Podcasts about Food studies

Dr. Eric C. Rath is a professor of history at the University of Kansas where he teaches courses on food history and premodern Japan. A leading specialist in Japanese food culture, Dr. Rath has authored more than thirty articles on Japanese food culture from ancient to modern times covering the history of food rituals, heirloom vegetables, confectionery, restaurants, tableware, and eating competitions. His books include Food and Fantasy in Early Modern Japan (2010), Japanese Foodways Past and Present coedited with Stephanie Assmann (2010), Japan's Cuisines: Food, Place and Identity (2016), and Oishii: The History of Sushi (2021).  He is on the editorial board of the Oxford Research Encyclopedia for Food Studies and is a founding member of the editorial collective of Gastronomica: The Journal for Food Studies.  He has written for the popular publications Sake Today and The Sake Times. His recent monograph, the topic for today's conversation, Kanpai: The History of Sake (Reaktion Books, 2025), is the first history of sake in English, exploring its evolution from homebrew to flavored varieties, and its cultural significance and global rise—including its growing popularity and production in North America and Europe. 

Dr. Marion Nestle's 2002 book, Food Politics was instrumental in awakening the nation to the disfunction in America's food policy and its food system. She reflects on her path to food policy and shares her thinking about what she sees is important today for those seeking change

Jack Bobo is a food futurist and keynote speaker at E Tipu New Zealand Future Food and Fibre Summit. He argues the food system's hardest problem after climate is social. We all disagree about what food is, how it should be grown and how it should be distributed. It doesn't have to be this way. In a wide-ranging conversation, Vincent asks Jack to reflect on the future of food to 2100.Jack Bobo is the author of ‘Why Smart People Make Bad Food Choices' and is Executive Director of the Rothman Family Institute for Food Studies at UCLA in the United States. He is speaking at the E Tipu New Zealand Future Food and Fibre Summit in Christchurch in May 2026.

Choosing what to eat sounds simple, but as this conversation reveals, it's anything but. Food choices are shaped by powerful industries, global supply chains, government policy, and marketing systems that rarely prioritize human or planetary health. In this episode, Alita Guillen sits down with Marion Nestle, Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at NYU and one of the world's leading voices on food policy. Marion is the author of more than a dozen award-winning books, including her latest, What to Eat Now: The Indispensable Guide to Good Food, How to Find It, and Why It Matters. Together, they explore how modern food systems influence what ends up in our grocery carts, why eating “real food” has become so complicated, and how everyday decisions, from buying coffee to choosing juice, meat, or packaged snacks, ripple outward to affect climate change, labor conditions, public health, and global hunger. Marion breaks down how supermarkets are engineered for profit, what food labels really mean and don't mean, how ultra-processed foods quietly drive overconsumption, and why eating more plants and fewer animal products is a rare win for both personal health and the planet. She also offers practical, grounded advice for making better choices without guilt, emphasizing that food should still be a source of pleasure. At 89 years old and still writing books, Marion brings decades of perspective, humor, and clarity to a conversation that will change how you think about food, not just as fuel, but as a powerful global force. Book: What to Eat Now: The Indispensable Guide to Good Food, How to Find It, and Why It Matters Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alitakguillen/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/10secondstoair/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alitaguillen/  Web: https://www.alitaguillen.com/  Web: https://www.10secondstoair.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

W dzisiejszej audycji rozmawiamy o tym, jak rozpoznawać Boga w codziennym życiu, w zwyczajnych chwilach. Z Magdaleną Tomaszewską- Bolałek, kierowniczką studiów podyplomowych Food Studies na Uniwersytecie SWPS w Warszawie, rozmawiamy o polskich tradycjach kulinarnych związanych z Wielkanocą. Rozmawiamy także o Wielkanocy jako o źródle siły jaką daje wiara i szansie na nawrócenie

The Gastronomica podcast returns to the air, bringing listeners new interviews with authors from the latest issues of Gastronomica: The Journal for Food Studies. In this episode, Alyssa James of Gastronomica's Editorial Collective hosts award-winning writer and historian Camille Bégin for a discussion of “Chiang Mai 2015,” a creative nonfiction account of a family trip and a search for sustenance that becomes entangled with questions of illness, climate, and care. In her memoir of failed culinary tourism, a story set against the smoky skies of northern Thailand, Camille asks what it means to travel, to look for meaning, and to eat ethically. In conversation with Alyssa, Camille talks about how the haze shapes her story, reflects on the politics of culinary tourism, and shows how food can become a small anchor in times of crisis. “Chiang Mai 2015” was published in the Spring 2025 issue of Gastronomica (25.1) and is available online here. Camille Bégin is the author of Taste of the Nation: The New Deal Search for America's Food (University of Illinois Press, 2016). Her personal essays have appeared in Gastronomica, Adelaide Magazine, and the scientific journal, Brain. She is currently writing a food memoir called Crumbs: A Trail of Taste and Illness. Website here Alyssa A. L. James is an anthropologist and postdoctoral scholar at the USC Society of Fellows. Her current book project, Revival Grounds, examines coffee, heritage, and temporality in Martinique. Learn more here Listeners can now find the Gastronomica podcast on the New Books Network here. Subscribe to Gastronomica's podcast feed to stay updated on the newest episodes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

The Gastronomica podcast returns to the air, bringing listeners new interviews with authors from the latest issues of Gastronomica: The Journal for Food Studies. In this episode, Alyssa James of Gastronomica's Editorial Collective hosts award-winning writer and historian Camille Bégin for a discussion of “Chiang Mai 2015,” a creative nonfiction account of a family trip and a search for sustenance that becomes entangled with questions of illness, climate, and care. In her memoir of failed culinary tourism, a story set against the smoky skies of northern Thailand, Camille asks what it means to travel, to look for meaning, and to eat ethically. In conversation with Alyssa, Camille talks about how the haze shapes her story, reflects on the politics of culinary tourism, and shows how food can become a small anchor in times of crisis. “Chiang Mai 2015” was published in the Spring 2025 issue of Gastronomica (25.1) and is available online here. Camille Bégin is the author of Taste of the Nation: The New Deal Search for America's Food (University of Illinois Press, 2016). Her personal essays have appeared in Gastronomica, Adelaide Magazine, and the scientific journal, Brain. She is currently writing a food memoir called Crumbs: A Trail of Taste and Illness. Website here Alyssa A. L. James is an anthropologist and postdoctoral scholar at the USC Society of Fellows. Her current book project, Revival Grounds, examines coffee, heritage, and temporality in Martinique. Learn more here Listeners can now find the Gastronomica podcast on the New Books Network here. Subscribe to Gastronomica's podcast feed to stay updated on the newest episodes. Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/southeast-asian-studies

The Gastronomica podcast returns to the air, bringing listeners new interviews with authors from the latest issues of Gastronomica: The Journal for Food Studies. In this episode, Alyssa James of Gastronomica's Editorial Collective hosts award-winning writer and historian Camille Bégin for a discussion of “Chiang Mai 2015,” a creative nonfiction account of a family trip and a search for sustenance that becomes entangled with questions of illness, climate, and care. In her memoir of failed culinary tourism, a story set against the smoky skies of northern Thailand, Camille asks what it means to travel, to look for meaning, and to eat ethically. In conversation with Alyssa, Camille talks about how the haze shapes her story, reflects on the politics of culinary tourism, and shows how food can become a small anchor in times of crisis. “Chiang Mai 2015” was published in the Spring 2025 issue of Gastronomica (25.1) and is available online here. Camille Bégin is the author of Taste of the Nation: The New Deal Search for America's Food (University of Illinois Press, 2016). Her personal essays have appeared in Gastronomica, Adelaide Magazine, and the scientific journal, Brain. She is currently writing a food memoir called Crumbs: A Trail of Taste and Illness. Website here Alyssa A. L. James is an anthropologist and postdoctoral scholar at the USC Society of Fellows. Her current book project, Revival Grounds, examines coffee, heritage, and temporality in Martinique. Learn more here Listeners can now find the Gastronomica podcast on the New Books Network here. Subscribe to Gastronomica's podcast feed to stay updated on the newest episodes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/biography

The Gastronomica podcast returns to the air, bringing listeners new interviews with authors from the latest issues of Gastronomica: The Journal for Food Studies. In this episode, Alyssa James of Gastronomica's Editorial Collective hosts award-winning writer and historian Camille Bégin for a discussion of “Chiang Mai 2015,” a creative nonfiction account of a family trip and a search for sustenance that becomes entangled with questions of illness, climate, and care. In her memoir of failed culinary tourism, a story set against the smoky skies of northern Thailand, Camille asks what it means to travel, to look for meaning, and to eat ethically. In conversation with Alyssa, Camille talks about how the haze shapes her story, reflects on the politics of culinary tourism, and shows how food can become a small anchor in times of crisis. “Chiang Mai 2015” was published in the Spring 2025 issue of Gastronomica (25.1) and is available online here. Camille Bégin is the author of Taste of the Nation: The New Deal Search for America's Food (University of Illinois Press, 2016). Her personal essays have appeared in Gastronomica, Adelaide Magazine, and the scientific journal, Brain. She is currently writing a food memoir called Crumbs: A Trail of Taste and Illness. Website here Alyssa A. L. James is an anthropologist and postdoctoral scholar at the USC Society of Fellows. Her current book project, Revival Grounds, examines coffee, heritage, and temporality in Martinique. Learn more here Listeners can now find the Gastronomica podcast on the New Books Network here. Subscribe to Gastronomica's podcast feed to stay updated on the newest episodes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/food

The Gastronomica podcast returns to the air, bringing listeners new interviews with authors from the latest issues of Gastronomica: The Journal for Food Studies. In this episode, Alyssa James of Gastronomica's Editorial Collective hosts award-winning writer and historian Camille Bégin for a discussion of “Chiang Mai 2015,” a creative nonfiction account of a family trip and a search for sustenance that becomes entangled with questions of illness, climate, and care. In her memoir of failed culinary tourism, a story set against the smoky skies of northern Thailand, Camille asks what it means to travel, to look for meaning, and to eat ethically. In conversation with Alyssa, Camille talks about how the haze shapes her story, reflects on the politics of culinary tourism, and shows how food can become a small anchor in times of crisis. “Chiang Mai 2015” was published in the Spring 2025 issue of Gastronomica (25.1) and is available online here. Camille Bégin is the author of Taste of the Nation: The New Deal Search for America's Food (University of Illinois Press, 2016). Her personal essays have appeared in Gastronomica, Adelaide Magazine, and the scientific journal, Brain. She is currently writing a food memoir called Crumbs: A Trail of Taste and Illness. Website here Alyssa A. L. James is an anthropologist and postdoctoral scholar at the USC Society of Fellows. Her current book project, Revival Grounds, examines coffee, heritage, and temporality in Martinique. Learn more here Listeners can now find the Gastronomica podcast on the New Books Network here. Subscribe to Gastronomica's podcast feed to stay updated on the newest episodes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/popular-culture

