Switch4good

According to the CDC, about 659,000 people in the United States die from heart disease each year. That’s 1 in every 4 deaths. A staggering 100 BILLION dollars were spent several years ago on stents and bypasses. But how effective are those dangerous, invasive, and costly procedures in improving the patients' quality of life? Is there an alternative? Today's guest is Dr. Dean Ornish, the founder and president of the nonprofit Preventive Medicine Research Institute. He is a clinical professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, and the author of seven books, all national bestsellers. Dr. Dean Ornish has directed revolutionary research proving that lifestyle changes can often reverse or undo the progression of many of the most common and costly chronic diseases and even begin reversing aging at a cellular level. He documented his findings in his landmark book UnDo It! Dr. Dean Ornish studied medicine under Dr. Michael DeBakey, an American vascular surgeon and cardiac surgeon, scientist an

“We would never dream of taking a Ferrari and putting water and sugar and cow feces in the tank and expect it to run. And we wouldn't do that yet. We do it to our bodies every single day of the week. And we expect our bodies to work well, not just to work well, but to perform like race cars. ” Marco Borges brings inspiration and passion to the podcast as he tells us about his own personal healthy habits, practices, and philosophies while encouraging us to create our own. Based in Miami with his wife and four kids, Marco leads a life of example and follows a plant-based diet and lifestyle. Ove the past twenty years, Marco has worked with some of the world’s more well-known celebrities, guiding them to live plant-based as well. Having studied physiology and biology, he is a well-balanced nutritionist, personal trainer, and coach. He created the groundbreaking “22 Greenprint Laws” which teaches folks how to eat, exercise, and live in a way that is sustainable for them and the planet.  On today’s show we learned

What would it take for you to risk everything for what you believe in? Today’s guest has done exactly that and more. Gary Yourofsky is one of the most influential and unflinching voices in the fight for animal liberation. His viral speech “The Best Speech You Will Ever Hear” has inspired millions and sparked global debate. He’s been arrested, banned from countries, and never backed down from telling the truth, even when it cost him. Tune in to hear this legendary activist share what drives him, what works in the fight for animals, and what’s pulling him back into the arena now. What we discuss in this episode: How and why Gary first became an activist. What led Gary to step away from activism, and why he chose to return now. The toughest audience Gary has ever faced, the hardest demographic to reach, and the unlikely group that surprised him with their openness. Why you can make a difference, and what actually moves the needle. The shared dietary habits making both vegans and carnivores sick. Gary

Have you ever felt like it’s too late to rewrite your story? Dr. Akil Taherbhai is living proof that it’s not. After decades of unhealthy habits and a coronary artery disease diagnosis that led to open-heart surgery, he made a bold choice, not just to recover, but to transform. Within months, he ran his first half marathon. In the years since, he's scaled Kilimanjaro, completed marathons and triathlons, and fully embraced a plant-powered lifestyle. Now in his 70s, Dr. Taherbhai is thriving and inspiring others to do the same. Tune in for a powerful conversation about resilience, reinvention, and the healing potential of food, movement, and mindset. What we discuss in this episode: Dr. Taherbhai’s first life-threatening medical scare and how it became a turning point. The chronic health issues he faced from a diet high in meat and low in fiber. What led him to adopt a plant-based diet. The moment he knew this new way of eating was transforming his health for good. Common and dangerous myths surroundi

“Mushrooms are so crazy. That’s why I love them. It’s healing. Some can kill you. Some can heal you. Some are just delicious. There’s just so many different ways mushrooms are used. A lot of people struggling with PTSD, you kind of just have that calming effect, where you can now kind of go out in the real world and you’re just not ambushed by all of these different emotions and other things that has happened to you. You just re-homeostasis.” —Kaitlyn Kuehn “Is there any evidence showing that mushrooms can slow down cognitive decline?” —Jason Wrobel “Reishi mushroom is the oldest studied mushroom and used for so many different things, like detoxing to inflammation, diabetes, cognitive benefits, nerve healing, digestion health. There’s so many different medicinal aspects to different mushrooms and they do have overlapping benefits.” —Kaitlyn Kuehn “I have such a deep love as a chef for using mushrooms in recipes for their medicinal benefits. The texture. The flavor.” —Jason Wrobel “All mushrooms help lower inf

