Anthony Masiello grew up as the “fat kid,” and owned the identity with resignation. Growing up in a town with three pizza restaurants within walking distance, it was easy to avoid the healthy food his mom stocked in their refrigerator and rely on the standard American junk diet.

His weight continued to grow as his health and wellbeing began to decline. One day while away at college, a conversation with his mother got Anthony to try giving up meat and alcohol for a few months and “see what happens.”

His friends saw his commitment as short-lived: “When are you going to start drinking again?”

(He hasn't had a drink since.)

As a vegetarian, Anthony lost about 45 pounds (from 325 to 280), but still had a lot of vegetarian junk food.

After getting married and starting a family, Anthony's complacency around his weight and health was shattered by the refusal of his insurance company to sell him 20 year term life insurance. As a data informatics and computer science guy, Anthony correctly interpreted the denial:

“Our algorithm bets against you living for another 20 years.”

He was 33 at the time, weighing 360 pounds, with a 54″ waist, and popping pills for hypertension. The denial letter was a loud wakeup call.

What he did next – and how he's gone on to educate and inspire others – is yet another example of the power of the three pillars of Big Change: Menu, Movement, and Mindset.

We covered:

* his early years as a fat kid

* the medical and psychological costs of obesity

* joking it off: “I'm just a giant” (I'm 5'10”, and you can see how much taller Anthony is in the above photo!)

* the humiliation of seatbelt extenders on airplanes

* not being able to go on carnival rides with his toddler

* three months of “hungry all the time” with zero weight loss

* scouring the Internet and finding Joel Fuhrman and Eat To Live

* eating a ton of fruits and veggies and almost nothing else

* losing 8 pounds a month without any restriction (90 pounds in the first year)

* ramping off meds

* becoming a runner

* finding our big WHY

* discovering effective self-talk

* the difference between screwing up and falling off the wagon

* the problem with “10% of your calories from meat”

* the strategic value of eating a little bit off plan once in a while

* and much more…

Enjoy, add your voice to the conversation via the comment box below, and please share – that's how we spread our message and spread our roots.

Links

VeggiesForDinner.com – Anthony's most excellent recipe site, great for beginners, transitioners, and those who like to keep it simple and familiar

MyEthosHealth.com – Ron Weiss, MD's lifestyle practice where Anthony coaches and teaches

Eat to Live, by Joel Fuhrman, MD

Support the Podcast

Like what you hear? You can contribute to the growth and improvement of the podcast by becoming a patron. Click the “Support on Patreon” or “Donate” buttons on the right to help out.

Gratitudes

Thanks to Plant Yourself podcast patrons

– Kim Harrison

– Lynn McLellan

– Anthony Dissen

– Brittany Porter

– Dominic Marro

– Barbara Whitney

– Tammy Black

– Amy Good

– Amanda Hatherly

– Mary Jane Wheeler

– Ellen Kennelly

– Melissa Cobb

– Rachel Behrens

– Christine Nielsen

– Tina Scharf

Thoughts on the episode? Let us know.

Jeff Stanford combines a scientist's mind with a vegan's heart and a mystic's soul. He's co-founder of the Stanford Inn by the Sea in Mendocino, California, an eco-resort complete with a fully vegan restaurant, The Ravens.Jeff's a longtime spiritual seeker, an old-school "back to the land" hippie, and a philosopher. And an advocate of a vegan diet, from all the usual perspectives as well as some that are uniquely his.Jeff is equally at home citing the works of Krishnamurti, Jeremy Narby, and Stephen Batchelor as those of T. Colin Campbell and Caldwell Esselstyn. He's a student of anthropology, and uses his background in that field to challenge the assumptions of the paleo movement.

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Jeff Stanford combines a scientist's mind with a vegan's heart and a mystic's soul. He's co-founder of the Stanford Inn by the Sea in Mendocino, California, an eco-resort complete with a fully vegan restaurant, The Ravens.

Sid Garza-Hillman, who's the nutritionist at the Stanford Inn, suggested that Jeff would provide fascinating content for the podcast, and Jeff did not disappoint.

Jeff's a longtime spiritual seeker, an old-school “back to the land” hippie, and a philosopher. And an advocate of a vegan diet, from all the usual perspectives as well as some that are uniquely his.

Jeff is equally at home citing the works of Krishnamurti, Jeremy Narby, and Stephen Batchelor as those of T. Colin Campbell and Caldwell Esselstyn. He's a student of anthropology, and uses his background in that field to challenge the assumptions of the paleo movement.