Over the last several years, I have been thinking about food waste and food loss a lot. It's been a topic that we've seen in many spaces in the US and around the world. And it's interesting to compare how the US handles food waste with other countries. To that end, we will learn more about how Belgium addresses food waste in a conversation with an anthropologist and journalist, Dr. Kelly Alexander from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her book, Truffles and Trash: Recirculating Food in a Social Welfare State, explores community driven solutions and policy around food waste. And Belgium's capital city of Brussells. Interview Transcript Let's start with your research in Brussels at a high end truffle restaurant... but you ended up in food banks and social restaurants and community kitchens. Tell us a little bit about the evolution. How did this project evolve to finding yourself in these new places? Yeah, it's a, a strange trajectory. I did not start out to be a food waste researcher. But how it started and how it's going, you know, that meme from 2018? This is like what I love to talk about when I talk to my food study students, because I started out, as a researcher, very interested in the development of haut cuisine. I had worked in a lot of restaurants. I had worked as a journalist for several food magazines. And the question that really animated me was how a truffle, this little spore on a fungus, has become one of the world's most expensive ingredients. And so I was doing ethnographic research in the kitchen of a Michelin starred truffle restaurant. And there is not that many of those, and one of them happens to be in Brussels, Belgium. And I'm in the kitchen there and I'm working on the line. And I usually have to specify to my students like it wasn't a stunt. Like you can't write to a Michelin star restaurant and say, 'Hey, can I come on in and work in your kitchen?' I had a lot of credentials as a journalist and as a chef first. What I did have going for me is that I was in a funded doctoral dissertation program, actually the anthropology program at Duke. So, I had funding to go and do that research in this kitchen. And there's probably no restaurant in the world, no matter how high end, that is not willing to accept some free labor. So, I'm working in that kitchen. I'm working with fantastic chefs. And what happens when you work at a super high-end restaurant is that is aesthetics are valued above all else. The food has to be really, really beautiful. And this restaurant charges extraordinarily. It's called La Truffe Noire. It's still in Brussels now. It's a truffle restaurant. The black truffle. Super high prices for very, very refined food. And in order to do that, a large part of my job was brushing priceless truffles, throwing away an unbelievable amount of very beautiful produce that would otherwise have been exceptionally valued in other contexts. And I come from a background - my grandmother was a Russian Jewish woman. She grew up in Brooklyn. She moved to Atlanta, Georgia after World War II. She taught me to cook, and she never threw anything away. And when I say that to people, I think they're like, oh yeah, I have a grandmother like that. But she really never threw anything away, like can of grease under the sink. The whole thing. Every little butt of a vegetable was saved for stock for later. And I was throwing away so much good food working in La Truffe Noire just making beautiful garnishes and vegetable carvings and things like that, that I started following the food waste around the city. I was wondering where all of this went. And I actually asked the chef in the restaurant, you know, we throw away so much food, would it be possible to give some of it to people who could really use it? And his response really interested me and changed the whole course of my research because he said, I am really willing to do that. However, I pay chefs to cook food and not to give it away. So, if somebody was willing to come here and pick it up, I'd happily give it to him. But I'm not going to pay people to go and do that. And I thought, well, I wonder what else is going on in this city in terms of this. Like where does all this food go? And I discovered I was doing this research at a fortuitous moment in the EU when the EU had just made this compulsory policy aimed at supermarkets. So, all large scale supermarkets across the EU were suddenly required to donate all edible but unsellable food. And the EU didn't give a lot of direction about how they could do that, and also didn't give the supermarkets any money. So, what happened as a result of that? Well, there were lots of local grassroots efforts communicating directly with supermarkets who were like, 'Hey, we're over here. We'll come pick up the food that you don't want to sell that's still good to eat. And we'll use it in our food banks and in our zero food waste popup restaurants.' And all the supermarkets had to do was get the food waste off their books. So, while I was there working in this truffle restaurant, all this other food waste activity was going on. And I discovered that's really what I wanted to be doing. I loved working as a chef, but I wanted to see what the possibilities were for recuperating food around the city. So, I changed. I changed everything I was doing pretty quickly. Oh, this is really fascinating. Thank you for sharing that. I know that the field of anthropology and other fields, you can start off on one project and discover that there's this whole new world that you didn't even realize until you started down the path. This is fascinating and I'm sure your advisor was thrilled to know that you wanted to change topic midstream. But it worked out. It worked out beautifully, it seems. It is true. I couldn't look away from the food waste to the point where I was taking pictures of the garbage can in the restaurant every day. And this big industrial garbage can filled with like priceless wild mushrooms. And a big part of my job is the restaurant made this dish. This is what changed my life. There's like a series of food journalists who talk about the dish that changed my life and what they're talking about is when you eat something super delicious and you have some kind of awakening, this is like the opposite of what happened to me. I am making this dish called Salad Stephanie. It's like a 40-euro salad that has a lobster tail in it and all these beautiful wild mushrooms, and it has eight spinach leaves. So, a big part of my job when I worked at La Truffe Noire was to hold up individual spinach leaves up to the light, and if they had any blemish or like a broken vein in them to throw it away. So, this is beautiful, this is like the best spinach that you could get. The best produce in all of Europe was coming to this restaurant and I was throwing it away. And I started taking photographs just to document all the food I was throwing away. And I couldn't look away. And actually my advisor, Dr. Anne Allison, in cultural anthropology at Duke, was really excited because I had been doing a project on aesthetics and now I was proposing a total change to do this much more political project about where food waste goes. So, she was like, yes, let us follow the food waste. This is so much more interesting. So that was kind of a nice nod that I was thinking in the right anthropological direction about food and value. Thank you. This is such an important uncovering that, you know, research isn't static. It's not linear. It takes deviations and it's in those deviations that you find the real truths. The real exciting things. Let's continue the conversation because I think there's so much more to uncover. In your book, Truffles and Trash, you describe a particular day of field work at a Brussels food pantry. It was a really powerful moment. And I will say, having worked at food pantries in different parts of the US, I recognize this story in a serious way. You mentioned that this moment turned into a tense moment around fish and pork. Can you describe this to our listeners and why did this experience stick with you? What did it teach you about the hidden social politics of food waste and redistribution? Yeah. I often frame, you know, I did this work back and forth to Brussels for about six years and certain moments just absolutely have stayed with me and haunted me in a lot of ways. And one of them was working at this food bank in a former hospital. So, there's a former hospital that had shut down. It was still like a hospital with rooms for sick people in a giant sick bay. And it had been turned into a kind of community residential center where people could rent rooms, they could use the kitchen to prepare their food. That had been the hospital's kitchen. And the bottom floor of it, which had been the whole emergency triage center, was turned into a thrice weekly food bank. So, I'm volunteering at this food bank and there's tons of food coming in from grocery stores. And this is Brussels in the summer. It's pretty hot outside. A lot of people go on vacation. There's a lot of expensive food coming in, including fish and pork, fresh fish and fresh pork. I am assigned to work on this station. The person who usually runs the station, who is my boss, is an older Vietnamese woman who's an immigrant herself to Brussels. And she is kind of giving me the ropes. And she has figured something out where she says, you know, we have to give equal things to equal people, right? And she's telling me this before anybody comes in the food bank. Yes, sure. We will give one to one to each person as the people are coming through the food bank. Brussels has a very high population of Moroccan immigrants, and this is due to historical factors. The Nation of Belgium invited Moroccan immigrants to help them build their subways in the '50s and '60s with the promise of citizenship, including they have an amazing educational system. It's a whole social welfare state, healthcare, everything. So, this is guaranteed to those Moroccan immigrants. What the Belgian government didn't do, and has been pretty clear on admitting, is create any social programming around those assimilation efforts. So, the generations of those people who came to build the subways are now a lot of them living on social assistance. That is who is coming through. A lot of Moroccan people who are Muslim, into this food bank. Muslim people typically have prohibitions against eating pork. So, we have fresh fish and fresh pork. There are women coming through, they're in hijabs, they're obviously presenting as Muslim and they are asking, could I have the fish please? And we were told to give the pork first and then the fish, because the fish is considered more valuable. And I am thinking, in my own head, oh, I'll just be an amazing social innovator here. Yes, of course. If you don't eat pork, please let me give you this fish. It is not occurring to me that other people coming through the line are considering this preferential treatment. So, I am giving fish to these Muslim women. One of them sees me in line and says, my friend is back there. Can you put aside a piece of fish for her? Yes, sure, no problem. I set it aside. A woman who is Flemish is coming through and she's speaking to me in Dutch and I'm handing her pork. Pork is super popular amongst Flemish diners. No problem. And she's pointing down and she had seen me put the fish away and said, can I have that fish? Well that fish is for someone else and she absolutely threw a fit. No, you can't do that. It's not fair. It's not just, you must give me a fish. Long story short, there's a whole tug of war between this package of fish. There's a security person at the food bank, which I had not considered why there would need to be a security person at the food bank who has to come in, break up this fight. It was, it was so humbling. I had not considered these factors. It's really on me. It's like you as a social scientist who's thinking it's not on me to innovate this food bank's pantry. I didn't follow directions. I thought I was doing a good thing. You know, the whole war over this fish. And when you see what it means to someone's culture to eat the foods that are appropriate to your culture, I would fight if someone was like, you can't have that matzo ball soup again. I'm going to take it away from you. There's no telling what I would do to get my hands on it. And I just felt in that moment, like I had done it all wrong. Like I had really misunderstood food waste distribution. But more than that, of course, I'm not the star of this story. If you are at the mercy of what is available and without choice... anthropologists spend a lot of time talking about the good life and what constitutes the good life and studying the good life. I would define the good life as being able to eat the food that you wish when you wish for it. If you don't have that and you are at the mercy of the state to decide what is appropriate for you, then you find yourself in these kinds of conflicts. And you see them, you said you could relate, you see them in food banks playing out all over the world. Yeah. First, Kelly, thank you for sharing that because I know that wasn't a fun story. I mean, I can only imagine the, the, the pain of you watching this scene unfold. I mean, that must have been difficult. Especially when the security guard is called in. Okay, that's tough. And realizing that there were differences in cultures that were clashing. All of that happening at the same time. And one of the things I pick up out of this story is that which is considered food that could be wasted, that could be redistributed, is not acceptable for all people. And like, how do we then make sense of that? Because you're in a culture where something is considered a good product...pork, but it's not considered a good product for other people. And so, you know, our food system, and I always say this about food banking in general, people complain about the foods that show up in food banks, in sort of a traditional sense. But it's just a reflection of the food system of that country, right? It just looks like what we have. And we may think that's not good, but it's, it's what you see in the grocery store often. And for all those reasons, I think there's such a richness to this story. So, thank you for sharing and also the humility it takes for telling that story too. I wanted to not be intrusive like any social scientist. I was there to share my time to do some participant observation research. Suddenly I had ignited this culture war amongst these two women, which is the least population I would want to affect. And you know, the security guard turned to me at the end of it, which is in the book and said, you get what you get. That is the policy. Yeah. If they want to trade when they get outside, you do not decide. You get what you get. That's how we do it. And I saw the wisdom of it in that moment. But at the same time, to your point, you see, sort of, like there have been much bigger tensions in Europe, especially around halal meat. You see it in France all the time, should McDonald's serve halal meat. And there's a certain very conservative contingent of Flemish people who are like, you can't tell us what we can eat. You can't tell us how we have to butcher our meat. And that's what I had seen firsthand happening in a food bank, which you think of as a place of lack where politics don't come, and politics are there. Yes, very much so. And the idea of equitable distribution; it can feel restrictive in some ways, but it serves a purpose. And like I said, I really appreciate you sharing that, and I think it's an important thing for all of us to understand the complexity of those environments. I want to move on and ask about sort of regulatory and legislative realities in Europe. So, Europe, as you mentioned, has this compulsory legislation requiring supermarkets to donate edible but unsellable food. While in the US food redistribution is often framed as charity. How does this policy difference shape what's possible? Yeah. This is the question. So, you know, one of the things I learned, even in that example. I always highlight like my worst, hardest, saddest day of participant observation in six years, which was that one. Which shows a kind of flaw in a food bank model. And sometimes I have students who say, oh, you hate food banks. I don't hate food banks. I think food banks have a lot of flaws. And what they do is continue to reproduce this structure of givers and receivers, right? Like there's, on one hand, one side of the equation are people who are giving food and on the other side who are people who were receiving food. And one thing this policy did this, like compulsory policy of forcing supermarkets... and you can't really force them, you can only levy huge fines with them. Which is... I am a big fan of policy with teeth, not just policy, but policy with teeth. You will have to pay a huge fine as a supermarket if you don't want to do this. And very few supermarkets have had to pay that fine as a result of this. There was massive compliance. But one thing I discovered was really better ways than food bank models, or that I think are better ways. In part because they're more equitable. And one of them is this concept of a social restaurant, which is very European, although you're seeing them spring up in the US more and more. So, a social restaurant, according to this model, is a government institution. It's funded by the government. And it has internship programs that people who are job seekers can apply to. They can learn skills on the job to work in restaurants, to work in the service industry. This is really important in a place like Belgium where there are two official languages, French and Dutch, but most immigrants come with only one, if any. And to be bilingual in a job market makes you far more competitive. So, you can learn this in these restaurants. You have language lessons. And then you also learn how to run a restaurant. The restaurant is entirely powered by this surplus distributed food from supermarkets, which gives you an idea of the scale. In my thinking, I was like, how can a couple of supermarkets possibly be giving an institution so much food that it could run a restaurant? The restaurant where I worked called Bel Mundo had four gigantic rooms of freezers, all of which had been donated, and they were turning away supermarkets. So that's how much food was coming in every day, just to say that. And so my greatest day of field work was called Steak Night. You wouldn't believe that you could find steak that was coming from a supermarket into a zero-food waste restaurant. And by the way, the restaurant sells meals at a lower cost. A lot of the meals were for pensioners. And also sliding scale. So, you know, one day I walked into the kitchen and there were 25 steaks, and they were fresh and they were going to expire in the next couple of days. And we needed to make them. The chefs were so excited. The chef trainees were so excited that diners were so excited about Steak Night. It was easily the happiest day of field work I'd ever had. People were dancing in the kitchen, we're playing music. It felt like we were doing something that was really luxurious and that's what that kind of policy can enable, right? There was a freezer full of unsold Christmas gooses from December that were then served for spring for Easter. That was like amazing. It's just another model. It's another way of doing things, right? That that policy made possible. Yes, and that's a great set of examples of how we can think about new ways of meeting these needs, using the surplus of our food system in creative and innovative spaces. And there's this possibility of training and development. I think there's something valuable there. You report that people in the US who talk with you about food waste, including your students, often ask, why don't we do this here? After everything you've seen, what's one realistic lesson or one small shift that communities in the US could adopt, right here, right now to rethink food waste? This the best question, and it is the number one question I get. Why don't we have this here? And we have seeds of some of it here already. I always point that out. One of the best programs I've ever seen is a program that is associated with the city's abattoir, which is a huge outdoor market that runs only on the weekends. And this grassroots group got together and said, you know, nobody's ever hanging out in this market during the week, we want to revitalize it. And one of the ways that they did it, just to get people to use the space more, was to take all the unsold produce. So instead of having vendors at the end of a market, and I think of my Carborro, NC farmer's market like this, at the end of the market, which is a pretty bougie farmer's market lots of chefs go there and get local produce. But at the end of the market instead of having farmers and produce vendors take home what they couldn't sell, they have an aftermarket. And the aftermarket turns that produce into edible meals. Everybody pays $5. There are people who come and cook the meal. If you cook the meal, you get to work for free, and it's a whole community workforce. It has had a tremendous effect. So, 60% of that market's food waste is now consumed. That's a big shift and it's happening at a local level. So, one thing, I think Michael Pollan's an amazing food journalist, but one of his great conclusions is that people need to grow their own food. And I'm critical of this. I don't think that's appropriate. I don't think that's a sustainable solution for a lot of people. But what I do think is sustainable in a market like that where there's food that doesn't sell, instead of throwing it away or taking it back or letting it rot, we could do something with it on the spot. And that's a little thing that makes a big difference. So, I am a fan of that. Food waste is one of the problems that is actually, in my view, best solved by local efforts because it's there, it's just sitting there. If you can move it around before it spoils you have won. If the ultimate goal is to just not throw away food. Now I do have students, I will say who are brilliant, who say stuff to me like isn't that neoliberalism? Look, yes. The answer's, the answer's yes. The answer's yes. If what your goal is, is to make sure that more edible food is not buried in landfills, which is bad for the environment and is not helping hungry people, it can be really effective. It can be really effective to say we don't actually have to overthrow the whole system while we're looking for better solutions. We can work within it. And that's probably my biggest takeaway is that even within a global industrial food system, there are lots of ways of moving food around from people who choose, who opt, who have the luxury of opting against it to people who would really like to have it. And it actually creates more equity instead of a culture of lack. I love your enthusiasm, and I love your vision of how we can work within the system to make it better for all people. Kelly, thank you so much for this engaging conversation. BIO Dr. Kelly Alexander is an assistant professor and George B. Tindall Fellow of American Studies in the University of North Carolina's College of Arts and Sciences, where she also co-directs the minor in Food Studies. She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism and a doctorate in cultural anthropology from Duke University. She is a James Beard Award-winning writer and former editor at Saveur and Food & Wine magazines. Dr. Alexander's work has appeared in The New York Times, Newsweek, and O: The Oprah Magazine. She is also co-author of The New York Times best-selling barbecue cookbook Smokin' with Myron Mixon. Her research has been supported by the Mellon Foundation, the New York Botanical Gardens, Duke University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 

