The Rich Roll Podcast

Health isn't the absence of disease. It's a total state of physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and social wellbeing.

Frank Lipman, MD gets it. And today's conversation reflects this very ethos.

A leading trailblazer in Functional and Integrative Medicine, Frank began his training in his native South Africa. Disillusioned with the limitations of conventional medicine, he then spent 18 months working at clinics in the bush. Introduced to local traditional healers (sangomas) kindled an interest in non-traditional healing modalities, catalyzing a passion for combining the best of Western medicine with age-old Eastern techniques of healing, including acupuncture, Chinese medicine, herbal medicine, meditation, and yoga.

Today Frank treats patients holistically as the founder and director of Eleven Eleven Wellness Center in New York City. In addition, he is a New York Times best-selling author of six books: Total Renewal*, Revive*, The New Health Rules*, 10 Reasons You Feel Old and Get Fat* and Young and Slim for Life*.

His newest book is entitled How To Be Well*, a beautifully illustrated primer on improving and strengthening your resilience, functioning, and overall health.

This conversation expands the aperture on what is required to live truly well. It's about understanding food as the very building blocks of life. It's about the primacy of sleep and movement. It's about how to mitigate and prevent the invisible assaults of everyday toxins. It's about the importance of carving out time to unwind and reboot. And it's about our innate need to connect with each other in order to awaken and enhance a sense of belonging and meaning

But most of all, this is a conversation about the power we all have to take better control over the quality of our health and lives.

One caveat: Frank is not vegan or plant-based. Let's just say we don't exactly see eye to eye on everything. But we are great friends who extend a mutual respect for each other. We agree on the majority of things that contribute to wellness and disease. And we enjoy poking fun at each other over our differences.

If we want to advance the conversation on the future of health, there is something to be said for building bridges.

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It's easy to take risks when your back is against the wall.

But it's the rare individual that will continue to push the envelope, face fear and embrace the unknown when that person could choose to live without self-imposed obstacles.

Jesse Itzler is one such human.

After a barnburner appearance on the podcast back in 2015 (check RRP #197 if you missed it), the man who lives so far “out of the box” that there is no box returns for another stellar exchange that does not disappoint.

For those new to the show, this is a guy who fast-talked his way right out of college into a recording contract, ultimately taking his music all the way to MTV, the Billboard 100 and even an Emmy.

Jesse then takes a wild entrepreneurial left-turn, creating and ultimately selling big companies like Marquis Jet, the world’s largest prepaid private jet card company, and Zico Coconut Water, before wooing Spanx founder (and Shark Tank guest host) Sarah Blakely all the way to the altar.

Despite his tremendous success as a serial entrepreneur, Jesse started to feel his life stagnate. Desperate to avoid the malaise of risk adversity visited upon many a prosperous peer, he embarks on a hare-brained scheme to invite adventure back into his life by convincing Navy SEAL David Goggins — the most popular episode in the history of this show — to move in with him. David relents on one condition: that Jesse comply with David's every demand, no matter how severe. The insanity that ensues is hilariously chronicled in Living With A SEAL, Jesse's well deserved New York Times bestseller.

He eats only fruit before noon. He runs 100 mile races. He raises millions for charity. And when he isn't playing super dad to his four kids (check his Instagram stories for daily dad episodes), he's an in demand motivational speaker (check out his TEDx Talk) who just happens to own the Atlanta Hawks NBA franchise with a few friends. No biggie.

So the question is: how does this guy have such an extraordinary life?

Jesse boils it down to one singular mission statement:

Live life full blast. Never be afraid to fail. And never, ever allow yourself to stagnate.

Enjoy!

Rich

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This episode marks the first installment of Guru Corner — a spiritual version of my popular Coach's Corner series featuring my favorite teacher on all things mystic, metaphysical and ethereal, Guru Singh.

For those new to the show, imagine a modern-day Gandalf who rocks like Hendrix while dropping pearls of wisdom that beautifully fuse Eastern mysticism with Western pragmatism.

A celebrated third-generation Sikh yogi, master spiritual teacher, author, and musician, for the past 40 years Guru Singh has been studying and teaching Kundalini Yoga. He is the author of several books, a powerful lecturer, and behind-the-scenes guide to many a luminary, including Fortune 500 CEOs, athletes, and artists.

A peer of rock legends like Janis Joplin and the Grateful Dead, Guru Singh is also a supremely talented musician who began his recording career on Warner Bros’ Reprise label in the 1960s. When he isn’t recording tracks with people like Seal, he’s bringing down the house on the daily at Yoga West, his Los Angeles home base.

Today's conversation is intimate exploration into cultivating compassion, developing discernment, embracing our divinity, and ultimately expanding our capacity to do what we are here to do – to love ourselves and love others to the best of our abilities.

We discuss the root of psychic and emotional pain and the nature of violence. We imagine new educational modalities for future generations. We dive deep into the power of group consciousness to drive cultural change.

And we consider the importance of maturing the social infantilism of our emotional infrastructure as a social imperative.

Over the last couple years, I have grown quite close with Guru Singh, a beautiful and highly relatable consciousness I’m proud to call friend, family and mentor. It’s a privilege to share more of his powerful wisdom with you today.

My hope is that this conversation will empower you to more deeply invest in the development of your conscious awareness, personal boundaries, and spiritual growth.

Because, to quote Guru Singh, life is not about controlling the outside world, it's about mastering perceptions from the inside.

Note: If you missed our initial two conversations, you can find them here and here.

Another Note: We recorded this episode back in mid-February, so the topical events we discuss are not quite as current as they were on the date of the conversation. Nonetheless, the wisdom remains timeless.

Final Final Note: The visually inclined can watch our conversation on YouTube at: http://bit.ly/gurucorner1 (just make sure to subscribe!)

Let the master class begin.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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When it comes to longevity, the goal isn’t just to live as long as possible.

The true objective is to live as vibrantly and energetically as possible for as long as possible.

So how exactly do we do this?

Valter Longo, Ph.D. has devoted his life to answering this question. Along the way, his groundbreaking discoveries hold the potential to change your life in truly dramatic fashion.

One of the world's leading scientific authorities on the subject of longevity, Dr. Longo is an expert in gerontology and biological science as well as the Director of the USC Longevity Institute and the Program on Longevity and Cancer at IFOM in Milan, both of which focus on developing a better scientific understanding of the fundamental mechanisms of aging, disease and, of course, longevity.

In addition, Dr. Longo is the author of an extraordinary new book entitled, The Longevity Diet*. The culmination of 25 years of research on aging, nutrition and disease across the globe, it provides an easy-to-understand, accessible and implementable road map to living to living well longer through improved nutrition.

What differentiates Dr. Longo from many of his peers is that his focus is not purely academic, but practical. From his exhaustive research on aging in both mice and humans, he has created specific diet and lifestyle protocols scientifically proven to active stem cells; promote organ regeneration and rejuvenation; reduce the risk for diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer’s and heart disease; and ultimately extend that which we all seek: lifespan.

As discussed at length over the course of our almost 2-hour exchange, Dr. Longo's specific longevity prescription entails a daily diet regimen based on a studied group of centenarians (think Blue Zones). He then combines this with a periodic 5-day fasting protocol called the Fasting Mimicking Diet (undertaken 3-4 times per year), designed to reap the benefits of a true calorie free fast while still nourishing the body daily.

This is a powerful conversation the explores all of the foregoing. It's about what promotes longevity and what undermines it. Separating truth from misconception, it's exploration of the benefits of fasting and the science that supports it. And it's a primer on the optimal lifestyle protocols you can employ in your every day life to live well and long.

Break out pen and paper because you're going to want to take notes on this one.

It's an honor and a privilege to share Dr. Longo's experience with you — one of my most important podcasts to date.

I sincerely hope you not only enjoy the exchange, but employ his wisdom for your long-term well-being.

Because we all deserve to live our best life.

For the visually inclined, you can watch our conversation on YouTube at: http://bit.ly/richandvalter

If you are enjoying the video versions of the show, do me a favor and subscribe!

I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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What are the consistent behavioral themes across the spectrum of high performing athletes, entrepreneurs, artists, and change makers?

Is there a common thread connecting those who change how we understand how the world works?

Dr. Michael Gervais has devoted his life to answering these questions.

A high performance psychologist working in the trenches of high-stakes environments, Michael lives and breathes in that special place where there is no luxury for mistakes, hesitation, or failure to respond.

His clientele include the elite of the elite – the world's most prolific Olympic, professional, and extreme athletes. MVPs in every major sport. High level military. Internationally acclaimed artists and musicians. And Fortune 100 CEO’s.

You might recall Dr. Gervais as the guy Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll credits as integral to their 2014 Super Bowl win. The meditation, mindfulness and other crucial team building techniques Michael helped foster and instill into the fabric of that organization paved the team’s path towards incredible success.

You might also remember that Felix Baumgartner’s now-infamous Red Bull Stratos jump from an altitude of 128,000 feet almost never was simply because Felix simply could not overcome the high level of anxiety and claustrophobia he experienced every time he donned the jump suit. It was Dr. Gervais who helped Baumagartner resolve the issue and get Stratos back on track. No Gervais, no history making jump.

Michael is also the man behind skydiver Luke Aikins, who astonished the world by becoming the first to jump from a plane at 25,000 feet without a parachute or wingsuit and live to tell the story.

A published, peer-reviewed author and recognized speaker on optimal human performance, Michael has been featured by CNN, The Wall Street Journal, ESPN, NBC, NFL Network, Red Bull TV, Extra, The Huffington Post, Outside Magazine.

This is a long way of saying that Dr. Gervais is the man.

While Michael's roster includes the world’s most elite, he is about so much more than high performance athletes.

Everyone is required to perform daily. We all navigate our own high stakes environments. And everybody can benefit with the right mindset training. Towards this end, Michael committed to scaling the principles that drive high performance for the betterment of all. He shares his wisdom and experience each week on his Finding Mastery podcast (subscribe immediately) and works intimately with organizations both big and small through Compete To Create, the consulting firm he co-founded with Coach Carroll.

A man I consider friend and mentor, Michael is one of my very favorite people. Today we convene for a crossover episode — his third conversation on this podcast and my third appearance on his show — focused on the tools and practices required to transcend self-imposed limitations.

Enjoy!

Rich

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Fundamentally, I'm a people pleaser.

It took years of sobriety before I realized this is more character defect than positive attribute. I continue to struggle with it often.

Kurt Sutter doesn't have this problem.

A writer, actor, director, and long-time loyal friend, Kurt is a man utterly unafraid to be exactly who he is — a passionate artist committed to his creative vision for both life and art.

Kurt's description of his upbringing is vintage Sutter:

Raised in the shadow of Rahway prison, Kurt spent most of his New Jersey childhood indoors, away from people, three feet from a TV screen. That's where he learned the essentials of storytelling and the comic significance of anvils.

Anvils aside, you most likely know Kurt as the creator, head writer and showrunner of Sons of Anarchy, the critically acclaimed outlaw motorcycle club psychodrama with a fanbase so rabid, it became the biggest hit television show in the FX network’s history.

After humble beginnings performing off-off-Broadway in theatres, lofts and (in his words) holding cells (more vintage Sutter), Kurt caught his first major break in 2001, booking a staff writer gig on FX's The Shield, where he spent the next seven years mastering the fundamentals of fearless television storytelling and rising up the ranks to graduate as one of the show's coveted Executive Producers.

Then came Sons. A seven-year, Shakespearean eruption of vigilantism, government corruption, racism, loyalty and human transformation, the show struck an immediate cultural nerve, cementing itself in the zeitgeist and skyrocketing Kurt to Hollywood's A-list.

Kurt's creative output is impressive. Beyond Sons, Kurt penned Southpaw, a gritty feature-length boxing drama originally written for Eminem that ultimately starred Jake Gyllenhaal. He created The Bastard Executioner, a historical drama that ran for one season of FX, and a comic book mini-series called Lucas Stand. Mayans MC, Kurt's third television drama for FX, is set to debut soon. And this list doesn't even include Kurt's many feature projects currently in development.

A self-described misanthrope, let's just say Kurt has a penchant for unapologetically speaking his mind — a disposition at odds with Hollywood etiquette that has resulted in more than a few skirmishes.

But the Kurt I know — the Kurt I have been friends with for well over a decade – is a man quite apart from the reputation that often precedes him. He's a family man. A husband and father of three children. A great friend. An example of selfless service. And an extraordinary artist.

It may sound like a Cinderella story. But success for Kurt didn't come easy. And it didn't come early. Overweight throughout his youth, he once tipped the scale at 400 pounds. Then came the drugs and alcohol — a battle he very nearly lost.

It's a helluva ride. Today, we get into all of it.

For the visually inclined, you can watch the conversation on YouTube at: http://bit.ly/richandkurt.

If you are enjoying the video versions of the show, do me a favor and subscribe!

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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It’s so easy to get comfortable. To accept life as it is. To kick back — and just settle.

Luxury and ease are what we are taught to seek. But it's actually at odds with the vitality and fulfillment most desire. My experience is that life gets interesting when you have the courage, strength and fortitude to step outside your comfort zone, face a little fear and test your limits.

Because extending your boundaries strips away the non-essential, and shows you exactly who you really are.

Fail or succeed, this is where all the magic happens. The growth. And a life fueled by purpose and passion.

Today we explore these themes with North Face athlete Hilaree Nelson, one of the world's most accomplished adventure athletes.

