Imagine being in the absolute prime of your life - 21 years old, going to school at Stanford to study Mechanical Engineering, playing sports for hours on end…and then, ABRUPTLY, it comes to a screeching halt when you are diagnosed with not one, not two, but three autoimmune diseases within a matter of months. Today’s guest, Cyrus Khambatta, went from “soccer stud” to “chronic disease patient” in the blink of an eye when he was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s, alopecia, and Type 1 diabetes in 2002.  Determined to understand everything he could about these diagnoses, especially his diabetes, he went back to school to learn the science, earning a Ph.D. in nutritional biochemistry from UC Berkeley. In 2020, he and his business partner, Robby Barbaro, co-authored the book, Mastering Diabetes: The Revolutionary Method to Reverse Insulin Resistance Permanently in Type 1, Type 1.5, Type 2, Prediabetes, and Gestational Diabetes. An educated person is an empowered person and that’s our goal for today - to arm you with as much knowledge, research, and hope that you can master your diabetes with a whole foods plant-based diet that, yes, includes plenty of carbohydrates and rich diversity of luscious fruit.  Rip and Cyrus Discuss: 00:00-22:00 Cyrus’s journey - How did he go from student to chronic patient in a matter of months? 22:40 Learning a new nutrition perspective from Doug Graham 27:00 Why he went back to school to find out if he was, “a freak of nature” 29:00 How can the medical establishment be so wrong with its recommendations? 33:45 Digging into the science - Let’s go! 34:50 What the heck is insulin resistance? 42:20 So, if sugar doesn’t always cause insulin resistance, what does? 53:20 What are the most dangerous fats and what effect do they have on insulin resistance? 57:19 The keto/paleo argument - why does it appear to work? 1:05:45 The Mastering Diabetes Way - Low Fat - 10-15% calories, 10-15% from protein, the rest should come from whole food, plant-based carbs 1:07:15 Plant-based, eat at least 90% of calories from whole plant foods 1:08:15 Keep your foods unprocessed or minimally processed 1:10:55 But, don’t I need fat to feed my brain?  1:14:30 Do we need a minimum amount of fat? 1:20:00 Is diabetes a disability for Cyrus? 1:23:10 What percentage of the population is affected by the different types of diabetes? 1:29:30 Why he and Robby Barbara started the Mastering Diabetes Community 1:32:10 Is Alzheimer's now Type3 diabetes? 1:35:00 The importance of daily movement and exercise 1:42:50 What is the Hegsted equation? 1:47:10 Cyrus’s thoughts on the Glycemic Index 1:53:00 What about gluten? 1:57:00 Is he a fan of caffeine? 2:01:45 What does Cyrus eat in a day? 2:04:22 What is the worst thing about having Type 1 Diabetes? 2:04:04 What is the best thing about having Type 1 Diabetes? 2:08:00 Join the Mastering Diabetes Challenge! Cyrus Khambatta may have a Ph.D., but today he’s here to help you master your diabetes. Episode Resources: Episode Webpage Watch the Episode on YouTube Mastering Diabetes Website Join the Mastering Diabetes Challenge Order the Mastering Diabetes Book  Join our Sedona Plantstrong Retreat, October 10th-15th, 2022 - only three spots remain! To stock up on the best-tasting, most convenient, 100% PLANTSTRONG foods, 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 🌱💪 Want to live your best PLANTSTRONG life? Join our exclusive PLANTSTRONG Community of friendly, plant-loving peeps! This is a goldmine of resources, recipes, and incredible support to feed your PLANTSTRONG life. Theme Music for Episode

You know how my Mom and Sister just released their new book, Be a Plant-Based Woman Warrior? Well, Jennifer Stojkovic is one of those warriors.  In 2020, she founded Vegan Women Summit (VWS), a global media and events platform focused on empowering women to build a kinder, more sustainable world. She also recently released the fabulous book, The Future of Food is Female, highlighting fifteen female leaders, innovators, and changemakers in the plant-based food space. It is rare to find someone as passionate and driven as Jenny is to elevate, showcase, and promote women working in food tech.  As she writes, “Food system reform is the greatest challenge facing humanity today - and women are leading the charge and changing how we approach food.”  