Recently the federal government released new guidelines for alcohol and food. Marion Nestle discusses those new guidelines and her lifetime's work as a nutrition expert and nutrition policy advisor. Marion is a Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health, Emerita, at New York University in the department she chaired from 1988-2003 and from which she retired in September 2017. She has a PhD in molecular biology and an MPH in public health nutrition from the University of California. Marion is a past senior nutrition policy advisor in the Department of Health and Human Services and editor of the 1988 Surgeon General's Report on Nutrition and Health. She is the author, co-author, or co-editor of sixteen books, several of them prize-winning, most notably "Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health" (2002); "Safe Food: The Politics of Food Safety" (2003); "What to Eat" (2006); and her new book, "What to Eat Now." Marion can be reached at Marion Nestle | NYU Steinhardt. Her books are available everywhere. The State of Wisconsin's Dose of Reality campaign is at Dose of Reality: Opioids in Wisconsin. More information about the federal response to the ongoing opiate crisis can be found at One Pill Can Kill. The views and opinions of the guests on this podcast are theirs and theirs alone and do not necessarily represent those of the host or Westwords Consulting. We're always interested in hearing from individuals or organizations who are working in substance use disorder treatment or prevention, mental health care and other spaces that lift up communities. This includes people living those experiences. If you or someone you know has a story to share or an interesting approach to care, contact us today! Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Subscribe to Our Email List to get new episodes in your inbox every week!

Recent data indicates that food studies is becoming increasing in popular with secondary school students, and has come along way since the days of home economics. In this edition of The Conversation Hour we discuss why more students are studying it and meet a teacher who is brining the subject to life in Ringwood.Also in this edition, should you be able to take paid leave to look after or grieve your pet, plus why the Olympic Winter Games appeal so much to younger audiences.

Many of us would have watched the Presidential Inauguration last week to get a sense of what Catherine Connolly would bring to the role.We expect that her words and her actions will be a fair representation of modern Ireland, but can you get a sense of what the country was like from other aspects of the President's behaviour, like what they choose to eat for example?Dr. Elaine Mahon is a Lecturer in Gastronomy and Food Studies at Technological University Dublin (TUD) and she's been looking at what we can learn from Presidents' inauguration menus through the years. She joins Tom Dunne to discuss.

There is one growth signal in your body that quietly controls how fast you age.If it's too low, you will age faster.If it's too high, you will accelerate aging too.Yet, doctors never measure that!It's called IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor 1) — and it's massively influenced by the food you eat.In today's new video, I break down: How IGF-1 controls aging – why it speeds up some processes and protects others Muscle growth & strength – why you need enough IGF-1 if you want to build or maintain muscle Bone mass as you age – how IGF-1 helps prevent the slow, silent loss of bone density The “sweet spot” – why both too high and too low IGF-1 can be a problem.I will touch under 65 and over age 65.

Many of us would have watched the Presidential Inauguration last week to get a sense of what Catherine Connolly would bring to the role.We expect that her words and her actions will be a fair representation of modern Ireland, but can you get a sense of what the country was like from other aspects of the President's behaviour, like what they choose to eat for example?Dr. Elaine Mahon is a Lecturer in Gastronomy and Food Studies at Technological University Dublin (TUD) and she's been looking at what we can learn from Presidents' inauguration menus through the years. She joins Tom Dunne to discuss.

The Animal Liberation Hour welcomes Jonathan Dickstein PhD, professor of Vegan Studies at Arihanta Institute. His current work focuses on Jainism and contemporary ecological issues, and extends into Critical Animal Studies, and Food Studies. This episode covers the nature of Ahimsa, the path of nonviolence, how Jainism views veganism, tips for street outreach with folks from various religious backgrounds, the spiritual nature of animals and much more. Visit https://www.arihantainstitute.orgAAC Linktree (follow us, donate, bookshop, merch store, future events, and more):https://linktr.ee/animalactivismcollective To support our work monthly: Patreon.com/AnimalActivismMentorshipTo keep up with the podcast, follow @AnimalActivismCollective on Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube.Want to get active for the animals but don't know where to start?Sign up for a free mentor at AnimalActivismCollective.com

In this month's episode, Michael and Diana talk with Amanda Mrad and Juliet Cushing, two UCLA students who are involved with the World Food Forum and who participated in its annual flagship event at FAO headquarters in Rome this October.Juliet Cushing is a clinical researcher with the UCLA Department of General Internal Medicine, working on diabetes prevention and chronic disease management. Juliet graduated from UCLA with a degree in Human Biology and Society, and a minor in Food Studies.Amanda Mrad is a double Bruin, holding a degree in physiology and food studies and currently pursuing an MLS degree, specializing in food law. She is also currently interning at the FAO headquarters, where she works within the Office of Youth and Women, home to the World Food Forum. Diana Winters is the Deputy Director of the Resnick Center for Food Law & Policy at UCLA Law.Michael T. Roberts is the Executive Director of the Resnick Center for Food Law & Policy at UCLA Law.Some relevant links are here:World Food Forum (WFF)Join a WFF National Youth Chapter UCLA Teaching Kitchen  UCLA MLS ProgramAs always, you can send questions or comments to Diana Winters at winters@law.ucla.edu. 

「【11/8@大阪】映画「ザ・トゥルー・コスト」とスペシャルディナーで考えるこれからのファッション Food Studies vol.4」　「今日着ている服は、どこで、誰が、どんな想いで作られたものか」そんな問いから、これからのファッションのあり方を一緒に考えるイベント「Food Studies vol.4」が、2025年11月8日（土）にグラングリーン大阪内のPLAT UMEKITAとTALKS cafe ＆ barで開催されます。The post 【11/8@大阪】映画「ザ・トゥルー・コスト」とスペシャルディナーで考えるこれからのファッション Food Studies vol.4 first appeared on IDEAS FOR GOOD.

Über Promotionsabbrüche wird selten gesprochen. In dieser Episode teilt Melanie Bittner, Expertin für Antidiskriminierungskultur und Gender Diversity, ihre persönliche Geschichte: Sie beendete ihre Promotion in Food Studies nach Jahren intensiver Überlegung – ohne Dissertation. Sie erzählt von der anfänglichen Begeisterung, den wachsenden Zweifeln, der langen Entscheidungsfindung und dem Leben danach. Ein ehrliches Gespräch über mentale Gesundheit, veränderte Berufsziele, die Rolle des Doktortitels und die Frage: Wann ist ein Abbruch die richtige Wahl? https://coachingzonen-wissenschaft.de/promotionsabbruch-entscheidung-treffen/

The protein powder boom, anchovies, ancient Roman recipes, and more! Whey, the liquid byproduct of cheese making, was once considered waste. It's now a key ingredient in the protein powders that dieters and weightlifters are downing in ever-greater amounts — and that means big changes for the dairy industry, reports Kevin Draper. Horror film producer turned food historian Christopher Beckman chronicles the anchovy's place in the European cooking canon. Sally Grainger reinterprets Roman recipes taken from Latin texts. As students head back to school, we catch up with Jack Bobo, Executive Director of the UCLA Rothman Family Institute for Food Studies. Sign up for our weekly Good Food newsletter and connect with host Evan Kleiman on Substack.  

This month, we're taking a closer look at what's on your dinner plate. From brightly colored cereals to shelf-stable snacks, food dyes, preservatives, and ultra-processed foods are found everywhere. But are they safe? Are they necessary—or could they actually be harmful? In this episode, we speak with leading experts in food science and public health to separate fact from fear. What does the evidence really say about these controversial ingredients? Are recent legislative bans rooted in science, or are other factors at play? Join us as we unpack the science, the politics, and the public perception behind what we eat. Our guests: Lisa Lefferts is an environmental health consultant and former senior scientist at the Center in the Public Interest. She is the primary author of the successful petition to ban Red No. 30 and also served on the FDA's Food Advisory Committee when it considered synthetic food dyes in 2011. Marion Nestle is an American molecular biologist, nutritionist, and public health advocate. She is the Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health emerita at New York University.   

#229 Marion Nestle, author of Food Politics, joins us to discuss how corporate money shapes what ends up on our plates - and why nutrition science so often serves industry over public health. From USDA dietary guidelines to food marketing in schools, Nestle explains how power, politics, and policy collide in the American food system. With decades of research and advocacy behind her, she makes a compelling case for real transparency and accountability in what we eat.https://realorganicproject.org/marion-nestle-follow-the-food-money-229Marion Nestle is a prolific food systems author and Professor Emerita of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at New York University.The Real Organic Podcast is hosted by Dave Chapman and Linley Dixon, engineered by Brandon StCyr, and edited and produced by Jenny Prince.The Real Organic Project is a farmer-led movement working towards certifying 1,000 farms across the United States this year. Our add-on food label distinguishes soil-grown fruits and vegetables from hydroponically-raised produce, and pasture-raised meat, milk, and eggs from products harvested from animals in horrific confinement (CAFOs - confined animal feeding operations).To find a Real Organic farm near you, please visit:https://www.realorganicproject.org/directoryWe believe that the organic standards, with their focus on soil health, biodiversity, and animal welfare were written as they should be, but that the current lack of enforcement of those standards is jeopardizing the ability for small farms who adhere to the law to stay in business. The lack of enforcement is also jeopardizing the overall health of the customers who support the organic movement; customers who are not getting what they pay for at market but still paying a premium price. And the lack of enforcement is jeopardizing the very cycles (water, air, nutrients) that Earth relies upon to provide us all with a place to live, by pushing extractive, chemical agriculture to the forefront.If you like what you hear and are feeling inspired, we would love for you to join our movement by becoming one of our 1,000  Real Friends:https://www.realorganicproject.org/real-organic-friends/To read our weekly newsletter (which might just be the most forwarded newsletter on the internet!) and get firsthand news about what's happening with organic food, farming and policy, please subscribe here:https://www.realorganicproject.org/email/

In this series, What is Public Health?, Vickie Mays and Alfredo Morabia interview Marion Nestle, Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health, Emerita, at New York University. Her most recent book is a memoir, Slow Cooked: An Unexpected Life in Food Politics (2022) They discuss the role of the role of a public health nutritionist, very practically, and how this role maybe impacted by the current changes at the Human and Health Service agency.

This week, I talked about how you see this studies about how eating 2 cups of mango or 1 cup of blueberries or 1/2 cup pistachios EVERY DAY can affect this, that, or the other health parameter. I calmed the fire by letting you know that if the study says this, it might be a […]

How can we eat better when we're constantly marketed to in a way that hijacks our attention and habits? To complement the incredible discussions we regularly have about brain-healthy nutrition, in this episode, we've having a very important conversation about how the food industry works against our best intentions, and how we can break through the psychological barriers they use to hold us back. We're joined by Marion Nestle, Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health, Emerita, at New York University, whose name is practically synonymous with food policy: a pioneering nutritionist, public health advocate, and author of some of the most important books in this space, including Food Politics, What to Eat, and Unsavory Truth. In this episode, we discuss: • The neuroscience of why food choices aren't “just willpower” • Why access, not just knowledge, is the biggest barrier to good nutrition • The importance of schools, policy, and local food programs in shaping food culture • The role of stress, fatigue, and decision overload in weakening dietary choices • Why social media is a double-edged sword for nutrition information  • How we can make a difference at the community level This is... Your Brain On The Food Industry. SUPPORTED BY: NEURO World. Help your brain thrive, now and into the future: https://neuro.world/  ‘Your Brain On' is hosted by neurologists, scientists, and public health advocates Ayesha and Dean Sherzai. Find out more about Marion Nestle's work: https://steinhardt.nyu.edu/people/marion-nestle ‘Your Brain On... The Food Industry' • SEASON 5 • EPISODE 5 ——— FOLLOW US Join NEURO World: https://neuro.world/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebraindocs YouTube: https://youtube.com/thebraindocs Website: TheBrainDocs.com

