December 16, 2024 • 62 mins
Imagine transforming your life from struggling with health issues to thriving as a vibrant, plant-based advocate.
Richard Hubbard shares his inspiring journey of losing over 150 pounds and reclaiming his health—free from medications. He dives into the power of plant-based nutrition for vitality, compassion, and community.
Learn how simple changes can lead to extraordinary results, both for your body and the planet.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Hello everyone and welcome back to the Plant-Powered Athlete Podcast. I'm your host Robert
(00:05):
Cheek and I have another fantastic guest for you today, my good friend Richard Hubbard. Richard
Hubbard is an author of Plant-Based Journey to Health from morbidly obese to a plant-based athlete.
He is a good friend of mine. He is a social media influencer and community leader. He's involved in
lots of different projects, especially out in the North East, North Eastern United States that is,
(00:31):
and I see him on tour and I have seen him on tour in multiple cities and one of my biggest supporters
and a great friend of mine, Richard Hubbard, welcome to the show. I'm so happy to be here
and I gotta reiterate, yeah it's great being friends with you. I'm so amazed by all the
(00:52):
great work you do and in your latest book, I loved your latest book too, it had a huge impact on me.
Well thank you Richard. I appreciate the title. Yeah, yeah thank you Richard. I appreciate that and
you've had an incredible transformation. That's kind of what you're known for and kind of,
right, you know the tagline of your book says that from morbidly obese to plant-based athlete. So
(01:15):
I know like we do in, you know, many podcasts and many conversations, we dive in and tell your plant
powered story, but first if you could actually define for me and for the listeners, what does
being a plant-powered athlete mean to you? Being the best we can be, feeling the best we can
feel, eating the right foods, plant-based, you can feel, you know, you can build muscle, you can
(01:45):
you can be a better athlete all the way around. You just have a ton of energy every day.
I've never had any regrets going on plant-based and, you know, it's really, it's to the benefit
of every athlete out there. Yeah and before we hear your inspiring story and I'm excited to
(02:07):
dive into that, Richard, how would you define health? Health is not having to worry about
a doctor, you know, seeing a doctor all the time, taking meds, being free of all that.
You know, health is not having to worry about your weight, worry about blood sugar,
(02:30):
just living your life, doing things and, you know, feeling great. Health is also,
you know, in watching other people like my mom who reversed her diabetes,
seeing somebody who can get off meds after 40 years with a plant-based diet, it's just
(02:50):
incredible what plant-based eating can do for you. Yeah, absolutely. There's so many success stories
from the Forks Over Knives community, Food Revolution Network community,
so many others, no meat athlete, vegan bodybuilding, the various health and fitness
(03:10):
wellness communities, Well Your World, you name it. There are so many success stories out there
from those who've moved away from the status quo, the standard Western diet and chose a different
path, one of lower calorie density, higher nutrient density, better nutritional return on investment,
lower or completely free of dietary cholesterol, lower in saturated fat, higher in antioxidants,
(03:35):
higher in fiber, higher in vitamins and minerals, nitric oxide, lower total calorie intake,
therefore not contributing to excess weight gain and having more energy and even better joints
and feeling better overall, better endurance. So there's so many benefits of health. So
(04:00):
Richard, how would you define success? I think this is by your state of mind. If you work on
your goals and you achieve goals, I think success is all about goals. You have to have goals to have
success. Some people are, they're handed money or they're handed wealth, but if somebody earns it,
(04:28):
you can really feel success based on what you're trying to achieve. Yeah. And sometimes those go
hand in hand, health and success. And that's, I think, something that many of us are striving for.
And so I want to ask you again, before we get into your journey, just to get some of these topics
covered first, what are you concerned with as far as global health for our citizens at the current
(04:59):
moment or even long-term with the way current trends are going? What are some of those concerns?
Then we'll talk about some of those solutions or what you feel like. Yes. Right. Well, my big concern
is the planet. There's so much issues going on with hurricanes and I know there's some
people who just deny what's happening, but these storms are scary. The planet is warming up.
(05:24):
We have the warmest November and October here in Connecticut. We're setting records. It's beautiful,
Al, but this isn't natural. It's like, my dad is having the same weather and he's close to North
Carolina and we're having 80 degree weather up here. And as much as it feels good now,
(05:46):
that to me seems like a bad sign of what's going on with the planet. And I do worry long-term
what's going to happen. Yeah. I share the same concerns, Richard, and I know a lot of people try
to politicize this kind of stuff and the evidence is in front of us. I had two vegan festivals
(06:07):
canceled due to devastating storms. One of those was in Nashville, North Carolina, which I have
friends there who have just suffered unbelievably. So many people died. People lost their homes,
entire cities washed away, flooded. The other one was in Tampa. Both those events canceled.
I have a friend who, well, numerous friends who had to evacuate. One had his house completely ruined,
(06:33):
all his belongings, everything's just out on the street to be picked up like garbage can at some
point. He's having to find a new place to live while his house is being rebuilt. I kind of
I come from the West Coast, Richard, where it's been on fire for the past half decade. I've even
been driving California freeways and seeing flames off in the distance. I've been out walking my dog
(06:55):
in Colorado and have ashes falling into my eyes, which burn and sting. And they act like almost
like paint or leaves. They cover windshields to get on your windshield wipers. They're all over
the ground. They kind of stain the concrete around our driveway. We've been on fire in California,
(07:16):
Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Wyoming, Colorado, Idaho for a good half decade or full
decade. And things are getting worse. And to your point, I just came from a different vegan
festival last week. And it was 89 degrees out in Alabama in November and 96 during my layover
(07:37):
in Tampa. And the people in Alabama were saying, yeah, this is unusually warm 90 degrees in November.
Which it's comfortable. It's like, wow, it's extended summer. But what does this mean for
habitats, for other animals, for our family, our loved ones, population migration and density and
(07:58):
growing seasons and crops that are available to be grown? And it's, you're right that
a lot of people might answer the question. They're worried about protein intake or availability,
but you're looking at a bigger picture that, yeah, if we don't have this planet functioning for us,
we're- Exactly. Where do we go? Yeah. I have a theory about where I live too in Connecticut.
(08:22):
Sure. The snow has been getting worse and less every year. And I'm predicting if we don't change,
it's going to be like Florida soon. We'll never see snow again because you barely see storms
anymore up here. Yeah. It's troubling. It's troubling. And so my follow-up question, Richard,
(08:43):
because I know you're very active online, especially on Facebook. You're very engaged
in community discussion and all of that. You're an author. You attend various events. You're part
of organizations like Plant Powered Metro New York and all of that. So I have to ask you, Richard,
what are you optimistic about in global health and wellness considering the giant obstacles that
(09:09):
are in front of us? Yeah. I am encouraged that I see more plant-based options in stores,
even though a lot of it's plant-based junk food. I am encouraged that it's becoming a buzzword to
people and it's on their minds. And I think that being a vegan isn't as crazy as it seemed years
(09:30):
ago, like when you started. It's not so shocking to people that, oh my God, do you know what you
need? I think that kind of stereotype is going away and people are just more open to it.
So if we can keep that going, my hope is that maybe in five, 10 years,
maybe we'll get 30% or 50% of the population trying plant-based. I think it's going to be a slow
(09:58):
process. Yeah. And that gets us to a tipping point. A lot of psychology research suggests it
only takes 10 or 15% of a population to absorb an idea or grasp onto an idea for it to then reach
a tipping point, which then spills over into mainstream culture, even with only 15% of people
(10:22):
embracing this idea. General population tends to follow those initial leaders. And if we can do
that in all sorts of plant-based food innovation or how we farm in the future, how we impact
government subsidies, how we vote with our dollars and change the food system, there is some hope
there. Richard, I've got a really compelling question, which is going to lead into your story.
(10:45):
Now, so of everyone that I've interviewed recently, let's say in recent weeks or even
recent months, perhaps, I think this might resonate with you more than anybody else.
You'll see what I mean in just a moment. Yeah. So I'm going to ask you this question,
and then I'm asking you to tell us your story. Okay? Okay. Richard, here's a quote I heard from
(11:10):
a doctor recently that I had on the show. He said, if you lose your health, you only have one goal
to regain your health. And to me, this speaks to somebody just like you, because you are-
It does. It does.
And I want you to now tell all the listeners your very compelling plant-based journey.
(11:35):
Yeah. First, I'd like to just respond to the question as I start my journey, my story about
my journey. Health is everything, and you don't realize it until something happens. And unfortunately,
a lot of people who are, let's say they're in their 30s and they think, oh, I'll worry about it down
(11:59):
the road. You can have a wake-up call. For me, I'm thankful it was just a medication threat,
that there's others who will have a heart attack or a stroke or something more serious to wake them
up. And another thing is I don't want to be, when I'm at that age, I don't want to be that elderly
(12:21):
person that's in a nursing home that relies on people to move around or to go to the bathroom or
to eat. I would much rather have independence. And I can't imagine, I've seen people suffer,
because my mom is a nurse, and even as a kid when I see the kind of work she was doing,
(12:44):
I would hate to end up that way. And to me, I think even as a kid in the back of my mind,
it was always, I would never want to end up like that. I want to be healthy. So that's why it was
surprising that after college, I let myself go as bad as I did. But it was bad habits. I was a
(13:06):
typical college kid eating lots of junk food and not really caring about what I ate, because I was
very active then. So I wasn't heavy. I was just probably, I'd say chubby. More like a football
(13:27):
build that wasn't considered majorly obese yet. And I remember eating bags of Doritos and not
caring. So I was doing all this walking in the city. I went to New York for four years.
I went to New York for four years to get my degree. And after graduating, things were tough,
(13:52):
and I couldn't find a job right away. I'm a graphic designer, web designer, and at that time,
it was hard to find my dream job. So I started working at a local newspaper, did graphic design
work. And a lot of my coworkers, they meant well, but they treated me like, probably many of you
(14:21):
remember the commercial with Mikey, the mobile serial commercial. Look it up on YouTube and
you'll see what I'm talking about. They considered me like Mikey, but I'll eat anything. So there was
all this junk food and they would encourage me and I never resisted. And there's Burger King coming
(14:41):
in, McDonald's, all this junk food. Somebody would have a drawer full of candy that we'd
raid and just take all the candy we wanted. And gradually what I was doing was getting
more and more heavy every day. And I stopped weighing myself at 345 pounds
(15:02):
because that was my way of denying that anything serious was happening. I thought if it was over
350, I'd really be shot. So I just kind of pretended to myself that I'm okay. And I lived
like that for a few years, but I was dealing with neuropathy in my feet, just feeling
(15:28):
something wasn't right. And I remember feeling dizzy when I would stand up at times. And
yeah, I was probably in my early to mid thirties and I thought I'm too young to
worry about diabetes, but I was still concerned though that something was happening.
