Sophie Pokela just graduated from the University of Wisconsin with an English degree \u2014 and a rigorous education in nutrition.<\/p>\n
Pokela grew up thinking she was a healthy eater because she mostly chose foods packed with protein and fiber. It dawned on her a year into college that she didn\u2019t actually know much about what she was consuming.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was scrolling on Instagram and came across a crunchy mom who was talking about seed oils<\/a>,\u201d Pokela, 21, told The Post. \u201cI\u2019d never heard of them before, and I started scrolling through her page and realized that I had no idea what the ingredients in my food were.\u201d<\/p>\n Sophie Pokela recently graduated from the University of Wisconsin with an English degree \u2014 and a rigorous education in nutrition. Sophie Pokela<\/p>\n Pokela quickly graduated from health-conscious to \u201ccrunchiness,\u201d a holistic lifestyle prioritizing whole foods while shunning toxins. Crunchy crusaders tend to avoid ultra-processed foods<\/a>, plastics, \u201cforever chemicals\u201d<\/a> and pharmaceuticals in favor of alternative remedies, natural ingredients, organic fare and spiritual wellness.<\/p>\n The \u201cMake America Healthy Again\u201d movement has helped this subculture become more vocal and visible, even on college campuses, where 2 a.m. pizza, borgs<\/a> and the freshman 15 are rites of passage.<\/p>\n Clinical psychologist Laura Braider said crunchiness can be positive \u2014 if managed properly. She warned that some students may overdo healthy practices, especially if they\u2019ve struggled with an eating disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder.<\/p>\n \u201cIn moderation, I think this is not necessarily a bad trend,\u201d Braider, assistant vice president of college mental health at Northwell Health<\/a>, told The Post. \u201cI think being intentional in this population and being present and being aware can be a very good thing, as long as it\u2019s in a controlled atmosphere.\u201d<\/p>\n Navigating online information<\/p>\n One concern is that crunchy enthusiasts are not receiving evidence-based advice. Online communities, particularly social networks, can be breeding grounds for misinformation<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cSocial media can provide good information, but there\u2019s also a lot of erroneous information on social media, as we all know,\u201d Braider said.<\/p>\n \u201cFrom a healthcare perspective, I think that we have to meet students where they are,\u201d she added, \u201cand perhaps we need to be able to disseminate information in a more palatable way.\u201d<\/p>\n In her TikToks, Pokela promotes whole foods, morning and evening walks and breathing exercises. Sophie Pokela<\/p>\n As she became crunchy, Pokela turned to the Weston A. Price Foundation<\/a>, a nonprofit alternative nutrition organization that promotes nutrient-dense foods, raw milk<\/a> and cod liver oil and discourages strict vegetarianism, seed oils and fluoridated water<\/a>.<\/p>\n She also tuned in to the \u201cMAHA\u201d-friendly health and wellness podcast \u201cCulture Apothecary,\u201d<\/a> hosted by Turning Point USA contributor Alex Clark.<\/p>\n Both outlets have been accused of<\/a> spreading potentially harmful health misinformation<\/a>.<\/p>\n Pokela dismissed the criticism, saying she\u2019s come to \u201creally trust\u201d those two resources after doing extensive research.<\/p>\n Clark, 32, and Pokela are even on similar journeys. They have Hashimoto\u2019s disease, where the immune system mistakenly attacks the thyroid gland<\/a>.<\/p>\n Pokela first learned about the autoimmune disorder when Clark revealed her struggles.<\/a><\/p>\n Promoting healthier swaps<\/p>\n Pokela has been detailing her approach<\/a> to managing symptoms on TikTok, emphasizing whole foods<\/a>, morning and evening walks and breathing exercises<\/a>.<\/p>\n She had already overhauled her diet months before her diagnosis, replacing the so-called \u201chealthy\u201d processed snacks that had become staples in her pantry with ground beef, sweet potatoes and avocados and giving gluten the heave-ho.<\/p>\n She encourages her TikTok followers to make healthier swaps, like organic coconut sugar for cane sugar.<\/p>\n \u201c[It\u2019s] just a crime that people don\u2019t know that they\u2019re consuming these foods that aren\u2019t even real food,\u201d said Pokela, who got a certificate online in health coaching from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition<\/a>. \u201cThat\u2019s why I think this is so important.\u201d<\/p>\n Finding balance<\/p>\n Courtney Beck, an 18-year-old rising sophomore at Texas State University, began dishing on her crunchy lifestyle on TikTok<\/a> in December.<\/p>\n Beck spent most of her life training in classical ballet, which led to a \u201creally warped idea about what being healthy meant\u201d and eventually, anemia and anorexia.<\/p>\n After recognizing that being skinny at all costs wasn\u2019t sustainable, she quit dancing and sought health guidance elsewhere.<\/p>\n Texas State University student Courtney Beck became crunchy after battling an eating disorder. Katherine Palomo\/@expression.n.stuff<\/p>\n \u201cI fell into a rabbit hole about being crunchy and eating whole foods and how counting your calories isn\u2019t the most important thing,\u201d Beck told The Post.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd it just took off from there,\u201d she continued. \u201cI just got super into my health and vitamins \u2026 completely changed my life, and it just became something I\u2019m super passionate about.\u201d<\/p>\n The former vegetarian slowly added ground beef and chicken into her diet and became a \u201cbeef tallow connoisseur,\u201d rubbing the animal fat all over her face.<\/p>\n She crowed that her skin \u201cnever looked better.\u201d<\/a> (Experts warn<\/a> that this trend may not be suitable for everyone.)<\/p>\n Most of Beck\u2019s TikToks are grocery hauls, recipes and peeks at her daily diet.<\/p>\n She preaches moderation, confessing that she enjoys Dr. Pepper and popsicles now and again.<\/p>\n \u201cI still eat out with my friends every once in a while, and I still go do fun things,\u201d Beck shared, \u201cbut it\u2019s just about choosing to make intentional decisions when you have the opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n Overcoming challenges for personal growth<\/p>\n One of the downsides of living this life online is the pessimistic feedback.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really easy to take those [negative comments] to heart,\u201d said Beck, who is majoring in mass communications and minoring in nutrition to pursue a career in holistic nutrition.<\/p>\n Most of Beck\u2019s TikToks are grocery hauls, recipes and peeks at her daily diet. Katherine Palomo\/@expression.n.stuff<\/p>\n \u201cAt the end of the day, I know that I\u2019m healthy, and I know that this is the best I\u2019ve ever felt.\u201d<\/p>\n Pokela has endured difficulties as well. She recalled a few occasions in college when eating healthy was tricky.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of social events revolve around eating out and drinking, which I also don\u2019t do,\u201d she said. \u201cSometimes I would have to go to a restaurant and not order anything, which is kind of awkward to just sit there.\u201d<\/p>\n She also admitted that consuming so much health information \u201ccan feel like a lot at times.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut I think that the people who say that I need to be enjoying myself in my 20s don\u2019t realize that I am working towards a healthier future self,\u201d Pokela said.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t