PLANTSTRONG Podcast

"Behavioral change is the holy grail of medicine," said Dr. Robert Ostfeld at the recent Monmouth University screening of The Game Changers hosted by the Hockhockson Farm Foundation. "We all know that eating kale is good for us, but getting ourselves to do it is the hard part.

Behavioral change is challenging, which is why documentaries like The Game Changers are so vital in continuing the dialogue around the power of a plant-based diet. On November 17th, 2019, that discussion extended across an all-star screening and panel discussion moderated by Jon Stewart featuring:

• James Wilks - Producer and Star of The Game Changers
• Joseph Pace - Producer of The Game Changers
• Rip Esselstyn - Plant-Strong by Engine 2 and cast of The Game Changers
• Dr. Robert Ostfeld - Cardiologist at Montefiore Medical Center

In this lively and humorous Q&A (How could it NOT be funny with Jon Stewart at the helm?), the experts discussed:

• Reactions to the film
• The importance of busting the multiple stereotypes and myths that are often perpetuated by industry
• Advice on next steps and how to find resources and build community

As Rip says, "There is a veritable smorgasbord of delectability" when it comes to eating a whole food plant-based diet. And, there is a smorgasbord of resources starting at plantstrong.com

We're here to help and we hope you enjoy this continued discussion on The Game Changers.

Episode Resources:

Game Changers The Movie

Support for this week's episode comes from Wild Earth Dog Food - use promo code: PLANTSTRONG for 40% order

Seeking a solution for making the plant-strong lifestyle convenient and inspiring? The Plant-Strong Meal Planner offers 1000s of recipes customized to your preferences, an integrated shopping list and grocery delivery! Our Engine 2 Coaches are on hand to offer support and answer any questions - all for $1.90 a week when you sign up for a year. Visit our Plant-Strong Meal Planner today and use promo code: PLANTSTRONG for $10 off your annual subscription!

"I hate being lied to," says James "Lightning" Wilks, when asked why he was compelled to make The Game Changers documentary.

Together, with a vast array of experts and science-based research, Wilks set out to answer the question, "What does the evidence and the science show in the search for truth in nutrition, especially as it relates to athletic performance and recovery?" The result, after seven years of research and filming? The Game Changers documentary.

Rip and James caught up with each other at a premiere of the film at Monmouth University hosted by Jon and Tracey Stewart. In this backstage conversation, they discuss the worldwide impact this film is having so quickly after its release. In fact, it has already become the #1 selling documentary on iTunes and a popular selection on Netflix.

Rip and James dive right into some of the results and the longstanding myths this film busts, including:

• Virility in Men
• Iron and Soy Consumption
• The Amount and Type of Protein our Bodies Actually Need

The Game Changers is definitely one of the most influential and informational documentaries about the power of a plant-based diet and it's never too late to make a shift in your own approach after you, like James and Rip, learn the truth about nutrition.

And, as Wilks suggests, thanks to a philosophy from Bruce Lee:

“Research your own experience. Absorb what is useful, reject what is useless, and add what is specifically your own.” 

Episode Resources:

Game Changers The Movie

Support for this week's episode comes from  Wild Earth Dog Food - use promo code: PLANTSTRONG for 40% order

Join one of our 2020 Plant-Strong Immersions - use promo code: PLANTSTRONG for any five or six day retreat

Seeking a solution for making the plant-strong lifestyle convenient and inspiring? The Plant-Strong Meal Planner offers 1000s of recipes customized to your preferences, an integrated shopping list and grocery delivery! Our Engine 2 Coaches are on hand to offer support and answer any questions - all for $1.90 a week when you sign up for a year. Visit our Plant-Strong Meal Planner today!

Welcome back to part two of our conversation with the remarkable and influential plant-powered couple, Jon and Tracey Stewart.

If you haven't already, be sure to go back and listen to Episode Two for the first half of this conversation where they share stories of their plant-based journey and recount the serendipitous story of how they met.

In today's extended interview, we pick up the conversation from Hockhockson Farm Foundation, their animal sanctuary in New Jersey dedicated to promoting healthy, sustainable, and kind living.

Jon and Tracey talk about how they are finding new foods to eat each day, and how they are reaping the benefits of increasing their greens and avoiding junk food. Rip even reveals the results of their recent blood tests for all to hear!

As you'll hear, the Stewarts are two of the most compassionate people who work every day with their influential platforms and voices to push the plant-strong conversation into the mainstream, even when it's politically inconvenient.

So, in Season Two where we are celebrating heroes, we shine the spotlight, once again, on these two who are setting such an example for everyone to follow.

