Food Sleuth Radio

Did you know that organic farming methods improve soil and water quality, and can help mitigate climate change? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Brise Tencer, Executive Director of the California-based Organic Farming Research Foundation. Tenser explains the meaning and benefits of organic food and farming, how certification, benefits farmers and consumers, and teh challenges facing organic farmers. Tenser shares highlights from recent organic research, and provides a review of OFRF resources, including frequently asked questions and webinars for farmers and consumers who want to learn more.Related website: www.ofrf.org

Did you know that a compound largely found in mushrooms could help prevent neuro-degenerative diseases? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Robert Beelman, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Food Science, and Director of the Center for Plant and Mushroom Foods for Health, at Pennsylvania State University. Beelman will describe the unique nutritional and medicinal properties of mushrooms, including epidemiological research their potential for reducing the risk of neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinsons’ diseases. Beelman will describe the soil-nutrition connection, mushroom nutrition, especially ergothioneine, and it’s relationship to health.Related website: https://theconversation.com/how-the-lowly-mushroom-is-becoming-a-nutritional-star-88527

Did you know that supermarkets hold great power and influence over the farmers, producers and workers who supply their products? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Irit Tamir, J.D., Director of Oxfam America’s Private Sector Department. Tamir will discuss Oxfam’s new report, “Ripe for Change: Ending the human suffering behind our food” https://www.oxfamamerica.org/static/media/files/Ripe-for-Change-Ending-Human-Suffering-in-Supermarket-Supply-Chains-report.pdf and Oxfam’s new “Behind the Barcodes Campaign,” which assesses supermarket supply chains and how they score on human rights. Oxfam is a global organization working to end the injustice of poverty. Tune in to learn the stories behind our global food system, including CEO salaries, supermarket consolidation, and seafood supply chain working conditions; and, learn how to increase transparency and ethical sourcing.Related website: www.behindthebarcodes.org

Did you know that “food touches everything?” Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Laura Titzer, community food organizer based in Seattle, WA, and author of “No Table Too Small: Engaging in the Art and Attitude of Social Change.” Titzer discusses her work history, defines food “activist,” and describes barriers to, and solutions for food justice.Related website: http://thefoodcoup.com/no-table-too-small-the-book/

Did you know that labor union contracts help protect slaughterhouse workers’ health and safety? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Dennis Olson, Senior Research Associate and Policy Analyst for the United Food & Commercial Workers International Union. Olson describes how labor unions in poultry slaughterhouses help uphold safer line speeds. He also describes the Center for Good Food Purchasing (https://goodfoodpurchasing.org/) which uses collective buying power to drive market shifts towards fair labor practices, local economies, environmental sustainability, sound nutrition and animal welfare. Finally, Olson discusses the demise of Country of Origin Labeling and the loopholes of the “Product of USA” label. If you support fair meat labeling, a comment period on Product of USA labels is open until August 17, 2018. Learn more through the Organization for Competitive Markets ( https://competitivemarkets.com) and American Grassfed Association (https://www.americangrassfed.org/news/ ); comment here: https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=FSIS-2018-0024Related website: www.ufcw.org

Did you know that water is our most important nutrient, and industrial agricultural production methods threaten water quality, public health, and quality of life in rural communities? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with William Stowe, CEO and General Manager of the Des Moines Water Works. Stowe sits on the board of directors of the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies, which comprises the largest drinking water utilities in North America. He describes the environmental and economic impacts of industrial agriculture on rural communities, with citizens forced to pay to clean up polluted water which threatens their health and prohibits recreational water use. Stowe exposes the “feed the world” meme, explaining how conventional Midwestern agriculture (corn, soy) feeds gas tanks, and hogs that go to China – at the expense of the local environment and all who live downstream. He provides listeners with tips for strengthening local control, and knowing and protecting our watersheds.Related website: http://www.dmww.com

Did you know that as of May 2018, menus at fast food and chain restaurants, as well as ready-to-eat foods in supermarkets will have to provide calorie and nutrition information to customers? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Margo Wootan, Ph.D., Director of Nutrition Policy at the Washington, D.C. – based Center for Science in the Public Interest, and key in creating new menu labeling laws. Wootan explains that with one third of our calories from meals eaten away from home, the food choices we make in restaurants and supermarkets can have a lifelong impact on our health and well-being. A 2018 review of nearly 30 studies found that menu labeling helps people cut approximately 50 calories per meal – significant because our national obesity epidemic is explained by about 200 calories extra per day. A typical entree at a restaurant can easily contain over 1,000 calories.Related website: https://cspinet.org/resource/nutrition-labeling-restaurants-supermarkets-other-food-service-establishments

