{"id":8535,"date":"2017-05-05T13:18:30","date_gmt":"2017-05-05T17:18:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.foodmedcenter.org\/?p=8535"},"modified":"2022-06-18T14:21:11","modified_gmt":"2022-06-18T18:21:11","slug":"diet-detective-interview-educator-healthy-food-innovator-stephen-ritz","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/zh_hk\/diet-detective-interview-educator-healthy-food-innovator-stephen-ritz\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview with Educator and Healthy Food Innovator Stephen Ritz"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you haven\u2019t had a chance to see Stephen Ritz on <\/span>Ted.com<\/span><\/a> you\u2019re truly missing something special — he is a maverick educator, innovator, social entrepreneur, urban farmer and entertainer. Stephen is an incredible person, whose work has been lauded around the globe.  <\/span><\/p>\n

He started as an educator and transformed himself into a man on a mission to push healthy food in the South Bronx, New York City, the poorest Congressional District in the United States. He has been wildly successful and hit a nerve with his students, the school system, the community and throughout America.  His Ted Talk received more than 1 million views.   As a result, his tireless advocacy for healthy eating in schools and underserved communities has become legendary. He recently wrote a book called <\/span>The Power of the Plant<\/span><\/i> (Rodale, 2017)<\/span><\/a> and had his work featured again here <\/a>I recently had the opportunity to do an email interview with Stephen about his work.<\/span><\/p>\n

Diet Detective: Can you tell me about your new book?<\/span><\/p>\n

Stephen Ritz<\/b>: <\/span>I’m honored and excited to share the experience, strength and hope I\u2019ve achieved through teaching and gardening in public schools,<\/span>Beyond my own story, the book highlights how, 50,000 pounds of vegetables later, my favorite crops include organically grown citizens, graduates, members of the middle class, and students who are growing and eating themselves into new spheres of personal and academic success, all of which creates a blueprint for thriving communities. Whether you are a parent, student, teacher or concerned citizen who wants to make a change in your life and \/ or <\/span>the lives of others, this book is for you! It is a story of passion, purpose and hope, filled with S\u00ed Se Puede [<\/span>“Yes, it is possible” or \u201cWe can do it!\u201d <\/span>] spirit and boundless love and optimism.<\/span><\/p>\n

Diet Detective: If I’m a parent, teacher or the principal of a school, what are 10 specific steps or quick tips I could follow to get a garden for my school?<\/span><\/p>\n

Stephen Ritz<\/b>: Right out of the box I have three simple suggestions:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Find a champion<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Grow what students want to eat.<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Keep it small, keep it simple; build small concentric circles of success.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    More strategically:<\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Think soil vs. dirt. Soil is a medium for growing, dirt is something that stains clothes and needs to be removed; assess indoor vs. outdoor options; always think about the quality of teaching and the quality of learning\u2014begin with the end in mind.<\/span><\/li>\n
    2. Make your thinking visible to staff and students – assess [and evaluate your work] frequently.<\/span><\/li>\n
    3. Think and fail like a scientist; every interaction is an opportunity for learning.<\/span><\/li>\n
    4. Seeds and children both represent genetic potential. They both need the right conditions to grow and thrive.<\/span><\/li>\n
    5. Create and facilitate joyful learning; there are many jobs in a garden, there is a place for all.<\/span><\/li>\n
    6. Be endlessly resourceful, always work to get to yes, and remember that seeds well planted and tended to will give you a crop of epic proportions.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Diet Detective:   <\/span>How did you become a healthy food advocate, and was gardening\/farming something that always interested you?<\/span><\/p>\n

      Stephen Ritz<\/b>: <\/span> <\/b>No! I got involved with school gardens by mistake, but by absolute necessity. Was I always drawn to gardening? Absolutely not. There\u2019s a part of me that loathes it but loves the results. But at the end of the day, it\u2019s about planting seeds, and my children are my seeds. For me, seeds represent genetic potential, and my goal is to make sure all my students and all my colleagues reach their given genetic potential.<\/span><\/p>\n

