PLANTSTRONG Podcast - TopPodcast.com

View Top 200 Chart

Back to Rankings Page

PLANTSTRONG Podcast — Fitness & Nutrition
PLANTSTRONG Podcast

The PLANT STRONG Podcast is for people who want real answers about food, health, and longevity—without the noise, fear, or extremes.

Maybe you’ve been diagnosed with a chronic condition and want a path forward that actually supports healing. Maybe you’re an athlete looking to fuel performance and recovery. Maybe you’re a parent trying to escape the ultra-processed food aisle and feed your family real, nourishing meals. Or maybe you’re simply tired of being confused about what “healthy” actually means.

The challenge? Eating more real food can feel overwhelming. You’ve heard warnings about protein, cost, or restriction. You’ve been told it’s complicated, boring, or socially isolating.
This podcast exists to change that.
Each week, host Rip Esselstyn sits down with leading doctors, researchers, athletes, authors, and everyday people who are proving—through lived experience and science—that eating more whole plants and moving your body consistently can deliver powerful, lasting results. We’re not interested in perfection or dogma. We’re here to be extremely practical, extremely evidence-based, and extremely encouraging.

Rip’s work began more than two decades ago, when he helped transform the health of his fellow firefighters using simple, whole foods—guided by the groundbreaking research of his father, Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn Jr. That experience launched a lifelong mission to help people reclaim their health through real food and active living, and ultimately led to the creation of PLANT STRONG.

Today, the podcast is an extension of that mission: cutting through misinformation, challenging cultural norms, and showing what’s possible when you fuel your body with food that actually supports it.
You’ll hear conversations about:
Preventing and reversing chronic disease
Strength, endurance, and recovery
Gut health, inflammation, and longevity
Behavior change that actually sticks
How to build habits you can sustain in real life

This podcast isn’t about being perfect. It’s about eating real food, building real habits, and getting real results. You won’t be weak when you eat strong food.
Welcome to PLANT STRONG.

Copyright: © 2024

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 136: Glen Merzer - Food is Climate Mar 24, 2022

Show notes

Rip welcomes playwright, screenwriter, and author, Glen Merzer to the PLANTSTRONG Podcast. Glen has written or co-authored a dozen books alongside plant-based broc-stars like Chef AJ, Howard Lyman, and Forks over Knives chef, Del Srouffe.

Glen discusses his latest book, Food is Climate, zeroing in on the real leading cause of climate change: animal agriculture and consumption. He doesn't hold back because, quite frankly, we are now in a time of urgency. As Merzer writes, "The only thing that's at stake here is, our civilization. It truly is."

My friends, it is one thing to stop eating animals for your health. Indeed, it’s the BEST thing you can do. But, in this case, what’s good for your body is also good for Mother Earth.

Let’s save life as we know it for future generations. Glen Merzer tells us why and how.

Episode Resources

Watch the Episode on YouTube

PLANTSTRONG Podcast Episode Page

PLANTSTRONG Meal Planner - Perhaps our most powerful tool - the PLANTSTRONG Meal Planner is packed with hundreds of our favorite whole foods plant-based recipes and your membership allows you to curate a personal collection of menus so your family favorites are always at your fingertips. The integrated grocery list makes shopping a snap and our meal planning experts are on hand seven days a week to answer questions to chat about food. Save $10 off the annual membership with the code PLANTSTRONG

PLANTSTRONG Foods - shop our official plantstrong foods including pizza crusts, granolas, cereals, popcorn, soups, chilis, and broths!

Glen Merzer Website

Buy Food is Climate

Visit plantstrong.com for all PLANTSTRONG Resources, including books, recipes, foods, and the PLANTSTRONG Coaching Programs

Join the Free PLANTSTRONG Community with over 26,000 members

Visit PLANTSTRONG.com for all of our resources including books, coaching, podcast, foods, retreats, and more

Shop for your Favorite Plantstrong Foods

Join the free PLANTSTRONG Community

Theme Music for Episode

Promo Music: Your Love by Atch License: Creative Commons License - Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0)

Ep. 135: Chef Bai - Cook. Vibe. Heal. Mar 17, 2022

Show notes

Today, we go on a powerful healing journey. Bailey Ruskus was diagnosed with endometriosis at age 11, leaving her in tremendous amounts of chronic pain, while constantly being dosed up on multiple medications. Throughout her young adulthood, she exhausted all standard treatments and turned back to the only thing she really knew – FOOD.

