The Rich Roll Podcast

How One Man Reimagined His Life, Went Off-Grid & Found His Zen

Today we go off-grid. As some of you know, this show was launched from a yurt on Hawaii. It was about a year and half ago. At the time, we were at a crossroads. Unsure about our family's future in Los Angeles, we were looking for something new and different. Then out of the blue, a unique opportunity arose and we seized it. An opportunity for myself, my wife and our kids to see and embrace a different approach to life. Next thing we knew, we found ourselves living at Common Ground– a living, breathing organic farm on the north shore of Kauai. For three months we ate and lived off the land (well, mostly). Our kids learned farming and permaculture harvesting food in the gardens. We cohabited in communal yurts shared with a bevy of energetic young people passionate about the environment, sustainability, food and soil. All told, we embraced a completely new and different experience of daily existence, cementing the idea that we have choice when it comes to lifestyle. The notion that — all of the plenty excuses aside — we don’t have to live the way everyone else does. A powerful concept we wanted our kids to see, understand and experience on a fundamental, tactile level. It takes courage to step outside the norm. In our case, we obviously returned to Los Angeles. In all honesty, I just wasn’t ready for that level of disconnect on a permanent basis at this stage in my life. But that doesn't mean it wasn't invaluable, because it was — an experience I will always treasure and never forget. It's an understatement to say that it broadened my horizons. As a family unit, we were permanently changed. A powerful and constant reminder that there is another way. Always another way. During our time on Kauai, I got a call from my friend Evan Rock. A successful young, enterprising commercial real estate executive, I first met Evan when he was dating the young woman who frequently babysits for our little girls. I didn’t know much about him at that time, other than that Evan was a young man with a plan. Dreams of making it big financially. Driving a Porsche and living large. But not too dissimilar from me, Evan happened to be undergoing his own personal transformation. Something Julie calls dismantling. Taking stock of his life, he began to critically evaluate how he was spending his time. He discovered meditation. Unlocking, he then started asking himself questions — big questions. What am I doing and why? What makes me truly happy? How can I better serve myself, my fellow man and the planet? This practice soon led Evan to yoga, then plant-based nutrition. An increase in vitality led him to fitness, even dipping his toe into triathlon. As he continued to search and expand, he ultimately adopted a full fledged high-carb fruitarian lifestyle. I'll never forget running into him at Whole Foods in Tarzana about two years ago. Clad in suit & tie on break from his commercial real estate firm across the street, I watched Evan devour an entire watermelon for lunch to the bemusement of fellow lunch-goers. This is a long way of saying that Evan was undergoing some fundamental, core changes and looking for more. During that phone call I could hear the earnestness in his voice. Mental gears turning, Evan expressed a deep curiosity about the hows and whys of what we were doing in Kauai. I could tell a plan was starting to hatch in his mind. Fast forward to about 5 months ago when I discovered that Evan hadn't just quit his job, he completely cashed out of his comfortable life of financial security. The new owner of a nice chunk of property on the Hilo side of the Big Island of Hawaii, he just up and moved there.

How A Panic Attack On National TV Led To Meditation As The Path To Happiness

Everyone loves a good transformation story. We like it even better when it’s super dramatic. Preferably framed to appear like it all went down like some kind of overnight miracle. Bonus points for million dollar paydays, instantaneous cures, extreme but effortless weight loss and age reversal. But that’s just not how this stuff works, people. Growth and change are hard. And never overnight. It’s a process. 2, 3, 5 even 10 steps backwards for every single step in the right direction. Rinse & repeat, generally in obscurity. It requires dedication, faith, time, toil and pain — because getting out of your comfort zone is just that: uncomfortable. It means taking an honest look in the mirror and objectively evaluating your unpleasantries, missteps and weaknesses. Shedding light on blind spots. And grappling with demons, hardwired patterns and deeply ingrained perspectives on ourselves and our place in the world. But change is also simple. It begins with a basic a decision to do (or not do) something; anything. A decision generally followed by tiny — sometimes almost imperceptible — changes in behavior made consistently over extended periods of time. In other words, the trite annoying adage is true. Baby steps do move mountains. True, sustainable personal growth rarely comes about by changing everything overnight. Instead, it’s about exploring and ultimately developing some level of mastery over just a few small yet important shifts – or even just one aspect of how you spend your time each day. Adopt this approach – a slight shift in perspective and behavior – and you just might be amazed at how impactful this can be on your life experience. How you see, feel about and ultimately interact with yourself, others and the world at large. Do this — and like today's guest — you just might find yourself 10% Happier*. Dan Harris. This guy is impressive. Young and ambitious, Dan joined ABC News in 2000 and quickly rose through the ranks under the mentorship of broadcasting legends Peter Jennings and Diane Sawyer. Today he balances duties as co-anchor of ABC News' Nightline and co-anchor of the weekend edition of Good Morning America on top of filing reports and filling in on air throughout the week on various ABC News programs. Along the way, Dan has covered some huge stories. He reported on the mass shootings in Newtown, Connecticut, Aurora, Colorado and Tucson, Arizona, and anchored natural disasters from Haiti to Myanmar to Hurricane Katrina. He has also covered combat in Afghanistan, Israel, Gaza and the West Bank, including six visits to war-torn Iraq. The job is a relentless pressure cooker. The stress mounted, compounded by multiple tours as an embedded journalist in conflict ridden areas of the Middle East. Depression ensued, followed by self-medicating with recreational use of cocaine and ecstasy. Ultimately, these factors conspired to take a serious toll on Dan's mental and physical health. And it's here that things get interesting. In June 2004, it all caught up with Dan (as these things are wont to do), ultimately manifesting in a very public panic attack on national TV – on Good Morning America of all shows – in front of 5 million people.

Balance, Surrender, Faith & Risking It All To Live Your Best Life

Finding balance in life. Developing trust in something bigger than yourself. Surrendering your self-will. Relying on faith to guide you. And the courage to risk it all for the sake of living your best, most authentic life. Today marks the return of my erstwhile co–host, mother of my children and my wife of 11 years. Julie Piatt. Last week we celebrated our anniversary by renewing our vows. A small little ceremony with just the kids, it was a meaningful way to pay tribute to this journey we've taken. Bringing the kids into the equation, all six of us took the opportunity to share our own “vows” by expressing gratitude for what each member of the family brings to our communal band. It's important to create ceremony around seminal moments. To pause. And take the time to honor each other. It was profound. An event that brought us all closer to each other. And more connected to the journey ahead. After being married for many years its easy to fall into cruise control – my across the board default mode. Whether its fitness, diet, profession, relationships, or (in my case) sobriety, it doesn't take much to convince ourselves that everything is cool, then ease off the gas. Personally, taking things for granted is my pastime. Avoiding this pitfall is a daily practice that demands a level of focused consciousness around all aspects of my life to help me understand that there is always improvement to be had. That growth requires constant work and pressure and focus. But a crucial truism I learned very early on in recovery is that there is no stasis. In every given moment you are either growing or regressing. Moving towards a drink or away from a drink. Heading towards something better or lapsing backwards into bad habits, behaviors, addictions, assumptions, modalities, whatever. Without attention, my life can quickly spiral out of balance. Prone to obsessiveness, it's my nature to lose myself. To become so immersed in what I am doing, whatever it is – training, writing, podcasting – that I lose sight of the bigger picture. Other aspects of my busy life that require my attention. And more often than not, these aspects are the most important aspects. Balance — the primary topic of today's conversation — is the fickle lover I am always courting yet struggle mightily to master. It's like squeezing a water ballon. Just when you think you've got it compressed, something pops out. Squeeze the bulge down and it pops up somewhere else. Always see-sawing from over focusing on one aspect of my life at the distress of another. Story of my life. The more work I do on myself, the better and bigger my life gets. With this comes more opportunities to get out of balance. Which means even more work to keep all the plates spinning at the same speed. The irony. Of course we all struggle with balancing our busy lives. It’s not easy. So today is all about trying to better understand the mechanics behind maintaining proper life balance to avoid the common pitfalls. And keep us on track, moving in the right direction. Julie — a much more innately balanced person than I – is perfectly suited for this conversation, always helping me see the objective truth of how I am acting and helping me bring things into focus. She is bursting with wisdom on the subject so I though this would make for a very dynamic and hopefully helpful conversation for you. Enjoy! Rich

