Feeding The Family

USDA new inverted food pyramid 2026, SNAP restrictions in certain states, plus California Gov. bans UPF’s in schools.

Ep 32 Feeding the Family January 7, 2026

You know the famous Chinese proverb, "The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now."?

Well, the same goes for dealing with health and prevention of disease.  Of course, preventing illness is always a great goal but sometimes even those who are healthy, will get sick. Think of a time of illness as a time to reset, cleanse and restore.

Next Generation of Thinkers Happens at the Santa Cruz Children's Museum of Discovery

Today's show highlights a favorite non-profit, the Santa Cruz Children's Museum of Discovery, https://www.sccmod.org/ for Santa Cruz Gives which is a year-end fundraising campaign for donors to learn about and support multiple local nonprofits with one transaction. 

On the show we feature Bonnie Keet and Patrice Keet, the original founders, board member Emily Jacobson and long-time employee Heaven Reagan. 

The Santa Cruz Children's Museum of Discovery is a unique place creating the next generation of thinkers, creators an...

Homeless Garden Project and Walnut Avenue Family & Women' s Center are featured in my episode today as we bring awareness to these valuable organizations, and for the Santa Cruz Gives campaign, First up is Paul Goldberg, Director of Development and Darrie Ganzhorn, Executive Director at the Homeless Garden Project (@homelessgardenproject). On their website they say, "In the soil of our urban farm, people find the tools they need to build a home in the world." Next up will be Julie Macecevic, Executive Director of the Walnut Avenue Family & Women's Center (@walnutavenue_center). Their purpose is serving families and survivors of...

Holiday time is one hundred percent related to increase in stress levels. From family obligations, work parties, kids, grandparents, and dealing with you wider community- just driving around or shopping can trigger even our most chill and centered of our friends.

Can hanging around stressed people increase your own levels of stress? Yes, via pheromones, bringing along your baggage filled with your lifetime of stress, even positive good events like celebrating the holidays can indeed stressful.

And if those obstacles aren’t enough, American women are under tremendous amounts of stress whil...

Going Crazy or is it Just Peri-menopause? 

Anxiety, depression, mood-swings, irritability? These are common symptoms of hormone imbalances that many women experience especially as they transition into menopause. If you can identify, no, you are not going crazy but it may feel like you are and your loved ones may agree!!

These changes affect women physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Join Jill flying Solo -

Nutrition in the News – Trump and PFAS Pesticides allowance regulations

The Food Tree Holistic Nutrition Curriculum: Mindfulness. Kids on I-pads are becoming addicted. How Toddler Screen Time in 2 and 3 years olds is changing they way they cope, learn, grow and feel.

Mindfulness Mindless Eating Study

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Science Side Dish – Elderberries- Immune System

Recipes for Growing Healthy Families Elderberries for Immune Health

www.santacruzholisticnutrition.com 

https://www.youtube.com/@JillTroderman

Does the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Promote UPF's?  How to Rise Up, plus a Tasty Adzuki Bean Burger recipe. 11/19/25 Ep. 26

Join my saucy discussion with my co-host and inspirational mom/ scientist, Dr. Katherine Reid, about the top down corruption and deep-seated conflicts of interest with our food policy makers and influencers and how they keep pushing UPF's (ultra-processed foods) and disease. These groups help set the poor food standards for our schools, hospitals, and medical facilities throughout the nation.

A few days ago I went to drop off some postcards at the Palo Alto M...

Demystifying the many misconceptions about cannabis with Santa Cruz expert Christopher Carr. We discuss Santa Cruz cannabis history of smugglers, musicians and botanists, the human cannabinoid system and how it relates to our health and so much more fascinating information about this wonderful yet notorious plant. 

Do humans have a unique connection to cannabis? And if so, can cannabis be considered a plant medicine? YES, a big fat YES according to our cell’s, YES according to recorded history, and YES according to many peer reviewed studies!

Listen here. Please subscribe, like follow, forward and enj...

Have you ever had that feeling when you get that urge - that when all of a sudden you realize something needs to change -drastically – in your life – and you can’t wait another minute? You feel the deep need to develop a new positive healthy habit and to finally let go of all of the sabotage  behavior! Well that experience happened to my friend and Santa Cruz local Doug "Dirt" Greenfiled. Doug is here to share his fascinating life U-turn, how he did it and why. And ways you can up-level your self care at any age and stage o...

Can herbal plant medicine really address everyday common health issues like building immunity, fighting colds and flu, calming stress, or balancing hormones, while addressing more serious concerns, too? People around the globe say a resounding yes! 

Herbal Medicine has been used for thousands of years and continues to be used world-wide as a steadfast tool for healing and promoting wellness.

Today we are exploring the exciting role herbs play with Sue George and Molly De Mesa of Benedictine Herbs based in Santa Cruz, CA. 