One in two women over 50 will suffer a fracture due to osteoporosis.Yet most won't even know their bones are at risk—until it's too late.In this powerful episode, I sit down with Dr. Jennifer Han and Dr. Adrienne Bitar, the powerhouse women behind Seen Nutrition, to talk about the silent crisis affecting women's longevity—bone loss.From postpartum pain to a shocking osteoporosis diagnosis at 29, Jen and Adrienne turned their personal health scares into a purpose-driven mission: to rewrite what women think they know about calcium, bone strength, and aging. What they discovered? Most supplements don't work. The wellness industry isn't telling the whole truth. And bone health is about so much more than brittle bones—it's about living strong, mobile, and free.You'll walk away with myth-busting facts, a brand-new lens on “food as medicine,” and a serious nudge to stop putting your own health last.Highlights:04:25 – From Postpartum Pain to PurposeHow a sudden injury sparked a deeper awareness of bone health and led to unexpected breakthroughs in personal care.08:10 – The Milk Myth and Modern NutritionWhy plant milks and fortified foods may not be enough—and how to spot the calcium your bones actually need.13:00 – Creating a Better Solution with Food as MedicineThe birth of Scene Nutrition and a calcium chew made with only four real ingredients for maximum absorption and impact.17:30 – Rewriting the Diet NarrativeHow historical diet fads have shaped our choices—and how to finally break the cycle of misinformation and restriction.21:05 – Bone Health Isn't Just a Women's IssueWhy men should pay attention too—and how we can reframe bone density as a lifelong priority, not a late-stage fix.25:00 – The Future of Functional WellnessHow education, simplicity, and real food are leading the next wave of proactive, sustainable health.30:12 – Small Changes, Big ResultsStart now, start small. Even a single daily habit can reshape your bone health and quality of life for years to come.Hilary's 3HQ™ TakeawayThis episode is your reminder that health doesn't start in your calendar—it starts in your beliefs.When you take care of your Head (the knowledge you hold), your Heart (the commitment to prioritize yourself), and your Highest Self (the vision of your long, strong future), you create a powerful ripple effect—for your body and your life.About Our Guests: Dr. Jennifer Han PharmD is a dual residency trained and board-certified ambulatory care pharmacist clinician. With eight years of clinical pharmacy experience, Dr. Han has treated patients with full scope of practice to prescribe medications for chronic conditions such as diabetes, obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, pain, and heart disease. Dr. Han combines her passion for nutrition with her training in functional medicine, focused on the gut, to provide whole-person care. In 2023, Dr. Han co-founded Seen Nutrition, a foodtech startup focused on bone health.Adrienne Bitar, PhD, is a cultural historian of food and nutrition. After completing her PhD at Stanford, Adrienne published her first book, Diet and the Disease of Civilization, the first cultural analysis of diet in the United States. Since then, she has published broadly on food and nutrition as a Food Studies scholar at Cornell University, where she completed her postdoctoral fellowship in 2021 and currently works as a lecturer in the Program in American Studies.

