Plant Prescription Podcast

Our guest this episode is Dr. Niyati Sharma, a plant-based dermatologist who recently co-founded the first plant-based dermatology practice in Australia! She is a fellow of the Australasian College of Dermatologists and consult dermatologist at several hospitals and medical centers. She has completed a fellowship in pediatric dermatology at Northwestern University, and a Masters in Public Health at John Hopkins University, is a published author in international dermatology literature and has presented her research at dermatological conferences. This is such a fun and important conversation as so many people these days struggle with skin concerns, we talk about everything from acne and eczema to skin cancer and wrinkles! 

In this episode we cover: 

• Why she became vegan and how she discovered plant-based nutrition 
• How traveling Australia inspired her to specialize in dermatology 
• What the clinical practice of dermatology looks like 
• How diet impacts skin disease 
• Acne treatments and the importance of avoiding dairy 
• What to do if you are vegan and still have trouble with acne 
• Whether soy phytoestrogens affect the skin 
• Treatment for acne scars 
• The connection between diet and eczema 
• Dietary interventions for psoriasis 
• How diet can help with sun spots and skin cancer 
• Her sunscreen recommendations 
• How to prevent and reduce wrinkles 
• If tanning beds increase risk of cancer 
• Other lifestyle factors that influence skin health 

If you would like to connect with Dr. Sharma, you can find her on Instagram: @dr_vegan 

Her clinic website, Inside Out Dermatology, is here: http://insideoutderm.com 

Episode resources: 

• Film: Earthlings  
• Film: Cowspiracy 
• JAMA Dermatol. 2020: Association between adult acne and dietary behaviours 
• Arch Dermatol. 2002: Acne vulgaris: a disease of Western civilization 
• IJDRP. 2019: Efficacy of a plant-based anti-inflammatory diet as monotherapy for psoriasis 
• Nutritionfacts.org  

Thank you for tuning in! Make sure to subscribe to The Plant Prescription Podcast so you get notified when new episodes are published. If you enjoy our material and are listening through Apple Podcasts, please leave us a review as this will help more people discover this podcast. We would love to hear from you guys on what you thought of the episode and what you'd like to hear in the future so please connect with us on Instagram. 

IG: Muzammil: @dr.plantbased, Cass: @plant_fueled. 

Facebook: @theplantprescription and @dr.plantbased 

Muzammil's website: www.drplantbased.ca and eBook link: www.drplantbased.ca/ebook 

Music credit: Scott Holmes. 

*Please appreciate that this information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, always seek the opinion of a physician or qualified healthcare provider!*

Joining us today is professional bodybuilder and National Academy of Sports Medicine certified coach, Torre Washington! What makes Torre’s story particularly fascinating is that he was raised as a vegetarian and only ate meat for a short period of time. At the age of 23 he turned to a completely plant-based, vegan lifestyle. When he started training in the gym and getting serious about sculpting his body, he refused to listen when others told him he needed meat to grow bigger and get stronger. In his second ever bodybuilding contest, Torre took first place in his category and first place overall, earning his pro card. And from then on, he never looked back! Today he is passionate about sharing what he has learned over the years with others and is a true inspiration for the vegan community. 

In this episode we cover: 

• What it was like growing up in Jamaica 
• Growing up as a vegetarian 
• What it means to embrace a Rastafarian lifestyle 
• How a vegan diet enhances his exercise recovery 
• How his fascination with superheroes inspired his bodybuilding journey 
• His experience training for and competing in a bodybuilding show for the first time 
• What his current training routine looks like 
• His thoughts on how cardio fits into a training program 
• Advice for someone who wants to compete 
• What typical eating looks like for him 
• Understanding individual differences in dietary needs 
• Whether he tracks his macronutrient breakdown 
• How much protein he eats each day 
• His thoughts on sport supplements 

You can connect with Torre on Instagram: @torre.washington, Facebook: @TorreWashingtonOfficial and Twitter: @torrewofficial 

His website is here: https://torrewashington.com  and his YouTube channel is here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu8n7P2JWZDZw0Z3_LBAQ8g 

Thank you for tuning in! Make sure to subscribe to The Plant Prescription Podcast so you get notified when new episodes are published. If you enjoy our material and are listening through Apple Podcasts, please leave us a review as this will help more people discover this podcast. We would love to hear from you guys on what you thought of the episode and what you'd like to hear in the future so please connect with us on Instagram. 

