The Food Heals Podcast with Allison Melody and Suzy Hardy

Very few guests get us as excited as Dr. Roy Vongtama. He’s doing the kind of work Alli wishes she’d known about when her parents were diagnosed with cancer. But back then, she lived in a small town with no access to green juices, no meditation studios, and no understanding of the emotional component in disease or the power of the body to heal itself.   The connection between trauma and cancer is not spiritual la la land. It is scientifically proven. Take ACES, the Adverse Childhood Experience Study. Scientists found that people who had experienced just one emotional trauma were at higher risk of disease, and actually doubled their risk of cancer.   And it isn’t just trauma. The way you think can suppress your genes, which means that emotion doesn’t leave your body. It stays trapped within your cells. Resentment, for example, which is wrapped up in the thought “This shouldn’t have happened.” When you keep that energy within you, it eventually turns to anger, then rage. And rage is destructive. Exactly lik

Sometimes it takes a traumatic experience to make us wake up to the power of food and take our health into our own hands.   That’s what happened to Adrienne. She was diagnosed with Lyme disease at just 11 years old. Back then, doctors didn’t know much about it, or even how to recognize it. Antibiotics weren’t working. But they rarely do, because Lyme disease is a spiral-shaped bacterium that acts like a virus, which confuses the body and makes it complex to heal. Adrienne’s mum did not give up. After two years, thanks to integrative medicine strategies like a whole foods diet, hyperbaric oxygen therapy and bovine colostrum therapy, Adrienne was free from symptoms.   Fast-forward to college, Adrienne began eating the normal student diet. The result: she lost her periods. Doctors couldn’t find anything wrong with her and told her to just go on the birth control pill. That wasn’t good enough for Adrienne. Again, she changed her diet, and again, food worked its magic. Her periods came back.   But it was a m

Most of us fail at dieting. Maybe we’re doing it wrong. We’re so busy following the latest fitness and diet trends that we completely forget to consider the most important factor in successful weight loss: who we are.   It’s time to forget what you think you know about dieting. Almost every diet and fitness trend can be a path to weight loss…. But is it YOUR path? If you’re struggling to lose weight, you may simply be following the wrong method for you. Because let’s face it: there is no one-size-fits-all diet that works for everyone. Different methods work for different people.   Christine Lusita may be an expert on fitness and weight loss now, but she struggled with her weight since the age of 13. Finding her path towards health and fitness was a marathon. She was a yoyo dieter. She would always jump on the latest diet & fitness trend, and each time she would fail. It wasn’t until she realized she needed to make it easy that she truly connected with her health and her body. Now, she helps other people s

We all love a good outfit. But fashion is cruel to animals, cruel to people and cruel to the planet. Especially luxury fashion, which is synonymous with fur, cashmere, leather, angora and silk. Can fashion ever be compassionate? It can now.   Meg and Komie were raised vegetarian. From a very young age they understood that animals are not here for food. Also from a young age, they loved nothing more than customizing their outfits. As they started shopping, they found it nearly impossible to find clothes they liked that were also cruelty-free. That’s why they created Delikate Rayne, a 100% vegan, sustainable, luxury clothing line made in LA. Their mission: to make a positive impact and give back through something people love - great fashion! And they’re spreading the message, having recently been featured in the prominent fashion publication PAPER.   What’s so wrong with fast fashion? Firstly, the impact on animals: it’s a myth that fur and leather are by-products of the meat industry. Animals are raised s

You’re only 10% human. Yes, really.   Just over a decade ago, doctors believed there were around 200 species of bacteria living on and in the human body. We now know there are over 30,000 species. We have a community of 100 trillion microorganisms in our gut. That is 10 times the number of human cells in the body. This basically means we’re 10% human, 90% bacteria!   The microbiome was an unknown entity, but now science has shown it to be a game changer. It’s an integral part of our health, and if we can support it, we can thrive.   We are in a synergistic relationship with the microorganisms in our body - we need them to survive, and they need us. They’ve been a part of us since the beginning of human evolution. But we’re bailing on them right now. In the last century, we’ve stopped taking care of them. Our diets (the chemicals we use to process our food), environment (the chemicals we use to clean our homes), lifestyles (lack of sleep, lack of movement, stress), medications (antibiotics) - destroy the

