Awesome Vegans with Elysabeth Alfano

Imagine building your own army to tackle head on the injustice you see in the world.  That's exactly what former Special Ops Sniper in the Iraqi War, Damien Mander, decided to do.  While visiting Africa after leaving Iraq he saw the damage and destruction being done to our planet's most endangered species.   Damien decided he would do something about it.  He sold his investment portfolio and found...

The Gods of technology were not with me on this interview, but Dr. T Colin Campbell was!  Despite of bit of tech trouble that slightly affected the sound, Dr. T. Collin Campbell joined me remotely from the Science of Spirituality International Meditation Center in the Chicagoland area. The Center puts on the annual Veggie Fest every August which attacks over 40,000 and is one of the largest in the...

Want a bit of fresh air? Want to hear someone who has all the beauty, celebrity fanfare and Instagram followers to take themselves super seriously, but instead is down to earth, kind and super smart? Then you are going to love, animal lover Daniella Monet.  On today's podcast you will hear how this child actress turned social media star saved her pennies and worked hard every step of the way to tu...

Long before it was trendy, there was a lone woman on Oprah touting the benefits of veganism and getting Oprah to try it. I remember that episode of Oprah like it was yesterday. That episode was one of five or six cues that registered in my brain and whispered, Elysabeth you should be vegan .  That singular voice that day on Oprah was New York Times Best Selling author, health and wellness expert,...

Ron Placone just kind of stumbled in to veganism. The stand-up comic, writer for The Jimmy Dore Show, ocassional guest on The Young Turks network and creator and host of Get Your News on with Ron dishes with me about how he tripped into veganism, never expecting to like, and hasn't looked back. Going vegan isn't the only thing we get into. We also talk about our fav Italian dishes, how he curates...

Ahhhh, the great Ed Begley, Jr!  Ed joins me on Awesome Vegans to give us a private tour of his Platinum LEED Certified house!  From the thickness of the walls to the refurbished floors and from the room specific heat thermostats to the solar panel heated pool with a the hidden underground tank to catch rain water, Ed has done everything to make sure his house is as green and eco-friendly as possi...

Every year the Animal Legal Defense Fund announces their Top Ten States for animal welfare laws. For the last 11 years, the state of Illinois has been number one.  Senator Linda Holmes is one of the main reasons for this. On this episode of the Awesome Vegans Podcast and Video series, Illinois Senator Linda Holmes takes a break from her busy schedule to join me by Skype.  Senator Holmes and I disc...

My guest today is riding high…riding high atop some giant waves that is.  Champion Surfer, Tia Blanco is the 2015 and 2016 World surfing champion. She took the First Place Gold at the International Surfing Association Open Women's World Surfing Championship.  As one of the top 50 female surfers in the world, she is now training to compete for a spot on the 2020 USA Olympic team.  Gotta give to her...

Well, it's always a thrill to have the Voice Of American Idol on your podcast.  On today's Awesome Vegans pod, famed newscaster, radio host, Emmy Award winning producer and podcaster (The Edge), Mark Thompson joins me from his KFI-iHeart Radio studios.  We discuss how the mainstream media approaches  animal rights issues, his take, as a former weatherman, on our environmental crisis,  Mark's own r...

You know the expression everything under the sun?  That's exactly what I talk about with this episodes's guest: basketball legend, wellness master, media personality, chef and philosopher, John Salley.  Get comfy and settle in because John and I wax prophetic about our food and protein, John's life vision, his many, many businesses and projects, and his time with Michael Jordan and Phil Jackson on...

If you're listening to this podcast, you are probably interested in change. But what does it take to create change?  Today's podcast guest has the answers, at least some of them any way.  Brad Barbera is the Director of Innovation at the Good Food Institute in Washington, D.C. and he sure does know his stuff. We talk about climate change and animal agriculture, the plant-based meat arena,  the com...

Actor/Director Joel Murray and I go back a few years, connected by our love of our hometown Chicago, Second City, Wrigley Field and the Chicago Cubs.   In fact, our ties are tight enough that this meat eater was willing to go meatless...as long as I met the demand: make his favorite meat dish taste as if it had meat.  With a little help from Beyond Meat, I was up to the challenge! Join us in my ki...

We look to our leaders to lead.  When they don't, which can happen more often than not, it can take a 12-year old girl to be the spark of change.  On this episode of Awesome Vegans, I am honored to be the FIRST interview (#JaneUnchained, WGN Radio) with young activist Genesis Butler immediately after she publicly (New York Times, The Guardian ) invited Pope Francis to go vegan for lent. As noted i...

