Plant-Based Canada Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Welcome to the Plant-Based Canada Podcast! In today’s episode, we’re joined by Dr. Linda Ho, Research Chair with NAIT’s Applied Research Centre for Culinary Innovation (@NAIT), to discuss food product innovations, in particular her knowledge and experience related to plant-based proteins.

Linda is a Research Chair and a Food Scientist whose experience has spanned from food quality assurance and control, to product development, to mentoring and lecturing students at post secondary institutions.  Her primary product development focus has been with exploration of plant-based ingredients and understanding their functional inclusion in innovative food products, running sensory evaluation panels, and providing science-based solutions for food companies ranging from start-ups to large corporations. 

Resources:

NAIT Applied Research website  https://www.nait.ca/applied-research/home

Centre for Culinary Innovation  https://www.nait.ca/applied-research/about/centres/centre-for-culinary-innovation

Dr. Linda Ho’s Socials:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/linda-ho3/?originalSubdomain=ca

NAIT’s Socials:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NAIT

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/school/nait

X: https://x.com/NAIT

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nait/

Plant-Based Canada’s Socials:

Instagram  (@plantbasedcanadaorg)

Facebook (Plant-Based Canada, https://m.facebook.com/plantbasedcanadaorg/)

Website  (https://www.plantbasedcanada.org/)

X / Twitter @PBC_org

Bonus Promotion

Check out University of Guelph's online Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate. Each 4-week course will guide you through essential plant-based topics including nutritional benefits, disease prevention, and environmental impacts. You can also customize your learning with unique courses such as Plant-Based Diets for Athletes and Implementing a Plant-Based Diet at Home. As the first university-level plant-based certificate in Canada, you’ll explore current research, learn from leading industry experts, and join a community of like-minded people. Use our exclusive discount code PBC2025 to save 10% on all Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate courses. uoguel.ph/pbn.

Thank you for tuning in! Make sure to subscribe to the Plant-Based Canada Podcast so you get notified when new episodes are published. 

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Welcome to the Plant-Based Canada Podcast! In today’s episode, we’re joined by Matt Noble to discuss basic income, food security, and the systemic changes needed to ensure that no one goes hungry.

Matt Noble is the founder and Executive Director of Toronto Vegetarian Food Bank, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing nutritious plant-based food to individuals and families struggling with poverty and food insecurity across Toronto. Matt is a lead of the Put Food Banks Out Of Business (PFOB) initiative which is a national campaign advocating for a guaranteed, livable basic income—an income floor below which no Canadian can fall, as well as producer of the Plant-Based Subway Ad Toronto campaign , where in June & July of 2025, some of Toronto’s most inspiring vegan leaders were highlighted among 1100 TTC subway posters, illustrating how joyful and diverse plant-powered living can be.

Matt studied Journalism at Centennial College, and is a researcher in the areas of poverty alleviation, food insecurity, housing, economics, public policy, agriculture and is an avid gardener.

He works to advocate for a guaranteed liveable basic income as the most effective policy solution for addressing poverty and food insecurity.

Resources:

Plant-Based Canada Conference Talk:  https://vimeo.com/ontariobarassociation/download/1088460575/f17705f09d

Put Food Banks Out Of Business: https://www.putfoodbanksoutofbusiness.com/ 

The Plant-Based Toronto Subway Ad Campaign: https://www.plantbasedtoronto.ca/

PROOF Report: https://proof.utoronto.ca/ 

Matt Noble’s Socials:
Toronto Vegetarian Food Bank

Plant-Based Toronto

Put Food Banks Out Of Business

Plant-Based Canada’s Socials:

Instagram  (@plantbasedcanadaorg)

Facebook (Plant-Based Canada, https://m.facebook.com/plantbasedcanadaorg/)

Website  (https://www.plantbasedcanada.org/)

X / Twitter @PBC_org

Bonus Promotion

Check out University of Guelph's online Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate. Each 4-week course will guide you through essential plant-based topics including nutritional benefits, disease prevention, and environmental impacts. You can also customize your learning with unique courses such as Plant-Based Diets for Athletes and Implementing a Plant-Based Diet at Home. As the first university-level plant-based certificate in Canada, you’ll explore current research, learn from leading industry experts, and join a community of like-minded people. Use our exclusive discount code PBC2025 to save 10% on all Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate courses. uoguel.ph/pbn.

Thank you for tuning in! Make sure to subscribe to the Plant-Based Canada Podcast so you get notified when new episodes are published. 

This episode was hosted by Stephanie Nishi RD, PhD.

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Welcome to the Plant-Based Canada Podcast. In this episode we are joined by Dr. Rikin Patel to discuss the vital role of sleep in overall health, how it impacts children and families, and practical lifestyle strategies to improve sleep quality.

