The 'Sader Digest
The 'Sader Digest —where health, wellness, and food collide with a whole lot of flavor!
We’re here to dish out fresh ideas and fun conversations about how to eat well, live better, and make food choices that fuel your body and mind. From Holy Cross dining hacks to mastering the art of cooking on your own, we’re serving up everything you need to know to stay healthy and feel your best.
Whether you’re curious about what’s on your plate, looking for simple tips to level up your meals, or just want to geek out about all things food, this podcast is for you. Think of us as your foodie friends with a side of wellness wisdom.
Grab a seat, press play, and let’s dig in!
Episodes
30 episodes
The Gentrification of Your Dinner Plate: Peasant Food’s Million Dollar Makeover
Lobster used to be prison food. Pizza was street food for dock workers. Brisket and oxtails were scraps no one wanted.Today? They’re on $40 menus.In this episode of The'Sader Digest, Brad Shannon dives into one o...
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Season 2
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Episode 7
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17:20
Is Authentic Food Even Real? The most dangerous word in food
Is your favorite dish actually authentic… or just something your grandma made really well?In this episode of The 'Sader Digest, Brad dives into one of the most overused—and surprisingly controversial—words in food: <...
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Season 2
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Episode 7
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17:35
Attack of the Killer Tomatoes: How a Tomato Built a Nation
After a brief hiatus (blame the studio construction, not the tomatoes), The 'Sader Digest is back in action! While Alex enjoys life somewhere tropical, Brad is holding down the fort in Massachusetts and kicking off a new series of e...
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Season 2
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Episode 6
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23:13
How to Adult in the Grocery Aisle: The College Guide to Survival
This week, we’re tackling the ultimate college conundrum: how to eat healthy without selling a kidney or surviving on peanut butter toast.From grocery store hacks and freezer-friendly produce to mastering the mysterious art of the microw...
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Season 2
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Episode 5
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26:10
Off the Menu: Outtakes Edition
Welcome back to The Sader Digest, the health and wellness podcast where we try to sound smart… and often fail spectacularly. In this “Outtakes Edition,” we’re serving up a buffet of our finest bloopers, caffeine-fueled tangent...
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Season 2
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Episode 4
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21:17
Purple Goes Blue: Beans, Balance & the Birth of the Purple Zone
Ever wondered how to live to 100 without moving to a sun-soaked island in Greece? In this laugh-filled finale of our Blue Zone series, Alex and Brad try to bring the secrets of long life to—wait for it—Worcester. From flipping t...
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Season 2
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Episode 3
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18:42
Purple Goes Blue: The World Tour of Longevity (Part 1)
Brad and Alex jet around the globe exploring the famous Blue Zones — those rare places where people live long, happy, and suspiciously goat-filled lives. From California’s plant-powered Adventists to Costa Rica’s “plan de vida,” from S...
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Season 2
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Episode 2
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15:28
Microbiome: Epigenetics, Fiber, Antioxidants Oh my!
Brad is back. But more importantly Alex is back. And yes — the long-awaited Sader Digest Season 2 is here (still in our makeshift “studio,” but hey, we roll with it).In this episode, Brad and Alex dive headfirst into the myst...
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Season 2
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Episode 1
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17:11
Beyond the Label: Allergens, Celiac, and the Power of Safe Dining
Did you know your immune system can throw a full-blown temper tantrum over a peanut? Or that a crumb of gluten can trigger an autoimmune attack in someone with celiac disease?In this episode, Bradley Shannon—Director of Culinary Developm...
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Season 1
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Episode 22
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18:33
Seeds of Change: Breeding Flavor into the Future of Food (Part 2 of 2)
Forget bland broccoli and tasteless tomatoes—this episode is all about sparking a vegetable revolution from the ground up.Brad (FINALLY) shares the stories and insights fresh from the UMass Chefs Conference, where chef Dan Barber issued ...
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Season 1
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Episode 21
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16:04
Seeds of Change: Luther Burbank, Flavor’s Forgotten Pioneer (Part 1 of 2)
Long before chefs were hoping to breed vegetables for flavor (Dan Barber we are looking at you!), one eccentric plant lover in California was reshaping the future of food—seed by seed. In Part 1 of this two-part series, Brad digs into the...
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Season 1
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Episode 20
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13:50
Seed Oils: Supervillain or Scapegoat
Are seed oils trying to kill you… or just help you crisp your Brussels sprouts? In this solo episode, Brad dives deep into the bottle to unpack why seed oils have gone from heart-healthy hero to internet villain. Is it the omega-6s? The industr...