Today, Jenny shares her unconventional route from Canada to Silicon Valley, and we highlight several of the changemakers in her book, along with the many projects she leads - including the Vegan Women’s Summit - her flagship event that returns in 2023 with a three-day event in New York City. There is no doubt that the work she is doing today will provide a roadmap for future generations on how we approach food. More About The Future of Food is Female With exclusive interviews and original insights, The Future of Food is Female features a collection of cross-cultural stories from fifteen CEOs, venture capitalists, scientists, and trailblazers who are reinventing our food system and saving our planet. From plant-based to cell-based innovation, artificial intelligence, and policymaking, women are leading this impactful industry and changing how we approach food. This book shares their stories of advocacy within food tech and empowers future generations to learn, innovate, and change the world. Episode Resources Order The Future of Food is Female Watch the Episode on YouTube 2023 Vegan Women’s Summit Details Jennifer Stojkovic Website PLANTSTRONG Pizza Guide To stock up on the best-tasting, most convenient, 100% PLANTSTRONG foods, 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 🌱💪 Want to live your best PLANTSTRONG life? Join our exclusive PLANTSTRONG Community of friendly, plant-loving peeps! This is a goldmine of resources, recipes, and incredible support to feed your PLANTSTRONG life. Theme Music for Episode

We’re here to make PLANTSTRONG living as simple as possible and one of the topics we receive a ton of questions about is batch cooking, or prepping food for the week all at once.  Well, as the kids head back to school and we enter into Fall activities season, I wanted to talk to one of the experts about her game-changer appliance in batch cooking - the Instant Pot®.  Pam Kropf, known as TrailMomma on Instagram, is a long-time PLANTSTRONG athlete, a busy mother of two active kids, and in between her own training and coaching, she also works a full-time job.  She is the definition of time-starved, which is why we could think of no better person to have on this episode to talk about how she uses the Instant Pot® to make delicious, easy, and fast meals for her family. We dish on: How to get started with the basics in your Instant Pot®. Not ready to cook a full meal? No problem! Use it to cook oats, rice, or quinoa for the week (3 parts water/liquid to 1 part grain). The “set it and forget it” aspect is great for a busy schedule The many benefits of the Instant Pot® vs. Using Your Stove How fast does it really cook? What are some easy go-to recipes for a family that is also constantly on-the-go? We discuss this and more, so if you’ve had your Instant Pot® in a box since the holidays, it’s time to break it out and get cooking!   Episode Resources Episode Webpage with Pics and Recipes Watch the Episode on YouTube Follow Pam on Instagram: @trailmomma Pam’s Favorite Instant Pot® Recipes   PLANTSTRONG Sedona Retreat - October 10th-15th, 2022 - Only 8 spots remain! Our Sedona retreat has been approved for 21.5 CME credits for physicians and physician assistants. And 21.5 Nursing Contact Hours for nurses…. And 2.2 CEUs for other healthcare professionals as part of the registration fee for our PLANTSTRONG Retreat.  To stock up on the best-tasting, most convenient, 100% PLANTSTRONG foods, 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 🌱💪 Want to live your best PLANTSTRONG life? Join our exclusive PLANTSTRONG Community of friendly, plant-loving peeps! This is a goldmine of resources, recipes, and incredible support to feed your PLANTSTRONG life. Theme Music for Episode  

It’s time to live fierce, stay bold, and eat deliciously with my Mom, Ann, and sister, Jane Esselstyn!  That’s right, we’re celebrating the release of their new book, Be a Plant-Based Woman Warrior, which is out and available now. It’s always a party with these two and I’m fortunate to have had the opportunity to be with them in person just a few weeks ago when we were all together at the Esselstyn Family Farm. You know what that means – it can get a little nutty when the three of us are together because that Esselstyn feistiness is ALIVE and WELL! Be a Plant-Based Woman Warrior isn’t your typical cookbook. Truly, it’s a peek into our family history with stories, photos, quotes, and recipes from three generations of Esselstyns. Mostly, this book pays homage to the people who started it all - my parents - for forging and navigating that undiscovered path of plant-based nutrition at a time when no one understood how vital it was (including me and my siblings). Here we all are decades later and I’m so proud to sit with Jane and Ann and share some of the inspiration and recipes with you today. My Mother has been called the “Julia Child of Plant-Based cooking” and you’ll see why after you dig through some of the recipes and photos in this gorgeous book. This truly is a fun and inspiring message of hope for