Mended Paths Podcast

Hi Path Menders,

This week I bring you my discussion with the amazing Josh LaJaunie. Josh is a self described plant-eating, miles-logging, WHODAT from Bayou Lafourche with an appetite for life! He is an inspiration after truly mending his own path. Weighing over 400 Lbs, Josh started his journey because he wanted to lose some weight, but more importantly, to shake things up a little by providing some change in his life as a way of coping with a stressful period. However, the path he started down turned into so much more. Now Josh is a ultramarathoner (an ultramarathon is any race longer then a marathon length) with many races in the rear view mirror. In September 2016 he finished third in the Wildcat 100-miler in Florida and he was recently featured on the cover of Runner's World magazine, after winning their 2016 cover model search. This is a great show you don't want to miss.

- Today Josh and I discuss (show notes):

- What life was like in 2010 (1:16)

- The desire for change (4:31)

- The first steps (yet again) (6:34)

- A new approach (7:52)

- Running takes off (10:00)

- Reaching a plateau and overcoming with new goals (14:12)

- 40 days of eating clean in 2013 and eye opening books and movies (15:41)

- A race "reward" that lead to lasting change (18:11)

- Best to avoid slippery slopes (21:33)

- Performance improvements after flicking off the animal products "switch" (27:39)

- Pain is like an essential nutrient (32:05)

- Vegan "fake food" transition (35:45)

- Calorie deficits but nutrient dense (36:31)

- Struggling with and reconciling the 'new" versus "old" you and the impact on your relationships (37:25)

- Setting appropriate goal posts (40:53)

- On being and setting a good example (43:05)

- On hunting (45:48),

- Advice for you: really start loving yourself (50:44), and,

- The switch has been duck-taped and how far it's brought him (55:03)

Thanks for listening!

Be sure to check out Josh's blog joshlajaunie.com for more info. Here are books and movies Josh referenced in this podcast.

Books:

- Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen (Christopher McDougall),

- Eat and Run (Scott Jurek),

- Finding Ultra: Rejecting Middle Age, Becoming One of the World's - Fittest Men, and Discovering Myself (Rich Roll), and,

- Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life (Brendan Brazier).

Movies:

- Forks Over Knives,

- Forks Over Knives Presents: The Engine 2 Kitchen Rescue,

- Hungry for Change, and,

- You're Not Vegan!,

The Mended Paths Podcast is also available on iTunes, stitcher.com, and Soundcloud or anywhere you get your podcasts.

If you’ve enjoyed the show, please share on your favorite social media and rate on the listings above.

We’d also love to hear from you; Tell us what you like or dislike; leave a comment or email us at [email protected].

Wishing you the Best of Health,

Chadwick @ The Mended Paths Podcast

Hi Path Menders,

Today I'm joined by Cardiac Rehabilitation Nurse, Shannon Farrell. Shannon is the volunteer director of Small Groups with the Plant Based Nutrition Support Group (PBNSG). She follows a whole food plant based diet as a means to control her own chronic disease states, has lost over 80 Lbs. in doing so and has experienced many other benefits by mending her path and leading a healthier life. As part of her position with PBNSG she manages both their Twitter and Instagram accounts.

Today we talk in depth about her journey and path thus far. She shares some of her experiences as a cardiac nurse and the work being done by the Plant Based Nutrition Support Group - specifically the small groups thereof. Finally, we touch on the importance of maintaining a social network of people following a similar path.

Thanks for listening!

Don’t miss an episode! Join the Mended Paths Community and receive notification when a new episode is released. Plus, get your copy of the free Mended Paths: Back to Better “Healthy Living Quick Reference Guide” when you sign-up! Sign up at www.mendedpaths.com

We’d also love to hear from you; leave a comment or email us at [email protected].

Wishing you the Best of Health,

Chadwick @ The Mended Paths Podcast

Hi Path Menders,

Today I'm excited to be speaking with plant-based Healer and author Dr. Brooke Goldner, M.D. Dr. Goldner is a board-certified medical doctor and the best-selling author of Goodbye Lupus. She has been featured in multiple documentaries, and has shared the stage with Drs. Dean Ornish, Caldwell Esselstyn, Michael Greger and T. Colin Campbell.

She was featured on the front cover of Vegan Health & Fitness Magazine twice.

She is the author of Goodbye Lupus and Green Smoothie Recipes to Kick-Start Your Health and Healing, and star of the DVDs Goodbye Lupus and Super Healthy Meals for Your Family. She is a graduate of the Temple University School of Medicine, was Chief Resident at UCLA-Harbor Residency in Psychiatry, and holds a certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition from Cornell University.

