PLANTSTRONG Podcast

Colleen Patrick-Goudreau—the author, speaker, podcaster, and longtime advocate known as the Joyful Vegan—returns to the Plant Strong Podcast for a thoughtful conversation about compassion, sustainability, and creating change without burning out.

Colleen explains why anger, remorse, isolation, and rigid thinking can make a plant-based lifestyle harder to sustain. Rather than making “being vegan” the ultimate goal, she encourages people to focus on their deeper North Star: living as compassionately, healthfully, and responsibly as possible.

Her message is simple and liberating:

Don’t do nothing because you can’t do everything. Do something—an...

In 2011, a routine physical revealed a total cholesterol of 240 and LDL of 170 for Vince Rountree. Told there wasn’t much he could do beyond medication, Vince (a chemical engineer) wasn't buying it and kept searching—and eventually found the work of Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr.

So he went all-in.

For six weeks, Vince ate a 100% whole-food, plant-based diet with no exceptions. When he retested, his total cholesterol had dropped to 132 and his LDL to 78.

That experiment changed the course of his life.

Today, Vince is a health coach and founder of T...

Rip sits down with longtime friend, former triathlon coach and Primal Kitchen founder, Mark Sisson, for a wide-ranging conversation about biohacking, longevity, chronic cardio, walking and foot health.

Rip and Mark go back more than three decades — and although their nutritional philosophies couldn't be much more different, Rip has always admired Mark's entrepreneurial spirit, curiosity and willingness to take risks.

In this episode, Mark explains:

- Why he calls biohacking “the day trading of health”

- Why he believes the basics should come before gadgets and supplements

- His proble...

Who are you—and why do you do what you do?

Most of us spend our lives answering questions about what we want to accomplish, what career we should pursue, and what steps we should take next. But Dr. Gary Sanchez believes we’re asking the right questions in the wrong order.

Gary is the founder of The WHY Institute and the creator of a system designed to help people discover their WHY, their HOW, and their WHAT—the personal operating system behind how they think, communicate, lead, make decisions, and find fulfillment.

Before...

New York Times bestselling author, Carleigh Bodrug, is back with PlantYou: Quickies, her third cookbook, packed with more than 140 fast, approachable plant-based recipes designed for busy, real life.

The idea for Quickies came during an especially challenging season. After losing her mother, becoming pregnant, and welcoming her son Weston, Carleigh suddenly understood what it felt like to simply not have the energy to cook.

That led to one of the biggest themes of this conversation: Maybe people don't have a motivation problem when it comes to eating well. Maybe they have a time problem.

Getting older may be inevitable. Getting weak, frail, and sedentary? Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina say absolutely not.

In their new book, Plant Powered Seniors, these longtime plant-based nutrition experts explore how to stay strong, healthy, and independent as we age — and they’re living proof. At 84, Vesanto still takes fitness and yoga classes regularly, while Brenda, 67, runs trails, does push-ups, and climbs on the monkey bars with her grandkids.

In this conversation, Rip, Brenda, and Vesanto dig into what changes nutritionally after 50, including:

Dr. Neal Barnard is back on the PLANTSTRONG Podcast — and this time, he and the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine are taking the federal government to court.

At the center of the fight? The new Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Neal says the government tossed aside the work of a transparent scientific advisory committee and instead moved forward with recommendations shaped by a nine-member panel that operated largely out of public view — with members he says had significant ties to the livestock, dairy, and low-carb industries.

And that matters. A lot.

These guid...

Rip sits down with Certified High Performance Coach and author Lisa Wargofchik to talk about her book, Remarkable Routines: How Daily Habits Shape a Life of Intention and Fulfillment, and why those small, seemingly ordinary choices can add up to something pretty extraordinary.

Lisa spent nearly 40 years in the employee benefits and wellness world, including leadership roles at Fortune 100 companies and consulting with organizations across the country. Today, she helps people gain more clarity, build more energy, and live with greater purpose — both at work and at home.

And here’s the big idea: routines aren...

Originally recorded for Complement's Plantapalooza in 2024, this timeless conversation with CEO, Matt Tullman, explores how sport, community, fun, and whole plant foods can support lifelong fitness.