Did you know that organic farming methods could help mitigate climate change, reduce pollution and improve the nutritional quality of our diets? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Jessica Shade, Ph.D., Director of Science Programs at the Organic Center. Shade explores the science that supports the benefits of organic food and farming, including soil health, carbon sequestration, a reduction in nitrogen pollution, and greater resiliency in the face of climate challenges.Related website: www.organic-center.org

Did you know that approximately 12% of the U.S. population is food insecure, and that many rely on charity to survive? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Andy Fisher, community food security advocate, and author of “Big Hunger: The Unholy Alliance Between Corporate America and Anti-Hunger Groups.” Fisher explores the charity model and the “big business” of hunger relief in the United States. He offers visionary, alternative models for sustainable solutions to food insecurity which minimize food waste, and promote job creation and public health.Related website: https://www.bighunger.org/

Did you know that the development of obesity is dependent upon more than simple caloric balance? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Bruce Blumberg, Ph.D., Professor of Developmental and Cell Biology at the University of California-Irvine, and author of “The Obesogen Effect: Why We Eat Less and Exercise More but Still Struggle to Lose Weight.” Blumberg explains how modern chemicals can influence how our bodies metabolize calories, and describes how we can reduce our exposure to those chemicals most likely to disrupt our endocrine system. Dr. Blumberg spoke about “obesogens” at the 36th annual Beyond Pesticide Forum in Irvine, CA, April 2018: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6iMz_etAOA&index=11&list=PLHS5IfcgFy5f9bQpdlh6131kcu0IADlaWRelated website: https://theobesogeneffect.com/

Did you know that healthful foodsheds are key to democracy and a sustainable future? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Philip Ackerman-Leist, M.S., organic farmer, professor of sustainable agriculture and food systems at Green Mountain College (VT), and author of “A Precautionary Tale: How One Small Town Banned Pesticides, Preserved its Food Heritage, and Inspired a Movement.” Ackerman-Leist shares the David-and-Goliath story of Mals, Italy, the tiny town whose residents put their children’s health and future first, and by a referendum vote, banned the use of pesticides. Ackerman-Leist helps us understand how and why protecting and rebuilding our foodsheds is key to a sustainable future, and how no food and agriculture policy change is too difficult if community members join together with a positive vision and cooperative actions.Related website: www.topplinggoliath.org

Did you know that we depend on hundreds of thousands of Latino farm workers who perform skilled and strenuous labor under harsh conditions in the state of California? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Gabriel Thompson, award-winning investigative journalist, and author of Chasing the Harvest: Migrant Workers in California Agriculture, an oral history collection of California farm workers (Verso, 2017). The book is published in conjunction with the non-profit, Voice of Witness, http://voiceofwitness.org/oral-history-book-series/chasing-the-harvest/.With immigration and farm bill policy on our radar, Thompson pulls back the curtain on farm labor, including largely hidden injustices. Thompson work has won the Studs Terkel Media Award and the Sidney Award for socially conscious journalism.Related website: https://gabrielthompson.org/

Did you know that an increasing number of hospitals nationwide are investing in on-site farms, farmers’ markets, and “good” food prescription projects? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Sue Erhardt, Executive Director of the Allegheny Mountain Institute. AMI is an educational non-profit organization with the mission to cultivate healthy communities through food and farming education. Inspired by Cesar Chavez, Erhardt describes her work to improve the food system, and AMI’s unique fellowship program which prepares individuals to become farmers, teachers and ambassadors for health-promoting food systems. Recognizing food as medicine, and access to “good” food as critical to reversing costly chronic disease, AMI’s new partnership with Augusta Health, a non-profit regional hospital, promises to boost patient, employee, and community health by increasing access to nutrient-dense, fresh, healthful food. Tune in to learn about this remarkable Institute and synergistic partnership between farms, hospitals and communities. This good food news story provides a national model for positive food system change.Related website: https://www.alleghenymountaininstitute.org/

