Malala Yousafzai Is Finding Her Way

Today on the show I chat with Thad Beatty, guitarist for the multi-platinum country duo Sugarland. In so many ways, Thad's story closely mirrors mine. The details are distinct, but no matter — the journey is all too familiar. I first came across Thad's story on Ironman.com and — struck by the similarities in our journeys — knew I had to have him on the show. Just a few years ago, Thad tipped the scales at 230 lbs. Overweight with raging blood pressure and alarmingly elevated cholesterol, the touring musician lifestyle had him headed in the direction of irrevocable health problems in his mid-30's. His decision to turn his life around snapped into focus the day he found out his mother had been diagnosed with colon cancer. In support and solidarity with mom, both Thad and his brother decided to clean up their act. It started simple — ditch the lousy processed foods and start eating more fruits & vegetables. One thing led to another, and before he knew it, Thad found himself a convert to the PlantPower lifestyle. Not long thereafter, Thad shed the weight – 75lbs in all — down to a trim 165 lbs. Life was good. But then came another moment of clarity. Sugarland's guitar tech was diagnosed with advanced lymphoma. MusiCares came to his aid, but it was too late. Kevin Quigley unfortunately passed away in March 2012. It was at this moment that Thad decided to focus on service — giving back to his beloved profession. So was borne his dream of completing an Ironman. Not for himself, but to raise money for the foundation that had come to his friend's aid. Thad achieved his dream, finishing the Arizona Ironman last November, raising funds along the way. But that was just the beginning. Thad decided to take his service game to the next level, ultimately establishing his own foundation — Music That Moves– dedicated to improving the holistic health and fitness of his fellow musicians beyond the stage through various means, including sharing the lifestyle principles that changed his own life. And this October he's taking his game to the main stage — this time not as a musician but as an athlete — lining up in Kona to compete at the Ironman World Championships as part of Ironman's Kona Inspired program. I'm hoping we'll all catch a glimpse of Thad and his story when NBC airs the race broadcast. I hope you enjoy the conversation! Rich NOTE: There are audio quality issues with this Skype-recorded conversation. Apologies. Just when I think I have it all figured out, technology rears it's ugly head once again. The good news is the quality improves after the initial 30 minutes of the conversation. I did my best to clean it up, but it is what it is. As always, I promise to continually improve, but these things happen. Go easy on me. Here's a little video from Thad from the Kona Inspired site to get you pumped.

13 Sep 20132h 5min

Today I sit down with the one and only Joe Cross, the man behind the wildly successful documentary film, Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead*. A few eerie parallels. Joe and I are almost exactly the same age, and we both decided to make radical life changes when we turned 40. So when I began the journey I chronicle in Finding Ultra*, Joe began the journey he chronicles in his movie. And now here we are, sitting across from each other, sharing our respective stories which essentially transpired concurrently. So what is Joe's story? 100 pounds overweight, loaded up on prescription meds and suffering from a debilitating autoimmune disease, Joe was at the end of his rope — a 310lb man whose gut was bigger than a beach ball and a path laid out before him that wouldn't end well. With one foot already in the grave, the other wasn't far behind. With doctors and conventional medicines unable to help long- term, Joe turned to the only option left, the body's ability to heal itself. He trades in the junk food and hits the road with juicer and film crew in tow, vowing only to drink fresh fruit and vegetable juice for the next 60 days and see what happens. Across 3,000 miles Joe has one goal in mind: to get off his pills and achieve a balanced lifestyle. While talking to more than 500 Americans about food, health and longevity, it's at a truck stop in Arizona where Joe meets a truck driver who suffers from the same rare condition. Phil Staples is morbidly obese weighing in at 429 lbs; a cheeseburger away from a heart-attack. As Joe is recovering his health, Phil begins his own epic journey to get well. Joe and I get into how Joe saved his life, helped create a populist movement around juicing and his plans for the future. Joe's passion for health & self-healing is infectious — I hope you are inspired by his message to take your own wellness to the next level! Enjoy! Rich

2 Sep 20131h 52min

Today I'm joined by my friend and (sometimes) summertime training partner Terenzo Bozzone – 5-time World Champion professional triathlete. I met “T” right after I completed EPIC5 back in 2010 when he arrived in town along with Chris McCormack for several weeks of intense spring training. With a gracious poise and maturity well beyond his mere 28 years, Terenzo is one of the brightest stars in professional triathlon, as well as a remarkable ambassador of the sport — always quick with a kind word of encouragement to his fellow training partners and never too busy to connect on a personal level with his many fans. I've had the honor of getting to spend some quality training time with Terenzo over the last three years and will say this — the sport of triathlon is a better place with him in it. T is one of the good guys. A guy you want to see win. A guy you can really get behind and root for. I'm so pleased that Terenzo took time out of his busy training schedule leading up to his peak race of the season — The Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Las Vegas just two weeks from today — to sit down and have a chat about his training, racing and life. I hope you enjoy the show. No doubt you'll end up a big fan of all things Terenzo. So do the guy a solid and let's all show him some Twitter and facebook love to get him pumped for the big show in Vegas! Enjoy! Rich

