If food sensitivities make you feel like you’re always missing out, this episode is your warm invitation back in. Cynthia sits down with young founder Ali Lazowski, whose delicious dairy-free, gluten-free, refined-sugar-free and organic hot cocoa was born from her own long road to diagnosis, and Gen Z voice Grace Kaiser, who’s navigated similar struggles. Together, they share how comforting traditions can be enjoyed—without worry, without symptoms, and without compromise. Happy Holidays!

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Your spice jar has a story… and it reveals what’s really behind the flavors in your food. Join Cynthia, Frontier Co-op/Simply Organic CEO Tony Bedard, and Gen Z voice Sara Yelle as they trace spices back to the people and places that grow them. This warm, eye-opening episode shows how everyday flavors carry purpose — and why the spices you choose matter more than you realize. As the holiday season begins, enjoy a dose of thankfulness knowing every spice jar on your rack can make a difference for our planet and her people.

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Rice feeds half the world — and may be a key to saving the planet. In this episode, host Cynthia Barstow and Gen Z voice Marigold Averill sit down with Caryl Levine, co-founder of Lotus Foods, to explore how a staple grain can become a force for good. From preserving biodiversity to empowering women farmers and reducing methane emissions, discover how changing what goes into our rice bowls can nourish both the body and the Earth. Listen to the stories behind our stuff — and how one small bowl of rice can make a world of difference.

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Chocolate is one of the world’s sweetest pleasures—and one of its most bitter industries. In this episode, Cynthia Barstow and Gen Z voice, Vivian Mottl, talk with Joe Whinney, the pioneering founder of Theo Chocolate and now co-founder of Magic Chocolate, to explore how a once-broken system is being reborn through regenerative organic farming. With Dr. Bronner’s passing the torch to Magic Chocolate, a new era begins—one rooted in ethics, ecology, and extraordinary flavor. As trick-or-treaters head out to fill their bags, it’s worth discovering how "the right chocolate" could help heal the planet, one cocoa bean at a time.

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Everyone seems to know someone who’s heard the words “You have cancer.” Many of us want to do something about it. What if we can—through simple, everyday choices that lower risk and strengthen wellbeing? In this episode, Cynthia talks with Meg Cadoux, founder of the Anticancer Lifestyle Program, who has dedicated years to providing free, science-based resources for survivors and their loved ones. Joined by Maggie Hurley, a next-generation voice and Protect Our Breasts alum, they explore five pillars—Change, Mindset, Diet, Fitness, and Environment—that make prevention both powerful and possible.

Visit the Anticancer Lifestyle Program website at https://anticancerlifestyle.org/

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Mushrooms are moving off our plates and into our coffee, protein powders, and daily wellness routines. In this episode of ShelfSense, Cynthia Barstow digs into the booming mushroom dietary supplement trend with Sandra Carter, founder of OM Mushroom, and Gen Z fitness enthusiast Neo Paradis. Together, they explore why functional fungi are suddenly everywhere, what benefits they promise, and how this hot trend is reshaping the wellness market.

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What does “Clean Beauty” really mean—and who’s making sure it delivers? Cosmetics veteran Curt Valva and Gen Z changemaker Izzy Desrosiers unpack the personal care and cosmetics standards, the myths, and the movement toward safer, more transparent products that actually perform. Hopeful, eye-opening, and practical—this is what every consumer needs to know about the future of beauty.

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As it turns out, that Ben & Jerry’s chocolate fudge brownie ice-cream holds more than you’d ever expect. In this episode, we go beyond the pint to uncover the story behind those rich, fudgy chunks—from the ovens of Greyston Bakery to a philosophy rooted in Zen Buddhism.

Cynthia Barstow talks with Roshi Eve Marko, a Zen teacher who helped grow Greyston alongside Bernie Glassman, and Christine Conroy, who’s carrying the bakery’s mission forward. Together, they explore how one little ingredient—often overlooked—can reflect a much bigger commitment to justice, opportunity, and transformation.

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