The PlantWhys Podcast

Ali Essig
  • 5.0 (28)
  • Nutrition
  • Updated Weekly

As a mother of six children, including twin baby boys, Ali found herself rushing to the emergency room with her 37 year old husband who had just suffered a stroke. After multiple tests, doctors found no clear answers and encouraged their family to eat a heart healthy diet by avoiding saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol and to eat more fiber. Ali dived deep into the research and found that eating a plant-predominant diet would not only decrease her husband’s risk of stroke, but also decrease ALL types of chronic disease. She realized that the answer was in the Word of Wisdom the whole time. Now she wants to share with the world the benefits of eating less animal products and more plants.

  1. 2d ago

    Hormones, Protein, and Stress: The PlantWhys Framework to Feel Like Yourself Again

    Ali hosts a webinar on regaining energy and feeling like yourself in midlife by focusing on diet, protein, and stress rather than extremes, expensive supplements, or automatic hormone therapy.   Join the PlantWhys membership with this amazing offer Before Monday by going to: https://www.plantwhys.com/40 00:00 Hormones Protein Stress Intro 00:56 Free Pantry Guide Giveaway 02:25 Pop Quiz Mindset Myths 04:57 Find Your Deeper Why 07:09 Meet Ali And PlantWhys 08:06 Husband Stroke Turning Point 11:01 Mr T Telomeres Explained 13:04 New Rules Uno To Monopoly 14:56 Biggest Threats And Antioxidants 19:30 Secret Two Protein Truths 25:13 PlantWhys Plate Framework 27:28 Fruit Veg Fiber Magic 31:03 Simple Meal Example 31:35 Fiber First Framework 32:02 Build a PlantWhys Plate 32:23 Flexible Whole Grains 32:45 Satiation and Sweet Cravings 33:22 Progress Not Perfection 34:17 Secret Three Stress 35:46 Change One Meal 36:56 Stress Spikes Glucose 38:29 Connection Calms Body 43:22 PlantWhys Membership Pitch 44:57 40 Day Jumpstart Details 47:08 Pilates Core and Gut 48:22 Personalized Numbers Results 50:19 Emotional Eating Reset 52:07 Strength Training Program 58:26 Community Coaching Support 59:54 Pricing Deadline Offer 01:02:29 Free Meal Plan Gift 01:03:23 Live Q and A 01:03:53 Upgrade Before Monday 01:04:46 Annual Option Explained 01:05:24 Quick Q&A Wins 01:06:00 Pilates Schedule Details 01:06:29 Portal Walkthrough 01:08:05 Community Calls Calendar 01:11:04 First Assignments Prep Week 01:12:27 Jump Start Recipe Book 01:14:41 Trial Length Pricing 01:17:21 Meal Plan Vs Membership 01:19:58 Consult Add On Clarified 01:22:46 Kajabi App Setup 01:24:17 Final Wrap Up

  2. Sep 5

    Stop Treating Your Body Like an Object to Fix

    The speaker announces she will present at Faith Matters’ Restore Connect in Orem, Utah (last weekend in September at UVU) on the topic “Do I love my body?” reflecting on her experience in the weight-loss space and the need to shift language from appearance-based selling to health, nervous system regulation, emotional eating, strength, and internal indicators. She shares her 1990s body image struggles, her dad’s fen-phen weight loss and later death from a heart attack, and cites research showing 86.9% of women and about 77% of men report body dissatisfaction. Using Adam and Eve’s “Who told thee that thou wast naked?” she explores three archetypes—body criticizer, worshiper, and neglector—rooted in body objectification, and contrasts this with a God-centered stewardship model: the body as an instrument, not an ornament, focusing on how you feel, what you can do, and internal health markers. She recommends awe, sensory awareness, nature, creativity/flow, and caring for body and brain (including a largely plant-based diet) to better hear an internal “navigation system,” and offers a 10% discount code “plantwhys.” 00:00 Restore Connect Announcement 00:33 Why Body Love Matters 01:29 Weight Loss Marketing Tension 03:02 90s Diet Culture Story 06:27 Who Told You 08:38 Three Body Archetypes 12:29 What Is Objectification 14:21 Jeep Stewardship Analogy 15:51 Awe Over Appearance 18:31 Better Health Metrics 20:14 Hear Inner Navigation 24:13 Temple Stewardship Mindset 27:48 Instrument Not Ornament 29:45 Swimsuit Brainpower Study 32:07 Closing And Event Details

