PLANTSTRONG Podcast

Today, we share a modern-day story of David and Goliath with Dr. Baxter Montgomery. 

In 1997, Dr. Montgomery opened Montgomery Heart and Wellness in Houston, Texas right in the shadows of the powerful and world-renowned campus of the Texas Medical Center, the world’s largest medical center.   

As a board-certified cardiologist and cardiac electrophysiologist, Dr. Montgomery has treated thousands of patients with severe cardiovascular diseases, but he started to notice something. 

Even though he employed state-of-the-art procedures, interventions, ablations, and medications, his patients continued to grow weaker and sicker. 

Montgomery, instead, started researching nutrition’s role in disease reversal and found that - you guessed it- PLANTS were the common denominator in determining wellness. 

Today at Montgomery Heart and Wellness, Dr. Montgomery helps patients achieve optimal health and wellness through various nutrition programs. His goal? To get his patients to think beyond the script, improve their health, and reverse these chronic lifestyle diseases. 

He truly is a modern-day David fighting a giant Goliath medical system, but much like David, he’s ready, willing, and able to slay the dragon of lifestyle disease.

Episode Timestamps

6:00 Why he was inspired to take a different approach to medicine 

12:45 His own personal journey back to health that inspired his nutrition protocols 

16:45 Just do this for seven days!

22:50 The results are astounding

24:30 Changing the Health Care Paradigm - “Heart and Souls of a Champion” upcoming program

29:50 Is his facility and in-patient center?

31:20 What’s an LVAT?

32:40 What is Lipoprotein a?

35:00 Are his colleagues on board, or still resistant? 

39:00 Dr. Montgomery’s 3 pillars of optimal health

41:50 How can the human body heal itself so quickly?

45:35 Moderation is like running through quicksand.

47:40 How do his patients respond to his protocols and advice?

49:00 Why does he prescribe raw foods only for his patients? 

57:00 All about the upcoming four-day Open House and Red Carpet Gala 

1:02:00 How he is living his God-given passion

1:05:00 Bonus - Dr. Montgomery’s take on A-Fib and PVCs

Episode Resources

Episode Webpage

Watch the Episode on YouTube

Montgomery Heart and Wellness Website


Learn More About Montgomery Heart Open House and Gala - October 19th-22nd, 2022

To stock up on the best-tasting, most convenient, 100% PLANTSTRONG foods, including our broths and soups, check out all of our PLANTSTRONG products HERE.

Give us a like on the PLANTSTRONG Facebook Page and check out what being PLANSTRONG is all about. We always keep it stocked full of new content and updates, tips for healthy living, delicious recipes, and you can even catch me LIVE on there!

We’ve also got an Instagram! Check us out and share your favorite PLANTSTRONG products and why you love it! Don’t forget to tag us using #goplantstrong 🌱💪

Want to live your best PLANTSTRONG life? Join our exclusive PLANTSTRONG Community of friendly, plant-loving peeps! This is a goldmine of resources, recipes, and incredible support to feed your PLANTSTRONG life.

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We are "fired up" to welcome a plantstrong firefighting sister, Cindy Thompson, to the PLANTSTRONG podcast. 

I was so moved by Cindy’s background of why she chose firefighting as a career, but it’s her journey to plants that makes her a true hero in my book.

In this male-dominated, meat-loving profession, she boldly took agency over her own health and, along the way, inspired others (including those macho male firefighters) to take a second look at their own plates and take the plantstrong journey with her.

Today, even though she’s retired from firefighting, she is still extinguishing the flames of disease and illness as a health and lifestyle coach, and, among many other credentials, is a licensed Food for Life Instructor for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

Her business is called Tri-Mazing because, yes, she does triathlons for fun now, but when you are making food and lifestyle changes to benefit the health of the planet, the animals, and yourself, you are **Three Times Amazing**! 

And, we get a bonus surprise today because she whips up an amazing queso dip and shares that recipe with us today! 

Enjoy!

Episode Resources

Watch the Full Episode on YouTube

Get Cindy's Recipes and Resources from Today's Episode


To stock up on the best-tasting, most convenient, 100% PLANTSTRONG foods, including our broths and soups, check out all of our PLANTSTRONG products HERE.

Give us a like on the PLANTSTRONG Facebook Page and check out what being PLANSTRONG is all about. We always keep it stocked full of new content and updates, tips for healthy living, delicious recipes, and you can even catch me LIVE on there!

We’ve also got an Instagram! Check us out and share your favorite PLANTSTRONG products and why you love it! Don’t forget to tag us using #goplantstrong 🌱💪

Want to live your best PLANTSTRONG life? Join our exclusive PLANTSTRONG Community of friendly, plant-loving peeps! This is a goldmine of resources, recipes, and incredible support to feed your PLANTSTRONG life.

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We’re going to introduce you to a word today that may be new but is something many of us unknowingly participate in on a daily basis.

That word is “carnism.”

Melanie Joy coined the word in her work as a Harvard-educated psychologist and author specializing in the psychology of eating animals, social transformation, and relationships.

What exactly is carnism? It’s the Invisible belief system in our culture that conditions us to eat certain animals and not others. Her book title actually sums it up perfectly, Why we Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows. From birth, we’re conditioned to believe that cows, chickens, pigs, and fish are food…and, here in America, dogs and cats are pets. We don’t even question it. The fact that this belief system is so ingrained in our culture is, in fact, carnism. 

But, my friends, the tide is turning as people are waking up and becoming more aware that, 

• We don’t have to consume animals to survive and thrive

• There are better and more humane ways to treat animals – ALL of which deserve respect and dignity

• And, we simply don’t have to act against our core values as empathetic human beings

Awareness is the first step and with awareness, we are better able to think freely and act compassionately, to create healthier and more fulfilling relationships and a more equitable and sustainable world.

Episode Timestamps

11:00 Melanie’s Journey to veganism

15:25 Helping us understand carnism and how we’re a part of this invisible belief system

19:48 Carnism conditions us to act against our core values of compassion and empathy

24:00 In one day, more farm animals are slaughtered than the total number of people killed in all wars throughout history

24:30 Why carnism is a system of oppression and was this a big master plan?

26:00 Examples of carnistic defense mechanisms - 

30:00 The Three “N” - normal, necessary, and natural 

32:40 How do we piece the veil of carnism and start to dismantle the system? When you become aware of the system, you’re much less likely to be hijacked by it.

38:00 Are there classes and resources to learn more and develop effective communication skills around these topics?

38:42 Are we in a “meatocracy?”

41:06 How can this be so invisible if it’s so pervasive?

46:00 Why self-care and self-compassion are so important for change 

50:58 How do we lower the bar for compassion and make it easier for people to make choices that align more with their values?

54:45 Is she hopeful about the future?

59:55 Are there countries around the world that are heading in the right direction?

1:05:15 carism.org truly is a service organization

Episode Resources

Watch the Episode on YouTube

Episode Webpage

Buy Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows

Carnism.org

Center for Effective Vegan Advocacy

To stock up on the best-tasting, most convenient, 100% PLANTSTRONG foods, check out all of our PLANTSTRONG products HERE.

Give us a like on the PLANTSTRONG Facebook Page and check out what being PLANSTRONG is all about. We always keep it stocked full of new content and updates, tips for healthy living, delicious recipes, and you can even catch me LIVE on there!

We’ve also got an Instagram! Check us out and share your favorite PLANTSTRONG products and why you love it! Don’t forget to tag us using #goplantstrong 🌱💪

Want to live your best PLANTSTRONG life? Join our exclusive PLANTSTRONG Community of friendly, plant-loving peeps! This is a goldmine of resources, recipes, and incredible support to feed your PLANTSTRONG life.

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Imagine being in the absolute prime of your life - 21 years old, going to school at Stanford to study Mechanical Engineering, playing sports for hours on end…and then, ABRUPTLY, it comes to a screeching halt when you are diagnosed with not one, not two, but three autoimmune diseases within a matter of months.

Today’s guest, Cyrus Khambatta, went from “soccer stud” to “chronic disease patient” in the blink of an eye when he was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s, alopecia, and Type 1 diabetes in 2002. 

Determined to understand everything he could about these diagnoses, especially his diabetes, he went back to school to learn the science, earning a Ph.D. in nutritional biochemistry from UC Berkeley. In 2020, he and his business partner, Robby Barbaro, co-authored the book, Mastering Diabetes: The Revolutionary Method to Reverse Insulin Resistance Permanently in Type 1, Type 1.5, Type 2, Prediabetes, and Gestational Diabetes.

An educated person is an empowered person and that’s our goal for today - to arm you with as much knowledge, research, and hope that you can master your diabetes with a whole foods plant-based diet that, yes, includes plenty of carbohydrates and rich diversity of luscious fruit. 

Rip and Cyrus Discuss:

• 00:00-22:00 Cyrus’s journey - How did he go from student to chronic patient in a matter of months?

• 22:40 Learning a new nutrition perspective from Doug Graham

• 27:00 Why he went back to school to find out if he was, “a freak of nature”

• 29:00 How can the medical establishment be so wrong with its recommendations?

• 33:45 Digging into the science - Let’s go!

• 34:50 What the heck is insulin resistance?

• 42:20 So, if sugar doesn’t always cause insulin resistance, what does?

• 53:20 What are the most dangerous fats and what effect do they have on insulin resistance?

• 57:19 The keto/paleo argument - why does it appear to work?

• 1:05:45 The Mastering Diabetes Way - Low Fat - 10-15% calories, 10-15% from protein, the rest should come from whole food, plant-based carbs

• 1:07:15 Plant-based, eat at least 90% of calories from whole plant foods

• 1:08:15 Keep your foods unprocessed or minimally processed

• 1:10:55 But, don’t I need fat to feed my brain? 

• 1:14:30 Do we need a minimum amount of fat?

• 1:20:00 Is diabetes a disability for Cyrus?

• 1:23:10 What percentage of the population is affected by the different types of diabetes?

• 1:29:30 Why he and Robby Barbara started the Mastering Diabetes Community

• 1:32:10 Is Alzheimer's now Type3 diabetes?

• 1:35:00 The importance of daily movement and exercise

• 1:42:50 What is the Hegsted equation?

• 1:47:10 Cyrus’s thoughts on the Glycemic Index

• 1:53:00 What about gluten?

• 1:57:00 Is he a fan of caffeine?

• 2:01:45 What does Cyrus eat in a day?

• 2:04:22 What is the worst thing about having Type 1 Diabetes?

• 2:04:04 What is the best thing about having Type 1 Diabetes?

• 2:08:00 Join the Mastering Diabetes Challenge!

Cyrus Khambatta may have a Ph.D., but today he’s here to help you master your diabetes.

Episode Resources:

Episode Webpage

Watch the Episode on YouTube

Mastering Diabetes Website

Join the Mastering Diabetes Challenge

Order the Mastering Diabetes Book 

Join our Sedona Plantstrong Retreat, October 10th-15th, 2022 - only three spots remain!

To stock up on the best-tasting, most convenient, 100% PLANTSTRONG foods, check out all of our PLANTSTRONG products HERE.

Give us a like on the PLANTSTRONG Facebook Page and check out what being PLANSTRONG is all about. We always keep it stocked full of new content and updates, tips for healthy living, delicious recipes, and you can even catch me LIVE on there!

We’ve also got an Instagram! Check us out and share your favorite PLANTSTRONG products and why you love it! Don’t forget to tag us using #goplantstrong 🌱💪

Want to live your best PLANTSTRONG life? Join our exclusive PLANTSTRONG Community of friendly, plant-loving peeps! This is a goldmine of resources, recipes, and incredible support to feed your PLANTSTRONG life.

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You know how my Mom and Sister just released their new book, Be a Plant-Based Woman Warrior? Well, Jennifer Stojkovic is one of those warriors.

 In 2020, she founded Vegan Women Summit (VWS), a global media and events platform focused on empowering women to build a kinder, more sustainable world. She also recently released the fabulous book, The Future of Food is Female, highlighting fifteen female leaders, innovators, and changemakers in the plant-based food space.

It is rare to find someone as passionate and driven as Jenny is to elevate, showcase, and promote women working in food tech.  As she writes, “Food system reform is the greatest challenge facing humanity today - and women are leading the charge and changing how we approach food.” 

Today, Jenny shares her unconventional route from Canada to Silicon Valley, and we highlight several of the changemakers in her book, along with the many projects she leads - including the Vegan Women’s Summit - her flagship event that returns in 2023 with a three-day event in New York City.

There is no doubt that the work she is doing today will provide a roadmap for future generations on how we approach food.

More About The Future of Food is Female

With exclusive interviews and original insights, The Future of Food is Female features a collection of cross-cultural stories from fifteen CEOs, venture capitalists, scientists, and trailblazers who are reinventing our food system and saving our planet.

From plant-based to cell-based innovation, artificial intelligence, and policymaking, women are leading this impactful industry and changing how we approach food.

This book shares their stories of advocacy within food tech and empowers future generations to learn, innovate, and change the world.

Episode Resources

Order The Future of Food is Female

Watch the Episode on YouTube

2023 Vegan Women’s Summit Details

Jennifer Stojkovic Website

PLANTSTRONG Pizza Guide

To stock up on the best-tasting, most convenient, 100% PLANTSTRONG foods, check out all of our PLANTSTRONG products HERE.

Give us a like on the PLANTSTRONG Facebook Page and check out what being PLANSTRONG is all about. We always keep it stocked full of new content and updates, tips for healthy living, delicious recipes, and you can even catch me LIVE on there!

We’ve also got an Instagram! Check us out and share your favorite PLANTSTRONG products and why you love it! Don’t forget to tag us using #goplantstrong 🌱💪

Want to live your best PLANTSTRONG life? Join our exclusive PLANTSTRONG Community of friendly, plant-loving peeps! This is a goldmine of resources, recipes, and incredible support to feed your PLANTSTRONG life.

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We’re here to make PLANTSTRONG living as simple as possible and one of the topics we receive a ton of questions about is batch cooking, or prepping food for the week all at once. 

Well, as the kids head back to school and we enter into Fall activities season, I wanted to talk to one of the experts about her game-changer appliance in batch cooking - the Instant Pot®. 

Pam Kropf, known as TrailMomma on Instagram, is a long-time PLANTSTRONG athlete, a busy mother of two active kids, and in between her own training and coaching, she also works a full-time job. 

She is the definition of time-starved, which is why we could think of no better person to have on this episode to talk about how she uses the Instant Pot® to make delicious, easy, and fast meals for her family.

We dish on:

• How to get started with the basics in your Instant Pot®. Not ready to cook a full meal? No problem! Use it to cook oats, rice, or quinoa for the week (3 parts water/liquid to 1 part grain). The “set it and forget it” aspect is great for a busy schedule

• The many benefits of the Instant Pot® vs. Using Your Stove

• How fast does it really cook?

• What are some easy go-to recipes for a family that is also constantly on-the-go?

  We discuss this and more, so if you’ve had your Instant Pot® in a box since the holidays, it’s time to break it out and get cooking!  

  Episode Resources

  Episode Webpage with Pics and Recipes

  Watch the Episode on YouTube

  Follow Pam on Instagram: @trailmomma

  Pam’s Favorite Instant Pot® Recipes

   

  PLANTSTRONG Sedona Retreat - October 10th-15th, 2022 - Only 8 spots remain! Our Sedona retreat has been approved for 21.5 CME credits for physicians and physician assistants. And 21.5 Nursing Contact Hours for nurses…. And 2.2 CEUs for other healthcare professionals as part of the registration fee for our PLANTSTRONG Retreat. 

