On this episode of The No-B.S. Vegan, Jaebien Rosario joins me to talk about some of my favourite topics, including these questions [and many more!]

Jaebien is a certified nutrition coach and personal trainer with a background in psychology, public health, and philosophy. Currently, he studies public health at a graduate level and is interested in plant-based nutrition, critical thinking, and longevity. 

Isaias Hernandez is an Environmental Educator & Content Creator of QueerBrownVegan, where he educates people on the intersecting climate crises through a justice-oriented lens.

Isaias and I discuss intersectionality, veganism and food insecurity, BIPOC voices in veganism, de-centreing whiteness in environmentalism/veganism, diversity and inclusion, and much [much] more.

Scholar, author, and editor Dr. Gregory Tague is on the show to discuss his book, The Vegan Evolution: Transforming Diets and Agriculture. We talk about how and why veganism needs to be the wave of the future for human and planetary health, educating young members of our society, and why anatomically modern humans are not born hunters and eaters of meat. From Gregory’s book: “We are genetically predisposed to eat for survival, but we are not genetically programmed to eat meat three times a day any more than we are mechanized to eat candy bars.” “The evolutionary case for veganism is about shifts in cultural attitudes, values, and beliefs that are advantageous to humans, ecosystems, and animals.”

Within veganism is a well-known movement of “absolutely no oil” proponents. Several high-profile vegan doctors and cardiologists promote a 100% no-oil diet for everyone across the population. In this episode, we discuss why this doesn’t fit with the current peer-reviewed research. Not all oils are equal, and there’s a large body of research showing certain types of oil are, in fact, good for us. Dr. Matthew Nagra is a Naturopathic Doctor devoted to bringing the most up-to-date, evidence-based nutrition information to both the public and his patients at his clinic in Vancouver. (We also discuss how science and naturopathy can coexist!) In 2018 Dr. Nagra graduated from the Boucher Institute after completing his Bachelor's of Science in Microbiology at the University of Victoria. He is also certified in plant-based nutrition through eCornell and the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies, and was a contributing author on Professional Health Systems' Nutrition textbook. He is also a public speaker and often tackles misinformation around diet and dives deep into the latest nutrition research on his social media.

Can vegans participate in endurance sports at the same level as their non-vegan counterparts? What are some of the challenges they face? We answer these questions [and more] in today’s episode. 

Vic Johnson is a sports nutrition coach for outdoor athletes, working primarily with trail runners, cyclists, triathletes, skiers and other mountain athletes. 

He has degrees in psychology, public health, and dietetics. Vic has eaten a primarily plant-based diet for over 15 years and has competed in endurance sports since high school. He loves helping athletes achieve their ultimate potential in their sport through sustainable nutrition and fuelling.

Toni Okamoto is the founder of Plant-Based on a Budget, the popular website and social media platform that teaches millions how to eat more plants without breaking their budget. She’s also the author of the forthcoming Plant-Based on a Budget Quick & Easy cookbook, and the co-host of The Plant-Powered People Podcast.

Toni’s work has been profiled by NPR, NBC News, Parade, and she’s a regular presence on local and national morning shows across the US, where she teaches viewers how to break their meat habit without breaking their budget. She was also featured in the popular documentary What the Health. 

When she’s not cooking up a plant-based storm, she’s spending time with her husband and their rescued dog in Sacramento, CA.

Debbie Adler is a plant-based chef, bakery owner, and the award-winning cookbook author of the critically-acclaimed Sweet, Savory & Free: Insanely Delicious Plant-Based Recipes without any of the Top 8 Food Allergens, and Sweet Debbie’s Organic Treats: Allergy-free & Vegan Recipes from the Famous Los Angeles Bakery.

Debbie is a plant-based cooking and baking instructor and her popular online courses Plant Powerful Life GPS, Quintessential Health 360° and The Complete Plant Powerful Weight Loss System have been taken by hundreds of students worldwide.

She has been interviewed on NBC’s Nightly News, ABC-7’s Eyewitness News, CBS Los Angeles and the national superstation WGN.  

We jump into a discussion on food allergies, the protein myth, and much [much] more!

Ernalee Shannon is a Bio-Kinesiologist, Holistic Health Practitioner, ADHD [Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder] Sanity Saver Coach, Author, Speaker, and creator of the ADHD Sanity Saver Reset.

As a child, Ernalee says she was “as ADHD as they come”. After healing her own health crisis and brain, she has spent the last 36 years helping people achieve the health and wellbeing that eludes them. It's her superpower. Her passion is working with children who are just like she used to be.

Ernalee joins me to discuss why eating vegan is important for those with ADHD, her own vegan story, and more.

"Veganuary" is a popular challenge that encourages participants to go vegan for the month of January.

Long-term ethical vegans like myself would prefer the approach to veganism to be longer-term than just 1 month. Approaching veganism as a “challenge” for a certain length of time hints at short-term “bootcamp” style weight loss programs that don’t often lead to long-lasting results.

(Topics were kept a surprise during the month of December. Listeners had to tune in to each daily advent calendar episode to find out what it was about!)