Can you build strength & muscle on a vegan diet?

In this episode, I’m joined by Ashley Gillies, owner and coach at Pivot With Plants.

Ashley is a lifelong competitive athlete with eight years of fitness experience and has been vegan for seven years. For the past four years, she has helped vegans build strength, confidence, and sustainable, healthy fitness habits through personalized coaching.

In this episode, we talk about:

• How to get started with strength training if you're a beginner

Ashley is also a co-founder of The Kind Fork Faction, a vegan social group in Calgary, Alberta, that brings the community together through monthly meetups.

Whether you're a complete beginner, already doing strength training, interested in plant-based fitness, or simply wondering how to build muscle and get enough vegan protein, this conversation is packed with practical advice to help you get stronger and feel more confident in your fitness journey.

Connect with Ashley on Instagram @pivotwithplants

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What does it actually take to create political change for animals?

In this episode, I'm joined by Sam Schillinger, Oregon Campaign Director for Pro-Animal Future, to talk about animal advocacy, political organizing, and how we can turn concern for animals into meaningful policy change.

Sam and I discuss his journey into animal advocacy and his work with Pro-Animal Future, including the campaign to ban the sale of force-fed foie gras in Portland. We talk about why political advocacy is such an important tool for the animal movement, how campaigns can bring animal issues into conversations with voters and elected officials, and the importance of getting more people involved in creating change.

We also discuss what makes a political campaign effective, how advocates can work within existing political systems, and the different ways people can contribute to the movement, even if they don't consider themselves activists.

In this episode, we talk about:

Sam Schillinger is the Oregon Campaign Director for Pro-Animal Future. Originally from Iowa, he graduated from Luther College (Decorah, IA) in 2022 and moved to Oregon two years ago. He got to work immediately advocating for animals. Most recently, he led Pro-Animal Future’s campaign to ban the sale of force-fed foie gras in the city of Portland.

When he’s not working with politicians and activists to help animals, Sam enjoys supporting live theatre, traveling, watching CBS Survivor, and playing poker. He’s also an accomplished runner with five marathons and two ultramarathons under his belt.

Sam recommended these resources for listeners who want to learn more about political advocacy for animals and the work of Pro-Animal Future:

Get Political for Animals — Free E-book Download

Pro-Animal Future

Pro-Animal Oregon

Pro-Animal Colorado

Pro-Animal D.C.

Instagram: Pro-Animal Oregon

If this episode gave you a new perspective on how you can advocate for animals, share it with someone who might be interested in getting involved.

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Registration is now open for my 15-hour Plant-Based Nutrition course through Pacific Rim College!

📅 Wednesdays, 12–3pm PST

Although it's an elective within the Holistic Nutrition program, it's open to everyone. If you enjoy diving into the science behind plant-based nutrition, this course is designed like a traditional college class with lectures, quizzes, activities, and plenty of opportunities to deepen your understanding.

Register by emailing [email protected] or visit Pacific Rim College to learn more.

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What if the key to better digestive health isn't simply eliminating more foods but understanding what's happening beneath the surface?

In this episode, I'm joined by James Marin, RD, EN, an Integrative Registered Dietitian, Environmental Nutritionist, and co-founder of the Good Gut SIBO/IBS Program and Married to Health.

James is known for taking a systems-based approach to health, looking beyond symptoms to identify the root causes of digestive issues. In this conversation, we explore the gut microbiome, fibre, IBS, SIBO, histamine intolerance, and a plant-based approach to supporting gut health. We also discuss what happens to the gut when we don't consume enough fibre, whether beneficial gut bacteria can recover after years of a low-fibre diet, and why taking a whole-person approach is often more effective than simply chasing symptoms.