  To stock up on the best-tasting, most convenient, 100% PLANTSTRONG foods, check out all of our PLANTSTRONG products HERE.

  Give us a like on the PLANTSTRONG Facebook Page and check out what being PLANSTRONG is all about. We always keep it stocked full of new content and updates, tips for healthy living, delicious recipes, and you can even catch me LIVE on there!

  We’ve also got an Instagram! Check us out and share your favorite PLANTSTRONG products and why you love it! Don’t forget to tag us using #goplantstrong 🌱💪

  Want to live your best PLANTSTRONG life? Join our exclusive PLANTSTRONG Community of friendly, plant-loving peeps! This is a goldmine of resources, recipes, and incredible support to feed your PLANTSTRONG life.

  Theme Music for Episode

   

It’s time to live fierce, stay bold, and eat deliciously with my Mom, Ann, and sister, Jane Esselstyn! 

That’s right, we’re celebrating the release of their new book, Be a Plant-Based Woman Warrior, which is out and available now.

It’s always a party with these two and I’m fortunate to have had the opportunity to be with them in person just a few weeks ago when we were all together at the Esselstyn Family Farm. You know what that means – it can get a little nutty when the three of us are together because that Esselstyn feistiness is ALIVE and WELL!

Be a Plant-Based Woman Warrior isn’t your typical cookbook. Truly, it’s a peek into our family history with stories, photos, quotes, and recipes from three generations of Esselstyns. Mostly, this book pays homage to the people who started it all - my parents - for forging and navigating that undiscovered path of plant-based nutrition at a time when no one understood how vital it was (including me and my siblings).

Here we all are decades later and I’m so proud to sit with Jane and Ann and share some of the inspiration and recipes with you today. My Mother has been called the “Julia Child of Plant-Based cooking” and you’ll see why after you dig through some of the recipes and photos in this gorgeous book. This truly is a fun and inspiring message of hope for all women to improve their own health so that they remain strong, bold, and fierce in body and mind!

(and let’s face it – there aren’t many people MORE fierce than Jane and Ann!)

More About Be a Plant-Based Woman Warrior

At eighty-six and fifty-six, respectively, Ann and Jane are pictures of ageless health and vibrancy and spend their days hiking, doing yoga, gardening, cooking, and spreading the message that diet is the key to living a happy, strong, and disease-free life. Be a Plant-Based Woman Warrior explains how women everywhere can pass on this important legacy in their own families through the generations, and illuminates how plants powerfully support a woman’s body and mind. This cookbook is a call to action and a message of hope for any and all to be Plant-Based Women Warriors filled with vitality and in control of their own health.

Episode Resources

Order Be a Plant-Based Woman Warrior

Watch the Episode on YouTube

Episode Website

Jane Esselstyn’s Website

Jane and Ann’s YouTube Channel

11th Annual Plant-Stock - Reserve Your Ticket Now!

To stock up on the best-tasting, most convenient, 100% PLANTSTRONG foods, check out all of our PLANTSTRONG products HERE.

Give us a like on the PLANTSTRONG Facebook Page and check out what being PLANSTRONG is all about. We always keep it stocked full of new content and updates, tips for healthy living, delicious recipes, and you can even catch me LIVE on there!

We’ve also got an Instagram! Check us out and share your favorite PLANTSTRONG products and why you love it! Don’t forget to tag us using #goplantstrong 🌱💪

Want to live your best PLANTSTRONG life? Join our exclusive PLANTSTRONG Community of friendly, plant-loving peeps! This is a goldmine of resources, recipes, and incredible support to feed your PLANTSTRONG life.

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Ocean Robbins, was born a changemaker. Recently, his Dad John Robbins (author of Diet for a New America and other great books) was on the podcast, and the response from that episode was overwhelming. Many of you wrote in to say just how moved you were by John’s authenticity and his willingness to walk away from the Baskin Robbins fortune to forge his own “rocky road” of happiness without the strappings of running a multi-million dollar company that simply didn’t align with his values.

John and his wife built a one-room cabin in Canada and had a son. That son, now 48-year-old, Oceans is “a chocolate chip” off the old block of his father. As co-founder and CEO of The Food Revolution Network, Ocean thrives as an active author, activist, educator, and speaker.

His goal? To educate and inspire people to bring their life and food choices more in alignment with their values to create a more healthy and loving world.

From his very first peace rally at the age of seven, to his own natural bakery business at the age of 10, all the way through his non-profits and speaking tours in high school and beyond, it’s obvious that Ocean is living his purpose to be a beacon of love and kindness - hoping to bridge the gaps that separate us and, instead, shine a bright light on our commonalities as humans and stewards of this wonderful earth.

More About Ocean Robbins

Ocean Robbins is the CEO and co-founder of the 500,000+ member Food Revolution Network — one of the largest communities of healthy eating advocates on the planet. He has held hundreds of live seminars and events that have touched millions of lives from 190 nations.

Ocean is founder and was director of the nonprofit YES!, which has led transformational events for 650,000 leaders in 65 nations. He’s a recipient of the national Jefferson Award for Outstanding Public Service, the Freedom’s Flame Award, the Harmon Wilkinson Award, and numerous other honors. Ocean has served as adjunct professor for Chapman University, and on the boards of Friends Of The Earth, Creating Our Future, Tipping Point Network, Turning Tide Coalition, and many other organizations.

Ocean’s grandfather founded Baskin-Robbins, and his father, John Robbins, walked away from the family company and ice cream fortune to write bestsellers, including Diet for a New America, and to become a renowned health advocate. Now, Ocean is on a mission to transform the industrialized food culture into one that celebrates and supports healthy people and a healthy planet, and he’s inviting YOU to join the food revolution.

Ocean's been seen by hundreds of millions in TV, radio, online, and in-person appearances.

Episode Resources

Watch the Episode on YouTube

Ocean Robbins Website - Author, Speaker, Food Revolutionary

Food Revolution Network Website

Order the 31-Day Food Revolution Book 


11th Annual Plant-Stock - Reserve Your Ticket Now!

To stock up on the best-tasting, most convenient, 100% PLANTSTRONG foods, check out all of our PLANTSTRONG products HERE.

Give us a like on the PLANTSTRONG Facebook Page and check out what being PLANSTRONG is all about. We always keep it stocked full of new content and updates, tips for healthy living, delicious recipes, and you can even catch me LIVE on there!

We’ve also got an Instagram! Check us out and share your favorite PLANTSTRONG products and why you love it! Don’t forget to tag us using #goplantstrong 🌱💪

Want to live your best PLANTSTRONG life? Join our exclusive PLANTSTRONG Community of friendly, plant-loving peeps! This is a goldmine of resources, recipes, and incredible support to feed your PLANTSTRONG life.

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Dr. Dawn Mussallem is a board-certified Lifestyle Medicine Physician at the Mayo Clinic Jacoby Center for Breast Health where she works with breast cancer patients during and after their diagnosis to heal and thrive using the pillars of lifestyle medicine alongside their conventional cancer treatments.

Dawn has many remarkable stories of patient recovery, but the biggest recovery story of all is her own. You see, in addition to being a physician, teacher, wife, and mother, Mussallem is also a cancer survivor, 2021 heart transplant recipient, and as of February 2022, she's also a marathon finisher!

It's a story you simply have to hear to believe and her passion and positivity will leave a lasting impact. Not only does she acknowledge her family and faith in this decades-long journey, but she also credits her whole foods plant-based diet with her ability to thrive and train with a renewed sense of purpose and boundless energy. It's a life force she brings both to her life and the lives of the patients she works with on a daily basis.

Episode Resources

PLANTSTRONG Episode Webpage

Watch the Episode on YouTube

Become an Organ Donor

Mayo Clinic News Network Story on Dawn

Dawn's Journey from Cancer Survivor to Heart Transplant Recipient

Running to a New Beat - Heart transplant recipient to mark 1-year anniversary with marathon

11th Annual Plant-Stock - Reserve Your Ticket Now!

To stock up on the best-tasting, most convenient, 100% PLANTSTRONG foods, check out all of our PLANTSTRONG products HERE.

Give us a like on the PLANTSTRONG Facebook Page and check out what being PLANSTRONG is all about. We always keep it stocked full of new content and updates, tips for healthy living, delicious recipes, and you can even catch me LIVE on there!

We’ve also got an Instagram! Check us out and share your favorite PLANTSTRONG products and why you love it! Don’t forget to tag us using #goplantstrong 🌱💪

Want to live your best PLANTSTRONG life? Join our exclusive PLANTSTRONG Community of friendly, plant-loving peeps! This is a goldmine of resources, recipes, and incredible support to feed your PLANTSTRONG life.

Theme Music for Episode

Imagine a world where we can all come together to heal…heal ourselves, heal each other, and heal the planet. I know, it sounds virtually impossible, but it isn’t, and that time is now with the leadership of Sailesh Rao, founder of Climate Healers.

Sailesh Rao is one of the most intelligent, compassionate, and passionate people on the planet. 

Dr. Rao is actually one of the brains behind the high-speed internet and high-def communication we enjoy today. But, in 2006, after hearing Al Gore speak of our climate crisis, he switched careers and became deeply immersed, full-time, in solving the environmental crises affecting humanity.

Through his organization, Climate Healers, he invites us all to become V.E.G.A.N. – that is, Vitally Engaged Guardians of Animals and Nature.

And, here’s something that parents and grandparents can relate to. In 2010, Sailesh made a pinky promise to his granddaughter to do whatever he could to put an end to animal cruelty and to heal the climate – by 2026.  But, he can’t do it alone.

He invites all of us to come together and help spread the message that all life is ONE family, and like a caterpillar emerges from its cocoon as a gorgeous butterfly, it’s time for us to also emerge and evolve into something as beautiful – for the sake of our planet. 

Episode Resources

Episode Webpage

Watch the Episode on YouTube

Climate Healers Website

Unity Stew Recipe

V-COP Details

To stock up on the best-tasting, most convenient, 100% PLANTSTRONG foods, check out all of our PLANTSTRONG products HERE.

Give us a like on the PLANTSTRONG Facebook Page and check out what being PLANSTRONG is all about. We always keep it stocked full of new content and updates, tips for healthy living, delicious recipes, and you can even catch me LIVE on there!

We’ve also got an Instagram! Check us out and share your favorite PLANTSTRONG products and why you love it! Don’t forget to tag us using #goplantstrong 🌱💪

Want to live your best PLANTSTRONG life? Join our exclusive PLANTSTRONG Community of friendly, plant-loving peeps! This is a goldmine of resources, recipes, and incredible support to feed your PLANTSTRONG life.

PLANTSTRONG Sedona Retreat - October 10th-15th, 2022 - Dr. Doug Lisle - the esteemed evolutionary psychologist and co-author of The Pleasure Trap - is attending our upcoming Sedona Retreat to give three of his paradigm shifting lectures that help us understand all the forces working against us in our quest to live plantstrong. Once you SEE the system we live in - you can’t UNSEE it. And Dr. Lisle is a master in giving us language and tools to set ourselves on a permanent path to success. And great news! Our Sedona retreat has been approved for 21.5 CME credits for physicians and physician assistants. And 21.5 Nursing Contact Hours for nurses…. And 2.2 CEUs for other healthcare professionals as part of the registration fee for our PLANTSTRONG Retreat. 

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We are thrilled to welcome Jessica Hegarty back to PLANTSTRONG Snackables after her maternity leave.

In addition to being a new Mom to her beautiful daughter, Ellie, Jessica leads product innovation for the PLANTSTRONG food line, so she always has the latest trends, food ideas, and tasty tidbits right on the tip of her tongue!

Today, Rip and Jess talk all things asparagus. They dish on this veggie that was once known as, “The aristocrat of veggies” and the “food of kings!”

You’ll learn about:

• The three different types of asparagus

• Why it’s so darn healthy

• Ideas on how to grill and season this nutritious veggie

• Tips for storing and keeping it fresh

• An explanation of why (if you’re one of the lucky ones) it makes your pee smell…well…unique!

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Snackables episode without a new recipe and Jessica whips up a delicious PLANTSTRONG hollandaise sauce - perfect as a topper for your next family meal or cookout that features the almighty asparagus.

Episode Timestamps

1:45 Rip welcomes Jess back from maternity Leave

8:50 What’s up with that smell?!

13:15 Rip’s history of asparagus

17:48 How many types of asparagus are there, and what are the differences?!

22:00 Tips for storing asparagus to keep it fresh and crispy

23:45 How to choose the freshest asparagus in the market

25:40 How does Rip grill his asparagus?

26:45 Tips on seasoning your asparagus

30:45 The proper way to eat asparagus

31:20 Jess’s WFPB Holy Cow Hollandaise recipe and demo!

Episode Resources

Watch the Episode on YouTube

Episode URL for full recipe and video

To stock up on the best-tasting, most convenient, 100% PLANTSTRONG foods, check out all of our PLANTSTRONG products HERE.

Give us a like on the PLANTSTRONG Facebook Page and check out what being PLANSTRONG is all about. We always keep it stocked full of new content and updates, tips for healthy living, delicious recipes, and you can even catch me LIVE on there!

We’ve also got an Instagram! Check us out and share your favorite PLANTSTRONG products and why you love it! Don’t forget to tag us using #goplantstrong 🌱💪

Want to live your best PLANTSTRONG life? Join our exclusive PLANTSTRONG Community of friendly, plant-loving peeps! This is a goldmine of resources, recipes, and incredible support to feed your PLANTSTRONG life.

PLANTSTRONG Sedona Retreat - October 10th-15th, 2022 - Dr. Doug Lisle - the esteemed evolutionary psychologist and co-author of The Pleasure Trap - is attending our upcoming Sedona Retreat to give three of his paradigm-shifting lectures that help us understand all the forces working against us in our quest to live plantstrong. Once you SEE the system we live in - you can’t UNSEE it. And Dr. Lisle is a master in giving us language and tools to set ourselves on a permanent path to success. And great news! Our Sedona retreat has been approved for 21.5 CME credits for physicians and physician assistants. And 21.5 Nursing Contact Hours for nurses…. And 2.2 CEUs for other healthcare professionals as part of the registration fee for our PLANTSTRONG Retreat.

Theme Music for Episode

We’ve all heard the phrase, “You can’t change others. You can only change yourself.”

It’s really frustrating when the people we care about are behaving in self-defeating ways (especially with their health and well-being), and when we try to talk to them about it, we just make things worse.

Our guest today, Howie Jacobson, is here to tell you, you CAN change people - not by force, shame, or guilt - but by becoming a supportive ally.

You may know Howie as the long-time host of the Plant Yourself podcast, and he’s also the co-author of some groundbreaking books including Whole by T.Colin Campbell, Proteinaholic with Dr. Garth Davis, and Sick to Fit with Josh Lajaunie.

His most recent book, “You CAN Change Other People: The Four Steps to Help Employees, Colleagues—Even Family—Up Their Game,” co-authored with Peter Bregman, outlines four steps to helping people change.

If you care about people around you who are eating poorly, not taking care of themselves, or not reaching their potential, Howie is here to help.

