Essential Ingredients Podcast

We don't eat just to eat. There's a lot of emotion that goes into food.”  

 -Lisa Dorfman

Episode Description: 

Chi or Qi from Chinese principle pertains to the purest form of vital energy force that is needed for life. Chi has been a central part of Chinese medicine, which later became a popular concept around the world. Eventually, it was adapted into many cultures because of its role in health and longevity. What if we can tap into the power of Chi energy in the form of food? 

Living in a very exhausting world, many people find themselves lacking the energy to do what they have to do. Our body requires clean, nutritious, and easy-to-digest food to perform well. From this need, a powerful energy snack was born- Chi Energy Bites. Award-winning sports and performance nutritionist Lisa Dorfman, also known as “the Running Nutritionist,” created Chi Energy Bites, a “super snack” that fuels an active lifestyle. Chi Energy Bites revolves around four pillars- to Empower, Sustain, Replenish, and Nourish. Chi Energy Bites are organic, sugar-free, allergen-free, and gluten-free so you can fulfill your cravings without the guilt. This snack-on-the-run not only provides energy and nutrition, but the company also gives back to the community by supporting non-profit organizations that share the same goals.  

Learn more about Chi Energy Bites and its mission as Justine and Lisa discuss what it takes to build a purpose-driven business and develop a product that’s both healthy AND tasty!  As an expert who holds many titles and qualifications, Lisa also shares her secret to presenting a product in a professional way. 

Connect with Lisa: 

Lisa Dorfman is an award-winning, Miami-based nutrition expert who helps people reach their optimal level of health. Lisa has built a global integrative culinary sports nutrition and performance practice, along with a corporate consulting business. She has worked with Olympic athletes, Fortune 500 executives, movie actors & actresses, politicians, and prestigious luxury resorts such as Sandals and the Ritz Carlton Hotel Company. Lisa designs, writes, and speaks about delicious dishes, menus, and diets and travels worldwide. From launching programs to training staff and providing private classes, Lisa works with clients to solve their culinary challenges- sharing the “gospel” of good food, fresh tastes, and plant-forward cuisine. Her passion for healthy living is contagious.

She has taken her expertise to the Olympics, serving as the US Sailing Team Nutritionist for the Beijing Games. Lisa is the Nutrition Expert for Zumba® Plate program and consults for Sony Entertainment Latin America's corporate wellness program. As an accomplished author of eight books, dozens of textbook chapters & magazine columns, Lisa translates the complex science of nutrition into bite-sized, easy-to-digest information for the public and the press. 

Lisa is a competitive runner and triathlete who has competed in more than 35 marathons (PR 2:52:32), Ironman USA Lake Placid, and hundreds of running and multisport races. In 2004, she competed for the United States on Team USA at the World Long Distance Duathlon Championships. Lisa is a mom of three children and has been married to her husband, Bob, for over three decades. She and her family and rescue dog, Cookie, have lived in Miami since 1980.

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Episode Highlights:

00:52 The Running Nutritionist

04:41 What it Takes to Develop a Product

07:47 Present Your Product Professionally

11:15 Join the Chi Movement

16:45 Food, Emotion, and Psychology 

20:00 Start with Passion

 “You have to find ways to find the definition of success as more than just dollars in your pocket.” -Michelle Carfagno

Episode Description: 

A food allergy is defined as a physical reaction to certain types of food often leading to an immune system response and affecting other organs. This happens when the body mistakenly reads a food protein as harmful, thus, allerting antibodies to fight it. Symptoms may include hives, swelling of some parts of the body, diarrhea, nausea, trouble breathing, and dizziness. On the other hand, food intolerance also causes some symptoms similar to food allergy, but is limited to the digestive system. It occurs due to a chemical reaction in the body caused by particular substances found in a food or drink. 

Food is a major part of our lives. We love it and we enjoy it. However, food allergies and food intolerance often rob many people of this very right. Not being able to enjoy food for fear of how your body might react can be isolating. Michelle Carfagno’s journey started with her desire to give other people access to the food that they love without all the pain and suffering. Hence, she founded The Greater Knead, the home of gluten-free and allergen-free snacks. Her desire is for people to eat with confidence and feel a joy that only food can bring. 

