Lyn Wetzig's Whole of Life Nutrition

05/08/2026

The Australian investigative TV show, 4 Corners, has released a new episode called “Duped: Food Exposed” on the topic of truth in the production, supply chains, marketing, labelling, selling, safety, and eating of our foods. This is my review of Part 2 of this recent documentary.

This episode opened with a very relevant comment: “the further you get away from the farm, the more blind people become”. If the public knew what really goes on farms and in the supply chain to the supermarkets, they would be horrified…

The findings from Part 2 of this investigation into food fraud in the supply chains include:

• There are many claims from the manufacturers of chocolate, of “sustainably sourced” or “ethically sourced” or “Fair Trade” certified cocoa being used to make chocolate. In the cocoa-growing areas of Ghana in Africa, workers live in very poor villages with no electricity or running water, sewage systems, or other normal amenities. The farm workers of cocoa production say they are not being paid enough to live on.

• The official certification programs for cocoa farms are a lie. Even cocoa “certified” farms are known to use slavery, child labour, forced labour, human trafficking, cause deforestation, get little to no pay, and mixing “dirty” cocoa from non-certified farms into the certified cocoa.

• Major chocolate producers such as Mondelez make up to $20 BILLION per year each, but don’t pay their farmers even in poverty-stricken areas of Africa a decent wage or enough to live on.

• Industry insiders in Africa show videos of children as young as 9-14 years old working on cocoa farms when they are supposed to be in school. Some are spraying toxic pesticides on the cocoa farms, without any protective gear.

• Natural forests in Africa are being illegally cleared for more cocoa farms. Some countries have lost up to 90% of their natural forests to be used for cocoa farming.

• Farm workers being exploited doesn’t just happen in Africa, but here in Australia too! Overseas migrants and travellers to Australia are often ripped-off by farmers, by being paid as little as $7 per hour or just $20 per day for long hours of physical work picking fruit, but forced into paying ridiculously high rent in overcrowded accommodations which don’t have a bathroom or kitchen. Or 18 people living in a single house provided by the farm’s labour hire company, and each farm worker paying $150 per week in rent, being almost all what they earnt for the week. Workers describe their working and living conditions as “inhumane”.

• Up to 83% of farmers in well-known farming areas in Australia have been found to be breaking workplace laws, including of forced labour and exploiting workers.

Experts in the different food industries in this documentary know that the major product-producing companies and the supermarkets know exactly what is going on with the farming of their foods, and the conditions of the farm workers. But because of impacts to their profit margins and benefits to shareholders, they choose to do nothing about this. And also because Australia lacks the investigative and legal processes to stop the exploitation of farm workers, or to punish the farms or companies doing this. Because it’s about profits and greed.

But there are some good farmers, with farm workers being paid properly and in good conditions. How would you know which ones they are, so you can support them with your money?

Find out more about where your food comes from, and support the local farms and farmers. And pressure your politicians to do something about this.

Stay healthy!

References:

ABC. (2026). Duped: Food Exposed (Part 2). Retrieved 4th August 2026 from https://iview.abc.net.au/video/NC2603H025S00

04/08/2026

The Australian investigative TV show, 4 Corners, has released a new episode called “Duped: Food Exposed” on the topic of truth in the production, supply chains, marketing, labelling, selling, safety, and eating of our foods.

In short, they found a huge amount of food fraud, which is costing Australians $3 BILLION per year.

Some examples of food fraud and other issues in the investigation includes:

• 25% of processed tomato products, such as tomato paste or puree, passata etc were found to have not been grown in the locations claimed on the label. Leggo’s tomato paste had a big problem, with 80% showing they were produced in China, despite the company’s labelling and marketing suggesting they were “Australian grown”. Being from China is a concern because of their apparent unregulated use of agricultural chemicals on crops, as well as from forced labour on tomato farms. Other brands and products also failed forensic testing of their location of origin compared to their marketing or labelling.
• Even Italian branded tomato products being sold in Australian supermarkets (Coles, Woolies, Aldi) use slave labour in their farming, harvesting or production.
• 27% of brands of turmeric were found to have been diluted or adulterated, or contaminated by iron oxide in a major spice brand (Hoyt’s), or lead in some brands and products. Hoyt’s had also previously been fined by the ACCC after their oregano herb products were found to be bulked up with olive leaves! Other turmeric brands were bulked up with other materials.
• Many “honey” products in Australia is adulterated with sugar syrups.
• Many egg brands were found to be labelled as from “cage free” chicken farms, when they were not, especially some Woolworths products.
• 33% of prawns failed country of origin testing. Origin testing of fish products was even worse.
• On average, one packaged food product per week is pulled off supermarket shelves in Australia, due to an undeclared allergen, which was almost always found from a customer with the allergy and not from the food regulators.
• Some “dairy-free” labelled products were found to contain dairy, such as Cocobella and RawC coconut products.
• Food scientists are paid to develop processed foods which taste, smell, and feel good using chemicals and additives which can be harmful to your health.
• Marketing terms such as “100% natural” and others have no regulation and are not accurate or even true.
• Highly processed and packaged foods that can be 60% sugar or higher, are specifically marketed as healthy foods for kids.
• Various food rating systems such as the Health Star Rating is flawed as they are based on a ridiculous formula calculation which is influenced by the food industry companies to hide issues in processed and packaged foods, and to pretend that foods are healthy so people buy them, when they are not healthy at all.
• The food regulators are almost useless, and the penalties for breaches are not much more than a slap on the wrist, and don’t stop the same companies doing the same things again.
• Foods are not the only substances which can be contaminated or affected, but alcoholic drinks too. Every sample of alcoholic spirits exceeded their methanol alcohol content, some by over 9x times more than the allowed limit of methanol. Some people have died from too-high methanol content in alcoholic drinks.

