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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. 76: Robbie Balenger - Running with Robbie Across the US of A Mar 25, 2021

Show notes

This week, we’re digging into inspiration and exploring your personal limits with a major dose of true grit!

In March 2019, Robbie Balenger set sail with his sneakers from Huntington Beach, California to run across America all the way to Central Park, New York in just 75 days. He was relatively new to running as well as to a PlantStrong lifestyle. So, why on earth would he do something like this? Well, as it turns out, the earth had EVERYTHING to do with it.

Environmental issues, fitness, and plant-based nutrition had become so important to him that he wanted to spark more conversation and spread his message across the country. And what better way to do that than by setting the physical example for what can be done. And - spoiler alert- He DID IT!

Today, we look back at this incredible “feat” and dig into his value-driven life, which has only grown stronger since his successful trip across the country just two years ago.

In fact, just this past weekend, Robbie did it again! He broke the record for the most number of consecutive loops run in Central Park during open hours with 16 loops and over 100 miles. Now THAT is some PLANTSTRONG peak performance.

Episode and PLANTSTRONG Resources:

PLANTSTRONG Rescue 10x - Visit the site to register for the upcoming Spring session
PLANTSTRONG Meal Planner - use code: STARTFRESH for a 14-Day Free Trial. Yes, you have to enter a credit card - but you won’t be charged if you cancel before the trial ends and that’s a click of a button. Enjoy the test drive and get cooking!
Robbie Balenger Instagram
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Ep. 75: Team Sherzai MD - Your Brain's Destiny is in the Palm of Your Hands Mar 18, 2021

Show notes

If you want to know what service and passion look like, look no further than today’s guests - Drs. Dean and Ayesha Sherzai, affectionately known as ‘Team Sherzai.’ Dean and Ayesha make a return visit to the PLANTSTRONG Podcast to dig into their new book, The 30-Day Alzheimers Solution - The Definitive Food and Lifestyle Guide to Preventing Cognitive Decline, which is being released March 23rd.

Undoubtedly, everyone has been affected or knows someone who has been affected by the devastating effects of dementia and Alzheimers. Whether you are at risk, or if a loved one is suffering from cognitive decline, Team Sherzai lay out actionable, research-based solutions to this rapidly growing issue in our society.

They recall their own personal galileo moment as physicians- when one public event influenced and changed the course of their area of study - to develop education and support around preventative neurology and brain health through behavior and lifestyle change. Today, these world-renowned neurologists are co-Directors of the Alzheimers Prevention Clinic at Loma Linda University and founders of the NEURO Plan.

What is the NEURO plan, and what are those factors that can drastically improve your brain health? That's what they dish in this beautiful conversation that will inspire you to build your cognitive connectivity, find purpose in every activity, and "rewire, don't retire" your brain.

Episode and PLANTSTRONG Resources:

PLANTSTRONG Rescue 10x - Visit the site to register for the upcoming Spring session
PLANTSTRONG Meal Planner - use code: STARTFRESH for a 14-Day Free Trial. Yes, you have to enter a credit card - but you won’t be charged if you cancel before the trial ends and that’s a click of a button. Enjoy the test drive and get cooking!
Team Sherzai - Season 1 Episode 3: Who Needs Sleep?
Team Sherzai Website and Book Pre-Order
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Ep. 74: Dr. Brian Asbill - A Cardiologist’s Switch from Stents to Sweet Potatoes Mar 11, 2021

Show notes

It’s not often that a doctor is inspired to make a lifestyle change because of a patient, but this is exactly the incredible Galileo moment that Dr. Brian Asbill shares today on the PLANTSTRONG podcast.

As a cardiologist for 19 years, Dr. Brian Asbill had become adept at diagnosing and treating patients with medications and procedures, a variety of chronic diseases, and yet many of his “optimally managed” patients continued to suffer from recurrent cardiovascular events.

A couple of years later, a patient gave him a copy of Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease by Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn and, shortly after finishing reading it, he met with a patient who was having daily angina and had been told that he would require a third open-heart surgery. Instead of immediate surgery, Asbill gave him the book and told him to come back and see him in three months unless his symptoms worsened.

Three months later, that patient returned and both of their lives were irrevocably changed. He had lost 27 pounds, dropped his cholesterol by 100 points, and, within a week of changing his diet, had started walking on a treadmill thirty minutes daily while requiring NO nitroglycerin tablets for relief of chest pain.

