PLANTSTRONG Podcast

Rip sits down with integrative neuro-ophthalmologist Dr. Rani Banik to explore how nutrition, lifestyle, and daily habits shape your long-term eye health. From macular degeneration and glaucoma to digital eye strain and screen overload, Dr. Banik breaks down what’s really happening inside your eyes—and what you can do today to protect your vision for life. We’re talking about the foods that protec...

What if one simple blood test could reveal a genetic risk factor for heart disease that affects 1 in 5 people worldwide? Rip sits down with physician, endurance athlete, and author Dr. Akil Taher to talk about a critical—but often overlooked—marker for cardiovascular risk: Lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a). Despite decades of research linking elevated Lp(a) to heart attacks, strokes, and aortic valve disea...

What happens when a 37-year-old father of six suffers a stroke with no clear cause? For Ali Essig, it became a wake-up call that changed everything. In this powerful conversation, Rip sits down with Ali—creator of PlantWhys —to talk about how her husband’s stroke sent their family on a journey into whole-food, plant-based eating. What started as a search for a “heart-healthy diet” quickly became a...

Rip sits down with Dr. Elizabeth George and Chef Nick Iula , co-authors of Healthy Eating Adventure , to explore how whole food, plant-based eating can transform health and lives. Dr. George helped launch the Healthy Eating Adventure program more than 15 years ago, helping hundreds of participants reverse chronic disease through nutrition. Chef Nick Iula joined the program after decades in profess...

For over 50 years, Dr. Michael Klaper has practiced medicine. And today, he says something that stops you in your tracks: “I am profoundly embarrassed to be a physician in America today.” Why? Because most doctors are never trained in the most powerful tool available to prevent and reverse chronic disease: nutrition. In this deeply personal and wide-ranging conversation, Rip sits down with Dr. Kla...

What does it really mean to be “forever fit”? Rip sits down with fitness coach and author Maxime Sigouin to explore sustainable strength, whole-food plant-based nutrition, and the mindset required to stay fit for life — not just for a season. It’s all in his new book, Forever Fit. Maxime shares his personal journey from loss and hardship to helping thousands of people transform their health throug...

Rip sits down with Peggy Kraus , a clinical exercise physiologist and diabetes care specialist with over 30 years of experience in cardiac rehab. Peggy shares how she moved beyond conventional nutrition advice to embrace a fiber-centric, whole-food, plant-based approach—helping patients reverse type 2 diabetes, lower A1C levels, lose significant weight, and reduce or eliminate medications. They di...

What if the foods you love most—the ones tied to family, culture, and comfort—could also help you heal? In this powerful and deeply personal conversation, Rip sits down with Javant Benton, creator of Healthy Vegan Eating and author of Make Your Own , to talk about food, family legacy, self-love, and breaking generational cycles of disease. Javant shares how a frightening health wake-up—pre-diabete...

What if your breakfast could power you through the entire morning—without cravings, crashes, or hunger an hour later? In this episode, Rip sits down with Molly Patrick, founder of Clean Food Dirty Girl, to dive deep into the breakfast bowl that has become a cult favorite. Molly shares the story behind her hearty, nutrient-packed “Hippie Porridge Bowl” —a recipe she spent nearly eight years perfect...

At just 43 years old, Charles Gassenheimer was 75 pounds overweight, pre-diabetic, struggling with joint pain and memory loss, and taking high-dose cholesterol medications. His doctors were managing his decline — not reversing it. Then one conversation changed everything. After meeting cardiologist Dr. Robert Ostfeld, Charles committed to a whole-food, plant-based lifestyle. The results were extra...

What if your health wasn’t just shaped by what you eat—but by what’s hidden in your medications? In this episode, Rip sits down with pharmacist-scientist Dr. Sachin Shah , a leading voice in medication transparency and patient safety. Together, they explore why food truly belongs at the center of health, how modern medicine sometimes misses the human in healthcare, and why knowing what’s inside yo...

What does it look like when plant-based living moves beyond personal choice and into real systems change? This episode answers that question in a big way. Rip sits down with longtime friend and food policy powerhouse Rachel Atcheson , founder of Food Policy Pathways , for a wide-ranging conversation about how food policy can transform public health, reduce chronic disease, and make healthy eating...

