Guest: 

Jerold Mande

Show Notes:

What if improving health means not just having enough food—but having access to the right kinds of food? This episode explores how nutrition security, public policy, and healthcare systems work together to shape diet quality and chronic disease prevention—and what it will take to build a healthier future.

Guest Bio:

Jerold Mande is CEO of Nourish Science; Adjunct Professor of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; and a Non-Resident Senior Fellow, Tisch College of Civic Life, Tufts University. For most of his career, he has served in senior federal food, nutrition, and health policy positions, including the FDA and USDA. 

Quote:

"Food security just means people have access to food, but it doesn't mean they have access to food that they'll thrive on."

Question of the Day:

What changes, whether in policy or your local community—would make it easier for people to access nutritious food where you live?

On This Episode You Will Learn:

1. The difference between food security and nutrition security, and why both matter for preventing chronic disease.

2. How government policies and food programs influence the foods we see in grocery stores, schools, and communities.

3. Why ultra-processed foods have become such a big part of the American diet and how they may affect our health.

4. The story behind the Nutrition Facts label and MyPlate, and how they changed the way Americans think about nutrition.

5. What changes in food policy and nutrition research could help create a healthier future for everyone.

Connect with Yumlish!

Yumlish Website: Yumlish

Yumlish on Instagram: @yumlish_

Yumlish on Facebook: Yumlish

Yumlish on Twitter: @yumlish_Yumlish on LinkedIn: Yumlish

Connect with Jerold Mande!Website URL: https://nourishscience.org/ https://hsph.harvard.edu/profile/jerold-r-mande/

Twitter(X) URL: @JerryMande

LinkedIn URL: www.linkedin.com/in/jerold-mande

Guest: 

Dr. Pamela Koch

Show Notes:

What if better health starts long before someone sits down to eat? This episode explores how food access, education, and community systems shape lifelong eating habits—and what needs to change to make healthy, culturally meaningful food more possible for everyone.

Guest Bio:

Pam conducts research and creates resources on how to get people inspired and confident to make food choices that nourish their body, mind and spirit.

Quote:

“We need systemic changes to change what's available in all of our communities, so everyone has that opportunity to have foods easily that are the foods that will nourish them and allow them to eat well.”

Question of the Day:

What changes would you like to see in your community that would make it easier for families to access healthy, culturally meaningful foods?

On This Episode You Will Learn:

1. Why nutrition education works best when it inspires confidence and hands-on learning rather than simply lecturing on nutrition facts.

2. How food systems, food environments, and public policies influence access to nutritious foods and long-term health.

3. Why food inequities are systemic challenges that require community-level and policy-driven solutions.

4. How schools, school meals, gardens, and experiential food education can help shape lifelong healthy eating habits.

5. Practical ways individuals and communities can advocate for better access to healthy, culturally meaningful foods.

Connect with Yumlish!

Yumlish Website: Yumlish

Yumlish on Instagram: @yumlish_

Yumlish on Facebook: Yumlish

Yumlish on Twitter: @yumlish_Yumlish on LinkedIn: Yumlish

Connect with Dr. Pamela Koch !
LinkedIn URL: www.linkedin.com/in/pamela-koch-14-tccu 

Website URL 1: https://www.tc.columbia.edu/faculty/pak14/

Website URL 2: https://www.tc.columbia.edu/tisch/

Website URL 3: https://www.tc.columbia.edu/health-studies-applied-educational-psychology/nutrition/

Guest: 

Dr. Alyson Myers

Show Notes:

Most amputations are preventable. This episode breaks down what a diabetic foot ulcer is, the early red flags people miss, and the daily habits that protect mobility plus a clear, first-48-hours plan if a blister or cut appears. Stay to the end for simple actions you can start today.