  3. Aug 29

    Chuck Carroll’s Health Journey: Weight Loss, Plant-Based Eating, and a Major Setback

    The host interviews Chuck Carroll of PCRM’s The Exam Room Podcast, which has about 100 million downloads across platforms. Carroll recounts weighing 420 pounds, eating around 10,000 fast-food calories daily, having dangerously high blood pressure in middle school, and getting Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery on Sept. 1, 2009; he later eliminated all fast food. About 5–7 years later he went plant-based after exposure through PCRM, an NFL connection, and a WWE wrestler’s recommendation of What the Health, eventually launching The Exam Room around 2017. In 2023 he developed severe bloating, heartburn, and “drunk/stoned” neurological symptoms, dropped to 114 pounds, then rapidly regained about 100 pounds when eating resumed; he also faced fat-shaming. Mayo Clinic surgeons reversed his bypass due to scar tissue and removed a diseased section, leaving 19 feet of bowel; he still has milder symptoms and has reached about 264 pounds. Carroll emphasizes health isn’t linear, credits plant-based eating with supporting him, and says his biggest takeaways are setting boundaries, reducing stress, building a morning routine (sunlight walk and Dr. Will Bulsiewicz’s supplement), and encouraging others to “keep going.” 00:00 Meet Chuck Carroll 00:11 Exam Room Podcast Milestone 00:51 Weight Loss Champion Origins 01:33 Fast Food Addiction Fallout 02:26 Surgery Before Plant Based 02:56 Athletes Spark the Switch 04:12 What the Health Moment 04:56 Launching The Exam Room 05:59 Post Surgery Fast Food Breakup 06:52 Mysterious Symptoms Begin 08:02 Neurological Spiral and Fear 10:11 Rapid Weight Gain and Backlash 12:19 Mayo Clinic Answers 13:03 Reversal Weight Reality Check 13:56 Plant Based Kept Me Alive 14:36 Surgery Reversal Recovery 15:37 Full Stomach New Limits 16:28 Boundaries Beat Stress 17:45 Morning Routine Reset 18:44 Empathy For Mystery Illness 21:16 Keep Going Through Hell 23:22 Social Media Burnout 24:57 Imperfect Plant Based Balance 26:01 Where To Follow Chuck 27:03 Final Thanks And Goodbye

  4. Aug 22

    The Truth About Protein, Fitness & Behavior Change | Maxime Sigouin

    PlantWhys Podcast host Ali Essig interviews plant-based coach Maxime Sigouin of Mavy Wellness, author of Forever Fit, who has helped nearly 1,300 clients through coaching and about 5,000 with his book and content. They discuss why successful change requires strong commitment, starting imperfectly, and avoiding perfectionism and “all-or-nothing” thinking. Maxime emphasizes sustainable training by meeting people at their level, progressing workouts to avoid plateaus, and building identity-based habits. For body recomposition and weight loss, he simplifies nutrition to calories and protein, prioritizing higher-protein plant foods (tofu, tempeh, legumes, grains) and using practical meal structures and tracking options (meal plans, guidelines, or food tracking). They address emotional eating, flexibility (“win the next meal/workout”), over-exercising, menopause patience, and Maxim’s journey to veganism, including caregiving for a partner with cancer and how it shaped his business. FREE GUIDES:  Fridge and Pantry Guide: https://www.plantwhys.com/Fridge-and-Pantry-Guide   How Not to Die Cliff Notes: https://www.plantwhys.com/signup-cliffnotes  Free one week meal guide: https://www.plantwhys.com/free-1-week-meal-guide-sign-up-1  Free Guide: How to Ease into Eating More Plants: https://www.plantwhys.com/plantwhys-2-0   MINI COURSES:  Ten Minute Tank Top Arms: https://www.plantwhys.com/offers/2KjPzp87/checkout  How to Lose Two Pounds in One Week Mini-Course: https://www.plantwhys.com/how-to-lose-2-pounds-in-one-week-1  Strong Core, Happy Gut Mini Course: https://www.plantwhys.com/offers/V4bwWus5/checkout  Plant-Based Pathway Mini-Course: https://www.plantwhys.com/offers/9THuNFBP/checkout FREE TRIALS:  One Month Free inside our PlantWhys Membership: https://www.plantwhys.com/offers/jYZNxfAq/checkout  One Month Free to our Meal Plan Subscription: https://www.plantwhys.com/offers/oDm6uR2J/checkout   00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro 00:35 Maxime Background and Clients 01:53 Commitment Drives Success 03:37 Perfectionism and Starting Small 05:08 Weight Loss Strategy Basics 06:47 Protein Priorities Plant Based 09:24 Processed Proteins and Smoothies 10:40 Beginner Strength Training Plan 12:44 Emotional Eating and Flexibility 15:32 Tracking Calories Without Obsession 18:29 Owning Your Results 18:53 Menopause Weight Loss Reality 20:05 Patience Over Perfection 20:22 Timelines As Motivation 22:50 Fit Identity Habits 24:20 Simple Food Choices 25:50 Wellness Without Obsession 27:39 How Much Training Is Enough 30:34 Plant Based Origin Story 32:31 Caregiving Loss And Purpose 34:17 Gratitude And Closing

  5. Aug 16

    Dr. Christopher Gardner on Dietary Guidelines Politics, Fiber, Fermented Foods, and Protein Myths

    Podcast host interviews nutrition scientist Dr. Christopher Gardner about the U.S. Dietary Guidelines process and how a 20-member volunteer advisory committee’s two years of work was dismissed, citing conflicts of interest and objections to using a health equity lens, then replaced by a nine-member group with ties to meat and dairy that promoted meat and whole-fat dairy. Gardner discusses why guidelines matter for school lunch and other safety-net programs, and critiques rhetoric around removing ultra-processed foods without added funding and industry changes. He shares microbiome research emphasizing higher fiber intake (beans, peas, lentils, fruits, vegetables, whole grains) and fermented foods, including a pregnancy study following children to age five. He addresses protein concerns, noting protein isn’t a U.S. nutrient of concern, plants contain all amino acids, and resistance training matters more than extra protein. He promotes his upcoming book, “Food Sense,” and mentions Netflix’s “You Are What You Eat.” 00:00 Meet Dr Gardner 01:04 How Guidelines Are Made 02:55 Politics And Pushback 04:49 Conflicts And Committee Swap 06:25 Health Equity Controversy 11:44 Dairy In The Guidelines 14:24 School Lunch And Ultra Processed 16:42 Michelle Obama Era Reforms 17:06 Fixing School Lunches 18:45 Microbiome Fiber Basics 20:04 Fermented Foods Study 22:03 Legumes Explained 23:56 Legumes and Soil Health 24:42 Protein Myths and Muscle 25:02 Nutrients of Concern 29:36 Calcium Vitamin D Debate 31:05 Book and Documentary Wrap

  6. Aug 8

    What the Heck Is an Anti-Inflammatory Diet Anyway?

    FREE GUIDES: Fridge and Pantry Guide: https://www.plantwhys.com/Fridge-and-Pantry-Guide How Not to Die Cliff Notes: https://www.plantwhys.com/signup-cliffnotes Free one week meal guide: https://www.plantwhys.com/free-1-week-meal-guide-sign-up-1 Free Guide: How to Ease into Eating More Plants: https://www.plantwhys.com/plantwhys-2-0 MINI COURSES: Ten Minute Tank Top Arms: https://www.plantwhys.com/offers/2KjPzp87/checkout How to Lose Two Pounds in One Week Mini-Course: https://www.plantwhys.com/how-to-lose-2-pounds-in-one-week-1 Strong Core, Happy Gut Mini Course: https://www.plantwhys.com/offers/V4bwWus5/checkout Plant-Based Pathway Mini-Course: https://www.plantwhys.com/offers/9THuNFBP/checkout FREE TRIALS: One Month Free inside our PlantWhys Membership: https://www.plantwhys.com/offers/jYZNxfAq/checkout One Month Free to our Meal Plan Subscription: https://www.plantwhys.com/offers/oDm6uR2J/checkout    00:00 Welcome and Topic Setup 01:06 JAMA Study Overview 02:18 Key Findings and Why It Matters 03:09 How Anti Inflammatory Eating Works 05:13 Defining the Eating Pattern 06:28 Water vs Gasoline Foods 09:13 Build Your Plate Basics 09:54 Beans Whole Grains Nuts Seeds 12:16 Meat Fish and Mediterranean Clarified 15:06 High Impact Swaps to Start 19:13 Fiber Gut Brain and Lifestyle Keys 22:14 Processed Food Spectrum Rule 23:14 Personal Note and Saturated Fat 24:38 Wrap Up Resources and Next Episode 25:31 Final Outro and Where to Follow

  7. Aug 1

    Your Workouts Aren’t Reflecting Your Effort: How to Train Smarter for Fat Loss and Muscle

