Food Bullying Podcast

Michele Payn & Nicole Rodriguez
  • 5.0 (32)
  • NUTRITION
  • SEMIMONTHLY SERIES
Food Bullying Podcast

Firsthand perspective from farmers about how food is grown. Author Michele Payn & RDN Nicole Rodriguez arm the dietitian community and those who love nutrition with the REAL stories of farming. Listening will empower you to help others feel more confident in their food choice, with tips about how people are bullied about nutrition. Michele & Nicole know nutrition experts are hungry for connection with those who grow, raise, and produce food. This Food Bullying podcast brings together voices from the agrifood sector to help you better understand the food you're so passionate about.

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  1. EPISODE 130

    The gluten lie: Episode 130

    The gluten-free market is valued at over two billion dollars. Yet the question remains...do so many people really need to avoid this protein? Heidi Wells, a dietitian by day and farmer by night, and her farming husband Byron - are proud owners of Lucky W Dairy in Kansas. They grow crops, including wheat, for both feed and human consumption.  The myths surrounding this mainstay crop are plentiful - from questions to how it’s grown to whether or not it should be avoided altogether: Is it doused in Roundup?  Does its consumption elicit an inflammatory response?  Would organic wheat be a more nutrient-dense option, given the choice? In addition to clearing up all of the above, Byron discusses their wheat cultivation practices, which involve conventional tillage methods. He highlights the importance of selecting wheat varieties with high protein content and using products like fungicides to maintain plant health. The process includes addressing nitrogen needs, managing weed pressure, monitoring insects, and applying fungicides to protect crop quality. Heidi explains that while there are cases where gluten must be avoided, such as in celiac disease, the general population’s fear of gluten may not always be justified. Heidi emphasized the importance of educating people about the actual impact of gluten on health and highlighted the commercialization of gluten-free products for those who may not necessarily need them.  Listen in for all of this plus the Wells’ guidance on helping consumers navigate nutrition noise.

    30 min

  2. EPISODE 131

    Science & sensationalism on the food plate

    Algorithms.  Shortened attention spans.  Competition from uncredentialed influencers.  In communicating science, even the best in the industry may occasionally fall prey to the siren song of sensationalism in an effort to deliver evidence-based information. Dr. Jess Steier, creator of Unbiased Science, emphasizes the importance of nuance in science communication and resisting the urge to make absolute statements, as very few things in the world are black and white.   However, Dr. Steier notes that this is a challenge on social media. She has learned that communicating science in social media requires a balance between sharing credible nuance and capturing people’s attention. She's found that her more recent posts, which have a different tone and contain more nuance, are less popular because they don’t elicit the same emotional response as her past posts. However, she feels strongly about upholding scientific integrity while still communicating empathetically. She also recognizes that the algorithm rewards more absolutist views. She highlights that meeting people where they are is crucial to communicating science effectively, but how do RDs handle subjects such as genetic modification, CRISPR, and pesticides when other supposedly science-based professional groups spread misinformation?   Listen in for Dr. Steier's insights and how she personally shops for herself and her family. Follow Dr. Steier at unbiasedscipod.com Facebook:  facebook.com/unbiasedscipod Instagram: instagram.com/unbiasedscipod Twitter/X: x.com/unbiasedscipod

    30 min

  3. EPISODE 132

    Do dollar stores help meet dietary needs? Episode 132

    Would consumers be healthier with fewer dollar stores?  While the plethora of expanding bargain chains across the country offer fewer nutrient-dense choices than other food retailers, Dr. Sean Cash, an economist on faculty at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, where he chairs the Division of Agriculture, Food and Environment, says that some consumers benefit from having a dollar store nearby.   “It's not necessarily the case that all consumers would be better off, or have healthier diets, if they had fewer dollar stores near them. The reality is more complicated: Dollar stores may make it harder for grocery stores to stay open in some areas, but in other places they are providing services where other retailers would not be operating regardless. And the people who rely most on dollar stores are generally very satisfied with them -- and as our research shows, may even be using the foods offered at dollar stores to free up funds that help them buy healthier items elsewhere,” says Cash. Dr. Cash advises dietitians to clarify WHERE their patients are shopping before making purchase recommendations and warms against hypervigilance in nutritionism, or focusing excessively on the nutritional value of foods. With this tendency toward hypervigilance, Dr. Cash explains, online shopping for grocery items presents a unique decision-making process that may result in making less nutritious choices. For more information on Dr. Cash and his work, visit him on LinkedIn and X.