Guest Bio:

Dr. Alyson K. Myers is a Professor of Medicine and Associate Chair for Faculty Mentoring & Community Engagement at Montefiore Einstein (Bronx). She leads the system’s multidisciplinary diabetic foot ulcer clinic, uniting endocrinology, infectious disease, vascular surgery, podiatry, and behavioral health.

Quote:

“…little things become big things. So rather than trying to do it on your own, whether it's your primary care doctor, the nurse practitioner you see, the endocrinologist, you should always show things to your doctor.”

Question of the Day:

What is that one healthy habit you found helpful in managing diabetes for yourself or for your loved one, and one you want to start building sooner than later?

On This Episode You Will Learn:

1. Why most diabetes related amputations are preventable and what puts people at risk 

2. What a diabetic foot ulcer is and how it develops from small issues like blisters or calluses 

3. The early warning signs people often ignore 

4. Simple daily habits that protect your feet 

5. What to do in the first 48 hours after noticing a cut, blister, or infection, and when it’s time to seek urgent care

Connect with Yumlish!

Yumlish Website: Yumlish

Yumlish on Instagram: @yumlish_

Yumlish on Facebook: Yumlish

Yumlish on Twitter: @yumlish_

Yumlish on LinkedIn: Yumlish

Connect with Alyson Myers!

Instagram URL: dr.savealimb

LinkedIn URL: Alyson K.Myers

Guest: 

Julianne Lally

Show Notes:

Type 1 diabetes doesn’t start with symptoms, it starts silently. In this episode, early screening expert Julianne Lally reveals how autoantibody testing can detect risk years before diagnosis and why that window matters. Learn how early detection can reduce complications, what families should know about screening access, and how new innovations are working to make early screening the norm, not the exception.

Guest Bio:

Julianne Lally, DMSc, MHS, PA-C, is Associate Director of Medical Affairs at Breakthrough T1D. She focuses primarily on screening and early detection of type 1 diabetes, leads the Early Detection Pilot Program and facilitates healthcare professional education efforts. Julianne’s professional interest in T1D stems directly from her own personal diagnosis at age twelve. 

Doctorate of Medical Science, Masters of Health Science, and Physician Assistant

Quote:

“It’s really beautiful to think about a future where people are diagnosed in their doctor’s office and not in the hospital or ICU.”

Question of the Day:

If you have a family history of autoimmune conditions, type 1 diabetes in particular. Have you ever considered screening for type 1 diabetes? Why or why not?

On This Episode You Will Learn:

1. Why early detection of type 1 diabetes is so important.

2. How type 1 diabetes can be detected before symptoms develop..

3. Common symptoms families should watch for

4. How screening for type 1 diabetes works

5. New research and treatments that could delay or prevent the disease.

Connect with Yumlish!

Yumlish Website: Yumlish

Yumlish on Instagram: @yumlish_

Yumlish on Facebook: Yumlish

Yumlish on Twitter: @yumlish_Yumlish on LinkedIn: Yumlish

Connect with Julianne Lally!

Website URL: Type 1 Diabetes Screening & Early Detection

Instagram URL: @BreakthroughT1D

Facebook URL: Breakthrough T1D 

Twitter(X) URL: @BreakthroughT1D

LinkedIn URL: linkedin.com/in/juliannemlally/

Guest: 

Lauren Anton

Show Notes:

Recovery after breast cancer isn’t just physical, it’s emotional and nutritional, too. Listen to the first-hand experience of registered dietitian and breast cancer survivor, Lauren Anton as she explores what healing really looks like after treatment, why nourishment can feel complicated, and how survivors can begin rebuilding trust with their bodies. Tune in for evidence-based guidance and compassionate insights that support recovery, resilience, and learning to nourish yourself again.

Guest Bio:

Lauren Anton is a speaker, registered dietitian, and breast cancer survivor passionate about helping people to reconnect with their bodies, breaking free from diet culture noise and learning how to treat their bodies with compassion and respect. She helps audiences, groups, and individuals learn how to re-imagine their bodies as a home, and recognize food and movement as conduits for a deep connection with the body. 

