Thought For Food Podcast

We’ve recently been thinking a lot about minimizing things in our lives to live with more purpose and simplicity. Minimalism seems to be a pretty hot topic these days so we thought it would be fun to weigh in on the subject with our own experiences. Being a “minimalist” doesn’t just mean ditching all of your possessions and living off the grid, it’s about intention, mindfulness, and understanding what’s truly valuable in YOUR life. It’s been a while since we were both together on the show with a topic episode, so hopefully you enjoy our conversation. We go into things like: * Why a plant based, vegan lifestyle is the best way to live in terms of minimalism * Our own current thoughts and goals for living more simply * How we approach minimalism in our own lives * Why Jackson wants to become a digital nomad * Our advice and tips for the listeners of the show There are so many benefits to reducing clutter and stuff in your life, and we felt it was important to share our thoughts on the matter. Clearly, neither of us are experts or claim to have the best advice. But that’s what’s cool about this episode, it can start a conversation and help us (as well as you) lean more towards approaching this kind of lifestyle. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the show. -Jackson and Aaron Show Notes: The Minimalists website Specific Minimalist podcast episode we were talking about Follow Thought For Food: Facebook.com/TFFlifestyle Instagram: @tfflifestyle Snapchat: tfflifestyle Twitter: @TFFlifestyle YouTube.com/ThoughtForFoodTV Strava

Imagine following your purpose in life and utilizing that purpose to save money to travel the world in search of community, adventure, and cycling. That’s exactly what this week’s guest, Stephanie Yu, does. Steph is living the digital nomad lifestyle through creating a personal social media brand that is dedicated to helping others recover from eating disorders (something she’s been through herself), teaching the benefits of a vegan lifestyle, and making entertaining and gorgeous online content. Steph and I met briefly in Thailand this summer, and then she spontaneously decided to come to Boulder, reaching out over the internet to see if I was willing to help show her around. She recently gotten into cycling, so of course I was stoked to play tour guide. We immediately hit it off and are already great friends, and Steph is just as energized, passionate, and kind as she is in her videos! We sat down for a very informal podcast interview after she interviewed me for her YouTube channel, which should be up soon (check it out here). We talk about: How and why she got into cycling The silver lining from a horrific crash last year in Thailand Her upbringing and young life, struggling with anorexia and perfectionism Why Steph decided to start travelling for a year and some of her favorite places The inspiration she draws from her daily blog, 365 days of gratitude The power of connection and community Her journey towards success on social media and how she approaches it It was really fun to get to know Steph more deeply through her first ever podcast, and to share that experience with you guys! If you’re enjoying the podcast and want to support us for free, leave us a review on the iTunes store, tell your friends and family about TFF, and share on social media! It seriously helps us out a lot. Don’t forget to subscribe on iTunes to get the latest episode right when it comes out! I also just posted my first ever VLOG this week, so go check it out on our YouTube channel, and keep up with us on all of the other social media platforms, which are linked below. Hope you enjoy the show with Steph, and don’t hesitate to send us questions about anything and everything pertaining to plant-based nutrition, health, exercise performance, or my favorite bedtime story to thoughtforfoodpodcast@gmail.com. As always, go eat some plants, and what’s your thought for food? -Jackson Show Notes: Steph’s social media: Instagram: @happyandhealthy96 YouTube Channel Website/blog: stephyu.com Follow Thought For Food: Facebook.com/TFFlifestyle Instagram: @tfflifestyle Snapchat: tfflifestyle Twitter: @TFFlifestyle YouTube.com/ThoughtForFoodTV Strava

