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PLANTSTRONG Podcast

PLANTSTRONG Podcast

By: Rip Esselstyn
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The PLANT STRONG Podcast is for people who want real answers about food, health, and longevity—without the noise, fear, or extremes. Maybe you’ve been diagnosed with a chronic condition and want a path forward that actually supports healing. Maybe you’re an athlete looking to fuel performance and recovery. Maybe you’re a parent trying to escape the ultra-processed food aisle and feed your family real, nourishing meals. Or maybe you’re simply tired of being confused about what “healthy” actually means. The challenge? Eating more real food can feel overwhelming. You’ve heard warnings about protein, cost, or restriction. You’ve been told it’s complicated, boring, or socially isolating. This podcast exists to change that. Each week, host Rip Esselstyn sits down with leading doctors, researchers, athletes, authors, and everyday people who are proving—through lived experience and science—that eating more whole plants and moving your body consistently can deliver powerful, lasting results. We’re not interested in perfection or dogma. We’re here to be extremely practical, extremely evidence-based, and extremely encouraging. Rip’s work began more than two decades ago, when he helped transform the health of his fellow firefighters using simple, whole foods—guided by the groundbreaking research of his father, Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn Jr. That experience launched a lifelong mission to help people reclaim their health through real food and active living, and ultimately led to the creation of PLANT STRONG. Today, the podcast is an extension of that mission: cutting through misinformation, challenging cultural norms, and showing what’s possible when you fuel your body with food that actually supports it. You’ll hear conversations about: Preventing and reversing chronic disease Strength, endurance, and recovery Gut health, inflammation, and longevity Behavior change that actually sticks How to build habits you can sustain in real life You’ll also hear about REAL30™—our simple, powerful framework built around consistency, not restriction: 30 days 30 minutes of movement a day 30 different whole plants each week REAL30 is often where listeners turn inspiration into action—and it’s a recurring thread throughout the show. This podcast isn’t about being perfect. It’s about eating real food, building real habits, and getting real results. You won’t be weak when you eat strong food. Welcome to PLANT STRONG.2024 Alternative & Complementary Medicine Hygiene & Healthy Living Physical Illness & Disease
Episodes
  • Ep. 359: Dr. Kim Williams Breaks Down the New Heart Health Guidelines (and it's Great News for Plants!)

    Ep. 359: Dr. Kim Williams Breaks Down the New Heart Health Guidelines (and it's Great News for Plants!)
    Jun 25 2026

    The newest AHA and ACC guidelines for treating dyslipidemia are here — and according to Dr. Kim Williams, they mark a powerful shift toward prevention, earlier testing, and whole-food, plant-based nutrition as the foundation of cardiovascular care.

    Rip welcomes back Dr. Kim Williams, past president of the American College of Cardiology, for a practical and deeply encouraging breakdown of what these updated cholesterol guidelines mean for everyday people.

    Dr. Williams explains why cardiovascular risk is no longer just about one cholesterol number. Instead, clinicians are being encouraged to look at the whole picture: LDL cholesterol, ApoB, Lp(a), inflammation, blood pressure, blood sugar, kidney function, family history, lifestyle, and coronary artery calcium when appropriate.

    The most exciting part for the PlantStrong community? Lifestyle optimization is now treated as the clinical foundation — and Dr. Williams is clear about what that means: a whole-food, plant-based diet built around beans, grains, nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables, and mushrooms, along with exercise, sleep, mindfulness, strong social connections, and avoidance of tobacco, alcohol, and other harmful substances.

    This conversation also tackles statins, PCSK9 inhibitors, Lp(a), coronary calcium scoring, and the new philosophy of treating risk lower, earlier, and longer — always with food first, and medication when needed.

    Key Takeaways

    • The new cholesterol guidelines emphasize lifestyle first, not lifestyle as an afterthought.
    • Dr. Williams says a whole-food, plant-based diet should be built around beans, grains, nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables, and mushrooms.
    • LDL cholesterol is still important, but it is no longer the only number that matters.
    • ApoB may give a clearer picture of risk in some people, especially those with diabetes, high triglycerides, or central obesity.
    • Lp(a) is largely genetic and should be measured at least once in adulthood; the 2026 guideline includes updated recommendations for elevated Lp(a).
    • Coronary artery calcium scoring can help personalize risk and guide LDL targets.
    • Dr. Williams emphasizes that the goal is not “plants versus statins.” It is whole plant foods first, medications when needed.
    • The overall prevention philosophy is: lower, earlier, longer.

    Watch the Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/6cD8tGpsAgg

    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

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    44 mins
  • Ep. 358: How Terri Edwards Reversed Her Joint Pain, Lost 50 Pounds & Transformed Her Health with Comfort Foods

    Ep. 358: How Terri Edwards Reversed Her Joint Pain, Lost 50 Pounds & Transformed Her Health with Comfort Foods
    Jun 18 2026

    Rip sits down with Terri Edwards — founder of EatPlant-Based.com — to talk about the recipes, habits, and simple food swaps that helped her completely transform her health.

