Libsyn Directory

008: Rethinking the Grain: Regenerative Approach to Sustainable Rice with Caryl Levine and Ken Lee

Release Date: 10/22/2024

Is Qi Real? Dr. Angela Gao Explains the Science, Myths & Benefits of TCM

Essential Ingredients Podcast

“We should all eat the colors of the rainbow. It's not about limiting yourself to only a certain food because that's never healthy. Food exists on Earth for us to consume. So it's eating a little bit of everything, but not overindulging in any particular thing. And I think that's the best way to stay healthy.” —Dr. Angela Gao Chinese medicine offers a comprehensive framework for understanding how daily symptoms connect to internal organ balance, yet its core concepts often feel mysterious to modern patients. Host Justine Reichman sits down with Dr. Angela Gao to unpack the foundational...

13: The 400 Hidden Transit Lines In Your Body (Ancient Science Explained) with Dr. Angela Gao

Essential Ingredients Podcast

“There's a place for both medicines (Eastern and Western), and I think the best place is to combine the two and see what's most suitable for the patient's needs.” —Dr. Angela Gao Most patients only discover acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) when they've exhausted every modern option and reached a breaking point. In this inaugural episode of "Q for Qi" on Essential Ingredients, host Justine Reichman sits down with Dr. Angela Gao (Acupuncturist & TCM Practitioner) to deconstruct why modern healthcare leaves patients feeling unheard, how 400+ meridian...

12: Farming Hope: How Haley and Andie are Seeding Community and Cultivating Justice

Essential Ingredients Podcast

“Kitchens are so powerful because kitchens historically have an accepting nature of people from various backgrounds. You don't need fancy degrees to work in a kitchen. You just need the right mindset and will to to work hard.” —Haley Nielsen “Neither food nor human potential should go to waste.” —Andie Sobrepeña A culinary job training program that pays every hour is rare, and Farming Hope in San Francisco has spent ten years proving it works. Co-executive directors Haley Nielsen and Andie Sobrepeña explain how a 12-week paid apprenticeship turns a working kitchen into a...

11: Wellness Without the Weirdness: Why Simplicity Beats Diet Rules with Jenn Trepeck

Essential Ingredients Podcast

“The more complicated something is, the less likely we are to be consistent with it, and consistency is what gets us from where we are to where we want to be. So, what keeps me always coming back to the uncomplicated and the simple is because that's what creates consistency, and it is the consistency that determines our health outcomes.” —Jenn Trepeck Simple wellness isn't the beginner version of health. It's the version that lasts, and health and lifestyle coach Jenn Trepeck makes that case with Justine Reichman in a conversation for anyone who has spent years being handed a new diet...

10: Conscious Luxury Finally Makes Sense: Noelle Bonner’s Circular Fashion Vision

Essential Ingredients Podcast

“When a product is produced, you have to think about whether it was made by child labor or was it made by artisans that are being paid a fair wage. That's the first step to thinking about sustainable systems, sustainable product development.” —Noelle Bonner Pre-loved luxury isn't a trend anymore — it's a business model, and Noelle Bonner built hers around a pair of six-inch Gucci heels she wore exactly once. This episode was filmed live inside The NOBO, Presidio Heights' award-winning consignment shop, and it traces how a regretted Halloween purchase turned into a swap program that...

09: Timeless Luxury with Theresa Palmer: The Real Secret to Style

Essential Ingredients Podcast

“Some people don't have heirloom items. Even people who have everything in the world, they don't have their own heirloom items. Those are really special things to have, and incorporating those things in your wardrobe- that's what makes somebody's style personal and special.” —Theresa Palmer Pre-loved luxury isn't a compromise anymore— for many stylists, it's the whole point. Wardrobe stylist Theresa Palmer has spent nearly 25 years dressing Bay Area executives, creatives, and public figures, and her practice now rests on one conviction: the most considered thing you wear is something...

08: The Language of Scent: How Alex Wiltschko Is Digitizing Smell

Essential Ingredients Podcast

“We want to build a platform and a fundamental capability that makes the world smell better… and we know from the fundamental understanding of how scent works that getting better at scent that delights you actually helps us get better at applications in scent that can protect and can heal.” —Alex Wiltschko Digitizing smell sounds like science fiction until you meet someone who's spent two decades chasing it. In this episode, Justine Reichman sits down with Alex Wiltschko, founder and CEO of Osmo, a company on a mission to give machines a sense of smell — and, eventually, to...

