Plant-Powered People Podcast

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97. Ethics in Action: A Conversation with Peter Singer Jun 01, 2023

Show notes

The moral arc of the universe was changed by Peter Singer, a philosopher, Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University, and author of the groundbreaking book Animal Liberation, which first came out in 1975 and sparked the animal rights movement. In this episode, he discusses practical ethics, utilitarianism, and how to make the greatest positive impact with your life.

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Your Hosts: Toni Okamoto & Michelle Cehn

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More From Toni & Michelle

Plant-Based on a Budget (budget recipes)
World of Vegan (vegan recipes and guides)
The Friendly Vegan Cookbook
Plant-Based on a Budget Meal Plans
7 Days Mini Documentary

Show Notes

Dear friends,

Get ready to sink your teeth into the juicy topic of alternative proteins—including cultivated meat (aka cultured meat or lab-grown meat), plant-based meats, and even fungi meat!

Oh, but hold your tofu—it's not just some veggie tale. These innovations are true game-changers that are redirecting what the future of food will look like!

And guess what? We've got the ultimate protein pro in the house! Please welcome the incredible Paul Shapiro, a bestselling author, podcaster, CEO extraordinaire, and yep, you guessed it, Toni's better half.

Paul is a fun-guy who spends his days whipping up a fungi storm at The Better Meat Co., fighting for food sustainability and a world where animals can live their best lives.

Join us as Paul spills the mushrooms on mind-blowing alternative protein solutions. Brace yourselves for the scoop on growing meat without the moo, and get ready to feast your ears on the tantalizing wonders of mycoproteins—nature's very own superfood.

Whether you're a devoted herbivore or a curious carnivore, this episode will have you drooling with excitement! So, if you're hungry for a taste of the future, pull up a chair and tune in, because we're serving up a sizzling blend of entertainment and education. It's time to meat the revolution!

♡ Michelle & Toni

Key Points From the Episode:

Paul's journey toward becoming vegan
The evolution of Paul's approach to helping animals
How Paul and Toni met
Paul's experience making and distributing animal welfare documentaries
A short history of how animal exploitation has decreased due to human inventions
Paul's journey toward founding the Better Meat Co.
Paul's take on why cultivated (human-grown) meat is beneficial for the world, even among so many plant-based options
The surprising statistics about the demand for animal products
The process of creating cultivated meat
Understanding that there is no perfect way to be vegan
Why cultivated meat is a cleaner and safer way to produce meat
The top 3 things that motivate food purchasing decisions
Mycoprotein: What it is and why it is a superfood whether you are vegan or not

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Thank You to Our Episode Sponsors

Caraway Home makes the most beautiful modern non-toxic, eco-friendly, non-stick, easy-to-clean cookware. Visit CarawayHome.com/plantpoweredkitchen and use our special code PLANTPOWEREDKITCHEN to get 10% off your next purchase.

Organifi is a line of organic superfood blends that offers plant-based nutrition made with high quality ingredients. Each Organifi blend is made with ingredients that are organic and free of fillers and contain less than 3g of sugar per serving. Head over to organifi.com/plantpower and use our coupon code PLANTPOWER for 20% off your order.

95. Preventing Alzheimer's & Cognitive Decline with The Brain Doctors May 01, 2023

Show notes

Can we prevent Alzheimer's? It turns out our genes only account for about 3-5% of dementia cases, and we have a lot more control of our long-term cognitive health than we once thought. World-renowned Alzheimer's researchers Dr. Dean Sherzai and Dr. Ayesha Sherzai join us on the podcast to share how food—most notably plant-based whole foods—play a huge role in preventing the onset of Alzheimer's.

