PLANTSTRONG Podcast

In honor of Father’s Day, we're thrilled to welcome Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn Jr. back on the podcast to answer YOUR questions. He answers questions related to cholesterol, exercise, sodium, fat, atrial fibrillation, the best diagnostic tests, and – of course – how to build an ENDOTHELIUM FORTRESS. The best Father's Day gift is sharing the wisdom and knowledge of this pioneer so let’s get right to...

I’m excited to introduce you to a PLANTSTRONG brother, Shane Martin. A southern boy through and through, Shane was a football-loving kid, who was born and raised in Mississippi with stints along the way in Nashville, Georgia, Alabama, and other areas as a musician. Life’s demands and raising five children superseded his health and, over a span of several years, he found himself overweight, despera...

We are living in chaotic and challenging times and so much feels out of our control. This week’s interview also comes at a perfect time because, in the midst of stress and uncertainty, Julieanna Hever invites you to choose yourself again and again, especially if you’re stuck in the cycle of stress eating, yo-yo dieting, and dizzying life schedules. As the O.G. plant-based dietitian, Julieanna has...

Raise your hand if you suffer from irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, acid reflux, or other GI issues. Sadly, it seems like it’s just become part of our daily eating routine. Eat crappy (no pun intended) food, feel terrible, take a pill, get some relief, and do it all over again. You can start to break that painful cycle when you begin consuming more nourishing plant foods with, you guessed i...

Dr. B is back! That’s right. Everyone’s favorite fiber-loving broc-star, Dr. Will Bulsiewicz, is back to celebrate the release of his latest book, The Fiber Fueled Cookbook: Inspiring Plant-Based Recipes to Turbocharge Your Health . Dr. B burst onto the scene just a few years ago when his book, Fiber Fueled, hit the New York Times Best Sellers List. This groundbreaking book was a guide to optimizi...

Rip sings, dances, and raps with the legendary Chef AJ as they celebrate the 10th anniversary and re-release of her book,  “Unprocessed - Revitalize Your Health with Whole Foods.” Chef AJ shares: Memories of meeting the Esselstyns for the first time Her early TV appearances on Johnny Carson and the Gong Show as a comedian How she accidentally created a daily  YouTube talk show  at the start of the...

We’ve created a society that makes everything so simple. With the push of a button, we can have highly-processed food, entertainment, and all of the excess we can handle (and even some we can’t). This has led to unprecedented levels of disease, despair, and death. We are caught in the pleasure trap. But there is good news. We DO have the power to override these temptations and allow our bodies to...

One of our favorite quotes on the PLANTSTRONG team is, “It’s the Food, It’s the Food. It’s the Food!”  Well, today, it really is all about the food with guest,  Chef Stephanie Michalak White - Lead Chef Instructor of Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts Plant-Based Degree Program.  From an early age, Stephanie was inspired and motivated to make a difference in the food industry. She's worked...

John Robbins is an absolute trailblazer whose story and mission really go beyond the kale. Imagine being born into incredible wealth - private schools, country clubs, a 14,000 square foot home with multiple three-car garages, and family yachts at your fingertips. Now, imagine walking away from that extravagant life on purpose and with a purpose . John Robbins followed the call of his conscience an...

We welcome author, cancer survivor, and healthy-eating coach, Chris Wark, back for his second appearance on the PLANTSTRONG Podcast.  In 2003 at the age of 26, Chris was diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer. After surgery, he opted OUT of chemotherapy for treatment and, instead, turned to nutrition to promote his healing. Instead of pumping chemo drugs into his body, he pumped in as many anti-cance...

Dr. Heather Shenkman has known she wanted to be a doctor since she was a young girl and today, she’s one of the top Interventional Cardiologists in the country. You see, while Heather does perform complex angioplasties and other surgeries to open up clogged coronary arteries, she prefers to help her patients reduce their risk of heart disease through not only medication, but also a healthy lifesty...

If you’re new to plant-based cooking and feel overwhelmed because you think it’s complicated, expensive, or maybe even boring, think again. Registered dietitian, nutritionist, and author, Nisha Melvani makes a whole foods plant-based lifestyle simple, sustainable, and delicious in her debut book, Practically Vegan - More than 100 Easy, Delicious Vegan Dinners on a Budget. Hundreds of thousands hav...

Rip welcomes playwright, screenwriter, and author, Glen Merzer to the PLANTSTRONG Podcast. Glen has written or co-authored a dozen books alongside plant-based broc-stars like Chef AJ, Howard Lyman, and Forks over Knives chef, Del Srouffe. Glen discusses his latest book, Food is Climate , zeroing in on the real leading cause of climate change: animal agriculture and consumption. He doesn't hold bac...

