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Moby on Transforming Electronic Music, Elevating Consciousness & Saving The Planet
9 mei 2016 · 1 uur 43 min
Most know Moby as the eclectic and introspective DJ / musician behind Play — an album that sold over 12 million copies and elevated dance electronica from the clubs of lower Manhattan into a full-blown mainstream phenomenon.
Far more interesting is the story of Moby himself.
Reared in suburban poverty by a single mom, Moby was an awkward, alienated kid who turned early and often to music for comfort. Classical guitar and music theory morphed into high school punk efforts like the Vatican Commandoes and post college dropout stints DJ'ing at local Connecticut nightclubs. But traction eluded him.
So in 1989, this poor, white, skinny, Christian, vegan teetotaler pilgrimaged south to lower Manhattan, thrusting his frail, wide-eyed self into the beautiful, hedonistic, harrowing life of art, music & impoverished squalor that defined the drug-fueled dance music scene of downtown New York City in the 1990's.
Cribbing from the flap copy of Porcelain*, Moby's arresting, magnificent new memoir hitting bookstores next week, “[h]e would learn what it was to be spat on, to live on almost nothing. But it was perhaps the last good time for an artist to live on nothing in New York City: the age of AIDS and crack but also of a defiantly festive cultural underworld. Not without drama, he found his way. But success was not uncomplicated; it led to wretched, if in hindsight sometimes hilarious, excess and proved all too fleeting. And so by the end of the decade, Moby contemplated an end in his career and elsewhere in his life, and put that emotion into what he assumed would be his swan song, his good-bye to all that, the album that would in fact be the beginning of an astonishing new phase: the multimillion-selling Play.”
Not only was Play a multi-platinum smash success, it would soon become the soundtrack to our lives — a record that would shift culture and cement Moby as one of the most interesting and iconic musicians of our time. Lees meerWealth and fame arrived. Obsession followed. And Mob…
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Tackling Addiction With Jack Canfield
2 mei 2016 · 1 uur 48 min
Who am I to disagree with a guy who has sold 500 million books?
That is not hyperbole.
Not only has Jack Canfield — the personal growth & self-improvement author behind The Success Principles* and the wildly popular Chicken Soup For The Soul* series — actually sold that many copies of his many books, a full 47 of them have graced the New York Times bestseller list. In fact, Jack holds a Guinness World Record for having 7 books on the NYT list at the same time.
I don't know how that's even possible. I do know he's recently pulled focus on alcoholism, tackling addiction in his most recent offering, The 30-Day Sobriety Solution: How to Cut Back or Quit Drinking in the Privacy of Your Own Home*.
I almost backed out of doing this interview. You may think I'm a New Age California hippie, but I'm actually a relatively skeptical guy. I'm not easily romanced by the latest in self-help. I can be stubborn and my perspective on long-held beliefs can be difficult to shake.
I'm also someone with extremely strong, experience-based opinions about sobriety — not only what's required to achieve it, but more importantly what's essential to properly maintain it.
To be frank, part of me feels it's somewhat ostentatious for Jack — not himself a recovering alcoholic — to publish a book that purports to resolve alcoholism by virtue of a 30-day program. In my experience, sobriety just doesn't work that way. Moreover, I'm far from convinced that you can successfully combat addiction from the privacy of your own home. Let me rephrase — I couldn't do that. Thus my conscience struggles to ratify or validate an author who supports such a methodology.
I’m a 12-step guy through and through – I can say without reservation or exaggeration that it saved my life. My participation and service in recovery is and remains my #1 priority. But as they say in the rooms, contempt prior to investigation keeps a man in everlasting ignorance. So in good faith, I read Jack's new book with an open mind. I can't s… Lees meer -
Arianna Huffington’s Sleep Revolution: A Formula For Enhanced Productivity, Performance, Success & Happiness
25 april 2016 · 1 uur 10 min
Arianna Huffington is more productive than you are.
In addition to co-founding The Huffington Post in 2005 (which famously sold to AOL in 2011 for $315 million), she has dominated television news for decades as a globally recognized political pundit; authored 15 books; built multiple profitable businesses; pioneered online journalism; and even ran for Governor of California as an independent in 2003.
Under Arianna's stewardship, in 2012 HuffPo won a Pulitzer Prize for national reporting, representing a seismic shift in journalism from traditional print prominence to online, cementing digital media's permanence, force, and legitimacy. Not enough? Arianna has been named to the Time 100 list of most influential people and the Forbes Most Powerful Women list.
So what's her secret?
The answer might surprise you:
a great night of sleep. Lees meerA devoted mom of two college-aged girls, Arianna learned the value of sleep the hard way. A burnout episode several years ago left her chronically exhausted, priming an exploration to redefine what it means to live well — beyond business and financial success. Her NY Times bestselling smash hit Thrive* established her authority on well-being and today she is pioneering a movement — make that a revolution — that debunks the false bravado and cultural, mythical pride associated with burning the midnight oil to instead champion sleep as the key to unlock maximum potential. The tip of Arianna's latest campaign of insurrection is her new book, The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life One Night At A Time*.
A couple weeks ago, I had the opportunity to sit down with Arianna at the LA Book Fair to learn more. Arriving replete with full entourage in tow, I admit to being a little intimidated. But with grace and presence, she quickly put me at ease.
In a perfect world, I would have loved the time and bandwidth to delve deeply into Arianna's upbringing, her political evolution from conservative to liberal, her authorship and her spiritual perspe… -
John Joseph Wants You To Wake The F*ck Up
18 april 2016 · 1 uur 40 min
Back by popular demand, John Joseph — legendary New York hardcore punk icon and Cro-Mags’ frontman — returns for a 4th appearance on the RRP to do what he does best: incite, provoke, educate and entertain.
If you're a longtime listener of the show, Johnny Bloodclot needs no introduction — he's my most popular guest to date.
For the uninitiated, John is a true American original. The very definition of hardcore. A survivor. A spiritual warrior spouting straight talk directly from the streets of the Lower East Side with one singular, driving purpose:
getting people to wake the f&*k up. Lees meerConceived and raised in abuse, deprived of opportunity and left to his own devices, John turned to violence and drugs to make his way in the world. It's a path that predictably led to violence, crime, addiction and incarceration. His teen years spent as a drug mule, he graduated from foster care to unimaginably horrific stints in juvenile detention. Then things went downhill. To avoid long-term incarceration, he enlisted in the Navy, only to go AWOL after a fight.
Fleeing the law and rudderless, John found redemption in the hardcore punk rock scene flourishing on Manhattan's Lower East Side in the early 1980's. Taken in by the Bad Brains' frontman H.R. — a devotee of Rastafari — John began to explore not just his musicianship, but his spirituality as well. It's a journey that birthed the Cro-Mags– one of the era's most iconic and influential hardcore punk bands — and later led to life in a Hare Krishna monastery, where he found his spiritual salvation and developed a life-long love of meditation, yoga, the vegan lifestyle, racing Ironman triathlons, and most importantly, his profound devotion to service.
This guys walks his talk.
I urge the newcomer to check out John's first appearance on the show. One of the most powerful podcasts I have ever published, RRP 41 is a beautiful documentation of an incredible life. When you're done with that, dial up RRP 66 & RRP 95. Then turn your attent… -
How Jasmin Singer Lost 100 Pounds By Finding Peace With Herself
11 april 2016 · 1 uur 41 min
The facts of our experiences are different. But so many of the emotions we experience along our journeys are remarkably similar.
Meet Jasmin Singer.
As a kid, Jasmin was an outcast. Fat and persistently bullied, she was hopelessly drawn to foods that only fueled the depression and confused disposition incited by her chaotic upbringing.
Encouraged by her gorgeous mother to trade in her Oreos for pre-packaged Weight Watchers brownies resulted in an endless rotation of Nutri-System appointments and Jenny Craig weigh-ins that ultimately did little to rectify her love of cheddar, resolve her body image issues or soothe the pain of childhood trauma.
The grub always won. Because food offered Jasmin something she found nowhere else. She basked in the safe reassurance of mealtimes, in the calm friendship she shared with snacks. She lived for the sweet tingling of a vanilla shake as it slid down her throat, filling up her stomach and, more importantly, her heart.
This is a long way of saying that Jasmin was, in fact, addicted to food – physically and emotionally. And no wonder. The foods she regularly ate growing up – Cheez-Its, Lunchables, Twinkies, Big Macs – were literally designed to activate the pleasure centers in her brain, making her want more and more and more.
A growing awareness of the horrors of industrialized animal agriculture led to Jasmin's emerging sense of just how profoundly her culinary proclivities had betrayed her. So at 19, she became a vegetarian. Later, she went entirely vegan, stepping into a lifelong passion for animal rights advocacy. Nonetheless, the skinny vegan trope eluded her. Instead, she continued to gain weight due to her continuing love affair with greasy rich foods.
Just because it's vegan doesn't mean it's healthy. Lees meerIn the firm grips of her hopeless addiction, Jamin became resigned to the deep sense of shame that accompanied her every minute of every day, further isolating her in a bottomless pit of desperation and loneliness that drove…
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Doug Evans Is Revolutionizing Juice
4 april 2016 · 1 uur 50 min
When I was a kid, I loved The Jetsons. I was convinced that by 2000 life would be all jetpacks, flying cars, sky trams and robot housekeepers.
My timeline was overly optimistic, but we're nonetheless surrounded by evidence of this inevitability. From the advent of virtual reality to self-driving cars, drone delivery and beyond, even Elon Musk's idea of colonizing Mars now seems plausible.
This week ushered in the future of kitchen appliances. Meet Juicero– a complete re-imagination of cold press juice for the home and office that even George Jetson would envy. I know it sounds weird. It's hard to explain. So I'm not going to try. Watch this cool video instead: Lees meerJuicero is the brainchild of my friend Doug Evans. An idea so big it captured the hearts and minds of Silicon Valley, attracting $120 million in financing from technology's most high-powered VC's, including Kleiner Perkins and Google Ventures.
I started hearing rumors about Doug and Juicero about a year ago. Then last month, Doug invited me to visit his 100,000 square foot Los Angeles distribution center. I was excited to finally see what all the fuss was about. But in all honesty, I was skeptical.
$120 million for a new-fangled juice machine?
I don't get it.
He gave me a tour. I met the team and tested the goods. Not only was it the best juice I had ever tasted, I realized there is much more going on at Juicero than meets the eye.
A marvel of advanced technology, the future-forward wifi-enabled Juicero exerts 8,000 pounds of pressure to cold-press the freshest juice possible from QR-coded organic produce packs (soon to be 100% compostable) that contain detailed information on nutrition, the farm of origin and the date of harvest (never to exceed 5 days).
