Food Sleuth Radio

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.