Whether you're struggling with digestive issues, interested in optimizing your gut health, or want to better understand the science behind the microbiome, this episode is packed with practical insights and evidence-based information.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The importance of dietary fibre for gut and overall health

About James Marin

James Marin, RD, EN is an Integrative Registered Dietitian, Environmental Nutritionist, co-founder of the Good Gut SIBO/IBS Program, Good Gut LIVE podcast, and COO of Married to Health, an integrative private practice of Registered Dietitians. James specializes in using systems-based approaches to come up with real world solutions across various mediums. Whether it is integrative nutrition therapies for optimal microbiome health, plant-based nutrition, wellness entrepreneurship, or regenerative agriculture; James has a passion to identify and address root issues while linking various systems to pose logical and efficient foundations for thriving biological organizations.   

Connect with James and Married to Health at their website marriedtohealth.com, Instagram @marriedtohealth, podcast Good Gut LIVE, and Youtube @marriedtohealth.

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What does it mean to bear witness for animals?

In this episode, I’m joined by Anita Krajnc and Andrew Garner from The Save Movement and the Plant Based Treaty for a powerful conversation about animal advocacy, compassion, and creating change.

We discuss the origins of Toronto Pig Save and Manchester Pig Save, the purpose of bearing witness at vigils outside slaughterhouses, and why exposing the hidden reality of industrial animal agriculture is so important. Anita shares the story behind the landmark "water trial," and we explore the goals of the Plant Based Treaty, the role of local governments in creating more sustainable food systems, and why the animal movement needs people with all kinds of skills and backgrounds to get involved.

Whether you're a long-time activist or simply wondering how you can make a difference, this episode offers thoughtful insights into the many ways we can advocate for animals with compassion and purpose.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The origins of Toronto Pig Save and Manchester Pig Save

About Anita Krajnc

Anita Krajnc is Executive Director of The Save Movement, a worldwide network of Save groups bearing witness to farmed animals and global campaign coordinator for the Plant Based Treaty. She received her Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Toronto and is a dedicated follower of Leo Tolstoy, Satyagraha movement of Mahatma Gandhi and the US United Farm Workers. Anita has also been an assistant professor at Queen’s University (Ontario) and has published extensively on social movements and environmental politics and is co-author of The Secret Life of Pigs: Stories of Compassion and the Animal Save Movement (2024).

About Andrew Garner

Andrew Garner is a British animal rights activist and environmental campaigner. He became vegan in 2012 and went on to co-found Manchester Pig Save, the first Animal Save Movement chapter in the UK and Europe.

Andrew is the UK Country Liaison for the Animal Save Movement and a Global City Campaigner for the Plant Based Treaty. He works with local governments, volunteers, and campaigners to advance plant-based food policies and climate action, supporting local governments in developing practical initiatives that promote more sustainable, healthier food systems.

Learn more about Anita and Andrew and the Animal Save Movement at thesavemovement.org and on Instagram at @thesavemovement, @torontopigsave, @manchesterpigsave, as well as the Plant Based Treaty at plantbasedtreaty.org and on Instagram at @plantbasedtreaty.

Registration is now open for my 15-hour Plant-Based Nutrition course through Pacific Rim College!

📅 Wednesdays, 12–3pm PST

Although it's an elective within the Holistic Nutrition program, it's open to everyone. If you enjoy diving into the science behind plant-based nutrition, this course is designed like a traditional college class with lectures, quizzes, activities, and plenty of opportunities to deepen your understanding.

Register by emailing [email protected] or visit Pacific Rim College to learn more.

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What does the law say about animals, and should it say something different?

In this episode, I'm joined by Angela Fernandez, Professor of Law and History at the University of Toronto and Director of the Animal Law Program at the Henry N.R. Jackman Faculty of Law.