Our conversation was far-reaching, and reminded us both of one of Jeff's favorite quotes, by the Indian philosopher J. Krishnamurti: “Truth is a pathless land.”  Hopefully you'll agree that the detours and ramblings are time well spent.

We discussed:

* how the Stanford Inn came to be

* Jeff's early forays into spiritual seeking

* nature as a force for spiritual awakening

* “you can't change your life at a seminar”

* cracking a hip in 1985 and dealing with the physical and spiritual pain

* recognizing that eating meat conflicted with his ethics (“I wouldn't have killed anything to eat it, but I was asking someone else to do it”)

* acting to resolve an internal conflict rather than making excuses

* our natural relationship with animals is to connect with them, not eat them

* paleo-reality: “life was promiscuous” (ie, there were always plenty of plants to eat)

* the problem with smartphones and undocumented social media stories

* feeling energy, and trusting our own experiences even when science hasn't validated them

* how expectations block our growth

* various meditative approaches and traditions

* “don't hide under someone else's belief system”

* and much more…

Enjoy, add your voice to the conversation via the comment box below, and please share – that's how we spread our message and spread our roots.

Links

Stanford Inn by the Sea

Dining at the Ravens (cookbook)

The Aletheia Foundation

The Writings of Jiddu Krishnamurti

The Cosmic Serpent, by Jeremy Narby

The Research of Rupert Sheldrake

After Buddhism, by Stephen Batchelor

Buddhism Without Beliefs, by Stephen Batchelor

The Field, by Lynn McTaggart

Adyashanti's website

Support the Podcast

Like what you hear? You can contribute to the growth and improvement of the podcast by becoming a patron. Click the “Support on Patreon” or “Donate” buttons on the right to help out.

Gratitudes

Thanks to Plant Yourself podcast patrons

– Kim Harrison

– Lynn McLellan

– Anthony Dissen

– Brittany Porter

– Dominic Marro

– Barbara Whitney

– Tammy Black

– Amy Good

– Amanda Hatherly

– Mary Jane Wheeler

– Ellen Kennelly

– Melissa Cobb

– Rachel Behrens

– Christine Nielsen

Thoughts on the episode? Let us know.

Dr Saray Stancic became an infectious disease specialist in response to the HIV and hepatitis C crisis of the 1980s and 90s. On October 11, 1995, the then-3rd year medical resident found a short nap window at 2am, and collapsed in fatigue in the on-call room of the hospital where she worked.When she was awakened for her next shift, Dr Stancic couldn't feel her legs. She was rushed to the ER, and an MRI revealed multiple sclerosis (MS) with multiple lesions in the brain and spinal cord. In addition to the neuropathy in her legs, it turned out that her kidneys were also failing.She was admitted to the hospital, given an IV steroid drip and a bunch of other medications. And just like that, a young, energetic, ambitious doctor was converted into a frightened, confused, dispirited patient.

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Support the show

Dr Saray Stancic became an infectious disease specialist in response to the HIV and hepatitis C crisis of the 1980s and 90s. On October 11, 1995, the then-3rd year medical resident found a short nap window at 2am, and collapsed in fatigue in the on-call room of the hospital where she worked.

When she was awakened for her next shift, Dr Stancic couldn't feel her legs. She was rushed to the ER, and an MRI revealed multiple sclerosis (MS) with multiple lesions in the brain and spinal cord. In addition to the neuropathy in her legs, it turned out that her kidneys were also failing.

She was admitted to the hospital, given an IV steroid drip and a bunch of other medications. And just like that, a young, energetic, ambitious doctor was converted into a frightened, confused, dispirited patient.

Having treated many MS patients over the years, Dr Stancic knew well the progression of the disease, even with the best pharmaceutical protocols available: continual decline, increased pain and disability, and no possibility of reversal or cure.

Her doctors told her to plan ahead; she would almost certainly be wheelchair-bound in 20 years.

On October 11, 2015, Dr Stancic celebrated the 20th anniversary of her diagnosis by walking 20 miles.

What the… ? (Hint: diet and lifestyle, not drugs.)

Can You Support Dr Stancic's Documentary, Code Blue?

Dr Stancic's   documentary, Code Blue, takes on the current medical paradigm that includes almost no education on or acknowledgement of nutrition, sleep hygiene, stress management, physical activity, and avoidance of tobacco and excess alcohol as prime factors in health and disease.

Essentially, it argues that the medical profession must be built on a foundation of a plant-based diet and other lifestyle factors.