Procedures and prescriptions would not have matched the difference that he had made by simply changing to a whole-food, plant-based diet.

Why was this not routinely taught in medical school?

Because of this new truth, in August 2018, Dr. Asbill made the decision to fully transition from cardiology to lifestyle medicine, becoming the first in the world to do so. It was time to leave the “sickcare” system behind and begin building a true “healthcare” system founded upon optimal nutrition, physical activity and stress management.

He is now part of Ruckus Health and committed to helping clients prevent, treat, and even reverse their chronic medical conditions through permanent lifestyle change. Today, Dr. Asbill shares his personal journey and the inspiring stories of his patients. "

Episode and PLANTSTRONG Resources:

Rip's Rescue - "Make Yourself Heart-Attack Proof - LIVE on March 18th with Dr. Asbill and the Esselstyns. Register for FREE
Ruckus Health with Dr. Brian Asbill
PLANTSTRONG Rescue 10x - Hop on the waitlist for our next session.
PLANTSTRONG Meal Planner - use code: STARTFRESH for a 14-Day Free Trial. Yes, you have to enter a credit card - but you won’t be charged if you cancel before the trial ends and that’s a click of a button. Enjoy the test drive and get cooking!
PLANTSTRONG Foods - Pizza Crust is Back in Stock. Bookmark this page for upcoming food announcements!
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Ep. 73: Paul de Gelder - Remaining Resilient Mar 04, 2021

Show notes

It’s always wonderful to catch up with friends and fellow plantstrong powerhouses! Today, we're thrilled to welcome Paul de Gelder back to the podcast. You can catch his first interview here in season one.

In 2009, Paul was a Royal Australian Navy Clearance Diver on a training exercise in Sydney Harbor when he was viciously attacked by a nine-foot bull shark. He came precariously close to death, as you’ll hear him recount today.

As a man who faced death face-on, he knows a thing or two about fear. How do you handle fear and uncertainty? How do you navigate dark times and turbulent waters? You double-down on structure, routine, and strength, as Paul emphasizes today.

From the start, instead of anger or depression, Paul committed his recovery and new life to one of conservation, compassion, and commitment - not just to our planet, but to the animals that nearly killed him.

He's a regular host of Sharkweek on the Discovery Channel where he takes celebrities like Will Smith and Mike Tyson on shark dives to raise awareness of the beauty and importance of these creatures that humans fear most.

It’s so easy to be inspired by Paul and, as he says, “Once you get past the fear of dying, life becomes more refreshing and free."

Episode and PLANTSTRONG Resources:

Paul de Gelder Instagram
Rip's Rescue - "Make Yourself Heart-Attack Proof - LIVE on March 18th - Register for FREE
PLANTSTRONG Rescue 10x - Hop on the waitlist for our next session.
PLANTSTRONG Meal Planner - use code: STARTFRESH for a 14-Day Free Trial. Yes, you have to enter a credit card - but you won’t be charged if you cancel before the trial ends and that’s a click of a button. Enjoy the test drive and get cooking!
PLANTSTRONG Foods - Pizza Crust is Back in Stock. Bookmark this page for upcoming food announcements!
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Ep. 72: Dr. Reshma Shah - Food and Family Feb 25, 2021

Show notes

Last week, we spoke with registered dietitian and author, Brenda Davis, about her latest work called, Nourish: The Definitive Plant-Based Nutrition Guide for Families--With Tips & Recipes for Bringing Health, Joy, & Connection to Your Dinner Table.

This week, we continue with part two of this important topic with co-author, Dr. Reshma Shah. Dr. Shah is a board-certified pediatrician, mother, plant-based home-cook, teacher, and student. She has nearly two decades of experience caring for children and families, and currently sees patients at the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, and serves as an affiliate clinical instructor at Stanford University School of Medicine.

We know it’s hard to bring an entire family on board the plant-based journey with you because there is a real fear around community, judgment, and nutrition requirements. We also know that you want what’s best for your families and it’s time we have positive conversations around food — with your doctors, friends, and especially your family.

Dr. Shah reveals some of the tools, resources, and recipes from the book that will bring joy, abundance, and nutrition back to the family table. It will also instill confidence in knowing that you’re making powerful and positive decisions for the benefit of your entire family for years to come. It's never too late to make changes and bring the family along the adventure with you.