Did you know that food (plus laughter) can be our best medicine? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Mary Purdy, M.S., R.D., Integrative and Functional Medicine Nutritionist, and former actor. Purdy’s theatrical background makes her a uniquely entertaining nutritionist. She’s the host of the web series & podcast “Mary’s Nutrition Show” and author of “Serving the Broccoli Gods.” Purdy offers “edutaining” tips for curbing sugar cravings, reducing inflammation, and feeding our microbiome. Purdy helps her clients look better, feel better, and live better through a whole food, whole person approach.Related website: http://marypurdy.co/marys-nutrition-show/

Did you know that preserving our regional agricultural heritage and culinary traditions can promote economic development and regional pride? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Daniel Harper, Director of Policy and Communications for the American Origin Products Association. Harper discusses the multiple benefits of regional food branding, labeling, trademarks, and specialty products unique to specific geographic regions. Hint: think Kona coffee, Napa Valley wine, and Vermont maple syrup.Related website: http://www.aop-us.org/

Did you know that 70 percent of our immune system is in the lining of our guts? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Tanmeet Sethi, MD, an Integrative Medicine Physician on the faculty at the Swedish Cherry Hill Family Medicine Residency in Seattle, WA. Recognizing the power of food in mental and physical health, Sethi established a culinary medicine program. She discusses the “sacred act” of eating, the holistic practice of mind-body medicine, and the power of a “food, herb and spice pharmacy” to reduce inflammation and treat and prevent chronic diseases.Related website: http://tanmeetsethimd.com/

Did you know that exposure to pesticides puts children and farm workers in harm’s way? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Kristin Schafer, Executive Director of the Pesticide Action Network (PAN). Schafer discusses the risks of pesticide drift and harms related to exposure on children and farm workers, including neurological damage from chlorpyrifos, and increasing herbicides used on genetically engineered crops. Schafer shines a light on the politics and PR spin used by the pesticide industry, and reviews a tool kit http://www.panna.org/sites/default/files/DriftReporting-InCaseofDriftToolkit-2017.pdf designed to identify and reduce drift damage. Schafer has been lead author on several excellent PAN reports, including Chemical Trespass: Pesticides in our Bodies and Corporate Accountability; and, Nowhere to Hide: Persistent Toxic Chemicals in the U.S. Food Supply. She also co-authored both A Generation in Jeopardy and Kids on the Frontline (2016).Related website: www.panna.org

Did you know that the nutritional quality of fruits and vegetables has been declining over the past few decades? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Andrew Smith, Ph.D., Research Director for the Rodale Institute’s new “Vegetable Systems Trial.” The new, long-running trial will compare biologically-based organic with chemically-based “conventional” vegetable production. Smith explains why and how conventional methods for increasing crop yield reduce nutritional quality, and how organic production methods can improve soil, plant, and therefore human health. Smith also explains the mission of Rodale’s new Regenerative Health Institute.Related website: https://rodaleinstitute.org/

Did you know that “hydroponic” growing methods have been a controversial topic among organic farmers? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Dave Chapman, organic farmer http://www.longwindfarm.com/about, and founding farmer behind the “Real Organic Project.” From his high-tech organic farm in Thetford, VT, Chapman discusses his decades-long career in farming, and his work to protect the integrity of the organic label. Chapman describes hydroponic methods for growing produce, why he advocates for soil-based organic farming, plus what consumers can do to help protect organic integrity in the marketplace.Related website: www.realorganicproject.org

Do you know how to navigate food labels in the marketplace? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Andrew Gunther, Executive Director of A Greener World. Gunther defines food label terms to better enable consumers to navigate the marketplace. An outspoken critic of industrial farming systems, Gunther was the senior global animal compassionate product procurement and development specialist for Whole Foods Market, leading the team that designed and launched the company’s five-step welfare program in the United Kingdom. He routinely exposes the negative impact of industrial agriculture on farm animals, the environment, and society as a regular contributor to Huffington Post. He also works closely with restaurants groups and retailers to increase the availability of Animal Welfare Approved meat, dairy and eggs in traditional retail settings.Related website: https://agreenerworld.org/solutions-and-certificates/what-food-labels-really-mean/

