FLASHBACK FRIDAY - Chef AJ Shares How She Lost 50 Lbs and Food Addiction
Release Date: 01/31/2020
363 - Breast Surgeon: How Dairy and Alcohol Raise Your Breast Cancer Risk
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Every October, a sea of pink ribbons reminds us that breast cancer touches millions of lives. But how often do we talk about what may contribute to its development, and what we can do to help prevent it? In this powerful episode, renowned breast cancer surgeon Dr. Kristi Funk, founder of the Pink Lotus Breast Center and bestselling author of Breasts: The Owner’s Manual, takes us through some surprising factors that may influence breast cancer risk, the role nutrition and lifestyle can play, and common myths that deserve debunking. Join us for a deep dive into the latest scientific evidence...
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362 - "She's Gonna Bury Me Next": How Tim Kaufman Lost 200 Pounds on Plants
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At over 400 pounds, Tim Kaufman lived on fentanyl, painkillers, vodka and fast food. His blood pressure hit 255/115. Today he has lost 200 pounds on a whole-food, plant-based diet and races half Ironman triathlons. Tim explains how a 30-day juice fast and Forks Over Knives changed his life, and how cutting dairy ended his joint pain and eczema. He shares what he eats in a day and how he lives with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. He talks about coming back from spine surgery and an ankle fusion. He also tells the story of a type 2 diabetic in his cooking class who reversed his diabetes. What we...
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361 - He Said No to Triglyceride Meds and Lost 100+ Pounds Eating Plants
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"Willpower is just a part of it. Change really happens when you change your environment." Dave Wegener is a high school visual arts teacher, husband and father. He grew up overweight, loved McDonald's and called himself a volume eater. In 2016 he hit 335 pounds and his triglycerides were at 424. His doctor wanted to put him on medication. Dave said no. He made a deal with his doctor instead. He would eat fewer calories, draw every meal in a sketchbook food journal and walk 30 minutes a day. Those small steps led him to Forks Over Knives and a whole food, plant-based diet. He went on to lose...
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360 - Miami Vegan: How to Make Plant-Based Food People Actually Crave | Ellen Kanner | Switch4Good
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What happens when you take one of America’s most culturally diverse food cities and put plants at the center of the plate? Ellen Kanner takes us deep into the flavors, traditions, and food memories that shaped her as a fifth-generation Miamian, chef, and author, sharing how she reimagines beloved dishes without losing the flavors, textures, and cultural meaning that make them special. Along the way, she shares her “Rule of One,” challenges some of the biggest myths about plant-based cooking, and makes a compelling case for approaching food as a full-body experience. It’s a delicious...
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359 - Can Plants Actually Reverse Heart Disease? Simon Hill Breaks It Down
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Physiotherapist, nutritionist, and The Proof is in the Plants author Simon Hill joins Dotsie and Alexandra to trace how a single terrifying moment reshaped his entire career, and what the evidence really says about eating for a long, healthy life. When Simon was 15, he watched his father, just 41 years old with no prior health issues, suffer a heart attack right in front of him on a remote Sunday afternoon. That day, combined with a growing frustration over the "bro science" he was fed while working with elite AFL and VFL athletes, sent him back to school for a master's in nutrition science...
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358 - Olympic Champion & Doctor: How I Fuel Elite Performance on a Plant-Based Diet | Imogen Grant
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What drives someone to pursue not just one extraordinary path, but two? Olympic gold medalist and physician Imogen Grant has devoted herself to two radically different disciplines, medicine and rowing, and somehow managed to reach the pinnacle of both. But listening to her speak about the human body, “the perfect stroke,” and what draws her so deeply into each, and the divide between them starts to disappear. She brings a rare depth and poetry to the things she does, with an endlessly curious, deeply disciplined nature and a genuine fascination with discovery. She also gets candid about...
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357 - How to Prevent Cancer: A Doctor's Science-Backed Guide to Diet, Exercise & Lifestyle
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Can the way we eat and live actually lower our risk of cancer? That question sits close to my heart, and in this episode I sit down with Dr. Shireen Kassam, consultant hematologist, lifestyle medicine physician, and founder of Plant-Based Health Professionals UK to dig into what the science really says. Dr. Kassam has spent years at the intersection of clinical oncology and nutrition, and what she shares here is both hopeful and practical. We talk through how diet, exercise, body weight, alcohol, smoking, sleep, and the gut microbiome each shape cancer risk, and why our daily choices matter...
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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...
info_outlineNot many people can say they’ve played the flute for Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show, worked as an executive pastry chef, and been vegan for more than 40 years.
Chef AJ, a culinary instructor, YouTube host, and author of Unprocessed and The Secrets to Ultimate Weight Loss, can say all of that and more.
Although she has a background in comedy and a long track record of ethical eating, there’s nothing funny about food addiction.
Even as a vegan, Chef AJ struggled with overeating sugar and under-eating vegetables.
She joins us in this episode to share how she turned to whole foods, lost 50 pounds, managed her addiction to sugar, and changed the course of her health.
What we discuss in this episode:
- Chef AJ’s experience with disordered eating and treatment
- Chef AJ’s philosophy of eating and the difference between fullness and satiety
- What makes processed foods more addictive?
- How Chef AJ turned her discovery of pre-cancerous polyps into a health opportunity
- What makes a food addict and what are cravings?
- How anxiety and sugar are connected
- What is taste neural adaptation and how long does it take for taste buds to adjust to new diets?
- Why you need to be eating vegetables for breakfast
- How you should be eating the fat in your diet
- Follow Chef AJ on YouTube at ChefAJ, on Instagram at @therealchefaj, on Facebook at facebook.com/chef.aj1, or on her website at chefajwebsite.com. Watch her Tonight Show appearance here!
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