Quote:

“Being able to remember very clearly what it's like to walk through the swamp of our own minds is so important. And that's what lived experience gives us, that a textbook can't.”

Question of the Day:

How has illness, recovery, or a major life event changed your relationship with your body and food?

On This Episode You Will Learn: 

1. How lived experience as a breast cancer survivor shapes Lauren’s approach to nutrition and body image

2. Why self-compassion and changing self-talk are essential during recovery and body changes

3. How nutrition after cancer treatment should focus on body respect and individual needs, not rigid rules

4. How appetite, digestion, and food tolerance can change during and after treatment, and how to adapt

5. How friends and family can practically support someone in treatment, especially through food and everyday help

Connect with Yumlish!

Yumlish Website: Yumlish

Yumlish on Instagram: @yumlish_

Yumlish on Facebook: Yumlish

Yumlish on Twitter: @yumlish_Yumlish on LinkedIn: Yumlish

Connect with Lauren Anton!

Website URL: laurenantonrd.com

Instagram URL: @laurenatnonrd  

LinkedIn URL: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-anton-ms-rd-ceds-c-cpt-683b7430/

Guest: 

Denee Bex

Show Notes:

Indigenous foodways aren’t trends, they’re heart-healthy blueprints. This episode maps how traditional ingredients, cooking methods, and land stewardship support cardiovascular health today, with practical ideas for reconnecting even when access is limited.

Guest Bio:

Denee Bex is a Registered Dietitian & CDCES from the Diné (Navajo) Nation and is the owner of Tumbleweed Nutrition LLC, a dietetics and nutrition education consulting firm. She teaches her Native community about nutrition without judgement. Denee provides inclusive & evidence-based nutrition education for organizations which honor American Indian heritage.

Quote:

“Food is more than sustenance. Food is also community. Food is also family. Food is also connection. And that's something that many of our Indigenous families, Native families have known for centuries, if not thousands of years.”

Question of the Day:

Which traditional or ancestral food from your own culture would you like to explore or incorporate more often for better heart health?

On This Episode You Will Learn:

1. Why culturally relevant nutrition care is essential for Indigenous communities.

2. How traditional Indigenous foods can support heart health and blood sugar.

3. How food plays a role in culture, identity, and connection, not just nutrition.

4. Why Indigenous foods are often missing from mainstream nutrition research.

5. How individuals and healthcare providers can better support Indigenous food systems.

Connect with Yumlish!

Yumlish Website: Yumlish

Yumlish on Instagram: @yumlish_

Yumlish on Facebook: Yumlish

Yumlish on Twitter: @yumlish_Yumlish on LinkedIn: Yumlish

Connect with Denee Bex!

Website URL: www.tumbleweednutrition.com

Instagram URL: @tumbleweed_nutrition

Facebook URL: Tumbleweed Nutrition

Guest: 

Rebecca Blake

Show Notes:

Registered dietitian Rebecca Blake unpacks what diet culture really is, how it quietly shapes the way we see food and our bodies, and why weight and BMI don’t define health. This conversation explores how social media and cultural ideals can push us toward restriction and body criticism without us realizing it.

You’ll learn how to spot subtle red flags in nutrition content, rebuild trust with your hunger and fullness cues, and begin redefining health beyond the number on the scale. This episode offers a more compassionate, realistic path toward healing your relationship with food and your body.

Guest Bio:

Rebecca is a registered dietitian and clinical nutrition subject matter expert, having worked across traditional healthcare spaces, into health technology, and most recently as a full-time solo practitioner focusing on preventive health, hormonal health, and disordered eating.

Quote:

“So here's what I'll say about diet culture. We are all privy to it, influenced by it and in many ways victimized by it every single day, knowingly and unknowingly and mostly unknowingly.”

Question of the Day:

What is one belief about food or your body that you started to unlearn, and how has it changed the way you approach eating or self-care?