Named one of National Geographic’s 2018 Adventurers of the Year, Hilaree specializes in ski-mountaineering — a discipline that involves huge and often technical mountain ascents either on skis or carrying them, then descending said peaks on skis.

Over the course of her storied career, Hilaree has conquered some of the most exotic and treacherous mountain ranges on Earth. Among her many accomplishments:

* the first woman to climb both Everest and its 8,000-meter neighbor, Lhotse, in a 24-hour period

* the first person to ski down all five of the Mongolian Altai’s “Holy Peaks”

* skied from the Himalayan summit of Cho Oyu in Tibet

* summited peaks and volcanoes in remote locations across Russia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Bolivia, Argentina, Lebanon & Tibet

I first came across Hilaree by way of Down To Nothing, a stunning documentary by Renan Ozturk that chronicles a 2014 National Geographic expedition to be the first to ascend the summit of Hkakabo Razi in Myanmar to determine if it is indeed Southeast Asia’s highest point. It’s a gorgeous and gripping glimpse of Hilaree’s skill and tenacity in the face of a uniquely extraordinary challenge.

This is her story.

It’s an incredible conversation about fear, risk resilience, adventure and potential. It’s about balancing the pull of adventure against her responsibilities as a single mom to two boys. It’s about the allure of the outdoors.

But mostly, this is an exchange about the virtues of placing yourself outside that comfort zone – and what that can teach us about potential. The preciousness of life. And what it means to be truly alive.

Hilaree is a badass. It's a pleasure to share her experience. And I sincerely hope it inspires you to seek more adventure in your life.

For the visually inclined, you can watch the conversation on YouTube at: http://bit.ly/richandhilaree

If you are enjoying the video versions of the show, do me a favor and subscribe!

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Let's be clear: just because you're vegan doesn't mean you're healthy.

To be sure, for so many reasons, eating animal free is awesome. But it's not a wellness panacea. Oreo cookies and Lay's potato chips are vegan. Unless your diet is liberated from the growing abundance of refined and highly processed processed foods, you're prone to confront the same weight management issues and chronic lifestyle illnesses that plague the average consumer subsisting on the standard American diet.

Just ask Chef AJ. A vegan chef for almost 40 years, she nonetheless struggled mightily with obesity for decades — prisoner to an addiction to processed snacks, refined sugar desserts, and an array of vegan junk foods that left her not only chronically overweight, but seriously unwell.

AJ's salvation came only when she finally became willing to confront her unhealthy relationship with food as a true addiction. It's a journey that required her to completely let go of habits that no longer served her, accept help, and embrace an entirely new relationship with food in the form of a whole foods, plant-based lifestyle.

This is her story — an inspiring tale of triumph and personal transformation that will leave you rethinking your own habits. Enabled with the tools required to achieve and maintain your optimal body weight. And empowered to live your best life.

A former comedian, today Chef AJ is a renown plant-based chef, culinary instructor, public speaker and member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine with a certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition from Cornell University.

An expert in food addiction, emotional eating and creating meals to transform health, AJ is the host of the television series Healthy Living with Chef AJ and has appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Late Show with David Letterman and more. In addition, she is author of Unprocessed: How to Achieve Vibrant Health and Your Ideal Weight*. Her latest book, The Secrets To Ultimate Weight Loss* comes out soon (release date TBA).

Full of life, AJ is one of my favorite health warriors, totally committed to serving others. Picking up where we left off in RRP #56 way back in 2013, this conversation is a must listen for anyone who struggles with food addiction, unhealthy cravings and a fluctuating waistline.

As impactful as it is entertaining, it's an exchange about the often under-addressed emotional aspects of eating. It's about the hows and whys behind empowering a new relationship with food. And it's about the joy, vitality and self-esteem that can be experienced by breaking the chains of food addiction.

I sincerely hope you enjoy this interaction as much as I enjoyed having it.

More importantly, my hope is that you put AJ's insights to work — because if she can do it, you can too.

A reminder that the podcast is also viewable on YouTube here: http://bit.ly/chefajrrp

Enjoy!

Rich

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What exactly does it take to become an Olympic legend?

Every elite athlete is devoted to mastering their craft. Some even strike gold on the world's largest stage. And every once in a while, we witness standout performances in consecutive Olympiads. But it's the rare specimen that can compete at the very highest level of sport across three Olympic Games to retire a legend.

Meet Michael Klim.

Awarded the medal of the Order of Australia (sort of like being knighted), Michael is indisputably one of Australia's most famous and celebrated athletes in a land that revers competitive swimming. A three-time Olympian with a slew of World Records, Olympic Gold Medals and World Championship titles to his name, he was part of a star-studded group of swimmers that took Australia back to the top of swimming in the late 1990’s & aughts — a group that included standouts like Ian Thorpe, Grant Hackett, Keiren Perkins, Leisel Jones, Libby Trickett, Stephanie Rice, and Susie O’Neill.

One of the stars of the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Michael is perhaps best known as instrumental in Australia’s thrilling 4x100m relay victory, unleashing a world record lead off swim to win his first gold on the first night. Michael’s achievements also include:

* '96 Atlanta Olympics: Bronze, 4x100m Medley Relay

* '98 World Championships: 4 Gold, 2 Silver, 1 Bronze

* '99: 2 World Records (100m Butterfly)

* '00 Sydney Olympics: 2 Gold, 2 Silver & 2 World Records

* '01 World Championships: 2 Gold & 1 World Record

* '04 Athens Olympics: 1 Silver

* '07 World Championships: 1 Gold

Quite the successful entrepreneur after hanging up his budgie smugglers (see the Cambridge Dictionary definition), Michael is now the founder and managing director of a skin care line called Milk & Co. and conducts life optimization retreats under the banner Chosen Experiences.

This is a conversation about Michael's extraordinary life as a lauded athlete, entrepreneur and parent.

We cover his mental and physical success equation: the hows and whys behind his ascension to the very peak of elite Olympic performance. What was required of him to not just win, but keep winning. We discuss how he approaches high pressure scenarios. We cover his approach to remaining fit and how he parents his children. And we conclude with how he transitioned from decorated Olympian to successful entrepreneur — a pivot most professional athletes struggle with upon retirement.

But most of all, this is a conversation about what is required to live a life of mastery, with more than a few critical takeaways you can implement into your own life.

A personal hero of mine for as long as I can recall, I followed Michael's journey from the beginning. So it was a thrill for me to finally connect with him for this deep dive into his career and what makes him tick.

I sincerely hope you enjoy the conversation.

Full video version >>> http://bit.ly/klimvideo

If you are enjoying the video versions of the podcast, please subscribe!

Peace, Plants & Pools!

Rich

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Do you think a healthy vegan lifestyle means giving up your favorite creamy pastas and cheesy pizzas?

Think again.

Today I sit down with Julie Piatt – mi amore in life, parenting, and service — for a two-part podcast.

First up is everything you need to know about our brand new, super awesome cookbook & lifestyle guide, The Plantpower Way: Italia: Delicious Vegan Recipes from the Italian Countryside* — hitting bookstores everywhere next week.

Shifting gears, Julie and I then turn our attention on relationships. It's a look into how we've maintained our 20-year partnership in life and work, and what can be mined from our experience to deepen intimacy with your amore.

THE PLANTPOWER WAY: ITALIA — GIVEAWAY

Inspired by our annual retreats in Tuscany, our follow up to The Plantpower Way* pays homage to Italy's rich food history with an extraordinary collection of 125 delicious, nutritious and entirely plant-based Italian recipes animated by the country's most popular and time-honored dishes. Filled with fresh vegan takes on Italian staples, inventive new recipes, and stunning photographs of the Italian countryside, this book — we call it Italian 2.0 — is our celebration of Italy's most delicious flavors and will show everyone a fresh, beautiful, and healthful side to Italian cooking.

This book is a labor of love. It's a family affair. It's a book you'll use daily. A book you will give as a gift and proudly display on your coffee table for friends to peruse.

But most of all, it's a book that could change your life.

And we simply cannot wait to finally share it with you.

Pre-order sales are super important to the books ultimate viability, as they heavily influence retail purchaser demand and visibility. So if this sounds like a book for you, then it would mean a great deal to Julie and me if you would entrust us with a pre-order purchase from Amazon*,Barnes & Noble*,Target* or your favorite independent bookseller.

Pick one up for yourself. For a relative in need. Or in anticipation of your friend's impending birthday.

To close, understand that greater health is always within your grasp.

So take our hand.

And make the leap.

Because there is a better way.

Enjoy!

Rich

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There is nothing more powerful than a story well told.

Built into the very fabric of what makes us human, this ancient art holds the power to transform not just the individual but humanity at large.

Nobody understands this better than Tom Scott – a man devoted to the idea that when curiosity, conversation and community converge, the world indeed becomes a better place.

A graduate of Brown University with a Masters of Divinity from Yale, Tom is perhaps best known as the co-founder and original CEO of Nantucket Nectars. Founded in 1989 — long before it was cool to be a start-up founder — the fruit juice venture quickly grew to national prominence, making the “Inc. 500” list of fastest growing U.S. companies five years in a row and garnering Tom accolades, including the Mercury Award for Advertising and Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year award.

After selling Nantucket Nectars in 2002, Tom reinvented himself as a film and television producer. In 2004 he formed Plum TV, which owned and operated a network of stations around the country and received more than 14 Emmy awards. He produced television ads for companies like Nike and BMW. He created and produced the HBO series The Neistat Brothers with 3-time podcast guest Casey Neistat. And in 2010 he won an Independent Spirit Award for producing the feature-length film Daddy Longlegs (also with Casey).

Tom’s current passion is The Nantucket Project. Akin to TED but much more intimate, TNP is both an annual event and a movement — gatherings large and small (plus a new podcast, The Neighborhood Project) that bring together thought leaders across a wide range of disciplines to explore the most relevant, cutting-edge ideas and the implications such ideas pose for the betterment of culture, society and business.

I have known Tom since 7th grade. We attended junior high and high school together. These were not my favorite times, so it was incredibly healing to revisit that era with someone who was there. We discuss Tom's entrepreneurial success. What he aims to achieve with The Nantucket Project. And the power of story to inspire wonder, cultivate community, ignite change, and unite us in this most divided time.

I've been waiting 30 years to have this conversation. Honest, intimate and personally meaningful, it's exactly the exchange I always hoped it would be.

You're in for a treat. Enjoy!

For the visually inclined, the podcast is viewable on YouTube here: http://bit.ly/tomscottandrich

If you are enjoying the video versions of the podcast, please subscribe!

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Let’s talk about limits.

What is your true ceiling? How do you frame the outer edge of your capabilities?

Are these checks and balances truth? or are they just beliefs you accept as fact?

How you answer these questions have profound implications not only on your perception of potential, but on virtually every significant decision you make, the challenges you agree to tackle and ultimately how you view yourself and the world you inhabit.

Today's conversation asks us to rethink such restrictions — both self-imposed and external — suggesting that we are all capable of so much more than we allow ourselves to believe. That, in a word, each and every one of us holds the power to transcend our sense of what is truly possible.

Because according to this week's guest, limits are an illusion.

Meet Alex Hutchinson.

A National Magazine Award-winning journalist, Alex began his career as a physicist, putting his University of Cambridge Ph.D to work as a researcher for the U.S. National Security Agency. A two-time finalist in the 1,500 meters at the Canadian Olympic Trials, Alex spent his free time during the NSA years training and competing as a middle- and long-distance runner for the Canadian national team. By this I mean he is a good runner. Very good.

Alex subsequently received a masters in journalism from Columbia University and today he writes about the science of endurance for Runner’s World and Outside, while frequently contributing to little-known publications like the New York Times, The New Yorker and Toronto's Globe and Mail. FiveThirtyEight recently named him one of their “favorite running science geeks” and he was also one of only two reporters granted access to cover Breaking2 — Nike’s top secret training project to break the two-hour marathon barrier.

I have been a fan and avid reader of Alex's writing over the last few years. But what inspired me to invite him on the podcast is his phenomenal new book, Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance*. A page-turning must read, it blends cutting edge science and incredible storytelling in the spirit of Malcolm Gladwell (who penned the foreword) to suggest the seemingly physical barriers we encounter when tackling a challenge are set as much by the brain as by the body.

In other words, the horizons of performance are much more elastic than we once thought.

Indeed, the new frontier of endurance is not the body, but the mind.

Borne from a decade of intensive research shadowing elite athletes and traveling to high-tech labs around the world, this conversation with Alex beckons us to better understand and ultimately more fully express express our innate abilities. And it's a roadmap laden with strategies, techniques and tools to manifest that untapped potential lurking within.

Alex's examination of limits is not restricted to physical performance. Defined broadly as “the struggle to continue against a mounting desire to stop,” Alex suggests that endurance is best understood as surprisingly universal, applicable to essentially every challenge we face, be it athletic, academic, professional or emotional.

So even if you are not an athlete, my hope is that this conversation and the book that inspired it will leave you rethinking your limits, so that you may reach higher, push farther, and ultimately become better in whatever discipline you are devoted to mastering.

I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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He grew up in poverty. His childhood was marred by savage abuse. Violence soon followed. And it wasn't long before the prison doors slammed shut.

His future, it seemed, was cemented.

But Frank Shamrock didn't just find a way out. He transformed himself wholesale.

This is his story.

