Curious about the Yanomami Peoples and their incredible way of life? In this episode of the Two Nobodys Podcast, Rupesh Patel sits down with David Good, a microbiome researcher who has lived with his Yanomami family in the Amazon rainforest. Discover David's fascinating journey, his research on the Yanomami microbiome, and his mission to protect their rights and preserve their traditional knowledge.
Yanomami Foundation: www.yanomamifoundation.org
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David Good was born on November 2, 1986 at the Bryn Mawr hospital in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. He attended East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania where he received his undergraduate and master’s degree in biology. He is a member of the Explorers Club, a visiting scholar at Rutgers University, and teaches at Northampton Community College of Pennsylvania.
As a Yanomami-Venezuelan-American, his ambitions lie in establishing dialogue, service, and cultural interchange for the Yanomami and the rest of the world.
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
04:02 Working with Dr. Emma Allen-Vercoe
05:40 Researching at the University of Guelph
07:15 David’s current PhD thesis
09:45 David’s studying Yanomami microbiome and benefitting them
14:30 David’s microbiome vs his Yanomami family
16:20 Developing Yanomami skin microbiome
17:40 Microbiome in a sterilized environment
19:40 Children fearing germs
21:10 David’s father studying and living with the Yanomami
26:00 David’s father marrying David’s mom Yarima
29:54 Shabano
31:35 Yarima moves to America
33:08 Yarima moves back to the Amazon Rainforest
34:20 David goes to looks for his mom Yarima
37:02 David’s resent towards the Yanomami
41:50 David’s early diet and microbiome development
43:10 Eating in the Amazon Rainforest
46:10 Yanomami diet and eating habits
49:10 Taste of the food in the Amazon Rainforest
50:25 Favourite meats in the Amazon (snake, peccary)
54:15 Illegal gold mining and mercury contamination
56:10 Dangers of living in Amazon Rainforest
01:00:00 Illegal gold mining endangering Yanomami Peoples
01:05:35 The Yanomami Foundation
01:13:45 Takeaways of the Yanomami microbiome
01:17:20 Should you eat like a Yanomami?
01:20:00 Uniqueness of Yanomami digestive tract and eating habits
01:22:40 Yanomami vegan?
01:24:30 Yarima re-visits America
01:31:30 Five for dinner
01:33:58 What do you know for sure?
01:35:20 Wrap-up
