One Big Beautiful Bill for Dummies

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act that was signed into law July 4 is indeed big, but just how beautiful it may be depends largely on where you sit.

What stood out to us is that farmers and ranchers gained some valuable economic support from the bill.

In normal times, the headlines from this very big bill would still be reverberating throughout the media world. But they aren’t, by and large.

Part of the relative silence may be recognition that debate is over. The bill is law. Now we must deal with its effects, not argue about them any longer. Political reality is political reality.

Maybe a bigger reason is the relatively small place of farm programs and health and nutrition elements in a piece of legislation that cuts across virtually every segment of our economy.

Digging into the Dirt

The “OBBB Act” contains 10 separate titles and 296 separate sections, representing the collective effort of congressional committees to reconcile spending requirements with a stated desire to reduce deficit spending. Specific finance provisions regarding collective program spending and individual tax considerations make up almost half the total number of sections, many reflecting last-ditch efforts to secure the votes needed to pass the massive bill in compliance with President Trump’s July 4 deadline. Little wonder the introductory table of contents spans a full 13 pages.

Without getting lost in the tall, tall weeds of legislative language, let’s look at some of the top-line elements of the OBBB.

However, before, it is worth mentioning that supporting America’s farmers is critical for food security:

To keep the farmer and rancher in business and providing enough food for both American’s and the world, the OBBB provides an economic safety net and tax relief.

What does the farming and ranching community get out of it?

  • An improved economic safety net. OBBB increases basic commodity support rates through higher “reference prices” and commodity loan rates. This means that the government pays the farm when crop prices fall below a certain level. Reference prices for each agricultural commodity are key to determining the federal dollars needed for farm payments under such critical economic protection programs as Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC).
    • These increases were justified by their supporters as a necessary step to protect economically battered farmers – and the rural communities they support – from the harmful effects of rises in production costs during an extended period of weak commodity prices. It is also there to help the farming community to offset export losses due to tariffs.
  • Expanded income protection access. OBBB also allows farmers to purchase additional coverage in the ARC program. This offers payments when a farmer’s actual revenue falls below a guaranteed level.
  • Changes to farm-related taxes. By altering the capital gains tax regulations, farmers will now be able to sell farmland and make capital gains tax payments across four years – if farming operations are maintained for 10 years. This provision seeks to balance federal tax-income goals with a long-standing desire to avoid loss of active – and family-owned – farmland.
  • Other business-focused tax changes. As business people, farmers and ranchers also stand to gain from the preservation and expansion of various tax regulations related to investments, such as estate tax exemptions and certain business income deductions. Certain depreciation deductions for various research and development activities also are continued.
  • In a similar vein, OBBB proponents point to the possible economic gains available to farmers and others from permanent increases in the standard deduction to $15,750 and $2,200 in the child tax credit, both effective after 2025. Increases in the deduction for state and local taxes are expected to put money in pocketbooks.
  • Preservation of clean fuel production credits. OBBB extends these credits through 2029 for fuel derived from crops.
  • Miscellaneous program changes. Buried within the OBBB are various changes to funding for a wide range of agriculture-related federal activities.

The price tag?

An estimated $65 billion in additional spending over the next decade.

How do we pay for all this?

To help pay for these economic protections, OBBB tightens a number of requirements and rules for health programs, as well as nutrition and health programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), designed to slow the pace of growth in federal program spending. And DOGE aims to eliminate waste and fraud.

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has estimated the changes in OBBB to health insurance could reduce federal spending by roughly $1 trillion – that’s $1,000,000,000,000 – over 10 years.

Over the next decade, however, OBBB would increase the federal deficit by $3.4 trillion and cause 10 million people to lose health insurance, CBO estimates.

The effects of OBBB on our national health care can’t be overstated. Major changes to Medicaid and Medicare tighten the criteria for program eligibility, with more effort by states to police abuses of the programs and higher co-pays. More program costs are shifted to the states. Provisions also affect eligibility under the Affordable Care Act. Roughly 130 million Americans rely on Medicare and Medicaid for health insurance.

For example:

  • Expanded work requirements. To be eligible for Medicaid, recipients must work 80 hours per month.
  • Funding mechanism changes. Financial devices used by states to cover these program expenses are limited, to avoid use of provider taxes, special payment provisions and other tools. The effect is to shift significant program costs to the states.
  • States are required to step up the frequency of eligibility checks to assure benefits go only to those who meet the program standards.
  • ‘Provisional eligibility’ is curtailed, meaning individuals must wait for completion of the eligibility and registration process before being covered.

