Plant-Powered People Podcast Toni Okamoto and Michelle Cehn

Learn how to make an impact for animals from one of the greatest farmed animal advocates of our time: Milo Runkle. Milo is a longtime changemaker who founded Mercy For Animals at the age of 15. For two decades, he oversaw the organization’s growth into a leading international force in the prevention of cruelty to farmed animals and the promotion of compassionate food choices and policies and raised over $130 million to help expand farm animal protection work across the globe. He shared his journey, experience, and advice based on his decades of experience with many different forms of advocacy and practicing effective altruism.
 
Show notes:
Milo’s story of growing up in a remote area and immediately connecting with animals
What it was like to grow up in a family of hunters, trappers, and fisherman
The life experiences that set Milo on the path of fighting for the wellbeing of animals
The shocking school experience that ended up connecting Milo to one of his greatest supporters
The importance of finding a support system to help you with your mission
How Michelle was inspired by Mercy For Animals
The early days of Mercy For Animals and how it grew from local to international over two decades
Milo’s advice for people who have a hard time with change
Why it’s important to listen to people who don’t agree with you
How practicing compassion and unconditional love can help you find potential allies and partners where we might not have before
What helped Milo to narrow the focus of the organization
Why joy, love, and fun is at the core of the work at MFA
Moving from talking about the WHY to the HOW when it comes to helping animals and ending factory farming
The advice Milo has for anyone who feels lonely in their beliefs and doesn’t know where to start 
Thank you to our sponsors Caraway Home (carawayhome.com/plantpoweredkitchen or use code plantpoweredkitchen for 10% off at checkout) and Organifi (organifi.com/plantpower or code plantpower for 20% off your order)
 
Resources:
Mercy For Animals Instagram
Mercy For Animals website
Mercy For Animals Book

A few years and many lifestyle changes have gone by since the last time we’ve done an episode all about budgeting, and it was time for an update! Inspired by Toni’s new book, this episode covers our newly updated tips for saving time and money while encouraging a healthy, plant-based lifestyle for the whole family.
 
Show Notes:
The story of how Toni has become budget conscious
How to be smarter and more efficient in the kitchen
What changes when you are cooking and budgeting for a family instead of just yourself
Time and budget-friendly planted-based meal and snack ideas for the whole family
Leave a podcast review and send a screenshot to toni@plantbasedonabudget.com for a chance to win 1 of 3 copies of Toni’s new book
Plant-based myth busting: you do not have to be wealthy in order to live a healthy plant-based life
The cheapest foods on the planet - they’re all plant-based!
Toni and Michelle’s best tips for budget-friendly plant-based grocery shopping
The best items to buy from bulk bins & how to store them
Which items are actually more expensive from bulk bins
Toni’s favorite mindset tip for sticking to a budget + a story from her new book
The one thing that has saved Michelle and Toni the most amount of money on food
The price difference at different stores & organic vs. conventional prices
Toni’s top tip for creating meal plans that don’t waste leftover ingredients 
Toni & Michelle’s best tips for saving time in the kitchen
Why a pressure cooker is life-changing
The importance of learning how to store your fruits, vegetables & herbs properly
Why you should be checking the price per ounce when buying food
Why you should consider buying store brands
Cooking and meal swapping with friends
Thank you to our sponsors Caraway Home (https://www.carawayhome.com/plantpoweredkitchen/ or use code plantpoweredkitchen at checkout for 10% off) and Organify (https://www.organifishop.com/pages/plantpower or use code plantpower at checkout for 20% off)
 
Resources:
Michelle’s YouTube video: Bulk Bin vs. Packaged FACE-OFF! Budget Grocery Shopping
Check out out budget-friendly meal plans
YouTube Video: How to Make Produce Last Longer & Reduce Waste
7 Days - Fast Food Vegan
Pre-Order Toni’s new book until March 6th, 2023!
Leave a podcast review and email a screenshot to toni@plantbasedonabudget.com for a chance to win 1 of 3 copies of Toni’s new book!