Episode Timestamps

11:22 People don’t resist change. They resist BEING changed.

12:55 What does it mean to really help people change their behavior?

“We can use techniques and approaches to allow people to make different decisions.”

14:05 Step 1: Shift from a Critic to an Ally - "I’m here to help you if you want my help." -empathize -express confidence in them -ask for permission

22:50 Be prepared for them to say, “No thanks.”

25:25 Step 2: Find the Positive Outcome - What would you like to happen? What would it look like?

31:30 Step 3: Find a Golden Opportunity - What can you do right now?

41:06 Step 4: What’s the Plan?

Episode Resources

Watch the Episode on YouTube

Episode Web Page

Order You Can Change People: The Four Steps to Help Your Colleagues, Employees—Even Family—Up Their Game

Plant Yourself Podcast

Ask Howie - Business Coaching Website

To stock up on the best-tasting, most convenient, 100% PLANTSTRONG foods, check out all of our PLANTSTRONG products HERE.

Give us a like on the PLANTSTRONG Facebook Page and check out what being PLANSTRONG is all about. We always keep it stocked full of new content and updates, tips for healthy living, delicious recipes, and you can even catch me LIVE on there!

We’ve also got an Instagram! Check us out and share your favorite PLANTSTRONG products and why you love it! Don’t forget to tag us using #goplantstrong 🌱💪

Want to live your best PLANTSTRONG life? Join our exclusive PLANTSTRONG Community of friendly, plant-loving peeps! This is a goldmine of resources, recipes, and incredible support to feed your PLANTSTRONG life.

PLANTSTRONG Sedona Retreat - October 10th-15th, 2022 - Dr. Doug Lisle - the esteemed evolutionary psychologist and co-author of The Pleasure Trap - is attending our upcoming Sedona Retreat to give three of his paradigm shifting lectures that help us understand all the forces working against us in our quest to live plantstrong. Once you SEE the system we live in - you can’t UNSEE it. And Dr. Lisle is a master in giving us language and tools to set ourselves on a permanent path to success. And great news! Our Sedona retreat has been approved for 21.5 CME credits for physicians and physician assistants. And 21.5 Nursing Contact Hours for nurses…. And 2.2 CEUs for other healthcare professionals as part of the registration fee for our PLANTSTRONG Retreat.

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Promo Music: Your Love by Atch License: Creative Commons License - Attribution 3.0

Feeling stressed in the kitchen? Not sure how to prepare healthy meals while still keeping them delicious and flavor-filled?

Have no fear! This week, we're sending you an SOS-Free lifeline in the form of Cathy Fisher, culinary instructor at True North Health, the McDougall Program, and author of the book and blog, Straight Up Food.

SOS-Free cooking means preparing meals without added salt, oil, or sugar. Of course, that doesn't mean that you're losing out on richness, sweetness, or flavor. It just means you're getting them from whole plant foods and creative spices. 

Doug Lisle says, "Cathy's simple but flavorful approach is exquisite," Chef AJ touts, "Cathy's food is among the best that I have ever tasted," and nutritional guru, Jeff Novick says, "I call her work elegant simplicity."

Today, she shares her experience with:

• Her personal health journey as a "delicate" and often sick child raised on a farm

• How one simple change of eliminating dairy made a world of difference in her health

• The Dr. McDougall Program discovery that finally set her on the path to health and vitality

• SOS-Free cooking - How she helps her students and clients "keep it simple" through consistency and repetition

• Her own favorite meals and rotating breakfast grains

• Her response when people say, "Cathy, it's just too hard to make a change!"

• How to cook without oil - Yes! It's possible!

• How to create more flavor in lieu of added salt

• Developing "health courage" in restaurants and around loved ones when you're afraid of being the "oddball."

• A deep dive with Rip into Cathy's favorite recipes and salad dressings from her book, Straight Up Food

As Cathy says, no one can determine what you put into your body. If you're ready to explore a refreshing new approach with cooking or if you want to clean up your diet to become even more SOS-free, visit straightupfood.com to learn more and order her book of the same name. 

More About Cathy Fisher

Cathy is a culinary instructor at two health centers in Santa Rosa, California: the McDougall Program and TrueNorth Health. She started working at the McDougall Program in 2006 and TrueNorth in 2010 and also gives classes at veg-related conferences and for private groups. She started her blog, Straight Up Food, in 2010 to offer her students more gluten-, salt-, sugar- and oil-free plant-based recipes. It is now read by people from all corners of the globe who are seeking a more healthful way of eating.

Episode Resources

Episode Website with Full Transcript

Watch the Episode on YouTube

Straight Up Food Blog

Order the Straight Up Food Book on Amazon or Directly from Cathy’s website

PLANTSTRONG Foods - shop our official unsalted broths and our growing assortment of other delicious products made without oil, added sugar, or excessive sodium. To stock up on the best-tasting, most convenient, 100% PLANTSTRONG foods, check out all of our PLANTSTRONG products

PLANTSTRONG Sedona Retreat - October 10th-15th, 2022 - Dr. Doug Lisle - the esteemed evolutionary psychologist and co-author of The Pleasure Trap - is attending our upcoming Sedona Retreat to give three of his paradigm shifting lectures that help us understand all the forces working against us in our quest to live plantstrong. Once you SEE the system we live in - you can’t UNSEE it. And Dr. Lisle is a master in giving us language and tools to set ourselves on a permanent path to success. And great news! Our Sedona retreat has been approved for 21.5 CME credits for physicians and physician assistants. And 21.5 Nursing Contact Hours for nurses…. And 2.2 CEUs for other healthcare professionals as part of the registration fee for our PLANTSTRONG Retreat. 

Visit plantstrong.com for all PLANTSTRONG Resources, including books, recipes, foods and the PLANTSTRONG Coaching Programs

Want to live your best PLANTSTRONG life? Join our exclusive PLANTSTRONG Community of friendly, plant-loving peeps! This is a goldmine of resources, recipes, and incredible support to feed your PLANTSTRONG life.

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Promo Music: Your Love by Atch License: Creative Commons License - Attribution 3.0

Dr. John McDougall was drawn to medicine because of his own health “fate.” At 18, he suffered a massive stroke and was an anomaly to the doctors in Michigan who wanted to explore “why” and “how” this could happen to someone so young.

This health scare inspired his own journey to become a doctor, which eventually led McDougall and his wife, Mary, to Hawaii to practice medicine on a sugar plantation in Hawaii and service over 5,000 residents. What he saw there changed the course of his medical practice forever.

The healthiest people on the island, the first-generation elders who had come from China, Japan, Korea, and the Philippines, were the healthiest and most vibrant people…still active, with no medications, and still in bodies fit for movement. It was their children and grandchildren, however, those second and third generations, that were struggling.

Why? They had adopted a western diet of meat, dairy, and processed foods. 

The secret, Dr. McDougall discovered, was STARCH. Those healthy islanders subsisted on a diet comprised mostly of rice, potatoes, vegetables, and fruits and THAT inspired the work he does today through his McDougall programs and education.

Beyond diet, the McDougalls are also dedicated to informing citizens about the positive effects of dietary therapy on chronic disease and our Planet. Animal agriculture, as we’re learning, is also one of the main culprits contributing to climate change and we discuss all of his “four deadly dietary deceptions” outlined at mcdougallfoundation.org.

It’s an inspiring conversation from one of the legends and it was an honor to sit down with Dr. John McDougall.

Episode Timestamps

6:00 Rip introduces Paul

10:04 Dr. Nathan Pritikin - Dr. McDougall’s inspiration

12:05 The health incident that changed his life forever

16:50 We all suffer from food poisoning - animal foods and vegetable oil

19:00 99.9% of humans are “starchivores”

25:30 Why 1980 was a turning point for nutrition, food research, and technology

32:00 Pioneers and mentors of Dr. McDougall in the early days, including Henry Heimlich

34:30 Four Deadly Dietary Deceptions - #1 Protein

35:20 #2 Calcium - Osteoporosis is an excess of protein?!

40:33 #3 Omega 3 fatty acids - Where do the fish get them? Plants!

49:05 #4 Starch - Why has is become so vilified? Starch does NOT make you fat. Here’s why.

1:06:40 Dr. McDougall addresses the myth - As we age, we just get fatter and sicker

1:08:00 Myth #2 - A well-balanced diet is the best

1:10:00 is Dr. McDougall optimistic about the future of our health and planet?

Episode Resources

Watch the Episode on YouTube

PLANTSTRONG Foods - shop our official unsalted broths- and our growing assortment of other delicious products made without oil, added sugar, or excessive sodium.

PLANTSTRONG Sedona Retreat - October 10th-15th, 2022 - Dr. Doug Lisle - the esteemed evolutionary psychologist and co-author of The Pleasure Trap - is attending our upcoming Sedona Retreat to give three of his paradigm-shifting lectures that help us understand all the forces working against us in our quest to live plantstrong. Once you SEE the system we live in - you can’t UNSEE it. And Dr. Lisle is a master in giving us language and tools to set ourselves on a permanent path to success. And great news! Our Sedona retreat has been approved for 21.5 CME credits for physicians and physician assistants. And 21.5 Nursing Contact Hours for nurses…. And 2.2 CEUs for other healthcare professionals as part of the registration fee for our PLANTSTRONG Retreat. 

PLANTSTRONG Meal Planner

Visit plantstrong.com for all PLANTSTRONG Resources, including books, recipes, foods and the PLANTSTRONG Coaching Programs

Join the Free PLANTSTRONG Community 

McDougall Foundation Website

Dr. McDougall Website

Meer.org

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Promo Music: Your Love by Atch License: Creative Commons License - Attribution 3.0

Paul Young is a hero. He's a husband, father of three, and has been a firefighter in Southern California for 17 years. He LOVES his life and his job.

Imagine his surprise when he had his annual firefighting physical and received results that frightened him: 243 total cholesterol, 173 LDL, and a heart calcium score of 104, which put him in the 90th percentile in his age for a cardiac event.

As Paul says, he thought he was healthy and had dabbled with whole-food plant-based nutrition but, after thoughtful consideration, realized he was still consuming too many processed foods, cheese, and seafood, and wasn't "all-in."

Earlier this year, Paul went ALL IN and, in just a few short weeks, the results astonished even his Doctor. It inspired Paul to reach out to Rip.

Paul graciously shares his story with Rip, his "why" wanting to improve his health, his doctor’s reaction when those follow-up tests came back, and what this means for his life and his family now. I can promise you - there’s no turning back for this firefighting brother who ditched the meat-and-potato firehouse culture for tofu and broccoli!

Episode Timestamps

6:00 Rip introduces Paul

11:14 Almost 90% of his calls are medical calls and not fires!

13:10 What happened at his annual fire department physical?

15:07 Why he didn't want to take statins

16:21 The pitfalls of moderation

17:30 The results speak for themselves!

21:30 Feeling empowered and in control, despite a family history

22:50 A day in the life of Paul's diet

25:00 Reactions from the firehouse and the family

28:45 What happened when he found out his white blood cell count was low

31:15 What's next for this firefighting athlete?

35:40 Paul's advice for fellow firefighters

Episode Resources

Episode Webpage

Watch the Episode on YouTube

PLANTSTRONG Sedona Retreat - October 10th-15th, 2022 - Dr. Doug Lisle - the esteemed evolutionary psychologist and co-author of The Pleasure Trap - is attending our upcoming Sedona Retreat to give three of his paradigm-shifting lectures that help us understand all the forces working against us in our quest to live plantstrong. Once you SEE the system we live in - you can’t UNSEE it. And Dr. Lisle is a master in giving us language and tools to set ourselves on a permanent path to success. And great news! Our Sedona retreat has been approved for 21.5 CME credits for physicians and physician assistants. And 21.5 Nursing Contact Hours for nurses…. And 2.2 CEUs for other healthcare professionals as part of the registration fee for our PLANTSTRONG Retreat.

PLANTSTRONG Foods - shop our official unsalted broths- and our growing assortment of other delicious products made without oil, added sugar, or excessive sodium.

PLANTSTRONG Meal Planner

Visit plantstrong.com for all PLANTSTRONG Resources, including books, recipes, foods and the PLANTSTRONG Coaching Programs

Join the Free PLANTSTRONG Community with over 26,000 members

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Promo Music: Your Love by Atch License: Creative Commons License - Attribution 3.0

After practicing medicine for several years and raising two children who were officially off to college, Dr. Melissa Sundermann decided it was time to pursue her own passions and expand her knowledge and scope of practice. 

While she loved being an internal medicine physician in Ann Arbor, Michigan, she wasn’t fulfilled by the revolving door aspect of the system - quick appointments, multiple patients, and prescription-based treatment. 

So, Melissa did what we all do when we’re searching for an answer - she went to Google. Lo and behold, she discovered Lifestyle Medicine and knew instantly that she had found her calling - helping people treat and prevent diseases through the six pillars of lifestyle medicine: movement, restorative sleep, stress management, avoidance of risky behaviors, positive social connections, and of course a whole-foods plant predominant diet. 

In this episode, she shares some of the advice and resources she gives to her patients who come in for lifestyle consultations and the great impact she is able to make in her patients’ lives. She also talks in-depth about the benefits of a whole food plant-based diet and the pillars of lifestyle medicine for women in perimenopause and menopause, and how she puts these pillars into practice in her own life. 

Dr. Sundermann helps patients reach their health and longevity potential at any age and I know you’ll love her enthusiasm and zest for life. She is living her dream so that you can live yours.

Episode Timestamps

3:20 Dr. Sundermann’s Introduction and a House Transitioning! 

5:10 Dr. Sundermann’s inspiration for becoming a Doctor

8:30 What exactly does an Internal Medicine do?

13:45 Google to the Rescue!

22:20 The Pillars of Lifestyle Medicine - #1 Nutrition

23:05 #2 Movement 

24:05 #3 Restorative Sleep

28:14 #4 Avoidance of Risky Behaviors - Smoking, Alcohol

29:10 #5 Stress Management - Managing Cortisol with Breathing Exercises

31:25 #6 Social Connection

32:40 Bonus #7 FRESH AIR

33:15 Promising research and advice for treating symptoms related to the perimenopause and menopause transition

Episode Resources

Watch the Episode on YouTube

PLANTSTRONG Foods - shop our official unsalted broths- and our growing assortment of other delicious products made without oil, added sugar, or excessive sodium .

PLANTSTRONG Sedona Retreat - October 10th-15th, 2022 - Dr. Doug Lisle - the esteemed evolutionary psychologist and co-author of The Pleasure Trap - is attending our upcoming Sedona Retreat to give three of his paradigm shifting lectures that help us understand all the forces working against us in our quest to live plantstrong. Once you SEE the system we live in - you can’t UNSEE it. And Dr. Lisle is a master in giving us language and tools to set ourselves on a permanent path to success. And great news! Our Sedona retreat has been approved for 21.5 CME credits for physicians and physician assistants. And 21.5 Nursing Contact Hours for nurses…. And 2.2 CEUs for other healthcare professionals as part of the registration fee for our PLANTSTRONG Retreat. 

PLANTSTRONG Meal Planner

Visit plantstrong.com for all PLANTSTRONG Resources, including books, recipes, foods and the PLANTSTRONG Coaching Programs

Join the Free PLANTSTRONG Community with over 26,000 members

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Promo Music: Your Love by Atch License: Creative Commons License - Attribution 3.0

In honor of Father’s Day, we're thrilled to welcome Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn Jr. back on the podcast to answer YOUR questions.

