Thought For Food Podcast

Our Experience With Exercise Addiction

"Think good thoughts, do good deeds" Sometimes you meet someone whose heart is just massive and you can't comprehend the amount of service they've done for the world. John Pierre, or JP as he's known, is one of those guys. From animal activism to being Ellen's personal trainer, geriatric physical therapy to rescuing victims of sex trafficking, building an animal sanctuary from the ground up to teaching women's self defense classes, JP does it all. In this episode, we dive into JP's background plus all of this stuff and have a really stimulating conversation that will hopefully leave you with something valuable to bring into your own life. Some of the things you can look forward to in the conversation: * JP's early adoption of a plant-based vegan diet and how that culture has shifted over time * Some stories from his work as a celebrity trainer working with people like Ellen Degeneres and Emily Deschanel * Why movement is more powerful than exercise * Why the three Pillars of Health are so important to living a healthy and happy life * How to integrate more functional habits into your life * And much more! JP has become a friend of TFF and like we talk about in the beginning of the episode, was very integral in us starting a project like this. The three of us went on a long hike about a year ago and discussed how we could get more involved in the plant-based nutrition space, and here we are! We also have a really cool project in the works which involved JP and his new animal sanctuary, Living With Harmony, so stay tuned on that! If you're reading this post, you're probably on our new website! Super super stoked about how it turned out and we hope you do too! It's definitely a work in progress and isn't finished yet, so we seriously value your feedback and criticisms to how everything is looking, and let us know if something is wrong! Also let us know what you thought of the intro to today's podcast. Did you find it too long? What did you think of the gratitude segment? We want to hear what you think and if you liked it. Thanks guys! One more thing: Massive thank you to everyone who has left us a review on the iTunes store, we read each and every one so it's greatly appreciated! Really helps us grow. And thank you to everyone who's shared the podcast and TFF content with your friends and family and on social media, this is how we grow a movement and change paradigms, so it's awesome to see! Keep doing what you're doing guys, you are all amazing. Alright, Jackson and Aaron over and out, enjoy the show. #goeatsomeplants Show Notes JP's stuff: Website Living With Harmony  His books: Pillars of Health and Strong, Savvy, Safe Connect with JP: foodsforlifejp@yahoo.com Connect with Thought For Food! Facebook.com/TFFlifestyle Instagram: @tfflifestyle Snapchat: TFFlifestyle Twitter: @TFFlifestyle YouTube Channel: Thought For Food TV Ask us a question for our next Q&A episode! thoughtforfoodpodcast@gmail.com Interested in coaching from Jackson and Aaron? Send us an email to: tfflifestyle@gmail.com Music by: soundcloud.com/dcuttermusic soundcloud.com/peterkuli

John Pierre on the Pillars of Health and Movement Over Exercise

Warning: this episode may ruffle some vegan police feathers. Here at Thought For Food, we try to keep not only judgement-free, but also realistic and inclusive. But we also want to change paradigms, and paradigms are not shifted by being safe, censored, and idealistic. So, with this episode, we pushed the boundaries a bit. It's extremely common to hear vegans claiming things like: going vegan will make you stronger than you've ever been. You'll never get sick again! Going vegan will save the world, or you will no longer be aggressive or angry because you aren't consuming fear and death. Essentially that eating a completely plant-based diet is a panacea for all that ails us. These idealistic and unrealistic claims can often get out of hand, and create an unfavorable depiction of plant-based diets. Now, we're obviously not saying going vegan isn't amazing, it is. We just prefer to stick to the science and evidence to come to conclusions rather than sensational claims that are too often used in nutrition and lifestyle media. And since most of these claims are wrong, it makes it difficult for people who aren't finding the results they desire to stick with the lifestyle. In this episode, Aaron and Jackson go through many of these common claims and debunk them. It may come off as a bit negative at times, but the overall message is that we need to be realistic and objective when talking about these things. If we want the masses to change for the better, then we have to keep it real. We appreciate the support and let us know what you think! Do you find it frustrating when certain vegans make sweeping claims? Thank you to everyone who's been sharing the show with your friends and family and on social media! It seriously kicks ass. Also a big thank you to those who have left iTunes reviews, this really helps us out a ton and keeps growing this message and movement towards healthier living. We honestly couldn't do this without you, so keep doing what you're doing! Go eat some plants, and what's your thought for food? -Aaron and Jackson Show Notes: Follow us on social media: Facebook.com/TFFlifestyle Instagram: @tfflifestyle Snapchat: TFFlifestyle Twitter: @TFFlifestyle YouTube: Thought For Food TV  Music by: soundcloud.com/peterkuli soundcloud.com/dcuttermusic

