Wake Up and Read the Labels!

Cleaning Up Cereal with Parker Brook


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Sometimes all we need is a little push to propel us over the edge and chase our destiny. Before the birth of his daughter, Parker Brook was working for the big food industry while battling an autoimmune disease. Parker knew the products he marketed weren’t great for the general public, designed to increase hunger versus fulfill nutritional needs. And maybe even subconsciously, Parker knew that his own diet was contributing to the symptoms he wrestled with daily.

But when Parker’s daughter came into the world, he couldn’t ignore that intuition any longer. The thought of plastering mermaids on sugary snacks so kids just like his own would grab them at the grocery store wasn’t something he could stomach. And having an inside look into the types of ingredients big food stuffed their products with, he knew those mermaids were leading kids to chronic health conditions versus a balanced diet. So Parker quit his job and created Lovebird, a cereal free from fillers, chemicals, and inflammatory ingredients.

In this episode, Parker talks with Jen about developing a clean cereal, how clean foods mitigated his autoimmune disease, the shocking secret behind “natural flavors”, and the ways that communities can take control and eat clean.


Key Takeaways

  • [02:05] - Why the birth of Parker’s daughter inspired his clean cereal mission.
  • [03:36] - What bothered Parker about the big food industry.
  • [05:44] - How Parker felt working for the big food industry and his ultimate turning point.
  • [09:07] - What prompted Parker to educate himself on clean foods.
  • [11:08] - What ingredients Parker uses in Lovebird cereal.
  • [13:48] - The many ways to use cereal.
  • [14:37] - What “natural flavors” actually means. 
  • [21:06] - Why buying organic is so important. 
  • [23:54] - Where to find Lovebird cereal.
  • [26:48] - Parker’s Wake Up moment. 

  • Quotes

    [13:34] - “I was really trying to get to a balanced, as much as possible, blood sugar-neutral recipe with ingredients that were whole foods to kind of help manage that for people and quite honestly for myself and my family as well.” ~ Parker Brook

    [16:27] - “I always look at, when I read ingredient labels, aside from how many are there, can I pronounce them, is there any weird stuff in there, I kind of question well, what’s the role of that?” ~ Parker Brook

    [21:33] - “I think the fact that we have to label food as organic is kind of a travesty. Everything should be organic, and if it’s not it should be called something else.” ~ Parker Brook

    [24:33] - “I think for the longest time we've been trained that whatever we buy at the grocery store is OK and follow your tastebuds. And I think our taste buds have been hijacked and it’s harder than ever to really understand what you’re eating.” ~ Parker Brook


    Links 

    • Parker Brook
    • Lovebird Cereal
    • Lovebird on Amazon
    • Sprouts Farmers Market
    • Dr. Mark Hyman
    • Clean Eating Academy
    • Cheerios*
    • Nature Valley*
    • Yoplait*
    • Totinos Pizza Rolls*
    • LaCroix*
    • General Mills*
    • Nesquik*
    • Betty Crocker*


      Connect with our host

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      • Wake Up and Read the Labels!

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          Wake Up and Read the Labels!By Jen Smiley

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