You see, Bailey, who goes by Chef Bai - is also a classically trained chef from San Francisco’s Le Cordon Bleu. She spent years in the grind working 65-70 hours a week until her body just simply collapsed. Nothing about her lifestyle was sustainable, that is until she went back to her food choices and began to study the true healing power of plants. She literally had to “unlearn” what she had learned in culinary school.

Today, at the young age of 30, she is PLANTSTRONG, off all meds, feeling vibrant, and is the author of the best-selling book, Cook. Heal. Go Vegan!

We go behind the scenes on this chef’s life – including her favorite spices, flavors, and meals from her cookbook, as well as tips on how you, too, can start to heal your body.

Cook. Heal. Go Vegan! is your guide to plant-based cooking for better health and a better world.

Episode Resources

Watch the Episode on YouTube

PLANTSTRONG Podcast Episode Page

PLANTSTRONG Meal Planner - Perhaps our most powerful tool - the PLANTSTRONG Meal Planner is packed with hundreds of our favorite whole foods plant-based recipes and your membership allows you to curate a personal collection of menus so your family favorites are always at your fingertips. The integrated grocery list makes shopping a snap and our meal planning experts are on hand seven days a week to answer questions to chat about food. Save $10 off the annual membership with the code PLANTSTRONG

Chef Bai Website

Buy Cook. Heal. Go Vegan by Chef Bai

Visit plantstrong.com for all PLANTSTRONG Resources, including books, recipes, foods, and the PLANTSTRONG Coaching Programs

Join the Free PLANTSTRONG Community with over 26,000 members

Ep. 134: Dr. Anthony Lim - From Paleo to Plants: Why this Doctor Made the Switch Mar 10, 2022

Show notes

Dr. Anthony Lim is no stranger to helping to inspire change. As Medical Director of the Dr. McDougall Health and Medical Center and former staff physician of True North, Dr. Lim helps his patients prevent and treat their chronic illnesses -such as obesity, diabetes, cancer, autoimmune conditions, and heart disease - all with a whole foods, plant-based approach.

Dr. Lim shares his own personal journey to plants (having gone down the paleo and keto route) and how he now works with his own patients to “meet them where they are on their own journeys.”

Every person has a story, he says, and, once you understand where they are coming from, it helps inform how best to help them succeed.

PLANTSTRONG and Episode Resources:

Watch the Episode on YouTube

Register for our PLANTSTRONG Sedona Retreat - October 10th-15th, 2022

Shop for your Favorite Plantstrong Foods

Join the free PLANTSTRONG Community

Dr. McDougall Health and Medical Center

Theme Music for Episode

Promo Music - Creative Commons License - Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0)

Ep. 133: PLANTSTRONG Snackables - Fire Up that Air Fryer Mar 03, 2022

Show notes

Welcome to PLANTSTRONG Snackables, a bite-sized podcast where host, Rip Esselstyn dishes on all things plants!

Today's guest is Carrie Barrett, PLANTSTRONG Podcast Producer, longtime PLANSTRONG advocate, and a fellow triathlete. Carrie brings PLANTSTRONG stories and guest transformations to life each week on the podcast using her background in radio, production, and writing to make each episode motivating, inspiring, and actionable.

Today, Rip and Carrie encourage you to have a little fun with your air fryer! If you have an air fryer and are a little scared to use it, this episode is for you. Carrie's goal? Inspire Rip to get his out of the box and use it at home!