Why a Vegan Diet Isn’t a Panacea

  I first met Ben through a mutual friend, who introduced us because Ben is a vegan triathlete. Little did I know, Ben is also the Vice President of Boulder Food Group, a venture capitalist firm in Boulder that invests in early stage organic and non-GMO food companies. That's one of the coolest part of being part of a cycling or endurance sport culture, we're all on the same playing field out on the bike or on the trails. We've since become great friends and training partners, as Ben drags me out at the buttcrack of dawn to ride up all the canyons in Boulder! Okay. Brief intro for Ben: VP of Boulder Food Group. Graduated from and played lacrosse at Duke. Worked in finance in New York City, moved to Boulder to start a nut butter company and then ended up at BFG. Vegan triathlete, completed multiple half-Ironmans. Overall: super nice guy and certified Ladykiller. In the conversation we cover everything from the current and future state of the natural foods sector, and how plant based food technology fits in from a business perspective to training and racing as a vegan triathlete while also working a hectic and time consuming job. He even has a pretty hilarious story about Rich Roll. What's really interesting about Ben is that his work is aligned with his philosophy: a focus on investing in health, athletic performance, and compassion. Hope you enjoy! Thank you to everyone who has supported the show by writing us amazing reviews on iTunes, sharing on social media, and generally being awesome fans online. This is why we do this: to provide value and be of service to help YOU! Keep sending in your questions to thoughtforfoodpodcast@gmail.com and keep up to date with us on our various social media platforms (links down below). Go eat some plants, and what's your thought for food? -Jackson Show Notes: Boulder Food Group: www.bfgpartners.com TFF on Social Media: Facebook.com/TFFlifestyle Instagram: @tfflifestyle Snapchat: TFFlifestyle Twitter: @TFFlifestyle YouTube: Thought For Food TV Music: www.soundcloud.com/peterkuli www.soundcloud.com/dcuttermusic

Ben Fenton on Investing in Health, Performance, and Compassion

This is an episode we've wanted to record for a long time, and we hope to continue and expand on this conversation further. As two vegan dudes, we feel a responsibility to stimulate a dialogue among men regarding the masculine ideal in the 21st century as it relates to diet, lifestyle, and health. We believe that the masculine ideal needs a makeover, and should be focused on protection, compassion, and strength over dominance, power, and aggressiveness. In today's show, we talk: * The definition of masculine * How the masculine ideal relates to diet and lifestyle * Examples of masculine pressures * Why compassion, vulnerability, and protection should have a higher priority in the masculine ideal * And more! What do you think? How should masculinity be shifted in today's world? Does being vegan increase or decrease your masculinity? Girls: what do you look for in a man? Let us know! Thanks for listening, go eat some plants, and what's your thought for food? -Jackson and Aaron Show Notes: Masculinity NPR piece: http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2014/07/21/332329709/for-these-vegans-masculinity-means-protecting-the-planet Follow us: Facebook.com/TFFlifestyle Instagram: @tfflifestyle Snapchat: TFFlifestyle Twitter: @TFFlifestyle YouTube: Thought For Food TV Music: soundcloud.com/peterkuli soundcloud.com/dcuttermusic

Redefining Masculinity In The 21st Century

Imagine creating a product that tastes, smells, cooks, and feels exactly like a hamburger, but without the animal involved in the equation. Which would you choose? The product based in suffering, exploitation, environmental inefficiency, and disease-causing effects, or the plant-based alternative? This is where today's return guest to TFF, Liz Specht, comes in. Last time we spoke on the show (Listen to episode 11), Liz was working as a post-doctoral researcher in the BioFrontiers lab at the University of Colorado Boulder, and hoping to combine her skills in the laboratory with her passion for plant-based foods and animal rights. After she was recently hired as senior scientist at the Good Food Institute, we just had to have her on again to talk science, food tech, and the future of food. The Good Food Institute is a non profit organization that seeks to support, financially and educationally, startup companies in the plant-based food world to be more competitive in the market. Like the plant-based milk alternative sector, which has grown immensely, there are new and exciting products coming to the market that are going to change the game for the planet, for animals, and for our health in big ways. GFI is at the forefront by putting together a superhero team of scientists, lawyers, and businessmen to change the paradigm from all aspects of food tech. Liz is brand new to the team and it was so amazing to hear about what they have planned. We won't spoil too much of the episode, but some of the things we discuss include: * What Liz's role at GFI include * How GFI is working to change paradigms * Some of the exciting and upcoming plant-based food products * What it's like being involved in the plant-based food tech sector We were extremely honored to have Liz back on the show before she starts her trip around the country as a digital nomad living out of a pimped out trailer. We can't wait to see where her and GFI end up! (Saving the world is high on their to-do list). Thank you so much to everyone that has been supporting the show by leaving an iTunes review from your computer, sharing with your friends and family, and sending us questions to thoughtforfoodpodcast@gmail.com. We've been absolutely blown away by the kind words, so thank you to each and every one of you! If you aren't already, definitely be sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, SoundCloud, or Google Play to get the newest episode first each week. Follow us on social media to get daily updates on what we're doing, links are all down below! Hope you enjoy the episode, and as always: Go eat some plants, and what's your thought for food? -Aaron and Jackson Show Notes: Good Food Institute: www.gfi.org Impossible Burger: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHayzP41CLc Liz's first interview: http://www.thoughtforfoodpodcast.com/2016/03/tff-ep-11-connecting-science-and-compassion-with-liz-specht/ Social Media: Facebook.com/TFFlifestyle Instagram: @tfflifestyle Snapchat: TFFlifestyle YouTube Channel: Thought For Food TV Twitter: @TFFlifestyle Music by: www.soundcloud.com/peterkuli www.