Did you know that chlorpyrifos, produced by Dow chemical, is the most widely used insecticide globally? Commonly known as Durzban, this particular pesticide causes nerve damage in children. Prenatal exposure predicts ADHD, lower IQ, and creates an increase in children with “special needs,” putting a burden on schools and society. Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Dana Boyd Barr, Ph.D., Research professor at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University. https://www.sph.emory.edu/faculty/profile/#!DBBARR Dr. Barr describes her research on pesticide exposure and damage to the neurodevelopment of children, and the political difficulty in banning chlorpyrifos. For more information on chlorpyrifos see: http://www.panna.org/resources/chlorpyrifos-facts and beyondpesticides.orgRelated website: http://leaderlaboratory.org/about.html

Did you know that the Lancet Commission has referred to climate change as both the biggest public health crisis, and biggest public health opportunity of the century? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Dr. Lori Griffin Byron, M.D., Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and co-leader of the Citizen’s Climate Lobby Health Team (see: https://citizensclimatelobby.org/) Dr. Byron describes how climate change, with rising levels of CO2, more severe and unpredictable weather, flooding and drought, will impact food and agriculture, as well as mental and physical health. She offers hope and encouraging strategies for citizen action.Related website: https://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/aap-health-initiatives/climate-change/Pages/Climate-Change-and-Childrens-Health.aspx

Did you know that today’s children are suffering from increasing rates of auto-immune illnesses, asthma, autism, ADHD, and digestive disorders? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Michelle Perro, M.D., author of “What’s Making Our Children Sick? How Industrial Food is Causing an Epidemic of Chronic Illness, and What Parents (and Doctors) Can Do About It.” Perro describes the changes in children’s health she’s witnessed from over 35 years of practice as a pediatrician, how she became interested in integrative medicine, and the connection between genetically modified foods (and related increasing herbicide use), gut integrity and health. She also explains the importance of the Precautionary Principle when protecting children’s health: https://www.sehn.org/ppfaqs.htmlRelated website: https://www.gmoscience.org/whats-making-children-sick-can/

Did you know that organic food and farming have far reaching impacts on our environment and health? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Margaret Scoles, Executive Director of the International Organic Inspectors Association (IOIA). Scoles explains the integrity, meaning, and benefits of the organic label; describes the process of organic certification, and the rules farmers must follow to earn the label. She also helps us navigate competing labels, including “natural” and “non-GMO.”Related website: https://www.ioia.net/

Did you know that food is intimately connected with issues of justice, equity and community? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Julia Turshen, writer, recipe developer, and cookbook author. Turshen discusses her most recent book: “Feed the Resistance: Recipes and Ideas for Getting Involved,” which takes us beyond our plates with healthful, easy, plant-based recipes mixed with activism and politics. Turshen describes her latest project as “part cookbook, part activism handbook.” It includes recipes, essays, and practical lists of ideas from a diverse group of cooks, writers, activists, and entrepreneurs — a product of a dedicated community invested in equity. Turshen is donating all proceeds from the book to the ACLU, “to help protect free speech and protest in meaningful spaces.”Related website: http://www.juliaturshen.com/feedtheresistance

Did you know that farmer suicides have become a global epidemic? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Debbie Weingarten, writer and food justice advocate. Weingarten discusses her research into the tragic but growing global trend of farmer suicides, and why her story was so difficult to place in media outlets. She addresses what young farmers need to succeed, and how we (eaters and citizens) can change farm policy through the power of our pens and voices. Farmers need us now more than ever. To read Weingarten’s article in the Guardian, see: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/dec/06/why-are-americas-farmers-killing-themselves-in-record-numbers Weingarten hopes listeners will share the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255 with anyone going through rough times.Related website: www.cactuswrenwriting.com

Did you know that the National Organic Standards Board helps maintain the integrity of the organic seal? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Francis Thicke, Ph.D., organic dairy farmer, soil scientist, and former member of the National Organic Standards Board. Thicke explains both the challenges and opportunities for keeping integrity and consumer trust in the organic label. He explores the harms of industrial farming, controversy over hydroponics, benefits of animal welfare standards, labeling, inspection and certification and more.Related website: https://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/organic/nosb/current-members/francis-thicke