(15:48):
So gradually, yeah, I was getting worse with my pains and headaches and things,
but I still avoided going to the doctor. The only thing that woke me up, and I'm still grateful
to this day, I worked for the state of Connecticut for community college in Connecticut. And they
(16:14):
started to offer health insurance at a reduced rate, but one of the requirements was you had to
do a yearly physical. I haven't gone to the doctor since college days and I was scared to death.
I thought I'm going to go to the doctor because I don't want to be paying a double or triple or
(16:36):
whatever the cost would be. So I made that appointment. I found a doctor to start my
journey. I just chose one at random. I did my research online. I didn't know anything about
plant-based at the time. I didn't know anything of what I was doing. I didn't know I'd be
beginning a journey, but I went to the doctor. He confirmed I was morbidly obese. I also found out
(17:05):
I was hypertensive. I never gave that a thought ever because I never checked my blood pressure.
It's like I don't remember the numbers now, but it's probably like 150 over 110 or something,
very high. And the doctor gave me four weeks, or maybe it was two weeks. Now, I think it was a month
(17:27):
to see if it would come down because he wanted to check it again. If it didn't, he said that you
would put me on meds. So within that month, I was making a few changes, but it didn't come down.
So he said, okay, we're going to put you on meds. And he explained to me that in six months,
in every six months after that, he'd have to check my lab work, make sure my kidneys were okay,
(17:50):
because this medication might harm the kidneys and liver and if there are side effects. So
I picked up the drug, looked at the side effects, talked to my mom who's a nurse, and her attitude
because she gives out pills, or she did when she was working, you know, like their candy,
(18:12):
and she thought it was no big deal. She says, well, everybody's on something. So, you know,
years later, she realizes what a mistake that was to say because she's not on anything now either.
But anyway, that was her attitude then, everybody's on something. And for some reason,
I had this drive in me, and I don't know where it came from. But I wanted to do research and see if
(18:35):
there's a way I can get better on my own. So I told my doctor, if I lose the weight,
and my blood pressure comes down, can I avoid the medication, you know, for like six months or
whatever? And he agreed. So I started to do research. And eventually I stumbled upon
(18:56):
articles that said like eliminate red meat, that's the first to go. And I never had any
trouble giving up these foods, you know, because it was about health. You know, when I would die in
the past, before that, it never worked. And you know why? It wasn't about health. So all those
(19:18):
failed attempts, but when you have a health scare, it wakes you up. So, you know, so the first thing
to go was red meat, then it was aspartame. I remember it was that order. And what I was gradually
doing over the first six months was giving up processed foods and animal products. Although I
(19:40):
still hold on to turkey and yogurt for some time after that. But another big life changing event
was in April 2012. And that was when I happened to by chance be home from work and saw Dr. Oz.
And on that show was Dr. Furman. I didn't know anything about him. And he was talking about
(20:07):
the G-bomb foods. And if you're not familiar with that, it's greens, beans,
onions, mushrooms, berries, and seeds. That changed my life because there were three women on,
and they all got better. One of them, I think, was reversing her diabetes. Another one was able to
(20:30):
reverse eczema or something else. And all these health conditions, I thought, this is the way to
go. And ever since then, I mean, there might be a time that I can't think of, but I've had the G-bombs
foods just about every day. If I haven't, like I said, then I'm human. Maybe I don't recall if I
(20:52):
missed a day, but those have been my staples. I've increased my diet since then. I also incorporate
Dr. Greger's daily dozen. And you incorporate all the plant-based doctor's advice. But I really
credit Dr. Furman for OB-MIs to plant-based. So I lived like that for a couple of years.
(21:20):
Being all food plant-based, but still having the minimal animal products and working out hard in
the gym, getting a personal trainer. My personal trainer was big on protein. And I'll never forget
he wanted me to do 200 grams a day to build muscle. That was his thing. And he suggested
(21:43):
whey protein. And I'm so grateful that whey protein did not agree with me. I was having all
kinds of issues digesting it. And so I never went back to it. I told him I have to have a plant-based
protein powder, even though he didn't agree. That's what I did. And then I told my doctor
(22:04):
a few months later that what my personal trainer wanted me to do, he said, and he's not even
plant-based as a doctor, but he said that much protein would kill me. It would damage my kidneys
and stop doing that immediately. So I listened. And here's where my research came in, where I met
Robert Cheek. It was August of 2016. I was doing all this research because I want to build muscle.
(22:33):
And there's got to be a way without over-ingesting protein. And I don't remember
what words I Googled, but somehow I found Robert's website. And he had a book called Shreddit.
And he also sent me the companion journal. And Robert, just so you know, that journal
(22:54):
was even more impactful for me than the book, believe it or not, because that journal was 13
weeks long. And I followed that to a T. I said I'm going to go vegan for 13 weeks. And I saw the
results over time. I was building more muscle. I felt better than ever after the 13 weeks.
(23:16):
Hey, it's Nathan Crane, founder of Plant-Powered Athlete. And I want to thank you for tuning in to
the Plant-Powered Athlete podcast. And as a special thank you, I want to give you a 10%
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(23:39):
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Plant-Powered Athlete.com. Thanks again for tuning in. I started watching animal rights videos and
(24:08):
videos about how animals were treated. And I never went back after the 13 weeks. My initial thought
was, you know, when I started 13 weeks that I'll be going back to my old ways. It never happened.
And I also credit your sweatshirt, the one that says vegan, the hashtag in the back.
(24:29):
I wanted people to know I was doing this challenge because I wanted to see
the people who noticed the results in the 13 weeks that I did as a vegan.
And they did notice and they noticed the jacket and they got a lot of
feedback from people. They were curious. You know, a lot of people still said at the time
they could never do that, but they respected me. And they saw the results too. I don't know if I
(24:55):
influenced anybody at that time, but at least nobody could deny the results. So I think in my
own small way back then I was changing people's perceptions. And that opened my eyes to be a more
of an activist. And that's where I am today. I consider myself an animal rights activist.
(25:22):
I want to do more for the animals. And this would never happen, by the way, but if somebody were to
say that plant-based diets are bad for your health, again, that would never happen. But I could never
go back to my old ways because of the treatment of animals. You see it all the time, all their suffering.
(25:46):
So my health journey led to my opening my eyes to compassion. And over the years I've
met so many people, so many friends, close friends who eat this way. And it's about health to all of
(26:09):
them, but it's also about animal welfare. And I really see a lot of positive changes over the past.
I'd say since 2016 I've motivated people. I always wear the vegan shirts of the children.
People ask me about it. And I know I've converted some people just by
(26:33):
they see the results. That's why I share my weight loss story as well, because
I know that people have to have compassion. They try to shut out their emotions when they eat meat.
I did that for years thinking it wasn't really from an animal. Somehow in my mind I used to ignore
(26:57):
that. It's just something bought in the store. I never really made the connection.
But it's impossible to turn that off once you try out this lifestyle.
So recently, just to follow up again about my health, my most recent physical health
cholesterol is like 129 or something. Doctors typically don't see our kind of cholesterol,
(27:25):
our plant-based cholesterol. And it's impressive. All the numbers are impressive.
My iron levels are perfect. People think, you're a vegan, you're going to have a little iron.
Nope. Perfect. Calcium, perfect. Blood sugar, perfect. I'm a little bit of a vegan.
(27:45):
Blood sugar, last time I was checked was like 83. My A1C was like, I don't remember, 4.8 or
something. Everything was perfect. This is from somebody who was threatened to be on meds
and never went on any medication. And here I am since 2012, still med-free.
(28:08):
Pre-diabetes is long in the past. I don't have neuropathy anymore. Hypertension is in the past.
My typical readings are like 100 over 65 around there. Resting heart rate in the 40s,
you know, it's awesome. That's all I could say. I work out as often as I can during the week.
(28:33):
I work full time, so it's not easy. I walk a minimum 10,000 steps every day.
Do strength training at least two to three times a week. And I just keep a positive attitude.
I know I'm healthy and that's what matters to me.
(28:54):
Well, it's a compelling story, Richard, and I appreciate you sharing it. And I want to keep
exploring it a little bit more. So how much weight have you lost since you started?
It's been over 150 pounds, probably 160 pounds now. I maintain about,
yeah, more than half my body weight, I'm sure. I maintain now probably about 190 to 195. Yeah,
(29:19):
I'm 6'3". So you're a tall guy. You've lost at least 160 pounds, totally transformed
your life. You're super active. You're one of the few people I know, we've had this conversation,
who has never had a single day walking fewer than 10,000 steps. You walk your clock.
You totally, I mean, the fact that you also, I didn't know that about you, that you have that
(29:40):
that G-bombs approach of Dr. Furman's nutritional dietary advice being adhered to every single day
as well. And many of Dr. Greger's...
I thought the same stuff, but yeah. Yeah, Dr. Greger's daily doesn't and
maybe Dr. Bolswicz's 30 plants a week. Exactly.
(30:02):
You're one of the few that really adheres to this stuff when there's so many temptations of...
And you know why I don't, I mean, I'm human. If somebody brings me vegan junk food,
my friend Anthony Masiela once said, you know, it's okay once a month, as long as you don't do
it every day. And if somebody goes out of the way to make a vegan food for me special,
(30:25):
who am I to say no, because they went out of their way and it's vegan. And I think that's awesome.
And you know, I don't do more than one day a month of eating junk vegan food because
I am afraid of what would happen if I did it daily. I don't want to ever go back into my old ways.
(30:48):
Right. And that's human nature. That's behavioral patterns. Like you have to know thyself well
enough. I'm the same way with a few other things. When I launched my New York Times best-selling
book, The Plant-Based Athlete, this was completely oxymoronic, just totally ironic. I only went to
the gym once over a 44-day period launching that book because I gave everything I had to that.
