In Episode #85, I sat down with plant-based Australian track athlete Catriona Bisset, who currently holds the national record for the 800m event. If you haven’t heard of Catriona, chances are you will very soon – seemingly coming out of nowhere, she is now destined to represent Australia at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In this episode, we talked about Catriona’s journey from a young track athlete and the pressures she faced, through her struggles with anxiety, depression, and disordered eating, to h...
Nov 20, 2019•2 hr 30 min•Season 1Ep. 86
In Episode #84, it’s you and me again for another solo episode of The Proof podcast. As usual, this episode is about clearing up confusion, breaking down the science, and giving you practical tips to hopefully allow you to lead a healthier, more sustainable, and happier lifestyle. In this episode, I cover recent headlines about the dangers of ‘fake’ or ‘mock’ meats, Formula 1 driver Romaine Grosjean’s comments about a vegan diet and endurance performance, a recent article in the Global Environme...
Sep 28, 2019•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 85
In Episode #83, a very good friend of mine, Drew Harrisberg, returned to the show to talk about hidden agendas in science and the media, with specific reference to a few somewhat dangerous trends we have noticed. In this unscripted exchange, Drew and I covered topics including the manipulation of science to produce favourable outcomes and the confusing and oversimplified messages we get from people of influence on social media. We started by chatting about how Drew’s transition to a plant-based ...
Sep 14, 2019•2 hr 16 min•Season 1Ep. 84
In Episode #82, I return from a small break and record the first ‘solo’ episode of The Proof podcast. Yes, that’s right, the first episode without a guest – just you and me. In this episode, I explain why I took a short break from the podcast and the new direction for the show. You’ll also hear about my time in Bali and Sydney’s newest plant-based restaurant, Eden Bondi. And I discuss the recent media headlines about vegans needing to be careful about choline deficiency and about vegetarians and...
Sep 10, 2019•48 min•Season 1Ep. 83
In Episode #81, I sat down with Dr Will Bulsiewicz for a second session of answering your gut health questions. All of the topics were suggestions from The Proof community – so firstly, thank you for contributing to this conversation by sending through such important questions. If you’re a regular listener and have tuned into previous episodes with Dr B (#17, #71, and #80), you’ll already know what a wealth of knowledge he is; Dr B is a board-certified gastroenterologist, having completed over 1...
Aug 18, 2019•2 hr 44 min•Season 1Ep. 82
In Episode #80, I sat down with Dr Will Bulsiewicz, or Dr B, to go through some of the most common gut health questions out there! If you have tuned into The Proof podcast before, you’ll have no doubt come across my previous conversations with Dr B – he is incredibly knowledgeable and has a unique ability to break complicated science down and turn it into simple practical tips. If you haven’t listened to the previous episodes with Dr B, I strongly encourage you to check them out – Episode 17 (ho...
Aug 11, 2019•2 hr 36 min•Season 1Ep. 81
In Episode #78, I sat down with Drs Dean and Ayesha Sherzai for a second episode on brain health (both were previously guests on Episode #65). I cannot even begin to describe how brilliant these guys are. In this information-packed, 2-hour episode, we talk about creating an environment to help kids flourish, the importance of sleep for brain health, tips for optimising sleep, why it’s important to be able to hyperfocus, how to improve focus, removing inhibitions and the practice of ‘fearless’ li...
Jul 26, 2019•2 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 79
In Episode #77, I sat down with Rip Esselstyn to talk about his journey as a PLANTSTRONG athlete, health activist, and author. Rip is well known for The Engine 2 Diet, a book he authored in 2009 on a whole-food, plant-based diet, which was inspired by his father’s work (Dr Caldwell Esselstyn Jr) and his time as a firefighter. If you are looking for inspiration from someone who has been a long-term whole-food, plant-based athlete, then look no further than Rip – in fact, just this weekend at age ...
Jul 21, 2019•2 hr 42 min•Season 1Ep. 78
In Episode #76, I sat down with a good friend of mine and plant-based, pro bodybuilder, Nimai Delgado. In this episode, we chat about some of the more common concerns and barriers that stop people from adopting a plant-based diet. Some of the topics we cover are nutrient deficiencies, carbohydrates and body fat, sugar and diabetes, soy foods and oestrogen, taste buds, giving up cheese, food for brain health, eating enough calories, gaining muscle with a plant-based diet, and much more. Enjoy, fr...
Jul 13, 2019•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 77
In Episode #75, I sat down with Dr Caldwell Esselsytn Jr, or Essy, to chat about his journey in medicine and the specific findings from his clinical trials on preventing cardiovascular disease. It was a great pleasure to join Essy at his home in Cleveland with his wife Ann – they welcomed me with open arms and a delicious lunch. I am very grateful that I was able to spend this time with them and even more grateful to have been able to record Essy’s wisdom to share with you. Huge thanks to Ann – ...