      To be quite honest, my wife and I lost children, and that tragedy required a redirection of my life, personally and professionally. I wound up working at one of the most dysfunctional high schools in all of New York City, and someone sent my students and me a box of flower bulbs. <\/span><\/p>\n

      We didn\u2019t even know what they were. I thought they were onions, but quite frankly, the dean of students in me and the self-preservation in me thought they were projectiles that needed to be hidden, because I had 17 overage and under-credited children, many of them with all sorts of baggage, from being homeless to being in foster care to having special needs to adjudicated youth, and thought that these \u201cprojectiles\u201d should be kept as far away from them as possible in order to save my job and save them. <\/span><\/p>\n

      So I put them behind a faulty radiator and basically forgot about them. Then one day there was a fight in class and some of the kids went looking behind the radiator for something, and there were hundreds of flowers back there, because the steam from the radiator had forced the bulbs. The boys wanted to give them to the girls and the girls wanted to bring them to their moms. Some kids suggested that we sell them. And that year  I think I planted about fifteen thousand daffodil bulbs with gang members across New York City as a beautification project commemorating 9\/11. That\u2019s how I learned about gardening.<\/span><\/p>\n

      The result of gardening with kids in school\u2014and at that time it was community gardening and ornamental gardening\u2014is that you can turn ugly, unproductive spaces into highly productive, beautiful, aspirational places in the course of just a day, and move kids who have not known success to being a part of success on a daily basis. Kids who were at one point seen as outsiders in their neighborhood were able to become a part of it and add value for all. So gardening is just amazing.<\/span><\/p>\n

      And then I learned about food! I learned about vegetables! So we went from ornamental gardening and landscaping to living-wage jobs, because, for my students, gardening represented the opportunity to earn a living-wage and  become involved in<\/span> food justice issues. S<\/span>o I haven\u2019t always been drawn to gardening, but 35,000 pounds of vegetables later, grown with kids in the South Bronx, my favorite crops have become organically grown citizens, graduates, members of the middle class, kids who are going to college, young people who aren\u2019t going to jail, and those who are eating themselves to good health and aspiring to things they never imagined before. How cool is that?<\/span><\/p>\n

      The amazing thing about gardening is that a crop well planted can give you a harvest of epic proportions, and that harvest is my students\u2014their health, their families, and their academic outcomes. While I grow vegetables, my vegetables grow students, school performance, and communities, as well as jobs.<\/span><\/p>\n

      Diet Detective:   Does it matter if it’s a hydroponic garden, a vegetable garden or a hybrid of the two?<\/span><\/p>\n

      Stephen Ritz<\/b>: <\/span>I am a huge fan of multiple modalities.  Children have unique learning styles,and every system and convention has its merits. I believe children thrive when we give them voice and choice along with clearly defined responsibilities and accountability. As long as children are growing – and growing food – I am happy.<\/span><\/p>\n

      Fact Sheet<\/b><\/p>\n

      Diet Detective: What was your breakfast this morning?<\/span><\/p>\n

      Stephen Ritz<\/b>: A cup of coffee, one slice of toast with hummus, two pieces of herring, some cucumber and tomato slices.<\/span><\/p>\n

      Diet Detective: What\u2019s in your refrigerator and pantry right now?<\/span><\/p>\n

      Stephen Ritz (SR)<\/b>: Lots of vegetables, eggs, herring, pickles and almond butter.<\/span><\/p>\n

      Diet Detective: Your last meal would be?<\/span><\/p>\n

      Stephen Ritz<\/b>: My last meal would be focused upon my family, not what I am eating but who I am eating with.<\/span><\/p>\n

      Diet Detective: Your favorite food\u201d?<\/span><\/p>\n

      Stephen Ritz<\/b>: Casuela – a Colombian treat – a red bean based stew. I also LOVE Manhattan Clam Chowder. I LOVE soups – a good broth or stock – nothing  creamy. Anything my mom makes and Sunday meals at my mother-in-law’s house.<\/span><\/p>\n