As unimaginable as it is inspiring, it's a tale about the fortitude required to face a set of circumstances so dire, a state of affairs so poisonous, it would have buried the best of us. Instead, Frank prevailed. With the support of the father that adopted him, he ultimately transcended inconceivable obstacles to emerge as one of the world's greatest mixed martial arts fighters — a heroic pioneer of modern combat sports.

Dubbed The Legend during the emergent era of MMA, a time in which there were no gloves, no weight classes and basically no rules, Frank was the first true breakout champion and widely considered the sport’s first complete mixed martial arts fighter. He was the world’s first UFC Middleweight Champion. He was the first Mexican-American MMA Champion. And when the dust settled, he walked away from his career with four world titles, two world records (for the fastest championship victories in history) and the only athlete in sports history to win every major league title in MMA.

Post-retirement, Frank has had successful runs as a fight commentator, a fight promoter, a UFC and Strikeforce spokesperson, a public speaker, an entrepreneur, a mentor, a philanthropist, and the author of two books, Mixed Martial Arts for Dummies* and his memoir, Uncaged: My Life as a Champion MMA Fighter* (with a foreword by Mickey Rourke).

Frank's accomplishments in the cage are amazing. But what is far more compelling is the extraordinary journey he undertook to overcome his past.

This a conversation about that journey. It's about how he did it, and what can be gleaned from his experience that can inform how we perceive and approach our own limiters, both external and internal, to achieve our potential in any area of life, irrespective of circumstances.

Frank calls it the Shamrock Way. I call it unleashing your best, most authentic self.

You can call it whatever you like. I ask only that you listen with an open heart.

Podcast is also viewable on YouTube here.

I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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We all want to be happy.

So why is it so elusive?

The problem isn’t information. We all know our contentedness is linked to eating right, sleeping well and surrounding ourselves with those who elevate. We get the importance of confronting our emotional challenges. We're well aware that life is better when we cultivate gratitude and serve others.

And yes, we know we should meditate.

The science is clear. The evidence is in. And yet for so many, the gap between information and action is an impossibly untraversable canyon.

Perhaps you resist the traditional trappings that swirl around the idea of meditation — the robes and incense a bridge too far. Maybe you can't get your legs to perfectly fold, monk-like, without cramping. You decided you just don't have the time. Or perchance you tried it, only to give up because you just couldn't get your looping mind to shut off, convinced meditation is just not for you.

Relax. You're not alone.

But today's guest poses an important question: What if the problem isn’t meditation itself, but your approach? In other words, what if it were easy?

Meet Light Watkins.

Beyond having the coolest name of all time, I would characterize Light as a generous, highly accessible and contemplative entrepreneur of mindfulness. Always convivial, impressively composed, and quick with a laugh, he has been practicing and teaching Vedic Meditation for twenty years. Among his thousands of students you will find bankers, artists, politicians, CEOs, care takers, educators, comedians, rock stars, soccer moms and seekers of all kinds.

An active blogger and in demand public speaker (check out his TEDx Talk), he's also the founder of The Shine — a volunteer-based, pop-up traveling variety show that leverages music, film, philanthropy and storytelling to inspire people to do more, give more, and be more.

In addition, Light recently penned a new book entitled, Bliss More* — an accessible primer that does a bang-up job of dispelling the many myths and misunderstandings that swirl around meditation with a very grounded approach and practical tools that will inspire you to finally adopt that daily practice that has to date, eluded you.

So let's put all those myths and misunderstandings to bed, once and for all.

Because we can all use a little more bliss in our lives.

And we all deserve to be happy.

Watch & Subscribe on YouTube: http://bit.ly/lightwatkinsrrp

I sincerely hope you enjoy this exchange with one of my very favorite people.

One final note — for more on Light and his background, check out our first conversation, RRP #172 back in August 2015.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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The way we navigate our inner world – our everyday thoughts, emotions, and self-stories – is the single most important determinant of our life success. It drives our actions, careers, relationships, happiness, health; everything. For example: Do we let our self-doubts, failings, shame, fear, or anger hold us back? Can we be determined, persevering toward key life goals, but just as importantly, have the insight and courage to recognize when these goals are not serving us, and adapt?

According to this week's guest, the key to successfully navigating our inner world isn't immunizing ourselves against stress and setbacks. And it doesn't involve ignoring uncomfortable feelings. Instead, it's developing something called emotional agility – the teachable ability to confront difficult emotions, gain critical self-insight from these feelings, and ultimately use this newfound awareness to adaptively align our values with our actions and make changes to bring the best of ourselves forward.

A pioneer in her field, Susan David, Ph.D is an award-winning psychologist on faculty at Harvard Medical School, CEO of Evidence Based Psychology and co-founder of the Institute of Coaching (an affiliate of Harvard Medical School). She also serves on the Scientific Advisory Boards of both Thrive Global and Virgin Pulse.

In addition, Susan is the author of the #1 Wall Street Journal bestseller, Emotional Agility: Get Unstuck, Embrace Change, and Thrive in Work and Life*. Based on a concept Harvard Business Review heralded as a Management Idea of the Year, it's a powerful roadmap for real behavioral change — a new way of acting that will help you to reincorporate your most troubling feelings as a source of energy and creativity, and live your most successful life whoever you are and whatever you face.

Susan is a frequent contributor to the Harvard Business Review, New York Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal. She is a sought-after speaker and consultant, with clients that include the World Economic Forum, the United Nations, Google, Microsoft, NASDAQ, and many others.

If you are new to Susan, start with her moving TED Talk, The Gift and Power of Emotional Courage. A viral sensation and the inspiration for me seeking her out for the podcast, it's accumulated almost 2 million views in the month since it's online publication.

This is a conversation about Susan’s life growing up in a South Africa divided by Apartheid, and how this experience informs her work today.

It’s about how and why our emotional landscape, the everyday thoughts and stories we often hide from the world and oftentimes ourselves, are the single most important determinant of life success. And why navigating life’s twists and turns with self-acceptance, clear-sightedness, and an open mind leads to empowerment and agency.

It's about why we must overcome the urge to ignore difficult emotions and behaviors to instead face them willingly, as a neutral observer, with curiosity and kindness.

It's about identifying your core values as a path to willpower, resilience and effectiveness.

And it's about how developing this skill called emotional agility – essentially mastery over our emotions, thoughts and stories — can benefit not just ourselves but our children, helping even our youngest become better problem solvers.

Enjoy!

Rich

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We tend to think Olympic athletes live perfect, charmed lives. Genetically gifted, they inhabit a world beyond mortal challenges — physical specimens oozing talent so rare, it effortlessly skyrockets them onto the global stage.

I would stridently challenge such a notion. I don't think that is the experience of any Olympian. And it’s definitely not the experience of this week’s guest – an Olympic silver medalist with an almost unbelievably improbable story. A very human story of struggle and pain that underpins her athletic accomplishments, fueling them with a fundamental sense of purpose and meaning.

A 7-time U.S. National Champion, former world record holder and two-time Pan American gold medal winner in track cycling, Dotsie Bausch earned silver in team pursuit at the 2012 London Olympics. Not only was she a long-time vegetarian at that time (she’s now vegan), she was almost 40 years old when she won that medal – the oldest ever in her discipline and one of the oldest athletes to ever compete in an Olympic Games.

Dotsie's accomplishments are extraordinary. But more remarkable is the hard-fought road this exceptional athlete trudged to achieve such heights. Because Dotsie's greatest achievement isn't athletic. Her biggest victory is the battle won to resurrect her life from the depths of an eating disorder so severe, it very nearly claimed her life.

Now retired, Dotsie is a public speaker (check out her TEDx Talk, Olympic Level Compassion), a mentor to aspiring female professional cyclists, and a color commentator for NBC Sports. But most importantly, she is a role model for women and men around the world in their battle to return to healthy eating and living habits as an ambassador for The National Eating Disorders Association.

I know Dotsie through the vegan athlete world as a staunch advocate for animal rights and the health benefits of plant-based eating for health and performance. She is also the force behind a recent anti-dairy commercial that aired during the closing ceremonies of the recent PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games. Entitled Switch 4 Good, think of it as an anti- “Got Milk” campaign featuring an array of former Olympic athletes.

Disordered eating is a subject I have been wanting to explore on this podcast for quite some time. I just needed the right guest. Dotsie delivers. Her experience as both a sufferer and survivor of this surprisingly common malady is as powerful as it is instructive.

This is a conversation about facing and overcoming a disease that affects up to 30 million Americans and 70 million individuals worldwide. A disease so formidable, it drove Dotsie to a suicide attempt.

It’s an exchange about the bewildering nature of that disorder and the process she undertook to rebuild her life – from fashion model to athlete. It’s a conversation about her most unlikely route to Olympic glory. It’s about eating plant-based for performance. And it’s about advocacy – what it means to live in service to your ideals.

If you suffer from an eating disorder or know someone who does, this is appointment listening. Towards that end, Dotsie conducts a free mentorship program for those in need. Her door is open to any and all reaching out for help. To contact her, click here.

Delightful, engaging and strong, I adore Dotsie. I love this conversation. I hope you do too.

Watch & Subscribe on YouTube: http://bit.ly/dotsierrp

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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You know that warm, fuzzy feeling you get when two people you love, respect, and admire combine their considerable talents to create a work that exceeds the sum of it's parts?

That’s the feeling I have right now.

This week I'm proud to share a conversation with two friends, each of whom have graced the show in the past — filmmaker Andrew Morgan and faith provocateur Rob Bell.

Several years ago, Andrew approached Rob with an idea to make a film about the former mega-church pastor's life and work. Rob agreed, ultimately granting Andrew unprecedented access to his world on one condition — Rob would have zero editorial input or approval over any aspect of the creative collusion.

The result is the recently released documentary, The Heretic* – a behind-the-curtain deep dive into one of the most compelling and polarizing figures in modern day Christianity. With appearances by comedian Pete Holmes and author Elizabeth Gilbert, the film follows Rob over several years as he challenges deeply held conservative ideals while grappling with some of the most important questions of our time: Can faith and science coexist, or do belief and progress stand in opposition? Is religion insufficient for explaining the complexity of our modern world, or does it give language to something even greater? And do spiritual traditions simply serve to further divide our world, or can they offer real help and hope for a better tomorrow?

Today we tackle all of it.

An internationally recognized filmmaker devoted to telling socially conscious stories for a better tomorrow, Andrew Morgan first graced the podcast back in July 2016 (RRP #236) to discuss his beautiful and heartbreaking documentary The True Cost*. Premiering at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival, it’s a movie about the untold story of fashion. It’s about the clothes we wear, the people who make them, and the impact the garment industry is having on human rights and the world we share.

His experience includes a broad range of work that spans narrative and documentary storytelling for multiple film and new media projects that have been filmed and released all over the world. The New York Times described his unique style as “gentle, humane investigations” and Vogue Magazine wrote that it is “evidence that each of us can act as a catalyst for change within our own lives and work together towards a greater good.”

An anti-establishment pastor making an indelible cultural impact on how we think and practice religion in the modern world, Rob Bell first appeared on the podcast in October 2016 (RRP #251). A former mega-church pastor who broke ranks with the formal church institutions and ideologies, he is an independent-minded, creative force of nature with what I would describe as a radically inclusive — almost punk rock —perspective on faith, divinity, and what it means to be human.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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What if I told you that a vast number of physical maladies are caused by inflammation, the bodyʼs immune response to a multitude of stressors. The good news? If you lose the stress — hormonal, dietary, environmental, and psychological — you remove the root cause of illness.

This is but one of many fascinating ideas proffered by Zach Bush, MD – in my opinion one of the most compelling medical minds currently working to improve our understanding of human health.

The founder and current director of M Clinic in Virginia, Dr. Bush was President of his medical school class at the University of Colorado Health and later became Chief Resident for the department of Internal Medicine at the University of Virginia. Among the few physicians in the nation that is triple board certified, he completed training and certification in Internal Medicine, Endocrinology and Metabolism, as well as in Hospice and Palliative care. Dr. Bush has published peer-reviewed articles and book chapters in the areas of infectious disease, endocrinology, and cancer. Through his practice and unique methodology, he has seen significant clinical improvements in patients with everything from Leaky Gut Syndrome, Gluten Intolerance, Autism, Type 2 Diabetes, Autoimmune conditions such as Crohn’s Disease, and Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

I met Dr. Bush at the Conscious Capitalism Conference in Austin about six months ago. Over the course of that weekend, we had conversations that left me captivated and desperately wanting to know more. I knew immediately he would be a phenomenal podcast guest. So here we are.

This is a wide-ranging, and at times mind-blowing conversation that explores new insights into the mechanisms behind human health and longevity. It's about the massive and misunderstood impact of industrial farming, chemical pesticides, the pharmaceutical industry and even errant Western medical practices have on both human and planetary health.

It's a conversation about the difference between the science of disease and the science of health. It's about the microbiome as a critical predictor of and protector against illness. And it's an exploration of autism, epigenetics and the mechanics of intercellular communication.

I love everything about this conversation with one caveat: we only scratched the surface of Zach's depth of expertise. I hope to have him back to share more of his copious knowledge.

I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange as much as I did.

Watch & Subscribe on YouTube here.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Where do you get your protein?

Notwithstanding rising mainstream awareness that a plant-based diet provides more than enough protein for optimal health and athletic performance, every vegan continues to constantly weather this refrain.

So let's put the issue to bed, once and for all.