In the US, roughly 30% - 35% of all people use some...

Picky eating is on the rise. Why does this happen, how long can it last and what do do if you have pick, fussy or stubborn eaters in your family. 

At what stage and age is it best to influence your kids dietary preferences? How can you influence whether your kids are going to be good eaters who likes and tries all kinds of foods and minimize the chances of have a kid more stubborn and fussy who resists and drives you crazy?

Today we are going to talk about How to...

Nutritional psychology as a formal field of study and the role of the The Center for Nutritional Psychology is explored in this revolutionary episode. Ms. Lu breaks the mold on how scholars and practitioners can embrace the link to how we think, feel and experience food in relation to human development.

Jill and Ephi discuss the role of how our emotions, our desires and our quest for feeling better impact our dietary habits, how simple food availability is a major influence in your eating choices and so much more exciting content in today's episode! 

In a...

Workplace Wellness with host Jill Troderman and Guest Pantea Dougani Ep. 19 8/27/25 

Can you have it all? Maybe you can if wellness is included in your workplace. Pantea Dougani Co-Founder/Managing Director launched Excel Body Fitness to create a place for mom's - and dad's like herself who missed the workouts, the healthy eating due to an imbalanced work place. A work environment that had gym's, nutrition counseling, and basic wellness support built in, would help support being a better person and be better for her family.

Join us as we explore the pro's in ensuring y...

Red Light Therapy, Healing from the Inside Out with Red Light Therapy with Jill Troderman 8/20/25 Ep 18 and special guest, Donna Cherie @

https://donnacherie.com/

Check out my website, www.jilltroderman.com 

Holistic Nutrition Counseling, Lectures, School Nutrition Education 

NEW COURSE!!! Starting Sept. 11th 2025! Sign up today!

IPAK -EDU Course Syllabus

Nutrition For Health at Every Age

Instructor: Jill Troderman
📧 Email: jill@jilltroderman.com
Office Hours: To be announced (TBA)

Course Details:

Pantry Transformation for bountiful food storage for daily use and emergency preparedness.

What is the state of your pantry?

Jill Troderman is joined by guest Mira Dessy, The Ingredient Guru, and they get into a fascinating conversation about how to transform your pantry to improve diets and provide healthy options for kid’s snacks by making “lateral changes”!

Mira and I talk about the hidden toxic ingredients lurking in your home cupboards and fridge. We dive into understanding food labels, what is the NOVA Food Classification Scale, and why s...

What happens to people when they take their concerns about weight to an emotionally and physically unhealthy place, where an eating disorder may be cultivated?

Struggling with weight is one of the top concerns Americans face. Our youth and adults are now subject to terrible statistics about weight. 2 in 5 are overweight or obese.  

Join Jill Troderman and Registered Dietician, Parker Nelson for this riveting talk about how we think about food and not sabotage ourselves!

According to the NIH "The prevalence of obesity among U.S. adults 20 and over was 41.9% during 2017–March 2020.1 

Dur...

Can mycology be the catalyst to living a healthier more vibrant life, starting in motherhood?

We discuss all things mushrooms; their culinary wonders using shiitake, oyster and portobello, all have medicinal properties, their amazing benefits to fertility and sperm health, their role in supporting gut microbiome health, and even the hallucinogenic properties to support mental health. Wow! If you don't eat or use medicinal mushrooms, this interview will inspire you to start taking them now!

The study of fungi, a group that includes the mushrooms and yeasts have been part of human history- in art...

Paul Gaylon talks about our need to nurture and feed our soil in our order to create healthy plants to feed our families. 

Where does true health begin? Does it begin in the person, in our foods, in the seed or does true health begin in the soil?

The concept of regenerative farming supports all 4 of these needs for optimal human and planetary health, highlighting the importance of soil biology renewed and continuing life.

But healthy soil just doesn’t just happen overnight. To create one inch of topsoil takes nature 100 year...

Exploring the Union of Nature and Science in Skincare with host Jill Troderman and guest Aesthetician Donna Cherie Ep. 13 6/25/25

My next guest, Donna Cherie, says “Your skin tells a story—of resilience, of memory, of healing. “

So what does your skin tell about you, your history, and your lifestyle?

From scars, to wrinkles, to bumps and bruises, from rough skin to silky smooth skin, our outer layer tells a lot about who we are and where we have been.

But at different stages and phases of life, we nee...

Bee Keeping and homesteading are rising trends in North American households. One hundred twenty five years ago most people embraced the homestead lifestyle because it was the only way most folks could survive and thrive.

One family is finding a way to embrace this way of living.  

Today I welcome to the show Colin George, Founder of Honey Do Garden’s, on becoming a bee whisperer, connecting to the hive and to our collective community to recreate that sacred connection to our food and land.