None of the nutrient degrading pasteurization mandatory in all store bought juice. No more old or non-organic produce typical of most juice bars. And of course, zero home cleanup.
The space-age functionality and highly complex machinery are housed in cuttin… -
Crafting The Future of Food With Matthew Kenney
28 maart 2016 · 1 uur 39 min
He's written twelve cookbooks. He's opened dozens of restaurants. And he's teaching a new generation of culinary talent across the globe. But Matthew Kenney isn't just another celebrity chef. Matthew Kenney is crafting the future of food.
Beyond the kitchen, Matthew is a public speaker, educator, and entrepreneur specializing in plant-based food. He has authored 12 cookbooks and is the founder of Matthew Kenney Cuisine, an integrated lifestyle company as well as the Matthew Kenney Culinary Academy, a series of state-of-the-art education centers offering vegan culinary courses both online and in person that emphasize the use of whole, organic, unprocessed, plant-based foods to achieve healthy, aesthetically refined and flavorful cuisine.
Over the years, Matthew has launched a panoply of eating establishments ranging from the hautest of haute cuisine to take-out casual — everything from Santa Monica's M.A.K.E. and New York's Pure Food & Wine (both now closed), to Plant Food & Wine in both Venice and Miami,Make Out in Culver City, California and the recently opened and utterly amazing 00 + Co. plant-based pizzeria in New York City's East Village. When in Belfast, Maine visit The Gothic.Plant Café is coming to Bahrain this fall and Matthew has something brewing for summer in Montecito, California. Lees meerIt's one thing to cook great food. It's another thing to cook great plant-based food. But it's astonishing to please the masses with incredibly delicious and nutritious plant-based meals without cooking anything at all. However, what most impresses me most about Matthew is not his culinary talent. It's his commitment to changing the cultural conversation around food. And in turn, change the world.
Today I sit down with Matthew in the wine room behind Plant Food & Wine Venice to get to the bottom of everything except the wine (don't worry I didn't drink any). Specific topics explored include:* misconceptions of the raw food lifestyle
* the benefits of the raw food lifestyle… -
How To Sleep Smarter With Shawn Stevenson
21 maart 2016 · 2 uur 21 min
You cannot underestimate the value of an incredible night's sleep.
On the rare occasion I awake from 8 hours of dead to the world slumber, everything is better. I am more present, alert and productive. The quality of my interactions with family and friends is significantly enhanced. Colors are brighter. My mood is sunnier. And physically, I feel amazing. So I can't help but wonder:
what would my life be like if I could sleep that well every night?
Intellectually, we all know sleep is super important. But most — including myself — fail to acknowledge just how crucial sleep is to every aspect of our daily lives. Traditionally, sleep is the first thing I compromise when I get busy.
Sleep is for whimps!
But I've completely changed my tune on this issue. As I age, achieving optimal sleep quality has become increasingly elusive. And I have become more attuned to the extent to which my day is negatively impacted by sub-optimal sleep. So I have recently committed to experimenting with a number of techniques and strategies (some obvious, some not) to improve what I now understand and appreciate is absolutely essential to living a balanced, healthy and optimally productive life.
I'm happy to say it's working.
This is a long way of saying that I have been thinking alot about sleep lately. So I'm excited to share this conversation on the subject with sleep expert Shawn Stevenson. A wellness evangelist and host of the Model Health Show podcast, Shawn also recently authored Sleep Smarter: 21 Essential Strategies to Sleep Your Way to A Better Body, Better Health, and Bigger Success*.
I had a great time on Shawn's podcast about a year ago (click here to listen), so it was fun to explore his compelling personal journey with wellness and dive deep into the subject of sleep. Specific topics include: Lees meer* Shawn's struggles with health & depression
* hitting rock bottom as a catalyst for change
* environmental epigenetics
* strategies to combat preventable illnesses
* the effects of slee… -
Adam Skolnick’s One Breath: The Spiritual Allure of Freediving Through the Life & Death of Nick Mevoli, America’s Greatest Talent
14 maart 2016 · 2 uur 34 min
Imagine plunging headfirst hundreds of feet below the ocean surface — undulating ever further downward to a place where light cannot penetrate; and life hangs in the balance of a quickly diminishing singular breath.
Competitive freediving—a sport built on diving as deep as possible on a single breath—tests the limits of human ability in the most hostile environment on earth. The unique and eclectic breed of individuals who freedive at the highest level regularly reach such depths that their organs compress; and one mistake could kill them.
To freedive is to flirt with death, driven by an almost inexplicable spiritual quest to go further, deeper and beyond the imagined limits of human capability.
But freediving is also an opportunity to be free. It's a search for the authentic. An opportunity to commune with the infinite.
Today on the podcast I sit down with author and adventure journalist Adam Skolnick, who immersed himself in this extreme yet poetic subculture to tell the story of Nicholas Mevoli, America's greatest freediver and the protagonist of Adam's masterfully crafted new book, One Breath: Freediving, Death, and the Quest to Shatter Human Limits*. Lees meerEven among freedivers, few have ever gone as deep as Mevoli. A handsome young American with an unmatched talent for the sport, Nick was among freediving’s brightest stars. He was also an extraordinary individual, one who rebelled against the vapid and commoditized society around him by relentlessly questing for something more meaningful and authentic, whatever the risks. So when Nick Mevoli arrived at Vertical Blue in 2013, the world’s premier freediving competition, he was widely expected to challenge records and continue his meteoric rise to stardom.
Instead, before the end of that fateful competition Nick Mevoli had died, a victim of the sport that had made him a star.
Traveling the world writing for The New York Times, Playboy, Outside, ESPN.com, BBC.com, Salon.com, Men’s Health, Wired, and Travel + Leisure, … -
Gary Vaynerchuk Works Harder Than You Do
7 maart 2016 · 1 uur 33 min
Nobody works harder — and smarter — than Gary Vaynerchuk.
That's because the maniac known online as Gary Vee operates on one mode and one mode only: full blast. Gregarious, confident and incomparably charismatic, Gary is never at a loss for opinions on everything from the future of social media and the preeminent importance of authenticity to his almost antiquated but refreshing take on the importance, power and relevance of a committed work ethic – a welcome breath of fresh air that stands in stark contradiction to our pervasive, myopic lifehack culture — a regrettable, technocrat popular trend that woefully overvalues false promise short cuts to success over passion, service and fidelity to the journey.
Internet omnipotent with over 1.2 million followers on Twitter, 500K+ Facebook friends and a vast and loyal YouTube subscriber base, I suspect many of you are already daily consumers of Gary's persistent, relentless feed of videos, blog posts, social media updates, Snapchat stories and live casts.
For those unfamiliar, Gary is a Belarus-born entrepreneur, venture capitalist and CEO of NYC-based VaynerMedia, one of the fastest growing digital ad & marketing agencies in the world.
A mainstay on YouTube, Gary hosts the hugely popular #AskGaryVee Show and dons protagonist duties on #TheDailyVee, a surprisingly hypnotic, behind the scenes gander into Gary’s everyday business life.
You've seen him profiled in the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, GQ, Time and Fortune's annual list of 40 under 40. You've watched him on Late Night With Conan O’Brien and Ellen. And maybe you've even read one his three New York Times bestselling books, Crush It*,Jab, Jab, Jab*, Right Hook*,The Thank You Economy* and now #AskGaryVee* – his newest offering which hits bookstores everywhere March 8. A compelling and entertaining distillation of practical, timeless workplace advice on entrepreneurship and management for anyone launching their own company, working in digital media, startin… Lees meer -
Jason Wachob On How To Build A Life, Not A Resumé
29 februari 2016 · 1 uur 40 min
Intellectually, we all know that true happiness is not a function of material status. Nonetheless, we all catch ourselves repeating the mantra, if I only had X, then I would be happy.
Nonsense. Not only can you be happy now, it's your birthright. Because the good life isn't about your bank account, it's about your lifestyle. And lifestyle is a choice.
This is the subject of my wellness entrepreneur friend Jason Wachob's new book, Wellth: How I Learned To Build A Life, Not A Resumé*, which hits bookstores everywhere March 1. In addition to being a beautiful personal memoir, its about how to cultivate a lifestyle where happiness is attainable, health is paramount, work is purposeful, friendships are deep and plentiful, and daily living is about abundance and joy.
But how? By redefining what it means to live successfully based upon the non-financial currency of wellbeing.
As co-founder and CEO of MindBodyGreen.com, the internet's biggest online destination for all things wellness, Jason is one of the movement's most prominent, leading voices. But Jason himself was not always well. After a successful basketball career at Columbia University, he took his competitive spirit to Wall Street. Workaholism, stress and poor lifestyle habits rewarded his bank account and lionized his caricature on the walls of the famous Palm steakhouse. But happiness, personal satisfaction and well-being eluded him.
Jason's faced-paced, sedentary lifestyle led to chronic back pain every surgeon said could not be resolved short of surgery. Against medical advice, Jason instead began to explore yoga, which miraculously resolved his persistent, painful condition. Amazed by the body's ability to heal itself when treated properly led to an interest in exploring other aspects of wellness, including diet, mindfulness and sustainability. The lights went on, sparking his innate entrepreneurial flair.
MindBodyGreen was born, and the rest is history. Lees meerI have been great friends with Jason and his wife Col…
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Do What You Love — PLUS BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!
25 februari 2016 · 1 uur 1 min
We're back with another long-awaited installment of Ask Me Anything — a twist on my normal format where we answer questions submitted by you, the listener.
Today we update you on everything happening at our emerging commune before turning to listener questions. Topics include the internal journey required to translate passion into profession, plus the emotional awakening to be expected when you begin the practice of yoga and meditation.
BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!
www.ourplantpowerworld.com
Julie and I are thrilled to announce that we will be hosting our first retreat —Plantpower Tuscany May 21-28, 2016.
Imagine an immersive 7-day wellness experience with myself, Julie and a select group of just 40 people communing in a beautiful villa in the hills between Florence and Sienna. This is not a luxury vacation — it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to transform your life, reset your path, dial up your plate, unlock your creativity, connect with your authentic voice and cultivate your best relationship with yourself, your partner and the world. Together we will dine on incredible plant-based cuisine, practice daily meditation & yoga, and roll up our sleeves and get to work on ourselves through a series of intensive workshops we have specifically designed to optimize your wellness and unlock your best, most authentic self.
This is the retreat Julie and I have been dreaming about for years. We are beyond excited to finally offer this unique experience to you.
For everything you need to know about the program, itinerary, pricing and accommodations please visit: ourplantpowerworld.com
Space is limited to just 40 attendees, so if this opportunity sounds like the fit you've been looking for, please get in touch with us as soon as possible by sending an e-mail via the e-mail portal on ourplantpowerworld.com (not the e-mail portal on this site please).
Enjoy the conversation and hope to meet you in Italy!
Peace + Plants,
Rich
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/ad… Lees meer -
Mishka Shubaly On Writing: Faith, Guilt, Stubbornness, Abandonment, Revenge, Forgiveness & Why He Swears He’ll Make It Up To You
22 februari 2016 · 2 uur 21 min
Devoted listeners are well-acquainted with the gravelly voiced, predictably disheveled, typically homeless, chronically self-deprecating, sometimes tortured, but always charming, self-avowed nomadic povertarian commonly known as Mishka Shubaly – back on the podcast for a record-breaking 7th appearance.
A writer oozing talent from his already overactive sebaceous glands, Mishka pens true stories about drink, drugs, disasters, desire, deception, and their aftermath. He began drinking at 13 and college at 15. At 22, he received the Dean's Fellowship from the Master's Writing Program at Columbia University. Upon receipt of his expensive MFA, he promptly moved into a Toyota minivan to tour the country nonstop as a singer-songwriter, often sharing the stage with comedians like Doug Stanhope and musical acts like The Strokes and The Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
But mostly he drank. Lees meerIt sounds glamorous. It wasn't. At 32, Mishka hit bottom, got sober and laced up a pair of running shoes. In between ultra marathons, he began publishing a string of #1 bestselling Kindle Singles – short non-fiction novellas — through Amazon. The Long Run*, his mini-memoir detailing his transformation from alcoholic drug abuser to sober ultrarunner, to this day remains one of the best-selling Kindle Singles in Amazon history.
Today, Mishka's on the cusp of releasing his very first book book. I Swear I’ll Make It Up To You – A Life On The Low Road* hits bookstores everywhere March 8, 2016.
Brutally honest, fiercely emotional and muscular in its prose, it's the booze-fueled, opiated account of a precocious young underachiever trying to be good (and failing and failing) until one day he succeeds. It's about serial abandonment, school shootings, alcoholism, loneliness, artistic frustration, faith, guilt, sobriety, running, relationships, resentment, revenge, music, art, and creativity. It’s about one man’s attempt to reckon with the wreckage of his past and his journey to reconcile his relationship with his f… -
Joseph Naus’ Straight Pepper Diet: How A Sex Addicted Lawyer Who Lost Everything Found Salvation
15 februari 2016 · 2 uur 4 min
Addiction is a common theme on this podcast.
But this week we sail into previously unchartered waters to tackle a dark and difficult subject:
Sex addiction.
Few taboos remain in our hyper-extroverted, selfie-fueled modern culture. But I think it's safe to say this remains one of them.
And yet 18 million – 24 million people in the U.S. alone suffer from this incredibly destructive affliction — that's 6-8% of the population. But because this particular topic is so taboo, most locked in the grip of this prurient form of addiction are too terrified to reach out for help and thus suffer in isolation, silence and profound shame.
Joseph Naus was one of them.
Raised in hardscrabble poverty by a young, single mom — a heroin addict turned shut-in depressive — Joseph was desperate to find a way out. On sheer determination he succeeds, graduating Pepperdine Law School to become a respected lawyer.
However, at age 32, his American Dream became a nightmare when his secret life as a sex addict collided with his not so secret alcoholism to destroy every aspect of his life with the explosive force of an atomic bomb.
Convicted of a felony and disbarred, Joseph has spent the last twelve years learning humility the hard way: making a living doing everything from picking up the trash on film sets to selling outdoor kitchens at home shows for a former client, all while cleaning up the wreckage of his past and building a new life.
Joseph's tale is one of darkness, desperation and demons. It's horrifying and it's cautionary. But it's also about redemption. Forgiveness. And the journey to find wholeness. A story laudably chronicled with distressing honesty and harrowing detail in Straight Pepper Diet: A Memoir*.
I understand that some may cringe at the prospect of tuning in for this one. I get that. But on a personal level I feel a responsibility to tackle the subject. My aspiration is that this conversation provides a glimmer of hope for those imprisoned by this lonely, soul-eroding compu… Lees meer -
Our Broken Plate: Disrupting Nutritional Science, Intermittent Fasting & How He Helped Penn Jillette Lose Over 100 Pounds
8 februari 2016 · 3 uur 2 min
If you enjoyed my conversation with Dr. Rhonda Patrick, you're going to love today's conversation with my new friend Ray Cronise.
A passionate innovator, disrupter and scientist, Ray began his career as a Materials Scientist at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, where he worked for 15 years in Physical and Analytical Chemistry and Biophysics as Assistant Mission Scientist on four Spacelab missions and projects like the impact of microgravity on biophysics; and space station environmental life support systems.
I have no idea what any of that means, but it sounds impressive.
Ray went on to co-found ZERO-G– the world’s first private parabolic flight operation – with XPRIZE creator Peter Diamandis. Otherwise known as vomit comets, ZERO-G flights produce weightlessness and approximate space flight conditions for purposes of scientific research, cinema and entertainment.
But it wasn't until Tim Ferriss' The 4-Hour Body* featured Ray's pioneering work with cold stress therapy as as a tool for fat loss that Ray began popping up everywhere as the man behind the Metabolic Winter Hypothesis. Lees meerResults motivated this prodigious scientific mind next to peer keenly into the chemistry, physiology, mechanics and research methodology behind human nutrition — specifically, what is wrong with current nutrition research and how to fix it. After copious investigation, analysis and self-experimentation, he has arrived upon a well supported but perhaps contrarian conclusion: a whole food plant-based diet is optimal for long-term health and wellness.
Despite decades spent struggling to manage his own weight and stay fit, for the past six years Ray has kept the weight off using a combination of cold stress, healthful sleep cycles, and a plant-based nutritional regimen.
Mainstream culture would deem Ray's ways extreme. But ask Ray and he will tell you that the way most people live and eat today is actually a radical departure from our natural state and is likely the root cause of our epide… -
Russell Simmons: The Yogi Path From Hip Hop Mogul To Happy Vegan
1 februari 2016 · 1 uur 38 min
It's rare to find a pop culture icon as devoted to raising consciousness as the man they call Rush.
Hip hop impresario, entrepreneur extraordinaire, devoted yogi and long-time meditation practitioner, Russell Simmons is truly one-of-a-kind — incredibly warm, always quick with a captivating story you won't soon forget and authentically committed to spreading awareness concerning important issues of our time — the horrors of animal agriculture, the declining state of human health (particularly in African American and lower socio-economic demographics) and the disastrous state of our planet’s dwindling environmental health.
Most are familiar with Russell's background, but in case his name is new to you, let’s break it open.
Alongside Rick Rubin, in 1984 Russell co-founded Def Jam Recordings and quickly established himself as a prominent, guiding force in the quickly growing cultural revolution that became hip hop. Championing its breakout stars, Def Jam became the label by signing the movement's ground-breaking forerunners – acts like the LL Cool J, Public Enemy, and The Beastie Boys.
But Def Jam was just the first step in Russell's empire building quest. Before selling the label to Universal Music Group in 1999 for $100 million, he formed RUSH Communications and quickly expanded his reach into artist management, apparel, and film & television projects like The Nutty Professor, Krush Groove, Gridlock'd and Def Comedy Jam.
Russell's current holdings include a vast array of entrepreneurial interests and philanthropic efforts, including All Def Digital, Argyleculture, RushCard, Global Grind, The Foundation For Ethnic Understanding and Tantris, a yoga & lifestyle destination currently in development.
All of this is fascinating. But what interests me most about Russell is his personal journey. How discovering yoga and meditation led to his embrace of a vegan lifestyle. And the tremendous extent to which his commitment to cultivating an inner life based on the spiritual pri… Lees meer -
Elite Spartan Athlete Hunter McIntyre On How Obstacle Course Racing Saved His Life
25 januari 2016 · 1 uur 45 min
At odds with the world seemingly since birth, the future wasn't looking so bright for Hunter McIntyre.
A misfit kid with uncontrollable attention deficit disorder, Hunter realized early and often he functioned on one mode no sedative or bipolar medication could possibly curb: full blast.
Discovering drugs and alcohol at 14 give his ill-at-ease nature comfort, but trouble soon follows. A downward spiral that invites increased school suspensions; escalating run-ins with Johnny Law; and even a short-lived, unsuccessful stint at military school in West Virginia.
Facing jail time or rehab for a drug-fueled senior year prank gone terribly awry, Hunter's despairing parents ultimately ship him off to outpatient care in Montana, hoping clean air and big skies will bring grounding and perspective to young Hunter's errant ways. But dirty drug tests follow, leading to incarceration-type rehab stays in Nevada and New Mexico.
Ultimately Hunter's sobriety officer intervenes, hooking him up with a logging job back in Montana.
Hunter bulks up. Sober up? Not so much.
The next chapter finds Hunter in Los Angeles, failing upward with lucrative modeling gigs for companies like J. Crew and Abercrombie and Fitch while setting his sights on becoming a celebrity personal trainer. But life goals are eclipsed by an ever-escalation in partying. Living the sun-drenched frat boy lifestyle in a Malibu bro-house, days and nights revolve around girls, ecstasy, mushrooms, acid, more girls and even more alcohol.
A spontaneous booze-fueled, chest-pumping whim leads to Hunter and his Malibros challenging each other to sign up for a local Spartan Race — unchartered terrain for all involved. But come race day, only Hunter is able to drag his hung over body out of bed. Despite several beers enjoyed that morning, he nonetheless finishes ninth overall, just eight minutes behind world champion and 2:16 marathoner Hobie Call.
And just like that, the lights turn on. It's the wake up call Hunter needed. The re… Lees meer -
Longevity, Epigenetics, Microbiome Health & The Difference Between Eating for Long-Term Wellness Versus Performance
18 januari 2016 · 2 uur 22 min
This episode is a geeky deep dive into the hardcore science behind everything from telomeres and the mechanisms behind aging and longevity to the primacy of maintaining microbiome health; oxidative stress and the relationship between inflammation and chronic disease; epigenetics and genetic disposition versus expression; and of course nutrition – divining truth from myth, the impact of micronutrient inadequacies, focused supplementation and the difference between eating for optimal wellness versus performance.
Today's guide through this byzantine labyrinth of crucial biological processes is my brilliant friend Rhonda Patrick, Ph.D.
A Ph.D in biomedical sciences, Dr. Patrick is an expert in nutrition, metabolism and aging. She has done considerable research in all of these fields, including research on cancer and the effects of mineral and vitamin supplementation on metabolism, inflammation and aging. She did her graduate research at St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, where she focused on cancer, mitochondrial metabolism and apoptosis. In addition, she conducts clinical trials and has performed extensive aging research at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies.
Beyond the fact that Rhonda is whip smart (and totally amazing), through her Found My Fitness blog,podcast and YouTube channel, she expertly translates the complexities of clinical research and physiological processes in understandable terms, adeptly communicates their implications and provides actionable real life practices and applications aimed at maximizing overall health and longevity.
It's time to put on the propellor hat and get out your pen and paper, because you're going to want to take notes for this one.
We cover a ton of material in this conversation. Specific topics include: Lees meer* identifying the biomarkers of aging
* the biological impact of oxidative stressors
* acute inflammation vs. chronic inflammation
* why we should forget about protein and focus on fiber
* the importance of cultivat… -
Don’t Compromise: Living An Expansive Life, The Divine Throughline, Thoughts on Bowie & Why All Roads Lead To Meditation
14 januari 2016 · 1 uur 9 min
Technically this is another episode of Ask Me Anything. But this week we don't actually answer listener questions. This week we riff.
This is a conversation about embracing the journey of becoming more of who you truly are. It's about the commitment to evolve into your most authentic expression. It's about the beauty and power of living an uncompromising, expansive, creative existence.
There was a man who exemplified this ethos like no other. A man who never compromised. A man who expressed his creative truth with every fiber of his being, all the way down to his final breath.
That man is the singular David Bowie. May you rest in peace, Ziggy Stardust.
Today we reflect back on a remarkable life. From his example we mine the path to unlocking your own personal truth. And we weave our way back to one immutable truth — all roads to personal growth lead back to your commitment to you.
As a related aside, and in case you missed it, enjoy this short movie about my recent visit to Beirut, Lebanon to run the marathon. I didn't run for time. I ran for peace. An experience that uplifted me, then broke my heart. That's what travel does — it breeds empathy. Lees meer2016 is all about video for me. So if you enjoyed this little movie, subscribe to my YouTube Channel. I'll be uploading a new video every week, so lots of cool stuff soon to come. For fun daily videos on my morning routines, nutrition, training, podcast behind the scenes and random musings, add me (iamrichroll) on Snapchat!
In any event, enjoy the conversation.
Peace + Plants,
Rich
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Colin O’Brady’s Attempt On The Explorers Grand Slam World Record
11 januari 2016 · 2 uur 19 min
As I write this entry, it's Sunday evening, January 10 around 8pm. Less than one hour ago, after days spent slogging across Antarctic desert in -30 celsius temperatures, 30-year old pro triathlete turned mountaineering adventure athlete Colin O'Brady reached the South Pole — the first stop on his world record quest to become the youngest and fastest human to ever complete the Explorers Grand Slam — an adventurers challenge to summit the highest mountain on each of the seven continents as well as trek to both the North and South Poles.
Only 44 people in documented history have successfully completed the challenge. Of these, only 2 have done it under a year.
Colin's goal? Get it done in five months.
If that's not amazing enough, consider that just eight years ago, Colin faced the very real possibility he would never walk again.
After graduating from Yale in 2006, Colin left to explore the world on a backpacking trip. While in Thailand, he suffered a tragic accident and was severely burned in a fire. His injuries covered nearly 25% of his body, causing potentially irrevocable damage to his legs and feet.
Determined to beat the odds, he set a seemingly outlandish goal to not just walk again, but to complete a triathlon following his recovery. Colin didn't just finish a triathlon. In his first attempt he won — stunning the multisport community with an overall amateur title at the prestigious 2009 Chicago Triathlon less than two years post-accident and after only a few months of training.
On the day immediately following his victory, Colin turned pro, quit his job as a commodities trader, hopped a flight to Australia and spent the next five years representing the United States in triathlon competitions all over the world with a keen eye on landing an Olympic berth.
Insane. And yet despite his amazing success, Colin sensed something missing from his life. He wanted more. A compulsion to more deeply explore uncertainty and precariousness that fatefully gave birth to the ex… Lees meer -
I Forgot To Die: Khalil Rafati’s Journey From Homeless Junkie To Wellness Entrepreneur
4 januari 2016 · 2 uur 22 min
Today my good friend Khalil Rafati returns to the podcast.
Most would call Khalil a successful wellness entrepreneur. SunLife Organics, his growing chain of organic juice bar cafés, can be seen popping up all over Southern California with more on the horizon.
But it wasn't that long ago that the only thing Khalil was successful at was getting high in the dark underbelly of the City of Angels.
Addicted to shooting heroin and smoking crack, Khalil was soon overtaken by paranoia and psychosis and written off by friends and family. When he finally hit bottom, Khalil was 33 years old and 109 pounds, a convicted felon, high school dropout, and homeless junkie living in a cardboard box on the infamous Skid Row in downtown L.A.
At the time, Khalil was hell bent on dying. But God, the Universe or whatever you want to call it had different plans. He didn't just live — he repaired his life wholesale. A miracle of sobriety. Miracle.
So how does someone with nothing, who feels like they deserve nothing, and who just wants to end it all turn their life around?
Khalil’s story is nothing short of astounding, trumped only by his ability to tell it. So if you missed his first appearance on the show, listen up here.
Today he drops by the podcast studio to pick up where we left off — a tale recently canonized in his recently released memoir I Forgot To Die* — an incredible true story of pain, suffering, addiction and redemption and how one man ultimately conquered his demons and wrote himself a new life story.
So let's hear all about it. I sincerely hope you enjoy this conversation with one of my favorite people.
Peace + Plants,
Rich
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The Best Of 2015 – Part II
30 december 2015 · 1 uur 55 min
Welcome to Part II of our third annual Best of the RRP Anthology series. If you haven’t already, I suggest listening to The Best of 2015 — Part I first.
This is a compendium of some of my favorite conversations of 2015. It's our way of saying thanks, giving back, expressing gratitude and catapulting you into the new year with the information and inspiration required to make 2016 your best year yet.
I appreciate you. Here’s to an absolutely extraordinary 2016. Enjoy the listen.
Peace + Plants,
Rich
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The Best Of 2015 – Part I
28 december 2015 · 2 uur 8 min
This is the time of year to pause. It's the time of year for reflection. For gratitude. And for giving back. Lees meer
So let's do all those things. Welcome to the third annual Best of the RRP Anthology — our way of taking a moment to reflect on the year, express gratitude and give thanks for taking this journey with us.
I pride myself on bringing a wide variety of personalities, opinions and attitudes to the show. When I look back over 2015, it's amazing how many incredibly dynamic conversations and perspectives I was honored to share. Second listens brought new insights. Another reminder that this show is a gift that just keeps giving.For long-time listeners, this and the following episode will bring certain insights back into the forefront of your consciousness as you contemplate your new year's trajectory. If you're new to the show, then these episodes will definitely inspire you to peruse the catalog and listen in full to some of the guests and or episodes you may have missed. Links to the full episodes excerpted in this anthology are enumerated below.
What a stunning year. Thank you. I appreciate you. Here's to an extraordinary 2016 — the year we manifest our greatest dreams into reality. Join me, and let's do this thing together.
Peace + Plants,
Rich
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Suzy Amis Cameron’s Mission To Save The Planet — Rethinking Education, Agriculture, Health & The American Diet
21 december 2015 · 1 uur 52 min
Perhaps you know today’s guest from one of her 25+ roles on the silver screen appearing in movies like Titanic, Fandango and The Usual Suspects. Or maybe you know her as the better half of the world’s most successful film director, James Cameron – the incomparable mind behind the biggest cinematic blockbusters of all time: Aliens, Terminator, Titanic and of course Avatar – the highest grossing movie ever.
But Suzy Amis Cameron is so much more than all that. In addition to raising five kids, she is a pioneering environmental activist. A passionate philanthropist. An education innovator. And the maverick co-founder (along with her sister Rebecca) of MUSE. Grabbing international headlines last year when it became the first U.S. school to implement a 100% plant-based school lunch program, MUSE is an incredibly progressive, paradigm breaking K-12 institution devoted to sustainability; creative & critical thinking; and preparing young people to live consciously within themselves, one another and the planet. A pretty great vision if you ask me.
A living example of selfless advocacy in action, for the last 25 years Suzy has tirelessly dedicated herself to an array of environmental causes, working non-stop to reform education; combat global climate change; raze our execrable system of animal agriculture; overhaul our fatal addiction to the standard American diet; defeat chronic lifestyle disease; and engineer a better, healthier food system for all.
Towards this end, in 2014 James and Suzy founded Food Choice Taskforce, a non-profit organization targeting the impact of animal agriculture on climate change to mobilize a global shift in food choice. She is also a founder of Food Forest Organics, a New Zealand-based plant-based cafe and marketplace, and Red Carpet Green Dress, showcasing socially and environmentally responsible fashions.
This is a great conversation about her extraordinary life. It’s a conversation about the intricate, intertwined relationship between our acti… Lees meer -
Hollywood Stuntman Trampas Thompson: Life on The Edge, Expanding Consciousness & What It’s Like To Be Birdman
17 december 2015 · 3 uur 15 min
Today's guest isn’t famous. He hasn’t written a book. He's not an in demand speaker.
But I can almost promise that you have seen Trampas Thompson — you just didn’t know it.
Working behind the scenes, Trampas is a Hollywood stuntmen extraordinaire, collecting blockbuster credits performing a dizzying array of delicious, death-defying acts in some of the world's most popular movies and television shows.
Trampas has run the streets on fire, sword battled with Johnny Depp in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies and most recently doubled Michael Keaton in Birdman. Yes, that was Trampas, not Michael, who lept off a New York Theatre District rooftop in the most memorable scene from last year's Oscar winning best picture.
His credits are impressive: The Dark Knight Rises, National Treasure, 21 Jump Street, Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull, The Wolf of Wall Street, and on and on.
But what drew me to Trampas as a great fit for the podcast actually has very little to do with his work. Far more fascinating? Who he is.
What kind of person becomes a stuntman?
God broke the mold with this guy. Larger than life, Trampas is one-of-a-kind. A renaissance man living life full throttle 24/7. The kind of guy who survived a skydiving accident when his parachute didn’t open, then jumped again. A person unapologetically himself, incapable of doing anything half-assed and utterly fearless.
This is another epic, thoroughly entertaining 3-hour conversation with a truly singular human about living life on one’s own terms. It's about dragonfly tattoos, synchronicity, Burning Man and the never ending spiritual quest to grow and expand consciousness.
It's about what it means to hand-wring the adventure out of life.
I sincerely hope you enjoy this conversation with one of my favorite people.
Peace + Plants,
Rich
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Patrik Baboumian: The World Record Holding Vegan Strongman On Why Compassion Is His Greatest Strength
14 december 2015 · 3 uur 8 min
Strength isn't just about physical prowess. Strength is about character.
By this definition, vegan strongman Patrik Baboumian is perhaps the strongest man on Earth.
Born in 1979 to Armenian parents in Abadan, Iran, Patrik and his family fled the Iranian revolution when he was seven and emigrated to central Germany. By the age of nine, he fell in love with wrestling on TV and soon developed an interest in weight training. As a young teen, he got into power lifting and bodybuilding, rising quickly through the ranks to become Germany’s national junior bodybuilding champion.
For ethical reasons, in 2005 Patrik went vegetarian, accepting that this would likely undermine his performance goals. Instead, his improvement steadily escalated. So in 2011, he went completely vegan. And that's when things really blew up for the guy they call the Armenian Viking.
100% Plantpowered, over the last 4 years Patrik has been awarded the title of Germany's Strongest Man, racked up multiple victories at the European Powerlifting Championships and set four Guinness World Records in various strength disciplines.
We're talking about a guy who can Bench 463 lbs. Squat 794 lbs. And Deadlift 794 lbs.
This is a long way of saying that Patrik Baboumian is stronger than you are. And believe it or not, he has accomplished all of these extraordinary, superhuman feats without the one thing long-held conventional wisdom dictates is absolutely necessary to optimally perform as an elite strength athlete: animal protein.
I first met Patrik at the 2013 at the Toronto VegFest, where I stood on the WestJet Stage at Harbourfront Centre before a crowd 1,000 deep to cheer him towards a Guinness World Record setting yoke walk — a feat that entailed carrying 1,216 pounds (550kilos) a distance of 10 meters in less than 60 seconds (which he recently bettered to a current 560kg world record, completed in just 28 seconds). Spontaneously grabbing for my GoPro, I shot this little video documenting the astounding acco… Lees meer -
The D Word: Let’s talk About Death
10 december 2015 · 1 uur 8 min
Last episode we learned how How Not To Die.
Today we contemplate the flip side: How To Die.
Everybody dies. Everybody. Of course we know this to be true. But when was the last time you had a direct experience with someone in the grips of the undeniable reality that afflicts us all without exception? Most people have never even seen a dead person, let alone held the hand of someone expiring their last breath.
Why is the one thing we all share in common seemingly deleted from our daily human experience?
Because our culture is carefully crafted to obscure, whitewash, sanitize and obviate every unpalatable aspect of the frightening reality that scares the shit out of us more than anything else.
As a result, we sleepwalk through life pretending it doesn't exist. Subconsciously, we might even harbor the completely insane thought that somehow, some way, we will be the exception to the rule and find a way to escape such distasteful finality.
Then, when death rears it's unfamiliar head (it always does), we recoil. We get uncomfortable. Paralyzed by fear and morbidity, we stumble with our words. Lacking the capacity to even have an open and honest conversation about it, we retreat into a shame spiral.
Death breeds fear. Fear breeds resistance. Resistance breeds denial. And denial never helped anyone.
This is not a healthy relationship with death.
So let go of the fear. Free yourself of the resistance. And let's form a new relationship with death. One that not only acknowledges it, but embraces it as our most potent communal experience. One that guilds our lives with meaning. One that allows us to be more present in our lives. One that unites rather than divides. One that provides fertile soil for gratitude.
For me, these concepts are not academic. As I type, Julie's 92-year old father is on his deathbed. It is unlikely he will live to see the weekend. And so for the last several days, our lives have been on hold as our children and extended family have gathered around Larry … Lees meer -
Michael Greger, M.D. On How Not To Die
7 december 2015 · 1 uur 45 min
A graduate of Cornell and Tufts University School of Medicine, Dr. Greger has published in a litany of scientific journals, testified before Congress and lectured at countless symposiums and institutions, including the Conference on World Affairs and the National Institutes of Health. He was even an expert witness in the infamous Oprah Winfrey meat defamation lawsuit and has appeared all over television on shows like Dr. Oz and The Colbert Report.
By day, Michael Greger, MD, FACLM can be found crafting high level policy initiatives as Director of Public Health and Animal Agriculture for the Humane Society of the U.S. But more often than not he's traipsing the globe, hopping from podium to podium to deliver one of the hundreds of lectures he serves up annually.
By night, Dr. Greger scours thousands of medical journals in search of the world's best, most objective nutrition research to bring you free videos and articles every single day as chief wizard behind NutritionFacts.org– the world's most authoritative, non-profit online destination for all things nutrition, health and disease prevention.
If you've never before visited this site, I highly suggest you check it out immediately. A comprehensive clearinghouse that inspects every imaginable facet of nutrition and health, NutritionFacts.org features hundreds of impeccably researched, easily understandable and straight to the point videos — always my first stop when I want to get to the bottom of any question I have about food, diet and disease.
Apparently Dr. Greger doesn't sleep. Because amidst all of this, he still found time to write a new book that hits booksellers everywhere this week. But How Not To Die* isn't just any book — it's a straight up game changing must read. Clocking in at over 600 pages, it's an exhaustive, heavily researched, encyclopedic examination of how nutritional and lifestyle interventions can help prevent and even reverse the 15 top causes of premature death in America.
Not only has Dr. Gr… Lees meer -
It’s An Inside Job: Olaniyi Sobomehin On How To Maximize Potential In Sport & Life
3 december 2015 · 2 uur 8 min
We tend to assume the successful are simply gifted. Or perhaps just lucky — at the right place at the right time.
Olaniyi Sobomehin is not one of those people.
But he does have one thing most lack: vision and self-belief.
A middle child with a life long dream to play in the NFL, Niyi lacked the natural gifts required to even earn a college football scholarship. Friends and family repeated the refrain: be realistic. Niyi ignored the advice, invested in himself and walked on the Oregon State program with little to no chance of seeing game time.
But sheer determination, exceptional mental toughness, and an unparalleled ability to out work everyone on the field turned this no name walk on into a running back for The New Orleans Saints, where he finally realized his childhood dream playing alongside NFL greats like Drew Brees.
A voracious reader able to translate wisdom into actionable practices, Niyi understood that the tools he relied upon for athletic success would apply equally to life after football. So upon retirement he turned his professional focus to I'm Not You– a platform to help young athletes develop the habits, strategies, systems and techniques required to maximize potential in sport and life.
Niyi's approach has little to do with physical training. It's about overcoming mental limitations. It's about mindset. Because the relationship one has with one's self is what ultimately dictates outcomes.
In other words, it's an inside job.
Today we talk about the strategies Niyi distilled from playing at the highest level of sport and how these tools can be applied to unlock your own inner potential.
Specifics include: Lees meer* how to overcome a talent deficit
* developing confidence through facing fear
* techniques for developing a mental edge
* what holds most athletes (and people) back
* the common habits of the most successful athletes
* the benefits of affirmation & visualization techniques
* morning routines to optimize your day
* why he surveys his family weekly;… -
Never Fear Failure: Jesse Itzler on Living With A SEAL, Tackling Life Plateaus & Getting Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable
30 november 2015 · 1 uur 27 min
Jesse Itzler fast-talked his way right out of college into a recording contract, ultimately taking his music all the way to MTV, the Billboard 100 and even an Emmy.
Jesse Itzler then took an entrepreneurial left-turn, creating and selling big companies — companies like Marquis Jet, the world’s largest prepaid private jet card company, and Zico Coconut Water — before wooing Spanx founder Sarah Blakely (worth over $1 billion) all the way to the altar.
Jesse Itzler eats only fruit before noon. And when he's not raising three kids, he runs 100 mile races, raises millions for charity and can be found court side supporting the Atlanta Hawks — the NBA team he recently purchased with some friends.
What I'm trying to say is that Jesse Itzler is a quite the character. An amazing life highlighted by one predominant theme:
never be afraid to fail.
But there is one thing that scares Jesse Itzler: stagnation.
Despite all his success, in 2010 Jesse felt his life had settled into a too-comfortable routine. So he did what any rational human would do: he invited a Navy SEAL to move in with him.
But this was no ordinary SEAL (as if any such thing exists). This was David Goggins — perhaps the most intense, taciturn individual walking planet Earth. A one man metaphor for adversity destruction, Goggins' example and words formed the original inspiration behind my own journey:
When you think you are done, you've only accomplished about 40% of what you are truly capable of.
Goggins military record is astonishing. As a Navy SEAL, he was one of an elite group of men regularly sent on some of the toughest missions in the world. He is the only member in the U.S. Armed Forces to complete SEAL training, Army Ranger School (where he graduated as Honor Man), and Air Force tactical air controller training. Not only has he faced combat in Iraq, he served as the body guard for Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari.
To honor his brother soldiers felled by battle and to raise money for charity, David… Lees meer -
How To Navigate Holiday Landmines: ‘Tis The Season For Grace & Gratitude
26 november 2015 · 1 uur 30 min
The holidays are a time of year for gratitude. So why do so many find it so hard to celebrate?
There's a brisk chill outside. By late afternoon it's already dark. Our circadian rhythm dictates we slow down, hunker down and hibernate. But for the next month, we ignore the call of nature, mindlessly hurling ourselves into a frenzied state of overcommitted overextension.
Too many obligations. Overspending on things nobody really needs. Keeping up with the Joneses yet never quite matching up.
Stress. Anxiety. Conflict. Dread. Debt. But perhaps the biggest trigger of all? Family drama.
The treachery of extended family holiday get-togethers can accelerate a perilous emotional state to the breaking point. The patterns are age-old and hard wired, yet each year we make the promise: this time will be different. But then like clockwork, the buttons get pushed. Patience? Mindfulness? Forget it. Reason and composure vanishes, replaced with primal reaction. The spark is lit, and once again you're once riding that emotional rollercoaster you vowed to finally avoid.
Depression ensues, only to wake up in January with an emotional hangover no narcotic can salve.
What if you could break the pattern?
This week Julie and I delve deep into strategies for a new and better holiday experience. Tips and tools to reframe the dynamic, gracefully navigate the emotional minefields, sidestep the consumerist insanity and embrace the fundamental spirit that is meant to define this time of year — gratitude.
Specific topics include: Lees meer* creative vs. commercialized giving
* prioritizing self-care
* acknowledging family dynamic realities
* exercising discretion with respect to social obligations
* sealing your energy field
* visualization and mindfulness practices
* understanding conflict as growth opportunityThe show concludes with Humming– a brief humming meditation track written and performed by Julie from her album Jai Home.
I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange. Happy Thanksgiving!
Peace + Pla… -
Marco Borges’ 22-Day Revolution: A Plant-Based Mission To Transform Mainstream Culture
23 november 2015 · 1 uur 58 min
Maybe you know Marco Borges because he trains people like Pharrell. Perhaps you know him as the guy who inspired Jay-Z and Beyoncé (who he also trains) to adopt a plant-based lifestyle, then partnered up with them to launch 22-Days Nutrition – a plant-based nutrition products and meal delivery service that shuttles organic, plant-based gluten-free, soy-free and dairy-free meals anywhere in the U.S., right to your doorstep.