To walk us through the myths, truths and half-truths when it comes to this hotly debated macronutrient, I sat down with the doyenne of all things vegan, my friend Kathy Freston.

Returning to the show for a second appearance (Kathy first appeared in RRP #109 in the Fall of 2014), Kathy is a wellness activist and 4-time New York Times bestselling author whose books include of  The Lean*,Veganist*, and Quantum Wellness. Her newest offering, co-authored with former podcast guest Bruce Friedrich (RRP #286), is entitled Clean Protein*, a comprehensive primer on all things protein with everything you need to know to get lean, gain energy, stay mentally sharp.

A media darling, Kathy is ubiquitous. Her Oprah Winfrey Show appearance inspired the great Ms. Winfrey and her entire staff of 378 to go entirely vegan for 21 days. In addition, she has been featured on Ellen, Dr. Oz, The View, Good Morning America, Charlie Rose, The Martha Stewart Show, Extra and on the pages of Vanity Fair, Harper’s Bazaar, Self, and W.

This is a conversation about the future of nutrition. It's about the industry interests that compromise transparency and confuse consumer choice. It's about the truth behind protein and the looming future of culture-grown, so-called clean meat.

But most of all, this is a conversation about how to eat right, live well & be kind to yourself and the world we share.

Podcast favorite Dan Buettner's better half (although Dan is a pretty good half himself), I adore Kathy and everything she is about.

I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange.

For the visually inclines, you can watch the podcast on YouTube here.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Last week I asked you to imagine being attacked by a 9-foot bull shark.

This week I invite you to envision climbing the storied 3,600-foot sheer vertical rock face known as El Capitan. The trick? You have to do it without any ropes, harnesses or any protective gear whatsoever. An astonishing prospect, even the tiniest mistake or unexpected intervening variable could cost you your life — a life that hinges moment to moment upon punctilious preparation, meticulous focus, and a preternatural relationship with fear.

This is one small aspect of the life of Alex Honnold, a renown professional adventure rock climber whose audacious free-solo ascents of America’s biggest cliffs have made him one of the most masterful and compelling athletes of our generation.

An global icon of athletic mastery, the lore of Alex Honnold transcends sport. I imagine many of you have viewed — with palms sweaty and jaw agape — at least one of his many stunning climbing videos. Perhaps you saw him profiled on 60 Minutes, or read profiles about him in the New York Times, National Geographic or Outside and, like me, were left to wonder:

How is that even possible? How does that guy do what he does? And more importantly, why?

The answer isn’t as elementary as you might imagine. It can't be reduced to simple genetics, strength, drive, or even his most unusual relationship with fear.

I think the answer is far more complex and frankly, much much more interesting. Of course, fanatical preparation plays a role. As does his fidelity to incremental progression. His unique kinship with risk is certainly a central factor.

But I think what truly sets Alex apart is a profound sense of awe and wonder. An uncanny facility to meld his body and mind with spirit. And the ability to become absolutely one with his quest.

Inarguably, what Alex does is both staggering and astonishing. But it's who he is, how he lives, and what he stands for that I find most impressive.

Today, we explore all of it.

This conversation is everything I wanted it to be. It's about adventure, fear, risk, curiosity, focus, mindset, preparation and the primacy of incremental progression.

Over the course of almost two hours we cover his boundary-crushing El Cap solo free climb and his most recent expedition to Antarctica. We discuss his passion for environmental conservation and the benefits of his minimalist lifestyle. And of course we explore his training routines and mostly-vegan diet.

But most of all, this is a conversation that not only examines the how behind Alex's feats, but the why behind his pursuits.

Thoughtful, deliberate and present, I also found Alex to be quite generous, incredibly curious, and whip smart.

For the visually inclined, you can watch watch (& subscribe!) to the podcast on YouTube: http://bit.ly/richandalex

I'm grateful for this exchange and I sincerely hope you enjoy it.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Imagine being attacked by a 9-foot bull shark.

One moment you’re swimming peacefully in Sydney Harbor. The next minute you’re being rammed and pulled underwater, your leg and arm hopelessly trapped in the shark’s jaw.

The pain is unimaginable.

Death is certain.

But somehow, against all odds, you wriggle free.

Ultimately you lose that arm and that leg. But that shark? It doesn’t claim your life.

Instead, it gives you an entirely new one.

This is the extraordinary and inspiring ‘never say die' story of Paul de Gelder.

Truant and wayward throughout his teens, Paul left his Australian home town at an early age to start a new life. Despite some early success in the Australian music scene (he once opened for Snopp Dogg), he failed to find the purpose he so desperately sought. So he joined the Royal Australian Army as a paratrooper in November 2000 at the age of 23 — a defining moment that brought his life structure, discipline and ultimately more meaning than he could have ever imagined.

Over the next several years, Paul was deployed as a United Nations peacekeeper, honing the art of jungle and urban warfare, unarmed combat, specialist communications, combat first aid, parachuting, and snipping. Rising through the ranks, Paul ultimately achieved his dream of becoming Royal Australian Navy Clearance Diver — Oz's version of a Navy SEAL. But trouble hunted him down in the form of a brutal shark in February 2009. Paul lost two limbs, and his career as a daredevil Navy Bomb Clearance Diver was flung into jeopardy.

Determined to transform the horrific experience into a net positive, he fought through excruciating pain — smashing challenge after challenge — amazing the medical staff with his unparalleled will to succeed. In the 7 years since the shark attack, Paul's life has changed in every aspect. Today he travels the world as a top motivational speaker, passionate environmentalist, adventurer and mentor to school kids. He has spoken at venues all around the world, including the United Nations, promoting ecological conservation and (quite ironically and heroically) shark conservation. Along the way, he continues to dive with sharks all over the world — including Great Whites without a cage.

One of Australia's most in demand speakers, Paul has been featured on every major U.S. and Australian media outlet. Since 2014, he has served up co-hosting duties on Discovery Channel's Shark Week, hosts the Nat Geo special Fearless (in which he embedded with an anti-poaching team in Zimbabwe), and worked on behind the scenes footage for the 2016 Hollywood blockbuster The Shallows with Blake Lively.

Today I am proud to share Paul's story — a death-defying tale of survival, perseverance, positivity, grit, hope, rebirth and the extraordinary breadth of human possibility.

One of the most inspirational people I have ever met, this is a conversation that will leave you breathless — and inspired beyond measure.

For the visually inclined, you can watch the podcast on YouTube here.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Recent years have seen the ascendency of low-carb, high fat diets. Indeed, the ketogenic lifestyle has been heralded as a veritable health panacea.

In parallel, we bear witness to mainstream acceptance of the plant-based approach to vitality, lifestyle disease prevention and reversal.

The debate pitting these distinct approaches to nutrition is as emotional as it is divisive — an impassioned war for hearts and minds waged across the scientific literature, mainstream publications and the internet that can leave even the most intelligent and well-intentioned consumer utterly baffled.

So who's right?

To help divine the line between truth and fiction, Joel Kahn, MD joins the podcast for his third appearance.

Dr. Kahn is an Interpreventional Cardiologist, Clinical Professor of Medicine at Wayne State University School of Medicine, Founder of the Kahn Center for Cardiac Longevity in Michigan, and a Summa Cum Laude graduate of the University of Michigan’s prestigious Inteflex program (a 6-year undergraduate / graduate program that developed doctors fresh out of high school). He’s authored hundreds of articles on heart disease, is a frequent lecturer on heart disease and its prevention, has performed thousands of cardiac procedures, and is the owner of GreenSpace Café in Ferndale and Royal Oak Michigan.

In addition, Dr. Kahn is the author of five books, including The Whole Heart Solution* and his newest offering, The Plant-Based Solution*.

This a comprehensive and highly instructive conversation that endeavors to provide needed clarity when it comes to the aforementioned debate — a deep dive into the veracity of nutritional research findings to provide the information you need to promote maximum health, hinder lifestyle disease, and abet longevity.

In addition, we explore emerging research on the benefits of intermittent fasting and why everyone should get a coronary calcium scan.

Amazingly informative, this is straight talk from a trusted and experienced man I'm proud to call friend.

As a final note, this podcast episode is also available in video format on YouTube. If you are enjoying the video version of the show, please subscribe to my channel at youtube.com/richroll to be alerted when new videos post.

Finally, if you missed our previous conversations, check out episodes #44 & #128.

For the visually inclined, you can watch watch (& subscribe!) to the podcast on YouTube here.

I sincerely hope you find our conversation instructive — because health is wealth.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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The theme of this podcast is conversations that matter with thought leaders making a difference.

My conversation with today's guest perfectly embodies the best of this ethos.

A man who has spent the last two decades fighting to create tangible benefits for communities and ecosystems alike, Jared Blumenfeld is a former U.C. Berkeley-trained international environmental lawyer with an impressive resume that includes stints at the Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC) as well as the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) before running one of San Francisco’s first city Departments focused entirely on the environment, where he was instrumental in helping transform San Francisco into the “greenest city” in America.

In 2009, President Obama appointed Jared to serve as Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator for the Pacific Southwest (Region 9), which includes California, Arizona, Hawaii, Nevada, the Pacific Islands, and 148 tribal nations. During his 7-year tenure at EPA, Jared diligently pursued environmental justice and enforcement, focusing on climate change, recycling, tribes, and drinking water. Along the way his team made massive strides in combating corporate polluters, protecting coastal waters, accelerating clean vehicle adoption and advancing tribal community environmental well being.

Then, in 2016, he decided to walk away from his career to pursue a life-long dream of hiking the Pacific Crest Trail – an effort to embrace first hand the environment he has spent his life protecting.

Jared has appeared frequently in The New York Times, BBC, Economist, San Francisco Chronicle, CNN, Los Angeles Times, NPR and recently launched his own podcast entitled, Podship Earth.

As you might imagine,  this is a wide-ranging conversation about planetary preservation and ecological conservation.

It's a gut check on the current status of global climate change — what is contributing to it, the challenges faced in combating it, and the responsibility we all share to steward our precious planet towards a greener future.

It’s also a very frank redress of our current administration’s attempt to deny reality. Right now, we're facing an indisputably massive and ever growing threat to planetary health. Yet current EPA chief Scott Pruitt's reversal of long-standing environmental policy buttressed by his refusal to embrace scientifically irrefutable facts related to global climate change, poses a very real threat to the long-term well-being of this spaceship we all share called Earth.

It's a conversation about what’s required, both on a policy and personal level, to correct past wrongs and steward a healthier, more sustainable path forward.

And finally, it’s the story of one man’s remarkable life and his commitment to ensure a better future for us all (plus awesome stories about his four month quest to conquer the Pacific Crest Trail, and how it made him a better human).

I really enjoyed this one. I hope you do too.

For the visually inclined, you can watch the podcast on YouTube here.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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When someone fires off a long list of occupations in conversation, my instinct tells me that person probably isn’t great at any of them.

James Altucher is not that guy.

A hugely successful blogger, podcaster, public speaker, stand up comic, investor, entrepreneur and former VC & hedge fund manager with eighteen books to his name — including the Wall Street Journal bestseller Choose Yourself* (my personal favorite) — James is an abundantly talented polymath impacting millions of people across the world with his wry wit and often counter-intuitive ideas, all delivered with a perfect mix of intelligent insight, relatable self-deprecation and perfect comedic timing.

Oh yeah, he’s also a nationally ranked chess master.

Returning for his third appearance on the podcast, James is one of the smartest and most interesting intellects I know — a tremendously inspiring thinker with compelling, often controversial ideas on everything from college (don’t go), career (create your own), creativity (generate 10 new ideas every day) and finances (he’s made millions and lost millions several times over).

What I find most captivating and irresistable about James is his courageous sincerity —  the willingness to write with such incredible honesty and vulnerability. It's not only laudable, it's the connective glue that keeps his 20 million readers hooked.

In accordance with his mantra that you can't write until you do, James puts his theories into action. Case in point? To explore minimalism he gave away all of his possessions save 15 items stuffed in a modest-sized duffle bag, and couch-surfed AirBnB's for almost two years — an adventure that landed him on the front page of the Sunday New York Times Styles section.

A ubiquitous presence on the internet, James and his writing have appeared in major media outlets including the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The New York Observer, Techcrunch, The Financial Times, Yahoo Finance, CNBC and others. His blog, JamesAltucher.com, has attracted more than 20 million readers since its launch in 2010. The James Altucher Show debuted as the #1 podcast on all of iTunes in 2014 and regularly appears in the top 100 podcasts on iTunes.

Equal parts peer, friend and mentor, James is someone I could literally talk to all day about any subject. So it's no surprise that this conversation is wide-ranging, traversing everything from what makes a great podcast to his thoughts on crypto currency. In between, we cover his exploits with minimalism, his opinions on education and his recent adventures immersed in the world of stand up comedy.

I love James. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I enjoyed having it.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Joining the podcast for a second time is my friend Dan Harris, an ABC News correspondent who serves up co-anchor duties on both Nightline and the weekend edition of Good Morning America.

In one of the greatest side hustles of all time, Dan has distinguished himself in recent years as a leading voice in the advocacy of meditation as a means to live both happier and more fulfilled.

For those unfamiliar, Dan’s journey is compelling. An embedded war correspondent covering everything from mass shootings and natural disasters to conflicts in Myanmar, Afghanistan and the Middle East, including six visits to war-torn Iraq, Dan's mental well-being began to suffer, his stress escalating with each overseas deployment. Depression, anxiety and PTSD ensued, followed by self-medicating with drugs like cocaine and ecstasy. Ultimately, these factors conspired to take a serious toll on Dan’s mental and physical health, culminating in a meltdown of epic proportions in 2004 when he suffered an on-air panic attack while delivering the news that was witnessed by 5 million people.