Show Notes:

How to take care of your cognitive health long term with a well-planned plant-based diet
Why and how Dean and Ayesha decided to become neurologists
Why it's a privilege to take care of your family members in need
A personal story from Toni about the devastating effects of dementia
The shocking, growing statistics of Alzheimer's and dementia
The difference between Alzheimer's and dementia
Genetics vs. lifestyle as dementia risk factors
A discussion on treatments for dementia
The encouraging statistics on how effective lifestyle factors can be for preventing dementia
How to effectively support people who are living with dementia
The cost-effectiveness of a more holistic preventative approach to dementia treatment
Blue zones and how the brain doctors take them into account in their work
What you can and should do to optimize your brain health and well-being over time
Remember: NEURO - Nutrition, Exercise, Unwind, Restorative sleep, Optimize cognitive activity
Toni's tips for managing stress and getting better sleep
The importance of community and socializing for our health
Why positive stress, challenges, and discomfort are valuable for our brain health
The Neuro 9:

Greens
Beans/lentils
Berries
Nuts and seeds
Herbs and spices
Cruciferous vegetables
Whole grains
Tea

Caraway Home (use code plantpoweredkitchen at checkout for 10% off)
Organifi (use code plantpower at checkout for 20% off )

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94. Cat Rescue With the Kitten Lady Apr 15, 2023

Show notes

Hannah Shaw aka "The Kitten Lady," is a kitten rescuer, humane educator, and New York Times bestselling author who has dedicated her life to finding innovative ways to protect animals. She strives to create global change in the way we perceive and treat the tiniest and most vulnerable felines, and has grown a community 1+ million strong on Instagram eagerly awaiting her daily adorable rescued kitten photos and educational videos. She is an incredible example of what one person can do.

Show Notes:

How Hannah developed innovative ways to rescue animals
Hannah's experience fostering kittens and piglets
The moment that Hannah decided not to eat animals anymore as a young child
Hannah's journey from deciding not to consume animals to actively helping to rescue and raise animals
How Hannah navigated her family not understanding her lifestyle change
The importance of connecting with a community that has shared values and interests
Hannah's passion for baking and cooking delicious vegan food
Transitioning out of anger and into compassion and solutions
How Hannah got started rescuing kittens
The many different careers that you can have within animal welfare
How to find what you are passionate about and become an expert in that field
Why neo-natal kittens aren't able to be adopted
The truth about finding kittens outside, why you shouldn't immediately bring them to the shelter
The importance of spaying/neutering pets
The shocking stats about kittens in the USA
How to help community cats get sterilized through community programs
The risks of not intervening when you see stray kittens/cats
The importance of a full circle approach when finding kittens
What's the best way to go about acquiring a breed specific cat?
The issue with de-clawing cats
The reality of no-kill shelters & why we need to support all types of shelters
What you should do if you find a kitten
How to meet your animals' dietary needs, how to navigate feeding your animals other animal products
Caraway Home (use code plantpoweredkitchen at checkout for 10% off)
Organifi (use code plantpower at checkout for 20% off )

Resources:

93. How Not to Die & The Daily Dozen Apr 01, 2023

Show notes

Many of the leading causes of death are preventable through a plant-based diet. But how exactly do we optimize our diet? Dr. Michael Greger, the bestselling author of How Not to Die, shares his top tips for how to minimize our chances of premature death and eat healthfully with the help of the Daily Dozen checklist.

Show Notes:

The amazing story that led Dr. Greger onto the path of lifestyle medicine and plant-based eating
How a plant-based diet helped Dr. Greger's grandmother recover from end-stage heart disease
Chronic diseases that are lifestyle related rather than genetic-based
What most chronic diseases have in common
How to incorporate the daily dozen into your life for improved health
The spices that are superfoods, and how to consume more of them
What you might not have known about garlic and turmeric
The difference between fresh and dried herbs and spices
Dr. Greger's technique for consuming spices daily without taking lots of capsules/pills
How Dr. Greger decided on what to include in the daily dozen
Caraway Home (use code plantpoweredkitchen at checkout for 10% off)
Organifi (use code plantpower at checkout for 20% off )

Resources:

92. Effective Animal Advocacy with Milo Runkle Mar 15, 2023

Show notes

Learn how to make an impact for animals from one of the greatest farmed animal advocates of our time: Milo Runkle. Milo is a longtime changemaker who founded Mercy For Animals at the age of 15. For two decades, he oversaw the organization's growth into a leading international force in the prevention of cruelty to farmed animals and the promotion of compassionate food choices and policies and raised over $130 million to help expand farm animal protection work across the globe. He shared his journey, experience, and advice based on his decades of experience with many different forms of advocacy and practicing effective altruism.

