How We Can Change The Food Industry with “Food Babe” Activist Vani Hari

Today on the show I welcome nutritionist and dietitian Andy Bellatti MS, RD. Sure we talk plant-based and other issues related to optimal nutrition (hint: eat REAL FOOD!). But what makes Andy unique amongst his peers isn't so much his pro-plant bias as it is his passion for calling out the inextricable link between giant food corporations and how we innately come to think and feel about the foods we (often unconsciously choose to) eat. From congressional legislation to school lunch policy, the food pyramid and what we are actually led to believe we need to live and thrive is in more ways than you would imagine completely dictated by these corporations, their lobbying efforts and Madison Avenue advertising agencies. What makes Andy different is his courage to take a stand on this issue and his tireless push for positive changes, both systemic and individual. Enjoy! Rich

2 Maj 20131h 36min

Today on the podcast we GO DEEP. In the short lifespan of this show, I've had the honor of interviewing a wide variety of incredible guests — paradigm busting thought leaders pushing the boundaries of conventional wisdom on a myriad of health & fitness related subject matters. But there is an elephant in the room. I've been waiting for the right guest to get into the issue closest to my heart — addiction & recovery. If you read my book you know my story. But I have been reluctant to use the podcast to discuss in depth the most integral part of my life & struggle. I suppose I was waiting for the right guest for the job. Someone equipped to handle this kind of discussion. Somebody who understands. Well, I found him. And when I say we go deep, I mean it's intense. Big love to Mishka for the willingness to be vulnerable; open and considered in his responses. It takes courage to be so transparent, and he's got it in spades. In many ways, our stories are vastly different. And yet they are exactly the same. Alcoholism, struggle, recovery, writing, ultrarunning, redemption. My long lost brother. My peer. My comrade in arms in the battle against the demon that wants both of us — and untold millions — drunk, imprisoned, institutionalized, and eventually dead. Disclaimer: If you are stumbling onto this episode merely looking for training/nutrition tips, this interview might not be your cup of tea. And if so, that's fine. But I also know for a fact that there are a lot of people out there that will glean insight and inspiration from Mishka's redemptive journey. All I can say is that I'm really proud of this interview. And I hope you enjoy it. NOTE: there are a few moments of explicit language in case you are language sensitive. ANOTHER NOTE: The song used to bridge the intro to the interview? “The Only One Drinking Tonight,” by Mishka Shubaly from “How To Make A Bad Situation Worse” Enjoy! Rich

20 Apr 20132h 7min

Today on the podcast I am very pleased to host ultra-running legend Michael Arnstein, aka “The Fruitarian”. Why the nickname? because this guy is killing it on foot at distances from 26.2 all the way to 100 miles and beyond, powered almost entirely by raw fruit. How is that even possible? I thought I was extreme. Tune in and find out. Beyond his amazing accomplishments on foot, Michael was also on-site at the Bostin marathon finish line. His first-hand account of this unspeakable horror is reason enough to give the show a listen during this melancholy and difficult time. Thanks for listening! Rich

17 Apr 20131h 14min

Today on the show, my friend — & brother in arms when it comes to swim / bike / run — Jonathan Schwartz. In certain respects Jonathan is an “everyman athlete”, but he is far from ordinary. Early morning it's up to train. By day he's a business manager to A-list Hollywood clientele & professional athletes — NBA players and major rock stars like Alanis Morissette & Linkin Park — as well as a dedicated father and husband. But his passion his health. Particularly heart health. I'll let him tell the story, but in a nutshell a health scare led him to a plant-based diet, and he's never looked back; sound familiar? Jonathan took his passion for addressing our nation's heart disease crisis to the next level when he founded HeartView Global, a foundation devoted to two primary goals: * To identify heart disease in its latent “clinically silent” phase, thereby allowing asymptomatic but vulnerable individuals to undertake the necessary prophylactic lifestyle modifications and medications to arrest atherosclerosis – and for clinically unrecognized high risk individuals to undergo the necessary coronary interventions that will help prevent the development of heart attacks, stroke, or premature sudden cardiac death; and * To encourage a plant-based nutrition diet founded in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, along with some nuts and seeds. Jonathan is a great guy. His message is powerful. Tune in. And thank me later. Thanks for listening! Rich

11 Apr 20131h 38min

I cannot tell you how excited I am to share today's guest — a man who needs no introduction — triathlon legend Chris “Macca” McCormack. This interview is PURE GOLD! In case you've been living under a rock and have never heard of Macca, he is one of the winningest triathletes of all time, dominant at all distances from sprint to Ironman. He is a two-time Ironman World Champion and victor in over 200 triathlon races, including 12 Ironman titles, the 1997 ITU World Cup Series and the 1997 Triathlon World Championships, to name just a few. If you are a fan of Macca, then you've probably heard more than a few of his more outspoken — but always entertaining — interviews. I didn't want to reap an over-plowed field, so I chose to instead focus on aspects of his life less well-known — how he handles the balance of training and family life; how turning 40 has impacted his always evolving perspective on training and racing; and how he is learning to leverage social media as a service tool to help better communicate with and educate his amateur athlete fan base. case in point – check out his MX12 Training Videos. I am super proud of this episode — Chris could not have been more candid, engaging and fun. I hope you enjoy the show as much as I enjoyed doing it! Speaking of enjoying the show — if you are, and inclined to help support what we are doing, then make sure you subscribe on iTunes and leave a comment on the iTunes page for the show. Thanks for listening! Rich

