Podcasts

Research Advisory Committee member, Dr Shireen Kassam, talks about the work of Plant-Based Health Professionals UK and the wider healthcare community in supporting the transition to a plant-based food system and a more compassionate lifestyle.

*Trigger Warning: This episode includes a discussion about body size, dietary restriction, and body dysmorphia. Please exercise caution if these topics are triggering to you.*

Some of the topics covered in today’s episode include:

• Dr. Minil’s journey in powerlifting and muscle building
• Pursuing body building as a vegan
• Vegan sources of protein
• Common myths or misconceptions about protein
• Body image in the body building and plant-based community
• Tip for vegans that want to build muscle

This week I’m joined by nutritionist and lifestyle medicine practitioner, Rohini Bajekal. Having experienced her own period of ill health, Rohini is passionate about empowering everyone to take charge of their health.

We discuss:

• Both of our experience of chronic illness
• Why sleep is the foundation of health
• The science of lifestyle medicine
• The science of cravings
• How to get started on a health journey
• Improving gut health
• The impact of our current food environment

Each week I unpack a wellness trend with GP Gemma Newman. This week on Fact or Fad we’re looking at cycle syncing.

If you have a quick look at the amazing work that Laura does, you quickly see how passionate about helping people thrive. This conversation is all about learning as much as we can from Laura about what approaches she has seen from her experience and her research really do work to improve people’s mental and physical wellbeing.

I talk to Laura about lifestyle medicine, what inspired her to rethink her role as a doctor, and what approaches she recommends that could help us on our journey to health and happiness.

Enjoy the conversation!

On today’s podcast we are joined by Rosie Martin, an NHS dietician and member of the Plant-Based Health Professionals. Rosie discusses how she turned her back on a career in Zoology to become a dietician after going vegan and being uncomfortable working with animals that are kept in cages.

Rosie is now a champion for healthy, plant-rich diets, and today she discusses the link between meat and cancer, how we can mitigate our risk and what meat replacements are best for newbies.

In this episode we discuss:

• The power of diet and lifestyle factors in health and disease outcomes
• What is an unhealthy diet?
• The impact of ultra-processed foods in the body
• What is inflammation, how is it related to diet and how is it linked to chronic diseases?
• Diet and immunity
• Why it is never too late to adopt a plant-based diet to improve our health
• Healthcare and the commercial industry
• How to optimise health on a plant-based diet
• The role of diet in cancer
• Lifestyle habits to improve our health

• Dr Bajekal’s personal story and education
• What Endometriosis is
• How prevalent Endometriosis is
• The oral contraceptive pill. Do the benefits outweigh the risks – what does the science show?
• Diet and endometriosis
• Soy and endometriosis
• Fertility and endometriosis
• Overall lifestyle and endometriosis
• and much more

In this episode we discuss:

• dietetic practice in Canada & Turkey
• plant-based counseling
• food culture
• culture shocks
• vegan communities in Canada & Turkey
• plant-based misconceptions
• take home message

Please note, in the beginning of this episode there is some background noise that unfortunately could not be removed. This background noise does not persist throughout the episode.

In the last episode of series 3, Holly and Molly discuss this week’s positive vegan news stories along with the action being taken against Subway by Good Catch.

They also review new desserts from Over the Spoon along with a tasty launch by Higgidy, before answering your questions on vegan ice cream.

For this week’s interview, Holly meets nutritionist and Plant-Based Health Professionals representative Rohini Bajekal to discuss the results of the recent National Food Strategy.

Is a 30% reduction of meat intake enough? Should fruit and vegan be subsidised? And is it up to us to make changes or the big food corporations?

They also touch on the results of Professor Tim Spector’s Zoe Covid study which found that those eating a good quality plant-based diet were 40% less likely to get severe disease. Rohini shares her tips for getting started with plant-based eating and runs through what her daily diet looks like.

Where can I listen to the Simply Vegan Podcast?

Here. Or, if you want to listen via your preferred platform, you can find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all the usual places. Just search for the Simply Vegan podcast and you’ll find us!

Kate, who is also a champion triathlete, now holds the record for completing the furthest distance on a static bike over 24 hours.

She began the challenge at 3pm on May 26 in Bristol, UK. In order to beat the records, she had to cycle over 35.3km in one hour and 348km in 12 hours. We chat to her about her incredible journey as a vegan, an athlete and as a woman.

Viva!’s Head of Communications, Faye, joins Helen to discuss the importance of strong female and vegan role models and what work still needs to be done for veganism to become even more widespread and normalised.

She also discusses the cancer-fighting benefits that older adults can experience by changing their diet even after 50 or more years of eating unhealthy foods. It is proof that it is never too late to get healthy!

• sums up plant based being better for community, animals and health
• her registered lifestyle medicine service
• the wider impact on families with lifestyle medicine
• her medical background and plant based beginnings
• the myths surrounding protein
• about a study narrowing down on health problems and reasons
• unpacking why the NHS doesn’t currently fund more into lifestyle medicine
• explores genetics and socioeconomic factors

We discuss in this interview:

• Kate’s struggle, and success, during 18 years with psoriatic arthritis
• How Kate is now pain free and off medications with a plant-based diet
• How Dr. Shireen Kassam’s published on Kate’s story of Psoriatic Arthritis management with a plant-based diet
• The benefits and implications of single case studies like this
• The side effects of Methotrexate
• Different paths for going off medications
• How social media can become powerful tools
• The importance of support from our partners

In this episode we’re joined by Shaun Conaghan, aka “The Active Nutrition Teacher”. Shaun is a primary school teacher over in Ireland, and is on a mission to empower children, their families, and you towards healthier diet and lifestyle habits.

Shaun has such a great approach to this. He’s all about progress not perfection. Helping pupils recognise the small steps they can take to eating better and being really positive when they do make these changes. During the episode we talk about Shaun’s background, the journey he’s been on to plant-based eating, why he’s so passionate about a plant-based diet, and the work he does now to promote the role nutrition and other aspects of lifestyle play in the well-being of children, and adults.

Holly chats to leading doctor and founder of Plant-Based Health Professionals, Shireen Kassam, about the lack of nutrition training in our health service, and why she advises all her cancer patients to switch to plant-based eating.

Episode outline:

• Rohini’s journey to qualifying as a nutritionist
• Why she promotes a plant-based diet
• The effects she has seen in clients
• How eating more plants would be a positive for school staff and pupils
• Her tips for including more plants in our diets

• Plant-Based Health Professionals UK, their mission and advocacy work
• The University of Winchester Nutrition Course for health professionals, which she spearheaded
• The latest nutrition guidelines from the American Cancer Society
• Socioeconomic determinants of health
• Food Justice Issues
• Shireen’s brilliant weekly plant-based nutrition news on Medium and social media

Recorded live during Rich’s Plantpower Italia retreat in Tuscany, Rich is delighted to share a fun and highly informative conversation and audience Q&A with the delightful, whip-smart “Plant Power Doctor” herself.

Today we explore the result of Gemma’s journey. How it transformed her life and medical practice wholesale. And the simple changes you can make and sustain to improve your well-being for the long-term.

We discuss:

• His plant-based journey and how he was motivated to make the change himself
• What conditions he treats as an orthopedic surgeon
• How he addressed nutrition and lifestyle with his patients
• What calcium is, where it comes from and why it is important
• Milk, and whether it is essential for bone health
• The difference between calcium supplements and fortified foods
• How to obtain calcium on a plant-based diet
• Lifestyle habits and behaviours that are critical for bone health
• What habits, behaviours and diet factors may harm bones
• How menopause affects bone strength
• What he wishes more people knew
• The personal habit he is most proud of