Plantriotic Podcast

There is one person that is synonymous with vegan bodybuilding. He is the man who started the movement, connecting plant-based fitness athletes together. His name is Robert Cheeke, and due to his creation of veganbodybuilding.com, vegan magazines, bodybuilding teams, websites, documentaries, and podcasts have spawned as a result. Robert went vegan as a 120 pound 15 year old after his sister organized an animal rights day at their school. Holding onto his childlike obsession with muscle men,  just 10 years later Robert transformed into a 200 pound Natural Bodybuilding Champion. In the early 2000’s Robert founded veganbodybuilding.com, which is still the premier data base and open community for vegan bodybuilders and people simply interested in health and fitness. Robert’s first book, Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness, was my vegan bodybuilding bible when I first decided to try building some muscle. All I can say is one year later I have built 30lbs of muscle! After years of continuing to improve the formula on how

The first ever Q&A episode of the Plantriotic Podcast! Honestly, while I love interviewing guests on the show and learning from inspiring people, once in a while I like to steal the microphone and get to speak my mind. I have gathered listener questions over the past week and answer some of them in this episode. PLEASE submit your questions for future podcasts to jackson@plantriotic.com. They can truly be about anything. Topics discussed in this podcast: - Transitioning to a fruitarian raw vegan diet -Ethical vegan vs. health vegan -Squatting and weight lifting -Experiences of heightened consciousness -Plant-based travel tips -Tea and coffee -Environmental sustainability -Coconut water Thanks to all my friends and listeners who submitted questions! If your question was not answered, no worries, it will be answered in future episodes! Much Love! Listen on iTunes and leave a review! Purchase Homestylevegan.com/plantriotic cook book! Follow @Plantriotic on Instagram and YouTube! Sponsor the Plantriotic Podcast

Artists are the most influential activists. Look into the history of any social justice movement or campaign and the iconic graphic art, songs, and poems are what people remember. Art is the universal language that transcends socio economic, gender, religious and race barriers. Mary Murphy is a poet who focuses on the topics of animal ethics, human ethics, food, sustainability, and peace. At 18 years old and a freshman at Colorado College, Mary has already self published two books, Connections, and If Slaughter Houses Had Glass Walls. Mary went vegan when she was 16 after working at Darbster, a vegan restaurant in south Florida where she grew up. Mary is highly involved in the vegan awareness community in Colorado Springs, and will be a summer intern at Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary in the summer of 2015. In this conversation Mary and I discuss the obstacles and benefits of going vegan in high school, how to stay socially engaged and how to have an understanding relationship with your family while transitio

If the PlantPower movement is America's call to action, Rich Roll is leading the campaign. He is the hope, inspiration, and role model for what it means to live a conscious, healthy, and successful plant-based lifestyle. Rich is a champion Ultra distance triathlete, an author of two books, his memoir Finding Ultra, and his newest cook book and lifestyle guide creation The Plantpower Way co-authored with his wife Julie Piatt. Rich is also a world renowned speaker, has been featured in practically every magazine and news source including CNN, LA Times, Huffington Post, Outside, Mens Health & Fitness Magazine, and most importantly Rich is a podcaster, a husband and father of four. After embarking on his journey with substance recovery, Rich found fitness and plant-based nutrition as his guide towards a brighter more fulfilling future. In just a few years and thousands of grueling hours of training, Rich was able to accomplish the Epic 5 Challenge, finishing 5 Iron Man's on 5 Hawaiian islands in under a week, so

If there is one food a diabetic shouldn't eat it's sugar, right? Wrong! Robby Barbaro, also known as The Mindful Diabetic is a fruitarian living with Type 1 diabetes. After getting diagnosed with Type 1 (which is genetic) Robby began researching and experimenting with what the best diet and lifestyle is for someone trying to manage this condition. After years of experimentation Robby found the raw, high carb, low fat, whole food plant-based approach worked best. Robby has been eating a fruit-based raw vegan diet for almost a decade and has watched his bodies need for insulin go down over the years, proof that this diet works! In this conversation Robby and I discuss why people are so misinformed about sugar and diabetes, and how fruit can be the magic solution. Robby is an original member of the fruitarian community, and has worked for Forks Over Knives since 2010 as the Operations Manager. Robby met his girlfriend, Ally Ertel, at the University of Florida where he graduated with a degree in Event Management