9 Apr 20131h 56min

Life should be lived passionately. So says today's guest Lewis Howes, and I couldn't agree more. If you are immersed in the online marketing world, you've probably heard of Lewis — a former professional football player & renown pioneer lifestyle entrepreneur. But in case you haven't, let me introduce you to his universe. Lewis is a former two-sport All-American (football & decathlon) and current world record holding athlete (most yards received in a single football game), has graced lists such as Details Magazine’s “5 Internet Gurus Who Can Make You Rich” and Incomediary.com’s “50 Most Influential People in Blogging.” Most recently, Lewis was ranked as one of Genjuice.com’s top “100 Most Desirable Mentors” along with the likes of Barack Obama, Russell Simmons and the Queen of Jordan. In just three years, my man went from a depressed and aimless former professional Arena-league football player who's career was cut short due to injury sleeping on his sister’s couch to running a seven figure business. He began his entrepreneurial career by hosting LinkedIn meetups around the country, and co-authoring the successful book LinkedWorking. He has hosted over 400 webinars, spoken to thousands at conferences and events, and educated career professionals and business owners around the world on the power of LinkedIn. Not enough? He's also a member of the U.S. National Team Handball squad. He loves CrossFit too. Don't worry, we get into all of it. Oh yeah, he's also the host of The School of Greatness Podcast, currently blowing up charts on iTunes. I was honored to be a guest on his show a couple weeks back and am pleased that he joined me for an enlightening and inspiring chat about discovering, unlocking, and unleashing your best, most authentic self – my favorite subject. I hope you dig the show and end up as inspired as I was sitting down with him in person. Enjoying the podcast and want to support the show? Make sure you subscribe on iTunes and leave a comment on the iTunes page for the show. Thanks for listening and enjoy the program! Rich

4 Apr 20131h 48min

After a respite were back in the pod saddle with the stunning & knowledgeable Natasha Kufa. In addition to raising 4 kids, Natasha is an internationally renown nutritionist, certified raw food specialist, chef & food delivery proprietor and über-fit trainer, whose clients include A-list Hollywood celebrities such as Matthew McConaughey, Josh Duhamel & his wife Fergie from The Black Eyed Peas, and more. If that's not enough, Natasha is also the author of The 10% Rule: Small Changes, Big Results and is the owner and founder of Evolution Body — a raw food delivery enterprise servicing the Los Angeles vicinity. Topics covered? Colonics obsession, the joys & challenges of raising an autistic child & the impact of diet on spectrum behavior, the benefits of juicing, becoming a raw food chef, Natasha's fitness & diet perpective, the importance of maintaining a healthy gut microbial ecology, the 10% Rule — Natasha's primer for tackling & ultimately overcoming barriers to healthy eating habits & fitness practices — and of course the question everyone wants to know: what it's like to train a big celebrity? TECHNICAL NOTE: As you will no doubt notice, there are some odd clicking sounds with Natasha's microphone. Despite running some audio EQ, it nonetheless subsists. Apologies in advance and as I keep saying (did I say I'm apologizing?), I'll do better next time. Or maybe it's time to get a real producer involved – which by the way, is in the works… Enjoy the podcast and want to support the show? Make sure you subscribe on iTunes and leave a comment on the iTunes page for the show. Thanks for listening and enjoy the program! Rich

17 Mars 20132h 15min

2x Olympian, renown endurance multisport coach, former professional (and current blazing fast age-group topping) Ironman triathlete Chris Hauth — who happens to also be my long-time coach — joins the podcast to get granular on his perspectives on effective endurance training methods to maximize performance. Turns out there's more to it than just Zone 2 people! Tune in to dial in your training program and take your performance to the next level. As a quick aside. I am contemplating launching an online membership website that will — in exchange for a relatively nominal monthly fee — provide subscribers with: * Premium written fitness & nutrition content not publicly available; * Monthly or bi-weekly interactive video Spreecasts on focused subject matter; * Periodic (weekly?) newsletter; * Private, interactive VIP community with responsive access to me & other members * Significantly reduced pricing on Jai Lifestyle digital & physical products, gear & workshops, retreats & programs * Free swag such as t-shirts & more I am interested in whether there is demand for such a community, given that it will require a tremendous amount of time, energy & expense on my part to configure, design, launch, serve and maintain. I am super excited about the possibilities and completely dedicated to finding the best way to share a healthy message across the broadest and most impactful platform – so please let me know what you think in the comments section below. Thanks for listening and enjoy the program! Rich

26 Feb 20131h 51min