    Join the PlantWhys membership here! https://www.plantwhys.com/collective  Free strength-training workout outline at www.plantwhys.com/workout 00:00 Workshop Repost Intro 00:57 Class Goals and Q&A 04:07 Why Effort Isn’t Showing 05:55 Growth Needs Structure 08:49 Element One Focus 12:30 Nutrition Cardio Weights 16:20 Progressive Overload Basics 19:31 Train Smart and Recover 22:05 Common Workout Mistakes 24:59 Protein Targets Explained 27:18 Cardio and TDEE Levers 34:00 Cardio Zones and Visceral Fat 38:45 Menopause and HIIT Question 39:02 HIIT Limits and Cortisol 40:14 SIT for Muscle Building 41:30 Recovery as Growth Driver 43:14 Fat Loss vs Build Phases 45:14 Realistic Muscle Gain Rates 46:25 PlantWhys Program Overview 54:29 Membership Pricing and Bonuses 01:06:46 Workout Outline and Q&A 01:10:29 Pilates Modifications and Injuries 01:15:34 Final Wrap and Next Steps

  8. Jul 25

    Prediabetes: Where to Start (5 Simple Changes That Make the Biggest Difference)

    FREE GUIDES: Fridge and Pantry Guide: https://www.plantwhys.com/Fridge-and-Pantry-Guide How Not to Die Cliff Notes: https://www.plantwhys.com/signup-cliffnotes Free one week meal guide: https://www.plantwhys.com/free-1-week-meal-guide-sign-up-1 Free Guide: How to Ease into Eating More Plants: https://www.plantwhys.com/plantwhys-2-0 MINI COURSES: Ten Minute Tank Top Arms: https://www.plantwhys.com/offers/2KjPzp87/checkout How to Lose Two Pounds in One Week Mini-Course: https://www.plantwhys.com/how-to-lose-2-pounds-in-one-week- 1 Strong Core, Happy Gut Mini Course: https://www.plantwhys.com/offers/V4bwWus5/checkout Plant-Based Pathway Mini-Course: https://www.plantwhys.com/offers/9THuNFBP/checkout FREE TRIALS: One Month Free inside our PlantWhys Membership: https://www.plantwhys.com/offers/jYZNxfAq/checkout One Month Free to our Meal Plan Subscription: https://www.plantwhys.com/offers/oDm6uR2J/checkout After two friends are diagnosed with prediabetes and ask for help, the host shares five first steps for improving blood sugar without immediately going 100% plant-based or low carb. The top priority is adding fiber—especially beans and whole grains—with a goal like 1/2 cup beans daily; studies cited show better blood sugar and cholesterol outcomes versus simply cutting calories, and legumes provide a “lentil effect” lasting about 24 hours. Next is cutting saturated fat (often from cheese, butter, cream, fatty meats, and some coconut-based foods) because it worsens insulin resistance; practical swaps include olive oil, cashew cream, and lower-saturated-fat options. The third lever is movement, particularly 10–15 minute walks after meals plus strength training. Fourth is building meals around a balanced plate (fruit, vegetable, whole grain/potato, and a lower-saturated-fat protein). Fifth is changing the home environment by not buying packaged snacks and making treats occasional outings. 00:00 Prediabetes Wake Up Call 00:39 First Steps Overview 01:27 Add Fiber First 02:00 Beans And Lentil Effect 03:23 Fiber Targets And Carbs 06:19 Saturated Fat Matters 07:31 Cut Cheese And Butter 11:48 Insulin Resistance Explained 12:28 Swap Meats For Plants 14:50 Exercise After Meals 16:23 Strength Training Bonus 16:53 Strength App and Arms 17:23 Workout Structure Basics 17:51 Post Meal Movement 18:24 Exercise as Therapy 20:22 PlantWise Plate Method 22:24 Make Healthy Easy 25:27 Prediabetes Mindset Reset 26:51 Five Step Recap 28:18 Keep It Simple 30:07 Closing Encouragement

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5
out of 5
28 Ratings

About

As a mother of six children, including twin baby boys, Ali found herself rushing to the emergency room with her 37 year old husband who had just suffered a stroke. After multiple tests, doctors found no clear answers and encouraged their family to eat a heart healthy diet by avoiding saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol and to eat more fiber. Ali dived deep into the research and found that eating a plant-predominant diet would not only decrease her husband’s risk of stroke, but also decrease ALL types of chronic disease. She realized that the answer was in the Word of Wisdom the whole time. Now she wants to share with the world the benefits of eating less animal products and more plants.

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