all women to improve their own health so that they remain strong, bold, and fierce in body and mind! (and let’s face it – there aren’t many people MORE fierce than Jane and Ann!) More About Be a Plant-Based Woman Warrior At eighty-six and fifty-six, respectively, Ann and Jane are pictures of ageless health and vibrancy and spend their days hiking, doing yoga, gardening, cooking, and spreading the message that diet is the key to living a happy, strong, and disease-free life. Be a Plant-Based Woman Warrior explains how women everywhere can pass on this important legacy in their own families through the generations, and illuminates how plants powerfully support a woman’s body and mind. This cookbook is a call to action and a message of hope for any and all to be Plant-Based Women Warriors filled with vitality and in control of their own health. Episode Resources Order Be a Plant-Based Woman Warrior Watch the Episode on YouTube Episode Website Jane Esselstyn’s Website Jane and Ann’s YouTube Channel 11th Annual Plant-Stock - Reserve Your Ticket Now! To stock up on the best-tasting, most convenient, 100% PLANTSTRONG foods, 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 🌱💪 Want to live your best PLANTSTRONG life? Join our exclusive PLANTSTRONG Community of friendly, plant-loving peeps! This is a goldmine of resources, recipes, and incredible support to feed your PLANTSTRONG life. Theme Music for Episode

Ocean Robbins, was born a changemaker. Recently, his Dad John Robbins (author of Diet for a New America and other great books) was on the podcast, and the response from that episode was overwhelming. Many of you wrote in to say just how moved you were by John’s authenticity and his willingness to walk away from the Baskin Robbins fortune to forge his own “rocky road” of happiness without the strappings of running a multi-million dollar company that simply didn’t align with his values. John and his wife built a one-room cabin in Canada and had a son. That son, now 48-year-old, Oceans is “a chocolate chip” off the old block of his father. As co-founder and CEO of The Food Revolution Network, Ocean thrives as an active author, activist, educator, and speaker. His goal? To educate and inspire people to bring their life and food choices more in alignment with their values to create a more healthy and loving world. From his very first peace rally at the age of seven, to his own natural bakery business at the age of 10, all the way through his non-profits and speaking tours in high school and beyond, it’s obvious that Ocean is living his purpose to be a beacon of love and kindness - hoping to bridge the gaps that separate us and, instead, shine a bright light on our commonalities as humans and stewards of this wonderful earth. More About Ocean Robbins Ocean Robbins is the CEO and co-founder of the 500,000+ member Food Revolution Network — one of the largest communities of healthy eating advocates on the planet. He has held hundreds of live seminars and events that have touched millions of lives from 190 nations. Ocean is founder and was director of the nonprofit YES!, which has led transformational events for 650,000 leaders in 65 nations. He’s a recipient of the national Jefferson Award for Outstanding Public Service, the Freedom’s Flame Award, the Harmon Wilkinson Award, and numerous other honors. Ocean has served as adjunct professor for Chapman University, and on the boards of Friends Of The Earth, Creating Our Future, Tipping Point Network, Turning Tide Coalition, and many other organizations. Ocean’s grandfather founded Baskin-Robbins, and his father, John Robbins, walked away from the family company and ice cream fortune to write bestsellers, including Diet for a New America, and to become a renowned health advocate. Now, Ocean is on a mission to transform the industrialized food culture into one that celebrates and supports healthy people and a healthy planet, and he’s inviting YOU to join the food revolution. Ocean's been seen by hundreds of millions in TV, radio, online, and in-person appearances. Episode Resources Watch the Episode on YouTube Ocean Robbins Website - Author, Speaker, Food Revolutionary Food Revolution Network Website Order the 31-Day Food Revolution Book 
 11th Annual Plant-Stock - Reserve Your Ticket Now! To stock up on the best-tasting, most convenient, 100% PLANTSTRONG foods, 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 🌱💪 Want to live your best PLANTSTRONG life? Join our exclusive PLANTSTRONG Community of friendly, plant-loving peeps! This is a goldmine of resources, recipes, and incredible support to feed your PLANTSTRONG life. Theme Music for Episode