Although unsure as to the cause of his breakdown, it was a wake up call that led him to seek professional help. At the same time, in a bizarre stroke of synchronicity, Peter Jennings assigned Dan to begin covering stories on faith, religion and spirituality. Dan was less than enthusiastic about this, but ultimately it was this exploration that that eventually led Dan to understand that the source of his problems was the very thing he always thought was his greatest asset: the incessant, insatiable voice in his head. A thinking mind which had both propelled him through the ranks of a hyper-competitive business yet also led him to make the decisions that provoked his on-air freak-out.

We all have that voice in our head. It’s what has us losing our temper unnecessarily, checking our email compulsively, eating when we’re not hungry, and fixating on the past and the future at the expense of the present. Most of us would assume we’re stuck with this voice – that there’s nothing we can do to rein it in – but Dan stumbled upon an effective way to do just that.

It's a protocol he initially dismissed as useless, but which ultimately not only saved his life, but gave him a new one altogether:

Meditation.

After learning about research that suggests meditation can do everything from lower your blood pressure to essentially rewire your brain, Dan took a leap of faith. A deep dive into the underreported world of CEOs, scientists, and even prison guards and marines who are now using it for increased calm, focus, and happiness. Dan chronicles his experiences in his highly entertaining and illuminating memoir, 10% Happier* and provides a practical guide to the actual hows and whys of meditation in the recently released, 10% Happier: Meditation For Fidgety Skeptics*.

In many ways, Dan is the perfect ambassador for meditation. The furthest thing from a monk or a guru, he’s a professional family man living in New York City — a highly relatable, very human being who, just like all of us, is trying to live just a little bit better.

Enjoy!

Rich

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What happens when a NASA scientist teams up with a plant-based dietitian? Today we find out, with the return of my friends Julieanna Hever (RRP #13) and Ray Cronise (RRP #212).

Specializing in weight management, disease prevention & sports nutrition, Julieanna is one of the world's most respected plant-based registered dietitians. She is a sought-after lecturer, talk show host, TEDx speaker, VegNews Magazine nutrition columnist, and the author of numerous journal articles and books that include The Complete Idiot’s Guide To Plant-Based Nutrition* and The Vegiterranean Diet*. In addition, Julieanna has contributed recipes to both New York Times bestselling Forks Over Knives books and appeared on a myriad of television programs including Dr. Oz, Steve Harvey and E! News.

Ray is a scientist-innovator focused on disrupting diet and nutrition advice. A former NASA scientist that spent 15 years with NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center working on Physical and Analytical Chemistry and Biophysics as Assistant Mission Scientist on four Spacelab missions, he matriculated to found Zero-G with X-Prize founder Peter Diamandis before pulling meticulous focus on nutrition to solve his decades-long battle with weight and lifestyle infirmities. A Matthew Kenney Culinary graduate, Ray teamed up with leading academic researchers at institutions such as Harvard and the National Institutes of Health to publish work at the intersection of healthspan and plant-based diets. He delivered an amazing talk at TEDMED 2010 and has been featured on ABC Nightline and profiled everywhere, including WIRED Magazine, The Atlantic, The Daily Beast, Men’s Journal, The Guardian, The 4-Hour Body and magician Penn Jillette’s book Presto!* as the mastermind behind Penn's dramatic plant-based diet 100-pound weight loss.

These two recently combined their wonder twin powers to collaborate on a number of projects that include personalized nutrition consulting and the co-authoring of both medical journal articles as well as their recently released book, Plant-Based Nutrition (Idiot’s Guide Series)*.

Today Julieanna and Ray join me for a mind-blowing geek dive into everything you ever wanted to know (and then some) about plant-based nutrition, weight loss, chronic lifestyle illness and more.

Break out that pen and paper, because you're going to want to take notes. Enjoy the exchange!

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Imagine yourself the only female athlete in a very dangerous sport completely dominated by men.

You don’t just hold your own. And you don't just break the glass ceiling. Instead, you obliterate it. Kicking serious ass, you make an indelible mark on the sport you love. Along the way, you inspire millions of women and young girls to rethink the limits of their personal potential.

This is the extraordinary story of race car driver Danica Patrick (@danicapatrick) — an athlete whose life-long love for speed turned her into one of the most successful, revered, and recognizable professional sports figures on the planet. Although her accomplishments are far too numerous to list, among Danica’s many notable glass ceiling explosions include:

* first woman to lead the Indy 500;

* highest Indy 500 female finish ever (4th);

* first woman to win an IndyCar circuit race; and

* first woman to win pole position at Daytona 500

Off the track, Danica is a media magnet. She has served up hosting duties on Spike TV, been featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated, and appeared in a litany of commercials, music videos, and television shows. In 2006, she published Danica: Crossing the Line*, an autobiography she followed up with the recent release of her brand new mind, body, spirit primer: Pretty Intense*.

This is a conversation about Danica's extraordinary career. It's about the lessons she's learned along the way about life, performance and wellness. It’s about a piece of unfinished business she calls the Danica Double – her plan to race both the Daytona 500 and the Indy 500 this year — and it’s a glimpse into the new chapter that lays beyond racing.

But most of all, this is a conversation about personal empowerment. It’s about the mindset and practices that made Danica a champion, which can be leveraged to unlock the best version of yourself. In other words, take personal responsibility for your path. Stop wasting time. And start kicking ass.

Danica is one of the sweetest badasses I know. I totally enjoyed our exchange. I hope you do too.

For the visually inclined, you can watch the podcast on YouTube here.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Today’s podcast features Julie and I speaking at NeueHouse Los Angeles as part of their new series entitled Creative Couples, which examines powerful collaborative partnerships and what make them tick.

A primer on how to communicate effectively, collaborate successfully, and ultimately elevate your creative output, this episode — which also features audience Q&A and a special cameo appearance by podcast favorite Guru Singh and his amazing wife Guruperkarma Kaur — is appointment listening for anyone looking to take their relationships and productivity to the next level.

An exquisitely appointed work and event space occupying the landmarked 1938 CBS Radio Building on Sunset Boulevard, it was a true honor to present before NeueHouse's dynamic and eclectic community of creators, entrepreneurs, and cultural innovators.

Major thanks to Meredith Rodgers, Brian Wanee, Alexandra Van Iden and everyone at NeueHouse for hosting an amazing evening. Plus mad appreciation for allowing me to share the event audio with all of you on this platform. Can I come back and do it again please?

NOTE: I'm interested in creating more live podcast events (featuring various guests) in both LA and other U.S. cities. I would like to gauge interest before wading too deep into this exploration, so please let me know (via e-mail or @richroll) if you enjoyed this episode (or the live event episodes from Australia and Dublin) and/or whether you would be interested in actually attending a live event in your locale.

I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Unbeknownst to most, animal agriculture is the number one culprit when it comes to almost every single man-made environmental ill on the planet.

Untenable amounts of land, water and feed are required to raise the number of animals necessary to meet demand. Creating more greenhouse gas emissions than the entire transportation sector combined, our voracious appetite for meat and dairy products has produced the largest mass species extinction since the disappearance of the dinosaurs. Meanwhile, the primary driver of ocean acidification, water table pollution, rainforest devastation and a litany of other environmental abominations can be tracked to one primary source: our broken system of food production.

Without a doubt, it's a system that's destroying human health, irreparably damaging the planet we call home and creating unspeakable suffering in the process.

If we want to survive as a species, we need a new way forward. In my opinion, adopting a plant-based is the single most powerful and impactful thing you can possibly do as a conscious, compassionate consumer. It is the medicine that will prevent and reverse chronic lifestyle disease, preserve our planet's precious resources for future generations, and put an end to mass animal cruelty.

Vegan has indeed gone mainstream. That's awesome. But let's not be naïve. The rate at which people are adopting a plant-based lifestyle can't begin to match population growth and its concomitant demand for cheeseburgers and milk shakes.

7.5 billion people currently share this spinning blue planet we call Earth. By 2050, that number will escalate to 9.7 billion. By 2100? 11 billion.

How can we possibly feed 11 billion people sustainably?

Ask my good friend Paul Shapiro, and he will give you a two-word answer:

Clean meat.

When Paul — a long-time vegan and mainstream voice for agricultural sustainability — took his first bite of “lab-harvested” meat in 2014, more humans had gone into space than had eaten real meat grown outside an animal. But according to Paul, the clean meat revolution is upon us — and it holds the potential to save the world.

Just as we need clean energy to compete with fossil fuels, clean meat is poised to become a competitor of factory farms. Clean meat isn’t an alternative to meat; it’s real, actual meat grown (or more accurately, brewed) from animal cells, as well as other clean animal products that ditch animal cells altogether and are simply built from the molecule up.

Today we talk about it.

In addition to being among the worldʼs first clean meat consumers, Paul served as the vice president of policy engagement for the Humane Society of the United States, the worldʼs largest animal protection organization. Paul is also the founder of Compassion Over Killing, a TEDx speaker, and an inductee into the Animal Rights Hall of Fame.

Enjoy!

Rich

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Shame can’t survive the light.

I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating.

If you’ve been on this podcast adventure with me for a while, then you know well that addiction, alcoholism and recovery are recurring themes of the show — subjects very close to my heart as someone whose life has been spared by sobriety.

These themes recur because millions of people from every cross section of life suffer in silence. Deeply ashamed and terrified to confront their truth, these lost souls dwell in the shadows. Paralyzed and powerless, addiction strips them of their humanity as they descend into darkness, wandering lost and alone in what author and addiction medicine specialist Gabor Maté (RRP #188) dubs the realm of the hungry ghost.

As a culture we perpetuate the cycle of shame by judging those afflicted as weak, even sub-human. This creates a climate of fear and silence, further entrenching a deep sense of self-hatred that drives the addict into a prison of loneliness and despair, isolating that individual from the life-saving solution to their fatal disease.

But shame can’t survive the light.

So let’s shine a light on it.

Towards that end, I give you the story of Amy Dresner.

A former stand up comic, recovering drug addict and all around fuck up (her words), Amy is a writer and author who humorously chronicles her epic ups and downs for The Fix, Refinery 29, Alternet, After Party Chat, Salon, The Frisky, Cosmo Latina, Addiction.com and Psychology Today.

I first came across Amy by way of our mutual friend (and record-setting 8-time podcast guest) Mishka Shubaly and her recently released memoir, My Fair Junkie: A Memoir of Getting Dirty and Staying Clean*. I dig a good addiction yarn, and Amy’s descent into the throes of addiction and ultimate redemption is one for the ages.

Growing up in Beverly Hills, Amy had it all: a top-notch private school education, the most expensive summer camps and even a weekly clothing allowance. But at 24, she started dabbling in meth in San Francisco and unleashed a fiendish addiction monster. Soon, if you could snort it, smoke it, or have sex with, she did. Smart and charming, with daddy’s money to fall back on, she sort of managed to keep it all together. But on Christmas Eve of 2011, all of that changed when, high on Oxycontin, she stupidly “brandished” a bread knife on her husband and was promptly arrested for felony domestic violence with a deadly weapon. Within months, she found herself in the psych ward–and then penniless, divorced and looking out on a court-ordered 240 hours of community service. For the next two years, assigned to a Hollywood Boulevard “chain gang,” she would sweep up syringes (and worse) on Hollywood Boulevard as she bounced from rehabs to halfway houses, all while struggling with sobriety, sex addiction, and starting over in her 40s.

Amy pulls no punches. Her raw honesty is as devastating as it is courageous – perhaps even shocking for those less intimately familiar with the ravishes of addiction. But she’s also hilarious.

Today we get into all of it.

This is a candid conversation about the dark underbelly of drug abuse, sex addiction, and alcoholism. It’s about violence, fear, self-hatred, and shame. It’s about the very real struggle to survive. And it’s about the conviction and strength required to achieve sobriety.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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What is a runner? How do we define an athlete? What does it truly mean to be fit and healthy?

Challenging stereotypes, today's guest demands that we broaden our limited definition of these terms.

She may not be fast, but she runs. In fact she runs a lot, an impressive slew of ultramarathons to her name.

She's also not skinny. In fact, she's big.

250 pounds big.

But Mirna Valerio is without a doubt a runner.

In fact, the force of nature affectionately known as The Mirnavator is one of the most inspirational athletes I have ever met — a true ambassador of sport on a mission to empower women of all shapes and sizes to proudly embrace their bodies, expand their horizons, and own their truth.

Carrying herself with grace, an intelligent self-confidence and a smile so gleeful it brightens all in her path, Mirna's appeal has less to do with her ability to run long distances and everything to do with her unapologetic celebration of her personal truth.

Mirna's joyful self-acceptance is both real and rare. It's both authentic and bold. It's as infectious as it is inclusive.

And it's incredibly empowering to the millions of people who suffer body shame issues silently.

When she’s not running, the Brooklyn native (now living in the North Georgia Mountains with her husband and teenage son) is a Spanish teacher, diversity practitioner, cross-country coach, and author of the wildly popular blog Fat Girl Running. She also writes frequently for Women's Running Magazine and recently released a remarkable memoir I thoroughly enjoyed entitled, A Beautiful Work In Progress*.

