It’s All About Food

Christine Wong, The Vibrant Hong Kong Table Christine Wong, author, plant-based cook, and advocate for eco-friendly choices, blends cultural representation with culinary expertise. Her upcoming book, The Vibrant Hong Kong Table (Chronicle Books, available for pre-order), reimagines 88 iconic dishes, preserving the rich cultural tapestry of Hong Kong. Christine’s impactful works include Living Without Plastic (Artisan, 2020), co-authored with Plastic Oceans International, and The Plantiful Plate (Countryman Press, 2019), showcasing versatile, plant-forward recipes. Through collaborations with major brands and features in renowned publications, Christine shares recipes and tips, promoting health and sustainability. An active member of NYC’s Chinatown community, she celebrates Asian American culture on various platforms, embodying the belief that food is a vibrant blend of culture, nostalgia, and sustainable living. Links mentioned in this podcast: PREORDER The Vibrant Hong Kong Table!Upcoming events with Christine Wong

REMEMBERING TWO LEADERS WHO LEFT US THIS YEAR Dr. John McDougall, MD Dr. John McDougall national recognition as a nutrition expert earned him a position in the Great Nutrition Debate 2000 presented by the USDA. He was a board-certified internist, author of 13 national best-selling books and co-founder of the McDougall Program who dedicated over 50 years of his life caring for people with diet and lifestyle medicine. Steven M. Wise Steven M. Wise was President of the Nonhuman Rights Project, Inc. He held a J.D. from Boston University Law School and a B.S. in Chemistry from the College of William and Mary. He practiced animal protection law for 30 years throughout the United States and was admitted to the Massachusetts Bar. Steve taught “Animal Rights Jurisprudence” at the Vermont, Lewis and Clark, University of Miami, and St. Thomas Law Schools, and taught “Animal Rights Law” at the Harvard Law School and John Marshall Law School. He is the author of four books: * Rattling the Cage – Toward Legal Rights for Animals * Drawing the Line – Science and the Case for Animal Rights * Though the Heavens May Fall – The Landmark Trial That Led to the End of Human Slavery * An American Trilogy – Death, Slavery, and Dominion Along the Banks of the Cape Fear River He has authored numerous law review, encyclopedia, and popular articles. His work for the legal rights of nonhuman animals was highlighted on Dateline NBC and was the subject of the documentary, A Legal Person. The documentary Unlocking the Cage follows Wise in parts of his struggle for chimpanzees. Links mentioned in the podcast: UN Goal 2: Zero Hunger Food from Somewhere, Building food security and resilience through territorial markets