“The morning, up until around lunch, is the best time of day to eat most of our calories. And in fact, there’s been really great research. Even if you don't change the timing of your meals, if you make breakfast and lunch the largest meals of the day and dinner the smallest meal of the day, you lose more weight. And not only do you lose more weight, you're actually less hungry.” -Dr. Courtney Peterson  “Talk about these time intervals. Why is 14 a magic number?” -Jason Wrobel  “Typically, it takes the body about 12 to 14 hours to burn through a lot of its glycogen stores. Initially after a meal, your body's gonna be burning a lot of carbohydrates—so, glucose. It's gonna burn through a lot of the actual food in the meal, then it'll store some, burn others.” -Dr. Courtney Peterson  “Are there any scientifically reported benefits for hormone health, or managing cancer, with TRE?” -Jason Wrobel  “The area of cancer is super fascinating. Valter Longo does a lot of work in both the realms of aging and longevity, an

What if going vegan isn’t just about food, but about freeing your mind, healing your heart, and reclaiming your power? In this episode, psychologist Dr. Angela Crawford, author of The Vegan Transformation, unpacks the deeper emotional and psychological shifts that happen when we stop consuming animals. We explore how culture and conditioning shape our choices, why some people break through and others don’t, and what it means to live in alignment with our values. Drawing on 25 years of clinical experience, Dr. Crawford reveals seven core transformations that can lead to greater clarity, balance, and connection. This isn’t just about health—it’s about awakening. What we discuss in this episode: Understanding the mental gap between awareness and action. Examining upbringing, personality, and the courage to defy norms. Are we hardwired for compassion? What evolution tells us about empathy. The #1 reason people revert after going vegan. The seven psychological changes that occur during the transition to

“Recovery—it’s rarely, rarely linear, and never, ever convenient. If you are someone who's used to being in command of their body, it can feel almost like the universe just slammed on the brakes without any warning. That is the loss of autonomy, right? That's one of the most common—and very, very disorienting—aspects of any physical injury. None of us want to hear that setbacks are not failures—they're part of the process. The frustration is normal. Let it come out. Let it work itself through.” -Dotsie Bausch “The mental side—the frustration, the inability to use my body the way I'm used to—with the fluidity, the power, the agency, the strength... yeah, it's tough. When we're in pain, we’ve got to remember everything we've survived. It's so easy to beat ourselves up. It's so easy to think, ‘My God, how am I going to get through this? How am I going to heal? How am I going to conquer this mountain?’”  -Jason Wrobel In this deeply personal episode, Dotsie and Jason dive into the raw reality of recovery—what it

“One of the things that I always teach people is listen to your body. You want to actually pay attention to what makes you feel good and what your body is gravitating you towards. This is about bounty. It's not about deprivation. The research has shown us we can lean into the foods that we like. We love to be able to find something that's not only good that we appreciate.” -Dr. William Li    “It is possible to turn back the clock on our metabolism, burn fat, and increase longevity, all while being able to enjoy the food we eat. Are you saying we can sleep and fat burn at the same time?” -Dotsie Bausch   “That's exactly what I'm saying.  When you burn down body fat, your metabolism rises. I thought I understood human metabolism as a medical doctor, But I can tell you everything changed in our understanding of modern human metabolism in December of 2021. The human metabolism was found by this research of 6,000 people to be absolutely rock stable. It's hardwired not to go down by itself. And what they found is t

"Hot flashes are a canary in the coal mine for women. So, women who have more hot flashes, who have more frequent hot flashes, and more intense hot flashes, have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. People who are on a whole food, plant-based diet usually have fewer hot flashes, and the men have less erectile dysfunction. We lose between 3 and 8% of our muscle mass per decade after the age of 30. And then, for women, it speeds up after menopause, because we sort of are here, and we go off a cliff. Women should not be thought of as this delicate person that can’t lift heavy, that can’t partake in exercise that’s vigorous—like, we need to make sure that we keep our bodies as strong and functional as possible. If it takes you a year to learn how to squat, to learn how to lift some weights—like, there’s no rush—but it’s good to be on a path to getting stronger." -Dr. Brooke Bussard   What if menopause isn’t the end of something, but a powerful new beginning? In this energizing and empowering conversation, Dr.

