Get ready to fall in love with vegan Italian food. In this delicious episode of Food Heals, Allison sits down with Chef Tara Punzone, founder of LA's award-winning vegan restaurant Pura Vita, and renowned author Gene Stone (Forks Over Knives, How Not to Die) to talk about their brand new cookbook, Vegana Italiana.

From mouthwatering pastas and creamy vegan ricotta to tiramisu you'll dream about, this episode explores how simple, clean ingredients and a little love can create unforgettable meals that are as good for you as they are for the planet.

You'll discover:

• The story behind the first vegan Italian organic restaurant in the U.S. and how it survived Covid and thrived

• How Tara and Gene teamed up to bring her recipes and stories to life in Vegana Italiana

• The secret to making authentic Italian flavors without dairy or meat (hint: it starts with olive oil and San Marzano tomatoes)

• Why real Italian food makes you feel good instead of bloated and how ingredients grown in Italy differ from those in the U.S.

• What "biodynamic wine" actually means (and why you'll never drink the same way again)

• Tara's top favorite recipes from the book, including her vegan tiramisu, handmade gnocchi, and addictive mozzarella

• How to stock your "Essential Vegan Italian Pantry" for success

• The mindset shifts that helped Tara manifest her dream restaurant and now, her dream cookbook

Listen now to learn how to cook, eat, and live the Italian vegan way, full of passion, flavor, and love.

We've all heard the promises of The Secret. If you think positive thoughts and raise your frequency, you can have, be, and do anything you want. But what happens when your nervous system is stuck in trauma and doesn't feel safe enough to receive? That's when manifestation stops working and survival mode takes over.

In this episode of Food Heals, Allison Melody chats with Empowerment Strategist JJ Flizanes to explore the 4 survival states, how they block our manifestation, and how to move from trauma to transformation.

Fight is when your body gears up to defend at all costs. Think Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games or Will Smith at the Oscars yelling, "Keep my wife's name out of your f--king mouth."

Flight is when your system tells you to run or avoid the situation entirely. Scooby-Doo and Shaggy bolting from monsters. Forrest Gump's iconic "Run, Forrest, run." Meredith Marks disengaging.

Freeze is when you shut down, dissociate, or feel paralyzed. Think Ophelia in Hamlet, frozen and silenced by grief. Harry Potter stunned into stillness when Voldemort reappears.

Fawn is when you abandon your own needs in order to appease or please others. Kyle Richards feeling guilty when Kathy has to apologize to her, Sansa Stark pledging her loyalty to King Joffrey in Game of Thrones just to survive. In today's episode, you will learn:

• Why traditional Law of Attraction teachings stop at the mind and miss the body

• How trauma and unprocessed emotions can keep you stuck in survival states

• Tools to shift from survival into safety so you can finally align with your desires

• The exact steps JJ takes herself when she feels triggered and needs to reset

Listen now to discover how to move from survival mode into flow so you can finally create the life you have been vision-boarding. Get tickets to JJ's event October 17–19 and save $250 with the code FOODHEALS250 at jjflizanes.com/unleash.

We’ve all heard the promises of The Secret. If you think positive thoughts and raise your frequency, you can have, be, and do anything you want. But what happens when your nervous system is stuck in trauma and doesn’t feel safe enough to receive? That’s when manifestation stops working and survival mode takes over.

In this episode of Food Heals, Allison Melody chats with Empowerment Strategist JJ Flizanes to explore the 4 survival states, how they block our manifestation, and how to move from trauma to transformation.

Fight is when your body gears up to defend at all costs. Think Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games or Will Smith at the Oscars yelling, “Keep my wife’s name out of your f--king mouth.”

Flight is when your system tells you to run or avoid the situation entirely. Scooby-Doo and Shaggy bolting from monsters. Forrest Gump’s iconic “Run, Forrest, run.” Meredith Marks  disengaging.

Freeze is when you shut down, dissociate, or feel paralyzed. Think Ophelia in Hamlet, frozen and silenced by grief. Harry Potter stunned into stillness when Voldemort reappears.

