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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. 37: Damien Mander - Conservation Crusader Apr 16, 2020

Show notes

Damien Mander is founder and CEO of The International Anti-Poaching Foundation and, if you’ve seen “The Game Changers” documentary, you’ll also, no doubt, remember his powerful contribution to the film as a former hunter-turned-conservationist.

In this candid interview, Mander describes his former self - the alpha male who used to take aim at the vulnerable through the hunting, killing, and eating of animals.

A chance meeting with an elephant transformed him from a meat-loving Aussie to a plant-strong crusader with a personal mission to protect animals and the world’s natural heritage for future generations. You’ll hear all about the initiatives of the IAPF and their valiant efforts to protect over 20 million acres of the African wilderness.

In 2017 Damien founded ‘Akashinga – Nature Protected by Women’, an IAPF program that has already grown to over 170 employees, becoming the only group of nature reserves in the world to be protected by women. Their goal is to employ 1000 women by 2025, protecting a network of 20 nature reserves, all managed by the IAPF.

We’ve recently seen first-hand just how delicate our ecosystems are and, thanks to people like Damien, we are fighting valiantly, with thought-provoking conversations just like these that inspire us to action.

Episode Resources:

International Anti-Poaching Foundation
Damien's Mander's TEDx Talk
Support for this week's episode comes from Wild Earth Dog Food - use promo code: PLANTSTRONG for 40% order
Help us improve access to the Engine 2 Food Line! Survey closed 4/20/20 Thanks!
Seeking a solution for making the plant-strong lifestyle convenient and inspiring? The Plant-Strong Meal Planner offers 1000s of recipes customized to your preferences, an integrated shopping list and grocery delivery! Our Engine 2 Coaches are on hand to offer support and answer any questions. Visit our Plant-Strong Meal Planner today and use promo code: HEALTHNOW to save $20 off an annual plan.
Theme music for episode

Ep. 36: Dr. Michael Klaper - Health and Hope Amidst a Lockdown Apr 02, 2020

Show notes

Dr. Michael Klaper is a friend, a philosopher, and a humanitarian. Today, he returns to the podcast for the third time to talk about the coronavirus and to answer your health questions.

In this ever-changing landscape, we are dedicated to providing you with a compass - pointing you towards facts, science, and the world’s most well-trusted medical authorities on health and nutrition.

In addition to talking through the origins of the COVID-19 virus, as well as tips on how you can maximize your health and minimize risk, Dr. Klaper also provides HOPE!

In fact, as he says, there is room for magic in this “pandemic of possibilities.” Hopefully, we will all emerge with a renewed sense of awareness and appreciation for our planet, our animals, and each other.

Episode Resources:

Dr. Michael Klaper Website and Social Links
Support for this week's episode comes from Wild Earth Dog Food - use promo code: PLANTSTRONG for 40% order
Know your numbers! Plant-Strong has partnered with the nation’s leader in direct-to-consumer lab testing. For a list of recommended tests and a money-saving bundle, visit our website.
Seeking a solution for making the plant-strong lifestyle convenient and inspiring? The Plant-Strong Meal Planner offers 1000s of recipes customized to your preferences, an integrated shopping list and grocery delivery! Our Engine 2 Coaches are on hand to offer support and answer any questions. Visit our Plant-Strong Meal Planner today and use promo code: HEALTHNOW to save $20 off an annual plan.
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Ep. 35: Q&A with Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn Mar 26, 2020

Show notes

During this time of uncertainty, we are more committed than ever to bring you science, facts, and answers to your health questions. We put the call out and you responded in a huge way and this week, we go straight to the top -- a Q&A session with my father, Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn.

Like most of us, he and my Mother are practicing social distancing from their home in Cleveland, Ohio, so we recorded this conversation over Zoom. Whatever lack of quality there is in the recording is made up in spades with the information and answers that he provides to YOUR questions - ranging from cholesterol tests, how to order food at restaurants, the effects of caffeine on the body, the six most important leafy greens your should be eating daily, and the importance of nitric oxide and more.

