The Dr. Jules Plant-Based Podcast

Ever wonder why “everything in moderation” keeps failing you? We take you behind the mic for a candid, unscripted walkthrough of lifestyle medicine, clearing the fog around saturated fat, LDL cholesterol, and the plant-based label that marketing loves to misuse. This is a straight line from science to your plate, framed by systems that hold when life gets messy.

I share a New Year milestone, board certification in lifestyle medicine, and what it means for training new physicians to prevent disease, not just treat it. 

From hypertension and insulin resistance to cardiovascular disease and neurodegenerative risk...

A plant-based diet didn’t enter this doctor’s life through a dramatic diagnosis. It started with running, curiosity, and a single podcast recommendation that turned into a book, a fast experiment, and a surprise payoff: better recovery, less soreness, and more consistent training. From there, the conversation widens into something bigger than food, because nutrition is only one piece of lifestyle medicine and primary care is where these choices either become sustainable or fade under real life pressure.

We talk with Lise, a family physician, long-time medical educator, and now president of the New Brunswick Medical Soci...

Et si votre entraînement pouvait faire ce qu’aucun médicament ne peut faire ? 

Nous explorons comment le muscle en contraction agit comme une véritable pharmacie vivante, en libérant des myokines qui retirent le glucose de la circulation sanguine et stabilisent le métabolisme, tandis que d’autres organes produisent des exerkines comme le BDNF, qui favorisent la croissance de nouveaux neurones, améliorent la concentration et protègent la santé cérébrale à long terme. 

En présentant le mouvement comme un véritable médicament, le message devient clair : plus vous développez et u...

Ever wonder why two “identical” diets lead to totally different results? 

We dig into the thermic effect of food and the overlooked power of food structure to show how digestion cost, fiber, and processing change what your body actually gets from each bite.

 Calories don’t arrive for free, your body must work to chew, digest, and metabolize them, and that work varies by macronutrient and by how intact or processed a food is.

We break down why fat is cheap to process, protein is expensive, and carbs sit on a spectrum shaped by fiber...

Ready for a straight-from-the-heart reset on food, health, and what actually moves the needle? 

We open up about new milestones in lifestyle medicine training and why bringing evidence-based habits into real clinics, and real kitchens, can prevent, and sometimes reverse, the most common chronic diseases.

We cut through nutrition noise with simple guardrails. Think clear saturated fat thresholds, why LDL still matters, and the power of substitution over strict labels. You’ll hear why “everything in moderation” needs numbers to be useful, how food is a package rather than a single nutrient, and where recent dietary...

Breakfast isn’t just a meal choice; it’s a timing decision that can shape your energy, hunger, and results all day long. 

We dig into why skipping breakfast often backfires, how circadian rhythms influence metabolism, and what the science of chrononutrition says about front-loading calories versus eating late. You’ll hear the real tradeoffs behind fasting strategies, from early time-restricted eating to late-night windows, and how each affects blood sugar, appetite regulation, and sleep.

We walk through the metabolic edge of daytime eating, including the thermic effect of food and the hormonal patterns that favor m...

Shaky hands and loud headlines don’t make good health decisions, you do. 

This episode dives into the messy middle where wellness advice often gets flattened into yes/no rules and scary scores. We start with chia seeds and the internet’s favorite twist: a rare, easily preventable issue turned into a sweeping indictment. The fix is simple, soak briefly or drink water, yet those details get buried by fear-driven content that thrives on clicks, not context.

From there we unpack how apps like Yuka can mislead. A natural peanut butter may get dinged for fat o...

Tired of nutrition talk that never makes it to your plate? We bring healthy eating down to earth with a flavor-first, plant-forward playbook you can use tonight. 

Instead of chasing trends or perfect macros, we focus on recipes that reduce friction: fast prep, familiar ingredients, and flexible formats that fit your life. The result is a rotation you actually crave, built on protein, fiber, and variety so meals satisfy and stick.

We share the story behind our community recipe books that raised over $40,000 for local causes, including school breakfasts, bursaries for students entering health sciences, a...

Ever been told weight loss meds are “cheating” while blood pressure pills are “responsible”? 