Rip shares his journey from elite swimming and triathlon to pickleball, mountain biking, family adventures, and master’s swimming. He also explains how accountability partners, simple routines, and the pillars of Plant Strong nutrition can make movement more joyful and sustainable at any age.

His closing invitation is simple: find a way to move and give yourself the opportunity to feel reborn.

Even the healthiest plant-based diets ha...

Rip sits down with OB-GYN, women’s health expert, and author of Generation M, Dr. Jessica Shepherd, for a candid, empowering conversation about perimenopause, menopause, hormones, nutrition, sex, sleep, strength, and what it really means to thrive in midlife and beyond.

For too long, menopause has been framed as a decline — something to dread, hide, or simply suffer through. Dr. Shepherd is here to change that narrative. She explains that menopause is not a failure of the body, but a natural biological transition — and one that deserves far more education, support, and celebration.

In this conver...

Dr. Daniel Chong has spent years helping patients understand their true cardiovascular risk and take meaningful action to prevent heart attacks and strokes.

In this episode, Rip and Dr. Chong dig into the confusing, often polarizing world of cholesterol and heart disease. Is LDL cholesterol really important? How low should it go? Is ApoB a better marker? What about calcium scores, lipoprotein(a), statins, saturated fat, and the growing noise around keto and carnivore diets?

Dr. Chong offers a grounded, practical, and highly nuanced perspective. He explains why standard LDL cholesterol is only part of...

Dr. Kendale Ritchey is a podiatrist in Knoxville, Tennessee, a former University of Tennessee swimmer, and a self-described “recovered barbecue-aholic.”

For nearly three decades, Kendale lived with recurring episodes of intense abdominal, chest, and joint pain, along with fevers and debilitating inflammation.

Then, after watching Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead and Forks Over Knives with his wife Connie, Kendale decided to try a whole food, plant-based lifestyle.

Within weeks, he noticed something extraordinary: the episodes were milder. Then they stopped.

In this conversation, Rip and Kendale talk about his years of unexplained pain...

At 17, after adopting a high-protein diet filled with meat, milk, protein powder, and processed meats, Dr. Yu experienced his first gout attack. The pain was so intense that he still remembers waking up at 4:00 a.m. feeling as if someone had slammed a wooden board into his toe.

But gout was only the beginning.

Over the years, Dr. Yu developed recurring, mysterious inflammation throughout his body — jaw, shoulders, wrists, fingers, knees, toes, hips, ankles — along with fatigue and irritability. Even while in medical school, he struggled to find answers. Eventually, he was diagnosed with gout, pseu...

Dr. Melissa Mondala joins Rip to talk about women’s health, autoimmune disease, anxiety, perimenopause, metabolic health, hormones, and the power of whole food, plant-based lifestyle medicine.

A family medicine and lifestyle medicine physician, Dr. Melissa shares her personal journey from struggling with GERD, IBS, fatigue, and serious health challenges to discovering the transformative power of plant-based nutrition during her training at Loma Linda. She also shares how meeting Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn and Ann Esselstyn helped shape the way she practices medicine today.

Rip and Dr. Mondala explore why so many women feel anxious, foggy, in...

Ever eat when you weren’t really hungry and wonder why willpower wasn’t enough to stop you?

This week, Rip talks with Dr. Jud Brewer - neuroscientist, psychiatrist, and author of The Hunger Habit - about cravings, emotional eating, and the science behind food habits.

Rip and Brewer explore the difference between true physical hunger and what researchers call “hedonic hunger” — eating driven by emotions, stress, boredom, celebration, cravings, or cues in our environment. Dr. Jud explains why ultra-processed foods are engineered to hit the “bliss point” of sugar, fat, salt, crunch, and mouthfeel, making them es...

Nelson Campbell joins Rip Esselstyn for a deeply personal and powerful conversation about his new book with Dr. T. Colin Campbell, The Whole Truth: The Hidden Agendas Behind Decades of Health Misinformation—and What to Do About It.

Nelson reflects on growing up as the son of one of the most influential nutrition scientists of our time and watching his father’s groundbreaking discoveries meet resistance from industry, government, academia, and the medical establishment. He and Rip also discuss the parallel journeys of the Campbell and Esselstyn families, the courage of Dr. Campbell and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, and...

