PLANTSTRONG Podcast

We’re thrilled to share this special bonus episode with you as we head into the New Year and give us all something to look forward to…The Future of Medicine. Dr. Zach Burns is a 2nd-year family medicine resident who also works with Dr. Michael Klaper’s Initiative, “Moving Medicine Forward,” where they speak to schools and medical students across the globe about whole food, plant-based nutrition.  Dr. Burns is a bright spot in the medical community and his knowledge, tenacity, social consciousness, and passion for “food as medicine” brings us hope –which is why we want to share it with you on the eve of this new year.  See it as proof that the needle is moving in the right direction. Medicine is moving forward with people like Zach, Dr. Klaper, and all of the pioneers we feature on the PLANTSTRONG podcast.  The future is bright, my friends, and we’ll continue to shine that light on those who are paving the way. Episode Resources Watch the Episode on YouTube Moving Medicine Forward Website - https://www.doctorklaper.com/moving-medicine-forward Dr. Zach Burns’s Website - www.herbivores.life   To stock up on the best-tasting, most convenient, 100% PLANTSTRONG foods, including our new granola and teas, check out all of our PLANTSTRONG products HERE. Join us in Black Mountain, NC for a Transformative PLANTSTRONG Retreat - April 16-21, 2023 https://plantstrongfoods.com/pages/2023-black-mountain-retreat Join Team PLANTSTRONG and Run with Rip! https://plantstrongfoods.com/pages/team-plantstrong 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 honored to welcome Dr. John McDougall back to the podcast for another hearty discussion. Dr. McDougall was on the podcast on Episode 151, and we took a look at his storied life and career as a pioneering physician and talked about his discoveries that informed his unwavering practice of a starch-based diet. In this episode, Rip dives in on very specific topics to get his opinions on procedures like mammograms and colonoscopies, bone density scans, blood pressure medications and other pills, as well as treatments for hormone-related diseases like male pattern baldness, endometriosis, body odor, bad breath, and more!  Dr. McDougall has been in practice for almost 50 years and, if there’s everyone who has earned the right to state their researched opinions, it’s him. Yes, he has strong opinions about modern medicine, but his point is clear and simple. So many of these screenings, procedures and medications can be diminished or even eradicated with PLANTS, and more specifically, a starch-based diet.  He doesn’t want his patients to undergo treatments that are harmful, painful, and expensive — when so many of the solutions are simple — It’s the FOOD. Episode Resources Watch the Episode on YouTube - https://youtu.be/fLoom9Dz99Y  McDougall Foundation Website Dr. McDougall Website Meer.org To stock up on the best-tasting, most convenient, 100% PLANTSTRONG foods, including our new granola and teas, check out all of our PLANTSTRONG products HERE. Join us in Black Mountain, NC for a Transformative PLANTSTRONG Retreat - April 16-21, 2023https://plantstrongfoods.com/pages/2023-black-mountain-retreat Join Team PLANTSTRONG and Run with Rip! https://plantstrongfoods.com/pages/team-plantstrong 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

Picture this – you’re about to be wheeled into the operating room for triple bypass surgery. One artery is 100 percent blocked and two others are 65 percent blocked. You have an enlarged heart, leaky valves, and a heart murmur, among other issues. At the eleventh hour, your cardiologist says, “Look, we can do this triple bypass, or you can try whole food, plant-based diet.” You have no idea why, but you choose a plant-based diet. Surely it’s easier than a triple bypass. Thanks to the work and encouragement of a certain Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr, you make the radical lifestyle change and your angina disappears within three weeks, putting you on a path to health, self-discovery, and a new purpose in life. Today, we're sharing the remarkable true story of Paul Chatlin. Inspired by the radical shift in his health and the desire to spread the word about plants, in 2014, Paul created the Plant-Based Nutrition Support Group, or PBNSG for short. PBNSG is dedicated to evidence-based education and advocacy of plant-based whole-food nutrition and an active lifestyle to prevent and reverse disease. They provide classes, community, and plenty of support to guide people in this transformation and optimize health. Paul is a true go-getter, working from the heart (pun intended) to help spread to good word about whole food plant-based nutrition. Episode Resources Watch the Episode on YouTube Plant-Based Nutrition Support Group Join us in Black Mountain, NC for a Transformative PLANTSTRONG Retreat - April 16-21, 2023https://plantstrongfoods.com/pages/2023-black-mountain-retreat Join Team PLANTSTRONG and Run with Rip! https://plantstrongfoods.com/pages/team-plantstrong To stock up on the best-tasting, most convenient, 100% PLANTSTRONG foods, including our 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, 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 🌱💪 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