Episode and PLANTSTRONG Resources:

Dr. Reshma Shah Website
Nourish: The Definitive Plant-Based Nutrition Guide for Families
PLANTSTRONG Rescue 10x - Hop on the waitlist for our next session.
PLANTSTRONG Meal Planner - use code: STARTFRESH for a 14-Day Free Trial. Yes, you have to enter a credit card - but you won’t be charged if you cancel before the trial ends and that’s a click of a button. Enjoy the test drive and get cooking!
PLANTSTRONG Foods - Pizza Crust is Back in Stock. Bookmark this page for upcoming food announcements!
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Ep. 71: Brenda Davis, RD - Nourish: Finding Balance at the Table Feb 18, 2021

Show notes

She has been called the "Godmother of Vegan Dietitians" and the "High Priestess of Vegan Nutrition" and today, we're proud to welcome friend, author, and plantstrong pioneer, Brenda Davis, to the podcast.

Brenda is the author of 12 books and she’s been a speaker at our Plant-Stock events for years. Not only does she captivate with the energy of a teenager, but her evidence-based research leaves folks inspired regardless of where they are on their own journey to health.

That’s why we're excited to discuss topics in her latest book, “Nourish: The Definitive Plant-Based Nutrition Guide for Families” that she co-wrote with Pediatrician, Dr. Reshma Shah.

We're often asked about how we do it in the Esselstyn house. People want to know how to feed their children healthy foods in a fast-paced, junk food society without sacrificing the nutrients needed in order to grow and thrive.

Today, Brenda addresses some of these common concerns that parents may have...Things like - of course- protein...iodine, calcium, iron, zinc, B-12...you know...all the same things we worry about as adults!

The goal of this book is not to just provide confidence in plant-based nutrition for health at any age, but also build a life-affirming connection within your family. “Nourish” offers the solution parents have been waiting for when it comes to deciding what and how to feed their families.

Episode and PLANTSTRONG Resources:

Brenda Davis Website and Resources
PLANTSTRONG Rescue 10x - Hop on the waitlist for our next session.
PLANTSTRONG Meal Planner - use code: STARTFRESH for a 14-Day Free Trial. Yes, you have to enter a credit card - but you won’t be charged if you cancel before the trial ends and that’s a click of a button. Enjoy the test drive and get cooking!
PLANTSTRONG Foods - Pizza Crust is Back in Stock. Bookmark this page for upcoming food announcements!
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Ep. 70: Dr. Irminne Van Dyken - What do Nitric Oxide, Sulforaphane, and Humming All Have in Common? Feb 11, 2021

Show notes

What do nitric oxide, turmeric, sulforaphane, and humming all have in common? Your health and longevity, of course!

You’re going to be humming with joy after you listen to this episode today with Dr. Irminne Van Dyken. Dr. Van Dyken is a general surgeon based in Hawaii, and she is also a cutting-edge researcher and plant-based advocate who teaches others how to optimize their own health and microbiome through diet and lifestyle.

Get ready to have fun and think a little outside the box because this interview is packed with quick hits on topics that she is most excited about these days.

If you enjoyed Episode 5 with Doug Evans on sprouting a couple of weeks ago, you’ll definitely love our continued talk around this new word - Sulforaphane. It seems to be everywhere these days! What is it, what are the benefits, and where can I get it?

Dr. Van Dyken also shares her expertise on the importance of nitric oxide and why it’s a good thing that our tongues are textured like a shag carpet! And speaking of tongues, she also discusses the health benefits of humming...yes...humming for health! So simple, right?

Finally, she touches on her favorite spices: Curcumin and Turmeric - and the vast health benefits of each.

This is a jam-packed episode of helpful advice from one of our favorite doctors. Dr. Iminne Van Dyken may have gotten into surgery to fix things, but as you’ll hear, she’s more interested in helping you achieve optimal health long before you ever need to go under the knife!

Episode and PLANTSTRONG Resources:

PLANTSTRONG Meal Planner - use code: STARTFRESH for a 14-Day Free Trial. Yes, you have to enter a credit card - but you won’t be charged if you cancel before the trial ends and that’s a click of a button. Enjoy the test drive and get cooking!
Order Your Chef's Garden "Repair and Rescue Leafy Green Box"
PLANTSTRONG Foods - Pizza Crust is Back in Stock. Bookmark this page for upcoming food announcements!
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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) Music promoted by Ohzum Beats: https://bit.ly/ohzumbeats

Ep. 69: Jennifer and Rodney Barrett - Farmers of a Different Feather Feb 04, 2021

Show notes

Meet Rodney and Jennifer Barrett of Barrett Family Farm.

