Did you know that the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has resulted in the inability of Mexican corn farmers to earn a living? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Dana Geffner, co-founder and former executive director of Fair World Project, the leading fair trade advocacy organization in the U.S. Geffner explains how “free trade” agreements benefit corporate profits at the expense of people and environment, using NAFTA as a ...
Nov 24, 2023•28 min•Ep. 750
Did you know that chefs are uniquely positioned to drive food system change for good? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Katherine Miller, advocate and author of At The Table: The Chef’s Guide to Advocacy (Island Press, 2023). Miller was the founding executive director of the Chef Action Network, a chef advocacy group, and the vice president of impact at the James Beard Foundation where she developed the Chef’s Boot camp for Policy an...
Nov 17, 2023•28 min•Ep. 749
Did you know that we have more than enough food to feed everyone on the planet and then some? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Michael Fakhri, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food. Fakhri is a professor at the University of Oregon, School of Law where he teaches courses on human rights, food law, development, and commercial law. He is also the director of the Food Resiliency Project in the Environmental and Natural...
Nov 10, 2023•28 min•Ep. 748
Did you know that the Feb. 3rd, 2023 Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine OH resulted in chemically-contaminated air and water that continues to harm public health? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Andrew Whelton, Ph.D., Professor of Civil Engineering and Environmental and Ecological Engineering at Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN. Whelton discusses his work researching environmental disasters. He discusses his...
Nov 02, 2023•28 min•Ep. 747
Did you know that on February 3rd, 2023, a Norfolk Southern train derailment disaster released toxic chemicals into the air and water in East Palestine, Ohio and surrounding areas? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Nick Keppler, journalist reporting for the Washington Post and Environmental Health News. Keppler describes his on-the-ground coverage of the disaster, and how the community is attempting to cope with the release of toxic ...
Oct 27, 2023•28 min•Ep. 746
Did you know that we can build community through good food? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Brad Reubendale, CEO of So All May Eat, and the SAME Café. Reubendale discusses the mission of SAME Cafés: to create community through healthy food access. He describes the unique and sustainable “participatory model” of the Cafés, trauma-informed environments, and the unique expansion of SAME Cafes into libraries. Related website: www.soall...
Oct 20, 2023•28 min•Ep. 745
Did you know that climate change is water change? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Erica Gies, author of Water Always Wins: Thriving in an Age of Drought and Deluge. Gies, an independent journalist and National Geographic Explorer, writes extensively about water, climate change and biology. She discusses how development, climate change, and our illusion of control impact our relationship with water. She defines “slow water;” explain...
Oct 13, 2023•28 min•Ep. 744
Did you know that children’s health is dependent upon their environmental conditions? Join Melinda Hemmelgarn, Registered Dietitian and Food Sleuth Radio host for her interview with Nse Witherspoon, MPH, Executive Director of the Children’s Environmental Health Network and co-leader of the science and health arm of the Cancer Free Economy Network. Witherspoon describes the Eco-Friendly childcare initiative that protects children in daycare settings, and explains why and how protecting children f...
Oct 06, 2023•28 min•Ep. 743
Did you know that agriculture is not sustainable without fair wages? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Elizabeth Henderson , award-winning farmer, writer, activist, and agrarian leader best known for her decades of support of and contributions to organic and sustainable agriculture. She is a founding member of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York (NOFA-NY) and has been a pioneer of the CSA model in the United States....
Sep 29, 2023•28 min•Ep. 742
Did you know that children as young as nine years of age work in agriculture in the U.S.? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Amy Tamayo, J.D., National Policy and Advocacy Director at Alianza Nacional de Campesinas, Inc. Tamayo describes her work in which she advocates for farmworker women to advance immigration, environmental justice, and workers' rights policies. She discusses specific farmworkers’ working conditions, including heat...
