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30 - Fueling Your Lyfe with Plants with Chris Manderino Jul 10, 2019

Show notes

What can Americans learn from the diets and lifestyles of other countries?

Football prodigy Chris Manderino played in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals and, later, for the Kansas City Chiefs. During his time as a fullback, he was told he needed to gain 40 pounds to stay competitive -- and eating became another full-time job.

In 2009, Chris signed with the Bologna Doves, an Italian football team, and considers the dietary culture shock a pivotal point in his health journey.

Now the founder of Lyfe Fuel, a plant-based protein brand, Chris is a vocal advocate for simplifying your diet, eating intuitively, and fueling your life with plants.

In this episode, Chris shares how he is healthier and more fit than ever without the typical supplements suggested to athletes.

He also shares the science behind Lyfe Fuel, his rules for buying food, and information about "grass-fed" beef that likely no one else has ever told you.

What we discuss in this episode:

- Alexandra's appearance at George Washington University's Tackling the Population Taboo forum

- Chris says eating in the NFL can feel like a full-time job. What were they eating?

- The drastic difference in the lives of Italians compared to Americans and how it encouraged Chris to rethink his diet

- What's the first step to eating a healthier diet?

- What do you look for when you go grocery shopping? Chris shares his criteria for purchasing food

- The dangers of whey protein and how Chris replaced it with plant-based Lyfe Fuel

- The difference between plant- and meat-based proteins

- If you still eat meat because you think it's "grass-fed", you might be in for a surprise. Chris explains the difference between grass-fed and grass-finished

- How the Standard American Diet has a problematic Omega-3 vs. Omega-6 ratio, and the benefits of algae

- Chris's favorite plant-based meal

- Follow Chris Manderino on Instagram at @cmanderino or on Facebook at @manderino.chris, and check out Lyfe Fuel at LyfeFuel.com.

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29 - From Living Restricted to Living Abundantly with Mandy Gill Jul 03, 2019

Show notes

Developing a healthy relationship with food is imperative to properly nourish your body and live a fulfilling life.

So what happens if, instead, you spend your formative years coping with loss and chaos through restriction and deprivation?

Mandy Gill is a super athlete, ultra-marathoner, and has been named one of Canada's Top 10 Vegan Athletes.

After overcoming her eating disorder and finding joy in exercise, she turned to a plant-based diet and got in tune with what her body truly needed to survive.

Now she's helping others do the same.

As the founder of the Mandy Gill Fitness & Nutrition Apps, she advocates for healthy living through a life of motion, thoughtful choices, a plant-based diet, self-love, and respect for all beings.

In this emotional episode, Mandy gets vulnerable with Alexandra about her food and fitness journey, her work confronting the dairy industry, and what she eats as an endurance athlete who has made the switch for good.

What we discuss in this episode:

- The family circumstances that made Mandy face a choice between caring for herself or her family, and how that choice lead to adolescence of restriction and low self-esteem

- How fitness transformed Mandy's life and health, and her journey from Paleo CrossFitter to plant-powered ultra-marathon runner

- The spiritual, mental, and performance transformations that happen when you make the switch for good

- Why Mandy hasn't counted a calorie since going plant-based

- Canada's Food Guide versus the U.S. Food Plate, and Mandy's article on this year's Food Guide changes

- Confronting the Dairy Council as an athlete, and why humans do not need to consume dairy

- How Mandy helps her clients eat healthfully vegan

- Energy Balls, smoothie bowls, and other things this endurance athlete eats for protein

- Dotsie's interview on the Rich Roll Podcast (watch the video here)

- Follow Mandy Gill on Twitter at @MandyGill, on Instagram at @mandygilldotcom, and on her website at www.mandygill.com.

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28 - Phil Keoghan: On Adventure, Habits, and Ditching Dairy Jun 26, 2019

Show notes

If you died tomorrow, what adventure would you regret not taking?

As the host of The Amazing Race, a bungee jump world-record-holder, and a cyclist who has ridden across the US for charity, Phil Keoghan walks the walk of his philosophy: "Tick it before you kick it."

When Phil isn't interviewing guests like Dotsie on his podcast BUCKiT, he's crossing experiences off his own list, including dining atop an erupting volcano and renewing his wedding vows underwater while hand-feeding sharks.

His latest adventure? Ditching dairy.

He joins Dotsie and Alexandra to share what's happened since Dotsie convinced him to make the switch three months ago.

Phil shares his new favorite cheese alternatives and non-dairy milks while giving insight into how you can stop living your life on the sidelines.