Mr. Bluezones is back! That’s right, Dan Buettner is back on the PLANTSTRONG podcast to discuss his newest book, The Blue Zones American Kitchen: 100 Recipes to Live to 100. As most of you know, Dan Buettner uncovered the five places around the world where people consistently live past 100 years old. It isn’t the exception. It’s the norm. Only one of those Blue Zones happens to be in the United States - Loma Linda, California – but, did you realize that our traditional American food is firmly “planted” in a rich abundance of plant-based nutrition? Our indigenous and Native American brothers and sisters thrived on grains and beans. Immigrants to the US brought with them potatoes, pasta, masa, corn, beans…beautiful nutritious food. Buettner and his team took a tasty historical tour around the US and worked with contemporary chefs to create some of these traditional dishes and, today, Dan and I talk about many of these recipes and he shares memories and stories of the chefs, cultures, and meals that have shaped the diverse people we are today. I know we think of American cuisine (if that’s what you want to call it) as hot dogs, hamburgers, and apple pie, but our history is radically more diverse, nutritious, and dare I say – PLANTSTRONG?! Episode Resources Watch the Episode on YouTube Join Team PLANTSTRONG and Run with Rip! https://plantstrongfoods.com/pages/team-plantstrong Order The Blue Zones American Kitchen

 To stock up on the best-tasting, most convenient, 100% PLANTSTRONG foods, including our 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 🌱💪 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

This week, we present a bonus episode from our friends at Switch4Good. If you’re not familiar with the work of Switch4Good, they are an evidence-based nonprofit, advocating passionately for a dairy-free world. For too long, society has accepted the distortion and misinformation Big Dairy feeds us. So Switch4Good exists to set the record straight, for the sake of human health, food justice, and the future of our planet. They work with health experts, athletes, social justice warriors, enlightened policy-makers, and progressive corporations to promote ethical lifestyles and widespread behavioral change related to how we eat. The Switch4Good podcast is hosted by Olympic medalist, Dotsie Bausch and former Baywatch actress, Alexandra Paul. I believe so much in the work they’re doing that I wanted to share one of their podcast episodes with you today, especially as it relates to athletic performance.  Ryan Duff is a medical student and a recreational ultra-endurance runner, but more impressive than his academic and athletic achievements is his story of overcoming an eating disorder. Dotsie and Alexandra talk with Ryan about his struggle from anorexia to binge eating, and how he’s overcome those hurdles by shifting to a plant-based diet.  They discuss the underlying causes of eating disorders, coping mechanisms, and the holistic impact of a whole-goof plant-based diet on your physical and mental health. As he says in the interview, “I don’t run to eat. I eat and run.”   Episode Resources Download the Free Plant-Based Playbook from Switch4Good: https://switch4good.org/plant-based-playbook/ Join Team PLANTSTRONG and run with Rip! https://plantstrongfoods.com/pages/team-plantstrong  Original Episode show notes  - https://switch4good.org/from-binge-eater-to-an-ultra-runner-with-ryan-duff/  Ryan Duff Instagram - @unleashtheduff  