Tune in as Michelle relates how helping her family and herself feel better has turned into a greater cause. Justine and Michelle also discuss how to look at fear and problems, build your business despite uncertainties, and develop a fighting spirit to keep growing. When the pandemic hit, businesses were hit hard. If you find yourself in one of those tougher times, listen as Michelle shares the secret to maintaining her business and success. 

Connect with Michelle Carfagno: 

Being authentic, creating gluten-free and allergen-free foods, with integrity, empowers others and inspires change. Since founding The Greater Knead, formerly Sweet Note Bakery, in June 2012 Michelle has been on a mission to do just that. They add the ingredients of passion, persistence and honesty to our products, so the allergen-free community can eat confidently.

They work with retail and food service partners to service 35 states and 1000 locations along the East Coast. We are continuing to expand across the nation with our authentic gluten-free and top 8 allergen bagel line.

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Episode Highlights:

01:12 Managing  Food Allergies with Food 

05:44 The Nostalgia in Food 

08:43 Fear of Error is the Death of Success

11:35 Why Outsourcing Allows More Control

14:48 Find the Solution  

18:25 Success is More Than a Revenue

23:10 There’s So Much Room to Grow

“You can have animal-based proteins without any animals involved at all and you're going to get the exact same taste without intensive animal farming.” 

-Elysabeth Alfano

Episode Description: 

BREAKING NEWS!  

The first plant-based innovation and climate ETF is here! 

Plant-Powered Consulting founder Elysabeth Alfano and plant-based investor Sasha Goodman have launched VegTech Invest to serve as a platform for value-driven investors to support companies that innovate plant-based food and ingredients. 

VegTech: The Global Vegan Impact and Innovation Index lists and tracks companies that take the lead in removing animal products from the market. Currently, there are 21 companies on the list. As the list goes public, Elysabeth hopes that more and more companies will be inspired to join.

This week, Justine and Elysabeth discuss the motivation behind VegTech and what you can expect from the plant-based industry in 2022 and beyond. Tune in and learn how you can invest in a better world for humans, animals, and the earth. 

Connect with Elysabeth: 

Elysabeth Alfano is an award-winning media personality, the founder of Plant Powered Consulting, and a keen investor.  As one of the foremost plant-based business experts in North America, Elysabeth regularly delivers analysis and commentary about the latest plant-based developments and trends on major media outlets.  She hosts the Plantbased Business Hour, the Awesome Vegans Influencer Series, and her weekly syndicated radio show, Plant-based Life and Style with Elysabeth Alfano.  

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Conneect with EATV: VegTech Plant-Based Innovation and Climate ETF:

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Episode Highlights:

02:22 The First Plant-Based Innovation ETF

04:57 What is ETF?

07:10 Be a Plant of the Plant-based Craze  

09:05 The Plant-Based Industry 2022 and Beyond

“The cascara is the better half of what the coffee plant has to offer. We see even greater potential with cascara and the last thing that should be done is throw it to waste.” -Paul Evers

Episode Description: 

Coffee is one of the most loved beverages around the world. According to data, around two billion cups of coffee are consumed every day! It’s not surprising, therefore, that it has become a multi-billion dollar industry. However, the question still arises, “Are we really utilizing 100% of coffee’s agricultural value?” 

Coffee is made from coffee cherries. Yes! Coffee actually comes from a fruit. Each pulp covers two beans, sometimes one, called a peaberry. Processing starts with separating the beans from the “CASCARA”, or the pulp. The beans are then roasted, brewed, and extracted depending on how strong or mild you want your coffee to be. What happens to the pulp, you may ask? Because there is little demand, the cascara is left to ferment, converted to fertilizer or animal feed, or thrown into a landfill. Needless to say, that accounts for billions of food waste and millions of metric tons of carbon emissions. 