(31:13):
And I thought that if I even take one hour away from marketing and not doing promotion for the
book to go to the gym, I'll miss out on making that New York Times bestseller list. We did one
time 22 radio interviews in a single day. But the result was I lost unintentionally. I lost about 15
(31:33):
pounds because I didn't go to the gym. And I felt so uncomfortable with that that I didn't even go
into the bookstore to see my own book on the shelf because I didn't feel like I looked like the Plant-Based
Athlete anymore because I got sick from being overstressed and not sleeping and catching a cold
from my nephew over the 4th of July weekend. And I knew that if I missed a few days, I could justify
(32:01):
that. Well, I'm too busy trying to change the world. And then a week went by and then can you
imagine Richard 44 days and I only went once. And I vowed that wouldn't happen with my latest book
launch and it didn't. And I still maintain good shape and I still work toward that. But I'm very
much like you that I can fall into these patterns. That's the same with eating chocolate or eating
(32:26):
something that stimulates these dopamine responses but that can be problematic if
becomes a regular contributor to our diet. I want to mention you and I enjoyed a nice meal
in New York City. Oh, that was awesome. Beyond Sushi. Beyond Sushi, a sushi restaurant. So it was all
(32:47):
like pretty healthy food. It was. All kinds of creative plant-based sushi. I don't know, it was
probably sweet potatoes and mango and all these exotic things. Not just what people think of as
vegan sushi as cucumber and avocado. Exactly. There's so much variety out there. Right. Where
(33:08):
that didn't even have to feel like a junk food experience because it wasn't. Yet we were still
dining out in New York City and had a great time. Richard, you commented on a few things. I just
want to repeat or bring back to people's awareness. You talked about you're grateful that you did that
(33:29):
yearly physical for your job. I think I have to raise my hand. Myself included have not done that
yearly. Even in recent years, I claim to be busy. I'm on tour. I'm afraid of needles. These are all
true things. But these are mostly excuses and something I really need to take to heart. I
(33:51):
encourage those who are listening to do this as well. I mean, I also, you know, I lived a pretty
healthy, I've been plant-based for 30 years now. Starting next month will be the start of my 30th
year. But I didn't go to the doctor for 17 years. And then when I did go, you know, I did get
(34:11):
diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, which makes even these conversations at some times a challenge.
And that was something I waited almost 20 years. And I was dealing with some anxiety stuff and
stress, which could be related to all sorts of environmental factors around me, including just
how my body responds to stress and how it reacts within my own expression. But also there were times
(34:40):
recently, like the last time I got blood work done, I deliberately bulked up to 220 pounds
so that I could say that I had gained a full 100 pounds on a plant-based diet, which I did from
a 120. But Richard, I have to tell you, some of my numbers didn't look that great at that body weight
at 220 pounds that I'm just a little bit under six feet tall. I had put on quite a bit of body fat
(35:05):
at the time. I woke up and I was eating less than ideal diet, if I'm being totally honest.
It was also during the pandemic, I was just stuck at home and just eating and bulking up. And
that wasn't a recipe for success. And so I want to just accentuate that idea that we should go
get our blood work done. We should go do physicals. We should go find out if we're hypertensive or
(35:30):
have anxiety issues or whatever the case is, or if we're high or low in B12 or whatever the case,
we can make some changes. If we're not off limits just because we're plant-based, that doesn't mean
we're going to have these perfect numbers. Can you imagine if I didn't? I sometimes wonder that
(35:50):
if I didn't go to the doctor then, would I still be 350 pounds? Would I have never made any changes?
Would I be having the heart attack I was talking about? Those are thoughts that I often wonder.
Right. And those are, if I wasn't forced to do that physical.
(36:14):
And Richard, those are outcomes that many of our friends and loved ones have experienced.
They've experienced the heart attacks. They've experienced the acute trauma. They've experienced
in some cases, unfortunate, untimely deaths. I can't even tell you how many people I know
in my friends and family circle who have succumbed to an early mortality because of diet and lifestyle
(36:39):
related diseases that cost them their life. It's a very scary thing. It's going to take
very seriously. And I also, I took note of this. It was funny what your mother said
regarding prescriptions and drugs that everyone's on something. Everyone's on something.
As if that's the norm. As if that's what to expect. As if that's what is going to
(37:02):
be. And that doesn't have to be the case. You and I know many people in this plant-based movement,
many of the great doctors, many of the great dietitians and leaders who are in their 60s,
70s, 80s or beyond, and who are not on medications. I mean, look at Anne Esselstyn pulling this giant
tire behind her. And she's a very small, petite woman at mid to late 80s, I think, at this moment.
(37:27):
And she's pulling tires across and she's high energy cooking videos and on tour. And it's
unbelievable. I've had Dr. Campbell's wife, Karen Campbell, I think while she was in her early 80s
in my fitness classes on the vegan cruise. I mean, it's just so many things. And then I want to
mention one more thing, Richard, that you hit on, which I think is really, really important. You
(37:52):
talked about the compassion aspect and that so many of us will justify our behavior because we
want good news about our bad habits. But I'm with you and I say this honestly, that I agree with you
that if I found out that a plant-based diet was less than ideal, it wasn't nutritionally adequate.
(38:17):
You know, there could be some deficiencies or there could be problematic. I still couldn't go
back to eating animals. I would take supplements. I would overload on all the most nutrient dense
leafy greens and fruits and do all the things I needed to do and exercise and fresh air and
meditation and whatever. I mean, in this hypothetical scenario, I just could not go back to saying that
(38:42):
my taste preferences are more important than this individual's entire life.
Even if it made hitting my macronutrient targets easier or helped me increase my protein intake,
it's not worth justifying industrialized factory farming or otherwise
(39:06):
slaughtering of innocent animals to achieve that when we know it can be achieved through a
plant-based diet, which millions of us are doing every single day of our lives. So I think that
I think it's a really valuable point that you made. I wanted to bring up and
(39:26):
I know we're running a little short on time, Richard, but I want to ask you,
how do you view the state of the plant-based food industry right now? There's a lot of ups and downs
and sales that are high or sales that are low, restaurant closures, people moving towards a
carnivore diet, people concerned with the word processed. How do you view the state of the
(39:52):
plant-based food industry today? I still think there's a lot of positive out there, more positive
than negative. I think that because there's not such a negative stereotype anymore with plant-based,
it's more mainstream now. Even though it's not completely mainstream, it's more accepted.
(40:13):
And I think as more people demand more plant-based options, restaurants are going to have to open
their eyes or else they're going to lose 10% of their profits, let's say, in a few years.
Is that what they want? No, I think they're going to have to offer more options. And I think
(40:33):
I'm part of a plant-powered Metro New York, and we're doing a lot of positive things with
restaurants. We're encouraging restaurants, we'll give them a sticker for their window and
a shout out on the website if they offer some old food plant-based options. And it's different
(40:59):
movements like this that will help move the needle. And I don't think we'll ever be 100%
plant-based world, but if we can get to 20, 30, or 40% in a few years, that would be a
huge thing for this planet. Yeah, that'd be really big for the animals, for human health,
(41:20):
for our health care system, land, air, water, all of that. Richard, you said health is everything
earlier in this conversation. Yeah. We talked about G-bombs and Daily Dozen and all that,
but what does it actually look like when I ask you what's the foundation of your diet? I mean,
(41:42):
like what's for breakfast? What's for lunch? What's for dinner? What does that look like?
Because you have to be in that category, for me at least, with Chef AJ or with Esselstyn or
Furman. At least from what I know about you, you really do adhere to a whole food plant-based diet.
I do. You admit to once a month maybe, or if someone makes you something, I totally understand.
(42:08):
Someone goes the other way to make vegan pizza that has vegan cheese on it to cater just to you
and your concerns and your preferences. Yeah, of course, that's everyone's. Wow. But I love to know
what it really looks like. You eat way healthier than I do. Yeah, absolutely. How can I get some
inspiration from you? Walk us through breakfast, lunch, dinner, and maybe tell me your favorite
(42:28):
snacks. Well, first, let me say that I'm no cook. I keep things simple. A lot of my friends are the
same way that I've talked to over the years. Breakfast. I always start with oatmeal. I love
(42:48):
oats. That's my favorite breakfast. I love it more than even when I used to love eggs.
Just something about it that's very satisfying. Lately, I've started with oak oats. This is
probably six months ago. A local store finally started offering it. That's the heartier.
(43:13):
It's the whole grain. I love oak groats now. I'll add the typical berries every day. I add berries
to it. Flax, chia seeds. I also have... I don't know if you're familiar with Suzy's thin cakes.
It's very minimally processed like a cracker. It's made out of whole grains, organic,
(43:37):
very low sodium, like 50 milligrams. I'll add some almond butter to that. That'll be my breakfast.
For lunch, I typically have a huge salad. Nobody can believe the size of the salads. They're huge.
(43:57):
I add greens, tomatoes, onions, everything in the chee bombs. I add the beans to the salad as well.
Lately, I've been having red wine vinegar,
sometimes balsamic vinegar. I add lots of spices. Some of my favorite spices are turmeric,
(44:23):
cardamom, paprika. I found, interestingly, that I love spicy food. I never used to years ago
like hot spicy foods. Now I love it. I buy jalapenos, spice, hot peppers. It's amazing.
(44:45):
I guess going plant-based, I bet a lot of people will find foods that they never knew they wouldn't
like if they try it. There's so many new foods. I've had a lot of people who have tried it.
They try it. There's so many new foods. I've tried it over the years. I found that I loved it.
(45:08):
I would avoid years ago, like mushrooms. That's part of the chee bombs. That's something I have
every day. I hated those as a kid. Now, they're not my favorite food, but I tolerate them.
To me, they don't really have much flavor, but I do eat them every day.
(45:31):
For dinner, I always have steamed broccoli or cauliflower.
Sweet potatoes is a favorite. I love sweet potatoes. Purple sweet potato, if you ever
have that, it's like a cake. I love that. There's so many delicious foods out there.
(45:54):
People really need to go outside the box and try these different foods on the shelf.
There's so many foods I never thought I'd be eating. Don't be afraid of tofu. I have that as well.
If anything, it protects you from cancer. Just make sure it's organic. That's the other thing
(46:17):
about the way I eat. I do shop at stores like Aldi's to keep costs down, especially in today's
economy. My local Aldi's has organic veggies and berries, pretty much the same as the generic
(46:38):
produce in some of the regular grocery stores. Strawberries I found the other day for $3.99
organic. You can't go wrong. You have to shop around for organic. I feel better eating
organic just knowing that I'm doing good for my body. I also have apples every day. They say it
(47:02):
keeps the doctor away. I eat them just because they also fill me up. I still have a big appetite.
If I'm still hungry, I'll eat a Laura bar. Those are awesome quick snacks because minimal ingredients.
That's what I care about if I have something processed. If I work out extra hard at the gym,
(47:26):
I will add a little protein powder, but it has to be the kind with no extra ingredients. I don't
like the stevia in it. I would just make a smoothie with the veggies and fruit and just add a little
plain plant-based powder and call it a day there. That's pretty much my diet every day.
(47:51):
You made some really interesting observations, Richard. You talked about the creativity,
the abundance in a plant-based diet. I'm just going to say it very bluntly.
Maybe some people wouldn't say it, but I'm going to say it. Most people eat the same five dead
animals all the time. A little bit of cheese and a little bit of milk poured on top or some eggs
(48:15):
sprinkled in. They're eating the same five dead animals, yet there's thousands of varieties of
plants and dozens and dozens and dozens or even hundreds of varieties of things like apples,
for example. Also, Richard, to your point, I found this to be true. It's so common, I've noticed,
(48:38):
that once people do come to a plant-based diet, that's when they discover Thai food, Indian food,
Mexican food, Ethiopian food, Japanese food. That was me. Yeah. Exactly. Me too. My wife included,
my brother included. Once you're looking for plant-based foods and explore all these different
tastes and textures and varieties and culture from cuisine around the world, you realize,
(49:04):
what is global cuisine? A lot of it is rice and vegetables. It's rice and vegetables and spices
and tofu and things like that. Whether that's in Thailand or Vietnam or whether that's in Ethiopia
or in plenty of other parts of Africa or whether that's in Japan or whether that's in Mexico,
(49:25):
it's this plant-centered diet that has rice and beans and corn and cassava, whatever that local
cuisine is, mixed with a whole variety of vegetables like you mentioned, these purple sweet potatoes or
Japanese potatoes or different varieties of sweet potatoes, different types of corn that's a staple
(49:51):
in these cultured cuisines and Mediterranean diet and things that come with that. That's what a
plant-based diet does. It opens you, it opens the world to this global cuisine. That's a great
observation. I hope that also sticks with people too, that those who follow the mainstream diet and
status quo, they're really eating just the same five animals and a few of their secretions or
(50:16):
secretions or whatever to mix in as toppings or sauces. I know that's a little bit blunt,
but that's also fairly accurate portrayal of what the standard diet is. It's simply...
I used to eat that way and I agree 100%. That's the way it was. I didn't even eat seafood back
then. For me, back then, it was just beef or chicken, pretty much.
(50:39):
Yeah, you're eating the same two or three things every single day, along with the same
processed breads, the same butters, the same oils, the same incredibly calorie-rich,
but lacking nutrient types of foods. We have this expression that we are overfed and undernourished
in the Western culture. That's so true. I know you and I were on another podcast recently where
(51:03):
I mentioned these numbers that the average adult American consumes 3,540 calories per day. Richard,
that's the average. That means there's plenty of people eating 4,000 or 5,000 calories a day.
Yeah. Plenty of people eating 2,000. How do you get the 4,000 or 5,000 calories a day? Well,
you get it from very calorie-dense, calorie-rich, processed animal-based foods.
(51:27):
Exactly.
It's the package. How many people eat just a piece of meat on its own? It's usually covered in oil,
it's covered in sauces with mayonnaise or butter or cheese with a processed bun with all these extra
things added, and then maybe some fries covered in salt, and then I need maybe a little soda to
wash it down, maybe some alcohol because it's a weekend. I'm watching sports. It's the package
(51:52):
that you consume a food. That is the problematic thing.
I'd like to reiterate too, you can eat as much as you want this way, at least for me.
I'm never going to gain the weight back because I have a big appetite. That's never changed.
But the size of my salads, you don't go hungry eating this way.
(52:16):
That's because you can eat essentially unlimited because the calorie density is so low.
Leafy greens are 60 to 100 calories per pound. Oil is 4,000 calories per pound. Meat is 1 to
2,000 calories per pound. What we call crap, calorie-rich and processed foods are 2,300
(52:36):
calories per pound. That puts the weight, not leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables and fruits and
root vegetables and rice and oats and potatoes and lentils. You'd have to eat so much of that.
I mean, you couldn't even eat it. How many big sweet potatoes can a human consume in one sitting?
(52:56):
Not that many. You get full from the volume and it's not even that many calories plus you get all
the nourishment that comes with it. I just want to say, yeah, I'll go soon. I do want to say this
about diet. I told you before that diet didn't work for me because it was about health.
(53:18):
But you also got me thinking, they don't work because you're counting calories. They don't
work because you're counting calories all the time and you're counting what foods you can eat.
If I had to do a diet like that, I already know it would fail. I don't want to have to count
each thing every single day that I eat. It's no fun to live that way. It's much funner to live
(53:45):
not having to worry about it. Eat intuitively. Exactly.
Eat for enjoyment, for health, for wellness, for longevity. We can have another conversation about
blue zones and longevity and the implications of our diet and our lifestyle. I'm sure given more
time, we could dive into many of those topics. Maybe we'll have to do this again. Richard,
(54:07):
we have a tradition around here. If I can just ask you two final questions before you get back
to work. Very short answers if you like. One, you've got holidays coming up. I want to know
what you're grateful for, Richard. You're probably not going to be surprised
by this, but I'm grateful for my health and I'm grateful for my friendships with you.
(54:32):
I can serve Dr. Firm in a friend and so many awesome plant-based friends that I've met
over the years. I get inspired and I hope I inspire others as well. I do get inspired by
my friends. Watching you with how you launched Impactful Vegan, that was inspiring for me
(54:57):
because I work in marketing. To me, I think you did all the right things
when you were marketing your book. You're very inspirational to me. Just more than just
being a vegan, which is also impactful to me. I think you can learn so much from your friends.
(55:19):
Yeah. Well, thank you for those kind words. I can tell that you keep good company just
from some of the names you mentioned and the fact that you went out of your way to say that
you are inspired by your friends. They lift you up and they inspire you. Not a lot of people
can say that. They might say their friends bring them down or their friends have this, that,
or whatever reaction on their negative influence on their food or on their behavior or whatever.
(55:45):
Sounds like you very much like you walk your talk in a diet and fitness lifestyle. You very much do
that with your circle of friends. The very first question, Richard, before we let you go and get
back to graphic design, is that, Richard, if there was a movie made about your life, who would play
you? Good question. I stumped you, didn't I? You did. Well, it would have to be somebody vegan.
(56:17):
I can't imagine somebody who's not vegan playing me. I'll let you pick. I can't pick anyone.
Yeah. That's a...
That's a very good question. Nobody's ever asked me that.
Yeah. As far as vegans who are on the big screen or who are in films and television,
(56:43):
I know of people like Joaquin Phoenix who... I was thinking him, but he's probably not as tall as me.
Yeah. He does have the compassion that you have, but he doesn't have the full weight loss
transformation that some actors have done for the roles that they've played. But yeah, it's kind of
(57:04):
stumping me too if it's someone that's got to be plant-based. But what if we twist it a little bit
and say, well, it doesn't have to be a Hollywood actor. And I admit I don't watch as many movies
or television as a lot of other people, so I just don't know a whole lot of them.
Yeah, me too. Yeah. So this could be a friend or colleague,
(57:28):
someone who could really just accurately tell your story. Maybe one of your social media friends
or fellow colleagues in this plant-based space, maybe one of the many plant-based
athletes out there who's kind of an influencer, which is somewhat like an actor.
Yeah. You know, I'd say, I'm thinking about it because his story parallels so much with mine.
(57:51):
And I recently had him on my podcast, Anthony Marcello.
Okay.
Because he has been there, you know, walk the walk like I have. You know, he's had blood pressure
problems and diabetes problems. Yeah, definitely. I think his story is parallel to mine.
Yeah.
So yeah, he's somebody who, yeah.
(58:13):
Yeah, I think it's a good answer.
A real friend, sir.
And sometimes it's not always a Hollywood name to try to...
Yeah, exactly.
...represent you. It's someone who knows you well or who has walked your path and who could
tell your story to a larger audience by way of having their own experience with a similar journey.
(58:34):
And I think that's a great answer, Richard. So I appreciate you making the time today,
carving out time in your afternoon here to spend time with me.
I'm happy to.
On the Plant Powered Athlete podcast. So I want to thank you so much. And
I want to thank all the listeners who tuned in. I've been Robert Cheek. This has been Richard
Hubbard, a great friend, a great guy. Go check out his book, search his name on Amazon or ask
(58:59):
your local bookstore to carry it. Find him on social media. And Richard, any final words
of wisdom as we move into this holiday season where there's going to be a lot of temptations
of low quality food and alcohol and processed stuff?
Yeah.
What's the best advice you can...
Think of the animals. If you're tempted by the turkey, for example, watch some extra
(59:25):
videos about what happens to these animals. The most important thing, at least to me in my eyes,
is, you know, it's okay to cheat on vegan junk food, in my opinion. But think of the animals
and the suffering in that turkey before you think that you should, you know, give in to that
(59:48):
temptation. I've never been tempted because I, like Robert, I'm sure he agrees. We think of
the animals and we understand their suffering. So, you know, I think enjoy the holidays and
lots of vegan foods. You know, that's my advice. Keep snacks around, healthy snacks, and you'll
(01:00:12):
be okay. Every Christmas since I turned vegan, you know, I've been fine. Never had any issues.
Yeah, very well said, Richard. And I actually, I mean, that's a wonderful slogan I'm going to
start using online as we move closer to the Thanksgiving holiday season. And I think that
(01:00:32):
closer to the Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Year's holidays, just that brief slogan,
think of the animals. I'm going to start using that. And I also like the last thing you said,
you may not even recall. You said, think of the animals, then you talked about some options,
and you've been doing it ever since. And you said, you'll be okay. And I think that's,
I think that's the message we need to hear too, that, yeah, you may have some, you know,
(01:00:55):
you might have a little bit of conflict or butting heads with some family members or relatives
around food choices, but go celebrate your own vegan, compassionate feast. Think of the animals,
and you'll be okay. So, yeah, and one last thing, and I gotta go, but I just have to say this,
because I think what helped me is the merchandise that you sold, the vegan sweatshirt,
(01:01:19):
because I am so open to how I live. You know, I used to, you know, tell people, you know,
I'm eating plant-based, you know, this is before I went 100% vegan. Now, I love it, telling people.
I absolutely love, you know, even if a family member has a problem with it, you know, it's
(01:01:44):
open up dialogue, and I don't care what they think, you know, it is what it is. It works for me.
I have a success story to prove it. So, I'm just going to be me. Yeah. Yeah, you've always been
your authentic self, Richard, the way you carry yourself in person and online on social media.
(01:02:05):
All the times we've met in person, you've always been a delight. So, thank you so much. I'll let
you get back to work. Thank you all for tuning in. Thanks. Do the Plant-Powered Athlete podcast, and
have a wonderful holiday season, everyone. We'll catch you next time. Take care. Talk to you later.
All right. Bye-bye, Richard.
Hello everyone and welcome back to the Plant-Powered Athlete Podcast. I'm your host Robert
(00:05):
Cheek and I have another fantastic guest for you today, my good friend Richard Hubbard. Richard
Hubbard is an author of Plant-Based Journey to Health from morbidly obese to a plant-based athlete.
He is a good friend of mine. He is a social media influencer and community leader. He's involved in
lots of different projects, especially out in the North East, North Eastern United States that is,
(00:31):
and I see him on tour and I have seen him on tour in multiple cities and one of my biggest supporters
and a great friend of mine, Richard Hubbard, welcome to the show. I'm so happy to be here
and I gotta reiterate, yeah it's great being friends with you. I'm so amazed by all the
(00:52):
great work you do and in your latest book, I loved your latest book too, it had a huge impact on me.
Well thank you Richard. I appreciate the title. Yeah, yeah thank you Richard. I appreciate that and
you've had an incredible transformation. That's kind of what you're known for and kind of,
right, you know the tagline of your book says that from morbidly obese to plant-based athlete. So
(01:15):
I know like we do in, you know, many podcasts and many conversations, we dive in and tell your plant
powered story, but first if you could actually define for me and for the listeners, what does
being a plant-powered athlete mean to you? Being the best we can be, feeling the best we can
feel, eating the right foods, plant-based, you can feel, you know, you can build muscle, you can
(01:45):
you can be a better athlete all the way around. You just have a ton of energy every day.
I've never had any regrets going on plant-based and, you know, it's really, it's to the benefit
of every athlete out there. Yeah and before we hear your inspiring story and I'm excited to
(02:07):
dive into that, Richard, how would you define health? Health is not having to worry about
a doctor, you know, seeing a doctor all the time, taking meds, being free of all that.
You know, health is not having to worry about your weight, worry about blood sugar,
(02:30):
just living your life, doing things and, you know, feeling great. Health is also,
you know, in watching other people like my mom who reversed her diabetes,
seeing somebody who can get off meds after 40 years with a plant-based diet, it's just
(02:50):
incredible what plant-based eating can do for you. Yeah, absolutely. There's so many success stories
from the Forks Over Knives community, Food Revolution Network community,
so many others, no meat athlete, vegan bodybuilding, the various health and fitness
(03:10):
wellness communities, Well Your World, you name it. There are so many success stories out there
from those who've moved away from the status quo, the standard Western diet and chose a different
path, one of lower calorie density, higher nutrient density, better nutritional return on investment,
lower or completely free of dietary cholesterol, lower in saturated fat, higher in antioxidants,
(03:35):
higher in fiber, higher in vitamins and minerals, nitric oxide, lower total calorie intake,
therefore not contributing to excess weight gain and having more energy and even better joints
and feeling better overall, better endurance. So there's so many benefits of health. So
(04:00):
Richard, how would you define success? I think this is by your state of mind. If you work on
your goals and you achieve goals, I think success is all about goals. You have to have goals to have
success. Some people are, they're handed money or they're handed wealth, but if somebody earns it,
(04:28):
you can really feel success based on what you're trying to achieve. Yeah. And sometimes those go
hand in hand, health and success. And that's, I think, something that many of us are striving for.
And so I want to ask you again, before we get into your journey, just to get some of these topics
covered first, what are you concerned with as far as global health for our citizens at the current
(04:59):
moment or even long-term with the way current trends are going? What are some of those concerns?
Then we'll talk about some of those solutions or what you feel like. Yes. Right. Well, my big concern
is the planet. There's so much issues going on with hurricanes and I know there's some
people who just deny what's happening, but these storms are scary. The planet is warming up.
(05:24):
We have the warmest November and October here in Connecticut. We're setting records. It's beautiful,
Al, but this isn't natural. It's like, my dad is having the same weather and he's close to North
Carolina and we're having 80 degree weather up here. And as much as it feels good now,
(05:46):
that to me seems like a bad sign of what's going on with the planet. And I do worry long-term
what's going to happen. Yeah. I share the same concerns, Richard, and I know a lot of people try
to politicize this kind of stuff and the evidence is in front of us. I had two vegan festivals
(06:07):
canceled due to devastating storms. One of those was in Nashville, North Carolina, which I have
friends there who have just suffered unbelievably. So many people died. People lost their homes,
entire cities washed away, flooded. The other one was in Tampa. Both those events canceled.
I have a friend who, well, numerous friends who had to evacuate. One had his house completely ruined,
(06:33):
all his belongings, everything's just out on the street to be picked up like garbage can at some
point. He's having to find a new place to live while his house is being rebuilt. I kind of
I come from the West Coast, Richard, where it's been on fire for the past half decade. I've even
been driving California freeways and seeing flames off in the distance. I've been out walking my dog
(06:55):
in Colorado and have ashes falling into my eyes, which burn and sting. And they act like almost
like paint or leaves. They cover windshields to get on your windshield wipers. They're all over
the ground. They kind of stain the concrete around our driveway. We've been on fire in California,
(07:16):
Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Wyoming, Colorado, Idaho for a good half decade or full
decade. And things are getting worse. And to your point, I just came from a different vegan
festival last week. And it was 89 degrees out in Alabama in November and 96 during my layover
(07:37):
in Tampa. And the people in Alabama were saying, yeah, this is unusually warm 90 degrees in November.
Which it's comfortable. It's like, wow, it's extended summer. But what does this mean for
habitats, for other animals, for our family, our loved ones, population migration and density and
(07:58):
growing seasons and crops that are available to be grown? And it's, you're right that
a lot of people might answer the question. They're worried about protein intake or availability,
but you're looking at a bigger picture that, yeah, if we don't have this planet functioning for us,
we're- Exactly. Where do we go? Yeah. I have a theory about where I live too in Connecticut.
(08:22):
Sure. The snow has been getting worse and less every year. And I'm predicting if we don't change,
it's going to be like Florida soon. We'll never see snow again because you barely see storms
anymore up here. Yeah. It's troubling. It's troubling. And so my follow-up question, Richard,
(08:43):
because I know you're very active online, especially on Facebook. You're very engaged
in community discussion and all of that. You're an author. You attend various events. You're part
of organizations like Plant Powered Metro New York and all of that. So I have to ask you, Richard,
what are you optimistic about in global health and wellness considering the giant obstacles that
(09:09):
are in front of us? Yeah. I am encouraged that I see more plant-based options in stores,
even though a lot of it's plant-based junk food. I am encouraged that it's becoming a buzzword to
people and it's on their minds. And I think that being a vegan isn't as crazy as it seemed years
(09:30):
ago, like when you started. It's not so shocking to people that, oh my God, do you know what you
need? I think that kind of stereotype is going away and people are just more open to it.
So if we can keep that going, my hope is that maybe in five, 10 years,
maybe we'll get 30% or 50% of the population trying plant-based. I think it's going to be a slow
(09:58):
process. Yeah. And that gets us to a tipping point. A lot of psychology research suggests it
only takes 10 or 15% of a population to absorb an idea or grasp onto an idea for it to then reach
a tipping point, which then spills over into mainstream culture, even with only 15% of people
(10:22):
embracing this idea. General population tends to follow those initial leaders. And if we can do
that in all sorts of plant-based food innovation or how we farm in the future, how we impact
government subsidies, how we vote with our dollars and change the food system, there is some hope
there. Richard, I've got a really compelling question, which is going to lead into your story.
(10:45):
Now, so of everyone that I've interviewed recently, let's say in recent weeks or even
recent months, perhaps, I think this might resonate with you more than anybody else.
You'll see what I mean in just a moment. Yeah. So I'm going to ask you this question,
and then I'm asking you to tell us your story. Okay? Okay. Richard, here's a quote I heard from
(11:10):
a doctor recently that I had on the show. He said, if you lose your health, you only have one goal
to regain your health. And to me, this speaks to somebody just like you, because you are-
It does. It does.
And I want you to now tell all the listeners your very compelling plant-based journey.
(11:35):
Yeah. First, I'd like to just respond to the question as I start my journey, my story about
my journey. Health is everything, and you don't realize it until something happens. And unfortunately,
a lot of people who are, let's say they're in their 30s and they think, oh, I'll worry about it down
(11:59):
the road. You can have a wake-up call. For me, I'm thankful it was just a medication threat,
that there's others who will have a heart attack or a stroke or something more serious to wake them
up. And another thing is I don't want to be, when I'm at that age, I don't want to be that elderly
(12:21):
person that's in a nursing home that relies on people to move around or to go to the bathroom or
to eat. I would much rather have independence. And I can't imagine, I've seen people suffer,
because my mom is a nurse, and even as a kid when I see the kind of work she was doing,
(12:44):
I would hate to end up that way. And to me, I think even as a kid in the back of my mind,
it was always, I would never want to end up like that. I want to be healthy. So that's why it was
surprising that after college, I let myself go as bad as I did. But it was bad habits. I was a
(13:06):
typical college kid eating lots of junk food and not really caring about what I ate, because I was
very active then. So I wasn't heavy. I was just probably, I'd say chubby. More like a football
(13:27):
build that wasn't considered majorly obese yet. And I remember eating bags of Doritos and not
caring. So I was doing all this walking in the city. I went to New York for four years.
I went to New York for four years to get my degree. And after graduating, things were tough,
(13:52):
and I couldn't find a job right away. I'm a graphic designer, web designer, and at that time,
it was hard to find my dream job. So I started working at a local newspaper, did graphic design
work. And a lot of my coworkers, they meant well, but they treated me like, probably many of you
(14:21):
remember the commercial with Mikey, the mobile serial commercial. Look it up on YouTube and
you'll see what I'm talking about. They considered me like Mikey, but I'll eat anything. So there was
all this junk food and they would encourage me and I never resisted. And there's Burger King coming
(14:41):
in, McDonald's, all this junk food. Somebody would have a drawer full of candy that we'd
raid and just take all the candy we wanted. And gradually what I was doing was getting
more and more heavy every day. And I stopped weighing myself at 345 pounds
(15:02):
because that was my way of denying that anything serious was happening. I thought if it was over
350, I'd really be shot. So I just kind of pretended to myself that I'm okay. And I lived
like that for a few years, but I was dealing with neuropathy in my feet, just feeling
(15:28):
something wasn't right. And I remember feeling dizzy when I would stand up at times. And
yeah, I was probably in my early to mid thirties and I thought I'm too young to
worry about diabetes, but I was still concerned though that something was happening.