[EXPLICIT] The Post-Punk Algonquin Round Table: Peace, Plants & PMA

Oh snap — s*$%t is about to get real! Back by popular demand, I am overjoyed to bring together two of my most popular repeat guests on the RRP — John Joseph and Mishka Shubaly– for an epic threesome. Call it my Post-Punk Algonquin Round Table: uncensored ruminations NYC style on sobriety, writing books, eating plants, running ridiculously long distances, expanding consciousness, walking a spiritual path and PMA — John's personal mantra for positive mental attitude. I cannot overstate how much I love these guys. And on the mic they never disappoint. As you might suspect, the Cro-Mags' frontman aka Bloodclot returns to do what he does best — incite, provoke, educate and entertain. Straight talk directly from the streets of the Lower East Side with one singular, driving purpose: getting people to “wake the f&*k up”, expand consciousness and take control of our lives. Not to be outdone, Mishka fills the co-host role today and holds his own with JJ (not easy), rounding out the conversation with his always humorous, astute observations on the creative, athletic, sober life. But the predominant subject of today's show revolves around the release of John's new book — a completely updated and rewritten version of his previously self-published cult hit: Meat Is For Pussies: A How To Guide For Dudes Who Want to Get Fit, Kick Ass and Take Names* If you're a long-time listener to the show, my boys need no introduction. If you're new and unfamiliar with these phenomenons, I urge you to check out my earlier introductory posts and tune into their multiple previous appearances (hyperlinks to previous shows in the below Notes). As for JJ, suffice it to say the guy is a true American original. Lower East Side thief, abuse survivor, drug dealer & brawling gutter rat reborn as spiritual warrior. CBGB Street Poet. Punk-ass Robin Hood. Plantpowered Ironman. Spiritual evangelist. A life story so astounding, I can only describe it like this: “Take a little Charles Bukowski, add some Hugh Selby, Jr., throw in a little Jerry Stahl and finish it off with a light dusting of Paramahansa Yogananda. Then toss them all in a Martin Scorcese movie, douse the whole thing in kerosene and light it on fire. That is John Joseph.” But John is also one of the most spiritual, giving cats I have ever met. The guy who will always engage a stranger on the street; and literally move mountains to help a less fortunate soul in need — and never ask for anything in return. A the end of the day, all you really need to know about John is condensed into this little gem that recently appeared on Vice.com– the most entertaining “how to make a green smoothie” video of all time: Meditation; service; sobriety; GMO's; the “V” word; the nutritional plight of the everyman; balancing life as both an athlete and creative person; and what it means to truly be a man — these are the topics of the day.  And yes, we address head-on the heated controversy swirling around the title of John's new book. My opinion? This is a great book. It's not written for the converted. It's written for the guy who wouldn't pick up VegNews Magazine if it was the only thing left on the entire planet to read.

How One Man Reinvented Himself Wholesale — Ruminations On Simplicity, Life In the Zone & The Great Iceberg of Consciousness

I started this show because I truly believe that too many of us are wasting our lives in a reflexive daze. Disconnected from who we are, what makes our hearts beat and what we truly need to be happy. Just trying to make it through the day intact. Pay the bills. And make ends meet so we can numb out to Dancing With The Stars. Living for the weekend, we celebrate by getting drunk and then do it all over again. You know what I’m talking about. It's no way to live. Believe me, I tried. Remember when you were a kid? No older than 11 when the world was wide open. Everything was amazing. Even the tiniest of things could provoke endless fascination. Pure joy in the simplest of activities like running around in the yard with a garden hose; jumping off a diving board into a pool or riding your bike around the neighborhood with friends. The effortless ability to be truly present in the world. Gifted with an innate sense of wonder – and a moral compass that naturally understood right from wrong, good from bad. Then we grow up. That child falls by the wayside. Drops away. Or simply becomes repressed as we morph out of that natural state of what it is to be fundamentally alive, only to step into the objective, material fear-based world of ego, status, and comparison that leaves us obsessed with the past and maniacally pre-occupied with the future yet never fully present in the now. This is the chronic collective human condition today's guest calls being lost in the rational world. A state of being that all too often leaves us anxious, afraid, depressed, isolated, lonely and sometimes even desperate – resigned to a life we're not sure we ever really even signed up for. I know what that’s like. I've been there. And so has today’s guest. But there is a way out. Because that inner child is still there – lurking deep down. We just have to find a way to access it. Tap in. Find a way to bring it to the surface. Unlock and unleash it. This is the path to the authentic self. This is the path to wholeness. This is what it means to be alive. And happy – not in a blissed out unicorns kind of way but in the sense that your life has directed meaning – a purpose that brings true satisfaction. SLOMO. That’s right people. Slomo. What the hell is a Slomo? It's not what. It's who. I first became aware of this world class character when an award-winning short documentary about a very strange man by an enterprising young filmmaker named Josh Izenberg landed on the home page of the New York Times at the end of March. What followed was 16 minutes of pure unadulterated awe-inspiring beauty about a man going boldly where most men fear to venture – letting go of all the trappings of his comfortable, previous existence to instead to pursue the simplest of lives. A life based on faith, purity, movement and the pursuit of what he calls “The Zone” – in his own highly unique and incredibly peculiar way. I implore you – before listening to this episode, please watch this short documentary. The experience of our conversation just won't be complete without it.

Embracing a Sustainable Lifestyle Philosophy That Transcends Diet

Today we’re back with some heavy nutrition talk! There is so much confusion out there about diet, food & optimal health. It's enough to make even the most discerning, conscientious consumer’s head split wide open in frustration. Exasperated, we end up simply paralyzed — continuing to perpetuate unhealthy eating habits that enslave us to an inevitable future of disease, obesity and dependence upon the pharmaceutical industry. My humble opinion? Last week's Time Magazine cover story on the comeback of butter doesn't exactly help matters. Seriously? To help set matters to rights and slice through the wide swath of confusion, obfuscation and downright misinformation, I am pleased to host the lovely and sagacious Sharon Palmer RD. For the uninitiated, “RD” stands for Registered Dietitian. But a more apropos professional acronym just might be “PPRD” – for PlantPowered Registered Dietitian. Sharon is the editor of the award-winning health newsletter Environmental Nutrition, and a nationally recognized nutrition expert who has personally impacted thousands of people’s lives through her writing and clinical work. She is the author of The Plant-Powered Diet: The Lifelong Eating Plan For Achieving Optimal Health, Starting Today* and her new book Plant-Powered For Life: Eat Your Way to Lasting Health with 52 Simple Steps and 125 Delicious Recipes* comes out on July 8 (available now for pre-order). These are books that empower everyone — whether vegan, vegetarian, or omnivorous — to put that Plantpower manifesto into practice by adopting a largely or entirely whole-foods, plant-based diet and thereby reaping such benefits as weight loss, optimal health, and longer life. Indeed, the Plantpower / Plant-Power meme isn't just alive and well, it's picking up steam. What's great about Sharon is her easy-to-grasp, personal approach to food and diet, an approach that marshals the most up-to-date findings in nutrition to explain both why you should eat more plant-based fare and exactly how to do so. But more interesting that that (to me at least) is our dialog about transcending diet altogether. The idea that true wellness stems from adopting a more long-term, sustainable, holistic mind-body-spirit lifestyle approach to not only what you put in your mouth, but how you spend your time and actually live on a day-to-day basis. This is the approach that changed my life. The approach I do my best to embody daily. And the approach I continue to rely and fall back upon to keep my life balanced and in check (with varying degrees of success I might add). So it was great to hear Sharon echo this perspective. I sincerely hope you enjoy the conversation. If you do, tell a friend! Peace + Plants, Rich