Barbara Court is almost 75 years old, full of humor, full of heart, and living proof that it is never too late to get Plant Strong.

After joining PlantStrong’s free Real30 Challenge, Barbara committed to eating 30 different whole plant-based foods each week and moving her body for 30 minutes a day. In just a few months, she lost nearly 15 pounds, brought her A1C out of the pre-diabetic range, increased her daily steps, and found a renewed sense of motivation.

In this conversation, Rip and Barbara talk about weight loss, calorie density, plant diversity, arthritis, movement, si...

The newest AHA and ACC guidelines for treating dyslipidemia are here — and according to Dr. Kim Williams, they mark a powerful shift toward prevention, earlier testing, and whole-food, plant-based nutrition as the foundation of cardiovascular care.

Rip welcomes back Dr. Kim Williams, past president of the American College of Cardiology, for a practical and deeply encouraging breakdown of what these updated cholesterol guidelines mean for everyday people.

Dr. Williams explains why cardiovascular risk is no longer just about one cholesterol number. Instead, clinicians are being encouraged to look at the whole picture: LDL cholesterol, ApoB, Lp...

Rip sits down with Terri Edwards — founder of EatPlant-Based.com — to talk about the recipes, habits, and simple food swaps that helped her completely transform her health.

After years of struggling with joint pain, high cholesterol, insomnia, adult acne, and weight gain, Terri discovered the power of whole-food, plant-based nutrition after watching Forks Over Knives in 2013. Within weeks, she noticed major improvements in her joint pain and energy — and never looked back.

Today, she teaches thousands of people how to make plant-based eating approachable, affordable, and delicious.

Rip and Terri dive into:

In this special episode, Rip shares a preview of Vital Signs: Real Food. Real Medicine. Real Change., Plant Strong’s upcoming CME-focused conference for healthcare providers who want to bring the power of whole-food, plant-based nutrition into real-world clinical care.

This is not just another conference. Vital Signs is about helping doctors, nurses, dietitians, health coaches, and medical professionals build confidence in the evidence so they can walk into the exam room and talk about food with clarity, conviction, and hope.

And here’s why that matters: most providers see roughly 1,000 patients a year. Each of t...

Rip welcomes back Dr. Alan Desmond, consultant gastroenterologist, lifestyle medicine advocate, and author of the new book, What Your Doctor Isn’t Telling You About Food.

Dr. Desmond explains why food is one of the most important — and most neglected — conversations in modern medicine. It’s not that doctors don’t care. As Alan shares, many doctors simply receive very little practical nutrition training, leaving them without the confidence or tools to guide patients through meaningful dietary change.

Alan talks about the urgent gap between lifespan and healthspan, and why so many people are living longer but...

What if the real goal isn’t simply living longer… but staying healthy, capable, sharp, and independent for as long as possible?

In this fascinating conversation, Rip sits down with researcher, educator, and author Scott Fulton to explore the rapidly growing world of healthspan and longevity. Scott is the author of Whealthspan and his newest book, Function: Turn Your Blind Spots Into Strengths, where he challenges the way we think about aging, movement, purpose, brain health, and everyday function.

Together, Rip and Scott unpack why America continues to lag behind the rest of the world in l...

Rip visits with Bruce Friedrich, founder of the Good Food Institute and author of Meat, to explore the future of protein—and why alternative meat could reshape our global food system.

Bruce breaks down the science and differences behind plant-based, cultivated, and fermented meat—and explains why innovation, not restriction, may be the key to meaningful change.

From global hunger and climate impact to food security and economic opportunity, this conversation connects the dots between what’s on our plate and the future of humanity.

Key Takeaways:

What happens when almost 500 firefighters get a full health screening—and many discover hidden risks they never saw coming?

Rip sits down with Deputy Chief Jayme McConnellogue and Lieutenant Ian Elliott of the Colorado Springs Fire Department to explore a groundbreaking department-wide health initiative—and the life-changing results.

From undiagnosed cancers to widespread cardiovascular risk, the findings were shocking. But what followed is even more inspiring: a grassroots movement toward better health, fueled by education, vulnerability, and the power of plant-based nutrition.

Ian shares his personal story—from elite endurance athlete to unexpected heart...

