PLANTSTRONG Podcast

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.
So Carleigh set out to make healthy eating easier and truly quicker - making sure a 20-minute meal really could be made in about 20 minutes.
Rip and Carleigh dig into smart kitchen shortcuts, frozen vegetables, pantry staples, crispy tofu, tahini, dump-and-bake dinners, speedy pastas, plant-powered desserts, and her clever “Got This, Make That” guide for using what you already have.
If you've ever wanted to eat healthier but thought, “I just don't have the time,” this one's for you.
You'll hear:
Why Quickies was born during one of Carleigh's hardest seasons
Why time — not motivation — may be the biggest barrier to eating well
Simple shortcuts that make plant-based cooking faster
Why frozen produce, canned beans, and pantry staples can save dinner
How Plant Points encourage greater plant diversity
Easy ways to make tofu crispy, shredded, or peeled
Dump-and-bake meals with just minutes of prep
Edamame pesto pasta, Bang Bang Broccoli, tahini dip, and more
Plant-powered chocolate mousse and secret-ingredient chickpea cookies
How “Got This, Make That” can help reduce food waste and grocery costs

Learn More About our 2026 Live PLANTSTRONG Events: https://plantstrongevents.com/
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COMPLEMENT: Use code PLANTSTRONG for 30% off at https://lovecomplement.com/pages/plantstrong-special-offer

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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:
protein needs
sarcopenia and bone health
calcium, vitamin D, B12, and omega-3s
why progressive resistance training is so important for preserving strength

They also talk about appetite changes, how loneliness, affects eating, building community, purpose, and why healthy aging is about much more than just nutrients alone.
And their message is clear: it is never too late to improve your health.
Start where you are. Eat more plants. Lift something. Stay connected. Keep moving...and always keep it Plant Strong.
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Learn More About our 2026 Live PLANTSTRONG Events: https://plantstrongevents.com/
Let Us Help Your PLANTSTRONG Journey
Learn More About Our Corporate Wellness Program: https://liveplantstrong.com/corporate-wellness/
COMPLEMENT: Use code PLANTSTRONG for 30% off at https://lovecomplement.com/pages/plantstrong-special-offer

Follow PLANTSTRONG and Rip Esselstyn
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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 guidelines don’t just sit on a government website collecting dust. They help shape nutrition policy and what gets served in schools, hospitals, correction institutions, military facilities, and other federal food programs.
Neal is especially fired up about the push for more protein, more animal foods, full-fat dairy, and even beef tallow. His point? Most Americans — including kids — are already getting plenty of protein, and piling on more animal protein can also mean piling on more saturated fat and cholesterol.
But here’s the key: PCRM isn’t asking a judge to decide what the perfect diet should be.
They’re asking whether the government followed the law.
Rip and Dr. Barnard dig into:
• Why PCRM says the new Dietary Guidelines were created through a flawed process
• The industry ties Neal says existed among members of the advisory panel
• Why this lawsuit is about transparency and process — not asking a judge to settle nutrition science
• Why school meals are one of Neal’s biggest concerns
• Whole milk, animal protein, saturated fat, and the comeback of beef tallow
• Why lumping all “processed foods” into one big bucket misses the mark
• PCRM’s history of challenging the government over dietary guidelines
• Why Neal believes this case is strong
• His surprising roots in the cattle industry
• Why compassion still sits at the heart of his work
• A major diabetes study PCRM is conducting with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota
• And a new breast cancer awareness campaign featuring Venus Williams and Dr. Kristi Funk
This is bigger than politics and bigger than one set of guidelines.
It’s about who gets to shape the food messages Americans hear, what ends up on millions of plates, and whether science, transparency, and public health are actually leading the way.
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Learn More About our 2026 Live PLANTSTRONG Events: https://plantstrongevents.com/
Let Us Help Your PLANTSTRONG Journey
Learn More About Our Corporate Wellness Program: https://liveplantstrong.com/corporate-wellness/
COMPLEMENT: Use code PLANTSTRONG for 30% off at https://lovecomplement.com/pages/plantstrong-special-offer

Follow PLANTSTRONG and Rip Esselstyn
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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’t supposed to box you in. They can actually set you free.
When the good stuff is already built into your day — movement, healthy food, time for reflection, sleep, learning, even a little fun — you don’t have to keep negotiating with yourself. You don’t have to wake up every morning and ask, “Am I going to do this today?” You’ve already made the decision.
Rip and Lisa talk about how we fuel our bodies, how we start and end our days, why movement matters, how to protect our time and energy, how to shape your purpose, and how a few simple routines can help keep us grounded when life gets messy.
Watch the Episode on YouTube
Episode Webpage
Learn More About our 2026 Live PLANTSTRONG Events: https://plantstrongevents.com/
Let Us Help Your PLANTSTRONG Journey
Learn More About Our Corporate Wellness Program: https://liveplantstrong.com/corporate-wellness/
COMPLEMENT: Use code PLANTSTRONG for 30% off at https://lovecomplement.com/pages/plantstrong-special-offer

Follow PLANTSTRONG and Rip Esselstyn
https://plantstrong.com/
https://www.facebook.com/GoPlantstrong
https://www.instagram.com/goplantstrong/
https://www.instagram.com/ripesselstyn/

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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 have blind spots, nutrients like B12, D3, iodine, and omega-3s that whole foods alone often can't fully cover. Essential closes those specific gaps in one clean daily formula, with everything you need and nothing you don't, so the diet you've worked hard to build actually delivers everything it promises.
Episode Webpage
Learn More About our 2026 Live PLANTSTRONG Events: https://plantstrongevents.com/
Let Us Help Your PLANTSTRONG Journey
Learn More About Our Corporate Wellness Program: https://liveplantstrong.com/corporate-wellness/
COMPLEMENT: Use code PLANTSTRONG for 30% off at https://lovecomplement.com/pages/plantstrong-special-offer

Follow PLANTSTRONG and Rip Esselstyn
https://plantstrong.com/
https://www.facebook.com/GoPlantstrong
https://www.instagram.com/goplantstrong/
https://www.instagram.com/ripesselstyn/

Follow the PLANTSTRONG Podcast and Give the Show a 5-star Rating
Apple Podcasts
Spotify