No-Bullsh!t Vegan

Before working with us, one of our clients was used to getting fast results from extreme programs, but then losing those results after the programs ended. Hear how my colleague Coach Zoe approached this challenge. We're all about sustainable changes that you can maintain for the rest of your life, without worrying that you'll lose the habits you've built or the results you've achieved! (Topics wer...

By popular request, I finally perform accordion on the podcast, just for fun! I'm joined (also on accordion) by Walter Martella: jazz musician, conductor, instructor, and Director of the Powell River Academy of Music.

Recently, one of our clients told me, "I have such an all-or-nothing approach to nutrition. I'm either "on" 100%, or completely off. And when I'm "on" at 100%, completely on point, it doesn't last very long". Here's my response. (Topics were kept a surprise during the month of December. Listeners had to tune in to each daily advent calendar episode to find out what it was about!)

You do not need to weigh your food, track your macros, drink lemon juice and cayenne pepper in your water every morning, avoid carbs, or add sustainably-sourced Scandinavian lingonberries to all your smoothies. What most health and fitness companies are trying to sell you are details . You need to focus on the basics to get results. Here are my 4 health and fitness priorities, and I ignore everyth...

To make your training more effective, focus more on compound lifts, and less on isolation movements. Get the details in this mini episode. (Topics were kept a surprise during the month of December. Listeners had to tune in to each daily advent calendar episode to find out what it was about!)

Train yourself to operate * without * motivation. Some wise words from James Clear, in his excellent book Atomic Habits: "Really successful people feel the same lack of motivation as everyone else. The difference is that they still find a way to show up despite the feelings of boredom. If you only do the work when it's convenient or exciting, then you'll never be consistent enough to achieve remar...

Sometimes I can't help myself, and just *have* to jump into a pointless internet argument about veganism, how science works, or both. (Topics were kept a surprise during the month of December. Listeners had to tune in to each daily advent calendar episode to find out what it was about!)  

One of the many (many) problems in the fitness industry is how fitness is often presented: a 30-day challenge. A 5-day restart. A 28-day bootcamp. I get it — people want exact timelines and they're impatient. It's just how the human brain works. But if you can commit to *never being done* , you're setting yourself up for long-term success. (Topics were kept a surprise during the month of December....

These 6 movement patterns should form the foundation of any effective, well-rounded strength training plan. (Topics were kept a surprise during the month of December. Listeners had to tune in to each daily advent calendar episode to find out what it was about!)

Some choice BS-busting from Burn: New Research Blows the Lid off How we Really Burn Calories, Lose Weight, and Stay Healthy, by Herman Pontzer (professor of evolutionary anthropology). (Topics were kept a surprise during the month of December. Listeners had to tune in to each daily advent calendar episode to find out what it was about!)

The term "she does it all" may have been made for Hadar Aviram.  Hadar is a law professor at University of California, Hastings in San Francisco. She specializes in criminal justice, civil rights, law and politics, social movements, and animal rights. She is the former president of the Western Society of Criminology and a member of the Board of Trustees for the Law and Society Association. Hadar i...

Myth 1: If I eat enough calories, I'll automatically get enough protein. Myth 2: Eating the same amount of food as when you were non-vegan will supply all the calories you need. Myth 3: I can rely on supplements to get the daily protein I need. (Topics were kept a surprise during the month of December. Listeners had to tune in to each daily advent calendar episode to find out what it was about!)

Why working out with resistance bands is the best option for at-home and travel workouts. (Topics were kept a surprise during the month of December. Listeners had to tune in to each daily advent calendar episode to find out what it was about!)

I discuss 7 problems with bikini (physique) competitions, and why we don't work with clients who want to compete in them. (Topics were kept a surprise during the month of December. Listeners had to tune in to each daily advent calendar episode to find out what it was about!)

Weight-neutral fitness means working outside the confines of fat loss or a smaller body size as the main goal of fitness. It rejects weight, size, or BMI as accurate measures of health; this is in line with scientific evidence, which shows that body size alone (without taking other factors into account) does not correlate with health outcomes. (Topics were kept a surprise during the month of Decem...

A short reading from my book, The Vegan Athlete, on everyone's favourite vegan topic: protein! (Topics were kept a surprise during the month of December. Listeners had to tune in to each daily advent calendar episode to find out what it was about!)

Some inspirational quotes from past podcast guests. (Topics were kept a surprise during the month of December. Listeners had to tune in to each daily advent calendar episode to find out what it was about!)

Aging, anti-aging, optimal aging, and a myriad of other terms: in a society where *everyone* is offering advice about aging, what really is the best way to do it? What are the non-negotiables? Bob and Fran German may have the answers. Bob and Fran are healthy aging advocates,  authors, and coaches. They're both in their 80s, and they're feeling better than ever. They have three children and four g...

5 years ago, Rachel started strength training with Coach K, and now they're a competitive powerlifter who just qualified for their first pro meet! Vegan for 14 years, Rachel Lakey is a Portland, Oregon-based strength coach and competitive powerlifter. Five years ago, they took a women's introduction to strength training class with Coach K, and have been addicted to the barbell ever since. In their...

The Esselstyn family changed how we look at food as medicine. On this episode, I had the opportunity to talk with both Ann and Jane Esselstyn.  We explore the history of Caldwell Esselstyn's work, and how the family integrated his scientific studies into how the family ate, and what it has meant now over three generations.  Ann and Jane's new book, 'Be A Plant-Based Woman Warrior', explores how w...

If you haven't yet done a deep dive into the concept of the Fitness Industrial Complex, tune in to this episode. Justice Roe, founder of Fitness4AllBodies, joins me to discuss his founding of the organization, looking to our work in the fitness industry as social justice work, and the systemic change that needs to happen in the fitness industry to foster inclusivity. Justice is a Certified Persona...

We've all heard it before: changing certain elements of our lifestyles can dramatically change our health. How do we put that into practice, and what does it really mean? Dr. Amanda Adkins, a board-certified internal medicine physician, and a health coach/owner of Enlightenment Health and Wealth, joins me to discuss this point [and more!] She has a deep passion for ensuring that everyone has a cha...

If you're not familiar with the powerhouse that is Kate Strong, you will be by the end of this episode.  Kate is a 3x world record holder in cycling, world champion triathlete, passionately plant-based and a purpose-led coach and consultant. Her upcoming challenge, Challenge 3,000, involves her cycling 3,000 miles around the circumference of the UK and planting 3,000 trees- on a bamboo bicycle. Do...

Pause and answer immediately: who are your five favourite voices in the wellness industry right now, or those you see represented the most?  Would you say that there is diversity represented in your responses? Does your answer surprise you? Let's get into it. Stacy Lee Kong is a writer, editor and the founder of Friday Things, a weekly newsletter and social media account about pop culture stories....

"Bro culture" is the thing we chuckle about sometimes, or see featured in memes. What happens when we explore this term further, not only within a fitness realm, but in relation to women in business as a whole? Holly Burton joins me to discuss women in business and in fitness: oppression, prejudice, expectations; "taking up space" physically and socially; the problems with so-called "bro culture",...