07: Inside Medgevity: How Keith Bozeman is Redefining Proactive Healthcare in Midlife

Essential Ingredients Podcast

“I wanted someone who was helping with proactive strategies. So if I'm sick one to two days a year, I want a doctor, but the 363 other days a year, I want someone helping me with strategies to not get sick. Unfortunately, our doctors aren't trained for that; the medical system doesn't have that.” —Keith Bozeman Proactive healthcare shouldn't wait until you're sick — that's the entire premise behind Medgevity, the concierge, physician-led practice built by this week's guest, Keith Bozeman. After losing access to the kind of doctor who actually had time for him, Keith set out to rebuild...

06: Beyond Relaxation: Michael Stusser and Heather Bishop Dive Deep on Enzyme Baths, Zen Gardens, and Trust Ownership

Essential Ingredients Podcast

“We are so well positioned to have it continue and flourish because we have become a Perpetual Purpose Trust, which means this place is no longer owned by one person or any financial interest—it is owned by purpose.” —Michael Stusser “We're always trying to figure out how we keep moving the property forward in a way that's sustainable, and also how it's going to impact our guests, our business, our staff.” —Heather Bishop A perpetual purpose trust sounds like a legal footnote until you meet the two people who actually built one. This episode traces how Osmosis Day Spa...

05: Midlife Heart Health: Dr. Daniel Chong on When to Start Testing and Why

Essential Ingredients Podcast

“It [cardiovascular disease] becomes an issue in middle age because that's when they start looking, not because that's when it starts.” —Dr. Daniel Chong Heart disease and midlife are more connected than most people — or their doctors — realize, and this episode of Essential Ingredients pulls that connection into the open. Justine Reichman sits down with naturopathic physician Dr. Daniel Chong and returning co-host Dr. Lisa Brent to unpack why cardiovascular risk quietly rises for both men and women in midlife, and why so few people are told to watch for it until it's already...

More Episodes

“If your soil is nutritious, all those micronutrients are now being born into your food.”—Caryl Levine

“There's no standing still. You're moving forward or you're moving backwards. To regenerate is to actually restore or bring to health, or bring to life, the living systems that sustain us.” —Ken Lee

Rice is the staple food for over half the world's population, providing essential nutrients and sustaining livelihoods. Yet, the true potential of this ancient grain remains largely untapped. From heirloom varieties to regenerative farming practices, the story of rice is one of resilience, innovation, and global impact.

As the co-founders of Lotus Foods, Caryl Levine and Ken Lee have dedicated over three decades to promoting rice biodiversity, empowering smallholder farmers, and championing sustainable agriculture. Their unwavering commitment to transforming the rice industry has positioned them as trailblazers in the realm of conscious consumerism and regenerative food systems.

Tune in to this captivating conversation as Caryl and Ken share their journey, from uncovering hidden rice treasures to spearheading the regenerative organic certification movement. Discover how Lotus Foods is addressing misconceptions, educating stakeholders, and navigating challenges to drive innovation and create a more nourishing and equitable future for rice.

Meet Caryl and Ken:

Caryl Levine and Ken Lee are the co-founders of Lotus Foods, an organic heirloom rice company they started in 1995. With a shared passion for promoting rice biodiversity and supporting smallholder farmers, Caryl and Ken have dedicated over 30 years to building a purpose-driven business that creates positive social and environmental impact.

As pioneers in the organic and regenerative food movement, Caryl and Ken have led Lotus Foods to become the first rice company to achieve Regenerative Organic Certification. They have championed innovative farming practices like the System of Rice Intensification, which reduces water usage and labor-intensive work, particularly for women farmers.

Through their commitment to education and advocacy, Caryl and Ken have worked tirelessly to address misconceptions about rice cultivation and elevate the voices of smallholder farmers in the global food system. Their vision for a more sustainable and equitable food future continues to inspire and guide the evolution of Lotus Foods.

Connect with Lotus Foods:

Connect with NextGen Purpose:

Episode Highlights: