Sailesh Rao works with systems. He spent 20 years of his career working to bring the internet to life. Now, he’s using his systemic approach to fulfill a pinky promise to his granddaughter—make the world vegan by 2026. To Sailesh, it’s all interconnected—the environment, our health, and the animals—once we install certain systems of normalized non-violence, these global issues can be resolved. Sailesh’s calm, solutions-based perspective and compassionate heart are evident in his work, making his...
Mar 04, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 64
Is your diet keeping you sick? Dr. James Loomis is a whole-foods plant-based internal medical practitioner spreading the message that food is the best way to combat illness and disease. After experiencing a decline in his own health, Dr. Loomis made the switch and saw miraculous results: a significant drop in weight, cholesterol, and blood pressure in under three months. He says that most problems that walk into his office can be traced back to inflammation and stress, often resulting from the S...
Feb 28, 2020•54 min
How does a Montana cattle rancher end up on The Oprah Winfrey Show and Capitol Hill as an advocate for organic, plant-based farming? Howard Lyman weaves the captivating story of his life before and after making the Switch4Good. He’s best known for educating Oprah (and her 40 million viewers) about the hazards of mad cow disease back in 1996 which prompted a Texas cattlemen association to sue for “hurting their businesses.” Spoiler alert: the association lost. Despite this massive attention, Howa...
Feb 26, 2020•53 min•Ep. 63
Chances are, you probably know a diabetic—you could be diabetic yourself. Between prediabetes, Type 1, 1.5, 2, and gestational diabetes, this disease has unfortunately become a common one. But for many, it doesn’t have to be a life sentence. Robby Barbaro and Cyrus Khambatta are the founders of the Mastering Diabetes Program—a concept that relies heavily on plant-based food to better manage Type 1 and prevent and reverse all other forms of diabetes. Both Type 1 diabetics, they reveal their perso...
Feb 19, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 62
Ask anyone who has been plant-based for more than twenty years, and they all point back to this seminal work by John Robbins— Diet for a New America. But this is not John’s singular claim to fame. He grew up as the sole heir to the Baskin-Robbins fortune, but as he was groomed to take over the family business, he became increasingly unsettled by the fact that the company wasn’t selling happiness—in his words, it was selling lies. Unable to promote a product that endangered the animals, the plane...
Feb 12, 2020•54 min•Ep. 61
Eric Lindstrom once ate 68 chicken wings in one sitting. Today, he works full-time in animal advocacy and has written two books on veganism. What changed? The self-proclaimed carnivore adopted a plant-based diet over a bet with his wife. While he admittedly grumbled the whole time, what was intended to be a 30-day health kick turned into a lifelong passion. Once Eric discovered that he didn’t have to give up his favorite meaty, cheesy foods, he stopped grumbling and embraced the plant-based way ...
Feb 05, 2020•52 min•Ep. 60
Not many people can say they’ve played the flute for Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show , worked as an executive pastry chef, and been vegan for more than 40 years. Chef AJ, a culinary instructor, YouTube host, and author of Unprocessed and The Secrets to Ultimate Weight Loss , can say all of that and more. Although she has a background in comedy and a long track record of ethical eating, there’s nothing funny about food addiction . Even as a vegan, Chef AJ struggled with overeating sugar and und...
Jan 31, 2020•1 hr 2 min
Although food has incredible healing power, there is more you should be doing to take care of your body holistically. Beyond helping his patients transition to a whole-foods, plant-based diet to fight disease and improve their guts , James Marin is an expert at bettering health from all angles, including by eliminating environmental toxins. James is a Registered Dietitian and Environmental Nutritionist who, along with his wife Dahlia, specializes in preventing and healing diabetes, auto-immune d...
Jan 29, 2020•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 59
In the past several decades, talking about veganism has often been met with discomfort, assumptions, and suspicion. Or, like in the case of today’s guest, it was met with jokes that you might be in a cult. The world is continuing to progress and plant-based diets are becoming more and more popular, but there still isn’t enough focus on the big picture of health. In this episode, Dotsie and Alexandra are joined by Jason Wrobel , an author , chef, and podcast host who focuses on holistic mental he...
Jan 22, 2020•1 hr•Ep. 58
Cardiovascular disease is the global leading cause of death and was responsible for more than 15 million fatalities in 2016. What would you do to prevent yourself and your loved ones from becoming part of that statistic? Today’s guest, Dr. Joel Kahn , says it’s as simple as plant-based nutrition. Dr. Kahn is one of the world’s top cardiologists, a restaurateur, and is known as America’s healthy heart doc. He’s committed to making the world healthier through the preventative and healing power of ...
