Plantriotic Podcast

What if the conversation around climate change and how to stop it was all wrong? What if carbon emissions, fracking, oil pipelines, and Hummers weren’t the main driving contributors to climate change, and instead it was as simple as the few ounces of meat on your plate?  Well, contrary to mainstream hype, it turns out scientists at the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change conclude that animal agriculture is by far the leading cause of green house gas emissions, water consumption, deforestation, wildlife destruction and ocean dead zones. So why is animal agriculture and diet not at the forefront of every environmental justice organizations agenda? Cowspiracy finds that out. In June of 2014 Kip and Keegan  released their first feature length film together called Cowspiracy. Cowspiracy lays out why animal agriculture is the culprit behind most environmental issues and why the largest environmental organization are not talking about it or encouraging their members to adopt a more sustainable, plant-based die

While the Standard American Diet is not sustainable for the health of the human population nor our planet, most people refuse to give up the comfort foods that are killing us. Burgers, chicken tenders, meatballs and ground beef are the staple foods for millions of Americans today. These foods are full of unhealthy animal protein, saturated fat and cholesterol, which are all correlated to increase risk of heart disease and cancer. Something dramatic needs to change in order for Americans to regain back our health and control over a functioning planet. Ethan Brown is the founder and CEO of Beyond Meat, which is a company that is recreating Americas comfort foods to suite a healthy, sustainable and ethical lifestyle. Beyond Meat creates 100% vegan, plant-based versions of chicken and beef that are almost impossible to distinguish from the actual traditional animal based versions. Even Mark Bittman, New York Times food journalist, could not tell the difference between Beyond Meat products and the real thing! Etha

It cracks me up when people ask me if I have 'low energy' when I only eat raw foods! The opposite is the case! Raw foods give you practically endless energy and today's guest is living proof. John Kohler is a public speaker, YouTuber, health coach, entrepreneur, gardener, and health enthusiast! John was born with a variety of diseases and negative health conditions including allergies, asthma, dry skin and spinal meningitis. Eating a Standard American Diet (SAD) in combination with unfortunate genetic predisposition left John with the option of dying as a young man or changing his lifestyle. Fortunately he chose the latter and in his 20's began to heal himself predominantly by eating a 100% raw living foods vegan diet. Today John has two large home gardens in Nevada and California where he grows greens, vegetables and fruits. In addition John makes comprehensive and detailed YouTube video tutorials on a variety of topics from how to grow your own food, how to live on a fruit based diet, where to shop for nutr

We have all felt grasped by food at some point in our lives. For some that grasp is mild, causally craving certain pleasure foods once in a while, but for others food can take control over ones life. Food addiction comes in a variety of forms from people over eating indulgent and unhealthy foods, to others obsessing over calories and the nutritional quality of food to the point where food becomes the center of ones existence. Laura Dawn is a holistic nutritionist, avid gardener, spiritual practitioner, author of "Unhooked: A Holistic Approach to Ending Your Struggle with Food" and "Mindful Eating for Dummies", and founder of HappyAndRaw.com. Laura's journey began similar to mine by rejecting the societal pressure of getting a mindless job for the purpose of making money. Laura traveled the world exploring different communities connection to spirituality and food. This exploration led her to study nutrition at the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition which provided her the credentials to study under teachers i

You either remember a time when "going vegan" seemed impossible, or you are of that mindset right now. Even when I was a five year vegetarian before going vegan, I thought vegans were from another planet. It was something I thought I could never identify with...and now look at me, I am a vegan activist! Kim shares a similar story. Growing up moving and traveling around the world, Kim fell ill to a variety of health issues that also led her to an uncomfortable weight and bad relationship with food. After learning about animal agriculture during a school assignment, Kim found herself in a moral pickle of believing in the ethical framework of practicing a vegan lifestyle, but with no clue how to put it into practice. She studied, read, watched videos, and over the years figured out the version of the vegan diet that worked for her best. Kim decided she wanted to help others overcome the obstacles she faced while transitioning to a vegan diet, so she started on social media. In 2013 she started her instagram acco

