No-Bullsh!t Vegan

Why is critical thinking important in choosing one’s diet? Why (and how) are lifestyle and diet choices not binary? How do we make sense of all the conflicting diet information online? My guest joins me to discuss all this, and more. Dr. Jeyashree Krishnan is a computational scientist and data science consultant with a personal passion for ultramarathons and plant-based cooking. Jeyashree lives in Germany, and uses her knack for simplifying complex data to solve problems and help others understand intricate concepts. Her drive stems from a deep-seated curiosity and a love for learning. Coming from India and having pursued her Master's and PhD in Germany, Jeyashree brings a diverse range of experiences and insights to her work and daily life. She spends much of her free time diving into books and research papers, always eager to question and critically think about the world around her. Beyond her academic and professional pursuits, Jeyashree cherishes the challenges of ultramarathons, testing her limits with each race. In the kitchen, she loves to experiment with various cuisines, with a special fondness for spicy dishes. Cooking plant-based meals is more than just a hobby for her; it's a way to explore creative, healthy eating.

How do social inequalities and environmental problems converge? How can we find opportunities for solidarity with food and farm workers as part of ethical veganism? What role have industry and governments played in expanding ag-gag legislation? Why should vegans strength train? I discuss these topics and more with my guest, Dr. Anelyse Weiler. Anelyse is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Victoria. Her research explores workers' rights and environmental health, agricultural industry lobbying, and how everyday people are fighting for a more livable world. Alongside her research, she is involved in advocacy groups like the BC Employment Standards Coalition and Worker Solidarity Network. Outside of work, Anelyse loves running, cycling, and lifting. She has been vegan since 2007, and her family includes a flock of cheeky rescue chickens and two adopted cats.

Jeremy LaLonde is an award-winning filmmaker who lost half his body weight by going plant-based and decided to use his story and insights to help others by creating the website and YouTube channel PB with J (Plant-Based with Jeremy). With his own recipes, reviews of vegan cookbooks, as well as fun and informative videos and interviews, Jeremy and his family look to make being healthy not feel like homework. After sharing a quick personal update, Coach K speaks with Jeremy about his filmmaking work, his vegan story, creating content online, and more.

Do we need to worry about “complete” proteins? Why might some people be underestimating their protein needs? How did nutrition challenges during pregnancy lead Monica to start a company? What happens when Coach K asks tough questions about moving from vegetarian to vegan? Get these questions (and more) answered in this episode. Dr. Monica Bhatia is the co-founder and co-CEO of EQUII. She’s a biotech manufacturing, ingredient, and fermentation expert with an impressive background in building sustainable products, including biofuels and oils for foods and cosmetics. She has a PhD in biochemistry from the University of South Carolina. Her journey with EQUII began in her kitchen, where her vegetarian lifestyle inspired her to explore ways to integrate nutritious food seamlessly into daily life. This initial spark of ingenuity eventually led her to establish EQUII and develop its revolutionary fermentation technology, together with co-founders Dr. Baljit Ghotra and Chef Sebastien Canonne.

Join me for a perhaps-surprisingly-no-B.S. discussion about purpose, goal-setting, and moving forward in our lives. What does “purpose” mean in the first place? How can we cultivate it? Hear the story of how Dr. Zeledón almost died at the age of 2, what happened when her father bought a lottery ticket, and how this experience affected her later in life. Dr. Esther Zeledón specializes in turning dreams into reality. With a remarkable background as a former international diplomat, scientist, and life coach, she has crafted a proven formula for success that transcends cultures, communities, corporations, and countries. Dr. Zeledón's innovative approach has garnered global recognition as she collaborates with NGOs, governments, academia, and individual coaching clients. Her mission is to empower high-achieving individuals and teams to uncover their true purpose, leading to enduring impact, boundless joy, and sustainable growth.

Radhi Devlukia is a plant-based cook, recipe developer, mission-driven entrepreneur, and co-founder of Juni Tea. Her debut cookbook “JoyFull" comes out in February 2024. We discuss mindful cooking and eating practices, and what “intuitive eating” means. Born and raised in the UK, the rich traditions of her Indian culture played a significant role in shaping Radhi’s path towards wellness from an early age, leading her to develop a deep appreciation for the mind-body connection and igniting her curiosity for culinary exploration. Radhi earned her Ayurvedic Health Counsellor 1 Degree at the California College of Ayurveda. A clinical dietician, nutritionist, and always-learning cook, she brings a modern approach to the ancient principles of holistic wellbeing.

Time for an Ask Me Anything episode! Topics range from creating healthy habits and staying motivated, to strength training strategies and asserting oneself at the gym, to my morning routine and how I got into playing didgeridoo. I (Karina Inkster, a.k.a. Coach K) am your humble podcast host, author of five books, and 21-year vegan. I'm the founder of K.I. Health & Fitness, where I and my team lead award-winning coaching programs that help vegans worldwide get super strong and build health habits they’ll still hold at the age of 103. I hold a Masters degree in Gerontology, specializing in health and aging. My work has been profiled by outlets like CNBC, Huffpost, Healthline, Bustle, and Livestrong. When I'm not eating dark chocolate or doing a ridiculous number of chin-ups, I perform and teach accordion, piano, and didgeridoo.

