Around the Table: Food Stories from Science to Everyday Life
37 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 3 years ago -Around the Table is a podcast from Stanley Ulijaszek, Professor of Human Ecology at the University of Oxford and Director of UBVO, and Dr. Tess Bird, an anthropologist of household uncertainty and wellbeing. We interview nutrition, food, and health experts as well as everyday households from around the world, filling in some of the gaps between scientific knowledge and everyday practice.
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Episodes
Food Politics Expert Marion Nestle on Industry Influence on Food Research
January 29, 2021 19:26 - 27 minutes - 25.4 MBIn this episode, Stanley interviews Professor Marion Nestle about her two latest books, Unsavory Truth: How Food Companies Skew the Science of What We Eat (2018) and Let’s Ask Marion: What You Need to Know about the Politics of Food, Nutrition, and Health (with Kerry Trueman) (2020). Prof. Nestle describes the various ways that food industries influence research, pay for their own experts, and avoid regulation, often following the infamous tobacco industry playbook. If you want to learn more...
Sociologist Anthony Ryan Hatch on Sugar's Legacy of Racism
January 18, 2021 18:05 - 25 minutes - 35.3 MBIn this interview with Tess, sociologist Prof. Anthony Hatch explains why the problem of sugar is much greater than just being bad for our bodies. As a colonial commodity, sugar carries a legacy of slavery and racism that is still with us today. He describes sugar's relationship to black bodies, metabolic syndrome, and global trade, calling for political action: a boycott of sugar. This podcast is an eye-opening take on sugar from an environmental, ecological, and social perspective. (Listen...
Health Scientist Dr. Madeleine Power discusses Food Insecurity and Food Justice in the UK
December 03, 2020 14:25 - 13 minutes - 12.1 MBDr. Madeleine Power is an expert in UK food aid and food insecurity, in particular its relationship with wider economic and ethnic inequalities. In this interview with Stanley, she discusses her research into food insecurity amongst Pakistani, Muslim, and white British groups in Bradford, UK. Dr. Power describes the variations of food insecurity amongst these groups (it's more complicated than you might think, and different than in the US!) she then talks about the York Food Justice Alliance...
Sociologist Lotte Holm on Food, Body-weight, and Income Disparity
November 20, 2020 14:53 - 18 minutes - 17.1 MBIn this interview with Stanley, Professor Lotte Holm explains why a sociological understanding of different people’s experiences around food, body-weight, and income is vital for implementing better policies around food. Much of her research focuses on populations in Denmark and the European Union, but understanding everyday struggles around food is a huge component of our global food and healthcare system. Prof. Holm is a sociologist at the Department of Food and Resource Economics (IFRO) ...
Nutrition and Exercise Physiologist Lars Holm on Diet in Later Life
November 05, 2020 14:45 - 16 minutes - 15.7 MBIn this interview with Stanley, Prof. Lars Holm discusses the importance of protein in our diet as we age. As we get older, our sensitivity to amino acids begins to deteriorate, which prevents us from absorbing as much protein as we could earlier in life. He also explains why the uptake of amino acids is better when the protein is eaten with meals and how protein relates to exercise. Lars Holm is Professor at the School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Birmingha...
At Home with Tess: Ashley Chard Dinella, a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner, talks about intuitive, healthy eating
October 30, 2020 11:00 - 17 minutes - 15.8 MBIn this episode, Tess interviews Ashley Chard Dinella, a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner and food marketing specialist. Ashley tells a story about not being able to diagnosis an illness as a child and finally turning to a nutrition expert who located the culprits. The subsequent twenty years of knowledge acquisition and experimentation eventually led her to intuitive, healthy eating as an overarching principle of her lifestyle. She also has a few tidbits of real-world advice for...
Health Scientist Anna Bach-Faig and Everything You Need To Know About the Mediterranean Diet
October 15, 2020 16:39 - 23 minutes - 21.9 MBThe Mediterranean diet has risen in popularity around the world. In this informative and inspiring episode, Stanley talks to Dr. Anna Bach-Faig, a leading scholar on the Mediterranean diet in Spain. As Prof. Bach-Faig explains, this diet is considered one of the healthiest diets out there, with strong evidence showing its role in preventing “cardiodiabesity,” or cardiovascular diseases, obesity, and type II diabetes. It’s also a unique diet because it tackles two key aspects of food: what-we...
Biological Anthropologist Cristina Giuliani on Taste Receptors (which are located all over the body!)
