Switch4Good

A vegan since the 80s, Brenda Davis is the Godmother of plant-based dietitians. In this conversation, she explains how she traversed the relatively new territory of not only being vegan, but being a vegan dietitian. We also go deep into diabetes, the effects certain foods have on the body, orthorexia, and more. Join this joyful discussion—you have your health to gain.  What we discuss in this epis...

Say it. Penis. Now that you have a few giggles out, let's talk about prostate cancer. It's the third most common cancer and the fifth leading cause of cancer-related death in the US. Bruce and Mindy Mylrea join us on the pod today to discuss how diet affects everything … down there. Both are former fitness professionals, and after Bruce was diagnosed with prostate cancer nine years ago, they dedic...

Smart, relatable, and effective nutrition advice—that's what you'll hear on this episode. Special guest Cynthia Sass is a registered dietitian and Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics, and she's done it all. She's worked with professional sports teams, held staff writer and editorial positions at magazines like Shape and Fitness , written multiple NYT bestsellers, appeared on virtually e...

The woman behind Switch4Good is a force of compassion who has lifted herself out of pain, into greatness and is now working in pursuit of a kinder world.    Dotsie Bausch is an Olympic medalist , two-time Pan American Champion, world record holder, mentor, renowned speaker , and founder of the Switch4Good non-profit.    In this very special episode, she steps to the other side of the microphone to...

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in America, and its risk factors mirror those of the coronavirus. Dr. Kim Williams, President of the American College of Cardiology and current Chief of the Division of Cardiology at Rush University, explains the overlap between cardiovascular risk and the deathly serious cases of COVID-19. Hypertension, obesity, high cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes put...

As an Academy Award-winning documentarian, Louie Psihoyos has seen the world how it really is. He's seen the best of nature and the worst of humanity, and he uses his art to celebrate the honorable and change the horrific. This conversation spans decades of experience working as a National Geographic photographer, going undercover to make the award-winning film The Cove , and creating the perfect...

General Motors no longer crash tests on animals because of Ingrid Newkirk. Spay and neuter clinics came into existence because of Ingrid Newkirk. There is more compassion, empathy, and far less suffering in the world because one woman decided to use her human privilege and speak up. Ingrid—the co-founder and president of PETA—started a revolution. Her rallying cry calls for kindness for all sentie...

This week on the pod we're redefining luxury fashion with two emerging icons. First up is Adrian Velarde of Desserto—a Mexico-based company transforming cactus into high-end leather. The new business's innovative practices sidestep the toxic chemicals used in traditional leather-making and focus on environmental sustainability. Next up the Vora Sisters give us a lesson on ethical fashion, covering...

You don't need to experience trauma to feel depressed.   You don't have to grow up in a certain zip code to be a drug addict, and you don't have to have obese parents to develop a food addiction.   Adam Sud grew up in a comfortable household with a loving family, yet he experienced all of these things .   After years of Adderall abuse and excessive consumption of fast-food, Adam tried to commit su...

Chef Suzi Gerber defies the impossible. With advanced degrees spanning from curatorial studies to social psychology, she fuses her well-rounded education to push the plant-based movement forward. While we first talk market trends and consulting, the bulk of this conversation is spent on food. We learn about her unorthodox vegan journey, her ideas on the vegan keto diet, and how she turns watermelo...

In this episode, we get political—in a good way. Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams joins us to discuss his journey to the plant-based lifestyle, his meaningful work as a public official, and the responsibility he feels toward improving the wellbeing of his constituents. As a Black leader and former type 2 diabetic, Adams serves as an example that the plant-based lifestyle is not a "white perso...

Kathy Freston is the epitome of the cool vegan. Her fun, friendly, and effortless style is displayed across her work—from her eight books to her guest appearances on virtually every primetime talk show (including Oprah). In this episode, she reveals how she transformed from a girl who would go hunting with her boyfriend to the vegan spokesperson she is today. From recalling a hilarious dinner part...

Need a boost? Tara Heaton's personal story and can-do attitude will rev your motivation and pick you up. Tara is a communications expert and relies on her knowledge of the human brain to help everyone from corporations to non-profits get their message across and achieve success. She believes in taking responsibility, so when her daughter was suddenly diagnosed with a permanent brain injury, she hi...