As much of an animal advocate as I am, when it comes down to the most important thing for animals, it isn't the rescues. It is to get the laws changed for animal protection. This is why today's guest, lawyer and Executive Director of the Animal Legal Defense Fund, Stephen Wells, is such an incredible human being and an incredible hero.  Stephen talks about overturned Ag-Gag laws and what it means...

On this episode of Awesome Vegans, I'm over the moon to be in the company of Rachel Barton Pine , a world renown violinist and vegan. With over 30 CDs to her credit,   Rachel has played in concert halls all around the world. She is also the founder of the RBP Foundation . When people think about vegans, perhaps they think about hippies and extremists.  Rachel blows that stereotype to smithereens,...

On this show, I am honored to interview so many wonderful people who are making a difference in this world for people, for the planet and for animals.  But even among this group of truly exceptional people, Dr. Neal Barnard is special.  Founder of Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and the Barnard Medical Center, he is also the author of 20 books, such as The Vegan Starter Kit: Everythi...

Think you know Billy Corgan? Think again. He and his partner, designer and founder of Maison Atia, Chloe Mendel, talk faux fur, animal activism and the Smashing Pumpkins reunion on Ep 22 of Awesome Vegans with Elysabeth Alfano. Unfathomably, between the two of them, they juggle living in NYC, Chicago and LA, a haute-couture fashion house, a rock band, two dogs, two cats and two babies! And yet, as...

Can eating meat cause cancer? Can eating a whole-food plant-based diet decrease depression? For once and for all, is soy good or bad for you?!? The Dr. is in…or should I say the nutrition nerd is in the house. Yes, Dr. Michael Greger, with encyclopedic knowledge of nutrition, joins me to kick off the new year with some nutrition facts  for our New Year's Resolutions. Plus, he reveals his favorite...

Jane Velez-Mitchell began with a career in journalism. In 2014, Jane focused her energies on covering animal rights issues on her Facebook channel and news-styled website, JaneUnChained.com. As a longtime vegan and voice for animals, Jane is a leader in the animal rights movement. This powerhouse woman even has her own CNN show running for 6 years, Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell.  On social media...

I like to think of Gene Baur, Co-Founder and President of the Farm Sanctuary in New York State and the Los Angeles area, as the original. Despite not being the first animal activist, who else has funded their sanctuary by selling veggie dogs out of the back of their VW van at a Grateful Dead concert? Classic!  Gene is more than just dedicated and devoted to bettering the lives of animals. He is al...

On this episode of Awesome Vegans, I head to the home of chef, actor, TV host, motivational speaker and overall magical man, Jason Wrobel .  While we talk a lot about food on this episode, we also talk about finding one's purpose, and how we all make our way to being our best selves and being of service to ourselves, others, our planet and animals.  With energy, and mental and emotional nourishmen...

Tough guy and former Chicago Bear, David Carter, sits down with Elysabeth Alfano to discuss The Bears, his diet, workouts, food deserts, strength and masculinity.  Maybe it's not what you think! Enjoy this candid interview from this loveable giant during the  Switch4Good * No Dairy Athlete Summit. For more information, visit  ElysabethAlfano.com .   * Leilani Munter was also interviewed at the sum...

What's the best way to encourage people to gear up and go plantbased?  Give them free Impossible Burgers at your Nascar Tent!   Vegan Strong racecar driver Leilani Munter dishes with host Elysabeth Alfano about population growth, her work with the Oceanic Preservation Society, her favorite plantbased comfort foods and her upcoming last race of the year.  Using her 200 mile-an-hour racecar as a bil...

Want to feel better and have the energy and stamina to get stronger? Well then, I've got your number! Number 16 that is! Yep, Number 16 is in on the pod!  NFL Chicago Bears Punter, Pat O'Donnell, Mr. Number 16, follows mostly a plant-based diet…but I don't want to steal his thunder.  I will let him tell you in his own words all the benefits that he gets in practice, in workouts, in performance and...

You think you know what it means to be a biker? You think you know what it means to be vegan? Think again! Host Elysabeth Alfano dishes with six members of the Vegan's Choice Motorcycle Club about why they ride, why they're vegan and just what does it really mean to be manly. Buckle up for the ride and listen in to the Vegan's Choice Motorcycle Club. For more information and to watch the video int...