He answers questions related to cholesterol, exercise, sodium, fat, atrial fibrillation, the best diagnostic tests, and – of course – how to build an ENDOTHELIUM FORTRESS.

The best Father's Day gift is sharing the wisdom and knowledge of this pioneer so let’s get right to it.

Episode Timestamps

4:50 It’s Showtime!

5:55 I’m 100% plant-based, but have high cholesterol. Do I still need statins?

8:30 What is the best diagnostic test to see if my arteries are clogged?

9:52 Question about sodium consumption. The data is so confusing!

12:50 What are the best heart health tests I should take at 50?

14:15 LPa - What is it, and how can I improve it?

16:00 How do I build an endothelial fortress and lower my triglycerides?

18:15 Atrial fibrillation - Can it be reversed via diet?

21:45 Could I potentially have familial hypercholesterolemia?

26:39 Talk about the role of fats in a plant-based diet. Aren't some fats healthy?

31:30 What is your opinion on meds for clotting and atrial fibrillation?

33:30 Could I impact familial hypercholesterolemia with a whole foods plant-based diet?

34:14 Opinions on cardio exercise? Can too much be bad?

37:00 Can my HDL be too high?

44:05 How can I best treat mild atherosclerosis?

Episode Resources

Watch the Episode on YouTube

Order Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease by Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr.

Dr. Esselstyn’s Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Program Website

PLANTSTRONG Foods - shop our official unsalted broths- and our growing assortment of other delicious products made without oil, added sugar, or excessive sodium.

PLANTSTRONG Sedona Retreat - October 10th-15th, 2022 - Dr. Doug Lisle - the esteemed evolutionary psychologist and co-author of The Pleasure Trap - is attending our upcoming Sedona Retreat to give three of his paradigm-shifting lectures that help us understand all the forces working against us in our quest to live plantstrong. Once you SEE the system we live in - you can’t UNSEE it. And Dr. Lisle is a master in giving us language and tools to set ourselves on a permanent path to success. And great news! Our Sedona retreat has been approved for 21.5 CME credits for physicians and physician assistants. And 21.5 Nursing Contact Hours for nurses…. And 2.2 CEUs for other healthcare professionals as part of the registration fee for our PLANTSTRONG Retreat.

PLANTSTRONG Meal Planner - Save $10 off the annual membership with the code: PLANTSTRONG

Visit plantstrong.com for all PLANTSTRONG Resources, including books, recipes, foods, and the PLANTSTRONG Coaching Programs

Join the Free PLANTSTRONG Community with over 26,000 members

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Promo Music: Your Love by Atch License: Creative Commons License - Attribution 3.0

I’m excited to introduce you to a PLANTSTRONG brother, Shane Martin.

A southern boy through and through, Shane was a football-loving kid, who was born and raised in Mississippi with stints along the way in Nashville, Georgia, Alabama, and other areas as a musician.

Life’s demands and raising five children superseded his health and, over a span of several years, he found himself overweight, desperately out of shape, and miserable. He knew he needed to make changes but just wasn’t ready. Doctors even gave him plenty of warnings, but most went ignored.

All of that changed when he watched “Forks over Knives” and read The Engine 2 Diet book. He went “cold kale,” picked up the plants, and transformed his life and career. Today, he is the founder and creator of recipes at his site shaneandsimple.com. 

As he says, “I’m just your average, ordinary guy who makes plant-based cooking casual, easy, and delicious. I don’t use fancy equipment and I don’t use fancy ‘chef speak.’ I’m a normal dude who loves to cook and eat good food that happens to be completely plant-based.

Well, this “ordinary dude” has done some extraordinary things for the whole-foods, plant-based revolution.

Episode Resources

Watch the Episode on YouTube

Episode Webpage

Shane and Simple Website

PLANTSTRONG Foods 

PLANTSTRONG Sedona Retreat - October 10th-15th, 2022 - Dr. Doug Lisle - the esteemed evolutionary psychologist and co-author of The Pleasure Trap - is attending our upcoming Sedona Retreat to give three of his paradigm-shifting lectures that help us understand all the forces working against us in our quest to live plantstrong. Once you SEE the system we live in - you can’t UNSEE it. And Dr. Lisle is a master in giving us language and tools to set ourselves on a permanent path to success. And great news! Our Sedona retreat has been approved for 21.5 CME credits for physicians and physician assistants. And 21.5 Nursing Contact Hours for nurses…. And 2.2 CEUs for other healthcare professionals as part of the registration fee for our PLANTSTRONG Retreat. 

PLANTSTRONG Meal Planner - Save $10 off the annual membership with the code: PLANTSTRONG

Visit plantstrong.com for all PLANTSTRONG Resources, including books, recipes, foods and the PLANTSTRONG Coaching Programs

Join the Free PLANTSTRONG Community with over 26,000 members

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Promo Music: Your Love by Atch License: Creative Commons License - Attribution 3.0

We are living in chaotic and challenging times and so much feels out of our control.

This week’s interview also comes at a perfect time because, in the midst of stress and uncertainty, Julieanna Hever invites you to choose yourself again and again, especially if you’re stuck in the cycle of stress eating, yo-yo dieting, and dizzying life schedules.

As the O.G. plant-based dietitian, Julieanna has worked with thousands of clients to lose weight for the last time, and many of these lessons are found in her most recent book, The Choose You Now Diet.

Rip and Julieanna discuss:

• Her ten tenets to sustainable weight loss

• Exactly how to calculate your goal weight and set a realistic timeframe for weight loss

• How to stop counting macros and calories, and start counting "days of deliciousness"

• Her "six daily threes" of must-have daily nutrition

• Why it's important to keep a journal and express gratitude

Julieanna encourages you to be free of shame and guilt and, instead, replace it with joy and gratitude all while enjoying copious amounts of beautiful plant-based nutrition.

We could all use a little more joy.

Episode Timestamps

00:00 Welcome to Julieannaa, the OG plant-based dietitian

6:10 Her lifelong motivation for writing Choose You Now

12:07 The Modern Trifecta of Temptation - There’s nothing sexy about losing weight

15:20 Ten Tenets to Sustainable Weight Loss

15:57 Identifying Your Why

17:00 "Be a lighthouse instead of a tugboat"

19:00 Find your goal weight - Hamwi Calculator

20:54 Set a timeline

24:45 Eat a whole plant-based foods diet, avoid fatphobia, and stop counting macros

29:00 How to recognize true hunger and satiety

38:35 Don’t break the seal - know your triggers and learn how to avoid those tempting foods

42:15 Stop counting!

44:30 Set a schedule and embrace repetition

49:45 Monitor meal volume

51:50 Why Julieanna wants you to get on the scale daily

57:30 Rip digs into some of the mouth-watering recipes

1:03:25 Why Julieanna recommends a break from exercise when you’re trying to lose rapid-fire weight

1:06:09 The benefits of keeping a food journal

1:07:70 Maintenance Phase - getting off the roller coaster for good

1:11:05 Julieanna’s "Six Daily 3s"

1:18:00 How to enjoy a "day of deliciousness" - and stop having “cheat days”

1:20:10 Focus on the things you’re grateful for and write them down. Gratitude makes good things expand

Episode Resources

Watch the Episode on YouTube

Julieanna Hever's Website

Order Choose You Now

Hamwi Weightloss Calculator

PLANTSTRONG Foods - Check out our growing assortment of insanely delicious, 100% whole food plant-based products at plantstrongfoods.com. Save 10% off your first order with the code RIP10

PLANTSTRONG Sedona Retreat - October 10th-15th, 2022 - Dr. Doug Lisle - the esteemed evolutionary psychologist and co-author of The Pleasure Trap - is attending our upcoming Sedona Retreat to give three of his paradigm-shifting lectures that help us understand all the forces working against us in our quest to live plantstrong. Once you SEE the system we live in - you can’t UNSEE it. And Dr. Lisle is a master in giving us language and tools to set ourselves on a permanent path to success. And great news! Our Sedona retreat has been approved for 21.5 CME credits for physicians and physician assistants. And 21.5 Nursing Contact Hours for nurses…. And 2.2 CEUs for other healthcare professionals as part of the registration fee for our PLANTSTRONG Retreat.

PLANTSTRONG Meal Planner - Save $10 off the annual membership with the code: PLANTSTRONG

Visit plantstrong.com for all PLANTSTRONG Resources, including books, recipes, foods and the PLANTSTRONG Coaching Programs

Join the Free PLANTSTRONG Community with over 26,000 members

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Promo Music: Your Love by Atch License: Creative Commons License - Attribution 3.0

Raise your hand if you suffer from irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, acid reflux, or other GI issues. Sadly, it seems like it’s just become part of our daily eating routine. Eat crappy (no pun intended) food, feel terrible, take a pill, get some relief, and do it all over again.

You can start to break that painful cycle when you begin consuming more nourishing plant foods with, you guessed it – FIBER. 

In her latest book, Good for Your Gut, registered dietitian, Desiree Nielsen, shares how to fuel gut health with anti-inflammatory plant-based foods and lifestyle strategies— from movement to managing stress—for a truly PLANTSTRONG approach to health and wellness.

From a nutrition perspective, Desiree explains the gut health and mind/body connection and shares some of her favorite (and creative) recipes to help protect, soothe, and heal your gut health.

Desiree even shares her “Big Three” vital foods to include every day for a healthy gut. 

It’s becoming obvious just how important overall gut health is for everyone, even if you don’t suffer from GI issues. A well-functioning gut means a healthy body, a healthy mind, and an iron-clad immune system. 

About Desiree Nielsen

Desiree is a registered dietitian with a focus on plant-based nutrition and gut health, host of The Allsorts Podcast, and author of Good For Your Gut, a cookbook on digestive health. Her practice focus is complex, chronic digestive and inflammatory disease and plant-based approaches to optimal health.

Episode Resources

Watch the Episode on YouTube

Desiree’s Website

Desiree’s Instagram

Order Good for Your Gut

PLANTSTRONG Foods - shop our official unsalted broths- and our growing assortment of other delicious products made without oil, added sugar, or excessive sodium. Save 10% off your first order with the code RIP10.

PLANTSTRONG Sedona Retreat - October 10th-15th, 2022 - Our Sedona retreat has been approved for 21.5 CME credits for physicians and physician assistants. And 21.5 Nursing Contact Hours for nurses…. And 2.2 CEUs for other healthcare professionals as part of the registration fee for our PLANTSTRONG Retreat. 

PLANTSTRONG Meal Planner - Save $10 off the annual membership with the code: PLANTSTRONG

Visit plantstrong.com for all PLANTSTRONG Resources, including books, recipes, foods and the PLANTSTRONG Coaching Programs

Join the Free PLANTSTRONG Community with over 26,000 members

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Promo Music: Your Love by Atch License: Creative Commons License - Attribution 3.0

Dr. B is back! That’s right. Everyone’s favorite fiber-loving broc-star, Dr. Will Bulsiewicz, is back to celebrate the release of his latest book, The Fiber Fueled Cookbook: Inspiring Plant-Based Recipes to Turbocharge Your Health.

Dr. B burst onto the scene just a few years ago when his book, Fiber Fueled, hit the New York Times Best Sellers List. This groundbreaking book was a guide to optimizing the gut microbiome and improving your health through a diet rich in diverse fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and legumes. 

His new book, The Fiber Fueled Cookbook, goes the extra mile and tells you HOW to train your gut to take on more fabulous fiber with delicious recipes and meal ideas. He even lays out a personalized GROWTH strategy for understanding common gut issues and how to treat them effectively. 

Don’t be one of the 19 out of 20 people who are fiber deficient. Train your gut the right way and stop fearing the foods that could help you the most.

About Dr. Will Bulsiewicz

Will Bulsiewicz, MD MSCI, (a.k.a. Dr. B) is a board certified gastroenterologist and gut health expert. Every day, he helps patients and members of his #plantfed community bounce back from restrictive and over-hyped diets, and into a whole new way of living and eating that produces the results they really want…permanently. At the core of his philosophy is what he calls “lifestyle medicine,” that uses food, exercise, and other lifestyle factors to optimize your gut, get you back in control of your health. Through Fiber Fueled and his free tools, Dr. B breaks it down for you, piece by digestible piece, so you can take the simple steps that will help you create incredible shifts in your digestion, symptoms, and life.

Episode Timestamps

14:40 Dr. B explains the Fiber Paradox

18:00 Difficulties when you try to introduce fiber into your diet - empowering you with an understanding of what’s actually happening

20:00 Understanding that your gut is adaptable - stop fearing the foods that could help you

23:30 Dr. B’s insightful thoughts on a meat-only diet 

24:45 The many benefits of fiber for health and disease prevention

29:25 Why you need a diversity of plants in your diet 

31:10 Addressing common food intolerances like celiac and constipation with a GROWTH strategy -

G = Genesis - getting to the root cause of the issue

37:10 Dr. B’s definition and symptoms of constipation 

46:00 Symptoms of gall bladder issues

48:00 If you have mild constipation, crank up fiber, drink water, and take your poop for a walk - fiber, hydration, and movement

50:00 Getting things moving with magnesium

53:00 GROWTH Strategy - R-O-W = Restrict, Observe, Work it Back In

54:38 T = Train Your Gut - Like an athlete, you can train your gut to take on more fiber. When your gut is hurt, you can either restrict it completely, or you can build up to it

1:00:00 Prebiotics - Fiber, polyphenols, resistant starches — legumes and whole grains have all three of these

1:03:00 How many pounds of beans does the average American consume per year?

1:04:00 How much cheese does the average American consume per year?

1:05:00 GROWTH strategy - H = Holistic Healing

1:07:45 Does exercise impact gut health?

1:09:50 Dr. B wants you to become Mic Jagger - Eat at least 30 different types of plant-based foods per week

1:15:45 Gut health game-changers:  fermented foods and sprouts - the many paths to a healthy gut and diet

1:21:45 Rip previews some of Dr. B’s recipes

Episode Resources

Watch the Episode on YouTube

Dr. B’s Website - The PlantFed Gut

Dr. B’s Instagram

Order The Fiber-Fueled Cookbook

PLANTSTRONG Foods - shop our official unsalted broths- and our growing assortment of other delicious products made without oil, added sugar, or excessive sodium .

PLANTSTRONG Sedona Retreat - October 10th-15th, 2022 - Our Sedona retreat has been approved for 21.5 CME credits for physicians and physician assistants. And 21.5 Nursing Contact Hours for nurses…. And 2.2 CEUs for other healthcare professionals as part of the registration fee for our PLANTSTRONG Retreat. 

PLANTSTRONG Meal Planner - Save $10 off the annual membership with the code: PLANTSTRONG

Visit plantstrong.com for all PLANTSTRONG Resources, including books, recipes, foods and the PLANTSTRONG Coaching Programs

Join the Free PLANTSTRONG Community with over 26,000 members

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Promo Music: Your Love by Atch License: Creative Commons License - Attribution 3.0

Rip sings, dances, and raps with the legendary Chef AJ as they celebrate the 10th anniversary and re-release of her book, “Unprocessed - Revitalize Your Health with Whole Foods.”

