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Many of our readers write-in to say that they enjoy success in so many areas of their life, but struggle to eat well and maintain their ideal weight. They find themselves in unhealthy patterns of extreme dieting and subsequent binging, never finding the middle ground that they’re looking for to achieve sustainable weight loss in the long-term.
In the midst of such a struggle, many people become exhausted, choose to give up and are left believing that they’ll never lose their excess weight. They ask themselves, ‘how will I ever get where I want to be if I’ve tried so hard and still can’t succeed?’
Susan Pierce Thompson
Luckily, Dr. Susan Pierce Thompson is here to shed a little light on the subject. Instead of relying on sheer will-power to lose weight, Susan brings psychology and neuroscience to the table to help us better understand the science behind the power of food addiction and how we can free ourselves from it.
Her own story is truly moving. In 2003, Susan was taught a method for getting slender that helped her overcome a lifelong struggle with weight. Armed with the tools that she truly needed to succeed, Susan dropped from a size 16 to a size 4 in just a few short months, and later went on to become a professor of psychology to study food addiction and help others find food freedom.
We’ve been a Susan’s work for a long time and we recently sat down with her to talk about her new book, Bright Line Eating: The Science of Living Happy, Thin & Free in addition to getting a glimpse into her thoughts on the science of weight loss.
Show Notes:
Learn more about Bright Line Eating
Dr. Susan Pierce Thompson has been kind enough to provide a copy of her new book, Bright Line Eating, to our community and you can enter to win!
We’ll choose a winner by random drawing on Friday, April 21st.
Here’s how to enter:
*Note: Giveaway is only open to residents of the US and Canada
We will never sell your information or spam you, ever.
Matt Jager is a wellness activist, yogi and co-founder of True Wellth. His life mission is to transform the healthcare and food system in this country, so that every single person has access to the tools and support they need to look and feel their best, control their health, own their happiness and revolutionize their well-being.
It was a seemingly offhand comment that started Melissa down this path.
Both her young daughters struggled with food allergies and feeding problems, but for her youngest child, Olive, it was particularly bad.
After a litany of tests, they found out that Olive was aspirating her food. This meant that every time Melissa would feed her, she would protest and cry and couldn’t keep her food down.
After moving her family across the desert from Las Vegas to Texas to be closer to family and have some support, she went to see a feeding therapist.
At the end of a session the therapist mentioned that Melissa may want to try feeding Olive some blended whole foods. This was all it took for a complete turnaround.
After introducing blended whole foods, Olive’s symptoms cleared up almost immediately.
Melissa’s Daughters Olive and Meadow
This was the spark that ignited Melissa’s whole food journey. If this one simple change could make such a difference for her daughter, what could it do for the rest of her family?
She started with small steps like skipping the sugar in her morning coffee and when she started seeing results she made more changes.
She lost 5-7 pounds without even trying. In just a couple months, her husband was down 20 pounds and his cholesterol numbers improved dramatically.
She started a blog to document and to share with friends and family who noticed the change and wanted to know what they were doing.
From humble beginnings, her blog has become hugely popular and has resulted in two cookbooks.
I had the pleasure of sitting down with Melissa to talk about her journey, the challenges she faced getting started and how others can spark a similar health revolution for their families.
Show Notes:
Learn more about Easy Whole Vegan
Melissa has been gracious enough to provide a copy of Easy Whole Vegan to our community, and you can enter to win!
We’ll choose a winner by random drawing on November 8th, 2016.
Here’s how to enter:
*Note: Giveaway is only open to residents of the US and Canada
We will never sell your information or spam you, ever.
Matt Jager is a wellness activist, yogi and co-founder of True Wellth. His life mission is to transform the healthcare and food system in this country, so that every single person has access to the tools and support they need to look and feel their best, control their health, own their happiness and revolutionize their well-being.
You have the answer. In some cases it could literally save their lives. And yet they aren’t even remotely interested in hearing about it, yet alone implementing it.
This is a common experience when we discover the power of lifestyle medicine.
I mean, it’s an absolute crazy revelation. 70-80% of chronic disease, our BIGGEST killers, can be prevented and even reversed with the magic of…vegetables.
It’s proven fact.
And so when the people we love face the nearly inevitable health destiny of the standard American diet, heart attacks, diabetes, weight gain, etc, OF COURSE we want to do everything that we can to help.
But they think we are the crazy ones.
