Vegan Posse

It's Week 2 of the Vegan Posse Tennessee Series! Native Tennesseean and longtime vegan Kara Carden is a homeschooling mother and community organizer. Daughter of chart-topping country music star Ronnie McDowell, Kara grew up touring the country and occasionally selling merch for her dad. She went on to become a freelance journalist and travel writer and, later, a homeschooling mom. In 2010, she founded Nashville Waldorf Homeschoolers, a non-profit nature- and art-based enrichment program. Kara has served as a volunteer peer counselor and certified Attached at the Heart Educator for Attachment Parenting International for more than 15 years. She recently accepted a job as Communications Director for WeKnow, LLC., a peace-provoking company disrupting industry norms in divorce, real estate, and finance. In her freet time, Kara enjoys gardening, hiking, floating rivers, hammocking with her husband, pondering metaphysics, and sharing helpful information. Resources: Subscribe to Vegan Posse on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/@veganposse Fit for Life by Harvey and Marilyn Diamond: https://www.amazon.com/Fit-Life-Harvey-Diamond/dp/0446553646 Documentary Earthlings: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0358456/ Mindset by Carol Dweck: https://www.amazon.com/Mindset-Psychology-Carol-S-Dweck/dp/0345472322 Attachment Parenting International: https://www.attachmentparenting.org/ The World Peace Diet by Dr. Will Tuttle: https://www.worldpeacediet.com/ Marrying Myself playlist, featuring Boston-based band Session Americana and singer-songwriter Tom McBride: https://christinemelaniebenson.com/?page_id=497

Who better to kick off our Tennessee series than Tennessee-born-and-raised Robby Cox and his business partner AND life partner, Ananya, founders of vegan meal prep company SUNstenance? Ananya has been practicing and working in the field of holistic wellness since her teenage years. In East Harlem, Ananya worked for Soluna Holistic Spa teaching yoga classes and developing the juice bar and vegan eatery. She has completed over 800+ hours of Yoga Teacher Trainings in Hatha, Vinyasa, Kundalini, Kriya and taken additional courses in Ayurveda, pranayama and prenatal. She began studying Ayurveda in 2012 in Laughing Lotus Yoga School, and around the same time dove into Macrobiotics and Eastern Medicine. She began using food to help treat various ailments relating to both physical and mental health. Ananya moved to India where she worked with the sustainable Ayurvedic organizations Gotirthashram & Panchgavya Healthcare India doing research and development, marketing, and product creation. In the Himalayas, she deepened her spiritual practice, and after six years, returned to Tennessee, starting Ananya Wellness offering holistic education, yoga/ meditation classes and creating gourmet holistic food and herbal treats. She began working as the holistic chef for Mobile Macro Meals, a macrobiotic vegan company. She and Robby met and started SUNstenance, LLC and are now offering vegan, holistic meal prep, catering, events and retreats and educational classes. Robby began learning the truth about health and wellness in 2009 while facing a life-threatening situation in which western medicine failed him entirely. After malpractice by a trusted family dentist left him with epileptic seizures and continuous pain, he came across the documentary The Beautiful Truth, which sent him down the path to undoing the damage caused by not only this procedure but the lifetime of assault on the physical, mental and emotional body that is our modern life. Around this time, a family friend gifted him a tiny book called The Pocket Tibetan Buddhism Reader. Upon reading a single page regarding the practice of ethical vegetarianism, he adopted a vegetarian diet on the spot. Robby’s philosophy on health and nutrition has evolved continuously over the years, but his passion for ethical veganism has only intensified. His research now focuses on the common “pillars of health” that are shared in many ancient traditions prioritizing adequate sleep, hydration, sunshine, fresh air, movement, optimized plant-only nutrition, and the careful application of fasting and cleansing modalities to achieve health and wellness. Resources: SUNstenance website: https://www.sunstenance.org/https://www.sunstenance.org/ SUNstenance Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/sunstenance/⁠ Documentary Earthlings: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0358456/ Dr. John McDougall: https://www.drmcdougall.com/ Documentary, The Beautiful Truth: https://topdocumentaryfilms.com/beautiful-truth/ The Pocket Tibetan Buddhism Reader: https://www.amazon.com/Pocket-Tibetan-Buddhism-Shambhala-Classics/dp/1570628513