Dr. Dawn Mussallem is a board-certified Lifestyle Medicine Physician at the Mayo Clinic Jacoby Center for Breast Health where she works with breast cancer patients during and after their diagnosis to heal and thrive using the pillars of lifestyle medicine alongside their conventional cancer treatments. Dawn has many remarkable stories of patient recovery, but the biggest recovery story of all is her own. You see, in addition to being a physician, teacher, wife, and mother, Mussallem is also a cancer survivor, 2021 heart transplant recipient, and as of February 2022, she's also a marathon finisher! It's a story you simply have to hear to believe and her passion and positivity will leave a lasting impact. Not only does she acknowledge her family and faith in this decades-long journey, but she also credits her whole foods plant-based diet with her ability to thrive and train with a renewed sense of purpose and boundless energy. It's a life force she brings both to her life and the lives of the patients she works with on a daily basis. Episode Resources PLANTSTRONG Episode Webpage Watch the Episode on YouTube Become an Organ Donor Mayo Clinic News Network Story on Dawn Dawn's Journey from Cancer Survivor to Heart Transplant Recipient Running to a New Beat - Heart transplant recipient to mark 1-year anniversary with marathon 11th Annual Plant-Stock - Reserve Your Ticket Now! To stock up on the best-tasting, most convenient, 100% PLANTSTRONG foods, 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 🌱💪 Want to live your best PLANTSTRONG life? Join our exclusive PLANTSTRONG Community of friendly, plant-loving peeps! This is a goldmine of resources, recipes, and incredible support to feed your PLANTSTRONG life. Theme Music for Episode

Imagine a world where we can all come together to heal…heal ourselves, heal each other, and heal the planet. I know, it sounds virtually impossible, but it isn’t, and that time is now with the leadership of Sailesh Rao, founder of Climate Healers. Sailesh Rao is one of the most intelligent, compassionate, and passionate people on the planet.  Dr. Rao is actually one of the brains behind the high-speed internet and high-def communication we enjoy today. But, in 2006, after hearing Al Gore speak of our climate crisis, he switched careers and became deeply immersed, full-time, in solving the environmental crises affecting humanity. Through his organization, Climate Healers, he invites us all to become V.E.G.A.N. – that is, Vitally Engaged Guardians of Animals and Nature. And, here’s something that parents and grandparents can relate to. In 2010, Sailesh made a pinky promise to his granddaughter to do whatever he could to put an end to animal cruelty and to heal the climate – by 2026.  But, he can’t do it alone. He invites all of us to come together and help spread the message that all life is ONE family, and like a caterpillar emerges from its cocoon as a gorgeous butterfly, it’s time for us to also emerge and evolve into something as beautiful – for the sake of our planet.  Episode Resources Episode Webpage Watch the Episode on YouTube Climate Healers Website Unity Stew Recipe V-COP Details To stock up on the best-tasting, most convenient, 100% PLANTSTRONG foods, 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 🌱💪 Want to live your best PLANTSTRONG life? Join our exclusive PLANTSTRONG Community of friendly, plant-loving peeps! This is a goldmine of resources, recipes, and incredible support to feed your PLANTSTRONG life. PLANTSTRONG Sedona Retreat - October 10th-15th, 2022 - Dr. Doug Lisle - the esteemed evolutionary psychologist and co-author of The Pleasure Trap - is attending our upcoming Sedona Retreat to give three of his paradigm shifting lectures that help us understand all the forces working against us in our quest to live plantstrong. Once you SEE the system we live in - you can’t UNSEE it. And Dr. Lisle is a master in giving us language and tools to set ourselves on a permanent path to success. And great news! Our Sedona retreat has been approved for 21.5 CME credits for physicians and physician assistants. And 21.5 Nursing Contact Hours for nurses…. And 2.2 CEUs for other healthcare professionals as part of the registration fee for our PLANTSTRONG Retreat.  Theme Music for Episode

