The Rich Roll Podcast

Perhaps you know today’s guest from one of her 25+ roles on the silver screen appearing in movies like Titanic, Fandango and The Usual Suspects. Or maybe you know her as the better half of the world’s most successful film director, James Cameron – the incomparable mind behind the biggest cinematic blockbusters of all time: Aliens, Terminator, Titanic and of course Avatar – the highest grossing movie ever.But Suzy Amis Cameron is so much more than all that. In addition to raising five kids, she is a pioneering environmental activist. A passionate philanthropist. An education innovator. And the maverick co-founder (along with her sister Rebecca) of MUSE. Grabbing international headlines last year when it became the first U.S. school to implement a 100% plant-based school lunch program, MUSE is an incredibly progressive, paradigm breaking K-12 institution devoted to sustainability; creative & critical thinking; and preparing young people to live consciously within themselves, one another and the planet. A pretty great vision if you ask me.A living example of selfless advocacy in action, for the last 25 years Suzy has tirelessly dedicated herself to an array of environmental causes, working non-stop to reform education; combat global climate change; raze our execrable system of animal agriculture; overhaul our fatal addiction to the standard American diet; defeat chronic lifestyle disease; and engineer a better, healthier food system for all.Towards this end, in 2014 James and Suzy founded Food Choice Taskforce, a non-profit organization targeting the impact of animal agriculture on climate change to mobilize a global shift in food choice. She is also a founder of Food Forest Organics, a New Zealand-based plant-based cafe and marketplace, and Red Carpet Green Dress, showcasing socially and environmentally responsible fashions.This is a great conversation about her extraordinary life. It’s a conversation about the intricate, intertwined relationship between our actions and the biosphere. It’s about championing sustainable values – from what we do, to what we wear, to how we teach our children, to the food we eat. It's about how our consumer choices impact our personal health and the current and future health of this spinning blue globe we call home. And of course, it’s about what it’s like to be married to Hollywood’s most successful director.Specific topics covered include:* the impact of ‘Forks Over Knives’* environmental concerns and advocacy* animal agriculture as the center of all health issues* health sector and environmentalist summit* Chatham House research on agriculture & environment* communicating with the average person the powers of a plant-based diet* bringing about hope by changing what’s on our plate* the importance of support systems* MUSE School & MUSE Global* educating the community on the plant-based lifestyle* sustainability pledge & One Meal A Day* our youth, the global champions of tomorrow* typical day in the life of the Cameron’s* sustainable fashion* future projects to catalyze changeSuzy stirs me to do and be better. Listen in, and be equally inspired.Peace + Plants,Rich

Today's guest isn’t famous. He hasn’t written a book. He's not an in demand speaker.But I can almost promise that you have seen Trampas Thompson — you just didn’t know it.Working behind the scenes, Trampas is a Hollywood stuntmen extraordinaire, collecting blockbuster credits performing a dizzying array of delicious, death-defying acts in some of the world's most popular movies and television shows.Trampas has run the streets on fire, sword battled with Johnny Depp in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies and most recently doubled Michael Keaton in Birdman. Yes, that was Trampas, not Michael, who lept off a New York Theatre District rooftop in the most memorable scene from last year's Oscar winning best picture.His credits are impressive: The Dark Knight Rises, National Treasure, 21 Jump Street, Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull, The Wolf of Wall Street, and on and on.But what drew me to Trampas as a great fit for the podcast actually has very little to do with his work. Far more fascinating? Who he is.What kind of person becomes a stuntman?God broke the mold with this guy. Larger than life, Trampas is one-of-a-kind. A renaissance man living life full throttle 24/7. The kind of guy who survived a skydiving accident when his parachute didn’t open, then jumped again. A person unapologetically himself, incapable of doing anything half-assed and utterly fearless.This is another epic, thoroughly entertaining 3-hour conversation with a truly singular human about living life on one’s own terms. It's about dragonfly tattoos, synchronicity, Burning Man and the never ending spiritual quest to grow and expand consciousness.It's about what it means to hand-wring the adventure out of life.I sincerely hope you enjoy this conversation with one of my favorite people.Peace + Plants,Rich