It’s pretty clear that our environment is in serious trouble. Ozone depletion, desertification, ocean dead zones, deforestation, species extinction, and climate change are some of the main problems that we’re facing. The problem is, these issues don’t always have a clear fix, and many factors play into their cause. We do know though, that humans play a major role in the acceleration of environmental degradation through overpopulation, transportation, and the focus of this conversation: diet. Welcome to the show Peter Newton, PhD researcher and professor at the University of Colorado Boulder in the environmental studies program. Pete and I met through the running community here in Boulder (Pete is a passionate ultrarunner) and I soon found out that he also focuses on deforestation in Brazil as a result of animal (specifically beef) agriculture. I was really interested to hear more about his work so of course a podcast would be a great place to start! We covered a lot of great topics including: Pete’s background in education and research What his work at CU looks like All about his work in Brazil Are the claims made by documentaries and sources like Cowspiracy accurate? How students in his classes are reacting to the realities of animal agriculture and the solutions What are some ways of mitigating the degradation that is occurring? A bit on his running career We tried to keep it pretty informal and not get bogged down by too much data, so we hope you learned something new. I really enjoyed sitting down with Pete, and hope to have him on again in the future! Can you guys do us a huge favor? If you’re enjoying the show, it would really mean a lot to us if you told your friends and family about TFF and wrote a review on the iTunes store from your computer. Spreading the word is key to making our mission and goals more mainstream and able to catalyze actual change. Keep it up! -Jackson Follow us on social media:  Facebook.com/TFFlifestyle Instagram: @TFFlifestyle Snapchat: TFFlifestyle YouTube.com/ThoughtForFoodTV Twitter: @TFFlifestyle SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-473054330 More on Peter: GIRAFFES Website: http://petenewton.squarespace.com/people/ http://www.colorado.edu/envs/peter-newton

There’s a lot of talk in our society these days about “hacking” your way to success, results, or better productivity. Aaron and Jackson are quite obsessed with being productive and learning about entrepreneurship and efficiency. But we believe that, like most sustainable and positive lifestyle achievements, productivity can’t be hacked. Okay, maybe some components can be achieved through shortcuts and skills, but for the most part it’s about finding what works for you and being consistent. Today on the show, we ramble about our approach to productivity, morning routines, and finding balance in work. In the episode, we cover things like: * Our morning and daily routines that are essential for staying productive in school, work, family, and fitness * Why practicing meditation can be massively beneficial for productivity * Finding balance in your schedule * The ultimate tip for being productive We also want to give a big shout out to the girls at Live Planted Podcast! They just recently started up a podcast focused on practical vegan living, and they have a really nice approach. If you’re looking to scratch that vegan podcast itch, definitely go check them out on SoundCloud and iTunes! Keep up with us on social: Facebook.com/TFFlifestyle Instagram: @tfflifestyle Snapchat: TFFlifestyle YouTube.com/ThoughtForFoodTV Leave us a review on iTunes! https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/thought-for-food-podcast/id1076175941?mt=2. It really helps us out and reaches more people. Be sure to share TFF with your friends and family on your social media platforms to get more awareness circulating about the topics we cover. Thank you. Go eat some plants, and what’s your thought for food? -Jackson and Aaron Music: Peter Kuli: www.soundcloud.com/peterkuli David Cutter Music – www.davidcuttermusic.co.uk

It’s been quite a while since our last in-depth, evidence-based, objective analysis of a specific topic related to nutrition. In our last installment of “What’s the Deal” we covered all things protein. If you haven’t listened to that one yet, we highly recommend you check it out. This time, we go deep into the oh so controversial bean known as soy. From internet bloggers claiming it causes man-boobs, to widespread fear about breast cancer, there seems to be a lot of misinformation and misconceptions about this food. Aaron and Jackson set out to address a few of the most common claims about soy in an objective, non biased manner to come to a pretty solid conclusion. Topics covered include: * What is soy in the first place? * Does soy increase your risk for hormone sensitive cancers? * Does soy cause gynecomastia and other feminizing effects in men? * Does soy cause hyperthyroidism? * Are phytates in soy to blame for mineral malabsorption? * What is soy’s effect on the environment? * Should YOU avoid soy products? Both Jackson and Aaron get really excited to delve into the science, and Aaron did an insane amount of research through the primary peer-reviewed literature for this episode. So if there’s something you want more clarification on, we’ve put together a document of the resources and references sourced for this episode here: Soy references. And if there’s something we missed or needs more clarification, let us know! We’re really proud of how this one turned out, so it would mean a lot if you shared it with your friends and family. Our mission with this is to get the actual scientific evidence out to people to end the misinformation and false claims about soy once and for all. If you’re enjoying the show, it would help us out a ton if you could leave us an iTunes review from your computer! It helps us get higher up in the rankings and reach more listeners. Thanks guys! What’s your thought for food? -Jackson and Aaron Show Notes: Follow Thought For Food!  Snapchat: TFFlifestyle Instagram: @tfflifestyle Facebook: www.facebook.com/TFFlifestyle  Twitter: @TFFlifestyle iTunes Page: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/thought-for-food-podcast/id1076175941?mt=2 Subscribe to Thought For Food TV YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT3Z3kL6Nsbhb0AY8mzpQhA Contact us: thoughtforfoodpodcast@gmail.com Jackson’s social media: Instagram: @jacksonlong Twitter: @jacksonlong Strava Aaron’s site and social media: www.theplantbasedrn.com Instagram: @theplantbasedrn Twitter: @theplantbasedrn Strava Music: Peter Kuli: www.soundcloud.com/peterkuli David Cutter Music – www.davidcuttermusic.co.uk