(15:48):
So gradually, yeah, I was getting worse with my pains and headaches and things,
but I still avoided going to the doctor. The only thing that woke me up, and I'm still grateful
to this day, I worked for the state of Connecticut for community college in Connecticut. And they
(16:14):
started to offer health insurance at a reduced rate, but one of the requirements was you had to
do a yearly physical. I haven't gone to the doctor since college days and I was scared to death.
I thought I'm going to go to the doctor because I don't want to be paying a double or triple or
(16:36):
whatever the cost would be. So I made that appointment. I found a doctor to start my
journey. I just chose one at random. I did my research online. I didn't know anything about
plant-based at the time. I didn't know anything of what I was doing. I didn't know I'd be
beginning a journey, but I went to the doctor. He confirmed I was morbidly obese. I also found out
(17:05):
I was hypertensive. I never gave that a thought ever because I never checked my blood pressure.
It's like I don't remember the numbers now, but it's probably like 150 over 110 or something,
very high. And the doctor gave me four weeks, or maybe it was two weeks. Now, I think it was a month
(17:27):
to see if it would come down because he wanted to check it again. If it didn't, he said that you
would put me on meds. So within that month, I was making a few changes, but it didn't come down.
So he said, okay, we're going to put you on meds. And he explained to me that in six months,
in every six months after that, he'd have to check my lab work, make sure my kidneys were okay,
(17:50):
because this medication might harm the kidneys and liver and if there are side effects. So
I picked up the drug, looked at the side effects, talked to my mom who's a nurse, and her attitude
because she gives out pills, or she did when she was working, you know, like their candy,
(18:12):
and she thought it was no big deal. She says, well, everybody's on something. So, you know,
years later, she realizes what a mistake that was to say because she's not on anything now either.
But anyway, that was her attitude then, everybody's on something. And for some reason,
I had this drive in me, and I don't know where it came from. But I wanted to do research and see if
(18:35):
there's a way I can get better on my own. So I told my doctor, if I lose the weight,
and my blood pressure comes down, can I avoid the medication, you know, for like six months or
whatever? And he agreed. So I started to do research. And eventually I stumbled upon
(18:56):
articles that said like eliminate red meat, that's the first to go. And I never had any
trouble giving up these foods, you know, because it was about health. You know, when I would die in
the past, before that, it never worked. And you know why? It wasn't about health. So all those
(19:18):
failed attempts, but when you have a health scare, it wakes you up. So, you know, so the first thing
to go was red meat, then it was aspartame. I remember it was that order. And what I was gradually
doing over the first six months was giving up processed foods and animal products. Although I
(19:40):
still hold on to turkey and yogurt for some time after that. But another big life changing event
was in April 2012. And that was when I happened to by chance be home from work and saw Dr. Oz.
And on that show was Dr. Furman. I didn't know anything about him. And he was talking about
(20:07):
the G-bomb foods. And if you're not familiar with that, it's greens, beans,
onions, mushrooms, berries, and seeds. That changed my life because there were three women on,
and they all got better. One of them, I think, was reversing her diabetes. Another one was able to
(20:30):
reverse eczema or something else. And all these health conditions, I thought, this is the way to
go. And ever since then, I mean, there might be a time that I can't think of, but I've had the G-bombs
foods just about every day. If I haven't, like I said, then I'm human. Maybe I don't recall if I
(20:52):
missed a day, but those have been my staples. I've increased my diet since then. I also incorporate
Dr. Greger's daily dozen. And you incorporate all the plant-based doctor's advice. But I really
credit Dr. Furman for OB-MIs to plant-based. So I lived like that for a couple of years.
(21:20):
Being all food plant-based, but still having the minimal animal products and working out hard in
the gym, getting a personal trainer. My personal trainer was big on protein. And I'll never forget
he wanted me to do 200 grams a day to build muscle. That was his thing. And he suggested
(21:43):
whey protein. And I'm so grateful that whey protein did not agree with me. I was having all
kinds of issues digesting it. And so I never went back to it. I told him I have to have a plant-based
protein powder, even though he didn't agree. That's what I did. And then I told my doctor
(22:04):
a few months later that what my personal trainer wanted me to do, he said, and he's not even
plant-based as a doctor, but he said that much protein would kill me. It would damage my kidneys
and stop doing that immediately. So I listened. And here's where my research came in, where I met
Robert Cheek. It was August of 2016. I was doing all this research because I want to build muscle.
(22:33):
And there's got to be a way without over-ingesting protein. And I don't remember
what words I Googled, but somehow I found Robert's website. And he had a book called Shreddit.
And he also sent me the companion journal. And Robert, just so you know, that journal
(22:54):
was even more impactful for me than the book, believe it or not, because that journal was 13
weeks long. And I followed that to a T. I said I'm going to go vegan for 13 weeks. And I saw the
results over time. I was building more muscle. I felt better than ever after the 13 weeks.
(23:16):
Hey, it's Nathan Crane, founder of Plant-Powered Athlete. And I want to thank you for tuning in to
the Plant-Powered Athlete podcast. And as a special thank you, I want to give you a 10%
discount code on our Plant-Powered Protein scientifically formulated, super clean, organic,
high quality Plant-Powered Protein designed with health and performance and longevity in mind with
(23:39):
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the word podcast at checkout. And you can get Plant-Powered Protein at our website at
Plant-Powered Athlete.com. Thanks again for tuning in. I started watching animal rights videos and
(24:08):
videos about how animals were treated. And I never went back after the 13 weeks. My initial thought
was, you know, when I started 13 weeks that I'll be going back to my old ways. It never happened.
And I also credit your sweatshirt, the one that says vegan, the hashtag in the back.
(24:29):
I wanted people to know I was doing this challenge because I wanted to see
the people who noticed the results in the 13 weeks that I did as a vegan.
And they did notice and they noticed the jacket and they got a lot of
feedback from people. They were curious. You know, a lot of people still said at the time
they could never do that, but they respected me. And they saw the results too. I don't know if I
(24:55):
influenced anybody at that time, but at least nobody could deny the results. So I think in my
own small way back then I was changing people's perceptions. And that opened my eyes to be a more
of an activist. And that's where I am today. I consider myself an animal rights activist.
(25:22):
I want to do more for the animals. And this would never happen, by the way, but if somebody were to
say that plant-based diets are bad for your health, again, that would never happen. But I could never
go back to my old ways because of the treatment of animals. You see it all the time, all their suffering.
(25:46):
So my health journey led to my opening my eyes to compassion. And over the years I've
met so many people, so many friends, close friends who eat this way. And it's about health to all of
(26:09):
them, but it's also about animal welfare. And I really see a lot of positive changes over the past.
I'd say since 2016 I've motivated people. I always wear the vegan shirts of the children.
People ask me about it. And I know I've converted some people just by
(26:33):
they see the results. That's why I share my weight loss story as well, because
I know that people have to have compassion. They try to shut out their emotions when they eat meat.
I did that for years thinking it wasn't really from an animal. Somehow in my mind I used to ignore
(26:57):
that. It's just something bought in the store. I never really made the connection.
But it's impossible to turn that off once you try out this lifestyle.
So recently, just to follow up again about my health, my most recent physical health
cholesterol is like 129 or something. Doctors typically don't see our kind of cholesterol,
(27:25):
our plant-based cholesterol. And it's impressive. All the numbers are impressive.
My iron levels are perfect. People think, you're a vegan, you're going to have a little iron.
Nope. Perfect. Calcium, perfect. Blood sugar, perfect. I'm a little bit of a vegan.
(27:45):
Blood sugar, last time I was checked was like 83. My A1C was like, I don't remember, 4.8 or
something. Everything was perfect. This is from somebody who was threatened to be on meds
and never went on any medication. And here I am since 2012, still med-free.
(28:08):
Pre-diabetes is long in the past. I don't have neuropathy anymore. Hypertension is in the past.
My typical readings are like 100 over 65 around there. Resting heart rate in the 40s,
you know, it's awesome. That's all I could say. I work out as often as I can during the week.
(28:33):
I work full time, so it's not easy. I walk a minimum 10,000 steps every day.
Do strength training at least two to three times a week. And I just keep a positive attitude.
I know I'm healthy and that's what matters to me.
(28:54):
Well, it's a compelling story, Richard, and I appreciate you sharing it. And I want to keep
exploring it a little bit more. So how much weight have you lost since you started?
It's been over 150 pounds, probably 160 pounds now. I maintain about,
yeah, more than half my body weight, I'm sure. I maintain now probably about 190 to 195. Yeah,
(29:19):
I'm 6'3". So you're a tall guy. You've lost at least 160 pounds, totally transformed
your life. You're super active. You're one of the few people I know, we've had this conversation,
who has never had a single day walking fewer than 10,000 steps. You walk your clock.
You totally, I mean, the fact that you also, I didn't know that about you, that you have that
(29:40):
that G-bombs approach of Dr. Furman's nutritional dietary advice being adhered to every single day
as well. And many of Dr. Greger's...
I thought the same stuff, but yeah. Yeah, Dr. Greger's daily doesn't and
maybe Dr. Bolswicz's 30 plants a week. Exactly.
(30:02):
You're one of the few that really adheres to this stuff when there's so many temptations of...
And you know why I don't, I mean, I'm human. If somebody brings me vegan junk food,
my friend Anthony Masiela once said, you know, it's okay once a month, as long as you don't do
it every day. And if somebody goes out of the way to make a vegan food for me special,
(30:25):
who am I to say no, because they went out of their way and it's vegan. And I think that's awesome.
And you know, I don't do more than one day a month of eating junk vegan food because
I am afraid of what would happen if I did it daily. I don't want to ever go back into my old ways.
(30:48):
Right. And that's human nature. That's behavioral patterns. Like you have to know thyself well
enough. I'm the same way with a few other things. When I launched my New York Times best-selling
book, The Plant-Based Athlete, this was completely oxymoronic, just totally ironic. I only went to
the gym once over a 44-day period launching that book because I gave everything I had to that.