There are many reasons to go vegan. Animal welfare, personal health, the environment, human social justice, etc. Often times a vegan activist will focus on just one of these issues to learn about and help educate others. Matt Ruscigno is pretty much an expert in all three, especially personal health and nutrition. Matt is a Registered Dietician and has a Masters in Public Health from Loma Linda University. Matt is the Past-Chair of the Vegetarian Group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.  He is a co-author of the No Meat Athlete book with Matt Frazier and Appetite for Reduction with Isa Moskowitz. Matt is a former school teacher and documentary film marker with his series Strongest Hearts which profiles amazing vegan athletes around the world. Lastly, Matt offers online coaching on nutrition, cooking and sports training which can be purchased at http://truelovehealth.com/consult/ Matt comes from the vegan punk scene. As a teenager Matt grew up in New York City punk rock venues absorbing the culture and

Animals are individuals, not commodities. While this may seem obvious to you, it’s not the reality for over 60 billion land animals living today. Over thousands of years animal agriculture has commodified the livelihoods of dozens of species such as cows, chickens, pigs, goats, turkeys, rabbits, ducks, sheep and many more. These practices have culturally normalized the enslavement, abuse, and of course ultimate murder of these non-human animals.  Farm Sanctuary is a non-profit organization created by Gene Baur (PP Episode #5) which serves as a safe haven for the few lucky animals that are rescued from this torturous industry. Currently operating in three locations around the US, Farm Sanctuary takes in abused livestock animals and gives them a safe and comfortable place to live out the rest of their lives in peace. I had the privilege of visiting their Acton CA location, just 45 minutes outside of Los Angeles where I was able to record this podcast with Farm Sanctuary’s National Animal Placement Coordinator A

Humans have been known to reach their physical and mental peak somewhere in their mid thirties. For instance the current holder of the Mr. Olympia Bodybuilding title is 35-years-old. But there is no peak without a trough, an inevitable low point later in life. For most Americans, old age comes with a package of disease, cognitive deterioration, low performance and sometimes depression. Is this the normal progression of life's design, or something that can be avoided entirely? Jim Morris will go down in history as one of the fittest, sharpest and most inspirational individuals the world has seen into his older years. Currently at age 80 Jim is ripped with lean muscle mass, trains clients daily at Golds Gym in Venice, and lives a completely vegan lifestyle, proving that the fountain of youth is attained through a whole food plant-based diet. Jim's past is equally as impressive and amazing as his current reality. Growing up as an openly gay black man in Brooklyn in the 50's, Jim had a natural talent and the gene

Before I learned what punk rock was really about, I assumed punk rockers were violent, aggressive, hooligans without a message. I was very wrong, along with most of the mainstreams perspective. Punk rock and the DIY movement is about rethinking the ways in which our society functions and making positive change that will result in a more fair, just, and peaceful world. Sounds heroic to me. Punk rock is also historically linked with veganism as an ethical lifestyle practice. James Spooner is a vegan activist, punk rocker, documentary filmmaker, social justice activist, and now vegan tattooer, which makes him one of the most interesting people I have ever met. James owns and founded the only all vegan tattoo shop California, Monocle Tattoo, and to hear more about what a vegan tattoo is...listen to the episode. Tattooing came later in James’s life. After studying sculpture in school James set out to make a film investigating minority culture, which is people of color, in the punk scene. As a black man, James noti

If you are a vegan like me without a masters or Ph.D. in science, biochemistry or nutrition, it can be challenging to convince skeptics that a plant-based diet is optimal for longevity, health, chronic disease prevention and athletic performance. Even if you are someone who likes to do research in medical and health journals, we only have so much time to read hundreds of pages of scientific papers. So who do we go to to trust and understand the science behind the benefits of a vegan diet...people like Sharon McDowell-Larsen. Sharon received a Master’s and Ph.D. in exercise physiology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Her graduate research examined the impact of exercise and training on immune function. She was born in Zimbabwe, spent her childhood in South Africa, attended high school in Canada, and taught English in Costa Rica during college. For over 25 years she has competed nationally and internationally as a triathlete, runner, and a professional mountain biker. She also enjoys yoga, snowboarding