Fawn is when you abandon your own needs in order to appease or please others. Kyle Richards feeling guilty when Kathy has to apologize to her, Sansa Stark pledging her loyalty to King Joffrey in Game of Thrones just to survive. In today's episode, you will learn:

• Why traditional Law of Attraction teachings stop at the mind and miss the body

• How trauma and unprocessed emotions can keep you stuck in survival states

• Tools to shift from survival into safety so you can finally align with your desires

• The exact steps JJ takes herself when she feels triggered and needs to reset

Listen now to discover how to move from survival mode into flow so you can finally create the life you have been vision-boarding. Get tickets to JJ’s event October 17–19 and save $250 with the code FOODHEALS250 at jjflizanes.com/unleash.

Ten years into Food Heals, Allison Melody broadens the lens: from food as medicine to the health of our culture. In this deeply personal episode, Allison processes the news of a public assasination, her visceral grief as a daughter who lost her father, and the chilling implications for public figures, creators, podcasters, and anyone who speaks publicly. She traces how social media outrage, algorithmic incentives, and political extremism erode empathy and makes the case that love (not hate, not fear) is the only path to individual and collective healing. Along the way, she shares her family's story, why she started Food Heals, and how to protect your "information diet" the same way you protect your plate.

Theme: Hate does not heal hate. Only love heals.

This episode contains discussion of murder, political violence, cancer, grief, social-media harassment, and deplatforming.

• Why "the health of our nation depends on more than food" and what that means for free speech

• Allison's visceral reaction to the news and how it connects to losing both parents to cancer

• The attention economy: how algorithms reward outrage and dehumanization

• A practical "information diet" for your mind and nervous system

• Powerful messages from fellow creators about responding with active love (not more anger)

• A simple framework to shift your state: breath, music, gratitude, service

• A rallying call for creators: "A microphone is not a shield…the First Amendment does not make us bulletproof—but it should make us brave."

• Your voice matters, even when it is inconvenient. Free speech is not about agreement, it is about human dignity and the right to speak without violence.

• Protect your mind like your body. Curate your inputs, fast from outrage, and refuse dehumanizing content, no matter the target.

• Gratitude is medicine. A daily "what's good?" practice shifts your state and ripples outward.

• Love is an action. Compassion, curiosity, and disciplined, justice-honoring love are stronger than hate.

• If this episode resonated, please rate and review the show and share it with someone who needs a dose of hope, sanilty and logic.

What if the most powerful medicine isn't in your medicine cabinet but already in your fridge?

In this episode of Food Heals, we're revealing the unexpected healing powers of four everyday foods. One balances hormones and reduces hot flashes by 92 percent. Another helps eliminate chronic skin conditions. One supports cancer recovery. And the last? It's over 1,000 times more nutrient-dense than your favorite leafy green.

Think you know what's on your plate? Think again.

You'll hear from healing heroes who ditched prescriptions and tapped into the potent power of plants with jaw-dropping results. (And yes, we're busting that myth about a certain food giving men more curves than they bargained for.)

Because healing doesn't have to come from a prescription. Sometimes, it starts with what's on your plate.

Whether you're balancing hormones, soothing skin, boosting your immunity, or beating the odds…

You don't need magic. You need plants.

Your body is powerful. And when you feed it right, it knows exactly what to do. Your body was built to heal. When you give it the right food it remembers. You don't need a miracle. You need a meal. Because food doesn't just fuel us, food heals.

Thank You to Our Sponsors!

Organifi

Organifi, is a line of organic superfood blends that offers plant-based nutrition made with high-quality ingredients. Organifi takes pride in offering the best tasting superfood products on the market at a price that works out to less than $3 a day. Go to www.organifishop.com/foodheals and use code foodheals for 20% off.

EnergyBits

EnergyBits offers clean, green, plant-based nutrition made from 100% spirulina and chlorella algae. Packed with protein, antioxidants, and nutrients, they're an easy way to boost energy, support immunity, and fuel your body—naturally. Go to www.energybits.com and use code foodheals for 20% off any product.

This started out as a totally normal interview about the future of health and wellness, and then something crazy happened that you will not see coming.