Other countries have food fraud organisations and investigations, but Australia does not.

I highly recommend that you watch this Part 1 of the Duped show on ABC iView for free! The link to this show can be found here:

https://iview.abc.net.au/show/four-corners/series/2026/video/NC2603H024S00

Sadly, we tend to believe the labelling on foods products, or the ingredients lists on these products. Two million Australians have food allergies, which makes accurate food labelling critical. When 66% of foods and drinks in Australian supermarkets are “ultra-processed” it’s a big concern, as you can’t really trust the labelling, marketing, or ingredients.

Better to reduce or avoid such processed and packaged products and only buy FRESH foods as meats and vegetables, and make your own meals instead!

Stay healthy!

References:

ABC. (2026). Duped: Food Exposed (Part 1). Retrieved 29th July 2026 from https://iview.abc.net.au/show/four-corners/series/2026/video/NC2603H024S00

03/08/2026

Your cholesterol test is missing a particle that may matter more than the one it measures.

LDL and Lp(a) each carry exactly one copy of a protein called apoB. One apoB, one particle. That's what makes it possible to line them up and ask a fair question: if you add the same number of each, which one does more damage to an artery?

Researchers answered that using genetic data from more than 300,000 people in the UK. They compared people who inherited more of one particle against people who didn't, which sidesteps the usual problem of diet and lifestyle muddying the picture.

Particle for particle, Lp(a) did about 6.6 times more damage than LDL. The range the data supports runs from about 5 to 9 times more.
The reason is physical. An Lp(a) particle is basically an LDL particle with an extra protein wrapped around it, called apo(a). That tail carries oxidized fats that inflame the artery wall. Same cholesterol inside. Extra weapon on the outside.

Three things make this worth knowing:
Your level is set by your genes. It's essentially fixed at birth. Diet, exercise, and weight loss barely move it.

Statins don't lower it. No approved drug currently does. Drugs designed specifically to lower Lp(a) are in late-stage trials right now.

It isn't on a standard cholesterol panel. Guidelines say every adult should have it measured at least once. In practice, almost nobody does. So a person can get a reassuring cholesterol result and still be carrying serious inherited risk that no one ever looked for.

The honest limit: this comes from genetics, not from a treatment trial. It's the same kind of evidence that convinced everyone LDL causes heart disease, and it's strong. But nobody has yet lowered Lp(a) in a trial and shown fewer heart attacks. That trial is running now. Until it reports, the case rests on inheritance rather than on treating people and watching what happens.

If you've never had it checked, it's a one-time blood test for a number that won't change for the rest of your life.

Bjornson et al., Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 2024.
European Atherosclerosis Society Consensus, 2022.

13/05/2026

Dandikraut with cardamom

07/05/2026

It’s time for a reminder and an update on the topic of artificial sweeteners, and their effects on your health…

In my initial consultations with new patients, I always ask if people consume “diet” drinks such as cordials and soft drinks (“soda” in the US!), “diet” foods such as yoghurts or other similar low-calorie products. I’m trying to find all the possible root causes of all of their health issues and symptoms. Because products containing artificial sweeteners ARE a root cause for a lot of health problems.

