Eat Green Make Green Podcast

"If there's anything I can do to stay with my family as long as I can, I want to do it."On this week's episode of the Eat Green Make Green Podcast, I sit down with the spectacular Noelle Rhodes. Noelle is a fellow class of 2008 Hingham High grad, so we've know each other for some time. But I only learned this week that she has been plant-based for the past couple of years, so obviously I had to get her on the podcast! We talk about how the death of her grandmother from cancer sparked a family-wide awareness of plant-based diets, how eating plant-based has changed her relationship with herself, the struggles of dating as a vegan, and why it's so important to question everything. It was so nice to reconnect with Noelle and she is an amazing example of the power of living a plant-based lifestyle.

"When you're not eating the right things, you're not going to be connected with the earth and you're not going to be connected with yourself."On this week's episode of the Eat Green Make Green Podcast, I sit down with the inspiring Josué Joseph. Originally from Haiti, Josué (JJ for short) now lives in the Boston area and has developed a following on social media through being open and honest about his journey in life. Specifically, Josué shares how he went from a junk food-eating unhappy guy to a raw vegan who feels he has finally found his place in the universe. We talk about why JJ became vegan, what a raw vegan diet has done for his physical and spiritual health, why being selfish is not always a bad thing, and why eating high vibrational foods like fruit is the key to truly connecting to yourself. When I first met JJ he gave me one of the realest hugs I've ever received. He's an amazing guy and his message of embodying and spreading love in a modern world that

"I was a roofer for 25 years... I was an unconscious meat eater and drinker... if I can do it, anyone can do it."On this week's episode of the Eat Green Make Green Podcast, I sit down with local wellness entrepreneur Dave O'Brien.  Over the past few months I've had numerous people suggest that I should get Dave on the podcast.  Through a mutual connection we were able to make it happen, and I'm so thankful that we did.  Dave is the founder of a local chain of juice bars/ wellness centers called The Green Light and also the founder of Dave's Raw Foods.  13 years ago, Dave was an unhealthy meat-eating booze-drinking roofer.  But after watching his father die of cancer, Dave had a health epiphany that has shaped the course of his life since.  A long-time vegan, at 52 years old, Dave is now a shining example of the power of a plant-based diet.  He's in incredible shape, he's mentally sharp, and his energy is infectious.  You can't help but want to push yourself to

"I want to feel and be my best self... and what I put into my body has a lot to do with that."On this week's episode of the Eat Green Make Green Podcast, I sit down with the spectacular Natalie Blevins. Natalie and I have gotten to know each other through a previous podcast guest, my very close friend Peter Oswald (Episode 2), who she is in a relationship with. Natalie is a local Physician's Assistant and has recently adopted a plant-based diet. We talk about what life was like growing up on an orchard in rural Pennsylvania, why she chose a career in the medical field, what prompted her to start eating a more plant-centered diet, how she is able to listen to her body and take action on what it's telling her, and why she's always trying to learn and grow. Natalie is a ball of life, always high energy, always smiling, always positive, and always open to hearing other people's perspectives. She is an absolute pleasure to be around and I'm very fortunate to call her a

"Is a plant-based diet extreme?... Over 600,000 Americans each year will choose to have their chest cut open, instead of changing what they eat... that's extreme."On this week's episode of the Eat Green Make Green Podcast, I address the most common questions I receive from listeners with regard to living a plant-based or vegan lifestyle. The questions I answer are:Where do you get your protein?Aren't I going to be deficient in things like iron?What the hell do you eat?Isn't eating plant-based expensive?It's impossible to stick with it while traveling right?My meat-eating, stogie-smoking, bud light-drinking grandpa is alive and kicking at 90, how do you explain that?Don't you think a plant-based diet is a little extreme?How could I ever give up burgers and cheese?

"There are plant-based and vegan companies that have a tremendous potential to change the consciousness of our country and our world... we're trying to be a part of that."On this week's episode of the Eat Green Make Green Podcast, I sit down with Rhode Island native Frohman Anderson. Frohman is the co-founder of EverHope Capital, a private venture capital fund focused on supporting and scaling businesses that create a more sustainable and livable planet for current and future generations. We talk about how Frohman got started in entrepreneurship, how him and his younger sister started, grew, and sold a successful skincare company while still in school, why he became vegan, the unsustainable nature of animal agriculture, the enormous opportunity of the clean meat industry, and more. Frohman's knowledge and passion for making a difference in the world is very evident. I very much enjoyed getting to know him.. and I'm a huge fan of anyone who takes me out for local vegan tacos.

"To know that what I'm leaving in this world is something good... that I didn't harm anyone, I didn't harm the environment, and I left good vibes."On this week's episode of the Eat Green Make Green Podcast, I sit down with the fabulous Ana Alarcón. Ana is a Boson-based fitness instructor, blogger, and influencer. We talk about what life and culture was like growing up in Mexico, how she struggled with diet and self image throughout high school and college, how she ended up in Boston, why she adopted a plant-based diet and how it's changed her relationship with food, what her daily regimen looks like, and much more. Ana is such an energetic and positive person and it's easy to see why so many resonate with her message. She is a shining example, especially for all the young girls out there, of what living a plant-based active lifestyle can do for your health and life.

