The Rich Roll Podcast

Today we’re back with some heavy nutrition talk!There is so much confusion out there about diet, food & optimal health. It's enough to make even the most discerning, conscientious consumer’s head split wide open in frustration. Exasperated, we end up simply paralyzed — continuing to perpetuate unhealthy eating habits that enslave us to an inevitable future of disease, obesity and dependence upon the pharmaceutical industry.My humble opinion? Last week's Time Magazine cover story on the comeback of butter doesn't exactly help matters. Seriously?To help set matters to rights and slice through the wide swath of confusion, obfuscation and downright misinformation, I am pleased to host the lovely and sagacious Sharon Palmer RD. For the uninitiated, “RD” stands for Registered Dietitian. But a more apropos professional acronym just might be “PPRD” – for PlantPowered Registered Dietitian.Sharon is the editor of the award-winning health newsletter Environmental Nutrition, and a nationally recognized nutrition expert who has personally impacted thousands of people’s lives through her writing and clinical work. She is the author of The Plant-Powered Diet: The Lifelong Eating Plan For Achieving Optimal Health, Starting Today* and her new book Plant-Powered For Life: Eat Your Way to Lasting Health with 52 Simple Steps and 125 Delicious Recipes* comes out on July 8 (available now for pre-order). These are books that empower everyone — whether vegan, vegetarian, or omnivorous — to put that Plantpower manifesto into practice by adopting a largely or entirely whole-foods, plant-based diet and thereby reaping such benefits as weight loss, optimal health, and longer life.Indeed, the Plantpower / Plant-Power meme isn't just alive and well, it's picking up steam.What's great about Sharon is her easy-to-grasp, personal approach to food and diet, an approach that marshals the most up-to-date findings in nutrition to explain both why you should eat more plant-based fare and exactly how to do so.But more interesting that that (to me at least) is our dialog about transcending diet altogether. The idea that true wellness stems from adopting a more long-term, sustainable, holistic mind-body-spirit lifestyle approach to not only what you put in your mouth, but how you spend your time and actually live on a day-to-day basis.This is the approach that changed my life. The approach I do my best to embody daily. And the approach I continue to rely and fall back upon to keep my life balanced and in check (with varying degrees of success I might add). So it was great to hear Sharon echo this perspective.I sincerely hope you enjoy the conversation. If you do, tell a friend!Peace + Plants,Rich

Must be nice to have your life [sneer]……I wish I could…. [fill in the blank, with scorn]….but some people have to work for a living [biting sarcasm].The easy road is to resent those that have what you want. Or at least more of what you wish you had. Actually it's more of a cop out than an easy road. But a cop out most of us take (usually unconsciously), which in turn leads to nothing good.Envy, anger, denial, self-loathing and defeatism are but a few of the common and predictable human emotions most likely to arise by default when confronted with that rare person living a fully actualized, aspirational life. A rewarding life where work and play are merged. A life that from the outside makes everything appear smooth, easy and obstacle free.You know the kind of guy I'm talking about right? Guys with names like Elon, Biz and LeBron. How annoying!I get it. But I also understand that annoyance is just a mild form of resentment. And resentment is an emotional luxury I personally can't afford. Because it inevitably leads me to a place of deep suffering. Meanwhile, the object of my deep resentment remains blissfully unaware of my inner turmoil, continuing that envious life of authentic expression unperturbed and none the wiser. All the more maddening!So begins the downward shame spiral.Now let's try a different tactic. Instead of foisting negative energy outward upon this unassuming third person, let's instead turn that powerful forefinger around — the one that loves to point and judge. Instead, let's look within with honesty. Let's accept where we are and invest in the plausibility of a positive new, forward moving trajectory. Let's take action based on belief in your own personal potential and deservedness. And let's embrace the process of unlocking and expressing your best, most authentic self to the fullest of your abilities.Yeah I know. Easier said than done.This is where today's guest comes in. Not because he's going to give you some version of “10 Steps To Live Your Dream Life” (for the record I can't stand articles that involve numerical lists, but I digress). But rather because sometimes a good old fashioned inspirational story well told is just about the most powerful thing imaginable when