You'll hear how he stays healthy and active while traveling the world and the near-death experience that drove him to tap into his eight BUCKiT themes.

Don't miss this inspiring episode on living adventurously while eating ethically.

What we discuss in this episode:

- What it takes to change your habits, how latte-loving Phil ditched dairy, and the awesome effects he's noticed since

- What Dotsie said to Phil that convinced him to stop consuming dairy and the heartbreaking story of Nestle encouraging African mothers to stop breastfeeding their infants in favor of cows' milk formula

- Phil's new favorite almond milk, Barista Blend, and Field Roast Chao cheese (try their alternative meats too!)

- Neuro taste adaptation: The taste buds in our mouth play a critical role during eating. Our tongues have approximately 2,000 to 8,000 taste buds divided into four basic tastes: sour, sweet, bitter and salty. When eating a specific food, the initial taste is very distinct and identified by the tongue's sensory neurons. As you continue eating the food, the taste is not as strong and does not have the same impact, which is due to sensory adaptation.

- What it's like traveling as a vegan

- What is the Reducitarian Solution? Can the gradual change of our choices make a positive impact on the world?

- Phil's 8 BUCKiT themes and the near-death experience that pushed him to live a life without wasted opportunities

- Phil's experience funding cycling teams and raising over a million dollars for multiple sclerosis charity

- Why we struggle to rediscovery our childhood, how children see "mistakes" differently, and why you have to practice an optimistic attitude

- How to stay healthy and active while traveling around the world

- Connect with Phil Keoghan on Instagram at @philiminator, on Twitter at @PhilKeoghan, and on his website at PhilKeoghan.com.

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27 - Are You a Food Addict? With Jasmin Singer Jun 19, 2019

Show notes

Jasmin Singer, author of the memoir Always Too Much and Never Enough, was vegan long before she was thin.

She struggled for thirty years with her weight and, more importantly, a destructive relationship with food.

Even after dedicating herself professionally and personally to compassion for animals, she was still missing compassion for herself.

She says it was only after she turned her objective from vanity to self-care, and traded vegan snacks for juice fasts, that she was able to get to the root of her food addiction, lose 100 pounds, and finally heal her spirit.

Jasmin is the co-host of multi-award-winning podcast Our Hen House, the digital director of VegNews, and a TEDx speaker who wants you to know that compassion is the only path to living in our authentic selves.

She joins Alexandra and Dotsie to share how she broke through her emotional eating, why we should all strive to see ourselves through our grandmothers' eyes, and why she is unapologetic about not eating anyone who has a mother.

While telling her stereotype-defying story, Jasmin will teach you how to speak a little more nicely to yourself and drop your toxic habits for the ultimate freedom.

What we discuss in this episode:

- How our parents can unintentionally warp our relationship with food and why we turn to toxic habits to fill emotional voids

- The realization that pushed Jasmin from vegetarianism to veganism, why communities are important for your transition, and Jasmin's advice for finding a "vegan family" of your own

- Unpacking food addiction and why what we consume must align with our authentic selves

- Veganism is not a diet! Jasmin shares how she takes the guesswork out of people understanding veganism and how the show Explained gave her hope that people are leaning into plants

- How Fat, Sick, & Nearly Dead and Eat to Live changed Jasmin's life after an eyeopening appointment with her doctor

- What happens to your worldview when you drop 100 pounds? How people reacted to Jasmin's weight loss and why it made her angry

- Changing your mindset from vanity to self-care: Jasmin's TEDx Talk, and why we need to try to see ourselves the way our grandmothers see us

- How juice fasting or a similar change in routine can help break food addiction

- The one investment Jasmin recommends if you think you don't have time to be vegan

- Connect with Jasmin Singer on Instagram at @jasminsingerauthor, on Twitter at @jasmin_singer, and on her website at JasminSinger.com and check out her interview with Dotsie on Our Hen House

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26 - The Truth About Eating Disorders & Treatment with Dr. Ron Thompson Jun 12, 2019

Show notes

Few illnesses are met with as many misconceptions as eating disorders.

They're often over-simplified with one four-letter word: just.

Just eat a cheeseburger. She's just doing it to lose weight.

Dr. Ron Thompson is a psychologist who specializes in the treatment of eating disorders, and he joins Dotsie and Alexandra in this episode to explain that it really isn't that simple.

Dr. Thompson has served as a consulting psychologist for the Athletic Department at Indiana University and as a consultant on eating disorders to the NCAA. He's known for broadening the awareness of athletes as a special interest group with unique treatment needs and for trailblazing the path for athlete-specific treatment options.