We are thrilled to welcome Jessica Hegarty back to PLANTSTRONG Snackables after her maternity leave. In addition to being a new Mom to her beautiful daughter, Ellie, Jessica leads product innovation for the PLANTSTRONG food line, so she always has the latest trends, food ideas, and tasty tidbits right on the tip of her tongue! Today, Rip and Jess talk all things asparagus. They dish on this veggie that was once known as, “The aristocrat of veggies” and the “food of kings!” You’ll learn about: The three different types of asparagus Why it’s so darn healthy Ideas on how to grill and season this nutritious veggie Tips for storing and keeping it fresh An explanation of why (if you’re one of the lucky ones) it makes your pee smell…well…unique! Of course, it wouldn’t be a Snackables episode without a new recipe and Jessica whips up a delicious PLANTSTRONG hollandaise sauce - perfect as a topper for your next family meal or cookout that features the almighty asparagus. Episode Timestamps 1:45 Rip welcomes Jess back from maternity Leave 8:50 What’s up with that smell?! 13:15 Rip’s history of asparagus 17:48 How many types of asparagus are there, and what are the differences?! 22:00 Tips for storing asparagus to keep it fresh and crispy 23:45 How to choose the freshest asparagus in the market 25:40 How does Rip grill his asparagus? 26:45 Tips on seasoning your asparagus 30:45 The proper way to eat asparagus 31:20 Jess’s WFPB Holy Cow Hollandaise recipe and demo! Episode Resources Watch the Episode on YouTube Episode URL for full recipe and video To stock up on the best-tasting, most convenient, 100% PLANTSTRONG foods, 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 🌱💪 Want to live your best PLANTSTRONG life? Join our exclusive PLANTSTRONG Community of friendly, plant-loving peeps! This is a goldmine of resources, recipes, and incredible support to feed your PLANTSTRONG life. PLANTSTRONG Sedona Retreat - October 10th-15th, 2022 - Dr. Doug Lisle - the esteemed evolutionary psychologist and co-author of The Pleasure Trap - is attending our upcoming Sedona Retreat to give three of his paradigm-shifting lectures that help us understand all the forces working against us in our quest to live plantstrong. Once you SEE the system we live in - you can’t UNSEE it. And Dr. Lisle is a master in giving us language and tools to set ourselves on a permanent path to success. And great news! Our Sedona retreat has been approved for 21.5 CME credits for physicians and physician assistants. And 21.5 Nursing Contact Hours for nurses…. And 2.2 CEUs for other healthcare professionals as part of the registration fee for our PLANTSTRONG Retreat. Theme Music for Episode

We’ve all heard the phrase, “You can’t change others. You can only change yourself.” It’s really frustrating when the people we care about are behaving in self-defeating ways (especially with their health and well-being), and when we try to talk to them about it, we just make things worse. Our guest today, Howie Jacobson, is here to tell you, you CAN change people - not by force, shame, or guilt - but by becoming a supportive ally. You may know Howie as the long-time host of the Plant Yourself podcast, and he’s also the co-author of some groundbreaking books including Whole by T.Colin Campbell, Proteinaholic with Dr. Garth Davis, and Sick to Fit with Josh Lajaunie. His most recent book, “You CAN Change Other People: The Four Steps to Help Employees, Colleagues—Even Family—Up Their Game,” co-authored with Peter Bregman, outlines four steps to helping people change. If you care about people around you who are eating poorly, not taking care of themselves, or not reaching their potential, Howie is here to help. Episode Timestamps 11:22 People don’t resist change. They resist BEING changed. 12:55 What does it mean to really help people change their behavior? “We can use techniques and approaches to allow people to make different decisions.” 14:05 Step 1: Shift from a Critic to an Ally - "I’m here to help you if you want my help." -empathize -express confidence in them -ask for permission 22:50 Be prepared for them to say, “No thanks.” 25:25 Step 2: Find the Positive Outcome - What would you like to happen? What would it look like? 31:30 Step 3: Find a Golden Opportunity - What can you do right now? 41:06 Step 4: What’s the Plan? Episode Resources Watch the Episode on YouTube Episode Web Page Order You Can Change People: The Four Steps to Help Your Colleagues, Employees—Even Family—Up Their Game Plant Yourself Podcast Ask Howie - Business Coaching Website To stock up on the best-tasting, most convenient, 100% PLANTSTRONG foods, 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 🌱💪 Want to live your best PLANTSTRONG life? Join our exclusive PLANTSTRONG Community of friendly, plant-loving peeps! This is a goldmine of resources, recipes, and incredible support to feed your PLANTSTRONG life. PLANTSTRONG Sedona Retreat - October 10th-15th, 2022 - Dr. Doug Lisle - the esteemed evolutionary psychologist and co-author of The Pleasure Trap - is attending our upcoming Sedona Retreat to give three of his paradigm shifting lectures that help us understand all the forces working against us in our quest to live plantstrong. Once you SEE the system we live in - you can’t UNSEE it. And Dr. Lisle is a master in giving us language and tools to set ourselves on a permanent path to success. And great news! Our Sedona retreat has been approved for 21.5 CME credits for physicians and physician assistants. And 21.5 Nursing Contact Hours for nurses…. And 2.2 CEUs for other healthcare professionals as part of the registration fee for our PLANTSTRONG Retreat. Theme Music for Episode Promo Music: Your Love by Atch License: Creative Commons License - Attribution 3.0