The filming is 99% complete, done on an amazingly lean $30,000 budget. Now comes the expensive stuff that makes or breaks a movie: the editing and other post-production. And Dr Stancic and her team need our help.

I recorded this interview on November 7, 2017, fully expecting to stick it in the queue to publish mid-December. But time is of the essence – Code Blue (get it?) – so I made the unilateral decision to publish ASAP and bump all the other worthy interviews down the line.

So after listening to the interview, please go to the Code Blue Indiegogo page and send them what you can. As Dr Stancic points out, it's lots of small contributions that make a large movement.

Burger King isn't going to throw their support behind a movie about a doctor who's trying to get them thrown out of her hospital. Nestle and Cadbury and Keebler aren't going to fund a film about how their food is killing us.

It's up to us. Here's the link: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/finishing-funds-for-code-blue-medicine#/

In our conversation, Dr Stancic and I discuss her 8-year health decline, the poorly designed study on MS and blueberries that changed her life, and her reinvention of herself as a lifestyle medicine specialist. We covered:

* Dr Stancic's initial career in infectious medicine

* the transition from infectious to lifestyle medicine

* suddenly becoming a patient

* “in the best of hands” – not questioning the pharmaceutical approach of conventional medicine

* doubts about her ability to continue practicing medicine

* “it was like Groundhog Day – every day was the same”

* taking drugs to treat the side effects of the drugs prescribed to treat the side effects of the MS drugs

* depending on a cane and wearing a diaper, and her growing disability and depresssion

* looking back her her diagnosis and illness as a gift

Thoughts on the episode? Let us know.

Rip Esselstyn is founder of Engine 2, a food and education company dedicated to eliminating chronic disease through a whole food, plant-based diet.As Engine 2 continues to grow in influence and reach, Rip is stewarding the company to new opportunities. As a food brand associated with Whole Foods and an education provider to their employees, Engine 2 is poised to explode with Amazon's purchase of Whole Foods this past year.I see Amazon as a potential blessing and curse, both in its current behavior, and its continuing disruption of retail into the future. I wanted to get Rip's take on the opportunities and dangers inherent in a tight relationship with Amazon.

Click to subscribe to the Mindset Mastery Memo.

Support the show

Rip Esselstyn is founder of Engine 2, a food and education company dedicated to eliminating chronic disease through a whole food, plant-based diet.

As Engine 2 continues to grow in influence and reach, Rip is stewarding the company to new opportunities. As a food brand associated with Whole Foods and an education provider to their employees, Engine 2 is poised to explode with Amazon's purchase of Whole Foods this past year.

I see Amazon as a potential blessing and curse, both in its current behavior, and its continuing disruption of retail into the future. I wanted to get Rip's take on the opportunities and dangers inherent in a tight relationship with Amazon.

I also had a wonderful time at Plantstock 2017, at the Esselstyn family farm in Claverack, New York, and watched a number of friends, clients, and acquaintances experience profound breakthrough during that weekend. I wanted to explore what I had seen with Rip, and get his take on what Engine 2's vision is for its public events.

As an introduction to the conversation, I had a chat with Doron Avizov, who attended Plantstock, and shared with me the profound influence the event had on him. Doron is a coaching client of mine, and a participant in the Big Change Program, so he's no stranger to plant-based living and skills. And as accomplished and experienced as he is, nevertheless he was touched deeply by the Plantstock experience.

Here are a couple of photos to punctuate Doron's description of his journey. Before was taken May 2015 (in the North Face jacket). And after was taken October 2017.

Back to Rip.

What really struck me about our conversation is how Rip's perceptual filters work. My default mental mode is to watch out for external threats and internal weaknesses, while Rip is just the opposite. He's always looking for the positive; for the opportunity, for the upside, for the good.

And I suspect that attitude has played a large role in the success of the movement he spearheads.

In our conversation, we covered:

* transitioning to a plant-based diet at the University of Texas based on his dad's research

* “I didn't have to eat the meat at the athlete's table any more”

* watching his parents walk their talk and not decline as they aged

* “my dad is a plant-eating beast”

* emulating top triathlete Dave Scott's diet

* the Engine 2 experiment – getting his firefighting brothers on a healthier trajectory

* “I had no interest in writing a book”

* writing it anyway

* from The Engine 2 Diet to the Whole Foods scientific advisory board

* being a “healthy eating celebrity”

* the key to success: reach out and help as many people as possible

* the power of “following your passion”

* the fortunate decision to get a degree in speech communications decades before it was relevant

* the magic of Plantstock

* the future of Engine 2 events (they're coming to North Carolina next summer!)