How does a person go from Burger King to vegan in two hours? A pre-screening of the classic animal rights film Earthlings did it for Carlos Garcia over two decades ago! Carlos has been playing drums since he was a kid in New York City. He grew up in a large, music-loving family listening to salsa and Latin music every day. Carlos is constantly recording and creating music with many diverse artists around the world. When Carlos isn’t playing music, he’s busy growing his own food and being an activist for peace, animal rights, human rights, GLBT rights and holistic, vegan living. Carlos lived in Los Angeles most of his life and went vegan over two decades ago after seeing an early test screening of Shaun Monson’s film Earthlings and realizing he was paying to do horrific things to these beautiful, innocent creatures and left the theater vegan. He literally went from Burger King to vegan in two hours. Carlos is now 66 years old, and no one ever guesses his age correctly. He considers himself living proof that keeping your spirit and body clean of torture and poison, does a body (and spirit) good. Carlos was living on Maui, Hawaii for 16 years doing animal activism and being percussionist for Mick Fleetwood’s side project, Mick Fleetwood’s Island Rumours Band. He has spent the last year in different parts of California, Portland and New York soul-searching after the loss of his mother and the recent devastating fires on Maui. He's in NYC right now to help raise funds for an upcoming vegan feature film with Victoria Moran called Miss Liberty. Simultaneously, he's promoting his music video "It’s OK To Love Me" and putting together the live band. Resources: Monkeys with Drums: https://monkeyswithdrums.com/ Support the making of Miss Liberty, the movie: https://misslibertythemovie.com/ The World Peace Diet by Dr. Will Tuttle: https://www.worldpeacediet.com/ Earthlings, the movie: https://vimeo.com/237062854

Why is listening to each other so rare - and so hard? And how do we find balance in this chaotic world? SIa Hurst, founder of 6D Living, has a few ideas! Sia is a graduate of the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies, completing the Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate. She also received a qualification in Nutrition and Healthy Living from eCornell. She has studied BioMedicine at the College of Naturopathic Medicine and has coaching qualifications for Intermittent Fasting, She is a member of the Association of Naturopathic Practitioners and the International Association of Therapists. Sia Hurst is the author of the article series entitled Food for Thought. This series is published by the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies. Resources: Testimonial Story Link – originally published in Health Science Magazine Winter 2023: https://www.6dliving.com/sia-hurst Sia’s 6D Living Video Series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBcQaMqOfp1HtfCMKD4biA8KsEFWgbMZ6 6D Living website: https://www.6dliving.com/ 6D Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/6dliving Nutmeg Notbeook with Tami Kramer: https://www.youtube.com/@NutmegNotebook Dr. Michael Greger, Nutrition Facts website: https://nutritionfacts.org/ Dr. Neal Barnard, The Cheese Trap: https://www.amazon.com/Cheese-Trap-Breaking-Surprising-Addiction/dp/1455594687

Derrick Broze is a freelance investigative journalist, activist, author, and public speaker. He is the founder of The Conscious Resistance Network and the author of many books, including The Conscious Resistance Trilogy, The Holistic Self-Assessment, and How to Opt Out of the Technocratic State. Fully vegan for almost 15 years, thanks in part to a feline "teacher" named Jimmy, Derrick takes a holistic approach to activism, including vegan activism, and seeks to carry the message of truth and freedom by education and example rather than coercion or manipulation - in other words, more open-hearted dialogue and less shouting. Resources: The Conscious Resistance Network: https://theconsciousresistance.com/ Derrick Broze books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0843629R6 The Holistic Self-Assessment: https://www.amazon.com/Holistic-Self-Assessment-Derrick-Broze/dp/1720350760/ How to Opt out of the Technocratic State: https://www.amazon.com/How-Opt-Out-Technocratic-State-2nd/dp/B0BPT9JHDR? Conscious Resistance: Reflections on Anarchy and Spirituality: https://www.amazon.com/Conscious-Resistance-Reflections-Anarchy-Spirituality-ebook/dp/B07X9G4V4T?ref_=ast_author_mpb Rebunked podcast with Scott Armstrong: https://rebunked.news/ Unjected website: https://unjected.com/