"You can help people with such a big decision in their life and see how much it impacts them..."On this week's episode of the Eat Green Make Green Podcast, I sit down with Alfred Schofield and Cameron Fischer, the founders of the Boston-based supplement company Vitalfit Nutrition. I connected with Alfred and Cam through a mutual friend and when I heard about their line of all plant-based supplements, I was curious to hear more. We talk about how Alfred and Cam decided on going into the supplement business, the shortcomings and lack of transparency of the supplement industry, how they went from an idea to an actual product, the very interesting approach to how they create their products, and the great extent to which they go to produce the very best products they can. This is an awesome episode about entrepreneurship and figuring it out as you go. Alfred and Cam are such great guys and what they're doing with Vitalfit is truly disruptive.

"I have 3 beautiful daughters... I want to stack the odds in my favor that I'm going to be around as long as I can for them..."On this week's episode of the Eat Green Make Green Podcast, I sit down with long time South Shore native Tom Fleck. Tom was gracious enough to squeeze in this interview a day before moving down to Miami. We talk about what life was like growing up as an overweight kid, how Tom found himself plagued by addiction at a young age, his lifelong battle with weight and health, and how he has come out the other side as a fit plant-eating endurance athlete and proud husband and father of three girls. This is a very moving and inspirational conversation about a rollercoaster of a life journey. Tom is a such an awesome guy and I truly look forward to keeping in touch with him and getting to know him more in the future.Plant Fit Summit Signup: http://bit.ly/egmgsummitSupport Pat's Pan Mass Bike Ride For Dana Farber & Children With Cancer: http://profile.pmc.org/

"It's compassion for the animals, it's for the environment, it's for my own personal health... I just know it's the right thing to do."On this week's episode of the Eat Green Make Green Podcast, I sit down with fellow Hingham resident Jen Hemmerdinger. Jen and I connected via an awesome new group I've linked up with of vegan corporate professionals in the Boston area. When I saw that Jen lived in Hingham, I was extremely excited to connect and chat more with her. We talk about how Jen was raised as a vegetarian, what it was like as a kid eating that way, how she coexists with an omnivorous husband, eating plant based while traveling, and why she made the leap to vegan in the past couple of years. Jen is an amazing example of the power of a plant based diet, and through her Instagram, she does a great job of showing how simple and delicious it is! I love seeing people in the town that I grew up in, a place very dear to me, living this lifestyle! P.S. Like all of m

"Knowing what I know... I can't imagine three plus times a day deciding to keep loading up on things that promote cancer and heart disease and diabetes..." On this week's episode of the Eat Green Make Green Podcast, I sit down with local plant based physician Benjamin Matthews. Benjamin and I connected through the Boston Plant Based Millennials group I'm a part of, and I was very excited to have him as a guest and talk about the intersection of diet and medicine. We talk about why he chose to pursue a career as an OBGYN, what level and amount of nutritional training the average doctor receives, what role diet and other factors can play in fertility, the risks of different forms of contraception, the untapped opportunity OBGYN's have to help prevent disease, and much more. I wish I got to spend more time with Benjamin, because he is so knowledgable, genuine, and all around a great guy. This is a really interesting episode and I hope you learn as much as I did from Benjamin!

"Plants are performance enhancing drugs..."On this week's episode of the Eat Green Make Green Podcast, I sit down with college athlete Kyle Gillan-Hughes. Kyle and I linked up on Instagram a few weeks back and I was really excited to get him on the podcast, as I love seeing the younger guys and girls adopting a plant based lifestyle (especially athletes who are debunking the protein myth!). We talk about how Kyle went from being a beefy high school football player to a shredded cross country college athlete in only a year, how a plant based diet has impacted his athletic performance, why treating similar animals dissimilarly is simply wrong, and why he is on a quest to run for all beings. Outside of being an athletic beast, Kyle is just an amazing dude and is no doubt destined for great things.

"I believe we have a cure for cancer... prevention is the cure. And even when it starts, you can reverse it."On this week's episode of the Eat Green Make Green Podcast, I sit down with the inspiring Lauren Previte. Lauren is a local dancer, dance teacher, and pure barre instructor here on the South Shore. A couple of years ago, Lauren started having some health issues from her kidneys failing to bladder infections and a number of other seemingly unexplainable issues. Then a regular trip to her OBGYN turned into a life changing scare with a rare cancer. After emergency surgery, doctors told Lauren there was up to an 80% chance that the tumor would come right back. But she was determined to make sure that didn't happen. After countless hours of research and watching YouTube videos Lauren adopted a plant based diet over night. It has now been 1.5 years and there is no sign of the cancer returning. Seeing how amazing Lauren looks, and how vibrant and full of life she is, and hearing a