In short, artificial sweeteners such as saccharin (E954), aspartame (951), sucralose (955), acesulphame-K (aka acesulphame potassium) (950), neotame (961) and others, typically in the additive number range of E950-969, are not healthy and should be avoided. They cause many health issues including:

1. Stimulating appetite, so you eat more and put on more weight!
2. Suppressing satiety or fullness from a meal, so you eat more and put on more weight!
3. Raising blood sugar levels and causing insulin resistance, simply because these foods and drinks TASTE sweet!
4. Causing or worsening diabetes
5. Contributing to leaky gut which in turn can trigger or worsen autoimmune conditions
6. Changing the balance of the digestive microbiome, causing dysbiosis
7. Causing many types of cancers.

Artificial sweeteners ironically cause the very things they are marketed for preventing – weight gain, diabetes, and other health issues. They are NOT a healthier option!

And artificial sweeteners do this even though they have zero calories! This is yet another reason why calories are a useless concept in the world of health and nutrition, as such chemicals can still have a profound effect on your health. I’ve been in talks and presentations from dietitians and doctors who have said that “diet” drinks are fine and ok to consume as they have no calories! If your practitioner tells you this, they haven’t read any published studies on this issue, and you should see a different practitioner!

Some recent studies are finding even more health issues with artificial sweeteners, including:

1. A 2025 study found that people who consumed the highest amounts of sweeteners experienced faster declines in thinking and memory skills (ie, Alzheimer’s Disease symptoms) compared to those who consumed the lowest amounts. The link was even stronger in people with diabetes. This study included the “sugar alcohol” sweeteners of erythritol, sorbitol, and xylitol (American Academy of Neurology, 2025; Gonçalves et. al., 2025)
2. In 2023, the International Agency on Research into Cancer (IARC), a part of the World Hoax Organisation (WHO), updated their findings on the artificial sweetener aspartame (E951) to classify it as a “Group 2b possibly carcinogenic substance”, with increased risk of liver cancer (Cancer Council, 2026).

Even so-called “natural” sweeteners are not entirely safe or healthy either! Let’s take Stevia as an example – Stevia is a natural plant native to South America. Stevia leaves can be used as a natural sweetener, but most Stevia products are a highly processed extract of the Stevia plant, appearing on ingredients lists as “steviol glycosides” or “stevioside”.

Traditionally, the natives of South America used Stevia not for its sweetness, but for its anti-fertility actions and benefits! Studies from decades ago, which I have previously referenced, have proven the effects of Stevia on preventing pregnancies by affecting fertility in both men and women for up to 6 months! Hence if you are trying to conceive, you really should avoid Stevia!

Also, because steviol glycosides have a steroidal chemical structure, they can have a hormonal effect in your body too. One of the natural hormones which stevia can interfere with is cortisol, the stress hormone. Research shows stevia inhibits sodium reabsorption in the kidneys, causing increased cortisol stress hormone levels, and increased water and sodium loss in urine, hence causing frequent urination. Other studies have shown that some people with specific genetic variants can have an even stronger effect to stevia than others.

While sugar is not healthy and is quite damaging to your body, the artificial forms as sweeteners or even so-called natural alternatives are not healthy either! They can cause similar or even worse symptoms and effects on your health.

Be aware of what you are eating, and check on product labels. Or better – don’t eat things which come in packaging with ingredient labels!

Stay healthy!

References:

American Academy of Neurology. (2025). Not so sweet: Some sugar substitutes linked to faster cognitive decline. Retrieved 7th May 2026 from https://www.aan.com/PressRoom/Home/PressRelease/5281

Cancer Council. (2026). Information sheet: Intense sweeteners and cancer risk. Retrieved 7th May 2026 from https://www.cancer.org.au/about-us/policy-and-advocacy/prevention/obesity/related-resources/intense-sweeteners-and-cancer-risk

Gonçalves, N. G., Martinez-Steele, E., Lotufo, P. A., Bensenor, I., Goulart, A. C., Barreto, S. M., Giatti, L., de Faria, C. P., Molina, M. D. C. B., Caramelli, P., Marchioni, D. M., & Suemoto, C. K. (2025). Association Between Consumption of Low- and No-Calorie Artificial Sweeteners and Cognitive Decline: An 8-Year Prospective Study. Neurology, 105(7), e214023. https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000214023

05/05/2026

Long before pharmacies stocked endless rows of pills, people turned to the forest and garden for health remedies. This image highlights various plants and herbs historically used for their medicinal properties. From willow bark, which inspired aspirin, to elderberry commonly employed during colds, our ancestors relied on nature’s toolkit to alleviate pain and support wellness.

Today, these herbal remedies remind us of the enduring bond between humans and nature. While modern medicine offers precise relief, understanding these traditional alternatives provides a holistic perspective on health. Whether you're curious about natural cures or just appreciate nature’s gifts, these ancient practices offer a glimpse into how people once dealt with illnesses and injuries.

19/04/2026