The next installment of listener Q&A is here! This is the forum where you, the listeners of this show gets to ask us questions and then we answer them. This week we hit questions regarding: * How to start a running routine * What a typical day of eating looks like for us * Losing weight on a flexitarian diet * Maintaining a high-carb vegan diet as a freshman in college Thanks to everyone who submitted questions! We hope we answered them sufficiently. If you’d like to get your question answered in the future, send us an email to: thoughtforfoodpodcast@gmail.com. Go eat some plants, and what’s your thought for food? -Jackson and Aaron Show Notes: Follow Thought For Food!  Snapchat: TFFlifestyle Instagram: @tfflifestyle Facebook: www.facebook.com/TFFlifestyle  Twitter/Periscope: @TFFlifestyle iTunes Page: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/thought-for-food-podcast/id1076175941?mt=2 Subscribe to Thought For Food TV: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT3Z3kL6Nsbhb0AY8mzpQhA Contact us: thoughtforfoodpodcast@gmail.com Jackson’s social media: Instagram: @jacksonlong Twitter: @jacksonlong Strava Aaron’s site and social media: www.theplantbasedrn.com Instagram: @theplantbasedrn Twitter: @theplantbasedrn Strava Music: Peter Kuli: www.soundcloud.com/peterkuli David Cutter Music – www.davidcuttermusic.co.uk

In May of 2016, I graduated college. I attended the University of Colorado, Boulder where I studied Integrative Physiology and Public Health. This period of my life was profound, and I felt the need to reflect and discuss what it meant to me, why I went, and what I plan to do now that I’m a free from the university setting. In the episode, I cover stuff like: * Why I decided to choose CU Boulder * What I liked and disliked about my college experience * What I learned in and out of the classroom * My advice to those thinking about college or are just starting college * What I plan on doing in the near future now that I’m a graduate   And of course I must thank everyone that has been a part of my time in school, so if you’re listening to this and had any connection with me, thank you. I also want to express my deepest gratitude to my parents who were integral in getting me to the place I’m at now, and helped me financially to attend the school of my dreams. They were also the best influence ever to seek out college, getting at least an undergraduate degree was not only encouraged, but expected. I can’t thank you, and the rest of my family, enough. I love you! Hope the episode is helpful and interesting to you, it’s mainly just a medium through which I can express how I feel about college. I think there’s some good food for thought to take away though! Don’t forget to follow us on social media and ask us questions for our upcoming Q&A, so if there’s anything I forgot to cover or something more specific and personal, don’t hesitate to send us an email or comment on our Instagram page. Thanks guys. Go eat some plants, and what’s your thought for food? -Jackson Show Notes:   Follow Thought For Food!  Snapchat: TFFlifestyle Instagram: @tfflifestyle Facebook: www.facebook.com/TFFlifestyle  Twitter/Periscope: @TFFlifestyle iTunes Page: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/thought-for-food-podcast/id1076175941?mt=2 Thought For Food TV: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT3Z3kL6Nsbhb0AY8mzpQhA Contact us: thoughtforfoodpodcast@gmail.com Jackson’s social media: Instagram: @jacksonlong Twitter: @jacksonlong Strava Aaron’s site and social media: www.theplantbasedrn.com Instagram: @theplantbasedrn Twitter: @theplantbasedrn Strava Music: Peter Kuli: www.soundcloud.com/peterkuli David Cutter Music – www.davidcuttermusic.co.uk

