Siete Gate
Welcome to the deeper you go, the weirder it gets. I'm your host, Garett Renon. Okay. Have you ever tried chips? You know, the grain free tortilla chips cooked in avocado oil?
Garett:Well, they're good. Right? And they're healthy. At least as healthy as you can make chips. In fact, that's kind of their thing.
Garett:See, Siete Family Foods is a company that makes healthy alternatives to not so healthy foods, which is awesome. And we need more food companies to do the same. Well, unfortunately, they just sold out. And they sold out to Pepsi of all companies, which is very odd. See, apparently, everyone has a price, and Siete's price is 1,200,000,000.0.
Garett:That's right. Billion with a b, which is an outrageous sum of money, which we will get into later. Believe that. So in this episode, I wanna talk about what this sale says about our society because as you know by now, the deeper you look, the weirder and sometimes even scarier things can get. But before we start, I have some announcements.
Garett:First of all, if you were enjoying the show and you want to support it, please share it with a friend and make sure you subscribe and leave a review. A few other ways to support it are get you some podcast gear, get you some pine pollen or some tallow, and sign up for the newsletter. That's the best way to know what I have going on, including when and where I am doing sacred plant meditations. And speaking of tallow, I'm extremely happy to the announce the release of my new face balm, a lesion tallow. See, this product came about because I was suffering badly from dry skin and I needed to find a solution.
Garett:Not to mention that properly hydrated skin also makes you look and feel better. And who doesn't want to look and feel better, right? Realizing that most skin moisturizers are a chemical shit storm, many of which are estrogenic in addition to just being straight up poison, I needed to find a moisturizer that contained natural ingredients. In doing some research I discovered that tallow, which is B fat, resembles the natural oils of the human skin. I also discovered that tallow has been used for years by our ancestors as an extremely effective moisturizer.
Garett:But like all natural health products, this information has been suppressed. Not only has this information been suppressed, but we have also been manipulated into using unnatural, subpar products designed by large greedy corporations that make us sick and weak. Armed with all this information, I created an awesome product that I am extremely proud of. Which contains only the best nature has to offer. And let me tell you, my skin has never looked or felt better.
Garett:The ingredients of a lesion tallow are: 100% grass fed beef tallow which is not only antibiotic and vaccine free, it is also rich in vitamins A, D, E, K which are essential for skin health. It also contains raw honey and beeswax, both of which are natural humectants and antibacterial, antimicrobial, and anti inflammatory. It also contains olive oil which natural anti aging effects and contains vitamin E and polyphenols. And last but not least, contains lavender, which is a plant I have a personal relationship with. Anti inflammatory and has a calming presence and smells really nice.
Garett:So that's it. These ingredients make up the best moisturizer I've ever used. And those of you who subscribe to my newsletter will receive a 20% discount code. So if you haven't signed up for the newsletter, send me an email. And if you are signed up for the newsletter but haven't seen it yet, please check your spam folder.
Garett:Sometimes when using an email service, these emails get filtered as spam. And and as always, if you wanna reach out, my email is located in the show notes. Anyway, that's it for now. So let's get into this episode. So my guilty pleasure has always been chips.
Garett:Some people have a sweet tooth and some people have a salty and crunchy tooth. And, well, I'm the latter. And while some people might not consider chips to be a bad vice, I can tell you there are at least three major problems with chips. The biggest problem by far is the oil they are cooked in. This is because nearly every chip on the planet is cooked in seed oils, usually canola oil.
Garett:And let's talk about canola oil for a minute. See, canola oil is a conspiracy of the worst kind. First of all, it's Canadian, which is gross. Right? Because I I like my conspiracies to be American.
Garett:Right? Make conspiracies great again. Second of all, the whole intention around using canola oil is to maximize profits while destroying our health. It's literally a conspiracy straight out of the profits over people playbook. And let's start with the name.
Garett:What is a canola? It's nothing. See, there is no such thing as a canola plant or canola seed. This is because canola oil comes from rapeseed. Yes.
Garett:That's the real name. Now I get why they changed the name because you definitely can't call it rape oil. But it's more than just a bad name. The oil from Rapeseed was originally used as an engine lubricant for steam engines, ships, and machines, and it did its job well until the invention of synthetic oils. Once synthetic oils hit the market, they significantly outperformed any and all natural oils.
Garett:Because of this, there was no longer a need or demand for rapeseed oil. Now this was a problem for Canada, our enemy to the north, as rapeseed is a big industry. In fact, 90% of the world's rapeseed is grown in Canada. So when the demand for rapeseed disappeared, Canada was left with an entire industry that was no longer needed. They had farmers, processing plants, and distribution companies that suddenly had nothing to do.