    28 min

  4. EPISODE 140

    Healthy fields, happy farmers - drones deliver sustainability: Episode 139

    Where’s the future of food production? You might want to look to the sky. In this episode of the Food Bullying podcast, Nicole and Michele chat with Sarah Hovinga of Bayer Crop Science in California and Bryan Sanders of HSE-UAV in Washington about how precision agriculture is transforming farming. According to Sanders, drones REDUCE 1) the amount (and cost) of pesticides used 2) human exposure by keeping the applicator away from the actual pesticide (since the drone is doing the spraying) and 3) pesticide drift thanks to the intentional downward movement the propellers create which helps push the pesticide into the crop with centimeter level accuracy. Drones also help by creating good-paying tech jobs in farming, inspiring young people to get into farming - but he says consumer misunderstanding of the role of pesticides in our food system still runs rampant. “Blaming and pointing the finger at farmers, applicators, and the chemical industry is an easy and popular narrative that anti-agriculture groups promote which helps them in turn gain funding from their sponsors,” says Hovinga. The reality? Hovinga shares the following: “My friend once asked me: ‘I am so confused, what food in the store is safe to eat?’ Do you know what I told her? ‘Everything.' And it's because of the robust regulations around food in the United States. How cool is that?” We think it’s very cool indeed. We also think dietitians and those who prioritize nutrition need to understand where the future of agriculture is going to help reduce fear-mongering. Who can you share this episode with? Sarah does a lot on social media under the AgScienceMom handle - be sure to check it out for great examples of precision agriculture in action. You can find her on Instagram,  LInkedin at  https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahhovinga/, Facebook, and Twitter. Bryan love technology that flies, but isn't as active on social media. However, his company has accounts across all social media channels under HSE-UAV where you can see drones in action.

    26 min

  5. EPISODE 141

    Potato, potahto, vegetable or grain? Episode 141

    The humble potato: is it a vegetable or a grain? Coming from a family that has farmed America’s favorite vegetable (yes, we’ll refer to the potato as such), Mitchell Searle offers a unique perspective on the cultivation, harvesting, and sustainability of this crop.   While Searle expresses concern about what he perceives as the growing chasm between the farm and the consumer, he emphasizes that many of the misconceptions surrounding potato farming are largely unfounded.  “Sustainability is my number one focus every day,” says Searle. “Is my workload sustainable? Are my tillage practices sustainable? Is my business structure sustainable to be passed on to the next generation? Everything boils down to sustainability. His family has farmed for over 100 years, so they should know.  Listen in as Searle discusses biological vs. chemical practices, how interest groups shape policy, and his very down-to-earth potato consumption preferences. Visit potatoesusa.com for more or connect with Mitchell Searle on LinkedIn.

    28 min
See All Season 14 (5)

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About

Firsthand perspective from farmers about how food is grown. Author Michele Payn & RDN Nicole Rodriguez arm the dietitian community and those who love nutrition with the REAL stories of farming. Listening will empower you to help others feel more confident in their food choice, with tips about how people are bullied about nutrition. Michele & Nicole know nutrition experts are hungry for connection with those who grow, raise, and produce food. This Food Bullying podcast brings together voices from the agrifood sector to help you better understand the food you're so passionate about.

Information

  • Creator
    Michele Payn & Nicole Rodriguez
  • Episodes
    141
  • Seasons
    14
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyrighted to Cause Matters Corp.
  • Show Website
    Food Bullying Podcast

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