I was looking through recipe books with a client of mine, and he pointed to a veggie-laden dish where the primary color was green. “Does that actually look appetizing to you?”, he asked.
I looked him in the eye and said…YES. I love vegetables! I go crazy if I go three days without eating greens.
I started out just where he was, eating pop tarts for breakfast, drinking crazy amounts of soda and eating fast food multiple times per week.
And now I LOVE vegetables. I think they are so beautiful. I find them so delicious. It’s an incredible pleasure to explore the incredible colorful, delectable variety of veggies, herbs, nuts, seeds, fruits and so on.
To get the glorious health benefits, you don’t even have to eat unappetizing food reminiscent of cardboard. You get to delight in satisfying, delicious, food with a side effect of nourishment.
BUT.
Of course you know this.
But Your sister doesn’t want to hear it. Your best friend doesn’t want to hear it. Your husband REALLY doesn’t want to hear it.
And you have to know when to apply gentle pressure and when to let it be. In most cases, you really just have to wait until someone is ready for the message, as hard as that is.
But often the best way is just to feed them. Show them how delicious the food can be. Give them a 3D experience of how good healthy food can taste!
Delicious food is an extremely powerful catalyst for change.
Which is why I’m so excited to share today’s interview with you.
Mark Reinfeld is a a multi-award winning chef, author and food activist with over 20-years experience preparing creative vegan and raw food cuisine. and more. Through his Vegan Fusion company, he offers consulting, chef services, culinary workshops and chef trainings internationally.
He’s consulted for top companies such as google and whole foods, started an award winning restaurant and is on a mission to change the world by making healthy food taste amazing.
It’s an incredibly effective strategy, and I set down with Mark to talk about his work and his latest book Healing the Vegan Way.
Show Notes:
Mark has been gracious enough to provide a copy of the Healing The Vegan Way to our community, and you can enter to win!
We’ll choose a winner by random drawing on Thursday, September 15th 2016.
Here’s how to enter:
*Note: Giveaway is only open to residents of the US and Canada
We will never sell your information or spam you, ever.
Matt Jager is a wellness activist, yogi and co-founder of True Wellth. His life mission is to transform the healthcare and food system in this country, so that every single person has access to the tools and support they need to look and feel their best, control their health, own their happiness and revolutionize their well-being.
Little known fact, I was ranked 4th in the world in power tumbling in my age group when I was 14.
This sounds much more impressive than it actually is, since power tumbling isn’t exactly widespread. I’d be surprised if you’ve heard of it, though I’ve been happy to see the sport getting some press lately.
My power tumbling career ended shortly thereafter when we moved from Utah to Oregon, and that marked the end of interest in competitive athletics for me.
These days, I’m an avid yogi and enjoy rock climbing for fun, but I don’t feel particularly qualified to address the fitness questions that we get.
So I sat down with Aaron Stuber and Jackson Long, two ultra-endurance athletes pushing the limits of human performance, to pick their brains on how top athletes approach plant-based fitness, including supplements, pre and post workout meals and more.
If you are interested in improving your physical performance or just want to know if these ultra athletes are concerned about protein, this episode is for you.
Show Notes:
As always, thanks for watching and we’ll catch you next time.
We will never sell your information or spam you, ever.
Matt Jager is a wellness activist, yogi and co-founder of True Wellth. His life mission is to transform the healthcare and food system in this country, so that every single person has access to the tools and support they need to look and feel their best, control their health, own their happiness and revolutionize their well-being.
We are giving away a free copy of Dr. Greger’s book! To enter, fill out our 2015 reader survey.
I was shocked when I found out that the leading cause of death in the United States could be eliminated by changing what’s on our plates.
One out of every four Americans currently dies of heart disease — a condition that can be not only prevented, but REVERSED with a whole-food, plant-based diet.
If that was the only benefit of the plant-powered path, it would still be a strong argument for making veggies the main course.
But it doesn’t stop there.
Obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood-pressure and other chronic conditions can all be improved by simple changes in diet and lifestyle.
And sometimes these kinds of lifestyle interventions are more effective than prescription pills and surgeries.
These powerful statistics carry a personal touch. I don’t know a single person who hasn’t been affected by one of these diseases, whether personally or through a close friend or family member.
It’s absolutely heart breaking. But we can do better.