it comes to catalyzing positive change. A seismic shift in how we contemplate our lives, behave and interact with our environment and others that can lead us on new trajectories that permanently change our lives for the better.Daren FlitcroftI've said it before and I'll say it again. It's fun to have well known people on the podcast. I know that I will get more downloads and rise up the iTunes charts when I host a celebrated guest with a huge following. That's cool, but that's not really what this mission is all about.The real joy is introducing you guys to someone you have never heard of. Someone you might otherwise never encounter your entire life. From an uninformed perspective just an average person we can all relate to, navigating life on life's terms. Struggling with the same things we all grapple with — finances, health, personal satisfaction, relationships, you name it.But someone I find special. And inspiring.Daren fits the bill.When he arrived at UCLA from Washington, D.C. in the fall of 2008 as a young scholarship athlete, everything seemed to be falling into place for Daren. Just another step closer in the unfoldment of his dream: becoming a professional soccer player. But Daren's vision ended abruptly when he suffered a career-ending injury. Adding insult to this injury? It occurred before he ever played a single college game.

You care about the planet, right?Of course you do. We're all concerned about global climate change, melting ice caps, fracking, the pollution of our oceans and all the many more issues we currently face that threaten Earth's long term sustainable health.As such, we do our best to be good planetary citizens. To keep our carbon footprint light, we eat local, recycle and compost. We opt for the bike and leave the hybrid car in the garage to reduce our fossil fuel dependance. We've swapped our lightbulbs for those new expensive ones that for whatever reason are supposed to be so much better. And here in California (and wherever we face drought) we limit our showers and curtail excess water usage.This is a very positive shift in consciousness. These are all great habits. So go ahead. It's OK to feel good about yourself. In fact, give yourself a pat on the back for being awesome.But what if I told you that all of our individual good citizenship efforts are just the tiniest drop in the bucket when compared to the massively deleterious impact of just one particular industry most of us quite simply and unconsciously support on a daily basis every day of our lives?Whether we are talking about global climate change, the blindingly rapid destruction of our rain forests, over consumption of water, species extinction, the depletion and destruction of our soil, the pollution of our rivers, lakes and oceans or the obliteration of natural wildlife habitats, you might be surprised to discover the very inconvenient and uncomfortable truth that there is one industry single-handedly responsible for destroying and undermining the health and sustainability of our planet far more than any other.The elephant in the room – animal agriculture.It is indisputable that our global industrialized system of factory livestock harvesting is unsustainable. It's killing us and it's killing the planet. We must embrace this reality and work collectively to create new sustainable systems to feed the 7 billion people that walk the Earth. Because the point of no return is quickly upon us. We're in the red. If we don't promptly redirect, it truly will be too late.When it comes to conservation and ecological responsibility, the dialog generally focuses on fossil fuels. A big issue, of course; and worthy of our attention. But here's a truth that all too often gets quietly swept under the rug: the deleterious environmental impacts of animal agriculture dwarf the impacts of fossil fuel demand in every single category across the board.So why aren't we talking about it?This is the question explored by Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret — an incredibly sobering and powerful upcoming documentary that takes a hard, unflinching look at just why the issue of animal agriculture and its incomprehensibly negative impact fails to get the airtime it deserves in the global environmentalism conversation. Imagine An Inconvenient Truth meets Blackfish and you get the picture.Today on the podcast I am so excited to have the filmmakers here to tell us all about what is really going on — Keegan Kuhn and Kip Andersen.We truly are all connected on this small blue planet. And as such, no discussion about individual health in the micro is complete without conversation about global health in the macro. We have a collective responsibility to remove the blinders of denial, take the red pill from the Matrix, understand what is truly at play and marshall our planetary citizenship to catalyze the change this planet, our children and all its inhabitants deserve — before it's too late.

