Main Street Vegan

Chef Mark Reinfeld is known in the plant-based world and beyond as the culinary innovator of vegan fusion cuisine, but he is also the dad of two sons, one of whom has a genetic condition called Angelman Syndrome. His new book, Islands of Peace, is for other special needs parents and anyone dealing with an ongoing challenge to love and patience, and energy.  Book : https://www.ohanavitality.org/isl...

Legendary founder of the Nutritarian diet shares the exact kind of vegan diet that protects against heart disease or cancer, the essential supplements that protect vegans from Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, how to seriously build bone, plus new diagnostic options and a lifestyle medicine doctor's take on MAHA. Dr. Fuhrman's website Dr. Fuhrman's Amazon Author Page Longevity...

This episode is named for the important (and yet comedic) documentary about animal experimentation, focusing on pharma and product testing. Filmmakers Journey Zephyr and Keegan Kuhn, with Aysha Aktar, MD, MPH, join Victoria to get us clear on this issue (and explain how such a somber subject than make such a funny movie).  Contacts: Website: https://howtomakedrugsfilm.com (You can watch the film o...

 A family tragedy led board-certified nutritionist Terri Chrisman to take on chronic disease and fight that battle in the kitchen. Her methodology and her bestselling book, Fabulous Health: A Simple Plan to Get Well and Stay Well , are based on the 6 Pillars of a Healthy Lifestyle, codified by the American College of Lifestyle Medicine.   Book: Fabulous Health: A Simple Plan to Get Well and Stay W...

Melanie Kaplan was not an expert on animal use in research until she adopted a beagle who had been a test subject. Investigation opened her eyes and her journalist's cred opened doors into the hidden world of breeding and using beagles for biomedical research, drug and product testing, and education. Her book takes readers behind lab doors and into conversations with researchers, activists, e...

National Health Assn. Historian Dr. Jeanne Schumacher regales with tales of the dissident docs and nature nerds of the 19th and early 20th centuries who got the plant-based ball rolling. Her fascinating stories put health-promoting, animal-free food choices in a historic context: it's not a fad, it's not a trend, it's evolution. Websites: https://www.simplyplantbased.net (guest) htt...

On the front lines for animals with The Humane Farming Association for decades, Eisnitz weaves a compelling tale of the horrors of factory farms and slaughterhouses -- as well as a gripping medical mystery as she seeks a diagnosis for a rare visual processing disorder -- in Out of Sight: An Undercover Investigator's Fight for Animal Rights and Her Own Survival. [Note: If you have trouble hear...

Jessika Ava of Thrive Philanthropy shares her engaging history of showing up for other-than-human beings in a variety of venues before starting her own organization that supports pro-animal endeavors around the world. Learn where the work is happening, where it's needed most, and how everyone at every income level can be part of the groundswell. Website: https://www.thrivephilanthropy.org/ Fa...

Tess Challis joins to talk about her 9th cookbook, Food Joy , coauthored with her adult daughter, a lifelong vegan. The conversation moves to vegan spirituality, the current state of being vegan in America, and the great respite of meditation. Food Joy  book Website: https://www.tesschallis.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tesschallis/ Instagram: @Tess Challis   Tess's wonderful guided...

Vegan entrepreneur, YouTuber, mother of twins, and wife of mega-comic Jeff Dunham, today's guest is the author of Vegan Christmas Cookies & Cocoa and Vegan Thanksgiving Dinner & Pies. In this episode, Audrey dishes on life balance, celebrity, and raising (and feeding) vegan kids IRL. Audrey's website Autumn Sons Baking Company -- delectable vegan and gluten-free cookie mixes Book...

Ginny Messina, RD, MPH, is a breath of fresh air on the nutritional landscape, based as she is in science, ethics, and common sense. Get Ginny’s take on controversies such as seed oils and beef tallow, her expertise on calcium and B12 for vegans, and thriving as a vegan in a not-yet-vegan world.   Website: https://www.theveganrd.com Books: Vegan for Life , Vegan for Her , Even Vegans Die (with Car...

Joe Gagnon is a tech entrepreneur, ultra-athlete (i.e., 6 marathons/6 countries/6 days), vegan, author , and life architect whose ideas on Living Intentionally (his latest book), embracing discomfort, and disregarding limits that don't have to hold us back make this a life-shifting episode.   Book: Living Intentionally: How Intentionality Enables Sucess, Fulfillment, and Growth Website: https...