Today we have another plant-based professional ultrarunner named Ashley Erba, originally from California and current resident of Boulder, Colorado. What’s interesting about Ashley is the fact that she has been vegan since a very young age, and vegetarian since birth. She’s now 20 years old and absolutely killing it in the ultra scene, claiming the top spot on the podium in many events including the Flagstaff Sky Race, El Vaquero Loco 50k, and the Moab Red Hot 55k. She started running from a young age on the track and cross country, but struggled with injury and iron deficiency in high school. She is now focused primarily on Sky Racing, a type of ultra event that is characterized by running up huge mountains. Ashley is also a passionate vegan activist, volunteering most of her free time at the local farm animal sanctuary and rescuing animals. She is energetic, determined, and engaging to say the least. We had a blast sitting down with her and talking: * Ashley’s background in running and veganism * Her struggles with injury and hyperfocus on running * Her eventual path to ultrarunning * The upcoming race schedule * The recent shift in Ashley’s mindset for getting more active in the vegan community   Hope you enjoy the episode! Thanks for the support across social media and the podcast, we are deeply grateful. Now: go eat some plants, and what’s your thought for food? -Jackson and Aaron Show Notes: Follow Ashley!  instagram: @ashleyerba Website: www.ashleyerba.com Follow Thought For Food!  Snapchat: TFFlifestyle Instagram: @tfflifestyle Facebook: www.facebook.com/TFFlifestyle  Twitter/Periscope: @TFFlifestyle iTunes Page: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/thought-for-food-podcast/id1076175941?mt=2 Thought For Food TV: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT3Z3kL6Nsbhb0AY8mzpQhA Contact us: thoughtforfoodpodcast@gmail.com Jackson’s social media: Instagram: @jacksonlong Twitter: @jacksonlong Strava Aaron’s site and social media: www.theplantbasedrn.com Instagram: @theplantbasedrn Twitter: @theplantbasedrn Strava Music: Peter Kuli: www.soundcloud.com/peterkuli David Cutter Music – www.davidcuttermusic.co.uk

A lot goes into raising children: keeping your child safe, happy, teaching good values and skills, and of course, nourishment. In today’s world there exists so many different styles of parenting philosophies, and the process can be overwhelming for new parents. At the same time, there is a strong myth that is perpetuated throughout the nutrition world, from the medical system to the general public, that raising your child on a vegan diet is not only unhealthy, but downright dangerous and negligent. Today on the podcast, Jackson sits down with Ellen Fisher, also known as the “Mango Island Mamma” to bust this myth once and for all. Ellen is a beautiful, passionate, and compassionate mother of two living on the insanely beautiful island of Maui. Ellen and her husband raise their children Elvis and Sandy on a primarily raw vegan, fruit and vegetable diet! Sounds preposterous right?! Just mangoes and lettuce?! What about protein?! Well, her family is a shining and gorgeous example of why a plant-based diet is optimal for not only adults, but children as well. Ellen and I break it down island style and chat about topics like: * how she came into adopting a plant-based diet after developing an eating disorder * why she decided to sell her belongings and move to Maui * how and why she is raising Elvis and Sandy on a fruit-focused vegan diet * managing the social aspects of vegan parenting * creating an income online and leveraging social media as a tool for inspiring others and creating more freedom in life It was a massive honor to come hang out with Ellen and her family for the afternoon while I was in Maui, and absolutely can’t wait to see them next time I’m on the island. Be sure to check out Ellen’s instagram: @ellenfisher and her YouTube channel: Mango Island Mamma for cuteness overload and island life. Hope you enjoy the episode, go eat some plants, and what’s your thought for food? -Jackson Show Notes: Follow Ellen!  instagram: @ellenfisher YouTube: Mango Island Mamma Follow Thought For Food!  Snapchat: TFFlifestyle Instagram: @tfflifestyle Facebook: www.facebook.com/TFFlifestyle  Twitter/Periscope: @TFFlifestyle iTunes Page: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/thought-for-food-podcast/id1076175941?mt=2 Thought For Food TV: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT3Z3kL6Nsbhb0AY8mzpQhA Contact us: thoughtforfoodpodcast@gmail.com Jackson’s social media: Instagram: @jacksonlong Twitter: @jacksonlong Strava Aaron’s site and social media: www.theplantbasedrn.com Instagram: @theplantbasedrn Twitter: @theplantbasedrn Strava Music: Peter Kuli: www.soundcloud.com/peterkuli David Cutter Music – www.davidcuttermusic.co.uk

