Switch4good

Our guest today is author and Doctor Monisha Bhanote, also known as the Wellbeing Doctor. Dr. Bhanote is a specialist in integrative lifestyle medicine, culinary medicine, and nutrigenomic biohacking. She’s one of the few quintuple board-certified physicians in the United States, and she’s diagnosed with over one million cancer cases. Dr. Bhanote takes a personalized, whole-body approach to help her patients transform their health, and she leads wellness workshops and retreats throughout the world.  Tune in to hear Dr. Bhanote’s important insights into improving cellular health, strengthening your microbiome, and biohacking the human body for lifelong well-being! “To change your mindset is to surround yourself with other people whose mindset you want to be like. So if you are in an environment with toxic people who are always gossiping or negative, those neural connections are gonna get strengthened in your mind. Okay? But if you’re around other people who are like trying to have self-improvement, trying to m

Eric Lindstrom once ate 68 chicken wings in one sitting. Today, he works full-time in animal advocacy and has written two books on veganism. What changed? The self-proclaimed carnivore adopted a plant-based diet over a bet with his wife. While he admittedly grumbled the whole time, what was intended to be a 30-day health kick turned into a lifelong passion. Once Eric discovered that he didn’t have to give up his favorite meaty, cheesy foods, he stopped grumbling and embraced the plant-based way of life.  With his relatable personality and relaxed humor, Eric encourages others to adopt a plant-based diet by illustrating its bounty of delicious options and its accessibility.  A father of two young children, Eric also helps parents navigate a family-wide switch to plant-based.  Tune in for some laughs, insight, and practical tips to make the switch.  “The first third of my life, I was eating animals. I was unapologetic about it. It was part of my culture. It was part of my upbringing. It was part of my every day

A plant-based diet has so many health benefits: reduced inflammation, a stronger immune system, and improved gut health, just to name a few.  But can plant-based eating also have an impact on addiction and recovery? Could it prevent relapses and increase your resilience to cope with life? These are the questions that today’s guests, Dr. Tara Kemp and Adam Sud, set out to answer in The INFINITE Study, which researches if there are any benefits to plant-based eating in addiction recovery.  Adam Sud is a third-time guest on this podcast for a very good reason. He’s an incredibly inspiring speaker who emerged from his own substance use disorder and now helps others as a behavioral wellness and nutrition expert. Dr. Tara Kemp is a mental health coach and researcher with a Ph.D. in psycho-social health. She also has a very personal story of recovering from disordered eating. And now, she helps other women on their healing journey with food through her coaching business and her retreats. Tune in to this week’s episo

On a summer morning in 2001, today’s guest, Michael O’Brien, had what he refers to as his last bad day. While out on a morning bike ride, an SUV traveling at 40 mph crossed into his lane and struck him head-on, forever altering his life as he knew it. Doctors were shocked that he survived and told him that he’d likely never ride again or even walk with comfort. Yet, in 2022, Michael completed a 41-day, 3,600-mile bike ride across the United States, proving all of them wrong. Today, Michael is a meditation teacher, author, executive coach, and creator of the Pause Breathe Reflect app, which invites users to meditate and take time out to stop a bad moment from becoming a very bad day.  Tune in to hear the remarkable story of his healing journey, the benefits of being mindful, and how to have a meditation practice yourself! “And I did it for about five minutes, and I was like, oh, that felt good. And then I just set my intentions for the day, like, how did I want to show up? I’m like, okay, get your head on str

How does a 400-pound cripple living in constant pain become an avid mountain climber and a triathlete? Here to tell his story and inspire everyone that change is possible is Tim Kaufman. Tim was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) in his early twenties and lived in chronic pain most of his life. By the time he was 37, he was addicted to Fentanyl, alcohol, and fast food. Weighing over 400 pounds, Tim could not perform simple daily tasks and was almost immobile. He had lost his interest in life and had almost given up. Losing two people close to their hearts to deadly diseases, Tim's wife feared that he would be the next. That was the turning point for Tim.  He started a journey to regain his health, changing one small thing at a time. As a result, Tim is now an athlete who thrives on a plant-based whole food lifestyle and leads a healthy, happy, and active life free of all medications he was once on. He now helps others find health and happiness with the firm belief that “change is out there for anyone