From Soccer Star to Sports Agent — How To Pursue Your Dream Job, The Elements of Athletic Greatness & Running on Plants

Must be nice to have your life [sneer]……I wish I could…. [fill in the blank, with scorn]….but some people have to work for a living [biting sarcasm]. The easy road is to resent those that have what you want. Or at least more of what you wish you had. Actually it's more of a cop out than an easy road. But a cop out most of us take (usually unconsciously), which in turn leads to nothing good. Envy, anger, denial, self-loathing and defeatism are but a few of the common and predictable human emotions most likely to arise by default when confronted with that rare person living a fully actualized, aspirational life. A rewarding life where work and play are merged. A life that from the outside makes everything appear smooth, easy and obstacle free. You know the kind of guy I'm talking about right? Guys with names like Elon, Biz and LeBron. How annoying! I get it. But I also understand that annoyance is just a mild form of resentment. And resentment is an emotional luxury I personally can't afford. Because it inevitably leads me to a place of deep suffering. Meanwhile, the object of my deep resentment remains blissfully unaware of my inner turmoil, continuing that envious life of authentic expression unperturbed and none the wiser. All the more maddening! So begins the downward shame spiral. Now let's try a different tactic. Instead of foisting negative energy outward upon this unassuming third person, let's instead turn that powerful forefinger around — the one that loves to point and judge. Instead, let's look within with honesty. Let's accept where we are and invest in the plausibility of a positive new, forward moving trajectory. Let's take action based on belief in your own personal potential and deservedness. And let's embrace the process of unlocking and expressing your best, most authentic self to the fullest of your abilities. Yeah I know. Easier said than done. This is where today's guest comes in. Not because he's going to give you some version of “10 Steps To Live Your Dream Life” (for the record I can't stand articles that involve numerical lists, but I digress). But rather because sometimes a good old fashioned inspirational story well told is just about the most powerful thing imaginable when it comes to catalyzing positive change. A seismic shift in how we contemplate our lives, behave and interact with our environment and others that can lead us on new trajectories that permanently change our lives for the better. Daren Flitcroft I've said it before and I'll say it again. It's fun to have well known people on the podcast. I know that I will get more downloads and rise up the iTunes charts when I host a celebrated guest with a huge following. That's cool, but that's not really what this mission is all about. The real joy is introducing you guys to someone you have never heard of. Someone you might otherwise never encounter your entire life. From an uninformed perspective just an average person we can all relate to, navigating life on life's terms. Struggling with the same things we all grapple with — finances, health, personal satisfaction, relationships, you name it. But someone I find special. And inspiring. Daren fits the bill. When he arrived at UCLA from Washington, D.C. in the fall of 2008 as a young scholarship athlete, everything seemed to be falling into place for Daren. Just another step closer in the unfoldment of his dream: becoming a professional soccer player. But Daren's vision ended abruptly when he suffered a career-ending injury. Adding insult to this injury? It occurred before he ever played a single college game.

“Cowspiracy”: The Devastating Global Impact of Industrialized Animal Agriculture on the Health of Our Planet

You care about the planet, right? Of course you do. We're all concerned about global climate change, melting ice caps, fracking, the pollution of our oceans and all the many more issues we currently face that threaten Earth's long term sustainable health. As such, we do our best to be good planetary citizens. To keep our carbon footprint light, we eat local, recycle and compost. We opt for the bike and leave the hybrid car in the garage to reduce our fossil fuel dependance. We've swapped our lightbulbs for those new expensive ones that for whatever reason are supposed to be so much better. And here in California (and wherever we face drought) we limit our showers and curtail excess water usage. This is a very positive shift in consciousness. These are all great habits. So go ahead. It's OK to feel good about yourself. In fact, give yourself a pat on the back for being awesome. But what if I told you that all of our individual good citizenship efforts are just the tiniest drop in the bucket when compared to the massively deleterious impact of just one particular industry most of us quite simply and unconsciously support on a daily basis every day of our lives? Whether we are talking about global climate change, the blindingly rapid destruction of our rain forests, over consumption of water, species extinction, the depletion and destruction of our soil, the pollution of our rivers, lakes and oceans or the obliteration of natural wildlife habitats, you might be surprised to discover the very inconvenient and uncomfortable truth that there is one industry single-handedly responsible for destroying and undermining the health and sustainability of our planet far more than any other. The elephant in the room – animal agriculture. It is indisputable that our global industrialized system of factory livestock harvesting is unsustainable. It's killing us and it's killing the planet. We must embrace this reality and work collectively to create new sustainable systems to feed the 7 billion people that walk the Earth. Because the point of no return is quickly upon us. We're in the red. If we don't promptly redirect, it truly will be too late. When it comes to conservation and ecological responsibility, the dialog generally focuses on fossil fuels. A big issue, of course; and worthy of our attention. But here's a truth that all too often gets quietly swept under the rug: the deleterious environmental impacts of animal agriculture dwarf the impacts of fossil fuel demand in every single category across the board. So why aren't we talking about it? This is the question explored by Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret — an incredibly sobering and powerful upcoming documentary that takes a hard, unflinching look at just why the issue of animal agriculture and its incomprehensibly negative impact fails to get the airtime it deserves in the global environmentalism conversation. Imagine An Inconvenient Truth meets Blackfish and you get the picture. Today on the podcast I am so excited to have the filmmakers here to tell us all about what is really going on — Keegan Kuhn and Kip Andersen. We truly are all connected on this small blue planet. And as such, no discussion about individual health in the micro is complete without conversation about global health in the macro. We have a collective responsibility to remove the blinders of denial, take the red pill from the Matrix, understand what is truly at play and marshall our planetary citizenship to catalyze the change this planet, our children and all its inhabitants deserve — before it's too late.