Jan 15, 2020•1 hr•Ep. 57
Investing your money can be a scary and confusing process. Where should you invest? What type of investments should you make? How can you be sure that your investments don’t contribute to unethical practices? Exchange-traded funds , or ETFs, are growing in popularity due to their ease of trading while maintaining diversification benefits. And more ETFs are starting to focus on social good along with financial returns. A new ETF, VEGN , aspires to tackle the concerns of vegans, animal rights acti...
Jan 08, 2020•43 min
Ice hockey is often stereotyped as a white man’s sport. In fact, USA Today claims that the National Hockey League is made up of only 3% non-white players. But today’s guest helped pave the way to increase that percentage and get more men of color on the ice. Georges Laraque is a retired professional hockey player, Canadian sports commentator, author , and animal rights activist. In his 13 years in the NHL, Georges played 695 games , including 57 in the playoffs and two fighting for the Stanley C...
Jan 01, 2020•1 hr 4 min
How would our health outcomes change if we were proactive in treating illness and disease? Is changing your diet an effective way to reverse chronic conditions? Dr. Neal Barnard is a physician, clinical researcher, and advocate for preventative medicine. As the founder of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and author of more than twenty books, Dr. Barnard is a leading voice in the plant-based movement. When he isn’t lobbying for more sustainable practices in medicine, or being fea...
Dec 27, 2019•59 min
How can athletes combat debilitating digestive disorders that are keeping them from performing at their peak? Today’s guest is Emilie Tan , speed skater turned endurance ultrarunner and meat-eating IBS sufferer turned plant-based healthy mom. Like most of us, Emilie ate animal products for most of her life until health conditions starting catching up to her. Within three months of making the switch, she channeled her newly gained energy into running the 2014 Melbourne Marathon . In this episode,...
Dec 25, 2019•47 min
Considering how much information is at our fingertips every day, it seems as though more people should be aware of what really happens in animal agriculture. Even with knowledge being more accessible than ever, people have to be proactive in educating themselves and researching outside of industry bias. Today’s guest did just that, and transitioned to a plant-based diet after researching how his daily meat products were being manufactured. Nil Zacharias is the co-founder of the popular site One ...
Dec 18, 2019•1 hr 6 min
More than 9 billion land animals are raised and killed for consumption every year, just in the United States. The more people consume meat, the higher the demand, and the more animals are exploited and slaughtered. But why do we tend to only eat certain kinds of meat? Why are more of us investing in premium pet products at the same time the chicken slaughter rate is continuing to increase ? Today’s guest shares some insight into this phenomenon, which she has coined carnism . Dr. Melanie Joy is ...
Dec 11, 2019•1 hr 3 min
When women join a male-dominated sport, it can be difficult to gain the respect of fans, officials, and fellow athletes. Those issues can be even more exacerbated when women challenge the sports world to consider new, more ethical ways of living. But that didn’t stop Leilani Münter . Leilani is a Biology graduate from UC San Diego, a professional race car driver, and an environmental activist. She realized early in her career that her mission was to bridge the worlds between racing and environme...
Dec 04, 2019•56 min
Poop. It might not be dinner table conversation, but there’s no denying it’s on everyone’s minds. If you ever feel bloated, constipated, or experience more serious digestive issues , it could be due to your diet. Plant-based and board-certified gastroenterologist Dr. Angie Sadeghi walks us through all our burning questions about our gut including colonics , enemas , probiotics , and more. Learn how to become more “regular” and diversify your gut microbiome , so get a pen and paper ready; you’ll ...
Nov 29, 2019•1 hr 5 min
Health fanatics will often tell you that things like salmon and eggs are the way to go if you want to eat healthy. But even simple iceberg lettuce has more antioxidants and fiber than both. It’s simple: going plant-based is worth it, not only for animals, but also for your own health. Here to prove that is today’s guest, Audrey Dunham , a former fitness competitor turned actress , recipe developer, and owner of Peanut’s Bake Shop . The Bake Shop offers exceptionally delicious and high-quality co...
Nov 27, 2019•1 hr 2 min
There are so many reasons people want to lose weight. Whether they’re influenced by social media, or are driven to live a healthier lifestyle, people are becoming increasingly caught up in dieting trends. Keto and Paleo have become a couple of the go-to choices for people looking to shed a few pounds, but are they actually good for you? Today’s guest is Dr. Michael Greger, the physician behind the popular site NutritionFacts.org and the author of the New York Times Bestseller, How Not To Die: Di...