Resources for Episode 3

Support for this week's episode comes from Wild Earth Dog Food - use promo code: PLANTSTRONG for 40% order

Join one of our 2020 Plant-Strong Immersions - use promo code: PLANTSTRONG for any five or six day retreat

Seeking a solution for making the plant-strong lifestyle convenient and inspiring? The Plant-Strong Meal Planner offers 1000s of recipes customized to your preferences, an integrated shopping list and grocery delivery! Our Engine 2 Coaches are on hand to offer support and answer any questions - all for $1.90 a week when you sign up for a year. Visit our Plant-Strong Meal Planner today!

Hockhockson Farm Foundation

Do Unto Animals - by Tracey Stewart

Last fall, Tracey Stewart attended a five-day Plant-Strong Engine 2 Immersion in Asheville, North Carolina. Even as a compassionate animal advocate, and author of Do Unto Animals, Tracey, like many of us, still felt frustrated and stagnant in her plant-strong journey. The invigorating retreat, however, ignited a passion and turned on her science-based megaphone with which she could reclaim her health and provide resources for many.

“The solution was simple,” she wrote in a blog post after the Immersion. “I just needed to add more vegetables and take away the processed foods and additives in my diet! My saving-animals-kit just gained a whole bunch of new tools!”

Her husband, Jon Stewart, in case you haven’t turned on the TV in many years, is the longtime host, writer, and Executive Producer for “The Daily Show,” which won 22 Primetime Emmys during his tenure. He has also recently become a vocal champion for 9/11 first responders and their struggles for protection and health care.

Together as a plant-strong couple, Jon and Tracey have launched a new chapter in their purposeful lives. Together, they run the Hockhockson Farm Foundation, an animal sanctuary in New Jersey dedicated to promoting healthy, sustainable, and kind living.

In part one of this packed two-episode conversation, Jon and Tracey humorously share stories of their plant-based journey, but also recount how they met and became a couple over two decades ago! Jon even shares the ingredients of his very own daily Rip’s Big Bowl - it will have you laughing out loud and reaching for your nooch in no time.

These two are using their unique positions to raise awareness about the benefits of eating plants and about the sanctity of protecting animals—to me, that's the true definition of a hero, especially when it’s wrapped up with a daily dose of humor.

Resources in the Episode:

Plant-Strong Immersions - use promo code PLANTSTRONG for any five or six-day retreat

Wild Earth Dog Food -use promo code PLANTSTRONG for 40% order

Hockhockson Farm Foundation

Do Unto Animals - by Tracey Stewart

Within each of us lies the Heart of a Hero.  Whether you realize it or not, by striving to embody the best version of yourself, you are a hero to those around you - your friends, co-workers, and loved ones. This season, our theme of the podcast focuses on celebrating the heroes among us - those leading the charge with brave and bold research, and everyday heroes- first responders and those going against the grain.  

On the Plant-Strong podcast, our mission is to drown out all of the noise and provide you with the science, tools, and resources you need in order to adopt and thrive in a whole foods plant-based lifestyle.

In Episode One of Season Two, we lay the groundwork, first, by looking back on Season One and giving you an update on our Bronx firefighter, Joe Inga, who was the subject throughout the entire first season.

In this episode, you’ll also meet City of Pittsburgh employees and first responders as they, with Rip’s help, embark on their own Seven-Day Rescue Challenge. This campaign is aptly called “The Heart of a Hero,” which is the theme for this entire season.

These people are just like you. As you’ll hear, they have doubts and trepidations. The hurdles to a whole-foods plant based lifestyle are universal, which means the solutions are universal.

Are their concerns the roadblocks they thought they were?

Are your concerns the roadblocks you think they are? 

If your New Year’s Resolution is to adopt this lifestyle, then our resolution is to arm you with experts, stories, and inspiration to help you succeed and thrive, just like these everyday heroes in the City of Pittsburgh.

Join us and show the world that heroes don’t always wear capes, but they are strong. Plant-Strong.

Resources in this Episode:

• 7-Day Rescue Challenge
• Plant-Strong YouTube Channel - Watch the Episode!
• Wild Earth Plant-Based Dog Food: use code "plantstrong" for 40% off first order
• Rescue 10X Tribe - dedicated to helping you start and sustain the daily habits needed to make real behavioral change. Our coaches and community want to help you stop the dieting cycle. Use code "plantstrong" for $50 off

Welcome to Season 2 of the Plant-Strong Podcast.

Host, Rip Esselstyn, is the author of The Engine 2 Diet and founder of Plant-Strong by Engine 2.

This new season of the podcast celebrates "The Heart of a Hero."

Throughout, we'll showcase both heroes in the plant-strong movement as well as everyday heroes going against the grain by making their health a priority.

