The Proof with Simon Hill

In Episode #92, I sat down with Australian environmentalist James Stanton Cooke, or ‘Jimmy Halfcut’, to talk about the role that our rainforests play in keeping our climate cool. I met James a few months ago at a charity night in Bondi, and with the fires currently burning across Australia, I couldn’t help but think this was the perfect time to sit down and talk about mother nature.   Listen to he...

In Episode #91, it’s you and me again for another solo episode of The Proof podcast. As usual, this episode – focused on weight loss – is about clearing confusion, breaking down the science, and giving you practical tips to hopefully allow you to lead a healthier, more sustainable, and happier lifestyle. I focus in on social media and body image, what dietary patterns are best for weight loss, and...

In Episode #90, I sat down with former president of the American College of Cardiology, Dr Kim Williams, to discuss the role that our diet plays in preventing, suspending, and reversing cardiovascular disease. While many of us see heart attacks and strokes as ‘inevitable’ and a ‘normal’ part of getting old, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Many populations with different diets are signific...

In Episode #89, I sat down with a long-time friend of mine, Sean Ryan. Sean and I recently caught up for dinner, and he expressed interest in changing his lifestyle. One particular reason is that cardiovascular disease runs in his family, and he ticks quite a few of the boxes when it comes to modifiable risk factors for having a heart attack or stroke.   In fact, Sean has been contemplating and em...

In Episode #88, I sat down with Seb Alex to discuss the importance of animal welfare and what life looks like through the lens of an animal activist. I understand that the topic of animal welfare is often a little uncomfortable (I totally get it), and perhaps you hold the stereotypical view of animal activists as being angry, weird, and violent. I know I used to. But Seb is anything but that, and...

In Episode #87, I sat down with Marie Fe and Jake Snow, who are arguably two of the most inspiring individuals that I’ve come across in using social media to build a powerful community with purpose. It was a pleasure to sit down with them, share their story, talk about various aspects of their lives, and celebrate the positives of using social media.   Listen to hear about their backstories, how t...

In Episode #86, I sat down with AFL player Chris Mayne to talk about his transition to a plant-based diet as a professional athlete. Chris plays for the Collingwood Football Club, the largest club in Australia, and in the past few years has been able to take his game to the next level.   In this episode, we cover the ups and downs of Chris’s career, when and why he changed his diet, and the impact...

In Episode #85, I sat down with plant-based Australian track athlete Catriona Bisset, who currently holds the national record for the 800m event. If you haven’t heard of Catriona, chances are you will very soon – seemingly coming out of nowhere, she is now destined to represent Australia at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.   In this episode, we talked about Catriona’s journey from a young track athlete an...

In Episode #84, it’s you and me again for another solo episode of The Proof podcast. As usual, this episode is about clearing up confusion, breaking down the science, and giving you practical tips to hopefully allow you to lead a healthier, more sustainable, and happier lifestyle.   In this episode, I cover recent headlines about the dangers of ‘fake’ or ‘mock’ meats, Formula 1 driver Romaine Gros...

In Episode #83, a very good friend of mine, Drew Harrisberg, returned to the show to talk about hidden agendas in science and the media, with specific reference to a few somewhat dangerous trends we have noticed. In this unscripted exchange, Drew and I covered topics including the manipulation of science to produce favourable outcomes and the confusing and oversimplified messages we get from peopl...

In Episode #82, I return from a small break and record the first ‘solo’ episode of The Proof podcast. Yes, that’s right, the first episode without a guest – just you and me.   In this episode, I explain why I took a short break from the podcast and the new direction for the show. You’ll also hear about my time in Bali and Sydney’s newest plant-based restaurant, Eden Bondi. And I discuss the recent...

In Episode #81, I sat down with Dr Will Bulsiewicz for a second session of answering your gut health questions. All of the topics were suggestions from The Proof community – so firstly, thank you for contributing to this conversation by sending through such important questions. If you’re a regular listener and have tuned into previous episodes with Dr B (#17, #71, and #80), you’ll already know wha...

In Episode #80, I sat down with Dr Will Bulsiewicz, or Dr B, to go through some of the most common gut health questions out there! If you have tuned into The Proof podcast before, you’ll have no doubt come across my previous conversations with Dr B – he is incredibly knowledgeable and has a unique ability to break complicated science down and turn it into simple practical tips. If you haven’t list...