In a way, we all share the same mother. No one escapes from their dependence on mother earth who provides our air, water, food and shelter. While most people would do anything to protect their own biological mother, humans are currently responsible for destroying the patron of life itself. With the increase of species extinction, oceans dying and the climate expressing great illness, humans are currently in a period of depression after decades of emotionally turning our heads on this crisis. As a buddhist, Zhiwa teaches that the human species must collectively go through a community grieving process in order to remain healthy and effective in this time of sorrow. In this conversation Zhiwa argues that local, organic, plant-based dietary choices are the easiest and most impactful way to fight for sustainability and eco rehabilitation. Zhiwa Woodbury is an ecopsychologist, eco-activist, and spiritual practitioner with a doctorate in natural law. He recently earned his M.A. in East/West Psychology from the Calif

Ramloti is the founder of The Haidakhandi Universal Ashram in the rural mountains of Crestone Colorado. Ramloti received her name from the spirit teacher Shri Haidakhan Wale Babaji. Ramloti means the one who carries God inside of them at all times. In 1981 Ramloti (Debby at the time) felt called to find Babaji and took a flight to India from the US with one hundred dollars in her pocket. She was a single mother in the middle of earning her masters degree in phycology. It took Ramloti weeks to find Babaji, but once she did he asked her to build an ashram of his teachings in the United States. In 1986 Ramloti began building the Haidakhandi Universal Ashram, and she still lives there today along with two other permanent devotees and hundreds of travelers through out the year. The teachings of the ashram are love, devotion, and service. Free and open to the public, anyone can come to the ashram, enjoy their organic vegetarian food, and help work on what ever needs to get done that day. In this conversation Ramlot

Going vegan in high school comes with its fair share of social complications. As teenagers start to experiment with drugs and alcohol friendships can fray, and lifestyle habits can take people in unhealthy directions. Izzy Davis found herself 17 years old and uninterested in the conventional "cool kid" path her and her friends were headed down. In early high school Izzy struggled with an eating disorder and exercise addiction. After healing those disorders Izzy knew she could not go down another destructive path and looked for a healthy new direction. Izzy found plant-based nutrition as an outlet and alternative to drinking and partying. Izzy is a part of the raw till 4 community, eating a high raw fruit-based diet with a high carb cooked meal for dinner. Izzy's YouTube channel (Izzy .Davis) has 20,000 subscribers (as of March 2015). Izzy lets her viewers in on what she eats, who she hangs out with, her work outs and the concepts on her mind. Izzy is becoming a skilled pole dancer, which is a very challenging

The easiest and most effective way to let people know you get enough protein as a vegan is to look the part. Ian Myers is a perfect example of what raw vegan muscle looks like. Five years ago Ian went through a major transformation and healed his body from a variety major health challenges. By changing his diet and embracing a RAW Living Plant Based lifestyle, in addition to doing an intensive 12 month detox,cleanse and purification program that incorporated natures botanical herbs, Ian lost over 55 lbs and gained his vitality back. Before embarking on his health journey, he was diagnosed with heart disease, high blood pressure, pancreatic weakness, chronic digestive Issues and severe acne. Ian Myers has been in the fitness and wellness industry for over a decade. He is passionate about helping people live a healthy lifestyle through nutrition, exercise and detoxification. Ian is a RAW Vegan, a father of twin girls, and is very active in his community. Ian is the author of the IMWellness.org healthy lifestyle

Although the world grows enough food to feed 14 billion people (twice the human population) one in seven people are lacking proper nutrition and calories. In addition, 33% of all food purchased ends up thrown away! World hunger is less an over population issue, and more of a food allocation issue. Shane Lory is a student at Colorado College and the director/founder of The Colorado Springs Food Rescue, which is a non profit organization that rescues edible food waste from restaurants, grocery stores, and cafeterias to give, for free, back the local community who are in need of food. After taking a gap year and traveling with a low budget around the world, Shane came face to face with poverty in America, and the magnitude of income inequality prevalent today. Shane is now a devout food justice and peace activist inspiring people to live sustainably, redefine food as a human right instead of a privilege, and purchase food responsibly. Connect with Shane: Colorado Springs Food Rescue Shane: Faces of Innovation Sh