I had never met Marco. In fact, until this past Spring, I had never even heard of him. But all that changed in April when this Miami-based celebrity fitness trainer, exercise physiologist and plant-based evangelist was suddenly everywhere: the TODAY show, Good Morning America, TIME magazine and even places like Vogue, Entertainment Tonight, Ryan Secrest and Perez Hilton. A Jay & Bey infused media blitz that launched this guy from below the radar to massive mainstream popularity, fomented a plant-based zeitgeist frenzy and skyrocketed his new book, The 22-Day Revolution: The Plant-Based Program That Will Transform Your Body*, to the top of the New York Times Bestseller list.
When the most culturally significant and influential entertainment couple on the planet embraces the plant-based perspective (even if imperfectly or temporarily), it's a big deal. The seismic impact can't be underestimated. People don't just notice — the tectonic plates of popular culture shift. Conventional attitudes and habits around food change. Our social paradigm forever altered.
So who is the man behind all this?
In full disclosure, my biggest fear was that Marco would be just another trainer leveraging celebrity relationships for personal notoriety and fortune.
But contempt prior to investigation is a recipe for ignorance. I was delighted to discover a remarkable man. A man that completely defies the stereotype and put to rest any questions I may have harbored about the motivations behind his mission.
Marco Borges is true blue. The real deal. A husband and father of thr… Lees meer -
Olympian Aaron Peirsol’s Love Affair With Water
16 november 2015 · 2 uur 21 min
If you follow competitive swimming, Aaron Peirsol needs no introduction.
The commonly spun narrative goes something like this: the greatest backstroker in swimming history, Aaron Peirsol is a giant among men. The very definition of a high performing elite athlete with a slew of world-records and Olympic gold medals to prove it.
But Aaron is not his career. Aaron Peirsol is different.
Let's set the stage. Aaron burst onto the international swimming scene at the age of 17, walking away from the 2000 Sydney Olympics with a silver medal in the 200m backstroke. At the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Aaron won gold in both the 100m and 200m backstroke (that one by an incredible 2.5 secs) and a third gold leading off the 4×100 medley relay. At the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Aaron took gold in the 100m backstroke and the 4×100 medley relay, taking silver in the 200m back behind teammate Ryan Lochte.
The following year, Aaron raised the bar one last time with a stunning 1:51.93 world record setting performance in the 200m backstroke at the World Championships in Rome — a world record that to this day still stands – an astonishing 6 years later. Lees meer7 Olympic medals. 5 gold, 2 silver. 10 long-course World Championships.
Aaron is of course incredibly proud of his accomplishments. But victories, defeats, podiums and bling fail to tell the story of Aaron Peirsol. They are not who he is.
Over the course of his career, I vividly recall watching Aaron on television — one triumph after another. But far more interesting than his performances was how he acquitted himself outside the pool. There is just something completely unique about this guy. He is unlike any other high performing athlete I know.
More contemplative. Consistently thoughtful. A bit soft spoken. And always laid back.
More soul surfer than Type-A competitor.
How does a guy so chill thrive in such a pressure cooker universe? Not just through 1 Olympiad but 3?
Today I get answers. Today we enter the world of elite competitive swim… -
What is Orthorexia? When Wellness Becomes Illness — Plus Thoughts On PTSD, Self-Forgiveness & Running For Peace
12 november 2015 · 1 uur 6 min
We’re back with yet another installment of Ask Me Anything — a twist on my normal format where we answer questions submitted by you, the listener.
In this week's installment, Julie and I discuss my recent visit to Beirut to run the marathon and then take two listener questions. First we discuss blogger Jordan Younger's battle with orthorexia and her decision to let go of her vegan identity. Then, in honor of Veteran's Day, we discuss a soldier's struggle with PTSD and the journey to self-forgiveness.
Specific topics include: Lees meer* why go all the way to Beirut to run a marathon?
* running for peace in the Middle East
* what is orthorexia?
* the nexus between eating disorders & trauma
* when wellness becomes illness
* the prison of identity labels
* a veteran's struggle with PTSD
* the journey to self-forgiveness
* making peace with the self in the wake of violenceThank you to all the veterans out there for your selfless service. This episode is dedicated to those that suffer daily the trauma of that experience. A related podcast on the subject of veteran's issues and PTSD that you might enjoy is my conversation with Jason Hall, the screenwriter of American Sniper – RRP 130: Finding Purpose in Tragedy.
The show concludes with Cry, written and performed by Julie — aka SriMati – accompanied by our sons Tyler & Trapper Piatt.
Thanks to everyone who submitted inquiries — keep ‘em coming!
I sincerely hope you enjoy the conversation.
Peace + Plants,
Rich
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Live Dirty, Eat Clean: Robynne Chutkan, MD on Everything Microbiome
9 november 2015 · 2 uur 20 min
Our bodies are comprised of about ten trillion cells. But our microbiome — all the bacteria, viruses, and fungi that live in or on our bodies – outnumber human cells by a factor of 10. Therefore, it can be said that we are far more microorganism than human.
We choose to believe that we are sentient beings, responsible for our health, moods and decisions. But the crazy truth is that to a large extent, our emotional state, propensity for disease and even our specific food cravings can all be traced back to the nature of our gut ecology.
Most of these microorganisms are symbiotic. Maintaining a healthy culture of the right microorganisms is fundamental to good health. But should the quality of your microbiome go awry, health havoc ensues.
This week on the show we delve deep into the nuts and bolts of this fascinating and quickly evolving field of medicine with respected gastroenterologist, microbiome expert and avid marathoner Robynne Chutkan, MD ( @DrChutkan ).
A graduate of Yale, Dr. Chutkan received her medical degree from Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York, where she also did her internship and residency and served as Chief Resident. She completed her fellowship in gastroenterology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York and has been on the faculty at Georgetown University Hospital since 1997.
In 2004, Dr, Chutkan founded the Digestive Center for Women, an integrative gastroenterology practice that incorporates nutritional optimization, exercise physiology, biofeedback, and stress reduction as part of the therapeutic approach to digestive disorders.
Lecturing throughout the United States and Europe, Dr. Chutkan has authored dozens of journal articles; serves as medical consultant and on air talent for the Discover Health Channel; is a member of the medical advisory board for the Dr. Oz Show (where she has appeared as a regular guest); and has also made national appearances on The Today Show, The Morning Show, and The Doctors.
Consistently named on… Lees meer -
Grappling With GMOs: Daryl Wein & Zoe Lister-Jones On ‘Consumed’ — Making A Thriller Out of The Politics of Food
5 november 2015 · 1 uur 50 min
Most people don’t know that 80% of all processed foods currently contain genetically modified organisms.
In fact, 54% Americans know virtually nothing whatsoever about the subject of GMOs.
Filmmakers Daryl Wein and Zoe Lister Jones hope to change all that.
Enter Consumed– the very first narrative feature film to tackle the quite controversial and incendiary subject of genetically engineered food.
In the vein of Silkwood, Erin Brockovich and Traffic, Consumed is a taught political thriller of intersecting storylines that pivot around a mother’s investigation into her son’s illness and a series of archetypal characters that ultimately collide in the tangled world of genetically modified foods.
Based on a co-written script directed by Daryl that stars Zoe as the mother, I first met the hyper-kinetic Daryl and his glowing and dynamic wife Zoe at a dinner party just before they commenced production on the film. I was impressed by how informed and passionate they were about the subject of GMO. Even more impressive was their ambition and courage to tackle such a hot button issue on film. That night I made them promise to come on the podcast when the film was complete to tell us all about it. That day is today. Lees meerZoe and Daryl launched their relationship at NYU in 2002. Then they launched their careers, combining talents on two low budget relationship comedies, Breaking Upwards (SXSW, 2009) and Lola Versus (Fox Searchlight, 2012).
The films were so well received, the New York Times dubbed them, “Brooklyn’s answer to the Hollywood power couple,” establishing the pair as fresh new talents on New York’s independent film landscape alongside generational peers like Girls’ Lena Dunham.
The prudent career move for Daryl and Zoe would have been to stay in Brooklyn. Further cultivate their very New York sensibility. Continue making relationship comedies. And carve out fine careers in the vein of Woody Allen or Noah Baumbach.
Instead, they moved to Los Angeles and quickly set up a va… -
Shattering Wellness Elitism: Gunnar Lovelace’s Mission to Make Healthy Food Affordable For Everyone
2 november 2015 · 1 uur 16 min
Who has time for ‘wellness'? I'm just trying to pay the bills.
I would love to eat healthy, but I simply can't afford it.
When it comes to great food – plant-based or otherwise — the common refrain is that its either too expensive, inconvenient or simply unavailable. Often it's all of the above. Although I often rebut several myths that swirl around these arguments, it’s undeniable that there is much truth in these assertions. Whole Foods has earned the moniker Whole Paycheck for a reason. If we want to truly redress our health care problems, we need to lay ruin to the elitism that so unfortunately undermines populist accessibility to optimal nutrition.
In order to achieve this end, we must disrupt traditional supply chain methods. Combat special interests that entrench the status quo. Eliminate overpaid middle men. And leverage forward-thinking innovation to improve access, convenience and affordability to healthy food beyond the well healed for those who need it most — everyone.
Gunnar Lovelace to the rescue.
Yes, that is his real name. A life-long wellness advocate reared on a true-to-life commune by a single mom, Gunnar inherited his passion for health, yoga, mindfulness and expanded consciousness at birth — long before it became a zeitgeist thing.
Gunnar and I go way back. Years before my personal transformation. I still vividly recall our initial meeting when he walked into my law office in 2000 to discuss representation of his venture of the moment, GoodLife – an early internet socially conscious Yelp. On his feet were sandals. In his hand? A large mason jar filled with a mysterious and murky green sludge. What is that? Who brings something like that to a meeting with a lawyer? My very first glimpse of what I did not know at the time would later become a staple of my life.
Well ahead of its time, GoodLife fell victim to the dot-com bubble of the early aughts. But a long-lasting friendship survived.
A serial entrepreneur, now Gunnar is back and on to somethin… Lees meer -
Lewis Howes: The Myth of Masculinity, The Power of Vulnerability & What It Means To Be Great
29 oktober 2015 · 1 uur 38 min
This week I celebrate my friend and fellow podcaster Lewis Howes, host of The School of Greatness.
I met Lewis a couple years ago when we were both newbie podcasters. He did my show. I did his show. Friendship ensued.
A former professional football player and team handball Olympic hopeful who bottomed out before blossoming into a successful online entrepreneur, Lewis defies the stereotype that typically accompanies most successful alpha males. With a glint in his eye, Lewis is warm, incredibly giving, and a stellar example of what life can be like when your heart is open — gratitude in motion.
