PLANTSTRONG Podcast

Cyd Notter discusses barriers to lasting habit change like fear of failure, family pressure, emotional eating, and more. She shares insights on navigating social pressures for healthy eating and confronting emotional eating. The podcast also introduces new plant-based food products and explores Sid's journey to a plant-based diet.

Drs. Matthew Lederman and Alona Pulde pioneered the medical program that was used in the film, Forks Over Knives, and after the popularity of that groundbreaking film, they went on to co-author multiple books including The Forks Over Knives Plan, The Forks Over Knives Cookbook, Forks Over Knives Family and the Whole Foods Diet with former Whole Foods CEO, John Mackey.  Today, we discuss their latest book Wellness to Wonderful: 9 PILLARS FOR LIVING HEALTHIER, LONGER, AND WITH GREATER JOY. Through a comprehensive and beautiful combination of Eastern, Western, and lifestyle medicine practices, Matt and Alona work with their patients to help them wake up every day thinking, “My life is wonderful.”   They do this through private sessions, support groups, and courses on nutrition, nonviolent verbal communication (or NVC), spirituality, weight loss, and more. This isn’t your average 10-minute doctor's appointment. Wellness to Wonderful is a complete life paradigm shift for you and your family.   Their book’s nine fundamental pillars of health include: self, nutrition, activity, play, sleep, family & friends, work, spirituality, and the natural world, but we focus much of our conversation around non-violent communication and family connection because we at PLANTSTRONG truly believe that communication and connection is KEY to a wonderful life.    Episode Resources Watch the Full Episode on YouTube Order Wellness to Wonderful WeHeal.Health - Connect with Drs. Pulde and Lederman on all of their classes and programs   To stock up on the best-tasting, most convenient, 100% PLANTSTRONG foods, including our all-new chilis, check out all of our PLANTSTRONG products HERE. PLANTSTRONG Meal Planner - use code: STARTFRESH to receive free two weeks Join our PLANTSTRONG Sedona Retreat - October 9-14, 2023 Give us a like on the PLANTSTRONG Facebook Page and check out what being PLANSTRONG is all about. We always keep it stocked full of new content and updates, tips for healthy living, and delicious recipes, and you can even catch me LIVE on there! We’ve also got an Instagram! Check us out and share your favorite PLANTSTRONG products and why you love it! Don’t forget to tag us using #goplantstrong 🌱💪 Theme Music for Episode

My guest today is Kiki Nelson, but you may know her best as Plantiful Kiki. Her book, Plantifully Lean is turning heads, but what turned my attention to Kiki was her transparent health and weight loss journey. As a young adult, Kiki struggled with her weight and suffered all of the ill consequences as a result - high blood pressure, pre-diabetes, hormonal imbalances, lack of energy - and none of this was optimal for a young Mom of two active children. Two things really moved the needle for Kiki - and they are the cornerstone of the work she does today. She found simple whole food, plant-based nutrition and did (and still does) a lot of work around self-compassion, forgiveness, and self-love.  The results? In a little over a year, she lost 70 pounds and reversed those lifestyle diseases that were only going to progress. It’s a remarkable story of someone willing to believe that they are worth the work and she shares that work with all of us.    Rip and Kiki discuss: The ups and downs of yo-yo dieting What turned Kiki onto plant-based nutrition The lecture from Jeff Novick that changed everything for her Why she loves carbs and doesn’t avoid them How she divides her plate for optimum nutrition and satiety The way she cooks as a Mom of two How she leaned into self-love and compassion in her journey Why she wrote Plantifiully Lean and is so transparent on social media about her weight loss journey A few of the “Firefighter-approved” recipes she created from her book. Today, you can find her on her social media channels dishing up plenty of recipes and inspiration, and you can find her book Plantifully Lean on bookshelves now.   Episode Resources Watch the Full Episode on YouTube Order Plantifully Lean Plantiful Kiki’s website - https://plantifulkiki.com/ Follow Kiki on Instagram - @plantifulkiki To stock up on the best-tasting, most convenient, 100% PLANTSTRONG foods, including our all new chilis, check out all of our PLANTSTRONG products HERE. PLANTSTRONG Meal Planner - use code: STARTFRESH to receive free two weeks Join our PLANTSTRONG Sedona Retreat - October 9-14, 2023 Give us a like on the PLANTSTRONG Facebook Page and check out what being PLANSTRONG is all about. We always keep it stocked full of new content and updates, tips for healthy living, and delicious recipes, and you can even catch me LIVE on there! We’ve also got an Instagram! Check us out and share your favorite PLANTSTRONG products and why you love it! Don’t forget to tag us using #goplantstrong 🌱💪 Theme Music for Episode