Dr. Sailesh Rao has over three decades of professional experience and is the Founder and Executive Director of Climate Healers, a non-profit dedicated towards healing the Earth’s climate. A systems specialist with a Ph. D. in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University, Dr. Rao worked on the internet communications infrastructure for twenty years after graduation. During this period, he blazed the trail for high speed signal processing chips and technologies for High Definition Television, real-time video communications and the transformation of early analog internet connections to more robust digital connections, while accelerating their speeds ten-fold. Today, over a billion internet connections deploy the communications protocol that he designed. He received five Exceptional Contribution Awards from AT&T Bell Laboratories between 1985 and 1991, a Distinguished Member of the Technical Staff award in 1990, the Intel Principal Engineer Award in 2003, and the IIT Madras Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2013 for his technical contributions. He is the author of 22 peer-reviewed technical papers, 50 standards contributions, 10 US patents and 3 Canadian patents. He was the co-founder of Silicon Design Experts in 1991 which was acquired by Level One Communications in 1996 and which was later acquired by Intel Corporation in 1999 for $2.2 billion. In 2006, he switched careers and became deeply immersed, full time, in solving the environmental crises affecting humanity. Dr. Rao is the author of four books, Carbon Dharma: The Occupation of Butterflies, Carbon Yoga: The Vegan Metamorphosis, Animal Agriculture is Immoral and The Pinky Promise, and an Executive Producer of several documentaries, The Human Experiment (2013), Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret (2014), What The Health (2017), A Prayer for Compassion (2019), They’re Trying to Kill Us (2021), The End of Medicine (2022), The Land of Ahimsa (2022), Animals – A Parallel History (est. 2024), Milked (2022), Christspiracy (2024) and I Could Never Go Vegan (2024). His work is featured in the award winning film, Countdown to Year Zero produced by Jane Velez-Mitchell and Unchained TV. Dr. Rao is a Human, Earth and Animal Liberation (HEAL) activist, husband, dad and since 2010, a star-struck grandfather. He has promised his granddaughter, Kimaya Rainy Rao, that the world will be largely Vegan before she turns 16 in 2026, so that people will stop eating her relatives, the animals. He has faith that humanity will transform to keep his pinky promise to Kimaya, not just for ethical reasons, but also out of sheer ecological necessity. Along with Kimaya, Dr. Rao was the co-recipient of the inaugural Homo Ahimsa award from the Interfaith Vegan Coalition in 2021. He has formally taken the Ubuntu pledge to become Homo Ahimsa. Dr. Rao was honored with the Karmaveer Puraskaar Global Indian award by the Indian Confederation of NGOs (ICONGO) in 2008, the Shining World Award for Earth Protection from the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association in 2020 and the Winsome Constance Kindness Medal by the Winsome Constance Kindness Trust in 2022. He was designated a Climate Hero by The Guardian Newspaper in 2023, which recognized him as “a foremost voice on green transition and on the true scale of societal change required to save the planet.” He serves on the Universal Meals Advisory Council of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and he served on the Board of Directors of the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies in 2023.

Tracey Winter Glover, JD, is an animal caretaker, activist, author, and filmmaker. She earned a BA in history and political philosophy from the University of Michigan, followed by a law degree (JD) in which she focused primarily on constitutional and international refugee law. In 2014, Tracey co-founded a non-profit intersectional pro-vegan animal rights group, Awakening Respect and Compassion for all Sentient Beings (“ARC”), of which she remains the Executive Director. In January 2019, she adopted eight chickens who had been rescued from a bankrupt chicken farm in Colorado that had turned off the heat and stopped feeding the 40,000 birds in its houses. This was the beginning of Sweet Peeps Microsanctuary, which occupies most of her time these days. She is the author of the book Lotus of the Heart: Living Yoga for Personal Wellness and Global Survival, published by Lantern Publishing & Media. She also released a short award-winning documentary entitled Until All Are Free, and her first children’s book, inspired by the chickens at Sweet Peeps, Chickens Are Animals Too! Fannie Goes to Washington, is scheduled to be published June 30th, 2024.

Ellie Laks is the founder of the Gentle Barn Foundation, a national organization that rescues and rehabilitates unwanted animals and heals people with histories of trauma. She is an animal communicator, energy healer, TEDx speaker, educator, and the author of My Gentle Barn: Creating a Sanctuary Where Animals Heal and Children Learn to Hope. Ellie founded the Gentle Barn in 1999 and has since hosted hundreds of thousands of people who have come there seeking hope. She is the creator of Cow Hug Therapy as well as her Gentle Healing method, which allows old, sick, injured, and terrified animals to recover using a mixture of Western medicine, holistic healing modalities, holding therapy, and lots of love. Ellie lives at the Gentle Barn’s California location with her partner, Jay Weiner, who runs the organization with her. They have three children, hundreds of animals, and much to be grateful for. Ellie wants to spend the rest of her life improving the lives of animals and opening the hearts of humanity toward them in any way she can.More at GentleBarn.org and EllieLaks.com.

Bill Crain, Animal Stories William “Bill” Crain is Professor Emeritus of Psychology at The City College of New York. In 2008, he and his wife Ellen founded Safe Haven Farm Sanctuary in Poughquag, NY. The sanctuary provides a lifelong home to farmed animals rescued from slaughter and abandonment. Bill is the author of a major textbook in developmental psychology and other books and articles. In 2018, he received a PETA Hero to Animals Award for his efforts to protect black bears.