Feeling stressed in the kitchen? Not sure how to prepare healthy meals while still keeping them delicious and flavor-filled? Have no fear! This week, we're sending you an SOS-Free lifeline in the form of Cathy Fisher, culinary instructor at True North Health, the McDougall Program, and author of the book and blog, Straight Up Food. SOS-Free cooking means preparing meals without added salt, oil, or sugar. Of course, that doesn't mean that you're losing out on richness, sweetness, or flavor. It just means you're getting them from whole plant foods and creative spices.  Doug Lisle says, "Cathy's simple but flavorful approach is exquisite," Chef AJ touts, "Cathy's food is among the best that I have ever tasted," and nutritional guru, Jeff Novick says, "I call her work elegant simplicity." Today, she shares her experience with: Her personal health journey as a "delicate" and often sick child raised on a farm How one simple change of eliminating dairy made a world of difference in her health The Dr. McDougall Program discovery that finally set her on the path to health and vitality SOS-Free cooking - How she helps her students and clients "keep it simple" through consistency and repetition Her own favorite meals and rotating breakfast grains Her response when people say, "Cathy, it's just too hard to make a change!" How to cook without oil - Yes! It's possible! How to create more flavor in lieu of added salt Developing "health courage" in restaurants and around loved ones when you're afraid of being the "oddball." A deep dive with Rip into Cathy's favorite recipes and salad dressings from her book, Straight Up Food As Cathy says, no one can determine what you put into your body. If you're ready to explore a refreshing new approach with cooking or if you want to clean up your diet to become even more SOS-free, visit straightupfood.com to learn more and order her book of the same name.  More About Cathy Fisher Cathy is a culinary instructor at two health centers in Santa Rosa, California: the McDougall Program and TrueNorth Health. She started working at the McDougall Program in 2006 and TrueNorth in 2010 and also gives classes at veg-related conferences and for private groups. She started her blog, Straight Up Food, in 2010 to offer her students more gluten-, salt-, sugar- and oil-free plant-based recipes. It is now read by people from all corners of the globe who are seeking a more healthful way of eating. Episode Resources Episode Website with Full Transcript Watch the Episode on YouTube Straight Up Food Blog Order the Straight Up Food Book on Amazon or Directly from Cathy’s website PLANTSTRONG Foods - shop our official unsalted broths and our growing assortment of other delicious products made without oil, added sugar, or excessive sodium. To stock up on the best-tasting, most convenient, 100% PLANTSTRONG foods, check out all of our PLANTSTRONG products PLANTSTRONG Sedona Retreat - October 10th-15th, 2022 - Dr. Doug Lisle - the esteemed evolutionary psychologist and co-author of The Pleasure Trap - is attending our upcoming Sedona Retreat to give three of his paradigm shifting lectures that help us understand all the forces working against us in our quest to live plantstrong. Once you SEE the system we live in - you can’t UNSEE it. And Dr. Lisle is a master in giving us language and tools to set ourselves on a permanent path to success. And great news! Our Sedona retreat has been approved for 21.5 CME credits for physicians and physician assistants. And 21.5 Nursing Contact Hours for nurses…. And 2.2 CEUs for other healthcare professionals as part of the registration fee for our PLANTSTRONG Retreat.  Visit plantstrong.com for all PLANTSTRONG Resources, including books, recipes, foods and the PLANTSTRONG Coaching Programs Want to live your best PLANTSTRONG life? Join our exclusive PLANTSTRONG Community of friendly, plant-loving peeps! This is a goldmine of resources, recipes, and incredible support to feed your PLANTSTRONG life. Theme Music for Episode Promo Music: Your Love by Atch License: Creative Commons License - Attribution 3.0