What does sofrito—a base of herbs and spices used in Puerto Rican cooking—have to do with reimagining business, food security, and conveying a history lesson about a rich and sometimes complex culture? For today's guest, it's everything. If you've ever wondered how to weave your culture, creativity, and calling into one powerful movement... then this episode is the recipe you've been looking for. In this episode, you will hear:   Food has a cultural foundation passed through generations. Cultural identity can be preserved and taught through everyday meals. How to make the best sofrito if you don't have time to cook. Food is more than just food – it's heritage, intention, and a story. The story of the Puerto Rican pasteles is shared. Food choices are power moves, shaping local or global economies. Imagination makes it possible to wear multiple hats and still stay rooted in purpose. You don't need permission to do things differently, just the will and a plan. This episode is brought to you by Fertile Imagination: A Guide for Stretching Every Mom's Superpower for Maximum Impact by Melissa Llarena Audible   Audio Edition: https://www.amazon.com/Fertile-Imagination-Stretching-Superpower-Maximum/dp/B0CY9BZH9W/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0   Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Fertile-Imagination-Stretching-Superpower-Maximum/dp/B0CK2ZSMLB   Hardcover: https://www.amazon.com/Fertile-Imagination-Stretching-Superpower-Maximum/dp/B0D5B64347/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0   Or, download a free chapter at fertileideas.com       About Crystal Diaz   Crystal Díaz has spent nearly two decades at the intersection of food, marketing, and cultural advocacy. She co-founded PRoduce, Puerto Rico's digital marketplace for locally grown food. Crystal is also the force behind El Pretexto, the island's first culinary farm lodge, where food and imagination meet 2,600 feet above sea level. A committed advocate for food security, she collaborates with Espacios Abiertos to advance agricultural policy. Crystal holds two master's degrees, including one in Food Studies from NYU. She's been recognized by Fast Company and El Nuevo Día for her creative leadership and impact in the local food movement. Quotes that can change your perspective:  “If you really want to learn about something and you're obsessed about it, there's always ways to learn, to make it happen.” – Crystal Díaz   “With every single meal that we do, with every single snack, everything that we eat, you are impacting economies. And if you want to support your local communities and you want to see them, everybody having a better life, you might want to spend that dollar closer home and making sure that all of the ingredients that are on that food are closer to home so that money stays closer to home.” – Crystal Díaz   “Sofrito is very personal. You know? It's part of how your family has done it… but also learn that there is a lot of history into it. It's not something that we do because we do it. There is a lot of history to it.” – Crystal Díaz   “We are on a little island. We don't have that much territorial extension, so we can't think about our agriculture as other countries that have large extensions of terrains and flats and stuff like that. We need to think about it differently.” – Crystal Díaz   “Puerto Rican food is full of history, is complex enough, is flavorful enough, and varied… so I can pull something like this [a culinary farm lodge] up in Puerto Rico.” – Crystal Díaz SHARE this episode with fellow food lovers, cultural storytellers, and moms on a mission to raise rooted kids. Crystal's insights on local food, identity, and imagination will inspire anyone looking to nourish their family and community from the inside out. Let's keep our culture alive—one pastel, one sofrito, and one big idea at a time. Supporting Resources:   Website: https://www.elpretextopr.com  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elpretextopr  Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/@elpretextopr/ Subscribe and Review   Have you subscribed to my podcast for new moms who are entrepreneurs, founders, and creators?  I'd love for you to subscribe if you haven't yet.    I'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast for writer moms. About Fertile Imagination   You can be a great mom without giving up, shrinking, or hiding your dreams. There's flexibility in how you pursue anything – your role, your lifestyle, and your personal and professional goals. The limitations on your dreams are waiting to be shattered. It's time to see and seize what's beyond your gaze. Let's bridge your childhood daydreams with your grown-up realities. Imagine skipping with your kids along any path – you, surpassing your milestones while your kids are reaching theirs. There's only one superpower versatile enough to stretch your thinking beyond what's been done before: a Fertile Imagination. It's like kryptonite for impostor syndrome and feeling stuck when it's alert!    In Fertile Imagination, you will awaken your sleeping source of creative solutions. If you can wake up a toddler or a groggy middle schooler, then together with the stories in this book – featuring 25 guests from my podcast Unimaginable Wellness, proven tools, and personal anecdotes – we will wake up your former playmate: your imagination!  Advance Praise    “You'll find reality-based strategies for imagining your own imperfect, fulfilling life in this book!” —MARTHA HENNESSEY, former NH State Senator    “Melissa invites the reader into a personal and deep journey about topics that are crucially important to uncover what would make a mom (and dad too) truly happy to work on…even after the kids are in bed.” —KEN HONDA, best-selling author of Happy Money    “This book is a great purchase for moms in every stage of life. Melissa is like a great friend, honest and wise and funny, telling you about her life and asking you to reflect on yours.” —MAUREEN TURNER CAREY, librarian in Austin, TX   TRANSCRIPT   00:00:00 Crystal: Come up with ideas to make it easier for food producers to produce more food because we are in a little island. We don't have that much territorial extension. So we can't think about our agriculture as other countries that have large extensions of terrains and flats and stuff like that. We need to think it differently.  00:00:25 Melissa: Welcome to the Mom Founder Imagination Hub, your weekly podcast to inspire you to dream bigger. Plan out how you're gonna get to that next level in business, find the energy to keep going, and make sure your creative juices are flowing so that this way you get what you really want rather than having to settle. Get ready to discover founders have reimagined entrepreneurship and motherhood.  00:00:47 Melissa: Ever wonder how they do it? Tune in to find out, and stretch yourself by also learning from diverse entrepreneurs who might not be moms, but who have lessons you can tailor about how you can disrupt industries and step way outside of your comfort zone. I believe every mom's superpower is her imagination. In this podcast, I'm gonna give you the mindset, methods, and tools to unleash yours. Sounds good? Then keep listening.  00:01:17 Melissa: So what does sofrito, which is essentially a base of herbs and spices used in Puerto Rican cooking, have to do with reimagining business, food security, and passing along really critical history lessons. Well, for today's guest, it is everything. And if you've ever wondered how to weave your culture, creativity, and calling into one powerful movement, then this episode is the recipe you've been looking for.  00:01:49 Melissa: Welcome to the Mom Founder Imagination Hub. This is your weekly podcast designed to inspire you to dream bigger in your business and your life. Also, to help you find the energy to keep going because how are you going to sustain what's necessary to be big and to keep your imagination flowing so that this way you could feel inspired, lit up like a Christmas tree or Hanukkah candles. I'm your host Melissa Llarena. 00:02:17 Melissa: I'm a mom of three high energy boys. No. They did not get their energy from me. Psyched. They did. I'm also a best selling author of Fertile Imagination and an imagination coach for mom founders who are reimagining what success and motherhood can look like on their own terms, and that's really important.  00:02:34 Melissa: Now, if you've ever stirred a pot of sofrito, you already know this. Right? You know that the blend of flavors tells a deeper story. It tells a story that sometimes has made its way across generations. It preserves a culture, and it does nourish more than just our baby's bellies.  00:02:56 Melissa: So today's guest, I am thrilled to invite Crystal Diaz. Now she's taken the same approach in terms of her business ventures. She's a foodpreneur, culture keeper, I love that, and community builder. She wears four hats and in today's episode we're gonna go through each of those hats. One of which is as the owner of El Pretexto, i.e. The Excuse, a culinary farm lodge in the countryside of Puerto Rico where she serves 100% locally sourced meals and lives her mission every day.  00:03:33 Melissa: She has lots of degrees and an MA in food studies from NYU, which is why if you're watching the video, you could see, I hope, my NYU t-shirt. Hit subscribe if you see it and you love it. Subscribe on YouTube. Hit follow on this podcast. 00:03:53 Melissa: A little bit more about Crystal. She was recognized by Fast Company as one of the most creative people in business in 2022 and was named one of El Nuevo Diaz women of the year in 2023. She's the real deal. In this episode, we're gonna explore how Crystal uses her imagination as her main ingredient, whether it's in terms of the way that she's carving away for Puerto Rico to have its own food centric cultural immersive experience or even by how she decided to commute to NYU from San Juan every single week, which was creative in and of itself, or even in terms of the way that she describes the depth of a very famous Puerto Rican dish.  00:04:43 Melissa: Oh, and side note, I actually have her real life best on the planet, sofrito recipe. My gosh, do not run away, For sure. Check out the sofrito recipe we articulated in this conversation. You're gonna walk away with yummy ideas for how to use your own imagination to nourish your business, your family, and community, and it's gonna be so important even if you're not working in food.  00:05:13 Melissa: So before we dig in, I would appreciate if you hit follow, if you're listening to this on iTunes. Why hit follow? Because every time someone hits follow on iTunes, it tells me that I need to bring more guests with stories like this to the podcast. And I get really excited and when a mom is excited, it is a very good day in her entire home. So go ahead, hit follow. You will absolutely get that dopamine hit that everybody needs or if you're watching this on YouTube, then hit subscribe. I would be so appreciative and again, I will do the dance of joy. Okay. So enjoy the conversation.  00:05:54 Melissa: Crystal Diaz, thank you so much for this conversation on the Mom Founder Imagination hub. We are delighted to have you here. Crystal, just to kind of set off the scenery, why don't you explain to us where you are in Puerto Rico? What's outside your windows? 00:06:10 Crystal: All right. Well, let's… our imagination hub in a car. We are in San Juan, and you drove forty five minutes south, up to the mountains. Now we are in Cayey. I am at El Pretexto, which is also my home, and we are overlooking… we're up in the mountains, 2,600 feet over sea level, overlooking the Caribbean Sea at the south, and all the mountains slowly winding down all the way to the coast. 00:06:43 Crystal: And you will have some crazy chickens surrounding you. In my patio while you are probably sipping a wine or a coffee, depending on the time of the day. Enjoying the view and, surrounded by trees, lush greenery all over the place. And there are gardens on your side, also as well. So you are surrounded definitely by nature and you feel at peace. That's where we are.  00:07:15 Melissa: Oh, okay. Cool. So let's bring that sense of peace to this conversation. I am excited because I'm sure any listener right now who is a mom, has a business, might feel a little frazzled now and again. But right now, for the next thirty minutes, this is a peaceful zone. We are in Puerto Rico right now. 00:07:37 Melissa: Okay. So, Crystal, now I'm gonna ask you an obvious question, as you just described what you are surrounded by in Puerto Rico. But you attended NYU, and I'm just kind of super curious. You could have stayed in New York, let's say. Right? You could have been like this chef at a restaurant in New York City, Michelin star, etcetera, etcetera. But you decided to return home. And so I'm just curious, like, what informed that decision?  00:08:13 Crystal: Well, you will be surprised with my answer because I never left home. I commuted every single week to New York. Coming on to the city, take my classes, back to my home. So for two years, I was traveling every week to New York for one day.  00:08:34 Melissa: Oh my gosh. Yeah. That is so surprising. Okay. So now I'm just curious here. Okay. So you were on a plane. So, usually people complain about their commute. Right? 00:08:48 Crystal: Uh-huh.  00:08:49 Melissa: They have this whole return to work aggravation. Here you are getting on a plane every single week to take courses at NYU. So then let me ask you this other question. So I know that it's a little off track, but now I'm just way curious. Why did it have to be NYU? That's quite the pull.  00:09:13 Crystal: Yeah. Well, my background is in marketing, and I have a BA in Marketing with a Minor in Advertising and Public Relations. Then I worked with a newspaper for fourteen years. So my background is all about business and marketing. Then I did a first master degree here in Puerto Rico, in the University of Puerto Rico, about cultural action and management. And then, I wanted – because at this point, I believe that I am not passionate anymore. I am kind of obsessed with food, and I guess we will get into that later. 00:09:58 Crystal: But, I wanted to learn the policy part of it. And in Puerto Rico, we don't have any program in any of the universities nor public or private, specifically about food, and way less food policies and advocacy and that type of perspective on the food system, which is what I wanted to learn. So that's why I ended up in New York. I decided to do this because it's a direct flight. So it's gonna be a three hours and a half flight going in, then the one hour in the A train until Westport. 00:10:49 Crystal: Even though I know it's intense, it was pretty straightforward. You don't have make a stop then take another plane. And I was studying and reading all my plane hours, so there's no excuse to not complete your assignments, I guess.  00:11:07 Melissa: Yeah. I love that. Okay. So, hey, that is 100% using your imagination because I think a lot of us, myself included, I wouldn't have considered that to be an option in my mind. I still don't. Right? It's gotta be a certain set of circumstances that make that a possibility. But, I love that now that's an idea that we just planted in someone's head. Right? If they really are obsessed. Right?  00:11:35 Crystal: And if you really want to learn about something and you're obsessed about it, there's always ways to learn, to make it happen. And to my point, New York is so expensive that I spend way less money in flight tickets than actually living there.  00:11:56 Melissa: Yeah. That makes a lot of sense. Okay. So this is really interesting. Okay. So you could have stayed in New York, but you didn't even choose to stay in New York when you were taking classes at NYU. So now you have the whole, like… that's just so that's fascinating, Crystal. You really gobsmacked me right now with that piece of information.  00:12:18 Melissa: So along the same lines of using your imagination and thinking totally out of the box, let me ask you this one question. So, El Pretexto, of course, we'll go into what it is and all of that. But I also wanna understand because on your website, you say that you've traveled the world. Right? So you've seen all these different culinary experiences. And using your imagination and imagining where or how would you imagine Puerto Rico's cuisine fitting into the landscape of world gastro– I can't say the rest of that word, but I know it's a real word.  00:12:57 Crystal: Yes. Well, for me, I love to travel. I am a girl of no luxuries. Right? I don't care about purses or new shoes or jewelry. It's like I don't judge, but I don't care. So where I spend my money and my time, which I can't… money, you can recover it somehow, but time is just one time. You just have every minute that you have.  00:13:27 Crystal: And I like to spend those traveling and getting to know other cultures and exposing myself to other cultures. And I think that those travels have pushed me to understand and appreciate what we have back here at home and also understand the opportunities that we have back here at home. Not everybody is doing it perfectly, but you can definitely learn how it is done in other places. And I'm talking generally. Right? Depending on what you are interested.  00:14:01 Crystal: But you always learn of how the world do things in other places. So, I in my case, I love food and I try to expose myself, not only to eating in good restaurants or good food, but I love to go to markets. I even go to supermarkets every time I travel. I like to visit farms and I noticed, especially in Mexico, you can see this – Peru is developing this a lot and Italy has it all set. 00:14:40 Melissa: On lockdown.  00:14:41 Crystal: But you have these culinary experiences where you get to… expose to their cuisine, with a local chef and and you go to their farmers' markets and you get the whole country but with a special focus in food. And I was like, “You know what? Puerto Rican food is full of history, is complex enough, is flavorful enough, and varied so I can pull something like this up in Puerto Rico.” So that's how one of our offerings about the curated food experiences came to be because I was sure that somebody will have the curiosity to get to know Puerto Rico from its food.  00:15:33 Crystal: So that's how I got into there. And I think that because I am obsessed with the fact that Puerto Rico imports 90% of everything that we eat, I am then focused on cherish and enhance and share that 10% what it can be if we actually put a lot of effort into grow that 10% into 20%, let's say.  00:16:08 Melissa: That's interesting. So okay. So, I mean, I'm not cynical, but, in my opinion, I kind of believe that the person that controls food source kinda controls a lot. And that's not fantastic. And so I'm just wondering from a policy perspective and as you think about this share of stomach or however it's really considered, are you also part of that conversation too? Like, are you actively advocating for that too?  00:16:45 Crystal: Yes. Yes. I always say I have a couple of hats for all those also thinking that you only have to do one thing and one thing only. If you want to do one thing and one thing only, that's okay. But in my case, I am focused on food, but I try to deal with it from different perspectives. So I have four hats.  00:17:09 Crystal: And one of my hats, specifically works with food policy advocacy. And we try to understand the local food policies that are in place, understanding what programs work, what programs doesn't work, and then trying to make it as… to come up with ideas to make it easier for food producers to produce more food. 00:17:41 Crystal: Because we are in a little island. We don't have that much territorial extension, so we can't think about our agriculture as other countries that have large extensions of terrains and flats and stuff like that. We need to think it differently. And I am not against importation. We all have globalized diets, and we love olive oil, and we can't produce that in Puerto Rico. And we love wine, and we can't produce that in Puerto Rico.  00:18:16 Crystal: So it's not like, all the way 100%. That's not what I mean. But definitely, we should aim to have, let's say, half of our stomach-share full of food that is produced locally. Not only because of its nutritional value, but also because it means economic growth and development for our island and our local communities. So every dollar that you spend on food… somebody might be hearing us while they are eating something.  00:18:55 Crystal: So you imagine whatever you're eating right now, let's say it cost you $1. It depends on where the ingredients came from, that dollar went to that place. It depends on where it was processed, part of that dollar went to that place. And then if you bought it in the supermarket or if you bought it in Amazon, to who you gave that share of that dollar.  00:22 Crystal: So with every single meal that we do, with every single snack, everything that we eat, you are impacting economies. And if you want to support your local communities and you want to see them, everybody having a better life, you might want to spend that dollar closer home and making sure that all of the ingredients that are on that food are closer to home so that money stays closer to home. And that's how I see it. 00:19:58 Crystal: How do we make that that share of that dollar that we as consumers have the power to choose where it goes. And, by the way, there are some parts that we have the power and some part we don't have the power. I understand that. But how do we make an effort in whatever way we can to stay as close as possible to our home.  00:20:24 Melissa: So I think you said that… was that one out of your four hats? 00:20:28 Crystal: Yes.  00:20:29 Melissa: What are the other three?  00:20:30 Crystal: Well, El Pretexto, which is a bed and breakfast, is our Puerto Rico's first and only culinary farm lodge. This is my home, but I also welcome guests here. So El Pretexto is my second one. I'm the co-founder of PRoduct, which is a digital marketplace that connects local food producers with consumers directly. We're trying to shorten that food chain and make it easier and convenient to get local products on your home. We deliver island wide. So that's my third hat. And then I have a super small, digital, marketing agency with another partner, and it's all focused on food and beverage. So everything is about food but from different perspectives.  00:21:25 Melissa: Yeah. That's so interesting because it's almost like you have a little supply chain kind of going on. Right? It's like we've got a lot going on, but it's all related to eating, which is essential. But I think it's smart. I mean, you have your little niche there. Huge niche. We keep being hungry, so you're in a good spot, I would say.  00:21:49 Melissa: So let me understand this idea about food and how you saw it as an opportunity for Puerto Rico because it has a rich history. Right? So me as a mom, for example, I'm second generation from a Puerto Rican perspective. As a mom, for me, passing down culture is urgent. It's almost on the verge of extinction, I feel, because of where I am generationally. Like, I'm, quote, unquote, “amongst people that I know I'm not,” quote, unquote, “supposed to know Spanish.” I'm not, quote, unquote, “supposed to literally make rice and beans every day,” which by the way, I don't have to. But my goodness, my children really like their rice and beans. And I am so lazy. So that is all I make because I just want one pot.  00:22:40 Melissa: But anyway, so culture, food, that's the one way that I pass it along. Right? You are what you eat. So guess what? My kids are Puerto Rican and Cuban, at this stage. Yes. They have Dominican in them, but, hey, that's just my culinary preference. So tell me about this idea of culture, Puerto Rican culture. And I would be super curious if you could maybe choose an example of a cuisine or food and just kind of walk us through how that kind of expresses culture or maybe there's a story behind it that is unique to Puerto Rico.  00:23:20 Crystal: Well, for me and my mentor used to be doctor Cruz Miguel Ortiz Cuadra, which was the only food historian in Puerto Rico. He passed two years ago, but I learned so much from him and pretty much I was his daughter. He inherit me all his library, which I have here, home. And, so we discussed this a lot. And I think that we both shared that the ultimate dish that represents the Puerto Rican culture will be the pasteles. For those that doesn't know what a pastel is, it's a tamal like preparation. But the tamales are corn based and they use corn leaves to wrap it up. The pasteles puertorriqueños is made out of a dough made out of root vegetables mainly. 00:24:20 Crystal: It will have bananas and plantains that we got from our African in [inaudible]. It will have pumpkin, which were already with our Taino peoples here in America. It will have yautia, which also was here in Puerto Rico. And then, it will have some pork stew that was brought by the Spanish people. So you have in one dish our full heritage of the three cultures that have conformed the Puerto Rican-ness in just one dish.  00:25:01 Crystal: And then that works too will use, what is the ultimate base of flavor of the Puerto Rican cuisine, which is the sofrito. And the sofrito itself also is a blend of African, Spanish, and Taino ingredients, but it's a bricolage of flavors and smells that then go into the stew that then is used to make the pastel. And the pastel is also representative of the most authentic Puerto Rican soul because el pastel is wrapped as a gift.  00:25:40 Crystal: And if you were poor and there was a lot of poverty in Puerto Rico at some – we still have, but there used to be a lot of poverty back in the days. If you didn't have any resources, monetary resources to gift things, you will make pasteles with the things that are on your patio. You will have that growing up in your patio, in your garden, and then you will do pasteles, and you will gift that to your adult, kids, to your sisters, to your brothers.  00:26:13 Crystal: And so because it's – now we have technology, and now we can use food processors and so on. But back in the day, you had to grate that by hand. So if you have that gift, I am not only gifting you my talent and the products that I grow in my patio, but I'm also gifting my time. So it's a very meaningful way of telling someone that you really care about them. 00:26:42 Crystal: And that's all about Puerto Ricans. We care. We care a lot. We want to share everything that we have. And all the visitors that we have, they all can say that Puerto Ricans are always nice to them. Even if we have people that doesn't speak so much English, they will take you to whatever place you wanted to go, trying to understand you and enjoying our island. So I think that the pastel is representative of all the goodness of the Puerto Ricans.  00:27:16 Melissa: Let's pause for a second. If you've been nodding your head all along while listening to Crystal talk about food as fuel for imagination, then I wanna put this on your radar. My book, Fertile Imagination is for any mom who's ever thought, “I know I'm capable of more, but I don't know where to start.”  00:27:39 Melissa: And as one Amazon reviewer said this of my book, Fertile Imagination, which is all about maximizing your superpower to make your maximum impact, She says this, “It's a non judgmental kick in the butt to start valuing your whole selves and to create a new reality where we combine motherhood with our big dreams. Whether you're chasing an idea during nap time or whispering your big vision,” this is hilarious, “into a spatula, then this book is your creative permission slip.”  00:28:17 Melissa: You're gonna hear stories, especially if you like this conversation with Crystal. You're gonna hear a story as well from a podcast guest that I had here who is a James Beard award winning chef, Gabriele Corcos. And you're gonna learn about how he has really latched on to this idea of novelty as his way to explore new categories of interest in his one beautiful life. So I want to just be sure that you realize that this conversation is the beginning of the process. I wanted you to see through Crystal how if your imagination was reawakened, you can start to reimagine how you approach your own life. And I think that's important.  00:29:04 Melissa: But then the book, Fertile Imagination, goes on and adds some tools that you can actually use to incorporate your imagination into your one divine life. And here's the thing, because you could use your imagination from any place you are in the world, you won't have to hop on a plane and go to any place. You can actually just close your eyes and replug in to the little girl that you once were who had all these beautiful ideas that you wanted to play out in the world and that's what I want for you. 00:29:41 Melissa: So here's what I have for you. Just go ahead to fertileideas.com. If you're driving, if you're running, if you're walking, you could do this in a bit. Just go to fertileideas.com and you could download a free chapter of my book, Fertile Imagination. What's really amazing about that chapter is that that chapter basically takes you to a place where you can go and travel back in time, to that moment when you were most free, to that moment where you had the world totally ahead of you and you were imagining what you wanted for your one divine life. That's what I did when I got on stage at the Magnet Theater in New York City 100 years ago now, so it feels. 00:30:25 Melissa: But I talk about that moment for me in that chapter that you can get for free right now on fertileideas.com. So back to the show. Again, shop the book. This episode is brought to you by Fertile Imagination, every mom's superpower. Go to fertileideas.com. Grab the free chapter. Why not? What are you gonna do? Have an amazing time reading a free chapter? That's the way to set yourself up for success for this summer. All right. Enjoy the rest of the conversation.  00:30:55 Melissa: I've never ever heard of un pastel in that way. I'm just like… it's fascinating because I also think it's… maybe it's just me, but I feel like there's a bit of an acquired taste to it too. Like, for me. Right? When I think about a pastel and I compare it to a tamal, I do not think about a Mexican tamal at all. I think about Cuban. I think about– 00:31:26 Crystal: Yeah. Sure. 00:31:28 Melissa: And for me, it's really fascinating to hear the story behind the pastel in the sense that it's very, very comprehensive. You could… I mean, I bet you there's probably books already. Or maybe you're gonna write a book. Maybe you got a fourth – a fifth hat to wear, right? You can write about pasteles. I mean, it's not a bad gig.  00:31:49 Melissa: But I think it's really interesting. And I think it's a testament to the fact that irrespective of where someone travels to the depth with which they can get to know and appreciate a culture is almost unlimited in a way, right? It's… like, for me and my family, I am not a Disney World person. But I've been to Disney World because it's kinda like, “Oh, we just go to Disney World and I have three kids.” And you got a cat. That's a little bit of a cat. She's got a cat. If you're watching this on video, you see her big and fluffy cat. Is your cat Puerto Rican though? 00:32:29 Crystal: She is Puerto Rican. She is a sato cat.  00:32:31 Melissa: Aw.  00:32:32 Crystal: She's a rescue one.  00:32:34 Melissa: So cute. She probably eats pasteles because she's got meat on her. She's a solid cat. But, yeah, just the depth with which you could understand a culture, what I'm hearing from you, Crystal, it can absolutely include history and and careful attention to the food that you're eating. Right? I think about just everywhere that I've traveled and every time I've eaten food, it's kind of like there's almost a story or a reason for why something is on a plate, and it's not always superficial. It's not just labor profile. It could have to do with political conversations. It could have to do with whoever decided that that food would make its way to that region.  00:33:27 Melissa: But let me ask you this question then. So just to kind of close-up this conversation on something that I think is very practical, I'm gonna ask you a very selfish question. Okay, so I'm on the quest for the perfect sofrito. I'm gonna tell you what I do for my sofrito. So it's my ritual on Sundays. I take all the peppers that I find, red, green, yellow, and even orange because it comes in that pack. I also then buy cilantro. I'm in Texas, so let's just be mindful I'm limited in some of the things I can get.  00:34:05 Melissa: Also because I'm a health conscious mom, I put bone broth in the blender so that this way things can blend. Right? I put onions. I put garlic. I put some oregano. That is what's in my sofrito on a good day. Melissa's like, “Okay. I am ready to make a sofrito.” How can I enhance that sofrito, or how do you teach people that visit El Pretexto how to make their own sofrito?  00:34:39 Crystal: Well, sofrito is one thing as the pasteles. Right? Everybody have their own recipe, and everybody says that their mom's sofrito is the best. Right? [inaudible] My mom's sofrito is the best. So that's the one that I do. And I'm happy to share the recipe for you because I have it written.  00:35:03 Crystal: But there are two schools of Sofrito to begin with. The school that says you do your Sofrito on a Sunday and you don't touch it… you don't do another Sofrito batch up until that one is gone in one or two weeks. And then you have my mom's school, which is you do your sofrito every time that you're gonna cook. 00:35:28 Melissa: Gotcha. Right.  00:35:31 Crystal: Obviously, that's nice for those that are retired and have all the time in the world. I do it that way. I'm not retired, but it's because I have a– 00:35:40 Melissa: That's your job. 00:35:41 Crystal: That's how she does it. And I don't want to, to your point, I want to continue her way of doing things. So, there are onions. We don't use all the colors of the bell peppers. We actually use cubanelle pepper. Onion cubanelle, then we will have the aji dulce, the sweet little pepper we need. We will have the cilantro, but we will also have culantro. [inaudible]. Yeah? And then, we will have garlic in it, a little bit of oregano, and pretty much that's the base. 00:36:29 Crystal: So depending on who you ask, there are people that will omit having the onion, and they will do it when they are cooking, if they're doing a batch. And then you will have people that will go all the way in with a lot of culantro in it, so it has that strong flavor to it. My mom's is more balanced in how much goes of each little thing in there. And we also use the bone broth, but not to blend the sofrito, but to stew the rice. If it's gonna be a stew rice, we will do bone broth instead of water with the rice. 00:37:18 Crystal: And then, the beans, we like them vegetarians. We don't use any hams or meat cuts into it. But, again, that's us. There are people that say that the most flavorful ones is with a piece of ham in it and whatever. But, I like… my mom's and mine are vegetarian. And my cat starts again.  00:37:43 Crystal: But, sofrito is is very personal. You know? It's part of how your family has done it. And as I told earlier, it's also a blend of these three cultures that goes into it. A lot of cultures have mirepoix or other type of base of flavors into their food and this is ours. So you have to make it yours but also learn that there is a lot of history into it. It's not something that we do because we do it. There is a lot of history into it. But, yeah, happy to share my mom's one with you. 00:38:29 Melissa: Yeah. For sure. Crystal, this was so amazing. So I would say around now, a lot of individuals are planning their summer holiday trips and vacations and all of that. So, maybe you can share where people can learn more about you, can learn more about El Pretexto if that's an option to them to kind of explore, and just follow your journey. 00:38:53 Crystal: Yeah. Sure. Well, a friendly reminder that it is an adults only project. So this might be your chance to… El Pretexto actually translates to “The Excuse.” So this might be your excuse to having your parents take care of the kids and hop down to the island and have a little bit of a honeymoon. But, El Pretexto, you can find it at elprotextopr.com. We're also in social media @elprotextopr in Facebook and Instagram.  00:39:30 Crystal: There you will meet our chickens and photos of our garden and our harvest and the breakfast, and maybe you get a little bit hungry. In our website, you will find different options because you could come for a weekend or you could come for a weekday stay, but also you could come for these curated food experiences, which are in very specific dates around the year. We also have dinners, farm to table dinners in our property. We invite guest chefs to cook dinners, around the year.  00:40:08 Crystal: And, also, I take people to other places in the countryside to enjoy a beautiful lunch, but getting to know another piece of countryside around the island. So, El Pretexto is no other thing than the celebration of the beautiful diverse countryside of Puerto Rico. And you can check all the information there. So, yeah, feel free to follow me there.  00:40:37 Melissa: Thank you so much, Crystal. This has been amazing. Have an awesome rest of your day. Keep enjoying the peace and serenity of the mountains and the Caribbean Sea and all the beauty that you see outside your window. Thank you so much for this conversation.  00:40:53 Crystal: Thank you. Thank you for the invitation.  00:40:56 Melissa: So what's your version of a sofrito? Right? Let's take it out of the kitchen and into your home office. What sort of things for you can you put together to create your next big idea, whether it's something for business, something for your personal life or something for your family this very summer. I am so excited to have had Crystal Diaz for this conversation because I think she's inspiring all of us. She's giving us a good idea of all the ways that we could color our own individual rainbows.  00:41:33 Melissa: At the same time, I want this to just remind you that your imagination could be stirred into anything, right? Especially like tonight's dinner. So catch up on Tuesdays on the Mom Founder Imagination Hub and until then, keep cooking up ideas that only you can serve. I honestly think there's a place in this world for imaginations. And irrespective of AI and technology, at the end of the day, it's only as good as the person behind the computer screen, our prompts, our ideas, the way that we decide to use these resources.  00:42:10 Melissa: And that is the best case for you to actually keep your imagination going and playing with it. So thank you for this conversation. And again, if you are interested in learning more about the book, just go to fertileideas.com. Have an amazing rest of your day, moms.  