“If you can’t solve the problem, eliminate the problem!” was a favorite expression by Harold Hartglass, Caryn Hartglass’ father. H5N1, known as Bird Flu is a problem, that is only getting worse, spreading to at least 42 cattle herds in nine states, and infecting over 200 mammals. The government answer is to bailout industrial chicken farmers allowing them to kill their infected chickens, start over with a new batch, and pay them for their losses. The government is also paying cattle farmers to test their herds. This is a waste of taxpayer money and will not solve the problem. Bird flu is a symptom. Industrial animal agriculture is the problem, and this problem must be eliminated. Industrial animal agriculture is bad for many reasons, but to prevent the spread and mutation of this virus, which can be lethal to humans, this industry must be eliminated. Robert Grillo, End USDA’s Bird Flu Bailouts As an activist for all species (including the human ones), Robert Grillo has played the role of thought leader as well as front line activist, leading campaigns, large-scale protests and other creative actions since 2012. He has learned as much from academia as he has from the streets, from first-hand experience in grassroots activism. Most figures involved in social change are either academics on the theory side or activists on the practice side. Rarely do you find those who engage equally in both the theory and application, providing a unique perspective that bridges that gap between the two important sides of every movement. Grillo is also the founder and director of Free from Harm, a non profit dedicated to advancing a plant-based food system and challenging the dominance of animal agriculture since 2009. He founded Slaughter Free Network in 2018 with the intent of building a powerful grassroots base and carrying out dramatic and innovative actions to capture the attention of media, public and food industry powerholders. Primary Pandemic PreventionMichael Greger, Vegan MDHow does H5N1 influenza spread to people?Current H5N1 Bird Flu Situation in Dairy CowsQ&A on H5N1 Bird FluREGISTER

Hartglass & De Mattei, What’s The Question? Caryn Hartglass and Gary De Mattei are back to ask the question to which there are so many wrong answers! Topics covered in the podcast: the recent ban on cell meat in Florida; morning routines and habits; featured NYC restaurants and bakeries; REAL’s Banana Date Walnut Oat Bread. Links mentioned in the podcast: A Little Night MusicMeat, Freedom and Ron DeSantisHow Far Should We Carry the Logic of the Animal-Rights Movement? Mini Banana Date Walnut Oat Bread Loaves, Wheat-FreeLuanne’s Wild Ginger restaurantMia’s Brooklyn BakeryInsomnia Cookies

Luke Wilson, Canary Clean Products Luke Wilson is the Founder of Canary Clean Products, LLC. In this show Caryn reviews the recent story regarding Matthew Kenney, the celebrity chef who along with his companies have been named in dozens of lawsuits in at least nine states. She discusses recent news about octopus farming. Gary De Mattei joins in to talk about their favorite NYC vegan establishments that they visited yesterday on Caryn’s birthday, Earth Day, highlighting vegan entrepreneurs who are motivated by kindness, community and compassion. Links mentioned in this program. Angel Moreno, Caravan of DreamsVlad Grinberg, Organic GrillA Trailblazing Ban On Octopus Farming Becomes Law In Washington StateEuroviews. Reckless and harsh octopus farming plans must be stoppedAs Hawaii Takes Action Against Octopus Farm, Washington State Looks to Impose Its Own Ban Read about Caryn’s birthday in Manhattan with all the food pics here.