Your therapist is probably counseling you wrong. According to Dr. Jennifer Howk, Ph. D., your past experiences have little to do with the way you are. Dr. Howk practices evolutionary psychology which emphasizes the role of nature in the development of one's personality. As a former staff member of the prestigious True North Health Center, Dr. Howk is an expert when it comes to the psychology behin...

Society has perpetuated the idea that masculinity is connected to animal consumption and preying on the weak.   Luckily, there are men like Dominick Thompson actively challenging that belief.   After going to prison more than seventeen years ago, Dominick had an epiphany about what it means to cause harm in the world.   He is now a social entrepreneur and activist with an online wellness program,...

If everyone had a pediatrician like Dr. Yami, the world would have a much healthier relationship with food. Board-certified Dr. Yami Cazorla-Lancaster is a plant-based physician that brings practical advice and her sunny personality to her private practice in Yakima, WA. She was so generous with her knowledge and time—think of this as your complimentary one-hour consultation on childhood nutrition...

Brendan Brazier is a pioneer when it comes to plant-based sports nutrition. A professional Ironman-turned-serial-entrepreneur, Brendan discovered the connection between plant-based eating and optimum performance as a teenager in the 90's. In the decades since, he has shown the world what plants can do. Brendan has authored several books under his Thrive brand, launched one of the most recognized v...

Eric Jackson is a force for good. He is standing up against systematic oppression and empowering the Black community to take ownership—ownership of land, ownership of business, and ownership of their situation. What begins as a conversation about food apartheid in a suburb of Baltimore builds into a larger conversation on the history of class-based inequity and how it is up to the oppressed—not th...

Lindsay Rubin is setting the record straight—dogs aren't carnivores, they're omnivores, and they can thrive on a plant-based diet. As the Vice President of V-dog, a vegan dog food company, Lindsay employs both science and strong anecdotal evidence to help us understand what kind of foods nourish our canine companions the best. Anyone skeptical about feeding their dog meat-free food will definitely...

What are we really ingesting when we drink cows' milk?   What are mothers passing through their bodies to their children? What in the world is a dairy allergy ?   Dr. Vivian Chen dives into the dangers of dairy and her story of transitioning to a plant-based diet after a battle to diagnose the root of her infant's feeding problem.   As a double-certified physician, Dr. Chen has seen a host of impr...

Growing up as a white male in South Africa during apartheid, Michael Schwarz developed a strong sense of right and wrong from an early age. Over the years, this sense of justice found its way into all aspects of Michael's life—including the way he ate. The result was Treeline Cheese—a luxurious French-style cashew-based cheese company now available in Whole Foods and Kroger grocers nationwide. Mic...

Jessica Strathdee worked on a typical dairy farm in New Zealand. The animals were not intentionally abused, and they had access to the open green fields so often associated with the pastoral practice of dairying. However, Jessica's retelling of her experience on the farm is horrifying. It's not the farm she worked on—it's the system. There is no way to obtain cows' milk for human consumption witho...

What really happens every time you put food into your body? What is the microbiome? How does it affect us? How important is fiber? What about pre and probiotics? Dr. Will Bulsiewicz answers these questions and more in this riveting episode all about the gut. Think of it as Microbiome 101. Understand the science behind this multifaceted system then learn how to put it into practice by picking up a...

How does a young finance professional pivot careers and establish three successful plant-based restaurants without an ounce of traditional culinary training? Hard work, a can-do attitude, and an unrelenting belief in oneself and one's mission. It's been a decade-long journey, but Stephanie Morgan—founder of Seabirds Kitchen—has certainly proved herself as a respected chef and restauranteur. Her fo...

Indra Lahiri is a renowned communicator with a resume that boasts senior-level communications positions at global companies from PNC Bank to Coca-Cola. However, she's using her superior communication skills to foster a relationship between humans and animals. The founder of Indraloka Animal Sanctuary in Dalton, PA, Indra saves and cares for hundreds of rescued farm animals while teaching children...