Thankfully, more and more companies are acting to solve a significant portion of this problem. One of them is Riff. Co-founded by Paul Evers, Riff aims to impact the planet by “creating possibilities out of coffee beans and the whole dang coffee plant!” Riff created plant-based products that provide energy and immunity. Their energy+ drinks and cold brews come in fun flavors, are gluten-free, vegan-friendly, non-GMO, and ethically-sourced. 

In this episode, Justine and Paul discuss how we can weave our love for coffee and our love for the planet together. They talk about a brewing problem in the coffee industry that affects consumers, farmers, and the environment. If you’re interested in investing in Riff’s mission, tune in as Paul shares how you can show your support in building a better-for-you food system. 

Connect with Paul Evers: 

A celebrated veteran in brand strategy, design, and advertising— Paul led the teams behind the creative development of craft beverage brands such as Humm Kombucha, 21st Amendment, Deschutes Brewery, Odell Brewing, and Crux Fermentation Project—which he co-founded, and served as President and CMO. In 2017, Paul co-founded Riff Cold Brewed Coffee along with veterans from Stumptown and LinkedIn. Paul is also a long-time active community member, having played a significant role in launching both the Bend Volunteer Corps and TEDxBend.

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Episode Highlights:

01:54 Food Waste and the Coffee Industry

08:58 Creating Relationship Over Traditional Advertising

14:37 Solving Multiple Problems At the Same Time

18:31 Success Redefined

21:59 Cascara Foster Child

“Functional food is important and integral to health. We're using food as medicine to help us feel better and feel more balanced.” -Felicity Chen

Episode Description: 

Cannabis is controversial. Many support the idea of medical marijuana, while some remain critical because other people tend to abuse it. On the other hand, research shows that cannabis does offer a lot of health benefits. 

We learned about the different systems of the body in school. But there is one system in our body that is yet to gain familiarity- the endogenous cannabinoid system or ECS, named after cannabis, the plant that led to its discovery. This system plays a variety of major roles in our body’s development, including the nervous system, affecting important functions including: sleep, appetite and pain management. What if we can harvest the benefits of cannabis without suffering its mind-altering properties? 

The inspiration for Potli came to Felicity Chen as she was looking for ways to help her mother, who was suffering from asthma. She started with cannabis-infused honey which truly made a difference in her life and that of her family. Today, Felicity has grown her brand and has helped many others achieve better sleep, feel calm and relief and find greater balance. 

Tetrahydrocannabinol or THC is the active chemical found in cannabis that gives users the feeling of being “high”.  Potli products are THC-free, which is why it’s safe to consume. The products are also 3rd party-tested to ensure accurate dosing and purity. Potli uses premium, homegrown, organic ingredients and the company also strives to support local farmers. 

Felicity understood the importance of food as a medicine as she was growing up. In this episode, she relates how her background has helped her in this endeavor. Justine and Felicity also talk about the importance of functional foods to holistic wellness, how to manage product regulation and distribution and upcoming  developments for Potli. Working in the food tech space has given Felicity ample training to grow her own brand organically. Tune in as she shares some tips! 

Connect with Felicity Chen: 

Felicity is a third-generation sauce and spice maker who launched Potli as a way to promote healthy living. Potli expands upon Felicity’s heritage and passion for functional ingredients by creating high-quality, craftsman kitchen staples for everyday use. Felicity was born, raised, and is still rooted in the Bay Area. She is committed to sourcing delicious ingredients from her home state.

As CEO, Felicity oversees Potli's revenue and operations, and ensures the quality of the company’s ingredients- the primary reason customers choose Potli- is at the highest level. Prior to Potli, Felicity worked in the food tech space at companies like UberEats and Gilt.com where she constantly thought about new ways to bring food to consumers.

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Episode Highlights:

01:14 Food that Helps You Feel Better

06:42 Cannabis for Wellness

13:26 Regulation and Growing Your Brand

16:19 Moving Towards a More Open World 

“Everybody deserves something delicious!” -John Wiseman

Episode Description: 

Since the pandemic, people have become better aware of their health. To boost their immunity, many have made significant lifestyle changes regarding their drinking habits. Some have reduced their alcohol intake with others shunning booze all together. Yet, alcohol has long been a part of celebrations and associated with having a good time. Is there a way to unwind and enjoy real adult drinks without sacrificing sobriety and health? Thankfully, there is!

In 2017, John Wiseman founded Curious Elixirs, a company that creates booze-free craft cocktails. But don’t be fooled! Although their cocktails are non-alcoholic, they offer the benefits you may be looking for in a traditional alcoholic beverage. Currently, there are six adventurous flavors to choose from. (Curious No. 7 Coming very soon!) Each elixir is tailored to your personal needs. There is an elixir for when you’re looking to set the mood, for when you want to relax, for when you have a busy mind, for when you need a pick-me-up and for when you are craving balance. But more than simply providing a better sober alternative, Curious Elixirs also promote health as they are made from organic botanicals and infused with adaptogens that help resist any type of stressor. 

Learn more about Curious Elixirs as John relates the backstory of how he came up with this brilliant idea, and how he turned it into a business opportunity.  Justine and John also talk about bridging the gap in the functional food space and providing better customer service in terms of convenience, taste and healthy options. With a background in marketing, John was able to craft creative strategies that spread the curious culture even further. Tune in as John lets you in on some marketing secrets you can use!

Connect with John Wiseman: 

In 2017, John Wiseman founded Curious Elixirs, a booze-free company whose mission is to redefine how we drink socially by providing delicious, complex and healthy adult beverages packed with adaptogens. Their flavors are bold and crafted for the adventurous. Each flavor is a collaboration between their team of world-class bartenders, herbalists and food scientists. John believes that drinks should be good for the body and soul, that’s why they only use organic ingredients. 

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Episode Highlights:

02:54 Booze-Free Cocktails

07:34 Bridging the Gap in Functional Foods

11:57 Lead with Fun and Humor

15:53 Marketing Secrets

20:07 Spread the Curious Culture!  

“When you work on food waste, you are working on the most important things. You’re working on climate, food security and feeding the world.” - Andrew Shakman

Episode Description:

The less people see, the less people care.  It’s been easy to disregard this urgent issue, because food waste has been placed in a blind spot. But this dangerous situation can no longer be ignored!  What is being done- and what can YOU do- to prevent food loss?    

Leanpath is today's leading food waste prevention platform. Its co-founder and CEO, Andrew Shakman is an author, speaker, and internationally-renowned expert in food waste prevention. Andrew is passionate about creating a more sustainable future and supporting companies to create products that make a difference and are resilient through economic cycles. 

This week, Justine is joined by a special co-host, Lisa Johnson, an industry powerhouse in food loss.  The duo digs deep with Andrew on effective food loss prevention tactics that both companies and households can apply. It doesn't matter whether it’s a company factory or a home kitchen, food is still wasted. In this episode, Andrew shares why food waste is a problem and why prevention is the most important action we can take today. He also addresses the importance of measuring food loss in increasing awareness and initiating intervention. Listen as Lisa and Andrew share tools and strategies that can help you measure, manage, and reduce food loss. Zero food waste is the goal, but without getting a clear picture of the gravity of the situation, this problem will persist. The key is to assign value to food, while we still have it. 

Connect with Andrew:

Andrew Shakman is the Co-Founder and CEO of Leanpath, the industry’s leading food waste prevention platform working with client partners to fight waste around the world. He’s been working on the front lines of behavior change and is an internationally renowned expert in food waste prevention.

Andrew is a speaker, author, and expert on global food waste issues. One of the “20 Most Influential” people in the foodservice industry (Foodservice Director Magazine); featured in BusinessWeek, NPR, PBS, Forbes, New Yorker, Fast Company and many food industry publications. 

For the love of food, Andrew has been on a journey to end avoidable food waste since 2004. He believes that food connects us to one another and to our natural environment in powerful and profound ways and that it's a tragedy of epic scale that we routinely waste it. This is a tragedy for our planet and its climate, for those in need, for the animals whose lives we take only to discard them, for the workers who invest heart and soul to produce food we ignore, and for our collective conscience as a society. 

As a passionate food waste prevention advocate. Preventing food waste at the source is the only route to true reform and yet it's the most overlooked, under-targeted part of the food waste solutions space. Wasting food is simply wrong. Fortunately, this is a solvable problem and he’s committed to seeing that solution in his lifetime.

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Connect with Lisa: 

Lisa Johnson is a leader in food loss and waste - focused on agricultural production. She is a seasoned horticulturist with a broad range of experience in local, organic, sustainable, conventional, and biotech food and agriculture. Lisa’s research aims to understand the loss of edible vegetables. Understanding constraints from the growers’ perspective have been critical: always encouraging people to incorporate more growers' voices in their work. Lisa is fortunate to be able to work with some of the most forward-thinking specialty crop growers in the country, as well as non-profits, governments, start-ups, industry leaders, and the academy. 

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Episode Highlights:

02:59 The Genesis of Leanpath 

09:13 Creating Meaningful Impacts 

14:09 Measurement IS Intervention

17:22 Food Loss and Farmers

22:01 Leanpath’s Mission And Vision

27:12 Food Waste Tracking Technology 

31:44 Food Connects Everything 

“I can have a larger impact by…educating people on the benefits of regenerative and for them to be able to taste the difference.” -Sam Richardson

Episode Description: 

In the last century, we have seen and experienced the worsening effects of climate change. It has gotten so bad that new record highs and extreme weather conditions are now the norm. 

On the other hand, humans have also become more cognizant of the impact of human activities on planetary health. Active remediations and conservation efforts are being done around the globe by environmentally-minded companies and individuals. We also see evidence of such actions in the food industry. An outstanding example is regenerative products and practices. What are these and how big of an impact can they make? 

Sam’s Adventure Snacks is a startup built around the idea that everyday adventures should be combined with healthy bites. Its founder, Sam Richardson, found himself in a familiar cycle of home-work-car-home. He turned this automated way of life into a series of adventures by intentionally looking for ways to add excitement into his daily activities. Eventually, Sam found himself getting closer and closer to food. He needed something to power up his adventures, so he started to create his own recipe for whole food snacks. Eventually, he recognized that what he was making could impact other people’s lives, especially those who find themselves in a work/office dungeon filled with unhealthy food options. Thus, Sam’s Adventure Snacks was born. 

In this episode, Sam and Justine talk about what regenerative food products mean and how they  impact our health, the climate, and the world. As a startup founder, Sam also shares tips on launching a product during a challenging time, such as this pandemic. Tune into this episode, a bite-sized adventure with Justine and Sam, as he expands on the importance of storytelling through labeling and the efforts he goes to to source premium, regenerative ingredients.  

Connect with Sam: 

Sam Richarson is the Founder of Sam’s Adventure Snacks. When Sam returned to San Francisco, he became perplexed by the repetitive cycle he was in:  home-car-work-car-home. He had enough of it. Sam believes that adventures aren’t only found in dangerous and distant locations. He created a way to make every day an unforgettable adventure.  Of course, an adventurer always needs a healthy stash of snacks to keep him going. Sam’s goal is to carve a path for healthy snacking through whole foods. Hence, the birth of Sam’s Adventure Sammies and Sam’s Adventure Nut Butters- the perfect snacks to “Power Your Day’s Adventure!”  

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Episode Highlights:

01:34 Power Your Adventures!

06:09 Bridging the Gap between Pure CPG and Baked Goods

09:50 What Are Regenerative Products 

13:42 Launching a Business During COVID

16:21 Taste is King!

19:12 What Story Can You Tell?

 “I want to support active living. I think that being active and physically fit... is so important for overall health and overall productivity for people.” -Jennifer Maxwell  

Episode Description: 

Energy bars and protein bars became popular among athletes and young adults because of the instant boost of energy they provide and the number of proteins and fibers they contain. However, because of their daily busy schedules, these supplemental bars have also reached the adult market who barely has time to eat. 

These on-the-go snacks have promised convenience and nutrition, yet more and more products in this category start to fall short of expectations. The health aspect became adulterated with saturated fats, processed sugars, and other additives that rather harm the body. It's time to bring back what energy bars and protein bars were supposed to be!