Let's just say… there's a twist. A moment you'll have to hear for yourself. So buckle up, Food Heals Nation. Because in today's episode, we're going way beyond green juice and into the tech-powered future of healing.

I sat down with Marcus Spruce, a public health expert, to talk about how artificial intelligence is transforming everything from how we manage chronic disease to how we get reminded to go to bed. Sounds futuristic, right? Just wait until you find out what else happens.

Tune in to hear:

• The unexpected moment that will have you questioning everything

• Can AI really help us live longer, reverse chronic disease, and remind us to get our mammograms?

• Is this the beginning of better healthcare—or the start of a Black Mirror episode?

• What AI gets so right… and dangerously wrong

• Why I'm low-key obsessed with AI (but not ready to marry it—yet)

• Plus, what happened when Food Heals favorite Michelle Miller and I asked ChatGPT to be our British relationship coach named Matthew 😆

We also cover:

• Personalized wellness: AI that knows your calendar and your cortisol

• The ethics, privacy questions, and yes—creepy clone voice possibilities

• Why the real root causes of chronic disease can't be solved by an app, no matter how smart

This episode is part experiment, part education, and full entertainment!

Let's talk about the good, the bad, and the "is this really happening?" of AI in our lives.

Thank You to Our Sponsors!

Organifi

Organifi, is a line of organic superfood blends that offers plant-based nutrition made with high-quality ingredients. Organifi takes pride in offering the best tasting superfood products on the market at a price that works out to less than $3 a day. Go to www.organifi.com/foodheals and use code foodheals for 20% off.

In Part 2 of my powerful conversation with Dane Johnson, we dive deep into the healing power of food for reversing Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis — especially for those following a plant-based or vegan lifestyle.

Dane breaks down the specific foods, nutrients, and strategies that have helped hundreds of his clients heal naturally using his S.H.I.E.L.D. Protocol. If you've been told diet doesn't matter, this episode will challenge everything you thought you knew about IBD.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Healing foods for calming inflammation and restoring gut health

• How to follow a plant-based or vegan protocol for IBD

• Common food triggers to avoid during a flare

• Why real healing starts with personalized nutrition and lifestyle changes

• And more!

Don't forget: Go to FoodHealsNation.com/shield to get your FREE 1-on-1 strategy session with a certified IBD Support Specialist, a 60-day Healing Journal, and Dane's 6 Tips to Healing Crohn's & Colitis ebook.

If you missed Part 1, go back and listen for Dane's inspiring story of how he healed from Crohn's naturally and is now helping others do the same.

Thank You to Our Sponsors!

Organifi

Organifi, is a line of organic superfood blends that offers plant-based nutrition made with high-quality ingredients. Organifi takes pride in offering the best tasting superfood products on the market at a price that works out to less than $3 a day. Go to www.organifi.com/foodheals and use code foodheals for 20% off.

Have you been told that there's no cure for Crohn's or Colitis? That your only option is a life full of medications, surgeries, or giving up the foods you love?

Think again.

In Part 1 of this powerful two-part series, host Allison Melody sits down with Dane Johnson, CEO of Crohn's Colitis Lifestyle and creator of the groundbreaking S.H.I.E.L.D. Program, a holistic healing method that has helped over 500 people around the world reverse the symptoms of Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

After nearly losing his life to Crohn's in 2014, Dane committed himself to natural healing and has been 100% surgery and medication-free ever since. Today, he shares his incredible story, the real root causes of IBD, and how he turned his pain into a mission to help others heal.

Dane's approach proves that you don't have to live in fear of flare-ups, fatigue, or a restricted life. You can reclaim your health. You can feel strong, energized, and safe in your body again, and it starts here.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• The shocking story of how Crohn's nearly took Dane's life

• Why the conventional medical model often fails IBD patients

• How stress, mindset, and nutrition all play a vital role in recovery

• What your doctor might not be telling you about supplements, food, and lifestyle

• Why Dane believes you can live symptom-free without meds or surgery

Ready to take action? Go to FoodHealsNation.com/shield to get your FREE 1-on-1 strategy session with a certified IBD Support Specialist. You'll also receive a 60-Day Healing Journal and Dane's 6 Tips to Healing Crohn's & Colitis ebook, all completely free.