The Power of Plants to Nourish & Heal

Imagine this: you are a practicing pediatric ER doctor; all day long every day you treat kids that are not just overweight, but obese. More than obese, these kids are sick — really sick. What do you do? Well, you can do what most doctors do – tell the kids to ditch the salt, sugar and fat; swap the video games for some fresh air; maybe prescribe some medication for the cholesterol or blood pressure; then move on to the next patient. No time to linger…. Or you can take a harder road. Despite a fellowship at Harvard Medical School, full time employment as an emergency room pediatrician, and editor of 3 medical textbooks, Dr. Sujit Sharma felt the need to do more. It was time to try something new: address the cause; focus on prevention; identify and provide doable, sustainable solutions that actually work. Radical! It was around this time that Dr. Sanjay Gupta– Sujit's longtime University of Michigan buddy and yes, the guy from CNN — introduced Sujit to his friend Ladell Hill — a molecular health specialist, herbalist, fitness trainer and wellness expert who had been spent the last 20 years researching and experimenting with nutrition. A passion for healing Ladell inherited as legacy from his Native American grandfather. When he wasn't training celebrities like Gwen Stefani & Lenny Kravitz, Ladell studied tirelessly for years to understand how to best apply the wisdom of his grandfather to his modern practice of health and wellness. He came to realize that science now substantiated much of what he learned from his grandfather: the power of an indigenous, whole food plant-based diet to not only promote overall well being and wellness optimization but to also expedite physiological recovery from exercise induced stress and even — in certain cases — prevent and reverse disease. Bold and powerful, particularly when you get a glimpse of Ladell, who at almost 50 sports jacked guns and the physique a 26 year old NFL running back would envy. Sujit and Ladell immediately hit it off. The result of their collaboration, combined expertise and passion is Chuice – a brand new category of food product that can only be explained as chewable juice. Chewable juice?!? Say what? Bizarre, right? I was skeptical. But I've tried it and it's great – a mastication of nuts and seeds plus fruit and vegetable juice with all the fiber, every ingredient chosen for a specific cellular benefit — it's like a delicious, super easily digestible whole food meal in a bottle. Disclaimer: This is not a paid endorsement or an advertisement of any kind. I have absolutely no business, financial, sponsorship, affiliate or other incentivized relationship with Chuice whatsoever. I just like these guys and find their mission worthy of discussion. A couple months ago, Sanjay introduced me to Sujit and Ladell simply because he thought we would hit it off. Out of courtesy to Sanjay, I ended up calling Sujit a couple days later thinking we would have a cordial few minutes on the phone. Instead we spoke for almost two hours — dialoging on everything to wellness, to plant-based nutrition to the state of medicine and disease prevention. At at that moment I knew I needed to meet Ladell and have these guys on the show. They do not disappoint — a fascinating deep dive into the state of nutrition education in medical school; the ills of our current healthcare system; the potency and power of plants to prevent and heal disease; and a culminating call to action to return to the natural. I sincerely hope you enjoy the listen. Rich

Path to Olympic Gold – Mind Over Matter (Part 2)

Welcome to Part 2 of my conversation with the lovely Rebecca Soni! To recap from Monday, Reb is a two-time World Swimmer of the Year; a multiple Olympic gold medalist & World Record Holder; a six-time NCAA Champion; a giant inspiration, especially to young women across the globe; as well as a beach dweller, dog owner, basic delight & overall legend now focused on giving back to sport through Atlas Ventures– brain training young athletes on the mental aspects of peak performance along with her best friend and fellow Olympian Ariana Kukors. If you have not yet listened to Part 1 of our sit down, check that out first. Then tune in here. It just gets better as it goes. I hope you enjoy the show. Let me know what you think in the comments section below. And if you have been enjoying the show, tell a friend! Peace + Plants, Rich

The Mental Aspects of Peak Athletic Performance (Part 1)

When I use the word “best” in reference to my guests, I mean it. Today's guest truly earns the adjective. If you follow the sport of competitive swimming, then this woman needs no introduction. Quite simply put, Rebecca Soni is one of the most accomplished athletes in the world, period. Here are just a few of her notables: 2-time Olympian (2008 / 2012) 6-time Olympic medalist Multiple world record holder 1st woman to earn back to back Olympic Gold Medals in the 200-meter breaststroke Broke the World Record in the 200-meter breaststroke in consecutive Olympiads (2008 / 2012) First woman in history to break the 2:20 barrier in the 200-meter breaststroke 6-time NCAA Champion at USC 2x “World Swimmer Of The Year” (2010 & 2011) In other words, don't mess with Reb. But meet her on the street and you'd never know just how badass she is — her sweetNESS and genuine humility simply won't allow it. If you know me, you know swimming is my first love. So anytime I get the chance to talk on the subject, it’s going to be long — sorry just can't help it. This conversation holds true, running at around 2 ½ hours. So I'm breaking the interview up into 2 parts. Part 1 today (Sunday night — 6.1.14); Part 2 will post sometime Thursday — 6.5.14. Good stuff. A compelling journey through the the ups and downs of Rebecca’s unparalleled career, we dig deep into: The mental aspects of peak performance, including Rebecca's personal struggles; Rebecca's early years as a young swimmer in New Jersey raised by Hungarian immigrants; The important role of coaches have played in her career; Social media pressures on the global Olympic stage; Her perspective on being a positive role model for young women; Her evolving perspective on nutrition & new found embrace of the plant-based lifestyle; The performance impacts of different modalities of training (volume vs. intensity); Her transition from celebrity athlete to civilian retirement; and Atlas Ventures- Rebecca's start up with fellow Olympian Ariana Kukors devoted to “brain training” the next generation of champion athletes. “Legend” is a word that gets bandied about all too loosely these days. But Rebecca more than earns the mantle and the respect the term truly deserves. She is a legend in the truest sense and her legacy in sport will more than stand the test of time. Plus, she's super cool. After the show she hung out at our house with my kids and her dog Cody (you can hear him hanging around the pod in the background), let us play around with her gold medals and was basically just a delight. It was an honor to spend a few hours with her and couldn’t be more pleased to bring this conversation to you. I sincerely hope you enjoy it! Peace + Plants, Rich

Zen & The Art & Importance of Living Tea

Today we delve into an entirely new world. The world of tea. I can hear you now: Tea?? Really? Why should I care about tea? I've been enjoying the podcast a lot lately, Rich. But I'm not sure about this…I think you might have lost the thread this week.  A couple years ago I would have probably said the same thing. I don't feel that way anymore. So if you are thinking of skipping this episode because on the surface it doesn't sound like something you are interested in, reconsider. Because — and as I always say — contempt prior to investigation imprisons one to everlasting ignorance. WuDe. Born in the United States as Aaron Daniel Fisher, Wude was drawn to the East from a very early age. After studying philosophy in college, he travelled the world and ultimately settled in Taiwan, where he has since become a Buddhist monk – steeped in the sutras and wisdom of that tradition – as well as a tea master – a vituoso of not just the living tradition of harvesting tea, but the living tradition of what tea means in a sort of meta sense – why it’s important and why we should care about it. Tea as medicine. Tea as healing. Tea as life. Tea Practice as Zen. The easiest way to put it is that WuDe comes from this idea that tea is a universal living, breathing thing that unifies us all — the tree of life. Think of tea as a metaphor. A foundational concept around which to structure a set of ancient teachings, principles, knowledge and wisdom to glean a broader truth about health, healing, community, the environment, life, life’s meaning and the unifying oneness – or undeniable interconnectedness of everything In Taiwan WuDe founded and runs Global Tea Hut– a school and center devoted to the education and preservation of the ancient tradition of harvesting living tea and welcomes people from all over the world to come study and practice tea preparation, meditation, tea history, tea crafting, the sutras of tea and its relevance in society, and how to cultivate the Dao of Tea as a method of spiritual expansion. I realize today's guest and these topics may be slightly off your personal reservation. That's cool – it was for me initially as well. All I ask is that you set aside whatever preconceived notions you may be harboring and enter this episode with an open mind. Do that, and I assure you will come out the other side with not only a new and informed view on the import of tea, but a greater understanding of Zen. An expanded perspective on consciousness. And a heightened awareness of the oneness that unites us all. WuDe spills over with crazy mad wisdom that more than merits your attention and contemplation. I promise this just might be the most fascinating conversation you will hear all week. I sincerely hope you enjoy the show. Let me know what you think in the comments below! Peace + Plants, Rich

