FutureKind

About FutureKind

The FutureKind podcast invites you to explore the profound connection between personal wellness and the health of our living world, guided by conscious nourishment. Journey through the biology of consciousness and the complexities of global food systems, and discover how this interconnected understanding empowers us to be truly "FutureKind" —individuals capable of making choices that nourish life, from the cellular to the cosmic. foodintegritycollective.substack.com (https://foodintegritycollective.substack.com/s/futurekind?utm_medium=podcast)

Publisher

Food Integrity Collective

Category

education · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

8 Jan 2025

Latest episode

11 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

14 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   11 Sept 2026

   Sugar Coated: Marion Nestle on Cereal Marketing, Sugar, and Food Politics

   FutureKind with Marion Nestle What can a box of cereal teach us about the food system? Quite a lot. In this episode of FutureKind, we’re joined by Dr. Marion Nestle, one of the country’s most influential voices in nutrition and food policy, to talk about her new book, Sugar Coated: Unboxing the Hidden Forces Shaping America’s Favorite Breakfast Food (https://www.ucpress.edu/books/sugar-coated/hardcover), co-authored with former Kellogg executive Lisa Sutherland. What begins as a deep dive into cereal boxes becomes a fascinating case study in how food is marketed, regulated, reformulated, and sold to us, often in ways that have little to do with what we might assume from the front of the package. Marion shares how a lifelong love of food led her from molecular biology into nutrition and eventually food politics, including a memorable first day at the Department of Health and Human Services, where she learned just how directly politics could shape national nutrition guidance. We talk about why marketing to children matters far beyond breakfast, how cereal companies continually adapt to the latest nutrition trends, what other countries are doing differently, and why the ingredients list may tell you more than the front of the box. Along the way, we get into an unexpected connection to food processing: sugar doesn’t only make cereal sweet. It can also affect its structure and texture, reminding us that how an ingredient functions in a food has impacts beyond what appears on the nutrition facts panel. And Marion leaves us with a simple philosophy for the cereal aisle: look at the ingredients, choose foods you recognize, and remember that food is one of life’s greatest pleasures. In this episode, we talk about: * Marion’s unexpected path from molecular biology to nutrition and food policy * The moment she discovered how deeply politics shapes food policy * Why cereal makes such a powerful case study of the American food system * The transformation of cereal from health food to highly marketed breakfast product * Sugar, taste, texture, and the structural role of ingredients * Health claims and the history of marketing nutrition * The Smart Choices program and the Froot Loops controversy * Why marketing to children is so powerful, and why Marion believes it should stop * What other countries can teach us about food marketing and labeling * The relentless creativity of the food industry * What Marion learned from writing Sugar Coated with Lisa Sutherland * How to approach the cereal aisle with a more critical eye * And, in our closing question, what “food integrity” means to Marion Guest: Dr. Marion NestleBook: Sugar Coated: Unboxing the Hidden Forces Shaping America’s Favorite Breakfast Food (https://www.ucpress.edu/books/sugar-coated/hardcover) Music Credits:Rise (https://open.spotify.com/track/4GRkkvleeD4dUSzXzCJAkb) by Yaima from the album C E R E M O N I AGaia Nectar (https://open.spotify.com/track/6mdhHkB9czlIdJL1EtgmqC) by Masood Ali Khan from the album The Yoga Sessions, in collaboration with Yoga Organix RecordsTo follow us on Instagram click HERE (https://www.instagram.com/foodintegritycollective)To connect with Megan Westgate click HERE (https://www.linkedin.com/in/meganethompson/) Get full access to The Chrysalis at foodintegritycollective.substack.com/subscribe (https://foodintegritycollective.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

2. 

   16 Sept 2025

   Elements of Autumn: A Seasonal Meditation

   Megan leads a seasonal meditation, guiding listeners through earth, water, air, and fire elements to find balance within themselves as autumn unfolds.

3. 

   22 Aug 2025

   Epigenetics, Energy, and Relationship with Dr. Rasheeda Hawk

   Biophysicist Dr. Rasheeda Hawk discusses epigenetics and ancestral wisdom with host Megan Westgate, revealing how our environment shapes our genes.

4. 

   24 Jul 2025

   Reclaiming Power Through Food with Loren Cardeli

   Food systems strategist Loren Cardeli discusses reclaiming power through food, exploring its intersection with politics and culture, and challenging industrial agriculture's dominance in an interview with Megan Westgate.

5. 

   25 Jun 2025

   Summer Solstice: A Light Feast Meditation

   This episode features a solstice meditation that awakens listeners' deepest knowing about abundance and connection to the earth's cycles.

6. 

   26 May 2025

   The Work That Calls Us with Mohammad Salehi

   Entrepreneur Mohammad Salehi discusses his journey from Afghanistan to launching Heray Spice, a mission-driven company, in an interview with Megan Westgate.

7. 

   27 Apr 2025

   ReNourishing the Food System with Lauren Tucker

   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 t...

8. 

   29 Mar 2025

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

   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 th...

9. 

   13 Mar 2025

   The Wisdom of Flavor with Mark Schatzker

   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...

10. 

    27 Feb 2025

    Business Beyond Extraction with Heather Terry

    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, im...

11. 

    12 Feb 2025

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

    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 ...

12. 

    29 Jan 2025

    Beyond Ultra-Processed: Rebuilding Our Food Future

    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 healthi...

13. 

    13 Jan 2025

    Remembering Our Sacred Role, with Dr. Lyla June

    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 Americ...

14. 

    8 Jan 2025

    What is FutureKind?

    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, ...

Who has been a guest on FutureKind

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Dr Rasheeda Hawk
• Loren Cardeli
• Mohammad Salehi

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

284

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

8 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

12 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 52 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

47

Social presence

91

YouTube

66

Engagement

32

Contact FutureKind

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Questions about FutureKind