Rip welcomes back our cancer-crushing warrior, Dr. Kristi Funk, for her third appearance on the PLANTSTRONG Podcast   Dr. Funk is a board-certified breast cancer surgeon & physician, bestselling author of the book, Breasts - the Owner’s Manual, and women's health advocate. Simply put, she is an encyclopedia of knowledge and a dynamo personality, which is why she’s the perfect expert to dig into the latest in cancer prevention research. They catch up on some of that research and discuss four healthy lifestyle habits that will minimize your risk of breast cancer and optimize your health for the long haul:  Eating a plant-based diet Maintaining a healthy weight Getting regular exercise Putting the kibosh on your alcohol consumption  One of the big takeaways is learning about easy additions that can have profound benefits - simple things like adding in a little fruit each day or scooping a couple of tablespoons of flax into your food. These little changes can make a huge difference in slowing cancer down and prohibiting it from growing. Dr. Funk shoots straight.  It doesn’t matter if she’s on Good Morning America, The Rachael Ray Show, or the PLANTSTRONG Podcast, she is always unapologetically promoting the benefits of plants to crush cancer.  Episode Timestamps 10:45 Dr. Funk describes her four-plan attack to reduce the risk of breast cancer. 11:49 Exactly why is eating plants our best defense against breast cancer? What does the research say? 29:00 What about processed plant-based foods?  33:20 Does a late-age pregnancy elevate the risk of cancer? 34:40 What is the median age of getting breast cancer and other important stats about breast cancer risk 39:10 Why in the world should people eat mushrooms?  40:30 Benefits of Exercise - Can it really reduce the chance of breast cancer? 43:00 What is it about alcohol that is a massive contributor to cancer growth? 47:30 Why you should be a Loser when it comes to weight and a quitter when it comes to smoking and drinking  52:30 Pink Lotus - Dr. Funk’s empowering website  56:20 What does the research say about coffee and cancer risk? 58:20 What about drinking sparkling water?   Episode Resources Watch the Episode on YouTube - https://youtu.be/nXrNPE1nnIQ Pink Lotus Website - https://pinklotus.com/ Dr. Kristi Funk Intstagram - @drkristifunk Download the Free Holiday Guidebook - https://plantstrongfoods.com/holiday  Join TEAM PLANTSTRONG and run the Austin Marathon, Half Marathon or 5K with Rip! plantstrongfoods.com/team 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

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.  About Dawn Mussallem, DO Dr. Mussallem is a consultant in the Department of General Internal Medicine at Mayo Clinic and is an Assistant Professor of Medicine. She is a diagnostic breast specialist at The Robert and Monica Jacoby Center for Breast Health and serves as Medical Director for Mayo Clinic Florida Lyndra P. Daniel Center for Humanities in Medicine. Dr. Mussallem is double-board certified, including a board certification in Lifestyle Medicine. She has over 25 years of patient-centered clinical wellness experience with international recognition in the field of breast medicine, lifestyle medicine, integrative oncology, cancer prevention, and cancer survivorship, and a unique personal experience as a stage IV cancer patient diagnosed 3 months into medical school, as well as a heart transplant recipient. She shares that her journey as a patient cultivated her boundless energy and deep purpose to help guide patients toward renewed vitality. In 2015, she founded the Integrative Medicine and Breast Health Program at Mayo Clinic Florida, a patient-centered program that works with breast cancer patients during and after a breast cancer diagnosis, introducing them early on to the importance of lifestyle optimization and evidence-based mind-body practices alongside conventional cancer treatments with a goal to reframe the cancer diagnosis as a “teacher of life,” leading patients to discover renewed vitality through healthier living.    Episode Resources Join TEAM PLANTSTRONG - plantstrongfoods.com/team 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 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

This week in the United States, we’re celebrating Thanksgiving, which is why we decided to drop this BONUS “Friendsgiving”- themed episode featuring my Mother, Ann, and my sister, Jane.  This recording was taken from a LIVE event we did a few weeks ago where Jane and Ann whipped up two wonderful holiday-themed dishes - Mommy’s Mushroom Gravy and Twice-Baked Stuffed Sweet Potatoes.  Yes, you can absolutely listen to the show, or you can watch the YouTube broadcast in its entirety.  Not only will you get two new recipes, but you can also download our FREE Complete Holiday Recipe Guide with 15 holiday-inspired recipes. And, during the episode, you’ll also hear us mention our Holiday Pantry Bundle, which is also on sale right now at plantstrongfoods.com  So, whether you’re gathering with family or making it a true “friendsgiving” celebration, we’re here to help make it joyous, delicious, and nutritious for everyone. …and that’s something we can all be thankful for, right? Enjoy!   Episode Resources Watch the Episode on YouTube - https://youtu.be/ccL23gbUkog  Download the Free Holiday Guidebook - https://plantstrongfoods.com/holiday  Shop for Your PLANTSTRONG favorites - Holiday Food Bundle - https://plantstrongfoods.com/products/holiday-pantry-bundle  Join TEAM PLANTSTRONG and run the Austin Marathon, Half Marathon or 5K with Rip! 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  

