PLANTSTRONG Podcast

Rip, Jane, Brian, Ann and Essy all gather for a heartwarming and informative Q&A session that celebrates the importance of plant-based nutrition, especially around the holiday season. In this episode, you’ll discover: Insights from Dr. Esselstyn on preventing and reversing heart disease through nutrition. The incredible benefits of leafy greens and nitric oxide for cardiovascular health. Inspi...

We’re thrilled to introduce our newest podcast theme: “Ax it or Stack it!” – designed to help you sift through the clutter of wellness advice and make confident choices for your health. This week, we’re taking on three hot topics: olive oil, oatmeal, and creatine. Are they beneficial for your wellness journey, or should they be left out? The wellness industry is rife with confusion and misinformat...

On today's episode, we introduce the PLANTSTRONG by Metabite Corporate Wellness Program , a cutting-edge initiative designed to enhance workplace health through plant-based nutrition and education. This comprehensive 12-week program aims to make plant-based living more accessible, ultimately helping companies reduce healthcare expenses while boosting employee well-being. Metabite founders, David G...

Rip welcomes Dr. Monica Aggarwal back to the podcast for an in-depth breakdown and discussion of her recent study on the impact of oil consumption within a whole food plant-based diet, particularly focusing on extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). Published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, the study titled, Recipe for Heart Health: A Randomized Crossover Trial on Cardiometabolic Effects...

This week, we head into the kitchen for a flavorful cooking session with breast surgeon, Dr. Kristi Funk and Chrissy Roth! In addition to whipping up creamy tofu ricotta and veggie-packed lasagna, Dr. Funk and Chrissy share eye-opening insights on diet and cancer risk—explaining the powerful role soy and other plant-based foods can play in disease prevention and healing. They also celebrate the jo...

Dr. Dawn Mussallem joins Rip for Part 2 of 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 shares her insights on various supplement...

Rip Esselstyn continues his special series for Breast Cancer Awareness Month with Dr. Amy Comander , a leading expert in breast oncology and lifestyle medicine at Massachusetts General Cancer Center. Together, they delve into how breast cancer survivors can reclaim their health and thrive after a diagnosis through lifestyle changes and holistic wellness practices. Dr. Comander introduces her innov...

Rip Esselstyn welcomes back Dr. Dawn Mussallem, a breast cancer and lifestyle medicine specialist at the Mayo Clinic, to discuss the latest research about the profound impact of whole food, plant-based nutrition on cancer prevention and treatment. The conversation delves into the alarming rise of breast cancer diagnoses in younger populations, emphasizing the need for early intervention and lifest...

Actress Toks Olagundoye shares her remarkable journey as a breast cancer survivor while navigating the entertainment industry. Olagundoye, known for her roles in shows like 'Veep,' 'Castle' and the newly rebooted 'Frasier', opens up about her diagnosis and the critical role that diet and lifestyle have played in her health, emphasizing that she's dairy free and hasn't eaten a mammal in over 30 yea...

How many of us try to avoid pain at all costs? When life throws us challenges—whether it’s the loss of a loved one, a job crisis, or health struggles—it’s easy to shut down or numb out with distractions like food, Netflix, or social media. In my conversation with New York Times bestselling author Kris Carr, we talk about how avoiding pain can harm both our mental and physical health. In her new bo...

Today, we invite you to meet Shayda Soleymani and Gustavo Tolosa. These two friends are from vastly different cultures - Iran and Argentina - but what they have in common is this: a shared love of their home country’s culture, food, and traditions. They also share something else in common – successful health and weight loss journeys thanks to the power of a whole foods, plant-based diet. Shayda sh...

Kiki Nelson first appeared on the PLANTSTRONG Podcast on episode 200, but she is back with a new book, Plantifully Simple: 100 Plant-Based Recipes and Meal Plans for Health and Weight-Loss. This book is a treasure trove of 100 plant-based recipes and meal plans designed for health and weight loss, making meals deliciously simple and accessible. Plantifully Simple not only provides recipes, but als...

Dr. Kim Scheuer is a dynamic plant-based telehealth physician and a passionate advocate for lifestyle medicine. Affectionately known as "Dr. Kale" by her patients, she shares her remarkable journey from a traditional family physician to embracing a plant-based lifestyle after navigating her own health challenges and witnessing the impact of nutrition on diseases. In 2011, Dr. Kim Scheuer was a bur...