We know that staying inspired on your own journey goes a long way in keeping you on the path; therefore, our line-up includes first responders in the city of Pittsburgh, firefighters from across the country, doctors, celebrities, and other folks who will motivate and educate you to make better and more informed choices about your health.

Subscribe, share, and enjoy!

Plant-Strong by Engine 2 Website

In this BONUS episode, we peek into Rip’s own transformative journey this year to break the 200m backstroke world record for ages 55-59. He talks about why this was such an important goal for him, how he went about his training in order to succeed, and how this success is a lesson for all of us.

His biggest piece of advice? Find something you love and embrace a community of others who are also doing what you love to do.

And, of course, remain plant-strong.

Support for this week's episode comes from Nutramilk - the easiest and fastest way to make your own plant milk at home!  Enjoy a $50 discount and free shipping with code PLANTSTRONG. Seeking a solution for making the plant-strong lifestyle convenient and inspiring?  The Plant-Strong Meal Planner offers 1000s of recipes customized to your preferences, an integrated shopping list, and grocery delivery!  Our Engine 2 Coaches are on hand to offer support and answer any questions - all for $1.90 a week when you sign up for a year.  Visit our Plant-Strong Meal Planner today!

In this season one finale, Rip guides listeners through Joe Inga's triathlon and shares the celebration and jubilation of crossing the finish line. This race and this journey, however, has been so much more than just completing a triathlon.

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Joe is proof that you can be a hero to yourself, your family and an inspiration to anyone who is craving a lifestyle change. As Joe says, "I went from death's door to doing a triathlon in six months!"

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But before we dive into the pond with Joe, we share part of an insightful conversation with James Wilks, the producer of the upcoming film, The Game Changers, on athletic performance and plant protein.  If you don't have your tickets yet, the global theatrical release takes place on Monday, September 16th!

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Support for this week's episode comes from Nutramilk - the easiest and fastest way to make your own plant milk at home!  Enjoy a $50 discount and free shipping with code PLANTSTRONG. Seeking a solution for making the plant-strong lifestyle convenient and inspiring?  The Plant-Strong Meal Planner offers 1000s of recipes customized to your preferences, an integrated shopping list, and grocery delivery!  Our Engine 2 Coaches are on hand to offer support and answer any questions - all for $1.90 a week when you sign up for a year.  Visit our Plant-Strong Meal Planner today!

Engine 2 Website

Joe Inga had no idea initially that he would become the focal point of Season One of the Plant-Strong Podcast.  He definitely received more than he bargained for - being pulled into the spotlight and having his life put under a microscope.  But he rose to the occasion and kept his promise - to himself,to his family, and to the listeners.

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This week, Joe, Rip and others gather at the Esselstyn Family Farm to prepare for and complete a triathlon together.  In Part One of this two-episode bundle, we'll review how far he's come and what it means to lace up and tackle an event that would intimidate most people.  Hope you're inspired by Joe to get out there and get after it!

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Support for this week's episode comes from Nutramilk - the easiest and fastest way to make your own plant milk at home!  Enjoy a $50 discount and free shipping with code PLANTSTRONG. Seeking a solution for making the plant-strong lifestyle convenient and inspiring?  The Plant-Strong Meal Planner offers 1000s of recipes customized to your preferences, an integrated shopping list, and grocery delivery!  Our Engine 2 Coaches are on hand to offer support and answer any questions - all for $1.90 a week when you sign up for a year.  Visit our Plant-Strong Meal Planner today!

Engine 2 Website

New York firefighter, Kevin Duffy, was recently awarded the 2019 sexiest vegan title, He was also featured about two years ago in a New York Times article entitled, “Two Ironmen, a Garage and a Vegan Agenda.”

In addition to working in Yonkers at one of the busiest fire stations in all of New York City, he's also an incredible IRONMAN triathlete and endurance runner who gets up at 4:00 AM for training runs, rides, swims before heading to the station. 

At the age of 19, Duffy tragically lost a brother in 9/11 and has found a deep personal purpose in the plant-based lifestyle. He is dedicating his life to demonstrate what's possible with the power of plants.

As he says in the episode, "At 37, I know I could kick my 20-year-old self's ass."

Support for this week's episode comes from Nutramilk - the easiest and fastest way to make your own plant milk at home!  Enjoy a $50 discount and free shipping with code PLANTSTRONG. Seeking a solution for making the plant-strong lifestyle convenient and inspiring?  The Plant-Strong Meal Planner offers 1000s of recipes customized to your preferences, an integrated shopping list, and grocery delivery!  Our Engine 2 Coaches are on hand to offer support and answer any questions - all for $1.90 a week when you sign up for a year.  Visit our Plant-Strong Meal Planner today!

Engine 2 Website