Imagine being vegan in the bodybuilding and figure competitor industry. Now imagine being a vegan female competitor in the both male and meat dominated industry. Sarah Vogt is just that person, but she shows up for the job with a smile, enthusiasm, and ridiculously hard core work ethic in the gym. Sarah and I met at National Animal Rights Day in Colorado Springs in the summer of 2015. Her arms were tattooed in vegan illustrations and muscle striations were glowing all over her body. Turns out I am not the only vegan muscle builder in town! Sarah has built all of her muscle on a vegan diet over the past 2 years. She is a sponsored athlete with Caliber Nutrition, and competes in NPC shows in the Denver area. In this conversation Sarah and I discuss what it’s like to be a female in this male and meat dominated industry, what her workout and vegan diet plan looks like on a day to day basis, why she went vegan, and how she manages being in a relationship with her non-vegan boyfriend. If you enjoyed this episode an

Q&A #2. It’s about time! Only 2 Q&A’s in 41 episode...send me more questions for future Q&A’s to Jackson@plantriotic.com, or on the Plantriotic FB Page. In this episode I pulled 15 interesting questions from a variety of my social media outlets including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. Thanks to EVERYONE who submitted questions! Here are some of the topics I cover: -How to talk to friends and family about your lifestyle -How to overcome cooked food cravings on a raw vegan diet -Why to avoid GMO and non organic food -Is soy bad for you? -What kinds of music I am listening to these days -Is it unethical to kill plants? -Life on other planets… -Dating as a vegan -Why people gain weight on Raw Till 4 -My favorite YouTube Channels AND MORE! Here are some links related to questions from this Q&A: Food Chains Documentary on US Agriculture and workers Phillip Wollen: Animals Should Be Off the Menu Debate Breast Cancer Genes and Soy- NutritionFacts.org Why Raw Till 4 Promotes Fat Gain - Earthling Nutritio

I think there are two reasons why so many people hate PETA. The first is that they are obnoxious, controversial, in your face and raunchy. The second reasons is that their effective. Despite so many peoples hatred toward their approach, it works. There is no other animal rights organization that has worked with so many celebrities and has inspired so many people to go vegan. Being boring, politically correct, and PG doesn't really work as an activist, its not attractive. Sorsha Morava, like a handful of other vegan YouTubers, is using the PETA model to bring more people into the vegan conversation. There are a lot of YouTube channels that produce content for “level 5 vegans” which is preaching to the choir. While those channels are appreciated and useful, we need more vegans talking to a mainstream audience. Sorsha is screaming to the mainstream. Her YouTube videos are sexy, controversial, and usually about a big name celebrity or YouTuber that she has a bone to pick with. Her most popular video is called “Le

Good, healthy, local food is considered a privilege today. The quality of food one eats has upsettingly become an accurate marker of economic class. Eating healthy is considered elitist to some. Healthy food is not inherently expensive or designed for the upper class, in fact, it's only been 50 or 60 years that humans have had the option to eat highly unprocessed, globalized food. Lyn Harwell grew up as a poor farmers kid in the 1960's in Ohio, but he ate like a king. All organic, all local, all fresh. Lyn took his love for food and farming to the restaurant business, working as the head chef in a variety of world class restaurants before embarking on a social justice crusade to bring good food to all. In 2013 Lyn opened Seeds Community Cafe in Colorado Springs, which is a non-profit that functions on the "pay it forward" model. What this means is that anyone can come in and enjoy and warm, healthy, locally sourced meal, no matter the price. In fact, no item on the menu has a price, you pay what you can. If y

There are hard workers, then over achievers, then there are people who do not quit until success is achieved. Justin Torrellas falls into that unique third category of people who take their passion 110%. Justin is a world class competitive Modern Pentathlete. He is training to secure a spot to represent the USA in the 2016 summer olympics in Brazil. The modern pentathlon was created by the founder of the Olympics games, Pierre de Coubertin, in order to test the ability of the truly well rounded athlete. In this event you must fence, swim, ride a horse, run, and target shoot with a laser gun. To set Justin apart from his competitors, he resorted to clean eating as his secret weapon. Justin is a raw, fruit-based, high carb vegan! In this conversation we discuss fitness and training, diet, how to find your passion, and most importantly how to stick with your passion even when life gets in the way. Connect with Justin: Justintorrellas.com Listen on iTunes and leave a review! Purchase Homestylevegan.com/plantriot

