Edible Empire

Geoff Reid is a passionate environmental activist, nature photographer and content creator based in Aotearoa. Geoff uses his skills as a visual communicator to advocate for forest and water restoration, pest management and increased biodiversity.

Geoff is only a one-man band, and to-date has been running on a shoe-string budget, yet he has still been able to achieve so much through his hard work, dedication and effective advocacy. A phenomenal human. His latest campaign brings awareness to the intensive winter grazing that takes place in New Zealand. You can also view some of Geoff’s work and footage on his YouTube account.

In this episode we cover:
• Geoff’s background, his passion for the environment and his evolution to environmental activist
• His involvement in forest and water advocacy and pest management
• Intensive winter grazing – what it is, why it’s done and how it is a big environmental and ethical problem
• Intensive horticulture – it’s not just animal agriculture that poses an issues
• Deforestation in New Zealand – the scale, causes and consequences
• Effective advocacy – The success of the ‘Choose Clean Water’ campaign by reframing the issue and messaging
• A way forward – the problem with greenwashing, the need for strong leadership and what we as individuals can do
• Future projects!

Geoff really is able to achieve a lot, while working with so little. There are big plans in the pipeline, but in order to action some of these ideas Geoff needs more funding. If you would like to support his work or to simply find out more about his important work please visit Geoff’s Patreon.

Geoff's latest campaign is for Pāmu farms to stop intensive winter grazing and you can sign this petition to do your part.

We hope you enjoy this inspiring conversation and would love to hear your feedback! Be sure to tag @TheLentilIntervention and help us reach more people by liking, reviewing, subscribing and sharing this episode with your friends and family.

To view all the links to the websites and documents, visit the show notes on our website.

Please support our work and enable us to deliver more content by buying us a coffee or becoming a member of Athletes for Nature.
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Adam Guthrie, founder of I Feel Good, joins us for an inspiring discussion about his health challenges and journey back to wellness. Like many of us, Adam was leading a very busy life and wasn’t paying close attention to his health and nutrition… until he was forced to reassess everything, following a heart attack at 39.

His transformation was nothing short of incredible. Following the heart attack, Adam didn’t just recover – he thrived, losing 30 kg and completing an Ironman triathlon. Since this time, Adam has established I Feel Good, a platform that helps thousands of people around the world transform their lives through a whole food plant-based diet and lifestyle. Folks, this is one uplifting conversation.

In this episode we cover:
• Adam’s backstory and life pre-heart attack 
• His road to recovery, including the journey from heart attack to Ironman
• The key pillars of Adam’s lifestyle now
• His work as a wellness coach and why I Feel Good was created
• Supporting others on their plant-based journeys
• And a whole lot more!

We hope you enjoy this inspiring conversation and would love to hear your feedback! Be sure to tag @TheLentilIntervention and help us reach more people by liking, reviewing, subscribing and sharing this episode with your friends and family.

To view all the links to the websites and documents, visit the show notes on our website.

Please support our work and enable us to deliver more content by buying us a coffee or becoming a member of Athletes for Nature.
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook, subscribe to this podcast, and share this episode with your friends and family.

In this episode, we take a slightly different approach to our usual format. We are talking all things plant-based nutrition, specifically for fuelling endurance athletes and we have Jayden Ordner joining us to offer some really valuable insights.
Jayden is an avid trail runner and adventurer, with a very strong sporting background and is currently studying dietetics at university so brings a nice mix of science and experience to the discussion. One thing is certain - Jayden blows the ‘weak vegan’ stereotype right out of the water. If you’re interested in endurance sports and the benefits of whole food plant-based nutrition, this one will be right up your ally!

In this episode we cover:
• Jayden’s background, his sporting achievements, his health scares and why he transitions to a WFPB diet
• The benefits of plant-based diets for endurance athletes
• Key nutrition principles for fuelling on race day and for training
• Ben and Jayden’s personal tips, strategies and meal ideas for training and events
• Popular myths and misconceptions about a plant-based diet for athletes
• Tips for those athletes interested in transitioning to a plant-based diet
• Potential nutrition pitfalls and how to navigate them

There’s a lot packed into this one and we hope you find it valuable - whether you’re an athlete or not!

For more details on vegan diets for athletes check out this helpful open access review paper.

To view all the links to the websites and documents, visit the show notes on our website.

Please support our work and enable us to deliver more content by buying us a coffee or becoming a member of Athletes for Nature.
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Dr Kate Wylie is a GP and climate activist based in Adelaide. Kate is the founder of Climate Medicine, a member of Doctors For The Environment Australia and has completed the Climate Reality Leadership Program with Al Gore. Dr Wylie does vital work, educating on the health effects of climate change to both community groups and health professionals.