Eat Concrete, Not Meat

People say people don’t change. Bullshit. I have the great honor of seeing and participating in lives that have changed so dramatically the people they are today bear almost no resemblance to who they once were. Weight loss, sure – I see that all the time. I'm talking more about drastic career changes; dramatic spiritual awakenings; and impossible recovery from profound addictions. I'm talking about people who change from that person you’d shuffle across the street to avoid – literal mental insanity – to becoming inspirational leaders among men. Alterations so stunning I'm left awestruck; and with a profound sense that there must be powers at work beyond the mere mortal. If this show is anything, it's an effort to share those stories to inspire that kind of hope, aspiration and possibility in you. That no matter what your circumstance or plight in life, that transcending the obstacles you face is within reach. When I recorded the introduction to this episode and wrote down these thoughts, it was 3:30 am. Jetlagged and wide awake, I just returned from a whirlwind trip across the globe – 3 weeks on the road in Canada, Beirut, Lebanon and all across Saudi Arabia. Riyadh in the heart of the Arabian desert, Al Khobar on the Persian Gulf & Jeddah on the Red Sea. If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook you might have seem some pictures of me running in all those places. Apologies for all the selfies, but I just wanted to share what I was experiencing with everyone. It was such a fantastic journey and privilege to see parts of the world I never in a million years thought I would ever have the opportunity to see. I gave 6 talks over the course of the trip; all in their own right amazing. Particularly in the Middle East, where the cultural divide can seem so profound and impenetrable that making a true connection seemed almost impossible. And yet to connect with people on a fundamental level over things and concerns we all share no matter what the dictates of our cultural prerogatives – our health, the health of our children, nutrition, prevention of disease, fitness and the ills of our food system ecosystem – was life altering for me. I know it made it impact on them as well. It feels really good. An experience I am immensely grateful for. An experience I won't soon forget. My point is that I have changed. Dramatically and irrevocably. Mostly in ways I didn’t expect. Could never have predicted. And certainly never dreamed, consciously plotted or specifically devised. But definitely in ways I embrace and love. For most of my life, all I wanted was to be someone else. And now I can say that I would not trade my life for anyone. It all started when I made a decision to do the inside work. As I got healthier — physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually — I learned, very slowly and stubbornly I might add, how to lean into, trust and take action on my (once dubious and self-will driven) instincts, no matter how illogical or contrary to my chosen life path they may have seemed at the time. This has made all the difference. It is the reason I enjoy the life I have today. It begins with mining your personal truth. And then embarking on the journey of living it. Something I want everyone to experience — and why I do this show. If today’s guest is anything, he is a guy who is living his truth. Living his own unique brand of passion. Walking a road less traveled, and inspiring people the world over. Timothy Shieff.

The Transformative Power of Practicing Gratitude

Unless you are a new listener to the show, then you very well may be fatigued by my show opening mantra. If so, you're out of luck, because I'm going to repeat it here anyway: Each week I bring you the best most forward thinking, paradigm busting minds in health, fitness, athleticism, creativity, diet, nutrition, art, entrepreneurship, personal growth & spirituality…. The goal is simple: to empower YOU with the tools, the knowledge, the inspiration and motivation to take your life to the next level. To help you discover, unlock and unleash your BEST most AUTHENTIC self. I repeat it here because it's particularly relevant to today's guest and topic. I repeat it here because I need to remind myself that in order to make that leap to so unlock and unleash, I must say yes to experiences outside my comfort zone. I must be and remain open to new ideas that are unfamiliar. I must continue to be willing to risk. And I must be willing to experience things that still scare me. There is a truism I find myself repeating under my breath: you cannot transmit something you haven't got. In other words, if I hope to so transmit, by way of this podcast, the inspiration and tools I profess to offer, then I must walk that talk. Otherwise I strike a false chord – my words become inauthentic. And this house I bled to build becomes a mere house of cards, soon to fall in upon itself. After a rewarding 7 days in Ontario with Julie, I’m now traveling alone — in the midst of this extraordinary speaking tour across the Middle East — Beirut, Lebanon and three cities across Saudi Arabia: Riyadh, Jeddah and Al Khobar. Traveling to this part of the world intimidates me. Is it safe? Can I go outside and run without negative repercussion? And how will I and my message be received by cultures so different from my own? I love traveling. I can think of few things that excite me more than getting on a plane for a very long flight to some exotic place I have never before seen. And yet, I am definitely well outside my comfort zone. These are not places that I would ordinarily choose to visit. But that's what makes it so enthralling. I am wide open to the multitude of opportunities they potentially offer. It's about practicing “yes” to the new experiences that present themselves, irrespective of whatever feelings of fear, insecurity, doubt and anxiety that creep up and strive to keep my life small for the sake of comfort and security — emotions I know are underpinned by illusion – what the Hindus call Maya. For me, the practice of saying yes in the face of such fear and doubt has been paying dividends of late. I can't tell you what an incredible experience Beirut has been the last few days. A place in so many ways vastly different from what I expected. Imagine a mashup of old and new. Cote D’Azur meets Arabia. Parts almost indistinguishable from Milan or Paris or Tuscany – très chic European, sophisticated and urban teeming with beautiful, intelligent, curious people I had the privilege of spending time with. There's a reason it's called The Paris of the Middle East. But turn your head to peer behind my lovely hotel on the waterfront and you will see the unmistakable scars of war. The scaffold of the towering old Holiday Inn hotel – once the pride and pearl of the city — looms high yet decimated and rife with bullet indentations and gaping holes from shell fire artillery blasts. Demolished just after construction was completed when the civil war broke out on 1975, the scaffold still stands in a state of utter disreapir as a constant reminder of a different time, and the ever-present instability that underpins the city's elegant, cosmopolitan veneer. As I sit here tonight finishing up this post, I am now writing from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Building a Legacy on Athleticism, Faith & Humility (Part 2)

Today were back with Ultraman competitor and EPIC5 finisher Christian Isakson for Part 2 of our conversation. Thanks for all the great comments and feedback I received on social media this week in response to Part 1. If you haven’t listened to that one yet dial it up first before tuning in here Part 2 just gets better. We delve into Christian's racing. He walks us through his first-hand experience completing EPIC5 and what it took to put his imprimatur on last year's Ultraman World Championships. Then we turn to service. Christian's commitment to giving back through his involvement with Chris Lieto's non-profit More Than Sport and and his recent work in Kenya with Ameena Project. And how faith, family and humility are keystones to remain grounded, focused and on point. The message is this — if you want your life to have true meaning, satisfaction, fulfillment and a legacy of value, giving back in a meaningful way is essential. If you are feeling adrift, Christian's message will help right your ship. If he has inspired you to seek out a more fulfilling path for yourself but you're just not sure how to embark on your own version of his story, then — as mentioned in the introduction to this episode — you might be encouraged by my new online course on MindBodyGreen.com entitled The Art of Living With Purpose- 2+ hours of streaming video content with an array of downloadable tools I learned, honed and devised to course correct my life — tools I continue to rely on to this day to keep my life focused and on track. Give it a look if it feels right to you. I hope you enjoy Part 2 as much as Part 1. As always, let me know what you think in the comments section below and on social media. Peace + Plants, Rich

How Endurance, Faith, Family & Service Equate to Success (Part 1)