Rip sits down with lifestyle medicine physician Dr. Chris Miller to explore why some people struggle when transitioning to a high-fiber, plant-based diet—and how to fix it.

While fiber is one of the most powerful tools for preventing and reversing chronic disease, not everyone experiences immediate benefits. In fact, some people initially feel worse.

Dr. Miller breaks down the science behind this paradox, including insights from a groundbreaking Stanford study showing that up to one-third of people may experience increased inflammation when rapidly increasing fiber intake.

Together, Rip and Dr. Miller explore ho...

Rip sits down with integrative neuro-ophthalmologist Dr. Rani Banik to explore how nutrition, lifestyle, and daily habits shape your long-term eye health.

From macular degeneration and glaucoma to digital eye strain and screen overload, Dr. Banik breaks down what’s really happening inside your eyes—and what you can do today to protect your vision for life.

We’re talking about the foods that protect your vision, what screen time is really doing to your eyes, whether sunglasses are helping or hurting, and how stress and sleep might be silently impacting your eyesight.

Key Ta...

What if one simple blood test could reveal a genetic risk factor for heart disease that affects 1 in 5 people worldwide?

Rip sits down with physician, endurance athlete, and author Dr. Akil Taher to talk about a critical—but often overlooked—marker for cardiovascular risk: Lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a).

Despite decades of research linking elevated Lp(a) to heart attacks, strokes, and aortic valve disease, fewer than 2% of Americans have ever been tested.

Dr. Taher shares his remarkable personal story—from heart disease and bypass surgery to becoming a marathoner and mountain climber in his...

What happens when a 37-year-old father of six suffers a stroke with no clear cause?

For Ali Essig, it became a wake-up call that changed everything.

In this powerful conversation, Rip sits down with Ali—creator of PlantWhys—to talk about how her husband’s stroke sent their family on a journey into whole-food, plant-based eating. What started as a search for a “heart-healthy diet” quickly became a lifestyle shift that improved his cholesterol, triglycerides, and overall health.

But Ali’s approach isn’t about perfection.

It’s about progress—90% plant-based, practical habits...

Rip sits down with Dr. Elizabeth George and Chef Nick Iula, co-authors of Healthy Eating Adventure, to explore how whole food, plant-based eating can transform health and lives.

Dr. George helped launch the Healthy Eating Adventure program more than 15 years ago, helping hundreds of participants reverse chronic disease through nutrition. Chef Nick Iula joined the program after decades in professional kitchens and, after he changed his own diet, he experienced a dramatic health transformation — losing weight and eliminating multiple chronic conditions.

Together, they combine medical science and culinary expertise to show how plant-based eating can be...

For over 50 years, Dr. Michael Klaper has practiced medicine. And today, he says something that stops you in your tracks:

“I am profoundly embarrassed to be a physician in America today.”

Why?

Because most doctors are never trained in the most powerful tool available to prevent and reverse chronic disease: nutrition.

In this deeply personal and wide-ranging conversation, Rip sits down with Dr. Klaper to discuss his new book, Moving Medicine Forward: What More Doctors Should Know About Nutrition and How It Can Save Your Life.

Dr. Klaper shares:

What does it really mean to be “forever fit”?

Rip sits down with fitness coach and author Maxime Sigouin to explore sustainable strength, whole-food plant-based nutrition, and the mindset required to stay fit for life — not just for a season. It’s all in his new book, Forever Fit.

Maxime shares his personal journey from loss and hardship to helping thousands of people transform their health through his Forever Fit framework.

They also unpack the misunderstood topic of body recomposition, protein myths, stress, self-sabotage, and why loving yourself enough to care for your body is...

Rip sits down with Peggy Kraus, a clinical exercise physiologist and diabetes care specialist with over 30 years of experience in cardiac rehab.

Peggy shares how she moved beyond conventional nutrition advice to embrace a fiber-centric, whole-food, plant-based approach—helping patients reverse type 2 diabetes, lower A1C levels, lose significant weight, and reduce or eliminate medications.

They discuss why cutting carbs misses the point, how fiber stabilizes blood sugar, the role of movement after meals, and why community and accountability are essential for long-term success. This episode is packed with real stories, practical strategies, and hope fo...

What if the foods you love most—the ones tied to family, culture, and comfort—could also help you heal?