The other major area of targeted reductions in federal spending is SNAP. Like health-related federal programs, SNAP now faces and number of changes designed to reduce federal costs by stricter eligibility requirements and funding changes. Beginning in 2028, notably, states will pick up a greater share of the cost.

Key changes include:

  • Reduced work waivers. OBBB expands the age brackets for those required to work and clamps down on the number of exemptions from work categories.
  • Fewer deductions for the income thresholds defining eligibility.
  • Decreased benefit updates in future SNAP payments.
  • Higher state funding. States with higher program error rates would be required to pick up a greater share of SNAP costs. States with error rates over 6 percent would be required to pay 5-15 percent of costs. The Department of Agriculture estimates the average state error rate at 10.9 percent last year.

OBBB proponents say the tighter rules will help cut deferral SNAP spending by as much as $267 billion over the coming decade. CBO notes that even with the added federal funds for farmer economic assistance, overall federal budget savings from the comprehensive revisions to all farm programs (including SNAP) could be as high as $120 billion over the coming decade.

OBBB critics focus on a different kind of numbers.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimates that SNAP currently provides basic food assistance to more than 40 million people, including children, seniors and nonelderly adults with disabilities. The Urban Institute estimates changes to SNAP could mean 22.3 million families lose some or all SNAP benefits – 5.3 million losing at least $25 per month in benefits and an average loss fort families of $146 per month.

What about the consumer?

Supporters of OBBB focus on the numerous tax breaks in the bill as major benefits to a consumer society. While experts differ on the size and extent of the additional cash in consumer pockets, critics focus on the potential damage to consumer interests that might result if the economic growth promised from the OBBB doesn’t materialize, or falls short of the ambitious growth targets touted by the Administration.

Few economists or other food gurus seem to expect the Act to have any material effect on food prices, certainly not in the short term. If inflation resurges over time, food won’t be exempt from it, of course. But no one seems to think the OBBB will precipitate a dramatic surge in food costs on its own.

OBBB supporters also point out the positive effects for great swaths of middle America of shoring up the food producers economic protections and incentives for continued investment in food and agriculture. Maintaining a healthy and vibrant farm sector will help rural and urban consumers alike, they point out. Critics, in turn, caution that rising health care and food costs for the economically disadvantaged displaced by OBBB’s regulatory changes are anything but good news for those consumers.

What happens now?

One more detail from the OBBB stands to be of great importance to the farming community, rural America and food consumers everywhere. While OBBB helps shore up the economic safety net for farmers and ranchers, it didn’t provide the clear goals and objectives for our complex food system. OBBB addressed budgetary issues, not the basic policy parameters that will determine just how efficient and effective our modern food system remains in the face of expanding public expectations for a reliable, safe, wholesome and affordable food supply.

Our food policies are the stuff of the Farm Bill – the comprehensive package of policies and programs that guide and govern our modern food and agricultural system. OBBB provided a patch. But we’re still more than two years overdue for farm legislation, with a lengthy agenda of subjects to address – conservation programs, biofuels, environmental protection, trade, market regulation oversight, and much, much more.

Supporters of OBBB point to the gains made through the Act for farmers, rural communities and taxpaying consumers and speak optimistically of the future of a “skinny farm bill” that can at long last be enacted. Others more soberly comment that if what lies ahead is ‘skinny,’ no wonder we tend to overlook the epidemic of obesity that surrounds us.

Can We Save the Seas by Farming Fish?

At a recent grocery store visit, I overheard a woman ask the fishmonger if the salmon was “real” or “fake.” He paused. “It’s… farm-raised,” he said, uncertainly. In that one moment, the confusion and fear around seafood came into sharp focus. And it’s not just her—navigating the seafood aisle today feels like wading through murky waters.

That everyday confusion is a small reflection of a much bigger story. Sir David Attenborough’s new documentary, Oceans, pulls the camera back—way back—to show what’s really at stake.

Through sweeping visuals and urgent narration, Attenborough reminds us that the ocean is Earth’s life-support system, regulating climate, producing half of the planet’s oxygen, and providing a primary source of protein for over 3 billion people.

Why are we talking about this now?

The National Geographic documentary also exposes the mounting threats we’ve imposed: industrial trawling that scars the seafloor, coral bleaching from rising temperatures, fish populations collapsing under global demand, and plastic pollution infiltrating even the most remote ecosystems.

