Coco Newton, RD, MPH, CNS, discusses how she applies functional medical nutrition therapy for those diagnosed with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis).
Did you know that there is hope for patients diagnosed with ALS? Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), the debilitating neurodegenerative disease commonly known as “Lou Gehrig’s Disease,” is influenced by genetics and environmental factors, including living near bodies of water frequently impacted by harmful algal blooms. Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn for her conversation with Coco Newton, RD, MPH, CNS, a registered dietitian and holistic practitioner with expertise in functional medical nutritional therapy for improving the diet quality and quality of life for those diagnosed with ALS. Newton has been involved with Healing ALS: www.healingALS.org. She references the ALS Clinic at Duke University: https://alsclinic.duke.edu/our-research/ and the international conference on ALS and Motor Neurone Disease will be held Dec 5-7 in San Diego, CA: https://symposium.mndassociation.org/programme/. To learn more about algal blooms and neurodegenerative disease, see: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1087706 Related Websites: https://www.coconewton.com/
--------
28:09
--------
28:09
John Cardina, PhD, author of Lives of Weeds: Opportunism, Resistance, Folly, discusses man’s futile attempts to control “weeds.”
Did you know that Emily Dickinson wrote 4 tributes to the dandelion? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn for her conversation with John Cardina, PhD, Professor Emeritus in the Dept. of Horticulture and Crop Science at the Ohio State University, former USDA research agronomist and author of Lives of Weeds: Opportunism, Resistance, Folly. Cardina discusses man’s largely futile fight against “weeds” on farms, lawns and gardens, the value of biodiversity and small holder farms, and why we should rethink our attempts to eradicate “invasives.” Related Websites: https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501758980/lives-of-weeds/
--------
28:09
--------
28:09
Glenn Davis Stone, PhD, author of The Agricultural Dilemma: How Not to Feed the World, discusses the legend and unintended consequences of the Green Revolution.
Did you know that the “Green Revolution” is a cultural narrative that is rarely questioned? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn for her conversation with Glenn Davis Stone, PhD, anthropologist, environmental scientist, and author of The Agricultural Dilemma: How Not to Feed the World. Stone discusses the legend and unintended consequences of the Green Revolution and explains that the Green Revolution didn’t speed up food production, but it did fuel the growth of fertilizers and pesticides. Stone advocates for the benefits of non-industrial, small-holder agriculture and helps us rethink the rhetoric and propaganda behind industrialized agriculture. https://www.sup.org/books/anthropology/smallholders-householdersRelated Websites: https://www.wlu.edu/profile/stone-glenn
--------
28:09
--------
28:09
Daniel Costa, Director of Immigration Law and Policy Research at the Economic Policy institute, discusses immigration policy and our food system.
Did you know that immigrant labor is critical to our food system, and most of the food that gets to our plates was grown, harvested and processed by the hands of immigrants? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn for her conversation with Daniel Costa, JD, attorney, and Director of Immigration Law and Policy Research at the Economic Policy institute. Costa explains details of immigration policy, our dependence on immigrants for economic growth, and policies that affect immigrants’ quality of life. Costa was featured on the Investigate Midwest webinar on immigrant labor in the food system:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbqm6J1jAEA. If you’d like to comment on immigrant work visas, go to the Federal Register: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/09/10/2025-17390/agency-information-collection-activities-comment-request-revision-of-h-2a-temporary-agricultural, and if you’d like to better understand how Trump’s anti-immigrant policies could collapse the U.S. food industry, see this recent article: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jul/17/how-many-immigrants-food-industry-workersRelated Websites: https://www.epi.org/people/daniel-costa/
--------
28:09
--------
28:09
Leo Horrigan, Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, and author of What if Soil Microbes Mattered? Our Health Depends on Them
Did you know that soil health is integral to life on earth? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn for her conversation with Leo Horrigan, MS, Food System Correspondent for the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, and author of What if Soil Microbes Mattered? Our Health Depends on Them. Horrigan explains how and why successful farming starts below ground. He describes the symbiotic relationship between soil microbes and plants to support human and planetary health. He also explains how common practices used in conventional/chemical agriculture (synthetic pesticides, fertilizers and tillage) harm soil microbes. On a positive note, regenerative/organic agriculture offers great potential for a brighter farming future.Related Websites: https://clf.jhsph.edu/sites/default/files/2025-08/what-if-soil-microbes-mattered-1.pdf/
Brasil