Today is the final part of the Real Talk with Robin series, where Jackson sits down with his girlfriend Robin to get a unique perspective on topics such as eating disorders, exercise addiction, and now anxiety and stress management. We bring Aaron into the mix and hit topics like our own histories with these issues, how they’re related to the other series’ topics, and how to manage them. It’s a fun, informal, and hopefully useful conversation. WARNING: there is a lot of adorable but sometimes distracting babbling from Aaron’s daughter, Lilah. Stay up to date with Thought For Food by following us on Snapchat: TFFlifestyle, Instagram: @tfflifestyle, Twitter: @TFFlifestyle, and Facebook.com/TFFlifestyle (where we’ll be doing more regular livestreams). We also just started a YouTube channel called Thought For Food TV! Please go subscribe! Tell your friends and family about TFF, especially if you think they could benefit from our show! Also be sure to join our email list and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes to get the latest episode and podcast description as soon as its released. It would also mean a lot to us if you hopped onto the iTunes store from your computer and left us a review so we can get more exposure and reach more people with the messages we’re passionate about. Do you have a question regarding plant-based nutrition, exercise, productivity, college, or Aaron’s favorite brand of underwear? Don’t be afraid to ask! Shoot us an email at thoughtforfoodpodcast@gmail.com or through the contact page on the website so we can get some more Q&A episodes going. Thanks guys! We hope you enjoy the episode! What’s your thought for food? -Aaron and Jackson Show Notes: Follow Thought For Food!  Snapchat: TFFlifestyle Instagram: @tfflifestyle Facebook: www.facebook.com/TFFlifestyle  Twitter/Periscope: @TFFlifestyle iTunes Page: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/thought-for-food-podcast/id1076175941?mt=2 Thought For Food TV: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT3Z3kL6Nsbhb0AY8mzpQhA Contact us: thoughtforfoodpodcast@gmail.com Jackson’s social media: Instagram: @jacksonlong Twitter: @jacksonlong Strava Aaron’s site and social media: www.theplantbasedrn.com Instagram: @theplantbasedrn Twitter: @theplantbasedrn Strava Music: Peter Kuli: www.soundcloud.com/peterkuli David Cutter Music – www.davidcuttermusic.co.uk