Today, I’m thrilled to share an interview with Michael Greger, MD, internationally-renowned nutrition expert and founder of what I consider to be the best evidence-based nutrition site on the web, www.NutritionFacts.org
Dr. Greger released his latest book last week which is taking this life-saving message to the mainstream.
In How Not To Die, Dr. Greger reviews an incredible amount of medical literature in order to find the best nutrition and lifestyle interventions for the fifteen leading causes of death — diseases that claim the lives of 1.6 million Americans each year.
The book is a great reference if you are looking for specific recommendations, such as the best foods for treating hypertension.
Greger also provides actionable advice on how to make lifestyle changes stick, and a daily dozen checklist of foods to add to your diet to get the biggest benefit.
I hope you enjoy the interview. But most importantly, please help get this critical message out.
Together we can begin to fix a broken food system, a broken healthcare system, and literally save a million lives. Share this with someone that could benefit from the information.
Watch the interview and learn:
Show notes:
If you like this video, please subscribe to our youtube channel!
Dr. Greger has been gracious enough to provide a copy of How Not To Die to our community, and you can enter to win!
To enter, fill out our 2015 reader survey! We’ll be randomly selecting a recipient from the entires and notifying the winner on Tuesday, December 29th.
UPDATE: The giveaway has now ended. Congrats to Karen R!
*Note: Only open to residents of the continental US.
We will never sell your information or spam you, ever.
Matt Jager is a wellness activist, yogi and co-founder of True Wellth. His life mission is to transform the healthcare and food system in this country, so that every single person has access to the tools and support they need to look and feel their best, control their health, own their happiness and revolutionize their well-being.
Visit www.LoveChard.com to learn more about Bethany and Zane
There is nothing I love more than sharing inspiring stories of transformation with you.
Though the particular circumstances of each story is different, the core message is the same.
Each and every one of us has the potential to change our lives, radically transform our well-being, take charge of our health, and wake up every day looking and feeling incredible.
It’s never too late. No step is too small. It’s just about deciding to own your well-being and continuing to show up, day in and day out.
Whew, I could go for hours, but before I really launch into a sermon let’s segue shall we?
Today, it is my privilege to introduce you to Bethany and Zane.
As she describes it, Bethany had been on one diet or another for pretty much her whole life. She counted calories, watched portions, skipped meals, but nothing ever stuck. She would eventually cave and go back to her old ways.
She talks about the struggles of being overweight — how little things like tying shoes, getting in and out of the car, climbing a flight of stairs, or crossing legs at a table used to be a challenge.
Finally, in the summer of 2013, she watched a Dr. Fuhrman documentary on PBS about the power of a plant-based lifestyle and everything clicked.
She switched to a plant-based diet and quickly lost 65 lbs.
Her then fiance, now husband, Zane was supportive of the changes that she was making, but he wasn’t yet willing to jump on board.
Finally, on a drive back from Seattle, Bethany asked Zane join her for a 100-day challenge that she was about to embark on, and he agreed. He never looked back and went on to lose over 70 lbs in just six months.
They have since lost a combined total of over 150 lbs! Bethany dropped from a size 18-20 to a 6-8. Zane dropped from a size 38 waist to a size 31.
In addition to the weight loss, they report feeling stronger, more motivated, and positive. They go on mud runs and hikes, and their relationship is better than ever.
I asked Bethany and Zane to share their story, and we dive into some of the challenges they faced and how they overcame them.
There are many valuable nuggets in this interview, but I think one of the biggest lessons we can learn from Bethany and Zane is how to change your lifestyle without giving up your social life.
They share how they manage to be social AND stay on track, and Zane has an especially important insight to share on how he got his friends to support him.
Watch the interview and learn:
Show notes:
Bethany and Zane’s transformation inspired them to help others by starting the Love Chard Community.
They offer support for the transition into a healthier and happier lifestyle through coaching, pantry and fridge overhauls, offering shopping list and guides, helping you work through obstacles, setting and achieving your goals, exploring new whole foods, and learning how to prepare dishes and create recipes.
Visit www.LoveChard.com for more information.
What did you learn from this success story that you can apply in your own life? Let us know in the comments below. We read every single one.
Help inspire others with your success. Have a success story to share whether big or small? We’d love to hear about it.
We will never sell your information or spam you, ever.
Matt Jager is a wellness activist, yogi and co-founder of True Wellth. His life mission is to transform the healthcare and food system in this country, so that every single person has access to the tools and support they need to look and feel their best, control their health, own their happiness and revolutionize their well-being.
