The Chrysalis: FutureKind

Elements of Autumn: A Seasonal Meditation

Food Integrity Collective — Tue, 16 Sep 2025 19:00:00 GMT

In this special seasonal episode of FutureKind, Megan guides a meditation for the fall equinox. Moving through the elements of earth, water, air, and fire, this practice invites you to feel the balance of the season not only around you but within you. A gentle pause to reflect, release, and root more deeply as the light shifts and autumn unfolds.

Explore more of our food systems work on our website https://www.foodintegritycollective.org/

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To connect with Megan Westgate, click HERE

Music Credits:
Rise by Yaima from the album C E R E M O N I A
Gaia Nectar by Masood Ali Khan from the album The Yoga Sessions, in collaboration with Yoga Organix Records

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Epigenetics, Energy, and Relationship with Dr. Rasheeda Hawk

Food Integrity Collective — Fri, 22 Aug 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Biophysicist and systems thinker Dr. Rasheeda Hawk joins FutureKind to explore how our genes are shaped not just by DNA, but by the worlds we live in—internal and external, energetic and ancestral. From community gardens in South Central LA to breast cancer research at Caltech, Dr. Hawk brings a rare and powerful integration of scientific rigor, ancestral wisdom, and lived experience.

In this conversation with host Megan Westgate, Dr. Hawk shares her journey into epigenetics and functional medicine, inviting us to consider how nourishment, nature, coherence, and time itself affect gene expression. This is a conversation about food, yes—but also about soil, stress, sunflowers, and the importance of being in right relationship with life.

Timestamps

[00:03:00] — What is epigenetics, really? How food, toxins, stress, and environment shape genetic expression

[00:06:00] — The first science experiment: purifying water with rocks and intuition

[00:08:00] —Early lessons in farming, healing, and anatomy on the family homestead

[00:11:00] — Nature as refrigerator, compost pile, and collaborator: permaculture before it had a name

[00:14:00] — Science as conversation: what corporate research forgets about curiosity

[00:18:00] — Breast cancer genes and nanomolar mysteries: why some questions don’t get funded

[00:21:00] — Centropy: the physics of wholeness in a world of disorder

[00:25:00] — Functional medicine, orthomolecular science, and the legacies of Linus Pauling

[00:31:00] — Processed food and the loss of time: how convenience became the default

[00:36:00] — Nature, food, and the body: remembering our reciprocal relationship

[00:38:00] — When the trees were cut down: urban ecology and the rise of disconnection

[00:42:00] — Sunflowers for bioremediation, beauty, and belonging

[00:46:00] — What Tanzania taught about time: waking with the sun and living in flow

[00:50:00] — Time as relationship: what happens when we stop living by the clock

[00:54:00] — Toward integration: parenting, work, and human wholeness

Reclaiming Power Through Food with Loren Cardeli

Food Integrity Collective — Thu, 24 Jul 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Food systems strategist and storyteller Loren Cardeli joins FutureKind to illuminate how food is not just sustenance—it’s power, politics, and culture. As founder of A Growing Culture, Loren works alongside peasant and Indigenous communities around the world to challenge industrial agriculture’s dominance and restore narrative sovereignty to those who feed us. In this episode, Loren and host Megan Westgate explore the root causes of food injustice, from seed laws to social erosion, and invite listeners to consider how reclaiming agency begins with listening, solidarity, and a deeper understanding of who holds power—and why. This is a conversation about food as world-building, and about remembering what we already know.

For more information: https://www.agrowingculture.org

Timestamps

[00:03:20] — Reimagining connection: from transactional work calls to human relationship

[00:06:00] — Growing up in New York with a speech disorder and a family of deep dinner-table dialogue

[00:12:00] — Learning language through farming: from Vermont dairy to Central American slash-and-burn agriculture

[00:14:00] — The death of a child and the turning point: when agriculture takes life instead of nurturing it

[00:17:00] — Environmental erosion starts with social erosion

[00:21:00] — Agriculture as world-building: reclaiming agency over how food shapes society

[00:24:00] — Food security vs food sovereignty: redefining what it means to be fed

[00:27:00] — The myth of industrial agriculture: who really feeds the world?

[00:32:00] — Nature’s logic vs empire logic: why extractive systems are energetically unsustainable

[00:38:00] — Yield isn’t everything: calorie delivery and the illusion of efficiency

[00:44:00] — The war on seed: how UPOV laws criminalize biodiversity and ancestral foodways

[00:49:00] — Beyond the ballot: reclaiming political agency in everyday life

[00:54:00] — Vote with your dollar? Why that narrative is anti-democratic

[00:57:00] — Food cost vs food value: how low prices hurt the people who grow our food

[01:00:00] — An invitation to listen: how solidarity and storytelling can reshape the food system

https://www.agrowingculture.org

Summer Solstice: A Light Feast Meditation

Food Integrity Collective — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 07:00:00 GMT

The summer solstice calls us home to something our souls remember - that we are meant to live in rhythm with the earth's cycles. When we align our nourishment with the seasons, magic happens. Our bodies know exactly what they need, and the earth provides it perfectly.