Today's guest is a guy I relate to on so many levels. Like a big Venn diagram of overlapping circles — ultra-endurance multi-sport athlete, dad, husband, Ultraman competitor and EPIC5 finisher. Today's guest is unique in that he is the only guy I have ever had on the show who, like me, has competed in both the Ultraman World Championships and EPIC5 (not that there are very many of us – I think only a few). Today’s guest is also unique for his strong sense of faith, directed purpose and commitment to giving back in service to others the blessings bestowed upon him. Today’s guest is Christian Isakson. Christian and I first connected online several years ago on the eve of his 2011 attempt on EPIC5 (one year after I completed that challenge). Christian absolutely rocked it, completing the distance within the five day period I strived for, yet fell short. In the wake of that effort, I vividly recall several conversations in which I encouraged him to ply his trade at Ultraman. Ironically, Christian was unsure — at the time not yet wholly confident in his abilities despite the potential I clearly saw in him. Yet he obliged. To be clear, not because of me – I just gave him a nudge. And at this past year's World Championship in Hawaii, he proved his mettle and then some. His race was far from perfect, but Christian more than distinguished himself as a future contender for the top podium spot, putting his imprimatur on the race with a stunning Day 2 bike effort that had him leading the field for the majority of the brutal 170-mile day. Since our first Facebook exchange, Christian and I have been e-mail pen pals and phone buddies — corresponding consistently over the years about everything from balancing parenting & marriage to nutrition, training strategies, racing, the role of faith and most importantly service — how best to give this whole ultra-endurance experience greater meaning for others beyond mere race results. And yet Christian and I had never actually met in person. But no matter — from our first conversation we have been close; meeting in person existing as nothing more than a formality. All that changed a few weeks ago when Christian came down to Los Angeles for a short overnight visit with me and my family. The hug he gave me when I picked him up at the airport just made our brotherhood official. Today we sit down and sift through it all – the pain, passion, love and faith that fuels and drives him. The unique push-pull allure of ultra-distance racing. And how he balances this brutally demanding lifestyle to maintain a healthy and happy marriage, great relationship with his kids, and a rewarding career as a paramedic / firefighter. But what makes Christian really tick is his faith. His fidelity to his church. And how service plays into his success equation – from his endeavors with various church organizations to his involvement with Chris Lieto's non-profit More Than Sport and Ameena Project – an NGO which took him to Kenya recently to provide much needed medical care to underprivileged in urgent need. I can attest to the fact that Christian returned from Kenya a changed man. A better, more focused man with a keener sense of priorities. His short documentary on the experience tells the tale: In all honesty, it's rare that I get an opportunity to sit down with a guy with whom I share so many things in common. As a result, this conversation is long. Really long. 3 hours long. Enjoy! Rich

Surfing For Change: Buy Local, Surf Global

So many things wrong in the world. Melting ice caps. Greenhouse gas emissions. Global climate change. GMO Frankenfoods. Depleted soils. Poisoned fish. Rampant childhood obesity. Unsustainable food systems. Horrifying school lunch programs. Unprecedented hurricanes. Insane tsunamis. Constant forest fires. And oh yeah – how about that Texas-sized flotilla of plasticized garbage goo floating out in the Pacific somewhere? I could go on like this all day. We all could. Because in truth it's easy to identify — and become despondent (if not just altogether passive and nonplussed) about the state of the planet, the environment, our citizenship and basic humanity when you take an honest look at the havoc we have wrecked upon ourselves. F-it. I give up. It's too late. Then you meet a guy like Kyle Thiermann. Pro Surfer. Filmmaker. Public Speaker. Environmentalist. Humanitarian. 24 years old. Suddenly, all that despondency is replaced with hope – optimism for the future of the planet and humanity courtesy of the next generation. I had never heard of Kyle until a buddy of mine posted an image on Instagram a few months back that promoted Kyle's latest short film: Pro Surfers vs. GMO's : I immediately clicked to watch and was honestly moved. Sure, the film is informative and inspiring. But beyond the content, I was genuinely impressed to find such a young guy so passionate about our food system. Digging deeper I realized this doc was nothing new for this Santa Cruz kid, who was raised by documentary filmmaker parents and has been putting out short films on global health and environmental issues for years via Surfing For Change — Kyle's online YouTube series merging surf imagery & lifestyle with current global issues with focus on the power of individuals to create a better world through everyday decisions. Kyle's impact has already been substantial. Beyond speaking gigs at universities across the US and features in publications like Outside Magazine and Surfer Magazine, one of Kyle’s first film projects took a look at global bank funding and suggested that people divest from the Bank of Americas of the world and instead invest in local communities and credit unions. As a direct result of this specific project, Surfing for Change tracked over $110 million of lending power moving out of centralized banks and into local communities. That is serious impact. That is awesome. If that's not enough, Kyle gets extra cool points for being the only person I am aware of to ever deliver a TED Talk without a shirt on. That takes cajones. Be honest: if you were a handsome pro surfer in your early 20's whose job was to travel the world in search of the tastiest waves, how much time do you think you would spend on trying to make a difference in the world? Kyle doesn't have to do what he does. The fact that he chooses of his own volition to invest himself in serving a higher purpose makes his message all the more powerful and resonant. The millennial generation gets a ton of flack for allegedly being entitled and narcissistic. But Kyle upends this presumption as misplaced, if not altogether false. My experience — as both a father of two millennial teenage boys and as someone who spends quite a bit of time with people far younger than myself — is that there are countless young people out there a lot like Kyle. Enjoy! Rich

IN-Q On Reimagining Your Truth

The past couple weeks we went deep into nutrition. Now it's time to take a new direction. To delve into spirit. Creativity. And art. All powerful vehicles for connecting with, unlocking and ultimately expressing the authentic truth of who you are — the crux of life transformation. Today we Reimagine Your Truth. Today we meet IN-Q. Rapper. Actor. Teacher. Songwriter & internationally revered spoken word artist. Wait a minute — what?? A poet? How could spoken word, rap music and this guy possibly have anything to do with the themes of this show? I can read your mind. I get it. But I ask you to please reserve whatever preconceived ideas or opinions you may have about what's to come. Because ignorance is contempt prior to investigation. I promise you this — after this interview you won’t be asking yourself that question. I first met IN-Q up at a thing called Summit Series — an organization that began in 2008 with a small group of young entrepreneurs harboring a giant collective dream to change the world. Led by an enterprising young man named Eliot Bisnow (who coincidentally went to my high school), Summit began as an annual four-day events for 1,000 of the world’s leading entrepreneurs, nonprofit leaders, artists, scientists, athletes, and change makers with the intention of driving positive growth and collaboration. The events were extremely successful. But Summit has since evolved far beyond a mere producer of TED-like events. Today, it stands tall as a truly unique community of compelling thought leaders who truly are changing the world. About a year ago, the Summit organization took up permanent residence in Eden, Utah — a quiet hamlet north of Salt Lake nestled in the Wasatch Mountains — when they purchased a mountain. That’s right: an entire mountain & functioning ski resort called Powder Mountain. Not just any ski resort, “PowMow” is in fact the largest ski mountain in the entire United States. Ambitious? It's just the beginning. Summit's goal is to unite thought leaders and innovators of today and tomorrow by over time growing this now small community into an international epicenter of culture and innovation across all disciplines of art, music, technology, entertainment, science, literature, social entrepreneurism and education. Eliot invited Julie and I up to Powder Mountain this past winter to speak and simply enjoy a weekend getting to know Summit. Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect. I had known the Summit crew for a couple years – in fact Julie taught them a yoga class back in 2008 when it was just a small group of people with big dreams cohabitating in a house in Malibu — but had yet to experience it for myself. I have to say it was a transformative experience. I left completely inspired. One of the most compelling people we met was none other than today's guest — IN-Q. I'll be upfront. I’m not a poetry guy. I’m not a hip hop guy. These are foreign worlds I know very little to nothing about. On the surface, IN-Q is therefore an unlikely choice for the podcast. But I was so impressed with this man. The moment I met him I knew instantly that I had to have him on the show. Before each group dinner up at Summit, IN-Q would deliver a poem – a true demonstration of performance art to set the energy of the evening. More prayer than poem. More inspirational panegyric than prayer even. I simply had never heard anything like it before. It was completely unique. But it's not just IN-Q's mad skills that left my jaw agape. To be sure, he is oozing with talent and displays total command over his instrument and art. It was his spirit that truly moved me. Enjoy! Rich