What happens when you leave everything and everyone you know behind, take a one-way flight across the ocean, and continue by foot, train, bus, rickshaw, motorbike, and ferry, until you’ve circled the Earth? That’s what Lucas Spiegel decided to find out in early 2016. What started out as an ambitious plan to travel the world for 22 months became a transformative exploration of our relationship with animals, food, and one other. The story of this journey makes for an impassioned and personal, yet thoroughly reasoned, plea for a kinder, more just, and merciful world. Lucas Spiegel is a lifelong animal-lover who has been vegan for over 30 years. After studying and practicing architecture in the U.S., Canada, and India, Lucas left it all behind in an effort to rethink what it is to live a meaningful life. Since then, he's traveled the world, started a dog treat company that donated all of its profits to farm animal sanctuaries, published a vegan travel memoir, and continues the process of learning and reinvention. Along the way, he enjoys playing frisbee, making things with his hands, and spending time with his dog, Rosie. They're currently riding out the winter in a village on the northern coast of Colombia. Resources: The Weight of Empathy by Lucas Speigel: https://weightofempathy.com/buy/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/earth.and.eats Personal website: https://lucasspiegel.com/

Vicki Brett-Gach is a Plant-Based Culinary Instructor, Certified Personal Chef, Master-Certified Vegan Lifestyle Coach, and author of "The Plant-Based for Life Cookbook: Deliciously Simple Recipes to Nourish, Comfort, Energize and Renew”. Vicki's focus is always on making eating healthy EASY. She is Forks Over Knives Plant-Based Certified, trained in Dietary Therapy for Reversing Common Diseases, and a graduate of Dr. McDougall’s Starch Solution Certification program. Vicki earned a Certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition through the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies, and is trained in Nutrition for a Healthy Heart. She also holds certificates in Wellness Counseling (through Cornell University), and in Culinary Coaching (through Harvard Medical School and The Institute of Lifestyle Medicine). Vicki teaches whole food plant-based cooking classes to groups of all sizes, and provides one-on-one coaching to clients across the country, helping them reverse health challenges and chronic conditions. Stay connected with Vicki through her Ann Arbor Vegan Kitchen blog, at AnnArborVeganKitchen.com. Resources: Ann Arbor Vegan Kitchen website: https://annarborvegankitchen.com/ Victoria Moran's Main Street Vegan Academy: https://mainstreetvegan.com/ The Food Revolution by John Robbins: https://www.amazon.com/Food-Revolution-Your-Diet-World/dp/1573244872 Whole by T. Colin Campbell: https://www.amazon.com/Whole-Rethinking-Nutrition-Colin-Campbell/dp/1939529840/ The China Study by T. Colin Campbell: https://www.amazon.com/China-Study-Revised-Expanded-Comprehensive/dp/B01MYXN06I/

Geoff Palmer, a 61-year old, 39-year vegan, is a Natural Bodybuilding and Natural Physique Masters Champion, the Owner of Clean Machine Plant-Based Fitness Nutrition, author, national lecturer, vegan patent holder, and 2 Time NEXTY Winner for “Best Supplement of the Year” in 2016 and 2018. Geoff was named one of the “Top 100 Most Influential Vegans” by Plant-Based News. Geoff created the first 100% vegan bodybuilding competition in the World. Resources: Website: https://cleanmachineonline.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/CleanMachineOnline Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CleanMachineFit/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cleanmachinefit/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoff-palmer-ⓥ-1b78565/ WVBC Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/495728784160662 Malcolm Gladwell, The Tipping Point: https://www.amazon.com/Tipping-Point-Little-Things-Difference/dp/0316346624 Marilyn Ferguson, The Aquarian Experience: https://www.amazon.com/Aquarian-Conspiracy-Personal-Transformation-Cornerstone/dp/158542742X/

