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The gluten lie: Episode 130

Kansas dairy farmer and registered dietitian Heidi Wells unpacks the gluten myth, organic versus conventional farming, and how food misinformation stresses farmers – practical clarity for dietitians and agricultural organizations navigating nutrition noise.

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Waste not, want not: Episode 97

Food prices increased a painful 13% in 2022. Yet Americans waste about $218 billion of food the U.S. and food is the single largest component taking up space inside of our landfills. RDN Rosanne Rust offers practical ways to reduce food waste in the home to save money and help the environment. 

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Compassion is key to solving hunger: Episode 68

“Food elitist ideas are a problem, not a solution for hunger.” We continue our focus on hunger and food insecurity with a poignant conversation about compassion with Clancy Harrison of The Food Dignity Project. Clancy is a self-professed “recovering food snob” and shares stories of how her group is fighting the stigma and shame of food insecurity by serving PEOPLE first. 

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Snakes, stigmas, & neophobia in the pandemic: Episode 62

What role does disgust play in our fear of disease? Why should we be careful about the language used to describe disease, such as COVID-10?  Dr. Tyler Davis is back to discuss how exotic foods are associated with “otherness.” Neophobia (fear of new things) creates stigmas. These stigmas can lead to food bullying, whether related to COVID-19 or technology used in farming.

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Fruits & veggies as a love language: Episode 61

Misinformation such as the “Dirty Dozen” list scares people away from buying produce. Produce is nutrient rich and essential. Food security is national security in and human security. We need to focus on nutrition not just calories. The nutrition panel for produce is the same regardless of how it is grown.  It is all healthy.

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Roundup, dorm diets, and chemicals: Episode 55

What’s with the claims about glyphosate in hummus & cereal? Why is there so much blame and fear about agriculture and the environment? What can we do to eat better when we are eating dorm food? In this special behind-the-scenes episode, Michele and Eliz welcome Callie (Eliz’s daughter) for a wide-ranging Q&A session. Callie Greene is about to begin her second year at Lawrence University, where she studies psychology and harp performance.

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Feeding kids with confidence: Episode 54

Food shaming puts undue stress on parents, especially as kids go back to school. Amy Reed is a pediatric dietitian who teaching parents how to advocate for the needs of their kids. Whether your child is labeled as a “picky eater” or has significant challenges receiving nutrition, parents who aren’t confident in what they feed their kids are susceptible to food shaming and bullying. As a pediatric dietitian, Amy evaluates how well a child is growing and how their nutritional status is helping or hurting their growth.

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Honoring choices in food and farming: Episode 50

How do we honor the people who produce our food when most of us never set foot on a farm or ranch?  Our guest this week suggests the key is educating yourself about the benefits of food and choosing what you want without giving into what other people may think. Joe Anderson, an Idaho farmer, talks gluten, GMOs, and getting firsthand perspective.

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Does an expensive steak taste better? Episode 47

How does price impact how we feel about the value of a product? Does how you feel about a cut of steak or whether it is labelled “natural” impact how much you enjoy it? Our guest, Dr. Mark Miller shares his research on consumer beef preferences and how labels influence what we choose to eat.

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H.O.P.E. for Agriculture

What if we cared for the people of agriculture the same way we do with the products we grow? We often adopt an attitude of “let’s not talk about it” when it comes to mental health, embracing the idea of “pull yourself up by your bootstraps.” Data clearly shows that’s not working in the face of a global pandemic, constantly changing markets, weather problems, and all of the pressures piled on farmers and ranchers. You’ve likely read about suicide rates; the people of agriculture need to do better at self-care so we quit losing loved ones.

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Food allergies & food bullying: Episode 46

Did you know that people can use food to threaten others? When it comes to food allergies, food CAN kill!  Our guest in this episode has great advice on how to truly welcome everyone to your table AND avoid killing someone (or making them sick) with the food you serve.

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Parenting a child with diabetes through food bullying: Episode 39

Having a child with different dietary needs opens the door to bullying. Parents have to make the choice about what is right for their family. We need to respect the choices and the benefits of science.

Heather is married to a second-generation farmer, a professional in agriculture, and mom to three sons, ages 7, 4 and 1. Their oldest son was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder four years ago and their middle son was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes almost one year ago.

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Fighting hunger with dignity: Episode 37

How can you support people who are food insecure with dignity?  Our guest, Community Network Dietitian Nicole Weeks, share how her organization uses the My Plate Model in choice food pantries. Nicole shares ways to help by, “Shopping with your wallet and having a voice, as well.”

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Are You Eating Beyond the Headlines? Episode 27

Are you leaving foods out of your diet? You can run the risk of creating health issues if you are leaving out major food groups, like carbohydrates. “Our bodies need a variety of nutrients, which are obtained from variety of foods in our diet” points out Neva Cochran, a registered dietitian nutritionist. When you eliminate most of the foods in your diet, you are not going to be adequately nourished and may not have enough calories. Great tips on balanced diet choices!

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Are chemicals in food poisoning you? Episode 25

“Don’t eat what you can’t pronounce. Chemicals in food are killing us. There is no safe level of pesticides…” It’s no wonder we are scared of food with these myths flying around our plates. Today’s Food Bullying podcast guest, Food Science Babe, is a chemical engineer and a food scientist. She’s also a mom of a special needs toddler. She not only knows and loves chemicals, she can help you understand why it’s O.K. that your food is filled with them.

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How to overcome food anxiety & B.S. health claims: Episode 22

“The food and health marketing industry is out-of-control,” says Australian RDN & exercise physiologist Bill Sukala. Advertising confuses people and creates anxieties around food and health. Bill brings a voice of reason and is concerned that the “gatekeeper of information has been chloroformed.”  His B.S. detector raises red flags about bad information, misinformation and quackery in food and health claims.

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How to have a meaningful conversation about food: Episode 20

“Do you think our psychology around food is skewed not just because sometimes we can be hypocritical in our choices but because what we want to believe isn’t always true?” It’s tough to have a meaningful conversation with others in today’s overly emotional food arena. Millennial dietitian Leia Flure explains the steps to maintaining respectful discussion and making personal choices about what you eat. She suggests more critical thinking is needed in food-based decisions by being analytical and verifying information.

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The side effects of weenie water & 5 million Google results

Google brings up five million results for “understanding food labels.” How can you sort through that chaos? Look for meaningful and measurable labels. There is no easy answer, particularly given all the players involved in food bullying—but I do suggest truth simplifies food. Confusion, guilt, distrust, higher priced food, malnourishment, a growing disconnect from the farm, and overall stress are just a few of the side effects of bullying.

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How is your brain being manipulated about food?

It’s very easy for us to ignore the fact that the brain controls a high percentage of how we view food.  Dr. Tyler Davis of Texas Tech University joins the Food Bullying Podcast to help us understand the neuroscience perspective on how the brain process information about food.

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What’s the context of your nutrition choices? Episode 57

Have you ever had an authority figure make you feel bad about your food choices? Are you drawn in by people selling sensation rather than by facts around food?  We talk peanut allergies, low-FODMAP diet, health literacy, chocolate with our guest Sherry Coleman Collins. She’s an award winning Registered Dietitian Nutritionist who is passionate about making the delicious choice the healthy choice and converting the science of nutrition into bite-size nuggets.

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