Dr. Ruth Heidrich is a pioneering figure in the plant-based movement and a remarkable breast cancer survivor. In 1982, she adopted a vegan lifestyle following her diagnosis of stage four breast cancer. Her journey is one of resilience and serendipity, as she not only overcame her illness but also became a celebrated marathoner, triathlete, and IRONMAN competitor. She shares the pivotal moment when...

Rip welcomes the incredible Chef AJ , a beloved figure in the plant-based community, known for her generous spirit and culinary expertise. Her new cookbook, "Sweet Indulgence," comes out on August 27th, and they dive into her journey, the inspiration behind the book, and the creative process that culminated in over 150 healthy dessert recipes. Chef AJ also demonstrates a live recipe for her famous...

Dr. Akil Taher describes himself as a former “couch potato, and a pampered consumer who feasted over the best foods without worrying about unhealthy consequences.” Like a lot of us, he didn’t worry until he had to, and then he eventually succumbed to the habits of the decadent western lifestyle. At age 62, this remarkable doctor had bypass surgery. “Fortunately,” he says, “Determination ran deep i...

Kori Clark looks back on her childhood and doesn’t remember a time when she didn’t feel shame around food. Like many who grew up in the 70s and 80s (and the introduction of fast food), Kori LOVED Kraft Mac-n-Cheese, Chef Boyardee, and any “food” that came out of a box. As she recalls in today’s episode, her food addiction and obsession go back as far as she can remember, to the point where she eve...

Beth Motley, MD grew up an athlete and always had an interest in nutrition. Once she went into medical school, however, she realized that good nutrition is about way more than just athletic performance. It’s about longevity, disease prevention, and disease reversal. It’s about human health. This inspired her to train under the greats like Dr. John McDougall, Dr. Ron Weiss, Dr. Neal Barnard, Dr. Ca...

Eric Soelberg was a high school athlete-turned-young husband and father and, like many on the family, marriage, and career track, he lost sight of himself and his own health. Food became an escape and a way to numb, and in this episode, Soelberg vulnerably shares some of those moments when he realized he had fallen into unhealthy eating behaviors and addiction. Not only was he hiding food, but he...

We often talk about how living a Plantstrong life is an adventure if you let go of expectations, allow yourself to be more free, and learn to embrace imperfection! On this episode, Rip talks with Colleen Mariotti who, along with her family, have done this in spades when they sold most of their possessions over 10 years ago and started a nomadic life together. What did she find when she learned to...

Rip welcomes Dr. Niki Davis, a former rocket scientist-turned-lifestyle medicine physician. Dr. Davis discusses her transition from engineering to promoting a plant-based lifestyle at Love Life Telehealth . She reflects on the influence of a plant-based diet on her career shift, and the impact of whole-food, plant-based nutrition on patient care. The conversation explores "de-prescribing medicatio...

After college, Richard Hubbard felt hopeless. It was a stressful time looking for a steady job, he wasn’t moving as much as he did in college, and he loved candy and junk food - not a great combination for a web and graphic designer who would spend hours sitting at his desk during the day. Rich also avoided doctors because he didn’t need a doctor to tell him what he already knew. He was nearing 35...

This episode originally aired July 7, 2022. We reshare it today as a tribute to his work and legacy. Dr. John McDougall was drawn to medicine because of his own health “fate.” At 18, he suffered a massive stroke and was an anomaly to the doctors in Michigan who wanted to explore “why” and “how” this could happen to someone so young. This health scare inspired his own journey to become a doctor, wh...

In 1984, True North Health Center opened their doors in Santa Rosa, California offering an alternative way to heal from disease and lose weight. Since that time, Dr. Alan Goldhamer and his team have supervised over 25,000 water-only fasts – with results that are astounding - disease reversal, weight loss, and a return to metabolic health. The term “fasting” is all over the place, with intermittent...

For over 30 years, Robert Cheeke has made a profound impact on the vegan and plant-based lifestyle, both as a champion bodybuilder and a NY Times bestselling author of the book, The Plant-Based Athlete. His latest book, The Impactful Vegan: How You Can Save More Lives and Make the Biggest Difference for Animals and the Planet is a blueprint for how we can use our time, energy, skills, talents, and...