Jul 07, 2019•1 hr 12 min•Season 1Ep. 76
In Episode #74, I sat down with Robby and Cyrus from Mastering Diabetes to chat about diabetes (type 1, 1a, pre-, and type 2) and the role that nutrition plays in insulin resistance. We go through the body of scientific literature and explain what causes insulin resistance and how to actually reverse it. We talked about the difference between low-carb, ketogenic-type diets and high-carb, low-fat diets for insulin resistance, and what truly reversing insulin resistance actually means – specifical...
Jun 29, 2019•3 hr 34 min•Season 1Ep. 75
In Episode #73, I sat down with Brian Turner (aka Brock Lee) to talk about his experience with acne. We delve into the reasons why he is grateful to acne, how his acne improved with dietary changes, bullying, body building, eating a pound of tofu a day for a month, and so much more. I’ve got to say, I have a real soft spot for Brian, and there’s a fair chance that after this episode you will too. His energy is contagious, and he really is an absolute breath of fresh air, bringing light moments t...
Jun 23, 2019•1 hr 14 min•Season 1Ep. 74
In Episode #72, I sat down with plant-based yogi Sjana Earp to chat about yoga, healing, transformation, and living with purpose. This is a different exchange to the more scientific episodes on this show, yet equally as informative and thought provoking in its own unique way. Sjana shares her struggles with mental health – bullying, anxiety, and depression – and her strategies for overcoming negative feelings. We also discussed what yoga means to her, her relationship with food, and why she tran...
Jun 19, 2019•2 hr 30 min•Season 1Ep. 73
In Episode #71, I sat down with one of the pioneers of lifestyle medicine, Dr Dean Ornish. Dr Ornish is best known for the randomised controlled trial ‘the Lifestyle Heart Trial’, where he was able to demonstrate that cardiovascular disease could not only be halted in its tracks but, in many cases, actually be reversed. In this exchange, we talked about why we see such a high rate of chronic disease in Western populations and the steps that you can take to genuinely take control of your health. ...
Jun 16, 2019•1 hr 10 min•Season 1Ep. 72
In Episode #70, I sat down with gastroenterologist Dr Will Bulsiewicz to talk about those who’ve quit their plant-based lifestyles and the gut-health issues they have described. This episode was inspired by a number of plant-based influencers who bailed on plant-based eating recently and reintroduced animal products back into their diet. I listened to all of their stories and noted many similar patterns, including that none of them were qualified in medicine, nutrition, or dietetics, and that ma...
Jun 09, 2019•2 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 71
In Episode #69, I sat down with Red Bull athlete Patrick Seabase, who cycles over mountain passes involving gruelling climbs and steep descents on a bike that has one gear and no brakes, often reaching speeds close to 100 km/hr (62 mph). Yes – mind blowing! This is the first time Patrick has told his story on a podcast, so I was very honoured to have him on the show and am incredibly grateful to have this platform to share our conversation with you. In this episode, we covered Patrick’s early ye...
Jun 01, 2019•1 hr 27 min•Season 1Ep. 70
In Episode #68, I sat down with gastroenterologist Dr Sarina Pasricha to break down irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), an incredibly common condition that approximately 10–20% of adults suffer from. Specifically, we cover the different types of IBS, how they present clinically, and how they’re diagnosed. Dr Pasricha also discusses the difference between healing and managing symptoms and shares her evidence-based approach for reducing IBS symptoms and the results she’s seen clinically. Of course, we...
May 24, 2019•1 hr 27 min•Season 1Ep. 69
In Episode #66, I sat down with Adam Sud, a tremendously brave young man who turned his life around from the lowest of lows by discovering his ‘true why’ and mastering the practice of self-love. From disordered eating and being overweight to rehabilitation, recovery, and self-love, he’s been on a remarkable journey. Adam’s story is tremendously powerful, and one that I feel incredibly privileged to be able to share with you. Today, Adam is helping save people’s lives across the world through his...
May 10, 2019•1 hr 24 min•Season 1Ep. 67
In Episode #65, I sat down with Drs Ayesha and Dean Sherzai, or Team Sherzai, who are neurologists from California. They are experts in the prevention of neurological degenerative disorders and authors of the well-known book The Alzheimer’s Solution. In this conversation, we discussed why talking about lifestyle and degenerative neurological conditions is so important, what the science tells us about degenerative neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, and the un...
May 06, 2019•2 hr 51 min•Season 1Ep. 66
In Episode #64, I sat down with Kieran De Visser, founder of the not-for-profit organisation Endurothon Oz, which aims to stop plastic pollution at its source. Kieran will be cycling, kayaking, and running 25,000 km across Australia to raise awareness for this campaign and raise $1 million to clean our oceans. What a goal that is! What I find really interesting about Kieran’s story is not only his desire to help the planet, but the fact that the source of his inspiration came from a time in his ...
