In this life, in this world, you would think that we might run out of ideas, or stories, or goals - that the human capacity will at one point exhaust itself, that all songs might be written one day. Well, clearly not so. We’ve come across this incredibly wonderful movie, as slow as a wheelchair, and as deep as human inspiration can lead us – in thi…

If you live in a city and spend a significant amount of time on your devices, this show is for you. New research has found that a cellphone is addictive, literally. The best antidote? Nature! The temperatures are warming, a big spring cleaning is around the corner, and with it, we allow the energy of the natural environment to re-enter our lives. W…

Imagine there is a new world out there, a different dimension, right at your fingertips, that you could enter at any time, that can bring you joy, and pleasure, and healing. That world exists, and it is our topic in this episode - Essential Oils. We have had shows on scents and the importance of our ability to smell, and while we appreciate the bea…

Ever heard of Patience Gray? If you have – good for you! And if you haven’t, you still most likely are affected by her passion and work every day, as this woman has defined our modern way of eating and cooking more than any other woman of her time. We are talking with the author of a new book that is honoring Patience Gray's dedication to food, and…

We talk a lot about sustainability on our plates on this show - organic food and agriculture as the foundation for social and environmental justice. But of course, the conversation about how to create true sustainability on this planet includes all aspects of human life. Today it’s about sustainable fashion. We are speaking with an expert about the…

In the world of news and politics and social and environmental justice we, as a culture, often focus disproportionately on what is not working. From a deeply human perspective, the film Love Thy Nature brings the balance back in focus by reminding us of the beauty of this planet and the blessing to be alive. Host Helge Hellberg is speaking with the…

The average American consumes about 150 pounds of refined sugar a year. That's almost half a pound of refined sugar each day. Refined sugar is in everything, not just in sugary drinks, but even in our cut meats, in our bread, and in most everything else. It’s there for two reasons – it makes things taste better, and, it gets us hooked, because suga…

From trends and specialty diets to indecipherable food labels, from expensive equipment in food reality shows on TV to ingredients in processed foods that have nothing to do with nourishment, it is remarkable how complicated food has become. Today we are reversing the clock – a new book is bringing us back, to the future. Guest: Maria Rodale, Autho…

In honor of the San Francisco Green Film Festival, we are covering a handful of outstanding documentaries, new films that are as brilliantly produced as they are critical to know as they are – hopefully – shaping our society and our way of life. We are starting today with Riverblue - a close look at the unbelievable environmental implications of fa…

What would our society be without women? Impossible to comprehend, right? And yet, women have been marginalized for hundreds and hundreds of years, fighting long and hard for equal pay, for voting rights, for a true recognition of their value in business, their leadership, and their critical role in society. Tiffany Shlain's film 50/50 explores the…

Can education be fun, safe, safe and affordable - even for low-income families? A new preschool is using outdoor classrooms to provide quality education in reading, math, and science; made affordable for families and designed to give children a joyful, nature-rich childhood – one full of play, exploration, and wonder. Guest: Andrew Jay, CEO, Tiny T…

Many people, especially young folks, are dreaming of their own small piece of land, self-supported, away from the stresses of the city, to live a lifestyle of peace, based on a deep relationship to nature and self. Today, we are learning what it takes to make that dream a reality from people who have done it. Guests: Shawn & Beth Dougherty, Co-Auth…

Governmental agencies are in place to make absolutely sure that we are protected, and that we are able to live lives that are healthy, and safe. The drinking water crisis in Flint, Michigan, brought forward a picture that one can adopt to many other products and public safety areas, from drugs, to air, and food, just to name a few. So how safe are …

San Francisco, as one of the most progressive cities in the world, has led the nation in countless ways, from equal rights and social equality to environmental protection. However, can a city of 800,000 people become waste free? That was the goal set by San Francisco a few years ago – to be zero waste by 2020. And it is fair to say at this point th…

Food is everything – from the fields to the grocery store, from our plates to our health, from community to personal and professional re-integration. We all need to eat, every day, and because of it, being trained in any aspect of food production, preparation, or nutrition, will provide a foundation for one’s life that a person will be able to stan…

Just as with other large predators, from Grizzly Bears to Wolves, humans have hunted these species and in many regions of the planet have brought them to near or complete extinction. New scientific studies show the critical importance that those animals had and have on the ecosystems that they were or are a part of. As for the oceans, sharks play t…

Food is thy medicine, again today. Osteoporosis, or loss of bone density, is one of the leading causes of death in the United States and many other Western Societies. The common answer to bone loss is usually Calcium. While Calcium has an important role in our overall bone health, there is much more to the story. In this hour, we are speaking with …