IG: Muzammil: @dr.plantbased, Cass: @plant_fueled. 

Facebook: @theplantprescription and @dr.plantbased.

Muzammil's website: www.drplantbased.ca and eBook link: www.drplantbased.ca/ebook 

Music credit: Scott Holmes. 

*Please appreciate that this information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, always seek the opinion of a physician or qualified healthcare provider!*

Today we welcome Dr. Yami Cazorla-Lancaster to the podcast. She is a board-certified pediatrician and certified lifestyle medicine physician, a diplomat for the American College of Cardiology, has a certificate in plant-based nutrition and is a certified Food for Life Instructor. She is so passionate about promoting healthy lifestyles and especially the power of plant-based diets for the prevention of chronic diseases. Dr. Yami strives to educate families on the importance of healthy food choices and shows them how easy and fun it can be! 

In this episode we cover: 

• Why a plant-based diet can be optimal for children 
• Are plant-based diets sufficient for all stages of life 
• Do children need dairy for strong bones 
• The best type of milk for infants and children 
• If meat is a necessary for protein 
• Children's natural aversion to meat 
• Strategies to teach your children to like healthy food 
• Why parents should not cook separate meals for their children 
• Advice for parents who are worried their children don’t eat enough 
• Should you be worried about soy 
• Whether a plant-based diet stunts growth 
• How to help your child develop a healthy relationship with food 
• Should young children be exposed to allergenic foods 
• Supplements  

You can connect with Dr. Yami on Instagram: @thedoctoryami and her YouTube channel can be found at Veggie Doctor TV 

Her website is here: https://www.doctoryami.com and Dr. Yami is also the founder of VeggieFitKids.com, so be sure to check that out! 

Episode resources: 

• Dr. Yami’s Podcast: Veggie Doctor Radio 
• Dr. Yami’s Tedx Talk: Chicken to Chickpeas: A 30-Day Experiment Changed my Life 
• Dr. Yami’s book: A Parent’s Guide to Intuitive Eating 
• Book: Born to Run 
• Documentaries: Forks over Knives, The Cove, Earthlings 

Thank you for tuning in! Make sure to subscribe to The Plant Prescription Podcast so you get notified when new episodes are published. If you enjoy our material and are listening through Apple Podcasts, please leave us a review as this will help more people discover this podcast. We would love to hear from you guys on what you thought of the episode and what you'd like to hear in the future so please connect with us on Instagram. 

IG: Muzammil: @dr.plantbased, Cass: @plant_fueled. 

Facebook: @theplantprescription and @dr.plantbased. 

Music credit: Scott Holmes. 

*Please appreciate that this information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, always seek the opinion of a physician or qualified healthcare provider!*

We are joined by Crystal Kennings, a menstrual wellness educator who is passionate about women's health and plant-based nutrition. She is a certified hormone specialist through ITN and currently training to become a menstruality cycle coach. Crystal’s goal is to break the stigma around menstruation by creating a safe space online where anyone can learn about menstrual health and how to support their cycle with a plant-based diet. 

In this episode we cover: 

• How she became a menstrual wellness educator 
• Menstrual health as a sign of overall health 
• Why you shouldn’t blame a vegan diet for period loss (and what to evaluate if you lose it) 
• How the menstrual cycle can affect workouts 
• Whether food cravings are normal 
• If it’s beneficial to sync nutrition with the menstrual cycle 
• The effect of animal products on hormones 
• Why fibre is so great for hormonal health 
• What to do if you have painful and/or heavy periods 
• Dangers of the “female athlete triad” 
• Her thoughts on birth control 

You can connect with Crystal on Instagram: @crystalkennings and her YouTube channel is here: https://www.youtube.com/user/crystaalk/featured 

Episode resources: 

• Book: Skinny Bitch  
• Video: The best non hormonal birth control options 

Thank you for tuning in! Make sure to subscribe to The Plant Prescription Podcast so you get notified when new episodes are published. If you enjoy our material and are listening through Apple Podcasts, please leave us a review as this will help more people discover this podcast. We would love to hear from you guys on what you thought of the episode and what you'd like to hear in the future so please connect with us on Instagram. 