Health begins on your plate, but it does not end there. As Tim Van Orden likes to say, once we have dialed in the healthiest plant-based diet, the next step is "beyond the kale". While diet is the foundation of living a healthy lifestyle, without putting dietary clarity and energy to work, the increased level of health is useless. Peter May takes health and plants to the next level. At a young age Peter learned about the medicinal properties of plants for healing every day accidents like burns, scrapes, and muscle tears. The power of the plant spoke to Peter, and he began to speak back. Peter has developed a system where he can record the energy of different plants and express that energy in the form of sounds, which he reveals in this podcast. Peter started his own business, Windhorse Botanicals, where he supplies the public with healing oils, hydrosols, cremes, drops, and refreshers which he makes himself from local Colorado plants like the Pinyon Pine Tree. As a competitive endurance athlete, Peter uses hi

There are not too many people that can play division 1 college basketball standing at just 5'3". There are also not many women that size that can out lift a 6'2" 190 pound man like myself, but Vanessa Espinoza is one of them. Vanessa is a personal trainer, animal rights activist, and a plant-powered vegan muscle builder. During her senior year of college, 11 years ago, Vanessa made her vegan transformation after becoming aware of the animal cruelty involved in eating meat, dairy, and eggs. Her love for fitness never faded, and she continued to push the limit into her diet change despite the mainstream consensus at that point that vegans could not be bodybuilders. Vanessa is now a 3x Colorado Golden Glove state champion in boxing with a 6-0 record, a contributing writer to Plant-Based Muscle: Know Your Own Strength , and has one of the most impressive physiques in female bodybuilding. Vanessa's body is a tangible example of what consistency and dedication can look like. In 15 years Vanessa has never taken more

Colorado Springs has its very own Rip Esselstyn, and his name is Troy Baleria. Troy is a plant-powered paramedic firefighter who works in the front lines of danger and disease. Fire fighters work exhausting and busy jobs, in and out of the fire house taking care of the local communities when accidents and life threatening situation occur. Unlike what is conveyed in the movies, most fire fighters are not receiving calls to come extinguish burning buildings, but rather provide medical attention to people suffering from chronic disease and diet related illnesses such as heart attacks and strokes. With a service industry so focused on healing and safety, you would think that the front line workers would embody the philosophy of healthy living practices. Instead firefighters are know for eating meat balls, burgers, and beer after work. Troy is proving that you can be a big, strong, fit firefighter, while also being a compassionate plant eater. Troy has his fire house co-workers making huge kale salads, grilling ve

There is a reason why we all loved getting messy when we were kids. It's cathartic work to stick your hands in dirt and smell the fresh scent of earth. There are more ways to tap into that childlike urge for wild play than to simply roll around in the mud. Jonah Goldman, a college student and urban farmer, found a sanctuary in the ability to escape to the garden and clear his mind from the stimulations of screens and mind melding school work. After years of working on a computer, as most of us modern people do, Jonah needed to develop an escape in order to be more productive and happy in his day to day work. Jonah managed to transform a local abandoned trash dump into a lush green house, growing fruit and vegetables year round here in Colorado. Jonah explains how growing food and experiencing nature does not need to be expensive or complicated. Jonah uses recycled discarded items to serve as the structure fro growing nourishing, healthy and organic food. Jonah was a summer intern at Beyond Meat, which is an i

"If the whole world was to suddenly realize that fruit was actually a viable food source, we could turn this world into Eden." -Mango Wodzak The Garden of Eden story has been around for millennia, symbolizing a place of peace, health and love. Most of the world today no longer resembles Eden. Cities, suburbs, factories and industrial agricultural projects have turned natural perfection into man made manipulations. But even though Eden is a place that seems unattainable to a lot of modern people living in 2015, this episode's guests remind us that Eden still exists. Evan and Charles live on and operate a 17 acre permaculture fruit farm in Hilo on the Big Island of Hawaii, but these are not Hawaiian natives. Evan grew up in Malibu California and got into selling real estate after school, soon finding that the mainstream notion that money brings happiness was far from the truth(Evan's story can found on the Rich Roll Podcast). After a few years of embarking on the vegan and raw fruitarian path, Evan moved his li