Anita Lupp's vegan journey spans several countries and continents! Originally from the U.K., Anita lives with her family in the northwest suburbs of Chicago in Wauconda, Illinois (not be be confused with the fictional kingdom of Wakanda from the Marvel movies). Anita made the vegan leap after 17 years of being a non-vegan vegetarian. Get the scoop on her ensuing journey of self-discovery, her surprising health transformation, her husband's even more surprising decision to join her on the vegan path, and her experience raising - or attempting to raise - health-conscious, ethical kids. In addition to working full-time as a project manager for a distribution company, Anita is launching a whole-food plant-based health coaching service. Keep an eye out for her website, ⁠anitalupp.com⁠. Regardless of where you're from or how you got here, I have a feeling you'll relate to Anita's story - especially if you're one of us "sensitive" souls. Resources: Anita Lupp website: https://www.anitalupp.com/ Email Anita: anitaelupp@gmail.com Documentary, The Game Changers: https://gamechangersmovie.com/ Documentary, Forks Over Knives: https://www.forksoverknives.com/ Institute for Integrative Nutrition: https://www.integrativenutrition.com/ Documentary, Simply Raw: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1587696/

Even for docs, losing weight isn't easy! Scott Harrington, D.O., is a board-certified Family Medicine physician with over 17 years of experience. He started his medical career using standard treatment methodologies. Then, in 2012, Dr. Harrington personally adopted a plant-based diet and saw dramatic health improvements in his energy level, athletic endurance, and recovery time. His weight, blood pressure, blood sugar, and hormone levels all normalized. This personal transformation convinced Dr. Harrington to shift the focus of his medical practice to teaching patients what he had learned. Dr. Harrington went on to found Vegan Primary Care. The plant-based diet had impressive effects with his patients, many of whom were suffering with chronic illnesses. In fact, a large number of patients were able to stop their medications altogether. Through his telemedicine practice, Dr. Harrington can see patients from 22 states. He continues to lecture on weight loss and food addiction. He can be reached at https://www.veganprimarycare.com/ Resources: Website: https://www.veganprimarycare.com/ PCRM profile: https://www.pcrm.org/findadoctor/scott-harrington-do Call Dr. Harrington: 727-222-3036 Email: email@veganprimarycare.com Diet for a New America by John Robbins: https://www.amazon.com/Diet-New-America-Choices-Happiness/dp/193207354X Healthy at 100 by John Robbins: https://www.amazon.com/Healthy-100-Scientifically-Healthiest-Longest-Lived/dp/0345490118/ Dr. John McDougall on the Rice Diet: https://www.drmcdougall.com/education/lectures-all/john-mcdougall-md-discusses-the-rice-diet-with-frank-neelon-md/

Working as a microbiologist with a global pharmaceutical company in the early 1990s, JoAnn Farb toured lab animal testing facilities, pharmaceutical manufacturing plants, and factory farms and came face-to-face with the fact it was her own (and all of our) food choices that were driving the horrific experiments being conducted on non-human animals. She went vegan in 1991, without ever having met a single other vegan! Now, she lives in the woods in Kansas with her husband and dog,. Their two grownup vegan-since-birth daughters live nearby. JoAnn is the author of two books, Compassionate Souls - Raising the Next Generation to Change the World and Get Off Gluten. She speaks nationally on health and justice issues. A theme running through all of JoAnn's work is that most human-caused historic harms could never have happened if otherwise "good people" had objected to "tiny" injustices that paved the way for catastrophic wrongs. Committed to seeking - and speaking - truth, JoAnn encourages people to question EVERYTHING. Resources: JoAnn Farb website: https://joannfarb.weebly.com/about.html Curated resources page: https://joannfarb.weebly.com/uploads/6/2/1/2/62122903/updated_currated_references.pdfCompassionate Souls: Raising the Next Generation to Change the World by JoAnn Farb: https://www.amazon.com/Compassionate-Souls-Raising-Generation-Change/dp/1930051034/ Diet for a New America by John Robbins: https://www.amazon.com/Diet-New-America-Choices-Happiness/dp/193207354X

