Plant-Based Canada Podcast

Welcome to the Plant-Based Canada Podcast! In today’s episode, we’re joined by (soon to be Dr.) Amy Symington.

Amy Symington is a Toronto-based nutrition professor, researcher, and plant-focused chef with over 25 years in the food industry and more than 12 years of teaching experience. She holds a Master of Science in Applied Human Nutrition and is currently pursuing a PhD in Nutritional Sciences at the University of Toronto. Amy leads culinary nutrition programming at Gilda’s Toronto, a not-for profit cancer support organization, and works with Humane World for Animals Canada’s Forward Food team, training executive chefs in hospitals and universities on plant-forward menu planning aligned with Canada’s Food Guide. She also supports the Toronto Vegetarian Food Bank as a chef, consultant, and instructor. An award-winning author, Amy wrote The Long Table Cookbook: Plant-based Recipes for Optimal Health and regularly contributes recipes and nutrition writing to national and international publications. A passionate advocate for evidence-based, sustainable eating, she is also the proud mother of two healthy vegan children. As part of her PhD she is currently working on a clinical trial investigating omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (also known as DHA). DHA is considered an important omega-3 fatty acid that research has shown to help support brain, eye, and heart health, reduce inflammation, and be important for fetal and infant development.

Amy Symington’s Socials:
Website: https://ameliaeats.com/home 

Researchgate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Amy-Symington-3

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ameliaeats/?hl=en

Plant-Based Canada’s Socials:

Instagram  (@plantbasedcanadaorg)
Facebook (Plant-Based Canada, https://m.facebook.com/plantbasedcanadaorg/)

Website  (https://www.plantbasedcanada.org/)

X / Twitter @PBC_org

Bonus Promotion

Check out University of Guelph's online Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate. Each 4-week course will guide you through essential plant-based topics including nutritional benefits, disease prevention, and environmental impacts. You can also customize your learning with unique courses such as Plant-Based Diets for Athletes and Implementing a Plant-Based Diet at Home. As the first university-level plant-based certificate in Canada, you’ll explore current research, learn from leading industry experts, and join a community of like-minded people. Use our exclusive discount code PBC2025 to save 10% on all Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate courses. uoguel.ph/pbn.

Thank you for tuning in! Make sure to subscribe to the Plant-Based Canada Podcast so you get notified when new episodes are published. 

This episode was hosted by Stephanie Nishi RD, PhD.

Support the show

Jessica Scott-Reid returns to the Plant-Based Canada Podcast. She’s a freelance journalist who has been covering animal rights topics in Canadian media for the last decade. Her work has appeared in The Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, Vancouver Province, Winnipeg Free Press, and more. She is also the culture and disinformation correspondent for Sentient Media.

She joins the podcast to debunk claims around the carnivore diet, as well as other misinformation spread online by influencers concerning seed oil, lectins, and plant-based meat alternatives. She also highlights the funding behind health and wellness misinformation campaigns.

Jessica first appeared on the Plant-Based Podcast on Episode 23, back in December of 2021, where she discussed the work she’s done highlighting laws and policies that are detrimental to animals in Canada.

Resources

Twitter

Instagram

Blue Sky

Sentient Media

The Vegan vs. Carnivore Narrative Distracts From Climate Action

No, Plants Aren’t Bad for You (and Other ‘Meatfluencer’ Claims, Fact-Checked)

Bonus Promotion

Check out University of Guelph's online Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate. Each 4-week course will guide you through essential plant-based topics including nutritional benefits, disease prevention, and environmental impacts. You can also customize your learning with unique courses such as Plant-Based Diets for Athletes and Implementing a Plant-Based Diet at Home. As the first university-level plant-based certificate in Canada, you’ll explore current research, learn from leading industry experts, and join a community of like-minded people. Use our exclusive discount code PBC2025 to save 10% on all Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate courses. uoguel.ph/pbn.

Support the show

Welcome to the Plant-Based Canada Podcast! In today’s episode, we’re joined by Dr. Amar Lalia to discuss the upcoming EAT-Lancet Commission 2.0 report on the planetary health diet. We’ll explore key topics including food systems, justice, and environmental impacts, all set to be unveiled in Fall 2025.

Dr. Laila is a postdoctoral fellow at the Stockholm Resilience Centre, Sweden, and the University of Guelph, Canada. Amar completed his PhD at the University of Guelph, where he explored the connection between food literacy and food waste among Canadian families with young children, utilizing both qualitative and quantitative methods. Amar is passionate about food systems justice and his goal is to contribute to just and sustainable food system transformation through improvements in food environments so that they are healthy and sustainable for everyone.