I remember the first time I saw Jay, aka Plant Based Athlete. It was on YouTube, his first video ever recorded in 2012 called “What a High Carb, Low Fat Raw Vegan (80/10/10) Eats In A Day” Today that video has over 100k views and his channel has over 20k subscribers. At age 41 Jay has been vegan for four years and competes in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. After living in Hawaii for a decade selling wine, Jay decided he needed to realign his passion with his work. Luckily fate introduced him to Michelle Muench (bananablondie108) and the two decided to start a new life together. Jay and Michelle founded ThrivingPlantBased.com which is a platform to be guided, educated and experience the benefits of a healthy plant-based lifestyle. For only $9.99 per month YOU can become a member and receive meal plans, group coaching, access to exclusive videos and customized yoga flows.  In this conversation Jay and I discuss the optimal diet for strength and athletic performance, the deal with the paleo diet, how to get into practic

The way we live has a direct impact on the people who we share our lives with from spouses, to children, friends, teachers, co-workers and even strangers we pass by. Our own habits are so influential to others that it is ever persons responsibility to live in the best light they know. Julie Piatt aka "SriMati" is a mother, a spouse, musician, chef, author, and spiritual practitioner that lives life in dance with the divine. Julie's path towards wellness and health is not linear. Struggling with family acceptance at a young age, substance abuse and marital break ups, Julie discovered yoga and plant-based nutrition which served as an angel to her life's trajectory. Julie developed a diagnosed incurable cyst on her neck, which she was able to treat through alternative medicine of diet and ayurvedic herbs. As the wife of the elite Ultra triathlete Rich Roll, Julie became a master plant-based chef needing to satisfy the needs of a high performance athlete, four children, and the wandering artists and spiritual tea

The vegan health movement needs to go "beyond the kale." While diet is the foundation to setting yourself up to live a healthy lifestyle, what ends up on your plate is only the beginning of the journey. Conor McMillen, aka HandManBananas, is a Family Systems Therapist, a lifestyle coach, YouTuber, and fruit-based athlete. Having struggled with substance addiction and depression for a decade, Conor found a plant-based diet combined with self love therapy to transform himself into a representative of positivity and health. Conor is the founder of the annual Fruit Winter Festival in Chiang Mai Thailand. This is a FREE event where anyone can meet in Thailand and share a vegan experience together while participating in hikes, site seeing, talks, and amazing fruit. Fruit Winter will be held January 8-17, 2016. Conor also has an active YouTube channel called HandyManBananas. On this channel Conor discusses a variety of concepts from diet, to fitness, spirituality, anatomy and mental health in addition to day in the

It's so often that we do not listen to our own bodies. Instead we listen to fad diets, tabloids, the TV, our friends and various other sources that probably have no legitimate nutritional basis behind their claims. Rachel found herself in this dilemma. Passionate about looking her best and competing in a National bikini competition, she followed the path of her peers and coaches, eating a low carb, animal protein based diet. After months of calorie restriction, anger, and feeling terrible in her body, Rachel had enough and made a change. As a certified Nutritionist, Rachel found the high carb vegan diet and began putting it into her own practice. Over night she began to experience the benefits. Rachel is now a Certified Raw Food Chef, Fitness Professional, and Certified Nutritionist. She works with Chiropractic patients and helps them treat their health issues through a holistic nutrition foundation.  Send your listener questions for Q&A episodes to Jackson@plantriotic.com Connect with Rachel: www.RachelSchwa

There is no such thing as being just a yogi, or a vegan, or a mom. We are all unique compilations of life experiences melded into being. The best way to describe Michelle Muench, in my own opinion, is the sexy, vegan, yoga mama. Most people know Michelle as Bananablondie108 on instagram and YouTube. Michelle documents her life on social media with a raw and honest look into her personality as a mother, a yogi, a health conscious plant-based eater, and a lover. After years and years of failing in every way possible in her own words, Michelle found solace in yoga and the simple high carb vegan lifestyle. The power of the internet brought Michelle together with her man, Jay of Plant Based Athlete. The two have joined forces to created an amazing new website called Thrivingplantbased.com. For just $9.99 a month you can become a member and get access to online yoga classes from Michelle (a 15 year yoga teacher!), daily food journals from Michelle and Jay, group coaching, and exclusive videos. In this conversation