(31:13):
And I thought that if I even take one hour away from marketing and not doing promotion for the
book to go to the gym, I'll miss out on making that New York Times bestseller list. We did one
time 22 radio interviews in a single day. But the result was I lost unintentionally. I lost about 15
(31:33):
pounds because I didn't go to the gym. And I felt so uncomfortable with that that I didn't even go
into the bookstore to see my own book on the shelf because I didn't feel like I looked like the Plant-Based
Athlete anymore because I got sick from being overstressed and not sleeping and catching a cold
from my nephew over the 4th of July weekend. And I knew that if I missed a few days, I could justify
(32:01):
that. Well, I'm too busy trying to change the world. And then a week went by and then can you
imagine Richard 44 days and I only went once. And I vowed that wouldn't happen with my latest book
launch and it didn't. And I still maintain good shape and I still work toward that. But I'm very
much like you that I can fall into these patterns. That's the same with eating chocolate or eating
(32:26):
something that stimulates these dopamine responses but that can be problematic if
becomes a regular contributor to our diet. I want to mention you and I enjoyed a nice meal
in New York City. Oh, that was awesome. Beyond Sushi. Beyond Sushi, a sushi restaurant. So it was all
(32:47):
like pretty healthy food. It was. All kinds of creative plant-based sushi. I don't know, it was
probably sweet potatoes and mango and all these exotic things. Not just what people think of as
vegan sushi as cucumber and avocado. Exactly. There's so much variety out there. Right. Where
(33:08):
that didn't even have to feel like a junk food experience because it wasn't. Yet we were still
dining out in New York City and had a great time. Richard, you commented on a few things. I just
want to repeat or bring back to people's awareness. You talked about you're grateful that you did that
(33:29):
yearly physical for your job. I think I have to raise my hand. Myself included have not done that
yearly. Even in recent years, I claim to be busy. I'm on tour. I'm afraid of needles. These are all
true things. But these are mostly excuses and something I really need to take to heart. I
(33:51):
encourage those who are listening to do this as well. I mean, I also, you know, I lived a pretty
healthy, I've been plant-based for 30 years now. Starting next month will be the start of my 30th
year. But I didn't go to the doctor for 17 years. And then when I did go, you know, I did get
(34:11):
diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, which makes even these conversations at some times a challenge.
And that was something I waited almost 20 years. And I was dealing with some anxiety stuff and
stress, which could be related to all sorts of environmental factors around me, including just
how my body responds to stress and how it reacts within my own expression. But also there were times
(34:40):
recently, like the last time I got blood work done, I deliberately bulked up to 220 pounds
so that I could say that I had gained a full 100 pounds on a plant-based diet, which I did from
a 120. But Richard, I have to tell you, some of my numbers didn't look that great at that body weight
at 220 pounds that I'm just a little bit under six feet tall. I had put on quite a bit of body fat
(35:05):
at the time. I woke up and I was eating less than ideal diet, if I'm being totally honest.
It was also during the pandemic, I was just stuck at home and just eating and bulking up. And
that wasn't a recipe for success. And so I want to just accentuate that idea that we should go
get our blood work done. We should go do physicals. We should go find out if we're hypertensive or
(35:30):
have anxiety issues or whatever the case is, or if we're high or low in B12 or whatever the case,
we can make some changes. If we're not off limits just because we're plant-based, that doesn't mean
we're going to have these perfect numbers. Can you imagine if I didn't? I sometimes wonder that
(35:50):
if I didn't go to the doctor then, would I still be 350 pounds? Would I have never made any changes?
Would I be having the heart attack I was talking about? Those are thoughts that I often wonder.
Right. And those are, if I wasn't forced to do that physical.
(36:14):
And Richard, those are outcomes that many of our friends and loved ones have experienced.
They've experienced the heart attacks. They've experienced the acute trauma. They've experienced
in some cases, unfortunate, untimely deaths. I can't even tell you how many people I know
in my friends and family circle who have succumbed to an early mortality because of diet and lifestyle
(36:39):
related diseases that cost them their life. It's a very scary thing. It's going to take
very seriously. And I also, I took note of this. It was funny what your mother said
regarding prescriptions and drugs that everyone's on something. Everyone's on something.
As if that's the norm. As if that's what to expect. As if that's what is going to
(37:02):
be. And that doesn't have to be the case. You and I know many people in this plant-based movement,
many of the great doctors, many of the great dietitians and leaders who are in their 60s,
70s, 80s or beyond, and who are not on medications. I mean, look at Anne Esselstyn pulling this giant
tire behind her. And she's a very small, petite woman at mid to late 80s, I think, at this moment.
(37:27):
And she's pulling tires across and she's high energy cooking videos and on tour. And it's
unbelievable. I've had Dr. Campbell's wife, Karen Campbell, I think while she was in her early 80s
in my fitness classes on the vegan cruise. I mean, it's just so many things. And then I want to
mention one more thing, Richard, that you hit on, which I think is really, really important. You
(37:52):
talked about the compassion aspect and that so many of us will justify our behavior because we
want good news about our bad habits. But I'm with you and I say this honestly, that I agree with you
that if I found out that a plant-based diet was less than ideal, it wasn't nutritionally adequate.
(38:17):
You know, there could be some deficiencies or there could be problematic. I still couldn't go
back to eating animals. I would take supplements. I would overload on all the most nutrient dense
leafy greens and fruits and do all the things I needed to do and exercise and fresh air and
meditation and whatever. I mean, in this hypothetical scenario, I just could not go back to saying that
(38:42):
my taste preferences are more important than this individual's entire life.
Even if it made hitting my macronutrient targets easier or helped me increase my protein intake,
it's not worth justifying industrialized factory farming or otherwise
(39:06):
slaughtering of innocent animals to achieve that when we know it can be achieved through a
plant-based diet, which millions of us are doing every single day of our lives. So I think that
I think it's a really valuable point that you made. I wanted to bring up and
(39:26):
I know we're running a little short on time, Richard, but I want to ask you,
how do you view the state of the plant-based food industry right now? There's a lot of ups and downs
and sales that are high or sales that are low, restaurant closures, people moving towards a
carnivore diet, people concerned with the word processed. How do you view the state of the
(39:52):
plant-based food industry today? I still think there's a lot of positive out there, more positive
than negative. I think that because there's not such a negative stereotype anymore with plant-based,
it's more mainstream now. Even though it's not completely mainstream, it's more accepted.
(40:13):
And I think as more people demand more plant-based options, restaurants are going to have to open
their eyes or else they're going to lose 10% of their profits, let's say, in a few years.
Is that what they want? No, I think they're going to have to offer more options. And I think
(40:33):
I'm part of a plant-powered Metro New York, and we're doing a lot of positive things with
restaurants. We're encouraging restaurants, we'll give them a sticker for their window and
a shout out on the website if they offer some old food plant-based options. And it's different
(40:59):
movements like this that will help move the needle. And I don't think we'll ever be 100%
plant-based world, but if we can get to 20, 30, or 40% in a few years, that would be a
huge thing for this planet. Yeah, that'd be really big for the animals, for human health,
(41:20):
for our health care system, land, air, water, all of that. Richard, you said health is everything
earlier in this conversation. Yeah. We talked about G-bombs and Daily Dozen and all that,
but what does it actually look like when I ask you what's the foundation of your diet? I mean,
(41:42):
like what's for breakfast? What's for lunch? What's for dinner? What does that look like?
Because you have to be in that category, for me at least, with Chef AJ or with Esselstyn or
Furman. At least from what I know about you, you really do adhere to a whole food plant-based diet.
I do. You admit to once a month maybe, or if someone makes you something, I totally understand.
(42:08):
Someone goes the other way to make vegan pizza that has vegan cheese on it to cater just to you
and your concerns and your preferences. Yeah, of course, that's everyone's. Wow. But I love to know
what it really looks like. You eat way healthier than I do. Yeah, absolutely. How can I get some
inspiration from you? Walk us through breakfast, lunch, dinner, and maybe tell me your favorite
(42:28):
snacks. Well, first, let me say that I'm no cook. I keep things simple. A lot of my friends are the
same way that I've talked to over the years. Breakfast. I always start with oatmeal. I love
(42:48):
oats. That's my favorite breakfast. I love it more than even when I used to love eggs.
Just something about it that's very satisfying. Lately, I've started with oak oats. This is
probably six months ago. A local store finally started offering it. That's the heartier.
(43:13):
It's the whole grain. I love oak groats now. I'll add the typical berries every day. I add berries
to it. Flax, chia seeds. I also have... I don't know if you're familiar with Suzy's thin cakes.
It's very minimally processed like a cracker. It's made out of whole grains, organic,
(43:37):
very low sodium, like 50 milligrams. I'll add some almond butter to that. That'll be my breakfast.
For lunch, I typically have a huge salad. Nobody can believe the size of the salads. They're huge.
(43:57):
I add greens, tomatoes, onions, everything in the chee bombs. I add the beans to the salad as well.
Lately, I've been having red wine vinegar,
sometimes balsamic vinegar. I add lots of spices. Some of my favorite spices are turmeric,
(44:23):
cardamom, paprika. I found, interestingly, that I love spicy food. I never used to years ago
like hot spicy foods. Now I love it. I buy jalapenos, spice, hot peppers. It's amazing.
(44:45):
I guess going plant-based, I bet a lot of people will find foods that they never knew they wouldn't
like if they try it. There's so many new foods. I've had a lot of people who have tried it.
They try it. There's so many new foods. I've tried it over the years. I found that I loved it.
(45:08):
I would avoid years ago, like mushrooms. That's part of the chee bombs. That's something I have
every day. I hated those as a kid. Now, they're not my favorite food, but I tolerate them.
To me, they don't really have much flavor, but I do eat them every day.
(45:31):
For dinner, I always have steamed broccoli or cauliflower.
Sweet potatoes is a favorite. I love sweet potatoes. Purple sweet potato, if you ever
have that, it's like a cake. I love that. There's so many delicious foods out there.
(45:54):
People really need to go outside the box and try these different foods on the shelf.
There's so many foods I never thought I'd be eating. Don't be afraid of tofu. I have that as well.
If anything, it protects you from cancer. Just make sure it's organic. That's the other thing
(46:17):
about the way I eat. I do shop at stores like Aldi's to keep costs down, especially in today's
economy. My local Aldi's has organic veggies and berries, pretty much the same as the generic
(46:38):
produce in some of the regular grocery stores. Strawberries I found the other day for $3.99
organic. You can't go wrong. You have to shop around for organic. I feel better eating
organic just knowing that I'm doing good for my body. I also have apples every day. They say it
(47:02):
keeps the doctor away. I eat them just because they also fill me up. I still have a big appetite.
If I'm still hungry, I'll eat a Laura bar. Those are awesome quick snacks because minimal ingredients.
That's what I care about if I have something processed. If I work out extra hard at the gym,
(47:26):
I will add a little protein powder, but it has to be the kind with no extra ingredients. I don't
like the stevia in it. I would just make a smoothie with the veggies and fruit and just add a little
plain plant-based powder and call it a day there. That's pretty much my diet every day.
(47:51):
You made some really interesting observations, Richard. You talked about the creativity,
the abundance in a plant-based diet. I'm just going to say it very bluntly.