Rethinking the Science of Nutrition

Wow! Last week's guest, T. Colin Campbell, got a huge response. It's only a week since publication and the episode is well on its way to becoming one of the most popular editions of the RRP to date. Glad you enjoyed it and — as always — thanks for tuning in. Because the Dr. Campbell conversation introduced a large new population to the show, thought I would take a brief moment to clarify what we do here. You may think this is just another podcast focused on running & triathlon. I love those subjects and feature plenty of guests in those arenas. But my focus is broader. In short, each week I do my best to bring to you the most forward thinking, paradigm busting minds in health, fitness, wellness, diet, nutrition, spirituality, creativity, entrepreneurship and life transformation. My goal is pure and it is simple. To help motivate and inspire you take your life to the next level. To help you discover, unlock and unleash your best, most authentic self. BOOM.  If you have yet to check out last week's episode, I urge everyone to give that one a listen before checking out today’s show. Even if you think you know all there is to know about T. Colin Campbell, his research, The China Study* and the quote unquote alleged “controversy” surrounding the findings of this seminal work, you might be surprised. Dr. Campbell demonstrated tremendous candor. It was an honor to peek behind the curtain at a life well lived in service to the betterment of humankind. In any event, last week’s guest relates directly to today’s guest. As I mentioned last week, Dr. Campbell was intended as Part 1 of a 2-part series. What began with Dr. Campbell continues today with Howard Jacobson, Dr. Campbell’s contributing author on his latest book Whole: Rethinking The Science of Nutrition* – a book that picks up where The China Study* left off by addressing the inherent flaws in our “reductionist” approach to nutrition research and refocusing how we approach and begin to understand nutrition and it's impact on human physiology from a wholistic point of view – food functionality at the cellular level, working its way up to how it impacts the entire organism. Great. But who is Howard Jacobson? Well, Howard's background isn’t quite what you would think. He's not a doctor. He's not a nutritionist. physiologist or even a scientist. But he is a very smart guy. After getting his B.A. from Princeton, Howard began his career as a school teacher before becoming a successful marketing consultant, running an online marketing agency and writing the book Google AdWords for Dummies* (mental note: I should probably read this one).

China Study Critics & How Plant-Based Nutrition Can Prevent & Reverse Disease

This week we hit a huge milestone – 2 MILLION DOWNLOADS!  Wow. I was blown away when we hit 1 million after about a year since we started this experiment. Then just five months later, we hit the second million. I am beyond words. I love doing the podcast, love it. I do this for you. So it means more than you can imagine that it has found a passionate and loyal audience. With utmost sincerity, I thank you from the bottom of my heart and promise to honor your commitment to the show by striving to always do better and be better. In honor of the milestone, I thought it appropriate to bring you one of my most compelling and important interviews to date. A conversation with a man I owe my life. A man whose studies, books and tireless advocacy have transformed countless lives across the globe. A man absolutely instrumental in paving a path for my own personal transformation – a journey that begins and ends with my adoption of a plant-based diet. T. Colin Campbell Dr. Campbell may not have invented the whole food plant-based diet, but he is most certainly the regal lion of the movement, pioneering it from fringe acceptance to modern age, widespread mainstream adoption. He is best-known as the author of The China Study*, one of the most important, ground-breaking, massively best-selling books ever written on health & nutrition. More recently, Dr. Campbell published an important follow up, Whole: Rethinking The Science of Nutrition*. But even if you have not read either of these books, there is a solid chance you saw him and his work profiled in the incredibly powerful documentary Forks Over Knives*. The simple truth is that how we are beginning to understand the ways in which food and nutrition impact the underlying causes of so many Western diseases that unnecessarily plague developed cultures — and the means to prevent and reverse them — is due in large part to the tireless scientific research to which Dr. Campbell has devoted his life. He is, quite simply put, an absolute paradigm-busting legend of the modern movement for long-term wellness, disease prevention & reversal, sustainable ecosystems, animal welfare, and agricultural reform. For the uninitiated, T. Colin Campbell is a Cornell and MIT trained Ph.D. in nutrition, biochemistry and microbiology and current professor emeritus at Cornell specializing in both nutrition & toxicology – specifically the effects of nutrition on long-term health and even more particularly the role nutrition plays in the causation of certain types of cancer. In addition to the two books mentioned above, he is the author of over 300 peer reviewed research papers on a variety of subjects related to the above. Maybe you're new to all this — I don't get all the fuss. What exactly is The China Study?

The Spiritual Road to Athletic Supremacy

I had to put my dog down the other day. I want to tell you about it. It might seem unrelated to introducing today's podcast guest, but it's not. So bear with me. Bodhi was a great dog. Indeed, a prince. But over the last several months, cancer took the upper hand. Tumors filled his left lung until it shut down, diseased cells metastasizing at a horrible pace until the poor guy could barely lift his head, let alone stand up. Stalwart, Bodhi hid his pain well. But it was there; unmistakable and unrelenting. I felt helpless.  It’s the humane thing to do. You did the right thing. The words of the kind veterinarian who handled the Kevorkian end of this pyrrhic victory to cease my dog's suffering. I gently cradled his head and locked my eyes with his as the needle sank deep beneath his fur. What followed were my tears as the fragile life force dwindled from his limp body until his beautiful soul had vanished altogether. All the while, my only thought: this doesn't feel like the right thing. In fact, it all feels terribly, horribly wrong. Bodhi is gone. It happens. The heartache that accompanies the short lifespan of man's best friend is the very nature of this relationship. I signed up for it and I accept it. In truth, our golden retriever had a great 12 years with our family – a time we will always cherish and for which I am forever grateful. But that doesn’t mean it doesn't hurt. In truth, it sucks. Bodhi is short for Bodhisattva – the ancient Sanskrit word for enlightened being. One who is motivated by great compassion. A more apt name for this dog does not, could not, exist. I guess the point is, as incredibly trite as this may sound – and it is nothing if not trite – life is short. Life is precious. Life is fleeting. And if one lives life motivated by fear and locked into habits that lead to regression, safety and misery, the precipitous end to that life will be nothing if not a lament to regret and remorse –for the authentic life of the higher self left unlived. We live in our flawed memories of the past. And are experts at projecting outcomes and fantasies onto a future that simply does not (and unlikely will ever) exist. What we rarely do is live in the now. Present in the moment. Experiencing gratitude for the immediacy of what is happening right in front of our very eyes on a second-to-second basis. Why is this so hard for us humans? The answer to this question brings me to today's guest. Timothy Olson. A man who understands and appreciates what it means to fully embrace the present. To live his life in the throes of gratitude. Yes, he runs. Faster, further and wider than most anyone else on Earth. But it's this aforementioned spiritual perspective and journey that defines what this guy — at his core — is truly all about. For the uninitiated, Timothy is an insanely accomplished world reknown ultrarunner. Aside from Kílian Jornet (who we can almost write off as otherworldly), you could make the argument that Timothy is one of the greatest — if not the greatest — ultrarunners on the planet right now. After pulling himself out of a drug-fueled descent into the dark abyss — a journey that left him lost in life, depressed, desperate, incarcerated and on probation — Timothy found not just solace but an entirely new life through running. A path that unfolded a fundamental personal spirituality emanating from hours alone exploring nature on two feet. A journey that led to discovering the transformative power of gratitude. To touching and unlocking a deeper, more meaningful part of himself. And to eclipsing the void beyond the limits of his preconceived physical, mental and emotional capabilities. Enjoy! Rich