I’ve never been much of a chef. So it drives me crazy when someone says something like, “oh, just taste it and see what it needs.”
I flashback to spending all this time in the kitchen trying to fix a sauce that wasn’t turning out.
Here’s what “just see what it needs” looked like to me:
Ah the joy of learning how to cook! Eventually I did get better, but I still lack that innate skill that others have.
And it’s funny because when you become proficient at something, you totally forget what it was like to be a beginner.
There is an actual term for this phenomenon — psychologists call it the Curse of Knowledge.
It basically means that once you learn the ropes, you lose touch with what it was like to be a novice starting from scratch. It becomes difficult to relate.
I think this is one of the reasons why so much of the health advice out there doesn’t hit home. The experts have totally forgotten what it’s like when you are just starting out!
I recently had the opportunity to interview Lindsay Nixon of Happy Herbivore fame, and she talked about the process of helping her parents go plant-based.
She said it was eye-opening to see just what it meant to completely revamp your diet at 60, and she was able to gain a whole new perspective and appreciation for what it truly means to be a beginner.
I still remember what it was like having no idea what I was going to eat, shopping for ingredients that I had never heard of, trying to figure out if I was indeed going to spend $20 on this strange substance in a jar called “coconut oil.”
And is it any different than coconut butter?!?! I’m still not sure…
Luckily, there are more resources than ever to make transitioning to a plant-based diet as easy as possible.
And today I’m thrilled to share my interview with Lindsay, where we discuss the joys, trials and travails of our plant-based journeys, and her latest book The Happy Herbivore Guide to Plant-Based Living.
Watch the interview and learn:
Show notes:
Lindsay has gained some serious wisdom over the past several years, helping hundreds if not thousands of people transition to a plant-based diet.
Her guide is the resource that I wish I had as a beginner. Heck, I might even have avoided all those painful (and pretty ridiculous) mistakes I made along the way!
I joke that she has put together the bible on plant-based living. I highly recommend it, especially if you are just starting out on your plant-based journey.
She covers all the common questions on nutrition, how to transition, traveling, etc.
But my favorite aspect of the book is the focus on how to deal with social situations. She has extremely helpful advice on how to attend or host dinner parties, what to do when your friends ask you out to eat, and what to do if your family and friends are unsupportive.
The social aspect continues to be the most difficult thing for me, so I was excited to see so much good info in the book.
If you are interested in learning more about her book, it is available on Amazon.
Lindsay and her publisher BenBella Books have been gracious enough to provide two copies of her book to our community, and you can enter to win!
We’ll be randomly selecting two recipients (see entry details below) and notifying the winners on Saturday, June 27th.
UPDATE: The give away has now ended. Congratulations to Stacy and Casey!
Here’s how to enter:
*Note: Only open to residents of the US and Canada
We will never sell your information or spam you, ever.
Matt Jager is a wellness activist, yogi and co-founder of True Wellth. His life mission is to transform the healthcare and food system in this country, so that every single person has access to the tools and support they need to look and feel their best, control their health, own their happiness and revolutionize their well-being.
If you ask me, raising kids is nothing short of heroic.
My brother and his wife just had their fourth, and whenever I visit I am humbled by how much selfless devotion goes into caring for their children.
Regan and I often get questions from parents about how to help their kids eat better, but the truth is that we don’t have any firsthand parenting experience as of yet.
Here in DC, we live close to Regan’s niece and nephew and are blessed to get to spend time with them on a regular basis.
But I’m pretty sure being the fun aunt or uncle isn’t quite the same as raising your own!
So today, I’m thrilled to defer the questions on pregnancy and parenting to the very knowledgeable and articulate Dreena Burton.
I had the opportunity recently to talk with Dreena about her new book Plant-Powered Families and ask her lots of juicy questions about the nuance and challenges of raising plant-powered kids.
Dreena has three wonderful, busy, hockey-playing girls, and has accumulated a mountain of hard won wisdom on how to make healthy eating work in the midst of fast-paced family life.
Her book is a treasure trove of kid-tested recipes and features tremendously valuable tips on how to navigate birthday parties, pack lunches, prepare kid-friendly snacks and more.
Plus, it’s gorgeous. I’ve seen a lot of beautiful plant-based recipe books and this is right up there with the best of them.
Ok enough of me gushing about Dreena and her book. If you are interested in learning more or pre-order her book, you can do so here.
