Show notes
Today on Beating Cancer Daily, Saranne is joined by Jacqui Bryan to unpack an often-overlooked saboteur of healthy eating: store-bought salad dressings. While many focus on "eating the rainbow" and maximizing their intake of vibrant vegetables, Jacqui points out how hidden additives, sugars, unhealthy fats, and preservatives in commercial dressings can undermine even the most nutritious meal—particularly for those seeking a food-first approach to cancer recovery and vitality. Together, they explore the impact of these “gunky” ingredients, the importance of reading food labels, and the empowering choice to craft simple, health-enhancing dressings at home, complete with practical recipes and tips. Jacqui Bryan is a certified nutrition specialist, whole health educator, health coach, and registered nurse. Renowned for her expertise in functional medicine and personalized wellness, Jacqui brings a depth of experience helping clients make informed, food-based choices. As a cancer survivor herself, she advocates passionately for using nutrition as a tool for healing, resilience, and long-term health. “We focus so much on eating the rainbow, eating the healthy foods, that we really need to pay attention to what we are actually putting on the food. Because if we don't, we are potentially hurting our health.” ~Jacqui Bryan Today on Beating Cancer Daily:· Store-bought salad dressings often contain hidden sugars, sodium, unhealthy fats, preservatives, and even additives like titanium dioxide and artificial dyes, which can undermine the health benefits of salads.· Creamy dressings are not always healthier than oily ones; both may contain problematic ingredients depending on preparation.· Being an "informed consumer" means looking past marketing terms like "natural" and checking ingredient lists for unrecognizable or non-food items.· Organic dressings typically avoid synthetic additives and dyes but may still include sugar; always read the full label.· Homemade dressings provide control over ingredients—healthy fats like extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, tahini, and flavor boosters like citrus, herbs, and spices can make salad both delicious and nutrient-rich.· Sodium content in dressings can be surprisingly high; those sensitive to salt or with high blood pressure should pay particular attention.· Simple homemade dressings, such as olive oil with lemon or a basic vinaigrette, are easy to make and store in glass containers. Ranked the Top 5 Best Cancer Podcasts by CancerCare News in 2024 & 2025, and #1 Rated Cancer Survivor Podcast by FeedSpot in 2024 Beating Cancer Daily is listened to in over 130 countries on 7 continents and has over 365 original daily episodes hosted by Stage IV survivor Saranne Rothberg! To learn more about Host Saranne Rothberg and The ComedyCures Foundation:https://www.comedycures.org/ To write to Saranne or a guest:https://www.comedycures.org/contact-8 To record a message to Saranne or a guest:https://www.speakpipe.com/BCD_Comments_Suggestions To sign up for the free Health Builder Series live on Zoom with Saranne and Jacqui, go to The ComedyCures Foundation's homepage:https://www.comedycures.org/ Please support the creation of more original episodes of Beating Cancer Daily and other free ComedyCures Foundation programs with a tax-deductible contribution:http://bit.ly/ComedyCuresDonate THANK YOU! Please tell a friend whom we may help, and please support us with a beautiful review. Have a blessed day! Saranne