Two moms with unique insight on food and health. Michele Payn & Eliz Greene are both authors and professional speakers, but come from very different backgrounds - and like to debate. Tune in to the final episode of Food Bullying podcast season one for a candid conversation about their work in health, agriculture, and nutrition.

 Michele Payn

Known as one of the leading voices in connecting farm and food, Michele helps you simplify safe food choices while understanding food bullying. An international award winning author, she brings common sense to the overly emotional food conversation and gets perspective from the cows in her front yard. Michele is a mom who is tired of the guilt trips around food, so she wrote Food Bullying: How to Avoiding Buying B.S. She’s also a kick boxing professional speaker who has helped thousands of people understand the real story behind food. Michele’s work has appeared in USA Today, Food Insight, CNN, Food & NutritionMagazine, NPR and many other media outlets. Armed with science, compelling stories, and a lifetime on the farm, Michele will upend the way you think about food. She is also the author of No More Food Fights! and Food Truths from Farm to Table, an IPPY award winner in health, medicine and nutrition. 

Eliz Greene

Surviving a heart attack at age 35 while seven months pregnant with twins propelled Eliz Greene on a mission to share her story to inspire other busy people to pay attention to their health. As a professional speaker, she shares down-to-earth strategies on wellness, leadership, and stress management. Recognizing stress as an essential and often under-addressed risk factor, Eliz conducted a research study on job stress and is writing Stress-Proof Your Life.  She was named as a Top Online Influencer on Stress and Heart Health. She’s been seen on CNN, PBS, Lifetime, TNT, and many national and local news programs. A national spokesperson and advocate for the American Heart Association, Eliz received the Heart Hero Award in 2010.  More recently, she has partnered on the Take Cholesterol To Heart campaign. Eliz writes a Top Health and Wellness Blog and has also authored Stress-Proof Your Heart and Busy Women's Guide to a Healthy Heart. 

Links
Eliz's website: https://embraceyourheart.com/

Michele's website: https://causematters.com

Today on the Food Bullying podcast, Michele & Eliz talk about an interesting topic that many people have different views on, weight loss.  Lisa Baker-King shares her health and wellness journey.

She has worked at the intersection of sales, marketing and operations for over 25 years. She's a self-described rule-breaker. Lisa began a fitness journey in 2015 after the publication of her children's book "The Zealous Zebecs from the Midnight Ocean's Zenith." Seeing herself living large on the national TV screen was the kick in the butt she needed to transform her life from inside out and she did. Lisa tells us all about her weight loss journey, how she experienced food bullying, and shares some pointers.

Our bodies are different and you don’t have to follow a particular weight loss journey just because it works for someone else. It’s important to go with what works for you and your body.

Key points:

• Lessons from a health & wellness journey
• Popular myths people that people believe in weight loss & fitness
• How a tribe can change as a person changes

The conversation:

02:38: Lisa’s introduction

04:15: Lisa’s turning point

05:52: The health scare

08:40: The Facebook troll

13:21: Making the hard decisions

22:59: Lisa’s view on GMOs

Fabulous quotes:

• “Don't let the stress about having the right food ruin your health.”
• “Don't assign an emotional value to the scale or to the food that you're eating.”
• “Our bodies are all different. We're not cookie cutter versions of the same exact person.”
• “Sometimes subtle pushback you get when you make a decision to transform. “
• “Don’t go for labels, unless they are on sale.”

Links to Check Out:

Lisa’s email: lisa@yourghostmarketer.com

Food Bullying: How to Avoid Buying BS by Michele Payn

If you’re a person who always wanted to know more about the behind-the-scenes work that happens at the farms that produce your food, this episode will open your eyes.

In our conversation, we cover:

• What does “a sustainable farm” look like?
• Why Ryan decided to farm organically
• The potential and pitfalls of a farm going organic
• The “behind the scenes” work and knowledge that goes into running a farm
• Organic vs. Conventional vs. GMO farming and why all choices are right
• Food bullying in agriculture
• Food label fibs e.g. popcorn is not a GMO

The Conversation:

[3:19] What do you grow on your farm?

[4:52] What is a transitional crop?

[7:32] Why did you decide to go to organic?

[12:32] Is organic the only way to go?

[13:37] Are GMO’s wrong? 

[16:25] All the technology and science that goes into running a farm

[19:32] Dealing with criticism as an organic farmer

[25:00] 3 quick tips for overcoming bullying

Fabulous Guest Quotes

“The hardest thing about organic is insurance...”