In either case, check out the interview! We cover:
UPDATE: The giveaway has now ended. Congrats to Donna and Danielle! We’ll be in touch to send you a copy of Plant-Powered Families.
Dreena has been gracious enough to provide a copy of her book to our community, and you can enter to win!
We’ll be randomly selecting two recipients (see entry details below) and notifying the winners on Friday May 8th, 2015.
Here’s how to enter:
*Note: Only open to residents of the US and Canada
We will never sell your information or spam you, ever.
Matt Jager is a wellness activist, yogi and co-founder of True Wellth. His life mission is to transform the healthcare and food system in this country, so that every single person has access to the tools and support they need to look and feel their best, control their health, own their happiness and revolutionize their well-being.
We have a special interview and book giveaway to share with you today.
But first we wanted to say thank you to everyone who took the time to send us travel questions and well wishes on our move! We made it safe and sound and are enjoying getting settled here in the DC area.
Next time, we’ll go behind the scenes and share all the tips and tricks we use to eat well on the road.
But for now, on to the feature du jour…
If you are at all interested in nutrition, you’ve likely heard of The China Study.
This landmark book has sold over a million copies and the New York Times called it the “most comprehensive large study ever undertaken of the relationship between diet and the risk of developing disease.”
The China Study was co-authored by legendary nutrition researcher T. Colin Campbell, PhD, and when it was time to write the book he asked that his son Tom move back home to help out.
This supposed one year project ended up taking four years to complete, and during the process Tom developed such a passion for the subject that he went on to become a physician.
Fast forward to the present, and the now Thomas Campbell, MD has released a new book that offers a practical follow-up based on The China Study principles.
His book The Campbell Plan explores the science behind recent dietary confusion, feeding kids as well as what to stock in your kitchen, how to read labels and shop, and what to watch for in social and eating out situations.
And of course recipes! 55 delicious and easy recipes to be exact.
You already know how nerdy I get about behavioral psychology, so I was especially excited to see that the book addresses some of the behavior change principles behind making and sustaining healthy eating habits.
Show Notes:
Dr. Campbell has been gracious enough to provide a copy of his book to our community, and you can enter to win!
We’ll be randomly selecting one recipient (see entry details below) and notifying the winner on Monday April 6th, 2015.
UPDATE: The giveaway has ended. Congrats to Tracy C! We’ll be in touch to send you a free copy of The Campbell Plan.
Here’s how to enter:
*Note: Only open to residents of the Continental U.S.
We will never sell your information or spam you, ever.
Matt Jager is a wellness activist, yogi and co-founder of True Wellth. His life mission is to transform the healthcare and food system in this country, so that every single person has access to the tools and support they need to look and feel their best, control their health, own their happiness and revolutionize their well-being.
For more information on Benji, visit his site at www.WholeFoodPlantBased.info
Last week we talked about going big and breaking through — looking at what it takes to create massive transformation in one year.
Today, I have the pleasure of sharing with you one such story of transformation.
Benji went plant-based, lost over a hundred pounds, dropped 21 pant-sizes, and brought his cholesterol and blood pressure into normal range.
His story was so compelling that it was picked up by CNN.
I would say that Benji’s story is amazing or incredible, except that after personally supporting dozens of transformations like this, I know that this is just what happens when you change your lifestyle and follow through.
But the reason why I’m so excited to share this interview with you, is because Benji shares some very specific and applicable tips that allowed him to be successful.
If you liked this video, please subscribe to our youtube channel.
Watch the interview and learn:
● (1:12) What it felt like to lose that much weight and how Benji’s life has changed.
● (4:22) The health improvements that Benji saw after switching to a Plant-Based Lifestyle.
● (5:11) How Benji’s tastes changed and what he finds himself craving now.
● (8:34) – How Benji and I strategically use transition and comfort foods to enjoy life and ensure that we stay on track.
●(15:40)- How Benji manages eating out and his go-to restaurants to stay on track while traveling.
●18:18 – How Benji transitioned to a plant-based diet, and how he accelerated his weight loss to lose the last 60 pounds.
What did you learn from the interview that you can apply in your own life? Share your biggest takeaway in the comments below!
We will never sell your information or spam you, ever.
Matt Jager is a wellness activist, yogi and co-founder of True Wellth. His life mission is to transform the healthcare and food system in this country, so that every single person has access to the tools and support they need to look and feel their best, control their health, own their happiness and revolutionize their well-being.