We pull that argument apart and look at what actually drives hunger, cravings, and regain for people living with excess body fat. Drawing on real patient conversations, we explore how GLP-1s like Ozempic and Wegovy quiet food noise, change satiety signals, and, when paired with smart habits, reduce the long-term risks tied to obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

We walk through who might be a good candidate, how semaglutide compares with older GLP-1 agonists, and what to expect across the first 12...

Chronic disease keeps rising even as medicine advances, and we’re asking the wrong system to solve the wrong problem. 

We open up about the false choice between being “pro meds” or “pro plants,” and show how a smarter path blends life-saving treatments with upstream lifestyle changes that actually move the needle. From heart disease to type 2 diabetes and severe mental illness, we share where medication is non-negotiable, and where daily habits do the heavy lifting that pills can’t.

We walk through the real drivers of today’s health crisis: ultra-processed food environments, sedentary work, eroded sl...

Struggling with 2 a.m. wakeups, low energy, or a scale that won’t budge after 40? 

We connect the dots between light, food, stress, and muscle to show how small, smart changes can unlock deeper sleep, steadier appetite, and better metabolic health. 

You’ll learn how morning sunlight flips on your natural “day mode,” why bright screens at night keep cortisol humming, and how a cool, dark room paired with a simple wind‑down routine can shorten sleep latency and smooth out those middle‑of‑the‑night awakenings.

We also dive into iron the practical way. 

Think gluten is the universal bad guy? 

Let’s slow down, look at the evidence, and figure out what’s really driving symptoms, what protects long-term health, and how to make smart choices without fear. We break down what gluten is, where it shows up, and why oats are a special case. From celiac disease to non-celiac gluten sensitivity, we explain who truly needs to avoid gluten, what testing matters before you eliminate it, and how symptoms often overlap with IBS and FODMAP issues that have nothing to do with gluten at all.

We also zoom...

What if your hunger isn’t lazy, it’s loud, and the volume knob is biological?

We pull back the curtain on GLP-1 medications like semaglutide, separating stigma from science and showing how these tools can help the right patients quiet food noise, stabilize hunger cues, and lower chronic disease risk. No moralizing, no shortcuts, just a clear-eyed look at when these drugs help, when they don’t, and how to safeguard your metabolism along the way.

Across a series of real patient conversations, we challenge the “cheating” narrative by comparing our comfort with blood pressure a...

Bloating after “healthy” meals, random cramps, or bathroom roulette can make food feel like the enemy. 

We break down FODMAPs in plain language and show how a short-term, guided approach can calm IBS symptoms without cutting the very foods that protect long-term health. Instead of fear, we offer a framework: treat the burden, not the food.

We start by explaining what FODMAPs are, fermentable oligo-, di-, and monosaccharides and polyols, and why they can trigger gas and draw water into the bowel. Then we connect the dots to IBS and visceral hypersensitivity, where normal gut stret...

Perfection isn’t the point, progress is. 

We open the mic for an unscripted, science-grounded conversation about what “plant-based” actually means, why success lives on a spectrum, and how small, low-friction changes can flip your health trajectory without blowing up your life. Rather than chasing a 100% label, we focus on the dose-response benefits of eating more minimally processed plants and cutting back on ultra-processed foods and red and processed meat. The takeaway is clear: your long-term average matters more than a perfect week.

We break down the umbrella of plant-forward patterns, from Mediterranean and flexitarian to plan...

Collagen promises smoother skin, happier joints, and faster recovery, but what holds up when we strip away the hype and read the best studies? 

We unpack the newest research since 2023 and draw a clear line between modest, measurable effects and results that melt under tighter controls. If you’ve wondered whether those powders and gummies are worth the price, this conversation gives you honest context without shaming your choices.

We start by laying out how to read supplement science: funding bias, placebo controls, sample size, and why meta-analyses can mislead when they pool weak trials wit...

La phrase la plus dangereuse en santé pourrait bien être « Je me sens bien ». 