Strength isn't just about physical prowess. Strength is about character.By this definition, vegan strongman Patrik Baboumian is perhaps the strongest man on Earth.Born in 1979 to Armenian parents in Abadan, Iran, Patrik and his family fled the Iranian revolution when he was seven and emigrated to central Germany. By the age of nine, he fell in love with wrestling on TV and soon developed an interest in weight training. As a young teen, he got into power lifting and bodybuilding, rising quickly through the ranks to become Germany’s national junior bodybuilding champion.For ethical reasons, in 2005 Patrik went vegetarian, accepting that this would likely undermine his performance goals. Instead, his improvement steadily escalated. So in 2011, he went completely vegan. And that's when things really blew up for the guy they call the Armenian Viking.100% Plantpowered, over the last 4 years Patrik has been awarded the title of Germany's Strongest Man, racked up multiple victories at the European Powerlifting Championships and set four Guinness World Records in various strength disciplines.We're talking about a guy who can Bench 463 lbs. Squat 794 lbs. And Deadlift 794 lbs.This is a long way of saying that Patrik Baboumian is stronger than you are. And believe it or not, he has accomplished all of these extraordinary, superhuman feats without the one thing long-held conventional wisdom dictates is absolutely necessary to optimally perform as an elite strength athlete: animal protein.I first met Patrik at the 2013 at the Toronto VegFest, where I stood on the WestJet Stage at Harbourfront Centre before a crowd 1,000 deep to cheer him towards a Guinness World Record setting yoke walk — a feat that entailed carrying 1,216 pounds (550kilos) a distance of 10 meters in less than 60 seconds (which he recently bettered to a current 560kg world record, completed in just 28 seconds). Spontaneously grabbing for my GoPro, I shot this little video documenting the astounding accomplishment:But Patrik's greatest strength is not his physical prowess. His greatest strength is his compassion.Breaking strongman world records is what Patrik does. But beyond the accomplishments and beneath the beast-like exterior lives a sensitive, gentle soul. An exemplary human of steadfast ethics whose conscience refuses to allow animals to suffer for the sake of his superhuman athletic goals. In stark contradiction to culturally entrenched notions of masculinity, Patrick performs his feats in the name of compassion — a threatening word too often misinterpreted as weakness that challenges predominant male gender role stereotypes and obliges us to rethink social priorities.My hope is that Patrik's example will open your mind. Compel you to question long-held, conventional notions concerning the relationship between nutrition and athletic performance. Reform stereotypical definitions of masculinity to embrace the responsibility mankind shoulders as protector of the voiceless. Reframe your interpretation of compassion not as weakness, but as our greatest strength. Stir you to think more deeply about your consumer choices. And ultimately inspire you to challenge your own personal limitations.Enjoy!Rich

Last episode we learned how How Not To Die.Today we contemplate the flip side: How To Die.Everybody dies. Everybody. Of course we know this to be true. But when was the last time you had a direct experience with someone in the grips of the undeniable reality that afflicts us all without exception? Most people have never even seen a dead person, let alone held the hand of someone expiring their last breath.Why is the one thing we all share in common seemingly deleted from our daily human experience?Because  our culture is carefully crafted to obscure, whitewash, sanitize and obviate every unpalatable aspect of the frightening reality that scares the shit out of us more than anything else.As a result, we sleepwalk through life pretending it doesn't exist. Subconsciously, we might even harbor the completely insane thought that somehow, some way, we will be the exception to the rule and find a way to escape such distasteful finality.Then, when death rears it's unfamiliar head (it always does), we recoil. We get uncomfortable. Paralyzed by fear and morbidity, we stumble with our words. Lacking the capacity to even have an open and honest conversation about it, we retreat into a shame spiral.Death breeds fear. Fear breeds resistance. Resistance breeds denial. And denial never helped anyone.This is not a healthy relationship with death.So let go of the fear. Free yourself of the resistance. And let's form a new relationship with death. One that not only acknowledges it, but embraces it as our most potent communal experience. One that guilds our lives with meaning. One that allows us to be more present in our lives. One that unites rather than divides. One that provides fertile soil for gratitude.For me, these concepts are not academic. As I type, Julie's 92-year old father is on his deathbed. It is unlikely he will live to see the weekend. And so for the last several days, our lives have been on hold as our children and extended family have gathered around Larry Mathis to celebrate his remarkable life. We've told stories. Sung songs. Held his hand. Kissed his forehead. Said our goodbyes as he slips out of conscious awareness.This week we've talked a lot about death. This podcast is an extension of that ongoing conversation.Peace + Plants,Rich

