominance begins, not in the ovaries, but in stagnant lymph. Symptoms follow... breast tenderness, bloating, mood swings, heavy periods. The body whispers first. Then it starts shouting. Endocrine disruptors are easily absorbed via skin Many of the chemicals found in razors, deodorants, shaving creams and period products, are classified as xenoestrogens. These are synthetic compounds that mimic or interfere with natural estrogen activity. What’s applied in microdoses becomes a macro pattern. Not one product, but layers. Daily. It’s at best mildly annoying, and at worst very damaging, how the female version of everything is the same tool...painted pastel, scented with synthetic florals, marked up, and made more toxic. We're sold femininity through fragrance and care through chemicals. But real care feels like olive oil on bare skin. Cotton that breathes. Tallow that melts into your body. Simple, whole ingredients. The kind your great grandmother knew and the kind that don’t need a label to convince you they’re safe, because your body already recognises them. And when you begin to swap the synthetics for the natural you don’t just get cleaner skin, calmer hormones, or fewer irritations (though you will). You genuinely begin to feel more connected and feminine, not in a way it's sold to us but a femininity that emerges from deep health.

Razor blades have ingredients now? (A guide to hormone friendly shaving)

You might be surprised to learn that modern razor blades come with ingredient lists. What used to be simple metal blades now feature "lubrication strips" and "moisturising gels" that promise a closer, more comfortable shave. The catch? Many of these ingredients aren't as skin-friendly as the marketing suggests. These strips and gels often contain hormone-disrupting chemicals like parabens, phthalates, and synthetic fragrances, substances that research increasingly links to endocrine disruption. Here's why this matters more than you might think: Most of us shave regularly, whether it's our face, legs, underarms, or other sensitive areas. When you shave, you create tiny micro-abrasions in your skin. While these are completely normal, they do increase your skin's absorption of whatever products you're using. Add warm water (which opens your pores even more), and your skin becomes particularly receptive to absorbing chemicals. The good news is that effective, natural shaving solutions have existed for centuries, long before we had access to these synthetic ingredients. What to look for in your shaving products Your razor Modern cartridge razors often contain ingredients like polyethylene glycol, titanium dioxide, artificial dyes, and various synthetic polymers in their lubrication strips. These chemicals are designed to reduce friction, but they come with potential health concerns. Instead, consider switching to a safety razor made from simple stainless steel with no added strips or gels. Many brands now offer multi-blade safety razors if you prefer that close shave without the chemical additions. Shaving cream or foam Traditional shaving products typically contain sodium lauryl sulfate, artificial fragrances (listed as "parfum"), methylisothiazolinone, and other preservatives. While these create that familiar thick foam, they can be harsh on your skin and potentially disruptive to your hormonal balance. Natural alternatives work just as effectively. Aleppo soap (made from olive oil and laurel oil) or simple olive oil soap create a rich, protective lather. For body shaving you can also use coconut oil which provides excellent lubrication and has natural antimicrobial properties that can help prevent irritation and ingrown hairs. Aftercare products Aftershave balms, lotions, and fragrances often contain benzyl salicylate, limonene, and other fragrance compounds. These ingredients are increasingly being studied for their potential hormone-disrupting effects. It is best to drop these altogether and rock the smells of shea butter or tallow balm. A simple, natural shaving routine Here's how to create a hormone-friendly shaving experience: Start with filtered water for a cleaner shave Use your safety razor or any razor without chemical strips Create a lather with Aleppo soap, olive oil soap, or apply coconut oil directly to the skin Shave as usual, taking your time to avoid irritation Moisturise afterward with natural options like shea butter or grass-fed tallow, which soothe and heal the skin naturally This approach works whether you're shaving your face, legs, underarms, or any other area. The natural ingredients are gentle enough for sensitive skin while still providing the glide and protection you need for a comfortable shave. The result is a shaving routine that's kind to your skin, doesn't interfere with your hormonal balance, and often feels more luxurious than conventional products. Many people find that natural shaving products actually reduce irritation, razor burn, and ingrown hairs compared to their chemical-laden counterparts. Making this switch is also better for your wallet and the environment, these natural products tend to last longer and come with less packaging waste. Your skin and overall health will benefit from choosing products that work with your body's natural processes rather than against them. Happy shaving!