Today, they make four simple, delicious, and economic meals that pack a nutritious punch without making a huge mess in the kitchen. Plus, as you'll hear, they clearly have a blast experimenting with new recipes, serving up taste tests, and talking about their own athletic journeys along the way.

And...coming soon...we will be giving you the chance to represent TEAM PLANTSTRONG at future events! That's right, you'll soon be able to show off your PLANTSTRONG prowess at upcoming finish lines around the world.

Recipe 1: Sliced polenta served over a bed of greens and the PLANTSTRONG Thai Carrot Chickpea Stew. You can serve it over a marinara sauce as well for an Italian flair. Air Fryer: 370 degrees for 15-20 minutes, depending on the thickness of your polenta slices and preferred crispiness!

Recipe 2: Mini-chalupa on a corn tortilla, served with refried black beans, greens, and PLANTSTRONG Firehouse Chili. Air Fryer: 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes, depending on how many toppings and your preferred level of crispiness. You can also have fun and make mini-pizzas with your favorite toppings.

Recipe 3: Simple potato skins served with nutritional yeast. Air Fryer: 350 degrees for 7-8 minutes. These cook up fast and shrink, so you could go less time, if preferred.

Recipe 4: Hummus and apple crisp on tortilla. Air Fryer: 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Episode Resources

Watch the Episode on YouTube

PLANTSTRONG Podcast Episode Page

Now Available! PLANTSTRONG Broths and Soups Delivered Directly to You! PLANTSTRONGFOODS.com

Visit plantstrong.com for all PLANTSTRONG Resources, including books, recipes, and the PLANTSTRONG Coaching Programs

Join the Free PLANTSTRONG Community with over 26,000 members

Ep. 132: Carleigh Bodrug - The "PlantYou" Sensation Feb 24, 2022

Show notes

If you have extra banana peels at home, don’t throw them away! If you have extra pickle juice in the jar, don’t dump it down the sink! The same is true for broccoli stalks, chickpea juice, and potato peels. Hold on to them…Why? In this fun episode, Rip gets scrappy with food blogger, Instagram and TikTok star, and now – new author of the book, PlantYou – Carleigh Bodrug! In her creative video content, she shows her millions of followers how to turn those scraps into simple, delicious, and nutritious foods that people will absolutely adore. Carleigh is a plantstrong ball of light raised in Ontario, Canada on a small family farm. Like so many others, she was raised on the standard western meat and potatoes diet. All of that changed, however, when her Dad was diagnosed with colon cancer. I remember in 2015, the World Health Organization announced that red and processed meat were now classed as Group 2 and Group 1 carcinogens, and what I remember most about when that news broke was my dad was actually angry because it was like he had had this super invasive surgery and chemotherapy and then gone back to eating the very thing that at least was not helping the situation, right?

This feisty young woman (who really couldn’t cook, by the way) took it upon herself to start experimenting with plants! Her goal? Make this lifestyle approachable, easy to follow, and so, so fun.

You can't force it down people's throat, you kind of have to just lead by example so I try to talk as positively as possible about how many benefits that I've personally experienced from going plant-based rather than kind of shaming or dampering on people's food, because food is emotional and nostalgic, as you know.

Her new book, PlantYou includes, not just photos of the gorgeous finished products, but also photos of every ingredient you need, making it so easy to follow. You know what else I love? It features over 140 recipes that are not only plantstrong, but also OIL-FREE!

Instead of a glug of oil in the pan, why don't you try vegetable broth or water and I can guarantee the finished product of that dish is going to take almost identical if not identical, and you have now reduced the fat and caloric content dramatically.

Rip and Carleigh also dish on:

The support she receives from her family and fiance

I was super lucky in that I was supported on that journey because I think a lot of people are going it alone, and the social aspect, I always say to people, the social aspect is the hardest I think, and in a way, because I wasn't doing it completely by myself, that was a little easier to swallow. Like you didn't have to explain as much if your parents were going the same route.

