Strong By Design Podcast · Team CriticalBench

Ep 399 The Truth About Food, Farming & Pharma (The Cow Is How) ft. Noel Heiks & Kevin Key

·55 min·5 clips

Noel's father collapsed on a tennis court from undiagnosed diabetes, sparking her dive into carnivore research.

Host Tanya Fiennes welcomes Noel and Kevin Key, a couple with backgrounds in engineering, entrepreneurship, and cattle ranching, to discuss their book "The Cow Is How." The episode explores the interconnected problems in food, farming, and pharmaceuticals, arguing that cattle are central to the solution. Noel explains that a major misconception is that cattle are primarily raised in feedlots, when in fact 80-90% of their lives are spent on pasture. Kevin outlines the four main stages of U.S. cattle operations: cow-calf, stocker, feedlot, and packing plant, noting that four entities control 85% of the beef supply. The conversation shifts to monocrop agriculture, with Noel stating that corn, soy, and wheat farming on the Great Plains has drastically reduced biodiversity and depleted soil microbes. She cites a statistic that insect populations have declined over 50% in the past 50 years due to herbicides and insecticides. Noel attributes societal disconnection from regenerative farming to large food corporations, including foreign companies, using lobbying and marketing to influence government and health organizations. She argues that organizations like the American Diabetes Association have become "pawns for the food companies." The hosts claim sugar and corn syrup are highly addictive, sometimes more so than cocaine for children, driving consumption of processed foods. The catalyst for writing the book was Noel's father, who collapsed from an undiagnosed type 2 diabetes and was later diagnosed with Parkinson's. Noel states that insulin resistance is an epidemic and that a low-carbohydrate, carnivore, or keto diet can address it. She believes her father's long-term statin use and high-carb diet contributed to his Parkinson's by affecting cholesterol and brain function. Kevin shares that since adopting a primarily carnivore diet, his body recovery has improved to levels he had in his early 30s, his gray hair reduced, and his skin got better. Tanya recounts a personal experiment giving up red meat for 40 days during Lent, which led to hair loss, brittle skin, anemia, and brain fog. Kevin hypothesizes that his high meat consumption throughout life, including during combat deployments, may have provided nutritional resilience against stress-related mental issues. The tone is conversational and educational, blending personal anecdotes with broader industry critiques. Listeners interested in regenerative agriculture, low-carb diets, or critiques of the food industry will find this episode compelling. Those seeking a strictly scientific, data-heavy analysis or who are uncomfortable with critiques of conventional health guidelines may prefer to skip it.

As heard by us

A pointed, values-led look at how food, marketing, and power shape health.

Strong By Design treats health as a story shaped by food, power, and industry. It argues that multi-billion-dollar corporations, including some outside the U.S., help steer the food supply through lobbying in Congress and influence within organizations such as the American…

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

If you want a skeptical take on who really shapes your food choices.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Strong By Design Podcast