Imagine this: you are a practicing pediatric ER doctor; all day long every day you treat kids that are not just overweight, but obese. More than obese, these kids are sick — really sick.What do you do?Well, you can do what most doctors do – tell the kids to ditch the salt, sugar and fat; swap the video games for some fresh air; maybe prescribe some medication for the cholesterol or blood pressure; then move on to the next patient. No time to linger….Or you can take a harder road. Despite a fellowship at Harvard Medical School, full time employment as an emergency room pediatrician, and editor of 3 medical textbooks, Dr. Sujit Sharma felt the need to do more. It was time to try something new: address the cause; focus on prevention; identify and provide doable, sustainable solutions that actually work.Radical!It was around this time that Dr. Sanjay Gupta– Sujit's longtime University of Michigan buddy and yes, the guy from CNN — introduced Sujit to his friend Ladell Hill — a molecular health specialist, herbalist, fitness trainer and wellness expert who had been spent the last 20 years researching and experimenting with nutrition. A passion for healing Ladell inherited as legacy from his Native American grandfather.When he wasn't training celebrities like Gwen Stefani & Lenny Kravitz, Ladell studied tirelessly for years to understand how to best apply the wisdom of his grandfather to his modern practice of health and wellness. He came to realize that science now substantiated much of what he learned from his grandfather: the power of an indigenous, whole food plant-based diet to not only promote overall well being and wellness optimization but to also expedite physiological recovery from exercise induced stress and even — in certain cases — prevent and reverse disease.Bold and powerful, particularly when you get a glimpse of Ladell, who at almost 50 sports jacked guns and the physique a 26 year old NFL running back would envy.Sujit and Ladell immediately hit it off. The result of their collaboration, combined expertise and passion is Chuice – a brand new category of food product that can only be explained as chewable juice.Chewable juice?!? Say what? Bizarre, right? I was skeptical. But I've tried it and it's great – a mastication of nuts and seeds plus fruit and vegetable juice with all the fiber, every ingredient chosen for a specific cellular benefit — it's like a delicious, super easily digestible whole food meal in a bottle.Disclaimer: This is not a paid endorsement or an advertisement of any kind. I have absolutely no business, financial, sponsorship, affiliate or other incentivized relationship with Chuice whatsoever. I just like these guys and find their mission worthy of discussion.A couple months ago, Sanjay introduced me to Sujit and Ladell simply because he thought we would hit it off. Out of courtesy to Sanjay, I ended up calling Sujit a couple days later thinking we would have a cordial few minutes on the phone. Instead we spoke for almost two hours — dialoging on everything to wellness, to plant-based nutrition to the state of medicine and disease prevention. At at that moment I knew I needed to meet Ladell and have these guys on the show.They do not disappoint — a fascinating deep dive into the state of nutrition education in medical school; the ills of our current healthcare system; the potency and power of plants to prevent and heal disease; and a culminating call to action to return to the natural.I sincerely hope you enjoy the listen.Rich

Welcome to Part 2 of my conversation with the lovely Rebecca Soni!To recap from Monday, Reb is a two-time World Swimmer of the Year; a multiple Olympic gold medalist & World Record Holder; a six-time NCAA Champion; a giant inspiration, especially to young women across the globe; as well as a beach dweller, dog owner, basic delight & overall legend now focused on giving back to sport through Atlas Ventures– brain training young athletes on the mental aspects of peak performance along with her best friend and fellow Olympian Ariana Kukors.If you have not yet listened to Part 1 of our sit down, check that out first. Then tune in here. It just gets better as it goes.I hope you enjoy the show. Let me know what you think in the comments section below. And if you have been enjoying the show, tell a friend!Peace + Plants,Rich