IG: Muzammil: @dr.plantbased, Cass: @plant_fueled. 

Facebook: @theplantprescription and @dr.plantbased.

Music credit: Scott Holmes. 

*Please appreciate that this information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, always seek the opinion of a physician or qualified healthcare provider!*

Chuck Carroll, the Weight Loss Champion, joins us today! Chuck truly has an incredible story to share with you all. He once weighed 420 pounds and ultimately went on to lose 280 pounds! He attributes much of his success to the adoption of a whole food, plant-based diet. Chuck then went on to pursue his dreams. You may know him now as the host of the iconic Exam Room Podcast! This conversation is downright inspirational. We hope Chuck’s story will offer hope and light to those who need it and prove to anyone who doubts it, that change is possible! 

In this episode we cover: 

• How Chuck ended up weighing 420 lbs 
• The influence of his weight on his body image and mental health 
• The events that motivated him to make a change 
• Eating 10,000 calories a day 
• What food addiction feels like 
• Bariatric surgery kickstarting his health journey 
• How he discovered plant-based nutrition 
• His experiences trying different restrictive diets 
• How a plant-based diet helps with weight loss 
• Why eating in “moderation” isn’t the answer and Chuck’s “One Nacho Theory” 
• His advice for anyone who is struggling 
• How his depression has improved since adopting a plant-based diet 

You can connect with Chuck on Instagram: @chuckcarrollwlc,Twitter: @ChuckCarrollWLC and FaceBook: @weightlosschampion 

His website is here: https://www.theweightlosschampion.com 

Episode Resources: 

• Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) 
• The Exam Room Podcast 

Thank you for tuning in! Make sure to subscribe to The Plant Prescription Podcast so you get notified when new episodes are published. If you enjoy our material and are listening through Apple Podcasts, please leave us a review as this will help more people discover this podcast. We would love to hear from you guys on what you thought of the episode and what you'd like to hear in the future so please connect with us on Instagram. 

IG: Muzammil: @dr.plantbased, Cass: @plant_fueled. 

Facebook: @theplantprescription. 

Music credit: Scott Holmes. 

*Please appreciate that this information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, always seek the opinion of a physician or qualified healthcare provider.*

Joining us today is Dr. Micah Yu, an integrative rheumatologist who incorporates complementary medicine with traditional rheumatology. Dr. Yu is board certified in internal medicine and lifestyle medicine and holds a Masters in healthcare administration and biomedical sciences. He just completed his rheumatology fellowship at Loma Linda University and is currently taking further courses in functional medicine. He strives to blend traditional with alternative medicine to give the best treatment plans for his patients. 

In this episode we cover: 

• His experience being diagnosed with three autoimmune diseases and how he discovered plant-based nutrition 
• What exactly rheumatology entails 
• Common symptoms associated with rheumatic diseases and how they’re treated 
• The role of genetics and environmental factors 
• Nutritional effects on rheumatic disease 
• The mechanisms behind why fibre is so health promoting 
• His thoughts on lectins and inflammation 
• The problem with high animal protein diets 
• His thoughts on fish and omega 3s 
• Important lifestyle factors that influence flair-ups 
• The most essential nutritional changes patients with rheumatoid arthritis should make 
• Whether people with gout should avoid plant sources of purines 
• Specific foods that help lower inflammation 

You can connect with Dr. Yu on Instagram: @myautoimmunemd, Twitter: @myautoimmunemd and Facebook: @MYAutoimmuneMD 

Dr. Yu and her partner, Dr. Melissa Mondalla have a joint website here: https://www.drlifestyle.org and his personal website is here: https://micahyumd.com 

Episode resources: 

• Book an appointment with Micah through IOPBM: https://iopbm.com/pages/dr-micah-yu-personal-page 
• Film: Forks over Knives 
• Nutrients. 2019: Uric acid and plant-based nutrition 
• Front Nutr. 2019: Nutrition interventions in rheumatoid arthritis: the potential use of plant-based diets. A review 
• Open Rheumatol J. 2018: Role of diet in influencing rheumatoid arthritis disease activity 
• Arthritis. 2015: Whole foods, plant-based diet alleviates the symptoms of osteoarthritis 

Thank you for tuning in! Make sure to subscribe to The Plant Prescription Podcast so you get notified when new episodes are published. If you enjoy our material and are listening through Apple Podcasts, please leave us a review as this will help more people discover this podcast. We would love to hear from you guys on what you thought of the episode and what you'd like to hear in the future so please connect with us on Instagram. 