The numbers are staggering…

Nearly 90% of the world’s fish stocks are now fully exploited or overfished, and half of all coral reefs could disappear by 2050 if warming trends continue.

And every piece of seafood we buy—wild or farmed—ripples back into this crisis, for better or worse.

The film underscores the urgency of changing how we harvest food from the sea—but it also points to hopeful pathways. Marine protected areas (MPAs), responsible aquaculture, innovative technologies that reduce bycatch and improve sustainability, and global cooperation emerge as necessary solutions.

Attenborough’s message is clear: our choices as consumers matter. By choosing retailers and brands that prioritize sustainable sourcing, we help tip the balance toward recovery. The oceans can rebound—but the window for action is closing fast.

Sources for chart: Seafoodwatch.org, World Bank

Why the oceans matter

Imagine draining your fridge every night and expecting it to restock itself by morning. That’s how we’ve been treating the ocean. We’re no longer living off the ocean’s interest—we’re draining its life.

The oceans regulates our climate, feeds billions, and hosts over 80% of life on Earth. But pollution, and overfishing are pushing it to the brink. A 2022 FAO report confirms that over 35% of global fish stocks are overfished, compared to just 10% in the 1970s (FAO SOFIA 2022).

As Chris McReynolds, Managing Director at Oceanworks Group—who has worked across both wild catch and aquaculture for over four decades—puts it:

“The world’s oceans have been at full or over-exploitation since the early 1990s. And the only thing that’s changed since then is that the population has doubled.”

Wild & farmed working together

The debate over wild vs. farmed fish often gets emotional, but the reality is clear: the future of seafood depends on both wild-caught and aquaculture production.

The global seafood industry—both farmed and wild-caught—is highly fragmented, with wildly inconsistent standards. In some regions, poor working conditions, environmental contamination, and lax oversight persist. In others, strict rules govern human welfare, fish health, and environmental impact.

Take wild-capture fisheries: in some parts of the world, massive trawl nets scoop up everything in their path—targeted fish, turtles, sharks, and countless other creatures. The unwanted catch, known as bycatch, usually dies before being tossed back into the sea.

That shrimp cocktail you ordered? If it’s from the Gulf, it may come with a staggering 300% bycatch rate.

But not all wild fisheries are the same. Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)-certified operations must meet strict bycatch and habitat standards. In Alaska, for instance, pollock fisheries now use trawl nets with escape hatches for non-target species, cutting bycatch rates to under 2%.

Innovations in modern aquaculture

Aquaculture already supplies more than half the world’s seafood—and it will need to grow. The FAO estimates we’ll require 30 to 40% more aquatic protein by 2050 to feed the planet. While aquaculture has long been stigmatized, modern operations in Norway, Chile, and the U.S. are among the most tightly regulated in the world.

Today’s innovations are changing the game:

“In Japan and Europe, farmed fish is just fish,” says McReynolds. “They eat it daily, and they’re not dying. The fear is largely an American creation.

When done responsibly, aquaculture provides year-round, stable protein with far less volatility than seasonal wild catches. It relieves pressure on overfished stocks, strengthens supply chains, and feeds growing populations. Wild fisheries, meanwhile, remain essential for biodiversity, cultural traditions, and ecological balance.

“It’s not about one or the other,” McReynolds adds. “They have to co-exist. We don’t need to pit wild against farmed—we just need to eat good fish and protect the systems that make that possible.”

Think of it this way: wild fish are like wildflowers—diverse, ecologically vital, and worth protecting in their natural habitats. Farmed fish are more like cultivated crops—carefully managed, scalable, and increasingly sustainable when grown the right way. We need both for a healthy, resilient future.

Tech on deck: The future of fishing

Technology is revolutionizing seafood production—and not just in theory. Today, it’s making real-time sustainability a reality on both farms and boats. Today’s smart fish farms are like underwater smart homes—outfitted with AI, sensors, and eco-engineering to keep every parameter in check.

Artificial Intelligence

In aquaculture, AI is now used to monitor fish health, regulate feeding, and track water quality. Smart cameras and machine learning tools help detect issues like disease, parasites (such as sea lice), or oxygen depletion before they become crises. In Chile, farms equipped with AI sensors have reported feed conversion ratio (FCR) improvements of 15–20%—meaning less waste and lower environmental impact.

Smart tip: Shellfish like mussels are filter feeders—they actually clean the ocean as they grow.