Heart disease is our number one killer in the United States and worldwide, killing 7.4 million people in 2012 according to the World Health Organization. That's insane. Yet, according to many doctors such as the esteemed Caldwell Esselstyn of the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, claim that with lifestyle intervention with a whole foods, plant-based diet, this disease can be reversed and even prevented all together. The power of plants is undeniable. On the show today we have Dr. Andrew Freeman, a cardiologist at National Jewish Health in Denver, Colorado. Dr. Freeman studied at Cornell University and moved onto the Buffalo School of Medicine and completed his residency at Brown. He is now part of the leadership team of the American College of Cardiology and runs the regional branch of a program called Walk With a Doc. His expertise in the field of cardiology is obvious, but what we found quite interesting is that Dr. Freeman is also a passionate vegan after coming to discover and understand the research about a plant-based diet for health. He quickly became engaged in the bigger picture of living a vegan lifestyle and found a deeper interest in the ethical and environmental implications of eating animals along with the health side. In our conversation, we discuss: Dr. Freeman’s education background How he shifted to a plant-based, vegan diet and why How he uses nutrition research and his knowledge of healthy lifestyles with his patients His work with the American College of Cardiology His ideal goals for the future His response to popular diet claims like “saturated fat/butter is good for you” It's a compelling interview that touches on many of the aspects of the Thought For Food Lifestyle such as lifestyle medicine, balance, compassion for animals and the planet, and scientific evidence. This was a nerd out session for Aaron, who's a cardiovascular nurse, and he got a little starstruck! Stay up to date with Thought For Food by following us on Snapchat: TFFlifestyle, Twitter: @TFFlifestyle, and Facebook.com/TFFlifestyle (where we'll be doing more regular livestreams). We also just started a YouTube channel called Thought For Food TV! Go check it. Tell your friends and family about TFF, especially if you think they could benefit from our show! Also be sure to join our email list and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes to get the latest episode and podcast description as soon as its released. It would also mean a lot to us if you hopped onto the iTunes store from your computer and left us a review so we can get more exposure and reach more people with the messages we're passionate about. Do you have a question regarding plant-based nutrition, exercise, productivity, college, or Aaron's favorite brand of underwear? Don't be afraid to ask! Shoot us an email at thoughtforfoodpodcast@gmail.com or through the contact page on the website so we can get some more Q&A episodes going. Thanks guys! We hope you enjoy the episode! What's your thought for food? -Aaron and Jackson Show Notes: Dr. Freeman's bio: https://www.nationaljewish.org/Providers/Physicians/Andrew-M-Freeman Website: http://www.vegancardiologist.com/ Melanie Joy on Carnism: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0VrZPBskpg American College of Cardiology: http://www.acc.org/#sort=%40foriginalz32xpostedz32xdate86069%20descending Follow Thought For Food! Snapchat: TFFlifestyle Facebook: www.facebook.com/TFFlifestyle Twitter/Periscope: @TFFlifestyle iTunes Page: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/thought-for-food-podcast/id1076175941?mt=2 Thought For Food TV: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT3Z3kL6Nsbhb0AY8mzpQhA Contact us: thoughtforfoodpodcast@gmail.com

When does too much of a good thing become unhealthy? Exercise is such a beneficial component of lifestyle; it's incredibly healthy for physical and mental health. However, it often can become an obsession that can actually become a problem. In part 2 of the "Real Talk with Robin" series, we jump on this topic and take a look at our experiences with exercise addiction, and how we've found to manage it. Living in Boulder, Colorado, it's common to see lots of extremely intense athletes that have very little balance when it comes to exercise. We are passionate here on Thought For Food for having conversations about how to look at exercise and nutrition critically. In this episode, we talk about: Our own experiences with exercise and exercise addiction When does too much exercise become unhealthy? What it's like to be an athlete and not compete, and how that shift can be difficult How nutrition and exercise are linked, and the connection to eating disorders This informal conversation brings up a lot of important thought processes around exercise, and hopefully helps you think about these topics in a new light. We hope you enjoy the episode, and definitely let us know what you think and ask us questions! What's your thought for food? -Jackson and Aaron Show Notes: Robin's site: www.im-powered.com 5280 Magazine: Dark Side of Fitness article Follow Thought For Food! Twitter/Periscope: @TFFlifestyle Facebook: www.facebook.com/TFFlifestyle Snapchat: TFFlifestyle iTunes Page: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/thought-for-food-podcast/id1076175941?mt=2 Contact us: thoughtforfoodpodcast@gmail.com Jackson’s site and social media: www.JLendurance.com Instagram: @jacksonlong Twitter: @jacksonlong Strava Aaron’s site and social media: www.theplantbasedrn.com Instagram: @theplantbasedrn Twitter: @theplantbasedrn Strava Music: Peter Kuli: www.soundcloud.com/peterkuli David Cutter Music - www.davidcuttermusic.co.uk