Did you know that the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine recently published an extensive report reviewing the research on the health effects of cannabis? http://nationalacademies.org/hmd/~/media/Files/Report%20Files/2017/Cannabis-Health-Effects/Cannabis-conclusions.pdf Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Pharmacist, Laura Borgelt, PharmD, Associate Dean, Skaggs School of Pharmacy, and Professor in the Departments of Clinical Pharmacy and Family Medicine at the University of Colorado – Denver. Borgelt discusses the research, risks and benefits of medical and recreational marijuana, including special considerations for edible products, and medical conditions.Dr. Borgelt recently spoke at the annual meeting of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She has extensive knowledge of cannabis with regards to its pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, therapeutic effectiveness, and potential risks. Her interest began about seven years ago when she was asked clinical questions about its use in pregnant and lactating women. As more states legalize medical and recreational marijuana, consumers need a solid understanding of how the body metabolizes and utilizes cannabinoids, and the differences between various products in the marketplace.Related website: https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/categories/services-and-information/marijuana

Did you know that food and agriculture are at the nexus of critical 21st century issues of climate change, water scarcity, hunger and energy use? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Mary Hendrickson, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of rural sociology at the U. of MO – Columbia, for a discussion about how the ways in which we produce and consume food have changed over the past few decades. Through a sociologist’s (and farmer’s) lens, Hendrickson describes the tremendous impact consolidation has had on rural communities, food system sustainability and “resilience.” She questions whether efficiency should always be our goal, and identifies policies – Farm Bill and beyond — that can best bring life back to rural America, and put “good” food on everyone’s plates.

Did you know that most breast cancer is the result of exposures to environmental toxins in combination with genetic susceptibility, and stage of life vulnerability? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Jeanne Rizzo, R.N., President and CEO of Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, and Co-Founder of the Cancer Free Economy Network. Rizzo advocates for science, consumer education, and policies that protect public health, including better regulation of chemicals – from BPA in food can linings, to personal care products, and pesticides. Tune in to learn what you can do to protect your health.

Did you know that the biotech industry works to discredit and silence scientists who question the health and safety of genetically engineered crops and their associated herbicides? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Paul Thacker, investigative journalist and former Fellow at the Edmond J. Saffra Center for Ethics at Harvard. In his article, “Flacking for GMOs: How the Biotech Industry Cultivates Positive Media – and Discourages Criticism,” (The Progressive, July 21, 2017) Thacker exposes the inside workings of agribusiness giant Monsanto and their relationships and strategies with Academia, reporters, and social media.

Did you know that the American Heart Association recommends eating fish that are high in omega-3 fatty acids (Salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, albacore tuna) at least two times a week? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with William Harris, Ph.D., internationally recognized expert on omega-3 fatty acids and how they can benefit patients with heart disease. Harris is President and CEO of Omega Quant, which advances the science and use of omega-3 fatty acids to improve health. Harris describes his decades-long research into the health-protecting benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, including new research showing promise in slowing Alzheimer’s disease, treating traumatic brain injury and more. Tune in to learn how to assess omega-3 status, improve nutrition and health.

Did you know that we are all inter-connected, with each other and our environment? And that healing is a process, hope an energy source, and forgiveness key to our path to freedom? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Anita Sanchez, Ph.D., organizational development consultant, storyteller, and author of “The Four Sacred Gifts: Indigenous Wisdom for Modern Times.” Sanchez shares her Native American heritage and the wisdom of elders; she offers ways to understand and celebrate the inter-connectedness between people, earth and spirit. In what seems to be troubled times in our history, elders’ insights and wisdom can help us create a more joyful today and a brighter future. Tune in to learn a new way of thinking about ourselves in relation to others.

Did you know that both omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids are “essential” for our health? Are you confused by which fats are best and how much we need? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Martha Belury, Ph.D., R.D. professor of nutrition at The Ohio State University. Belury discusses her analysis of decades of research, and helps listeners sort through the confusing and conflicting information about dietary fat , specifically: which fats can help promote health and prevent chronic disease, and what those choices look like in our kitchens.Related website: https://fic.osu.edu/members/directory/b/belury-martha.html

Did you know that when we eat during the day (meal timing) affects the way our bodies handle calories, and can help us lose weight, control blood sugar, and even reduce breast cancer recurrence? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Dorothy Sears, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Family Medicine and Public health, and Director of the Center for Circadian Biology at the University of California, San Diego. Sears defines and discusses the impact of circadian rhythms on food metabolism, and the multiple benefits of intermittent fasting, including weight loss, reducing blood sugar and recurrence of recurrence of breast cancer.Related website: http://www.annualreviews.org/doi/10.1146/annurev-nutr-071816-064634

Did you know that more education isn’t enough to help people make better food choices? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Leslie Mikkelsen, RD, MPH, Managing Director at the Prevention Institute in Oakland, CA. Mikkelsen explains that our environment, and the public policies that affect the kinds of foods that are accessible, available and affordable, play the most critical role in supporting healthful food choices and preventing chronic disease. Mikkelsen addresses the role of marketing (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ab9zbqHJ_p4 ) and the penetration of processed foods in our environment, as well as the role of government policies in shaping our food environment.