Nous expliquons comment un déclin silencieux, dans la MPOC comme dans la perte musculaire liée à l’âge, peut gruger la fonction bien avant que les symptômes ne deviennent alarmants, et pourquoi la prévention demeure la meilleure stratégie pour préserver l’autonomie. 

À partir d’un cas réel de patient, nous décortiquons ce que signifie réellement un VEMS à 44 %, comment chaque infection respiratoire laisse une atteinte permanente à la capacité pulmonaire, et pourquoi les vaccins et les inhalateurs peuvent fai...

Your body doesn’t treat breakfast and dinner the same way, and once you understand why, meal timing becomes a powerful lever for better health. We dig into chrononutrition, the science of how circadian rhythms shape appetite, insulin sensitivity, and energy metabolism, and we translate it into simple steps that fit real life.

We start by mapping the daily hormone dance: morning light sparks a cortisol rise that mobilizes energy, adenosine builds sleep pressure through the day, and melatonin ushers in nighttime repair. 

Those rhythms change how your body handles the same plate of food acr...

Une mémoire n’est jamais qu’un simple fichier dans le cerveau, c’est un fil qui nous relie à ce que nous sommes. 

Nous ouvrons l’épisode avec des récits sincères tirés de l’expérience de notre propre famille avec la maladie d’Alzheimer, ainsi que du poids silencieux porté par les proches aidants, puis nous passons à ce que la science nous dit aujourd’hui pour protéger l’esprit de demain. L’objectif n’est ni la perfection ni la peur, mais une prévention pratique, ancrée dans la vraie vie.

Nous expliquons la dif...

What if the grind that built your career is quietly breaking your health? 

We share a candid story of chasing productivity through 70–80 hour weeks, new fatherhood, on-call nights, and late teaching prep that spiraled into stress, palpitations, and creeping burnout, then the pivot that turned sleep into a non-negotiable performance tool.

Together we unpack why sleep is an active biological process, not downtime. You’ll hear how deep sleep drives tissue repair and metabolic recovery, how REM consolidates memory and stabilizes mood, and why the brain’s glymphatic system clears waste most effectively at night. 

We...

Fear sells, but at what cost to our health? In this unscripted, heart-to-heart conversation, I address a troubling pattern I've noticed in wellness culture: the rise of fear-based health information that lacks crucial context and nuance.

When patients ask me whether chia seeds are "toxic" unless soaked, or show me how their healthy peanut butter scores poorly on wellness apps while processed diet foods receive high marks, I worry about the impact of black-and-white thinking on our relationship with food. The internet's tendency to demonize ultra-rare risks while ignoring substantial benefits creates unnecessary anxiety and potentially harmful...

A father ran down a hospital hallway and placed his lifeless child in our arms. 

That single moment changed how we practice, how we teach, and how we judge the flood of health advice that fills our feeds. We talk candidly about the weight of trust, why humility can save lives, and how real medicine often starts with knowing when to call for help, and doing it fast.

From there, we zoom out to the online health economy, where fear and urgency sell quick fixes. We unpack the red flags behind discount codes and sweeping c...

Ever wonder what really happens behind the scenes in your family doctor's practice? In this raw, unfiltered episode, I open up about the everyday realities of primary care medicine that patients rarely get to see.

The morning starts in my surgical clinic with a challenging decision – accommodate an anxious young patient by performing procedures on both ingrown toenails instead of one, knowing it will delay every appointment afterward. This everyday scenario reveals a fundamental difference between medicine and other professions. While lawyers and accountants end appointments precisely on time, doctors constantly stretch themselves thin because we know th...

Imagine a world where a paper cut lands you in the ICU and a routine hip replacement feels risky. 

We trace how antimicrobial resistance (AMR) gets us there, and what it takes to steer away, by decoding how bacteria outsmart antibiotics and why everyday choices either fuel or slow that arms race. Along the way, we connect the dots to gut health, showing how the microbiome’s postbiotics support appetite, hormones, barrier integrity, and brain signaling, and why unnecessary antibiotics can flatten those benefits.

We start with clear, plain-language science: bacteria evolve resistance by pumping dru...

