356 - Dietitian: The Protein Craze Has Gone Too Far (Here's What the Science Says)
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Protein has become the buzzword of the moment, but how much of what we're hearing is grounded in science? Registered dietitian and nutrition researcher David Goldman returns to separate facts from marketing and explain what the research actually says about meeting your protein needs, building muscle, and healthy aging. And then there’s this: They say you are what you eat. David's research suggests the story doesn't end there. The plant foods you eat may influence how attractive you appear to others. Packed with practical advice and refreshing clarity, this episode will leave you better...
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355 - Gen Z Says the Climate Crisis Is Worse Than You Think (Here's Why They're Still Hopeful)
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Young people today are inheriting a world they didn’t design. They’re facing a climate crisis, a food system that puts profit before health, and a constant stream of misinformation that can make meaningful change feel impossible. But a new generation of advocates is already stepping up, asking difficult questions and challenging outdated systems. In this episode, we talk with Lucy Whitney and Gianna Klein, recent graduates of NYU and Cornell who studied sustainability, the environment, and the connection between what we eat and the only habitable planet we’ve got. Through Switch4Good’s...
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354 - Ex-Rancher's Wife Who Bought Her Husband's Cows to Save Them
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A move from Houston to a cattle ranch in rural Texas was never meant to alter the course of her life so completely, but that is exactly what happened for Renee King-Sonnen, founder of Rowdy Girl Sanctuary. What began as a new chapter alongside her husband became something far more complicated as her relationship with the animals deepened and she confronted realities on the ranch she could no longer ignore, reshaping everything from her marriage to her identity and sense of purpose. That internal shift led to the creation of a sanctuary for rescued animals and the path she now walks in advocacy...
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353 - Javant Benton on the 4 Pillars That Reversed His Diabetes, Hypertension and Cancer Risk
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By age 35, Javant Benton found himself at a crossroads. He was 85 pounds overweight, prediabetic, prehypertensive, and undergoing tests for cancer. Confronted with his own mortality, he knew something had to change. What began as a personal search for greater well-being became a journey of creativity, discovery, and transformation in the kitchen, where familiar comfort foods were transformed into something nourishing and satisfying. In this episode, Javant shares the wake-up call that altered his trajectory, the lessons he learned along the way, and how his determination to feel better...
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352 - Animal Sanctuary Founder: The Cow Who Survived Dairy's Darkest Side | Indra Lahiri
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For more than two decades, Indra Lahiri has dedicated her life to rescuing animals who have survived unimaginable trauma at Indraloka Animal Sanctuary in northeastern Pennsylvania. But through years of witnessing suffering day after day, Indra found herself facing something many caregivers, advocates, and helping professionals quietly struggle with: burnout, chronic stress, and secondary trauma. In this conversation, Indra shares how animals helped reshape her understanding of healing, emotional connection, and resilience. We also talk about the restorative power of animals and nature, the...
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351 - 1,500 Beagles Rescued From Ridglan Farms: How Alexandra Paul Got Arrested Getting Them Out
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In this very special episode, Alexandra Paul returns to the podcast for a powerful, and at times difficult, conversation. For those of you new here, you may know her from Baywatch or some of the iconic films she’s appeared in. Longtime listeners already know her for her decades of activism, often stepping into spaces most people would never consider. Recently, she made headlines after being arrested during an animal rights operation at a breeding facility in Wisconsin, where activists entered the property and removed dogs being used for research, bringing the issue into the national...
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350 - Why High-Milk Countries Have the Most Broken Bones: The Milk-Fracture Paradox | Dr. Walter Willett
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"The rates of fractures are highest in the high milk drinking countries, basically North America, Scandinavia, Denmark, and they're lowest in countries that actually don't consume milk at all." Today, we’re joined by one of the most influential and widely cited figures in nutrition science. Dr. Walter Willett, Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, has published over 2,000 papers across four decades. His work includes some of the largest and most rigorous studies on diet and chronic disease ever conducted. He is the author of several books,...
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349 - Dr. Michael Klaper on How to Reverse High Blood Pressure, Diabetes, and Inflammation: Cut This Food
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Dr. Michael Klaper returns to the Switch4Good podcast for a conversation that redefines what medicine can achieve when food is placed at the center of care. A physician, educator, and longtime leader in nutrition science, Dr. Klaper has advised NASA on dietary planning for space missions, appeared in documentaries including Cowspiracy, The End of Meat, and What the Health, and authored several foundational books on plant-based health. His latest work, Moving Medicine Forward: What More Doctors Should Know About Nutrition–and How It Can Save Your Life, challenges clinicians and patients alike...
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348 - Are These Common Foods Secretly Causing Your Autoimmune Disease? | Michele Fasnacht
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"After struggling with health issues for decades and years of doctors and misdiagnoses, I was finally diagnosed with progressive MS and lupus and the only thing that had happened to me was removing dairy. We started working with plant-based doctors, lifestyle medicine doctors, and working with plant-based and vegan chefs. We created a menu of healthy kid friendly meals. Once you know better, you cannot pretend you don't." What if school could shape not just smarter students, but a more compassionate world? Today, we’re joined by Michele Fasnacht, founder of Solid Rock Community School in...
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347 - Why Fiber Matters More Than Protein | Dr. Sharon McDowell-Larsen & Dr. Regan Stiegmann
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“Fiber is the new protein. Don’t count your protein grams - count your fiber grams. And if you do that, and you’re getting adequate calories, you’re going to be fine.” What if aging didn’t have to mean slowing down, losing strength, or watching your best years slip into the past? What if the mind and body were capable of far more resilience and longevity than we’ve been led to believe? In this episode, two powerhouse voices in human performance challenge the idea that physical and cognitive decline are inevitable. Dr. Sharon McDowell-Larsen, physiologist, coach, and plant-based...
info_outlineA lot of well-meaning people having riding an elephant as part of their bucket list.
One popular destination for this activity is Thailand, where tourists can spend their vacation watching elephant shows, getting up close to the animals, and riding on their backs.
What a lot of these tourists don’t know is the suffering these elephants endured to be used for their amusement.
Today’s guest is Ashley Bell, who has appeared in several films and television shows. She made her major feature film debut as Nell Sweetzer in The Last Exorcism, which garnered her a nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She also gave a brilliant performance in Psychopaths and has been featured as a voice actress in several popular video games.
But in 2018, Ashley stepped behind the camera for Love & Bananas: An Elephant Story. She wrote and directed this groundbreaking documentary that follows her daring 48-hour mission across Thailand to rescue a 70-year-old elephant from slavery.
Ashley sits down with Dotsie and Alexandra to discuss the disturbing reality behind elephant exploitation, the inspiration behind Love & Bananas, and how she combines her platform with her passion for animal activism.
What we discuss in this episode:
- How meeting Lek Chailert inspired Ashley to make Love & Bananas: An Elephant Love Story
- What’s causing elephant populations to drop?
- Why African elephants are being poached, and how they’re evolving to save themselves
- The “crush box”: The disturbing method behind elephant training that you’ve never heard of
- Why Ashley made Love & Bananas, how it’s changing the lives of elephants in captivity, and what you can do to help
- The bill that is currently being pushed to free Billy and move him to a PAWS Wildlife Sanctuary
- How circuses like Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey are finally closed but have turned into supposed conservation centers
- Follow Ashley on Instagram at @AshleyMichaelBell, on Facebook at @AshleyMichaelBell, on Twitter at @AshMichaelBell, on the
- To support our mission to educate, inspire, and embolden the world to lean into eating plants instead of baby cow growth food, donate today to spread the word.
Connect with Switch4Good
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- Website: switch4good.org