Plant-Based Canada Podcast

Welcome to the Plant-Based Canada Podcast! In today’s episode, we’re joined by Dr. Vasanti Malik to discuss sustainable, healthy diets and environmental impacts.  Dr. Vasanti Malik is an Associate Professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Toronto and holds a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Nutrition and Chronic Disease Prevention. She also serves as an adjunct facult...

Dr. Aleksandra Pikula is quadruple board-certified in Medicine, Neurology, Vascular Neurology, and Lifestyle Medicine… with Neurology and Vascular Neurology Fellowship and postdoctoral training at Boston University, Harvard University, and the Framingham Heart Study. Dr. Pikula holds a status of an Associate Professor of Medicine, a Clinician-Investigator, and Co-Director of the Women’s Neurology...

 Dr. Matthew Nagra makes his fourth appearance on the podcast. And this time he’s laser-focused on the social media-driven controversy around seed oils.  Dr. Nagra and his team put in the hours and reviewed the science around seed oils, examining three main, viral claims we bust down in this episode, including:   1.       “Seed oils cause inflammation”,   2.       “The RCTs prove harm”,   3.      ...

Welcome to the Plant-Based Canada Podcast! In today’s episode, we’re joined by Raymond Cruzzola to discuss ‘I’m Trying’ a film that documents Regan Russell - an animal rights activist killed in 2020 during a peaceful protest outside a slaughterhouse - and the ongoing fight for justice that she inspired. Ray is a Toronto-based documentary filmmaker and video producer with over a decade of experienc...

In the latest episode of the Plant-Based Podcast, we breakdown some of the confusion generated by the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans with Dr. Kevin Klatt. Dr. Klatt is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto. He received his PhD in Molecular Nutrition from Cornell University and completed his clinical di...

Welcome to the Plant-Based Canada Podcast! In today’s episode, we’re joined by Amy Ford to discuss sustainable food systems and planetary health in our hospitals and healthcare settings. Amy Ford is the Director of Planetary Health at Nourish Leadership. She is a self-proclaimed intentional synergy seeker, with a career focused in sustainable in-patient food services. She is energized by bringing...

In this episode of the Plant-Based Canada podcast, we talk to an amazing duo who are putting their athletic endurance to the test for a first of its kind project they call Wings of Survival. A 30,000 km, 9-month cycling and packrafting traverse of the Pacific Americas Flyway, emulating the extraordinary journeys of migratory birds, from the remote reaches of Alaska’s High Arctic to the extreme lan...

Dr. Samantha Green is currently a family physician at the St. Michael’s Hospital Sumac Creek Health Centre in Regent Park and an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto's Temerty Faculty of Medicine under the Department of Family and Community Medicine. She is also Board Member at the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. Dr. Green completed medical school at the Un...

Welcome to the Plant-Based Canada Podcast! In today’s episode, we’re joined by Leslie Ewing  to discuss Driving Change in Canada’s Plant-Based Industry: Insights from Plant Based Foods of Canada. With over twenty-five years of experience in the consumer-packaged goods sector, Leslie Ewing has been instrumental in shaping Canada’s plant-based foods industry. As Executive Director of Plant-Based Foo...

Welcome to the Plant-Based Canada Podcast! In today’s episode, we’re joined by Dr. Linda Ho, Research Chair with NAIT’s Applied Research Centre for Culinary Innovation (@NAIT), to discuss food product innovations, in particular her knowledge and experience related to plant-based proteins. Linda is a Research Chair and a Food Scientist whose experience has spanned from food quality assurance and co...

Welcome to the Plant-Based Canada Podcast! In today’s episode, we’re joined by Matt Noble to discuss basic income, food security, and the systemic changes needed to ensure that no one goes hungry. Matt Noble is the founder and Executive Director of Toronto Vegetarian Food Bank, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing nutritious plant-based food to individuals and families struggling with p...

Juliet Schor is an economist and Professor of Sociology at Boston College. Her research focuses on work, consumption, and climate change. She has been studying working time since the 1980s. Since 2021 she has been a lead researcher for Four Day Week Global’s work time reduction trials. She is particularly interested in barriers to work time reduction, the connections between working hours and carb...

Welcome to the Plant-Based Canada Podcast! In today’s episode, we’re joined by Jason Fonger to chat about his experiences from being a plant based athlete, living in Thailand and his environmental observations, to professional speaking for schools.   Jason Fonger is a triathlon champion and professional speaker from Ontario, Canada. A vegan for more than 15 years, he combines evidence-based nutrit...