After an injury prematurely ended his football career, Lewis was depressed, aimless and broke. Yearning for inspiration as he convalesced on his sister's couch, he arrived at a question:
What kind of life do I want to lead?
Then he got to work. He sought out mentors — people thriving on their own terms. Applying the wisdom of those he respected, he began to create a vision for himself. He learned how to turn adversity into advantage. He cultivated a champion's mind-set. He hustled. He mastered his body. He practiced positive habits like appreciation, gratitude and mindfulness. He built a winning team. And perhaps most importantly, he learned how to be of service to others.
It worked. Living exactly the life he envisioned for himself daydreaming on his sister's couch in Ohio, today Lewis is a successful business coach, online entrepreneur, public speaker, podcast host, and now author.
Leveraging his personal experience and the wisdom of his mentors and inspiring podcast guests — Lewis has culled the best of what he has learned in a new book that came out just yesterday appropriately titled The School of Greatness: A Real World Guide To Living Bigger, Loving Deeper, And Leaving A Legacy*.
A primer on how to manifest your own internal greatness, it’s a fun, easy and informative read that not only inspires but provides actionable lessons and practical exercises aimed at helping y… Lees meer -
Addiction Is Not A Choice: Dr. Gabor Maté’s Call for A Compassionate & Holistic Approach To Healing
26 oktober 2015 · 1 uur 23 min
What if everything you presuppose about addiction is wrong?
Enter Gabor Maté.
World renowned lecturer, physician and bestselling author, today's guest is a highly distinguished, in demand and at times controversial authority with a wealth of expertise on a range of topics that span addiction, stress and childhood development.
With over twelve years of first hand experience working up close and personal on Vancouver's skid row with patients severely challenged by hard core drug addictions, mental illness and HIV, Dr. Maté has cultivated a powerful yet eminently commonsensical perspective on this devastating affliction that contravenes conventional medical dogma. A perspective that begins with a single edict:
Addiction is not a choice.
Moreover, addiction has little to do with illicit substances. It's just not about drugs. Or gambling, or shopping, or porn or whatever behavior happens to, in the words of Dr. Maté, incinerate the lives of millions.
Instead, addiction is about the emotional pain behind the behavior. And healing is about confronting the past and untangling the circumstances that drive the individual to self-medicate in maddening defiance of all reason and logic.
Based on cutting edge science, case studies and a wealth of personal experience, Dr. Maté concludes that addiction is a predisposition programmed in early years — an infestation that lurks miles beyond choice. A disease rooted neither in genetics nor free will but rather in environmental factors that hard wire brain neurochemistry during formative childhood development. Accordingly, those that suffer should not be shamed or criminalized, but instead treated in the same way we approach anyone suffering from cancer or an autoimmune disease — not with blame but rather with compassion, sympathy and medical intervention.
As an author, Dr. Maté has written extensively on the subjects of addiction, early childhood development & trauma, attention deficit disorder, and the relationship between stress and… Lees meer -
Stop Staring At The Scale & Turn The Gaze Inward — The Emotional Drivers Behind Diet & Behavior (Plus: Tales From Das Plantpower Kochbuch German Book Tour)
22 oktober 2015 · 1 uur 37 min
On a rainy night from a little boutique hotel in the Montmartre district of Paris after a whirlwind book tour in Germany last week, I'm filled with gratitude to bring you another installment of Ask Me Anything — a twist on my normal format where Julie and I discuss issues currently on the brain and answer listener submitted questions.
This week's topics include: Lees meer* tales from Das Plantpower Kochbuch German book tour
* the Berlin vegan scene
* shopping at the world's first all vegan supermarket
* hanging out with vegan strong man Patrik Baboumian
* plant-based in Paris
* vegan birthday at L'Arpège, the #12 best restaurant on Earth
* why you should stop “dieting”
* addressing the emotional drivers behind diet & behavior habits
* plant-based on the road — tips and toolsThe show concludes with Aditya, an ancient Sanskrit mantra performed by Julie — aka SriMati – musically accompanied by our sons Tyler & Trapper Piatt. A mantra intended to imbue our lives with vibrant health, the lyrics (very) loosely translated from the root Sankskrit go something like this:
Om to the solar universal energy / Protect me from enemies within and without / I chant your name ceaselessly and victoriously / I bow to you
Special thanks to everyone who submitted inquiries — keep ‘em coming!
An extra special thanks to everyone who took a moment to send me a birthday message. I greatly appreciate it. Beginning my 50th year feeling awesome!
I sincerely hope you enjoy the conversation.
Peace + Plants,
Rich
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Jedidiah Jenkins: The Pursuit of Wonder, The Power of Story & Finding Truth in Adventure
19 oktober 2015 · 2 uur 19 min
Author, global adventurer, social entrepreneur, human rights activist & lawyer, filmmaker and overall beautiful human.
All of these labels certainly befit today's guest, yet all somehow manage to fall short.
I can't quite recall how Jedidiah Jenkins first came across my radar. What I do remember is happening upon his rather stunning Instagram feed as he neared the end of a spectacular bicycle powered journey in Patagonia.
Each photograph more arresting than the one prior, every image conveyed it's own story that perfectly informed an engaging larger narrative. But it's Jedidiah's accompanying entries — beautifully composed, contemplative and quite poetic — that set his feed apart. Writings themed less by place than interior geography, it's Instagram as dynamic journal — an experiment in blogging that camps out hundreds of miles beyond any travelogue, blog or vlog you've ever before seen.
I was hypnotized. Who is this guy?
A graduate of the USC School of Cinematic Arts and Pepperdine University School of Law, Jedidiah began his professional career as one of the founding leaders of Invisible Children, the small non-profit that overnight became world renown courtesy of a little social justice campaign you might have heard of called #Kony2012– a campaign that redefined internet virality.
The progeny of adventurer journalist parents who quite famously graced the cover of National Geographic walking across America in the 1970’s, I think it’s fair to say that despite his deskbound legal career, Jedidiah and the outdoors had a little destiny to sort out. And so, to celebrate his 30th birthday, Jedidiah quit the job he loved to unconsciously follow in his parents' footsteps, scare himself, embrace the unknown and, like a character out of a Mark Twain novel, light out on the territory.
In August, 2013, on two wheels powered only by two legs, Oregon to Patagonia began in Florence, Oregon and culminated in Patagonia is January 2015. A sixteen-month, 10,000 mile journey elegant… Lees meer -
Sailesh Rao On Why Ahimsa (Nonviolence) Is An Essential Response to Climate Change
16 oktober 2015 · 1 uur 49 min
Today I am pleased to offer a conversation with environmentalist, engineer and technologist Sailesh Rao, the founder and Executive Director of environmental non-profit Climate Healers.
With a focus on ahimsa — the Sanskrit word for non-violence — as an essential and perhaps the most powerful response to climate change, Climate Healers promotes technological and engineering advances aimed at clean air and reforestation. Partnering with NGOs, tribal villages, and school clubs, current projects include efforts to devise an affordable and high-functioning solar powered stove to replace the traditional — and quite environmentally detrimental — wood burning stoves that proliferate across low income areas of India.
An electrical engineer by training with a Ph.D. from Stanford University, Sailesh’s background in technology includes stints at both AT&T Bell Labs and Intel, where he was instrumental in developing early iterations of the internet itself.
Sailesh is also the author of Carbon Dharma: The Occupation of the Butterflies*– a call to undo the planetary damage done by the human species in its present “caterpillar stage” of existence.
As for palmares, Sailesh was selected as a Karmaveer Puraskaar Noble Laureate, an award presented by iCONGO (Indian Confederation of NGOs) whose primary mission is to encourage citizen action for social justice.
This is a conversation about environmental preservation, the inherent and incredible power of ahimsa, the imperative of service and a reminder that each and every one of can make a positive difference in the world.
Sailesh is a highly intelligent, contemplative and compassionate man devoted to making the world a better, cleaner place for us and future generations. I greatly enjoyed this conversation and applaud his advocacy and devotion to service.
I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange.
Note: Apologies for publishing this episode a day late and for the brevity of this post. I am currently traveling internationally with little f… Lees meer -
Better Than Steroids? Craig Heller on Thermoregulation & ‘The Glove’ That Could Revolutionize Athletics
12 oktober 2015 · 1 uur 30 min
Imagine a product that could eradicate muscle fatigue in just minutes. Allow you to train substantially harder and recover exponentially faster. Maximize your training efficiency while significantly boosting strength, endurance and overall athletic performance.
Sound too good to be true? Definitely. At least without failing a drug test.
Now what if I told you it's neither a drug nor illegal.
Impossible?
First let's backup. One of (if not the) biggest limiters in athletic performance is elevated core temperature. Exertion causes muscle cells to heat up. Via a process called arteriovenous anastomoses, the body does its best to dissipate this extra heat. But if you continue to push yourself, core temperature will continue to rise, compromising the effectiveness of a heat sensitive enzyme crucial for energy production called pyruvate kinase. The result? Weakness, fatigue and cramping.
If one could prevent the escalation of core temperature, it reasons that one could extend energy production and delay fatigue.
The study of thermoregulation in the performance and recovery context is hardly new. Athletes have been experimenting with cryotherapy, ice packs, ice baths and ice vests for decades. The problem with most of these techniques is that they just don't work all that well. It has to do with something called vasoconstriction. Overwhelming cold causes blood vessels to constrict, slowing cool blood flow to the core and thus undermining elevated core temperature reduction.
Enter The Glove — an apparent solution to core temperature thermoregulation without all that pesky vasoconstriction courtesy of a team of large brains led by today's guest — Stanford physiology and biology professor Craig Heller (and his colleague David Grahn). Lees meerEssentially a plastic hand enclosure attached to a pump that circulates cool water across the palm's special network of radiator-like heat-transfer veins that specialize in something called rapid thermal exchange (RTX), the glove overcomes the v…
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Stop Living Like You Get A ‘Do-Over’ Life
8 oktober 2015 · 1 uur 6 min
We're back with yet another installment of Ask Me Anything — a twist on my normal format where we answer questions submitted by you, the listener.
In addition to recapping our recent visit to Washington, D.C. and our upcoming trip to Frankfurt, Germany, this week Julie and I traverse a variety of subjects, including: Lees meer* the release of “Proteinaholic” by Garth Davis, MD
* ‘happy traveler' – my experiments in gratitude
* the risk calculus of choosing security over passion
* the persistent illusion of the “do-over” life
* combating the “fundraising oxymoron”
* the nexus (or lack thereof) between diet and addictionThe show concludes with My Man, written and performed by Julie — aka SriMati – accompanied by our sons Tyler & Trapper Piatt.