October 01, 2020 22:55 - 13 minutes - 12.8 MBDr. Cristina Giuliani discusses the physiology of taste in this episode with Stanley. As Dr. Guiliana explains, taste is way more complicated than you think: "it's a sort of sensory modality to evaluate food toxicity, to select high energy foods, and to prepare the body to extract energy from foods." Taste receptors are actually located in many different areas of our body, far beyond the tongue. For instance, one bitter receptor (TAS2R38) is not only located in the oral cavity but in the upp...
Anthropologist Amy McLennan on Redefining Lifestyle Diseases on the Pacific Island of Nauru
September 22, 2020 13:00 - 18 minutes - 17.1 MBIn this fascinating episode about Nauru, an island country in the central Pacific, anthropologist Dr. Amy McLennan discusses what it means to redefine the medical notion of "lifestyle" in a locally-contextualized way. In her own words: “In the world of medicine, lifestyle is often distilled into what you eat, what exercise you do, whether you sleep or not, if you smoke, and if you drink alcohol. [But] when you work with people on the ground in communities, “lifestyle” means something very di...
Anthropologist Sabine Parrish talks Coffee
September 15, 2020 14:47 - 22 minutes - 31.4 MBSabine Parrish (www.sabine.coffee), a doctoral candidate and anthropologist at the University of Oxford, describes how an unsavory gendered comment while working as a barista triggered her research into coffee and coffee shops. She discusses coffee in relation to sociality and gender, nutrition, and coffee competitions in the US and Brazil. She also co-owns a coffee shop in Cardiff, Wales. Check it out at www.mec.coffee and follow @sabine.coffee and @mec.coffee on Instagram and @sabinebeans ...
At Home with Tess: Can you really reduce your family's sugar consumption?
September 05, 2020 14:00 - 23 minutes - 32.9 MBIn this episode, Tess talks with Dr. Emily Ventura, co-author of the new book Sugarproof: The Hidden Dangers of Sugar That Are Putting Your Child’s Health at Risk and What You Can Do, and a mother and daughter in Washington state who have tested out some of the Sugarproof techniques and recipes. This episode follows Thursday's, where Stanley interviews Prof. Michael Goran and Dr. Emily Ventura about Sugarproof. If you haven't listened in, start there! For more info, visit: www.sugarproofk...
Prof. Michael Goran and Dr. Emily Ventura on "Sugarproofing" the Family
September 03, 2020 14:00 - 39 minutes - 36.2 MBIn this episode, Stanley talks with Prof. Michael Goran and Dr. Emily Ventura, PhD, MPH, about their new book Sugarproof: The Hidden Dangers of Sugar That Are Putting Your Child’s Health at Risk and What You Can Do. They give a comprehensive overview of some of the risks of sugar consumption in childhood as well as practical tips and techniques for reducing sugar consumption in the family. Stay tuned for a follow-up episode, released over the weekend, where Tess and Dr. Emily Ventura intervi...
Nutritional Epidemiologist Esther González-Padilla
August 31, 2020 13:40 - 22 minutes - 21.1 MBDr. Esther González-Padilla is a nutritional epidemiologist at Lund University in Sweden. In this interview with Stanley, she talks about sugar and micronutrient dilution, i.e. "the displacement of the intake of nutrient-dense foods by the overconsumption of energy-dense foods (rich in fat and sugar and poor in nutrients)" (learn more). She also explains why nutrition research can be so complex, especially when studies rely on participants self-reporting their diets. This is Dr. González-Pad...
Nutritional Epidemiologist Esther González-Padilla on Sugar and Micronutrient Dilution
August 31, 2020 13:40 - 22 minutes - 21.1 MBDr. Esther González-Padilla is a nutritional epidemiologist at Lund University in Sweden. In this interview with Stanley, she talks about sugar and micronutrient dilution, i.e. "the displacement of the intake of nutrient-dense foods by the overconsumption of energy-dense foods (rich in fat and sugar and poor in nutrients)" (learn more). She also explains why nutrition research can be so complex, especially when studies rely on participants self-reporting their diets. This is Dr. González-Pad...
New Nordic Cuisine in Everyday Life
August 25, 2020 15:02 - 21 minutes - 19.7 MBAnne Katrine Kleberg Hansen, a medical historian and food-lover in Copenhagen, Denmark, talks to Tess about how the New Nordic food movement has changed how she eats in her everyday life, how those around her eat, and how it has impacted her neighborhood. This episode is paired with one from Anders Kristian Munk, another Dane who has written about the New Nordic movement.
At Home with Tess: New Nordic Cuisine in Everyday Life
August 25, 2020 15:02 - 21 minutes - 19.7 MBAnne Katrine Kleberg Hansen, a medical historian and food-lover in Copenhagen, Denmark, talks to Tess about how the New Nordic food movement has changed how she eats in her everyday life, how those around her eat, and how it has impacted her neighborhood. This episode is paired with one from Anders Kristian Munk, another Dane who has written about the New Nordic movement.
