Did you know that chronic inflammation is a risk for a host of diseases? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and registered dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Jean La Mantia, Registered Dietitian, author, speaker & cancer survivor, based in Toronto, Canada. La Mantia discusses the risks of chronic inflammation, and describes the benefits of both an anti-inflammatory diet and intermittent fasting. Her webinar on the topic can be viewed here: https://healthcare.orgain.com/webinar/co...
Jan 01, 2021•28 min•Ep. 600
Did you know that Hawaii imports the majority of its food, leaving its citizens vulnerable to food shortages during disasters? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and registered dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Autumn Ness, Director of Hawai'i Organic Land Management a Program of Beyond Pesticides based in Maui. Ness discusses her efforts to regulate widespread pesticide spraying, and implement a local food hub (see: https://mauihub.org/ )in the wake of pandemic food system disrupti...
Dec 25, 2020•28 min•Ep. 599
Did you know that “One Health” is a valid, interdisciplinary approach to public health that connects human, animal, and environmental health? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and registered dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Brian Ronholm, Director of Food Policy for Consumer Reports , and former Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety at USDA. Ronholm compares the credible “One Health,” (www.cdc.gov/onehealth/who-we-are/one-health-office-fact-sheet.html ) to the misleading “One Hea...
Dec 18, 2020•28 min•Ep. 598
Did you know that breast milk is a complex system that is both responsive and dynamic? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and registered dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Jennifer Smilowitz, Ph.D., Associate Director of the Human Studies Research Program for the Foods for Health Institute at UC Davis, and Director of Scientific and Strategic Development for the International Milk Genomics Consortium. Smilowitz discusses highlights from the Annual International Symposium on Milk Scie...
Dec 11, 2020•28 min•Ep. 597
Did you know that breastmilk is uniquely suited to support infant growth, and the infant gut microbiome? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and registered dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Jennifer Smilowitz, Ph.D., Associate Director of the Human Studies Research Program for the Foods for Health Institute at UC Davis. Smilowitz describes the unique nutritional characteristics of breast milk, and discusses her research on breast milk and infant health, with emphasis on supporting th...
Dec 04, 2020•28 min•Ep. 596
Did you know that there’s a difference between soil-based and hydroponically produced berries? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and registered dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Hugh Kent, owner of King Grove Organic Farm in Central Florida where he grows soil-based, certified organic blueberries. Kent compares soil-based organic agriculture to hydroponic berry production, and the critical positive impacts of organic farming methods on land and water quality, nutrition and taste. K...
Nov 27, 2020•28 min•Ep. 595
Did you know that our food and farming choices impact bird populations? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and registered dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Dan Scheiman, Bird Conservation Director at Audubon Arkansas. He'll discuss the damaging effects of widely used agricultural and lawn-based pesticides (dicamba, neonicotinoids) on trees, insects and birds, as well as the benefits of citizen science and policy advocacy. For parents with children at home Audubon offers educational ...
Nov 20, 2020•28 min•Ep. 594
Did you know that the new “GMO” food labels required in January 2022 will not say “GMO,” but instead say “bioengineered”? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and registered dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Anne Ross:, attorney with an advanced degree in Agriculture & Food Law from the University of Arkansas. As policy advisor for the Cornucopia Institute, Ross investigated organic import fraud. She shares her expertise in analyzing food labeling, including “natural” and “non-GMO...
Nov 13, 2020•28 min•Ep. 593
Did you know that Native Americans understand that food systems are ecological systems? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Dina Gilio-Whitaker, adjunct professor of American Indian studies at California State University at San Marcos, and Policy Director and Senior Research Associate at the Center for World Indigenous Studies. She'll discuss her informative new book, As Long As Grass Grows: The Indigenous Fight for Environmental Justice from Colonization to Standing Rock (Beacon Press, 2019). Ms. G...
Nov 06, 2020•28 min•Ep. 592
Did you know that farmers plant dicamba-resistant crops is defense of neighbors’ use of this herbicide? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and registered dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Terry Fuller, farmer and chair of the Arkansas Plant Board. Fuller discusses why farmers use dicamba, the resulting crop damage, and the vandalism he’s experienced on his farm simply for speaking out about dicamba risks and calling for stronger regulation on the poison’s use. Dicamba, is manufactur...