New year, new you! We always feel like a makeover is needed in January. So what better way to begin 2019 than with style coach Kimberly Seltzer?   You might not realize it, but your outfits are more than just clothes. They say a lot about you. They can keep you feeling down, block love, and give away your power. Yes, really. Wearing muted colors, going for the bigger size, wrapping up in layers all send a strong message, both to the outside world and to yourself: that you are not confident and are not comfortable in your own skin. From that space, implementing positive change is an uphill struggle.   Often, we’re told that if we work on what’s on the inside - our mindset - we can transform what’s on the outside. But this can work the other way too: a great outfit can make you feel empowered, and over time this boosts your confidence and improves your mindset, so you can attract what you want - whether it’s in love or in business. If you work on both your mindset and your wardrobe, transformation gets much

Laughter heals - so we’ve gathered the funniest moments since we started the podcast three years ago, to bring you an episode that will make you laugh out loud. If you’ve not checked these episodes out yet, make sure you do!   Katie Krimitsos Did you stop shaving your armpits? Blog: http://foodhealsnation.com/180-katie/ iTunes: http://apple.co/KatieKrimitsos   Sage & Anna-Blanca Are you leaking Jing? Blog: http://foodhealsnation.com/182/ iTunes: http://apple.co/sageandannablanca   Amanda Deming Let’s get to the wine! Blog: http://foodhealsnation.com/8 iTunes: http://bit.ly/HealingCervicalCancer   John Lee Dumas Are your goals smart? Blog: http://foodhealsnation.com/116-2/ iTunes: http://bit.ly/Ep116   Dr. Joel Kahn Get out of your body’s way and let it heal. Blog: http://foodhealsnation.com/49/ iTunes: http://bit.ly/DrKahnDiet   Stephanie Goldfinger Praise carrots! Blog: http://foodhealsnation.com/1/ iTunes: http://apple.co/1J5dfpp   John Salley Lion vegetarian? Blog: http://

Imagine being just 26 years old and being told you have stage 3 colon cancer. Just before Christmas. That’s what happened to Chris Wark. What began as intermittent abdominal pain was actually a tumor the size of a golf ball. He was rushed into surgery, but woke up to the news that the cancer had spread to his lymph nodes. His options? He only had one: chemotherapy for 9 to 12 months.   But poisoning himself back to health didn’t make sense to Chris. He wanted to build his body back up, not tear it down. He began researching alternatives. The books he read opened his eyes to the healing power of nutrition and how our diet impacts our health. Suddenly he realized that he’d created his cancer, so he could fix it. He immediately bought a juicer and went from a standard American diet to 100% vegan and 100% raw.   It wasn’t easy to make that decision. His oncologist told him he was insane not to have chemo. He warned Chris that fruits and vegetables would “fight” the treatment, and that chemo was his only hope

Can you reverse diabetes? Conventional science says no. Our favorite plant-based doctor says YES. And this is backed up by science.   Dr. Neal Barnard grew up on a ranch in North Dakota, cattle county. He wanted to be a psychiatrist. But while working as an autopsy assistant, he made the connection between meat and a dead animal. The seed was planted. As time went on, he began thinking about veganism from the standpoint of both health and animal welfare. Dr. Barnard believes compassion should be the foundation of medicine - this means medical research has to be ethical. So if a disease is related to food, like diabetes, we need to do more than simply throw pharmaceuticals at it and hope for the best. That’s why he set up the Physicians’ Committee for Responsible Medicine, a group that promotes preventative medicine through a plant-based diet.   What is diabetes? Diabetes happens when your body’s cells are no longer able to absorb sugar and use it for energy. This happens if you eat too many fatty foods.

Health is the cornerstone of prosperity. If our body isn’t functioning properly, we can’t do anything, we can’t lead joyful lives. We normalize aches and pains, bloating, exhaustion, headaches, ill-health - all the things caused by our lifestyle. We come to believe that to be human means to get progressively sicker every year. That simply isn’t true. There’s no reason we can’t be vibrant and active well into our 90’s. Today’s guest is a perfect example.   Eric L. Adams is a former Democratic State Senator and police officer, and current Borough President of Brooklyn and social justice warrior. He knows first-hand how powerful a simple lifestyle change can be. Two years ago, he was diagnosed with advanced Type 2 Diabetes. He had stomach ulcers, high blood pressure, permanent nerve damage to his hands and feet, and had lost sight in his right eye. Specialists told him that because diabetes ran in his family, he was inevitably heading towards kidney failure, blindness and possible foot amputation.   So he ma