    After years of struggling with joint pain, high cholesterol, insomnia, adult acne, and weight gain, Terri discovered the power of whole-food, plant-based nutrition after watching Forks Over Knives in 2013. Within weeks, she noticed major improvements in her joint pain and energy — and never looked back.

    Today, she teaches thousands of people how to make plant-based eating approachable, affordable, and delicious.

    Rip and Terri dive into:

    • How Forks Over Knives changed Terri’s life
    • Why flavor and seasoning matter so much in plant-based cooking
    • The secrets to crispy tofu without oil
    • Easy recipes for chickpea burgers, tofu egg salad & barbecue soy curls
    • Why beans help you stay fuller longer
    • How Terri makes creamy mashed potatoes without dairy
    • The plant-based recipes that win over skeptics
    • Carrot dogs, black bean brownies & sweet potato chocolate frosting
    • Success stories from people who reversed major health issues with food
    • Tips for making plant-based eating sustainable long-term

    If you’ve ever felt intimidated by plant-based cooking — or just want more easy, satisfying recipe ideas — this episode is for you.

    Watch the Episode on YouTube

    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

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    1 hr and 5 mins
  • BONUS: Your Doctor Needs to Hear This — A Vital Signs Preview

    BONUS: Your Doctor Needs to Hear This — A Vital Signs Preview
    Jun 16 2026
    In this special episode, Rip shares a preview of Vital Signs: Real Food. Real Medicine. Real Change., Plant Strong’s upcoming CME-focused conference for healthcare providers who want to bring the power of whole-food, plant-based nutrition into real-world clinical care.This is not just another conference. Vital Signs is about helping doctors, nurses, dietitians, health coaches, and medical professionals build confidence in the evidence so they can walk into the exam room and talk about food with clarity, conviction, and hope.And here’s why that matters: most providers see roughly 1,000 patients a year. Each of those patients eats three meals a day. That means every provider we reach with this message has the potential to influence nearly one million meals.One million meals.That is the power of changing the confidence of one healthcare provider. That is the power of putting real food, real evidence, and real tools into the hands of the people patients already trust.In this preview, Rip begins with the gap in medical education: providers receive thousands of hours of training in diagnosing, prescribing, and managing disease, yet most are taught very little about food as a clinical tool. And yet so much of what walks through the door every day — heart disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, obesity, metabolic dysfunction, inflammation, fatigue, and loss of vitality — is deeply connected to diet and lifestyle.This conversation asks a better clinical question:What would change if food was treated as part of the prescription?You’ll hear from physicians who are using lifestyle medicine in real clinical settings, beginning with cardiologist Dr. Brian Asbill, who shares a powerful patient case that changed the way he practiced medicine. His story shows that food as medicine is not simply about “eating better.” It can be a therapeutic intervention that moves risk factors, restores hope, and helps patients understand that their bodies can respond.From there, Dr. Laurie Marbas, a board-certified family and lifestyle medicine physician, brings the conversation into the realities of primary care. She shares how providers can begin a food-as-medicine conversation inside a 15-minute visit, how to avoid overwhelming patients, and how one practical, specific recommendation can plant a seed for meaningful change.Next, Dr. Sunny Sharma shares what changed when he went from physician to patient after being diagnosed with a rare brain tumor. His experience deepened his empathy, strengthened his belief in prevention, and reminded him that patients are not just lab values. They are people carrying fear, stress, family responsibilities, habits, barriers, and hope.The conversation then turns to the provider side of the exam room with Dr. Kristin Kelber, a physician in Cleveland who now practices lifestyle medicine full time. Dr. Kelber speaks to provider burnout, moral distress, and the joy that can return to medicine when clinicians are equipped to help patients truly reclaim their health.Finally, Rip closes the faculty portion with a special message from his father, Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn Jr., whose decades of work have helped reshape what is possible in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease. Dr. Esselstyn speaks directly to providers about nutrition, cardiovascular disease, patient empowerment, and the importance of helping patients become the locus of control in their own health.What you’ll hear in this episode is a compressed version of what Plant Strong is building atVital Signs 2026, taking place October 18–20 at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.At the full event, providers will go deeper into cardiovascular disease, metabolic health, behavior change, patient resistance, provider burnout, implementation, whole plant-centered meals, peer exchange, and the practical tools needed to bring lifestyle medicine into real patient care.This episode is also a call to action for the Plant Strong community.So many listeners ask, “Where can I find a provider who supports my decision to use a plant-based lifestyle in pursuit of better health?”One powerful answer is this: help us reach the providers who already care for you.Share this episode with your doctor, cardiologist, nurse practitioner, dietitian, health coach, or healthcare team. Invite them into this conversation. Encourage them to attend Vital Signs.Because if we want to move the needle in healthcare, we have to help the people inside healthcare feel empowered to prescribe one of the most powerful medicines on the planet: plants.Learn more about Vital Signs:https://plantstrongevents.com/VitalSignsWatch the Conference Preview on YouTube:https://youtu.be/U42ySRuG4gw
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    48 mins
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What an amazing story and what an amazing man to do everything you have done. I wish more people were able to see that animals they are exploiting are no different than their pet dogs or other pets. Thankyou so much for protecting the wildlife from humans.

Damien you rock!

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