“I think the industry has made a mistake in using GMOs as the “easy” button.”

“Organic takes a lot of labor, a lot of work, and a lot of time...”

“One thing the American farmer is really good at is taking a market…”

 Links to Check Out

Weeks Family Farms website

Weeks Family Farm on Facebook

Weeks Family Farm on Instagram

Weeks Family Farm on Twitter

Sustainable Seed Solutions website

Food Bullying: How to Avoid Buying BS by Michele Payn

What food safety should you practice at home? In this episode of Food Bullying, we talk to a meat scientist, Jennie Hodgen. She spills the beans all about meat science and enlightens listeners about some scientific issues that people have some wrong perceptions on. Jennie is a mom, scientist, cattle raiser, and  lifelong learner.

When did you last grill some meat at home? Did you use a meat thermometer to tell if it is ready? It’s key to keeping your family safe. Have you heard of the myth that says that grass-fed cattle produce better meat than corn feed cattle? There might be slight nutritional differences, but one is not better than the other.

What about GMOs? How many times have you condemned GMO food? Do you have your facts right?

Are you worried about the food you buy from the grocery stores? Worry no more. Food in the United States is safe. The test protocols it goes through assure you of its safety. What should be of concern to you is how you handle the food at home. 

The Conversation:

00:49 What food safety do you practice at home?

05:33  Are grass fed cattle healthier than corn fed is?  

10:23  Did you know that areas with cattle farming have dropped their greenhouse gas emissions by 11% since 1961?

15:19 Everything you should know about GMO food

24:35 Keep away from adjectives. They are just on the packaging.

Fabulous quotes:

“Don’t pay for adjectives on food packages.”

“Stay away from the adjectives or at least don’t let yourself be swayed by the adjectives that are on the package.”

“GMO is bred so that you can use less pesticide.”

Links:

Connect with Jennie

Food Bullying: How to Avoid Buying BS by Michele Payn

Mom and fitness instructor Ellen Frost explains how food myths make the grocery store confusing, the pressures of mom guilt & food shaming and how kids are bullied about food. Ellen joins Michele and Eliz to continue with the conversation about food bullying, bringing a “normal person” perspective about food. Ellen Frost is a stay-at-home mom of four and recently started teaching fitness classes at a small local gym. She is also an avid volunteer for school activities with her children.  Ellen questions some food myths that people dearly hold to, yet they have no facts attached to them. For instance, who says the organic cage free eggs are truly better than the Kroger brand?

Key points:

• Common food myths
• Why do people buy brands?
• How kids are bullied about food at lunch
• Pressures of mom guilt and food shaming

The conversation:

(00:42): Ellen’s introduction

(01:20): Facts on agriculture

(03:31): Conflicting facts between the food truths and the myths

(05:33): Are organic cage free eggs better than the Kroger brand?

(08:30): Food bullying among teenagers

(09:46): How people buy fancy labels thinking they are the best

(10:38): Marketer’s tricks

(12:32): Are whole food products better than the rest?

(16:58):  Consult a registered dietitian for nutritional advice

(17:30): Have you watched any documentary on food production?

(22:18): Why do we love conflating opinion with fact on a regular basis and instead of questioning the source of the information?

(24:26): We should always consult farmers before making conclusions on food

Fabulous Quotes 

• “Food should be about celebration, not condemnation.”
• “Consult a farmer who knows how your food is produced before you just assume cage free eggs are better.”
• “If you actually want nutrition advice, you should talk to a registered dietitian.”
• “Just because it doesn't have the fancy labels and names doesn't mean that a certain food isn't good.”

In this episode, we approach farming from a different perspective and take a look at the impact of food bullying on mental health. Lesley Kelly, a farmer and mental health advocate, shines some insight into the pressures, decisions, and the unique calling of the farming lifestyle. She also discusses the rewarding, but difficult, role mothers have in trying to choose the right food for their children

 In our conversation we cover:

• The sad story of farmer’s mental health
• Why farming is more than an occupation
• How our words & purchases affect farmer
• What’s up with canola?
• The GMO question: from a farmer’s perspective
• What’s up with bleached flour
• Feeding our children the best we can

The Conversation:

[3:36] Do More Agriculture Foundation

[4:05] Farmers & mental health

[9:30] Farming & personal identity

[11:05] What is the impact of people criticizing the farming profession?