In this episode we discuss:
• Kate’s background and journey to climate activism
• The need to view climate change as a health issue
• The major causes of our climate emergency, current projections and timeline for making crucial changes
• Climate change and its wide-ranging impacts on human health – from the increased risk of Asthma right through to zoonotic diseases
• Recommended climate management plan moving forward for governments, organisations and individuals
• 10 individual actions we can all implement that will benefit our planet and our health
• Kate’s upcoming advocacy work
• And so much more!

This one covers climate change from the angle of human health – and the climate emergency is arguably the greatest threat to human health this century. Please help us reach more people with this important message by liking, reviewing, subscribing and most importantly sharing this episode with friends and family.

View The Future We Choose, the book mentioned by Dr Wylie.

To view all the links to the websites and documents, visit the show notes on our website.

Please support our work and enable us to deliver more content by buying us a coffee or becoming a member of Athletes for Nature.
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Shane Ward is founder of Action Ecology, a consultancy offering a range of services that improve land productivity, resource efficiency, resilience and ecological function. Shane is passionate about the benefits of regenerative agriculture and the opportunities it provides for carbon drawdown, presenting regularly on the subject. He serves as Better Futures Forum’s expert on regenerative land use, sustainable food systems and ecosystem restoration.

In this episode we discuss:
• Shane’s background and interest in ecology
• How Action Ecology came to be and the services provided
• Current problems with intensive farming and consequent effects on the environment and long-term sustainability of our food supply
• Regenerative agriculture; what it means, the importance of soil and some of the common approaches
• The importance of considering the unique natural environment when designing a sustainable farm
• The role of animals, holistic grazing and the need to transition towards more plant-centred diets
• The new Netflix documentary Kiss The Ground
• Actionable changes for the home gardener/hobby farmer to improve the sustainability of their ventures.

We hope you enjoy this episode and would love to hear your feedback! And don’t forget to tag @TheLentilIntervention on your social media posts.

To view all the links to the websites and documents, visit the show notes on our website.

Please support our work and enable us to deliver more content by buying us a coffee or becoming a member of Athletes for Nature.
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook, subscribe to this podcast, and share this episode with your friends and family.

James Wilson had spent a lifetime growing, harvesting and eating meat and milk products but following a serious health scare, he made the switch to a wholefood plant-based lifestyle.
James lost weight, turned his health around and was able to discontinue his prescription medication. He has now authored the book Plant Paradigm which describes the benefits of veganism for animals, human health and planetary health and touches on an extra benefit – the joy of eating this way.

In this episode we discuss:
•  James’ background, including his work as a farmer
•  The health scares that motivated James to switch to a wholefood plant-based diet
•  What spurred James to author Plant Paradigm and key outtakes from the book
•  Why certain farming methods are out of date, and why regenerative agriculture is short-sighted
•  The benefits of a WFPB diet for weight management and longevity
•  And a lot more!

We hope you enjoy this episode and would love to hear your feedback! And don’t forget to tag @TheLentilIntervention on your social media posts.

To view all the links to the websites and documents, visit the show notes on our website.

Please support our work and enable us to deliver more content by buying us a coffee or becoming a member of Athletes for Nature.
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook, subscribe to this podcast, and share this episode with your friends and family.

Lyn Mayes joins us in this episode to talk about the New Zealand soft plastics stewardship scheme and touch on the Australian equivalent, REDcycle - so this chat will be applicable to both our Aussie and NZ listeners!
Lyn is director and founder of the sustainability consultancy Mad World, the sustainability advisor to the New Zealand Food and Grocery Council, a member of the Institute of Directors and Chair of the Auckland Conservation Board.  Lyn also manages the NZ soft plastics stewardship scheme. A very busy and passionate human!

Over the period from 1950-2015, cumulative production of plastics reached 7.8 billion tonnes worldwide – more than one tonne of plastic for every person alive today! As our listeners would know, soft plastics cannot be recycled via regular curbside collection, so this is an important issue to address.

In this episode we discuss:
• Lyn’s background, her business Mad World and why she ventured into the realm of sustainability
• The NZ soft plastic recycling scheme and mention of REDcycle in Australia.
• The Packaging Forum and partnership with Future Post and Second Life Plastics to create a circular economy
• The number of soft plastics saved and the future direction of the scheme
• Some quick-fire FAQs on what can and cannot be recycled through the scheme

We hope you enjoy this episode and would love to hear your feedback! And don’t forget to tag The Lentil Intervention on your social media posts.