Don't forget this is only Part 1 of Dane's healing journey and expert guidance. Tune in to Part 2 for even more tools, tips, and inspiration to become the CEO of your own health.

Allison's Travel & Wellness Must-Haves:

Organifi – 20% off with code FOODHEALS Vitality Bits – 20% off with code FOODHEALS Cured Nutrition – Free shipping with code FOODHEALS Just Thrive Probiotics – 15% off with code FOODHEALS15

In this fiery follow-up to Part 1, Allison Melody is back with more truth bombs about the Netflix series Apple Cider Vinegar and the real-world consequences of media narratives that equate wellness fraudsters with wellness itself. Belle Gibson lied about curing cancer with Gerson Therapy, but that doesn't mean Gerson Therapy is a lie.

Allison breaks down what Apple Cider Vinegar got so wrong about alternative medicine, shares her personal censorship story (yes, YouTube is at it again), and reads some of the shocking and heartbreaking responses she received after posting her thoughts online.

From personal loss to purpose-driven passion, this episode is a call to protect the integrity of healing modalities that have helped so many. It's a reminder that just because something is healing doesn't mean the person teaching it is a healer.

• What the Netflix series Apple Cider Vinegar gets wrong about Gerson Therapy

• The difference between a scammer and a healing modality

• Censorship in the wellness space and Allison's personal battle with YouTube

• The dark side of speaking your truth online: internet trolls and death threats

• Why the suppression of alternative medicine threatens our right to informed health choices

"The scammer isn't the science." "Just because something is healing doesn't mean the person teaching it is a healer." "Belle Gibson lied. That doesn't make Gerson Therapy a lie." "Our health is in our hands, and we deserve all the information to make the right decisions."

Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, DeepCast, or your favorite podcast platform. (Probably not on YouTube due to ongoing censorship)

Allison's Travel & Wellness Must-Haves:

Organifi – 20% off with code FOODHEALS Vitality Bits – 20% off with code FOODHEALS Cured Nutrition – Free shipping with code FOODHEALS Just Thrive Probiotics – 15% off with code FOODHEALS15

In today's episode of Food Heals, Allison Melody dives into the recent media portrayals of alternative healing practices and their connection to scam artists. Inspired by HBO's Breath of Fire and Netflix's Apple Cider Vinegar, Allison shares her personal experiences with Kundalini Yoga, alternative medicine, and the dangers of blindly following self-proclaimed "gurus."

What You'll Learn: 🔹 The fine line between healing modalities and the people who exploit them 🔹 How Breath of Fire exposed the dark side of Kundalini Yoga and its leaders 🔹 The truth behind Apple Cider Vinegar and its misleading portrayal of natural healing 🔹 Why alternative healing methods are often vilified despite their effectiveness 🔹 Personal stories of deception, manipulation, and the power of discernment

Key Takeaways: ✅ Just because something is a healing modality doesn't mean the teacher is a healer. ✅ Grifters exist in every industry, including wellness and spirituality. ✅ The media's portrayal of alternative medicine often discredits legitimate healing methods. ✅ Allison's firsthand experience with Kundalini Yoga and the questionable figures behind it. ✅ How corporate buyouts have compromised once-holistic brands like Burt's Bees, Tom's, and Naked Juice.

Allison's Travel & Wellness Must-Haves: Vitality Bits – 20% off with code FOODHEALS Cured Nutrition – Free shipping with code FOODHEALS Organifi – 20% off with code FOODHEALS Just Thrive Probiotics – 15% off with code FOODHEALS15

✨ Join the Conversation: What are your thoughts on alternative medicine and its portrayal in the media? DM Allison on Instagram @foodhealsnation

🎙 Next Episode: Gurus Who Grift Part 2 Stay tuned for Part 2 of Gurus Who Grift where Allison shares her take on Apple Cider Vinegar, the backlash she faced, and why speaking out got her death threats!