PLANTSTRONG Podcast

By Rip Esselstyn

The PLANT STRONG Podcast is for people who want real answers about food, health, and longevity—without the noise, fear, or extremes.

Maybe you’ve been diagnosed with a chronic condition and want a pa... more

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FAQs about PLANTSTRONG Podcast:

How many episodes does PLANTSTRONG Podcast have?

The podcast currently has 387 episodes available.

Best of PLANTSTRONG Podcast

The most played episodes among Podcast App listeners.

Number 1: Ep. 367: Menopause Is Not the End: Dr. Jessica Shepherd on Hormones, Plants, and Thriving in Midlife
Rip sits down with OB-GYN, women’s health expert, and author of Generation M, Dr. Jessica Shepherd, for a candid, empowering conversation about perimenopause, menopause, hormones, nutrition, sex, sleep, strength, and what it really means to thrive in midlife and beyond. For too long, menopause has been framed as a decline — something to dread, hide, or simply suffer through. Dr. Shepherd is here to change that narrative. She explains that menopause is not a failure of the body, but a natural biological transition — and one that deserves far more education, support, and celebration. In this conversation, Rip is joined by PLANTSTRONG Podcast producer Carrie Barrett, who, at 53, brings her own lived experience in perimenopause to the discussion. They eplain why estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone affect far more than reproduction — influencing the brain, bones, heart, muscles, metabolism, skin, sleep, and sexual health. And because this is Plant Strong, they also dive into the power of nutrition. Dr. Shepherd emphasizes that food is one of the most important tools in the menopause toolbox, especially during the 10–12 year perimenopausal window. A colorful, plant-centered diet rich in beans, greens, whole grains, berries, legumes, soy foods, fiber, and fermented foods can help support heart health, gut health, metabolic health, inflammation, muscle maintenance, and long-term vitality. This episode is not about one magic fix. It is about building the full toolbox: plants, movement, resistance training, sleep, self-advocacy, and, when appropriate, hormone therapy. As Dr. Shepherd reminds us, women deserve agency, options, and the chance to live their 70s, 80s, and 90s with strength, clarity, and confidence. Learn More About our 2026 Live PLANTSTRONG Events: https://plantstrongevents.com/ Let Us Help Your PLANTSTRONG Journey Learn More About Our Corporate Wellness Program: https://liveplantstrong.com/corporate-wellness/ COMPLEMENT: Use code PLANTSTRONG for 30% off at https://lovecomplement.com/pages/plantstrong-special-offer Follow PLANTSTRONG and Rip Esselstyn https://plantstrong.com/ https://www.facebook.com/GoPlantstrong https://www.instagram.com/goplantstrong/ https://www.instagram.com/ripesselstyn/ Follow the PLANTSTRONG Podcast and Give the Show a 5-star Rating Apple Podcasts Spotify Episode Webpage Watch on YouTube
August 20, 202657min
Number 2: Ep. 368: The Fountain of Youth Is Movement: Rip Esselstyn on Fitness, Fun, and Community
Originally recorded for Complement's Plantapalooza in 2024, this timeless conversation with CEO, Matt Tullman, explores how sport, community, fun, and whole plant foods can support lifelong fitness. Rip shares his journey from elite swimming and triathlon to pickleball, mountain biking, family adventures, and master’s swimming. He also explains how accountability partners, simple routines, and the pillars of Plant Strong nutrition can make movement more joyful and sustainable at any age. His closing invitation is simple: find a way to move and give yourself the opportunity to feel reborn. Even the healthiest plant-based diets have blind spots, nutrients like B12, D3, iodine, and omega-3s that whole foods alone often can't fully cover. Essential closes those specific gaps in one clean daily formula, with everything you need and nothing you don't, so the diet you've worked hard to build actually delivers everything it promises. Episode Webpage Learn More About our 2026 Live PLANTSTRONG Events: https://plantstrongevents.com/ Let Us Help Your PLANTSTRONG Journey Learn More About Our Corporate Wellness Program: https://liveplantstrong.com/corporate-wellness/ COMPLEMENT: Use code PLANTSTRONG for 30% off at https://lovecomplement.com/pages/plantstrong-special-offer Follow PLANTSTRONG and Rip Esselstyn https://plantstrong.com/ https://www.facebook.com/GoPlantstrong https://www.instagram.com/goplantstrong/ https://www.instagram.com/ripesselstyn/ Follow the PLANTSTRONG Podcast and Give the Show a 5-star Rating Apple Podcasts Spotify
August 27, 20261h 4min
Number 3: Ep. 366: What Your Cholesterol Numbers Aren't Telling You: Dr. Daniel Chong Explains ApoB, Lp(a), Plaque, and Disease Prevention
Dr. Daniel Chong has spent years helping patients understand their true cardiovascular risk and take meaningful action to prevent heart attacks and strokes. In this episode, Rip and Dr. Chong dig into the confusing, often polarizing world of cholesterol and heart disease. Is LDL cholesterol really important? How low should it go? Is ApoB a better marker? What about calcium scores, lipoprotein(a), statins, saturated fat, and the growing noise around keto and carnivore diets? Dr. Chong offers a grounded, practical, and highly nuanced perspective. He explains why standard LDL cholesterol is only part of the picture, why ApoB and LDL particle number may provide a clearer view of risk, and why cardiovascular disease is never about one single factor. Instead, it is about the full internal environment: inflammation, endothelial function, blood flow, plaque stability, lifestyle, and diet. Rip and Dr. Chong also explore the limits of coronary artery calcium scores, the risks of relying on a “zero” score too early in life, and why soft plaque can still pose a serious threat even when calcified plaque is not detected. They also discuss saturated fat, heme iron, blood viscosity, hydration, testosterone therapy’s potential effect on red blood cell count, and the fascinating protective layer inside our blood vessels known as the glycocalyx. This conversation is a reminder that cardiovascular prevention is about building a body that supports vitality from the inside out. You’ll Learn:LDL cholesterol matters, but ApoB and LDL particle number may offer a more precise picture of cardiovascular risk.The longer LDL particles remain elevated, the greater the potential risk over time.Saturated fat can interfere with the body’s ability to clear LDL particles from the bloodstream.Coronary artery calcium scores can be useful, but they do not detect soft, non-calcified plaque.A calcium score of zero does not always mean “clean arteries,” especially in younger people.Lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a), is an important marker to test at least once.Dr. Chong recommends looking at a broader cardiovascular panel, including lipids, ApoB, Lp(a), A1C, and hs-CRP.Heme iron from red meat is absorbed differently than non-heme iron from plants and may contribute to oxidative stress when elevated.Blood viscosity — or how “thick” your blood is — can influence endothelial function and plaque formation.Hydration, plant foods, and, in some cases, blood donation may help support healthier blood viscosity.The glycocalyx is a delicate, hair-like protective layer that supports endothelial function.A whole food, plant-based lifestyle remains one of the most powerful foundations for vascular health. Learn More About our 2026 Live PLANTSTRONG Events: https://plantstrongevents.com/ Let Us Help Your PLANTSTRONG Journey Learn More About Our Corporate Wellness Program: https://liveplantstrong.com/corporate-wellness/ COMPLEMENT: Use code PLANTSTRONG for 30% off at https://lovecomplement.com/pages/plantstrong-special-offer Follow PLANTSTRONG and Rip Esselstyn https://plantstrong.com/ https://www.facebook.com/GoPlantstrong https://www.instagram.com/goplantstrong/ https://www.instagram.com/ripesselstyn/ Follow the PLANTSTRONG Podcast and Give the Show a 5-star Rating Apple Podcasts Spotify Watch on YouTube Episode Webpage
August 13, 202656min
Number 4: Ep. 364: Micah Yu, MD - A Doctor's Own Joint Pain Wake-Up Call and His Top Supplements to Help Your Chronic Inflammation
At 17, after adopting a high-protein diet filled with meat, milk, protein powder, and processed meats, Dr. Yu experienced his first gout attack. The pain was so intense that he still remembers waking up at 4:00 a.m. feeling as if someone had slammed a wooden board into his toe. But gout was only the beginning. Over the years, Dr. Yu developed recurring, mysterious inflammation throughout his body — jaw, shoulders, wrists, fingers, knees, toes, hips, ankles — along with fatigue and irritability. Even while in medical school, he struggled to find answers. Eventually, he was diagnosed with gout, pseudogout, and spondyloarthritis, an autoimmune arthritis often treated with immunosuppressive medications. But Dr. Yu had a feeling that diet was part of the story. Inspired by his wife, Dr. Melissa Mondala, as well as Forks Over Knives and Dr. Michael Greger’s How Not to Die, he decided to try a whole food, plant-based diet. Within two to three months, he noticed his joint pain beginning to disappear. At his follow-up appointment, his C-reactive protein — a key inflammation marker that had been elevated for years — had normalized. Today, Dr. Yu is a board-certified rheumatologist and integrative medicine physician who helps patients address autoimmune disease through a whole-person lens. In his practice, he looks at food, lifestyle, stress, trauma, infections, environmental exposures, supplements, and patient partnership. In this conversation, Rip and Dr. Yu discuss:Why a high-protein diet triggered gout at age 17The difference between gout, pseudogout, and autoimmune arthritisWhat CRP and ESR can reveal about inflammationWhy some autoimmune patients are told “everything looks normal” even when they feel terribleHow a whole food, plant-based diet changed Dr. Yu’s own healthWhy rheumatology patients may benefit from looking beyond medications aloneThe role of stress, trauma, infections, mold, pesticides, plastics, and environmental triggersWhy Lyme disease can be controversial and often misunderstoodDr. Yu’s top supplements for inflammation, including turmeric, algae oil, vitamin D, Boswellia, and glutathioneWhy vitamin D levels matter in autoimmune diseaseHow Dr. Yu practices medicine through patient partnership This episode is a hopeful reminder that inflammation is not always a life sentence — and that the body can respond powerfully when we give it the right conditions to heal. Watch on YouTube Episode Webpage Learn More About our 2026 Live PLANTSTRONG Events: https://plantstrongevents.com/ Let Us Help Your PLANTSTRONG Journey Learn More About Our Corporate Wellness Program: https://liveplantstrong.com/corporate-wellness/ COMPLEMENT: Use code PLANTSTRONG for 30% off at https://lovecomplement.com/pages/plantstrong-special-offer Follow PLANTSTRONG and Rip Esselstyn https://plantstrong.com/ https://www.facebook.com/GoPlantstrong https://www.instagram.com/goplantstrong/ https://www.instagram.com/ripesselstyn/ Follow the PLANTSTRONG Podcast and Give the Show a 5-star Rating Apple Podcasts Spotify
July 30, 202655min
Number 5: Ep. 360: Real 30, Real Food, Real Results: Meet Barbara Court - A Plant Strong Success Story
Barbara Court is almost 75 years old, full of humor, full of heart, and living proof that it is never too late to get Plant Strong. After joining PlantStrong’s free Real30 Challenge, Barbara committed to eating 30 different whole plant-based foods each week and moving her body for 30 minutes a day. In just a few months, she lost nearly 15 pounds, brought her A1C out of the pre-diabetic range, increased her daily steps, and found a renewed sense of motivation. In this conversation, Rip and Barbara talk about weight loss, calorie density, plant diversity, arthritis, movement, simple meals, social temptations, community support, and why perseverance and humor matters more than perfection. Barbara’s message is simple and powerful: you do not have to be perfect. You just have to keep going. In this episode:How Barbara found success with the Real30 ChallengeWhy she tracks her weekly plant diversityHow she lost nearly 15 poundsWhat helped her improve her A1CWhy calorie density finally clickedHow she handles tempting foods and social eventsWhy daily movement is non-negotiableThe power of online community and encouragementWhy it is never too late to change your health Watch on YouTube Learn More About our 2026 Live PLANTSTRONG Events: https://plantstrongevents.com/ Let Us Help Your PLANTSTRONG Journey Learn More About Our Corporate Wellness Program: https://liveplantstrong.com/corporate-wellness/ COMPLEMENT: Use code PLANTSTRONG for 30% off at https://lovecomplement.com/pages/plantstrong-special-offer Follow PLANTSTRONG and Rip Esselstyn https://plantstrong.com/ https://www.facebook.com/GoPlantstrong https://www.instagram.com/goplantstrong/ https://www.instagram.com/ripesselstyn/ Follow the PLANTSTRONG Podcast and Give the Show a 5-star Rating Apple Podcasts Spotify
July 02, 202643min