Simon Lester, Pascha Chocolate, a REAL Favorite! Simon Lester is an Entrepreneurial CEO & strategist who focuses on consumer facing industries & investment opportunities. He founded PASCHA born from a desire to create the simplest, purest and most delicious chocolate, without any of the additives or ingredients that might trigger allergic reactions for those with food allergies or intolerances. More at PaschaChocolate.com. Listen to the IT’S ALL ABOUT FOOD interview with Simon Lester from 2015 for more on how Pascha Chocolate started and is made. We created the The Chocolate Report in 2015. Some of the information has been updated since we made the report but all the issues highlighted in this program are important and things we all need to be aware of, including Child Slavery, Allergens, and Toxic Metals like Cadmium and Lead. There are a number of class actions suits going on at the moment regarding Consumer Reports claims about toxic metals in chocolate. Recently, “a lawsuit accusing Trader Joe’s of failing to disclose that its dark chocolate products contain dangerous “heavy metals” was mostly dismissed by a judge. We will report on the cadmium and lead in chocolate issue once all these class action suits have ended.

Vlad Grinberg. Vlad opened Organic Grill in 2000, one of the first organic restaurants in New York City. Rory Lutz. Rory is the founder and host of The Laughing Pad and cofounder and cohost of @laststopcomedy. Comedy Kitchen at the Organic Grill, April 17, 8pm. GET TICKETS Comics will be ditching their material for a more interactive personable night of laughter. Join Rory Lutz your host for the evening with a lineup of comics from Comedy Central CBS Amazon Prime Netflix Hulu and streaming services from around the globe! Some of the silliest humans we could find. This line up includes Sharon Simon (Comedy Central), Alexis Bradby (Netflix), Johnny Macdonald (NYCC), Erik Angel (@comedy_for_peace) and Rob O’toole (Grisly Pear). Amazing vegan food available for the full show minimum order $20. The $5 ticket price can be used as a discount for food, buy a ticket for $5 and you get $5 off of your food. Simple. Come have fun with us as we build the silliest comedy show around.

Mel Weinstein is a retired chemist currently living in Central Illinois. During the course of his professional career, he has taught chemistry at the community college level, spent 20 years as an analytical chemist in a research center for a multinational food ingredients manufacturer, studied food science, and pursued a lifelong interest in examining the ingredients in industrial foods and their impacts on human health. In 2016, he started a podcast called “Food Labels Revealed” to share knowledge of the processed food industry and to highlight the ever-growing trend of artificial foods appearing in the American food supply. More at Food Labels Revealed.

Emma Schwarz, International Vegan Film Festival Emma Schwarz is an award-winning filmmaker, animal photographer, author, and dedicated vegan activist. Since becoming vegan in 2017, she has committed herself to using art as activism to advocate for the animals, the planet, and a more sustainable future for humanity. In addition to her role at the International Vegan Film Festival, Emma is the Co-Founder of Veganography, a film production and media company dedicated to creating content which inspires the public to embrace a vegan lifestyle and empowers vegans in their own activism. Veganography specializes in 3D animation; their work synthesizes traditional filmmaking and 3D animation to create uniquely engaging content that advocates for a kinder world for all. Veganography’s films have been screened at dozens of international film festivals, and have garnered 10+ awards including “Best Documentary Short,” “Special Jury Changemaker,” and “Audience Choice.” Veganography’s work has also been featured on prominent streaming platforms and social media channels such as PBS, UnChainedTV, and Vegan FTA. Previously, Emma served as the Director of Advancement for a large farmed animal sanctuary, where she oversaw the organization’s educational programming and contributed to fundraising strategy and donor stewardship. Before finding her true passion in vegan advocacy, Emma began her professional career as a classical cellist. In addition to advanced degrees in cello performance and pedagogy, Emma holds the Plant Based Nutrition Certificate from the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies at Cornell University and has completed the Solutionary Micro-Credential Program from the Institute for Humane Education at Antioch University. Driven by a passion to amplify the voices advocating for change, Emma is honored to serve her fellow filmmakers and artists at IVFF. Her passion lies in supporting innovative, creative approaches to advocacy, firmly believing that all forms of activism work synergistically to effect meaningful, lasting change. More at the International Vegan Film Festival.