Why she maximizes every ounce of food she can when preparing meals and snacks

So this scrappy cooking concept was all born by this desire to kind of like reduce food waste within our own homes and also reduce the amount of money wasted and I think something like 40 to 50% of edible food in North America goes to waste, so it's a huge issue. And I think a lot of people are going aimlessly to the grocery store each week with really good intentions and buying a lot of fresh produce that ends up in the garbage.

Tips and tricks with leftover aquafaba, ginger, date seeds, potato skins, pickle juice and more!
Tools for your plant-based kitchen
Favorite recipes in her new book
Leading by example with positive energy

I try to talk as positively as possible about how many benefits that I've personally experienced from going plant-based rather than kind of shaming or dampering on people's food, because food is emotional and nostalgic, as you know.

Trust me, you’ll be hearing a lot more from Carleigh in the coming months because the future is bright for this young broc-star.

Carleigh Bodrug Resources:

PLANTSTRONG Resources:

Watch the Episode on YouTube

Register for our PLANTSTRONG Sedona Retreat - October 10th-15th, 2022

Shop for your Favorite Plantstrong Foods

Join the free PLANTSTRONG Community

Theme Music for Episode

Promo Music - Creative Commons License - Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0)

Ep. 131: Tony Robbins - Your DNA is Not Your Destiny Feb 17, 2022

Show notes

For over four decades, Tony Robbins has been encouraging people to take control of their destinies to become, as he says, “the CEO of your own health.”

Robbins is an entrepreneur, best-selling author, philanthropist, and the nation’s #1 life and business strategist. Over the past four decades, he has empowered more than 50 million people worldwide through his business and personal development coaching programs and events.

This week, he’s on the PLANTSTRONG Podcast to discuss his new book, Life Force: How New Breakthroughs in Precision Medicine Can Transform the Quality of Your Life & Those You Love.

As you’ll hear, this book is actually the result of Tony Robbins going on his own life-changing health journey. After being told that his health challenges were irreversible, he experienced firsthand how new regenerative technology, precision medicine, and lifestyle change could not only help him heal, but also make him stronger than ever.

Life Force is a true passion project for Tony to aid everyday people searching for answers on how to improve their energy, vitality, and strength that extends and lets them live healthier and longer lives.

Rip and Tony address:

The Top 6 killers and health threats most of us face - cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, stroke, and autoimmune disease.
The groundbreaking new technologies being developed to fight these diseases, but also actionable lifestyle changes we can all make to improve our health right now – I’m talking whole food, plant-based nutrition, quality sleep, and movement.
Why your DNA is not your destiny when it comes to your long-term health.
Becoming CEO of your own health - actions to take today to improve your health and extend your healthspan.
The breakthrough work and expert insights of more than 150 scientific, medical, and health and wellbeing experts.
Inspiring comeback stories, and amazing advancements in precision medicine that you can apply today to help extend the length and quality of your lives.
Feeding America - 100% of the profits of Life Force are donated to help end hunger today.

TONY ROBBINS and Episode Resources:

PLANTSTRONG Resources:

Watch the Episode on YouTube

Shop for your Favorite Plantstrong Foods

Join the free PLANTSTRONG Community

Theme Music for Episode

Promo Music - Creative Commons License - Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0)

Ep. 130: Rip's Rescue - Athletic Performance with Dr. Jim Loomis Feb 10, 2022

Show notes

Welcome to our Fourth "Rip's Rescue" Event, where we tackle big topics and arm you with trusted information and the resources you need to take agency of your own health and performance. Speaking of performance, this episode covers the popular topic of "Athletic Performance on a Plant-Based Diet" with Dr. Jim Loomis. Both Rip and Dr. Loomis were featured in The Game Changers documentary and are also both accomplished athletes.

They discuss:

Why plants are actually a superior source of protein, and what makes animal protein so damaging
The different fuel systems our bodies use while in motion and why plants provide the cleanest fuel source
Why beets, tart cherry juice, and other sources of nitric oxide can actually be a performance and recovery enhancer
A few mistakes and misconceptions that people have about fueling for athletic performance on a plant-based diet
Supplement and vitamin recommendations
And, of course, protein requirements and recommendations

After this episode, you'll understand why a plantstrong diet that helps prevent and reverse chronic disease, is also the best diet for long-term performance and recovery.