This isn't just about food — it's about remembering who we truly are as beings connected to something infinitely larger than ourselves. Join us for a special solstice meditation that will awaken your deepest knowing about abundance, presence, and what it means to feast on light itself.

Delve into humanity's often-overlooked role as ecosystem architects with our past episode: Remembering Our Sacred Role with Dr. Lyla June

Explore more of our food systems work on our website https://www.foodintegritycollective.org/

To follow us on Instagram, click HERE

To connect with Megan Westgate, click HERE

The Work That Calls Us with Mohammad Salehi

Food Integrity Collective — Mon, 26 May 2025 04:00:00 GMT

Entrepreneur, humanitarian, and regenerative thinker Mohammad Salehi joins FutureKind to share the extraordinary story behind Heray Spice—a mission-driven company sourcing premium saffron through a farmer-owned cooperative in Afghanistan. From growing up on a farm during the Soviet occupation to working as a U.S. Army linguist and launching a thriving business in Chicago, Mohammad’s journey is one of deep courage, service, and vision.

In this powerful conversation with host Megan Westgate, Mohammad reflects on what it means to live a purpose-led life, the challenges of upholding food safety and gender equity under Taliban rule, and why cooperative models are vital to a truly nourishing food system. This is a story of radical empathy and the will to change not just a supply chain, but the future itself.

More about Heray Spice: https://www.herayspice.com

Wall Street Journal Article mentioned in this episode: https://www.wsj.com/business/entrepreneurship/saffron-importing-chicago-business-cbb2ee38

[00:03:00] — Growing up in Herat: war, farming, and early responsibility

[00:07:00] — Working with the U.S. Army and witnessing aid and agriculture reform

[00:12:00] — Moving to the U.S., studying cybersecurity, and finding deeper purpose

[00:15:00] — Uncovering saffron fraud and founding Heray Spice

[00:18:00] — Building a 186-member farmer cooperative with profit-sharing

[00:23:00] — Food safety challenges and strict harvest protocols

[00:28:00] — Navigating Taliban restrictions, including women’s labor and education

[00:34:00] — Women as the backbone of saffron production

[00:38:00] — Operating under surveillance and the risks of speaking truth

[00:43:00] — Running the business remotely with deep local relationships

[00:45:00] — Where resilience comes from: legacy, faith, and the call to serve

[00:51:00] — Joy beyond consumerism and the deeper meaning of FutureKind

ReNourishing the Food System with Lauren Tucker

Food Integrity Collective — Sun, 27 Apr 2025 04:00:00 GMT

Strategist, systems thinker, and regenerative leader Lauren Tucker joins FutureKind to explore how true evolution begins at the root—within ourselves, our businesses, and the very frameworks we use to think. Lauren shares the path that led her to launch ReNourish Studio and its offerings for food system changemakers. Alongside host Megan Westgate, she reflects on the trap of incrementalism, why nourishment must come before transformation, and how a truly thriving food system can only emerge through relational, co-creative process. This episode weaves personal healing, business design, and deep systemic insight into a powerful invitation: to shift not only what we do, but how we are being as we do it.

For more information: https://www.renourish.studio

[00:03:20] Following food’s thread from rural West Virginia to post-Katrina New Orleans

[00:11:00] Co-founding Kiss the Ground and questioning education as a theory of change

[00:16:00] Launching ReNourish Studio: developmental leadership for a regenerative future

[00:22:00] From “do good” to potential: shifting how we define nourishment and value

[00:28:00] Seeing the core seed: how regeneration starts from within each entity

[00:34:00] Why business viability depends on relational thinking, not market share

[00:38:00] Dismantling the martyr mindset: we must nourish ourselves, too

[00:44:00] Almonds and relationship: a case study in long-term systemic collaboration

[00:52:00] Designing non-UPF Verified to catalyze—not police—industry transformation

[01:00:00] Privilege, trauma, and the responsibility to think in service of the whole

[01:07:00] Guitar, gardens, and joy: what it means to truly re-nourish

Eating with Reverence: Food, Power, and Interdependence with Kia Ruiz

Food Integrity Collective — Sat, 29 Mar 2025 04:00:00 GMT

Leader, scientist, and world-walker Kia Ruiz explores the essence of interdependence and its vital role in addressing our most pressing challenges. Drawing from her diverse background in biology, indigenous wisdom, and social justice, she offers a unique perspective on how we can navigate complex systems with humility and consciousness. This insightful conversation delves into her work with food systems, the power of stillness in a chaotic world, and practical approaches to self-regulation that help us remain present and effective in times of crisis. Throughout, Kia reminds us that our connections—to each other, to our food, and to the natural world—are the foundation of resilience and healing.