When I use the word “best” in reference to my guests, I mean it.Today's guest truly earns the adjective. If you follow the sport of competitive swimming, then this woman needs no introduction. Quite simply put, Rebecca Soni is one of the most accomplished athletes in the world, period. Here are just a few of her notables:2-time Olympian (2008 / 2012)6-time Olympic medalistMultiple world record holder1st woman to earn back to back Olympic Gold Medals in the 200-meter breaststrokeBroke the World Record in the 200-meter breaststroke in consecutive Olympiads (2008 / 2012)First woman in history to break the 2:20 barrier in the 200-meter breaststroke6-time NCAA Champion at USC2x “World Swimmer Of The Year” (2010 & 2011)In other words, don't mess with Reb. But meet her on the street and you'd never know just how badass she is — her sweetNESS and genuine humility simply won't allow it.If you know me, you know swimming is my first love. So anytime I get the chance to talk on the subject, it’s going to be long — sorry just can't help it. This conversation holds true, running at around 2 ½ hours. So I'm breaking the interview up into 2 parts. Part 1 today (Sunday night — 6.1.14); Part 2 will post sometime Thursday — 6.5.14.Good stuff. A compelling journey through the the ups and downs of Rebecca’s unparalleled career, we dig deep into:The mental aspects of peak performance, including Rebecca's personal struggles;Rebecca's early years as a young swimmer in New Jersey raised by Hungarian immigrants;The important role of coaches have played in her career;Social media pressures on the global Olympic stage;Her perspective on being a positive role model for young women;Her evolving perspective on nutrition & new found embrace of the plant-based lifestyle;The performance impacts of different modalities of training (volume vs. intensity);Her transition from celebrity athlete to civilian retirement; andAtlas Ventures- Rebecca's start up with fellow Olympian Ariana Kukors devoted to “brain training” the next generation of champion athletes.“Legend” is a word that gets bandied about all too loosely these days. But Rebecca more than earns the mantle and the respect the term truly deserves. She is a legend in the truest sense and her legacy in sport will more than stand the test of time.Plus, she's super cool. After the show she hung out at our house with my kids and her dog Cody (you can hear him hanging around the pod in the background), let us play around with her gold medals and was basically just a delight.It was an honor to spend a few hours with her and couldn’t be more pleased to bring this conversation to you. I sincerely hope you enjoy it!Peace + Plants,Rich

Today we delve into an entirely new world. The world of tea.I can hear you now: Tea?? Really? Why should I care about tea? I've been enjoying the podcast a lot lately, Rich. But I'm not sure about this…I think you might have lost the thread this week. A couple years ago I would have probably said the same thing. I don't feel that way anymore. So if you are thinking of skipping this episode because on the surface it doesn't sound like something you are interested in, reconsider. Because — and as I always say — contempt prior to investigation imprisons one to everlasting ignorance.WuDe.Born in the United States as Aaron Daniel Fisher, Wude was drawn to the East from a very early age. After studying philosophy in college, he travelled the world and ultimately settled in Taiwan, where he has since become a Buddhist monk – steeped in the sutras and wisdom of that tradition – as well as a tea master – a vituoso of not just the living tradition of harvesting tea, but the living tradition of what tea means in a sort of meta sense – why it’s important and why we should care about it.Tea as medicine. Tea as healing. Tea as life.Tea Practice as Zen.The easiest way to put it is that WuDe comes from this idea that tea is a universal living, breathing thing that unifies us all — the tree of life.Think of tea as a metaphor. A foundational concept around which to structure a set of ancient teachings, principles, knowledge and wisdom to glean a broader truth about health, healing, community, the environment, life, life’s meaning and the unifying oneness – or undeniable interconnectedness of everythingIn Taiwan WuDe founded and runs Global Tea Hut– a school and center devoted to the education and preservation of the ancient tradition of harvesting living tea and welcomes people from all over the world to come study and practice tea