Anders Kristian Munk on New Nordic Cuisine
August 20, 2020 17:38 - 13 minutes - 12.8 MBAnders Kristian Munk is an ethnologist and computational social scientist interested in cultural phenomena in Europe. He uses computational methods to study patterns in large amounts of data. In this interview with Stanley, Munk discusses one cultural phenomenon that he has been following for over 15 years: the New Nordic food movement. The New Nordic food movement was made famous by the restaurant Noma in Copenhagen, Denmark, which focuses on fresh, local, seasonal foods and traditional cui...
Neuroendocrinologist Giles Yeo on Covid-19 and Obesity
August 14, 2020 13:11 - 13 minutes - 12.8 MBGiles Yeo is a neuroendocrinologist at the University of Cambridge with over 20 years experience researching brain control and body-weight (learn more). He speaks in this episode about the relationship between Covid-19 and obesity. As this research is unfolding, Yeo gives us some potential hypotheses and explains what data is still needed. He also points to the socioeconomic inequalities evident in the pandemic. [Note that this episode was recorded on May 29, 2020]
Sociologist Claude Fischler on Food Studies and Commensality
August 04, 2020 22:11 - 27 minutes - 25.3 MBStanley interviews Claude Fischler, a French social scientist, Senior Investigator Emeritus with CNRS, the French National Science Center, and a former director of the Interdisciplinary Institute for Contemporary Anthropology in Paris. In this episode, he talks about the importance of food to humans, beginning with why he decided to pursue the study of food. He defines commensality, explaining where this word comes from and how it manifests today. He also discusses the contemporary eating ha...
Season Two Introduction
August 04, 2020 22:08 - 4 minutes - 4.18 MBSeason 2 is here! In this season, we have bite-sized interviews with experts in food and nutrition, and other issues that impact the biological body. We will pepper these with interviews with households on the topics discussed. Write to us! DM us on Instagram @aroundthetablepod or send us a message at anchor.fm/aroundthetablepod
Stanley and Tess in Conversation: Themes and Thoughts on Season 1: Lock Down Food
June 16, 2020 14:08 - 26 minutes - 36.6 MBWe cover some of the themes that came out through our interviews, from creativity in the kitchen to inequality, obesity, and Covid-19. For those of you that don't know, Stanley is a nutritional anthropologist whose work centers on the evolutionary basis for, and cultural diversity in, nutritional health. This includes both undernutrition and obesity, and the diseases associated with them. Tess asks him a few questions about the future of food and science when it comes to obesity and Covid-19...
Interview with Dr. Amy McLennan, a human scientist and social researcher in Australia
June 09, 2020 12:00 - 18 minutes - 25.9 MBStanley interviews Dr. Amy McLennan, a human scientist and social researcher in Australia, who discusses how Covid-19 has impacted the meat industry, exposing issues of structural violence and inequality. She also discusses the implications for the global meat supply chain, including what it means to live in a society that has aimed to eliminate food storage. Once you give it a listen, here are some additional articles about some of the topics covered, including the US vs. Australian meat in...
Interview with Stephanie Morphew, Researcher and Writer
June 05, 2020 13:42 - 14 minutes - 20.1 MBStanley talks to Steph Morphew, a food writer and service industry worker who discusses direct to consumer selling from the restaurant industry during lock down and what our future access to good food might look like.
Interview with Lou Chatey, co-owner of Westford Hill Distillers
June 05, 2020 13:42 - 13 minutes - 19.1 MBTess interviews Lou Chatey, the co-owner of Westford Hill Distillers in Ashford, CT. He talks about how the pandemic has impacted business, including answering the demand for hand sanitizer, as well as his spring forages and cocktail creations.
Interview with Dr. Heather Hamill, Sociologist at the University of Oxford
June 02, 2020 18:58 - 17 minutes - 24.1 MBStanley interviews with Dr. Heather Hamill, a Sociologist at the University of Oxford and mother of three, who discusses having covid-19 symptoms and a loss of appetite, using up the over-supply of chickpeas at the bottom of the cupboard, and her children's growing confidence in cooking. She ends with an appreciation for neighborly kindness, recalling the reassurance that a loaf of bread left on the doorstep gave her in the early weeks of lock down.