Amber Allen is a YouTuber and mom of 3 kids and 3 rescue dogs who strives for balance by living as low waste as possible while still eating wonderful food and having fun. She’s on a mission to show the world that small changes can have a big impact, and she’s on the show to tell us all about how!
 
Show Notes:
Amber’s mission of raising her family with a low-waste, plant-based lifestyle
How Amber started living plant-based, and how she accidentally became low-waste
How Amber got started growing her own food in a tiny urban apartment
Amber’s best tips for living a budget-friendly, sustainable plant-based lifestyle
The value of training, repurposing, & how to find people items to trade/repurpose
How to select the best second-hand products, and when to buy new items
A vegan who wears leather? Learn the story of why it was a more sustainable decision.
Making intuition-based decisions rather than trying to find the “rule” about what is most sustainable or vegan
Unusual things that Amber does to save money and live sustainably
DIY laundry detergent that lasts all year
How to use reusable toilet paper
How to help reduce food waste by buying expiring/recently expired food at supermarkets
How to give plastic fruit/veg supermarket containers another life
The energy and work required to grow and preserve food
Amber’s strategy to prevent food waste at home
How to normalize “strange” foods for young children
The importance of creating an environment where healthy foods/cooking is easier than grabbing convenience foods or takeout
How to make your own plant-based convenience foods to have on hand (broths, pressure cooker meals, meal prepping)
A guide to consciously giving and receiving sustainable gifts
How Amber and her husband got out of $70 000 of debt
The difference between frugality and being cheap
Thank you to our sponsors Ritual (get 10% off at ritual.com/plantpowered) and Caraway Home (get 10% off at carawayhome.com/plantpoweredkitchen or use code plantpoweredkitchen at checkout)  

At 86 and 56, Ann and Jane Esselstyn are pictures of ageless health and vibrancy and spend their days hiking, doing yoga, gardening, cooking, and spreading the message that diet is the key to living a happy, strong, and disease-free life. They’re sharing their best tips for plant-based health in this episode!
 
Show Notes:
Why and how the Esselstyns decided to make the shift toward plant-based eating What it was like to transition kids onto a plant-based diet How to make a plant-based diet appealing to kids that don’t want to make the switch Tips for when children refuse vegetables Jane and her family’s experience eating plants for fuel as competitive swimmers How the whole family eventually embraced the plant-based lifestyle that Dr. Esselstyn wanted the family to adopt About Jane and Ann’s book and why they wrote it Jane and Ann’s empowering message for women How a plant-based lifestyle can support women’s health How to make healthy, plant-based food choices feel automatic when you are short on time Go-to healthy & plant-based breakfast recipes for busy families The secret to making plant-based bowls delicious Thank you to our sponsors Paw Co (www.mypawco.com) and Caraway Home (www.carawayhome.com/plantpoweredkitchen or use code PLANTPOWEREDKITCHEN for 10% off) Resources:
Book: Be A Plant-Based Woman Warrior: Live Fierce, Stay Bold, Eat Delicious Jane’s Instagram  Jane’s YouTube Related Episodes:
Fire Station Goes Plant-Based with Rip Esselstyn How to Prevent & Reverse Heart Disease by Eating a Plant-Based Diet with Dr. Esselstyn

Registered dietician nutritionist Nisha Melvani join us on the Plant-Powered People Podcast for a nutrition Q&A. She has a Masters in nutrition education from Columbia University, she's a graduate of the Natural Gourmet Institute, and has a wealth of practical knowledge about how to thrive on a vegan diet.
 