Jennifer and Rodney have been poultry and cattle farmers in rural Arkansas for almost 20 years. But, after a series of major health setbacks, financial hardships, and moral crises, they finally decided to give it up. No longer could they reconcile their work with a greater purpose and as Rodney says, “You wouldn’t think we’d be doing something for so long that was detrimental to our own health.”

But, like most of us, they just didn’t know...until they sought the real truth.

Today - those chicken houses that would breed over 100,000 chickens every 52 days? They’re now giving birth to thousands of nourishing mushrooms. And the cattle? They’re like children.

This is their courageous, ethical, and compassionate journey from poultry to plants.

Episode and PLANTSTRONG Resources:

Join our Mystery Valentines Day Dinner with Chef's Garden - All the Ingredients Delivered Directly to Your Door
Barrett Family Farm Facebook
Barrett Family Farm Instagram
PLANTSTRONG Foods - Pizza Crust is Back in Stock
PLANTSTRONG Meal Planner - Discover the easy way to eat PLANTSTRONG
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Ep. 68: Doug Evans - The Sprout Wizard Jan 28, 2021

Show notes

Doug Evans is the Sprout Wizard.

After decades of living, eating, and working to excess and burn-out, Doug Evans had his "come to plants" moment. In 1999, he literally went from eating a greasy, fatty duck in New York's Chinatown, to eating a raw vegan diet overnight.

This personal galileo moment came as he considered his devastating family history of western disease that included heart attacks, stroke, and diabetes. Was he destined to this same fate, or could he break the cycle? He chose to break the cycle "cold cucumber," and has since set his sights on exploring and sharing the world's most nutritious superfoods.

In April 2020, Doug Evans released The Sprout Book: Tap into the Power of the World's Most Nutritious Food. Almost instantly, everyone started talking about the simplicity and fun of sprouting your own foods.

I’m sure many of you had the same questions I had. Aren't sprouts the hippy-dippy garnish you throw on a salad or in a wrap? Is it complicated, time-consuming, and expensive? And, really, how nutritious can sprouts be?

Well, as you’ll hear today, this conversation opened my eyes to the possibilities of sprouts. They aren’t just an afterthought to add flavor or crunch. They are powerhouses of nutrition and the best part is that you can begin sprouting right away on your kitchen countertop with just a few seeds, water, and a mason jar.

Get the whole family involved in this beautiful nature experiment and learn how to sprout a new hobby with life-long benefits for everyone

Episode and PLANTSTRONG Resources:

The Sprout Book: Tap into the Power of the Planet's Most Nutritious Food
Join our Mystery Valentines Day Dinner with Chef's Garden - All the Ingredients Delivered Directly to Your Door.
PLANTSTRONG Foods - Pizza Crust is Back in Stock
PLANTSTRONG Meal Planner - Discover the easy way to eat PLANTSTRONG
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Sprouting Companies Mentioned By Doug:

True Leaf Market

Ep. 67: Dr. Monica Aggarwal - A Doctor's Prescription for Happiness is Plants Jan 21, 2021

Show notes

What happens when the confident doctor becomes the desperate patient who, like the rest of us, feels powerless when we get sick?

This is the moment that board-certified cardiologist, Dr. Monica Aggarwal, describes as her moment of truth when she was diagnosed with a devastating form of rheumatoid arthritis shortly after the birth of her third child.

In an instant, she went from being an avid runner, busy doctor, and engaging parent to someone who could barely move.

Anger, blame, denial...you name it...she had it.

She also had the answer -- a radical change to her diet and lifestyle.

Our bodies have miraculous ways to heal and Dr. Aggarwal shares her prescriptions for joy, vitality and health from her book, “Body on Fire: How Inflammation Triggers Chronic Illness and the Tools We Have to Fight It.”

We know this is one prescription you’ll love to take.

Episode and PLANTSTRONG Resources:

Dr. Monica Aggarwal Website and Book Information
Join our Mystery Valentines Day Dinner with Chef's Garden - All the Ingredients Delivered Directly to Your Door.
PLANTSTRONG Foods - Order your favorites!
PLANTSTRONG Meal Planner - Discover the easy way to eat PLANTSTRONG
Rescue 10X Program
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