Resources:

EAT-Lancet Commission

A comment paper in the Lancet referring to the EL2 commission's focus on justice

High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition reports

FAO's State of food security and nutrition

Food System Economics Commission (to provide exact numbers referred to in the episode discussion):

The Food System Economics Commission estimates the hidden costs of global food systems at approximately $15 trillion USD per year. However, the net benefits of transforming the food system are valued between $5 to $10 trillion USD annually, which is equivalent to 4-8% of global GDP (2020).

In contrast, the cost of transforming the global food system is only 0.2-0.4% of global GDP, making it clearly affordable compared to the substantial global benefits—roughly $20-40 trillion USD.

For full details, check out the Executive Summary.

Dr. Amar Laila’s Socials:
ResearchGate

ORCID

LinkedIn

Plant-Based Canada’s Socials:

Instagram  (@plantbasedcanadaorg)

Facebook

Website  (https://www.plantbasedcanada.org/)

X / Twitter @PBC_org

Bonus Promotion

Check out University of Guelph's online Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate. Each 4-week course will guide you through essential plant-based topics including nutritional benefits, disease prevention, and environmental impacts. You can also customize your learning with unique courses such as Plant-Based Diets for Athletes and Implementing a Plant-Based Diet at Home. As the first university-level plant-based certificate in Canada, you’ll explore current research, learn from leading industry experts, and join a community of like-minded people. Use our exclusive discount code PBC2025 to save 10% on all Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate courses. uoguel.ph/pbn.

Thank you for tuning in! Make sure to subscribe to the Plant-Based Canada Podcast so you get notified when new episodes are published. 

This episode was hosted by Stephanie Nishi RD, PhD.

Support the show

Welcome to the Plant-Based Canada Podcast. In this episode we are joined by Dr. Rikin Patel to discuss the vital role of sleep in overall health, how it impacts children and families, and practical lifestyle strategies to improve sleep quality.

Dr. Rikin Patel is a consultant pediatrician and lifestyle medicine physician. He is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Toronto. He completed his pediatric residency at Memorial University of Newfoundland, and prior to medical school he completed a Masters in Health Policy Planning and Finance from the London School of Economics and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Currently, Dr. Patel works for the Scarborough Health Network and is the founder of Reset Pediatric Lifestyle Medicine clinic, a virtual clinic aimed at empowering families to make the best lifestyle choices for their health. He is a member of the Medical Advisory Board for the Centre for Nutrition Studies.  He is passionate about promoting a culture of wellness and resilience within physician and trainee communities through medical improv, meditation and plant-based nutrition.  He is a certified yoga instructor and teaches Shaolin Kung Fu at the Waterloo Kung Fu Academy with over 35 years of experience.

Resources:
Book: ‘Forest Bathing’ by Dr. Qing Li https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/forest-bathing-how-trees-can-help-you-find-health-and-happiness/9780525559856.html 

Effects of sleep duration on child neurocognitive development (Lancet Child Adolesc Health, 2022): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35914537/ 

Sleep Calculator: https://sleepopolis.com/calculators/

Dementia Canada: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/dementia.html 

Dr. Rikin Patel’s Socials:
Website: https://www.resetpediatrics.com/

IG: dr.rikinpatel and resetpediatrics

Facebook: thekungfudoc

TikTok: the.kungfudoc

Youtube: TheKungFuDoc

Plant-Based Canada’s Socials:

Instagram  (@plantbasedcanadaorg)

Facebook (Plant-Based Canada, https://m.facebook.com/plantbasedcanadaorg/)

Website  (https://www.plantbasedcanada.org/)

X / Twitter @PBC_org

Bonus Promotion

Check out University of Guelph's online Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate. Each 4-week course will guide you through essential plant-based topics including nutritional benefits, disease prevention, and environmental impacts. You can also customize your learning with unique courses such as Plant-Based Diets for Athletes and Implementing a Plant-Based Diet at Home. As the first university-level plant-based certificate in Canada, you’ll explore current research, learn from leading industry experts, and join a community of like-minded people. Use our exclusive discount code PBC2025 to save 10% on all Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate courses. uoguel.ph/pbn.

Thank you for tuning in! Make sure to subscribe to the Plant-Based Canada Podcast so you get notified when new episodes are published. 

This episode was hosted by Stephanie Nishi RD, PhD.