Risa Branch is a jazz and blues singer, Reiki Master, and professional cat-sitter based in New York City. She’s also a dedicated, longtime vegan, having adopted the lifestyle as a teenager, and she’s been advocating for animals and veganism for all of her adult life. Risa has recorded two albums, and she’s been featured in a variety of media as a vegan music artist. Resources: Website: http://RisaBranch.com Facebook: http://Facebook.com/RisaBranch Instagram:http://Instagram.com/RisaBranch Risa Branch animal rights song “Strange Fruit”: https://risa.bandcamp.com/track/strange-fruit Documentary appearance in I’m Vegan: https://youtu.be/l08as25vCVc Outtake: https://youtu.be/mokrYJ9pBAk?si=hnZEY7WTHZEdQqck Other Risa press: Tenderly magazine: Not Every Singer Is Here to Start the Party The Syncopated Times (cover story): https://syncopatedtimes.com/risa-branch-a-passion-for-tradition/ Black Vegans Rock blog: http://www.blackvegansrock.com/blog/2016/1/8/feature-risa Women in Jazz podcast: https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/women-in-jazz/episode-08-risa-branch-3hZAx8o-5dD/ Mindful Minutes with Musicians podcast: https://www.youtube.com/live/Gr9VfRzooDg?si=JU249IrMsAdnaAVq Vegan Werden (German publication): https://veganwerden.wordpress.com/2013/09/29/risa/Other resources mentioned: Vegan: The New Ethics of Eating by Erik Marcus: https://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Ethics-Eating-Erik-Marcus/dp/0935526870 You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero: https://www.amazon.com/You-Are-Badass NYC Vegan Restaurants: Organic Grill: https://www.theorganicgrill.com/ Urban Vegan Kitchen: https://urbanvegankitchen.com/ Caravan of Dreams: https://www.caravanofdreams.net/ Happy Cow: https://www.happycow.net/ NYC Vegan Drinks: https://vegandrinks.nyc/ Berlin Vegan Jass Bar Barkett: http://barkett.berlin/ Cadence - Vegan Soul Food: https://www.overthrowhospitality.com/location/cadence/ Slutty Vegan: https://sluttyveganatl.com/ By Any Greens Necessary by Tracye McQuirter: https://byanygreensnecessary.com/ Diet for a New America by John Robbins: https://www.amazon.com/Diet-New-America-Choices-Happiness/dp/193207354X Marrying Myself by Christine Melanie Benson: https://www.amazon.com/Marrying-Myself-Christine-Melanie-Benson/dp/1685130763/

Rey Ortega is bulidng a vegan cookie empire! With over 30 years' of baking experience, Rey is a pioneer in the plant-based sector. In 1994, he 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 flavors, 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 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. Resources: Website: https://www.startaveganbusiness.com/media.html

Shen Kenner has been a professional guitarist for over three decades, dazzling audiences in Casablanca, San Francisco, Greece, Finland, New York City, and many points in between. Shan is also a licensed realtor. He authored his own book SK Real Book, a physical book of two hundred of his own compositions. After living in New Orleans since 2014, in the spring of 2023, Shan relocated to Nashville, where he is currently performing, recording, and collaborating with an array of local talent. Resources: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shan_kenner_guitarist/