She is the founder of VeganMedicalDoctor.com and creator of the Hyper-nourishing Healing Protocol for Lupus Recovery.

After naturally healing her own body of Lupus, her current mission is to reach as many people with disease as possible to help them heal and lead healthy, meaningful lives.

In today's show we discuss:

• Before she was a doctor she was a patient (1:49),

• College remission then flair ups (6:56),

• Meeting her future husband changed her life in unexpected ways (8:36),

• Medical school is terrifying for a person with Lupus (10:15),

• Prior conceptions of "healthy" (13:48),

• The plan used to achieve her wedding weight loss goals and her results (15:00),

• Would a pregnancy turn an amazing "remission" into a death sentence? (20:20),

• Making the connection - a nutrition plan that makes the body healthy and responsive to challenges (23:12),

• The six steps to healing with supermarket foods (26:25),

• Patients healed with Dr. Goldner's protocol (31:02),

• The healthcare revolution - a slow cultural shift (33:26),

• The business of medicine (39:32),

• Long term compliance rate (42:41),

• Nutrition and Psychiatry - a holistic approach (49:08), and,

• Start by adding what you're missing (specifically a green smoothie a day) (51:12).

You can get in contact with Dr. Goldner at VeganMedicalDoctor.com or check out her and her husband's 100% free website SmoothieShred.com. She is also on Facebook at her page Goodbye Lupus by Brooke Goldner, M.D. And finally, here is a link to the page where you can buy Dr. Goldner's books and programs (http://www.veganmedicaldoctor.com/products---courses.html).

The Mended Paths Podcast is also available on iTunes, stitcher.com, and Soundcloud. (Did you know, if you use one of these apps, it will save your place if you exit and return later?)

If you’ve enjoyed the show, please share on your favorite social media and rate on the listings above.

We’d also love to hear from you; leave a comment or email us at [email protected].

Wishing you the Best of Health,

Chadwick @ The Mended Paths Podcast

Find us Online: www.mendedpaths.com

Hello Path Menders,

This week I bring you the inspirational tale of primary school teacher Katie Martin. Katie struggled with her weight for years. Her poor diet and lack of exercise negatively affected her self-esteem and caused a number of health issues including anxiety, depression, and spasms in her gallbladder.

Luckily, after watching the documentary Forks over Knives, Katie started to mend her path and adopted a low-fat, low-salt plant-based diet and experienced amazing results! Eventually she also compounded these benefits by adding regular exercise to her life. She was even awarded for her achievement in boot camp, something that would have been unthinkable before her change.

With some hiccups along the way, Katie has learned to have the confidence to know how to fix her health whenever she experiences any bumps in the road.

Show Notes:

• Katie's background (0:46)

• Creating an inventory of health issues (5:04)

• Documentaries: a door to change (9:35)

• Re-learning food and the benefits that come (11:39)

• Bumps in the road (19:23)

• Adding exercise, multiplying results, surpassing expectations (24:32)

• Influencing others (29:28)

• Feeding the future - nutrition in schools (34:20)

• Her current diet (40:38)

• Her advice for Path Menders (45:32)

Thanks for listening!

The Mended Paths Podcast is also available on iTunes, stitcher.com, and Soundcloud. If you’ve enjoyed the show, please share on your favorite social media and rate on the listings.

We’d also love to hear from you; leave a comment or email us at [email protected].

Wishing you the Best of Health,

Chadwick

Find us Online: www.mendedpaths.com

Good Morning Path Menders,

Meet Jason Cohen: entrepreneur and photographer at Jason Cohen Photography. Jason lost over 100 Lbs. through diet and lifestyle changes. He is also working on a documentary called Big Change the Film which will share the stories of others who've lost significant amounts of weight. He also has a weekly podcast that can be found in iTunes as well as on YouTube called Big Change The Film Podcast, with the same goal. He is also on Instagram.

If you want to get in touch with Jason, the best place to do that is the Documentary's Facebook page Big Change The Film.

In this episode we talk about (show notes):

• What inspired the desire to create Big Change the Film (0:54)

• How Jason started mending his path (3:24)

• Trying new things and taking steps in the right direction (8:26)

• Jason's current diet (11:26)

• His wife's transition and some unexpected benefits (13:05)

• Weight he has lost (14:56)

• Benefits his wife has experienced and how life has changed (17:11)

• Exercise that is part of his life now (19:14)

• A little more on Big Change the Film and his podcast (21:17)

• Are the success stories hard to find? (29:05)

• Crafting his message to his former self (30:40)

• Opening up to share a story with the world (33:44)

• Impacts on his work as a photographer (34:55)

• Jason's advice for Path Menders (38:33)

• Getting in contact with Jason (42:13)

Thanks for listening!