His publications include Bulimia: A Guide for Friends and Family, The Exercise Balance, and Eating Disorders in Sports, and he coauthored the Disordered Eating section of the NCAA Coaches Handbook.

In this episode, Dr. Thompson discusses the multidimensionality of eating disorders and their treatment. He explains why effective treatment relies on an understanding of the patient as a whole, why certain factors make someone more likely to develop problems with food, and the unique challenges that contribute to eating disorders in athletes.

You'll also hear why eating disorders rarely have to do with thinness and what you need to do if you or a loved one is struggling.

What we discuss in this episode:

- The difference between disordered eating and eating disorders, and why both often require treatment

- What it means to eat intuitively

- Is an eating disorder an addiction? Can you ever truly be free of problems with eating?

- Genetic predisposition, trauma, and other factors that make someone vulnerable to an eating disorder

- Weight loss as a symptom: Dispelling the myth that a desire for thinness is the cause of an eating disorder

- The surprising rate of male athletes with eating disorders, why we can't get distracted by "high risk" sports, and the role gender plays in seeking treatment

- How eating disorders manifest for men and how it's changed over time

- Why effective treatment relies on understanding the multidimensional functions of eating disorders

- Advice for parents of children with eating disorders, and resources for treatment including the National Eating Disorder Association, The Academy for Eating Disorders, and Gurze Books

- If you have more questions for Dr. Thompson, send them over to info@switch4good.com

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25 - Decrease Inflammation and Heal Your Gut with Dr. James Loomis Jun 05, 2019

Show notes

Is your diet keeping you sick?

Dr. James Loomis is a whole-foods plant-based internal medical practitioner spreading the message that food is the best way to combat illness and disease.

After experiencing a decline in his own health, Dr. Loomis made the switch and saw miraculous results: a significant drop in weight, cholesterol, and blood pressure in under three months.

He says that most problems that walk into his office can be traced back to inflammation and stress, often resulting from the Standard American Diet.

The former internist for both the St. Louis Cardinals and Rams now serves as the Medical Director of the Barnard Medical Center and advocates for using food -- over prescriptions -- as medicine.

In this episode, Dr. Loomis joins Alexandra and Dotsie to explain exactly how what we eat works to either heal or harm our bodies.

You'll hear why whole foods are the best way to combat inflammation, why manipulation by the dairy industry is so dangerous, and how you can get empowered to critically evaluate medical research on your own.

This is a must-hear episode to understand why eating whole foods is as important as eating plant-based for your health.

What we discuss in this episode:

- Dotsie and Dr. Loomis's experience presenting to athletes in Atlanta and some good signs of progress

- The health crisis that encouraged Dr. Loomis to make the switch and the amazing benefits he saw within three months

- Chronic disease can often be traced back to inflammation and stress. How is the Standard American Diet keeping us sick?

- How a whole-foods plant-based diet will heal your gut

- The lies behind "bro science" and how athletes are working to lead by example

- Busting myths around the obsession with protein and calcium: IGF-1's connection to cancer, over-consumption of protein lowering the PH of our blood, and why most people become lactose intolerant by age 5

- The science behind inflammation: Why you need to decrease your Omega-6 intake, increase your Omega-3 intake, and eliminate highly-processed foods

- The truth behind the popular Chocolate Milk and Butter studies

- How to better critically evaluate medical and nutritional research, plus suggested resources from Dr. Michael Greger and David L. Katz

- Follow Dr. James Loomis on Twitter at @jfloomismd, read his writing on the Forks Over Knives blog, and find him on the Barnard Medical Center website.

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- Detoxify your air with plants

24 - Dr. Christian Gonzalez On Holistic Medicine, Clearing Toxins, and Helping Your Body Heal Itself May 29, 2019

Show notes

Traditional medicine often prioritizes symptom-relief over addressing the underlying cause of illness.

But if we look beyond symptoms and approach our wellness holistically, can our bodies begin to provide their own relief?

Naturopathic medicine challenges the traditional standard by working on whole-patient wellness and concentrating on the treatment and prevention of disease by understanding systemic causes.

Dr. Christian Gonzalez is a naturopathic doctor who earned his Bachelor of Science degree at Rutgers University and his Medical Doctorate at the University of Bridgeport's College of Naturopathic Medicine. He completed his residency at the Cancer Treatment Centers of America and is currently working at a holistic and integrative medicine center in California.

Dr. Gonzalez joins Alexandra and Dotsie to discuss how you can take control of your health and give your body favorable conditions to thrive.

You'll hear how environmental toxins and stress are affecting your wellness, how naturopathic medicine helps cancer patients, and what you're really consuming when you eat GMOs.