A graduate of Cornell and Tufts University School of Medicine, Dr. Greger has published in a litany of scientific journals, testified before Congress and lectured at countless symposiums and institutions, including the Conference on World Affairs and the National Institutes of Health. He was even an expert witness in the infamous Oprah Winfrey meat defamation lawsuit and has appeared all over television on shows like Dr. Oz and The Colbert Report.By day, Michael Greger, MD, FACLM can be found crafting high level policy initiatives as Director of Public Health and Animal Agriculture for the Humane Society of the U.S. But more often than not he's traipsing the globe, hopping from podium to podium to deliver one of the hundreds of lectures he serves up annually.By night, Dr. Greger scours thousands of medical journals in search of the world's best, most objective nutrition research to bring you free videos and articles every single day as chief wizard behind NutritionFacts.org– the world's most authoritative, non-profit online destination for all things nutrition, health and disease prevention.If you've never before visited this site, I highly suggest you check it out immediately. A comprehensive clearinghouse that inspects every imaginable facet of nutrition and health, NutritionFacts.org features hundreds of impeccably researched, easily understandable and straight to the point videos — always my first stop when I want to get to the bottom of any question I have about food, diet and disease.Apparently Dr. Greger doesn't sleep. Because amidst all of this, he still found time to write a new book that hits booksellers everywhere this week. But How Not To Die* isn't just any book — it's a straight up game changing must read. Clocking in at over 600 pages, it's an exhaustive, heavily researched, encyclopedic examination of how nutritional and lifestyle interventions can help prevent and even reverse the 15 top causes of premature death in America.Not only has Dr. Greger delivered a ground-breaking tome for the ages, 100% of fees and proceeds he receives from speaking and book sales are donated to charity.Quite a powerful testament to this man's level of selfless service to humanity.If you are a long-time listener, you know Dr. G and I go way back. He was one of my very first guests on the RRP. Now he’s back to talk more about his life, his research, and How Not To Die – a subject I think we can all get behind.Specifics covered include:* the core idea behind How Not To Die* the daily dozen foods to focus on* the fifteen leading causes of death* confirmation bias in nutritional research* conflicts of interest in scientific studies* independent studies & objective criticism* reconciling reductionism with holistic analysis* auto-immune disorders* organic vs. non-organic foodsEnjoy!Rich

We tend to assume the successful are simply gifted. Or perhaps just lucky — at the right place at the right time.Olaniyi Sobomehin is not one of those people.But he does have one thing most lack: vision and self-belief.A middle child with a life long dream to play in the NFL, Niyi lacked the natural gifts required to even earn a college football scholarship. Friends and family repeated the refrain: be realistic. Niyi ignored the advice, invested in himself and walked on the Oregon State program with little to no chance of seeing game time.But sheer determination, exceptional mental toughness, and an unparalleled ability to out work everyone on the field turned this no name walk on into a running back for The New Orleans Saints, where he finally realized his childhood dream playing alongside NFL greats like Drew Brees.A voracious reader able to translate wisdom into actionable practices, Niyi understood that the tools he relied upon for athletic success would apply equally to life after football. So upon retirement he turned his professional focus to I'm Not You– a platform to help young athletes develop the habits, strategies, systems and techniques required to maximize potential in sport and life.Niyi's approach has little to do with physical training. It's about overcoming mental limitations. It's about mindset. Because the relationship one has with one's self is what ultimately dictates outcomes.In other words, it's an inside job.Today we talk about the strategies Niyi distilled from playing at the highest level of sport and how these tools can be applied to unlock your own inner potential.Specifics include:* how to overcome a talent deficit* developing confidence through facing fear* techniques for developing a mental edge* what holds most athletes (and people) back* the common habits of the most successful athletes* the benefits of affirmation & visualization techniques* morning routines to optimize your day* why he surveys his family weekly; and* why getting uncomfortable is the key to successI love this guy's passion. Niyi's enthusiasm for life and devotion to service is infectious, buttressed by a perspective germane well beyond the boundaries of sport. So even if you’re not an athlete, this conversation delivers. Chocked with copious gems applicable to every facet of personal and professional development, it's a natural bookend to echo and complement my preceding conversation with Jesse Itzler and the principles he learned living with Navy SEAL David Goggins.Question: What Belief About Yourself Is Holding You Back?I'd love to hear all about it in the comments section below.I sincerely hope you enjoy this walk in Niyi's cleats as much as I did.Peace + Plants,Rich