Chef AJ shares:

• Memories of meeting the Esselstyns for the first time

• Her early TV appearances on Johnny Carson and the Gong Show as a comedian

• How she accidentally created a daily YouTube talk show at the start of the pandemic that is now nearing 1000 daily live episodes!

• Her own difficult health journey that is both gut-wrenching and inspiring for anyone seeking lasting change

• Creating sustainable weight loss and why every day should be a "treat day"

• Why calorie density unlocks the key to a healthy weight

• Her favorite kitchen utensils and meals

Through humor, stories, and her gorgeous recipes, she knows how to educate about sustainable weight loss in a way that is both simple and yet so profound. 

Episode Timestamps

10:45 Chef AJ’s Pandemic Pivot into a YouTube Star

13:40 Want to hear AJ's phone message?

15:10 What was it like to appear on Johnny Carson and the Gong Show?

18:50 Why Chef AJ prefers “plant-exclusive” over “plant-based”

20:38 The 10th Anniversary of Unprocessed is now available! What's new? 

25:30 Chef AJ’s emotional backstory

31:20 Does she *really *love to cook?

34:14 Her Secrets to Ultimate Weight Loss and Calorie Density Explanation

44:35 Rip and Chef AJ talk about The C’s of Ultimate Weight Loss Success 

46:20 Finding the Why that Makes You Cry

50:22 Consistency - “You don’t need a cheat day because every day is a treat day.”

53:05 Compliance or adherence

54:45 Community - finding a buddy or a coach

1:01:10 What are Chef AJ’s must-haves for the kitchen?

1:04:00 What Chef AJ eats in a day

1:20:00 Her personal favorite recipes

Episode Resources

Watch the Episode on YouTube

Episode Webpage

Chef AJ's Website

Chef AJ's YouTube Channel

Order the new edition of "Unprocessed"

PLANTSTRONG Foods - shop our official unsalted broths- and our growing assortment of other delicious products made without oil, added sugar, or excessive sodium.

PLANTSTRONG Sedona Retreat - October 10th-15th, 2022 - Dr. Doug Lisle - the esteemed evolutionary psychologist and co-author of The Pleasure Trap - is attending our upcoming Sedona Retreat to give three of his paradigm-shifting lectures that help us understand all the forces working against us in our quest to live plantstrong. Once you SEE the system we live in - you can’t UNSEE it. And Dr. Lisle is a master in giving us language and tools to set ourselves on a permanent path to success. And great news! Our Sedona retreat has been approved for 21.5 CME credits for physicians and physician assistants. And 21.5 Nursing Contact Hours for nurses…. And 2.2 CEUs for other healthcare professionals as part of the registration fee for our PLANTSTRONG Retreat. 

PLANTSTRONG Meal Planner - Save $10 off the annual membership with the code: PLANTSTRONG

Visit plantstrong.com for all PLANTSTRONG Resources, including books, recipes, foods and the PLANTSTRONG Coaching Programs

Join the Free PLANTSTRONG Community with over 26,000 members

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We’ve created a society that makes everything so simple.

With the push of a button, we can have highly-processed food, entertainment, and all of the excess we can handle (and even some we can’t). This has led to unprecedented levels of disease, despair, and death.

We are caught in the pleasure trap.

But there is good news. We DO have the power to override these temptations and allow our bodies to heal.

In November 1984, Dr. Alan Goldhamer opened the True North Health Center. They create a health-promoting environment through an SOS-Free Diet (that’s salt, oil, and sugar) and water-only fasting.

As you can imagine, this monitored approach to healing was once seen as complete quackery. Today? Because of the data, peer-reviewed studies, and astonishing results, fasting, and fasting-mimicking diets are now considered mainstream.

Today, Dr. Goldhamer explains how and why it really is healthy to give your body a chance to rest, reboot, and break some of those physiological addictive behaviors that are keeping us sick.

Episode Timestamps

00:00-06:45 Introduction to Dr. Alan Goldhamer, founder of True North Health Center

09:00 What exactly is intermittent fasting?

12:15 Origins of True North and Dr. Goldhamer's friendship with Dr. Doug Lisle

19:15 Emerging data showing benefits of fasting in healthy people as disease prevention

19:56 What is an SOS-Free diet?

23:10 93% of our food is WHAT???

24:00 What is the pleasure trap, and why were we born to seek pleasure?

29:24 What is The Law of Satiation and how does it affect our eating habits?

36:15 Promising research of fasting implications on tumor growth

37:10 Is there a special type of water consumed when fasting?

37:56 Unique physiological effects of water-only fasting

40:48 The Motivational Triad and how The Pleasure Trap still holds up today

44:30 Why it's vital to rest when fasting

48:00 Dr. Goldhamer's opinion on keto and paleo diets

50:35 What really motivates people to make a change?

53:00 How do you keep people on plan and remain compliant?

58:00 Recommended supplements from Dr. Goldhamer

1:00:48 Organic vs. Conventional foods?

1:03:04 Does Dr. Goldhamer fast?

1:05:18 Fasting impacts on Autoimmune disease

Episode Resources

Episode Webpage

Watch the Episode on YouTube

True North Health Center Website

True North Health Foundation - Advancing knowledge and awareness of therapeutic water-only fasting

PLANTSTRONG Sedona Retreat - October 10th-15th, 2022 - Dr. Doug Lisle - the esteemed evolutionary psychologist and co-author of The Pleasure Trap - is attending our upcoming Sedona Retreat to give three of his paradigm-shifting lectures that help us understand all the forces working against us in our quest to live plantstrong. Once you SEE the system we live in - you can’t UNSEE it. And Dr. Lisle is a master in giving us language and tools to set ourselves on a permanent path to success. And great news! Our Sedona retreat has been approved for 21.5 CME credits for physicians and physician assistants. And 21.5 Nursing Contact Hours for nurses…. And 2.2 CEUs for other healthcare professionals as part of the registration fee for our PLANTSTRONG Retreat.

PLANTSTRONG Meal Planner - Save $10 off the annual membership with the code: PLANTSTRONG

PLANTSTRONG Foods - shop our official plantstrong foods including pizza crusts, granolas, cereals, popcorn, soups, chilis, and broths!

Visit plantstrong.com for all PLANTSTRONG Resources, including books, recipes, foods and the PLANTSTRONG Coaching Programs

Join the Free PLANTSTRONG Community with over 26,000 members

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One of our favorite quotes on the PLANTSTRONG team is, “It’s the Food, It’s the Food. It’s the Food!” 

Well, today, it really is all about the food with guest, Chef Stephanie Michalak White - Lead Chef Instructor of Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts Plant-Based Degree Program. 

From an early age, Stephanie was inspired and motivated to make a difference in the food industry. She's worked in a variety of establishments, including small businesses, pop-ups, catering, and farm-to-table restaurants.

Not only is she passionate about cooking plantstrong food, but she’s also equally passionate about sustainability, ending food insecurities, and optimizing self-care - which are things we at PLANTSTRONG care deeply about.

Today, she shares with us some of her favorite grains, green leafies, veggies, must-have tools, and appliances for any kitchen, and she even shares a special recipe for her sweet potato brownies!

It’s a fun foodie chat with one of the most sought-after chefs and culinary instructors in the plant-based space.

Episode Timestamps

04:15 Welcome to Stephanie and the origins of her unique maiden name

06:05 How her love of plants started with her grandparents

09:45 When and why Stephanie was motivated to become vegan

19:08 Chef Stephanie’s area of focus on food insecurities in higher education

24:50 How she landed at Escoffier and the genesis of their plant-based culinary program?

26:55 How are the online courses being received and the many benefits of online education

29:08 Diversity of demographics at Escoffier and the plant-based program

30:11 Who was Auguste Escoffier? Father of Modern Cooking - History of the School of Culinary Arts

32:22 Why do people become chefs?

36:20 Chef Stephanie’s recommendations on basic cooking utensils for every kitchen

39:40 Stephanie gives Rip eggplant-inspired ideas (his least-favorite veg!)

42:41 Favorite squashes, rice, grains, and leafy greens

51:50 How would Chef Stephanie cook for firefighters?

54:00 Stephanie’s Sweet-Potato brownie recipe

56:10 Mango love and how best to cut and peel those tough fruits

59:45 Making Stephanie choose between chicken, cheese, or eggs!

1:01:57 How to keep plant-based food economical

1:05:00 Reducing excessive amounts of sodium in cooking

1:10:10 Favorite sweeteners and sugars for baking and cooking

Episode Resources

Watch the Episode on YouTube

PLANTSTRONG Podcast Episode Page

Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts

Email for Chef Stephanie: smichalak@staff.escoffier.edu

Chef Stephanie's Sweet Potato Brownie Recipe

PLANTSTRONG Sedona Retreat - October 10th-15th, 2022 - A lifetime and transformative vacation awaits

PLANTSTRONG Coaching - Our PLANTSTRONG Coaching Program is designed to help you to apply the principles of whole food, plant-based nutrition: removing all animal products, oil, refined sugar, and excess sodium from your eating plan. In addition, we will provide dozens of tools to elevate and accelerate your success while surrounding you with one fiercely supportive and nurturing community. 

PLANTSTRONG Foods - shop our official plantstrong foods including pizza crusts, granolas, cereals, popcorn, soups, chilis and broths!

Visit plantstrong.com for all PLANTSTRONG Resources, including books, recipes, foods and the PLANTSTRONG Coaching Programs

Join the Free PLANTSTRONG Community with over 26,000 members

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John Robbins is an absolute trailblazer whose story and mission really go beyond the kale. Imagine being born into incredible wealth - private schools, country clubs, a 14,000 square foot home with multiple three-car garages, and family yachts at your fingertips. Now, imagine walking away from that extravagant life on purpose and with a purpose.

John Robbins followed the call of his conscience and walked away from the family business, the Baskin Robbins Ice Cream empire, and moved to a remote island seeking greater purpose and meaning in life. He knew he wanted to be in service to mother earth and the planet.

His first book, the 1987 Diet for a New America was truly groundbreaking and decades ahead of its time. It was and is one of the quintessential books that tie together the impact of foods on your health, your happiness, and the planet.

John has gone on to write nine books and, today, he shares stories about a few of those, including, The New Good Life- Living Better Than Ever in an Age of Less. His life stories run the gamut of emotions from heartbreaking and joyful, to educational and inspirational.

John Robbins has chosen compassion over consumption at every turn and, after today’s episode, you’ll be more than inspired to do the same.

Episode Highlights

7:50 John had polio as a child - how he adapted and 'muscled up' for vitality and strength

12:05 John’s Baskin Robbins origin story - how he followed the call of his conscience

15:45 John questions the link between the poor health of his family and the ice cream empire

20:00 How a chance book recommendation from his father's cardiologist changed everything for John’s father’s health and their broken relationship

33:50 Why he headed to a remote island with his wife to start fresh

44:30 How Diet for a New America Launched the modern health food movement

49:59 What happened when “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” wanted to interview John

1:00:00 John’s Book - The New Good Life backstory and how John lost his own money in an investment nightmare

1:08:15 Genesis of the Food Revolution Summit with Ocean and John Robbins - The Largest Gathering of Food Conscious People on the Planet

1:36:10 Why and how John remains hopeful in these tumultuous times

Episode Resources

Watch the Episode on YouTube

PLANTSTRONG Podcast Episode Page

Join the FREE Food Revolution Summit - Starting Saturday, April 23rd, 2022

Join the Free PLANTSTRONG Community with over 26,000 members

PLANTSTRONG Foods - shop our official plantstrong foods including pizza crusts, granolas, cereals, popcorn, soups, chilis and broths!

Visit plantstrong.com for all PLANTSTRONG Resources, including books, retreats, recipes, foods and the PLANTSTRONG Coaching Programs

We welcome author, cancer survivor, and healthy-eating coach, Chris Wark, back for his second appearance on the PLANTSTRONG Podcast. 

In 2003 at the age of 26, Chris was diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer. After surgery, he opted OUT of chemotherapy for treatment and, instead, turned to nutrition to promote his healing.

Instead of pumping chemo drugs into his body, he pumped in as many anti-cancer foods as he could and turned his body into a nutritional powerhouse. It’s been almost 20 years, Chris and his family are doing great, and he's written three books about his journey and life's work.

Today, Chris discusses the science, background, and some of those life-saving recipes from his latest book, Beat Cancer Kitchen, co-written with his wife, Micah.

This gorgeous book features whole-food, plant-based recipes that appeal to the whole family, whether you are healing from cancer, are actively trying to prevent it, or just simply seeking a healthy lifestyle for you and your loved ones.

You’ll learn:

• The dangers and carcinogenic effects of meat and animal products

• The lack of evidence and results for experimental diets, like the carnivore, paleo, and keto diets

• Why weight loss is conflated with health

• Any foods in the plant-based space to avoid?

• Highlights of some of his cancer-fighting recipes

As you'll hear, Chris’s life work is to:

• Inspire you to believe you can get well

• Provide the evidence and science to support it

• Give you the confidence to take action on sustainable change. 

  You have so much personal power over your health and it starts in the kitchen. Episode Resources Watch the Episode on YouTube

PLANTSTRONG Podcast Episode Page

Chris Beat Cancer Website and Resources

Join the Free PLANTSTRONG Community with over 26,000 members

PLANTSTRONG Foods - shop our official plantstrong foods including our new multigrain flakes, cereal that is going to knock your socks off. You know I love Rip’s Big Bowl for breakfast, but this new cereal is so crunchy and so satisfying, it just might steal the show! Go check it out - we’re offering two packs for a limited time

Our PLANTSTRONG Sedona Retreat from October 10th-15th, has just been approved and accredited for 21.25 Continuing Medical Education hours for Physicians and Physician Assistants, AND 21.25 Nursing Contact Hours for nurses! Jointly provided by PLANTSTRONG and the Mountain Area Health Education Center - we are thrilled to offer these CMEs and CEUs as part of our October registration fees. If you are a healthcare provider, please join us in Sedona this fall and learn how you can level up with your nutrition both personally and professionally.

Visit plantstrong.com for all PLANTSTRONG Resources, including books, retreats, recipes, foods and the PLANTSTRONG Coaching Programs

You see, while Heather does perform complex angioplasties and other surgeries to open up clogged coronary arteries, she prefers to help her patients reduce their risk of heart disease through not only medication, but also a healthy lifestyle, including a whole-foods, plant-based diet and regular exercise.

Heather herself has been plantstrong since 2005 and her book, “The Vegan Heart Doctor’s Guide to Reversing Heart Disease, Losing Weight, and Reclaiming Your Life” outlines her simple path to reclaiming and living a full and active lifestyle.

Not only do we discuss facts about blood pressure, heart disease, and statins, but we also discuss specific lifestyle changes to help you become PLANTSTRONG with your whole heart.

Episode Resources

Watch the Episode on YouTube

PLANTSTRONG Podcast Episode Page

Dr. Heather Shenkman Website

Join the Free PLANTSTRONG Community with over 26,000 members

PLANTSTRONG Meal Planner - Perhaps our most powerful tool - the PLANTSTRONG Meal Planner is packed with hundreds of our favorite whole foods plant-based recipes and your membership allows you to curate a personal collection of menus so your family favorites are always at your fingertips. The integrated grocery list makes shopping a snap and our meal planning experts are on hand seven days a week to answer questions to chat about food. Save $10 off the annual membership with the code PLANTSTRONG

PLANTSTRONG Foods - shop our official plantstrong foods including pizza crusts, granolas, cereals, popcorn, soups, chilis and broths!