Garett:So the government, along with some shady scientists and shady corporations, came up with a plan to turn this engine lubricant with a bad name into a cooking oil. How exactly did they do this? Well, first, they had to genetically modify the rapeseed plant to contain lower levels of uric acid so that it could even be safe for human consumption. Then in order to extract the oil from the seeds, they had to use a petroleum based solvent called hexane, which they known neurotoxin. After that, they must bleach and deodorize the oil because the extraction refining process essentially turns the oil rancid.
Garett:Finally, they needed to change the name, so they chain so they chose the name canola to highlight its Canadian origin. And if that's not bad enough, canola oil also has a high omega six content and it oxidizes really easily when used as a cooking oil, which causes a lot of inflammation in your body. So bottom line, canola oil is straight up trash and extremely bad for your health. And it is in everything, which is crazy. And don't believe me, just look at the ingredient list of just about any processed food.
Garett:And to make things worth, just about every restaurant uses it. Why? Because it's cheap. Because it's subsidized by the Canadian government. And because they want us sick and weak.
Garett:And it's not just canola oil. All seed oils are trash. Sunflower, soybean, flaxseed, sesame, grapeseed, and cottonseed, all these oils are poisonous and should be avoided at all cost. The problem is, it is impossible to avoid these oils unless you make your own food from scratch. And that was and that was just the first problem with chips.
Garett:Right? I promise you two more. The second issue with chips is that they are usually made from corn, which has its own set of problems. And the third issue is that most chips, especially flavored chips, are a chemical shitstorm of dyes, artificial flavors, and pesticides. This is all to say that most chips, while delicious, are really unhealthy.
Garett:This is why when a company like Siete Family Foods comes along and makes chips that are grain free, seed oil free, and uses natural flavorings, I feel like my prayers have been answered. But what's crazy is that Siete Family Foods didn't do anything special. They just made a healthier version of a not so healthy food. Don't get me wrong, I am not taking anything away from them. In fact, I love their products.
Garett:I am just stating the fact that food, even our guilty pleasure foods, can be made in much healthier ways. Ironically, these healthier versions often taste better. And this idea is basically the origin story of Siete Family Foods. See, in 02/2009, Veronica Garza was facing some serious health issues. She was dealing with autoimmune.
Garett:She was dealing with some autoimmune diseases. Autoimmune diseases are really interesting because it means that your body, your hormones, and your nervous system are so out of whack and dysregulated from your natural state that your own immune system starts attacking your own healthy cells. It's a complete malfunction and breakdown of your physical body. And what's even crazier is autoimmune diseases are not only extremely common, they are also on the rise. But there is good news, and that is autoimmune diseases, for the most part, are reversible and curable.
Garett:So how do you cure yourself from an autoimmune disorder? Well, the first place to start is by cleaning up your diet. And that's exactly what Veronica did. She decided to cut out all grains and start a low inflammation diet, which is awesome. But there was just one problem.
Garett:Veronica comes from a Mexican American family, and a lot of her family's traditional foods like tortillas, tacos, and enchiladas were no longer on the menu. And this was a problem because food was and is a big part of her family's tradition and culture. But instead of seeing this diet as a restriction, Veronica and her family saw it as a challenge. How do we keep all those rich traditions alive and eat in a way that heals our bodies? That's when the Garza family got creative.
Garett:Veronica started experimenting, and her first masterpiece was an almond flour tortilla. Not only was it a healthier alternative, but it was also something the whole family could get behind. And it wasn't long before these tortillas were weren't just a hit at the family table, but among friends and neighbors too. Then the light bulb moment. Why not bring the why not bring this to everyone?
Garett:And with that, Siete Family Foods was born, named for the seven members of the Garza family who all pitched in to help. And fast forward a few years, and Siete is making grain free chips, sauces, and more, all while keeping the same mission alive. Making foods making food that's healthy brings people together and still honors their Mexican American roots. And honestly, I love this story. I love that they took their negative issues and transformed them into positive solutions.
Garett:This is true alchemy. And honestly, this is why they've had such great success as a business. So let's get into why their business sales such a blow to humanity. The first problem is not that they sold their company, but it's who they sold it to. They sold it to Pepsi.
Garett:And because I know that everyone who listens to my podcast is awake and smart, I don't have to tell you why Pepsi isn't necessarily a great company. I mean, just follow the money. Pepsi makes its money from selling junk food, not health food. And this is a problem because it's a moral issue. See, Pepsi is a company that puts profits over people, profits over health.
Garett:This is not in alignment with Siete Family Foods. Now, obviously, the apologist and even Siete Family Foods themselves will say differently. Alright? They will say that this sale is a good thing, that it means our society is waking up. It means healthy foods are becoming more popular and more mainstream.
Garett:And it means that Siete Family Foods will be able to use the distribution power of Pepsi to become more readily available and possibly even cheaper, bringing everyone healthy food. Now, always remember multiple things can be true at once. So on some level, some of that is true. But that is really just a surface level truth. As you dig deeper, you see a darker truth emerge.
