The Plant Fueled Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

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This conversation is with Alex “Finisher” Font, a professional MMA fighter based out of Chalon sur Saone, France where he runs his own combat gym, Power Training Center. Alex has been vegan for almost a decade and throughout that time has amassed over 100 professional fights with a record of 98 wins, 11 loses, and 2 draws. He is also a special operations combat chief instructor and he has his own vegan friendly apparel brand, Power Fight Company.

We discuss:

• Discovering his passion for professional fighting 
• Breaking the stereotype of a typical vegan 
• Why he initially decided to go vegan 
• Ethical reasons for not eating meat 
• What he eats in a day 
• Why he doesn’t count calories or track protein 
• Weight cutting before fights  
• The hours of training that go into a fight camp 
• What people don’t understand about the life of a professional fighter 
• The value of a yoga and mobility practice 

Connect:

• Instagram: @iam_thefinisher 
• Facebook: Alex “The Finisher” Font  

Resources:

• Power Fight Company 
• Power Training Center 
• PETA.org (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals)

Shop Nella, The Performance Probiotic: Use code CASS10 at checkout. 

Connect with me: @casswarbeck

Shop Nella, The Performance Probiotic: Use code CASS10 at checkout.

Theme music: Tyler Gaudon & audio editing and processing: Wyatt Pavlik

*Please appreciate that any information discussed is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, always seek the opinion of a physician or qualified healthcare provider.*

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This conversation is with Kieren Lefevre. Kieren is a BJJ Performance Coach, Certified Personal Trainer, Strength & Conditioning Coach, ISSN-Sports Nutrition Specialist and self-professed jiu jitsu nerd. Simply put, he helps grappling athletes get strong, mobile, and reduce their risk of injury on the mats. 

We discuss: 

• Common mistakes grapplers make when strength training 
• Myth: you shouldn’t use your strength when rolling 
• The optimal weekly frequency for strength training 
• Best training splits and key exercises for grapplers 
• Why you need to train grip strength and rotation 
• Strength minimums before training power 
• How to know if you need to improve your movement efficiency vs your cardio  
• Should you be running to improve your gas tank? 
• The best protocol for training VO2 max 
• Whether you should be doing zone 2 training 

Connect with Kieren: 

• Instagram: @kieren_lefevre 
• YouTube: @KierenLefevre  

BJJ Strong Online: https://www.bjjstrongonline.com/ 

Resources: 

• FREE BJJ Strength Program 
• Free QUIZ to determine your perfect program 
• Podcast: BJJ Strong Podcast 
• Podcast: Beyond Jiu Jitsu 
• Study: High-Intensity, Non-Sport-Specific Strength and Conditioning for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Athletes 
• Study: Physical and Physiological Profiles of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Athletes: a Systematic Review 

Study: Aerobic interval training improves maximal oxygen uptake and reduces body fat in grapplers 

Shop Nella, The Performance Probiotic: Use code CASS10 at checkout. 

Connect with me: @casswarbeck

Shop Nella, The Performance Probiotic: Use code CASS10 at checkout.

Theme music: Tyler Gaudon & audio editing and processing: Wyatt Pavlik

*Please appreciate that any information discussed is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, always seek the opinion of a physician or qualified healthcare provider.*

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This conversation is with Georges Laraque, one of the most feared enforcers to ever play in the National Hockey League. Georges spent the majority of his 13 year NHL career with the Edmonton Oilers, but also spent time playing in Phoenix and Pittsburgh before ending his career with the Montreal Canadiens. 

But as you will hear in this conversation, Georges is so much more than your stereotypical tough guy. Georges has always been a true humanitarian and an engaged citizen, and since going vegan in 2009, Georges has become a passionate animal rights activist and force within the vegan movement. He prides himself in being a voice for those without one and protecting those around him. 

We discuss: 

• The adversity and racism he faced playing hockey 
• Why he pursued a hockey career instead of football or soccer 
• Choosing the path with the deeper purpose 
• The importance of surrounding yourself with positive people 
• Why he dropped the gloves in the NHL despite hating it 
• Using charity work and hospital visits to manage fear and anxiety 
• When and why he switched to a vegan diet 
• The drive behind his passion for vegan advocacy 
• Comparing animal injustice compared to other social inequalities 
• His go-to post workout meal and how he incorporates fasting 

Get his book! Georges Laraque: The Story of the NHL's Unlikeliest Tough Guy  

Resources: 

• Watch Earthlings on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XrY2TP0ZyU 
• The Game Changers documentary 
• PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) 
• Ditch the dairy! Learn how at Switch 4 Good  
• Garden of Life protein powder 

Connect: 

• Georges’ website: https://www.georgeslaraque.com/ 
• Instagram: @georges_laraque 
• Twitter: @GeorgesLaraque 
• Facebook: Georges Laraque 

Shop Nella, The Performance Probiotic: Use code CASS10 at checkout. 

