In Episode #20, Australian celebrity TV host (and vegan) Osher Günsberg (who formerly went by Andy G or Andrew G) shares his story and, in particular, his battle with mental illness and addiction. With his gift of the gab and contagious smile, it would seem Osher was always destined to entertain, but just how did a kid with anxiety end up hosting live TV in front of millions of viewers? What toll did that take on his mental and physical health? And what learnings does he have to share from that ...
Aug 12, 2018•1 hr 23 min•Season 1Ep. 21
In Episode #19, I talked with Frank Cusimano (@dr.cusimano) about using science to make informed food choices. With a host of scientific degrees under his belt, a PhD in nutrition, a medical degree underway, and an absolute passion for reading scientific literature, Frank Cusimano is perfectly suited to navigate us through some commonly asked questions about healthy eating. Interestingly, Frank doesn’t specifically classify himself as a vegan. Rather, he chooses his food based on what science sa...
Aug 08, 2018•2 hr 57 min•Season 1Ep. 20
In Episode #18, I sat down with Zanna Van Dijk (@zannavandijk) to talk about leading a conscious life to leave the world in a better place than we found it. Zanna is an extraordinary example of a modern-day plant-based woman who is leading by example to make the world and herself happier and healthier. As you’ll find out, Zanna leads a very busy life and does an amazing job of inspiring people through so many different channels. I had a real ‘hoot’ recording this light-hearted conversation with ...
Aug 03, 2018•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 19
In Episode #17, I chatted to the gut health MD Dr William Bulsiewicz about how to cultivate a healthy gut microbiome and what this actually means. Dr B, as he prefers to be called, has a fun and agenda-free way of bringing the latest in gut health science to his clinical practice, website, and social media (@theguthealthmd) for us all to benefit from. Dr B’s résumé speaks for itself: he’s a qualified MD, board-certified in internal medicine and gastroenterology, a Master of Science in Clinical I...
Jul 25, 2018•2 hr 46 min•Season 1Ep. 18
In Episode #16, I spoke to Fiona Oakes about her path to becoming a marathon runner with three world records despite losing her kneecap (patella) to an illness when she was 17. For me, the really fascinating thing about Fiona’s story is that, despite growing up in a nonvegetarian family, she chose to eat a vegetarian diet at 3 years old and a completely plant-based diet by age 6 due to her love for all animals. After finishing school and working in an office job in London, she eventually started...
Jul 19, 2018•1 hr 11 min•Season 1Ep. 17
In Episode #15 of The Proof podcast, I spoke with vegan Derek Sarno about his journey to choosing a life of compassion. Derek Sarno is one of the world’s best-known vegan chefs. One half of the Wicked Healthy team, Derek heads up plant-based product innovation for British grocery giant Tesco. While visiting London, I caught up with Derek and saw firsthand how much love and energy he puts into the food that he creates – just take one look at his Instagram and you will see what I mean! This guy is...
Jul 12, 2018•1 hr 20 min•Season 1Ep. 16
In Episode #14, I talked with Matt Cama, an animal activist and weight loss coach from Australia, to ask him to shed some light on what’s happening in factory farms. The cool thing about Matt is that he’s not your typical old-school animal activist – he doesn’t approach things with anger or aggression. His motto is ‘compassion above all else’, and he uses this approach to effectively communicate his message to people from all walks of life, including those with different opinions and belief syst...
Jul 08, 2018•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 15
In Episode #13 of The Proof podcast, Max La Manna shares his story of how to live a no-waste life. Max is the perfect example of a typical American kid who grew up in the 80s and 90s thinking that an Italian American diet, full of meat and cheese, was normal and healthy. Despite having always been slightly more environmentally conscious than his peers, which he credits to the way he was raised, there was a pivotal moment in Max’s life where this consciousness was raised to a new level. To an ext...
Jun 28, 2018•1 hr 14 min•Season 1Ep. 14
In Episode #12 I sat down with Ben Handsaker (better known as Abstacker), an Australian champion fitness model, cover model, international motivational speaker, and top performing coach. At the 2014 Musclemania Australian championship, Ben won first place in men’s physique and first place overall. He has since landed four covers in large global fitness magazines and has appeared in fifty fitness magazines around the world. Despite all this success, Ben’s journey has not been without insecurity, ...
Jun 21, 2018•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 13
In Episode #11, I connected with Sam Webb to find out about his experiences with mental health. We talked about Sam’s personal mental health battles and how he dealt with the suicide of his best mate. He shared the inspiration behind Livin, the non-profit mental health organisation that Sam co-founded, and some tips for handling your own mental health issues or helping a friend with mental health issues. Connect with Sam on Instagram or check out the Livin website for more information about the ...