00:08 Melanie Benesh is Vice President of Government Affairs at Environmental Working Group 00:33 Mario Nestle, Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health, Emerita, at NYU. Her forthcoming book is What to Eat Now The post Trump and Toxic Chemicals appeared first on KPFA.

After 25+ years as a mechanical engineer at Westinghouse, a career shift led Jayashree to start teaching Indian cuisine, inspired by friends who raved about her meals. What began as a challenge—her first class was far from perfect—has grown into Popping Mustard Seeds, where she offers cooking classes, meal kits, and private lessons.Jayashree's journey took her from Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India to Pittsburgh, PA, U.S., through engineering school, and eventually to Chatham University's Food Studies program, where she deepened her understanding of food and culture. Today, she's passionate about sharing the flavors and traditions of Indian cooking while making it approachable for everyone.Check out www.poppingmustardseeds.com to learn more about her classes and meal kits. Tune in to hear her inspiring story!This episode is sponsored by Worm Return Composting Services in Pittsburgh, using food scraps to create landscapes not landfills! www.wormreturn.com#PoppingMustardSeeds #IndianCuisine #FoodEntrepreneur #withbowlandspoon #withbowlandspoonpodcast #localfoodsystem #foodsystem #foodsystems #pittsburghlocalfood #foodevolution #foodventures #happyeating #localfood #eatlocal

Fri, 21 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000 https://seesee.podigee.io/s3e16-marion-nestle 38e6d842aa733350f2c53b4b2086dcf5 Why is the fight for better food, at its heart, a fight for social justice? This episode will challenge the way you think about food, from what's on your plate to the powerful forces behind it. Before you take your next bite, listen to this eye-opening conversation with one of the world's most influential voices on food and health policy, Marion Nestle, renowned nutritionist, scientist, activist and award-winning author. Marion Nestle is the Paulette Goddard Professor Emerita of Nutrition, Food Studies and Public Health at New York University and a visiting professor of nutritional sciences at Cornell University. Her groundbreaking work has changed public health policy worldwide and opened our eyes to how food industry marketing uses manipulative and subtle tactics to influence our dietary choices long before we ever set foot in a supermarket. It also exposes the dangers of ultra-processed foods and the major public health problems they cause, such as obesity and diabetes - diseases fuelled not just by what we eat, but how much we eat. In this episode, the bestselling author of Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health" and "What to Eat", shares her personal journey into food policy advocacy and the social justice victories she has fought for, leading to public awareness and healthier food systems through public policy not only in the US but around the globe. *Marion Nestle is also author of other bestsellers such as Safe Food: The Politics of Food Safety (2003); Soda Politics: Taking on Big Soda (and Winning) (2015); and her latest book Slow Cooked: An Unexpected Life in Food Politics (October 2022) Blog: https://www.foodpolitics.com Instagram: Marion Nestle (@marionnestle) https://steinhardt.nyu.edu/people/marion-nestle @marionnestle 3 16 full no Dr. Cecilia Ponce Rivera

Feeding humanity in the future brings a complex set of interconnected challenges. What’s abundantly clear is that, over the coming decades, farming isn’t just about producing more, it’s about doing it differently, with the environment and society’s needs central to the task in hand. In this episode of the Science Behind Your Salad, Jane Craigie explores feeding the future, evolving and adapting to climate change and its mitigation, and innovating, just as agriculture has done for centuries. For Jack Bobo, UCLA’s Rothman Family Institute for Food Studies, and seasoned keynote speaker, it’s important not to forget what has been achieved thanks to agricultural advances. To put this into context, he says that if we were farming today with 1960s technology, we would require one billion additional hectares. What we consider as ‘the future’ centres around the year 2050 and feeding 1.5 billion more people with an estimated 50% more food and 70% more protein, this is a very stretching goal, yet farmers are ready to take on the challenge. For Thomas and Jana Gäbert, their cooperative farm in Trebbin near Berlin in Germany, seems to encompass what the farm of the future should be – serving the community, running circular and self-sufficient approaches and with the aim to sourcing as much as possible locally including their energy, workforce and services. As farmer Richard Hinchliffe, from Yorkshire in the UK accepts, the challenges are ever changing, but there is always a solution, as he describes in his battle against blackgrass, a common weed in cereal farming. His understanding of the weed’s behaviour, and how to break the cycle of seed return, has helped him control an increasingly difficult foe. BASF’s Michael Hoelter works closely with farmers like Richard, to research how resistance to herbicides builds in weed populations, and the best solutions to control grassweeds like blackgrass. The partnership between farmer and researchers like Michael and crucial for farmers to feed the future. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Regina Sexton, Food and Culinary Historian, and programme manager of the Masters in Food Studies in University College Cork

A football coach has found herself in a legal row with a sport governing body over expenses.She claims that spaghetti and chopped tomatoes are “culturally” African ingredients. Is she right? Do foods have a strict nationality?Joining Seán to discuss is Dr Máirtín Mac Con Iomair, Chair of the Masters in Gastronomy and Food Studies at TU Dublin and Co-Editor of ‘Irish Food History: A Companion'.

On this episode of “Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg,” Dani sits down with Dr. Marion Nestle, an author, nutritionist and the Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health, Emerita, at New York University and Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist and the Director of the Food is Medicine Institute at the Friedman School at Tufts University for a conversation about Food is Medicine. During the fireside chat, they dive into how effectively the U.S. healthcare system can help us address food and nutrition security through Food is Medicine programs, the politicization of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and the latest class of weight-loss drugs known as GLP-1s.  This conversation was part of a Summit at Climate Week NYC hosted by Food Tank, Flashfood, ReFED, Apeel, and Divert.  While you're listening, subscribe, rate, and review the show; it would mean the world to us to have your feedback. You can listen to “Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg” wherever you consume your podcasts.