Colin and his wife, Shalray, love the idea of...

3 Powerful Ways to Release Lingering Past Trauma and Embrace Your Creative and Authentic Goddess Self with host Jill Troderman and guest Carly Wise. 

Today we are talking about rewriting past trauma and unlocking your true potential to become free, empowered, confident and abundant. Who doesn’t want that?

This show is about the clear importance of fostering and maintaining good mental health and being aware of how we use language to get our needs met and to meet those of others in a loving way.  

Carly Wise is a Santa Cruz-based Authentic and Crea...

Can Local Farming Feed Our World or Is Big Ag The Future?   Farms, food production, distribution and consumption are morphing rapidly in our fast paced – ever changing world.   In this episode, we ask some serious questions about a topic that impacts every single person on Earth - FOOD!   Join Host Jill The Food Tree Guide; Holistic Family Nutrition with Jill Troderman, N.C. and Guest Michael Olson of The Food Chain Radio Ep. 10 6/4/25 to explore why:   The US has lost 160,000 farmers and ranchers between 2017 and 2024 according to USDA.   Vegetable production is down 6.3%, according to USDA.   Fruit production is down nearly 36% in 2024...

Are eating raw, probiotic rich foods really that amazing for dealing with common health problems?

Absolutely says my guest Yeyen Gunawan, creator of La Vie Live Probiotic Drinks.  

Our conversation is inspiring as Yeyen shares her health and business journey and how you can get a creative cooking high by shopping at Farmer's Markets. Farmers Markets connect you to local, organic, whole foods that are in season and are winning places to connect farmers and food producers to the community. 

It's all about connection.  To each other.  And our innate wisdom on knowing how...

Laurie Orso, Montessori Teacher and I, deep dive into what interconnectedness and healthy dependency looks like in today's landscape.  When so many folks are scattered and busy, we've become more independent. We tend to isolate ourselves and not depend on each other but our animal nature calls on us to co-create, leading to making healthy choices.

Technology can interfere with our ability to pay attention to each other so how do we consciously nurture healthy dependency from the start with our children, and partners?

We groove on how we need each other, yes, us humans, i...

Chronic illness in kids in the US is exploding. Navigating how to avoid junk food with your kids as we explore the abundance of toxins in our foods, including the commercial cereals and how to get your hands dirty as we all embrace growing more food in our homes and schools with what to plant in the May Garden with host Jill Troderman, holistic family nutritionist and guest, author Dr. Katherine Reid, 5/14/25 Ep. 7

Can you inject your way to health? Are people moving away from popping pills like all the multi-vitamins and power shakes and moving towards using IV or intravenous injectables?

Today, IV Nutrient Therapy, the ultimate health hack or hoax? Christie Hernandez, RN with Host Jill Troderman  5/7/25 Ep 6

IV nutrition is a form of therapy that involves delivering essential

nutrients like vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and amino acids to a patient intravenously.

Is using IV Therapies a wellness trend or medical necessity? Today we are going to Explore with Nurse Christie th...

Is there enough food to feed everyone or is there a food distribution issue? Today we talk about the amazing work a place in Santa Cruz, called Grey Bears, does with their food distribution program and how this relates to American’s access to Food.

Food scarcity is real. People are going hungry and have to make serious choice on where to spend their money. The US produces enough food to feed everyone yet

In 2022 estimated 49 million people that is 1 in 6 in the us are food insecure.

Let's get it to it! Join me...

Engage your kids in healthy eating using a proven mind, body, and soul approach. Critical thinking, cooking and gratitude - and fun- are all important ways to get your kids to enjoy healthy eating.

Homeopathy is medicine known to improve the quality of Humankind. Join

me and Dr. Carola Cuenca, Naturopathic and Homeopathic practitioner, as she shares her wisdom on the healing potential of homeopathy. 

"Homeopathic remedies are essentially purified sparks of God Consciousness. It was given to us by God to do better for this world." Says Dr. Cuenca

Today’s discussion will be a cautionary tale.

Too many questions, too many concerns.

On January 16 2025, the world’s largest lithium battery storage facility, aka BESS in Moss Landing, CA  owned by the Vistra Power Co., exploded into a fiery toxic plume that caused and continues to cause panic, fear, illness, concern and anger in the residents who were impacted. 

This was the largest battery accident in history that burned for two days and caused the evacuation of 1,500 residents from Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties in the USA.

We all want green...

MSG, aka Mono sodium glutamate, is an ingredient found in Chinese food and other savory dishes that many people associate as a benign additive. 

MSG is found naturally in some foods and The FDA says it is safe to eat.

Even acclaimed researchers from Harvard and the Mayo clinic state there is no evidence showing these additives are harmful.

Yet many people claim it negatively impacts their health.

So, are these people making up health claims or is there really something to pay attention to?

Today I give a w...