Connect with me: @casswarbeck

Shop Nella, The Performance Probiotic: Use code CASS10 at checkout.

Theme music: Tyler Gaudon & audio editing and processing: Wyatt Pavlik

*Please appreciate that any information discussed is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, always seek the opinion of a physician or qualified healthcare provider.*

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This conversation is with Brenda Davis, RD. She is one of the world’s leading plant-based pioneers and has been promoting plant-based diets since making the transition herself in 1989. Brenda has been a featured speaker at medical, nutrition, and dietetic conferences in over 20 countries on 5 continents. She has authored or co-authored 13 books and today our conversation focuses around her most recent book, Plant-Powered Protein, which she co-authored with Vesanto Melina and her son, Cory Davis. 

We discuss: 

• The surprising increase in protein needs for seniors 
• Protein guidelines for specific types of athletes 
• Why whole food eaters may need more protein 
• Source of protein (animal vs plant) matters  
• The myth of plants being incomplete proteins 
• Meeting leucine needs for muscle protein synthesis 
• Whether supplementing with BCAAs is beneficial 
• The pros and cons of protein powder 
• Creatine supplementation 
• Why you should think about your iodine and omega 3 
• The optimal timing and dose of protein intake 
• Easy ways to boost plant protein intake 
• Male athletes wrongly fear soy foods 

Get her new book! Plant Powered Protein  

Resources: 

• Love Complement vegan protein powder 
• Clean Label Project protein powder review 

Connect: 

• Brenda’s website: https://brendadavisrd.com/ 

Shop Nella, The Performance Probiotic: Use code CASS10 at checkout. 

Connect with me: @casswarbeck

Shop Nella, The Performance Probiotic: Use code CASS10 at checkout.

Theme music: Tyler Gaudon & audio editing and processing: Wyatt Pavlik

*Please appreciate that any information discussed is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, always seek the opinion of a physician or qualified healthcare provider.*

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This conversation is with Dr. Jules Cormier, a plant-based family medicine physician and Ninja warrior athlete in New Brunswick, Canada. Dr. Cormier earned his PhD in medicine at the Universite de Sherbrooke medical school and chose family medicine as a specialty because he highly prioritized forming lifelong relationships with his patients. In addition to his own practice, he is heavily involved in teaching various aspects of medicine, including lifestyle medicine and the power of plant-based nutrition! 

To complement his professional life, Dr. Cormier trains and competes in Ninja Warrior competitions and in 2022 he represented Canada at the world Ninja Warrior Championships in Las Vegas. He truly understands the importance of not just achieving health, but optimizing performance and he is skilled at combining evidence based science with practical training tactics. 

We discuss: 

• How cutting out dairy transformed his health 
• Competing in the 2022 world Ninja Warrior championships 
• His typical weekly training program 
• When protein powders make sense athletes 
• If you’re going to take any supplement, take creatine! 
• Whether BCAAs are worth your money 
• Dietary nitrates for running performance 
• Why caffeine intake should be individualized 
• Nutrient considerations for pre- and post-workout 
• Simple principles for hydration 
• Tips for transitioning to a healthier, plant-predominant diet 

Connect: 

• Instagram: @plantbased_dr_jules 
• Instagram: @maritimeninja 
• YouTube: Maritime Ninja Warrior 
• Facebook: @plantbaseddrjules 

Connect with me: @casswarbeck 

Resources: 

• Dr. Cormier’s website: plantbaseddrjules.com 
• Digital downloads and eBooks: https://www.plantbaseddrjules.com/shop 

Show sponsors: Warlock Lid Co and Warlock Golf 

Theme music: Tyler Gaudon 

Audio editing and processing: Wyatt Pavlik 

 *Please appreciate that any information discussed is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, always seek the opinion of a physician or qualified healthcare provider.* 

Shop Nella, The Performance Probiotic: Use code CASS10 at checkout. 

Connect with me: @casswarbeck

Shop Nella, The Performance Probiotic: Use code CASS10 at checkout.

Theme music: Tyler Gaudon & audio editing and processing: Wyatt Pavlik

*Please appreciate that any information discussed is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, always seek the opinion of a physician or qualified healthcare provider.*

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This conversation is with Kristel de Groot, a former professional tennis player and co-founder of Your Super, a successful superfoods supplement company. Beyond this, Kristel is a women’s health activist, a plant-based health coach and yoga teacher and is certified in plant-based nutrition from eCornell University. She has been named one of Forbes 30 under 30, and Inc Magazine’s 30 Under 30 and holds a bachelor's degree in finance and accounting and a masters degree in Management. Now, Kristel and her husband are releasing their first book, titled Your Super Life, with the intention of making plant-based eating easy, healthy, delicious, and accessible. 