Episode 14 with Leslie Campbell - CEO & Founder of Sustain LAIn this episode we get curious about sustainability. We hear that word a lot these days but what does it mean in our every days lives and just how can we live more sustainably? Well to shed some light on all this; tell us about her refill store and talk more about her zero waste consulting business, I'd like to introduce the Founder of Sustain LA, Leslie Campbell.GUEST BIO:Leslie VanKeuren Campbell is the Founder and CEO of Sustain LA. Sustain LA operates a zero waste refill station featuring household cleaners, body care products and plastic-free home essentials. Additionally, they provide sustainable event rentals for the Greater Los Angeles area and beyond. Leslie has been involved in, studying and practicing sustainability and zero waste for over fifteen years. In addition to founding Sustain LA, she completed UCLA Extension's Global Sustainability and Food Studies programs, holds an AA in Environmental Studies from Santa Monica College and is a Certified Sustainable Recycling and Resource Management Professional with the California Resource Recovery Association. Leslie and her family have called Los Angeles their home for over twenty years. They enjoy a zero waste lifestyle, public transportation, and of course plenty of time in the great outdoors, where her zero waste dream was born.HELPFUL LINKS:www.instagram.com/becurious_podcastCREDITS:The BE CURIOUS PODCAST is brought to you by ECODA MEDIAHost: Louise HoughtonProduction by: Deviants MediaProducer: Louise HoughtonAssistant Producer: Ralph CortezMotion Graphics: Josh Dage

In this insightful episode, we are joined by Nicole Glassman, a holistic health practitioner and the founder of Mindful Health in New York City. Nicole's health struggles led her to discover the power of holistic health, and now she dedicates her life to helping others feel whole again. As a seasoned expert, Nicole has hosted numerous workshops and retreats, offering a signature curriculum that is fully customized to support each participant on their unique holistic health journey. Nicole holds a Masters in Food Studies from New York University, a Holistic Health Counseling Certificate from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, and an Advanced EAV Clinical Training from the Energetics College of Bio-Energetic Medicine. She was also among the first to complete Dr. D'Adamo's Blood Type Certification course. In this episode, Nicole shares her extensive knowledge and experience, providing valuable insights into the mind-body connection and how it can be harnessed for better health. Currently, Nicole is working on her own podcast, where she dives into various topics through the lens of the mind-body connection. Join us as we explore her journey, her unique and innovative approach to holistic health, and the one-of-a-kind healing tools she uses to help her clients achieve a state of balance and wellness. Whether you're curious about holistic health practices or looking for inspiration on your own health journey, this episode is packed with wisdom and practical advice. ****If you enjoyed this episode, please follow the show, share it with a friend and consider leaving a review below or on the Spotify app  ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/4JfM1ZitoXTP6DXXfUbqRm?si=9f68c2de30a5446f⁠  **** Connect with Nicole  www.mindfulhealth.biz   Connect with Jp ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/NextStepsAcademy

Nutrition Nugget! Bite-size, bonus episodes offering tips, tricks and approachable science. This week, Jenn is talking about naked carbs. Maybe you've been hearing of naked carbs lately but you aren't exactly sure what that means. Eating naked carbs means that you are eating carbs by themselves, which can cause blood sugar spikes. Don't worry, you don't have to give up your favorite foods. Jenn walks through various studies around combinations of foods and shares the best way to incorporate high quality carbs into your diet. Like what you're hearing? Be sure to check out the full length episodes; new releases every Wednesday.  Have an idea for a nutrition nugget?  Submit it here: https://asaladwithasideoffries.com/index.php/contact/       RESOURCES:Become A Member of Salad with a Side of FriesJenn's Free Menu PlanA Salad With a Side of FriesA Salad With A Side Of Fries MerchA Salad With a Side of Fries Instagram

Join us for a compelling live webinar interview with Briana Alfaro and Danielle Peláez from Soul Fire Farm as we dig into the rich and essential world of soil as well as the profound relationship we share with soil. This engaging discussion will cover:Is Soil Alive?: Taking a look at the composition and nature of soil and perception of soil and its vital role in sustaining life on Earth.Soul Fire Farm's Soil Practices: An in-depth look at how Soul Fire Farm's regenerative practices in caring for their soil promote biodiversity and ecological balance.Caring for and Honoring Our Soil: Practical advice and insights on nurturing and respecting the soil in our own landscapes.Briana and Danielle will share their expertise, experiences, and ways that Soul Fire Farm partners with the land to help the soil remain vibrant and life-giving. This webinar promises to be a rich exchange of knowledge, fostering a deeper connection to the Earth beneath our feet and inspiring actionable steps to support soil health in our own communities. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn from two passionate experts in regenerative agriculture and soil stewardship!About Soul Fire Farm:  Soul Fire Farm is an Afro-Indigenous centered community farm committed to uprooting racism and seeding sovereignty in the food system. To learn more about Soul Fire Farm and their fantastic work, visit their website at www.soulfirefarm.org.  Briana Alfaro, Soul Fire Farm Administrative Director of Programs & Partnerships, (she/her) is a multiracial, Mexican and Indigenous grower, educator, writer, and activist living in unceded Gayogohó:nǫ˺ territory, in Ithaca, NY. She co-creates educational offerings and supports coalition work as Director of Programs & Partnerships at Soul Fire Farm. Her passion for land stewardship and agriculture is rooted in a long-held infatuation with food and cooking; in her family's experience as campesino farmers and US farm workers; and in a love of nature cultivated by family camping trips as a child. She has worked with National Young Farmers Coalition, Northeast Organic Farming Association of NY, and San Diego Food System Alliance. She holds a M.S. Food Studies from Syracuse University and serves on the Board of the Youth Farm Project. Danielle Peláez, Soul Fire Farm Education Manager, (she/they || ella/elle) is a queer farmer, educator, and land tender. A lover of plantitas, fungi, human and non-human beings, Danielle dreams of serving her community through facilitating (re)connection to the soil, drawing on her roots in the western highlands of Guatemala. As the Farm Education Manager, Dani co-creates and co-leads earth-based educational offerings. They love being outside in all forms (gardening, hiking, foraging, napping in hammocks) and sharing meals with friends.Support the Show.

This hour Where We Live, we're sharing a conversation with Sohla El-Waylly. Sohla's a culinary creator, writer, YouTube star…and a new mom. Sohla joined the show in between interviews, making Instagram videos and her baby girl's naps to talk about her first cookbook, Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook. You'll also meet Marisa Mendez Marthaller. She's a Certified Postpartum Doula. She's worked in the hospitality industry and has a degree in Food Studies. Those interests and passions come together in her business; Marisa is known as The Soup Doula in New York City. We talk with Marisa about her work and the healing power of soup. GUESTS: Sohla El-Waylly: Culinary creator, writer, and YouTube star. Sohla's work has been featured in The New York Times and Bon Appétit and on Food52.com and Serious Eats.com. Her first cookbook is Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook (@sohlae) Marisa Mendez Marthaller (above): Certified Postpartum Doula, she's worked in the hospitality industry and has a degree in Food Studies. She's known as the Soup Doula, based in New York City. This show was produced by Robyn Doyon-Aitken, Meg Dalton and Tess Terrible, with help from Stephanie Stender and Meg Fitzgerald. Our Social team includes Francesca Fontanez, Martha Castillo and Janae Spinato. Where We Live is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this conversation, join us as we discover how food intertwines with culture in a truly captivating study. Delve into the flavors of Ras Al Khaimah, social memory, and cultural heritage with Dr. Eloísa Martín! 

Sunday is Bloomsday, but one thing that makes Ulysses so special is the role of food in the book. Máirtín Mac Con Iomaire, Chair of the MA in Gastronomy and Food Studies at TU Dublin, has been writing about this and joins Seán to discuss.

Hello!Excite about Part2 of our Irish Food History!The Irish palette, is coarse like an oat cake. Fatty from butter and meat, and salty from preservation of food.What animal shaped the culture of Ireland more than any other? I'll give you a clue with this amazing myth and story. Táin Bó Cúailnge, the story of the cattle raid of Cooley!What's the relationship with fish and seafood? What if an alien came down to Ireland and saw this island, surrounded by sea, and thought the Irish would eat a lot of fish, what is the reality and how it has been shaped by history, poverty and religion?And what about the famous bog butter?Regina Sexton is Food and Culinary Historian, Programme Manager MA in Food Studies and Irish Foodways, University College Cork. She has been researching and publishing in the area of Irish food and culinary history since 1993. As such, she is the best possible person to takes us through an adventure through the history of Irish foodways!Enjoy the latest episode!Thom & The Delicious LegacySupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-delicious-legacy. If you love to time-travel through food and history why not join us at https://plus.acast.com/s/the-delicious-legacy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join us as we discuss the past, present and future of food and health innovation in the US with Dr. Marion Nestle About Dr. Marion Nestle Marion Nestle is Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health, Emerita, at New York University, in the department she chaired from 1988-2003 and from which she retired in September 2017. She is also Visiting Professor of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell. She holds honorary degrees from Transylvania University in Kentucky and the Macaulay Honors College of the City University of New York. She earned a Ph.D. in molecular biology and an M.P.H. in public health nutrition from the University of California, Berkeley. Previous faculty positions were at Brandeis University (1968-1976) and the UCSF School of Medicine (1976-1986). From 1986-88, she was senior nutrition policy advisor in the Department of Health and Human Services and editor of the 1988 Surgeon General's Report on Nutrition and Health.  Her research and writing examine scientific and socioeconomic influences on food choice and its consequences, emphasizing the role of food industry marketing. She is the author, co-author, or co-editor of fifteen books, several of them prize-winning, most recently Slow Cooked: An Unexpected Life in Food Politics (2022).  She has received many awards and honors, among them the 2023 Edinburgh Medal for contribution to science and society. For more information, see www.foodpolitics.com where she blogs almost daily. Sponsor: The podcast is made possible by FoodNiche-ED, a gamified platform that enhances the knowledge of food and health. Learn more on foodniche-ed.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/foodniche_ed Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foodniche_ed/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FoodNicheEd/ LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/foodniche-education About Dr. Olayanju: Dr. Julia Olayanju is a scientist and educator who advocates for enhanced nutrition education in schools and communities. She is the founder of FoodNiche-ED and FoodNiche where she and her team are driving a healthier future through programming, resources and technology.

Food Tank, in partnership with Emory University and Spelman College, recently hosted the “Empowering Eaters” Summit in support of the National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. This episode of “Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg” features a panel from the Summit focused on food as medicine and the approaches that nutrition experts, researchers, and private sector leaders are taking to ensure that all eaters have access to affordable, nutritious, and culturally relevant foods. Panelists discuss healthy consumption patterns that go beyond the Mediterranean diet, cultivating a generation of compassionate scholars, and why we can't lose sight of the joy that food brings.  Speakers include Tamara Melton, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Diversify Dietetics; Tambra Raye Stevenson, Founder and CEO of Women Advancing Nutrition Dietetics and Agriculture (WANDA); Dr. Kimberly Jackson, Director of Food Studies at Spelman College; Karuna Rawal, Chief Revenue Officer and Chief Marketing Officer for Nature's Fynd; and Steven Jennings, Stakeholder Relations and Brand Lead for Health & Sustainability at Ahold Delhaize USA. While you're listening, subscribe, rate, and review the show; it would mean the world to us to have your feedback. You can listen to “Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg” wherever you consume your podcasts.  

“For functional mushrooms, you need to take a medicinal dose daily for about three weeks to feel something. They do not work instantly. That's a big gap in the market that people don't understand.” —Charlotte Cruze   When it comes to wellness, some pairings just make perfect sense. Mushrooms and chocolate may seem an unlikely match made in hedonistic heaven, but their union holds untapped potential.    Mushrooms have long been prized for their healing properties across cultures. Science now shows their ability to boost brain health, energy levels, and more. Chocolate, too, has benefits, with flavonoids that uplift mood and antioxidants aplenty. By melding mushrooms' functional powers with chocolate's feel-good compounds, a new generation of treats could emerge. This episode explores the exciting world of functional mushroom chocolate with Charlotte Cruze, the Co-Founder and COO of Alice Mushrooms, a company pioneering the use of functional mushrooms in delicious chocolate formulations. With a master's degree in Food Studies from NYU and over 10 years in the consumer food industry, she is dedicated to educating people about evidence-backed natural wellness solutions. Through her leadership of Alice, Charlotte is helping more individuals harness the profound benefits of functional foods like mushrooms in an enjoyable and effective way. Listen in as Charlotte provides an overview of Alice's three flagship mushroom chocolate products, their thoughtful formulation process to deliver both instant and long-term benefits, and tips for taking the chocolates throughout the day. Justine and Charlotte also discuss partner dynamics in business and the importance of complementing each other's skills, the role of education in spreading awareness of functional mushrooms' profound effects, as well as real customer success stories demonstrating the life-changing impacts of mushrooms.    Meet Charlotte:  Charlotte Cruze is the co-founder and COO of Alice Mushrooms, a pioneering company crafting functional mushroom chocolates. She holds a master's degree in Food Studies from NYU and has over 10 years of experience in the consumer food industry. Prior to founding Alice, Charlotte worked on early-stage food brands and developed a passion for food's role in wellness. She is an advocate for natural, whole-food solutions and believes in food's power to profoundly impact lives. Under Charlotte's leadership, Alice has launched three flagship mushroom chocolate SKUs focused on energy, sleep, and arousal. She oversees formulation, operations, and education initiatives. Charlotte is dedicated to spreading awareness of functional mushrooms' benefits through delicious products and informative content. When not running Alice, Charlotte enjoys yoga, long-distance cycling, and learning about new functional foods. She finds fulfillment in empowering others to feel their best through high-quality nutrition. Website  Instagram     Connect with NextGen Purpose: Website Facebook Instagram  LinkedIn YouTube Episode Highlights: 03:14 Mushroom-Infused Chocolate 08:26 Different Chocolates for Different Feelings 13:23 Chocolate as a Functional Food  17:17 Formulating Functional Mushroom Products 21:13 The Benefits of Functional Mushroom   

Nicole Glassman is a holistic health practitioner and founder of Mindful Health, a holistic health practice in New York City. She has hosted numerous workshops and retreats where she offers her signature curriculum, fully customized to support people on their holistic health journey. She is also the host of an upcoming podcast, where she offers topics through the lens of the mind body connection.Nicole completed her Masters in Food Studies at New York University, Holistic Health Counseling Certificate at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, an Advanced EAV Clinical Training from the Energetics College of Bio-Energetic Medicine, and was one of the first practitioners to complete Dr. D'Adamo's Blood Type Certification course. Her previous health struggles lead her to a career in holistic health where she now applies unique healing tools to help others feel whole again. Follow her on Instagram @MindfulHealthNYC or visit her websitewww.MindfulHealth.bizBecome a Patreon Member today! Get access to podcast bonus segments, ask questions to podcast guests, and even suggest future podcast guests while supporting Warwick: https://www.patreon.com/journeyonpodcastWarwick has over 650 Online Training Videos that are designed to create a relaxed, connected, and skilled equine partner. Start your horse training journey today!https://videos.warwickschiller.com/Check us out on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WarwickschillerfanpageWatch hundreds of free Youtube Videos: https://www.youtube.com/warwickschillerFollow us on Instagram: @warwickschiller