Liz Specht on Creating Good Food with Science and Innovation

Supplements, Eating Disorder Recovery as a Vegan Athlete, Antibiotic Resistance | Q&A 003

Alright! It's that time again: Q&A Time! We got some great questions for this round of Q&A, which we're really excited about. We're also including a special addition to the normal podcast Q&A where we also broadcasted LIVE on Facebook to get some additional questions for the end of the episode. We are thinking about including these in more of our Q&A episodes; what do you guys think? Yay or nay? Let us know. We answer questions ranging from: * Is the eCornell Plant Based Nutrition Certification course worth it? * What supplements do we recommend for vegans and which ones do we take? * Eating disorder recovery as a vegan athlete * The economics of switching from animal agriculture to plant-based food agriculture * And much more! We seriously enjoyed recording and answering all of your questions, so thank you so much for sending them in! If you want a question answered, feel free to send us an email at thoughtforfoodpodcast@gmail.com and we'll throw it in the pile for the next Q&A (usually every 10 episodes or so). Be sure to follow us on social media to keep up with the latest and greatest TFF action! Links below. Also, if you want a video version of the podcast, head over to our Facebook page where the Facebook Live broadcast is posted under videos. It's a different look into TFF! Want to support us for free because you love us so much? Leave a review on iTunes from your computer by clicking this link: http://bit.ly/TFFitunes. It helps us out tremendously. And don't forget to tell your friends and family about TFF and share on social media to get the word out, you never know who our message might resonate with! Thanks dudes and dudettes. Until next time, go eat some plants, and what's your thought for food? -Jackson and Aaron Show Notes: Supplementation information: NutritionFacts.org and Jack Norris RD Connect with us: Facebook.com/TFFlifestyle Instagram.com/tfflifestyle Snapchat: TFFlifestyle Twitter: @TFFlifestyle YouTube.com/ThoughtForFoodTV

Dr. Neal Barnard on Changing the Paradigms of Medicine, Nutrition, and Compassion

Okay guys. If you're a veteran of the whole food, plant-based lifestyle, today's guest on the show needs little introduction. For the rest of you, Dr. Neal Barnard is a hero among the medical community in relation to diet and lifestyle management of diabetes, ending medical use of animal experimentation, and helping to dismantle the outdated paradigms of medicine. Dr. Barnard is the founding president of the Physician's Committee For Responsible Medicine (PCRM), an organization that is dedicated to changing the way doctors and other healthcare providers approach healthcare. Shifting towards prevention over pills, PCRM is fighting for a healthier, more compassionate system to make real change. Dr. Barnard is also an associate professor of medicine at the George Washington School of Medicine, he founded the nonprofit Barnard Medical Center which opened in January of 2016, led a successful effort to abolish all animal experimentation in ALL U.S. medical schools, and serves as a fellow in the American College of Cardiology. He's also authored 17 books and more than 70 research papers on nutrition and health.  Essentially, this guy is dedicated to service, care, and works way harder than the rest of us. We were fortunate enough to sit down with Dr. Barnard in Aspen at a conference on brain health he was speaking at, and we thoroughly enjoyed our conversation. We talk about: * When and why Dr. Barnard decided to pursue medicine as a career * Myths and misconceptions about type 2 diabetes * Why he started PCRM and its goals for the future * How he successfully ended the use of animal experimentation in medical schools * Recommendations for medical students looking to integrate nutrition and lifestyle medicine into their practice * And more! We hope you enjoy the episode, it was a complete honor to pick Dr. Barnard's brain. You can see more of the action of that day on our YouTube channel, Thought For Food TV, where we made a vlog of the experience! Keep up to date with all things TFF via our social media platforms, including Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook. Links will be down below. If you want to support what we're doing for free because you love us so much, feel free to leave us a review on the iTunes store from your computer to help get the ratings up and reach more listeners, and definitely tell your friends and family about TFF if you think they could benefit from the information we offer! Thank you guys, truly, for being the best fans and for listening each week. Go eat some plants, and what's your thought for food? -Jackson and Aaron Show Notes: Dr. Neal Barnard: www.pcrm.org TED Talk Prevent and Reverse Diabetes Book Facebook Page Follow us on social media:  Facebook.com/TFFlifestyle Instagram: @tfflifestyle Snapchat: TFFlifestyle YouTube.com/ThoughtForFoodTV Twitter: @TFFlifestyle SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-473054330 iTunes