Experiencing life from an alternative perspective is a common trend amongst successful artists, entrepreneurs, and happy people. Handstands are one way to see life in a new way, and Jonah Kest spends a good portion of his day in this impressive inversion. Jonah is a college student at CU Boulder, yoga teacher, fitness expert and plant powered vegan athlete. Growing up in a family of devoted yoga practitioners and teachers, plant -based nutrition, meditation, mindfulness and asana were engrained into Jonah's upbringing. At the age of 17 Jonah went through 200 hours of teacher training led by his father Jonny Kest at the Center for Yoga in Michigan, and now teachers a power style vinyasa flow with meditation and inner soul searching which he learned through a Vipassana meditation retreat. Jonah is also a vegan muscle builder using calisthenics and body weight exercises to attain his muscular and ripped physique. Jonah and I discuss the aspects of living a healthy lifestyle beyond just the plate, and how compass

Do carbs make you fat? This is the age old question nutrition practitioners and experts have been debating for a long time. My experience with macro nutrient diets show that a high carb low fat approach wins every time for weight loss, increased energy, and overall health. There is a digital sanctuary that people go to review perspectives on this topic, and it's called YouTube, maybe you have heard of it. Anji and Ryan of the Happy Healthy Vegan YouTube channel run one of the most well viewed and respected channels on discussing how to live a happy and healthy plant-based lifestyle. This dynamic duo weren't always the characters they portray today. A decade ago Ryan and Anji were overweight, not very physically active and sporadically sick. After adopting a high carb mainly raw fruit-based approach to veganism Ryan and Anji got lean, fit, happy and decided to share their story with the world! Ryan and Anji help run the LA Fruitluck which is a fruit focused meetup group and gathering of high carb vegans. In ad

There seems to be a trend with parents of millennials setting their children on predetermined paths for success and happiness. The problem with this well intentioned practice is that it creates a limited and uncomfortable space for children to grow up in, experiment, develop unique experience and live amongst the unknown. Similar to my approach, my best friend Max Wyman decided to divert paths after high school and embarked on a year long journey out of the academic constraints and learned from the soil, plants, animals, and different cultures around the world on a gap year. After farming around the US and Europe while documenting his experiences on a blog, Max went to the University of Michigan still not confident that he was done with experiential learning. After 2 year of school, Max decided to transfer to USC and take another semester off to create a project around the power of selfless service. Max collected suggestion of 100 acts of kindness he could preform around the world as small as opening the door

Aloha! Close your eyes and imagine your own unique paradise. Notice how it feels, the fragrances and smells, the tastes and sounds. Now ask yourself, will you be satisfied and happy living a life less than the comfort and joy of that paradise? This episodes guest, the beautiful and talented Megan Elizabeth McDonnell, said no to that question and chose paradise. There is an epidemic in our world today where billions of people are accepting lifestyles that do not give them hope, happiness, nourishment and pleasure. Most of us work jobs that are less than enjoyable with little meaning, accepting bad as the new normal. Living in paradise like, I don’t know…Hawaii, may seem like a novelty too good to be true for many people experiencing life as a grind rather than a gift and journey. Megan Elizabeth is a perfect example of what it takes to get in the drivers seat of life and direct your own path to a place of bliss. Megan is a vegan activist, low fat raw food educator, entrepreneur, author, YouTuber (Easy To Be

Listen on iTunes! In our world of specialization, it’s difficult to be a master in more than one field. It is hard enough to find a single passion and give it your all while dodging around the distractions of our modern world, but imagine finding a few passions and committing yourself full on. Our guest today embodies what it means to follow ones heart with commitment, strategy and courage. Harry Greene is a pentathlete training as the US Olympic Center in Colorado Springs, working everyday on making it to the 2016 olympics. Not only is he trying to become number 1 in the world at his sport, which is a combination of five sports, but he is also an educated food grower. Harry helped start the Manitou Local First Grocer and also works with the Colorado Springs Food Rescue, which is a group of Colorado College students who redistribute edible but wasted food to people in need. Harry is a sustainability activist passionate about localizing our currently industrialized food system in order to promote a healthie