Today’s guests are on a mission to empower patients and accelerate change in the way medicine is practiced. They are husband and wife practitioners of functional and integrative medicine and experienced huge improvements in their own health by switching to a whole-food, plant-based diet. Dr. Micah Yu is an integrative rheumatologist and he has a unique perspective as both a physician and a patient because he was diagnosed with gout—a form of inflammatory arthritis that’s extremely painful—at the age of 17. Dr. Melissa Mondala is a triple specialist in family medicine, lifestyle medicine, and primary care psychiatry. She’s one of the first and youngest nationally recognized lifestyle medicine fellows and has devoted decades of volunteer work in underserved communities throughout the world.  With the firm belief that lifestyle medicine should be the foundation for healthcare, this dynamic duo combined their experience and passion for opening their Newport Beach private practice called Dr. Lifestyle, where they’

The work of fighting to make the world a better place for all sentient beings can be fraught with adversity, leaving even the most resolute of us disheartened at times. And that’s why we’re so thankful for today’s guest, Colleen Patrick-Goudreau because she’s a breath of fresh air and an exemplar of how thought leaders can inspire change through the power of positivity. Known as the Joyful Vegan, Colleen is a long-time animal activist, producer, and host of the podcasts Animalogy and Food For Thought, host of vegan trips all over the world, and bestselling author of seven books. She’s also been a regular contributor to NPR. She’s appeared on the Food Network, and her recipes have been featured on Oprah.com. Always optimistic, extremely persuasive, and very quotable, we are super thrilled to welcome her to the show today! “We have cognitive dissonance, and that means we’re having difficulty holding two ideas at the same time. And that creates dissonance. That creates discomfort. And in order to reconcile that

Have you ever dreamed of having unparalleled access to the culture, people, and mouthwatering vegan cuisine of such faraway lands as India, Thailand, or Indonesia? Ever wanted to step off the beaten path and experience an exotic locale in an authentic way, generally reserved for locals? Today’s guest can provide precisely what you’re looking for and more. Zac Lovas is the co-founder of Vegan Travel Asia by VegVoyages. This vegan cultural adventure tour company brings you an immersive experience that will leave you enriched and forever changed. It’s Zac’s extensive background in the film industry that brought him to India initially, which brings us full circle because it’s another reason why we’re very excited to have him here—to discuss his work on Maa Ka Doodh, the gutsy documentary that takes an unflinching look at India’s Dairy Industry. “Even to this day, about 20 to 30 percent, I would say roughly of our guests are nonveg, but they are vegan when they’re with us. And they always say right at the beginnin

For anyone out there who’s been curious, but reluctant to try a plant-based diet because you’ve heard it’s time-consuming or expensive, our guest today is going to completely shatter those myths. In her new book, “Plant-Based on a Budget Quick & Easy: 100 Fast, Healthy, Meal-Prep, Freezer-Friendly, And One-Pot Vegan Recipes,” Chef Toni Okamoto, host of Plant-Powered People Podcast and founder of the wildly popular Plant-Based on a Budget website, demystifies plant-based eating and offers clever, practical solutions that make eating delicious, healthy and diverse foods convenient and more affordable. And for those of you who have been listeners for a while, you might recognize Toni from when she was a guest in episode 105, so we’re super happy to have her here with us again to ignite our culinary imaginations! “You don’t have to eat differently or dramatically differently than you eat already. Think about the favorite foods that you enjoy. You enjoy pizza. You enjoy burritos. You have pasta dishes. You ca

Born and raised in East Los Angeles and forged in the fires of adversity, cookbook author Chef Babette Davis burst onto the culinary scene with her renowned vegan restaurant Stuff I Eat in Inglewood, California, where the soul food platter is one of the many, many must-try dishes. An ageless paragon of fitness and vibrant health, Chef Babette has legions of social media followers who love seeing her posts of this incredibly fit 71-year-old working out or cooking or even in a bikini. If she’s not preparing delicious dishes in the kitchen of her restaurant, teaching cooking classes, or hosting the competition cooking show Peeled, you’ll find her running stairs all around Los Angeles. Always inspiring. Always funny. Always real. Here are our favorite quotes from Chef Babette in this episode that you don’t want to miss:  “My quality of life when I’m 93 needs to be as awesome as it is today. I am on no medication. I can stand up, put my shoe and my sock on, and balance myself through the entire process, and I can