Show Notes:
About Nisha and her journey towards studying a Masters of nutrition at Columbia University How and why Nisha transitioned into plant-based living Nisha’s experience living in Jamaica, England, Montreal, and New York What Nisha learned from her Indian heritage and how it influences her plant-based cooking The challenges that Nisha encountered when transitioning to plant-based living & the conflicting information that she learned in nutrition school The truth about the protein obsession, and what people should really obsess over in their diets Meeting protein needs on a plant-based diet throughout each phase of life Why our bodies need protein & how to eat enough plant-based protein The relationship between protein and bone health Protein-rich plant foods & how many servings to eat per day Lectins & the importance of soaking dried legumes What you need to know about cooking beans in a pressure cooker Some of Nisha’s favorite easy, fast, & healthy plant-based protein bowl recipes Why fiber is essential & how to properly introduce more fiber into the diet to prevent bloating and discomfort What is enough water intake & why you should drink more water when increasing your fiber Why it’s important to chew slowly How more fiber can help build a stronger gut lining, diabetes, and more The calculation you need to know to understand the fiber content in processed foods Why iodine is essential & how to get it on a plant-based diet Iodine’s importance during pregnancy Iron-rich plant-based foods & how to get enough on a plant-based diet Tips to get rid of the aftertaste in tempeh The benefit of fermented foods vs non-fermented foods Why it is important to consume healthy fats & plant-based fat sources The importance of maintaining the joy of eating The meaning behind “cooking for peanuts” Thank you to our sponsors Caraway Home (https://www.carawayhome.com/plantpoweredkitchen/ or code plantpoweredkitchen at checkout for 10% off) and Bootstrap Farmer (https://www.bootstrapfarmer.com/)   
Resources:
Legumes Recipes: Plant Based on a Budget Legumes Recipes: World of Vegan Legumes Recipes: Cooking for Peanuts Nisha’s Instagram Nisha’s website for printable recipes


Related Episodes:
#75: Gut Health & Why it Matters With Dr. B #76: Fiber 101 With the Gut Doctor

Today, Adam Sud is a plant-based coach who has helped hundreds of people reclaim their health - but it wasn’t always that way. Adam spent years of his early adulthood addicted to fast food, suffering from substance abuse, severe depression, type II diabetes, high blood pressure, severed relationships, and more. Along with his amazing story, he shares meaningful insights and his best tips for reclaiming our health in a sustainable way.
Trigger Warning: This episode discusses suicide, addiction, and topics related to severe depression.
Show Notes:
Adam’s experience growing up as a 7th generation Texan in the 80s-90s The experiences that impacted Adam growing up and how that affected how he thought about himself How Adam developed a problematic relationship with food How Adam’s ADHD diagnosis led to substance abuse Adam’s experience with Adderall and the social, physical, and mental implications How Adam became addicted to Adderall, and how that addiction shifted to fast food How a 7-day retreat by Rip Esselstyn planted the seed for a shift towards a healthy plant-based lifestyle The moment that changed everything for Adam and became a turning point The power of words, their long-term impact, & the importance of compassionate language Adam’s experience with rehab & the power of the diagnoses he got while there How Adam’s plant-based journey began with a hamburger How to re-program your dopamine system to want healthy foods The mindset that allowed Adam to achieve sustainable positive change The importance of creating a system that works for you when trying to make a positive lifestyle change The simple meal plan that helped Adam reverse type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and more What Adam believes addiction recovery should actually be about, and how plant-based nutrition plays a role in that What Adam wants people to understand about making healthier choices Diet culture vs. nutrition Healthy/unhealthy food choices vs. healthy/unhealthy food patterns The problem with considering certain foods good/bad The outlook towards habit change that gives you permission to start over  Why you don’t need to challenge yourself with massive or radical goals in order to create positive habits The mindset that is key for lasting habit change How to get yourself into a positive feedback loop when trying to make changes in their life How to help people experiencing depression, substance abuse or addiction issues Thanks to our sponsors Plantbasedmealplan.com with PawCo Food (get 50% off your first box at here). Resources:
Free one-week meal plan Vegan Registered Dietitians Plant-Based on a Budget cookbook 15 Must-Read Plant-Based Health Books Inspiring Must-See Documentaries How Not to Die — The Daily Dozen Checklist Related Episodes: Ep. 65 - Mastering Diabetes with Cyrus Khambatta
Ep. 84 - Reversing Diabetes with Robby Barbaro
Ep. 23: 150 pound weight loss journey to health through dog adoption with Eric O'Grey
Ep. 53: Reversing Disease through Plants with Gina House