About Jim Loomis, MD

James F. Loomis Jr., MD, MBA, received his medical degree from the University of Arkansas, where he was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society and graduated with honors. He subsequently completed his internship and residency in internal medicine at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis, Mo. In addition, Dr. Loomis received an MBA from the Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis. He is board-certified in internal medicine, has completed the certification program in Plant-Based Nutrition from Cornell University, and is a Diplomat of the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine.

Dr. Loomis has served as team internist for the St. Louis Rams football team and the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team, as well as tour physician for the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. Before coming to the Barnard Medical Center, he practiced internal medicine at St. Luke’s Hospital in St. Louis, where he was also the director of prevention and wellness. He was also on the clinical faculty of the department of internal medicine at Washington University School of Medicine.

When not practicing medicine, Dr. Loomis enjoys reading history books, cooking, and teaching plant-based cooking classes. He also enjoys running, biking, and swimming, and has completed numerous half marathons, marathons, and triathlons.

Episode and PLANTSTRONG Resources:

PLANTSTRONG Podcast Episode Page

Download our Free 2022 Big Game Recipe Guide

Watch the Episode on YouTube

Center for Plant-Based Living - "Optimal Diet for Health and Performance" Webinar

Dr. Loomis offers telehealth appointments for residents of D.C., Florida, Maryland, Missouri, and Virginia. Learn More Here.

Shop for your Favorite Plantstrong Foods

Join the free PLANTSTRONG Community

Theme Music for Episode

Ep. 129: Dr. Laurie Marbas - Bringing Plant-Based Medicine to You Feb 03, 2022

Show notes

Dr. Laurie Marbas is - simply put – A FORCE who is on a mission to bring plant-based Lifestyle Medicine available to everyone from the comfort of your own home.

In just two years, Dr. Marbas and her team at Plant Based TeleHealth have amassed nine physicians (including the wonderful Dr. Michael Klaper) to service patients in all 50 states - and Dr. Marbas herself is licensed in ALL 50 States and D.C!

Today, you’ll hear about:

Laurie's journey to becoming a physician, inspired by her younger sister's illness and recovery
Her time in the Air Force with her husband and three children while practicing medicine in rural parts of Colorado and New Mexico
Her own journey to plant-based nutrition, inspired by the astounding health transformations of her own patients
The genesis of Plant Based TeleHealth and the purpose-driven mission of this company that is now celebrating its second anniversary.

Telehealth is certainly on the rise and, with people like Dr. Laurie Marbas at the helm of plant-based Lifestyle Medicine, this type of compassionate care is here to stay.

About Laurie Marbas, MD

Laurie Marbas, MD, MBA is a double board-certified family medicine and lifestyle medicine physician, who has been utilizing food as medicine since 2012. Previously, she created a new medical model combining the power of nutrient-dense foods and intensive clinical psychological therapy to treat not only food addiction but also chronic disease. As the Managing Editor for the Plantrician Project’s International Journal of Disease Reversal and Prevention, she works closely with the journal’s Editor in Chief, Dr. Kim Williams. The journal is focused on bringing plant-based research to the forefront of modern medicine and to the general public. She is also co-founder of Healthy Human Revolution, whose mission is to provide resources that will empower individuals with the knowledge, tools, and mindset to successfully adopt and sustain a whole-food, plant-based (WFPB) diet.

Episode and PLANTSTRONG Resources:

Watch the Episode on YouTube

Plant Based TeleHealth

Shop for your Favorite Plantstrong Foods

Join the free PLANTSTRONG Community

Visit PLANTSTRONG.com for all of our resources including books, coaching, podcast, foods, retreats, and more

Theme Music for Episode

Promo Music: Your Love by Atch License: Creative Commons License - Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0)

Ep. 128: Harvey Lewis - Living Plantstrong and Running, and Running, and Running... Jan 27, 2022

Show notes

Harvey Lewis is one of the hottest ultra-distance runners on the planet and, in 2021, was virtually unstoppable. As you'll hear today, this plant-powered school teacher from Cincinnati, Ohio is no stranger to suffering - especially on the racecourse.

