Plant-Based Canada Podcast

Drs. Arjun and Shobha Rayapudi joined the Plant-Based Canada Podcast (@plantbasedcanadaorg) to share their plant-based medical insights for this episode. They are co-founders of Gift of Health, a nonprofit organization based in Newfoundland, Canada, dedicated to revolutionizing lives through lifestyle medicine. Through in-person and online workshops, they have helped hundreds of people prevent and reverse chronic diseases, end the frustrating dieting cycle, lose weight and get off medications.

Both Drs. Arjun and Shobha Rayapudi obtained their medical degrees from Rangaraya Medical College and are certified by the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine and hold Plant Based Nutrition Certificates from Cornell University. 

Dr. Arjun Rayapudi is also certified by the American Board of Surgery and is a Fellow of Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. He did his surgical residency training at University of Florida and University of Illinois. He is working as a General Surgeon at Burin Peninsula Health Care Center.

Dr. Shobha Rayapudi is a physician, epidemiologist and researcher. In addition to her medical training, she holds a Master of Science degree in Epidemiology from Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Rayapudi says she loves helping people discover the power that they have within themselves, in their own kitchen to revolutionize their health completely.

Through the Gift of Health their mission is to raise awareness about the connection between food/lifestyle choices and health. Help you reach your highest health. Create and Foster healthy environment for our children. Decrease unnecessary suffering on our planet. 

In this episode we discuss:   
*medical and research training
*cultural practices
*healing with a chef's knife vs a surgical knife
*lifestyle coaching program
*Gift of Health 
*Take Home Message

#plantbased #health #diet #lifestylemedicine  
#nutritionresearch #medicalpractice
#Newfoundland #PlantBasedNutritionCertificate #CornellUniversity
#lifetylecoaching #chefsknifevssurgeonsknife #giftofhealth
#evidencedbasedplantbased #evidencebasedhealth  
#preventativemedicine #vegan #vegetarian #plantbasedlifestyle 
#podcast

Drs. Arjun & Shobha Rayapudi´s Socials
Gift of Health Website

Plant-Based Canada´s Socials
Instagram
Facebook
Website  

This Podcast was edited by Clinton Stamatovich 

Support the show

In this episode of the Plant-Based Canada Podcast  we talk with Jessica Scott-Reid. She is an award-winning freelance writer and animal advocate covering animal rights and welfare, plant-based food topics, the environment and vegan culture for the Toronto Star, Globe and Mail, Sentient Media, Planet Friendly News and others. She is also a co-host of Canada's animal law podcast, Paw & Order.
 
 In this episode we discuss:

·       Jessica's path to journalism and covering animal welfare topics.

·       Her focus on the legal side of things and how to protect animals from a systemic approach.

·       The work she's done highlighting laws and policies that are detrimental to animals in Canada.

·       The thousands of animals affected by the recent flooding in regions of British Columbia.

·       Jessica's advocate work with the Animal Justice Academy.

·       The outcome of the COP26 Climate Change Conference.

·       The most exciting future plant-based/vegan trends Jessica is following. 

Studies/Articles:

Animal Justice Files Legal Challenge to Ontario "Ag Gag" Law

Ontario’s ag-gag law hides animal cruelty and must be overturned

Drowned animals in B.C. are a further facet of a flawed farming system

 Socials:

Twitter

Instagram

Podcast 

LinkedIn

Facebook

Animal Justice Academy
Nation Rising
 
This Podcast was hosted and edited by Clinton Stamatovich 

Support the show

In this episode of the Plant-Based Canada Podcast we speak with Dr. Silvia Odorcic about eye health and empowerment in a plant-based lifestyle. Dr. Silvia Odorcic is a Toronto-based double board certified MD, certified in Lifestyle Medicine & Ophthalmology. She is also an author & speaker whose soul mission is to revolutionize the current healthcare paradigm through plant-based nutrition & healthy lifestyle habits. Dr. Silvia transitioned to a plant-based lifestyle 4 years ago after feeling burned out and it completely changed her life trajectory! She is a conscious leader who believes that health is our ultimate portal into spirituality & self-fulfillment. 

In this episode we discuss:   
*what is ophthalmology?
*lifestyle medicine & eye health
*lifestyle coaching programs
*empowerment & our health
*take home message   

#plantbased #health #diet #lifestylemedicine  
#eyehealth #ophthalmology #empowerment 
#inspiration #lifetylecoaching
#evidencedbasedplantbased #evidencebasedhealth #preventativemedicine #vegan #vegetarian #plantbasedlifestyle #podcast #dietetics   

Dr. Silvia Odorcic's Socials
Instagram
Website

Plant-Based Canada´s Socials
Instagram
Facebook
Website 

This Podcast was edited by Clinton Stamatovich 

Support the show

In this episode of the Plant-Based Canada Podcast  we talk with Dr. Pamela Fergusson -- Registered Dietitian with a PhD in nutrition, and more than 15 years of experience with changing lives through better nutrition. She earned her PhD at the University of Liverpool and her Master’s in International Health at Sweden’s Uppsala University. 