When I heard that a new vegan athlete (and a film and TV actor, at that!) moved to my small town, I knew I had to have her on the show. And I haven't even run into her at the grocery store yet! Paloma Kwiatkowski is a professional actor with over a decade of experience in the film and TV industry, an avid trail-runner turned personal trainer, and a vegan with an unwavering passion for cooking and baking. Listen in as Paloma shares her vegan story and discusses beginning a career in the health and wellness industry, transitioning from living in big cities to a small town, and the upcoming release of a new movie she stars in.

My guest today is a pioneer in the plant-based sector with over 30 years of experience. In 1994, Rey founded the Alternative Baking Company, one of the first vegan cookie brands on the market, which generated $1 million in sales in 1995. In 1997, he founded Sun Flour Baking Co. to create new flavours, tastes, textures, and nutrition products with a longer shelf life and higher profit margins. Sun Flour Baking produces raw and baked gluten-free cookies free of animal products. It also provides co packing, product development, consulting, testing, nutrition facts, graphic design, and wrapping in small batches. Clients include Continental Airlines, Sodexo Marriott Food Service, and Whole Foods. The company supports Farm Sanctuary, the American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), and In Defense of Animals (IDA). Rey owned Garden to Grill, a vegan restaurant, for five years. With extensive knowledge across the entire product life cycle, he is an experienced formulator within the industry, has designed three facilities, and has sold millions of vegan cookies, keeping eggs and dairy out of the mouths of many. Besides owning ‌five plant-based brands, he has also published two children’s books and is an expert at cannabis infusion for topical and edible products.

We hear it all the time: "I eat eggs only from free-range chickens", or "It's OK, it's a cage-free chicken". Vicky Bond, President of The Humane League, is here to bust the myth of "happy hens" in modern farming. She also discusses the myth that the best way to improve the welfare of farmed animals is to convince everyone to stop using animal products altogether. (Technically it *is*, but it isn’t realistic on a large scale at the moment.) Vicky is president of The Humane League, a global animal protection nonprofit that exists to end the abuse of animals raised for food. She is also a veterinarian and an animal welfare scientist who has spent more than a decade advocating for animals. Before becoming President of The Humane League (THL), Vicky led The Humane League United Kingdom as Managing Director. Under Vicky's leadership, both THL and THL UK have directly made an impact on the world's largest food corporations (including PepsiCo, Kellogg's, Compass, and Sodexo). THL and THL UK also work on policy to push for laws to end factory farming practices, including state bans like Prop 12 that ends cages for calves, laying hens, and mother pigs while they're pregnant.

We often refer to them as 'legends', otherwise known as folks who have been vegan for more than twenty years. Case in point: Jack Norris. Jack, who’s been vegan since 1988, is the executive director of Vegan Outreach, an animal protection nonprofit promoting vegan eating through their 10 Weeks to Vegan program in over 50 countries. Jack has been a registered dietitian since 2001 and maintains the website VeganHealth.org. In 2005, Jack was elected to the Animal Rights Hall of Fame. Jack co-authored the book Vegan For Life with Ginny Messina; the 2nd edition was published in 2020. Jack was a Division 3 All-American pole-vaulter in college, was on a national champion great grandmaster ultimate frisbee team, and is now an avid pickleball player.

Carolyn Scott has travelled to the North Pole as a vegan, and hosts the only vegan TV show on a mainstream travel network. She's on the podcast to bust three myths for us: that being Latinx makes it hard to be vegan, that it’s difficult to be vegan while travelling, and that healthy vegan food is boring and flavourless. Cookbook author, media spokesperson, holistic nutritionist, plant-based chef, and vegan for 25 years, Carolyn is an award-winning and respected figure in the world of healthy lifestyle, as well as special diet cooking and nutrition. With a highly acclaimed cookbook and travel show to her credit, Carolyn has traveled the world for her show, site, and brand as well as to offer her services as a health and nutrition expert, recipe developer, writer, speaker, consultant, and media spokesperson. She is frequently quoted in national media and regularly appears on television and radio programs sharing healthy recipes, travel tips and all things healthy, green and happy living.

Ironman triathlete Todd Crandell speaks with me about his organization, his own addiction recovery, parallels between approaches to veganism and addiction recovery, and much more. Todd is a 111-time Ironman event finisher, 4-time author, vegan since 2016, documentary subject, dad, and founder of Racing for Recovery, which has been featured on CNN, ESPN, the New York Times, and Runner’s World Magazine. He’s dedicated his personal and professional life to helping substance abusers re-channel their destructive behaviours into positive, life-affirming action. By sharing personal stories about the perils of substance abuse, best practices in prevention, and how to lead a holistic lifestyle, Todd offers a positive alternative to those struggling to overcome a life of addiction.