Support the show

In the latest episode of the Plant-Based Canada Podcast, we chat with Kati Cantrell. Katie is a social entrepreneur passionate about creating a healthy, sustainable, and just food system. As the founder of the New Roots Institute, Katie spent a decade leading food policy workshops at universities, government agencies, and Fortune 500 corporations.

She is now utilizing her expertise to implement plant-based defaults in institutional foodservice as the CEO and Co-Founder of Greener by Default. The organization offers strategies to institutions that serve food about how to incorporate plant-based defaults, and use behavioural economics research to help people lean toward healthier choices.

Katie holds a Bachelor’s degree in psychology from UC Berkeley. Her work with GBD was recently featured in the New York Times, and she was chosen for Vox’s Future Perfect 50 list of innovators, thinkers, and changemakers for 2024.

Resources

Greener by Default

“We're being nudged to eat meat. What if the tables were turned?”

Bonus Promotion

Check out University of Guelph's online Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate. Each 4-week course will guide you through essential plant-based topics including nutritional benefits, disease prevention, and environmental impacts. You can also customize your learning with unique courses such as Plant-Based Diets for Athletes and Implementing a Plant-Based Diet at Home. As the first university-level plant-based certificate in Canada, you’ll explore current research, learn from leading industry experts, and join a community of like-minded people. Use our exclusive discount code PBC2025 to save 10% on all Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate courses. uoguel.ph/pbn.

Support the show

Welcome to the Plant-Based Canada Podcast. In this episode we are joined by Michelle Pierce Hamilton to chat about her experiences and explore how she keeps her curiosity thriving.

Michelle is a Project Management Professional, Registered Holistic Nutritionist, Certified Canadian Tea Sommelier, yoga teacher, and podcaster. She holds a certification in plant-based nutrition from the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies through Cornell University and is committed to staying current with the latest research on nutrition, diet, disease prevention, and longevity.

With 21+ years of experience supporting complex change management in the private sector, Michelle transitioned to healthcare, where she has spent the last 15 years contributing to a wide range of clinical projects. As a teacher and facilitator, she has served as a faculty instructor at Fanshawe College in London, Ontario, teaching both Project Management for the Lawrence Kinlin School of Business and the Tea Sommelier Certification. Additionally, Michelle taught at the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition for seven years.

Michelle’s core philosophy is centered on a whole food, plant-based lifestyle and a holistic approach to human health. This belief underpins everything she does, from supporting her own family’s healthy lifestyle to providing nutrition coaching for clients, or even supporting her project team members and stakeholders. 

As an entrepreneur for over a decade, Michelle founded and operated an ethically sourced, high-quality loose leaf tea business and boutique tea room in London, Ontario. There, she implemented a whole food, plant-based menu and hosted experience-based events and classes focused on “consciously delicious” food and drink—showing that healthy living can be both decadent and flavourful.

In her current role as Primary Care Transformation Lead for the Middlesex London Primary Care Network, Michelle continues to make an impact in healthcare. She also co-hosts and co-produces the Nutrition for Noobs podcast with her best friend Kevin. The podcast breaks down basic nutrition topics in an engaging, light-hearted, and no-nonsense format for everyone.

Michelle’s Socials
Podcast: Nutrition for Noobs  

Plant-Based Canada’s Socials

Instagram 

Facebook 

Website 

X / Twitter @PBC_org

Bonus Promotion
University of Guelph online Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate. Each 4-week course will guide you through essential plant-based topics including nutritional benefits, disease prevention, and environmental impacts. You can also customize your learning with unique courses such as Plant-Based Diets for Athletes and Implementing a Plant-Based Diet at Home. As the first university-level plant-based certificate in Canada, you’ll explore current research, learn from leading industry experts, and join a community of like-minded people. Use our exclusive discount code PBC2025 to save 10% on all Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate courses. www.uoguel.ph/pbn.

Please note that the views and opinions expressed by the guest on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the podcast host or the podcast team. The content shared is for experiential sharing

Thank you for tuning in! Make sure to subscribe to the Plant-Based Canada Podcast so you get notified when new episodes are published. 

Support the show

In this episode of the Plant-Based Canada Podcast, we sit down with Eleanor Boyle. She’s a long-time journalist and former college instructor, who has written many articles on ways to improve our diets and food systems. You can find her blog at eleanorboyle.com. Eleanor has written two books: 'High Steaks: Why and How to Eat Less Meat' and 'Mobilize Food: Wartime Inspiration for Environmental Victory Today'.