Enjoy this always-educational conversation with Dr. Esselstyn.

Episode Resources:

Support for this week's episode comes from Wild Earth Dog Food - use promo code: PLANTSTRONG for 40% order

Seeking a solution for making the plant-strong lifestyle convenient and inspiring? The Plant-Strong Meal Planner offers 1000s of recipes customized to your preferences, an integrated shopping list and grocery delivery! Our Engine 2 Coaches are on hand to offer support and answer any questions. Visit our Plant-Strong Meal Planner today and use promo code: HEALTHNOW to save $20 off an annual plan.

Music credits for Episode

Ep. 34: BONUS: Brian Hart, M. Ed. - Reflections on Food and Pandemics Mar 19, 2020

Show notes

This week, during these uncertain and volatile times, we present a special episode with Brian Hart, M. Ed. Hart is a highly experienced educator with over twenty-five years in the field as a teacher, administrator, and advocate for school change in both the public and private sectors.

He is also Rip's brother-in-law and the Executive Director of the Esselstyn Family Foundation, a 501c3 public charity that strives to get the plant-based message out, free of cost, to as many people and medical organizations as possible.

Brian recently wrote a thought-provoking piece for Medium.com entitled, "Food Choice and COVID-19: Reflections on Food and Pandemics."

Today, he and Rip discuss the hope-filled lessons from this article and the silver linings we can take away during these uncertain times.

Episode Resources:

Food Choice and COVID 19

Esselstyn Family Foundation

Ep. 33: Nina and Randa Nelson - Clear Skin Crusaders Mar 12, 2020

Show notes

At age 26, identical twins Nina and Randa Nelson are strong voices in the plant-strong movement. In their early 20s, both were struck with severe acne that left them depressed, confused, and out of work...just as they were pursuing careers in the entertainment industry. Not wanting to settle for traditional antibiotics and powerful medicines with terrible side-effects, Nina and Randa refined their already-clean diet even more to remove excess oils and toxins. Within days, the acne started to clear dramatically. Today, they share the six guiding principles from their book, "The Clear Skin Diet," so that others can put the plan to work. Acne affects millions of young people and has a dramatic impact on self-esteem and social development. Share this episode with anyone who wants to heal their skin from the inside out.

Episode Resources:

Join one of our 2020 Plant-Strong Immersions - use promo code: PLANTSTRONG for any five or six day retreat

Support for this week's episode comes from Wild Earth Dog Food - use promo code: PLANTSTRONG for 40% order

Register for Camp Plant-Stock - August 14th-16th, 2020

Clear Skin Diet Website

Nina and Randa Nelson Website

Somewhat Relatable Podcast

Ep. 32: Dr. Michael Klaper - Get Off Your 'Buts' Mar 05, 2020

Show notes

“Heaven forbid, you get a heart attack or a stroke. It's only you in that hospital bed. It's not the people at work. It's not your daughter-in-law. It's not the people you go out to dinner with. It's you. You're a grown man. You're a grown woman. It doesn't matter what people think at this point and you don't owe anything to anybody. It's nobody's business what you order for lunch.”

Not many people tell it like it is better than Dr. Michael Klaper. As a revered member of the Plant-Strong retreat team, this nutritional Paul Revere always inspires with his infinite wisdom, caring spirit, and straightforward approach. It’s also this fervor that drives his quest to expose and awaken tomorrow’s young physicians to the power of plant-based healing with his Moving Medicine Forward Initiative.

This candid interview is true-to-form as Dr. Klaper and Rip ask the audience to let go of their sacred cows and get off their ‘BUTS’ to make positive changes for long term health.

Life is made up of small changes, and the food we eat every day changes us from the inside out. When you switch to a whole food plant-based diet, you have a self-healing mechanism and the body gets itself back into balance. So, why not eat the cleanest fuel possible for your metabolic engine?