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Season 1
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Episode 19
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17:14
What Moves Holy Cross: Inside Campus Rec with Jamie Shannon
In this energizing episode of The 'Sader Digest, Brad sits down with his better half—Jamie Shannon, Director of Campus Recreation at Holy Cross—to talk treadmills, team spirit, and why you don’t want to spill Gator...
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Season 1
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Episode 18
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31:20
“April Showers, Snowstorms & Plant-Powered Pencils”
This April might have served up some snowflakes instead of sunshine, but we’re bringing the heat with some fresh plant-forward vibes! Join Alex and Brad as they survive the last gasp of winter, nerd out over the perfect pencil (yes, really), an...
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Season 1
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Episode 17
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19:28
Doubling Down on the Vagus Nerve: Now Serving Tranquility, One Ear at a Time
In this episode, Brad asks Alex about her new certification as a certified “acupunct” (not to be confused with full-blown acupuncturists—those folks train for years), to explore the magical, stress-melting world of auricular acupuncture....
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Season 1
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Episode 16
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20:34
Menz-tioning Mindful Eating: Darlene is Back
Darlene Menz is back in the booth (because, let’s face it, she had way too much fun last time!) to chat about why we should stop rushing through our meals. Between Darlene’s love for savoring her food and Brad's habit of eating faster than you ...
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Season 1
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Episode 15
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17:56
Practicing Safe Food: More Than Just Wrapping It Up
Grab your thermometers and put down that dented can of beans because Brad is about to school you on food safety like never before! In this episode, we're talking all things temperatures, bacteria, and the things you should NEVER eat—like a bulg...
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Season 1
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Episode 14
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30:41
Building a Degree, Blending Nutrition: Here's To You Carly Robinson
Get ready to dive into a world of nutrition, sports, some snacks and dorm room cooking! Host Alex is joined by the one and only Brad Shannon and our special guest, Carly Robinson, a grad assistant in the Wellness Department at Holy Cross. Carly...
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Season 1
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Episode 13
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33:42
Label Me Confused: Decoding Nutrition Myths & Smart Shopping
In this episode, Brad and Alex tackle the wild world of nutrition labels – because, let’s face it, who actually reads them unless they’re hunting for the secret sugar stash? They’ll guide you through deciphering all that confusing jargon like "...
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Season 1
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Episode 12
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28:52
Udderly Local: Keeping Milk Close to Home, with a Farmer’s Story
In this a-moo-sing episode, Brad is alone in the studio again, and this week we have a Special Guest from Mapleline Farm, our Milk supplier for the campus. In this week's episode we milk the truth from a real-life dairy farmer to le...
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Season 1
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Episode 11
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35:29
Buzzwords and Bellyaches: The Battle Between Marketing and Real Food
In this episode, Brad and Alex discuss the challenges of navigating food marketing and making healthier choices. They explore the impact of labels and buzzwords like “plant-powered microbiome approved” and “prebiotic,” using the example o...
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Season 1
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Episode 10
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27:54
Purple Goes Green: Talking Sustainability with Carly, Director of Sustainability
This week on the pod, it’s a little different—Alex is not in the studio, and Brad is unsupervised… or at least, he thought he was. Enter: Carly Thibodeau, Director of Sustainability, to keep him in check as they tackl...
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Season 1
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Episode 9
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37:35
Life on the Menz: Where Lifestyle Medicine Meets Better Living
Brad and Alex are back, and this time, they’ve brought in a ringer, Darlene Menz, nurse practitioner and lifestyle medicine pro. She and Alex recently got certified in Lifestyle Medicine, which basically means they know all the science-backed w...
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Season 1
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Episode 8
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26:41
Cutting Through the Clutter: Kitchen Gear That’s Worth It and What’s Just Taking Up Space
Welcome back to the Sader Digest, where Brad and Alex dive deep into the wild world of kitchen gear. They look at the good, the bad, and the utterly useless. From pots and pans that might cost you your rent money to kniv...
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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35:20
Buzzed & Confused: The Truth About Caffeine
Brad and Alex are back, jittery as ever, to tackle one of college life’s biggest fuel sources: caffeine. Whether you’re a coffee purist, an energy drink enthusiast, or someone who just mainlines espresso shots between classes, this episode is f...
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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25:31