Jesse Itzler fast-talked his way right out of college into a recording contract, ultimately taking his music all the way to MTV, the Billboard 100 and even an Emmy.Jesse Itzler then took an entrepreneurial left-turn, creating and selling big companies — companies like Marquis Jet, the world’s largest prepaid private jet card company, and Zico Coconut Water — before wooing Spanx founder Sarah Blakely (worth over $1 billion) all the way to the altar.Jesse Itzler eats only fruit before noon. And when he's not raising three kids, he runs 100 mile races, raises millions for charity and can be found court side supporting the Atlanta Hawks — the NBA team he recently purchased with some friends.What I'm trying to say is that Jesse Itzler is a quite the character. An amazing life highlighted by one predominant theme:never be afraid to fail.But there is one thing that scares Jesse Itzler: stagnation.Despite all his success, in 2010 Jesse felt his life had settled into a too-comfortable routine. So he did what any rational human would do: he invited a Navy SEAL to move in with him.But this was no ordinary SEAL (as if any such thing exists). This was David Goggins — perhaps the most intense, taciturn individual walking planet Earth. A one man metaphor for adversity destruction, Goggins' example and words formed the original inspiration behind my own journey:When you think you are done, you've only accomplished about 40% of what you are truly capable of.Goggins military record is astonishing. As a Navy SEAL, he was one of an elite group of men regularly sent on some of the toughest missions in the world. He is the only member in the U.S. Armed Forces to complete SEAL training, Army Ranger School (where he graduated as Honor Man), and Air Force tactical air controller training. Not only has he faced combat in Iraq, he served as the body guard for Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari.To honor his brother soldiers felled by battle and to raise money for charity, David lost 100 pounds in 60 days and went on to tackle the 10 most rigorous ultra-endurance challenges on the planet, compelling his 260-pound frame to top finishes at races like Badwater– a 135 mile jaunt across Death Valley in 130 degree heat (finishing 5th as a novice) — and Ultraman– 1 320-mile 3 day triathlon circumnavigation of the Big Island of Hawaii he completed with his tennis shoes duct taped to the pedals of an ill-fitting loaner bike to a 2nd place finish overall. He even completed 203.5 miles in the 48-Hour National Championship endurance foot race, earning a spot among the top 20 ultra-marathoners of the world.Just another training day for Goggins, topped off with a recent Guinness World record for most pull ups in a single day: 4,025.Goggins accepted Jesse's invitation with just one rule: for 31-days, Jesse had to do every thing David asked him to do. No exceptions.What happened next would change Jesse's life forever. An adventure chronicled in his new book, Living With A Seal: 31 Days Training With The Toughest Man On The Planet*. I found the book super fun and highly entertaining. So when my travels took me to Atlanta, I jumped at the chance to meet up with him.Enjoy!Rich

The holidays are a time of year for gratitude. So why do so many find it so hard to celebrate?There's a brisk chill outside. By late afternoon it's already dark. Our circadian rhythm dictates we slow down, hunker down and hibernate. But for the next month, we ignore the call of nature, mindlessly hurling ourselves into a frenzied state of overcommitted overextension.Too many obligations. Overspending on things nobody really needs. Keeping up with the Joneses yet never quite matching up.Stress. Anxiety. Conflict. Dread. Debt. But perhaps the biggest trigger of all? Family drama.The treachery of extended family holiday get-togethers can accelerate a perilous emotional state to the breaking point. The patterns are age-old and hard wired, yet each year we make the promise: this time will be different. But then like clockwork, the buttons get pushed. Patience? Mindfulness? Forget it. Reason and composure vanishes, replaced with primal reaction. The spark is lit, and once again you're once riding that emotional rollercoaster you vowed to finally avoid.Depression ensues, only to wake up in January with an emotional hangover no narcotic can salve.What if you could break the pattern?This week Julie and I delve deep into strategies for a new and better holiday experience. Tips and tools to reframe the dynamic, gracefully navigate the emotional minefields, sidestep the consumerist insanity and embrace the fundamental spirit that is meant to define this time of year — gratitude.Specific topics include:* creative vs. commercialized giving* prioritizing self-care* acknowledging family dynamic realities* exercising discretion with respect to social obligations* sealing your energy field* visualization and mindfulness practices* understanding conflict as growth opportunityThe show concludes with Humming– a brief humming meditation track written and performed by Julie from her album Jai Home.I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange. Happy Thanksgiving!Peace + Plants,Rich