Dr. Rikin Patel is a consultant pediatrician and lifestyle medicine physician. He is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Toronto. He completed his pediatric residency at Memorial University of Newfoundland, and prior to medical school he completed a Masters in Health Policy Planning and Finance from the London School of Economics and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Currently, Dr. Patel works for the Scarborough Health Network and is the founder of Reset Pediatric Lifestyle Medicine clinic, a virtual clinic aimed at empowering families to make the best lifestyle choices for their health. He is a member of the Medical Advisory Board for the Centre for Nutrition Studies.  He is passionate about promoting a culture of wellness and resilience within physician and trainee communities through medical improv, meditation and plant-based nutrition.  He is a certified yoga instructor and teaches Shaolin Kung Fu at the Waterloo Kung Fu Academy with over 35 years of experience.

Resources:
Book: ‘Forest Bathing’ by Dr. Qing Li https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/forest-bathing-how-trees-can-help-you-find-health-and-happiness/9780525559856.html 

Effects of sleep duration on child neurocognitive development (Lancet Child Adolesc Health, 2022): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35914537/ 

Sleep Calculator: https://sleepopolis.com/calculators/

Dementia Canada: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/dementia.html 

Dr. Rikin Patel’s Socials:
Website: https://www.resetpediatrics.com/

IG: dr.rikinpatel and resetpediatrics

Facebook: thekungfudoc

TikTok: the.kungfudoc

Youtube: TheKungFuDoc

Plant-Based Canada’s Socials:

Instagram  (@plantbasedcanadaorg)

Facebook (Plant-Based Canada, https://m.facebook.com/plantbasedcanadaorg/)

Website  (https://www.plantbasedcanada.org/)

X / Twitter @PBC_org

Bonus Promotion

Check out University of Guelph's online Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate. Each 4-week course will guide you through essential plant-based topics including nutritional benefits, disease prevention, and environmental impacts. You can also customize your learning with unique courses such as Plant-Based Diets for Athletes and Implementing a Plant-Based Diet at Home. As the first university-level plant-based certificate in Canada, you’ll explore current research, learn from leading industry experts, and join a community of like-minded people. Use our exclusive discount code PBC2025 to save 10% on all Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate courses. uoguel.ph/pbn.

Thank you for tuning in! Make sure to subscribe to the Plant-Based Canada Podcast so you get notified when new episodes are published. 

This episode was hosted by Stephanie Nishi RD, PhD.

Support the show

Paulina Araujo is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator at Trillium Health Partners in Mississauga, Ontario.

She counsels clients with type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes. Paulina has a passion for helping people improve their health through better nutrition and other lifestyle therapies… and uses a variety of dietary and behavioural approaches with her clients. 

She is a strong believer in the power of plants and plant based nutrition to improve overall health and diabetes management.  

In this episode we discuss:

The role diet plays in diabetes.

Energy density vs. nutrient density.

The role of energy density and weight loss.

Helping clients improve their health through sustainable changes.

Fear of carbohydrates in the dieting world.

Common sense tips for weight loss.


Socials:
Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin


Studies and Resources:

Paulina's talk: Caloric Density: A Simple and Powerful Concept 

Barbara Rolls review paper on Energy Density

BROAD Study

Kevin Hall’s plant-based vs ketogenic study

Neal Barnard’s Mediterranean vs low-fat vegan diet study

David Jenkin’s portfolio diet study 

Jeff Novick’s talk on calorie density  

This Podcast was hosted and edited by Clinton Stamatovich.

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Check out our latest podcast with fitness coach, and vegan athlete Luckie Sigouin (@luckiesigouin). Luckie combines his experience and background to help guide the Fit Vegan Community, which helps people lose weight and build lean muscles on a plant-based diet.

By focusing on mindset and education, Luckie helps his clients make sustainable changes that lead to successful results for the long-term.

In this episode we discuss:

• Luckie’s long history as an athlete – from power lifter to model to ironman.
• His transition to a plant-based diet, and what he eats in a day.
• His journey to helping people lose weight and stay strong through his coaching plans. 
• Common misconceptions around eating plant-based. 
• The biggest challenges in making the shift to a plant-based diet for the long-term.

Socials:

Facebook

Fit Vegan App

Instagram

Podcast

This Podcast was hosted and edited by Clinton Stamatovich.

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Dr. David J.A. Jenkins is an University Professor, and Canada Research Chair, in the Departments of Nutritional Sciences and Medicine, at the University of Toronto and Medicine,  and the Director of the Clinical Nutrition and Risk Factor Modification Center, and a Scientist in the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael’s Hospital, with Unity Health Toronto.  Dr. Jenkins has been a mentor to many researchers and health professionals, including  myself (the host of this episode) and other members of the Plant-Based Canada team.