Show notes:

Milo's story of growing up in a remote area and immediately connecting with animals
What it was like to grow up in a family of hunters, trappers, and fisherman
The life experiences that set Milo on the path of fighting for the wellbeing of animals
The shocking school experience that ended up connecting Milo to one of his greatest supporters
The importance of finding a support system to help you with your mission
How Michelle was inspired by Mercy For Animals
The early days of Mercy For Animals and how it grew from local to international over two decades
Milo's advice for people who have a hard time with change
Why it's important to listen to people who don't agree with you
How practicing compassion and unconditional love can help you find potential allies and partners where we might not have before
What helped Milo to narrow the focus of the organization
Why joy, love, and fun is at the core of the work at MFA
Moving from talking about the WHY to the HOW when it comes to helping animals and ending factory farming
The advice Milo has for anyone who feels lonely in their beliefs and doesn't know where to start
Thank you to our sponsors Caraway Home (carawayhome.com/plantpoweredkitchen or use code plantpoweredkitchen for 10% off at checkout) and Organifi (organifi.com/plantpower or code plantpower for 20% off your order)

Resources:

91. Save Time & Money While Living Plant-Based Mar 01, 2023

Show notes

A few years and many lifestyle changes have gone by since the last time we've done an episode all about budgeting, and it was time for an update! Inspired by Toni's new book, this episode covers our newly updated tips for saving time and money while encouraging a healthy, plant-based lifestyle for the whole family.

Show Notes:

The story of how Toni has become budget conscious
How to be smarter and more efficient in the kitchen
What changes when you are cooking and budgeting for a family instead of just yourself
Time and budget-friendly planted-based meal and snack ideas for the whole family
Leave a podcast review and send a screenshot to toni@plantbasedonabudget.com for a chance to win 1 of 3 copies of Toni's new book
Plant-based myth busting: you do not have to be wealthy in order to live a healthy plant-based life
The cheapest foods on the planet - they're all plant-based!
Toni and Michelle's best tips for budget-friendly plant-based grocery shopping
The best items to buy from bulk bins & how to store them
Which items are actually more expensive from bulk bins
Toni's favorite mindset tip for sticking to a budget + a story from her new book
The one thing that has saved Michelle and Toni the most amount of money on food
The price difference at different stores & organic vs. conventional prices
Toni's top tip for creating meal plans that don't waste leftover ingredients
Toni & Michelle's best tips for saving time in the kitchen
Why a pressure cooker is life-changing
The importance of learning how to store your fruits, vegetables & herbs properly
Why you should be checking the price per ounce when buying food
Why you should consider buying store brands
Cooking and meal swapping with friends
Thank you to our sponsors Caraway Home (https://www.carawayhome.com/plantpoweredkitchen/ or use code plantpoweredkitchen at checkout for 10% off) and Organify (https://www.organifishop.com/pages/plantpower or use code plantpower at checkout for 20% off)

Resources:

Michelle's YouTube video: Bulk Bin vs. Packaged FACE-OFF! Budget Grocery Shopping
Check out out budget-friendly meal plans
YouTube Video: How to Make Produce Last Longer & Reduce Waste
7 Days - Fast Food Vegan
Pre-Order Toni's new book until March 6th, 2023!
Leave a podcast review and email a screenshot to toni@plantbasedonabudget.com for a chance to win 1 of 3 copies of Toni's new book!

90. Budget-Friendly Vegan Living Tips for the Family Feb 15, 2023

Show notes

Amber Allen is a YouTuber and mom of 3 kids and 3 rescue dogs who strives for balance by living as low waste as possible while still eating wonderful food and having fun. She's on a mission to show the world that small changes can have a big impact, and she's on the show to tell us all about how!

Show Notes:

Amber's mission of raising her family with a low-waste, plant-based lifestyle
How Amber started living plant-based, and how she accidentally became low-waste
How Amber got started growing her own food in a tiny urban apartment
Amber's best tips for living a budget-friendly, sustainable plant-based lifestyle
The value of training, repurposing, & how to find people items to trade/repurpose
How to select the best second-hand products, and when to buy new items
A vegan who wears leather? Learn the story of why it was a more sustainable decision.
Making intuition-based decisions rather than trying to find the "rule" about what is most sustainable or vegan
Unusual things that Amber does to save money and live sustainably
DIY laundry detergent that lasts all year
How to use reusable toilet paper
How to help reduce food waste by buying expiring/recently expired food at supermarkets
How to give plastic fruit/veg supermarket containers another life
The energy and work required to grow and preserve food
Amber's strategy to prevent food waste at home
How to normalize "strange" foods for young children
The importance of creating an environment where healthy foods/cooking is easier than grabbing convenience foods or takeout
How to make your own plant-based convenience foods to have on hand (broths, pressure cooker meals, meal prepping)
A guide to consciously giving and receiving sustainable gifts
How Amber and her husband got out of $70 000 of debt
The difference between frugality and being cheap
Thank you to our sponsors Ritual (get 10% off at ritual.com/plantpowered) and Caraway Home (get 10% off at carawayhome.com/plantpoweredkitchen or use code plantpoweredkitchen at checkout)

89. Plant-Based Health, Vibrancy, and Longevity with Jane and Ann Esselstyn Feb 01, 2023

Show notes

At 86 and 56, Ann and Jane Esselstyn are pictures of ageless health and vibrancy and spend their days hiking, doing yoga, gardening, cooking, and spreading the message that diet is the key to living a happy, strong, and disease-free life. They're sharing their best tips for plant-based health in this episode!

Show Notes:

Why and how the Esselstyns decided to make the shift toward plant-based eating
What it was like to transition kids onto a plant-based diet
How to make a plant-based diet appealing to kids that don't want to make the switch
Tips for when children refuse vegetables
Jane and her family's experience eating plants for fuel as competitive swimmers
How the whole family eventually embraced the plant-based lifestyle that Dr. Esselstyn wanted the family to adopt
About Jane and Ann's book and why they wrote it
Jane and Ann's empowering message for women
How a plant-based lifestyle can support women's health
How to make healthy, plant-based food choices feel automatic when you are short on time
Go-to healthy & plant-based breakfast recipes for busy families
The secret to making plant-based bowls delicious
Thank you to our sponsors Paw Co (www.mypawco.com) and Caraway Home (www.carawayhome.com/plantpoweredkitchen or use code PLANTPOWEREDKITCHEN for 10% off)

Resources:

Related Episodes:

88. Vegan Nutrition Q&A With A Plant-Based Dietician Nisha Melvani Jan 15, 2023

Show notes

Registered dietician nutritionist Nisha Melvani join us on the Plant-Powered People Podcast for a nutrition Q&A. She has a Masters in nutrition education from Columbia University, she's a graduate of the Natural Gourmet Institute, and has a wealth of practical knowledge about how to thrive on a vegan diet.

Show Notes:

About Nisha and her journey towards studying a Masters of nutrition at Columbia University
How and why Nisha transitioned into plant-based living
Nisha's experience living in Jamaica, England, Montreal, and New York
What Nisha learned from her Indian heritage and how it influences her plant-based cooking
The challenges that Nisha encountered when transitioning to plant-based living & the conflicting information that she learned in nutrition school
The truth about the protein obsession, and what people should really obsess over in their diets
Meeting protein needs on a plant-based diet throughout each phase of life
Why our bodies need protein & how to eat enough plant-based protein
The relationship between protein and bone health
Protein-rich plant foods & how many servings to eat per day
Lectins & the importance of soaking dried legumes
What you need to know about cooking beans in a pressure cooker
Some of Nisha's favorite easy, fast, & healthy plant-based protein bowl recipes
Why fiber is essential & how to properly introduce more fiber into the diet to prevent bloating and discomfort
What is enough water intake & why you should drink more water when increasing your fiber
Why it's important to chew slowly
How more fiber can help build a stronger gut lining, diabetes, and more
The calculation you need to know to understand the fiber content in processed foods
Why iodine is essential & how to get it on a plant-based diet
Iodine's importance during pregnancy
Iron-rich plant-based foods & how to get enough on a plant-based diet
Tips to get rid of the aftertaste in tempeh
The benefit of fermented foods vs non-fermented foods
Why it is important to consume healthy fats & plant-based fat sources
The importance of maintaining the joy of eating
The meaning behind "cooking for peanuts"
Thank you to our sponsors Caraway Home (https://www.carawayhome.com/plantpoweredkitchen/ or code plantpoweredkitchen at checkout for 10% off) and Bootstrap Farmer (https://www.bootstrapfarmer.com/)

Resources:

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