Why eating an organ heals that same organ

One of the most fascinating things about eating organs is how eating them will help like for like. What do I mean by like for like? Well, by eating liver you help your liver, by eating heart you help your heart and so on… So that's what we'll be diving into today. Firstly, where does this notion of like helping like come from? We can trace that back to a few different ancient knowledge sources...Traditional Chinese medicine, Ancient Shamanic Wisdom, Native American traditions and in more modern times many naturopaths recommend like for like to improve organ and overall health. Even our grandparents remember having meals such as steak and kidney pie, stuffed heart, liver and onions which are so rare in most people’s diet these days (bring back the organ meals!). A lot of animals will also instinctively go for organ meat first before eating the muscle meat of the prey they have just killed, knowing that there's a lot more nutrients in the organ meat compared to muscle meat. But how does this actually work and what is the science behind it? What are the cold hard facts? Since you're likely to want to know the science behind the nutrition advice and (not just go off ancient wisdom), we shall be focusing on the nutrients these organs supply when we eat them and how that relates to boosting the function of our organs in our bodies. Liver Liver is exceptionally rich in vitamin A, B vitamins (especially B12, folate), iron, copper and zinc. What does your liver need to work optimally? The same nutrients it stores... B-vitamins for methylation pathways, choline for fat processing and bile production, copper for enzyme function, vitamin A for protein synthesis. Your liver literally recognises these pre-formed, bioavailable nutrients and can immediately utilise them without conversion. A recipe to try... Liver pâté: Velvety smooth beef or lamb liver blended with caramelised onions, garlic, thyme, and then whipped with lots butter until creamy. Chilled and spreadable, it’s rich in iron and B vitamins, a decadent, nutrient-dense snack best served on toasted sourdough, cucumber slices or simply with some raw carrot sticks. Heart Heart contains high levels of CoQ10, B vitamins, and quality protein. What does your heart need to work optimally? CoQ10 for cellular energy production in cardiac mitochondria, carnitine for fat metabolism (heart's preferred fuel), taurine for electrical conduction and rhythm regulation. Heart muscle has the highest CoQ10 concentration of any tissue. A recipe to try... Reindeer/Venison heart tartare: Finely chopped raw heart mixed with capers, shallots, Dijon mustard, and a splash of olive oil, then topped with a fresh egg yolk. The lean, iron-rich heart offers a clean, almost sweet flavour that shines when paired with tangy, punchy accents. Serve chilled with sourdough or rye crisps. Beef tongue & heart stew: Slow-braised chunks of buffalo tongue and heart cooked with root vegetables, garlic, and fire-roasted tomatoes. A splash of organic red wine and a pinch of rosemary bring depth, while long cooking ensures the tongue turns silky and the heart becomes tender and meaty. Hearty, grounding, and perfect for cold evenings. Kidney Kidneys provide B12, DAO enzyme, vitamin C, selenium, and riboflavin. What do your kidneys need to work optimally? B-vitamins for filtration processes, selenium for antioxidant protection against constant toxin exposure, balanced electrolytes for proper fluid regulation. The