His research area investigates the use of diet in the prevention and treatment of cardiometabolic diseases.  He has over 350 original publications on these and related topics.  His team was the first to define and explore the concept of the glycemic index of foods, as well as develop the cholesterol lowering dietary portfolio ("Portfolio Diet") that has entered guidelines in many jurisdictions (e.g. CCS, Heart UK etc.).

He believes in the therapeutic value of plant based diets and that diets have to be environmentally sustainable.

For more information on the Dietary Portfolio and the cookbook mentioned in this episode check out the links below:

Online Resources:
Canadian Cardiovascular Society website: https://ccs.ca/companion-resources/
Dietary Portfolio Infographic: https://ccs.ca/app/uploads/2020/11/Portfolio_Diet_Scroll_editable_eng.pdf
Cookbook:  https://www.amazon.es/Portfolio-Diet-Cardiovascular-Disease-Reduction-ebook/dp/B0823MXD4P 

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Debbie  Fong, MBA, RD is a clinically-trained registered dietitian who’s passionate about making sustainable and healthy food choices.

She promotes whole foods plant-based diets to help her clients lose weight for the long-term without counting calories, as well as to help prevent or manage various lifestyle diseases, such as Type 2 diabetes, hypertension and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

In this episode we discuss:

• The impact a plant-based diet can have on common lifestyle diseases.
• The important role fibre plays in a healthy diet.
• The recent results from the PURE study linking processed meats to higher risk of cardiovascular disease.
• Plant-based diets and children.
• Plant-based ketogenic diets.
• How to get started on a whole foods plant-based diet.

Socials:

Website

Twitter

Linkedin

This Podcast was hosted and edited by Clinton Stamatovich.

Support the show

Adriana Wild is a Vice Principal with the Calgary Catholic School District, who's also a plant-based marathon runner and ultra-athlete in her spare time. She loves sharing her passion for running with her colleagues and students, and has led various Girls Run For It programs and run clubs at schools. 

Her running accomplishments include winning the 2018 Calgary Marathon 50K, becoming the 2018 ACU National 50K Female Champion, and winning the 2018 Banff Marathon — setting a new women’s course record that year. In 2018, she was also a member of the #TSPYYC Speed Project Team and, along with her team, ran from Los Angeles to Las Vegas in just over 39 hours. Not to mention she holds two Guinness Book of World Records!


In this episode we discuss:

Adriana Wild's athletic accomplishments, including her Guinness World records.

What it means to be an 'ultra-athlete' and how Adriana prepares for intense running events.

What a day of training and eating looks like for Adriana, and how to transition to a more plant-based diet as an athlete.

Common myths around eating a plant-based diet and training as an athlete.

Socials:

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

This Podcast was hosted and edited by Clinton Stamatovich.

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In this podcast episode from @Plant-Based Canada we chat with Dr. Nanci Guest, PhD, RD who is a sport focused registered dietitian, personal trainer and a strength and conditioning coach, who completed her doctorate in nutrigenomics and athletic performance and has been working in private practice for over two decades. 

She has been a global consultant to professional and amateur athletes and teams, including serving as the head dietitian at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics and Toronto 2015 PanAm games and prepared several athletes for the last four London, Sochi, Rio and PyeongChang Olympics! 

In this episode we learn about what a plant-based diet looks like for the elite and everyday athlete, including Dr. Guest´s recommendations for high-athletic performance.

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In this episode we talk to Dr. Julie Chan, a plant-based Naturopathic Doctor, Registered Acupuncturist, and Founder of Liberty Wellness Clinic in Markham, Ontario. 

The focus of her practice is to provide individualized, functional, integrative medicine to her patients. Combining modern medical diagnostics, her extensive knowledge in pharmacology, Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine, Lifestyle Medicine, Homeopathy, and Nutrition, she provides evidence-based therapies to help promote optimal wellness and disease prevention.  Julie is also a passionate food, climate and animal activist and spends much of her spare time doing non-profit work as she believes human health is intricately connected to planetary health. 

We hear about Julie's personal health journey, and explore her evolution to being a plant-based health practitioner. We talk about her passion for education, her on-line course on plant-based nutrition at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, and her upcoming talk at our conference, the Canadian Plant-Based Nutrition Conference in May 2021.  We discuss Julie's philosophy on the interconnected of individual health, planetary health and our treatment of non-human animals, and her non-profit Peace Fur Paws. Finally we talk about Julie's love of baking and volunteering at one of our favourites, the Vegan Danish Bakery. Julie's passion , clarity of purpose, and compassion shine through. 

You can find details of Julie's practice and contact at: www.libertywellness.ca and the non-profit Peace for Paws at https://peacefurpaws.org/

The episode is hosted by Dr. Zahra Kassam, co-founder of Plant-Based Canada

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