It’s Halloween, so what better time to talk about ghosts and why they visit us? Some are our guardian angels. Some are stuck here. Some are malevolent, locked in this dimension by negative patterns. But ghosts aren’t the only thing that affect our present.   Many of our core beliefs, emotional traumas and even illness are passed down from our ancestors in our DNA.   Three years ago Roxy had a chance meeting with a clairvoyant who told her there’s a curse on the women’s side of her family. A curse on love. This made Roxy think about her own relationships. Are curses at play?   Do curses really exist?   According to Lisa, they do. There are different types of beings on the other side of the veil. Some have never had a body or been to earth, and follow the dark side. Some are spirits who have lived on earth before, but who have stayed earthbound - sometimes because of drug addiction, anger, revenge, guilt. Some are assigned as our guardian angels. Others are here because they are trying to teach us somet

Life is more than just about hustle. It’s about community. Finding your tribe. The people with keys that open up parts of yourself you never knew were there. Without community, life is empty.   Lori Harder grew up without community - in a small town, in an overweight family who believed they were victims of their genes, home schooled, with no friends outside her religion. She was lonely, repressed and depressed. It was fitness that sent her on the path to health and spiritual awakening. But it was a long journey, full of obstacles.   Despite changing her body, winning competitions, and being successful, Lori still felt miserable. This is something so many of us struggle with. We think we’ll be happy when we get that job, lose 10 pounds, get married, buy a house - but if we don’t confront and heal the inner stories that run in our mental background, happiness will always be elusive and short-lived.   Lori had to stop and figure out what was blocking her from feeling joy, and what made her feel really goo

She’s one of the most inspiring businesswomen I know. Tracey Edmonds is an award-winning Hollywood producer, TV presenter and CEO of Edmonds Entertainment Group. And now she’s helping people live their dream life through her new website Alright Now.   Sometimes in life, situations happen that make you completely rethink your lifestyle. For Tracey, this moment came when her dad had a quadruple bypass. As he was fighting for his life, she made a vow to get healthy. At the time, she was eating a lot of junk food and was taking prescription meds for digestion issues. These issues disappeared when she changed her diet. From the age of 25, Tracey has been on a journey of discovery about nutrition, fitness and spirituality.   Two years ago, Tracey lost her mum to an aggressive form of cancer called mesothelioma - and at the same time learned a lot about cancer, how it’s treated, and how it could be treated. As an outpatient, her mom was having Vitamin C IVs and taking supplements. Her tumors had shrunk by 40%. T

Fiona Oakes is one of the most humble, incredible, inspiring people we’ve ever met. At just 3 years old, she went vegetarian. When she was 6 she opted out of all animal products, at a time when being vegan was considered an eating disorder. Her love for animals motivated her to open up an animal sanctuary. But that wasn’t enough, she wanted to do more. In 2004, tired of vegan bashing, Fiona launched a running club to show you can be strong on a vegan diet, and to bring the word “vegan” to the masses.   Since then, she’s broken 3 world records and run countless marathons, including the Marathon des Sables - a 156-mile race through the Sahara Desert. This is all the more extraordinary when you find out that she doesn’t have a trainer, doesn’t really enjoy running, AND has no knee-cap! She’s driven by her love of animals, and her desire to create a more sustainable world.   But despite her achievements, mainstream media has kept its distance. In fact, Fiona was even told not to mention her vegan diet on live

Did you know sugar is the new smoking? Or that the molecular structure of sugar is nearly identical to cocaine’s? That’s what makes it so addictive - and it’s literally everywhere! Over 80% of items in the supermarket contain added sugar - even foods you wouldn’t expect, like crackers, salad dressing, and soup!   In the 80’s, we decided fat was the enemy. We removed the fat from our foods but replaced it with sugar. The result? We got fatter! And sicker. That’s because sugar causes inflammation in the body, and inflammation is the root cause of many diseases, from cardiovascular disease to cancer.   So how can we avoid the white stuff but still satisfy our sweet tooth? Swerve Sweeteners offer a natural solution!   Andress is the CEO and founder of Swerve Sweetener, a New Orleans-based company focused on helping educate people about blood sugar stabilization. With their sweeteners, you can bake to your heart’s content WITHOUT compromising on health. For Andress, health starts with blood sugar balance, be