Nov 20, 2019•47 min
According to ANAD, at least 30 million people of all ages and genders suffer from an eating disorder in the United States. No matter what type of addiction you have, it’s difficult to confront when you’ve hit rock bottom and are in desperate need for a change. Today’s guest is Ryan Duff, the winner of Switch4Good’s recent contest that asked listeners to submit their own stories of overcoming personal challenges. Ryan is a medical student and a recreational ultra-endurance runner , but more impre...
Nov 13, 2019•1 hr
A lot of well-meaning people having riding an elephant as part of their bucket list. One popular destination for this activity is Thailand, where tourists can spend their vacation watching elephant shows, getting up close to the animals, and riding on their backs. What a lot of these tourists don’t know is the suffering these elephants endured to be used for their amusement. Today’s guest is Ashley Bell , who has appeared in several films and television shows. She made her major feature film deb...
Nov 06, 2019•52 min
A lot of people who are self-conscious about their bodies tend to fall into dieting cycles and find themselves confused about what their bodies really need. What kind of calorie count should you maintain? How much protein should you eat? When does your diet become something more sinister? Today’s guest is Jenna Hollenstein , an author and registered non-diet dietitian who helps people who are struggling with chronic dieting, disordered eating and diagnosed eating disorders. Jenna joins Dotsie an...
Oct 30, 2019•1 hr 2 min
“It is absolutely unnatural and unnecessary for adult humans to be consuming the milk of another species. It’s unnatural and it’s unhealthy.” - Dr. Milton Mills, MD Most doctors receive less than 24 hours worth of nutrition education during their four years of medical school; they prescribe pills and surgeries without first looking at their patients’ diet. For Dr. Milton Mills, this is not the case. A critical care physician working at an ICU, Dr. Mills is no stranger to patients suffering from ...
Oct 25, 2019•52 min
Although food has incredible healing power, there is more you should be doing to take care of your body holistically. Beyond helping his patients transition to a whole-foods, plant-based diet to fight disease and improve their guts , James Marin is an expert at bettering health from all angles, including by eliminating environmental toxins. James is a Registered Dietitian and Environmental Nutritionist who, along with his wife Dahlia, specializes in preventing and healing diabetes, auto-immune d...
Oct 23, 2019•1 hr 8 min
Is it possible to make massive muscle gains without any animal products? How can you shed those last few pounds without relying on boring meals high in animal protein and low in carbs? The guest in today’s episode can teach you how to do both. Derek Tresize made the switch over a decade ago when his now-wife took a break from her role as Guild Master in their World of Warcraft game to school him on the evidence supporting a plant-based diet. As a B.S. in Biology, he dug into research and was con...
Oct 16, 2019•1 hr 1 min
Fighting for justice on our plates goes beyond fighting for the rights of animals. Between the implications of the USDA dietary guidelines for people of color , the disparity in food access and education , and gentrification pushing low-income neighborhoods deeper into food deserts , we have to confront the food injustice faced by our human neighbors too. John Lewis, also known as the Badass Vegan , didn’t see a mango or fresh avocado until he moved from Furguson, Missouri to Miami to pursue his...
Oct 09, 2019•57 min
Once you’ve experienced true fear and suffering, it’s hard to ignore the agony and trauma of others. James Aspey was diagnosed with cancer at only 17 and was told he’d be dead in six weeks if he didn’t start chemotherapy immediately. After three years of treatment, he’d gained 50 pounds and developed a severe binge eating disorder. As he worked to find peace and healing through the principles of Vipassana meditation , he was exposed to the realities of the meat and dairy industries. James made v...
Oct 02, 2019•53 min
We know that food can play a huge role in healing our bodies and spirits, but what about exercise? Finding yourself in a new professional sport in your 40s might not be as simple as changing your diet, but Joshua Stevens did it and hasn’t looked back. Joshua is an ultra-marathon trail runner who ran his first 50K on his 44th birthday after being told he wouldn’t ever run again. Before he was spending 24 hours on a treadmill for charity, he spent 24 years in the army, which led to two spinal surg...
Sep 25, 2019•53 min
When the hold of sugar addiction and habits are so strong, how can we support people through breaking out of their harmful diets? Dr. Nadja Pinnavaia, Doctor of Quantum Chemistry and former Managing Director at Goldman Sachs, is proving that it's never too late to change your path and create an impact. She is the founder of Plantable , a meal service that goes beyond food delivery and takes a holistic approach to coaching clients through their transition to a plant-based diet. Her program is hel...
Sep 18, 2019•1 hr 1 min