Change is a Choice. Paul de Gelder wasn't given a choice the day he was attacked by a shark as a clearance diver in Sydney Harbor.  But he did choose how he would react. Using the mantra he’d been taught in the Army to "Improvise, Adapt, Overcome,” Paul was able to fight back from life-threatening injuries and to create a life that exceeds his most wild dreams. In this episode, Paul shares how and why he adopted a plant-based diet and what it’s meant to his health, and his efforts to save the very creatures that nearly killed him. Now a host of Discovery Channel’s Shark Week, Paul is a vocal advocate for shark education and conservation. Buckle-up for this one and prepare to be inspired by someone who will make you question every excuse you’ve ever made.

Change is a Choice. Paul de Gelder wasn't given a choice the day he was attacked by a shark as a clearance diver in Sydney Harbor. But he did choose how he would react. Using the mantra he’d been taught in the Army to "Improvise, Adapt, Overcome,” Paul was able to fight back from life-threatening injuries and to create a life that exceeds his most wild dreams. In this episode, Paul shares how and why he adopted a plant-based diet and what it’s meant to his health, and his efforts to save the very creatures that nearly killed him. Now a host of Discovery Channel’s Shark Week, Paul is a vocal advocate for shark education and conservation. Buckle-up for this one and prepare to be inspired by someone who will make you question every excuse you’ve ever made.

Change is a Choice. Paul de Gelder wasn't given a choice the day he was attacked by a shark as a clearance diver in Sydney Harbor. &nbsp;But he did choose how he would react. Using the mantra he’d been taught in the Army to "Improvise, Adapt, Overcome,” Paul was able to fight back from life-threatening injuries and to create a life that exceeds his most wild dreams. In this episode, Paul shares how and why he adopted a plant-based diet and what it’s meant to his health, and his efforts to save the very creatures that nearly killed him. Now a host of Discovery Channel’s Shark Week, Paul is a vocal advocate for shark education and conservation. Buckle-up for this one and prepare to be inspired by someone who will make you question every excuse you’ve ever made.

Ep. 8: Paul de Gelder - Improvise-Adapt-Overcome

The PLANT STRONG Podcast is for people who want real answers about food, health, and longevity—without the noise, fear, or extremes.

Maybe you’ve been diagnosed with a chronic condition and want a path forward that actually supports healing. Maybe you’re an athlete looking to fuel performance and recovery. Maybe you’re a parent trying to escape the ultra-processed food aisle and feed your family real, nourishing meals. Or maybe you’re simply tired of being confused about what “healthy” actually means.

The challenge? Eating more real food can feel overwhelming. You’ve heard warnings about protein, cost, or restriction. You’ve been told it’s complicated, boring, or socially isolating.
This podcast exists to change that.
Each week, host Rip Esselstyn sits down with leading doctors, researchers, athletes, authors, and everyday people who are proving—through lived experience and science—that eating more whole plants and moving your body consistently can deliver powerful, lasting results. We’re not interested in perfection or dogma. We’re here to be extremely practical, extremely evidence-based, and extremely encouraging.

Rip’s work began more than two decades ago, when he helped transform the health of his fellow firefighters using simple, whole foods—guided by the groundbreaking research of his father, Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn Jr. That experience launched a lifelong mission to help people reclaim their health through real food and active living, and ultimately led to the creation of PLANT STRONG.

Today, the podcast is an extension of that mission: cutting through misinformation, challenging cultural norms, and showing what’s possible when you fuel your body with food that actually supports it.
You’ll hear conversations about:
Preventing and reversing chronic disease
Strength, endurance, and recovery
Gut health, inflammation, and longevity
Behavior change that actually sticks
How to build habits you can sustain in real life
You’ll also hear about REAL30™—our simple, powerful framework built around consistency, not restriction:
30 days
30 minutes of movement a day
30 different whole plants each week
REAL30 is often where listeners turn inspiration into action—and it’s a recurring thread throughout the show.

This podcast isn’t about being perfect. It’s about eating real food, building real habits, and getting real results. You won’t be weak when you eat strong food.
Welcome to PLANT STRONG.

Medicine

Alternative Health

Health & Fitness

Nutrition

The PLANT STRONG Podcast is for people who want real answers about food, health, and longevity—without the noise, fear, or extremes. Maybe you’ve been diagnosed with a chronic condition and want a path forward that actually supports healing. Maybe you’re an athlete looking to fuel performance and recovery. Maybe you’re a parent trying to escape the ultra-processed food aisle and feed your family real, nourishing meals. Or maybe you’re simply tired of being confused about what “healthy” actually means. The challenge? Eating more real food can feel overwhelming. You’ve heard warnings about protein, cost, or restriction. You’ve been told it’s complicated, boring, or socially isolating. This podcast exists to change that. Each week, host Rip Esselstyn sits down with leading doctors, researchers, athletes, authors, and everyday people who are proving—through lived experience and science—that eating more whole plants and moving your body consistently can deliver powerful, lasting results. We’re not interested in perfection or dogma. We’re here to be extremely practical, extremely evidence-based, and extremely encouraging. Rip’s work began more than two decades ago, when he helped transform the health of his fellow firefighters using simple, whole foods—guided by the groundbreaking research of his father, Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn Jr. That experience launched a lifelong mission to help people reclaim their health through real food and active living, and ultimately led to the creation of PLANT STRONG. Today, the podcast is an extension of that mission: cutting through misinformation, challenging cultural norms, and showing what’s possible when you fuel your body with food that actually supports it. You’ll hear conversations about: Preventing and reversing chronic disease Strength, endurance, and recovery Gut health, inflammation, and longevity Behavior change that actually sticks How to build habits you can sustain in real life You’ll also hear about REAL30™—our simple, powerful framework built around consistency, not restriction: 30 days 30 minutes of movement a day 30 different whole plants each week REAL30 is often where listeners turn inspiration into action—and it’s a recurring thread throughout the show. This podcast isn’t about being perfect. It’s about eating real food, building real habits, and getting real results. You won’t be weak when you eat strong food. Welcome to PLANT STRONG.

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Ep. 8: Paul de Gelder - Improvise-Adapt-Overcome

Ep. 8: Paul de Gelder - Improvise-Adapt-Overcome

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