She’s been profiled in the Wall Street Journal and Runner's World and on NBC Nightly News. She’s also an ambassador for a variety of brands like REI, Merrell, Skirt Sports and Swiftwick. Just this week Mirna became one of the faces of JC Penney’s newly launched Here I Am campaign

I first came across Mirna’s story by way of a mini-documentary produced by REI called The Mirnavator that went viral. Hooked, I was determined to share her powerful story with you. Mirna more than delivered.

Much like past episodes with Josh LaJaunie, Adam Sud, David Clark and my most recent episode with Charlie Jabaley, this is an incredibly inspiring underdog every person story.

But unlike those tales, Mirna's journey is not one marked by dramatic before and after photos. On the contrary, this is a story about body acceptance and body positivity.

It's a conversation about self-empowerment and self-acceptance. It’s about tackling stereotypes, overcoming prejudice and the importance of inclusion. And it's an exchange about the need to redefine how we think about and define athleticism, the spirit of sport, and fitness in general.

But more than anything, this is a conversation about owning your truth.

I adore Mirna and I absolutely love this conversation. I think you will too.

Please stick around to the very end for a treat. In addition to her impressive accomplishments, Mirna is also an extremely talented, Julliard-trained opera singer. I was able to convince her to take us out with her angelic, etheral voice. It's insane!

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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He dreamed of being a professional athlete.

But Charlie Jabaley was always the fat kid, picked last for kickball.

No matter what, he just couldn't stop gaining weight. Resigned to this fate, he abandoned his athletic dream early.

Throwing himself into business instead, it wasn't long before CEO Charlie was born — an alter ego he created at age 13 that would soon become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

By his mid-twenties, Charlie had overcome tremendous odds to achieve extraordinary success in the music business, collecting Grammys and counting Benjamins managing a stable of major hip-hop recording artists like 2 Chainz.

The very model of the modern millennial entrepreneur, Charlie's path provided the high gloss lifestyle of his wildest imagination — a world apart from his humble beginnings.

What it didn't provide? Health, happiness, or an authentic sense of wholeness.

On the outside, Charlie was crushing it. On the inside, he was dying. A life-long junk food addict, he had swelled to over 300 pounds by the age of 29. But he wasn't just morbidly obese. And he wasn't just chronically depressed.

Charlie Jabaley was lost.

His health in rapid decline, he tried countless diets, but always gained the weight right back — plus a little extra.

He tried running. He even ran three marathons. Ironically, Charlie nonetheless continued to pack the pounds on, rewarding his training sessions with shame-inducing binges. Out of control, Charlie's waistline only expanded in lockstep with each successive 26.2 effort.

Deep down, Charlie knew he would forever remain a prisoner to his seemingly hopeless food addiction until he could summon the courage to face the emotional dysfunction, mental imbalance and spiritual malaise that had been driving his unhealthy lifestyle choices for as long as he could remember.

The inside job terrified Charlie. But it's always darkest before the dawn. At the nadir of his hopelessness, Charlie awoke one day to find his bedroom spinning before suddenly collapsing to the floor. A visit to the doctor only brought more bad news.

Charlie Jabaley has a brain tumor.

But rather than treat his diagnosis as tragic, Charlie decided to embrace it as a gift — the push he needed to once and for all to face himself honestly, take willing inventory of his life, and finally undertake the measures necessary to save himself from himself.

Charlie Jabaley only had to change one thing — everything.

One year ago, he walked away from the company he started, leaving millions of dollars on the table to decamp Atlanta for Los Angeles. Completely restructuring his relationship with food, he's lost over 120 pounds and kept it off. Without medication, his tumor has shrunk to almost nothing. And Charlie has finally achieved his lifelong dream, transforming himself from executive (CEO Charlie) to athlete (Charlie Rocket), training for his first Ironman in New Zealand this March.

For the first time in his life, he's both healthy and happy.

But mostly, Charlie Jabaley is free.

What he did, how he did it and why is the subject of today's conversation. It's a powerful exchange with an everyman hero who wants you to know that you do not struggle alone. That it's never too late to change. And no matter how far you have drifted from the person you aspire to be, there is both hope and help.

Welcome to 2018 people. This is the new normal.

For those visually inclined, you can watch our conversation on YouTube here.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Welcome to the 5th annual Best of the RRP Anthology — our way of taking a moment to reflect on the year, express gratitude and give thanks for taking this journey with us.

It's been an honor to share my conversations with so many extraordinary people over the course of 2017. Second listens brought new insights — and more reminders that that these evergreen exchanges continue to inspire and inform.

For long-time listeners, this two-part episode is intended to launch you into 2018 with renewed vigor and intention. If you're new to the show, my hope is that this anthology will stir you to peruse the back catalog and/or check out episodes you may have missed.

Links to the full episodes excerpted in this anthology are enumerated below.

RRP #296: Dr. Neal Barnard, M.D.

RRP #298: Meditation Master Sharon Salzberg

RRP #302: Addiction Recovery Expert Tommy Rosen

RRP #305: charity: water's Scott Harrison

RRP #311: Ultra-Athlete Samantha Gash

RRP #317: Bestselling Author Gretchen Rubin

RRP #319: Chinese Medicine Physician Colin Hudon

RRP #320: Healing Mushroom Expert Tero Isokauppila

Thank you for taking this journey with me. I appreciate you. I love you.

Here's to an extraordinary 2018. Join me, and let's do this thing together.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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This is the time of year to pause. It's the time of year for reflection. For gratitude. And for giving back.

So let's do all those things. Welcome to the fifth annual Best of the RRP Anthology — our way of taking a moment to reflect on the year, express gratitude and give thanks for taking this journey with us.

I pride myself on bringing a wide variety of personalities, opinions and attitudes to the show. When I look back over 2017, it's amazing how many incredibly dynamic conversations and perspectives I was honored to share. Second listens brought new insights. Another reminder that this show is a gift that just keeps giving.

For long-time listeners, this two-part episode is intended to inform and inspire your new year's trajectory. If you're new to the show, my hope is that this anthology will stir you to peruse the back catalog and/or check out episodes you may have missed.

Links to the full episodes excerpted in this anthology are enumerated below.

RRP #266: Navy SEAL David Goggins

RRP #267: Kundalini Yogi Master Guru Singh

RRP #268: Superfood Hunter Darin Olien

RRP #269 Rock Icon Travis Barker

RRP #272: Integrative Medicine Doctor Rachel Abrams, M.D.

RRP #275: Marathon Swimmer Kimberly Chambers

RRP #276: Cultivating Your Inner Jedi With Julie Piatt

RRP #278: ‘What The Health' With Kip Andersen & Keegan Kuhn

Thank you. I appreciate you. I love you.

Here's to an extraordinary 2018. Join me, and let's do this thing together.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Friend, mentor and original Plantstrong pioneer Rip Esselstyn and I go way back.

Both swimmers, we crossed paths at many a meet — as young teens and later as collegiate rivals (Rip was always far more accomplished than I). During the early stages of my transition to a plant-based diet, I vividly recall perusing Facebook when I stumbled upon Rip, who just happened to be on the precipice of publishing his first book on the very subject I was attempting to master. From that moment forward, Rip became a lighthouse — illuminating my path as a generous friend and cheerleader always available to share his knowledge, experience and inspiration.

Today, Rip (finally) joins the podcast to share that knowledge, experience and inspiration with you — a hotly anticipated master course on the incredible power of a whole-food, plant-based diet to prevent and reverse disease, promote optimal health, and fuel your athletic dreams.

Educated at the University of Texas at Austin, Rip was a three-time All-American swimmer before spending a decade as one of the premier professional triathletes in the world. He then joined the Austin Fire Department where he introduced his passion for a whole-food, plant-based diet to Austin’s Engine 2 Firehouse in order to rescue a firefighting brother’s health. To document his success he wrote the New York Times' bestselling book, The Engine 2 Diet, which demonstrates the irrefutable connection between a plant-based diet and good health.

Rip left his job as a firefighter in 2009 to team up with Whole Foods Market as one of their Healthy Eating Partners to raise awareness for Whole Foods employees, customers and communities about the benefits of eating a plant-strong diet. As the founder of Engine 2, Rip develops and implements a range of programs and events geared toward education, inspiring and nurturing plant-strong living for individuals, families and organizations across the globe.

A New York Times bestselling author of four books, Rip has appeared on hundreds of radio and national television shows, including the Today Show, CBS Sunday Morning, Good Morning America and The Dr. Oz Show. Each year his family produces a series of all-inclusive, immersive events, culminating in Camp Plantstock — an extraordinary experience I highly recommend to anyone looking to reboot their lifestyle. Finally, Rip's newest book, The Engine 2 Cookbook hits bookstores everywhere on December 26, 2017.

This is a conversation I’ve been anticipating since the first episode of this podcast

Enjoy!

Rich

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Reared on a farm in rural Ohio, Nathan Runkle's connection with farm animals runs deep. So deep, he always knew his life would center around the protection and care of these sentient beings.

After a local farmed animal abuse case involving a piglet slammed headfirst into a concrete floor during an agriculture project at a nearby high school, Nathan founded Mercy For Animals to give “food” animals a much-needed advocate in his local community.

He was just 15 years old.

Today, Nathan is the very person he was always meant to be: a world renown animal rights advocate; a nationally recognized speaker; and the man who has tactfully shepherded Mercy For Animals from that high school project into a leading international force in the prevention of cruelty to farmed animals and the promotion of compassionate food choices and policies.

Named one of the country’s “Top 20 Activists Under 30 Years Old” and the youngest person ever inducted into the U.S. Animal Rights Hall of Fame (he was 25), Nathan has been featured in hundreds of prominent media outlets and has spent decades working alongside elected officials, corporate executives, heads of international organizations, academics, farmers, celebrities, and film producers to pass landmark legislation and implement animal welfare policy changes.

Nathan is also the author of the new and aptly titled, Mercy For Animals. A fascinating call-to-action memoir, the book chronicles Nathan’s personal story from grassroots activist to global animal rights leader while elucidating the history and current state of U.S. factory farming and animal welfare; the environmental and human health implications of food policy; and the compassionate future he envisions.

Today I go deep with someone who always knew exactly who he wanted to be and what he wanted to do with his life.

We dig into Nathan's early interest in animal welfare, the founding of MFA in his teens and the undercover work that followed. We discuss the current state and implications of factory farming on animal, human and planetary health. And we review the regulatory landscape that governs our food systems and the implications of the clean meat movement on the future of food.

But ultimately, this is a conversation about being who you are. It's about turning compassion into action. It's about the ethical and environmental implications of our daily food choices. And it's about the power we all hold to create change and forge a more compassionate and sustainable world for generations to come.

For the visually inclined, the video version of the podcast is also available on YouTube.

I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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If you think you know Tim Ferriss, think again – this is Tim like you’ve never seen or heard him before.

A relentless experimenter and virtuoso of deconstruction, Tim has spent the better part of his adult life studying mastery and sharing what he has learned on his wildly popular blog and string of four consecutive #1 New York Times and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling books, which include The 4-Hour Workweek*,The 4-Hour Body*,The 4-Hour Chef*,Tools of Titans*, and his brand new offering, Tribe of Mentors*.

Along the way, Tim became a prominent angel investor and philanthropist, named one of Fast Company‘s “Most Innovative Business People” and one of Fortune‘s “40 under 40”. He’s graced the main stage at TED and been featured in every prominent media outlet imaginable. His work hosting The Tim Ferriss Show podcast – one of the most widely listened to podcasts in the world with over 200 million downloads — led The Observer to call him “the Oprah of audio”.

I’m willing to bet most of you are already decidedly familiar with this globally renowned polymath. Like you, I’ve followed his blog for years. I’ve read all his books and I listen to his podcast regularly. It’s an understatement to say that Tim’s work has been instrumental in helping me forge the life I’m blessed to lead today. For that I am forever grateful.

Nonetheless, I never felt like I really knew the man behind the work.

Who is the real Tim Ferriss?

It turns out, Tim has been asking himself the very same question. Over the last year, he has endured much. The loss of some good friends matched by turning 40 has left him pondering his mortality. He walked away from tech investing, decamping Silicon Valley for Austin out of a desire to slow the pace of his frenetic life. And a very intense recent 10-day silent meditation retreat is emblematic of a redirected focus inward.

Today finds Tim in a rather reflective and contemplative place. A point in time in which he is wrestling with his past, evaluating the person he wants to be, and deeply contemplating what is most important about life.

Today we unpack the real Tim Ferriss.

Enjoy!

Rich

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Today’s podcast is the last in my series of open panel discussions lifted from our Plantpower Ireland retreat this past July. It's a powerful participatory discourse and Q&A hosted by myself, Julie and Colin Hudon, a physician of Traditional Chinese Medicine and founder of Living Tea which imports the finest living teas sourced from ancient tea trees across both China and Taiwan.

Today we focus on relationships. Specifically, we explore:

* how to see the divine in your partner

* how to navigate interpersonal conflict

* strategies for being heard; 

* how to upend the outdated prince / princess paradigm;

* the masculine desire to fulfill his mission;

* the feminine desire to be seen; and

* questions from the Plantpower Tribe

At its core, this is a powerful master class on redefining how we relate to our most loved ones so that we can experience the best of what a relationship can bring to the collective human experience.