Hellah Sidibe is the first black man to run across America (fueled by plants!) and has been running every day since May 15th, 2017. That’s officially over 2000 days in a row in every weather condition imaginable! This year, he also completed the iconic Leadville 100 Trail Race in Colorado.  And, it all started with a commitment to run just 10 minutes a day.  Like many, Hellah hated running but started moving his body to lift himself out of a dark period in his own life. It was his way of taking responsibility for his own happiness. Five years and thousands of miles later, running is now his primary outlet to raise money for charities, help others find inspiration in their daily lives, and demonstrate the endless power of a plant-based diet.   On Instagram, he writes,  “Using our energy on what we’re afraid of is wasteful when it can be used on what we want to accomplish. We don’t need everyone to believe in us in order to chase those dreams and goals. Enjoy the process and get after it y’all!”  Episode Timestamps and Highlights 6:53 Origins of his name, Hellah, and his upbringing in Mali 10:57 How tragedy brought him to the US 17:28 His dream of becoming a professional soccer player 18:40 Did he always love running and what compelled him to even start a run streak? 29:45 When did he decide to run across the country? 33:15 Adventures of running across the country  36:00 How and why Hellah switched to a plantstrong diet 41:30 His favorite running conditions  43:29 Does he prefer running alone, or with people? 45:00 What about listening to music or podcasts? 48:24 Favorite athletes, or inspiration? 49:30 What in the world do his parents think about this non-traditional career? 53:40 Low points on his Run Across America 57:20 His experience at the Leadville 100 1:02:23 How did he fuel for a 27-hour race in the mountains of Colorado? 1:11:25 For Hellah, what constitutes a run distance to qualify as a “streak?” 1:14:55 What does he eat in a day? 1:17:30 How does he sleep?  1:18:00 How does he keep his feet healthy with all of this running?  1:22:26 What’s next for Hellah?   Episode Resources Join TEAM PLANTSTRONG and run the Austin Marathon, Half Marathon or 5K with Rip! Watch the Episode on YouTube Hellah’s Instagram: @hellahgood9 Hellah’s YouTube: @hellahgood Additional Links and Resources for Hellah Sidibe To stock up on the best-tasting, most convenient, 100% PLANTSTRONG foods, including our 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 🌱💪 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

A few weeks ago, we hosted a Facebook live event with Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn to discuss the importance of green leafy vegetables in preventing and reversing heart disease. 
During the broadcast, Essy shared the science behind chewing vs. drinking your leafy greens and he also spent time answering viewer questions. It was packed with so much information and action, that we’ve decided to share the playback in podcast format. Ann even got in on the action because she was so darn jazzed about it! And you know her, when she’s excited, she just can’t sit still! Essy answers: What do we need to know about endothelial function? What is nitric oxide and what functions does it perform? What is so magical about green leafy vegetables? Why we should chew our greens, as opposed to drinking them? What is the science behind this recommendation? Why do greens have to be steamed? Is raw ok? Can I use apple cider vinegar on my greens, or is it only balsamic vinegar? What does caffeine do to your artery cells? If I chew my green leafy ands still have a smoothie, is that ok? Should I limit spinach, or should I mix up my greens? How long should I chew my greens? Is there an optimum amount of time? What effect does wine have on the endothelium? What is the best way to store greens? Ann and Essy's thoughts on microgreens or baby greens? Can we eat the stems from our greens? Is insulin resistance the core cause of cardiovascular disease? Is hyperthyroidism improved with a whole food plant-based diet? If I have a problem with tooth decay, is it ok to use toothpaste with fluoride? What are some of Ann’s favorite ways to get greens into her meals? Does Menirges Disease have any correlation with heart disease? Where does exercise come into play? How important is it to our health? I’m wfpb and my cholesterol is still high. Anything I can do? What can I do to raise my heart ejection fraction rate? How quickly can a plant-based diet improve your arteries? Episode Resources Episode Webpage Watch the Episode on YouTube Order Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease by Caldwell B. Esselstyn, MD Order Be a Plant-Based Woman Warrior by Jane and Ann Esselstyn Order Rip's Books Join TEAM PLANTSTRONG and run the Austin Marathon, Half Marathon or 5K with Rip!
 To stock up on the best-tasting, most convenient, 100% PLANTSTRONG foods, including our 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 🌱💪 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