John E. Lewis, Ph.D., Nutrition, Supplements and Brain Care John E. Lewis, Ph.D. is the Founder and President of Dr Lewis Nutrition™ and past full-time Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. He has been the principal investigator of over 30 different studies in his research career. During that time, he either directly raised or indirectly supported raising over $23 million in grants, gifts, and contracts for research studies and clinical trials and educational programs for medical students. Much of his research has focused on evaluating the effects of nutrition, dietary supplementation, and exercise on various aspects of human health and disease. In addition to his research, Dr. Lewis has been an invited national and international lecturer at conferences and workshops and as a guest on television shows, where he discusses the findings of his research and provides guidance and recommendations as an expert in the field of health and wellness. He has over 180 peer-reviewed publications in scientific journals, where his work has first appeared in print, including some of the leading scientific journals, such as AIDS and Behavior, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, American Journal of Public Health, Journal of the International AIDS Society, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, Nutrition and Cancer: An International Journal, Sports Medicine, Stroke, The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, and The Gerontologist. He has also mentored many different students, from undergraduates to post-doctoral trainees, in how to conduct clinical research and how to apply the principles of health promotion into daily practice. His seminal publication in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease from his Alzheimer’s study not only spurred him to leave academics and pursue a science-based business career, but also enabled him to be selected for a widely-acclaimed TEDxMiami talk about how dietary supplementation can improve brain health. Dr. Lewis earned his B.S. and M.S. degrees from the University of Tennessee in business administration and human physiology, respectively, and he has a Ph.D. from the University of Miami in educational and psychological studies. His Medical Wellness Training Expert Specialty areas and Speaking topics include: plant-based (vegan/vegetarian) nutrition; optimal nutrition for health, wellness, and performance; exercise programming – from weekend warriors to athletes; dietary supplementation for health and disease prevention; designing and conducting clinical research interventions; technical writing and professional publishing and presentation; and evaluation of research studies and data. In addition to his professional accomplishments, he is a former athlete and competitive body builder, who maintains a very rigorous exercise training regimen, takes certain important dietary supplements, and has eaten a whole-food, plant-based diet for over 26 years. Links mentioned in the post: Raw Pecan Pie Recipe Gena Hamshaw, Choosing Raw

Annabel Abbs-Streets, SLEEPLESS, Unleashing the Subversive Power of the Night Self Annabel Abbs-Streets is a writer of highly researched, award-winning fiction as well as both narrative and practical non-fiction. Her non-fiction includes Windswept: Walking the Paths of Trailblazing Women, 52 Ways to Walk, and The Age Well Project. Abbs-Streets also wrote the novels The Joyce Girl, the story of James Joyce’s daughter Lucia, and Miss Eliza’s English Kitchen, an international bestseller optioned by CBS Studios. Her work has been translated into more than thirty languages. She lives in London and Sussex with her family. Links mentioned in the program: Remembering Steve Wise. Steve Wise was Founder and President of the Nonhuman Rights Project, NhRP. The NhRP is the only civil rights organization in the United States dedicated solely to securing rights for nonhuman animals. He passed away on February 15th after a long illness. The NhRP posted about this sad loss. Here are three interviews with Steve Wise on IT’S ALL ABOUT FOOD. Steven M. Wise, An American Trilogy Steven M. Wise, Nonhuman Rights Project Steven M. Wise, Nonhuman Rights Project, Expanding Mission and Work Beyond the Courtroom

Yecenia Currie: Sweet & Savory Life, Simple, Flavor-Filled Plant-Based Recipes to Nourish Mind, Body, & Spirit Yecenia Currie has followed a plant-based diet for over 13 years. Her heart for healthy living is modeled by her commitment to honoring her temple and treating it with the utmost care and reverence in order to live a full, vibrant, “Sweet & Savory Life”! Yecenia successfully completed a holistic nutrition and culinary training to further her knowledge and incorporate the healing benefits of conscious cooking. In 2014, she became a certified yoga instructor to deepen her daily practice and help support others on their mind-body wellness journey. She and her husband, Roger, have traveled to over 45 countries to date, and those travels have inspired many of her creations in the kitchen. Yecenia is from Upstate New York and currently resides in Los Angeles. Sweet & Savory Life is her first cookbook. For more info, visit her website, YeceniaCurrie.com