preparation, meditation, tea history, tea crafting, the sutras of tea and its relevance in society, and how to cultivate the Dao of Tea as a method of spiritual expansion.I realize today's guest and these topics may be slightly off your personal reservation. That's cool – it was for me initially as well. All I ask is that you set aside whatever preconceived notions you may be harboring and enter this episode with an open mind. Do that, and I assure you will come out the other side with not only a new and informed view on the import of tea, but a greater understanding of Zen. An expanded perspective on consciousness. And a heightened awareness of the oneness that unites us all.WuDe spills over with crazy mad wisdom that more than merits your attention and contemplation.I promise this just might be the most fascinating conversation you will hear all week.I sincerely hope you enjoy the show. Let me know what you think in the comments below!Peace + Plants,Rich

People say people don’t change.Bullshit.I have the great honor of seeing and participating in lives that have changed so dramatically the people they are today bear almost no resemblance to who they once were.Weight loss, sure – I see that all the time. I'm talking more about drastic career changes; dramatic spiritual awakenings; and impossible recovery from profound addictions. I'm talking about people who change from that person you’d shuffle across the street to avoid – literal mental insanity – to becoming inspirational leaders among men. Alterations so stunning I'm left awestruck; and with a profound sense that there must be powers at work beyond the mere mortal.If this show is anything, it's an effort to share those stories to inspire that kind of hope, aspiration and possibility in you. That no matter what your circumstance or plight in life, that transcending the obstacles you face is within reach.When I recorded the introduction to this episode and wrote down these thoughts, it was 3:30 am. Jetlagged and wide awake, I just returned from a whirlwind trip across the globe – 3 weeks on the road in Canada, Beirut, Lebanon and all across Saudi Arabia. Riyadh in the heart of the Arabian desert, Al Khobar on the Persian Gulf & Jeddah on the Red Sea. If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook you might have seem some pictures of me running in all those places. Apologies for all the selfies, but I just wanted to share what I was experiencing with everyone. It was such a fantastic journey and privilege to see parts of the world I never in a million years thought I would ever have the opportunity to see.I gave 6 talks over the course of the trip; all in their own right amazing. Particularly in the Middle East, where the cultural divide can seem so profound and impenetrable that making a true connection seemed almost impossible.And yet to connect with people on a fundamental level over things and concerns we all share no matter what the dictates of our cultural prerogatives – our health, the health of our children, nutrition, prevention of disease, fitness and the ills of our food system ecosystem – was life altering for me. I know it made it impact on them as well.It feels really good. An experience I am immensely grateful for. An experience I won't soon forget.My point is that I have changed. Dramatically and irrevocably. Mostly in ways I didn’t expect. Could never have predicted. And certainly never dreamed, consciously plotted or specifically devised. But definitely in ways I embrace and love.For most of my life, all I wanted was to be someone else. And now I can say that I would not trade my life for anyone.It all started when I made a decision to do the inside work. As I got healthier — physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually — I learned, very slowly and stubbornly I might add, how to lean into, trust and take action on my (once dubious and self-will driven) instincts, no matter how illogical or contrary to my chosen life path they may have seemed at the time.This has made all the difference. It is the reason I enjoy the life I have today.It begins with mining your personal truth. And then embarking on the journey of living it. Something I want everyone to experience — and why I do this show.If today’s guest is anything, he is a guy who is living his truth. Living his own unique brand of passion. Walking a road less traveled, and inspiring people the world over.Timothy Shieff.