There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Every bite matters.

Episode 10 Resources

Join one of our 2020 Plant-Strong Immersions - use promo code: PLANTSTRONG for any five or six day retreat.

Know your numbers! Plant-Strong has partnered with the nation’s leader in direct-to-consumer lab testing. For a list of recommended tests and a money-saving bundle, visit our website.

Support for this week's episode comes from Wild Earth Dog Food - use promo code: PLANTSTRONG for 40% order

Dr. Klaper Website

Moving Medicine Forward

Dr. Klaper Episodes from Season 1:

Paleo: The Devil’s Bargain

Keto with Doug Lisle

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Ep 31: Jane and Ann Esselstyn Dish Up Some Kitchen Confidence Feb 27, 2020

Show notes

Whenever we introduce this lifestyle to a new group, the most common question we get is, “What in the world are we going to eat?”

The preconceived notions about how “limiting” a whole plant-based lifestyle can be are so incredibly erroneous.

In this episode, you’re going to get a primer on what to eat directly from the Mother Source - Rip’s Mothersource.

Who better to whip up some culinary creativity than Ann Crile Esselstyn, along with Rip’s sister, Jane Esselstyn? Together, these two have amassed thousands of followers on their YouTube channel and they give their audience the confidence to roll up their sleeves, try new recipes, and create simple and tasty meals that will satisfy even the most stubborn.

Jane and Ann have become experts on healthy plant-based cooking and there isn’t a plant they aren’t afraid to try.

Today, they talk about their favorite simple snacks, sandwiches, sauces, and dressings.

Prepare to be inspired and get a little saucy with Ann and Jane Esselstyn.

Resources for Episode 9

Jane and Ann Esselstyn YouTube Channel

Support for this week's episode comes from Wild Earth Dog Food - use promo code: PLANTSTRONG for 40% order

Join one of our 2020 Plant-Strong Immersions - use promo code: PLANTSTRONG for any five or six day retreat

Seeking a solution for making the plant-strong lifestyle convenient and inspiring? The Plant-Strong Meal Planner offers 1000s of recipes customized to your preferences, an integrated shopping list and grocery delivery! Our Engine 2 Coaches are on hand to offer support and answer any questions - all for $1.90 a week when you sign up for a year. Visit our Plant-Strong Meal Planner today!

Music credits for Episode

Ep. 30: Robby Barbaro - Having Diabetes Has Been a Gift Feb 20, 2020

Show notes

Robby Barbaro is a seeker. After being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 12, Barbaro set off on a quest to optimize his health, buck conventional beliefs and thrive in spite of his illness. His drive for truth has become his life’s work.

“It’s not the banana’s fault,” he stresses, when it comes to the confusion and lack of understanding around eating fruit and managing diabetes. Barbaro is the co-founder of Mastering Diabetes, a comprehensive program developed to help people both understand the science of insulin resistance and take control of their health through a low-fat plant-based diet. Together with Dr. Cyrus Khambatta, they just released their first book by the same name.

Type II diabetes, in particular, is preventable and even reversible if you put the right lifestyle habits into play. And, contrary to what you may have heard, all forms of this devastating disease can be mitigated with a whole-foods, plant-based diet. If you’re willing to communicate and be vulnerable, he says, you can optimize your health and enjoy this wonderful diet of abundance and not deprivation.

Episode Resources:

Mastering Diabetes Website

Robby Barbaro Instagram

Robby Barbaro Facebook

Mastering Diabetes: The Revolutionary Method to Reverse Insulin Resistance Permanently in Type 1, Type 1.5, Type 2, Prediabetes, and Gestational Diabetes

Know your numbers! Plant-Strong has partnered with the nation’s leader in direct-to-consumer lab testing. For a list of recommended tests and a money-saving bundle, visit our website.