Special thanks to Scott, Lisa & Dallas for today’s questions, as well as everyone who submitted inquiries — keep ‘em coming!
I sincerely hope you enjoy the conversation.
Peace + Plants,
Rich
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Jeff Castelaz: Music As a Weapon, Solace In Cycling, Building a Life of Service & Why It’s All About The Neighborhood
5 oktober 2015 · 2 uur 51 min
Jeff Castelaz is a big deal in the music biz. A self-made guy who scraped his way from nothing to launch and manage major musical acts, found and run a successful indie label and even serve up president duties at a major record label.
All of these things are very impressive and interesting.
None of these things are what draw me to Jeff.
Jeff is on the show because of his compelling, at times heart-wrenching but incredibly human life story. From his abusive childhood to his struggles with alcohol to the devastating loss of his six-year-old son Pablo to cancer, Jeff is a survivor. A guy who refused to let unbearable pain destroy him, instead leveraging it to access a deeper personal truth, inner strength and sense of purpose.
Finding life-saving comfort and solace in both music and cycling as far back as he can remember, Jeff successfully channelled his incredible passion for both into creating a life and legacy of meaning in selfless service to others as an entrepreneur, husband, father and philanthropist.
In his most recent post as president of Elektra Records, a division of Warner Music Group, Jeff worked alongside the likes of Ed Sheeran, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Kitten, bringing in acts like Fitz and the Tantrums, Saint Motel, The Moth & The Flame and Kaleo.
Prior to his post at Elektra, Jeff served as CEO of Dangerbird Records, which he co-founded in 2003. There, he played a key role in the careers of Silversun Pickups, Fitz and The Tantrums and Liam Gallagher's post-Oasis effort, Beady Eye.
In 2009 Jeff & his wife Joanne Thraikill tragically lost their son Pablo to cancer just six days after his sixth birthday. From the moment of Pablo's 2008 diagnosis with bilateral Wilms Tumor, a rare form of childhood cancer, Jeff took to the blogosphere to keep friends and family apprised of developments. Sharing his incomprehensible pain with a bold and raw vulnerability, PABLOG! went viral, resulting in a massive and unexpected outpouring of love and support for Pablo an… Lees meer -
How To Get Good At Gratitude — Plus: What It’s Like To Be Profiled In The New York Times
1 oktober 2015 · 1 uur 3 min
Admittedly, the tweet was inspired by a little low grade frustration at utterly failing to generate any mainstream national press interest whatsoever in our book The Plantpower Way, which had recently come out. A self-reminder that you can't push buttons and expect a pat on the back.
Fast forward three months to today's publication of Vegans Go Glam in The New York Times (The New York Times!) — a very large profile on our family and the growing vegan scene in Los Angeles and New York deftly penned by Jeff Gordinier. It's a big article (like, really big) in perhaps the most respected mainstream publication on the planet (do I even need to say that?). It's also an article that has kicked up some dust, generating lively discussion around the global water cooler. So much discussion in fact, Vegans Go Glam is the #1 most e-mailed story on the entire New York Times website today.
C'mon! Now, that is just insane.
So what does it all mean? That's for you to decide, not me. But today Julie and I do our best to talk it all through — including practices for cultivating gratitude — on this latest installment of Ask Me Anything. A conversation that explores: Lees meer* what it's like to have a huge story about you & your family in the New York Times
* cultivating tolerance beyond veganism
* restricting judgment of others & focusing on self; and
* how to get good at gratitudeThe show concludes with Held So Sweetly, written and performed by Julie — aka SriMati – accompanied by our sons Tyler & Trapper Piatt.
Special thanks to “Jo” for today’s question, as well as everyone who submitted inquiries — keep ‘em coming!
I sincerely hope you enjoy the conversation.
Peace + Plants,
Rich
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John Salley: The NBA Champion On Going Vegan For Athletic Performance, Longevity & The Environment (Plus: Why So Many Pro Athletes Die Young)
28 september 2015 · 1 uur 46 min
It’s one thing when a skinny runner dude starts talking about the benefits of a plant-based diet.
It's another thing altogether when a 6′ 11″ 4-time NBA Champion tells you it's a good idea.
Enter John Salley.
Husband, father, athlete, actor, entrepreneur, talk show host, philanthropist, wellness advocate, NBA champion… and vegan.
John was the first basketball player in NBA history to win four championships with three different teams in three different decades — two with the Detroit Pistons ('89 & '90), one with the Chicago Bulls ('96) & one more with the Los Angeles Lakers ('00). After eleven seasons he retired as a Laker on the 2000 NBA Lakers Championship team. Since his retirement from the NBA, John has worked consistently in television, film, radio, print and new media. For seven years he co-hosted the Emmy-nominated series The Best Damn Sports Show Period (FOX). He then hosted BET's sports talk show Baller before creating his own show Game On for REELZ. In addition, John is an avid entrepreneur, channeling his enthusiasm for clean eating & advocacy for the vegan lifestyle into an array of ventures, including The Vegan Vine, his California wine brand (who knew some wine wasn't vegan?), and his Betta Life 21-Day Challenge.
John's mission is simple: to educate as many people as possible on the health and environmental benefits of a plant-based lifestyle.
This is a fairly free range conversation that takes us inside John's NBA career; what it was like to play ball at the highest level with guys like Michael Jordan, Isaiah Thomas and Shaq; and how being coached by Phil Jackson, perhaps the greatest coach in basketball history, helped forge his character and inform his post-NBA career success.
We get into the hows and whys of John's decision to go vegan; his opinion on how most professional athletes eat; why so many professional athletes die young; how he works with both athletes and average folks to change misplaced, normative ideas about the plant-based lifestyle;… Lees meer -
From A Life of Matter To A Life That Matters: Jason Garner’s Journey From Music Industry CEO to Spiritual Warrior
24 september 2015 · 1 uur 52 min
Imagine yourself a top executive at the very apex of the music industry food chain. Your job requires you to travel the world first class and wine and dine the biggest musical acts on the planet like Jay Z, Beyoncé, Coldplay and John Mayer. And you're making so much cash, you've twice been named to Fortune magazine's annual list of the top 20 highest paid executives under 40.
Now imagine walking away from it all. Why?
Raised by a single mom in a series of unstable living situations, Jason Garner learned early and often how to look after himself. With street-wise hustle and natural salesmanship, he worked hard in school and later even harder in business.
Scrapping his way from a weekend job at a flea market to owning his own concert company, by the time he was 37 Jason had become CEO of Global Music at Live Nation Entertainment — the world’s largest concert promotion company and arguably the most important corporate entity in the entire music industry.
It can safely be said he made it.
Unfortunately, never once did Jason pause to take a breath. Operating on the misplaced belief that in order to be loved, he had to be the best, Jason would have happily pursued his career path all the way to the grave.
But then something happened. Something that would change everything.
In the wake of his second divorce, the single mom that was Jason's everything contracted stomach cancer. Her sudden death brought his life to a halt and his ego to its knees. Compelled to re-evaluate his life top to bottom, Jason finally asked himself a most important question:
what really matters?
To answer this, Jason did the unthinkable for someone in his exalted executive position: he quit his job.
And for the first time in his life, Jason actually breathed.
For the next several years, he immersed himself in the study and practice of health and spirituality. He got to know himself and the inner-workings of his mind. And he met the woman of his dreams.
Today he is both student and teacher of all thi… Lees meer -
Doing Good Better: William MacAskill on ‘Effective Altruism’ & How To Maximize Positive Global Impact
21 september 2015 · 2 uur 2 min
Most of us want to do good.
We devote our precious time to causes we deem worthy. We donate our precious funds to charities that appear to make a difference. We pursue careers we consider meaningful, and patronize businesses and buy products we believe make the world a better place.
Unfortunately, we often base these decisions on assumptions and emotions rather than facts. As a result, even our best intentions often lead to ineffective—and sometimes downright harmful—outcomes.
So how can we do better?
In an effort to determine a career personally optimized for maximum positive impact, Professor William MacAskill began to ask himself this very question. While a young researcher at Oxford, he discovered that much of the potential for change was being squandered by lack of information, bad data, and our own prejudice. As an antidote, he and his colleagues developed a modality of thought that would later birth the movement known today as effective altruism: a practical, data-driven approach to “doing good” that proffers the best options to make a tremendous positive difference.
In other words, “doing good” (or a well-intentioned act aimed at doing good) is not enough.
We must do good better.
William is a 28-year old Scottish born scholar and author who is associate professor of Philosophy at Lincoln College Oxford. Previous to this chair, William was a research fellow in philosophy from Emanuel College at Cambridge and a Fullbright scholar at Princeton.
If all of this still fails to impress, while still in his twenties (because after all he is still in his twenties), William co-founded 2 successful non-profits, which combined have raised over $400 million in lifetime pledged donations to charity and helped to spark the effective altruism movement: Lees meer* 80000hours.org is an extremely cool and impressive ethical careers advisory service – sort of like an altruistic AI online career counselor — which provides research and advice on how you can best make a difference through…
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Let’s Talk About Depression: Kevin Breel’s Confessions of a Depressed Comic — And What Happens When Your TED Talk Goes Supernova
17 september 2015 · 2 uur 57 min
Let's talk about depression.
Kevin Breel didn't fit the adolescent persona you would expect to fall prey to this debilitating affliction. One of the popular kids in high school, he was team captain of his standout basketball team. A class clown who would later pursue a career in stand up comedy. The guy who could hold court around the party keg and always keep everyone else laughing. Everyone except himself.
At the time, Kevin was leading a clandestine double life. A dark secret he kept well hidden behind his well attuned comedic timing. A confusing and dire mental state that would leave him bedridden and secluded in isolation for days on end. A fatal secret that culminated in a suicide attempt that nearly took his young life.
What prevented Kevin from sharing his pain and reaching out for help when he needed it most?
The stigma that still surrounds a mental disease that lurks in the shadows, feeds on isolation and goes unchecked due to profound misunderstanding and misplaced judgment.
You might be shocked to hear that according to Save.org, depression is the 2nd leading cause of death for young Americans between the ages of 15-24. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), depression impacts 121 million people across the globe and is the leading cause of disability worldwide, claiming 800,000 lives annually. That's one death by depression-induced suicide every 40 seconds.
Luckily, Kevin found a way out. A solution that began with the courage to directly confront his pain.
It was a move that not only saved his life, but gave him newfound purpose — a quest to shatter the profound yet unwarranted stigma that surrounds his disease by becoming an ambassador of hope to teens everywhere that they need not suffer in silence.
The message? That by embracing the darkness within and bringing it into the light, together we can heal.
At age 19, Kevin reared his gangly 6'3″ frame atop a stage in a small nondescript auditorium to share his story publicly for the first time… Lees meer