Interview with Dr. Giles Yeo, Geneticist at the University of Cambridge
June 02, 2020 18:42 - 15 minutes - 21.3 MBStanley interviews Dr. Giles Yeo, a Geneticist at the University of Cambridge and author of "Gene Eating: The Story of Human Appetite." He talks about food insecurity during Covid19, concerns for Brexit, and posting his cooking under #bringingchinatownhome, a London campaign to draw positive attention to Chinatown, which was one of the areas most devastated by the lock down. Check out his recipe for crispy aromatic duck, a "high impact, low effort" dish!
A couple in Beirut, Lebanon
May 28, 2020 19:29 - 19 minutes - 26.9 MBTess interviews a couple in Beirut, Lebanon, who discuss having a baby during the pandemic, how the pandemic came during ongoing political and economic crisis in Lebanon, and the "micro-market of sweets" that's emerged during lockdown.
Interview with a couple in Beirut, Lebanon
May 28, 2020 19:29 - 19 minutes - 26.9 MBTess interviews a couple in Beirut, Lebanon, who discuss having a baby during the pandemic, how the pandemic came during ongoing political and economic crisis in Lebanon, and the "micro-market of sweets" that's emerged during lockdown.
Interview with Tim Herdon in Oxford, UK
May 28, 2020 16:47 - 11 minutes - 15.8 MBStanley speaks with Tim Herdon, an editor at Oxford University Press, who says he's eating healthier in lockdown, and making his kids chicken nuggets from scratch (we're impressed!). This episode makes us wonder, are many of us eating healthier in lockdown?
Interview with Jon Bone, co-owner of Life Bowls in Connecticut, USA
May 26, 2020 19:30 - 17 minutes - 24.3 MBTess interviews Jon Bone, the co-owner of Life Bowls in Connecticut, known for its delicious and healthy açaí bowls. He talks about what it's like to run a food business during lockdown, the demand for healthy takeout, plant-based eating, and what the future of the restaurant industry might look like.
Interview with Eden Henderson, a London Chef
May 26, 2020 19:30 - 14 minutes - 20.3 MBStanley interviews Eden Henderson, a chef at The River Cafe in London. He’s learning to appreciate the simple things about food during lockdown, like "cheese on toast with some obscene topping” (me too, Eden, 100% all about the cheese on sourdough).
Interview with Pallavi Laxmikanth, a medical anthropologist, in lockdown in Hyderabad, India
May 21, 2020 17:36 - 26 minutes - 36.5 MBTess interviews Pallavi Laxmikanth, a doctoral candidate at the University of Adelaide who discusses lockdown in Hyderabad, India, and how it has changed her life and the lives of her research participants. She researches metabolic health and food practices, particularly around new food apps, in households in India. "I've been thinking about the difference between restriction and refusal," she tells us, explaining the different ways people relate to both diabetes restrictions and government ...
Interview with Esther González-Padilla, a nutritional epidemiologist in the Canary Islands, Spain
May 18, 2020 14:00 - 13 minutes - 19 MBEsther González-Padilla discusses mediterranean eating, "sobremesa," sugar and micronutrient dilution, and why over-snacking is a problem during COVID-19. González-Padilla is a PhD student at the Nutritional Epidemiology Group, Department of Clinical Sciences Malmö, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden. You can read her recent paper on micronutrient dilution on BioMedCentral. She also recommends these food and nutrition tips during self-quarantine (WHO Europe) and "Food for thought: 7 tips on keep...
Interview with Maddalena Borsato, a "messy pastry practitioner with a philosophical vein," in lockdown in Italy
May 14, 2020 12:00 - 19 minutes - 26.3 MBMaddalena Borsato, a messy pastry chef and researcher in aesthetics, studies sweetness and taste from a philosophical point of view. She co-created a website, aristortele.it, with where she and Jacopo Giacomoni "philosophize with a spoon" and create thoughtful pastry recipes. She discusses lockdown in Italy, sourdough, and philosophy.
Interview with Alexandra Ulijaszek Scott, on creativity, food, and cocktails in London during lockdown
May 14, 2020 12:00 - 18 minutes - 25.4 MBStanley interviews Alexandra Ulijaszek Scott, a cocktail bartender in London who talks about the creativity coming from the food and beverage industry during lockdown.
Around the Virtual Table During COVID-19: Everyday Tales from Denmark, Switzerland, and the UK
May 14, 2020 12:00 - 25 minutes - 34.7 MBTess interviews Tanja Schneider (Switzerland), Anne Katrine Kleberg Hansen (Denmark), and Stanley Ulijaszek (UK) about how their everyday food lives have changed since the COVID-19 lock down.
Our Vision: Tess and Stanley in Conversation
May 13, 2020 02:00 - 13 minutes - 18.2 MBIn our first episode, we have a conversation about our vision for this podcast and for our first season called Lockdown Food.