kidney's own mineral ratios mirror what human kidneys require for optimal filtration. A recipe to try... Kidney and caramelised shallots: Lamb kidney sliced and pan-seared in ghee, with slow-cooked shallots and a splash of apple cider vinegar to balance the richness. Serve over mashed celeriac or roasted squash for a grounding, mineral-rich meal. Lungs Iron, vitamin A, vitamin C, glutathione precursors, elastin, collagen. What do your lungs need to work optimally? Iron for oxygen-carrying capacity, vitamin A for respiratory epithelial cell regeneration, antioxidants to combat oxidative stress from breathing. Lung tissue provides the exact structural proteins your own lung repair mechanisms require. A recipe to try... Coriander lung and liver cleanser: Tender slices of beef lung and liver marinated in lime juice, garlic, and fresh coriander, then quickly seared in ghee until just cooked through. Finished with an extra squeeze of lime and a scattering of vibrant coriander leaves. Light, aromatic, and perfect over a crisp fennel salad or steamed jasmine rice. Spleen Iron, B12, immunoglobulins, vitamin C, heme compounds. What does your spleen need to work optimally? Iron for blood filtration and red blood cell recycling, B12 for proper immune cell production, the same immune factors it produces to support your body's defence systems. A recipe to try... Spleen meatballs in cinnamon tomato sauce: Finely mince fresh spleen and blend it into grass-fed lamb or beef mince with cumin, coriander, garlic, and mint. Roll into meatballs and gently simmer in a rich tomato sauce spiced with cinnamon and cloves. Comforting, subtly sweet, and stealthily iron-rich. Or if you want a recipes with them all... Nose-to-tail stew: A slow-cooked medley of beef cheeks, oxtail, tongue, liver, and heart, simmered with bone broth, carrots, celery, and warming spices. The mix of textures, tender, gelatinous, and meaty, creates a deeply satisfying, collagen-rich dish that honours the whole animal. Best enjoyed with mashed roots or crusty bread. Now this doesn't mean go out and consume unlimited amounts of organ meat... Organs are incredibly nutrient dense, so over consuming things like liver can lead to vitamin A toxicity (though you would really need to eat a lot). A small portion a day or a bigger serving once a week is perfect. Lastly, the quality of organ meat is incredibly important. Reaching for supermarket chicken liver isn't recommended, but instead getting 100% grass fed and finished cow or lamb organs. Taking a more food based approach to healing our health is the way forward. People are slowly turning away from the over consumption of synthetic supplements and prioritising their daily nutrition as well as including some superfoods, which organs most definitely are! Adding organs to your diet is a great way to make sure you are getting enough nutrients. As you can see this has been known for thousands of years but very recently with the introduction of convenient processed food we’ve forgotten about organs and turned away from them, seeing them as waste parts instead of what they really are, nutrient dense superfoods. And if you really want to disguise the organs (without losing their nutritional value), we’ve put together some deliciously sneaky recipes below, perfect for getting all the benefits without the “offal” taste... Spicy Organ Burgers Animal Based Fruit Gummies Homemade Bounty Bars Beef Organ Cacao Mousse Chocolate Cherry (& Organ) Smoothie Hearty Venison Stew

6 hidden toxins in your morning routine

Your morning routine is sacred. You rise early. You shower. You nourish. You caffeinate. You start your day with the best intentions. But in the quiet details of your morning, the modern world has laced even your routine with quiet disruptors, chemicals, plastics, stimulants, that slowly unravel your system over time. You don’t feel it right away. But the fatigue creeps in. The skin dulls. Hormones dip. Here are the 6 everyday offenders. Not to scare you, but to offer better ways to begin... 1. Toothpaste Toothpaste is one of those things we use on autopilot, twice a day, every day. Usually without question. But most mainstream brands still use a cocktail of chemicals like sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), triclosan, artificial sweeteners (like saccharin), microplastics, and fluoride. These ingredients can inflame the gums, damage the oral microbiome, and disrupt thyroid function, especially fluoride, which competes with iodine, a mineral essential for hormone health. Some of the most powerful oral care ingredients have been hiding in plain sight for centuries...Eggshell powder is a natural source of hydroxyapatite, the very mineral that makes up our enamel. Rich in bioavailable calcium and trace minerals, it’s been used since the time of the Ancient Egyptians (yes, the original inventors of toothpaste), to polish teeth and restore strength to enamel. Diatomaceous earth detoxifies fluoride, aluminium, and heavy metals from the body, thanks to its rich silica content, a mineral your teeth, bones, and ligaments all rely on. It also naturally helps to scrub away plaque and discolouration, without stripping your enamel. Or even just simple baking soda works by gently whitening teeth over time and helping maintain an alkaline pH that keeps harmful bacteria in check.Look for a paste that includes some of these ancestral ingredients. Your oral microbiome is an extension of your gut, and your toothpaste should be part of your healing toolkit, not something that disrupts it. 2. Takeaway coffee cups We get it, no one loves hauling around a reusable cup after the caffeine’s done its job. It rolls around in your bag, starts to smell questionable by midday, and on a bad day, leaks milk into your notebook. But the alternative is sadly worse. Most disposable cups are lined with polyethylene (a type of plastic) to make them waterproof, and the lids are typically made from polystyrene or polypropylene, plastics known to leach chemicals when exposed to heat. When hot liquid (like coffee or tea) comes into contact with these materials, it accelerates the release of endocrine disruptors like BPA (bisphenol A) and phthalates. These compounds mimic hormones in the body, binding to receptors and throwing off natural signalling. Over time, this can lead to: • Disrupted estrogen/testosterone balance • Thyroid dysfunction (BPA competes with thyroid receptors) • Liver burden (the liver has to process and detoxify these compounds) • Sluggish detox pathways (phthalates reduce glutathione activity, your master detox molecule) • Increased fat storage and insulin resistance (linked to BPA's effects on metabolic regulation) Use a cup made from ceramic (may be a fun date or family activity to make one yourself) or stainless steel. If you’re out and about, try waiting until you’re somewhere you can sip slowly, with both hands and no plastic lid between you and the ritual. And if you’re just stopping by your local cafe on a leisurely Sunday, bring back the art of just taking your favourite mug to the coffee shop. You might look like you just rolled out of bed, but if we all start doing it no one will bat an eyelid. 3. Deodorant Antiperspirants are designed to stop you from sweating. But sweat is one of the body’s oldest, most natural detox channels, a way to offload excess heat, waste, and toxins. When you block it, and simultaneously introduce aluminium, parabens, and triclosan, you disrupt lymphatic flow and potentially feed toxins back into the surrounding tissue, especially the breast and glands. The axillary lymph nodes, roughly 20 to 40 in each armpit, are some of the most densely clustered in the body. They drain lymph from the arms, breasts, and upper chest. Which means that when you swipe a synthetic stick directly over this hub (especially one laced with aluminium or synthetic fragrance), you’re coating one of your key detox gateways in chemicals your body then has to process. Lymph nodes are designed to detect and respond to what’s in the surrounding fluid, good or bad. But their absorbency also makes them vulnerable. Aluminium and parabens, in particular, have been shown to mimic estrogen in the body, binding to hormone receptors and disrupting delicate hormonal rhythms. For women especially, this can lead to symptoms like breast tenderness, irregular cycles, PMS, and heightened estrogen dominance. In men, it may interfere with testosterone balance and sperm quality. Let your lymph breathe. Use deodorants made from magnesium, baking soda, coconut oil, arrowroot, or clays, or go without now and then to allow your armpit microbiome to recalibrate.Also remember…body odour is natural, but it shouldn’t be overpowering. Sweat itself is nearly scentless, mostly water and electrolytes. It’s only when your detox organs (especially the liver, kidneys, and gut) are under strain that the smell sharpens. Support clean sweat. Move daily, even 20 minutes of walking or stretching to the point of a light sweat helps clear built-up waste. And clean up your fats… industrial seed oils only add to the body’s toxic burden. Prioritise butter, ghee, tallow, and olive oil instead. 