One more thing: if the Ireland retreat sounded cool (it was a giant blast), our next retreat will be in Tuscany, Italy May 19-26, 2018. It's currently sold out, but because it's not unusual for a person or two to drop out, you can still join the waiting list or reserve your spot for 2019. For more information, visit ourplantpowerworld.com.

I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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As we approach the year's end, I thought it appropriate to reconvene with the great and vast consciousness that helped us usher in 2017 – kundalini yoga & meditation master Guru Singh (@gurusinghyogi).

Long-time listeners will well recall our initial conversation from January (RRP #267), one of my most popular and impactful episodes in the history of this podcast.

For those new to the show, imagine a modern-day rock star Gandalf dropping mad guitar licks between pearls of timeless wisdom that beautifully fuse Eastern mysticism with Western pragmatism and you start to get the picture.

Named Best Guru in LA by Los Angeles magazine, Guru Singh is a celebrated third-generation Sikh yogi, master spiritual teacher, author, and musician. For the past 40 years he has been studying and teaching Kundalini Yoga – a 5,000 year old ancient science and school of yoga focused on awakening the primal energy known as shakti for the purpose of spiritual enlightenment. He is the author of several books (enumerated below) and a powerful lecturer uplifting thousands worldwide. An extraordinary teacher, he also serves as a behind-the-scenes guide to many a luminary, including Fortune 500 CEOs, athletes, artists and even Tony Robbins.

A peer of rock legends like Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and the Grateful Dead, Guru Singh is also a supremely talented musician who began his recording career on Warner Bros' Sire label in the 1960s. When he isn't recording tracks with people like Seal, he's bringing down the house on the daily at Yoga West, his Los Angeles home base.

Over the past year, I have become close with Guru Singh — a beautiful and highly relatable consciousness I'm proud to call a good friend and valuable mentor.

Today we discuss everything from the benefits of cold-water therapy to the implications of artificial intelligence.

We examine the why behind all the recent mass shootings and explore strategies for navigating the treacherous minefields of our deeply divided culture.

We envision new educational modalities for future generations.

We investigate the effects of diet beyond the physical level.

And we consider the importance of maturing the social infantilism of our emotional infrastructure as a cultural imperative.

It’s aways an honor to spend time with Guru Singh and it's a privilege to share more of his powerful wisdom with you today.

My hope is that this conversation will empower you to more mindfully navigate our volatile world and encourage you to more deeply invest in the development of your conscious awareness, personal boundaries, and spiritual growth.

To rise up, you gotta lie down.

So let's lie down with Guru Singh.

For the visually inclined, the video version of the podcast is also available on YouTube

I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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This special mid-week edition of the podcast features a Q&A event that Julie and I hosted along with our friends Stephen & David Flynn of The Happy Pear that took place before a live audience at the gorgeous Smock Alley Theatre this past summer in Dublin, Ireland.

Long-time listeners will well remember David and Stephen from #RRP 233, one of my most popular episodes of 2016.

For those newer to the show, David & Stephen Flynn are the joined-at-the-hip identical twin brothers behind The Happy Pear, a family run chain of natural food stores and cafés in Ireland as well as a line of organic, locally harvested plant-based food products available across the UK.

David & Stephen are also the co-authors of two incredible cookbooks – The Happy Pear (of course) and the more recently released World of the Happy Pear, both runaway, smash bestsellers across Ireland the UK.

Fundamentally, The Happy Pear is a movement. A movement rooted in family and community with one singular goal — to make healthy food and lifestyle mainstream. When the super fit dads aren’t making pre-school breakfast picnics on the beach, engaging in impromptu handstand competitions, conducting community-oriented health education courses, or traveling extensively for public speaking, they enthusiastically guide a vast and devoted global audience of wellness warriors across every social media platform from YouTube to Instagram to Snapchat with an endless stream of highly entertaining, quality nutrition and fitness tips, recipes, and daily slice-of-life vlogs with inspiration for miles.

David and Stephen Flynn just might be the most charismatic and emphatic advocates for healthy living I have ever met.

I sincerely hope you enjoy our live presentation, which includes loads of great questions from the audience.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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While other major diseases are in decline, deaths from Alzheimer's have increased dramatically in recent decades.

In fact, Alzheimer's is currently the 6th (and due to massive under-reporting may be as high as the 3rd ) leading cause of death in the United States.

Right now, over 47 million people worldwide currently live with Alzheimer's. By 2050, it's predicted this form of dementia will plague 135.5 million people across the globe.

This disease has become so pervasive, chances are you have been directly or indirectly impacted through an afflicted loved one. If so, then you know first hand the devastation it creates. You've seen it's ravaging effects. Perhaps you've even shouldered the immense emotional, financial and social burden it produces — and the hopelessness it provokes.

The sad truth is that Alzheimer's is a condition that Western medicine has utterly failed to combat, let alone cure. Simply put, there is no pharmaceutical or surgical treatment to effectively prevent or reverse this savage and cataclysmic condition.

But there is hope.

Alzheimer's isn't a genetic inevitability. A diagnosis doesn't have to come with a death sentence. In fact, according to this week's guests, 90% of all Alzheimer's cases can be prevented. And for the 10% with a strong genetic risk for cognitive decline, the disease can be delayed for ten to fifteen years.

These are not estimates. Nor are they wishful thinking. They are conclusions based on rigorous science performed by neurologists Drs. Dean and Ayesha Sherzai. Co-directors of the Brain Health and Alzheimer's Prevention Program at Loma Linda University Medical Center, Team Sherzai is the dynamic husband and wife duo behind the largest clinical and observational study on Alzheimer's to date as well as the co-authors of The Alzheimer's Solution*, a must-read primer that details their extensive research, chronicles the remarkable results they have experienced working with patients first-hand, and sets forth the first ever comprehensive program to prevent Alzheimer's disease, improve cognitive function, and ultimately optimize long-term brain health.

The solution might surprise you. It's not due to a breakthrough in surgical procedures. It's not the result of new pharmaceutical trials. Instead, as far fetched as it may sound, the answer is rooted in fundamental, simple changes in nutrition and lifestyle.

Dr. Dean Sherzai, M.D., PhD., completed his medical and neurology residencies at Georgetown University with a subsequent fellowship in neurodegenerative diseases at the National Institutes of Health, followed by a second fellowship in Dementia and Geriatrics at the University of California, San Diego. He also holds two Masters Degrees; in advanced sciences at UCSD and a Masters in public health from Loma Linda University. Finally, he has received a Ph.D. in Healthcare leadership at Loma Linda/Andrews University.

Dr. Ayesha Sherzai, M.D., completed her medical residency at Loma Linda University. She subsequently completed a residency in preventive medicine and neurology and thereafter received a fellowship in vascular neurology from Columbia University, and is currently finalizing her PhD in Epidemiology at Loma Linda University. Ayesha also has a culinary degree, giving her a unique understanding of nutrition as a powerful tool for disease prevention.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Today, I am once again joined by Chris Hauth (@AIMPCoach) for another edition of Coach’s Corner focused on maintaining fitness with engaged enthusiasm as we navigate the winter months.

For those new to the show, Chris is a sub-9 hour Ironman, former professional triathlete, two-time Olympian and one of the world’s most respected endurance coaches. In 2006, Chris won the Ironman Coeur D’Alene and went on to be the first American amateur & 4th overall American at the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii.

When he’s not training and racing, Chris runs AIMP Coaching, mentoring a wide spectrum of athletes ranging from elite professionals — including Ironman and Western States top finishers, Ultraman winners and Olympic Trials qualifiers — to first time half-marathoners. Under Chris’ tutelage since 2008, he deftly guided me through three Ultraman World Championships,EPIC5. and now Ötillö.

A friend and mentor as much as a coach, Chris has been my personal coach since 2008, expertly guiding me through three Ultraman World Championships (’08, ’09 & ’11), EPIC5 in 2010 and the 2017 Ötillö Swimrun World Championships in Sweden this past September – which we raced together as a team.

Today we discuss:

* The importance of rest & taking a break from training;

* eating and training with the season;

* how to set goals and formulate a plan for the new year;

* work-life-training balance;

* sustainability — learning how to enjoy your fitness; and

* bucket list events and what each of us is looking forward to in 2018

Enjoy!

Rich

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Last week I sat down with Lance Armstrong to explore his competitive drive for greatness, precipitous fall from grace, and path forward. Irrespective of your opinion on Lance or that conversation, his story leaves us all with an indelible question:

Just how far will we go to be considered the best?

Obsessed with this inquiry, Bryan Fogel decided to answer it for himself.

Struck by the fact that Lance never once failed a single drug test, the avid cyclist, playwright, and filmmaker decided to make a documentary with one goal in mind: to prove the system in place to detect doping athletes was bullshit.

Because what the world watches on its sports fields should not be taken for granted as truth.

Icarus was premised on an audacious idea: Bryan would undertake an aggressive doping protocol, experimenting with a wide variety of performance enhancing drugs. He would observe the changes in his athletic performance. He would attempt to evade detection. And finally, he would extensively and transparently document the entire experience, sharing the whole endeavor on film.

To guide him through the mysterious and byzantine process of doping, Bryan enlists the professional aid of Dr. Grigory Rodchenkov, a renegade Russian scientist and then pillar of his country's “anti-doping” program. As they grow closer, it becomes clear that Rodchenkov is in fact the central figure in what we soon discover is Russia's vast and elaborate state-sponsored Olympic doping program – a program that can be traced to Russia’s highest chains of command, all the way up to Vladamir Putin.

When the two realize they hold the power to reveal the biggest international sports scandal in living memory, Bryan's academic exercise in self-experimentation quickly pivots into spy thriller territory — a high-stakes and quite spectacular collision of politics, sports, espionage and danger more John LeCarré than Morgan Spurlock.

Icarus premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, where it won “The Orwell” Special Jury Award and the first ever Audience Choice Award at Sundance Film Festival London. It’s been called a “game-changing documentary” by Variety and “The Best Non-Fiction film of 2017″ by the Financial Times and was acquired by Netflix in a historic sale.

Bryan and the story behind the film have been profiled in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Financial Times, Variety , USA Today, Newsweek, The Atlantic, and The Guardian. Bryan has also discussed the film on NPR's All Things Considered, NBC's Meet The Press, ABC Dateline, Charlie Rose, Late Night with Seth Meyers, and Breakfast with the BBC.

An extraordinary portrait of self sacrifice in the interest of truth, Icarus is a gripping exposé that will forever color your perception of Olympic sport. But more than that, it's a palpable glimpse into the dark realpolitik of the global sports arena and the staggering implications it has on our already strained geo-political landscape.

One of the best documentaries I have seen in recent memory, Icarus exemplifies the power of film to rewrite history.

Today, Bryan joins me to share his fascinating tale.

For the visually inclined, watch the podcast on YouTube.

I sincerely hope you enjoy this exchange.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Everyone has highs. Everyone has lows.

But few people on Earth have experienced the unimaginable level of success enjoyed by this week’s guest.

Fewer still have undergone a more precipitous fall from grace.

What exactly is it like to go from global hero to pariah overnight?

This is the story of Lance Armstrong.

One of the most decorated, fiercely competitive and controversial figures of our age, today Lance joins the podcast to mine the depths of his infamous dismantling. We explore the demands required to rebuild his life. And together we consider his journey forward.

But first, allow me to contextualize.

I am well aware that Lance is polarizing. Emotions run hot. And nobody lacks an opinion. Perhaps you have been eagerly awaiting this conversation. Maybe you’re outraged. Either way, I get it. If you hold a strong opinion, this conversation isn’t likely to change that – nor is it my goal.

As an athlete immersed in the culture of multi-sport who has closely followed the Lance story for as long as I can remember, I grasp and appreciate better than most the issues and controversy that swirl around the world’s most famous cyclist.

This podcast is about exploring humanity in all its incarnations. More than anything, I’m interested in what makes people tick — why they do what they do; what they have gleaned from their experiences both good and bad; and how we can collectively grow from examining the lives of others.

Among my favorite conversations are those with convicted murderer Shaka Senghor; registered sex offender Joseph Naus; felonious insider trader turned FBI informant Tom Hardin; and a battery of reformed reprobates that include alcoholics, drug addicts, and drug dealers. I state this not to draw any comparison whatsoever to Lance, but rather to illustrate my interest in the complex, dualistic nature of the human condition in all its incarnations.

I too was once broken and lost. I cannot begin to compare my experience to that of Lance’s, but I do understand what it's like to be dismantled. I know intimately what is required to confront and overcome one's past. And I have great empathy for the degree of difficulty required to rebuild a life.

It is with this spirit that I approached this conversation – not as an investigative journalist, nor as judge and jury. But rather, with heart open — my only agenda to have an honest dialog with one of the most prominent figures of our time.

Of course, we discuss his iconic rise, fall and efforts to move forward. But I also endeavored to explore terrain beyond the scandals – subjects like mindset and preparation that often get eclipsed in the grand conversation about Lance.

We talk about therapy. We explore his history with anger. And we delve into the evolution of his hyper-competitive nature.

We discuss the differences between training as a professional cyclist versus his preparation for Ironman and other ultra-distance events.

I asked him what it’s like to contend with a $100 million lawsuit hanging over his head. We discuss common mistakes many athletes make and how he would approach coaching young professional athletes. And finally, I gauge his thoughts on the future of clean sport.

This is not the definitive Lance interview. We only had an hour. There were plenty of subjects I wish I had more time to explore. That said, I found Lance to be both open and demonstrative. I think you will be more than intrigued by the discussion.