Electronic Monitoring Systems

On the wild catch side, fisheries are increasingly adopting electronic monitoring systems (EMS). These include onboard cameras, acoustic sensors, and geolocation tags that allow vessels to track every net, every haul, and every species caught. Data is uploaded in near real-time to ensure compliance with quotas and protected areas. According to Global Fishing Watch, these technologies are being used to track over 65,000 vessels worldwide.

Satellite Systems

Satellite systems also play a crucial role in combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. With high-resolution imaging and automatic identification systems (AIS), authorities can detect vessels operating in no-fishing zones or under false flags. Governments and NGOs now use these tools to enforce marine protected areas and respond faster to violations.

Did you know? AI is being used to track sea lice, detect fish with injuries, and reduce overfeeding in aquaculture.

These technologies don’t just reduce environmental harm—they also improve operational efficiency.

More precise tracking means less fuel burned, less wasted effort, and more sustainable margins for producers.

When combined with better data sharing, predictive modeling, and blockchain for traceability, tech-enabled seafood becomes not just better for the planet—but better for business.

“AI can process things the human eye can’t,” McReynolds says. “It’s changing the game.”

Who to trust: Leading seafood retailers

Not all seafood counters are created equal. Where you shop can be just as important as what you buy.

Some retailers have made sustainability a core part of their sourcing strategy—vetting suppliers, auditing traceability, and prioritizing eco-labels so that you don’t have to decode everything yourself.

Costco, Walmart, Whole Foods, and Sainsbury’s have made significant investments in sustainable seafood.

These companies work with third-party certifiers like the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC), and Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) to ensure their seafood meets rigorous environmental and ethical standards.

Behind the scenes, trusted retailers are asking tough questions on your behalf:

  • Where and how was this fish caught or farmed?
  • What’s the feed made of?
  • Are workers in the supply chain treated fairly?
  • Is the product traceable to its origin?

Don’t overlook store brands. Kirkland Signature at Costco, for instance, is often certified and traceable, thanks to the company’s strict supplier standards. Walmart has committed to sourcing 100% of its fresh and frozen seafood from sustainable sources, adapting its strategy across global markets to meet local challenges.

In short: when you choose a retailer that takes sustainability seriously, you’re casting a vote for better oceans—every time you shop.

How Food Affects Your Hormones

Hormones are chemical messengers that quietly dictate everything from how well you sleep to how alert you feel, how easily you burn fat, and even how long you live. What you eat every day isn’t just fuel—it’s instruction.

For instance, you feel fine in the morning, but by 3 pm, you’re crashing. You’re not really hungry, but you’re reaching for a snack or another coffee to push through. Your brain says you need energy, but what you actually need is better instructions for your hormones.

As Dr. Peter Attia says, “You can’t supplement or out-exercise your way out of a bad diet.”

And increasingly, science is showing: you can’t out-hack your hormones, either.

But many of us may be accidentally sending our hormones the wrong instructions. According to the CDC, over 1 in 3 American adults are already insulin resistant — many without knowing it.

Meanwhile, rates of metabolic dysfunction, hormonal imbalances, and fertility struggles are rising sharply even in people who appear outwardly healthy.

As Dr. Robert Lustig, pediatric endocrinologist and author of Metabolical, puts it:
“It’s not about calories in, calories out. It’s about hormones. Fix the hormones, and the weight takes care of itself.”

Hormone-Food Feedback Loop

Think of your hormones like text messages from your brain and organs: fast, direct, and highly responsive. The food you eat is the keyboard. Every bite is a message you send.

Consider this situation: Emily is a busy professional in her 30s, works out regularly, has a normal BMI and tries to “eat clean.” But her day starts with coffee on an empty stomach, she grabs a protein bar for lunch between meetings, and finishes her day with late-night takeout after working late.

She struggles with energy crashes, mood swings, and creeping anxiety. Her doctor says her labs are “normal.” But her hormones tell a different story: erratic cortisol, early insulin resistance, and disrupted hunger signaling.

Emily’s eating habits are probably not too dissimilar from many of ours. In fact, today’s food landscape is actively working against your hormones:

  • Over 70% of U.S. calories now come from foods that don’t fortify our bodies (BMJ Global Health, 2024).
  • The average American eats 17 times per day if you count “micro-snacks” (NIH observational data).
  • Stress, remote work patterns, and social media culture promote irregular eating windows.

As Dr. Rhonda Patrick notes: “We’ve never lived in a more hormone-hostile environment, where hyper-palatable foods and chronic stress are normalized. Diet may be our last controllable lever.