Today we are putting the plant world front and center again, this never ceasing to amaze interconnected web of life that offers us so much beauty and healing. We are speaking with a Naturopath about a plant that commonly does not get the attention it deserves: Comfrey. How can Comfrey, known as the great mender, provide its amazing properties to yo…

We are what we eat – this old saying about how much our food intake affects our physical health is now being expanded into our mental health as well. In recent years, research has been showing the direct connection between what we eat and what – or how – we think. In other words, our mental capacity and our mood are the direct result of our diet. T…

Food insecurity is defined by not knowing where your next meal is coming from. And yet, while food insecurity is a reality for some 50 million Americans, nearly half of the food we produce in this country is thrown away. How can that be and what can be done about it? We are speaking with an expert on food waste today and will introduce to you to an…

This country needs progressive programs; ideas that can address multiple challenges that we face at once. Today we are talking about a brilliant organization that does exactly that, by offering training to young adults to become green energy auditors, and with it empowering the next generation to lead this country in its sustainability efforts. Gue…

Today we are entering a world that many of us will never witness – the stunningly beautiful world of Coral reefs. Like tropical birds under the water, Corals are strange, incredible, and, as we will learn today, critical in the overall ecology of the oceans. And, they are as threatened as so many other ecosystems and animals today. However, if you …

The summer months are here, with evening outdoor parties, and hopefully some leisurely slow weekends, perhaps with a glass of chilled Chardonnay, or a beautiful glass of Merlot – whatever your preference is. But do you know what’s in your glass, exactly? We are expanding the notion of “Know your farmer” or “Know where your food comes from” to “Know…

There are foods that suddenly become super hip, such as Kale, or coconut water, or Spirulina, or Avocados. And for good reasons, as these foods are so-called superfoods – that’s a category of foods with exceptional nutritional value and benefits for our health. One of these foods recently become popular, is a powerful spice, a root of the Ginger fa…

Very few business areas are as close to our skin, literally, and as unregulated, as the bodycare industry. Even though our body is our largest organ, all of our shampoos, lotions, soaps, make-ups and other skin care products have little governmental oversight or production standards when it comes to our health. And right now in June, many of us beg…

Today we are inviting you to come explore the world south of the border with us – the Mexican border, that is. We are taking it way beyond what is commonly known as Tex-Mex food - Burritos, Enchiladas, Guacamole, and Tacos. Nothing wrong with that, but do you know what real, authentic Mexican cuisine looks like? Well, you’ll know after this hour! W…

There are plenty of challenges to food production, including access to land, the availability of clean water, and, the right infrastructure so that the farm can be functional and productive for months and years to come, for example, access to electrical power for irrigation pumps, a cooler for appropriate post harvest handling, and so much more. To…

A carrot seed is far less than a millimeter in size, a tiny speck of dirt, dust in the wind. And yet, it contains the DNA to sprout, and to grow big, orange, beta-carotene-rich carrots, given darkness and moisture and the right temperature. Seeds have been the foundation of life for millions of years. Seeds are an incredible invention by Mother Nat…

When we hear about climate change we may think of harsher storms, flooding, or extreme drought. Those are the immediate consequences of weather on land and sea. But few have ever explained to us just how far reaching the ripple effects go from there. Drought means people in hunger, large populations moving, social breakdowns, and possibly war. A ne…

Most of us live in an urban environment, where we sit at our desks and drive in our cars. Most of us have a fairly sedentary lifestyle, and that may have consequences to our overall physique, our posture, and consequently can lead to subluxations, misalignments in the body in the form of a vertebra out of position, or a joint being overly stressed.…

In Nature, everything supports and feeds off of one another. There is no waste, only relationships. It’s a system, an endless web of life and connections. Organic farms know the strength of this system and actively cultivate it, by inviting Nature onto the farm and seeing the farm as a part of the overall ecology of the place. This episode is about…

Since the #metoo movement began last year, the topic of sexual violence has finally become a part of our public focus. Today we want to dive deeper into this much-needed conversation. We are speaking with a leader in this movement, a woman that will help us understand the forms of sexual violence, what the individual path of healing from such traum…

From metabolizing environmental pollutants to absolutely critical roles in the process of decay and renewal in Nature to the absolutely stunning medicinal benefits for human health, mushrooms are mystical powerhouses with abilities far beyond most other plants or organisms. It’s the foundation of and for life. Today, we are focusing on the human he…