Did you know that media (words and images) influence how we think about food, and ourselves? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Roy Fox, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus and former Chair of the Department of Learning, Teaching & Curriculum at the University of Missouri, and author of “Harvesting Minds: How TV Commercials Control Kids.” Fox talks about his groundbreaking study which explored how kids respond to the TV commercials they watched as part of Channel One – commercial programming in public school. After interviewing 200 kids in rural Missouri schools that receive the Channel One broadcast, Fox concludes that such commercials influence kids’ thinking, language, and behavior, shaping them into more active consumers. Fox will define media literacy, and describe his recent work using writing and imagery to handle trauma.Related website: https://education.missouri.edu/person/royfox/

Did you know that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as Food Stamps, is the largest expenditure in our Federal Farm Bill? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Christopher Bosso, Ph.D., professor of public policy and urban affairs at Northeastern University, and author of “Framing the Farm Bill: Interests, Ideology, and the Agricultural Act of 2014.” Bosso explains why food assistance is part of our Farm Bill; he discusses the special interests that influence the bill, how the Farm Bill shapes our food system, and how we can shape the Farm Bill.

Did you know that glyphosate is the most commonly used herbicide globally, and decades of scientific research link it to a range of diseases, including non-Hodgkin lymphoma? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Carey Gillam, former senior correspondent for Reuters’ international news service, research director of U.S. Right to Know (www.usrtk.org), and author of “White Wash: The Story of a Weed Killer, Cancer, and the Corruption of Science.” Gillam describes what she uncovered, and the challenges she faced, during her years investigating the main ingredient – glyphosate –in Monsanto’s popular herbicide, Round up. Monsanto says its safe. Tune in for the truth.Related website: http://careygillam.com/

Do you know the multiple benefits of organic food and farming systems? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Charles Benbrook, Ph.D., agricultural economist, visiting scholar at the Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, and member of the Children’s Environmental Health Network (CEHN) Science Team. With CEHN, Benbrook and colleagues research the impact of pesticide use on birth outcomes. See: http://cehn-healthykids.org/ He describes the risks of increasing herbicide use, specifically related to genetically engineered herbicide-resistant crops. Benbrook also describes the environmental and public health benefits of pasture-raised, 100% grass and forage-fed organic livestock, specifically increases in beneficial omega-3 fatty acids.Related website: http://www.asyousow.org/ays_report/roundup-revealed/

Do you know the difference between “biological” and “conventional” farming? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Tom Ruggieri, M.S., engineer, farmer and fermenter. Ruggieri describes the innovative biological farming methods he uses on his Fair Share Farm and CSA outside Kansas City, MO, and the benefits to soil, climate and community health. Fair Share Farm is unique in that it is a “farm to ferment” operation.Related website: http://fairsharefarm.com/

Did you know that our food system can help build social networks and create greater empathy? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Michael Carolan, Ph.D., Professor of Sociology at Colorado State University and author of “No One Eats Alone: Food as a Social Enterprise.” Carolan discusses value chains, unintended consequences of “local” food, and the crucial human connections in our modern “foodscape.” Carolan explains how we have lost our visceral food and farming knowledge, and describes ways alternative food networks can promote empathy and compassion.Related website: https://islandpress.org/books/no-one-eats-alone

Did you know that there are parallels between the microbial worlds in our gut and the soil? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with David Montgomery, Ph.D., MacArthur Fellow, professor of geomorphology at the U. of Washington, and author of “The Hidden Half of Nature: The Microbial Roots of Life and Health.” Montgomery helps us rethink our relationship with the land and soil, connecting the root life of plants to gut health and the mechanisms by which we exchange nutrients and more. He explains the essentiality of bacteria in the human gut to a healthy life, with profound implications for both agriculture and medicine. We are witnessing a revolution in the way we see the microbial world, explains Montgomery, who presented a Keynote lecture at the 35th annual Beyond Pesticides Forum in Minneapolis in April 2017. His presentation is available for viewing here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0kVEGGJL4Y&t=4sRelated website: www.dig2grow.com