We joke today that there are three things that plant-based eaters must face – death, taxes, and the dreaded question, “Where Do You Get Your Protein?!” Well, today, we tackle the ever-popular topic of protein with two of the authors of a recent book, Plant Powered Protein. Vesanto Melina and Cory Davis dispel the myths and misconceptions about plant-based protein - and - (and this is the part we love) make the science understandable and digestible. Let’s put to rest that you can’t get enough protein at various stages of life including pregnancy, infancy, childhood, adulthood, your senior years, and even for the athlete population. You can get plenty of protein and this book shows you how with easy-to-follow protein recommendations and recipes so that you never feel deprived or deficient. Let’s also put to rest those myths that plant protein is somehow weaker or not complete. Whole food plant-based sources of protein are not only superior to our animal sources, but also have a  lighter carbon footprint and the ability to reduce the risk of chronic diseases. It’s time to eat strong food. Episode Resources Watch the Full Episode on YouTube Order Plant Powered Protein Plant Powered Protein Website with more resources To stock up on the best-tasting, most convenient, 100% PLANTSTRONG foods, including our all new chilis, check out all of our PLANTSTRONG products HERE. PLANTSTRONG Meal Planner - use code: STARTFRESH to receive free two weeks Join our PLANTSTRONG Sedona Retreat - October 9-14, 2023 Give us a like on the PLANTSTRONG Facebook Page and check out what being PLANSTRONG is all about. We always keep it stocked full of new content and updates, tips for healthy living, and delicious recipes, and you can even catch me LIVE on there! We’ve also got an Instagram! Check us out and share your favorite PLANTSTRONG products and why you love it! Don’t forget to tag us using #goplantstrong 🌱💪 Theme Music for Episode

Sgt. Vegan, Bill Muir, has always had a “think outside the box” attitude – from being a straight-edge punk rocker to going vegan in 1992, and then joining the military just after 9/11 where he served as a US Army Paratrooper. And all of this - YES - as a hardcore vegan. Needless to say, it wasn’t easy, but he was (and is) so convicted and grounded in his values that he made it work. Today, Sgt. Vegan chats with Rip about: How he became a hardcore straight-edge vegan Why he joined the military to give back How he made it through basic training as a vegan What it took to procure his own food and remain grounded in his values Why he’ll never eat chili again and what he eats these days Today, he is a Registered Nurse at a VA Hospital in LA, where he continues to stand up for those who need assistance. Whether it’s helping humankind, animals, or our planet, Sgt. Vegan is ready to serve. Episode Resources Watch the Full Episode on YouTube Sgt. Vegan Website Sgt. Vegan Instagram @sgt_vegan PLANTSTRONG Meal Planner - use code: STARTFRESH to receive free two weeks Join our PLANTSTRONG Sedona Retreat - October 9-14, 2023 To stock up on the best-tasting, most convenient, 100% PLANTSTRONG foods, including our all new chilis, check out all of our PLANTSTRONG products HERE. Give us a like on the PLANTSTRONG Facebook Page and check out what being PLANSTRONG is all about. We always keep it stocked full of new content and updates, tips for healthy living, delicious recipes, and you can even catch me LIVE on there! We’ve also got an Instagram! Check us out and share your favorite PLANTSTRONG products and why you love it! Don’t forget to tag us using #goplantstrong 🌱💪 Theme Music for Episode

In a world that is littered with false information and blatant lies, especially when it comes to health and nutrition, it is so important to seek the truth.  Matthew Rees is a treasure trove of facts and commentary about food and health at his website, foodandhealthfacts.com. As a longtime journalist, speechwriter, and author, Rees has written for such esteemed publications as The Economist, The New Republic, and The Wall Street Journal. His writing has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, Reader’s Digest, and more.  He’s also co-authored several books, but his personal passion lies in nutrition. He pulls information and research from recent scientific studies, interviews, books and more, and makes them all easily digestible nuggets of truth on our toxic food culture and how it’s contributing to massive rates of disease and death throughout the country. It is his mission to help us better understand how consuming unhealthy foods leads to the mess of chronic health issues we’re facing today as a society, but also provide understanding and solutions.  Episode Resources Episode Website Watch the Full Episode on YouTube Visit and bookmark foodandhealthfacts.com PLANTSTRONG Meal Planner - use code: STARTFRESH to receive free two weeks Join our PLANTSTRONG Sedona Retreat - October 9-14, 2023 To stock up on the best-tasting, most convenient, 100% PLANTSTRONG foods, including our cereals, granolas, pizza kits, broths and soups, check out all of our PLANTSTRONG products HERE. Give us a like on the PLANTSTRONG Facebook Page and check out what being PLANSTRONG is all about. We always keep it stocked full of new content and updates, tips for healthy living, delicious recipes, and you can even catch me LIVE on there! We’ve also got an Instagram! Check us out and share your favorite PLANTSTRONG products and why you love it! Don’t forget to tag us using #goplantstrong 🌱💪 Theme Music for Episode