26 Aug 20131h 26min

Today on the show I sit down with my friend Mac Danzig, a fascinating PlantPowered force in the MMA / UFC world. Before we go any further, throw away any UFC fighter stereotypes that may come to mind. Mac is one of the more intelligent, introspective and out-of-the box thinkers you are likely to meet — a personality and perspective forged from transcending a challenging upbringing to rise to the highest echelons of the UFC, including victory in Season 6 of the Ultimate Fighter and a decorated career that includes twelve consecutive wins in 2006. Accomplishments all achieved on a 100% plant-based diet. I first met Mac a couple years ago and was immediately struck by his contemplative, low key personality. A guy at peace with himself, far more comfortable alone in nature than navigating the spotlight. A guy who really thinks about the authenticity of his actions, his place in the world, how to best father his daughter Nova, and the impact his decisions have on others and the planet at large. So it was fascinating to finally sit down with him and hash it out. Not short on opinions, Mac broke my record in episode length today, exceeding 3 hours and expounding upon everything from his career and diet (of course) to the benefits of meditation, the perils of our education system and sport as art. Yeah, it's a long one. I know. But I am really proud of this interview and essentially guarantee that you will be completely engaged throughout. It's one thing when a triathlete, marathoner or an ultra-runner demonstrates plantpowered prowess. We've seen that. But what about an athlete whose success depends upon brute strength, lightning speed, incredible power and world-class agility? Well that's another thing altogether. Simply put, Mac's success takes all the wind out of the tired argument that you cannot excel athletically on a plant-based diet. Now Mac is taking his game to a whole new level, experimenting with the 80/10/10 Diet – a regimen heralded by Douglas Graham in which 80% of all calories come from carbohydrates, 10% from protein and 10% from fat. Translation? Most of what he eats is fruit — a protocol that stands in direct counterpoint to the high fashion, high fat, low carb craze currently in vogue. How is it working for Mac? You'll have to listen to the whole episode to find out. It might take a few sittings, but I promise it's worth your time investment. I genuinely hope you enjoy the show. Rich

22 Aug 20133h 16min

Today I delve deep with the magnificent and one and only Joel Kahn, M.D. to discuss the power of diet and lifestyle on heart health and long-term wellness. Joel calls himself an Interpreventional Cardiolgist. What is that? It means that he treats his patients with a blend of traditional interventional cardiology (stents) as well as preventive cardiology. It's this rare combination that makes Dr. Kahn unique in his field. But let there be no mistake – Dr. Kahn is no new age hippie. In additional to several post-doctorate certifications, he graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Michigan's prestigious Inteflex program (a 6-year undergraduate / graduate program that developed doctors fresh out of high school) and has served as a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine (Cardiology) at Wayne State University School of Medicine since 1993. In addition, Dr. Kahn has authored over 130 articles on heart disease, over 10 book chapters (as well as a new book due out in February 2014), and several monographs and video national presentations. He is a frequent lecturer on heart disease and its prevention. He has performed thousands of cardiac catheterizations and stent procedures and has been advising patients on heart healthy programs for over 20 years. In other words, Dr. Kahn knows what he is talking about. And his message is powerful — if you want to experience true long-term wellness, then you must focus on implementing sustainable long-term preventive protocols into your lifestyle. And this starts and ends with diet and active lifestyle. It was an honor to spend 90 minutes with Dr. Kahn, and his message is invaluable. Simply put, the world would be a better place if we had more doctors like him. So listen up people. Take his message to heart. Literally. And enjoy! Rich