On This Episode You Will Learn:

1. What diet culture really is and the subtle ways it shapes how we think about food, body image, and health every day.

2. How social media, wellness trends, and “healthy eating” content can reinforce harmful food rules and unrealistic body standards.

3. Why health is about more than BMI or the number on the scale, and what “Health at Every Size” actually means.

4. How to rebuild trust with your body by reconnecting with hunger and fullness cues instead of restrictive dieting rules.

5. Practical mindset shifts to create a healthier, more compassionate relationship with food, self-care, and body image.

Connect with Yumlish!

Yumlish Website: Yumlish

Yumlish on Instagram: @yumlish_

Yumlish on Facebook: Yumlish

Yumlish on Twitter: @yumlish_Yumlish on LinkedIn: Yumlish

Connect with Rebecca Blake!

Website URL: wwwrebeccablakenutrition.com

Instagram URL: https://www.instagram.com/rebeccablakenutrition/

Facebook URL: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563918696083

LinkedIn URL: Rebecca Blake, MS RD CDN | LinkedIn

Guest: 

Elisa Irvolino

Show Notes:

This episode explores how you can improve your health without giving up the cultural foods you love. Our guest, Elisa Irvolino, shares practical strategies, like smarter oil swaps, portioning rice and flatbreads, and using fresh herbs, citrus, and simple cooking methods, to lower sodium, sugar, and saturated fat while keeping traditional flavors intact. Listeners also get an easy, culturally focused grocery haul and label-reading tips to get started right away.

Guest Bio:

Elisa Irvolino is a Dominican mom, author, and creator of The Mujer Within, dedicated to helping Latina women reconnect with their creativity through food, culture, and home. She teaches cooking and craft classes that celebrate heritage and empower mujeres to honor themselves.

Quote:

“If we can make some adaptations where I can still eat the foods that I love and the flavors that bring me back to my home and to my country and honor my ancestors, I think that you’re more likely to stick to it.”

Question of the Day:

What's one traditional dish from your culture that you would love to make a little healthier?

On This Episode You Will Learn:

1. How to keep traditional dishes on your plate while still improving health through small, realistic swaps.

2. Simple ways to lower sodium without losing flavor.

3. How to rethink rice and grains with portion size and healthy options.

4. Which cooking fats and oils to prioritize and which highly processed oils to limit.

5. How to read food labels quickly and shop smarter at the store by focusing on fewer, recognizable ingredients.

Connect with Yumlish!

Yumlish Website: Yumlish

Yumlish on Instagram: @yumlish_

Yumlish on Facebook: Yumlish

Yumlish on Twitter: @yumlish_Yumlish on LinkedIn: Yumlish

Connect with Elisa Irvolino !

Website URL: elisairvolino.com

Instagram URL:  https://www.instagram.com/elisa.irvolino?igsh=MXYxcDNzeDh5eTBpMw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

Facebook URL: https://www.facebook.com/share/1MoAyV27Ld/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Facebook Group URL: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BqdsN4gzJ/?mibextid=wwXIfr

LinkedIn URL: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elisa-irvolino-12a91721a?utm_source=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=member_ios

Guest: Christina Badaracco, MPH, RDN, LDN

Show Notes:

Food policy isn’t abstract, it shapes what food costs, what’s marketed, and what ends up on our plates. In this episode, we break down the biggest policies influencing America’s diet (from subsidies to school meals), how policy can either fuel or prevent chronic disease, and why sustainability belongs in the conversation. Stay to the end for a practical playbook on how you can influence change locally, starting now.

Guest Bio:

Christina Badaracco works as a healthcare consultant, author, and thought leader, seeking to advance the role of nutrition in healthcare. She also regularly writes, teaches, and develops programs about nutrition, culinary medicine, and sustainable agriculture at both the local and national levels.