When you eat, your body launches a hormonal cascade. Insulin rises to shuttle glucose into cells. Leptin and ghrelin toggle your sense of fullness and hunger. Cortisol and dopamine modulate your energy and mood. Over time, the quality and timing of your meals shape how these signals behave—and whether they begin to misfire.

Dr. Andrew Huberman describes it like this:

“Food is one of the most powerful levers we have over our brain’s reward systems. When you eat processed sugar, you’re essentially pulling the dopamine slot machine — again and again.”

Hormone #1: Insulin as Gatekeeper of Energy

Produced by the pancreas, it responds to carbohydrates by clearing sugar from the blood and directing it to be stored or used for energy.

But here’s the catch: chronically high insulin — often the result of frequent snacking, sugary breakfasts, and late-night carbs — can lead to insulin resistance. This is when the body stops responding effectively to insulin.

This contributes to everything from weight gain and fatigue to prediabetes and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome.

Insulin is like a delivery truck. If you keep sending too many packages to your cells too often, they stop answering the door. The boxes pile up, but in your bloodstream.

Peter Attia calls insulin resistance “the most underappreciated threat to long-term health,” noting that its effects ripple out into cardiovascular disease, cognitive decline, and even cancer risk.

Nutrition Strategy:

  • Prioritize whole foods rich in fiber, protein, and healthy fats.
  • Reduce meal frequency (avoid constant grazing).
  • Time carbohydrates earlier in the day to support circadian rhythms.
  • Eat only 24 grams for women and 36 for men of sugar a day.

Hormone #2: Leptin and Ghrelin as Satiety Detectors

Leptin tells your brain you’re full. Ghrelin tells it you’re hungry. Ideally, they operate like a thermostat. But processed foods—especially those loaded with sugar and refined carbs—can blunt leptin’s signals and keep ghrelin artificially elevated.

It’s like having a broken thermostat that keeps telling your house it’s freezing — even in summer. Your brain thinks you need more energy, so you keep eating.

Dr. David Ludwig of Harvard explains: “Highly processed carbohydrates hijack the body’s natural satiety systems, making it much harder to regulate intake—even at a healthy weight.” Huberman adds that poor sleep further disrupts ghrelin: “When you’re sleep-deprived, your brain literally tells you to eat more — and specifically craves sugar and highly palatable foods.”

Nutrition Strategy:

  • Focus on protein-forward meals (~30g per meal).
  • Eat real, unprocessed foods that naturally activate fullness signals.
  • Avoid foods that don’t fortify your body, which can override these hormones.

Hormone #3: Cortisol as the Stress Trigger

The role of cortisol in the body. It is hormone Released in response to stress and low blood-glucose concentration. Human endocrine system Stock Vector Image & Art - Alamy

Cortisol helps regulate blood sugar during stress.

But when stress is chronic — and combined with erratic eating patterns — cortisol becomes a hormonal arsonist, destabilizing energy, mood, and fat storage.

Huberman recommends anchoring cortisol by eating a protein-based breakfast within 30-60 minutes of waking.

He states that “early protein intake signals safety to the nervous system. It’s one of the most underrated ways to stabilize mood and focus throughout the day.”

Cortisol is like your home’s fire alarm. It’s essential in an emergency—but if it keeps going off, the system becomes desensitized, and damage builds up quietly.

Nutrition Strategy:

  • Front-load protein early in the day.
  • Limit caffeine on an empty stomach.
  • Pair stress management (light exposure, breathwork) with consistent meals.

How Does Your Body Feel?

If you’re worried you might be negatively impacting your hormonal health via your diet, consider the below, and if you check two or more or these, your body might be sending you warning signals that your diet isn’t giving it clear instructions:

Do any of these sound familiar?

  • You hit an energy wall most afternoons
  • You crave sugar, salty snacks, or caffeine to “push through”
  • You feel full but still hungry after meals
  • You wake up wired, anxious, or not fully rested
  • You feel foggy or irritable after carb-heavy meals
  • Your weight feels harder to manage, even with effort

Why this Matters Now More Than Ever

Every bite you take sends a message. Is it one of clarity, balance, and support? Or one of chaos and confusion? Reframing meals not just as fuel—but as conversations with your hormones—can change the game. But before altering your diet, consult with your doctor as there may be other concerns that need to be addressed first.

Because as both Attia and Huberman would argue, no supplement, wearable, or ‘hack’ will outperform the basic, consistent signals you send your body every day.