Dr. Fergusson currently has a private practice in British Columbia where she works with clients who want to transition to a more plant-based lifestyle. She is the busy mom of four children, and also a marathon and half-marathon runner and speed-walker.  She believes in the power of plants to promote mental and physical health.

Recently she published her new book, Going Vegan for Beginners: The Essential Nutrition Guide to Transitioning to a Vegan Diet, which explores what it means to be vegan, the movement's roots in social justice, and what makes the diet a healthy choice for the long-term. 

In this episode we discuss:

• Dr. Fergusson's work in Europe, Africa, and Asia for organizations such as UNICEF and the World Food program.
• A day in the life as a Registered Dietitian.
• Dr. Fergusson's new book Going Vegan for Beginners.
• The nuanced conversation around the term 'vegan', and why Dr. Fergusson embraces it.
•  The top nutrients of concern for people hoping to shift to a more plant-based diet.
• The nutritional value for meat analogs. 
• The history behind unethical nutritional experiments that took place in Residential Schools across Canada and the direct links between those experiments and the Canadian Food Guide.
• Food insecurity and other issues facing marginalized communities in Canada.
• The tips and tricks Dr. Fergusson wish she knew before going vegan.   

Socials:
Website
Facebook
Instagram

Studies/Articles:
Going Vegan for Beginners: The Essential Nutrition Guide to Transitioning to a Vegan Diet

Canada's shameful history of nutrition research on residential school children: the need for strong medical ethics in Aboriginal health research

Canada used hungry indigenous children to study malnutrition

Nutrition researchers saw malnourished children at Indian Residential Schools as perfect test subjects

PROOF REPORT: food insecurity policy research 

This Podcast was hosted and edited by Clinton Stamatovich.

Support the show

In this episode of the Plant-Based Canada Podcast we talk with Dr. Kathleen Kevany -- Associate Professor and Director of Rural Research Collaboration with Dalhousie University, Faculty of Agriculture. Dr. Kevany is a certified counsellor, psychotherapist and offers free webinars on living with greater health, happiness and mindfulness through her virtual office of Eating a vibrant life.

In her book, Plant-based Diets for Succulence and Sustainability (2020), Dr. Kevany and her co-authors detail the first systems analysis of plant-rich living. She applies her knowledge of social psychology and decades of experience in business, government and community development to fostering conscious consumption and compassionate leadership for the highest quality of life.

She applies her knowledge of social psychology and decades of experience in business, government and community development to fostering conscious consumption and compassionate leadership for the highest quality of life.

In this episode we discuss:

Dr. Kevany's path to studying human relations & environmental sustainability.

How our food choices impact the environment both directly and indirectly.

Environmental racism and issues of animal welfare with our current food systems.

The role regenerative agriculture can play in the fight against climate change.

How a plant-based diet can help lower carbon emissions and elevate well-being.

Dr. Kevany's book Plant-Based Diets for Succulence & Sustainability, & strategies for achieving sustainable food systems.

Socials:
Website
Dalhousie
Facebook
Twitter 

Studies/Articles:
Dr. Kevany's book - Plant-Based Diets for Succulence & Sustainability
EAT Lancet Report
The Climate Emergency: a Last Chance to Act?
Scientists 'potty train' cows
Civilization Critical: Energy, Food, Nature, and the Future by Darrin Qualman

This Podcast was hosted and edited by Clinton Stamatovich.

Support the show

In this episode of the Plant-Based Canada Podcast (@plantbasedcanadaorg) we speak with Dr. Linda Plowright about mental health and a plant-based lifestyle.
Dr. Plowright is a psychiatrist working in London, Ontario. She completed her medical training and psychiatry specialization at McMaster University and completed a fellowship in Integrative Medicine through the University of Arizona College of Medicine. She is an adjunct professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Western University. She is on staff at the Child and Parent Resource Institute with the Dual Diagnosis Behaviour and Anxiety Clinic. She also provides telemedicine consultation to children and adults and works closely with a group providing humanitarian medical care in the Dominican Republic. Her professional interests include Dual Diagnosis, Integrative Medicine, mindfulness, clinical hypnosis, and cross-cultural health.

In this episode we discuss:   

*impact of a plant-based lifestyle on mental health 

*mental health in Canada 

*nutrition and mental health 

*the microbiome 

*take home message   

Resources 

Canadian Mental Health Support  

Provincial and Territorial Helplines and Websites 

Plant-Based Canada´s Socials
Instagram
Facebook
Website  

Support the show

In this episode of the Plant-Based Canada Podcast we talk with Canadian Registered Dietician Lauren McNeill. Lauren has a Masters of Public Health in Nutrition and Dietetics and specializes in plant-based nutrition and women’s health. She graduated from the University of Guelph, and completed her dietetic internship with the Nova Scotia Health Authority where she gained experience in acute-care, nutrition education, public health, diabetes, and much more.

Lauren runs her own private practice, Tasting to Thrive, where she offers both one-on-one virtual nutrition counselling sessions anywhere in Canada…. and her online program, Thriving on Plant-Based Fundamentals. Her goal is helping people from all walks of life succeed on a healthy, whole foods diet -- whether they’re vegan, vegetarian, or simply want to incorporate more plant-based foods onto their plate. She also has a dedicated social media following where she shares healthy and affordable recipes, busts nutrition myths, and provides evidence-based nutrition information.