In honor of Mother's Day weekend, we're thrilled to feature everyone’s favorite PLANTSTRONG Woman Warrior - Ann Crile Esselstyn. In late Spring, Rip and Ann did a Facebook live where she took questions from the audience and that's what we share today. They run the gamut of subjects today including: The foods and ingredients that are exciting her most these days Her current favorite meals Advice for those at the beginning of their plantstrong journey How to navigate unsupportive loved ones Exercise and how she's building a 40-day habit with her Peloton bike How she gets her leafy greens Her go-to quick and easy salad dressing And... her favorite thing about being 87 years young! As always, Ann holds nothing back and we wouldn’t want her any other way! Episode Resources Watch the Full Episode on YouTube that Aired on March 31, 2023 Order Be A Plant-Based Woman Warrior: Live Fierce, Stay Bold, Eat Delicious Join our PLANTSTRONG Sedona Retreat - October 9-14, 2023 To stock up on the best-tasting, most convenient, 100% PLANTSTRONG foods, including our cereals, granolas, pizza kits, broths and soups, check out all of our PLANTSTRONG products HERE. Give us a like on the PLANTSTRONG Facebook Page and check out what being PLANSTRONG is all about. We always keep it stocked full of new content and updates, tips for healthy living, delicious recipes, and you can even catch me LIVE on there! We’ve also got an Instagram! Check us out and share your favorite PLANTSTRONG products and why you love it! Don’t forget to tag us using #goplantstrong 🌱💪 Theme Music for Episode

Kathy Stevens founded the Catskill Animal Sanctuary in 2001 with 80 acres of land that she turned from a virtual trash heap into an idyllic sanctuary where rescued, abused, and forgotten animals can live their final years filled with the love, care, and respect they so richly deserve.  In her work and in her exquisitely written books, Kathy describes the essence and personalities of these animals – and today, she shares some of the most poignant stories from those souls she has had the privilege of caring for through the years.  Every animal has a rich emotional life and they want to live. Like humans, they have pain and fear, but can also learn to trust with the right interactions.  Thank goodness for humans like Kathy Stevens and places like Catskill Animal Sanctuary who bring love and care to animals, while also making the world a better place for all of us.    Episode Highlights 11:05 When and how did she get the property to start Catskill Animal Sanctuary? 17:02 How does she acquire her sanctuary animals? 22:25 Animals of the stories, starting with Rambo the sheep 37:30 Polly, the cockfighting rooster 41:35 Buddy, the Blind Horse 48:25 What Kathy knows for sure about all of her animals 51:20 Dino, the only survivor of a fire that killed 22 other horses 54:10 The special pig/human relationship 58:30 Mealtime is the magical time at Catskill Animal Sanctuary 1:01:10 How has our current climate affected sanctuaries? 1:05:10 What makes her most proud about her work? 1:06:50 How does she say, “hello” or welcome a new animal to the sanctuary? 1:09:45 How do they say, “goodbye” to these precious animals? "I believe that in all of us is a good and pure knowing that beneath the surface of things, beneath gender and skin color, religion and nationality, social class and sexual preference, and yes, beneath species, we are all the same. This book is dedicated with love and hope to that good and pure knowing in you."   Episode Resources Watch the Episode on YouTube Catskill Animal Sanctuary Website and Resources - including public tours and donation information Order Where the Blind Horse Sings Join our PLANTSTRONG Sedona Retreat - October 9-14, 2023 To stock up on the best-tasting, most convenient, 100% PLANTSTRONG foods, including our cereals, granolas, pizza kits, broths and soups, check out all of our PLANTSTRONG products HERE. Give us a like on the PLANTSTRONG Facebook Page and check out what being PLANSTRONG is all about. We always keep it stocked full of new content and updates, tips for healthy living, delicious recipes, and you can even catch me LIVE on there! We’ve also got an Instagram! Check us out and share your favorite PLANTSTRONG products and why you love it! Don’t forget to tag us using #goplantstrong 🌱💪 Theme Music for Episode