Oct 30, 2020•28 min•Ep. 591
Did you know that soil health predicts plant health and nutritional quality? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and registered dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Gladis Zinati, Ph.D., Director of the Rodale Institute’s Vegetable Systems Trial. Zinati describes how organic farming methods influence soil microbial health, and nutrient uptakes improve the nutritional value of our food. Watch Zinati’s webinar here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VximNfpTOoA Related website https://rodal...
Oct 23, 2020•28 min•Ep. 590
Did you know that meat-packing plants have been centers for Covid-19 outbreaks? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and registered dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Leah Douglas, staff writer and associate editor at the Food and Environment Reporting Network. Douglas discusses her ongoing investigations into COVID-19 outbreaks in meat packing and processing plants, as well as her story on racism within the FFA. Douglas’ Covid-19 mapping project can be found here: https://thefern.org/...
Oct 16, 2020•28 min•Ep. 589
Did you know that food manufacturing brought into question a food’s purity? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and registered dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Benjamin Cohen, Ph.D., environmental historian, Chair of Engineering Studies and Associate professor at Lafayette College in Easton, Pa, and author of Pure Adulteration: Cheating on Nature in the Age of Manufactured Food . Cohen discusses the history of adulterated food, the nature of trust, and argues that food labels are le...
Oct 09, 2020•28 min•Ep. 588
Did you know that children are more vulnerable to the effects of pesticides in our food supply and that switching to an organic diet can significantly reduce their exposure to these toxins? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and registered dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Kendra Klein, Ph.D., Senior Scientist at Friends of the Earth and co-author of new research showing the value of organic food and farming in protecting public health. More data on this research can be found here: ...
Oct 01, 2020•28 min•Ep. 587
Did you know that food served in jails and prisons does not promote mental and physical health? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and registered dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Keri Blakinger, staff writer for the Marshall Project who was formerly incarcerated in upstate New York. Blakinger describes the food and other hidden living conditions in prison, as well as the impact of Covid lockdowns on food quality. See Blakinger’s reporting at the Marshall Project website, including ...
Sep 25, 2020•28 min•Ep. 586
Did you know that “urban agriculture” is not new? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and registered dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Monica M. White, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Environmental Justice at the Gaylord Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, in the Department of Community and Environmental Sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. White is the author of the award-winning book, Freedom Farmers: Agricultural Resistance and the Black Freedom Movement. White ...
Sep 18, 2020•28 min•Ep. 585
Did you know that organic farms provide beneficial ecological services to rural communities and the planet? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and registered dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Kate Mendenhall, organic farmer and Executive Director of the Organic Farmers Association. Mendenhall witnessed the negative impact of industrial agriculture in her rural IA community and chose organic farming to help feed and preserve the health of her community members. She describes the orga...
Sep 10, 2020•28 min•Ep. 584
Did you know that workers in meat packing plants are at increased risk for Covid-19 , and other work-related injuries due to increasing line speeds (such as 175 birds to handle per minute)? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and registered dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Leone Jose Bicchieri, Founder and Executive Director of Working Family Solidarity, based in Chicago, IL. Bicchieri describes exploitative working conditions in meat packing plants, how trade policies (NAFTA) led t...
Sep 04, 2020•28 min•Ep. 583
Did you know it’s possible to “feed the world” without the use of harmful chemicals? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and registered dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Carmen Fernholz, award-winning organic grain farmer based in Madison, Minnesota. Fernholz discusses his farming philosophy, an organic farmer’s audit trail and the ecosystem services/benefits associated with biodiverse organic farming systems and perennial crops. “Food production must be an egalitarian process,” says...
Aug 28, 2020•28 min•Ep. 582
Did you know a community garden and social support can help end homelessness? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and registered dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Darrie Ganzhorn, Executive Director of the Homeless Garden Project based in Santa Cruz, CA. Ganzhorn describes the therapeutic value and empowering impact of social support and holistic community gardening. The project’s success rate – over 90 percent of those completing the program find jobs and housing – promises to be a ...
Aug 21, 2020•28 min•Ep. 581
Did you know that factory farms (CAFOs), racism and Covid-19 are connected? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and registered dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Everett Murphy, M.D., retired pulmonologist from K.C., MO who has been instrumental in working to defeat the expansion of CAFOs - concentrated animal feeding operations. People who live closest to CAFOs are more likely to suffer with asthma, antibiotic resistant infections, and other illnesses. Murphy discusses exploited labo...
Aug 14, 2020•28 min•Ep. 580
Did you know that that the long-chain fatty acid, DHA, can significantly reduce preterm birth, and that African American women are more prone to preterm births? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and registered dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Susan Carlson, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Research at the U. of Kansas (KU) School of Health Professions, and Distinguished AJ Rice Professor of Nutrition in the KU Department of Dietetics and Nutrition at KU Medical Center. Carlson discusses ...
Aug 07, 2020•28 min•Ep. 579
Did you know that African Americans were purposely left out of recorded history, resulting in lost wisdom and dignity? Join Food Sleuth Radio host, and registered dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Donna Battle Pierce, former food editor and test kitchen director at the Chicago Tribune, and director of the non-profit Skillet Project which creates meaningful connections among generations through food and journalism. Pierce discusses African American food culture, her experience...
Jul 31, 2020•28 min•Ep. 578
Did you know that the stress and trauma from food insecurity puts children’s mental and physical health at risk? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and registered dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Cindy Leung, ScD, MPH, Assistant Professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. Leung is a nutritional epidemiologist whose research focuses on diet and health disparities in vulnerable populations. She discusses the psychological...
Jul 24, 2020•28 min•Ep. 577
Did you know that water is our most important nutrient, and it is often contaminated with a variety of common contaminants? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and registered dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Aly Cohen, board certified rheumatologist, integrative medicine, and environmental health expert. Cohen discusses the importance of water quality, common contaminants, filters, national regulation and health. (Part 2 of 2) Related website: https://www.alycohenmd.com/welcome.html...
Jul 17, 2020•28 min•Ep. 576
Did you know that environmental chemical exposures impact our immune system, inflammatory response, and risk for COVID-19? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and registered dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Aly Cohen, board certified rheumatologist, integrative medicine, and environmental health expert. Cohen discusses key points from the book she co-authored, Non-Toxic: Guide to Living Healthy in a Chemical World, and her TEDx talk titled: "How to Protect Your Kids from Toxic Chemi...
Jul 10, 2020•28 min•Ep. 575
Did you know that food is a driver of economic and community development? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and registered dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Craig Willingham , MPH, Deputy Director of the City University of NY Urban Food Policy Institute. Willingham discusses food insecurity, food access, food justice, policy, and the multiple community benefits of urban gardens in NY City during and beyond COVID-19. He also discusses “ food metrics .” Related website: https://www.c...
Jul 03, 2020•28 min•Ep. 574
Did you know that wild plants offer a variety of nutritional, medicinal and ecosystem benefits? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and registered dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Dina Falconi , clinical herbalist, wildcrafter, and author of Foraging & Feasting: A Field Guide and Wild Food Cookbook. Falconi describes her personal journey into the joys of foraging, and benefits of appreciating nature’s therapeutic and beautiful plants. Related website: www.foragingandfeasting.com...
Jun 26, 2020•28 min•Ep. 573
Did you know that women were the core of the Black Panther Party? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and registered dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Judy Juanita, MFA, novelist, poet, playwright and former Black Panther member. Juanita describes the Panthers’ work, including the free breakfast program for poor children, the historical struggles of Black people in the U.S., and the role of food in social justice. Related website: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuxGFNnXSbU&list=...
Jun 19, 2020•28 min•Ep. 572
Did you know that the foundation of food safety in America is primarily focused on pathogen and microbiological contaminants? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and registered dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Jackie Bowen, M.S., MPH, Executive Director of the Clean Label Project, a national non-profit with the mission to bring truth and transparency to food and consumer product labeling. Bowen discusses common contaminants, in foods, including heavy metals, processing and packaging...
Jun 12, 2020•28 min•Ep. 571