"Burnout is why I left. I just started talking myself out of it, that we shouldn’t do it anymore. I just kind of ignored those feelings. It’s strange to fall out of love with something that you’ve done every single moment of every single day for a very long time. Maybe it’ll be too sooner than later, right? But right now, that is going to keep it fresh. I want to keep this feeling." -Dotsie Bausch  “I’m talking about how important B complex vitamins are for stress, and yet I’m at home, in my hotel room, on the road, grinding so hard that I’m not taking my own advice. I just kind of ignored those feelings. I feel like I am the piece of toast that fell to the back of the toaster oven that we forgot about.” -Jason Wrobel Burnout shows up in many forms—it can build slowly and quietly over time, or seemingly strike all at once after a long period of strain. In this episode, Dotsie and Jason open up about their own experiences, from losing passion for what they once loved to finding the courage to step back and ree

"A study that was done in 2022, it looked at over 4,000 adults over a 26-year span, and it found that just a 5-gram increase in fiber led to a lot less inflammation in the body. And they measured inflammation by C-reactive protein, which you can ask your doctor about when you get your next blood test to measure your CRP, or C-reactive protein, to see how inflamed you are. And when you have lower inflammation, this also lowers your heart attack risk. So, higher fiber in your diet can lower your heart attack risk by as much as 30%. Who knew, right?" -Alexandra Paul Today, we’re diving into the power of fiber—how it fuels gut health, reduces inflammation, and why most people aren’t getting enough. Alexandra breaks down the different types of fiber, why variety matters, and easy ways to boost your intake. Then, Jason shares his experience with heavy metal detox, revealing how hidden toxins affect your health, where they come from, and the best foods for natural chelation. Plus, we explore the surprising link betw

"I have wondered if heart attacks could be an issue because it is a shock to the body when you walk into a cold shower. I don’t know. When you did those plunges, did you sort of slowly go in, or did you go in all at once because it’s easier that way?" -Alexandra Paul "No. I go all in, all at once. For me, if I do the gradual process—where I’m just dipping a toe in, literally just dipping a toe in—the feedback that my mind will give me is: ‘Danger, danger, danger. Do not do this.’ So I do it because I want to override that fear response and the danger signals that my brain is telling me. And I’m grateful. I’m like, ‘Thank you so much for those signals. You’re working. Excellent. And we’re going to go and do this.’ So I will literally just go right in…" -Jason Wrobel In this episode, Alexandra and Jason dive into the hot and cold of wellness—literally, exploring the pros and cons of cold plunging, from its potential benefits for mental health, inflammation, and immunity to the risks you should know before takin

"You’ve also probably heard that playing an instrument helps your brain. And they did this study with twins. One twin played an instrument, and one twin didn’t. And the twin who played an instrument had a 64% lower likelihood of developing dementia. If you just remove your cataracts, you immediately improve your chances of not getting dementia by 30%." -Alexandra Paul “So, I want to introduce a food that is not prevalent yet in Western culture. And it’s one of the most incredible foods that has been growing in the Caribbean and tropical areas of Africa. It’s called…” -Jason Wrobel What if the key to a sharper mind and better mood was hidden in your daily routine? In this episode, Alexandra and Jason explore powerful ways to prevent dementia and ease depression. From brain-boosting foods like mushrooms and the surprising benefits of exercise and a little-known fruit, you’ll discover simple habits that make a big impact. Jason also shares foraging tips and a quiet kitchen hack to reduce noise pollution. Whether

"So, if you keep a pitcher of water in your fridge, or if you prefer room temperature, you just put it on a counter, cut up some fruit or cucumber to give it a fancier taste. And I actually thought that’s what you did, Jason, because I kind of imagined you having water with, like, cucumber in it. I’m not that fancy, but it’s the easiest thing in the world. I mean, now that you’re saying it, there’s no reason why I wouldn’t. It makes it a little more interesting. Right?"-Alexandra Paul -Jason Wrobel We’re bombarded with health advice—ditch gluten, detox your body, drink more water—but how much of it actually holds up? In this episode, Alexandra and Jason separate fact from fiction on gluten sensitivity, mycotoxins, glyphosate, hydration, and natural detoxing. Plus, Jason shares his stellar tips for vegan baking. Tune in for a smart, refreshing take on today’s most talked-about health trends! Podcast sponsor: Vedge Vegan Collagen: vedgenutrition.com – use code S4G for 30% off your order. - https://www.vedgen