We explore the fascinating and evolving field of animal law, discussing how the legal system currently views nonhuman animals, how that has changed over time, and some of the biggest legal questions facing animals today. Angela explains concepts like legal personhood, the treatment of animals as property, and why these issues have implications not only for animals, but for society as a whole.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What animal law is and how the field has evolved

About Angela

Angela Fernandez is a Professor of Law and History at the University of Toronto where she is the Director of the Animal Law Program at the Henry N.R. Jackman Faculty of Law. Her book, a work of legal history about a famous North American property law case involving a hunted fox, was published by Cambridge University Press in 2018. Since 2019, she has been working on a quasi-property/quasi-person understanding of nonhuman animals and environmental entities. Since 2021, she has been supervising the bi-weekly production of the Brooks Animal Law Digest: Canada Edition.

Learn more about Angela at the Animal Law website jackmanlaw.utoronto.ca/animal-law-program and Instagram @uoftanimallaw.

As well as the LinkedIn for both Angela and UofT Animal Law Program.

Registration is now open for my 15-hour Plant-Based Nutrition course through Pacific Rim College!

📅 Wednesdays, 12–3pm PST

Although it's an elective within the Holistic Nutrition program, it's open to everyone. If you enjoy diving into the science behind plant-based nutrition, this course is designed like a traditional college class with lectures, quizzes, activities, and plenty of opportunities to deepen your understanding.

Register by emailing [email protected] or visit Pacific Rim College to learn more.

SupplementV is an all-in-one supplement designed to help support a well-planned vegan diet by combining nutrients such as vitamin B12, vitamin D3, DHA/EPA omega-3s, iodine, creatine, choline, vitamin K2, zinc, selenium, taurine, and more into one convenient daily supplement.

I take SupplementV myself, and love the convenience of having everything I need in one supplement.

Visit SupplementV.com and use the code VEGANBOSS to receive 15% off your first order.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review, and share it with someone interested in animal law, ethics, or protecting animals.

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What does it take to build a successful vegan sports nutrition brand?

In this episode, I'm joined by Edan Wolk, co-founder and CEO of VEGAIN and co-owner of The Grind Cafe in Vancouver, to talk about entrepreneurship, plant-based sports nutrition, and the future of vegan protein.

Edan shares his journey to a plant-based lifestyle, the story behind launching VEGAIN, why the company's first product was a vegan mass gainer, and the inspiration for their innovative clear protein, which is a protein powder that fully dissolves in water and drinks more like an electrolyte beverage than a traditional protein shake.

We also discuss some of the most common questions and misconceptions surrounding vegan protein, what it's like running a vegan café, and which plant-based milks coffee drinkers tend to enjoy most when transitioning from dairy.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Edan's journey to a plant-based lifestyle

About Edan

Edan Wolk is a serial entrepreneur and longtime vegan who co-founded VEGAIN to challenge the status quo in sports nutrition. With a prior CPG exit and deep expertise in brand building, he has helped shape VEGAIN into a bold, performance-driven brand. As CEO, he leads operations, supply chain, and commercialization, scaling innovation from concept to market.

Learn more about VEGAIN and The Grind Cafe on their website vegain.ca and Instagrams @vegain.ca and @thegrindvancouver.

Interested in learning more about plant-based nutrition?

This September, I'll be teaching my 15-hour Plant-Based Nutrition course through Pacific Rim College. Although it's an elective within the Holistic Nutrition program, it's open to everyone. If you enjoy diving into the science behind plant-based nutrition, this course is designed like a traditional college class with lectures, quizzes, activities, and plenty of opportunities to deepen your understanding.

Registration isn't open just yet, but if you'd like to be notified when it is, feel free to email me and I'll add you to the notification list.

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***

A Note from Steven

Shortly after recording this episode, Steven learned that he has a tumour and is currently raising funds to help cover his medical expenses during this time.

If you enjoyed this conversation and would like to support him, you can contribute here:

Support Steven: http://spot.fund/4hm85wlsc 

***

Can laughter be a gateway to conversations about veganism?

In this episode, I'm joined by Steven Marcus Releford, stand-up comedian and founder of Plant-Based Comedy, to explore how humour can open the door to conversations about veganism, compassion, and animal advocacy.