Thank you, Food Heals Nation, for spreading the love! The reviews you write mean the world to us. The more reviews we have, the more people we reach and help!   Our gorgeous winners are….. you’ll have to listen to find out! If you’re on the list, email us and let us know your address so we can send you an amazing swag bag full of natural products!   Drumroll please…. Suzy has officially launched her CBD oil company: CBD Fountain! Alli is obsessed with her products! Vegan, organic, hemp, CBD-infused beauty products that actually work. Products include lip balm, soap, CBD tinctures (which you can make into cocktails), pet tinctures, vape pens, capsules, and Suzy’s facial care line (you’re going to love her new oxygen mask and vitamin C serum!). Food Heals listeners get a HUGE 20% off with coupon code FoodHeals. And if you spend over $100 you also get free shipping. Xmas has come early guys!   Why are we obsessed with CBD? Because it’s basically awesome - If you want all the science behind it, check out ww

Masa and Michael Osei - Founder of The Minimalist Vegan Do you suffer from the More Virus? Most of us do, to some degree or other. The symptoms? Always wanting more - more stuff, more success, more money, more cars, more clothes, more friends. Anyone who’s seen Hoarders knows that you can literally get trapped by your stuff. Always wanting more leaves us less time to actually enjoy life and be content with what we have right now. Pursuing LESS rather than more gives you the opportunity to discover what really matters to you, and create the space for that in your life. If you want to set up your new business, be an activist, start a blog, then minimalism can free you from unwanted and unnecessary clutter so you have more time to do what you love. Michael and Masa stumbled on the principle of minimalist living through ZenHabits, a blog about Buddhism and minimalism, and instantly knew they had to make the shift towards living with less stuff - not just for themselves but because minimalist living is kinder t

“Why don’t you put a bag over your face?” is the kind of comment Daisy grew up with. She suffered with terrible cystic acne from 3rd grade. Despite trying every anti-acne product on the market - oral antibiotics, silicic acid, benzoyl peroxide, sulfur, etc. nothing worked. In fact, these conventional treatments even made her skin worse. She felt massively insecure, ugly, and believed she would never belong. She was even bullied because of her skin, which really affected her self-esteem. But it also shaped her.   Tired of trying products that didn’t work, she began reviewing them on her YouTube channel to help other acne sufferers. Viewers resonated with her vulnerability and before she knew it, she’d built a loyal following. As she kept trying to figure out how to heal her skin, she realized it was about more than what she put on her skin, it was also about diet and lifestyle. Her mission is to help others clear up their skin, feel beautiful, and be unapologetically themselves.   Now, her skin is acne-fre

There’s nothing like getting home after a hard day and pouring yourself a glass of wine. But did you know most wines aren’t vegan? Crazy right? Traditional alcohol production uses ingredients such as egg whites, gelatin or dried fish bladders to filter the grapes - suddenly that vino doesn’t look as appealing does it! Thankfully, some brands have stepped up with delicious vegan options. Our favorite is Le Grand Courtage, founded by Tawnya Falkner, a fierce female entrepreneur who didn’t let anything hold her back from following her passion. During her many travels (43 countries so far!), Tawnya realized the important role wine plays in all cultures. It brings people together, it highlights celebrations, it helps us to unwind. But it can also be snobby, and some expensive brands don’t even taste that nice (and aren’t even plant-based!). She wanted to create a sparkling wine that’s delicious, affordable, and vegan - a wine suitable for every day and every celebration. So she moved from San Francisco to France

It’s never been easier to go plant-based. More importantly, there’s never been a better time to do it. Faced with an epidemic of disease and the threat of global warming, it’s the one thing all of us can do to make a positive difference - both for our health, and the planet. Today’s two guests made the shift to veganism after watching the groundbreaking (and super powerful) documentary Earthlings. Now, they want to help other people transition to plant-based living, and better health. Melissa is a plant-powered personal chef and founder of ForkinPlants. We’re so inspired by her story. After studying healthcare and working in an office for years, she quit her 9 to 5 to follow her dreams and focus on her passions: cooking and helping people live healthy lives. But she wasn’t always on this vibe. In fact, before going vegan she used to eat cheese out of a can! Fifteen years ago, she had to take a 14-day course of antibiotics to clear an H-Pylori stomach infection. The result was a destroyed digestive system, c