Unless you are a new listener to the show, then you very well may be fatigued by my show opening mantra. If so, you're out of luck, because I'm going to repeat it here anyway:Each week I bring you the best most forward thinking, paradigm busting minds in health, fitness, athleticism, creativity, diet, nutrition, art, entrepreneurship, personal growth & spirituality….The goal is simple: to empower YOU with the tools, the knowledge, the inspiration and motivation to take your life to the next level. To help you discover, unlock and unleash your BEST most AUTHENTIC self.I repeat it here because it's particularly relevant to today's guest and topic.I repeat it here because I need to remind myself that in order to make that leap to so unlock and unleash, I must say yes to experiences outside my comfort zone. I must be and remain open to new ideas that are unfamiliar. I must continue to be willing to risk. And I must be willing to experience things that still scare me.There is a truism I find myself repeating under my breath: you cannot transmit something you haven't got.In other words, if I hope to so transmit, by way of this podcast, the inspiration and tools I profess to offer, then I must walk that talk. Otherwise I strike a false chord – my words become inauthentic. And this house I bled to build becomes a mere house of cards, soon to fall in upon itself.After a rewarding 7 days in Ontario with Julie, I’m now traveling alone — in the midst of this extraordinary speaking tour across the Middle East — Beirut, Lebanon and three cities across Saudi Arabia: Riyadh, Jeddah and Al Khobar.Traveling to this part of the world intimidates me. Is it safe? Can I go outside and run without negative repercussion? And how will I and my message be received by cultures so different from my own?I love traveling. I can think of few things that excite me more than getting on a plane for a very long flight to some exotic place I have never before seen. And yet, I am definitely well outside my comfort zone. These are not places that I would ordinarily choose to visit. But that's what makes it so enthralling. I am wide open to the multitude of opportunities they potentially offer.It's about practicing “yes” to the new experiences that present themselves, irrespective of whatever feelings of fear, insecurity, doubt and anxiety that creep up and strive to keep my life small for the sake of comfort and security — emotions I know are underpinned by illusion – what the Hindus call Maya.For me, the practice of saying yes in the face of such fear and doubt has been paying dividends of late.I can't tell you what an incredible experience Beirut has been the last few days. A place in so many ways vastly different from what I expected. Imagine a mashup of old and new. Cote D’Azur meets Arabia. Parts almost indistinguishable from Milan or Paris or Tuscany – très chic European, sophisticated and urban teeming with beautiful, intelligent, curious people I had the privilege of spending time with. There's a reason it's called The Paris of the Middle East.But turn your head to peer behind my lovely hotel on the waterfront and you will see the unmistakable scars of war. The scaffold of the towering old Holiday Inn hotel – once the pride and pearl of the city — looms high yet decimated and rife with bullet indentations and gaping holes from shell fire artillery blasts. Demolished just after construction was completed when the civil war broke out on 1975, the scaffold still stands in a state of utter disreapir as a constant reminder of a different time, and the ever-present instability that underpins the city's elegant, cosmopolitan veneer.As I sit here tonight finishing up this post, I am now writing from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Today were back with Ultraman competitor and EPIC5 finisher Christian Isakson for Part 2 of our conversation.Thanks for all the great comments and feedback I received on social media this week in response to Part 1. If you haven’t listened to that one yet dial it up first before tuning in herePart 2 just gets better. We delve into Christian's racing. He walks us through his first-hand experience completing EPIC5 and what it took to put his imprimatur on last year's Ultraman World Championships.Then we turn to service. Christian's commitment to giving back through his involvement with Chris Lieto's non-profit More Than Sport and and his recent work in Kenya with Ameena Project. And how faith, family and humility are keystones to remain grounded, focused and on point.The message is this — if you want your life to have true meaning, satisfaction, fulfillment and a legacy of value, giving back in a meaningful way is essential.If you are feeling adrift, Christian's message will help right your ship. If he has inspired you to seek out a more fulfilling path for yourself but you're just not sure how to embark on your own version of his story, then — as mentioned in the introduction to this episode — you might be encouraged by my new online course on MindBodyGreen.com entitled The Art of Living With Purpose- 2+ hours of streaming video content with an array of downloadable tools I learned, honed and devised to course correct my life — tools I continue to rely on to this day to keep my life focused and on track. Give it a look if it feels right to you.I hope you enjoy Part 2 as much as Part 1. As always, let me know what you think in the comments section below and on social media.Peace + Plants,Rich