For more information: https://www.bodhibridge.co/

Key Moments:

[00:03:20] Defining interdependence - how scientific understanding, spirituality, and social connections combine to form a holistic perspective

[00:07:16] GMO labeling campaigns - how Kia's science background and communication skills shaped her approach to food activism

[00:14:37] The four I's of oppression - understanding how ideological, institutional, interpersonal, and internal levels shape power dynamics

[00:22:50] Food as connection - the importance of small-scale, local relationships with growing and sharing food

[00:32:18] A remarkable language memory - how Kia's father unexpectedly connected with his indigenous roots through language

[00:42:06] Nervous system regulation - developing toolboxes for staying present and making clear decisions in challenging times

[00:51:07] Nature's resilience and human responsibility - finding our place in the larger system with humility

The Wisdom of Flavor with Mark Schatzker

Food Integrity Collective — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 04:00:00 GMT

Author and journalist Mark Schatzker explores the vital relationship between flavor and nutrition that has been disrupted by our modern food system. Drawing from his books "The Dorito Effect" and "The End of Craving," he explains how our innate nutritional wisdom is being confused by ultra-processed foods that create a mismatch between what our brains expect and what our bodies receive. This illuminating conversation covers how animals and humans naturally seek the nutrients they need through flavor, why modern foods have lost their nutritional integrity, and how reconnecting with real food can restore our natural ability to nourish ourselves properly.

For more information:
Mark Schatzker's book "The Dorito Effect: The Surprising New Truth About Food and Flavor"
Mark Schatzker's book "The End of Craving: Recovering the Lost Wisdom of Eating Well"
Research by Fred Provenza's research and book "Nourishment: What Animals Can Teach Us About Rediscovering Our Nutritional Wisdom"
Clara Davis's pioneering research on children's self-selected diets

Key Moments:
[00:02:58] The steak that started it all - how a meal in Chile led Mark to investigate flavor and nutrition

[00:06:24] Nutritional wisdom versus nutritional idiocy - what goats and cows can teach us about our own eating instincts

[00:12:52] The Clara Davis experiments - how children intuitively selected nutritionally complete diets when given whole foods

[00:21:38] Children's palates versus adults - why kids naturally prefer simpler, less complex foods

[00:28:58] Developing cooking skills - how practice and persistence can reconnect us with real food preparation

[00:42:58] The key question to ask about food - "Does it taste like what it is?"

[00:48:35] The loss of flavor in modern chicken - how breeding for efficiency sacrificed nutrition and taste

[00:53:37] Wanting versus liking - the difference between foods that trigger cravings and foods that bring genuine pleasure

Business Beyond Extraction with Heather Terry

Food Integrity Collective — Thu, 27 Feb 2025 05:00:00 GMT

Entrepreneur and CEO Heather K Terry shares her journey from Broadway actress to food system innovator, exploring how business can be transformed from extractive to regenerative. Drawing from her experience with GoodSam, she discusses the challenges of raising capital as a woman founder, the importance of building relationships directly with farmers, and how financing structures can either nourish or deplete communities and ecosystems. This thought-provoking dialogue explores food justice, impact investing, and the courage to say "no" to systems that don't align with a vision of a more nourishing future.

For more information:

- Learn about Good Sam Foods, PBC and their work with farmers: https://tinyurl.com/goodsampbc

- Renourish Studio and their approach to living systems thinking: https://renourishstudio.com/

- Institute for Integrated Nutrition, where Heather began her food journey: https://www.integrativenutrition.com/

Key Moments:

[00:00:00] The extractive nature of current food systems - how dignity, land, and capital are affected

[00:13:00] The difficult shift from saying "yes" to saying "no" - finding courage to challenge industry norms

[00:26:00] Confronting the paradigm shift in business - why most companies stay asleep even with alarming statistics

[00:42:00] The value of not knowing - embracing questions as the starting point for transformation

[00:52:00] How food can be nourishing at multiple levels - from customers to employees to the land

[00:58:00] Taking action, however small - the cumulative impact of individuals standing for what they believe in

Feeding the Future: Land, Ancestors, and Liberation with Langston Kahn

Food Integrity Collective — Wed, 12 Feb 2025 05:00:00 GMT

Langston Kahn, author of "Deep Liberation," explores how reconnecting with the earth, our ancestors, and indigenous wisdom can help us move beyond the modern myth of separation. Drawing from his experiences as a teacher, practitioner, and participant in the Black farming movement, he discusses how cultivating deeper relationships with land, food, and community can help us become the humans our future needs. This wide-ranging conversation covers spiritual practice, energy body work, ancestral healing, and creating regenerative relationships with the earth through farming and food systems.