[13:24] The impact of your buying decisions on farmer

[13:56] Canola

[18:11] GMOs-Yay or Nay?

[23:30] Bleached flour

Fabulous Guest Quotes

“I really don’t see borders being defined when it comes to mental health and agriculture.”

"There is immense pressure to make your farm work.”

“Agriculture hasn’t really been encouraged to talk about mental health.”

“There’s something to be said about being a farmer. It’s such a rewarding career.” 

“We can grow more crops now...more than we did 20 years or 10 years ago”

Links to Check Out

Do More Agriculture Foundation website

Do More Agriculture on Facebook

Do More Agriculture on Twitter

High Heels & Canola Fields website

High Heels & Canola Fields on Facebook

High Heels & Canola Fields on Twitter

Embrace Your Heart with Eliz Greene

Food Bullying: How to Avoid Buying BS by Michele Payn

Breaking out of the fear cycle in making food choices can be difficult.

That’s why we turned to clinical dietitian, Danielle Penick, RDN, in this episode. Danielle has been through her own journey from an insecure food shopper that was easily bullied to becoming a comfortably cool food buyer who became a dietitian helping cancer patients. She also gives tips on how to engage in respectful food conversations, rather than food fights.

In our conversation, we cover:

• What training does a dietitian (Registered Dietitian Nutritionist) have?
• Is a dietitian and nutritionist the same thing?
• Supplements, cleanses, and detoxes: Yay or nay?
• The locavore dilemma
• Busting food myths and a framework for providing food tips

The Conversation:

[5:04] What does a dietitian do?

[6:40] What does it take to be a dietitian?

[9:20] Is a dietitian and nutritionist the same thing? 

[10:31] What are your thoughts about “experts” who call them “nutritionists”?

[13:17] What about cleanses and detoxes?

[14:49] What foods are toxic to our health?

[16:40] What personal standards do you have about food?

[17:37] The “local food” dilemma

[21:20] What helped you in your own personal journey with food?

[29:28] Busting food myths

[30:27] 3 quick tips to stop food bullying

 Fabulous Guest Quotes

“...we do live in one of the safest times in human history in terms of food and agriculture.” 

“For some people, I know I couldn’t change their mind, but I can at least plant the seed.”

“Very rarely do I see a dietetic internship having much emphasis on agriculture.”

“Any dietitian call themselves a nutritionist, but the opposite is not true.”

 “Most supplements that are out there are just good marketing. They’re not well regulated.”

“Everything in life is toxic at the right dose.”

 “...we know that eating more produce is better than not, regardless of the production method.”

Links to Check Out

Survivor’s Table website 

Survivor’s Table on Facebook

Danielle Penick on Twitter

Email Danielle

Build Up Dietitians on Facebook

Food Bullying: How to Avoid Buying BS by Michele Payn

It’s very easy for us to ignore the fact that the brain controls a high percentage of how we view food.  Our guest today is here to help us understand the neuroscience perspective on brain and food. Dr. Tyler Davis is an associate professor of psychological sciences at Texas Tech University, where he directs the Cap Rock Lab. The Cap Rock lab is something that uses functional in neuro imaging to study cognitive neuroscience in categories, categorization, attitudes, and preference.

Isn’t it amazing how our brains make decisions without asking for our permission? For instance, your brain can dislike a certain food without asking for your consent, based on things you have heard or seen.

Key points:

• How our brain works when it comes to food
• Neuroscience perspective on how brain processes information related to food
• Brain reaction to GMOs and hormones, sustainability and antibiotics
• How to overcome food bullying

The conversation:

02:44: Tyler Davis’ introduction

03:28: How our brain works

04:21: What part of our brain is used in processing uncertainty?

06:05: Neuro economic approach

13:30: All about GMOs and hormones

28:33: Tips to overcome food bullying

Fabulous Quotes 

“Make sure that you're not paying for a label unless you really want to.”

“Don't think that something is risky just because you don't know enough about it or because you've heard a lot of conflicting information.”

“Uncertainty feeds into our perceptions of risk and makes us see the food products potentially as riskier than they actually are.”

“Prefrontal cortex is where we make a lot of our decisions.”

Links to Check Out:

• Tyler on twitter
• Tyler’s email: h.davis@ttu.edu
• Food Bullying: How to Avoid Buying BS by Michele Payn