Black-and-white thinking is rampant in the fitness and nutrition industries. Within the vegan community, it often centres around ethical vs. unethical, or healthy vs. unhealthy. This prevents more nuanced discussion. There seems to be growing pushback against some plant-based product innovations around being “too processed” or “too unhealthy”, and there’s a lot of fear-mongering around certain ingredients (including seed oils). In this episode, I discuss the above sentiments [and much more] with Chef Karen McAthy, as we dive into some serious myth debunking and unpacking of where these thought processes came from. Karen, a life-long resident of BC’s west coast, is an innovator in dairy-free, vegan, plant-based cultured cheese, and plant-based cuisine. Co-founder of former cpg brand Blue Heron and parent company Lumi Foods, Karen’s focus on innovation in plant-based food is linked to understanding the complex systems of food from growing to finished goods. Currently, Karen is developing starter and adjunct cultures for commercial use in the cultured vegan cheese and dairy-alternative sector.

When we discuss the realms of veganism and plant-based eating, we can all come to the table around a common thread: food. Food builds relationships, connection, and community. Case in point: Matt de Gruyter. Matt is the co-founder and CEO of Next Level Burger, America’s first 100 percent plant-based burger joint that serves up vegan burgers for a better world in 10 locations coast to coast. Since its start in 2014, Next Level Burger has become a plant-based phenomenon. Matt and his wife and co-founder, Cierra de Gruyter, lead the large-scale national expansion of the brand, adding more cities and more stores every year without losing sight of their passion for serving healthy, sustainably sourced food that drives their commitment to nourishing the people and nurturing the planet. We discuss his business journey, surprising trends in the sector, and what a [near shocking] 52.8% represents.

As an ethical stance, we’re familiar with veganism, its tenets, and how it translates to our daily lives. Outside of that, you’d be surprised to learn about the many points with which veganism intersects, and today we’re exploring one: the relationship between veganism, and leadership. Leadership coach Nancy Wehnert is on the show to discuss her approach to leadership, and how that connects to veganism. Nancy is a leadership coach who works with leaders and their teams. After running her own company for 15 years and seeing her team members struggling with how to perform at their best, she became passionate about leadership and building cohesive, high-performing teams. We speak about her method in doing that, and how the glories of plant-based life supported the process [and beyond].

Sheep farmer-turned-vegan JH Burnett speaks with me about his experiences in animal agriculture, his vegan transition, and more. This is one of the most raw conversations that’s been aired on the podcast thus far, so I’m really grateful to JH for sharing his story. JH is a former sheep farmer and breeder in the dairy industry who, after the atrocities he witnessed in these industries, turned vegan and an animal rights activist. He openly shares his gruelling story and absolute low point, and how he gave life a second chance, dedicating himself to the animal liberation movement. He’s written a memoir, Ex-Farmer Goes Vegan, offers vegan-inspired coaching programs, and, along with his wife Elle, co-creates a variety of vegan children’s books. Trigger warnings: animal abuse and suicide.

Why are doctors talking about connection? What is connection medicine and is connection just a "nice-to-have" or does it really impact your physical health and disease outcomes? My guests today, Drs. Alona Pulde and Matthew Lederman, combined conventional Western medicine, Chinese medicine, Lifestyle medicine, Nonviolent Communication, Polyvagal Theory, and Trauma-Informed, Somatic Principles & Pain Reprocessing to create their groundbreaking health paradigm. They have been successful corporate leaders, starred in the documentary Forks over Knives, lectured for eCornell, served as adjunct medical school professors and corporate medical advisors, and are New York Times bestselling authors.

Where are the places where veganism, plant-based living, and business practices intersect? We have found some, and we’re here to share the intel! Cynthia Owen joins me on the show to talk about making veganism more mainstream, leveraging grants to help businesses move forward with plant-based offerings, and her coaching work, including being part of a cultural/global movement for women. Cynthia is a seasoned Mentor and Coach in the realm of personal growth and skill development, having supported over a hundred Fempreneurs to take their businesses to the next level. With advanced degrees in science and economics, Cynthia brings more than 25 years of professional experience in market analysis, program design and delivery to the table.

Should kids be eating a plant-based diet? Will kids who are vegan be inherently more prone to vitamin deficiencies? We’re jumping into these questions and more on today’s podcast episode. Dr. Leigh Ettinger has been a medical doctor since 1998 but did not learn about the plant-based diet until 2014. He made changes in his own eating and quickly saw the benefits. He’s earned a certificate in plant-based nutrition from eCornell and is now board certified in obesity medicine. He enjoys helping families successfully change course to a plant-strong path for their health, for the animals, for social justice, and for the environment.