The Mended Paths Podcast is also available on iTunes, stitcher.com, and Soundcloud. If you’ve enjoyed the show, please share on your favorite social media and rate on the listings.

We’d also love to hear from you; leave a comment or email us at [email protected].

Wishing you the Best of Health,

Chadwick

Find us Online: www.mendedpaths.com

Hello Path Menders,

Some of you may be familiar with the amazing Dr. Ruth Heidrich, PH.D as she was featured in the most excellent documentary "Forks Over Knives." She was 47 when, despite being a marathoner and daily runner for 14 years with what she considered a "healthy" diet, she was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer that had spread to her lung and bones. Luckily, she was fortunate to connect with Dr. John McDougall who was running a study on the effects of diet on breast cancer. Within weeks she was seeing amazing results from her new low fat vegan diet.

Beating such a terrible diagnosis is high achievement enough. But for Dr. Ruth, this was just the beginning. She wanted to prove that this diet - this lifestyle - was so powerful, not only would she chew up and cure her cancer, she would spit our Iron. While still recovering from her mastectomy, she began training and went on to finish 6 Ironman Triathlons. At the time it was considered possible to only do one of these per year, due to the recovery time needed from such a strenuous competition. Dr. Ruth did 4 in the first year of competing!

In addition to racing, Dr. Ruth has her PH.D. in Nutrition and Exercise Physiology and has written 4 books so far: "A Race for Life," "Lifelong Running," "Senior Fitness," and, the e-book "The CHEF Cook/Rawbook." She answers questions through her website ruthheidrich.com and is co-host of a weekly talk show in her native Hawaii. She can also be found on her Facebook page.

In this show we discuss (show notes):

• Background - from "healthy" marathon runner to cancer diagnosis (01:08)

• Joining Dr. John McDougall's Breast Cancer & Diet Research Study (7:51)

• How changing her diet was received by others (11:50)

• (Almost) Nothing can stop her from running (12:59)

• Post-surgery downtime brings opportunities (14:59)

• Chewing up cancer and spitting out iron (17:49)

• But who only wants to do one Ironman? (21:00)

• Becoming an author of four books (so far) (25:29)

• Prioritizing exercise (33:47)

• On sexual health (35:28)

• On aging (36:33)

• On moderation (38:46)

• "You can't be a prophet in your own hometown" (40:19)

• A 5K warm up and bias in reporting (43:59)

• Continued relationship with Dr. McDougall (47:33)

If you’ve enjoyed the show, please share on your favorite social media and rate on the iTunes and Stitcher!

We’d also love to hear from you; leave a comment or email us at [email protected].

Wishing you the Best of Health,

Chadwick

Path Menders Welcome,

Today I'm speaking with Plant-Based Certified Health Coach, Sharon McRae. Sharon provides coaching services to clients in-person or online through her website "Eat Well Stay Well." She also teaches nutrition and cooking classes as a Food for Life Instructor for the Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine. Sharon also runs a local meet-up group (in Maryland USA) which can be found on Facebook called the Columbia MD Forks Over Knives Meetup Group.

Today we discuss (show notes):

-How she got into the profession of coaching for health (0:43)

-What to expect when starting a coaching relationship (5:45)

-Nuns and the thieves example (9:15)

-How foods can increase your chances of occurrence / recurrence of diseases (10:52)

-Controlling what you can control and the benefits (13:02)

-It’s not reductionism and changing preferences (16:24)

-Disassociation with our food (19:15)

-Her dad’s success story (22:37)

-Sharon’s transition (29:51)

-Common theme – from short trial to lifetime change (34:02)

-Meet-ups (38:10)

-How & how often she connects to coaching clients (41:04)

-Making an informed decision (43:40)

If you want to connect with Sharon, you can email her at [email protected], or find her on her Facebook page.

Thanks for listening!

Don't miss an episode! Join the Mended Paths Community and receive notification when a new episode is released. Plus, get your copy of the free Mended Paths: Back to better "Healthy Living Quick Reference Guide" when you sign-up at www.mendedpaths.com!