Rowdy Girl Sanctuary's Renee King-Sonnen and her husband, Tommy Sonnen, an ex-cattle rancher, are finalists in America's Favorite Couple contest. Vote for them at https://buff.ly/mm6pP3k . 

Karina Inkster is a fitness coach, author, and host of the No-B.S. Vegan Podcast. She also holds a Master's degree in gerontology, the study not just of older adult health but the process of aging itself. In this episode, we talk about fitness at every age, the scourge of diet culture, and how to get the fitness industry more veg-friendly. Website (for Karina and her online vegan training com...

A celebrity in the plant-based space, Chef AJ is known for her wildly popular YouTube programming, as well as summits and bundles on weight loss and health. Recently, she has also been applauded for her brave "coming out" with a lung cancer diagnosis. In this powerful and engrossing episode, AJ and Victoria, both vegans of 40+ years, discuss navigating the tough times with faith and good...

What if half of American meals were plant-based? Discover how this shift could help end factory farming and transform our food system for good.  Andrew DeCoriolis is executive director of Farm Forward, dedicated to ending factory farming and encouraging people to eat "as few animals as possible, ideally none." In addition to sharing the rationale of this approach, DeCoriolis updates us o...

When owner Georges Hayek went vegan in 2021, so did his business: Hayek Hospital in a suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, serves only plant-based meals, and there are no wool blankets, no leather furniture. This inspiring guest also speaks eloquently on humanity's crisis of empathy and the need for unity among vegans. Website (hospital): https://hayekhospital.org Website (organization): https://lebane...

Jim Mason, attorney, author, and activist, grew up on an Ozarks farm in the mid-20th century. He witnessed and participated in animal cruelty that traumatized him as a child and motivated him as an adult. His latest book is Madness , combining memoir, investigative journalism, and persuasive nonfiction. Books: Madness: The Deep Driver of Our Climate Crisis, Lesson from My Family Farm  (This import...

If mice, ants, or other little folks are a problem, Kevin Newell of Humane Wildlife Solutions has the answer. While his award-winning company is based in Scotland, vegan and animal advocate Newell works with individuals and businesses around the world. In this episode, he shares practical solutions for getting your home back -- and nobody gets hurt. (This episode was originally aired January 29, 2...

Callum Weir, UK nutritionist and global influencer (Plant Fuelled Podcast), joins us to address dethroning protein as the only nutrient that matters, what it takes to eat healthfully in the real world, how different people sometimes need a different approach, and how to deal with current online insanity around seed oils and veganism as a processed-food diet. Website: https://plantfuelled.co.uk Sub...

Without almost no images of actual animals, Censored Landscapes , a photo book depicting the landscapes of modern animal agriculture, sends a powerful message about the realities of raising animals for food. Its creator and today's guest, artist and photographer Isabella La Rocca Gonzalez, discusses art, activism, and what she learned exploring the architectural structures of animal ag.  Book...

As Kathy Stevens, at the helm of Catskill Animal Sanctuary for over 25 years, moves to her next chapter, she gives up the inside scoop on what it's like to run a sanctuary, what the sanctuary movement means in the overall animal rights movement, and how we can save the most animals and move the most people veganward during these challenging times. Website: https://casanctuary.org/visit/ Books...

Regenerative agriculture. Farm to table. Humane meat. These are buzzwords of a movement led by Michael Pollan, Joel Salatin, and others who believe that animal foods are fine if they come from the "right" farms. Today's guest, Professor John Sanbonmatsu, excoriates their argument in his new book The Omnivore's Deception , making an on-target and heavy-hitting case for veganism....

World-class triathlete, #1 NYT bestselling author, host of the Plant-Strong Podcast, and Plantstrong Foods CEO Rip Esselstyn shares some "inner Rip" plus health hacks for eating whole plants foods and enjoying life to the max. Website/company: https://www.plantstrong.com Retreats: https://www.liveplantstrong.com/retreat (the next one is in North Carolina at the beginning of November) Boo...

You know Ellen Kanner for her Substack, Broccoli Rising, her years as HuffPo's Meatless Monday columnist, and as the "soulful vegan" whose previous book was Feeding the Hungry Ghost: Life, Faith & What to Eat for Dinner. She's back in author mode with Miami Vegan: Plant-Based Recipes from the Tropics to Your Table.  Website: https://www.soulfulvegan.com Books: Miami Vegan.....