To view all the links to the websites and documents, visit the show notes on our website.

Please support our work and enable us to deliver more content by buying us a coffee or becoming a member of Athletes for Nature.
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook, subscribe to this podcast, and share this episode with your friends and family.

The fantastic Ondine Sherman is an established author, the co-founder and managing director of Voiceless: The Animal Protection Institute and also serves as director of the conservation NGO This is My Earth. Ondine joins us to discuss her new book Vegan Living: A simple guide to a cruelty-free, healthy, plant-based life.
And thanks to the generosity of Ondine and her Publisher, Pantera Press, we are able to offer four copies of Ondine’s new book to our Aussie and Kiwi listeners – so be sure to tune in to find out how you can win yourself a copy of this great new book!

In this episode we discuss:
• Ondine’s background and journey to veganism
• The history of Voiceless and their important new initiatives 
• Ondine’s new book and why it was needed
• The benefits of a plant-based diet – not just for animals, but for human health, the climate and protecting earth’s natural spaces
• Possible issues plant-based eaters may face and how to tackle them
• The need to make the plant-based movement an inclusive and welcoming space

This episode has some great takeaways but will likely be of particular benefit for anyone new to a plant-based diet, or someone thinking about transitioning. Please help us reach more people with this important message by liking, reviewing, subscribing and most importantly sharing this episode with friends and family. 

To view all the links to the websites and documents, visit the show notes on our website.

Please support our work and enable us to deliver more content by buying us a coffee or becoming a member of Athletes for Nature.
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook, subscribe to this podcast, and share this episode with your friends and family.

Hannah Blumhardt is one busy lady. Having a background in law, policy, history and international relations she serves as the zero-waste expert for Better Futures Forum, founded The Rubbish Trip with her partner Liam in 2015 and is the co-founder and policy spokesperson for Takeaway Throwaways. Hannah is also a member of the steering committee for the New Zealand Product Stewardship Council, amongst many other things! Hannah is a passionate advocate for zero waste living, her work and research spans from grassroots to government and focuses on reaching a waste-free world.

In this episode we discuss:
• Hannah’s background and journey to a waste-free lifestyle
• The motivation behind establishing The Rubbish Trip
• The need to shift our thinking about waste, the waste hierarchy and the surprising fact that recycling is one of the least preferable options
• Linear versus circular economy models and the consequences on the environment
• Industry ‘greenwashing’ and the complacency that stems from that
• Government, industry and consumer responsibilities in waste management 
• The New Zealand Product Stewardship scheme and the potential benefits and pitfalls
• What changes individuals can make to reduce their impact on the environment

There are a lot of important topics covered in this episode if you care about the environment – whether you are a local kiwi or based abroad, this is a necessary listen. Please help us reach more people with this important message by liking, reviewing, subscribing and most importantly sharing this episode with friends and family.
(photo credit: Solene News and Land)

To view all the links to the websites and documents, visit the show notes on our website.

Please support our work and enable us to deliver more content by buying us a coffee or becoming a member of Athletes for Nature.
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook, subscribe to this podcast, and share this episode with your friends and family.

Dr Sam Gartland is a GP based in Ballina, NSW. In 2008 while busy as an intensive care doctor, he was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and his world changed. Sam’s symptoms were so severe he had to resign his position, but fortunately, he has now been relapse-free since 2009, after implementing specific dietary and lifestyle changes.

These changes not only helped in his recovery but shape Sam’s practice as a doctor today. Sam now strongly advocates for a lifestyle medicine approach, where appropriate, and empowers and educates patients so they can also start writing their own recovery stories.

In this episode we discuss:
• Sam’s background and work as a doctor in Australia and the UK
• His diagnosis and disenchantment with the mainstream medical approach for MS
• Sam’s road to recovery and the impact MS typically has on quality and length of life
• The work of Dr Roy Swank and Professor George Jelinek
• The importance of diet, exercise, stress management, vitamin D and Omega-3s and how they relate to MS
• The importance of hope in healing and maintaining a positive mindset

This is a valuable episode for anyone struggling with a chronic health condition and Dr Gartland has such a positive and powerful message to share. Please help us reach more people with this important message by liking, reviewing, subscribing and most importantly sharing this episode with friends and family.

Here are the links to:
• the Overcoming MS programme
• Sam’s personal website
• and if you are local to Dr Gartland in the Ballina area, this is where you schedule an appointment

To view all the links to the websites and documents, visit the show notes on our website.

Please support our work and enable us to deliver more content by buying us a coffee or becoming a member of Athletes for Nature.
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook, subscribe to this podcast, and share this episode with your friends and family.