4. Your “healthy” breakfast cereal Seed oils are one of the last hidden disruptors still clinging to wellness labels. Even the “clean” granola, the ones in glass jars with otherwise nourishing ingredients, often slip in sunflower or rapeseed oil. It doesn’t take much, just a drizzle to bind the oats and crisp the clusters. But under heat, these fragile oils oxidise quickly, creating compounds that quietly inflame the gut, burden the liver, and throw off hormones. Many granolas also rely on oats that are unsprouted and sprayed with glyphosate, a known endocrine disruptor. Without proper soaking or fermentation, these grains can irritate the gut lining and impair mineral absorption more than their rustic packaging lets on. Start your day with saturated fats and protein, think eggs, grass-fed sausage, liver pâté, bone broth, or even leftover dinner. Or if you, like me, crave something sweet and spoonable in the morning, try full-fat Greek or raw yoghurt with seasonal fruit. For that satisfying crunch, sprinkle in cacao nibs or bee pollen, both packed with antioxidants and minerals, without the inflammatory load. 5. Scrolling your phone before sunlight This might not sound like a “toxin”, but artificial blue light and stress-inducing content are arguably just as disruptive as any chemical. Your body is designed to sync to natural light cycles. Morning sunlight enters the eyes and signals to your supra chiasmatic nucleus (your master clock) that it’s time to suppress melatonin and raise cortisol, our get-up-and-go hormone. When you scroll your phone instead, your eyes are flooded with blue light at the wrong spectrum and intensity, with no grounding counterbalance from full-spectrum sunlight. Your brain thinks it’s midday. But your body is still in sleep mode. Cortisol rises at the wrong time. Melatonin doesn’t shut off. The whole day feels off… foggy head, low mood, irregular hunger. Reclaim your mornings. Step outside within 30 minutes of waking, no sunglasses, no screen. Just 5–10 minutes of natural light helps regulate everything from energy to hormones to sleep later that night. Make it a little rule that you can’t go on your phone before your eyes have had a proper chance to see sunlight, and your feet have grounded in the earth. 6. Tap water You roll out of bed and reach for a glass of water, a simple, noble act. But in the UK and US, that tap water often carries chlorine, fluoride, microplastics, pharmaceutical residues, and heavy metals. Municipal water is tested for individual toxins, but not for the cumulative effects of all of them together, nor for how they interact with the body over decades. The microbiome, liver, and thyroid are especially sensitive to chronic, low-grade exposure, something the standard “safety” limits don’t fully capture. A hidden issue in the UK? Ageing infrastructure. Many British homes still rely on copper piping, and when water sits in those pipes overnight, it can draw trace amounts of copper into your supply. In small amounts, copper is essential. In excess, it becomes pro-inflammatory. Copper and zinc compete for absorption in the body. So elevated copper can lead to symptoms of functional zinc deficiency… poor wound healing, increased inflammation, brain fog, anxiety, low immunity, and even hormonal imbalance. For women in particular, excess copper can fuel estrogen dominance, a driver of PMS, skin issues, mood swings, and heavy or irregular periods. If it’s within reach, a high-quality water filter is a brilliant long-term investment in your health. But if not, there are still good options… buy still spring water in glass bottles, or, our personal favourite, find a local spring. And don’t forget about raw milk, which offers not only hydration but also electrolytes, enzymes, and bioavailable minerals. It really is nature’s own mineral drink (and such a satisfying one to have first thing in the morning). Then in the winter, swap it out for a soothing morning glass of bone broth instead. And if you’re reading this thinking, “I use all of these,” please don’t panic... The last thing we want to do is fear monger (there's enough of that already in the health space). Overhauling your routine doesn’t happen overnight, and it doesn’t need to. Every subtle shift is a step toward less burden and more balance. Start with what feels easiest. Swap one product. Question one label. Support one system. Your body will meet you there. Wishing you a calm, clear, and beautiful day ahead.