Funny how easy it is to forget that our minds are in our bodies! But not for vegan psychiatrist Dr. Adam Woods. Adam Woods, M.D., is a private practice "Family Psychiatrist" in the Iowa City area, meaning that he sees "all ages" and "all diagnoses." He holds a Bachelor's Degree from Drake University, a Master's Degree from Princeton University, and a medical degree from Duke University. He completed his Psychiatry Residency at the University of Iowa. Dr. Woods began his plant-based journey in 2017 after a lifetime of struggling with his weight and watching his family suffer from lifestyle-related diseases. He strives to promote a healthy plant-based diet and lifestyle over medications whenever possible and engages in Evolutionary Psychology-based therapy as promulgated by his mentor and friend, Dr. Doug Lisle. Beyond medicine, Dr Woods has an academic passion for philosophy and ethics. He is currently taking classes with the hope of beginning a PhD program in the next few years. If you're interested in connecting for a consultation or a friendly chat, Dr. Woods welcomes emails at adamwoodsmd@gmail.com. Resources: Email Dr. Woods: adamwoodsmd@gmail.com Adam Woods MD on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEUodNCa--0-8UGoStWeS4g Vegan psychologist Dr. Doug Lisle: https://esteemdynamics.com/ The China Study by T. Colin Campbell: https://www.amazon.com/China-Study-Comprehensive-Nutrition-Implications/dp/1932100660

Robert Cheeke grew up on a farm in Corvallis, Oregon. He adopted a vegan lifestyle in 1995, at the age of 15, weighing just 120 pounds. He went on to become the author of many books, including Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness, Shred It!, Plant-Based Muscle, and New York Times bestseller The Plant-Based Athlete. His newest book, The Impactful Vegan, will be released on June 25, 2024 – check out the show notes to preorder. Robert is often referred to as the “Godfather of Vegan Bodybuilding,” growing the industry from infancy in 2002, to where it is today. As a natural bodybuilding champion, Robert was named one of VegNews magazine's Most Influential Vegan Athletes. He tours around the world sharing his story of transformation from a skinny farm kid to champion vegan bodybuilder. Robert is the founder and president of Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness and maintains the website VeganBodybuilding.com. He is a regular contributor to Forks Over Knives, The Center for Nutrition Studies, The Vegan Gym, and No Meat Athlete, is a former multi-sport athlete, and has followed a plant-based diet for more than 28 years. Robert lives in Colorado with his wife and two rescued Chihuahuas. Resources: Website: https://www.veganbodybuilding.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robert.cheeke/?hl=en Robert Cheeke on Forks Over Knives: https://www.forksoverknives.com/wellness/robert-cheeke-shares-vegan-bodybuilding-diet/ Preorder Robert's upcoming book, The Impactful Vegan: https://www.amazon.com/Impactful-Vegan-Biggest-Difference-Animals/dp/1637744587/ Robert Cheeke books: https://www.amazon.com/Books-Robert-Cheeke/s?rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_27%3ARobert+Cheeke

Peggy Young grew up in northern Wisconsin where a picnic is not a picnic without hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill and a jelly mold of marshmallows for dessert. Becoming vegan was foreign territory. Peggy was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer in 2010 at the tender age of 53 - far too young to say goodbye to her two daughters and her new husband. Her research revealed that a whole-food food plant-based diet was her best bet for living to enjoy her later years. She tried it to see if it would positively affect her cancer. Now, almost 14 years later, Peggy is still here and enjoying life at the age of 66! She loves her family and her vegetables, and she's shifted to helping others change their lifestyles to optimize their lives. Resources: Peggy Young - Star McDougaller: https://www.drmcdougall.com/education/star-mcdougall-interviews/peggy/ Carol Adams, The Sexual Politics of Meat: https://caroljadams.com/spom-the-book

Looking for a living example of initiative and self-determination? Look no further! In May of 2013, Paul Chatlin was diagnosed with heart disease and presented with two options: bypass surgery or something called "plant-based nutrition." He opted for the latter. The very next day, Paul consulted with Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, who gave him the lowdown on whole-food, plant-based eating. Incredibly, after just three weeks, Paul's angina disappeared. His cholesterol levels plummeted from 350 to 92, and he lost 75 pounds in four months! Not only that, he kept it off. Paul promised himself that when he felt better, he would put together a support group to help others. He contacted Dr. Joel Kahn, who agreed to assist him on the journey. In February 2014, he hosted his first Plant-Based Nutrition Support Group (PBNSG) meeting, and 123 people attended! As of today, PBNSG has helped more than 150,000 people, offering outreach programs that are always educational and plant-based. Paul's current project is creating an alliance called Sage Circle Alliance to bring together like-minded organizations and individuals. Resources: Plant-Based Nutrition Support Group: https://www.pbnsg.org/ Sage Circle Alliance: https://www.sagecirclealliance.org/home Email Paul: ⁠paul@pbnsg.org⁠