Ultrarunning is one of those sports that, from the outside, seems completely insane. Only a year ago I would have totally agreed. Why would anyone elect to run a marathon, let alone 30, 50, or 100 miles?! But once you realize just how much this niche sport is growing, how much it tests the human potential, and the incredible community it builds, it all starts to make sense. Professional ultrarunning takes an immense amount of grit, passion, and physical and mental strength. The demands put on the entire body over the course of hundreds of miles of training and racing is up there with the toughest endurance challenges in the world. Clearly you must consume meat and eggs and tons of protein right? That's what we love about this week's guest, Sage Canaday. If you're familiar with the running world, you've probably heard of this extraordinary athlete. Sage ran D1 for Cornell University where he won the 2007 10k Ivy League Conference title on the track and qualified for the 2008 Olympic Trials his junior year. He then ran a 2:16 marathon in 2011 and quickly moved on to trails and ultrarunning soon after. His career highlights include: 1st Place at Bandera 100km USATF National Trail Championships in 8:13 (2013) 1st Place at Lake Sonoma 50-miler (2013) 2-time Tarawera 100km Champion in New Zealand (2013 and 2014) 2-time Speedgoat 50km Champion and Course Record Holder (2013 and 2014). 1st place at 2014 Pikes Peak Ascent World Long Distance Mountain Challenge (2:10) 1st place, The North Face 50-mile Championships (2014) Our favorite part? Sage runs on a completely plant-based diet. He's been vegetarian since birth and recently started shifting more towards the vegan side, eliminating a lot of the processed foods and dairy in order to maximize his performance and live a more ethical lifestyle. It's clearly only helping him, as he's one of the top ultrarunners in the world. His attitude and passion for running is super inspiring. Sage is also a renowned running coach through his website, SageRunning.com, and has a very popular YouTube channel called VO2MaxProductions, where he provides free training advice and beautiful running videos. We're big fans of Sage, so it was an incredible honor to have him on the show. We wish him the best of luck in his upcoming season! In the episode, we talk with Sage about: His running background What his training looks like for the upcoming Western States 100 mile race His nutrition and diet philosophy as a professional athlete and how it’s transcended performance towards a more macro emphasis on animals and the environment Why he loves YouTube and coaching How Sage should get on Snapchat His goals for the future in running and business Stay up to date with all things Thought For Food by following us on Snapchat: TFFlifestyle, Twitter: @TFFlifestyle, and Facebook.com/TFFlifestyle (where we'll be doing more regular livestreams). Tell your friends and family about TFF, especially if you think they could benefit from our show! Also be sure to join our email list and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes to get the latest episode and podcast description as soon as its released. It would mean a lot to us if you hopped onto the iTunes store from your computer and leave us a review so we can get more exposure and reach more people with the messages we're passionate about. If you have questions for us on plant-based nutrition, exercise, productivity, college, eating disorders, etc. don't be afraid to ask! Shoot us an email at thoughtforfoodpodcast@gmail.com or through the contact page on the website! Thanks guys! We wish you the best and hope you enjoy the interview with Sage. Go eat some plants, go for a run, and what's your thought for food? -Aaron and Jackson Show Notes:

