At the age of 47, our guest today, marathoner, author, and world record holder Dr. Ruth Heidrich, received the terrifying news that she had stage 4 breast cancer. After answering an ad to participate in a cancer and diet research study conducted by Dr. John McDougall, she immediately chose to adopt a whole food plant-based diet and forgo chemotherapy and radiation. Two years later, she was in remission and became the first vegan to complete the Ironman Triathlon.    Dr. Heidrich has since...

Today’s guest is Dr. Faraz Harsini. He’s a cultivated meat bioprocessing scientist at the Good Food Institute and the founder and CEO of Allied Scholars for Animal Protection – a nonprofit that supports and mentors student advocates and future vegan leaders for the abolition of cruelty to humans and nonhumans. Dr. Harsini appeared on the podcast in episode 256, in which we discussed his upbringing in Iran as a member of the LGBT community, his advocacy work on college campuses, and a myriad...

The worldwide prevalence of obesity has nearly tripled in less than fifty years.    If we are more informed about potential health consequences than ever before, why are more and more adults choosing unhealthy eating habits that lead to weight gain, diabetes, and heart disease?    Dr. Stephan Guyenet, who has spent more than a decade studying the neuroscience of body fatness, argues that most of us aren’t choosing our eating habits at all.   His book, The Hungry Brain, dives into the...

Growing up in South Africa to a family of activists and witnessing the devastating effects of apartheid, today’s guest, Michael Schwarz, had his moral compass set to true north at an early age.    Driven by a profound sense of justice and a desire to combat the deleterious effects dairy has on our planet, he decided to step away from a 25-year career as an intellectual property lawyer and change the food industry by launching Treeline cheese – an independent vegan cheese company.    ...

You don’t get to be 400 pounds overnight. You also don’t completely reverse your diet and become a plant-based expert overnight. Chuck Carroll has experienced both of these extremes, and today he joins us as a health and nutrition advocate and host of the Exam Room podcast. This is for everyone who has an addictive behavior—when moderation simply does not work. Whether it’s an addiction to Taco Bell—like Chuck—or to alcohol or heroine, it’s Chuck’s belief that you can’t cure it, but you can...

Our guest today has done whatever it takes to grow the vegan community by working tirelessly in many different avenues. A vegan for over 20 years and a former restaurateur, Lisa DeCrescente is now the director of special projects at Farm Animal Rights Movement, she’s a board member for Sustainable Earth Eating, AND she’s the writer of the powerful, heart-wrenching short film The Next Girl, which has already received a plethora of awards and has a twist of an ending that will leave you...

Our guest today is certified Health Coach and Chef Becca Serenity. Becca specializes in helping professionals transform their health so that they can live their best lives.    As a college athlete, Becca suffered from depression, anxiety, and a crippling eating disorder, but after five years of yo-yo dieting and binging, she changed her mindset and took control of her own healing journey. She lost 70 pounds and reclaimed her life. Now, Becca guides others to take their mental, emotional,...

Ever wonder what an Olympian does every day to stay fit, or how an actress with a storied career navigated Hollywood? In today’s fun and insightful episode, Dotsie and Alexandra decided to interview each other for a change, and open up like never before, tackling everything from their successful marriages to health struggles, from activism to surviving the holidays with family. Nothing is off limits as this dynamic duo shares their personal stories, triumphs, and regrets, with something for...

Dr. Goldner was resigned to living out her life in the clutches of lupus—she expected to become disabled by her forties, deal with chronic pain, and never have children. Her perspective changed after meeting her husband and attempting to get trim for a Maui honeymoon. She shocked herself by healing her disease simply by eating a high-raw, whole-food, plant-based diet. For Goldner—and the hundreds of seriously ill patients she has treated since then—it really is that simple. Food can heal.  ...

Our guest today, Lauren Kretzer, is a vegan chef, recipe developer, and holistic nutritionist. She has worked in Michelin-starred restaurants and cooked privately for celebrities. Her work has been featured in magazines like Vogue and New York Magazine, PLUS her recipes are in some of your favorite vegan cookbooks.  In 2020, while the world was being forever altered by a pandemic, she was forced to square off against a rare and aggressive form of cancer. Rather than undergo formal...

How do you know if a product is cruelty-free if you can’t trust the label? According to Kim Paschen—Program Manager for Leaping Bunny—there is no regulated definition for cruelty-free. That means companies who use this label are not held accountable and may very well include ingredients that have been tested on animals. When it comes to compassionate cosmetics that are truly animal-free, things get complicated, but that’s where Leaping Bunny comes in. The certification organization upholds...

Born and raised in a country where being true to himself is a crime punishable by death, our guest today, Dr. Faraz Harsini, is familiar with oppression and brutality. Dr. Harsini is a senior scientist at the Good Food Institute, where he works to bring the world sustainable, cruelty-free protein. He is also the CEO and founder of ASAP, which stands for Allied Scholars for Animal Protection. It’s a nonprofit that supports student advocates and future vegan leaders to abolish cruelty to humans...