In this episode, Alexandra and Jason dive into the surprising role plants played in human evolution, challenging common Paleo diet myths. They share expert-backed strategies for staying lean long-term, including how to feel more satisfied with meals, and make time for exercise. Plus, Jason reveals his go-to superfood beverage and favorite breakfast recipes. The duo also answers your burning questions—exploring the potential health benefits of amla (Indian gooseberry) as a cancer-fighting supplement and whether late-night eating poses real risks. Don’t miss this packed episode full of science-based insights and practical tips!  Podcast sponsor: Vedge Vegan Collagen: vedgenutrition.com – use code S4G for 30% off your order. - https://www.vedgenutrition.com/ What we discuss in this episode: Exploring the complex plant foods our ancestors processed and why gathering may have been more significant than hunting. Part 2: Effective weight loss strategies and how to maintain long-term success. How to get

“GLP-1 is this thing that they are putting in medications now to lower our appetite. And GLP-1 is made by our bodies too, but it’s down in our lower part of our intestine, and processed foods generally get processed way up high in the intestine because they don’t have a lot of fiber—they just get processed right away. But the higher-fiber whole foods make it down there and trigger the GLP-1 sensors to say, ‘Oh, we’ve got food, let’s cut off that appetite drive.’” -Alexandra Paul  In this episode, Alexandra and Jason break down the real science behind weight loss—what actually works, why lifting weights matters, and the first step you must take to see results. They also tackle the controversy around seed oils, how to use them wisely, and offer healthy alternatives. Plus, they uncover where microplastics are lurking in your daily life and share ways to reduce exposure and support your body’s natural detox processes. Jason also shares his go-to cooking strategies and grocery shopping hacks. Tune in for practical

“So, for people who might think, ‘You see, the vegan diet is too expensive’—no. You can get frozen fruits and vegetables too if you can't get the fresh ones. Absolutely, absolutely. This is true. And I'll do a tangent on your tangent. One of the things that I always recommend to people when I've done nutrition coaching in the past is, if they're price-sensitive, getting dried legumes and dried beans. They are some of the most nutrient-dense and cost-effective things you can buy.” -Alexandra Paul and Jason Wrobel How much cardiovascular exercise do you really need? What’s the truth about soy, cholesterol, and daily protein intake? In this episode, Alexandra and Jason cut through the confusion, tackling the dangers of visceral fat, the surprising science behind intermittent fasting and autophagy, and the truth about frozen versus fresh produce. Plus, we uncover the hidden risks of alcohol, including its link to cancer, how acetaldehyde affects your body, and so much more. Tune in for a no-nonsense dive into the

Today’s episode tackles big health questions and real-life challenges. Can breastfeeding vegans provide all the essential nutrients for their babies? A groundbreaking study from Amsterdam has the answer—and it may surprise you. Plus, can you rewire your microbiome to reverse lactose intolerance? If so, should you? And Jason shares firsthand what it’s like living with Los Angeles' post-wildfire air—spoiler: the real danger isn’t just in the smoke. From nutrition myths to hidden environmental threats, we’re cutting through the noise with facts that matter. Don’t miss this eye-opening conversation!   Podcast sponsors: Vedge Vegan Collagen: vedgenutrition.com – use code S4G for 30% off your order. - https://www.vedgenutrition.com/ What we discuss in this episode: Detoxing from heavy metals. Protecting lung health. Acidic foods, inflammation, and the potential benefits of alkaline foods. Bottled water vs. tap water. The best plant-based foods to support menopause—and what to avoid. Resources:

Get ready for a jam-packed episode that’s as exciting as it is informative! We’re diving into the power of black foods, the protein-packed perks of fava bean tofu, and tackling the big question: can you really get enough iron on a vegan diet? We’ll also explore how plant-based diets help combat inflammation and share a hot-off-the-press study debunking myths about plant-based alternatives—all with a side of Violife cheese deliciousness. Don’t miss this feast for your mind!   Podcast sponsors: - Vedge Vegan Collagen: vedgenutrition.com – use code S4G for 30% off your order. - https://www.vedgenutrition.com/   “Food is not, for some people, just about sheer nutritional intake. There’s history. There’s heritage. There’s comfort. There’s an emotional connection to the things we eat.” -  Jason Wrobel   What we discuss in this episode: - Exploring the unique benefits of black foods. - Debunking the myth: Can you get enough iron on a vegan diet? Plus, top vegan iron sources and how to boost iron absorption. - Heme v