Wishing you the Best of Health,

Chadwick @ The Mended Paths Podcast

Hello Path Menders,

This week I have the pleasure of bringing you the inspirational story of Tim Kaufman. Due to a genetic disorder, Tim was told by his doctors to "keep his body quiet." Bad choices and pain compounded his condition and left him sitting at 400 Lbs. with a prescription drug addiction. But after facing tragedy in his own life, the thought of causing his wife more pain - from his death or worsening disability - set him on a path of self-discovery. Tim embraced a philosophy of Kaizen (continuous improvement) to mend his path. Starting with the simple act of getting out of his chair twice instead of once, or walking up four steps before resting instead of three, Tim inched forward toward a healthier way of life with the motto, "Do a little more today than yesterday."

Today Tim is a happy, active fellow, who loves life and helping others reclaim their health. Tim runs the blog Fatmanrants as well as a Facebook page (both worth checking out) and is planning on writing a book about his journey.

You may need a few tissues for this one.

Show Notes:

-Background / A path that needed mending (0:33)

-Trying to identify the impetus to change (8:21)

-Is bariatric surgery the answer? (18:33)

-Exploring other options - Dieting and a food log (21:13)

-Implementing Kaizen (23:14)

-Netflix documentaries - Opening a door to a new way of eating (26:02)

-Functional goals and steady progression (33:42)

-Running a half marathon with a handicap parking pass (43:20)

-From needing help with his shoes to a 6000 foot summit (46:59)

-Health is contagious too (48:55)

We’d also love to hear from you; leave a comment or email us at [email protected].

Much Love,

Chadwick @ The Mended Paths Podcast

Hi Path Menders,

This week I have special guest Dr. Arjun Rayapudi joining me on the show. Dr. Rayapudi is a general surgeon, speaker and an author of the upcoming book, “What the hell am I supposed to eat?” He is a Fellow of Royal College of Surgeons of Canada and is certified by the American Board of Surgery. He received general surgery training at the University of Florida Jacksonville and the University of Illinois. He also holds a Plant Based Nutrition Certificate from Cornell University and Dr. McDougall's Starch Solution Certificate. He works at Burin Hospital and lives in serene Burin Peninsula Newfoundland (my home province) with his beautiful wife, charming son and energetic doggy daughter, a golden retriever. When he gets a break from helping patients in the sterile operating room, he is busy in his backyard growing vegetables - Last year he grew over 200 pounds of potatoes!

Dr. Rayapudi shares his insights on how to lose weight, prevent and reverse disease all while eating the food that you love! Specifically, in this episode we discuss:

-What drew Dr. Rayapudi to study the nutritional sciences (0:26)

-The capacity of general physicians to provide nutrition guidance to their patients (6:09)

-His father’s story of reversing his heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, all with the power of a plant based diet (7:56)

-Changes he's witnessed in his patients (15:33)

-The scientific evidence supporting plant based diets and lifestyle (20:12)

-Why a plant based lifestyle is so effective for weight loss (26:20)

-Dr. Rayapudi own weight loss success story (30:13)

-Advice for people with loved ones who are resistant to change (36:56)

-Why you should say no to oil (41:50)

-Suggested resources to learn more (45:47)

You really don't want to miss this amazing interview!

The Doctor and his wife, Dr. Shobha Rayapudi, also run the invaluable website Gift of Health @ giftofhealth.org. Here you'll find their blog, recipes, and resources as well as info on upcoming events they offer in their community! Please support them and check it out :)

The Mended Paths Podcast is also available on iTunes, stitcher.com, and Google Play.

If you’ve enjoyed the show, please sharing on your favorite social media and rate on the listings listed above.

We’d also love to hear from you; leave a comment or email us at [email protected].

Much Love,

Chadwick @ The Mended Paths Podcast

This week I speak with Joey DiMaggio, a Michigan chef, who lost over 100 Lbs and discovered a whole new way of cooking things up with a plant based diet.

Joey shares his story of growing up in an Italian family where the phrase "mangia" (eat) was a central to every social encounter, of which there were many, and his struggle with weight as a result. When health issues promised a life of prescription medication and an inevitable heart attack he refused to accept the direction he was headed in. Instead he choose to Mend the Path he was on and got Back to Better™

Please join as he shares his motivational story.

The Mended Paths Podcast is also available on iTunes, stitcher.com, and Google Play.

If you’ve enjoyed the show, please consider sharing it on your favorite social media and rating it on the listings linked above.

We'd also love to hear from you; leave a comment or email us at [email protected].

Much Love,

Chadwick @ The Mended Paths Podcast