Visit plantstrong.com for all PLANTSTRONG Resources, including books, recipes, foods and the PLANTSTRONG Coaching Programs

Registered dietitian, nutritionist, and author, Nisha Melvani makes a whole foods plant-based lifestyle simple, sustainable, and delicious in her debut book, Practically Vegan - More than 100 Easy, Delicious Vegan Dinners on a Budget.

Hundreds of thousands have already flocked to her "Cooking for Peanuts" blog and Instagram because of her relaxed, flavor-focused approach. She also uses easy-to-find ingredients that can be used in the kitchen for multiple meals, making her style budget-friendly for busy families.

Nisha has one of the most colorful and interesting backstories, with a rich diversity of culture, language, career, and education – all of which have influenced her life’s latest chapter as a cookbook author.

She and Rip discuss:

• Growing up in a non-traditional household that included boarding schools, multiple moves, and a diversity of language and culture

• How she initially developed her love of food, flavor, and cooking

• The origin of her "Cooking for Peanuts" blog and Instagram

• Her favorite spices and herbs

• Cooking for three teenage girls

• Her favorite ways to prepare tofu and tempeh dishes

• Her go-to grains and legume dishes - (Hint: Lentils are the bomb!)

Practically Vegan is just that - a practical, approachable, and affordable guide for plantstrong meals.

Episode Resources

Watch the Episode on YouTube

PLANTSTRONG Podcast Episode Page

Nisha Melvani - Cooking for Peanuts

PLANTSTRONG Coaching - Our PLANTSTRONG Coaching Program is designed to help you to apply the principles of whole food, plant-based nutrition: removing all animal products, oil, refined sugar, and excess sodium from your eating plan. In addition, we will provide dozens of tools to elevate and accelerate your success while surrounding you with one fiercely supportive and nurturing community. Now through April 5th, 2022, our annual program is $60 off

PLANTSTRONG Meal Planner - Perhaps our most powerful tool - the PLANTSTRONG Meal Planner is packed with hundreds of our favorite whole foods plant-based recipes and your membership allows you to curate a personal collection of menus so your family favorites are always at your fingertips. The integrated grocery list makes shopping a snap and our meal planning experts are on hand seven days a week to answer questions to chat about food. Save $10 off the annual membership with the code PLANTSTRONG

PLANTSTRONG Foods - shop our official plantstrong foods including pizza crusts, granolas, cereals, popcorn, soups, chilis, and broths!

Visit plantstrong.com for all PLANTSTRONG Resources, including books, recipes, foods, and the PLANTSTRONG Coaching Programs

Join the Free PLANTSTRONG Community with over 26,000 members

Visit PLANTSTRONG.com for all of our resources including books, coaching, podcast, foods, retreats, and more

Shop for your Favorite Plantstrong Foods

Join the free PLANTSTRONG Community

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Rip welcomes playwright, screenwriter, and author, Glen Merzer to the PLANTSTRONG Podcast. Glen has written or co-authored a dozen books alongside plant-based broc-stars like Chef AJ, Howard Lyman, and Forks over Knives chef, Del Srouffe.

Glen discusses his latest book, Food is Climate, zeroing in on the real leading cause of climate change: animal agriculture and consumption. He doesn't hold back because, quite frankly, we are now in a time of urgency. As Merzer writes, "The only thing that's at stake here is, our civilization. It truly is."

My friends, it is one thing to stop eating animals for your health. Indeed, it’s the BEST thing you can do. But, in this case, what’s good for your body is also good for Mother Earth.

Let’s save life as we know it for future generations. Glen Merzer tells us why and how.

Episode Resources

Watch the Episode on YouTube

PLANTSTRONG Podcast Episode Page

PLANTSTRONG Meal Planner - Perhaps our most powerful tool - the PLANTSTRONG Meal Planner is packed with hundreds of our favorite whole foods plant-based recipes and your membership allows you to curate a personal collection of menus so your family favorites are always at your fingertips. The integrated grocery list makes shopping a snap and our meal planning experts are on hand seven days a week to answer questions to chat about food. Save $10 off the annual membership with the code PLANTSTRONG

PLANTSTRONG Foods - shop our official plantstrong foods including pizza crusts, granolas, cereals, popcorn, soups, chilis, and broths!

Glen Merzer Website

Buy Food is Climate

Visit plantstrong.com for all PLANTSTRONG Resources, including books, recipes, foods, and the PLANTSTRONG Coaching Programs

Join the Free PLANTSTRONG Community with over 26,000 members

Visit PLANTSTRONG.com for all of our resources including books, coaching, podcast, foods, retreats, and more

Shop for your Favorite Plantstrong Foods

Join the free PLANTSTRONG Community

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You see, Bailey, who goes by Chef Bai - is also a classically trained chef from San Francisco’s Le Cordon Bleu. She spent years in the grind working 65-70 hours a week until her body just simply collapsed. Nothing about her lifestyle was sustainable, that is until she went back to her food choices and began to study the true healing power of plants. She literally had to “unlearn” what she had learned in culinary school.

Today, at the young age of 30, she is PLANTSTRONG, off all meds, feeling vibrant, and is the author of the best-selling book, Cook. Heal. Go Vegan!

We go behind the scenes on this chef’s life – including her favorite spices, flavors, and meals from her cookbook, as well as tips on how you, too, can start to heal your body.

Cook. Heal. Go Vegan! is your guide to plant-based cooking for better health and a better world.

Episode Resources

Watch the Episode on YouTube

PLANTSTRONG Podcast Episode Page

PLANTSTRONG Meal Planner - Perhaps our most powerful tool - the PLANTSTRONG Meal Planner is packed with hundreds of our favorite whole foods plant-based recipes and your membership allows you to curate a personal collection of menus so your family favorites are always at your fingertips. The integrated grocery list makes shopping a snap and our meal planning experts are on hand seven days a week to answer questions to chat about food. Save $10 off the annual membership with the code PLANTSTRONG

Chef Bai Website

Buy Cook. Heal. Go Vegan by Chef Bai

Visit plantstrong.com for all PLANTSTRONG Resources, including books, recipes, foods, and the PLANTSTRONG Coaching Programs

Join the Free PLANTSTRONG Community with over 26,000 members

Dr. Anthony Lim is no stranger to helping to inspire change. As Medical Director of the Dr. McDougall Health and Medical Center and former staff physician of True North, Dr. Lim helps his patients prevent and treat their chronic illnesses -such as obesity, diabetes, cancer, autoimmune conditions, and heart disease - all with a whole foods, plant-based approach. 

Dr. Lim shares his own personal journey to plants (having gone down the paleo and keto route) and how he now works with his own patients to “meet them where they are on their own journeys.”

Every person has a story, he says, and, once you understand where they are coming from, it helps inform how best to help them succeed. 

PLANTSTRONG and Episode Resources:

Watch the Episode on YouTube

Register for our PLANTSTRONG Sedona Retreat - October 10th-15th, 2022

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Join the free PLANTSTRONG Community

Dr. McDougall Health and Medical Center

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Today's guest is Carrie Barrett, PLANTSTRONG Podcast Producer, longtime PLANSTRONG advocate, and a fellow triathlete. Carrie brings PLANTSTRONG stories and guest transformations to life each week on the podcast using her background in radio, production, and writing to make each episode motivating, inspiring, and actionable.

Today, Rip and Carrie encourage you to have a little fun with your air fryer! If you have an air fryer and are a little scared to use it, this episode is for you. Carrie's goal? Inspire Rip to get his out of the box and use it at home!

Today, they make four simple, delicious, and economic meals that pack a nutritious punch without making a huge mess in the kitchen. Plus, as you'll hear, they clearly have a blast experimenting with new recipes, serving up taste tests, and talking about their own athletic journeys along the way.

And...coming soon...we will be giving you the chance to represent TEAM PLANTSTRONG at future events! That's right, you'll soon be able to show off your PLANTSTRONG prowess at upcoming finish lines around the world.

Recipe 1: Sliced polenta served over a bed of greens and the PLANTSTRONG Thai Carrot Chickpea Stew. You can serve it over a marinara sauce as well for an Italian flair. Air Fryer: 370 degrees for 15-20 minutes, depending on the thickness of your polenta slices and preferred crispiness!

Recipe 2: Mini-chalupa on a corn tortilla, served with refried black beans, greens, and PLANTSTRONG Firehouse Chili. Air Fryer: 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes, depending on how many toppings and your preferred level of crispiness. You can also have fun and make mini-pizzas with your favorite toppings.

Recipe 3: Simple potato skins served with nutritional yeast. Air Fryer: 350 degrees for 7-8 minutes. These cook up fast and shrink, so you could go less time, if preferred.

Recipe 4: Hummus and apple crisp on tortilla. Air Fryer: 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Episode Resources

Watch the Episode on YouTube

PLANTSTRONG Podcast Episode Page

Now Available! PLANTSTRONG Broths and Soups Delivered Directly to You! PLANTSTRONGFOODS.com

Visit plantstrong.com for all PLANTSTRONG Resources, including books, recipes, and the PLANTSTRONG Coaching Programs

Join the Free PLANTSTRONG Community with over 26,000 members

This feisty young woman (who really couldn’t cook, by the way) took it upon herself to start experimenting with plants! Her goal? Make this lifestyle approachable, easy to follow, and so, so fun.

You can't force it down people's throat, you kind of have to just lead by example so I try to talk as positively as possible about how many benefits that I've personally experienced from going plant-based rather than kind of shaming or dampering on people's food, because food is emotional and nostalgic, as you know.

Her new book, PlantYou includes, not just photos of the gorgeous finished products, but also photos of every ingredient you need, making it so easy to follow. You know what else I love? It features over 140 recipes that are not only plantstrong, but also OIL-FREE!

Instead of a glug of oil in the pan, why don't you try vegetable broth or water and I can guarantee the finished product of that dish is going to take almost identical if not identical, and you have now reduced the fat and caloric content dramatically.

Rip and Carleigh also dish on:

• The support she receives from her family and fiance

I was super lucky in that I was supported on that journey because I think a lot of people are going it alone, and the social aspect, I always say to people, the social aspect is the hardest I think, and in a way, because I wasn't doing it completely by myself, that was a little easier to swallow. Like you didn't have to explain as much if your parents were going the same route.

• Why she maximizes every ounce of food she can when preparing meals and snacks

So this scrappy cooking concept was all born by this desire to kind of like reduce food waste within our own homes and also reduce the amount of money wasted and I think something like 40 to 50% of edible food in North America goes to waste, so it's a huge issue. And I think a lot of people are going aimlessly to the grocery store each week with really good intentions and buying a lot of fresh produce that ends up in the garbage.

• Tips and tricks with leftover aquafaba, ginger, date seeds, potato skins, pickle juice and more!

• Tools for your plant-based kitchen

• Favorite recipes in her new book

• Leading by example with positive energy

I try to talk as positively as possible about how many benefits that I've personally experienced from going plant-based rather than kind of shaming or dampering on people's food, because food is emotional and nostalgic, as you know.

Trust me, you’ll be hearing a lot more from Carleigh in the coming months because the future is bright for this young broc-star.

Carleigh Bodrug Resources:

• Buy PlantYou: 140+ Ridiculously Easy, Amazingly Delicious Plant-Based Oil-Free Recipes

• PlantYou Website

• Instagram

• TikTok

   

PLANTSTRONG Resources:

Watch the Episode on YouTube

Register for our PLANTSTRONG Sedona Retreat - October 10th-15th, 2022

Shop for your Favorite Plantstrong Foods

Join the free PLANTSTRONG Community

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Robbins is an entrepreneur, best-selling author, philanthropist, and the nation’s #1 life and business strategist. Over the past four decades, he has empowered more than 50 million people worldwide through his business and personal development coaching programs and events.

This week, he’s on the PLANTSTRONG Podcast to discuss his new book, Life Force: How New Breakthroughs in Precision Medicine Can Transform the Quality of Your Life & Those You Love.

As you’ll hear, this book is actually the result of Tony Robbins going on his own life-changing health journey. After being told that his health challenges were irreversible, he experienced firsthand how new regenerative technology, precision medicine, and lifestyle change could not only help him heal, but also make him stronger than ever. 

 Life Force is a true passion project for Tony to aid everyday people searching for answers on how to improve their energy, vitality, and strength that extends and lets them live healthier and longer lives. 

Rip and Tony address:

• The Top 6 killers and health threats most of us face - cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, stroke, and autoimmune disease.

• The groundbreaking new technologies being developed to fight these diseases, but also actionable lifestyle changes we can all make to improve our health right now – I’m talking whole food, plant-based nutrition, quality sleep, and movement.

• Why your DNA is not your destiny when it comes to your long-term health.

• Becoming CEO of your own health - actions to take today to improve your health and extend your healthspan. 

• The breakthrough work and expert insights of more than 150 scientific, medical, and health and wellbeing experts.

• Inspiring comeback stories, and amazing advancements in precision medicine that you can apply today to help extend the length and quality of your lives. 

• Feeding America - 100% of the profits of Life Force are donated to help end hunger today.

TONY ROBBINS and Episode Resources:

• Instagram

• Twitter

• Tony Robbins Website

• Buy Life Force: How New Breakthroughs in Precision Medicine Can Transform the Quality of Your Life & Those You Love

• Life Force Website

• Fountain Life Centers

PLANTSTRONG Resources:

Watch the Episode on YouTube

Shop for your Favorite Plantstrong Foods

Join the free PLANTSTRONG Community

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They discuss:

• Why plants are actually a superior source of protein, and what makes animal protein so damaging

• The different fuel systems our bodies use while in motion and why plants provide the cleanest fuel source

• Why beets, tart cherry juice, and other sources of nitric oxide can actually be a performance and recovery enhancer

• A few mistakes and misconceptions that people have about fueling for athletic performance on a plant-based diet

• Supplement and vitamin recommendations

• And, of course, protein requirements and recommendations

After this episode, you'll understand why a plantstrong diet that helps prevent and reverse chronic disease, is also the best diet for long-term performance and recovery.

About Jim Loomis, MD

James F. Loomis Jr., MD, MBA, received his medical degree from the University of Arkansas, where he was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society and graduated with honors. He subsequently completed his internship and residency in internal medicine at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis, Mo. In addition, Dr. Loomis received an MBA from the Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis. He is board-certified in internal medicine, has completed the certification program in Plant-Based Nutrition from Cornell University, and is a Diplomat of the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine.

Dr. Loomis has served as team internist for the St. Louis Rams football team and the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team, as well as tour physician for the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. Before coming to the Barnard Medical Center, he practiced internal medicine at St. Luke’s Hospital in St. Louis, where he was also the director of prevention and wellness. He was also on the clinical faculty of the department of internal medicine at Washington University School of Medicine.

When not practicing medicine, Dr. Loomis enjoys reading history books, cooking, and teaching plant-based cooking classes. He also enjoys running, biking, and swimming, and has completed numerous half marathons, marathons, and triathlons.

Episode and PLANTSTRONG Resources:

PLANTSTRONG Podcast Episode Page

Download our Free 2022 Big Game Recipe Guide

Watch the Episode on YouTube

Center for Plant-Based Living - "Optimal Diet for Health and Performance" Webinar

Dr. Loomis offers telehealth appointments for residents of D.C., Florida, Maryland, Missouri, and Virginia. Learn More Here.