Maybe some people wouldn't say it, but I'm going to say it. Most people eat the same five dead
animals all the time. A little bit of cheese and a little bit of milk poured on top or some eggs
(48:15):
sprinkled in. They're eating the same five dead animals, yet there's thousands of varieties of
plants and dozens and dozens and dozens or even hundreds of varieties of things like apples,
for example. Also, Richard, to your point, I found this to be true. It's so common, I've noticed,
(48:38):
that once people do come to a plant-based diet, that's when they discover Thai food, Indian food,
Mexican food, Ethiopian food, Japanese food. That was me. Yeah. Exactly. Me too. My wife included,
my brother included. Once you're looking for plant-based foods and explore all these different
tastes and textures and varieties and culture from cuisine around the world, you realize,
(49:04):
what is global cuisine? A lot of it is rice and vegetables. It's rice and vegetables and spices
and tofu and things like that. Whether that's in Thailand or Vietnam or whether that's in Ethiopia
or in plenty of other parts of Africa or whether that's in Japan or whether that's in Mexico,
(49:25):
it's this plant-centered diet that has rice and beans and corn and cassava, whatever that local
cuisine is, mixed with a whole variety of vegetables like you mentioned, these purple sweet potatoes or
Japanese potatoes or different varieties of sweet potatoes, different types of corn that's a staple
(49:51):
in these cultured cuisines and Mediterranean diet and things that come with that. That's what a
plant-based diet does. It opens you, it opens the world to this global cuisine. That's a great
observation. I hope that also sticks with people too, that those who follow the mainstream diet and
status quo, they're really eating just the same five animals and a few of their secretions or
(50:16):
secretions or whatever to mix in as toppings or sauces. I know that's a little bit blunt,
but that's also fairly accurate portrayal of what the standard diet is. It's simply...
I used to eat that way and I agree 100%. That's the way it was. I didn't even eat seafood back
then. For me, back then, it was just beef or chicken, pretty much.
(50:39):
Yeah, you're eating the same two or three things every single day, along with the same
processed breads, the same butters, the same oils, the same incredibly calorie-rich,
but lacking nutrient types of foods. We have this expression that we are overfed and undernourished
in the Western culture. That's so true. I know you and I were on another podcast recently where
(51:03):
I mentioned these numbers that the average adult American consumes 3,540 calories per day. Richard,
that's the average. That means there's plenty of people eating 4,000 or 5,000 calories a day.
Yeah. Plenty of people eating 2,000. How do you get the 4,000 or 5,000 calories a day? Well,
you get it from very calorie-dense, calorie-rich, processed animal-based foods.
(51:27):
Exactly.
It's the package. How many people eat just a piece of meat on its own? It's usually covered in oil,
it's covered in sauces with mayonnaise or butter or cheese with a processed bun with all these extra
things added, and then maybe some fries covered in salt, and then I need maybe a little soda to
wash it down, maybe some alcohol because it's a weekend. I'm watching sports. It's the package
(51:52):
that you consume a food. That is the problematic thing.
I'd like to reiterate too, you can eat as much as you want this way, at least for me.
I'm never going to gain the weight back because I have a big appetite. That's never changed.
But the size of my salads, you don't go hungry eating this way.
(52:16):
That's because you can eat essentially unlimited because the calorie density is so low.
Leafy greens are 60 to 100 calories per pound. Oil is 4,000 calories per pound. Meat is 1 to
2,000 calories per pound. What we call crap, calorie-rich and processed foods are 2,300
(52:36):
calories per pound. That puts the weight, not leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables and fruits and
root vegetables and rice and oats and potatoes and lentils. You'd have to eat so much of that.
I mean, you couldn't even eat it. How many big sweet potatoes can a human consume in one sitting?
(52:56):
Not that many. You get full from the volume and it's not even that many calories plus you get all
the nourishment that comes with it. I just want to say, yeah, I'll go soon. I do want to say this
about diet. I told you before that diet didn't work for me because it was about health.
(53:18):
But you also got me thinking, they don't work because you're counting calories. They don't
work because you're counting calories all the time and you're counting what foods you can eat.
If I had to do a diet like that, I already know it would fail. I don't want to have to count
each thing every single day that I eat. It's no fun to live that way. It's much funner to live
(53:45):
not having to worry about it. Eat intuitively. Exactly.
Eat for enjoyment, for health, for wellness, for longevity. We can have another conversation about
blue zones and longevity and the implications of our diet and our lifestyle. I'm sure given more
time, we could dive into many of those topics. Maybe we'll have to do this again. Richard,
(54:07):
we have a tradition around here. If I can just ask you two final questions before you get back
to work. Very short answers if you like. One, you've got holidays coming up. I want to know
what you're grateful for, Richard. You're probably not going to be surprised
by this, but I'm grateful for my health and I'm grateful for my friendships with you.
(54:32):
I can serve Dr. Firm in a friend and so many awesome plant-based friends that I've met
over the years. I get inspired and I hope I inspire others as well. I do get inspired by
my friends. Watching you with how you launched Impactful Vegan, that was inspiring for me
(54:57):
because I work in marketing. To me, I think you did all the right things
when you were marketing your book. You're very inspirational to me. Just more than just
being a vegan, which is also impactful to me. I think you can learn so much from your friends.
(55:19):
Yeah. Well, thank you for those kind words. I can tell that you keep good company just
from some of the names you mentioned and the fact that you went out of your way to say that
you are inspired by your friends. They lift you up and they inspire you. Not a lot of people
can say that. They might say their friends bring them down or their friends have this, that,
or whatever reaction on their negative influence on their food or on their behavior or whatever.
(55:45):
Sounds like you very much like you walk your talk in a diet and fitness lifestyle. You very much do
that with your circle of friends. The very first question, Richard, before we let you go and get
back to graphic design, is that, Richard, if there was a movie made about your life, who would play
you? Good question. I stumped you, didn't I? You did. Well, it would have to be somebody vegan.
(56:17):
I can't imagine somebody who's not vegan playing me. I'll let you pick. I can't pick anyone.
Yeah. That's a...
That's a very good question. Nobody's ever asked me that.
Yeah. As far as vegans who are on the big screen or who are in films and television,
(56:43):
I know of people like Joaquin Phoenix who... I was thinking him, but he's probably not as tall as me.
Yeah. He does have the compassion that you have, but he doesn't have the full weight loss
transformation that some actors have done for the roles that they've played. But yeah, it's kind of
(57:04):
stumping me too if it's someone that's got to be plant-based. But what if we twist it a little bit
and say, well, it doesn't have to be a Hollywood actor. And I admit I don't watch as many movies
or television as a lot of other people, so I just don't know a whole lot of them.
Yeah, me too. Yeah. So this could be a friend or colleague,
(57:28):
someone who could really just accurately tell your story. Maybe one of your social media friends
or fellow colleagues in this plant-based space, maybe one of the many plant-based
athletes out there who's kind of an influencer, which is somewhat like an actor.
Yeah. You know, I'd say, I'm thinking about it because his story parallels so much with mine.
(57:51):
And I recently had him on my podcast, Anthony Marcello.
Okay.
Because he has been there, you know, walk the walk like I have. You know, he's had blood pressure
problems and diabetes problems. Yeah, definitely. I think his story is parallel to mine.
Yeah.
So yeah, he's somebody who, yeah.
(58:13):
Yeah, I think it's a good answer.
A real friend, sir.
And sometimes it's not always a Hollywood name to try to...
Yeah, exactly.
...represent you. It's someone who knows you well or who has walked your path and who could
tell your story to a larger audience by way of having their own experience with a similar journey.
(58:34):
And I think that's a great answer, Richard. So I appreciate you making the time today,
carving out time in your afternoon here to spend time with me.
I'm happy to.
On the Plant Powered Athlete podcast. So I want to thank you so much. And
I want to thank all the listeners who tuned in. I've been Robert Cheek. This has been Richard
Hubbard, a great friend, a great guy. Go check out his book, search his name on Amazon or ask
(58:59):
your local bookstore to carry it. Find him on social media. And Richard, any final words
of wisdom as we move into this holiday season where there's going to be a lot of temptations
of low quality food and alcohol and processed stuff?
Yeah.
What's the best advice you can...
Think of the animals. If you're tempted by the turkey, for example, watch some extra
(59:25):
videos about what happens to these animals. The most important thing, at least to me in my eyes,
is, you know, it's okay to cheat on vegan junk food, in my opinion. But think of the animals
and the suffering in that turkey before you think that you should, you know, give in to that
(59:48):
temptation. I've never been tempted because I, like Robert, I'm sure he agrees. We think of
the animals and we understand their suffering. So, you know, I think enjoy the holidays and
lots of vegan foods. You know, that's my advice. Keep snacks around, healthy snacks, and you'll
(01:00:12):
be okay. Every Christmas since I turned vegan, you know, I've been fine. Never had any issues.
Yeah, very well said, Richard. And I actually, I mean, that's a wonderful slogan I'm going to
start using online as we move closer to the Thanksgiving holiday season. And I think that
(01:00:32):
closer to the Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Year's holidays, just that brief slogan,
think of the animals. I'm going to start using that. And I also like the last thing you said,
you may not even recall. You said, think of the animals, then you talked about some options,
and you've been doing it ever since. And you said, you'll be okay. And I think that's,
I think that's the message we need to hear too, that, yeah, you may have some, you know,
(01:00:55):
you might have a little bit of conflict or butting heads with some family members or relatives
around food choices, but go celebrate your own vegan, compassionate feast. Think of the animals,
and you'll be okay. So, yeah, and one last thing, and I gotta go, but I just have to say this,
because I think what helped me is the merchandise that you sold, the vegan sweatshirt,
(01:01:19):
because I am so open to how I live. You know, I used to, you know, tell people, you know,
I'm eating plant-based, you know, this is before I went 100% vegan. Now, I love it, telling people.
I absolutely love, you know, even if a family member has a problem with it, you know, it's
(01:01:44):
open up dialogue, and I don't care what they think, you know, it is what it is. It works for me.
I have a success story to prove it. So, I'm just going to be me. Yeah. Yeah, you've always been
your authentic self, Richard, the way you carry yourself in person and online on social media.
(01:02:05):
All the times we've met in person, you've always been a delight. So, thank you so much. I'll let
you get back to work. Thank you all for tuning in. Thanks. Do the Plant-Powered Athlete podcast, and
have a wonderful holiday season, everyone. We'll catch you next time. Take care. Talk to you later.
All right. Bye-bye, Richard.
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