Sid Garza-Hillman, Ultrarunning for Normal People, Life Lessons Learned On and Off the Trail Sid Garza-Hillman is the author of published works, Approaching the Natural: A Health Manifesto; Raising Healthy Parents: Small Steps, Less Stress, and a Thriving Family; and Six Truths: Live by These Truths and Be Happy. Don’t, and You Won’t. He is a public speaker, podcaster, certified nutritionist and running coach, and an Oxygen Advantage® breathing instructor. He is the Stanford Inn & Resort’s wellness programs director, founder of Small Steppers, and race director of the Mendocino Coast 50K trail ultramarathon. Links mentioned in the program: Baked Falafel Burger recipe

Joel Fuhrman, M.D. is a board-certified family physician, seven-time New York Times best-selling author and internationally recognized expert on nutrition and natural healing. He specializes in preventing and reversing disease through nutritional methods. Dr. Fuhrman is the President of the Nutritional Research Foundation and on the faculty of Northern Arizona University, Health Sciences division. He coined the term “Nutritarian” to describe a nutrient-dense eating style, designed to prevent cancer, slow aging, and extend lifespan. For over 30 years, Dr. Fuhrman has shown that it is possible to achieve sustainable weight loss and reverse heart disease, diabetes and many other illnesses using smart nutrition. In his medical practice, and through his books and television specials, he continues to bring this life-saving message to hundreds of thousands of people around the world. Other IT’S ALL ABOUT FOOD interviews with Dr. Fuhrman: Joel Fuhrman, Fast Food Genocide Joel Fuhrman, MD, The End of Heart Disease Joel Fuhrman, MD, The End Of Diabetes Joel Fuhrman, MD, Eat to Live Retreat Joel Fuhrman, Eat To Live

In 2011, Susan and Dave Kenney are the founders of Emergo Academy. They saw a need and opened a private residential recovery and wellness program. This innovative program centered around a brain-first approach to lasting recovery. Leading a team of nearly thirty professionals they worked with and impacted more than two thousand families. They are putting out a new book in February 2024, Actualized Recovery – It’s Not About the 12 Steps – Recovery is a Brain Thing. Emergo Academy’s mission is to continue to provide the gold standard in Recovery and Crisis Coach Certification and education programs worldwide. The academy is committed to transforming the lives of one million people by inspiring and supporting a thousand coaches, each impacting a thousand clients. This ambitious goal is set to be achieved by 2026.

Featured on Today, CNN, FOX, and other major media outlets, Ruby Roth is the leading author-illustrator of a series of vegan books for kids. Her media clips have garnered millions of views and her books have been translated into multiple languages and are distributed around the world. Ruby Roth’s work today is defined by the female form and depicts the inner lives of women through emotionally visceral representations of the bodies they inhabit. For the past several years, amidst a radical transition from a decade of familial life as a best-selling children’s book author-illustrator to self-determined independence as a single female artist, Roth has explored the deep end of the feminine spectrum and its archetypes. Roth’s work often features solitary women navigating inner and outer wildernesses. In vast emptiness, surrounded by hints of nature, her wild women and “girl gods” find their way through physical and spiritual dimensions of darkness and light, bondage and freedom, apocalypse and utopia, life and death, transmuting nourishing or toxic forces into usable means. Roth has been a keen observer of the body since childhood, having been diagnosed with scoliosis, which required 13 years of aggressive and painful treatment. Rooted in academic anatomy and pop surrealism, her artwork——often created in live-model sessions——exaggerates and distorts female forms to reflect them as vessels of powerful, feminine processing. Roth is based in Los Angeles, CA. More at RubyRoth.co and RubyRoth.art.