Sep 22, 2023•28 min•Ep. 741
Did you know that climate change threatens public health and safety, especially for underserved and vulnerable populations? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Georges Benjamin, MD, Executive Director of the American Public Health Association. Benjamin discusses regional differences of climate impact, and describes the ways extreme weather events can affect our health. Related website: https://www.apha.org/topics-and-issues/climate-cha...
Sep 15, 2023•28 min•Ep. 740
Did you know that a long-standing relationship exists between food as a political tool and the maintenance of power, and that food provides a unique opportunity to engage in peace-building? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Christina Campbell, Ph.D., R.D., Associate Professor in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at IA State U. Campbell studies the intersection of food and peace and is the co-organizer of the 2023 Pea...
Sep 08, 2023•28 min•Ep. 739
Did you know that food is at the core of health and wellness as well as national and international security? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Laurie Beyranevand, JD, Professor of Law and Director of the Center for Agriculture and Food Systems at the Vermont Law and Graduate School, South Royalton, VT. Beyranevand discusses food law and policy, plus several of the Center’s reports, including “ The State of Prison Food in New England:...
Aug 31, 2023•28 min•Ep. 738
Did you know that consuming ultra-processed foods harms both our physical and mental health? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Eric Hecht, MD, MPH, PhD, Founder and Executive Director of the Institute of Etiological Research, and author of the paper, “ Cross-sectional examination of ultra-processed food consumption and adverse mental health symptoms ,” published in the Journal of Public Health Nutrition. Hecht explains epidemiology, ...
Aug 25, 2023•28 min•Ep. 737
Did you know that incarcerated individuals who participate in Chef Jimmy Hill’s culinary training program have a 6% recidivism rate? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Chef Jimmy Hill, award-winning Executive Chef and instructor of the Food Tech training program at the Lakeland Correctional Facility in Coldwater, MI. Hill, who is featured in the James Beard Award – winning film, Coldwater Kitchen , describes his culinary program, gard...
Aug 17, 2023•28 min•Ep. 736
Did you know that a film about a remarkable prison-based culinary training program won the James Beard Foundation’s Media award in 2023? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Brian Kaufman, Executive Video Producer at the Detroit Free Press and co-director of Coldwater Kitchen , the James Beard award-winning documentary featuring Chef Jimmy Hill, who runs a highly regarded culinary training program at the Lakeland Correctional Facility i...
Aug 11, 2023•28 min•Ep. 735
Did you know that the number of farmers markets has grown from 1,755 in 1994 to almost 9,000 markets in 2019? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Ben Feldman, Policy Director for the Farmers Market Coalition, a national non-profit with a mission to strengthen farmers markets for the benefit of farmers, consumers, and communities. Feldman discusses the benefits of farmers’ markets, how the Farm Bill can support farmers’ markets, and why...
Aug 04, 2023•28 min•Ep. 734
Did you know that only seven to nine percent of global cancer funding goes towards prevention? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Kristina Marusic, MFA, journalist with Environmental Health News ( www.ehn.org ), and author of A New War on Cancer: The Unlikely Heroes Revolutionizing Prevention (Island Press) . Marusic connects human health with our environment, discusses our woefully under-funded efforts in cancer prevention, harmful a...
Jul 28, 2023•28 min•Ep. 733
Did you know that 70 percent of the land in the state of IA is planted in a corn/soy rotation, and that almost none of the decisions driving this current production system were made with the nutritional or caloric needs of human beings in mind? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Chris Jones, Ph.D., retired research engineer at the U. of IA and author of The Swine Republic: Struggles with the Truth about Agriculture and Water Quality ....
Jul 20, 2023•28 min•Ep. 732
Did you know that the U.S. Geological Survey plans to reduce their tracking and reporting of nationwide pesticide-use? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Alan Kolok, Ph.D., Professor of Ecotoxicology at the U. of Idaho; Director Emeritus, of the Idaho Water Resources Research Institute and author of Modern Poisons: A Brief Introduction to Contemporary Toxicology. Kolok is one of more than 200 scientists opposed to proposed changes in ...
Jul 14, 2023•28 min•Ep. 731
Did you know that pesticide manufacturers deliberately discredit reputable scientists and employ a host of other corrupt practices to protect sales of their products? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Stacy Malkan, co-founder and managing editor at US Right to Know , a non-profit investigative research group working globally to expose corporate wrongdoing and government failures that threaten our health, environment, and food system....
Jul 07, 2023•28 min•Ep. 730
Did you know that it’s easier than you might think to meet protein needs on vegetarian diets? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Brenda Davis, RD, plant-based diet expert and author of Plant Powered Protein: Nutrition Essentials and Dietary Guidelines for All Ages. Davis discusses the multiple health benefits of plant-based diets and describes how to easily meet protein and other nutrient needs. She also discusses the new (and unique)...
Jun 29, 2023•28 min•Ep. 729
Did you know that intermittent fasting can improve non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and other metabolic disorders related to obesity? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Krista Varady, Ph.D., award-winning researcher and Professor of Nutrition at the University of Illinois-Chicago. Varady discusses the most effective methods of intermittent fasting. Related website: https://www.instagram.com/drkristavarady/...
Jun 23, 2023•28 min•Ep. 728
Did you know that POTS - postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome – is increasingly seen as a component of Long Covid? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Cheryl Harris, MS, RD, who discusses her article on diet and exercise therapy to alleviate symptoms and improve quality of life, published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Related website: https://www.jandonline.org/article/S2212-2672(22)00342-2/fulltext...
Jun 16, 2023•28 min•Ep. 727
Did you know that children’s literature can teach important lessons about our shared environment and the food system? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Katherine Pryor, award-winning children’s book author and “good” food advocate discusses her latest title : Spring is for Strawberries , which helps children understand the value of seasonal eating . Related website: https://katherinepryor.com/...
Jun 09, 2023•28 min•Ep. 726
Did you know that the misuse of antibiotics can disrupt our gut microbiome, and contribute to a range of diseases? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Steven Lawrence, award-winning film maker and co-producer of the documentary, The Invisible Extinction. Lawrence discusses his personal experience with the side effects of antibiotics, and the making of a film that takes audiences on a global journey to understand the far-reaching impact...
Jun 02, 2023•28 min•Ep. 725
Did you know that essentially all humans have PFAS compounds in their systems? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Steven Lasee, Ph.D., environmental toxicologist, and analytical chemist, who describes how and where PFAS enter our environment, and us. Lasee’s research discovered that some pesticides contain PFAS as part of their hidden “inert” ingredients. Related website: www.laseeconsulting.com...
May 26, 2023•28 min•Ep. 724
Did you know that climate change affects both mental and physical health? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Susan Clayton, Ph.D., social psychologist, Whitmore-Williams Professor of Psychology at The College of Wooster (Ohio), and lead author of the chapter on “Health, Wellbeing, and the Changing Structure of Communities,” in the U.N.’s Sixth Assessment Report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) . Clayton discus...
May 19, 2023•28 min•Ep. 723
Did you know that disruptions in the infant microbiome can lead to lifelong illness? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Maria Gloria Dominguez Bello, PH.D., Henry Rutgers Professor of Microbiome and Health, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, and of Anthropology at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. Dominguez Bello discusses her microbiome research that focuses on birth, and breastfeeding, and the impact of practice...
May 12, 2023•28 min•Ep. 722
Did you know that the overuse of antibiotics can disrupt our microbiome, and contribute to diseases such as asthma, obesity, diabetes, cancer, and more? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Martin Blaser, M.D., Henry Rutgers Chair of the Human Microbiome at Rutgers University, author of Missing Microbes: How the Overuse of Antibiotics Is Fueling Our Modern Plagues , and featured in the documentary film, Invisible Extinction. Blaser disc...
May 05, 2023•28 min•Ep. 721