18 Aug 20131h 51min

Charlie Knoles is a visionary Vedic Meditation master teacher. And today he joins Julie and I to de-mystify this ancient practice and demonstrate just how powerful implementing a simple and consistent meditation practice can be as an unparalleled tool for total life transformation. Having taught thousands — everyone from A-list celebrities, to Fortune 500 CEO's, entrepreneurs, artists, teachers, nurses, athletes and underprivileged youth, Charlie has developed a unique expertise in distilling seemingly elusive and arcane Vedic traditions down to their essence so that the deepest concepts from spirituality and science may be expressed in simple, practical steps that are accessible, easily assimilated and, he would submit, absolutely necessary as a precedent to finding inner peace and happiness. Formally taught to meditate at age 4 by his father, the pre-eminent master (or “maharishi”) Vedic Meditation teacher Thom Knoles, Charlie followed in the footsteps of his father, developing a new curriculum for training meditation teachers and running deeply immersive courses in Vedic culture in the Himalayan mountains of India and on the northern coast of Bali. His background as a musician, his study of science and his experience as the father of three young children allow him to integrate many streams of knowledge and foster a deep understanding in his students. Today Charlie and Thom together run The Veda Center. Julie and I first had the pleasure of meeting Charlie through our involvement with MindBodyGreen. And what immediately struck me was just how grounded he is, particularly in comparison with other teachers I have encountered who tend to be, well let's just say more “ethereal”. No robes or holier than thou attitude, Charlie is very much a normal dude in the “world” — a husband, father of three young kids and even more of a photography and tech nerd than I am in fact. It's this relatable “normal guy” quality that distinguishes him and allows his vast knowledge to penetrate so many. Hence countless lives forever transformed. Enjoy! Rich

13 Aug 20132h 12min

Back by popular demand! Julie Piatt returns to the podcast to share about our recent trip to New York, our new online course “The Ultimate Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition” that we created in partnership with MindBodyGreen.com and our panel presentation at the Apple Store SoHo — Meet the Innovators: Revolutionizing Health — moderated byJason Wachob, CEO of MindBodyGreen, with yoga impressario Tara Stiles and her husband Michael Taylor of Strala Yoga, and meditation guru Charlie Knoles of the Veda Center. As always, Julie drops pearls of wisdom when it comes to taming the ego; how to remain neutral in moments of tension & anxiety; and how to best tap into your higher self and unlock the best, most authentic YOU – a consistent theme of the show. We cap it off with a free amazing plantpowered dessert recipe (instructions below) and take it out with Inside City, a track on her album Mother of Mine, by SriMati. Hope you enjoy the program! Rich

5 Aug 20131h 30min

John Joseph is a true American original. John Joseph defines hardcore. John Joseph is a spiritual warrior. And he's got a message for you. First, let me say that this episode is EXPLICIT. John simply can't be edited or muzzled, and you wouldn't want him that way anyway. He has a strong preference for four letter words. He drops the f-bomb about a thousand times during the interview and recounts in technicolor detail the horrific, grizzly reality of his abusive upbringing, his criminal background and past penchant for violence in the underbelly of Manhattan's lower eat side in the 1970's and '80's. So I'm saying it now — if you are easily offended, or this just isn't your cup of tea, then this may not be the episode for you. That's fine. Let's just say this one just isn't safe for the workplace. Disclaimer aside, I love this guy. It's rare to meet someone so raw; real and authentic. Unafraid of life and certainly not shy when it comes to speaking his mind. And in this interview he lays his truth bare. With John, what you see and hear is exactly who he is. And his message — and life lessons — are amongst the most powerful I have ever heard. Conceived and raised in abuse. Deprived of opportunity. Left to his own devices. John turned to violence and drugs to make his way in the world. A path that led him to violence and crime — teen years spent as a drug mule; in and out of of foster care; and stints in juvi and jail. To avoid long-term incarceration, he enlisted in the Navy, only to go AWOL after a fight. Fleeing the law and rudderless, John found redemption in the hardcore punk rock scene flourishing on the lower east side of Manhattan in the 1970's. And under the wing of Bad Brains' frontman H.R. — a devotee of Rastafari — John began to explore not just his musicianship, but his spirituality as well. A journey that not only birthed the Cro-Mags — one of the most iconic and influential hardcore punk bands of the 70's — but led to life in a Hare Krishna monastery, where he found his spiritual salvation, developing his life-long love of meditation, yoga, sacred chanting, service to others — and a diet devoid of animal products. I'm not sure I have ever met anyone who has successfully transcended circumstances as horrific as his upbringing and lived to tell about it. And although John may have been educated on the streets, his spiritual acumen is legit — and vast. Make no mistake, this guys walks his walk. John is the true Thug Kitchen. During this conversation we tap into it all, culminating in his newfound love for triathlon. And how his deep connection to physical pursuit is a mere extension of his ongoing quest spiritual growth – something I can relate to entirely. I'm proud of this interview. And I'm proud to call John my friend. But again – this is a super intense conversation. Listen at your own risk. But I hope you do! Rich

30 Juli 20132h 28min