Today, we go on a powerful healing journey. Bailey Ruskus was diagnosed with endometriosis at age 11, leaving her in tremendous amounts of chronic pain, while constantly being dosed up on multiple medications. Throughout her young adulthood, she exhausted all standard treatments and turned back to the only thing she really knew – FOOD. You see, Bailey, who goes by Chef Bai - is also a classically...

Dr. Anthony Lim is no stranger to helping to inspire change. As Medical Director of the Dr. McDougall Health and Medical Center and former staff physician of True North , Dr. Lim helps his patients prevent and treat their chronic illnesses -such as obesity, diabetes, cancer, autoimmune conditions, and heart disease - all with a whole foods, plant-based approach.  Dr. Lim shares his own personal jo...

Welcome to PLANTSTRONG Snackables, a bite-sized podcast where host, Rip Esselstyn dishes on all things plants! Today's guest is Carrie Barrett, PLANTSTRONG Podcast Producer, longtime PLANSTRONG advocate, and a fellow triathlete. Carrie brings PLANTSTRONG stories and guest transformations to life each week on the podcast using her background in radio, production, and writing to make each episode mo...

If you have extra banana peels at home, don’t throw them away! If you have extra pickle juice in the jar, don’t dump it down the sink! The same is true for broccoli stalks, chickpea juice, and potato peels. Hold on to them…Why? In this fun episode, Rip gets scrappy with food blogger, Instagram and TikTok star, and now – new author of the book, PlantYou – Carleigh Bodrug! In her creative video cont...

For over four decades, Tony Robbins has been encouraging people to take control of their destinies to become, as he says, “the CEO of your own health.”   Robbins is an entrepreneur, best-selling author, philanthropist, and the nation’s #1 life and business strategist. Over the past four decades, he has empowered more than 50 million people worldwide through his business and personal development co...

Welcome to our Fourth "Rip's Rescue" Event, where we tackle big topics and arm you with trusted information and the resources you need to take agency of your own health and performance. Speaking of performance, this episode covers the popular topic of "Athletic Performance on a Plant-Based Diet" with Dr. Jim Loomis. Both Rip and Dr. Loomis were featured in The Game Changers  documentary and are al...

Dr. Laurie Marbas is - simply put – A FORCE who is on a mission to bring plant-based Lifestyle Medicine available to everyone from the comfort of your own home. In just two years, Dr. Marbas and her team at Plant Based TeleHealth have amassed nine physicians (including the wonderful Dr. Michael Klaper) to service patients in all 50 states - and Dr. Marbas herself is licensed in ALL 50 States and D...

Harvey Lewis is one of the hottest ultra-distance runners on the planet and, in 2021, was virtually unstoppable. As you'll hear today, this plant-powered school teacher from Cincinnati, Ohio is no stranger to suffering - especially on the racecourse. Last year, among other events, he won the infamous Badwater 135 Ultra (from Death Valley to Mt. Whitney), and then just a few weeks later, he outlast...

“When your body is fit and strong, your mind is fitter and stronger too.” - Nicole DeBoom   Today’s episode dives into a topic that is so important for the New Year - mindset and attitude. We're treated to a conversation with long-time PLANTSTRONG ally, Nicole DeBoom. Like Rip, she’s a former top-level swimmer, turned professional triathlete, turned entrepreneur, who recently sold her popular comp...

“What you will gain is so much more than what you will give up.” - Dr. Dean Ornish Dean Ornish, M.D. is highly regarded as “The Father of Lifestyle Medicine,” which is the fastest-growing trend in medicine today, and today's discussion with Rip dives deep into the vast body of work and groundbreaking research that Dr. Ornish has conducted for decades. As the founder and president of the non-profit...

“There are two kinds of Cardiologists - those who are vegan and those who haven’t read the data.” - Dr. Kim Williams Such a bold statement from someone, who, since 2013 has been the Head of Cardiology at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, as well as the former president of the American College of Cardiology. Dr. Kim Williams does not mince words. He shares: His personal background and stor...

As we round the corner on a new year and a fresh start, we can think of no better way to lift you up than with this inspiring talk from J.D. and Chrissy Roth recorded from this year’s Plant-Stock event. J.D. is an iconic television producer and creator of shows like “The Biggest Loser,” and “The Big Fat Truth,” which helped participants lose weight, fight diabetes, and attain a healthy lifestyle t...