Welcome to the Plant-Based Canada Podcast! In today’s episode, we’re joined by Dr. Joan Sabaté, a renowned physician and nutrition researcher, best known for his work on environmental and sustainable nutrition, and the health benefits of nuts and plant-based diets. Dr. Joan Sabaté MD, PhD is a Professor of Nutrition and Epidemiology. He directs the Environmental Nutrition research program at Loma...

Welcome to the Plant-Based Canada Podcast! In today’s episode, we’re joined by Eleanor Carrara, the Founder and President of the Canadian University Initiative and Co-Founder, President, and Board Director of the Plant-Based Cities Movement (PBCM). At PBCM, together with her dedicated team of volunteers they lead national efforts to advance plant-forward food policies. PBCM has successfully advoca...

For more than 30 years, Dr. Christopher Gardner—Rehnborg Farquhar professor of medicine at Stanford, and nutrition scientist—has studied what to consume and to avoid for optimal health, and how best to motivate individuals to achieve healthy dietary behaviors. He recently completed a two-year term serving on the U.S. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee and is the past chair of the American Heart...

Welcome to the Plant-Based Canada Podcast! In today’s episode, we’re joined by (soon to be Dr.) Amy Symington. Amy Symington is a Toronto-based nutrition professor, researcher, and plant-focused chef with over 25 years in the food industry and more than 12 years of teaching experience. She holds a Master of Science in Applied Human Nutrition and is currently pursuing a PhD in Nutritional Sciences...

Jessica Scott-Reid returns to the Plant-Based Canada Podcast. She’s a freelance journalist who has been covering animal rights topics in Canadian media for the last decade. Her work has appeared in The Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, Vancouver Province, Winnipeg Free Press, and more. She is also the culture and disinformation correspondent for Sentient Media. She joins the podcast to debunk claims a...

Welcome to the Plant-Based Canada Podcast! In today’s episode, we’re joined by Dr. Amar Lalia to discuss the upcoming EAT-Lancet Commission 2.0 report on the planetary health diet. We’ll explore key topics including food systems, justice, and environmental impacts, all set to be unveiled in Fall 2025. Dr. Laila is a postdoctoral fellow at the Stockholm Resilience Centre, Sweden, and the University...

Welcome to the Plant-Based Canada Podcast. In this episode we are joined by Dr. Rikin Patel to discuss the vital role of sleep in overall health, how it impacts children and families, and practical lifestyle strategies to improve sleep quality. Dr. Rikin Patel is a consultant pediatrician and lifestyle medicine physician. He is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the Universi...

In the latest episode of the Plant-Based Canada Podcast, we chat with Kati Cantrell. Katie is a social entrepreneur passionate about creating a healthy, sustainable, and just food system. As the founder of the New Roots Institute, Katie spent a decade leading food policy workshops at universities, government agencies, and Fortune 500 corporations. She is now utilizing her expertise to implement pl...

Welcome to the Plant-Based Canada Podcast. In this episode we are joined by Michelle Pierce Hamilton to chat about her experiences and explore how she keeps her curiosity thriving. Michelle is a Project Management Professional, Registered Holistic Nutritionist, Certified Canadian Tea Sommelier, yoga teacher, and podcaster. She holds a certification in plant-based nutrition from the T. Colin Campbe...

In this episode of the Plant-Based Canada Podcast, we sit down with Eleanor Boyle. She’s a long-time journalist and former college instructor, who has written many articles on ways to improve our diets and food systems. You can find her blog at eleanorboyle.com. Eleanor has written two books: 'High Steaks: Why and How to Eat Less Meat' and 'Mobilize Food: Wartime Inspiration for Env...

Welcome to the Plant-Based Canada Podcast. In this episode we are joined by Dr. Meaghan Kavanagh to chat about diet-disease relationships and translating nutrition knowledge into action for cardiovascular health. Meaghan is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Toronto and the Clinical Nutrition and Risk Factor Modification Centre at St. Michael’s Hos...

Welcome to the Plant-Based Canada Podcast. In this episode we are joined by Dana Gudelis to chat about her cancer experience, and how it led to a transformative career change. Dana Gudelis is the founder of GÜDEhealth, a wellness platform focused on lifestyle medicine to help individuals achieve optimal health. Her passion for community wellness began in the 1970s at the University of British Colu...