In this powerful and deeply personal conversation, Rip sits down with Javant Benton, creator of Healthy Vegan Eating and author of Make Your Own, to talk about food, family legacy, self-love, and breaking generational cycles of disease.

Javant shares how a frightening health wake-up—pre-diabetes, pre-hypertension, and a suspected lymphoma diagnosis—forced him to confront the way he was eating and living. What followed was a slow, intentional journey through paleo, pescatarian, and ultimately whole-food, plant-ba...

What if your breakfast could power you through the entire morning—without cravings, crashes, or hunger an hour later?

In this episode, Rip sits down with Molly Patrick, founder of Clean Food Dirty Girl, to dive deep into the breakfast bowl that has become a cult favorite. Molly shares the story behind her hearty, nutrient-packed “Hippie Porridge Bowl”—a recipe she spent nearly eight years perfecting after realizing her usual steel-cut oats weren’t keeping her satisfied.

The result? A powerhouse bowl built from a diverse mix of whole plant foods—grains, lentils, leafy greens, seeds, fruit...

At just 43 years old, Charles Gassenheimer was 75 pounds overweight, pre-diabetic, struggling with joint pain and memory loss, and taking high-dose cholesterol medications. His doctors were managing his decline — not reversing it.

Then one conversation changed everything.

After meeting cardiologist Dr. Robert Ostfeld, Charles committed to a whole-food, plant-based lifestyle. The results were extraordinary: he lost over 70 pounds, came off medications, reversed his cardiovascular risk markers, and returned to running.

Today, Charles has completed over 15 marathons — including running the New York City Marathon faster in his 40s than he did in his 20s — while raisin...

What if your health wasn’t just shaped by what you eat—but by what’s hidden in your medications?

In this episode, Rip sits down with pharmacist-scientist Dr. Sachin Shah, a leading voice in medication transparency and patient safety. Together, they explore why food truly belongs at the center of health, how modern medicine sometimes misses the human in healthcare, and why knowing what’s inside your pills can be just as important as knowing what’s on your plate.

Dr. Shah also breaks down alpha-gal syndrome—a tick-bite–triggered condition that can make people allergi...

What does it look like when plant-based living moves beyond personal choice and into real systems change? This episode answers that question in a big way.

Rip sits down with longtime friend and food policy powerhouse Rachel Atcheson, founder of Food Policy Pathways, for a wide-ranging conversation about how food policy can transform public health, reduce chronic disease, and make healthy eating the default — not the exception.

Rip and Rachel unpack how initiatives like Meatless Monday and Plant-Powered Fridays in NYC public schools, plant-based default hospital meals, and lifestyle medicine clinics became reality — reaching millions of p...

In this deeply grounded conversation, Rip sits down with Jan Liband — a former college athlete, longtime plant-based advocate, and expert in food and environmental sustainability. What began for Jan as a single pamphlet exposing the environmental toll of animal agriculture became a lifelong commitment to plant-based living nearly 40 years ago.

Jan shares his journey from a meat-centered, “healthy by 1980s standards” diet to discovering how plant-based eating dramatically improved his energy, recovery, and athletic performance.

Along the way, Rip and Jan tackle some of the biggest barriers to change — especially for men — including cultural conditioning, fear of ch...

It’s been way too long since Jackie Akerberg (@jackfruitfulkitchen) was on the podcast, and this episode is a true catch-up in every sense of the word. Jackie is a plant-based cook, creator, and community builder who brings joy, honesty, and seriously good food into everything she does.

In this conversation, we talk about how Jackie went plant-based and never looked back, how her health completely transformed, and how she’s grown an incredibly engaged online community by keeping things real—both in the kitchen and in life. We also get into big life changes, moving across the co...

Firefighters are trained to run toward danger — but too often, their own health is what’s at risk. In this episode of the Plant Strong Podcast, Rip sits down with fellow firefighter Andy Schaefer of Avon, Ohio, whose journey into plant-based eating began with a life-altering decision: donating one of his kidneys to his brother-in-law.

Determined to be as healthy and resilient as possible, Andy adopted a whole-food, plant-based lifestyle more than five years ago — and the results were undeniable. Faster recovery, dramatically improved biomarkers, more stamina on the fireground, and a renewed sense of purpose. Today, Andy i...