Shop for your Favorite Plantstrong Foods

Join the free PLANTSTRONG Community

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Dr. Laurie Marbas is - simply put – A FORCE who is on a mission to bring plant-based Lifestyle Medicine available to everyone from the comfort of your own home.

In just two years, Dr. Marbas and her team at Plant Based TeleHealth have amassed nine physicians (including the wonderful Dr. Michael Klaper) to service patients in all 50 states - and Dr. Marbas herself is licensed in ALL 50 States and D.C!

Today, you’ll hear about:

• Laurie's journey to becoming a physician, inspired by her younger sister's illness and recovery

• Her time in the Air Force with her husband and three children while practicing medicine in rural parts of Colorado and New Mexico

• Her own journey to plant-based nutrition, inspired by the astounding health transformations of her own patients

• The genesis of Plant Based TeleHealth and the purpose-driven mission of this company that is now celebrating its second anniversary.

Telehealth is certainly on the rise and, with people like Dr. Laurie Marbas at the helm of plant-based Lifestyle Medicine, this type of compassionate care is here to stay.

About Laurie Marbas, MD

Laurie Marbas, MD, MBA is a double board-certified family medicine and lifestyle medicine physician, who has been utilizing food as medicine since 2012. Previously, she created a new medical model combining the power of nutrient-dense foods and intensive clinical psychological therapy to treat not only food addiction but also chronic disease. As the Managing Editor for the Plantrician Project’s International Journal of Disease Reversal and Prevention, she works closely with the journal’s Editor in Chief, Dr. Kim Williams. The journal is focused on bringing plant-based research to the forefront of modern medicine and to the general public. She is also co-founder of Healthy Human Revolution, whose mission is to provide resources that will empower individuals with the knowledge, tools, and mindset to successfully adopt and sustain a whole-food, plant-based (WFPB) diet.

Episode and PLANTSTRONG Resources:

Watch the Episode on YouTube

Plant Based TeleHealth

Shop for your Favorite Plantstrong Foods

Join the free PLANTSTRONG Community

Visit PLANTSTRONG.com for all of our resources including books, coaching, podcast, foods, retreats, and more

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Promo Music: Your Love by Atch License: Creative Commons License - Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0)

Harvey Lewis is one of the hottest ultra-distance runners on the planet and, in 2021, was virtually unstoppable. As you'll hear today, this plant-powered school teacher from Cincinnati, Ohio is no stranger to suffering - especially on the racecourse.

Last year, among other events, he won the infamous Badwater 135 Ultra (from Death Valley to Mt. Whitney), and then just a few weeks later, he outlasted every competitor at Big Dog's Backyard Ultra where he ran for 354.16 miles four almost four days - all fueled on a PLANTSTRONG Diet.

In March 2022, he’s set to take on the hardest Ultra on the planet – the Barkley Marathons - where there have only been 15 total finishers in its entire existence.

In today's conversation with Rip, Harvey discusses:

• His first marathon and the profound impact it had on his life

• His motivation for becoming vegetarian at such a young age

• When he connected the dots between his health and his diet

• His mindset when training and racing and his relationship with pain and suffering

• His connection with nature

• Details from his recent races and adventures, including Badwater and Big's

• How he fuels himself during these harsh events and how he varies his fueling based on the conditions and the type of the event

• His training regime and how he incorporates running into his daily life

• Tips for ultra-endurance runners - how to avoid blisters, fuel properly, and manage the pain

• What's next? His thoughts on the Barkley Marathons

We know if anyone can finish the Barkley, it would definitely be Harvey and we’ll be rooting for you every step of the way.

Harvey is doing the impossible, but the simplicity of his life makes it possible. In fact, Ultra Running Magazine just named Harvey one of the Top 5 Ultrarunners of 2021, but there's no question, he's definitely Number One over here at PLANTSTRONG.

Episode and PLANTSTRONG Resources:

PLANTSTRONG Podcast Episode Page

Watch the Episode on YouTube

RunQuest Travel Company

Harvey Lewis Facebook

Badwater 135 Website

Everything You Need to Know About the Barkley Marathons - Runner's World

Your Guide to the 7-Day PLANTSTRONG Challenge

Join the free PLANTSTRONG Community

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“When your body is fit and strong, your mind is fitter and stronger too.” - Nicole DeBoom

Today’s episode dives into a topic that is so important for the New Year - mindset and attitude. We're treated to a conversation with long-time PLANTSTRONG ally, Nicole DeBoom.

Like Rip, she’s a former top-level swimmer, turned professional triathlete, turned entrepreneur, who recently sold her popular company Skirt Sports and started a new company called Aesop, where people can book interviews and record their memories for loved ones.

Why will this conversation resonate with you? 

Well, because, like all of us, her journey has not been linear. There have been stops, starts, struggles, and plenty of setbacks along the way. She discusses her battle with alcohol, the tension in her marriage, as well as health and self-image struggles. She. Gets. Real. 

Through it all, though, Nicole has remained relentlessly curious and passionate. She has used her struggles to gain the muscle and confidence to keep going, even though it’s never perfect. 

Today, she is almost 14 years sober, she’s PLANTSTRONG, and as curious as ever! Guess what? She’s still not perfect – and neither are we!

But, as you listen, we hope you’ll be inspired to keep forging ahead and continue to make smart decisions about your body because, as she says, “When your body is fit and strong, your mind is fitter and stronger too.”

Episode and PLANTSTRONG Resources:

Watch the Episode on YouTube

Aesop Nation - Share Your Story. Record Your Memories Now.

Nicole DeBoom Website and Social Channels

Your Guide to the 7-Day PLANTSTRONG Challenge

Join the free PLANTSTRONG Community

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Promo Music:

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“What you will gain is so much more than what you will give up.” - Dr. Dean Ornish

Dean Ornish, M.D. is highly regarded as “The Father of Lifestyle Medicine,” which is the fastest-growing trend in medicine today, and today's discussion with Rip dives deep into the vast body of work and groundbreaking research that Dr. Ornish has conducted for decades.

As the founder and president of the non-profit Preventive Medicine Research Institute (PMRI) for over 40-years, he and his team of researchers have demonstrated time and again how lifestyle medicine can reverse, treat, and prevent chronic disease. 

How is this possible? Eat Well, Love More, Stress Less, and Move More – all of which are outlined in Dr. Ornish’s latest book, “UnDo It - How Simple Lifestyle Changes Can Reverse Most Chronic Diseases,” which has just been released in paperback. 

From the beginning, Dr. Ornish was met with criticism and skepticism, which would cause even the strongest of physicians to reverse course. But, because of his conviction and the overwhelming data he has produced, the only thing reversing is YOUR chronic disease including heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, early-stage prostate cancer, and now – the evidence is showing - even the progression of Alzheimer’s.

Medicare and many insurance companies are now covering Dr. Ornish’s lifestyle medicine program for reversing chronic diseases because it consistently achieves bigger changes in lifestyle, better clinical outcomes, larger cost savings, and greater adherence than have ever been reported—based on 40 years of clinical research published in the leading peer-reviewed medical and scientific journals. Recently, Medicare even agreed to cover Dr. Ornish’s program for reversing heart disease when offered virtually via Zoom.

Our bodies often have a remarkable capacity to begin healing if we treat the underlying lifestyle factors that cause them—and more quickly than we had once believed. All of this is great news because, as Dr. Ornish stresses, "We don't want take hope away. In fact, we want to give people a sense of hope."

He's been giving us hope for over 40 years and, thankfully, he's just getting started. 

About Dr. Dean Ornish

Dean Ornish, M.D., is the founder and president of the nonprofit Preventive Medicine Research Institute, clinical professor of medicine at the UCSF, and the author of seven books, all national bestsellers. He received the Outstanding Young Alumnus Award from the University of Texas, Austin, and the National Public Health Hero Award from the University of California, Berkeley. He was recognized as a “TIME 100 Innovator;” by Life magazine as “one of the 50 most influential members of his generation;” by People magazine as “one of the most interesting people of the year;” and by Forbes magazine as “one of the world’s 7 most powerful teachers.”

Episode and PLANTSTRONG Resources:

Watch the Episode on YouTube

Ornish.com Resources

Preventive Medicine Research Institute

Join us for our 2022 PLANTSTRONG Retreat in Black Mountain, NC - March 1st-6th - Healthcare Providers can earn up to 20 hours of CME credits and 2 CEU credits as part of the registration fee! Jointly provided by UNC Health Sciences at MAHEC - we are thrilled to reward professionals for all they learn at our immersive events.

Engine 2 Seven-Day Rescue Book

Rip’s Rescue with Dr. Brian Asbill - "Make Yourself Heart-Attack Proof"

Join the free PLANTSTRONG Community

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Promo Music:

https://youtu.be/rhV_DIoebmU Your Love by Atch SoundCloud: bit.ly/AtchSoundCloud Instagram: www.instagram.com/atchmusic License: Creative Commons License - Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0) Music promoted by Ohzum Beats: https://bit.ly/ohzumbeats

“There are two kinds of Cardiologists - those who are vegan and those who haven’t read the data.” - Dr. Kim Williams

Such a bold statement from someone, who, since 2013 has been the Head of Cardiology at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, as well as the former president of the American College of Cardiology.

Dr. Kim Williams does not mince words.

He shares:

• His personal background and story of what (and who) inspired him to become a doctor at the young age of 11.

• Why, as a poor kid from the Southside of Chicago, he adopted a plant-based diet many years ago.

• How to calculate your 10-year risk of heart disease or stroke using the ASCVD

• Resources and cookbooks from the Association of Black Cardiologists, Inc.

• New research proving that vegan junk food is actually worse for your health than eating animals

• The four biggest questions he asks all of his patients who have recently had stents or other surgical interventions.

These four simple magic questions often change the course and long-term outcomes of his patients when they hear the questions and provide their own answers.

Thank you, Dr. Kim Williams, for being an outspoken advocate and example of the future of Medicine. Prevention and education start with people like you and we are grateful that you heeded the call to become a doctor. You were made for Medicine.

About Dr. Kim Williams is an American cardiologist. He is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology and served as its president from 2015 to 2016. He is currently a trustee of the organization.

Episode and PLANTSTRONG Resources:

PLANTSTRONG Podcast Episode Page

YouTube Version

Association of Black Cardiologists

Cardiovascular Risk Calculator

Join us for our 2022 PLANTSTRONG Retreat in Black Mountain, NC

Join the free PLANTSTRONG Community

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As we round the corner on a new year and a fresh start, we can think of no better way to lift you up than with this inspiring talk from J.D. and Chrissy Roth recorded from this year’s Plant-Stock event.

J.D. is an iconic television producer and creator of shows like “The Biggest Loser,” and “The Big Fat Truth,” which helped participants lose weight, fight diabetes, and attain a healthy lifestyle through whole foods, plant-based nutrition. 

Chrissy Roth is a physical therapist, fitness instructor, Mom of two boys, and, of course, wife of J.D. She was the driving force for her family’s habit change and, today, she reads a couple of her personal blog posts that span years as she guided her household of stubborn boys to a new life of vibrant, colorful, whole-food, plant-based living. 

We love the universal takeaways from their presentation - be patient, stay the course, remain resilient, and relentless.

This conviction transformed her household and, together, J.D. and Chrissy are now relentless in their own pursuit of changing the landscape of TV and spreading this message to a broader audience. We know it will take time, but the Roths are unstoppable.   

• Watch the Episode on YouTube

• Visit the Episode Page at plantstrongpodcast.com

• Join the FREE 2022 PLANTSTRONG Seven-Day Challenge - January 5th-11th

• Now Available! PLANTSTRONG Broths and Soups Delivered Directly to You!  PLANTSTRONGFOODS.com 

• Click here for all PLANTSTRONG Resources

• Join the PLANTSTRONG Community

What are the Esselstyns serving up this holiday season?

Well, as always, it includes a hefty dose of laughter and mayhem, along with delicious, mouth-watering plantstrong goodness.

Today, Rip is joined by his mother, Ann, and sister, Jane, to talk about their favorite holiday meals and how they cook together for their entire family.

Even though they discuss their Thanksgiving meal in this episode, the dishes and recipes are great for ANY holiday.

In fact, we’ve created a complimentary holiday guide with eleven mouth-watering recipes to help you prepare an incredibly delicious whole-food, plant-based meal holiday. Hop into our free community at community.plantstrong.com to download the guide today.

You’ll meet thousands of people just like you willing to lend a hand of support and encouragement, especially during the holiday season! 

Episode Resources

• Watch the Episode on YouTube

• Visit the Webpage for Full Transcript

• Get our FREE Holiday Meal Planner

• Use code: Siblings15 to save $15 when you spend $100 or more on plantsonlyshop.com!

• Now Available! PLANTSTRONG Broths and Soups Delivered Directly to You!  PLANTSTRONGFOODS.com 

• Click here for all PLANTSTRONG Resources

• Join the PLANTSTRONG Community

Rip welcomes researcher, friend, and author, Dan Buettner, back to the PLANTSTRONG Podcast to talk about his new book, The Blue Zones Challenge - A Four-Week Plan for a Longer, Better Life.This is the latest in his series of books about the five blue zones, which are locations around the world where people consistently live to 100 and beyond.

The Blue Zones Challenge is all about helping YOU to get set-up for long-term success so that the healthier choice becomes your natural, automatic choice. It's a four-week guidebook and year-long sustainability program for anyone looking to jumpstart their journey to better health, happiness, less stress, and a longer life.

In The Blue Zones Challenge, readers will learn tips, tricks, and nudges from these five blue zones. We’re talking about simple changes and advice for setting up your kitchen, pantry, work environment, and even resources for improving your social network.

It also includes nudges to help you:

• Change Your Diet the Whole-Food Plant-Based Way

• Naturally Increase Your Movement and Activity

• Discover and Live Your Purpose

• Build Your Social Life

No crazy extreme exercise programs and no deprivation diets are necessary! In fact, we know those don't work. What does work? Making small sustainable changes in your everyday environment so that the right choice becomes the automatic choice.

You can bet your life on it!

About Dan Buettner

Dan Buettner is an explorer, National Geographic Fellow, award-winning journalist and producer, and New York Times bestselling author. He discovered the five places in the world – dubbed blue zones hotspots – where people live the longest, healthiest lives. His articles about these places in The New York Times Magazine and National Geographic are two of the most popular for both publications.

Buettner now works in partnership with municipal governments, large employers, and health insurance companies to implement Blue Zones Projects in communities, workplaces, and universities. Blue Zones Projects are well-being initiatives that apply lessons from the Blue Zones to entire communities by focusing on changes to the local environment, public policy, and social networks. The program has dramatically improved the health of more than 5 million Americans to date.

His new book “The Blue Zones Challenge: A 4-Week Plan for a Longer Better Life” is a four-week guide and year-long sustainability program to jump-start your journey to better health, happiness, less stress, and longer life.

Buettner also holds three Guinness World Records in distance cycling.

Episode and PLANTSTRONG Resources:

The holidays are here and it’s the perfect time to gift wrap the good news about following a whole-foods, PLANTSTRONG lifestyle. Here are some great gift ideas to help you introduce the science, and inspire a friend or family member to eat more plants!

