Land, Power, and the Plate: Ending Food Apartheid with Regenerative Justice

We are living in a stressed-out, super-busy, hyper-caffeinated world, often pushing aside what matters most to us when things get hectic. And technology is everywhere—in our pockets, on desks, our nightstands, and even on our wrists. Yet, most of us have never given its role in our lives a second thought. In this mini-episode of The Doctor’s Farmacy, Dr. Hyman talks to Marie Forleo and Cal Newport about making time for what’s most important to you by establishing an intentional relationship with technology. Named by Oprah as a thought leader for the next generation and one of Inc.’s 500 fastest growing companies, Marie Forleo is the creator of the award-winning online show MarieTV and the founder of B-School, an online business school for modern entrepreneurs. Cal Newport is an associate professor of computer science at Georgetown University and writes about the impact of technological innovations on our culture. He is the author of six books, including Digital Minimalism and Deep Work. We are living in a stressed-out, super-busy, hyper-caffeinated world. And technology is everywhere—our pockets, desks, nightstands, kitchens, and even on our wrists. Yet, most of us have never given its role in our lives a second thought. Listen to Dr. Hyman’s full length episode with Marie Forleo: https://DrMarkHyman.lnk.to/MarieForleo Listen to Dr. Hyman’s full length episode with Cal Newport: https://DrMarkHyman.lnk.to/CalNewport

7 Juni 20198min

What if we could lift 150 million people out of hunger? By empowering women farmers with education, money, and other resources we could increase crop yields by 20 to 30% and do just that. And if you’re wondering why I’m specifically talking about women, it’s because on a global scale women do not have the same accessibility to own land, receive loans, and other essential components of farming. Yet, they are leading the way when it comes to agriculture. Today on The Doctor’s Farmacy I’m joined by Danielle Nierenberg to talk about the foundational role women play in agriculture all over the world and how we can all become better food activists. Danielle co-founded the non-profit Food Tank in 2013 as an organization focused on building a global community for safe, healthy, nourished eaters. To learn more about Food Tank, please visit https://foodtank.com/ and to find opportunities to get involved in your area, check out the Good Food Org Guide at https://goodfoodorgguide.com/.

5 Juni 20191h 10min

We know that a diet comprised of foods from our industrial diet—one high in processed sugar, starch, refined fat, and low in whole foods, fruits, and vegetables—can wreak havoc on your physical health. But what does that same diet do to your mental health and quality of sleep? Are there specific foods and nutrients that are especially effective in combating depression and promoting better sleep? In this mini-episode of The Doctor’s Farmacy, Dr. Mark Hyman talks with Dr. Drew Ramsey, a writer, farmer, and psychiatrist who practices nutritional psychiatry, and Shawn Stevenson, author of the international best-selling book “Sleep Smarter,” to find out what to eat to support your mental health and get quality sleep. Listen to Dr. Hyman’s full length episode with Dr. Drew Ramsey: https://DrMarkHyman.lnk.to/DrDrewRamsey Listen to Dr. Hyman’s full length episode with Shawn Stevenson: https://DrMarkHyman.lnk.to/ShawnStevenson

31 Maj 201910min

We are all human first, after all, and connection can help us create the right systemic shifts. This week on The Doctor’s Farmacy, I was joined by visionary Vishen Lakhiani to talk about the role of education in creating transformation. Vishen is the founder of Mindvalley University, a former computer engineer, and is noted for his ability to integrate information across the field of human transformation into unified models. His book, The Code of the Extraordinary Mind was a New York Times bestseller and hit the coveted number one spot on Amazon five times in 2017. Vishen also founded A-Fest, the transformational festival described as the “TED meets Coachella” of the industry, which is actually where I met my wife Mia.

29 Maj 201953min

We know all too well the visible forms of racism in our society. Less visible, however, is how our food system acts as the deadliest weapon used against the poor and minorities— keeping them poor, sick and fat, hijacking their brains and biology. The science is clear—our processed, sugary, starchy diet is the single biggest cause of disease and death—type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, cancer, and even dementia.  And your zip code is more important than your genetic code in determining your risk of disease and death. If you are African American you are 80% more likely to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, over 4 times as likely to have kidney failure, and 3.5 times as likely to suffer amputations as whites. I’ve explored these topics with a number of my guests on this podcast. This mini-episode of The Doctor’s Farmacy includes portions of my past conversations on this podcast with president of Black Lives Matter for the area of Greater New York, Hawk Newsome, Columbia University and Teachers College researcher Pam Koch and award winning NIH funded investigator and practicing family physician, Dr. Sean Lucan.

24 Maj 201910min

I’m a big believer in the farm to table movement, but with one major caveat: you can’t skim the cream! What I’m saying is that we can’t cherry pick when it comes to our crops, growing the same ones over and over (even if they're grown organically), and assume that it is a sound ecological practice. Just like humans need a diversity of foods to get the right nutrients, soil needs a diversity of plants grown on it and even the right animal inputs in order to be nutrient dense, too. On this episode of The Doctor’s Farmacy, I’m joined by mastermind chef and regenerative agriculture advocate Dan Barber. Dan is breaking the conventional ways we eat, cook, and think about food. He is the chef and co-owner of Blue Hill and Blue Hill at Stone Barns, and the author of The Third Plate. He also co-founded Row 7 Seed Company, a seed company bringing together chefs and plant breeders in the development of new varieties of vegetables and grains. Dan has received multiple James Beard awards including Best Chef: New York City (2006) and the country's Outstanding Chef (2009). In this episode, it’s clear how mutually passionate Dan and I are about changing the current food system and doing so in a way that promotes health and supports the environment.

22 Maj 20191h 3min

Our internal dialogue is intimately connected to our physical body, and our mitochondria are always eavesdropping on our thoughts. In fact, our mindset can be one of our strongest guiding forces. The overwhelming stresses in today’s world can create enormous strain on our nervous system, leading to burnout and breakdown. Through working on our mindset, we can lessen our reactions to stress. But it takes practice and loyalty to our intentions to make our good mindset habitual. Your thoughts have real and measurable effects on your overall health and wellbeing. Feeling we have a purpose in life and sharing our unique gifts with the world allows us to tap into more joyful living. And a major part of pursuing a sense of purpose is identifying what makes you feel your best. I’ve explored this topic with a number of my guests on this podcast. This mini-episode of The Doctor’s Farmacy includes portions of my past conversations on this podcast with Bulletproof founder and CEO, Dave Asprey and Reverend Michael Beckwith, Founder and Spiritual Director of the Agape International Spiritual Center.

17 Maj 20197min

In college, I read a book called The Soil and Health by Albert Howard. Little did I know, that book would forever change the way I viewed the relationship between dirt, food, bacteria, and human health.Emerging research continues to reveal the powerful influence of the microbiome on our health. Our microbiome is comprised of the trillions of bacteria, fungi, and even viruses present within the body. The balance of these microbes can make or break good health, and you won’t be surprised to learn the food we eat, and more specifically how it’s grown, is heavily correlated to our microbial composition. Today’s guest on The Doctor’s Farmacy is Daphne Miller, a doctor bridging the gap between medicine and farming. Dr. Miller is a practicing family physician, Clinical Professor at the University of California San Francisco, and Founder of the Health from the Soil Up Initiative. She is the author of two books: The Jungle Effect: Healthiest Diets from Around the World and Farmacology: Total Health from the Soil Up. A pioneer in the “Healthy Parks, Healthy People” initiative, Miller helped build linkages between our medical system and our park system and writes her patients “park prescriptions” to get outdoors. She also developed a soil learning lab for health professional at Paicines Ranch in Hollister California.

15 Maj 201942min