"For me, it's about living life. It's about being in control of your own destiny, of your own health, and being able to enjoy life and the ones you love, and being there for them."On this week's episode of the Eat Green Make Green Podcast, I sit down with me, myself, and I. This being episode 11, which was my number in sports and somewhat of a lucky number to me, I thought it would be cool to tell my own story and how I ended up adopting a plant based lifestyle and everything I have learned since doing so. I talk about a plant based lifestyle from a health standpoint, an environmental standpoint, and a compassion standpoint. I discuss why eating meat and dairy is the single greatest threat to your health and how genetics are not to blame for your health issues. I talk about how we are all in full control over our health, and how feeling your best, dodging disease, living long, and being around for the ones you love is as simple as eating a whole foods plant based diet, moving a l

"I want to try and lead a more compassionate life... towards the environment, towards health, towards the animals... and towards people."On this week's episode of the Eat Green Make Green Podcast, I sit down with Singaporean native Muhammad Ryza. Ryza is the third guest in a string of episodes done during my time in the fabulous country of Singapore. Ryza, along with his mother Nora, is the creator of the popular Instagram account @theveganmumnson, which is a fabulous destination for those seeking simple home cooked vegan recipes. Ryza and Nora have also teamed up to form a local online vegan bakery business called The Vegan Bakes n Makes, where you can order on demand vegan sweets, like black bean cocoa brownies and coconut lemon frosted carrot cake. My mouth is watering... We talk about Ryza's journey growing up as an overweight kid, how every Singaporean male must serve in the military once they reach the age of 18, what triggered his switch to veganism, how you absolutely don'

"Every single decision that I make has a direct impact on the world around me...it's all about energy."On this week's episode of the Eat Green Make Green Podcast, I sit down with the absolutely shredded Crossfit athlete, wellness entrepreneur, and author Luke Tan. Like last week's guest, Luke is also a Singapore citizen and an inspiration to many in the vegan movement here on the island. We talk about his journey as an athlete in both Singapore and Australia, how a documentary sparked his change to veganism, where he gets his protein on a plant based diet and how our understanding of protein is flawed, his thoughts on Crossfit and the paleo diet, and how maintaining and building muscle as a vegan is absolutely no problem! I had a blast chatting with Luke and debunking all the reasons why people think they need to consume animal based protein to be strong and healthy (when, in fact, it does just the opposite... it makes you sore and unhealthy). Look Luke up on social media, and che

"I really want to minimize the amount of harm my choices cause every day... and do better and better."On this week's episode of the Eat Green Make Green Podcast, I sit down with the compassionate and positive Michael Broadhead. I am out in Singapore for the next few weeks, and through the connections of a previous guest on the podcast (Dan Stackhouse) I got hooked up with a number of vegans here in the country known as the little red dot. Almost everyone I spoke with directed me to Michael Broadhead. Michael is the founder of the charitable organization Animal Allies, as well as a local school teacher, and is a major leader in the vegan movement here in Singapore. We talk about how Michael went from growing up on a farm in rural Canada to traveling the world and winding up in Asia, what the vegan scene is like here in Singapore, the diabetes and other lifestyle disease issues in Singapore, the future of the vegan movement in the country, and much more. Michael is one of those people who you

"It's about you. When you truly love yourself... when you treat yourself well, you're able to treat everyone else so much better."On this week's episode of the Eat Green Make Green Podcast, I sit down with the inspiring and energetic Monica Otero. Monica and I have followed each other on Instagram for a while, as we both have very similar fields of work, helping men and women prevent and reverse health issues with diet and lifestyle. I mentioned I was going to be out on the west coast this week and we were able to link up for an awesome conversation at a local restaurant in the Newport Beach area. We talk about how Monica was aware from a very young age of the environmental harm done by humans, how most Americans pay for things that provide no real value to them, and the importance of self love. Monica's energy is insane and her desire to help others and the planet is truly inspiring. She is also an amazing chef and her meals go to show just how incredible basic recipes with

"Whatever I do in my life... it's never going to be 100% fulfilling to me unless I'm doing it for the big picture."On this week's episode of the Eat Green Make Green Podcast, I sit down with the very talented Dan Stackhouse. I was fortunate to link up with Dan through a local vegan group of millennials in the Boston area, and he welcomed me into his home without hesitation to have this conversation. This is one of the more in depth conversations around veganism that I've had on the podcast. We cover everything from health, to the environment, to animals, to protein, and what it really means to be humane. Dan's knowledge on the topics we cover is very impressive and his passion for having a bigger impact in the world is very evident and inspiring. Not only is Dan a great dude, but he also shreds the oboe and is a part of the Boston based band Junco.

"I think people need to tune inside more and see what's affecting them... you have to listen to your body."On this week's episode of the Eat Green Make Green Podcast, I sit down with the spectacular Chrystian Dennis, known by her many fans on Instagram as @chryscross. Chrystian is a fellow engineer and WPI graduate who I have been fortunate to connect with recently. She has put her engineering degree on the back burner and chosen to pursue her passions in both modeling and health. We talk about how she got started in modeling and the entertainment industry and how it's not as glamorous as it may seem, why she has adopted a plant based diet, how she stays so fit, and the challenges she has faced and continues to face in her career and entrepreneurial pursuits. Chrystian's energy is through the roof, her positivity is contagious, and her drive to pursue her goals is inspirational. She is such a great example of how mentally, physically, and spiritually strong you can be... esp