In Episode #78, I sat down with Drs Dean and Ayesha Sherzai for a second episode on brain health (both were previously guests on Episode #65). I cannot even begin to describe how brilliant these guys are. In this information-packed, 2-hour episode, we talk about creating an environment to help kids flourish, the importance of sleep for brain health, tips for optimising sleep, why it’s important to...

In Episode #77, I sat down with Rip Esselstyn to talk about his journey as a PLANTSTRONG athlete, health activist, and author. Rip is well known for The Engine 2 Diet, a book he authored in 2009 on a whole-food, plant-based diet, which was inspired by his father’s work (Dr Caldwell Esselstyn Jr) and his time as a firefighter. If you are looking for inspiration from someone who has been a long-term...

In Episode #76, I sat down with a good friend of mine and plant-based, pro bodybuilder, Nimai Delgado. In this episode, we chat about some of the more common concerns and barriers that stop people from adopting a plant-based diet.    Some of the topics we cover are nutrient deficiencies, carbohydrates and body fat, sugar and diabetes, soy foods and oestrogen, taste buds, giving up cheese, food for...

In Episode #75, I sat down with Dr Caldwell Esselsytn Jr, or Essy, to chat about his journey in medicine and the specific findings from his clinical trials on preventing cardiovascular disease. It was a great pleasure to join Essy at his home in Cleveland with his wife Ann – they welcomed me with open arms and a delicious lunch. I am very grateful that I was able to spend this time with them and e...

In Episode #74, I sat down with Robby and Cyrus from Mastering Diabetes to chat about diabetes (type 1, 1a, pre-, and type 2) and the role that nutrition plays in insulin resistance. We go through the body of scientific literature and explain what causes insulin resistance and how to actually reverse it. We talked about the difference between low-carb, ketogenic-type diets and high-carb, low-fat d...

In Episode #73, I sat down with Brian Turner (aka Brock Lee) to talk about his experience with acne. We delve into the reasons why he is grateful to acne, how his acne improved with dietary changes, bullying, body building, eating a pound of tofu a day for a month, and so much more. I’ve got to say, I have a real soft spot for Brian, and there’s a fair chance that after this episode you will too....

In Episode #72, I sat down with plant-based yogi Sjana Earp to chat about yoga, healing, transformation, and living with purpose. This is a different exchange to the more scientific episodes on this show, yet equally as informative and thought provoking in its own unique way.   Sjana shares her struggles with mental health – bullying, anxiety, and depression – and her strategies for overcoming neg...

In Episode #71, I sat down with one of the pioneers of lifestyle medicine, Dr Dean Ornish. Dr Ornish is best known for the randomised controlled trial ‘the Lifestyle Heart Trial’, where he was able to demonstrate that cardiovascular disease could not only be halted in its tracks but, in many cases, actually be reversed. In this exchange, we talked about why we see such a high rate of chronic disea...

In Episode #70, I sat down with gastroenterologist Dr Will Bulsiewicz to talk about those who’ve quit their plant-based lifestyles and the gut-health issues they have described. This episode was inspired by a number of plant-based influencers who bailed on plant-based eating recently and reintroduced animal products back into their diet. I listened to all of their stories and noted many similar pa...

In Episode #69, I sat down with Red Bull athlete Patrick Seabase, who cycles over mountain passes involving gruelling climbs and steep descents on a bike that has one gear and no brakes, often reaching speeds close to 100 km/hr (62 mph). Yes – mind blowing! This is the first time Patrick has told his story on a podcast, so I was very honoured to have him on the show and am incredibly grateful to h...

In Episode #68, I sat down with gastroenterologist Dr Sarina Pasricha to break down irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), an incredibly common condition that approximately 10–20% of adults suffer from.   Specifically, we cover the different types of IBS, how they present clinically, and how they’re diagnosed. Dr Pasricha also discusses the difference between healing and managing symptoms and shares her...

In Episode #66, I sat down with Adam Sud, a tremendously brave young man who turned his life around from the lowest of lows by discovering his ‘true why’ and mastering the practice of self-love. From disordered eating and being overweight to rehabilitation, recovery, and self-love, he’s been on a remarkable journey.   Adam’s story is tremendously powerful, and one that I feel incredibly privileged...