This episode will empower you to see the whole picture of your body's well-being and help you take effective action to change the course of your health.

What we discuss in this episode:

- How naturopathic and integrative medicine is different from traditional treatment methods

- Where the real work begins: What Dr. Gonzalez tells cancer patients being released from treatment, and why he views cancer as a means of protection for the body

- What you must be eating to give your liver some love, plus the benefits of detoxing and fasting

- Empower yourself after a cancer diagnosis: Questions you need to ask

- The dangers of glyphosate and how to lessen your exposure

- How the Environmental Working Group is empowering the public: The EWG's Clean 15 and Dirty Dozen, Skin Deep Cosmetic Purity Ratings, and what to look for in the ingredients of what you put into or onto your body

- Life influences our genes: How trauma and stress are stored in our bodies, what you must do to take care of your emotional and mental health, and how can take action against cancer by eating well and exercising

- What it really means for food to be genetically modified, and how companies manipulate how we see GMOs

- Teaching compassion from day one: Why it's important to foster our innate compassion to avoid the moral disconnection between our truth and our plates

- Follow Dr. Christian Gonzales on Instagram at @doctor.g_ and listen to the Heal Thy Self podcast on iTunes, YouTube, or Spotify.

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23 - TJ Long: On Gut Health, Raw Foods, and Being Powered by Fruit May 22, 2019

Show notes

We know that eating plant-based is great for our bodies and the environment, but what about eating fruit-based?

Can we really thrive on a raw food diet consisting mainly of fruits?

TJ Long is a certified personal trainer, health coach, and fruitarian who says that a diet of living plants is optimal for gut health.

After a long journey through addiction to substances and unhealthy food, TJ found himself a junk food vegan replacing alcohol with other vices.

With some help from a new companion, and the resilience to slowly climb out of the hole he'd dug, he found freedom in health through transitioning to a raw vegan diet.

He joins us in this episode to share his inspiring path to health, why uncooked food is ideal for your digestive system, and how you can try going raw yourself.

What we discuss in this episode:

- Raw Veganism vs. Fruitarianism: What are they? Is there a difference?

- What effect does cooking your food have on its enzymes?

- TJ's own A Street Cat Named Bob story: How he overcame addiction and found purpose in caring for his best friend, Brooks

- How TJ transitioned from unhealthy to healthy veganism, and eventually raw veganism

- Finding freedom in healthful living, and what we can learn about addiction from The Pleasure Trap

- The physical benefits of eating raw food, and advice for making the transition yourself

- Everyone's favorite question: What about protein? Hear what TJ eats every day and how much protein is in his diet

- Where to start learning more about eating raw or fruitarian, including The 80-10-10 Diet and The Mucusless Diet Healing System

- Follow TJ Long on Instagram at @wholeconnection, on Facebook at @wholeconnection, on YouTube at Whole Connection, and on his website at www.wholeconnectionhealth.com.

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22 - Dr. Neal Barnard: On Disease, Diets, and Preventative Medicine May 15, 2019

Show notes

How would our health outcomes change if we were proactive in treating illness and disease?

Is changing your diet an effective way to reverse chronic conditions?

Dr. Neal Barnard is a physician, clinical researcher, and advocate for preventative medicine.

As the founder of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and author of more than twenty books, Dr. Barnard is a leading voice in the plant-based movement.

When he isn't lobbying for more sustainable practices in medicine, or being featured in popular documentaries like Supersize Me and Forks Over Knives, you might find him performing music with CarbonWorks.

In this episode, he joins us to discuss the science behind diabetes, how the Barnard Medical Center helps patients go plant-based, and diet's role in the prevention and reversal of poor health conditions.

What we discuss in this episode:

- How medical school, political movements, and rebellion influenced Dr. Barnard's worldview

- How addictive food and the power of culture keeps people resistant to dietary change

- The process the Barnard Medical Center goes through to educate patients and encourage them to try a plant-based diet as part of their treatment

- What is really causing diabetes? Dr. Barnard busts myths about sugar, fats, and symptoms vs. the cause of disease

- The surprising connection between diabetes and dopamine activity

- The Cheese Trap and the dangers of dairy: Why casomorphin is in dairy, and why cheese is addicting

- The connection between diet and Alzheimer's Disease

- Do you need DHA? Is fish oil your only option to get it?

- Dr. Barnard's role in the McLibel trial

- Follow Dr. Neal Barnard on Twitter at @DrNealBarnard, on Facebook at Neal Barnard, M.D., and on his blog at the PCRM website.

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