Last year, among other events, he won the infamous Badwater 135 Ultra (from Death Valley to Mt. Whitney), and then just a few weeks later, he outlasted every competitor at Big Dog's Backyard Ultra where he ran for 354.16 miles four almost four days - all fueled on a PLANTSTRONG Diet.

In March 2022, he’s set to take on the hardest Ultra on the planet – the Barkley Marathons - where there have only been 15 total finishers in its entire existence.

In today's conversation with Rip, Harvey discusses:

His first marathon and the profound impact it had on his life
His motivation for becoming vegetarian at such a young age
When he connected the dots between his health and his diet
His mindset when training and racing and his relationship with pain and suffering
His connection with nature
Details from his recent races and adventures, including Badwater and Big's
How he fuels himself during these harsh events and how he varies his fueling based on the conditions and the type of the event
His training regime and how he incorporates running into his daily life
Tips for ultra-endurance runners - how to avoid blisters, fuel properly, and manage the pain
What's next? His thoughts on the Barkley Marathons

We know if anyone can finish the Barkley, it would definitely be Harvey and we’ll be rooting for you every step of the way.

Harvey is doing the impossible, but the simplicity of his life makes it possible. In fact, Ultra Running Magazine just named Harvey one of the Top 5 Ultrarunners of 2021, but there's no question, he's definitely Number One over here at PLANTSTRONG.

Episode and PLANTSTRONG Resources:

PLANTSTRONG Podcast Episode Page

Watch the Episode on YouTube

RunQuest Travel Company

Harvey Lewis Facebook

Badwater 135 Website

Everything You Need to Know About the Barkley Marathons - Runner's World

Your Guide to the 7-Day PLANTSTRONG Challenge

Join the free PLANTSTRONG Community

Theme Music for Episode

Ep. 127: Nicole DeBoom - See Every Setback as an Opportunity Jan 20, 2022

Show notes

“When your body is fit and strong, your mind is fitter and stronger too.” - Nicole DeBoom

Today’s episode dives into a topic that is so important for the New Year - mindset and attitude. We're treated to a conversation with long-time PLANTSTRONG ally, Nicole DeBoom.

Like Rip, she’s a former top-level swimmer, turned professional triathlete, turned entrepreneur, who recently sold her popular company Skirt Sports and started a new company called Aesop, where people can book interviews and record their memories for loved ones.

Why will this conversation resonate with you?

Well, because, like all of us, her journey has not been linear. There have been stops, starts, struggles, and plenty of setbacks along the way. She discusses her battle with alcohol, the tension in her marriage, as well as health and self-image struggles. She. Gets. Real.

Through it all, though, Nicole has remained relentlessly curious and passionate. She has used her struggles to gain the muscle and confidence to keep going, even though it’s never perfect.

Today, she is almost 14 years sober, she’s PLANTSTRONG, and as curious as ever! Guess what? She’s still not perfect – and neither are we!

But, as you listen, we hope you’ll be inspired to keep forging ahead and continue to make smart decisions about your body because, as she says, “When your body is fit and strong, your mind is fitter and stronger too.”

Episode and PLANTSTRONG Resources:

Watch the Episode on YouTube

Aesop Nation - Share Your Story. Record Your Memories Now.

Nicole DeBoom Website and Social Channels

Your Guide to the 7-Day PLANTSTRONG Challenge

Join the free PLANTSTRONG Community

Theme Music for Episode

Promo Music:

https://youtu.be/rhV_DIoebmU Your Love by Atch SoundCloud: bit.ly/AtchSoundCloud Instagram: www.instagram.com/atchmusic License: Creative Commons License - Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0)

Related Podcasts