In this episode we discuss:

• Lauren's path to becoming a Registered Dietician with a focus on plant-based diets.
• How Lauren helps clients make health, sustainable choices for the long-term.
• How a healthy, whole foods eating pattern can help cut the risk of all-cause mortality.
• Tackling misinformation about vegan diets, but also in the health and wellness space. 
• How diet and lifestyle can impact women's health issues like PCOS and endometriosis.
• What Lauren eats in a day and how she takes a plant-based diet on the go. 
• The issue of food insecurity and food justice in Canada. 

Socials:
Website
Facebook
YouTube
Instagram
TikTok

Studies/Articles:
The Adventist Health Study
EPIC-Oxford study (iron levels and other nutrient intake among vegans and vegetarians)
Iron Deficiency Anemia: A Common and Curable Disease (iron deficiency is concern for everyone – not just plant-based eaters)
Dietary intake and iron status of Australian vegetarian women

This Podcast was hosted and edited by Clinton Stamatovich.

Support the show

Looking for new plant-based recipes to try? 

In this episode of the Plant-Based Canada Podcast (@plantbasedcanadaorg) we speak with Amy Symington (@ameliaeats). Amy is a nutrition professor, researcher and plant-based chef at George Brown College (@gbcchca @gbcnutrition) in Toronto, Canada. In addition to having a Masters in Applied Human Nutrition with a focus on functional foods and their health benefits, Amy has 20+ years of experience in the food industry including in restaurants, cafes, large quantity and catering, private events and galas and as well as volunteering in community kitchens. Amy is the Culinary Nutrition Program Coordinator at Gilda's Club Greater Toronto (@gildasclubtoronto), a not-for-profit cancer organization, she is the Culinary Specialist for Humane Society International Canada (@hsi_canada), she volunteers with the Toronto Veg Food Bank (@vegfoodbank, check out our interview with Matt Nobel for more on this initiative!) as a chef and nutrition consultant and does recipe development and food writing for various publications in Toronto and worldwide. Amy believes in the evidence-based health and environmental benefits of plant-based diets and is the recent author of The Long Table Cookbook: Plant-based recipes for optimal health (@the_long_table_cookbook). 

In this episode we discuss: 

*plant-based from a culinary perspective

*Cancer Nutrition Guide & Nutrition Programming at Gilda's Club

*The Long-Table Cookbook: Plant-Based Recipes for Optimal Health

*plant-based recipe development 

#plantbased #health #diet #lifestylemedicine #nutritionforcancer #plantbasedcookbook #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedchefs #GeorgeBrownCollege #GBCChefSchool #evidencedbasedplantbased #evidencebasedhealth #preventativemedicine #vegan #vegetarian #plantbasedlifestyle #podcast #dietetics 

Amy Symington´s Website
Ameliaeats

 Plant-Based Canada´s Socials
Instagram

Facebook

Website

Support the show

In this episode of the Plant-Based Canada Podcasat, we talk with Emma Levez Larocque. Emma is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist, a Certified Plant-Based Chef, and a Food For Life instructor with the Physicians’ Committee for Responsible Medicine. 

She specializes in working with people who are interested in a plant-based diet as a means to improve their health, lessen their impact on the environment, and reduce the suffering of animals. She runs Plant-Based RHN where she meets people wherever they are on their health journey and finds common ground to build from.

In this episode we discuss:

Emma’s path to a plant-based diet and what it means to be a Registered Holistic Nutritionist

How Emma works with communities through Plant-Based RHN

Working as a Food for Life instructions with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine

Debunking common health and nutrition misinformation as a holistic nutritionist

Tips on sticking with a whole foods plant-based diet for the long-term

How the pandemic has impacted Emma’s community outreach work


Socials:

Plant-Based RHN

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

This Podcast was hosted and edited by Clinton Stamatovich.

Support the show

In this episode of the Plant-Based Canada Podcast we speak with Dr. Jennifer Purdy. Dr. Purdy is a medical doctor practicing evidence-based Lifestyle Medicine in Ottawa, Ontario. Additionally, she is a veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces, having served over 23 years.  She attended the Royal Military College of Canada for her undergraduate studies, and the University of Ottawa for her medical degree and family medicine residency. She is also a diplomate of the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine. Furthermore, Dr. Purdy has been involved with the Green Party of Canada in the Kanata-Carleton riding and she is the Health Critic in the Green Shadow Cabinet. 

In this episode hear about...

• Plant-based nutrition & lifestyle medicine in medical training
• Lifestyle Medicine in Canada
• Opening a lifestyle medicine practice
• Perceptions and misconceptions
• Key counseling recommendations
• Being a leader in lifestyle medicine and beyond

Dr. Jennifer Purdy´s Socials

Instagram

Facebook

Twitter

Private Practice Website

Plant-Based Canada´s Socials

Instagram

Facebook

Website

Support the show