This week on the Thought For Food Podcast, we're trying something different. Episode 15 marks the first installment in a series with Jackson and his girlfriend, Robin Hacker-Cary. The focus is the interconnection between mental issues such as eating disorders and disordered eating, exercise addiction, and stress. Eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and orthorexia, are pretty prevalent in our society. Both Robin and Jackson have had issues with their relationship with food in the past. In Robin's case, it was a pretty severe case of anorexia, while Jackson was in a place of unhealthy caloric restriction in order to perform as an athlete. In the episode, we talk about: Each of our experiences with unhealthy relationships with food The difference between an eating disorder and disordered eating Consequences for males and females What is the Female Athlete Triad? Dispelling the myth that a vegan diet is just another eating disorder Robin's tips for recovery One goal of Thought For Food is to stimulate conversations about these topics and hopefully shift the paradigm of disordered eating habits in athletes and anyone who struggles with these issues. Jackson is super passionate about this and has written a few articles on his personal website, JL Endurance. Robin has her own website where she writes posts about topics related to empowering others that are struggling with eating disorders, exercise addiction, and other mental issues. It's called IM Powered. We hope you enjoy the episode, and let us know what you think. We're also dedicated to opening up these episodes to questions from you guys, so send us questions! Follow us on Snapchat: TFFlifestyle and on Facebook. -Jackson, Robin, and Aaron Show Notes: Robin's social media:  www.im-powered.com  Instagram: @robinhackercary Resources:  Eating disorder recovery scholarships:  http://theprojectheal.org/  How much is too much?: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1443950607001898  Follow us on social media! Twitter: @TFFlifestyle Facebook: www.facebook.com/TFFlifestyle  Snapchat! TFFlifestyle iTunes Page: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/thought-for-food-podcast/id1076175941?mt=2 Google Play: https://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/Iknd7katy6zi7mgdxvugybcbr5y Contact us: thoughtforfoodpodcast@gmail.com Jackson’s site and social media: www.JLendurance.com Instagram: @jacksonlong Twitter: @jacksonlong Strava Aaron’s site and social media: www.theplantbasedrn.com Instagram: @theplantbasedrn Twitter: @theplantbasedrn Strava Music: Peter Kuli: www.soundcloud.com/peterkuli David Cutter Music - www.davidcuttermusic.co.uk

Following up on our last episode, Eating Animals, is it Ethical?, we're keeping on the topic of animal ethics and philosophy, this time with an expert, and one that encapsulates beautifully the Thought For Food mission: Educational, engaging, and entertaining. Today on the show we have Alastair Norcross, a professor at the University of Colorado in the philosophy department. Alastair hails originally from Oxford in England, but came to Syracuse University to pursue his PhD in  philosophy. He focuses primarily on utilitarianism, which is a "theory in normative ethics holding that the best moral action is the one that maximizes utility. Utility is defined in various ways, but is usually related to the well-being of sentient entities." He teaches an animal ethics course at CU Boulder, and is a passionate marathon runner, vegan, and animal lover. In the episode, we discuss: Running and endurance sports Animal experimentation His journey towards philosophy and eventually animal ethics A synopsis of his popular essay, "Puppies, Pigs, and People" The "humane" meat myth His diet and food philosophy Alastair is a brilliant, comical, entertaining, and passionate person that has a lot to say about the themes we like to discuss on TFF.  We love engaging and logical conversations with academics that are interested in changing the status quo. We hope you enjoy the conversation and that his arguments are compelling and help you think more critically about morality, ethics, and food. Keep up with all things Thought For Food by joining our email list at the top of the website page, follow us on our various social media platforms (especially Snapchat!). We just launched Twitter and Facebook pages, so go check them out! If you have any questions, feedback, or suggestions for the show, be sure to drop us an email at thoughtforfoodpodcast@gmail.com, we'd love to answer them on future episodes. It would also mean a lot to us if you left a review on the iTunes page from your computer, it helps us reach more listeners and gain some momentum in the podcast space. Hope everyone is taking advantage of spring weather by getting outside and eating delicious fruit. Thank you all for the kind words about the podcast and for tuning in from around the world each week, it means so much to us. What's your thought for food? -Jackson and Aaron Show Notes: Alastair's website: http://www.colorado.edu/philosophy/fac_norcross.shtml "Puppies, Pigs, and People": http://www.colorado.edu/philosophy/heathwood/pdf/norcross.pdf Twitter/Periscope: @TFFlifestyle Facebook: www.facebook.com/TFFlifestyle Follow us on Snapchat! @TFFlifestyle iTunes Page: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/thought-for-food-podcast/id1076175941?mt=2 Contact us: thoughtforfoodpodcast@gmail.com Jackson’s site and social media: www.JLendurance.com Instagram: @jacksonlong Twitter: @jacksonlong Strava Aaron’s site and social media: www.theplantbasedrn.com Instagram: @theplantbasedrn Twitter: @theplantbasedrn Strava Music: Peter Kuli: www.soundcloud.com/peterkuli David Cutter Music - www.davidcuttermusic.co.uk