499: Apple Cider Vinegar And Breath Of Fire: Scams, Grifters And The Truth Is Somewhere In Between (Gurus Who Grift Part 1)

Food Heals

Allison Melody

Spirituality, Naturalcures, Vegan, Nutrition, Fitness, Detox, Veganism, Alternativemedicine, Health, Health & Fitness, Juicing

4.8 • 635 Ratings

🗓️ 25 March 2025

⏱️ 38 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In today's episode of Food Heals, Allison Melody dives into the recent media portrayals of alternative healing practices and their connection to scam artists. Inspired by HBO’s Breath of Fire and Netflix’s Apple Cider Vinegar, Allison shares her personal experiences with Kundalini Yoga, alternative medicine, and the dangers of blindly following self-proclaimed “gurus.”

What You’ll Learn:
🔹 The fine line between healing modalities and the people who exploit them
🔹 How Breath of Fire exposed the dark side of Kundalini Yoga and its leaders
🔹 The truth behind Apple Cider Vinegar and its misleading portrayal of natural healing
🔹 Why alternative healing methods are often vilified despite their effectiveness
🔹 Personal stories of deception, manipulation, and the power of discernment

Key Takeaways:
✅ Just because something is a healing modality doesn’t mean the teacher is a healer.
✅ Grifters exist in every industry, including wellness and spirituality.
✅ The media’s portrayal of alternative medicine often discredits legitimate healing methods.
✅ Allison’s firsthand experience with Kundalini Yoga and the questionable figures behind it.
✅ How corporate buyouts have compromised once-holistic brands like Burt’s Bees, Tom’s, and Naked Juice.

Allison’s Travel & Wellness Must-Haves:
Vitality Bits – 20% off with code FOODHEALS
Cured Nutrition – Free shipping with code FOODHEALS
Organifi – 20% off with code FOODHEALS
Just Thrive Probiotics – 15% off with code FOODHEALS15

✨ Join the Conversation:
What are your thoughts on alternative medicine and its portrayal in the media? DM Allison on Instagram @foodhealsnation

🎙 Next Episode: Gurus Who Grift Part 2
Stay tuned for Part 2 of Gurus Who Grift where Allison shares her take on Apple Cider Vinegar, the backlash she faced, and why speaking out got her death threats!

Transcript

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0:00.0	You're listening to the Food Heels podcast.
0:08.0	Warning, side effects of this podcast may include increased health and vitality, thoughts of living longer, developing a more positive outlook on life, an increase in sexual activity, feelings of joy, cravings for kale and chemo, and a spike, and Tinder matches.
0:18.7	In rare cases, people have experienced a strong desire to put down the Ben and Jerry's, get off the couch, and take a walk outside. If you experience any of these symptoms, tell your Facebook friends immediately.
0:28.1	All right, welcome, Food Heels Nation. Thanks for joining me. I'm Alison Melody. Podcasting here from Tulum. It's just so, so beautiful here. If you ever need a healthy, holistic getaway,
0:39.6	come to Tulum. It's rustic yet completely Instagramable everywhere you go. There's fresh squeeze
0:46.9	juice everywhere, green juice galore. There is delicious plant-based healthy food everywhere.
0:53.8	The ocean is a crystal clear blue. The weather is
0:57.1	perfect, at least right now anyway, for these two months that I'm here. There are lots of healing
1:02.1	modalities everywhere. There's massage. There's yoga. There's Pilates, workouts on the beach. There's
1:08.2	meditation. And of course, margaritas and tequila tastings galore.
1:13.6	There are these beautiful sonotes to explore. I mean, it is just a healing, gorgeous place.
1:19.8	I know some people worry, oh, it's dangerous, you know, but I lived in L.A. for, I don't even know now,
1:24.9	over 15 years, and it's dangerous in any big city. I know there are
1:29.2	drugs here. There's a cartel, but you know, you just make it the experience that you want it to be,
1:34.7	right? And that's what I've done here. I've cultivated a group of friends. I've been coming here
1:39.5	since 2020 when my friends and I discovered it and then I believe it was 2021. A good friend of mine
1:46.0	bought a house down here and we've just been coming to vacation and visit ever since. So now
1:52.0	I've got a place just down the street from her for a couple of months. And it's just heavenly.
1:57.2	So like this morning, I just went and got green juice with Lily this afternoon. I'm going on a
2:01.7	bike crawl with some friends. So we're going to crawl to different places and taste different things.
2:06.6	Lily's here. You can bring dogs absolutely everywhere, which is incredible. Like there's no place
2:11.4	where a dog isn't allowed. I've seen dogs in yoga. It's just such a great place for animals, for people.
	...

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