      Diet Detective: As a child you wanted to be?  <\/span><\/p>\n

      Stephen Ritz: <\/b>As a child I grew up wanting to be a crash-test dummy! I grew up in the age of consumer reports. I was a fascinated by crash-test dummies; they got to break things, crash them and then speak about them and be reassembled – AWESOME!<\/span><\/p>\n

      Diet Detective: <\/span>Grew up in?<\/span><\/p>\n

      Stephen Ritz<\/b>: <\/span>I grew up in the Bronx, and while I have lived elsewhere, my heart and soul will always be Bronx-based. I’ve lived a thousand lives on the streets of the Bronx!<\/span><\/p>\n

      Diet Detective: <\/span>Background and Education (brief)?<\/span><\/p>\n

      Stephen Ritz<\/b>: I am a lifelong learner with a passion for people, social justice and human and planetary ecology. I have several degrees including two Master\u2019s in Education. That said, I am a child of the world and the world’s oldest sixth grader – forever curious and excited!<\/span><\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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He also has a law degree, and throughout his career has been dedicated to a multidisciplinary approach to academic research, community health interventions and complex health and policy issues, encompassing law, public health, and nutrition. Dr. Platkin has occupied influential roles in public health, notably serving as the Executive Director of the Hunter College NYC Food Policy Center from 2012 to 2023. During this time, he played a pivotal role in shaping food-related policies in New York City. His entrepreneurial leadership extends across multiple sectors: he is the co-founder and strategic advisor to Diversion Books (DiversionBooks.com), a book publishing company; Chief Strategy Officer at PopCom Health (PopComHealth.com); founder and managing director of Magoo Properties (MagooProperties.com); and co-founder and director of MedicalBx (MedicalBx.com), which develops boutique hospitals and mobile medical clinics to enhance healthcare access in underserved areas. His leadership also extended to co-founding and operating organizations like Integrated Wellness Solutions, where he leveraged innovative approaches and technology to enhance health and wellness. He is a powerful advocate for healthier communities and for shaping the field of nutrition and food policy in lasting ways. Dr. Platkin has made significant contributions to the field of public health and nutrition issues through his research. He has published in several peer-reviewed scientific and medical journals, including the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, the Journal of Obesity and Weight Loss, the International Journal of Nutrition and Dietetics, BioMed Central (BMC) Obesity; and the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. He is the author of eight books. 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Longevity"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/foodmedcenter","https:\/\/x.com\/foodmedcenter"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/#\/schema\/person\/56244d57478b54543e75ed8c889935b8","name":"\u67e5\u723e\u65af\u00b7\u666e\u62c9\u7279\u91d1\uff0c\u54f2\u5b78\u535a\u58eb\u3001\u6cd5\u5b78\u535a\u58eb\u3001\u516c\u5171\u885b\u751f\u78a9\u58eb","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"zh-HK","@id":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Charles-Platkin-PhD-2025-500-96x96.jpg","url":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Charles-Platkin-PhD-2025-500-96x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Charles-Platkin-PhD-2025-500-96x96.jpg","caption":"Charles Platkin, PhD, JD, MPH"},"description":"Dr. Charles Platkin is the founder and Executive Director of the Center For Food As Medicine & Longevity (FoodMedCenter.org), a not-for-profit organization working to bridge the gap between traditional allopathic medicine and the use of food as medicine in the prevention, treatment, and management of disease. The Center conducts extensive research on longevity and healthspan, exploring how nutrition and lifestyle interventions can extend both lifespan and the number of years lived in good health. Core to its work is the dissemination of reliable, peer-reviewed information on nutrition, longevity science, and healthy aging, as well as ensuring universal access to healthy, affordable food, and creating a more equitable, smart food system that will improve health outcomes. A distinguished scholar and influential figure in the fields of public health, nutrition, and food policy, Dr. Platkin is a Distinguished Lecturer (Emeritus) at City University of New York at Hunter College. He has both a Masters Degree and a Ph.D. in Public Health, specializing in nutrition. He also has a law degree, and throughout his career has been dedicated to a multidisciplinary approach to academic research, community health interventions and complex health and policy issues, encompassing law, public health, and nutrition. Dr. Platkin has occupied influential roles in public health, notably serving as the Executive Director of the Hunter College NYC Food Policy Center from 2012 to 2023. During this time, he played a pivotal role in shaping food-related policies in New York City. His entrepreneurial leadership extends across multiple sectors: he is the co-founder and strategic advisor to Diversion