First, books are often the easiest entry point for people interested in learning more. If you don’t already know, I’ve written four books - the original Engine 2 Diet, then PLANTSTRONG, The Engine 2 Seven-Day Rescue Diet, and finally - with my sister Jane, The Engine 2 Cookbook. Each title is packed with digestible science and bundled with delicious recipes and powerful success stories. Visit Amazon or plantstrong.com to learn more or to send a book to someone you love. 

Second, a gift membership to the PLANTSTRONG Meal Planner is incredibly thoughtful. It includes twelve months of access to curated recipes, live support from our meal planning experts, personalized meal recommendations, adaptive grocery lists, and optional grocery delivery via Amazon Fresh, Instacart, and Peapod. And great news! gift cards are on sale for the month of December for $20 off. Visit mealplanner.plantstrong.com

PLANTSTRONG Podcast Episode Page

Watch the Episode on YouTube

Dan Buettner Website and Resources

Join the free PLANTSTRONG Community

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Rip welcomes nutritionist, author, and podcaster, Simon Hill, to the podcast for an in-depth discussion of his new book, The Proof is in the Plants.

It's hard to imagine the life-long impact of seeing your own father have a heart attack, but Hill has taken that harrowing experience as a teenager and turned it into his mission-driven work to help save the lives of countless others. 

Today, Simon is passionate about making nutritional information simple and accessible so that people can make informed decisions about the food they feed themselves and their families.

Inspired by the work of his father, he is also a walking encyclopedia on the research and science that proves beyond the kale that a plant-based diet can save your life –and the planet.

They discuss:

• The Diet of Confusion - Why the food industry is set up against us

• The progress we are making in governments around the world and the work that still needs to be done

• Is chronic lifestyle disease simply "in our genes?" How much control do we really have with the cards we were dealt?

• Simon's largest recommendation for better health - FIBER

• Why is fiber so important to our health and gut microbiome?

• Simon's top foods we should avoid

• Recommendations for helping people make the shift in their own lives

• The vast plant-proof research around - cancer, heart disease, and brain health 

• Research and studies on minerals and supplements like iodine and zinc

  This conversation is jam-packed with all the proof you need because, as you’ll hear loud and clear, the proof is in the plants. 

  About Simon Hill

  Simon Hill is the founder of the hugely popular Plant Proof podcast and blog of the same name, and a nutritionist and qualified physiotherapist. On top of his formal education, Simon spends hours and hours deciphering scientific studies so he can break down how to fuel your body to promote longevity and reduce the chance of developing disease while simultaneously achieving whatever health and fitness goals you may have. He is the plant-based food contributor to Chris Hemsworth’s fitness app, Centr, and in 2019 Simon opened a plant-based restaurant, Eden, in his Sydney neighbourhood of Bondi.

   

  Episode and PLANTSTRONG Resources:

  PLANTSTRONG just announced our 2022 retreats and you’re invited to relax, refresh and recharge with us. Join us March 1st to the 6th in majestic Black Mountain or October 10th to the 15th in stunning Sedona. For details on both, go to plantstrong.com and select the locations from the menu.

  Also - great news! Our PLANTSTRONG unsalted organic broths and ready-to-eat chilis and stews are now available nationwide thru plantstrongfoods.com. We’ve just unveiled our sampler packs so you can try one of each flavor - and you can enjoy free shipping when you spend $60 or more!

  Simon Hill Website and Resources

  Join the free PLANTSTRONG Community

  Theme Music for Episode

   

It truly is a wonderful time to celebrate and give thanks with friends and family. Speaking of friends, today is a special episode because we're actually replaying an interview that Rip did earlier this year on Julieanna Hever’s podcast “Choose You Now.” If you don’t know, Julieanna is the original plant-based dietitian and her new book “The Choose You Now Diet” is coming out in early December. You’ll want to check that out for sure.

In this bite-sized episode, Rip shares his personal journey with plants and how he makes this lifestyle simple and fun so that it not only works for him, but also for his entire family, including three young children.

You'll learn:

• Rip's favorite salad dressing recipe

• Rip's Sunday meal ritual that the entire family loves

• His go-to simple meals that ANYONE can assemble in no time

This Thanksgiving, let's express gratitude for PLANTS…I hope you enjoy this special episode.

About Julieanna Hever

Known as The Plant-Based Dietitian, Julieanna has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre from UCLA and a Master of Science degree in Nutrition from Cal State Northridge, bridging her three biggest passions for food, performing, and helping people.

As a Registered Dietitian, Julieanna has authored six books, including The Healthspan Solution, Plant-Based Nutrition (Idiots Guide), Vegiterranean Diet, and two peer-reviewed journal articles on plant-based nutrition for healthcare professionals (in Journal of Geriatric Cardiology and Permanente Journal). Julieanna is the host of The Choose You Now Podcast and her new book, The Choose You Now Diet, will be published in December 2021.

Past projects have included being the host of What Would Julieanna Do?; giving a TEDx talk; writing as the nutrition columnist for VegNews Magazine, and teaching the eCornell Plant-Based Nutrition Certification Program. She recently co-hosted Science and Saucery and Facebook Watch’s Home Sweat Home, and has appeared on Harry, The Dr. Oz Show, The Steve Harvey Show, Reluctantly Healthy, The Marie Osmond Show, and E! News.

New adventures include speaking, presenting, traveling, helping a wide variety of clients achieve their goals, and sharing her passion for healing and happiness eating a whole-food, plant-based diet.

Episode and PLANTSTRONG Resources:

YouTube Link

Episode Page

It's our biggest Meal Planner sale of the year! Between now and Cyber Monday, Save $30 off our annual meal planner membership with the code YAMS -and then you’ll enjoy twelve months of delicious recipes, custom menus, adaptive grocery lists, and many more time-saving features! Visit mealplanner.plantstrong.com today for all of the details. PLUS - we’ve added a BRAND NEW benefit for our annual members. PLANTSTRONG PERKS are exclusive discounts on other resources and partner brands, available only for meal planner members. See mealplanner.plantstrong.com for all the great details.

Download our Free PLANTSTRONG Holiday Meal Guide

PLANTSTRONG Website with all of our Resources to live PLANTSTRONG

Join the free PLANTSTRONG Community

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Welcome to this audio presentation of our recent "Rip's Rescue" event which focused exclusively on men's health and dispelling the outdated myth that real men need meat to thrive.

When Rip was a firefighter in Austin, Texas, he spent his days on the rescue squad, responding to fires and medical emergencies. For this presentation, he assembled a brigade of experts to join him in helping people rescue themselves. How? With a fire hose of evidence-based information and simple steps to eating more plants and saving yourself from the flames of chronic lifestyle disease and erectile dysfunction.

Joined by notable physicians, Drs. Aaron Spitz and Brian Asbill, Rip and his crew of experts shared vital intel every man should know to help men rescue their health and learn information that can help avoid the constant care of a physician.

And good news! You don't have to turn in your man card when you swap t-bones for tofu. We're torching that stereotype right now.

Topics covered included:

• Symptoms you should never ignore

• How to avoid needing the little blue pill

• PSA Tests and Numbers- What do I need to know?

• Can too little sex increase my risk of prostate cancer?

• The canary in the coal mine for men's health

• Important screenings every man should have

• How a plant-based lifestyle can strengthen your odds against chronic disease

About Dr. Aaron Spitz

Dr. Aaron Spitz is a nationally recognized expert on men's health, a lead delegate of America’s Urologists to the American Medical Association, and the author of The Penis Book. He was also prominently featured in The Game Changers for one of the most eye-popping scenes that left audiences howling and men and women wanting to know more!

Dr. Spitz discusses "the canary in the coal mine" for men, symptoms that must be treated urgently, and how to preserve sexual longevity while warding off taking the little blue pill.

About Dr. Brian Asbill

Dr. Brian Asbill is a cardiologist and the first physician in the world to be certified in lifestyle medicine by the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. Dr. Asbill will discuss how lifestyle can fight back against heart disease, the important screenings every man should request from his provider, and the warning signs that a cardiac event is likely.

Episode and PLANTSTRONG Resources:

Video Version of this Episode

PLANTSTRONG Episode Page

Dr. Brian Asbill Website - Ruckus Health

Dr. Aaron Spitz - The Penis Book

Download our Free PLANTSTRONG Holiday Meal Guide

PLANTSTRONG Website with all of our Resources to live PLANTSTRONG

Join the free PLANTSTRONG Community

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Welcome to PLANTSTRONG Snackables, a bite-sized podcast where host, Rip Esselstyn dishes on all things plants!

Today's guest is Brenda Reed, longtime PLANTSTRONG Team Member and in-house culinary expert for PLANTSTRONG foods and events.

Brenda is responsible for many of the recipes at our live events and on the PLANTSTRONG Meal Planner. Today, she and Rip talk soups and, specifically, how to elevate your own cooking and flavor profile with our new broths and soups. 

Key Takeaways:

• Origins of the word, “soup”

• 3 Principles of Building Your Soups

• Brenda and Rip's Go-To Soups for Family and Friends

• How Chef Brenda Used our new PLANTSTRONG Broths to Create Recipes for Every Taste and Cuisine

• How to Download Free Recipes on All of our Broth Boxes with the QR Code

• Some of Brenda's Favorite "Sparks" to Level Up the Health and Flavor Profile

• Through November — $1.00

'Tis the season for soups and PLANTSTRONG is here to help you create tasty, nutritious, and filling meals for you and your loved ones.

Episode Resources

• Watch the Episode on YouTube

• Visit the Episode Page at plantstrongpodcast.com

• Register for our November 14th Rip's Rescue - all about Men's Health - "Have a Change of Heart" with Dr. Aaron Spitz and Dr. Brian Asbill

• Get the FREE Recipes from Today's Episode - including Bangin' Bok Choy, Veggie Paella, and more

• Now Available! PLANTSTRONG Broths and Soups Delivered Directly to You!  PLANTSTRONGFOODS.com 

• Click here for all PLANTSTRONG Resources, including books, recipes, and Rescue 10x Program

• Join the PLANTSTRONG Community

It has been two years since The Game Changers documentary debuted in the fall of 2019. Since then, an estimated 100 million people in more than 190 countries have watched the film, making it one of the most-watched documentaries of all time. In fact, it even gave birth to a phenomenon dubbed, “The Game Changers Effect” for the way it influenced eating behaviors across the globe.

Today, Rip revisits the film and talks about nutrition and performance with the Chief Science Advisor of The Game Changers, David Goldman. David was born for this role as a sports nutritionist and exercise physiologist because the takeaways of the film fall right at the intersection of performance, health, and the benefits of a plant-based diet.

Goldman was the one who crossed all of the “t’s” and dotted all of the “i’s” on the science and research behind the film, so if you’re looking to gain an edge in your performance while becoming a better steward of the environment, you’ll love this conversation.

It doesn’t matter if you’re training for a triathlon or seeking the energy to enjoy a day with your grandkids, becoming plantstrong is a true game-changer.

Key Takeaways:

• Protein - a plant-based performance conversation wouldn't be complete without a discussion on protein - the amount, need, and best ways of hitting those numbers

• Why David was born for this role as Chief Science Advisor of the film and what that entailed when piecing together the movie

• Supplements and vitamins - what does the average person need?

• Finding the self-discipline to stick with a whole-food, plant-based diet

• Why a diet that is predominantly plant-based is becoming optimal for athletes and those seeking an edge in performance

• The trickle-down effect for better longevity, overall health, and being stewards of the environment

About David Goldman, MS, RD, CSSD, CSCS

David Goldman, MS, RD, CSSD, CSCS is a sports nutritionist and exercise physiologist whose clients include collegiate, professional, and Olympic athletes. He was the Chief Science Advisor for The Game Changers Documentary

Episode Resources

Join us for the next Rip’s Rescue on Sunday, November 14th from 6:00-7:30 PM Eastern. This free educational event will share vital intel every man should know. (Women are welcome to attend, too!) Dr. Aaron Spitz and Dr. Brian Asbill will join me to discuss the “canary in the coal mine” for men’s health, symptoms that should never be ignored, and important screenings to schedule. Plus, we’ll dish on how eating more plants can help with nearly every health issue. Register for Free Here.

Watch the episode on YouTube

Episode Page

PLANTSTRONG Community

PLANTSTRONG Website and Resources

Game Changers Website and Film Resources

Theme Music for Episode

Promo Music "Your Love" by Atch

Welcome to PLANTSTRONG Snackables, a bite-sized podcast where host, Rip Esselstyn dishws on all things plants!

Today's guest is Ami Mackey, longtime PLANTSTRONG Team Member, Rescue10x Coach, and Curator of Creative Content.

As a health coach, Ami has heard every reason and excuse for not being able to sustain a plantstrong lifestyle: it’s too expensive, it’s too complicated, you can’t cook, you don’t like to follow recipes, you don’t have the time.

Today's episode outlines a lifestyle habit that is faster than a drive-through and, without a doubt, the easiest (and tastiest) way to eat and live PLANTSTRONG.

What is this magic bullet? BOWL BUILDING! If you've ever been to a salad bar, Chipotle, or even Subway, you already know the premise. Gather all of your favorite beans, grains, and greens, toss them in a bowl, add your favorite sparks, and enjoy your favorite meal - no measuring, no recipes, and no hassle. In no time, you'll have a gigantic bowl of your own creative PLANTSTRONG concoctions!

Episode Resources

• Watch the Episode on YouTube
• Visit the Episode Page for Resources and Materials

• Click here for all PLANTSTRONG Resources, including books, recipes, and Rescue 10x Program

• Join the PLANTSTRONG Community

Going to the Doctor is no fun, but when patients walk in to see Dr. Columbus Batiste, they are met with compassion, understanding, and genuine empathy.

Not only does he work with his patients with a team-based collaborative approach, but he also meets patients where they are at and explains health in a way that makes sense. As an Interventional Cardiologist (or “Plumber for the Heart” as he affectionately refers to himself), Doctor Batiste naturally treats disease with medical and surgical interventions, but he also works with his patients from a mental and emotional standpoint - emphasizing nutrition, stress reduction, and overall well-being.

Today's episode includes a description of real-life patient case studies and Dr. Batiste provides his initial assessments and recommendations for treatment. Perhaps you recognize yourself or a loved one in one of the patient profiles. If so, appreciate the feedback and advice and, as he says, ask yourself, "What is your want and desire? What are you willing to do or not do in order to improve your health?

The key takeaway from Dr. Batiste? It's OK to be S.E.L.F.I.S.H. in your desire for good health. Ready to feel a little selfish? We hope so!

About Dr. Columbus Batiste, MD, FACC, FSCAI

Columbus Batiste, MD, FACC, FSCAI, is the Chief of Cardiology at Kaiser Permanente Riverside and Moreno Valley Medical Centers. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine and fellowship in Cardiovascular Disease at Loma Linda University Medical Center. He is also known as the “Healthy Heart Doc” and he endorses a holistic approach to health care, emphasizing nutrition, stress reduction, and exercise.

Episode Resources

PLANTSTRONG Community

PLANTSTRONG Website and Resources

PLANTSTRONG Meal Planner - If you’d like to try our meal planner free for 14-days, use the code BACKTOSCHOOL to enjoy two weeks of free access. After the trial ends, membership is just $1.90 a week!

Dr. Batiste Website and Resources

Theme Music for Episode