Jun 13, 2018•1 hr 11 min•Season 1Ep. 12
In Episode #10, I was joined by Ellie Bullen, one of the best-known health and wellness influencers online. Listen to the episode to find out about her upbringing, including her relationship with her twin sister Lauren (gypsea_lust) and her time in the army. Learn about why Ellie moved to a plant-based diet, her top tips for transitioning to a plant-based diet, and how she grew her online social community on Instagram (@elsas_wholesomelife). We also discussed her website and cookbook. Enjoy, fri...
Jun 05, 2018•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 11
In Episode #9 of The Proof podcast, I talked to Dr Padma Garvey about her story and how she uses plant-based nutrition in her medical practice. We covered Padma and her family’s personal transition to a plant-based lifestyle, as well as diving into how she uses plant-based nutrition clinically and explains it to her patients. Some specific topics that we touch on are how the number of menstruation cycles over a woman’s life can be affected by animal products, particularly high-fat animal product...
Jun 02, 2018•48 min•Season 1Ep. 10
In Episode #8, I spoke to Jermaine Jones, professional soccer player and plant-based. He grew up in Germany, where he began his professional soccer career. He then represented Germany before moving to Los Angeles and playing for the USA. Jermaine now resides in Malibu, California, and his wife and five children all live a plant-based lifestyle. In this episode, Jermaine shares his story from his youth all the way up to today, including the magical goal he scored against Portugal in the 2014 Worl...
May 24, 2018•58 min•Season 1Ep. 9
In Episode #7, I spoke to Maya French, the co-founder of start-up company ‘Koia’. Koia produces plant-based beverages sold across the USA in thousands of stores, including Whole Foods. In this podcast, Maya shares how the Koia brand has developed since its inception, gives insight into how to raise funds for start-ups in this space, and provides an overview of her company structure. She also gives a glimpse into what it’s like to work with a major retail giant like Whole Foods. Anyone who is int...
May 17, 2018•30 min•Season 1Ep. 8
In Episode #6, I spoke with Australian rules football champion Jobe Watson. Jobe captained Essendon Football Club for six years and won the Australian Football League (AFL) Best Captain award in 2012. Jobe’s career certainly had its highs and lows, and the most notable of those lows was no doubt the doping scandal he found himself in the middle of in 2016. In this podcast, Jobe opens up about his introduction to football, his early days at the Essendon Football Club as a youngster trying to forg...
May 11, 2018•1 hr 24 min•Season 1Ep. 7
In Episode #5 of The Proof podcast, I spoke with Peter Cervoni: a veteran of the food service industry with well over thirty years of proven, professional culinary experience in plant-based, health-supportive cuisine. Peter graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 1993 and worked at some of New York City’s finest restaurants, including The River Café and La Côte Basque. Since switching to plant-based, he has worked as a chef for top plant-based restaurants in New York City, a food wri...
May 03, 2018•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 6
In Episode #4, I’m joined by Mike Rashid King. He’s a professional American boxer, body builder, and successful businessman. From an early age, Mike was surrounded by drugs and violence in Brooklyn NYC, where he grew up. He went through what can only be described as a crazy and unimaginable roller coaster ride to get to where he is today. A story of someone who shows true grit to overcome adversity. Enjoy, friends. Simon Want to support the show? The best way to support the show is to use the pr...
Apr 28, 2018•1 hr 17 min•Season 1Ep. 5
In Episode #3, I’m joined by Nimai Delgado, a professional men’s physique bodybuilder and vegan athlete from the USA. Raised in Mississippi as a vegetarian from birth, Nimai made the move to a 100% vegan diet in 2015. That’s right, he has never eaten meat in his life. It wasn’t until Nimai won his first bodybuilding competition that he no longer suppressed his identity, began to understand who he was, and learned to own it. Enjoy, friends. Simon Want to support the show? The best way to support ...
Apr 20, 2018•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 4
In Episode #2, I’m joined by Dr Michelle McMacken, one of the world’s leading doctors implementing plant-based nutrition into her clinical practice. If you are interested in improving your health through better food choices and protecting yourself against chronic disease, this is a must listen. Dr McMacken is truly a wealth of knowledge. Enjoy, friends. Simon Want to support the show? The best way to support the show is to use the products and services offered by our sponsors. To check them out,...
Apr 12, 2018•1 hr 18 min•Season 1Ep. 2
In Episode #1, I sat down with Jake Mckeon, the founder of coconutbowls.com. Jake's story is one of both perseverance and dedication and offers insight into how you can use failed start-ups to build something truly great. From working a 9–5 office job and following a string of 'failed' or 'semi-failed' start-ups, Jake has gone on to create an astronomical business that has reclaimed and sold hundreds of thousands of Coconut Bowls in just the first two years of operating. Enjoy, friends. Simon Wa...
Apr 10, 2018•49 min•Season 1Ep. 3