We discuss: 

• How her husband found wellness after cancer treatment 
• The difference between being cancer-free and living optimally 
• The unique health benefits of superfoods 
• How her new book is making healthy plant-based eating easy and accessible 
• Superfoods to help with balancing hormones 
• Why matcha was used by monks to help with meditation 
• Visiting Brazil to source the best acai 
• The power of chlorophyll-rich wheatgrass 
• Why chocolate (cacoa) deserves a spot in your diet 
• What you can learn from a 7 day reset / detox 
• The three pillars of health eating 
• Counting plants not calories (and how many to aim for each week) 

Get the Your Super Life book at your favorite book store: Barnes & Noble, Booksamllion, Target, Amazon, Walmart, etc.  

Follow them on IG on @kristelandmichael and @yoursuperfoods. Learn more on kristelandmichael.com and yoursuper.com 

Resources: 

• Film: Forks over Knives 
• Hippocrates Wellness  

Connect with me: @casswarbeck 

Show sponsors: Warlock Lid Co and Warlock Golf 

Theme music: Tyler Gaudon 

Audio editing and processing: Wyatt Pavlik 

 *Please appr

Shop Nella, The Performance Probiotic: Use code CASS10 at checkout. 

Connect with me: @casswarbeck

Shop Nella, The Performance Probiotic: Use code CASS10 at checkout.

Theme music: Tyler Gaudon & audio editing and processing: Wyatt Pavlik

*Please appreciate that any information discussed is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, always seek the opinion of a physician or qualified healthcare provider.*

Send us a text

This conversation is with Coach Claire Bartholik, a certified running coach and sports nutrition specialist. She coaches vegan, plant-based, and plant-curious runners from those on a walk/run program seeking general fitness all the way up to high level athletes. She is also an athlete herself and is a multiple time Boston Marathon qualifier, state Master’s Marathon Champion and a competitive Master’s athlete.  

We discuss:

• How Claire learned to love running 
• What it’s like running the Boston Marathon 
• Running for weight loss vs running for performance 
• Being thin doesn’t equal faster 
• The problem with running fasted first thing in the morning 
• Importance of keeping easy runs easy 
• Slow runs and Zone 2 training 
• Why you need to incorporate rest days 
• Limiting long runs to 3 hours or less for optimal performance 
• Using speed workouts to get faster 
• Why you should incorporate running strides into your easy runs 
• Strength training after your hardest runs 
• If treadmills should be on incline 

Connect: 

• Claire’s website: https://theplantedrunner.com/ 
• YouTube: The Planted Runner 
• Instagram: @theplantedrunner 

Connect with me: @casswarbeck  

Resources: 

• Book: The Planted Runner  
• The Planted Runner Podcast 
• Free Nutrition Guide for Runners 

Theme music: Tyler Gaudon  

Audio editing and processing: Wyatt Pavlik 

*Please appreciate that any information discussed is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, always seek the opinion of a physician or qualified healthcare provider*

Shop Nella, The Performance Probiotic: Use code CASS10 at checkout. 

Connect with me: @casswarbeck

Shop Nella, The Performance Probiotic: Use code CASS10 at checkout.

Theme music: Tyler Gaudon & audio editing and processing: Wyatt Pavlik

*Please appreciate that any information discussed is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, always seek the opinion of a physician or qualified healthcare provider.*

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This conversation is with David Goldman. He has a Master’s Degree in Applied Physiology and Nutrition and is a board certified specialist in sports nutrition as well as a certified strength and conditioning specialist. This combination of expertise allows him to work closely with high level athletes towards pursuing specific performance goals. David was also the Chief Science Advisor for The GameChangers film and heavily involved in its production. 

We cover: 

• David’s  motivations for becoming plant-based 
• His role in creation of The GameChangers  
• The most compelling reasons for an athlete to eat plant-based 
• Protein needs for athletes 
• Maintaining muscle  during a weight cut 
• Dividing protein intake throughout the day 
• Exercise energy metabolism basics 
• Creatine intake from diet vs supplements 
• Optimizing the body’s natural circadian rhythm 
• Health benefits of water only fasting 
• If fasting can be appropriate for athletes 
• Benefits of front loading daily calories 
• The “train low, compete high” theory  
• David’s experience with alternate day eating 

Resources: 

• The Game Changers Institute 
• Metabite (online digital nutrition coaching platform) 
• Book: The Thrive Diet by Brendan Brazier 
• Prof Stuart Phillips episode on The Proof podcast 

Articles: 

• IJDRP 2022: Supplemental Creatine and Exercise Performance 
• Nutrients. 2022: Prolonged water-only fasting and refeeding on markers of cardiometabolic risk 
• Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2021: high protein plant vs omnivore diet to support resistance training 
• Nutrients. 2019: Plant-Based Diets for Cardiovascular Endurance Performance 
• Br J Sports Med. 2018: Effect of protein supplementation on resistance training 
• J Am Diet Assoc. 2009: Atkins vs South Beach vs Ornish diets on endothelial function and CRP 

Shop Nella, The Performance Probiotic: Use code CASS10 at checkout. 