May 01, 2019•57 min•Season 1Ep. 65
In Episode #63, I sat down with Australian athlete, media personality, podcaster, and health advocate Katie Williams to chat about social media and controlling our environment to stay present, live in reality, and essentially optimise our life for happiness. As well as discussing Katie’s own experiences with social media and how she creates boundaries and healthy habits, we also discuss big topics and questions – such as whether social media is an addiction, impressionable age groups and social ...
Apr 23, 2019•2 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 64
In Episode #62, I sat down with exercise physiologist, and lover of all things health and wellness, Drew Harrisberg. We discussed Drew’s journey with type 1 diabetes and how various dietary frameworks – paleo, keto, and low-fat, plant-based diets – have affected his blood sugar, insulin requirements, and overall well-being. Among many other things, we discussed why sugar shouldn’t be blamed for type 2 diabetes, myths and misconceptions about the keto diet, and the importance of keeping healthy c...
Apr 06, 2019•3 hr 33 min•Season 1Ep. 63
In Episode #61, I sat down with founder of the Paddison Program, Clint Paddison, to chat about his journey with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and how he was able to completely reverse his symptoms and regain full mobility in his joints. In this episode, we cover acne, antibiotics, and Clint’s development of RA; what RA is, including the definition of auto-immune diseases; typical drugs and prognosis for RA; and the lifestyle changes he made and how that affected his pain and mobility. We also talked...
Mar 29, 2019•2 hr 20 min•Season 1Ep. 62
In Episode #60, I sat down with fellow Australian and ocean lover Ziggy Alberts (@ziggyalberts). At just 24 years of age, Ziggy has quickly forged his way to recognition as one of Australia’s leading young artists in the music industry. The coolest thing? Ziggy’s voice is just as powerful, if not more so, off the stage, where he shares his love and passion for protecting the environment and being a positive role model for the youth of today. In this episode, we chatted about Ziggy’s journey from...
Mar 24, 2019•2 hr 38 min•Season 1Ep. 61
In Episode #59, I sat down with Dr Renae Thomas, MD, a physician working in Loma Linda, California, one of the ‘Blue Zone’ areas that display incredible longevity and high quality of life. This is a really important podcast; sometimes in nutritional science, we can become too reductionist and zoom in on potential mechanisms without appreciating the complexities of human beings. Observational data from people displaying longevity, happiness, and a high quality of life serve as a reminder that som...
Mar 15, 2019•1 hr 25 min•Season 1Ep. 60
In Episode #58, I sat down with one of the pioneers of lifestyle medicine, Dr Neal Barnard, to break down the process by which people become insulin resistant and how we can eat to avoid or even reverse type 2 diabetes. Neal covers his clinical experience with type 2 diabetes, the clinical trials on type 2 diabetes and nutrition he has run and published, how Atkins/ketogenic/low-carb diets can affect type 2 diabetes, and – importantly – the idea of reversing type 2 diabetes We also cover plenty ...
Mar 08, 2019•1 hr 12 min•Season 1Ep. 59
In Episode #57, I sat down with Carly Taylor and James Aspey to talk about animal activism and the importance of being patient, kind, and understanding when communicating the plant-based message. For those of you who may be more interested in the health aspects of a plant-based lifestyle, or perhaps see people following a plant-based lifestyle as extreme, I urge you to listen to this conversation – I think it just may give you a different view. In this 2.5-hour episode, we cover strategies for t...
Mar 02, 2019•3 hr 44 min•Season 1Ep. 58
In Episode #56, I sat down with gastroenterologist Dr Alan Desmond to talk about restoring and maintaining good digestive health with healthy eating habits. With digestive health issues such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), coeliac disease, and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) on the rise globally, understanding how to take control of your own gut health is enormously important. This episode is full of scientific evidence to support health eating h...
Feb 22, 2019•2 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 57
In Episode #55, I sat down with superstar Adidas trainer Tanya Poppett to talk about her journey into the world of health and fitness. In particular, we discussed her relationship with food and exercise in her teenage years, when she felt a lot of pressure about her appearance. She shared how her challenges with body image as a teenager spurred her on to become the woman she is today. Listen to find out what Tanya thought about people following a plant-based lifestyle before making changes to he...
Feb 14, 2019•1 hr 21 min•Season 1Ep. 56
In Episode #54, I sat down with Erin Ireland to talk about why she personally transitioned to a plant-based lifestyle and how this affected her business. This was a fascinating discussion about why Erin eventually changed the foods on her plate, how it’s been for her talking to friends and family about the benefits of plant-based foods, and how her personal lifestyle changes have influenced those around her. One of the big changes for Erin was to her baking business, and she shared the biggest h...
Feb 09, 2019•2 hr 44 min•Season 1Ep. 55