* serving their “avatar” participants who watched Forks Over Knives and were inspired to dive deeper

* the Amazon opportunity: to serve more people (including millions who've never set foot into a Whole Foods store) with healthy Engine 2 products

* and much more…

Enjoy, add your voice to the conversation via the comment box below, and please share – that's how we spread our message and spread our roots.

Links

Engine 2

Whole Foods Market

Forks Over Knives

Support the Podcast

Like what you hear? You can contribute to the growth and improvement of the...

Thoughts on the episode? Let us know.

Elspeth Feldman is The Speedy Vegan. Combining a love of cooking with a stint in culinary school with a dedication to human health and love of all sentient beings, she teaches and coaches people on adopting a plant-based diet in a delicious and non-time-consuming fashion.Elspeth is on the podcast today because she sent me a beautiful cookbook called (wait for it...) Pardon My Turkey. A lot of my coaching clients start clenching up as the holidays approach, bracing themselves for unpleasant interactions around food with family and friends. Pardon My Turkey is kind of a handbook for misdirection - make food this tasty and nice-looking, and the conversation about protein seems much less urgent.

Click to subscribe to the Mindset Mastery Memo.

Support the show

Elspeth Feldman is The Speedy Vegan. Combining a love of cooking with a stint in culinary school with a dedication to human health and love of all sentient beings, she teaches and coaches people on adopting a plant-based diet in a delicious and non-time-consuming fashion.

Elspeth is on the podcast today because she sent me a beautiful cookbook called (wait for it…) Pardon My Turkey. A lot of my coaching clients start clenching up as the holidays approach, bracing themselves for unpleasant interactions around food with family and friends. Pardon My Turkey is kind of a handbook for misdirection – make food this tasty and nice-looking, and the conversation about protein seems much less urgent.

We discussed:

* Elspeth's childhood on a dairy farm in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe)

* learning to cook at age 12

* backpacking through Europe and eating off the land

* moving to the US and encountering processed foods

* arguing with a 15-year-old vegetarian son (and, thankfully, losing)

* finding Forks Over Knives

* learning to cook with sugar, oil, and butter at culinary school

* discovering healthy cooking with Chef AJ

* the challenges of dealing with unhealthy family members

* why she wrote Pardon My Turkey

* suggestions for a peaceful Thanksgiving

* “How to talk to Uncle Joe and Aunt Mary about veganism”

* and much more…

Enjoy, add your voice to the conversation via the comment box below, and please share – that's how we spread our message and spread our roots.

Links

TheSpeedyVegan.com and PardonMyTurkey.com

Forks Over Knives

Preview of Pardon My Turkey

Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary in Poolesville, MD

Support the Podcast

Like what you hear? You can contribute to the growth and improvement of the podcast by becoming a patron. Click the “Support on Patreon” or “Donate” buttons on the right to help out.

Gratitudes

Thanks to Plant Yourself podcast patrons

– Kim Harrison

– Lynn McLellan

– Anthony Dissen

– Brittany Porter

– Dominic Marro

– Barbara Whitney

– Tammy Black

– Amy Good

– Amanda Hatherly

– Mary Jane Wheeler

– Ellen Kennelly

– Melissa Cobb

– Rachel Behrens

– Christine Nielsen

– Tina Scharf

– Tina Ahern

– Jen Vilkinofsky

– David Byczek

– Michele X

– Elspeth Feldman

– Viktoriya Dolomanova

– Leah Stolar

– Allan Kristensen

– Colleen Peck

– Michele Landry

– Jozina

– Julianne Rowland

– Stu Dolnick

– Sara Durkacs

– Kelly Cameron

– Wayne Pedersen

– Leanne Peterson

– Janet Selby

– Claire Adams

– Tom Fronczak

– Jeannette Benham

– Gila Lacerte

– David Donohue

– Blair Seibert

– Doron Avizov

– Gio and Carolyn Argentati

– Jodi Friesner

– RuthAnn Funderburk

Thoughts on the episode? Let us know.

Nathan Runkle is the founder of Mercy For Animals, an organization that focuses on the prevention of cruelty to the billions of farm animals raised for food in the United States.Nathan's just written an amazing memoir, titled Mercy For Animals, with friend-of-the-podcast Gene Stone. The book is part coming of age story, part exposé of the animal agriculture industry, and part gripping tale of adventure and risk and strategy as a few passionate, committed young people go undercover to expose the abuses that are a regular and normal and accepted part of our meat-based food chain.

Click to subscribe to the Mindset Mastery Memo.

Support the show