Newest research is showing us that the life around us defines the life inside of us – or, in other words, that we are mostly put together by bacteria and cells that are not human, but other life forms and that the strength and health of those bacteria very much defines how we going to live – healthfully, or not. We are speaking about a documentary …

The entire conversation about sustainable agriculture, food, and plant-based medicines is huge, convoluted, and full of – may we say – intentional errors? There are trillion dollar interests at stake between the agricultural and the pharmaceutical industry, and yet, medicinal marijuana is also not the cure-all easy fix. It’s a powerful and importan…

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” This beautiful quote by Mahatma Gandhi is the framework for this episode. We have come a long way in the protection of animals, as some of them do enjoy relative safety in the wild, as well as at home as domestic pets. Unfortunately, when it comes t…

We all live in cycles, moon cycles, sun cycles, menstrual cycles, seasons, birth, youth, maturity, old age, and ultimately death again. Destruction and creation. We are in conversation today about cycles and the wisdom Nature holds for us with no one better than Earl Herrick. Earl lives Nature every single day in his work at Earl’s Organic, the pre…

Last fall, Southern and Northern California experienced the worst fires in its recorded history. Fires are part of the ecological cycle, even necessary in the cycle of life. And yet, the devastation last year’s California fires left behind was unprecedented. How do we reconcile that, what can we learn from such an event, and how can we still help i…

One of the most powerful transformations in the world of diets has occurred for the term Vegan. In its early days in the 1980’s when I learned about it, Vegan often meant overcooked carrots with a cold tofu salad. Today we know that a plant-based diet, which is exactly what a Vegan diet comprises of – plants, is the healthiest way to eat. Newest bi…

We know that environmental health and human health are inextricably linked. So, when we talk about sustainable agriculture and organic food as the foundation for social and environmental justice – we also mean human health. This episode is about human health, for the most vulnerable of us, our children. Two doctors have made an assessment of the en…

It is the blending of knowledge that makes us better, stronger, and hopefully wiser, as people, and as a species. In this episode, we are speaking with an expert about how to work with the mind and body in the most holistic way possible. For decades, he has been marrying the best practices from around the world for astonishing results, particularly…

Agriculture and food are our most direct and daily connection to the natural world. And the health of our environment directly impacts our own health and well-being, it is imperative that we continue to explore and push the boundaries of overall sustainable production. How can we produce food in a way that is fair, socially just, beneficial for com…

As we are heading into September, the late summer sun gently touching our agricultural lands, we are once again in a transition. From summer bounty to fall, as the seasonal preparation for winter, a last push of life before the months of darkness and hibernation and recovery. Time for us get An Update from the Fields! What produce is leaving us and…

Today’s episode is all about the human potential. How can we expand from our childhood, what is possible for us as an adult? How can we create a happy and truly fulfilling life for ourselves? How can we become the fully realized authority of all of our decisions – the best version of ourselves? Today’s show is all about cultivating awareness and ch…

Three women who have made organic food their career show us that sustainable food production and healthy agricultural practices have a tremendous impact on everything that food touches. Starting on the land with the farmer, these practices positively affect just about everything along the journey, ultimately reaching the end consumer. Us. In this e…

American children spend four to seven minutes a day playing outdoors—that is 90 percent less time than their parents did. There is a significant physical, emotional, and mental price to pay for having such little exposure to Nature and unstructured playtime. What is at stake, how to bring Nature back into all of our lives, and specifically, How to …

There is a deep reverence and respect for the Elements of Water, Sky, and Earth, Sun and Moon that we’ll find when we engage with cultures that have developed in the middle of the ocean, away from the speed of mainland societies. Hawaiian philosophy does not consider the physical and non-physical aspects of the world to be separate, therefore, to h…

It’s April, which means Earth Day month, happy temperatures, spring blossoms, and fresh veggies. The bunnies are out, and so should we! This is a time to get a healthy dose of Nature back into our lives, get moving, and help your body transition from Winter to spring and summer. The best way to do that is to detoxify from the sluggish, dark, inward…

Luckily we have a solid foundation when we want to choose healthier food, grown without the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, and produced without thousands of potentially harmful ingredients and additives such as colorings, preservatives, flavor enhancers, or gmo’s, that are allowed in non-organic foods. The "organic" label is a federal…

The weather is on everyone’s mind. Record rainfall ending a 7-year drought in most places throughout California has had a significant impact on our food production. California feeds this country, or much of it, at least, and produce is in high demand, short supply, possibly water-logged, or otherwise affected by the rain. What does this all mean to…