IG: Muzammil: @dr.plantbased, Cass: @plant_fueled. 

Facebook: @theplantprescription. 

Music credit: Scott Holmes. 

*Please appreciate that this information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, always seek the opinion of a physician or qualified healthcare provider!*

We are joined in this episode by Dr. Melissa Mondala, a physician board certified in both family medicine and lifestyle medicine. Dr. Mondala is the Director of Primary Care of the newly established Institute of Plant-Based Medicine, in Newport Beach, California and alongside this, serves as family and preventive medicine faculty at Loma Linda University, serves in a lifestyle medicine specialty clinic and inpatient lifestyle medicine service. She is an engaging speaker that brings evidence based methods to combat chronic disease and uplifts potential barriers through self-empowerment and self-compassion. Her mantras are “love yourself through your lifestyle”, “I’m Plantbased without judgment”, and “personalized care is the best healthcare.” 

In this episode we cover: 

• What inspired her to pursue medicine  
• How she was introduced to plant-based nutrition 
• The health improvements she experienced personally after changing her diet 
• The five pillars of lifestyle medicine 
• How lifestyle medicine is used in clinical practice 
• Tackling the “low hanging fruits” of lifestyle medicine 
• Which types of patients she helps 
• How she prescribes exercise 
• How much sleep people need and why quality matters 
• Managing stress through mindfulness and perception 
• Strategies to reduce toxin exposure 

You can connect with Dr. Mandala on Instagram: @melissamondala.md and Facebook: @melissamondala.md 

Dr. Mondala and her partner, Dr. Micah Yu have a joint website here: https://www.drlifestyle.org and her personal website is here: https://melissamondalamd.com 

Episode resources: 

• Book an appointment with Melissa through IOPBM: https://iopbm.com/pages/dr-melissa-mondala-personal-page 

Thank you for tuning in! Make sure to subscribe to The Plant Prescription Podcast so you get notified when new episodes are published. If you enjoy our material and are listening through Apple Podcasts, please leave us a review as this will help more people discover this podcast. We would love to hear from you guys on what you thought of the episode and what you'd like to hear in the future so please connect with us on Instagram. 

IG: Muzammil: @dr.plantbased, Cass: @plant_fueled. 

Facebook: @theplantprescription. 

Music credit: Scott Holmes. 

*Please appreciate that this information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, always seek the opinion of a physician or qualified healthcare provider!*

Tyler Gaudon is a Canadian Muay Thai fighter who had his own personal challenges to overcome before he ever stepped foot in the fight ring. He has fought with drug addiction his entire life - yet today he is over 2 and a half years clean and he believes finding martial arts saved his life. He sits down with us to share his experiences and offer advice and support for those actively struggling with addiction. On top of all this, Tyler adopted a vegan diet over a year ago now and he shares with us how going plant-based has influenced his recovery and affected his life as an athlete. 

In this episode we cover: 

• His first experience with drugs. 
• When he first realized he was an addict. 
• Why he went to rehab for the first time. 
• What drug induced psychosis is like. 
• Why it’s so hard for people to understand why people choose drugs. 
• His passion for being an athlete and how he found Muay Thai. 
• Relapsing before his first fight and going through with it. 
• His thoughts on Alcoholics Anonymous. 
• How Cass (co-host) and Tyler met. 
• Why he went vegan and how it has changed his life. 

You can connect with Tyler on Instagram: @tylergaudon 

Episode resources: 

• Film: The Game Changers  
• Silverback Martial Arts: https://www.goperformancefitnesslab.ca/martial-arts 

Thank you for tuning in! Make sure to subscribe to The Plant Prescription Podcast so you get notified when new episodes are published. If you enjoy our material and are listening through Apple Podcasts, please leave us a review as this will help more people discover this podcast. We would love to hear from you guys on what you thought of the episode and what you'd like to hear in the future so please connect with us on Instagram.  

IG: Muzammil: @dr.plantbased, Cass: @plant_fueled. 

Facebook: @theplantprescription. 

Music credit: Scott Holmes. 

*Please appreciate that this information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, always seek the opinion of a physician or qualified healthcare provider!*

Our guest today is truly a force for the plant-based community: Dr. Neal Barnard. He is the founder of Barnard Medical Center, an Adjunct Professor of Medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine, a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology, and the president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. PCRM is a nonprofit organization that advocates for preventative medicine and higher ethical standards in research and medical training. Dr. Barnard has revolutionized the nutritional treatment approach to type 2 diabetes with his federally funded diabetes research and he has authored more than 90 scientific publications and 19 books. 

In this episode we cover: 

• How he discovered diet plays a role in hormonal health 
• Why medications should not always be first line therapy 
• How diet can be used to treat insulin resistance 
• The role of diet in type 1 diabetes 
• Why erectile dysfunction is known as the “canary in the coal mine” and how diet can help 
• Food, mood, and depression 
• How doctors can support a patient’s ability to make nutrition changes 
• Thyroid disease and diet 
• Soy’s effect on breast cancer 
• Which types of cancer are influenced by diet 
• How hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms can be improved 
• What you can do to avoid developing a hormone related condition 

Connect with Dr. Barnard on Instagram: @drnealbarnard, Twitter: @DrNealBarnard and Facebook: @NealBarnardMD 

Be sure to check out the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine at: pcrm.org and on Instagram: @physicianscommittee 

PCRM’s Nutrition Guide for Clinicians is available online, here: https://nutritionguide.pcrm.org/nutritionguide 

Episode Resources: 

• Dr. Barnard’s latest book: Your Body in Balance 
• Am J Clin Nutr. 2009: A low-fat vegan diet and a conventional diabetes diet in the treatment of type 2 diabetes: a randomized, controlled 74-week clinical trial 
• Am J Health Promot. 2015: A multicenter randomized controlled trial of a nutrition intervention program in a multiethnic adult population in the corporate setting reduces depression and anxiety and improves quality of life: the GEICO study 

Thank you for tuning in! Make sure to subscribe to The Plant Prescription Podcast so you get notified when new episodes are published. If you enjoy our material and are listening through Apple Podcasts, please leave us a review as this will help more people discover this podcast. We would love to hear from you guys on what you thought of the episode and what you'd like to hear in the future so please connect with us on Instagram. 

IG: Muzammil: @dr.plantbased, Cass: @plant_fueled. 

Facebook: @theplantprescription. 

Music credit: Scott Holmes.

*Please appreciate that this information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, always seek the opinion of a physician or qualified healthcare provider!*

Our guest today is Kanchan Koya and we’re taking a deep dive with her into the power of spices. Kanchan combines her PhD in Molecular Biology from Harvard University and training from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition to bring the power of spices to kids and families. She is the author of Spice Spice Baby, a cookbook designed to educate families on the science-backed health benefits of spices and show how easily they can be incorporated into nutritious and delicious meals. Kanchan is also a “Food as Medicine” Practitioner and coaches clients to improve their health using food and lifestyle changes. 

In this episode we cover: 

• How she became passionate so about spices 
• Why spices are so powerful 
• The mechanisms behind spices and disease prevention 
• How turmeric fights inflammation 
• Why spice blends may be more powerful than single spices 
• The top spices Kanchan thinks should be in your life 
• Ways to incorporate spices into meals 
• Fresh vs dried and cooked vs raw 
• Which spices should be consumed together 
• Why she wrote Spice, Spice Baby  

You can connect with Kanchan on Instagram: @chiefspicemama and Twitter: @KKoya  

Her website is here: https://www.spicespicebaby.com 

Episode Resources: 

• Book: Spice, Spice Baby: 100 Recipes with Healing Spice for your Family Table  
• Kanchan’s Podcast: Momlight 

Thank you for tuning in! Make sure to subscribe to The Plant Prescription Podcast so you get notified when new episodes are published. If you enjoy our material and are listening through Apple Podcasts, please leave us a review as this will help more people discover this podcast. We would love to hear from you guys on what you thought of the episode and what you'd like to hear in the future so please connect with us on Instagram. 

IG: Muzammil: @dr.plantbased, Cass: @plant_fueled. 

Facebook: @theplantprescription. 

Music credit: Scott Holmes. 

*Please appreciate that this information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, always seek the opinion of a physician or qualified healthcare provider!*