Steven shares his journey into both veganism and stand-up comedy, how he ended up performing at vegan restaurants and animal sanctuaries, and why he believes laughter can be a powerful way to connect with people.

We also discuss what happens when non-vegans make jokes about vegans, whether comedy can help reduce defensiveness around the topic of veganism, and whether vegans sometimes take themselves too seriously.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Steven's journey into veganism and stand-up comedy

Connect with Steven on his website plantbasedcomedy.com and his Instagram @stevenmarcusreleford.

Enjoy the episode!

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What if one of the biggest barriers to eating healthier isn't knowing what to eat but knowing how to prepare it?

In this episode, I’m joined by Catherine Connally, a clinical nutritionist, culinary medicine educator, and creator of Flavour with Benefits®.

Catherine shares her plant-based journey and the experiences that led her to this lifestyle. We discuss why culinary medicine is becoming an increasingly important part of healthcare, and how learning even basic kitchen skills can help people incorporate more plant foods into their daily lives.

Whether you're new to plant-based eating or looking for fresh inspiration in the kitchen, this episode is packed with practical insights and encouragement.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Catherine's plant-based journey

About Catherine Connally:

Catherine Connally holds a Master of Science in Applied Clinical Nutrition, is DipACLM (Board Certified by the American College of Lifestyle Medicine) and Blue Zones certified. She is licensed as a dietitian/nutritionist in Connecticut and specializes in identifying root causes of health issues, including nutrient deficiencies, drug–nutrient interactions to guide personalized, evidence-based interventions. She has been an avid vegan since 2019 after receiving a certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition from eCornell.

Ms. Connally is the creator of Flavour with Benefits®, a gourmet nutrition approach to better health focused on plant-based health-optimized recipes. Her work includes over 110 recipes published in two Amazon bestselling, multi-award-winning books: Flavour with Benefits: France (2021) and Flavour with Benefits: Sicily & Calabria (2023). She also delivers education on culinary nutrition via clinics, events such as the 2023 T. Colin Campbell Retreat (Rochester, NY) and delivering plant based cooking instruction in partnership with Aroga Lifestyle Medicine Clinics, Ontario & British Columbia, Canada.

Connect with Catherine on her website: flavourwithbenefits.com and Instagram @flavourwithbenefits.

Enjoy the episode!

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Finding vegan food while traveling has come a long way over the past decade, but it can still sometimes be difficult to find the places that are worth visiting. 

In this episode, I’m joined by Audrey-Josephine Addo, founder of Lost & Vegan, a platform designed to help people discover vegan restaurants and plant-based dining options while exploring new cities.

AJ shares her vegan story, including the health challenges that led her to adopt a plant-based lifestyle eight years ago. We discuss how her background in computer science and graphic design inspired her to create Lost & Vegan, the gaps she noticed in existing restaurant-finding tools, and how she set out to build a resource specifically for the vegan community.

We also talk about the evolution of vegan travel, the importance of representation and community, and what inspired AJ to expand Lost & Vegan beyond an app and into a magazine. 

Whether you're a frequent traveler, someone who enjoys exploring new vegan restaurants, or simply interested in the people building innovative tools for the vegan community, this episode is packed with insights and inspiration.

In this episode, we discuss:

• AJ's vegan journey and health transformation

About Audrey-Josephine Addo:

Connect with AJ and Lost & Vegan on her website lostandvegan.com and Instagram @lostandvegan. 

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In this solo mini episode, I talk about creatine. What it is, who may benefit from taking it, if vegans are deficient, and the emerging research on brain health, mood, and cognition for women in perimenopause and menopause.

This mini solo episode covers:

Whether you lift weights, you're navigating perimenopause, or you're just curious about a supplement that keeps coming up, this episode gives you the full picture without the hype.

References:

The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with your healthcare provider before starting any new supplement, particularly if you have an existing health condition or are taking medication.

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