Have you ever wondered why the number on your scale doesn't tell the whole story? This raw, unscripted episode from my new "From the Heart" segment dives deep into the science of body composition and why it matters more than your weight.

Drawing from a real patient case study, I break down how a 68-year-old man with fatty liver and prediabetes discovered through body composition analysis that his health challenges weren't just about being overweight—he was dangerously under-muscled with toxic levels of visceral fat surrounding his organs. This visceral fat, measuring 208 square centimeters (double the threshold fo...

Your gut can love fiber, or fight it. 

We unpack why the same bowl of beans leaves one person energized and another doubled over, and how timing, dose, and microbiome diversity decide which way it goes. Drawing on clinical experience and a landmark Stanford study from Erica and Justin Sonnenburg, we break down the difference between piling on fiber versus preparing your gut to handle it, and why fermented foods often deliver a reliable boost in diversity and lower inflammation.

We start by defining a healthy gut: a strong intestinal barrier, low visceral hypersensitivity, and a...

Que se passe-t-il lorsque vous vous sentez parfaitement bien, mais que votre corps se détériore silencieusement? Cette conversation brute et non planifiée est née après avoir vu plusieurs patients refuser des traitements potentiellement transformateurs simplement parce qu’ils ne présentaient pas encore de symptômes.

Je partage l’histoire bouleversante d’une patiente atteinte de MPOC sévère dont la fonction pulmonaire était déjà réduite à seulement 44 %, mais qui a refusé le traitement parce qu’elle « se sentait bien ». Cette idée fausse et dangereuse ignore le fait que chaque infection respirato...

What if the loudest voices shaping your child’s mind aren’t in your home, but inside their phone? 

As a physician, a dad, and a creator, I walk through the paradox of using social media for good while watching the same systems chip away at kids’ mental health, attention, and empathy. We pull back the curtain on how algorithms exploit developing brains, turning streaks and notifications into compulsive loops that feel like connection but often deliver anxiety and shame.

I share real clinic moments, panic attacks sparked by a broken Snap streak, friendships derailed by a tw...

Have you ever considered that your weight loss approach might be fundamentally flawed? 

After a powerful conversation with a patient who experienced a breakthrough in her health journey, I felt compelled to share this insight during my lunch break, sometimes the most profound wisdom comes from the simplest shift in perspective.

Rather than obsessing over losing weight, this patient focused on gaining health. This subtle but revolutionary mindset shift transforms the entire approach to wellness. While many reduce weight management to "eat less, move more," the reality is infinitely more complex. Our modern environment constantly b...

Start here if you’re craving clarity, not noise. 

We open season three by tracing a winding path from a backyard ninja gym and World Ninja Championship qualifiers to a clinic led by six board-certified lifestyle medicine physicians, and a mission to make prevention the norm, not the exception. 

The story moves from hospital lows with cholinergic angioedema to steady recovery through plant-forward eating, movement, sleep, and stress skills, showing exactly how small, consistent choices compound into real change.

We dig into what the science actually says about nutrition without fueling the diet wars...

Dr. Jules Cormier was living a medical nightmare. Despite being a practicing physician, he was battling severe angioedema that sent him to the emergency room with life-threatening swelling after simple activities like playing basketball or experiencing temperature changes. Medications barely managed his symptoms, and he lived in constant fear of the next potentially fatal reaction.

Everything changed when his infant daughter began experiencing similar inflammatory conditions – blood in her diapers, eczema, and asthma severe enough to require emergency care. This wake-up call led Dr. Cormier to question everything he thought he knew about nutrition and inflammation. Could th...

"Should you get routine blood work?" seems like a straightforward question, but the answer lies in understanding how our bodies process nutrients and when testing actually provides meaningful information. 

Nutrient deficiencies can be surprisingly sneaky, calcium deficiencies might take decades to show up in blood tests while silently damaging bone health, and even B12 deficiencies can remain hidden for 6-12 months before symptoms emerge.

For those following or transitioning to plant-based diets, there's particular interest in monitoring nutritional status, but ordering "everything" on a blood panel isn't always the right approach. 

When we te...