Why ditching gym culture was the best thing I ever did

If you’re reading this you probably aren’t buying clear whey, pre workouts or ultra processed protein powder, well I hope not anyway. But most of us have been there, and then to veganism and then maybe tried carnivore and ultimately we’ve now wound up here, focusing on nourishing our bodies with the nutrients it needs from high quality sources. But even with the best intentions, it’s easy to get swept back into the noise, because so much of modern fitness culture is dressed up as health. So what unhealthy gym habits should I avoid? Pre-workouts/ energy drinks: An increasing number of companies are adding seed oils to them, yes seed oils! That's on top of the artificial sweeteners, preservatives and excessive amounts of caffeine they already contain. The artificial sweeteners in these drinks often lead us to crave more of the sweet stuff, meanwhile the seed oils and preservatives ruin gut health whilst excessive caffeine spikes our cortisol. Instead opt for nature's preworkout. A spoonful of raw honey with sea salt or a cup of organic coffee will give you a clean and natural energy boost. If you are looking for an even more supportive boost to not just your workout but your entire day, heart is a great option that will provide nutrients such as taurine and CoQ10 which are incredible for focus and the mitochondria. Clear whey: Another one that also has seed oils added to it, with brands often using low quality whey protein as well as artificial flavouring and colouring. Opting for real whole foods or beef protein isolate from grass fed cows is a much better option that is also more bioavailable, meaning you actually absorb the protein you are consuming. They're also far easier on digestion. Polyester gym clothing: Linking back to last week’s Rewild, your gym clothes! When we sweat during working out we are absorbing chemicals like BPA directly into our pores. More on just how harmful this is, here. Avoiding the typical polyester and opting for cotton or linen will be much kinder to your hormones. Ditching calorie counting: A low calorie intake can slow metabolism. Focus on the nutrients in your food, not the arbitrary number attached to it, 100 cals from coconut oil is very different to 100 calories from seed oils. What you eat matters much more than how much you eat. A little about your metabolism... The amount of calories in a food tells us very little, but the nutrients tell us a lot. Getting enough nutrients and carbohydrates, not under eating, healing your gut, getting enough sleep as well as lowering PUFA (polyunsaturated fatty acids or polyunsaturated fat) intake, will lead to a faster metabolism and therefore more calories burned at rest, improved energy, sleep, mood and even immunity. Purely focusing on calories can never get you these results. The key is to support your hormones instead of making them crash with low calorie, low fat and low carb diets. A slow or dysfunctional metabolism affects far more than just body weight. It's tied to a wide range of health issues, including chronic illness, inflammation, poor mental health, hormonal imbalance, and even brain aging. Supporting your metabolism = supporting every part of your health. Why gym culture misses the point It’s great to see more people like you are waking up to the fact that hormone health and metabolism matter far more than calories or hitting a protein target by any means possible. Nourishing your body with a nutrient dense diet, taking care of your body by supporting gut health, hormone health, liver health and metabolism should be everyone’s main focus. We want to return to how our ancestors cared for their bodies... holistically and by using food as our medicine. Yes, we all want to feel strong and look good, but pushing a body that’s already depleted to train intensely and run on low calories isn’t discipline, it’s damage. And while it might sound obvious, this is still one of the most ignored truths in gym culture. So now is probably a good time to introduce myself… I'm Brett, and I’ve just joined as the in-house health coach here at Organised. While we’re proud to be able to provide a product you get so much nutritional value from, we also know that health is built in the 90% of what you do outside the pouch. That’s why we spend so much time putting together resources that we hope are helpful. And that’s also where I come in. My role is to guide our community using the same approach I’ve used to help clients over the past 4.5 years If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve already started shifting the way you think about health, realising there's a lot more to it than just calories, protein, carbs and fats. After coaching over 100 people and healing my own eczema, energy crashes, hormone issues, and sinus problems, I can confidently say that ditching the gym culture and returning to ancestral health principles changed my life and those of my clients. It really is the best thing I ever did! From helping clients heal their skin problems all the way to helping clients finally get pregnant after years of trying, I’ve seen firsthand what happens when we stop chasing aesthetics and start nourishing the body properly. If I knew how impactful focusing on eating ancestrally would be I would have done it way sooner! So, if your friends or family are pushing the latest pre-workout or fat burner, be the one to say, “Maybe we should focus on health first.” After all, the real reason people exercise is to feel better and that comes from improving your overall health. We know it’s not the calories but instead the quality of the food we eat. We count ingredients not calories. We focus on health, not the scale. Ditch the gym culture like me and my clients did and be the one that people see doing it differently, with a focus on health above all. I’ll be popping into your Rewild emails regularly with practical tools, reminders, and insights to support you on this path, and very soon, I’ll be opening up 1:1 coaching calls for anyone who wants deeper guidance (free of charge, of course). Speak to you soon, Brett Organised Health Coach