Garett:First, a company like Pepsi is an extremely large corporation. A publicly traded company that sells stock and has large corporate shareholders. This means that Pepsi is beholden to their shareholders who all want and expect to make profit from their investment year after year after year. And since it's impossible to have infinite growth, something has to give, and that is usually the quality of the product. See, never forget, large corporations are not your friends.
Garett:They only care about one thing, and that is the bottom line. It's about making money and keeping their shareholders happy. And because of this, they will gladly use pesticides, chemicals, subpar ingredients, artificial sugars, slave labor, and convince you to eat engine lubricant if it means they can squeeze just a few more pennies of profit from each product they sell. That's how it works. And that's how it's always worked.
Garett:And do you really think things like do you really think things are going to change with Siete Family Foods now that they're owned by Pepsi? I mean, so this is why people who know are so disappointed because we know it's only a matter of time before another beloved healthy product becomes a victim to the large corporate machine. And, oh, by the way, it doesn't stop there. Pepsi is not just a large corporation. It's one of the big 10.
Garett:And the big 10, in case you were wondering, are the 10 food companies that own nearly 70% of the food market share. These companies are Nestle, PepsiCo, Coca Cola, Unilever, General Mills, Kellogg's, Mars, Mondelez International, Danone, and Associated British Foods. In other words, when you go into a grocery store and grab any item off the shelf, there is at least a 70% chance that one of these companies owns that product. Actually, that's not correct. See, the real truth is that when you go into a corporate owned grocery store, the percentage is actually closer to 90 because large corporations support their own.
Garett:And this is a problem because it means our food supply is essentially controlled by corporations who value profits above all else. And not only corporations, but just 10 corporations. And don't get me wrong. I'm not a communist or a socialist. I believe in a free market, and I believe people and companies should be rewarded for hard work and good products.
Garett:But this is not that. This isn't capitalism. This is corporatism. These companies are so big and have so much money that they that they influence government policies. These corporations represent big food, and it doesn't stop there.
Garett:It's the same in just about every industry. See, just six companies control 90% of all the media. So think about that. 90% of all the news, movies, TV shows, sports, and entertainment are controlled by just six large corporations, Comcast, Disney, Viacom, AT and T, Sony, and News Corp. And, of course, doesn't stop there.
Garett:There's big pharma, big agriculture, big telecommunications, big banking, big tech, and big energy and utility companies. This means that our world is controlled by just a handful of companies. And like I said earlier, these companies not only have the majority of the market control, they also control the politicians, which means they dictate the laws, rules, mandates, and policies that we, the people, are all forced to abide by, which makes you wonder who's really running the country and the world. Well, I'm glad you asked. Because if you really, really want to go deep and really want to get weird, you realize that most of these companies are owned by just a handful of families.
Garett:So when everyone says they, like they want you to be sick, they want you to be broke, and they want you to take their medications, this is who we're talking about. So we are talking about the ruling class. It's not only a real thing. It's right in front of our face. All you have to do is be willing to open your eyes.
Garett:So this is why Siete Family Foods selling out is such a big blow to everyone. They traded money for morals. Now look. Right? I'm not going to lie.
Garett:If someone offered me 1,200,000,000.0, I might sell out too. Not really. I don't know. It would definitely be hard to turn down. I don't know how strong my willpower is, but which makes me wonder about that sales price.
Garett:See, $1,200,000,000 is such a ridiculous sum of money, especially for a mom and pop food company. I mean, to put things in perspective, a million seconds is eleven days. A billion seconds is thirty seven years. So $1,200,000,000 is lifetimes upon lifetimes of money. You know, their family and their kids and their kids' kids and their kids' kids are are set up for life.
Garett:It's blood money, but they're set up for life. And see, look, I am no business expert, but I have a hard time believing Siete Family Foods is worth that kind of money. So if I were to put my tinfoil hat on, I would say that the only reason that price is so high is because that's the price it took for the family to sell out, to give up on their mission of bringing healthy traditional foods to people. See, for Pepsi, aka big food, this is actually not about money. It's not about investing in a health food company.
Garett:It's about controlling what we eat. It's about limiting our options and our choices. So remember, they don't want us to be healthy. Right? Just look around.
Garett:They're winning. And again, 1,200,000,000.0 is the type of money that would make me consider burning every bridge and selling out too. And I'm sure you would do the same. Everyone has a price. Right?
Garett:What's yours? So the next time you're drinking your corporate owned beverage, wearing your corporate owned clothes, listening to your corporate owned media, and talking to your friends about which corporate owned politician you are going to vote for, pour out of that little pour a little of that beverage out for the homies because we lost another one. RIP, See you on the other side.