In this deeply grounded conversation, Rip sits down with Jan Liband — a former college athlete, longtime plant-based advocate, and expert in food and environmental sustainability. What began for Jan as a single pamphlet exposing the environmental toll of animal agriculture became a lifelong commitment to plant-based living nearly 40 years ago. Jan shares his journey from a meat-centered, “healthy...

It’s been way too long since Jackie Akerberg ( @jackfruitfulkitchen ) was on the podcast, and this episode is a true catch-up in every sense of the word. Jackie is a plant-based cook, creator, and community builder who brings joy, honesty, and seriously good food into everything she does. In this conversation, we talk about how Jackie went plant-based and never looked back, how her health complete...

Firefighters are trained to run toward danger — but too often, their own health is what’s at risk. In this episode of the Plant Strong Podcast , Rip sits down with fellow firefighter Andy Schaefer of Avon, Ohio, whose journey into plant-based eating began with a life-altering decision: donating one of his kidneys to his brother-in-law. Determined to be as healthy and resilient as possible, Andy ad...

In this episode, Rip sits down with Jet, a 66-year-old husband, father, hiker, and former keto devotee whose health collapsed despite doing “everything right” according to low-carb gurus. After a terrifying calcium score, debilitating angina, and near-widowmaker blockage, Jet found himself out of breath, unable to hike his favorite mountains, and feeling an impending sense of doom. A reunion — and...

What does it mean to live intentionally ? In this inspiring conversation, Rip sits down with endurance athlete and author Joe Gagnon , who shares how he shifted from chasing external success to living with deeper purpose and awareness. Joe explores the mindset and habits that fuel his growth — from building strong health pillars and saying “yes” to new challenges, to embracing discomfort as a teac...

Inflammation is running rampant — and it’s not starting in your joints or your arteries. It’s starting in your gut . This week, Rip is joined by world-renowned gut health expert Dr. Will Bulsiewicz , aka “Dr. B,” author of the book Plant Powered Plus . (Release Date: January 13, 2026) Together, they break down why chronic disease, fatigue, weight gain, autoimmune disorders, and even emotional burn...

Eating healthier shouldn’t feel confusing, overwhelming, or impossible to sustain—and if it ever has, you’re not the problem. In this 30-minute REAL30 ™ webinar, Rip Esselstyn and Laurie Kortowich introduce a simple, science-backed framework designed to help you eat more real, whole plants and stay consistent without turning your life upside down. The REAL30 is built on three approachable pillars:...

This episode originally dropped in October, 2024 Dr. Dawn Mussallem joins Rip for an enlightening discussion on the vital role of personalized precision lifestyle medicine in breast cancer prevention and recovery. They dive deep into the importance of nutrition, emphasizing whole food plant-based diets, supplements, and the power of social connections in enhancing health outcomes. Dr. Mussallem sh...

Rip sits down with Andrea Freeman, James Beard Award-winning author of Ruin Their Crops on the Ground . Drawing on more than 20 years of research, Andrea unpacks how food, race, and class have shaped America’s food system, exploring the historical roots of inequality that still influence what ends up on our plates today. Their conversation takes listeners on a journey from the Trail of Tears to co...

Rip welcomes Chuck Carroll — once a “fast food junkie”- now a beloved voice in the plant-based movement and host of the Exam Room Podcast . While plant-based eating helped normalize his blood pressure, stabilize his weight, and restore his vitality, Chuck also shares a vulnerable part of his story: despite doing everything right , he’s now navigating a complex chronic illness with no clear diagnos...

What happens when a company decides to put real food at the center of employee wellness? In this powerful episode, Rip sits down with the team at Central Garden & Pet , a 7,000-employee organization that has taken a radically forward-thinking approach to improving the health of its people. Their partnership with PLANTSTRONG by Metabite has produced clinical-level outcomes — without drugs, depr...

Today, on what is a day of Thanksgiving here in the United States,  we want to take a few minutes to honor three extraordinary men—Dr. John McDougall, Dr. Baxter Montgomery, and John Robbins—who we’ve recently lost. These weren’t just leaders in the whole food, plant-based movement—they were trailblazers, mentors, and fearless advocates for health and hope. Dr. McDougall taught us that food i...

Rip Esselstyn welcomes back beloved plant-based author Dreena Burton , who is stepping into an exciting new chapter with Fascia Flo — her movement program designed to unlock mobility, reduce pain, and support healthy aging. Dreena shares her personal journey with injury and how it led her to discover fascia, the body’s connective tissue network that plays a key role in movement, posture, and emoti...