Our remarkable guest today is scientist and acclaimed author Dr. Marion Nestle. She's a Paulette Goddard Professor in the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies and Public Health at New York University and founder of the field of food studies. She's THE authority on food politics – in fact, she wrote the book on it – and for decades, she has been a transformative figure, working to improve our dietary choices while exposing corporate greed and injustice inherent in the food industry.   Dr. Nestle is the author of a dozen books. She appears in the hit documentary Super Size Me and the new Netflix doc You Are What You Eat, among many others. In 2023, she was awarded the prestigious Edinburgh Medal for Science and Humanities.   So tune in for an illuminating conversation with a crusader who's dedicated her life to changing our broken food system!   “I finally caught on to agriculture, that you cannot understand why people eat the food they do unless you understand how the agricultural system works. And now everything is a food system. How does the whole system work? Everything about food, from how it's grown to how it's transported to how it's sold to how it's marketed to how people buy it, eat it, waste it, and all of the sociology that goes with that. So, I went from being a splitter to a lumper. Splitters are – the world divides into splitters and lumpers – and in the beginning, I was a splitter. I was interested in every single nutrient; I cared a lot about every single one of them. And now what I'm really interested in is what the whole system looks like. Because I think if we're going to encourage people to eat more healthfully, we need system change.” - Dr. Marion Nestle   What we discuss in this episode: - Why Dr. Nestle chose a career path in nutrition. - How, when, and why the obesity epidemic started. - How food companies try to get people to eat more. - The role ultra-processed junk foods play in poor health outcomes. - How the tobacco industry deceived and manipulated the public, and how food companies have adopted the same tactics. - Debunking food myths. - The importance of eating a whole food plant-based diet. - How the food industry influences the dietary guidelines of the United States. - Why you should be discerning about the food you feed your pets. - Dr. Nestle's lifestyle and diet.   Resources: - Bulletproof coffee review: https://switch4good.org/press_releases/new-review-shoots-holes-in-bulletproof-coffees-health-claims/ - Marion Nestle's Food Politics blog: Food Politics - https://www.foodpolitics.com/ - Her books: Marion Nestle: books, biography, latest update - https://www.amazon.com/stores/Marion-Nestle/author/B001ILIEEY?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true - Twitter/X: Marion Nestle (@marionnestle) / X - https://twitter.com/marionnestle?lang=en - Instagram: Marion Nestle (@marionnestle) • Instagram photos and videos - https://www.instagram.com/marionnestle/   ★☆★ Click the link below to support the ADD SOY Act! ★☆★ https://switch4good.org/add-soy-act/ ★☆★ Share the website and get your resources here ★☆★ https://kidsandmilk.org/ ★☆★ Send us a voice message and ask a question. We want to hear from you! ★☆★ https://switch4good.org/podcast/ ★☆★ Dairy-Free Swaps Guide: Easy Anti-Inflammatory Meals, Recipes, and Tips ★☆★ https://switch4good.org/dairy-free-swaps-guide ★☆★SUPPORT SWITCH4GOOD★☆★ https://switch4good.org/support-us/ ★☆★ JOIN OUR PRIVATE FACEBOOK GROUP ★☆★  https://www.facebook.com/groups/podcastchat ★☆★ SWITCH4GOOD WEBSITE ★☆★ https://switch4good.org/ ★☆★ ONLINE STORE ★☆★ https://shop.switch4good.org/shop/ ★☆★ FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM ★☆★ https://www.instagram.com/Switch4Good/ ★☆★ LIKE US ON FACEBOOK ★☆★ https://www.facebook.com/Switch4Good/ ★☆★ FOLLOW US ON TWITTER ★☆★ https://mobile.twitter.com/Switch4GoodNFT ★☆★ AMAZON STORE ★☆★ https://www.amazon.com/shop/switch4good ★☆★ DOWNLOAD THE ABILLION APP ★☆★ https://app.abillion.com/users/switch4good

Ralph sits down with three guests straight out of the latest edition of the Capitol Hill Citizen. First, world-renowned food politics expert and public health advocate Marion Nestle joins Ralph to discuss America's voracious junk food lobby. Then, Ralph speaks to legal expert Bruce Fein about Congressional staffers and the part they can play in making Congress stronger. Finally, Ralph welcomes Vishal Shankar from the Revolving Door Project to explain why President Biden is letting Postmaster General Louis DeJoy continue wrecking the Post Office. Marion Nestle is the Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health, Emerita, at New York University. She is the author of a wide range of books about the politics of food, nutrition, health, and the environment, including Eat, Drink Vote: An Illustrated Guide to Food Politics, Unsavory Truth: How Food Companies Skew the Science of What We Eat, and Slow Cooked: An Unexpected Life in Food Politics. If you want to make a profit and grow your profit every 90 days, you have to sell as much food as possible. And what that food does to public health is not your responsibility, because that's the way our system works. Marion NestleWe have a law on the books that says that the Federal Trade Commission can do nothing to restrict the marketing of foods to children on television. They're not allowed to do that. So what we're talking about here is a situation in which Congress is so corrupt that it cannot take on anything that will fight the food industry.Marion NestleBruce Fein is a Constitutional scholar and an expert on international law.  Mr. Fein was Associate Deputy Attorney General under Ronald Reagan and he is the author of Constitutional Peril: The Life and Death Struggle for Our Constitution and Democracy, and American Empire: Before the Fall.You really can't make a career anymore of being in the legislative branch as an employee or as an aide. And so everybody leaves after a couple years to go to K Street and become a lobbyist. And so with this rapid turnover, you have a lobotomized Congress. And what this letter was attempting to do was to say, listen, Congress still—when the architecture of the Constitution is honored—is the primary predominant branch among the three branches. It's simply that you're not exercising it.Bruce FeinVishal Shankar is a Senior Researcher at the Revolving Door Project, which scrutinizes executive branch appointees to ensure they use their office to serve the broad public interest, rather than to entrench corporate power or seek personal advancement. He has also worked at Inequality Media, as well as several government offices, nonprofits, and policy research projects. His work has appeared in The American Prospect and Common Dreams, and he has been quoted in The New Republic, The Lever, and the Capitol Hill Citizen.The crisis [with Louis DeJoy] is not as immediate to Biden, his voters, his supporters, and they very wrongly believe—in my opinion—that they can work with this man who has proven to be untrustworthy, a Republican mega-donor and partisan hack, and most importantly a committed privatizer of the United States Postal Service. Vishal ShankarDeJoy has been one of the single biggest impediments to piloting or expanding to creative new ideas that can grow out the Postal Service for decades to come…DeJoy has very stubbornly refused to consider these great potential ideas and is doubling down on service cuts and rate hikes as the only way he thinks he can run the agency.Vishal ShankarIn Case You Haven't Heard with Francesco DeSantis1. Democracy Now! Reports the United Autoworkers union has called for a ceasefire in Gaza. They are the largest and most mainstream labor union to publicly come out for a ceasefire, joining the American Postal Workers Union, United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America, the California Nurses Association and the Chicago Teachers Union. UAW Region 9A Director Brandon Mancilla said "UAW International is calling for an immediate, permanent cease-fire in Israel and Palestine so that we can get to the work of building a lasting peace, building social justice, and building a global community of solidarity," per CBS News. At the same time, UAW is “launching simultaneous, public organizing campaigns at more than a dozen automakers including Toyota… Volkswagen…and Tesla…aiming to organize nearly 150,000 employees…which would double the number of autoworkers in the union,” per Bloomberg. In short, UAW is setting a new standard for labor. We hope other unions follow their lead.2. A new Gallup poll shows the Israeli campaign against Gaza is underwater among key segments of American public opinion. Some top line numbers: 63% of Democrats oppose Israel's military actions in Gaza, as do 67% of adults under 35, 64% of people of color, and 52% of women. Moreover, this poll was conducted in the first weeks of November, so it is likely these attitudes have hardened since then.3. Responding to the protests against Israel's campaign, the House has passed a resolution classifying anti-Zionism as anti-Semitism, even among American Jews. In a surprising move, high ranking Jewish Democrat Jerrold Nadler took to the floor to decry this resolution, saying “the resolution suggests that ALL anti-Zionism is antisemitism. That is either intellectually disingenuous or just factually wrong. And it unfairly implicates many of my orthodox former constituents in Brooklyn, many of whose families rose from the ashes of the Holocaust…the authors, if they were at all familiar with Jewish history and culture, should know about Jewish anti-Zionism that was, and is, expressly NOT antisemitic.”4. Semafor reports MSNBC has canceled Mehdi Hasan's news program. This article implies MSNBC canceled the show because it was a “cult favorite” which never “translated to ratings successes,” though it seems likely that Hasan's willingness to push back on Israeli talking points during this recent conflict played a role as well. Lest we forget this is the network that canceled Phil Donahue's blockbuster news program for criticizing the Iraq War.5. Just Foreign Policy's Aída Chávez reports “Sen[ator] Rand Paul is forcing a vote this week on getting US troops out of Syria. His Syria War Powers Resolution would remove all US troops – approx. 900 [US military personnel] – from Syria in the next 30 days.” Chávez highlights that “US forces have been targeted with dozens of attacks in Syria [in recent days] over US support for war in Gaza.”6. From OtherWorlds.org: the Pentagon has failed yet another audit. The mammoth Department of Defense has never passed an audit, and only even completed its first in 2018. In this most recent iteration, “the Pentagon was able to account for just half of its $3.8 trillion in assets (including equipment, facilities, etc)…[leaving] $1.9 trillion…unaccounted for — more than the entire budget Congress agreed to for the current fiscal year.” Congress is now set to allocate an additional $840 billion for the agency.7. The Intercept is out with a story that could have made headlines during the Populist Era of the 1880s and ‘90s. According to the report, Dan Osborn, a military veteran and labor leader who was a key figure in the 2021 strike against Kellogg's, is running for Senate as an independent – and leading Republican incumbent Senator Deb Fischer in the polls. Osborn told the Intercept “Nebraskans have had it with Washington. We've been starving for honest government that isn't bought and paid for…This poll shows that Nebraska's independent streak is alive and well.” The article notes Nebraska Democrats have not yet fielded a candidate in this Senate race and are considering backing Osborn. Nebraska Democratic Party Chair Jane Kleeb said many Nebraska voters tired of one-party control in the state, arguing it “Makes politicians lazy…[and] more beholden to corporate interests since they don't have to answer to voters.”8. NBC is out with a bombshell report on carbon monoxide deaths among Airbnb renters. According to the report, “NBC News has identified 19 deaths since 2013 that occurred at Airbnb properties and are alleged to have involved carbon monoxide poisoning, according to interviews with family members of victims and a review of news articles, autopsy reports, police records, and court and government documents. The company is currently facing at least three lawsuits pertaining to carbon monoxide deaths or poisonings.” Perhaps most damningly, following one carbon monoxide related death in 2014, the company made a blog post promising “By the end of 2014, we'll require all Airbnb hosts to confirm that they have [carbon monoxide detectors] installed in their listing.” The company never made good on that promise, and that post has since been deleted.9. Tesla has released its long awaited Cybertruck, and along with it, videos of the vehicle's crash testing. These are distressing to say the least. As the American Prospect notes, “the Cybertruck's body panels…are made of stainless steel…[which] is much stiffer than…ordinary [automobile body materials], which makes it dangerous. Since the 1950s at least, automakers have understood that stiffer cars are more dangerous to people inside and outside the car, because in a crash they deliver energy to other parties rather than absorbing it. In early crash test experiments with more heavily built cars, collisions often did only minor damage to the car but turned the test dummies into paste. Since then, cars have been designed with progressively more sophisticated crumple zones to absorb impact forces. Musk's boasts of a Cybertruck “exoskeleton,” if true, are a recipe for gruesome carnage.”10. Finally, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger has died at 100 years old. A Rolling Stone obituary, which ran under the headline “Henry Kissinger, War Criminal Beloved by America's Ruling Class, Finally Dies,” argues that while Kissinger deserves to be remembered as one of “history's worst mass murderers,” he instead has been given a place of honor, even in death, among the American elite. One can only hope that his many, many victims will someday see justice served.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

Marion Nestle (@marionnestle) is the Paulette Goddard Professor in the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at New York University, and the author of Food Politics, Soda Politics, and Unsavory Truth: How Food Companies Skew the Science of What We Eat. What We Discuss with Marion Nestle: How food companies pay for research studies that distort science in their favor — at the expense of even the most health-conscious consumers among us. Why it's important to remember that food companies are businesses geared toward making money for their stockholders -- not service agencies operating in the public's best interests. Food companies band together to lobby Congress for laws that allow biased, industry-funded "research" to influence consumer habits with deceptive marketing language. When Marion tracked 168 food company-funded studies, she discovered that 156 concluded with results favorable to the sponsors' interests, and only 12 ended up with unfavorable results. The many ways food marketers mislead consumers and how to protect yourself and your family from this never-ending barrage of deception. And much more... Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/713 Sign up for Six-Minute Networking -- our free networking and relationship development mini course -- at jordanharbinger.com/course! Miss the show we did with Dennis Carroll, the former USAID director for pandemic influenza and emerging threats? Catch up with episode 320: Dennis Carroll | Planning an End to the Pandemic Era here! Like this show? Please leave us a review here -- even one sentence helps! Consider including your Twitter handle so we can thank you personally!