Eleanor and I pick up where we left off in Episode 79, catching up on the latest headlines involving outbreaks of avian flu on Canadian, American, and European farming operations. She breaks down why we’re seeing an uptick in these cases, the weaknesses in our food system, and why we need to consider a new approach to chicken farming—and animal agriculture at large.

Resources
 

Eleanor’s website and blog

Articles by Eleanor on avian flu: 

“To Address Bird Flu, Reform Chicken Farming” 

“We need a rethink of Big Poultry to stop avian flu” 

“Avian Flu: Way More Than An Industry Problem” 

CFIA updates on avian flu (province-by-province) 

Details on how poultry production is subsidized by Canadian taxpayers 

Mercy for Animals report on Canadian chicken production  

World Animal Protection Canada reports on animal agriculture: 

The Pecking Order 2024 

Part II: Policies to Promote PlantBased Food Production and Consumption in Canada 

Summary of global human cases of avian flu (1997-2025) 

“This is how much longer you could live if you eat less meat, more plants”

Previous PBC Podcast interview with Eleanor

Bonus Promotion

Check out University of Guelph's online Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate. Each 4-week course will guide you through essential plant-based topics including nutritional benefits, disease prevention, and environmental impacts. You can also customize your learning with unique courses such as Plant-Based Diets for Athletes and Implementing a Plant-Based Diet at Home. As the first university-level plant-based certificate in Canada, you’ll explore current research, learn from leading industry experts, and join a community of like-minded people. Use our exclusive discount code PBC2025 to save 10% on all Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate courses. uoguel.ph/pbn.

Support the show

Welcome to the Plant-Based Canada Podcast. In this episode we are joined by Dr. Meaghan Kavanagh to chat about diet-disease relationships and translating nutrition knowledge into action for cardiovascular health.

Meaghan is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Toronto and the Clinical Nutrition and Risk Factor Modification Centre at St. Michael’s Hospital, mentored by Dr. John Sievenpiper. Her research explores diet-chronic disease relationships through clinical trials, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and epidemiology. Recipient of the CIHR-MSFSS award, she visited the CDC in Atlanta as a Guest Researcher to investigate the Portfolio Diet's cardiovascular benefits in the NHANES program.

Meaghan is dedicated to translating her research into practical tools, including the PortfolioDiet.app, developed for cardiovascular disease prevention.

Before her Ph.D., Meaghan was a project manager at the University of Toronto (2016-2020), researching dietary patterns and disease prevention with Dr. David Jenkins, and Clinical Coordinator for the STOP Sugars NOW Trial at St. Michael’s Hospital (2019-2020) with Dr. John Sievenpiper. She completed her M.Sc. at the University of Guelph with Drs. Lindsay Robinson and Amanda Wright and her B.Sc. thesis with Dr. Alison Duncan.

In 2025, Meaghan will continue as a Banting Postdoctoral Fellow with Dr. Frank Hu at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Resources:

Global Burden of Disease

Global Burden of Disease and Risk Factors, Lancet 2024

Glenn A, et al., AJCN 2024

Portfolio Diet Meta-Analysis 

BMJ Open - newspaper reliable reporting

Representation of statins in the British newsprint media 

Dr. Meaghan Kavanagh’s Socials:
Twitter: @MeaghanKavanag1 

LinkedIn

Google Scholar 

ResearchGate

Plant-Based Canada’s Socials:

Instagram  (@plantbasedcanadaorg)

Facebook (Plant-Based Canada, https://m.facebook.com/plantbasedcanadaorg/)

Website  (https://www.plantbasedcanada.org/)

X / Twitter @PBC_org

Bonus Content from University of Guelph

Do you want to take your plant-based knowledge to the next level? Stay tuned for a special promo code!

The online Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate through Open Learning and Educational Support at the University of Guelph has everything you need to know about implementing a sustainable plant-based diet.

Each course is just four weeks long and will guide you through essential topics including nutritional benefits, disease prevention, and environmental impacts. You can also customize your learning with unique courses such as Plant-Based Diets for Athletes and Implementing a Plant-Based Diet at Home.

As the first university-level plant-based certificate in Canada, you’ll explore current research, learn from leading industry experts, and join a commun

Support the show

Welcome to the Plant-Based Canada Podcast. In this episode we are joined by Dana Gudelis to chat about her cancer experience, and how it led to a transformative career change.