What if a silent thief was stealing your bone strength right now, and you had no idea until it was too late? Osteoporosis affects millions worldwide, yet most people remain completely unaware until a seemingly minor fall results in a life-altering fracture.

Think of your bones like a bank account. During your teens and twenties, you make deposits, building peak bone mass by your early thirties. After that, the withdrawals begin. Whether you end up with strong, resilient bones or fragile ones depends on how much you deposited early on and how quickly you're making withdrawals now.<...

Feeling confused about nutrition advice in 2025? You're not alone. Despite our advances in science and technology, most nutrition information remains stuck in the past, leaving people confused and frustrated.

In this myth-busting episode, Dr. Jules takes on the most persistent nutrition falsehoods circulating on social media and in everyday conversations. From the pervasive "carbs make you fat" slogan to the obsession with excessive protein intake, we examine why these oversimplified rules are actually preventing people from eating well and feeling their best.

Using the latest scientific evidence, Dr. Jules explains why whole food carbs aren't...

Magnesium might be the most underrated nutrient in your body's health arsenal. This powerful mineral acts as the essential backstage crew for over 300 enzyme systems, silently orchestrating everything from stress response and sleep quality to immune function and heart health. Yet astonishingly, about 40% of Canadians are walking around with chronic magnesium deficiency without even knowing it.

Why does this matter? When your magnesium tank runs low, the effects ripple throughout your entire body. Muscle cramps, brain fog, poor concentration, disrupted sleep, migraines, and elevated blood pressure are just the beginning. The challenge is that standard blood tests...

Forget everything you think you know about exercise and weight loss. The truth might surprise you—and it's backed by science.

Ever found yourself grinding away on the treadmill while the scale refuses to budge? You're not alone. Exercise is often touted as the answer to weight loss, but the research tells a different story. A 400-calorie muffin takes two minutes to eat but 45 minutes of jogging to burn off. Our bodies are even programmed to compensate after workouts by increasing hunger and decreasing movement throughout the day.

But don't cancel your gym membership just ye...

The healthcare system is cracking under pressure, and it's not just about staffing shortages or budget cuts. Drawing from 19 years of medical practice, I peel back the layers of our current healthcare crisis to reveal what's really breaking the system: an epidemic of preventable lifestyle diseases.

Remember when eating an apple instead of a processed granola bar wasn't considered "going on a diet"? Our modern world has engineered unhealthy choices to be the easiest ones, creating a perfect storm that's overwhelming medical resources. The pandemic didn't create this problem—it merely accelerated a breakdown that was already un...

The wellness world has convinced many of us that when it comes to vitamins and supplements, more equals better. This dangerous misconception has real consequences, as I've witnessed firsthand with patients like Samantha, whose well-intentioned supplement routine led to permanent nerve damage.

Through Samantha's story, we explore how her daily stack of supplements—a multivitamin, B-complex, energy powder, and relaxation gummies—unknowingly delivered 140mg of vitamin B6 daily, far exceeding the upper tolerable limit. After eight months, she developed pyridoxine-induced sensory neuropathy, with symptoms of tingling, burning sensations, numbness, and coordination loss that she initially attributed to peri...

What really happens after your doctor closes the exam room door? How do physicians feel when they can't give you the time you deserve? The healthcare system has trained us to focus on symptoms, tests, and diagnoses, but we rarely discuss the human experiences on both sides of medicine.

Drawing from nearly two decades in healthcare, I'm pulling back the curtain to reveal what doctors wish every patient understood about their reality. The truth might surprise you: physicians carry your stories home, cry over difficult cases, and often work while sicker than the patients they're treating. Behind...

We're living in a world where depth has become a disadvantage. The infamous "TLDR" (Too Long, Didn't Read) mentality has infiltrated health communication, replacing nuanced discussion with catchy, often misleading soundbites. While scrolling through claims like "carbs are bad" and "seed oils will kill you," we've lost sight of what meaningful health information actually looks like.

This episode unpacks how social media algorithms don't just shorten content—they actively filter it, creating dangerous echo chambers that reinforce existing beliefs while hiding opposing viewpoints. The result? A risk perception gap where we obsess over minor health concerns like re...