The exciting story of today’s remarkable guest, entrepreneur Arturo Elizondo, started in the border city of Laredo, Texas. But his innate curiosity and desire to effect positive changes in the world led him to the hallowed halls of Harvard University, to study food security in Geneva, and even to an internship at the White House. But it was really his time spent with the United States Department of Agriculture that truly opened his eyes and changed him forever. And with so many incredible opportunities within his grasp, Arturo took a long hard look at our broken food system. He looked at the environmental devastation it inflicts, the toll it takes on human health, and the cruelty inherent in animal agriculture. That’s when he decided to do something about it. Today he’s the co-founder and CEO of The EVERY Company – a revolutionary food technology company based in San Francisco that’s creating a healthy, planet-friendly protein that people know and love, without the animal! “We’re focused on becoming the inf

“Inflammation”, is a word most people don’t think about until they’re confronted with it. In fact, many of us are living with inflammation right now and don’t even know it. Why does this ultimately matter though? Because inflammation is the precursor to disease.   Fortunately, the guest we have with us today is an authority on this very subject.  Author, radio host, health activist, and thought leader in the wellness industry, Dr. Sunil Pai is an expert in Integrative Medicine, and one of the first board-certified MDs in Holistic Integrative Medicine in the United States. In his book, “An Inflammation Nation: The Definitive 10-step Guide to Preventing, Treating and Reversing All Diseases Through Diet, Lifestyle and the Use of Natural Anti-Inflammatories,” he offers evidence-based solutions to defeat this silent adversary. So, for anyone out there currently suffering from chronic inflammation, or trying to prevent it from rearing its ugly head, this is an episode you definitely don’t want to miss! “Let me just

When it comes to aging, the general school of thought is that pain and deterioration are just part of the deal. But what if it doesn’t have to be this way? What if there was a way to mitigate, or even reverse this decline? What if there was a way to feel younger and stronger? Fortunately, our expert today, Eileen Kopsaftis, can talk about common misconceptions around aging and show us why there’s nothing natural about physical deterioration.  Eileen is a physical therapist, founder of Have Lifelong Wellbeing, author of the book Pain Culprits: Surprising Truths Behind Pain, How to Uncover the Cause, and What to Do about It, and for over two decades, she’s been helping people resolve pain and experience lasting wellbeing. Today, she’s with us to discuss what it means to actually age well, and dramatically improve the quality of your life! “If someone has back pain, it’s almost never their back. Even if things show up on imaging because there is really no correlation between what shows up on imaging and the symp

As human beings, we are addicted to animal products, and it will take a lot of time to make a change. But today’s guest is a creator with a purpose and joins me this week to share their inspiring journey towards making lasting change. Robbie Lockie is a brave soul filled with grit, determination, and the desire to see real change happen. They are the co-founder of Plant-Based News, an outlet that provides free access to information on responsible consumerism, environmental activism, and plant-based food trends. After some health issues and a few profound experiences in their 20s, they began researching veganism, ultimately following their heart to conscious ethical direction. They join me this week to share the moment everything shifted for them, the problem with the current food and dairy industries, and why everybody has a responsibility to take ownership of their actions. What Robbie has to say is so inspiring; you won’t want to miss this episode!   What we discuss in this episode: The moment Robbie becam

On Friday, March 17th, after nearly six hours of deliberation, and facing up to six months in jail if convicted, Alexandra Paul and co-defendant Alicia Santurio were acquitted by a California jury of the alleged crime of taking two sick, slaughter-bound chickens from a Foster Farms truck in Livingston, California. Prosecutors called it stealing, but Alexandra and Alicia called it a rescue. From accused to acquittal, in this very special episode, we get to hear the story from Alexandra herself, including all the riveting behind-the-scenes details of what led these two courageous activists to set out to expose the cruelty of poultry slaughter, and demonstrate why they had the right to rescue these two sentient beings in the first place.    “So I’ll tell you what open rescue is and then I’ll explain what happened that day. Open rescue is when animal investigators go into places where there has been claims of abuse or suspicions of abuse, like factory farms, and we document what we see. And if there is an animal