Books (DiversionBooks.com), a book publishing company; Chief Strategy Officer at PopCom Health (PopComHealth.com); founder and managing director of Magoo Properties (MagooProperties.com); and co-founder and director of MedicalBx (MedicalBx.com), which develops boutique hospitals and mobile medical clinics to enhance healthcare access in underserved areas. His leadership also extended to co-founding and operating organizations like Integrated Wellness Solutions, where he leveraged innovative approaches and technology to enhance health and wellness. He is a powerful advocate for healthier communities and for shaping the field of nutrition and food policy in lasting ways. Dr. Platkin has made significant contributions to the field of public health and nutrition issues through his research. He has published in several peer-reviewed scientific and medical journals, including the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, the Journal of Obesity and Weight Loss, the International Journal of Nutrition and Dietetics, BioMed Central (BMC) Obesity; and the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. He is the author of eight books. His forthcoming book, Eat to Cheat Death: Using Food as Medicine to Live Better, Live Stronger, Live Healthier, and Live Longer (Simon & Schuster, 2027), synthesizes cutting-edge research on nutrition and longevity. His first book, Breaking the Pattern (Red Mill Press 2002, Plume 2004), was a bestseller in hardcover; it has been used by addiction clinics to assist patients with resolving drug and alcohol-related issues, and more than 20 universities around the country use it as a text to teach behavioral change techniques to nutrition and dietetic counseling interns. His other titles include The Diet Detective's Count Down (Simon and Schuster, 2007), The Diet Detective's Calorie Bargain Bible (Simon and Schuster, 2008), The Diet Detective's Diet Starter Kit (Diversion, 2011), and The Diet Detective's All-American Diet (Rodale, 2012). Charles Platkin's contributions to the fields of health, nutrition, and public policy have earned him recognition and numerous accolades. He was cited by the New York State Governor for his contributions to the development of nutrition materials for NYS Mentoring in March 2019, showcasing his dedication to public health and education. He was also honored as a Politics of Food honoree by City & State in November 2018 for his commitment to promoting healthy eating and food policy reform. Additionally, Dr. Platkin's success as a principal investigator and grant recipient reflects his impact in the field, as he has secured multiple grants to support research and initiatives related to food policy and nutrition. Beyond his academic and research pursuits, Charles Platkin has engaged with the public through various media outlets. He was the host and executive producer of WE TV's series I Want To Save Your Life, where he helped individuals transform their health through nutrition and lifestyle interventions. His syndicated health, nutrition, and fitness column, the Diet Detective, appeared in more than 150 daily newspapers and media outlets for nearly 20 years. His appearances on thousands of radio shows, in newspapers, magazines, and online platforms have reached a broad audience. His commitment to educating the public underscores his dedication to public health. He received his undergraduate degree from Cornell University, a law degree from Fordham University, a Master of Public Health and a Ph.D. in Public Health from Florida International University in Miami Florida.","sameAs":["https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org","foodmedcenter","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/platkin","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@foodmedcenter","https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Charles_Stuart_Platkin"],"honorificPrefix":"Dr.","honorificSuffix":"PhD, JD, MPH","url":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/zh_hk\/author\/charles-platkin\/"}]}},"modified_by":"Charles Platkin, PhD, JD, MPH","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/zh_hk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8535","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/zh_hk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/zh_hk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/zh_hk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/32"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/zh_hk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8535"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/zh_hk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8535\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17776,"href":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/zh_hk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8535\/revisions\/17776"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/zh_hk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8536"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/zh_hk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8535"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/zh_hk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8535"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/zh_hk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8535"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}