Dana Gudelis is the founder of GÜDEhealth, a wellness platform focused on lifestyle medicine to help individuals achieve optimal health. Her passion for community wellness began in the 1970s at the University of British Columbia, where she studied Recreation. After a career in marketing, Dana's life took a transformative turn in the 1990s when she was diagnosed with a rare cancer, sparking her interest in food as medicine and healthier living.

A five-time cancer survivor, Dana has battled leiomyosarcoma and undergone treatments including a clinical trial for hepatitis C. Her personal health journey, coupled with a family history of cancer, solidified her belief in lifestyle medicine. She has also supported loved ones through serious health challenges, including her granddaughter’s recovery from adrenal cortisol carcinoma.

Dedicated to lifelong learning, Dana holds certifications in Nutritional Planning from Harvard, Whole Food Plant-Based Nutrition from Cornell, Life Coaching from the Adler Institute, and is a Positive Intelligence® Certified Coach. Through GÜDEhealth, she empowers individuals to adopt habits that support both physical and mental well-being, focusing on the six pillars of lifestyle medicine and mental fitness. Dana’s mission is to guide others towards vibrant, fulfilling lives.

Resources

Saboteur Assessment 

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine: Cancer

Dana Gudelis’ Socials
Website

Plant-Based Canada’s Socials

Instagram

Facebook

Website

X / Twitter @PBC_org

Bonus Content from University of Guelph

Do you want to take your plant-based knowledge to the next level? Stay tuned for a special promo code!

The online Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate through Open Learning and Educational Support at the University of Guelph has everything you need to know about implementing a sustainable plant-based diet.

Each course is just four weeks long and will guide you through essential topics including nutritional benefits, disease prevention, and environmental impacts. You can also customize your learning with unique courses such as Plant-Based Diets for Athletes and Implementing a Plant-Based Diet at Home.

As the first university-level plant-based certificate in Canada, you’ll explore current research, learn from leading industry experts, and join a community of like-minded people.

Use our exclusive discount code PBC2025 to save 10% on all Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate courses! www.uoguel.ph/pbn.

Thank you for tuning in! Make sure to subscribe to the Plant-Based Canada Podcast so you get notified when new episodes are published. 

This episode was hosted by Stephanie Nishi RD, PhD.

Support the show

Welcome to the Plant-Based Canada Podcast. In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Nitu Bajekal, MD, to discuss women’s health—a health topic with insights that everyone can benefit from, regardless of gender.

Dr. Bajekal is a Senior Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist in London with nearly 40 years of experience in women’s health. Specializing in Lifestyle Medicine, Menopause, PCOS, Endometriosis, and complex gynaecological issues, she is also a skilled laparoscopic and robotic surgeon. A Fellow of the Royal College and recipient of the Indian President’s Gold Medal, Dr. Bajekal is one of the UK’s first board-certified Lifestyle Medicine Physicians.

She has contributed to the UK’s first plant-based nutrition course at Winchester University and co-authored the chapter on women’s health for Plant Based Nutrition in Clinical Practice (2022). Dr. Bajekal has lectured globally and spoken at events such as Holistic Holiday at Sea. Passionate about educating women, she runs a voluntary service to promote healthier lifestyle choices among schoolgirls and women.

Dr. Bajekal is the co-author of Living PCOS Free (2022) and Finding Me in Menopause (2024), offering practical, lifestyle-based approaches to managing PCOS and menopause. For more information, visit www.nitubajekal.com and follow her on Instagram and TikTok (@drnitubajekal).

Resources
Book:  Living PCOS Free
Book: Finding Me in Menopause
Factsheets
Plant-Based Health Professionals UK PCOS factsheet 
Rotterdam PCOS guidelines
PEN PCOS resource

Dr. Nitu Bajekal’s Socials
Website
Instagram
Tik Tok

Plant-Based Canada’s Socials
Instagram
Facebook
Website
X / Twitter @PBC_org

Bonus Content from University of Guelph

Check out University of Guelph's online Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate. Each 4-week course will guide you through essential plant-based topics including nutritional benefits, disease prevention, and environmental impacts. You can also customize your learning with unique courses such as Plant-Based Diets for Athletes and Implementing a Plant-Based Diet at Home. As the first university-level plant-based certificate in Canada, you’ll explore current research, learn from leading industry experts, and join a community of like-minded people. Use our exclusive discount code PBC2024 to save 10% on all Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate courses. uoguel.ph/pbn.

Thank you for tuning in! Make sure to subscribe to the Plant-Based Canada Podcast so you get notified when new episodes are published. 

This episode was hosted by Stephanie Nishi RD, PhD.

Support the show