Today’s incredible guest, Darcy Gaechter, has been whitewater kayaking for over two decades and is considered one of the best kayakers on the planet. She’s won whitewater kayaking races throughout the world, led kayaking expeditions in over a dozen countries, and in the year 2013, she became the very first and only woman to kayak the entire Amazon River, from its origin in the Andes Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean. In her book, Amazon Woman: Facing Fears, Chasing Dreams, and My Quest to Kayak the Largest River from Source to Sea, Darcy chronicles the arduous 148-day, 4,300-mile journey descending the Amazon—braving everything from sub-zero waters to pirates, piranhas, poachers and sand flies, all while maintaining fidelity to her vegan diet, no less. So, for any adventurers, aspiring adventurers, or anyone out there seeking to tap into your unrealized potential and achieve the extraordinary, this riveting episode is a MUST listen!   “Our thought process was we would maybe die too trying to rescue him. And so

Ice hockey is often stereotyped as a white man’s sport. In fact, USA Today claims that the National Hockey League is made up of only 3% non-white players. But today’s guest helped pave the way to increase that percentage and get more men of color on the ice. Georges Laraque is a retired professional hockey player, Canadian sports commentator, author, and animal rights activist. In his 13 years in the NHL, Georges played 695 games, including 57 in the playoffs and two fighting for the Stanley Cup. Since making the switch in 2009, Georges has steadily contributed to the vegetarian and environmental movements in Montreal.   In this episode, Alexandra and Dotsie speak with Georges about his journey to becoming one of the few men of color to play in the NHL and how shifting to a plant-based diet affected his life and understanding of justice. Tune in to hear more about Georges growing influence in the vegan, sports, and political communities.   What we discuss in this episode: What it was like for Georges growing

Our guest today is an award-winning pain specialist with decades of experience helping patients with chronic pain achieve a better quality of life. Dr. Andrea Furlan is a specialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto, and a Staff Physician and Senior Scientist at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute. In her new book, 8 Steps to Conquer Chronic Pain: A Doctor’s Guide to Lifelong Relief, Dr. Furlan shares science-backed solutions to beat pain that she has seen work in her own practice. So for anyone out there suffering in silence, or for those who have a loved one dealing with chronic pain, this episode is a must-listen!   “We all have pain here and there. Now, if this pain happens in a person that has the amygdala super active, they will respond with an exaggerated fear response. And that fear of pain after the injury heals is related to the perpetuation of the pain itself. So that’s how the pain transitions from acute to c

The story of our guest today, Dr. Sharon McDowell-Larsen, is one of perpetual movement. A plant-based athlete and former Coach at the Center for Creative Leadership, she’s lived on multiple continents and competed in IronMan triathlons, mountain bike races, Ultra Trail races, and Nordic ski races, just to name a few. Dr. McDowell-Larsen has a PhD in exercise physiology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and she has guided some of the world’s top leaders to peak performance in health and in fitness.   So whether you’re an aspiring athlete, current athlete or weekend warrior, this is an episode you don’t want to miss! “I just published a study that described executives in some of their lifestyle behaviors. And again, what we found over the years is that a higher percentage of them actually now exercise regularly. So that was a very positive trend that we found. Exercise rates are going up among executives. That’s over 50 percent that do it on a regular basis. You know, very few of them smoke. They don’t d

What does it take to become a successful vegan entrepreneur? Today’s guest can tell you. Lauren Joyner grew up, like so many people, eating a diet rich in meat, dairy and processed foods. For her family, queso was a staple on the dinner table. However, as an adult, working as a tech startup designer, something changed. She made the switch to a plant-based diet and began taking an interest in creating delicious, nutritious plant-based alternatives to the comfort foods she ate growing up.  Fast forward to today and she’s the founder of House Party snacks—formerly known as LOCA Foods—a cheese dip company that makes transcendent plant-based the queso dips capable of converting even the most staunch dairy cheese dip devotee. If you’ve been to a San Francisco Giants game recently, you might have had the great pleasure of trying one of her fabulous dips. Join us for an enlightening conversation where we discuss the ins and outs of starting a successful plant-based snack-food business! “I had no background or knowled