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Podcast

Exploring the Pathless Land of Truth with Jeff Stanford: PYP 239

November 14, 2017

Jeff Stanford combines a scientist’s mind with a vegan’s heart and a mystic’s soul. He’s co-founder of the Stanford Inn by the Sea in Mendocino, California, an eco-resort complete with a fully vegan restaurant, The Ravens.

Sid Garza-Hillman, who’s the nutritionist at the Stanford Inn, suggested that Jeff would provide fascinating content for the podcast, and Jeff did not disappoint.

Jeff’s a longtime spiritual seeker, an old-school “back to the land” hippie, and a philosopher. And an advocate of a vegan diet, from all the usual perspectives as well as some that are uniquely his.

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Code Blue: Challenging Conventional Medical Education and Practice with Saray Stancic, MD: PYP 238

November 10, 2017

Dr Saray Stancic became an infectious disease specialist in response to the HIV and hepatitis C crisis of the 1980s and 90s. On October 11, 1995, the then-3rd year medical resident found a short nap window at 2am, and collapsed in fatigue in the on-call room of the hospital where she worked.

When she was awakened for her next shift, Dr Stancic couldn’t feel her legs. She was rushed to the ER, and an MRI revealed multiple sclerosis (MS) with multiple lesions in the brain and spinal cord. In addition to the neuropathy in her legs, it turned out that her kidneys were also failing.

She was admitted to the hospital, given an IV steroid drip and a bunch of other medications. And just like that, a young, energetic, ambitious doctor was converted into a frightened, confused, dispirited patient.

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Rip Esselstyn on Growing a Movement and Being Open to Opportunity: PYP 237

November 7, 2017

Rip Esselstyn is founder of Engine 2, a food and education company dedicated to eliminating chronic disease through a whole food, plant-based diet.

As Engine 2 continues to grow in influence and reach, Rip is stewarding the company to new opportunities. As a food brand associated with Whole Foods and an education provider to their employees, Engine 2 is poised to explode with Amazon’s purchase of Whole Foods this past year.

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Navigating a Plant-Based Thanksgiving with Elspeth Feldman: PYP 236

November 3, 2017

Elspeth Feldman is The Speedy Vegan. Combining a love of cooking with a stint in culinary school with a dedication to human health and love of all sentient beings, she teaches and coaches people on adopting a plant-based diet in a delicious and non-time-consuming fashion.

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Nathan Runkle on Showing Mercy to the Animals in Our Care: PYP 235

October 31, 2017

Nathan Runkle is the founder of Mercy For Animals, an organization that focuses on the prevention of cruelty to the billions of farm animals raised for food in the United States.

Nathan’s just written an amazing memoir, titled Mercy For Animals, with friend-of-the-podcast Gene Stone. The book is part coming of age story, part exposé of the animal agriculture industry, and part gripping tale of adventure and risk and strategy as a few passionate, committed young people go undercover to expose the abuses that are a regular and normal and accepted part of our meat-based food chain.

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Rob Greenfield on Wearing Trash, Opting Out of Capitalism, and Waking Up to the Effects of Our Actions: PYP 234

October 24, 2017

Rob Greenfield has put the fun and friendly into environmental activism. Known for his eye-catching and media-worthy campaigns and adventures to wake people up to the destruction we’re causing to our planet, Rob brings a positivity and sense of humor and humility to what is too often a dreary scold-fest.

Rob was originally on track to live an opulent American dream, complete with nice stuff, fast car, big house, and enough money to do whatever he wanted. A life in which he never had to think about the downstream consequences of his actions, choices, and consumption.

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Having a New Heart and Filling It With Love with Ken Lander: PYP 233

October 17, 2017

When Ken Lander disembarked from a plane on December 16, 2016, he lost his breath, stumbled, and couldn’t make to baggage claim. When the 430-pound Lander was examined in the emergency room, it was determined that it was a very sick heart that had nearly cost him his life that day.

Further tests revealed a 90% blockage in the left descending artery, and severely compromised heart efficiency (“ejection fraction” in cardio lingo).

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The Mindful Vegan by Lani Muelrath: PYP 230

October 5, 2017

Lani Muelrath is a good friend of the podcast (on the show for the third time), and a prolific thinker, teacher, and writer.

Lani’s new book, The Mindful Vegan: A 30-Day Plan for Finding Health, Balance, Peace, and Happiness, covers the third of her three pillars of a healthy life: mastery over habits of thinking the first two being physical activity and a whole-food plant-based diet).

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Replacing Fear with Love, Losing 200 Pounds, and Finding Purpose with Russ L’Hommedieu: PYP 229

September 26, 2017

When we make a big change in our lives, it’s easy to forget who we were and how we thought before that change. Russ L’Hommedieu doesn’t have that problem – he’s got a public video record of his old ways of being and thinking: a 2 minute compilation video of his standup routine about the travails of obesity and dieting.

After selling his physical therapy practice, Russ began going to comedy open mics, and achieved some success with his “fat guy bemoaning his attempts at weight loss” routine. He’s funny, no question, but I can’t help but be saddened at the self-defeating attitude of the man in the video.

Then, 15 years ago, he became an accidental vegan and his weight loss accelerated and – for the first time ever – wasn’t reversed.

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Tackling Our Healthcare Crisis by Growing Food with Thi Squire: PYP 228

September 19, 2017

Thi Squire is the garden manager for Homestead Hospital, located 30 miles south of Miami on Florida’s east coast.

Wait, what? Garden manager? At a hospital?

Yup. Thi (pronounced “Tee”), a longtime urban gardener and sales rep in the burgeoning farm-to-table industry in South Florida, talked her way into a position growing food for the hospital cafeteria.

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Hi, I’m Howard Jacobson, host of the Plant Yourself Podcast, co-author of You Can Change Other People and Sick to Fit, and co-founder of WellStart Health Coach Academy.

Click here to get in touch.