Maybe you know Marco Borges because he trains people like Pharrell. Perhaps you know him as the guy who inspired Jay-Z and Beyoncé (who he also trains) to adopt a plant-based lifestyle, then partnered up with them to launch 22-Days Nutrition – a plant-based nutrition products and meal delivery service that shuttles organic, plant-based gluten-free, soy-free and dairy-free meals anywhere in the U.S., right to your doorstep.I had never met Marco. In fact, until this past Spring, I had never even heard of him. But all that changed in April when this Miami-based celebrity fitness trainer, exercise physiologist and plant-based evangelist was suddenly everywhere: the TODAY show, Good Morning America, TIME magazine and even places like Vogue, Entertainment Tonight, Ryan Secrest and Perez Hilton. A Jay & Bey infused media blitz that launched this guy from below the radar to massive mainstream popularity, fomented a plant-based zeitgeist frenzy and skyrocketed his new book, The 22-Day Revolution: The Plant-Based Program That Will Transform Your Body*, to the top of the New York Times Bestseller list.When the most culturally significant and influential entertainment couple on the planet embraces the plant-based perspective (even if imperfectly or temporarily), it's a big deal. The seismic impact can't be underestimated. People don't just notice — the tectonic plates of popular culture shift. Conventional attitudes and habits around food change. Our social paradigm forever altered.So who is the man behind all this?In full disclosure, my biggest fear was that Marco would be just another trainer leveraging celebrity relationships for personal notoriety and fortune.But contempt prior to investigation is a recipe for ignorance. I was delighted to discover a remarkable man. A man that completely defies the stereotype and put to rest any questions I may have harbored about the motivations behind his mission.Marco Borges is true blue. The real deal. A husband and father of three young boys who — at his very core — is about service. Truly passionate about educating and informing mainstream culture about the benefits of plant-based nutrition; doing his very best to spread a message of conscious, compassionate and sustainable living; and working his butt off to provide innovative exercise and nutrition programs, tools and resources to help people – every day people – get fit, healthy and happy and transform their lives for the better.This is a super fun and informative conversation about Marco’s uncommon, extraordinary life and his most worthy mission. Specific topics covered include:* self realization and the impact on consciousness* Marco's background in Miami spin/club culture* Marco's catalyst to plant-based nutrition* becoming the best version of yourself* lifestyle choices, empowerment & education* effective plant-based training* breaking bad habits* the importance of incremental & consistent improvement* entertainer influence in plant-based movement* developing a friendship with Jay Z & BeyoncéEnjoy!Rich

If you follow competitive swimming, Aaron Peirsol needs no introduction.The commonly spun narrative goes something like this: the greatest backstroker in swimming history, Aaron Peirsol is a giant among men. The very definition of a high performing elite athlete with a slew of world-records and Olympic gold medals to prove it.But Aaron is not his career. Aaron Peirsol is different.Let's set the stage. Aaron burst onto the international swimming scene at the age of 17, walking away from the 2000 Sydney Olympics with a silver medal in the 200m backstroke. At the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Aaron won gold in both the 100m and 200m backstroke (that one by an incredible 2.5 secs) and a third gold leading off the 4×100 medley relay. At the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Aaron took gold in the 100m backstroke and the 4×100 medley relay, taking silver in the 200m back behind teammate Ryan Lochte.The following year, Aaron raised the bar one last time with a stunning 1:51.93 world record setting performance in the 200m backstroke at the World Championships in Rome — a world record that to this day still stands – an astonishing 6 years later.7 Olympic medals. 5 gold, 2 silver. 10 long-course World Championships.Aaron is of course incredibly proud of his accomplishments. But victories, defeats, podiums and bling fail to tell the story of Aaron Peirsol. They are not who he is.Over the course of his career, I vividly recall watching Aaron on television — one triumph after another. But far more interesting than his performances was how he acquitted himself outside the pool. There is just something completely unique about this guy. He is unlike any other high performing athlete I know.More contemplative. Consistently thoughtful. A bit soft spoken. And always laid back.More soul surfer than Type-A competitor.How does a guy so chill thrive in such a pressure cooker universe? Not just through 1 Olympiad but 3?Today I get answers. Today we enter the world of elite competitive swimming. A consideration of his career and the elements required to not just win, but keep winning. But most of the conversation centers around character — what makes Aaron tick.His perspective might surprise you. Because for Aaron, it’s not about competition – it never was.For him, it’s about a lifelong love affair with water.For him, it’s always been a spiritual journey.Specifics covered today include:* the world of elite competitive swimming* the importance of coaching & mentorship* Aaron's preparation for the 2004 Olympics* acceptance & surrender in the wake of his Olympic DQ* Aaron's love affair with water* Aaron's spiritual vs. competitive nature* career sustainability & passion* the fallacy of ‘use it or lose it'* the perils of overtraining* characteristics of fellow Olympians* retirement motivations* environmental interests* what it means to own your journeyWhat is the core motivation behind your passion?I'd love to hear all about it in the comments section below.Aaron is a special guy. It was an honor to spend time with him. I think you will feel the same. I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange.Peace + Plants,Rich