Kim Campbell is the Director of Culinary Education and Development at PlantPure and the daughter-in-law of T. Colin Campbell known, of course, for authoring The China Study and his work in Forks Over Knives. Together, Kim and her husband Nelson Campbell run PlantPure Nation, where they provide support and resources to help people experience the benefits of a whole food, plant-based lifestyle. In December 2022, Kim released her latest cookbook, PlantPure Comfort Food, which features over 100 plant-based and mostly gluten-free recipes from cultures and ethnicities across the globe. These family meals pack the flavor without all of the oils you often see in the traditional recipes and this book proves that the possibilities for healthy, delicious plant-based eating are endless and know no cultural bounds! Episode Resources Watch the Episode on YouTube Order PlantPure Comfort Food PlantPure Nation Website Join our PLANTSTRONG Sedona Retreat - October 9-14, 2023 To stock up on the best-tasting, most convenient, 100% PLANTSTRONG foods, including our cereals, granolas, pizza kits, broths and soups, check out all of our PLANTSTRONG products HERE. Give us a like on the PLANTSTRONG Facebook Page and check out what being PLANSTRONG is all about. We always keep it stocked full of new content and updates, tips for healthy living, delicious recipes, and you can even catch me LIVE on there! We’ve also got an Instagram! Check us out and share your favorite PLANTSTRONG products and why you love it! Don’t forget to tag us using #goplantstrong 🌱💪 Theme Music for Episode

When Ann Crile Esselstyn, tells you to do something, you do it! So, when she told me I had to interview today’s guest, I didn’t hesitate. Ruth Morley is an adventurer. She’s rarely at home in Cincinnati because she’s usually found on a hiking trail. I’m talking about the Appalachian Trail, the Florida Trail, the Buckeye Trail, and Kilimanjaro…just to name just a few.  She’s even ridden her bike 3,000 miles across the country and competed in dozens of marathons and triathlons.  Oh, and did I mention that Ruth (known by her trail name, “Ruthless!”) is 70 years old and 100% PLANTSTRONG?  Today, she tells us how she prepares all of her food for these multi-week adventures and shares the details of her equipment and intricate logistics as a solo hiker.  This conversation is inspiring, informative, and downright motivational – not just to do these super-long hikes - but to do anything that is out of your comfort zone.  Her slogan? “Make plans, not excuses.”    Episode Highlights 

5:00 She had lunch with Ann?? 7:15 From depression to a game-changing moment - What inspired Ruth to go plant-based? 11:45 What immediate effect did it have on her emotional and physical well-being? 13:20 Where does this adventuring spirit come from?  15:15 How much does her backpack weigh? 16:30 Her athletic journey from runner to triathlete 18:30 Why she stays in “cheap” hotels and loves to hike alone 21:25 Self-supporting her hike on the Buckeye Trail  27:30 What a LASHer! How many major trails has she hiked? (Patagonia, Asia, Kilimanjaro, Appalachian Trail, Buckeye Trail, Florida Trail)  33:00 All about the food and prepping meals for these massive hikes! https://excaliburdehydrator.com/ 41:50 Her preferred tent: https://durstongear.com/ Backpack: https://www.ula-equipment.com/product/circuit/ Sleeping Bag: UGQ https://ugqoutdoor.com/  Shoes: Topo Athletic https://www.topoathletic.com/ and Altra https://www.altrarunning.com/ Outdoor Research Hat https://www.outdoorresearch.com/us/  49:05 Hikers Midnight - How long does she sleep and how does she make her daily hiking schedule? 52:00 Who's the most interesting person she’s ever met on a trail? 54:05 What was her hardest moment on the trail?  1:02:00 What does she say to people who need the inspiration to eat better and move more?   Episode Resources Episode Webpage Watch the Episode on YouTube Ruth's Blog Join our PLANTSTRONG Sedona Retreat - October 9-14, 2023 To stock up on the best-tasting, most convenient, 100% PLANTSTRONG foods, including our cereals, granolas, pizza kits, broths and soups, check out all of our PLANTSTRONG products HERE. Give us a like on the PLANTSTRONG Facebook Page and check out what being PLANSTRONG is all about. We always keep it stocked full of new content and updates, tips for healthy living, delicious recipes, and you can even catch me LIVE on there! We’ve also got an Instagram! Check us out and share your favorite PLANTSTRONG products and why you love it! Don’t forget to tag us using #goplantstrong 🌱💪 Theme Music for Episode