Though we live in a time when lots of alternative proteins are available to consumers, industrial animal agriculture continues to thrive and wreak havoc on the environment through deforestation, biodiversity loss, water pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions. Fortunately, brilliant minds are working hard to find solutions to these pressing issues, and our guest today is one of them. David Welch, Ph.D., is a plant biologist, running coach, and the Chief Scientific Officer and Co-founder of...

Our guests today are Registered Dietician Diana Licalzi and Exercise Physiologist Jose Tejero. Together, they founded Reversing T2D, an online health platform that helps people gain control of their blood sugar through plant-based nutrition, exercise, and mindset. In their new book, The Type 2 Diabetes Revolution: A Cookbook and Complete Guide to Managing Type 2 Diabetes, Diana and Jose help us lower our blood sugar, and eliminate or reduce the need for medication if we’re taking it. It has...

There’s a good chance you could be breathing wrong. While it may seem simplistic—yes, everyone can breathe—how we breathe plays a vital role in our health and our happiness. Reporter James Nestor—author of the best-selling new book, Breathe—sat down to chat with us about the power of breath. You don’t have to commit to meditation or a regimented breathing practice; all it takes is consistent breath in everyday life.    Listen in to learn how to breathe better and improve your health in ways...

Dr. Neal Barnard is back! Repeat guest (Episode 22), new information. We probe him for the groundbreaking and life-altering information included in his new book Your Body in Balance. It’s all about managing your hormones through plant-based nutrition because, it turns out, our hormones affect our health way more than we ever imagined. Man, woman, adult, or child, this information is applicable to everyone. Listen in to start your journey to better health and to simply feel good again in your...

Our guest today, Kathy Guillermo, is the Senior Vice President of PETA, and throughout her impressive 30-year career, she’s exposed cruelty to animals in laboratories, the horse racing industry, and major corporations. Some of her many victories include persuading Gillette and Estée Lauder to permanently ban animal testing, getting NASA to call off radiation experiments on monkeys, and pressuring the Coast Guard to stop using goats and pigs for trauma training. Kathy also wrote the book...

Our guest today is an undercover animal investigator, and in today’s show, he reveals the unthinkable. From his decades-long undercover work in the companion animal and factory farms businesses, Pete Paxton educates us on the horrendous and bizarre abuse that gets passed off as “just another day on the job” in these industries. Our commerce-driven society has conditioned us to believe that if we don’t directly kill animals (as in the cases of pets, milk, and eggs), we’re not harming them....

Our guest today, Nancy Leeds Gribble, thought she had it all. She was a successful realtor, married to the love of her life, and mother to a happy child. Then tragedy struck, changing her world forever.    Living in a haze of grief for several years, Nancy decided to take control of her life, and change her mindset, and her priorities. In 2014, she enrolled in the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, immersed herself in her love of health and fitness, and once again, found joy.   Fast...

Our guest today is physician, author, and founder of the American Institute of MindBody Medicine, Dr. Kim D’Eramo. Dr. D’Eramo started her career in Emergency Medicine. There, she observed that many patients with chronic illness had a mental and emotional component that kept them in their disease. After being diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder herself, she was forced to confront the shortcomings of the medical world that she knew so well. She embarked on a healing journey and now dedicates...

There’s a good chance you could be breathing wrong. While it may seem simplistic—yes, everyone can breathe—how we breathe plays a vital role in our health and our happiness. Reporter James Nestor—author of the best-selling new book, Breathe—sat down to chat with us about the power of breath. You don’t have to commit to meditation or a regimented breathing practice; all it takes is consistent breath in everyday life. Listen in to learn how to breathe better and improve your health in ways you...

Our guest today, Kiki Nelson (aka Plantiful Kiki), tried just about every diet on the market, without any long-term success. It wasn’t until she faced more serious health issues that she decided to take one last chance, with a high-carbohydrate, low-fat, plant-based diet. And in just over a year, Kiki lost 70 pounds, kept it off, and reversed her risk for heart disease and diabetes.    Now, through her YouTube channel, Plantiful Kiki, and in her latest book, “Plantifully Lean: 125+ Simple...

What if, by quitting or reducing your alcohol intake, you could see an improvement in your relationships, your health, your productivity, and even your appearance?   Our guest today is entrepreneur, journalist, and author James Swanwick.  In 2010, James had his very last drink. As a result, his life improved dramatically. Now, he helps others take control of their drinking through his 30-Day Challenge and Project 90 programs. In his podcast, Alcohol-Free Lifestyle, and his book, The 30-Day...

Is it possible to turn back the clock on our metabolism, burn fat, and increase longevity, all while being able to enjoy the food we eat? According to our guest today, it most certainly is.   Dr. William Li is an internal medicine specialist, scientist, and New York Times best-selling author.  His groundbreaking work in the field of angiogenesis – which is the process of developing new blood vessels in the body – has led to 40 new medical treatments for cancer, diabetes, and obesity, to...

Today’s guest is best described as a multifaceted force of nature. Hayley Marie Norman is an actor, writer, activist, and podcast host. She’s lit up the screen with Hollywood legends Will Smith, Chris Rock, and Eddie Murphy, to name a few. In her wildly entertaining podcast called Datemare with Hayley Marie Norman, she brings her effervescence and comedic prowess to discussing her dating life post-divorce with notable guests and tales that will shock and delight. And as an activist in...