Enjoy!

Rich

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Devoted listeners are well-acquainted with my gravelly voiced, chronically self-deprecating, often tortured, but always charming brother-from-another-mother Mishka Shubaly – back on the podcast for a record-breaking 8th appearance.

A writer oozing talent from his overactive sebaceous glands, Mishka pens true stories about drink, drugs, disasters, desire, deception, and their aftermath.

He began drinking at 13 and college at 15. At 22, he received the Dean's Fellowship from the Master's Writing Program at Columbia University. Upon receipt of his expensive MFA, he promptly moved into a Toyota minivan to tour the country nonstop as a singer-songwriter, often sharing the stage with comedians like Doug Stanhope and musical acts like The Strokes and The Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

But mostly he drank.

It sounds glamorous. It wasn't. At 32, Mishka hit bottom, got sober and laced up a pair of running shoes. In between ultra marathons, he began publishing a string of #1 bestselling Kindle Singles – short non-fiction novellas — through Amazon. The Long Run*, his mini-memoir detailing his transformation from alcoholic drug abuser to sober ultrarunner, to this day remains one of the best-selling Kindle Singles in Amazon history.

He is also the author of I Swear I’ll Make It Up To You*. Brutally honest, fiercely emotional and muscular in its prose, it's the booze-fueled, opiated account of a precocious young underachiever trying to be good (and failing and failing) until one day he succeeds. It's about serial abandonment, school shootings, alcoholism, loneliness, artistic frustration, faith, guilt, sobriety, running, relationships, resentment, revenge, music, art, and creativity. It’s about one man’s attempt to reckon with the wreckage of his past and his journey to reconcile his relationship with his family, and most importantly, to forgive the father that jettisoned him.

It’s been over a year since Mishka dropped in on the pod to share his latest misadventures as a touring musician and tortured artist. We're overdue for a check-in. And this conversation doesn't disappoint. Even if you have listened to all 7 of our previous conversations, this one is sure to surprise and delight.

We discuss alcoholism, nihilism and depression. We talk about how he maintains sobriety as a touring musician. We get into the romance of one's drinking past and identity attachments that don't serve us. And we cover the trading of one addiction for another.

Most impactful is our discussion about Mishka's recent diagnosis as pre-diabetic, and his decision to finally go plant-based. That is a sentence I never thought I would write.

In response to my urging that Mishka get back to what he does best — writing — Mishka decided to crowd-source his oft-challenged motivation by launching a social media campaign designed to motivate all of us (but probably mostly him) to commit to spending a pre-ordained amount of time every single day in November to write. Join the brigade on twitter by posting your progress with the hashtag #writenovember.

Finally, stick around to the end for a live musical performance by Mishka to take us out.

I love Mishka like a brother. I love this conversation. I hope you do too.

Enjoy!

Rich

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Heart health is serious business.

Serious as a heart attack, as the saying goes, given that currently 1 out of every 3 people in America die from cardiovascular disease (CVD) – our #1 killer.

According to the American College of Cardiology, CVD currently accounts for approximately 800,000 deaths in US. Among Americans, an average of one person dies from CVD every 40 seconds. Right now more than 90 million Americans carry a diagnosis of CVD. And over 45% of non-Hispanic blacks in the United States live with heart disease.

But this isn't just an American problem. On a global level, CVD is the single largest cause of death in developed countries and accounts for 31% of all mortalities.

If you take a moment to ponder these staggering statistics, you quickly realize just how vast the epidemic of heart disease has become.

And yet there is hope. Because this disease that's debilitating and killing millions annually is entirely avoidable. It's completely preventable. And it's even reversible.

The solution begins with personal responsibility. It's about what you put in your mouth. It encapsulates your lifestyle choices. And it extends to erecting systemic changes in our health care model to prioritize prevention over symptomatic treatment.

To walk us through these important issues I sat down with former American College of Cardiology president Kim Williams, M.D. — one of the most inspiring, intelligent and pioneering leaders in the growing movement to modernize how we think about, treat, avoid, and prevent our most onerous threat to human health.

A graduate of the University of Chicago and the Pritzker School of Medicine, Dr. Williams currently serves as Chief of the Division of Cardiology at Rush University Medical Center, and is board certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Diseases, Nuclear Medicine, Nuclear Cardiology and Cardiovascular Computed Tomography. In addition to his tenure as President of the American College of Cardiology (2015-16), Dr. Williams has also served as the President of the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology and Chairman of the Board of the Association of Black Cardiologists.

Tangential fun fact? Dr. Williams was also a teen chess champion before becoming Illinois' No. 3 singles tennis player at 15 years old with no previous background in the sport. Faced with a choice between pursuing professional tennis or medicine, he chose medicine.

Back in 2003, Dr. Williams became concerned that his LDL cholesterol — the kind associated with an increased risk of heart disease — was too high. After some research into the positive benefits of adopting a plant-based diet, he decided to give it a shot. It worked, bringing his LDL down to normal levels. He then began prescribing his nutritional protocol to his patients. That worked too.

Then an interesting thing happened. Dr. Williams became president of the American College of Cardiology, a 49,000-member medical society that is the professional home base for the entire cardiology profession. This gave him a broad platform of authority to advance awareness and the legitimacy of a plant-based diet as both a treatment and preventive protocol for heart disease.

Today we unpack his story and probe the science, economics and politics behind nutrition and cardiovascular health on the road to avoiding, combating and ultimately overcoming America's #1 killer.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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The word authenticity has been so co-opted and commodified, it's now almost impossible to use it without sounding hacky.

But the sentiment behind the word remains beautiful. To me it means living honestly and with integrity. It means the courage and self-confidence to be open and vulnerable. It's what it means to live, breathe and move in alignment with your truest, highest self.

I do my best to live authentically. I strive to inject this sensibility into the content I create. And it’s a consistent theme of this podcast.

Intellectually we understand the importance of living authentically. However, we all find ourselves — myself included — nonetheless projecting a version of ourselves onto the world. Not the raw truth but an edited impression of who we are and what we want others to see; a facsimile of identity, custom tailored to suit the expectations of our social environment.

In other words, we all wear masks.

We can characterize this behavior as dishonest. But it’s also just human. We're all guilty to a certain degree.

We do it because we’re afraid. Because we’re insecure. And because honesty and vulnerability are terrifying.

If people really knew me, I would be unlovable.

The impulse to hide our fears and flaws is normal. Not only is it easier to don a facade, it's how we've been conditioned to behave for as long as we can remember. But when we inhabit the role we've been socially programmed to play at the cost our truest selves, we disconnect from both intimacy and ourselves, undercutting our ability to connect with others and inhabit the best of who we are are and what we have to offer.

As counter-intuitive as it may sound, the more we can summon the courage to shed our masks – masks we have been wearing for so long and so persistently were not even consciously aware of them – in exchange for being open, honest, and vulnerable, the more integrated, whole, secure, confident, and ultimately authentic we ultimately become.

It's scary. But overcoming this fear is the first step to truly blazing a path to becoming a fully integrated human. It's the journey to becoming whole. At peace with yourself. Empowered. Self-actualized.

And ultimately, free.

This is the subject of today’s conversation. To shepard us through it is my friend Lewis Howes, host of the very popular School of Greatness Podcast, NY Times bestselling author of The School of Greatness*, and the man behind a brand new book hitting stores this week entitled The Mask of Masculinity: How Men Can Embrace Vulnerability, Create Strong Relationships, and Live Their Fullest Lives*.

A former professional football player and USA team handball Olympic hopeful who bottomed out before blossoming into a successful online entrepreneur, Lewis defies the stereotype that typically accompanies most successful alpha males.

Enjoy!

Rich

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We all want to be happy.

But what exactly is happiness? Can it be cultivated? And if so, how?

Somewhere along the way, you've likely heard of something called the Blue Zones — a term coined by this week's guest in reference to five hidden slivers of the world that boast the highest per capita populations of centenarians – people who thrive to 100 and beyond. Unlikely locales where people not live inordinately long,

Places where people forgot to die.

Interestingly, in addition to outliving their fellow western world equals, the Blue Zoners also seemed resoundingly happier.

Dan Buettner wanted to know more. So he shifted focus from longevity and zeroed in on the elusive, ever-so-slippery nature of happiness itself.

Deploying his expertise and that of others, he used hard science to better define the emotional state we seek most. He scoured the planet in search of the cultures that most exemplify happiness. He examined the internal and external factors that most promote happiness. And he extrapolated the key lessons that can be best applied for us to all ultimately live better and more fulfilled.

The result of Dan's quest is the subject of today's conversation. It's also the the cover story of this month’s issue of National Geographic, the topic he explored all last week on the TODAY Show and the focus of his new Amazon #1 bestselling book, The Blue Zones of Happiness: Lessons from the World's Happiest People*.

(full podcast on YouTube!)

A true renaissance man, Dan is a National Geographic Fellow, a world adventurer with 3 endurance cycling world records to his name, a longevity expert, and a NY Times Bestselling author who has appeared on Oprah twice, as well as CNN, David Letterman, Good Morning America, Primetime Live, and the Today Show. He has delivered more than 500 keynotes over the last 10 years, including speeches for Bill Clinton’s Health Matters Initiative, Google Zeitgeist, and TEDMED. His TED Talk “How to live to be 100+” has been viewed over 3 million times.

Long-time listeners will remember well our initial conversation. RRP 139 (April 2015) explored Dan’s fascinating, adventurous backstory and what he learned studying centenarians. This conversation picks up where that one left off to delve deep into the very nature of happiness. It's about the three pillars that compose it. And the extent to which your environment and lifestyle choices impact your ability to exude and maintain it.

It’s a conversation about what you can do to design your surroundings to stack the deck in favor of happiness. And it’s an exchange about the impact of Dan’s work on fundamentally improving health and happiness in cities and municipalities across the United States.

But ultimately, this is a powerful primer on how to cultivate greater awareness around the choices we all make daily around food, lifestyle habits, and the quality of our physical and interpersonal environments. And it's about how improving these choices can lead to the one thing we all seek – true, lasting happiness.

Enjoy!

Rich

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Welcome to another Ask Me Anything in-between-isode edition of the podcast with yours truly.

Recorded live during our Plantpower Ireland retreat this past July, this is a dynamic discussion that covers a wide-range of topics. Subjects covered include:

* how my approach to training, racing and nutrition has evolved over the years;

* my approach to racing Ötillö (this was recorded prior to that event);

* good pain v. bad pain – i.e., distinguishing laziness from the need to rest;

* my role models & influences; and

* thoughts on meditation, spirituality & service.

In addition, I was asked how Julie and I work together as a team — balancing our similarities and differences. Plus Julie sheds some light on her interesting backstory.

I sincerely hope you enjoy the listen.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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When it comes to food, we've been led to believe that healthy and delicious are mutually exclusive.

When it comes to eating plant-based, forget about it. Most people can't imagine their palate can possibly be sated without animal products.

I've worked hard to bust this myth.

But I'm no chef.

Good thing today's guest is.

But Rocco DiSpirito is no ordinary chef. A James Beard award-winning culinary wizard, this guy is a straight up food genius.

Named Food & Wine magazineʼs Best New Chef, People magazineʼs Sexiest Chef and the first chef to appear on Gourmet magazineʼs cover as Americaʼs Most Exciting Young Chef, Rocco is the author of 13 books (5 of which were NY Times bestsellers) who lorded over 3-Star restaurant Union Pacific, a New York City culinary landmark for many years (The New York Times deemed his dishes “pure genius”). Rocco skyrocketed to mainstream fame starring in a countless array of food and celebrity chef television shows, including NBC's The Restaurant, ABC’s Extreme Weight Loss, Bravo's Top Chef and Rocco’s Dinner Party, Restaurant Divided on Food Network — and even Dancing With The Stars.

But it hasn't been all roses. Along the way, Rocco faced much adversity. He's battled detractors. And eventually his fast-paced, rich food-laden life caught up with him. By 38, Rocco had become seriously ill, boasting the metabolic rate of a 64-year old with an extra 40 pounds around the mid-section. His doctor told him he had no choice but to go on a battery of medications. But Rocco declined, setting his focus on healing himself with healthier food and physical exercise. It's a path that forever altered his career and indeed his life — a re-imagination of great tasting food in service to well-being; to physical exercise and the world of triathlon; and more recently to exploring the healing benefits of a plant-based diet and the challenge of creating tantalizing recipes without meat and dairy.

Ultimately, Rocco walked away from the cloistered sub-culture of New York City haute cuisine. It's a move that puzzled the restaurant world, but Rocco was committed to leveraging his prodigious kitchen talents to help others achieve the vital wellness he now enjoys. Instead of opening up another bistro, he started coaching people. He launched an all-natural food product line. He founded a meal delivery service called The Pound A Day Diet. And he spends his free-time as an Ambassador for HealthCorps, visiting schools across the country performing cooking demonstrations and encouraging thousands of youth to build healthier habits.

Indeed, it's a laudable mission to prove that healthy and delicious can indeed coexist.

Rocco's more recent embrace of plant-based cuisine is what piqued my interest in sitting down with him. It's also the thrust of his brand new cookbook, Rocco's Healthy & Delicious: More than 200 (Mostly) Plant-Based Recipes for Everyday Life* hitting bookstores everywhere October 17.

I love a good character arc. Charismatic and engaging, Rocco delivers in this super fun conversation with one of the world's greatest chefs.

Enjoy!

Rich

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