Quote:

“The way that we spend our dollars does have an influence on what food companies are making and what types of food businesses are actually able to operate.”

Question of the Day:

How do you see food policy affecting your own health or community?

On This Episode You Will Learn:

1. What food policy is and how it shapes food access, pricing, and marketing

2. How federal, state, and local policies influence what we grow, sell, and eat

3. Why U.S. food subsidies impact the rise of ultra-processed foods

4. How policies can either increase or help prevent chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease

5. Practical ways individuals can influence food policy in their own communities

Connect with Yumlish!

Yumlish Website: Yumlish

Yumlish on Instagram: @yumlish_

Yumlish on Facebook: Yumlish

Yumlish on Twitter: @yumlish_Yumlish on LinkedIn: Yumlish

Connect with !Website URL: www.christinabadaracco.com 

Instagram URL: https://www.instagram.com/cbadarac/?hl=en 

LinkedIn URL: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christina-badaracco/ 

Other promos (books, publications, speeches, etc.) : https://islandpress.org/books/farm-bill#desc,   https://www.christinabadaracco.com/booksandcourses 

Guest: 

Fareeha Jay, BSC, MSC, RD - Diabetes Specialist

Show Notes:

South Asian food is rich, comforting, and deeply cultural—and it can absolutely support better health. In this episode, award-winning dietitian and diabetes specialist Fareeha Jay shares how to make simple, realistic upgrades to traditional meals without losing taste or tradition. From rebalancing carb-heavy plates to boosting vegetarian protein and navigating fasting and festival seasons, you’ll walk away with practical tools to keep blood sugar steady and feel your best—starting today.

Guest Bio:

Fareeha Jay is an award-winning dietitian and former NHS Diabetes Specialist with six years of experience delivering education to people newly diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. She specialises in South Asian diets and provides expert, evidence-based nutrition advice to South Asians worldwide. She has developed the South Asian Eatwell Guide, which is now widely used in many NHS trusts and various charity organizations.

Quote:

“A very small icebreaker, which I always use, is that I always tend to learn how they say hello in their own language. For example, if I'm speaking to someone from Nepal, I would learn how they say hello. And as soon as I start my consultation with them, I say that one word. And just using that one word, you know, it breaks all the barriers. They feel so much more comfortable speaking to me.”

Question of the Day:

What traditional South Asian dish means the most to your family, and how have you adapted it, if at all, to support your health?

On This Episode You Will Learn:

1. Why South Asian communities face higher risk for type 2 diabetes and heart disease (and what’s actually preventable)

2. How to rebalance classic meals (curry, naan, channa, dal) without giving up cultural integrity

3. Simple ways to cut back on oil, ghee, and salt while keeping the flavor you love

4. Go-to strategies for vegetarian protein, iron, and B12 (plus what to do with lactose intolerance)

5. How to handle fasting + feasting seasons (Ramadan, Navratri, Eid, celebrations) while keeping glucose and energy more stable

Connect with Yumlish!

Yumlish Website: Yumlish

Yumlish on Instagram: @yumlish_

Yumlish on Facebook: Yumlish

Yumlish on Twitter: @yumlish_Yumlish on LinkedIn: Yumlish

Connect with Fareeha Jay!Website URL:  www.fareehajay.com 

Instagram URL: https://www.instagram.com/dietitian_fareehajay/ 

Facebook URL: https://www.facebook.com/aapkidietitian/ 

Facebook Group URL: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1575269765877135 

Twitter(X) URL: https://twitter.com/FareehaJay 

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/dietitian_fareehajay/

LinkedIn URL: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fareeha-jay-457a34209/?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app&fbclid=IwAR0NCUqyRnLWN3oEGpFIc4HvLni86Pg6E-hOyDh5uAYvNG4maiZfZ0iNAPE 

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSXc-Vg8wc2SdY8Jh7TK45A/videos 

Tik Tok : https://www.tiktok.com/@dietitianfareehajay?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc