PLANTSTRONG Podcast

Rip welcomes the incredible Chef AJ, a beloved figure in the plant-based community, known for her generous spirit and culinary expertise.

Her new cookbook, "Sweet Indulgence," comes out on August 27th, and they dive into her journey, the inspiration behind the book, and the creative process that culminated in over 150 healthy dessert recipes.

Chef AJ also demonstrates a live recipe for her famous Frozen Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake, a delightful treat that is both indulgent and guilt-free.

They discuss the health benefits of her recipes, emphasizing the importance of using whole foods and natural sweeteners like dates instead of refined sugars. Chef AJ highlights her philosophy of making desserts accessible and tempting for everyone, regardless of their dietary preferences. She shares anecdotes from her past, including her early experiences in the culinary world and her successful transition to a whole food, plant-based lifestyle.

Throughout the episode, Chef AJ's passion for cooking shines as she explains her methods, including the use of more flavorful and healthful ingredients, and the significance of recipe structure. They also touch on memorable moments at Plantstock and the supportive network within the plant-based movement.

Whether you're a seasoned cook or a beginner, Chef AJ's approachable recipes aim to inspire joy and connection through the simple act of sharing dessert.

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Dr. Akil Taher describes himself as a former “couch potato, and a pampered consumer who feasted over the best foods without worrying about unhealthy consequences.”

Like a lot of us, he didn’t worry until he had to, and then he eventually succumbed to the habits of the decadent western lifestyle. At age 62, this remarkable doctor had bypass surgery. “Fortunately,” he says, “Determination ran deep in my veins, so I decided to completely change my life.”

And, wouldn’t you know, Dr. Akil Taher – now in his 70s - is an experienced marathoner, cyclist, and whole food plant-based advocate. He’s even climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro - the highest free standing mountain in the world!

He shares his experiences before and after surgery, discussing his struggles with depression and how he turned adversity into motivation for a healthier lifestyle. The conversation explores the importance of mental health alongside physical well-being, emphasizing the role of community, spirituality, and a whole food plant-based diet in his transformation.

Dr. Taher’s insights, detailed in his book "Open Heart," serve as a powerful reminder that it’s never too late to embark on a journey of health and happiness.

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Kori Clark looks back on her childhood and doesn’t remember a time when she didn’t feel shame around food. Like many who grew up in the 70s and 80s (and the introduction of fast food), Kori LOVED Kraft Mac-n-Cheese, Chef Boyardee, and any “food” that came out of a box.

As she recalls in today’s episode, her food addiction and obsession go back as far as she can remember, to the point where she even remembers telling herself not to eat a piece of her own birthday cake - at just six years old.

Determined to lose weight, she tried everything – Weight Watchers, Paleo, Nutri-System, even phen phen pills when those were legal. And, no surprise, she would lose weight for a time, but would inevitably self-sabotage and the weight and health issues would return.

Just over a year ago, Kori watched the What the Health documentary and went down the rabbit hole of whole food, plant-based nutrition. This led to other books and documentaries including, Forks over Knives and Game Changers. She’s already dropped over 120 pounds and, according to her doctors, now has the heart of an elite athlete. Even her OB-GYN was shocked that a woman could actually lose weight post-menopause!

Yes, she’s lost weight and improved her metabolic health, but Kori is most happy to be free from her food addiction.

How did she do it?

She stresses the importance of preparation, shares her daily plant-based eating habits, and encourages listeners to consider the impact of dietary choices on health. Kori's perseverance, positive attitude, and support from the PLANTSTRONG community serve as ongoing motivation for her health journey.

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Beth Motley, MD grew up an athlete and always had an interest in nutrition. Once she went into medical school, however, she realized that good nutrition is about way more than just athletic performance. It’s about longevity, disease prevention, and disease reversal. It’s about human health.

This inspired her to train under the greats like Dr. John McDougall, Dr. Ron Weiss, Dr. Neal Barnard, Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn and pursue family and lifestyle medicine as a career. What a resume of training, right?

Today, Dr. Motley and Rip Esselstyn dive into the importance of meeting patients where they are in their journeys and focusing on small “atomic habits” to create lasting change.

They also chat about the perks of a plant-based diet for cancer prevention and managing diabetes with personalized approaches, emphasizing the power of patient education and understanding the science behind dietary choices to effectively reverse insulin resistance.

Finally, Dr. Motley shares how she navigates her hectic life with five children, four of whom are under the age of five!

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Eric Soelberg was a high school athlete-turned-young husband and father and, like many on the family, marriage, and career track, he lost sight of himself and his own health.

Food became an escape and a way to numb, and in this episode, Soelberg vulnerably shares some of those moments when he realized he had fallen into unhealthy eating behaviors and addiction. Not only was he hiding food, but he was visiting fast food drive-thrus multiple times in a day – feeling the shame, but also satisfying the cravings.

Yes, he watched Forks over Knives and read the China Study – and it all made sense – but as we know all too well, having the information and making lasting change are two different things. It wasn’t until 2021 when he started feeling neuropathy and tingling in his toes and fingers that something clicked. He was 260lbs.

Driven by a newfound commitment to health, Eric sought guidance and he shares his recipes for regaining his health and life. Whole plant-based food is the grounding element, but it’s about so much more for him now, including education, community, and daily self-reflection.

Eric may be your (self-proclaimed) “average guy,” but you’ll find him anything but…

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We often talk about how living a Plantstrong life is an adventure if you let go of expectations, allow yourself to be more free, and learn to embrace imperfection!

On this episode, Rip talks with Colleen Mariotti who, along with her family, have done this in spades when they sold most of their possessions over 10 years ago and started a nomadic life together.

What did she find when she learned to let go? Joy, pleasure, and beautiful people who are willing to help at every turn.

And, the best part? She has also remained Plantstrong - even in the tiniest of villages where you can’t just pick up a product from the shelf!

(In fact, we even found out that she first heard of the Esselstyn family in Slovenia of all places!)

She chronicles her family’s journey on her blog Livology, where they offer stories and mindfulness practices to inspire you wherever you are.

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COMPLEMENT: Use code PLANTSTRONG for 30% off at https://lovecomplement.com/pages/plantstrong-special-offer

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Rip welcomes Dr. Niki Davis, a former rocket scientist-turned-lifestyle medicine physician.

Dr. Davis discusses her transition from engineering to promoting a plant-based lifestyle at Love Life Telehealth. She reflects on the influence of a plant-based diet on her career shift, and the impact of whole-food, plant-based nutrition on patient care.

The conversation explores "de-prescribing medications," empowering patients through lifestyle changes, and the transformative effects of a plant-based diet on health outcomes.

She also shares some of the lessons and wisdom she gleaned working under the late, great Dr. John McDougall.

Her second career has really "taken off" and we're thrilled to share it.

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After college, Richard Hubbard felt hopeless. It was a stressful time looking for a steady job, he wasn’t moving as much as he did in college, and he loved candy and junk food - not a great combination for a web and graphic designer who would spend hours sitting at his desk during the day.

Rich also avoided doctors because he didn’t need a doctor to tell him what he already knew. He was nearing 350 pounds and destined to a life of medications if he didn’t make changes.

Ironically, it was a doctor and a mandatory physical that changed everything. Well, it wasn’t the doctor as much as it was Rich’s desire to research the best way to reverse his hypertension. That solution? You guessed it…a plant-forward diet.

In one year, Richard lost over 120 pounds. Since then he has gone on to lose at least 30 more and he’s become a lean, mean, muscle machine with a whole foods, plant-based approach.

Today, he shares his formula for lasting weight loss with nutrient-dense meals, batch cooking, and reducing sodium intake for optimal health and blood pressure. He is passionate about giving back to the community and has even become a nutrition coach and an author. His book A Plant Based Journey To Health: From Morbidly Obese To Plant-Based Athlete is available now.

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This episode originally aired July 7, 2022. We reshare it today as a tribute to his work and legacy.

Dr. John McDougall was drawn to medicine because of his own health “fate.” At 18, he suffered a massive stroke and was an anomaly to the doctors in Michigan who wanted to explore “why” and “how” this could happen to someone so young.

This health scare inspired his own journey to become a doctor, which eventually led McDougall and his wife, Mary, to Hawaii to practice medicine on a sugar plantation in Hawaii and service over 5,000 residents. What he saw there changed the course of his medical practice forever.

The healthiest people on the island, the first-generation elders who had come from China, Japan, Korea, and the Philippines, were the healthiest and most vibrant people…still active, with no medications, and still in bodies fit for movement. It was their children and grandchildren, however, those second and third generations, that were struggling.

Why? They had adopted a western diet of meat, dairy, and processed foods. 

The secret, Dr. McDougall discovered, was STARCH. Those healthy islanders subsisted on a diet comprised mostly of rice, potatoes, vegetables, and fruits and THAT inspired the work he does today through his McDougall programs and education.

Beyond diet, the McDougalls are also dedicated to informing citizens about the positive effects of dietary therapy on chronic disease and our Planet. Animal agriculture, as we’re learning, is also one of the main culprits contributing to climate change and we discuss all of his “four deadly dietary deceptions” outlined at mcdougallfoundation.org.

It’s an inspiring conversation from one of the legends and it was an honor to sit down with Dr. John McDougall.

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Dean Ornish Episode

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In 1984, True North Health Center opened their doors in Santa Rosa, California offering an alternative way to heal from disease and lose weight. Since that time, Dr. Alan Goldhamer and his team have supervised over 25,000 water-only fasts – with results that are astounding - disease reversal, weight loss, and a return to metabolic health.

The term “fasting” is all over the place, with intermittent fasting and fasting mimicking diets in the mainstream media. Dr. Goldhamer gives us a quick primer on all of the differences and talks candidly about the importance of diet and lifestyle changes to lifelong health.

As he stresses, a water-only fast – or any fast for that matter - will do no good if you go right back to eating the salty, oily, and sugary foods that destroyed your health in the first place.

Dr. Goldhamer and his colleague, Dr. Tashia Myers, just released the new book Can Fasting Save Your Life? – and this is what we discuss today.

So, is fasting a good choice for you? Let’s find out with Dr. Alan Goldhamer.