4 most underrated recovery tools

We tend to think of recovery as a single checkbox on the to do list…drink water, maybe stretch a little, then get back to work (and that's if we think of it at all).But if you’re still waking up groggy, still feeling that nagging ache behind your shoulder blade, or noticing your mood sliding downhill, there’s a good chance you’re missing deeper strategies, tools that support the body in ways no supplement ever could. These are four of the most overlooked levers for healing and resilience. 1. Glycine rich meals You may be quick to chug a protein shake after your workout, but here’s the catch, most protein powders, especially whey, and even lean muscle meat are disproportionately low in glycine. Yet glycine is arguably the most important amino acid for recovery. It’s the backbone of your body’s collagen matrix, which repairs connective tissue, think tendons, ligaments, and the fascia that holds your muscles together. It also fuels the production of glutathione, your master antioxidant, which helps mop up inflammation and oxidative stress after exertion. Most modern diets are heavily weighted toward methionine (found in muscle meat) and much lighter on glycine (which comes from skin, bones, cartilage, and gelatinous cuts). This imbalance can subtly hamper recovery, making soreness linger and tissues slow to repair. It also has a unique calming effect on the nervous system. Taken in the evening, it can lower core body temperature and help deepen slow wave sleep, the phase where growth hormone surges and real regeneration happens. Simmer bone broth once a week and drink it daily, or use it as the base for soups and grains. Add collagen rich cuts, like oxtail, short ribs, and shanks, to your meals. Cuts our grandparents prized for good reason. Stir collagen or gelatine (or both) into warm milk or tea before bed for an evening elixir that soothes and restores. 2. Fascia release If you’ve ever wondered why stretching alone doesn’t seem to “fix” tightness, it’s because your fascia often gets left out. Fascia is the dense spiderweb of collagen that envelops every muscle, nerve, and organ. When it’s fluid and elastic, movement feels effortless. But dehydration, repetitive strain, and inflammation can cause it to thicken and bind down, literally choking circulation and trapping waste products in tissues. That stiffness you feel after a workout? It’s often fascia refusing to glide. Left unaddressed, restricted fascia contributes to chronic pain and slower nutrient delivery. We wrote a full guide on how to release fascia 3. Remineralise properly Every time you sweat, whether from training, a sauna session, or even chronic stress, you lose not just water but a precious spectrum of electrolytes...sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium. These minerals are the currency your body uses to maintain fluid balance, nerve signalling, muscle contractions, and even hormone production. When you simply guzzle plain water, you risk further diluting these minerals, leaving you feeling lightheaded, crampy, or persistently fatigued. This is why some people drink litre after litre but still feel thirsty and tired. And it’s not just athletes, modern life itself is inherently depleting. Processed foods lack minerals. Chronic stress burns through magnesium. Intensive farming has left soils (and therefore crops) less nutrient-dense than they were even 50 years ago. Start your day with a mineral-rich drink, a glass of water with a pinch of sea salt and a squeeze of lemon. Make magnesium non negotiable. It fuels over 300 enzymatic processes, including muscle repair. Eat organs regularly. Just 1–2 servings a week of liver or heart can rebuild mineral reserves in a way no supplement quite matches. This is another reason bone broth is such an incredible daily tonic. It’s a natural electrolyte solution, rich in calcium, potassium, glycine, and trace minerals. 4. Sunbathe after training We tend to think of sunlight purely in terms of vitamin D, but the story is much richer, and much older. Sunlight is fundamentally anabolic. It builds tissue. It triggers photoreceptors in your skin and eyes that regulate circadian rhythm, hormone production, and even mitochondrial energy output. Post-workout sun exposure does more than help you “top up your D.” It can: Boost testosterone and progesterone production by stimulating cholesterol metabolism in the skin. Regulate cortisol: helping your body shift out of stress mode into repair mode. Increase nitric oxide: a natural vasodilator that improves circulation and nutrient delivery to recovering muscles. Synchronise your circadian clock: supporting melatonin production later in the day for deeper sleep. Many old school strength cultures, think Russian wrestlers, German gymnasts, understood this intuitively. Sunbathing was part of training, not an afterthought. After exercise, spend at least 10–20 minutes outdoors with as much skin exposed as you comfortably can. Or even better, swap the gym for movement in nature. Avoid sunglasses, your eyes are a critical conduit for light signals to your brain. Think of it as charging your battery. Where movement breaks tissue down, sunlight signals it to rebuild stronger.

Comments

3 comments

I am thinking of my two daughters heading off to uni to fend for themselves. I think you should write a blog for students on low budgets and not much time / energy for self-care who want to stay as healthy as they do when at home being cooked for by me!! 🙏🙏🙏

Fantastic article.
I loathe how corporations market overly processed foods as ’ healthy’ , manipulating the general public to buy. …and how they jump on the band wagon of anything healthy and put their own ( less healthy) take on it , with less wholesome ingredients and potentially suspect additives. Supermarket kefir drinks potentially being an example.
Love what you guys are doing. Thank you

Great article, loved it 👍🏻 Sadly too many people are stuck believing the big shops have their best interests at heart

More than just a supplement

All-in-one, 100% grass-fed beef protein powder, enriched with collagen, colostrum and beef organs. Designed to replace multiple supplements using whole-food nutrition.

Inside organised

Beef Protein

Bovine Collagen

Bovine Colostrum

Bovine Organ Complex

(Liver, Heart, Kidney, Spleen, Lung)

Celtic Sea Salt

Raw Honey

Maple Syrup

Organic Dates

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Blue packaging for the 'Organised' whole food organ blend product, emphasizing nutrition and longevity benefits.

NO SUGAR ADDED

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NOTHING ARTIFICAL

NO STEVIA OR ERYTHRITOL

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