Support for this week's episode comes from Wild Earth Dog Food - use promo code: PLANTSTRONG for 40% order

Ep 29: Jesse Itzler Lives Outside the Box Feb 13, 2020

Show notes

Jesse Itzler does not negotiate his goals.

He’s the author of the New York Times bestsellers, Living with a Seal and Living with the Monks, the cofounder of Marquis Jet, the world's largest private jet card company which he and his partner sold to Berkshire Hathaway/NetJets, and he also partnered with Zico coconut water, which he and his partner sold to The Coca-Cola Company. On top of everything else, he’s also an owner of the Atlanta Hawks NBA team!

Clearly, Itzler has never shied away from prioritizing personal growth and adventure.

“If you don’t prioritize adventure,” he says, “You get a calendar filled up with responsibilities and appointments.”

These days, he’s helping others to prioritize adventure and to “build their life resumes” with his 29209 Everesting events. He and his team literally bring Everest and 29,000 feet of vertical climbing to mountains across the United States. Part “Burning Man,” part “Ironman,” these weekend adventures are all about satisfying that hunger we all have for experience, challenge and growth.

While we all may not aim to literally climb Everest, this episode contains a mountainful of actionable steps that will inspire you to begin fixing the things that may be broken in your life to find the hero within.

Whether it’s the plant-strong food on your plate or your morning movement ritual, learning to start your day with small wins and creating one winning habit or behavior a month not only set a positive tone for the day, but also accelerate your success and happiness.

What can be a better investment than that?

Episode Resources:

29029 Everesting

Jesse Itzler Website

Know your numbers! Plant-Strong has partnered with the nation’s leader in direct-to-consumer lab testing. For a list of recommended tests and a money-saving bundle, visit our website.

Support for this week's episode comes from Wild Earth Dog Food - use promo code: PLANTSTRONG for 40% order

Seeking a solution for making the plant-strong lifestyle convenient and inspiring? The Plant-Strong Meal Planner offers 1000s of recipes customized to your preferences, an integrated shopping list and grocery delivery! Our Engine 2 Coaches are on hand to offer support and answer any questions - all for $1.90 a week when you sign up for a year. Visit our Plant-Strong Meal Planner today and use promo code: PLANTSTRONG for $10 off your annual subscription!

Esselstyn Family Foundation - Our family foundation is committed to healing the world through the promotion of whole food plant-based nutrition.

Ep. 28: Dr. Michelle McMacken - Why She Created a Broccoli Hotline Feb 06, 2020

Show notes

After attending a lifestyle medicine conference, Dr. Michelle McMacken changed her philosophy about patient care overnight. Now, she routinely prescribes plants over pills in her practice and, through compassionate consultations, opens wide the door to change.

At Bellevue Hospital in New York City, McMacken is the lead physician on a plant-based pilot program designed to provide people with education and support. During the launch in 2019, overwhelming interest forced McMacken to set up a “Broccoli Hotline” to field calls from hundreds of New Yorkers who wanted to participate.

Clearly, Dr. McMacken has the Heart of a Hero.

Not only is she saving lives through her work, but she is setting a trusted example for hospitals around the world to follow. How? She starts by asking her patients a single, revolutionary question: “What foods do you like to eat?”

Please enjoy today's conversation.

Episode Resources:

Know your numbers! Plant-Strong has partnered with the nation’s leader in direct-to-consumer lab testing. For a list of recommended tests and a money-saving bundle, visit our website for more details.

Support for this week's episode comes from Wild Earth Dog Food - use promo code: PLANTSTRONG for 40% order

Seeking a solution for making the plant-strong lifestyle convenient and inspiring? The Plant-Strong Meal Planner offers 1000s of recipes customized to your preferences, an integrated shopping list and grocery delivery! Our Engine 2 Coaches are on hand to offer support and answer any questions - all for $1.90 a week when you sign up for a year. Visit our Plant-Strong Meal Planner today!

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