Topic: Superfood

Author Scott McKenzie has released a new No Agenda-themed novel titled "Cockroach Milk." The story follows an FDA inspector investigating a secretive corporation that produces a superfood made from cockroaches. The book is available on Amazon and Kindle.

Long-time listener Joe Winky, founder of Healthy Surprise and Jambo Superfoods, is featured. After his original snack box business was disrupted by larger competitors, he transitioned to the CBD industry. He sent the hosts samples of "CBD Muscle Balm," leading to a humorous discussion about foot massages.

Researchers identify milk produced by the Pacific beetle cockroach as a potential new superfood due to its high nutritional content. The substance reportedly contains essential amino acids and provides three times the energy of cow's milk. Skepticism remains regarding the feasibility of harvesting the milk and the public's willingness to consume insect-based dairy alternatives.

The cereal grain sorghum is identified as a major component of USAID food aid, often found in bags destined for Africa. While primarily used for animal feed or ethanol in the United States, sorghum is a staple for human consumption in other parts of the world, often prepared as a gruel. A prediction is made that sorghum will soon be marketed as a "superfood" in the West, potentially paired with other trends like insect-based proteins, despite its long cooking time.

A critique of the "superfood" industry focuses on the 2016 trends emerging from fancy food shows. The list includes "waste-based food," popularized by New York chef Dan Barber, which utilizes vegetable pulp and scraps, as well as the rising popularity of kelp as a sustainable seaweed option.

McDonald's is reportedly planning to add kale to its menu as part of a shift toward "superfoods." This follows moves by Burger King and Wendy's to remove sugary sodas from kids' meals, replacing them with milk or juice. The hosts discuss the irony of fast-food chains adopting health-conscious ingredients.

The hosts mock the "superfood" status of kale, citing an NPR Marketplace segment that claims kale sales are "skyrocketing." Dvorak proposes a joke book titled "The World's Greatest Kale Recipes" consisting of 200 blank pages. The discussion concludes with a recipe for making kale palatable by parboiling it and frying it in significant amounts of bacon fat.

A report from northern France describes the rising popularity of kale, a vegetable previously unknown to many French farmers. The "Kale Project," started by an American expatriate, is credited with promoting the cabbage as a "miraculous superfood" in Paris. The hosts mock the trend as a public relations scam, labeling kale an "inedible depression food" that is being sold at inflated prices.

The hosts discuss the emerging trend of camel milk as a "superfood" with purported cures for autism, cancer, and diabetes. They note the irony of MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) being linked to camels while the milk is marketed for health benefits. The segment also briefly mentions reports from India regarding the medicinal use of camel urine.

A new venture called Jambo Superfoods is launching a line of cannabis-infused "superfood" edibles that are paleo, gluten-free, and use non-refined sugars. The hosts discuss the marketing of weed-infused products as health supplements and the inherent contradictions in "non-refined" sugar claims. They predict the product will be highly successful due to the lack of healthy alternatives in the current edibles market.

The hosts discuss the "superfoods" trend, noting that Dutch authorities have labeled the term a marketing hoax. They review items from a "Healthy Surprise" box, including pumpkin seeds and raw chocolate, while questioning the scientific validity of "dynamic superfoods."

The hosts discuss the "kale scam," noting that the vegetable was historically known as "poor man's lettuce" before being rebranded as a high-priced "superfood." They compare the trend to the historical use of cod liver oil in Scandinavia to treat seasonal affective disorder (SAD), noting that Iceland still dedicates entire grocery aisles to the product.

John Dvorak argues that the popularity of kale is the result of a successful British PR campaign rather than its taste. He requests listeners send "offbeat" kale recipes to his email, noting that most involve parboiling and cooking with bacon fat to make the vegetable edible. The hosts jokingly rebrand the show as a "non-GMO superfood podcast."

The hosts discuss Thanksgiving cooking techniques, including the safety of stuffing a bird and a specific recipe for apple and cranberry dressing designed for a gluten-free diet. The conversation shifts to the rising popularity of kale, which is characterized as a public relations scam and a "money grab" due to its high price compared to other brassica vegetables like cabbage. They reference a Ugandan newspaper article promoting kale as a "friend with benefits."

The rise of quinoa as a global "superfood" is discussed, including claims that Western demand is pricing out indigenous populations in Peru and Ecuador. An anecdote is shared regarding a failed attempt to genetically breed a shell-less version of quinoa; the experiment resulted in the entire crop being immediately consumed by birds, proving the evolutionary necessity of the grain's hard outer shell.

An investigation into the popularity of kale suggests it is the result of a coordinated PR campaign from the UK promoting it as a "superfood." The vegetable is described as a "myth" and an "inedible piece of crap" from the cabbage family. The show concludes with a look ahead to the seventh year of broadcasting and a final reminder of the sixth-anniversary celebration on Sunday.