For many of us, 2023 was messy, gritty, and all too real -and boy, does Dr. Jen Howk get real about her own challenges and "growth opportunities" over this past year. Never one to rest on her laurels, Jen continues to push new limits. In this, her epic encore appearance on the Posse, Jen lays it all out on the table, including her tumultuous 2023; her new podcast, The Face of the Deep; her fraught relationship history, complicated by that pesky "ethical veganism" of hers; and her ever-evolving relationship with evolutionary psychology. More about Jen... Jan Howk, Ph.D., is an author, researcher, and interdisciplinary social scientist. She earned her B.A. with honors from the University of Washington, and her M.A. and Ph.D. from Harvard University. She is currently co-authoring a book with psychologist Dr. Doug Lisle that explores the biological and evolutionary underpinnings of human nature and how such insights can help us better understand the central questions and dilemmas of human life. You can preorder the book and follow their collaborative work at Esteem Dynamics - https://esteemdynamics.com/ Jen offers individual one-on-one coaching, webinars, and e-courses. In addiion, her Patreon subscribers may access her several weekly Zoom group calls: Resources: Jen Howk website: https://jenhowk.com/ The Face of the Deep podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/ch/podcast/the-face-of-the-deep/id1721738586 The Face of the Deep episode with Chrissy Benson: https://podcasts.apple.com/ch/podcast/episode-2-the-defended-self-internal-family-systems/id1721738586?i=1000639458336 The Jungle by Upton Sinclair: https://www.amazon.com/Jungle-Upton-Sinclair/dp/1503331865 The China Study by T. Colin Campbell: https://www.amazon.com/China-Study-Comprehensive-Nutrition-Implications/dp/1932100660/ Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser: https://www.amazon.com/Fast-Food-Nation-Eric-Schlosser-audiobook/dp/B00005AAQB/ Vegan Freak Radio: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLA138BB8D067CD283 The Pornography of Meat by Carol Adams: https://www.amazon.com/Pornography-Meat-New-Updated/dp/1501364391/ The Moral Animal by Robert Wright: https://www.amazon.com/The-Moral-Animal-Robert-Wright-audiobook/dp/B003VXI8DO/ Esteem Dynamics: https://esteemdynamics.com/

Chef AJ has been devoted to a plant-exclusive diet for over 46 years. She was the host of Healthy Living with CHEF AJ on Foody TV. She's the author of three bestselling books, The Secrets to Ultimate Weight Loss, Own Your Health, and The 10th Anniversary Edition of Unprocessed. Chef AJ was the Executive Pastry Chef at Santé Restaurant in Los Angeles where she was famous for her sugar-, oil-, salt-, and gluten-free vegan desserts, which feature "the fruit, the whole fruit, and nothing but the whole fruit." She broadcasts CHEF AJ LIVE! on YouTube daily at 11:00 a.m. Pacific time. Chef AJ is the creator of the Ultimate Weight Loss Program. In 2018, she was inducted into the Vegetarian Hall of Fame. Resources: Website: https://www.ChefAJ.com Watch Chef AJ LIVE! Daily 11:00 a.m. P.S.T. https://YouTube.com/c/ChefAJ Learn more about Chef AJ: My Story: https://youtu.be/CbyCJY7AC4k Bestselling book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JC8LHLZ?ref=exp_chefaj_dp_vv_mw Amazon store: https://amazon.com/shop/chefajInstagram: https://instagram.com/therealchefaj Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chef.aj1 Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/therealchefaj.com