

PLANTSTRONG Podcast
Rip Esselstyn
People become curious about whole food, plant-based nutrition for a multitude of reasons. Maybe you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes, heart disease, cancer, obesity, or another chronic disease and you know (or you’ve been told) that this is your best shot at healing your body. You may be an athlete looking to maximize your performance and recovery with the power of plant-based nutrition, or you’re a parent who wants to escape the processed food aisle and start feeding your children real, nourishing foods. Perhaps you are concerned about climate change and the profound negative impact that animal agriculture has on the planet.
The problem? A whole food, plant-based diet can seem overwhelming, confusing, and, yes, expensive. You’ve been told it will make you deficient in something, or that you won’t get enough protein. You think it might be a boring way to live, or that it is so extreme you’ll alienate yourself from friends and loved ones.
Well, here at the PLANTSTRONG Podcast, we’re not afraid to be extreme - extremely positive, extremely helpful, and extremely well-researched. Each week on the show, host Rip Esselstyn talks to medical experts, authors, athletes, and people just like you who are not just surviving on a plant-based diet, but THRIVING.
As founder and CEO of PLANTSTRONG, Rip Esselstyn is a wellness advocate, former professional athlete, firefighter, and NY Times best-selling author renowned for his dedication to promoting vibrant health through plant-based nutrition and active living.
Over twenty years ago, Rip rescued several of his fellow firefighters with whole, plant-based foods following the groundbreaking research of his father, Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., author of Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease. The results were so dramatic that Rip wrote the bestselling book,The Engine 2 Diet, to spread the word. His subsequent works, including Plant-Strong, The Engine 2 Seven-Day Rescue Diet and The Engine 2 Cookbook, further solidified his reputation as a leading voice in the plant-based movement. Rip was also featured in the documentary Forks over Knives and served as an executive producer of The Game Changers film; a revolutionary documentary that shatters the myths about meat, protein, and strength.
Rip’s mission and the mission of the PLANTSTRONG Podcast is to make plant-based living accessible and approachable, and to further the advancement of all things within the plant-based movement. We share the scientifically proven benefits of plant-based living and envision a world that universally understands, promotes, and prescribes plants as the solution to empowering your health, enhancing your performance, and restoring the environment.
You won’t be weak if you’re eating strong food. PLANTSTRONG food.
We welcome you wherever you are on your plant-based journey and we’re thrilled you’re here.
The problem? A whole food, plant-based diet can seem overwhelming, confusing, and, yes, expensive. You’ve been told it will make you deficient in something, or that you won’t get enough protein. You think it might be a boring way to live, or that it is so extreme you’ll alienate yourself from friends and loved ones.
Well, here at the PLANTSTRONG Podcast, we’re not afraid to be extreme - extremely positive, extremely helpful, and extremely well-researched. Each week on the show, host Rip Esselstyn talks to medical experts, authors, athletes, and people just like you who are not just surviving on a plant-based diet, but THRIVING.
As founder and CEO of PLANTSTRONG, Rip Esselstyn is a wellness advocate, former professional athlete, firefighter, and NY Times best-selling author renowned for his dedication to promoting vibrant health through plant-based nutrition and active living.
Over twenty years ago, Rip rescued several of his fellow firefighters with whole, plant-based foods following the groundbreaking research of his father, Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., author of Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease. The results were so dramatic that Rip wrote the bestselling book,The Engine 2 Diet, to spread the word. His subsequent works, including Plant-Strong, The Engine 2 Seven-Day Rescue Diet and The Engine 2 Cookbook, further solidified his reputation as a leading voice in the plant-based movement. Rip was also featured in the documentary Forks over Knives and served as an executive producer of The Game Changers film; a revolutionary documentary that shatters the myths about meat, protein, and strength.
Rip’s mission and the mission of the PLANTSTRONG Podcast is to make plant-based living accessible and approachable, and to further the advancement of all things within the plant-based movement. We share the scientifically proven benefits of plant-based living and envision a world that universally understands, promotes, and prescribes plants as the solution to empowering your health, enhancing your performance, and restoring the environment.
You won’t be weak if you’re eating strong food. PLANTSTRONG food.
We welcome you wherever you are on your plant-based journey and we’re thrilled you’re here.
Episodes
Mentioned books

4 snips
Apr 2, 2019 • 37min
Ep 1: Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr and an Intro to Joe Inga
Meet Joe Inga, a New York City firefighter with Engine 72 in the Bronx. Joe decides to buck the firehouse culture by doing something as nutty as eating plant based! That’s right – no meat, no dairy, and nothing that came from something with a face or a mother. As you can imagine, change is hard. But Joe is on a mission and damn the torpedoes! Between being a new father, battling addiction, and recently coming face to face with his own mortality, Joe needs support. In season 1 we’ll follow Joe’s ups and downs as he moves towards becoming the plant-strong man he knows he can be! Also meet Rip’s dad, the world renowned Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., from the Cleveland Clinic and learn how he trekked upstream against all the naysayers to discover the causation of heart disease and how our fork can be our most powerful ally in halting and even reversing the #1 killer of Americans! Hear why you should care about nitric oxide and the four reasons it’s critical for cardiovascular health. Discover what foods have the highest antioxidant value, plus why and how you should eat them. And most importantly, understand all the life-saving benefits to eating a plant-strong diet from the man who pioneered the research.