Did you know that Type 2 diabetes can be reversed with diet and exercise? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Brenda Davis, R.D., author and international expert on plant-based diets. Davis advocates for diets that are ecologically sustainable and ethically justifiable. She reveals the pitfalls of the popular Paleo diet (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUXTzbjGakg), and explains why and how shifting to a plant-based diet has the power to promote longevity and reverse diabetes. Tune in and learn how to fight disease with our forks.Related website: www.brendadavisrd.com

Are you one of approximately 170 million Americans who take dietary supplements? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Tod Cooperman, M.D., President, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of ConsumerLab.com, an independent tester and evaluator of dietary supplements. He’ll discuss food and supplement safety, and validity behind claims of popular supplements, including those promoted to slow macular degeneration, boost mood, and reduce depression. Tune in for the latest on magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, chocolate safety and more.Related website: www.consumerlab.com

Did you know that climate change is the most urgent challenge facing our food system and public health? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Surili Sutaria Patel, M.S., Deputy Director of the Center for Health Policy at the American Public Health Association (APHA). Patel explains that we are the first generation to feel the impacts of climate change but likely the last generation to do something about it. Join us as we discuss the food, nutrition, and health challenges related to climate change, with messages of hope and action.2017 is the “Year of Climate Change and Health,” a 12-month APHA-led initiative with monthly themes meant to raise awareness of and mobilize action on the health impacts of climate change. In “The Human Cost of the Food We Eat,” http://www.publichealthnewswire.org/?p=18083 Patel describes climate change impacts on farm workers.Related website: https://www.apha.org/topics-and-issues/climate-change

Did you know that most meat animals in the United States are currently raised with the assistance of antibiotics? Eighty percent of the antibiotics sold in the U.S. are used in animals, not humans, and their use contributes to antibiotic resistance, which the United Nations calls “the greatest and most urgent global risk.” Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Maryn McKenna, author of “Big Chicken: The Incredible Story of How Antibiotics Created Modern Agriculture and Changed the Way the World Eats.” McKenna describes the extraordinary history of antibiotic use, when the drugs were added to lipstick, ice, and painted on the outside of meat cuts, and the consequences we face today from not heeding warnings about the misuse of these precious drugs. Chickens were the first animals to get growth promoter antibiotics and they may be the first to be raised without them, thanks to growing consumer awareness and pressure in the marketplace.Related website: www.bigchickenthebook.com

Did you know that 2017 has been designated “The year of climate change and health” by the American Public Health Association? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Georges Benjamin, M.D., Executive Director of the American Public Health Association, who describes the importance of community action, social determinants of public health, and health effects of climate change, including mosquito born diseases, and loss of cultural food and farming habits. Benjamin encourages us to look at climate change not through a political lens, but one of community response. Climate change is “not just an inconvenience; it’s a societal issue.”Related website: www.apha.org/climate

Did you know that EPA’s “approval” of a pesticide does not equate with product safety? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Nathan Donley, Ph.D., Senior Scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity, and author of the report, “Toxic Concoctions: How the EPA Ignores the Dangers of Pesticide Cocktails.” Donley works on issues surrounding the increasing exposure of both people and wildlife to toxins and raises awareness about our flawed pesticide regulatory system. He explains how the pesticide approval process is narrowly focused on individual ingredients, and doesn’t take into account complex chemical combinations. He explains how many of the “other” or “inert” chemicals in formulations sold to the public change the properties of the active pesticide ingredient.Related website: https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/pesticides_reduction/pdfs/Toxic_concoctions.pdf

Did you know that what we eat shapes who we are and vice versa? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Laura Shapiro, culinary historian, James Beard award-winning food columnist and book author who looks at the world, society, and women through food. Shapiro has written on every food topic from champagne to Jell-O in her decades-long career, and recognizes cooking as a basic survival skill. Shapiro discusses her work, including her latest book, “What She Ate, Six Remarkable Women & The Food That Tells Their Stories.” She shares highlights from her research into the peculiar eating and cooking habits of famous women, from Cosmopolitan’s Helen Gurley Brown to Hitler’s partner, Eva Braun.Related website: https://laurashapirowriter.com/