Connect with me: @casswarbeck

Shop Nella, The Performance Probiotic: Use code CASS10 at checkout.

Theme music: Tyler Gaudon & audio editing and processing: Wyatt Pavlik

*Please appreciate that any information discussed is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, always seek the opinion of a physician or qualified healthcare provider.*

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This conversation is with Dr. Michael Greger, a New York Times bestselling author, and internationally recognized speaker on nutrition and a founding member and fellow of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. He has videos on more than 2,000 health topics freely available on the incredible website NutritionFacts.org, with new videos and articles uploaded almost every day. 

We cover: 

• The benefits of standing and treadmill desks 
• A typical meal for Dr. Greger 
• Benefits of hot sauce and capsaicin 
• Foods that have been put to the test for recovery 
• Nutritional yeast to boost immunity 
• How dietary nitrates can enhance athletic performance 
• Protein requirements for athletes 
• The best source of caffeine for athletes 
• The health benefits of yoga and the trouble with yoga research 

Connect with Dr. Greger on Instagram @nutrition_facts_org and @michaelgregermd | Facebook @Nutritionfacts.org | YouTube @Nutritionfacts.org  

Be sure to pre-order his upcoming book, Hot Not to Age 

Resources: 

• Video: Foods to improve athletic performance and recovery 
• Video: Watermelon for sore muscle relief  
• Video: Preserving immune function in athletes with nutritional yeast 
• Video: Whole beets vs juice for improving athletic performance 
• Video: Don’t use antiseptic mouthwash  
• Video: Are there benefits of energy drinks? 

Show sponsor: Warlockgolf.com use code PLANT15 at checkout for 15% off your order! 

Theme music by Tyler Gaudon and a special thank you to Wyatt Pavlik for the audio editing and processing! 

Connect with me here on Instagram: @casswarbeck 

Finally, please subsc

Shop Nella, The Performance Probiotic: Use code CASS10 at checkout. 

Connect with me: @casswarbeck

Shop Nella, The Performance Probiotic: Use code CASS10 at checkout.

Theme music: Tyler Gaudon & audio editing and processing: Wyatt Pavlik

*Please appreciate that any information discussed is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, always seek the opinion of a physician or qualified healthcare provider.*

Send us a text

This conversation is with Ryan Sadilek. Ryan is the creator of Minus The Gym, a health and fitness brand centered around bodyweight fitness and plant-based nutrition. Ryan is a certified personal trainer (ACE-CPT) and nutrition specialist (ACE-FNS) whose teachings on YouTube alone have helped literally thousands of people improve their level of fitness and overall health and wellbeing. Ryan's goal is to help people understand that everyone has the power to turn their health around and get on a better track. Fitness is always accessible and nutrition doesn't have to be confusing. And the only limiting factor in improving ourselves is our own level of self-belief. 

We cover: 

• How Ryan found fitness and a plant-based diet  
• The unique benefits of calisthenics training 
• Recommended equipment 
• Weekly programming for a beginner vs advanced exerciser 
• Balancing aerobic and strength training 
• Low vs high repetitions and muscle hypertrophy 
• Whether you should train to failure 
• The fundamental movements of calisthenics 
• Which skills you can train daily 
• How to progress past a strength plateau 
• The power of “greasing the groove” 
• Common mistakes people make 
• Improve your abs (and top 3 exercises) 
• Why showing up and being consistent is key 
• Ryan’s post workout smoothie recipe 
• Tips for transitioning to a plant-predominant diet 
• Why he only ate bananas for an entire week 

Connect with Ryan! 

YouTube: Minus The Gym 

Facebook: @minusthegym 

Instagram: @minusthegym  

Website: https://www.minusthegym.com 

Download his app: https://trybe.do/MinusTheGym 

Resources: 

• Film: Forks over Knives 
• Video: Beginner’s Calisthenics Workout at Home (full routine) 
• Video: Transitioning to Plant-Based Eating (3 methods) 
• Video: WHY I Only Ate Bananas for A Week  
• Book: Overcoming Gravity by Steven Low 
• Book: Enter the Kettlebell by Pavel Ts

Shop Nella, The Performance Probiotic: Use code CASS10 at checkout. 

Connect with me: @casswarbeck

Shop Nella, The Performance Probiotic: Use code CASS10 at checkout.

Theme music: Tyler Gaudon & audio editing and processing: Wyatt Pavlik

*Please appreciate that any information discussed is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, always seek the opinion of a physician or qualified healthcare provider.*