JAMBAR founder, Jennifer Maxwell believes that the ingredients used reflect the overall mission of a product. For her, promoting health and a positive lifestyle starts with ingredients that are as close to nature as possible. Jennifer and her team aim to fill the nutritional gap in the food system by creating pure and natural supplemental snack bars, which come in fun flavors too! Their mission also includes giving back to the community. In fact, JAMBAR donates 50% of the profits to organizations that support music and active living- the core motivation behind the company's establishment. 

Indulge in the music of a complete nutritional ensemble in your taste buds! In this episode, Justine and Jennifer discuss what it takes to create a premium product that is organic, delicious, affordable, and accessible to everyone. They also talk about funding matters, how long it takes to develop a marketable product, and how to perfect your recipe. Tune in as Jennifer shares where you can buy this heavenly treat and exciting developments with JAMBAR you wouldn't want to miss!

Connect with Jennifer: 

Jennifer Maxwell is the founder of JAMBAR, a startup that promotes health and philanthropy through its organic, nutritious, and delicious energy bars. Jennifer believes that in making energy bars, you are only as good as your ingredients, that’s why she and her team endeavor to work with eco-conscious suppliers. They only choose ingredients that are high quality and as close to nature as possible. 50% of the profits from JAMBAR are being donated to programs that support active living and the art of music.

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Episode Highlights:

01:14 Differentiating Premium Products

06:37 Creating Protein Bars for Everybody

09:54 Creating Accessible and Affordable Products

11:32 Funding Structures

15:23 The Creating and Perfecting Process

18:08 Stay Focused

“A lot of products from nature can have a much greater part to our health and well being and into the future.” - Jim McMillan

Episode Description:

Have you ever wondered why Manuka honey is so rare and expensive? Honey is the only food that contains all the necessary substances needed to sustain life. It also helps in weight loss, soothing colds and sore throats, boosting the immune system, and improving brain function. However, Manuka honey's antibacterial properties separate it from regular honey. Apart from this special property, this specific type of honey is also hard to produce. It is harvested from bees that pollinate the Manuka bush, which is native to New Zealand and Australia. Its flowers will only bloom for 2-6 weeks and will stay open for 5 days, a very short period for the bees to collect nectar. Moreover, due to the harsh environment, the flowers may die with only a slight change in climate conditions. Despite all these, the Manuka honey has managed to gain the hearts of consumers due to its special properties, not only in the food industry but also in the beauty industry. Thanks to producers and manufacturers, this golden ray of sunshine is already available all over the world.  

True Honey Co. is one of the companies that believe in protecting and conserving the Manuka bush and the environment in which it thrives. That's why, the company's founder and CEO, Jim McMillan closely works with local farmers and sectors that have the same goals. In this episode, Jim shares how he stumbled into this space, and how they ensure that their product stays true and pure. Jim also discusses the chemical component that makes manuka honey an effective antibacterial and anti-inflammatory agent and its benefits on health and wellness. Justine and Jim also talk about ways to create an efficient system and reinstall confidence in the market. Stay tuned until the end to see where True Honey branches are located across the globe. 

Connect with Jim:

Jim McMillan, founder and CEO of True Honey, knew right from the start that finding the best Mānuka bush and having access to remote locations meant building great relationships with landowners throughout the country’s best Mānuka honey-producing regions.

As it’s always been, a big part of Jim’s job is working closely with farmers, local Iwi and the Department of Conservation. He’s dedicated to protecting New Zealand’s unique environment, while working with these landowner partners to leave the land in a better state for future generations.

Full ownership from hive to jar means Jim stands behind every drop of their Mānuka honey, with full traceability back to where it was harvested. As the industry grows, Jim is dedicated to making sure that honey lovers worldwide can trust The True Honey Co. name for high rated, ethically produced and top-notch quality Mānuka honey.

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Episode Highlights:

00:50 The Story Behind True Honey

02:40 Manuka Honey, A Gift From Nature

06:50 Challenges in the Manuka Honey Industry

11:13 Reinstalling Confidence in the Market

14:27 Market And Product Development

18:56 Producing Premium Honey