For more information about Langston's work, visit: https://langstonkahn.com/

To learn more and register for Langston’s current course on Energy Body Mastery (Feb - Apr 2025), see: https://tinyurl.com/energybodymastery25\

Key Moments:

[00:00:00] The lie of separation - How modern culture teaches disconnection from earth and each other

[00:14:22] Understanding helping spirits - Building relationships with the unseen world that supports our purpose

[00:18:05] Energy body mastery - The foundations of grounding, boundaries, and wholeness

[00:26:15] Ancestral connections - How we all have indigenous ancestors and ways to rebuild those relationships

[00:32:03] The We the Land conference - Exploring Black farmers' work to heal relationship with land

[00:42:51] Understanding death and regeneration - The role of healthy death in community and food systems

[00:56:40] Finding hope in rupture - How our current peak of separation creates opportunity for reconnection

Also see:
We the Land Conference: https://www.wetheland.com/
Northeast Farmers of Color Land Trust: https://nefoclandtrust.org/

Beyond Ultra-Processed: Rebuilding Our Food Future

Food Integrity Collective — Wed, 29 Jan 2025 05:00:00 GMT

Nutritionist Rob Hobson, author of "Unprocess Your Life," shares practical strategies for reducing ultra-processed foods in our diets while navigating modern food environments. Drawing from 20 years of experience, he discusses how small dietary changes can lead to meaningful health improvements while exploring the cultural and systemic challenges we face. This wide-ranging conversation covers school food policies, family nutrition, and how reconnecting with real food can help create a healthier future.

For more information about Rob Hobson, please visit https://robhobson.co.uk/ and www.instagram.com/robhobsonnutritionist

Key Moments: [00:14:17] Clear breakdown of what makes foods "ultra-processed" and the NOVA classification system

[00:20:04] Personal journey - Rob's discovery that many "healthy" foods were actually ultra-processed

[00:27:48] The power of small changes - How incremental shifts in eating habits create lasting impact

[00:33:09] Understanding food addiction - How ultra-processed foods are designed to be irresistible

[00:39:05] Making healthy food accessible - Practical tips for busy families and limited budgets

[00:46:13] Seasonal eating - Why we need to rebuild connection with local food systems

[00:51:17] The ripple effect - How better food choices enable us to better serve others and the planet

Remembering Our Sacred Role, with Dr. Lyla June

Food Integrity Collective — Mon, 13 Jan 2025 08:00:00 GMT

In this inaugural episode of FutureKind, Dr. Lyla June shares profound insights about humanity's forgotten role as ecosystem architects. Drawing from her groundbreaking research on indigenous food systems and her personal journey of healing, she explores how ancient wisdom can help us transform our relationship with food, land, and ourselves. Dr. June challenges the "pristine myth" of wilderness and reveals how indigenous peoples historically cultivated thriving ecosystems across North America, offering hope for how we might rebuild our connection to the living world today.

Learn more about Dr Lyla June Johnston

Lyla June’s new album Hózhó is out now. Listen on Spotify

Key Moments:
[00:00:07] The Indigenous word for human: "sacred earth surface being" and its deeper meaning

[00:03:56] Dr. June shares how an elder's wisdom about ancient food systems changed her life's direction

[00:13:19] Fascinating revelation about the true history of American chestnut forests and Indigenous management

[00:24:10] "We've done it before, we can do it again" - Hope for humanity's role as keystone species

[00:31:17] Powerful perspective on trauma, healing, and the elders' response: "You are innately good."

[00:38:23] The importance of reconnecting with ancestral roots and sacred sites

[00:42:57] Why technological solutions alone won't solve our food system challenges

[00:59:25] The sacred nature of food as a verb rather than a noun - our direct connection to Mother Earth

[01:01:39] "Food is sacred... it's how everything gives their life every day so that we can live"

Episode ends with “Water is Life” by Dr Lyla June Johnston; check out the music video here

What is FutureKind?

Food Integrity Collective — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 07:00:00 GMT

How do we become the humans that the future needs? Humans who know how to be in a mutually nourishing relationship with life. I think, at the root of this is a deep remembering of our belonging to nature, of our place in the web of life. And food is a huge part of that. With every bite of food, we literally form our body from the body of the earth. We are what we eat. But a lot of what we're eating now isn't even food. So, what is that doing to our bodies, our consciousness, our communities, our world? We all know we are experiencing unprecedented erosion in the health of living systems, human bodies, and the broader community of life on Earth. The FutureKind podcast covers everything from soil health to cognitive function, nutrient density to biodiversity, and emotional wellbeing. There is a circular relationship between all of these. We are on a journey to explore and remember the truth of our interdependence from the cellular to the cosmic. Our relationship with food has the power to transform the world.