Leveraging Plant-Based Nutrition to Treat, Prevent & Reverse Disease

A few weeks back I had the pleasure of being a keynote speaker & instructor on the Holistic Holiday at Sea — 1500 people cohabiting for 7 days on a Caribbean cruise ship for the specific purpose of learning more about health. How to eat better. And live more fully. When I agreed to participate, I had no idea the magnitude of this event. The incredible scale of this thing. I’m not a cruise ship kind of guy. Quite honestly, I prefer a shack on a deserted beach to a floating mall housing 2200. I was leery. In the aftermath, I can't say the experience converted me to cruising as a lifestyle. But I will say it ended up being an extraordinary experience — an event I highly recommend to those out there looking for something different to kick things into a new gear. I got to meet and spend time with some of the leading minds in the plant-based wellness Universe. Some I already knew, like legends T. Colin Campbell, author of The China Study* and Whole* (podcast coming soon!), PCRM founder Neal Barnard, Chef AJ ( RRP Episode 56 ), bodybuilder Robert Cheeke, fitness impresario Koya Webb and many others. But what made the experience so memorable was meeting and spending time with people I had never before met. Presenters like today's guest of course, but mostly just normal people interested in learning more about getting better — and sharing their intimate stories. And so – despite my preconceived notions of what this experience would hold – I left rather inspired. By the lives and experiences and struggles and obstacles people face. And the success stories of overcoming everything from obesity to cancer, diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, food addictions and more to live happier, healthier and more fulfilling lives. Leeriness transformed. A win-win. Today’s guest is one of the guys I met on the cruise. I guy who I’ve admired from afar for some time, but had yet to meet. Dr. Michael Klaper. A rare bird this one. A physician who actually really cares about the patient. Before you get angry and defensive about docs — I’m not saying that doctors don’t care about their patients. I am saying that this insane institutionalized system of medicine we have created basically forces well intentioned docs from getting too invested in their patients. They just can’t. Economics prevents this kind of time and emotional investment. Well, Dr. Klaper is a guy who got fed up with that system – like Peter Finch’s epic famous lament in Paddy Chayefsky’s Network — I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore! – and started treating patients the way he felt they should be treated. It wasn’t exactly the best business plan – there was the time he went broke trying to make it work. It’s that hard to do. But his story, his message. and how he now makes it all work, is educational. And inspirational. Enjoy! Rich

From Chubby Kid to Plantpowered, Marathon Running Host of Australian Idol

I'm told that Osher Gunsberg is quite the thing Down Under. Under former stage name Andrew G he lit up Australian airwaves as host of the popular Channel V– the Oz version of MTV's TRL– and went on to host Australian Idol, Live to Dance here in US with Paula Abdul, and more recently was the guy giving out roses back in his homeland on The Bachelor. That stuff is cool I suppose. Good on ya mate. But that's not how I know Osher. In fact, I've never seen him once on television and didn't even know about any of that stuff until we had hung out several times. Moreover, it really has nothing to do with why I wanted to sit down and bend his ear. I know Osher just as a good friend. We met about a year ago and he has become one of my closer friends over this period of time. I guy I can call up, and with whom I can talk life things through — because he has endured and overcome similar challenges and always has a wise word or two that helps me navigate whatever I happen to be going through. A guy who knows how to really appreciate a good long trail run. And a guy I can share stories with on a cycling excursion in my local Santa Monica Mountains. Of course you like this guy – he’s the spitting image of you! What is this, some kind of weird self-love thing? Yeah, yeah. If you see the photo that accompanies this episode it is kind of weird. Like my twin brother or something – the resemblance in that image is admittedly a bit comical. Same glasses, stubble, t-shirt, hair, etc. Yeah that’s funny. I like to joke that he is my doppelgänger. In truth we actually don’t look all that much alike in person – it's just how that particular photo came out. Trust me, Osher is much more handsome and charming than me, as you will soon see. But I guess there is some truth to the dopplegänger idea below the surface. Like me, Osher is a plant-based guy. Distance runner. Recent cycling convert (I'm cajoling him into signing up for his first triathlon). Not to mention a guy who has weathered divorce (although not sure you can characterize what I went through back in '96 as really much of a “marriage” or a “divorce” – if you read my book, you'll get my meaning). If you are a long time listener to the show then you'll remember I had Osher on back in May ( Episode 30 ) to interview me as a fun turning of the tables to correspond with the paperback release of Finding Ultra*. Because he is such a broadcasting pro at all of this he was the logical choice — and it was a ton of fun. But the more I got to know him, the more I realized he has a compelling story in his own right that I really wanted to help tell. Like some of our previous guests, a guy who has struggled with many relatable things in life we can connect with emotionally. A chubby kid and junk food addict determined to find a way out of his situation, he found success and improved self-esteem by way of a plant-based diet and learning how to run. A journey that now finds him enjoying marathons and cycling. Enjoy! Rich

Why You Should Choose Yourself

I love people who ask questions other people aren't asking. See trends others don't see. Have the courage to try a new approach. Risk the illusion of security. Think differently. Jump into the abyss with nothing but faith and their own resolve in search of answers. And refuse to wait for permission to simply do. In a certain sense, this dictate can be boiled down to a singular principle — people who Choose Themselves. And this is what today's guest is all about. Enter James Altucher. Where to even begin with this multi-talented hyphenate. Hedge fund manager, investor & serial entrepreneur, James has founded or co-founded over 20 companies; chess master; inspirational public speaker, radio, television and successful podcast host ( his show debuted at #1 on all of iTunes a few months back); bestselling author with 11 books to his name, both self-published and with the biggest publishing houses; husband, and father. I first stumbled upon the world of James Altucher about a year ago through his prolific, always humorous discernments on his The Altucher Confidential Blog and have counted myself a rabid fan ever since. What keeps me coming back isn't just his keen perceptions and invaluable insights, but the honesty, authenticity and total transparency as a vehicle to deliver his perceptions. A self-deprecating style that astutely mines his many fears and failures with a profound degree of relatability that threads a fabric of deep emotional connection with his readership. An expert in navigating rejection and colossal failure with as much enthusiasm and authority as his lays out — brick-by-brick — the many principles he has honed and freely shares to achieve greater health, perspective, life satisfaction and prosperity. We live in precarious times. A fear-based, quickly changing world pulling the thinly veiled curtain on the illusion of security. To crib a few ideas from James, markets have crashed. The traditional idea of jobs are disappearing. Everything we thought was “safe,” no longer is: College. Employment. Retirement. Government. In every part of society, the middlemen are being pushed out of the picture. No longer is someone coming to hire you, to invest in your company, to sign you, to pick you. More than ever, it falls on the individual to create a sustainable future. Scary stuff. We can look at this as a crisis. Or we can change perspective and see it as a moment of great opportunity. As always, destruction begets renewal. The truth is that we live in an amazing, unprecedented time of opportunity. A time of fantastical technology that in many ways has simply eradicated the seat once occupied by what we call the gatekeepers. With the advent of mind-blowing software and social media, new tools and economic forces are emerging that make it more possible than ever for individuals to create, thrive and change the world without “help” from the finicky sometimes not so permissive hand traditionally relied upon to feed us. This is the idea behind what James would call the Choose Yourself* era. It's also the title of his most recent book, a roadmap primer on transcending the decaying the master/servant paradigm of our economic system of employment and a call to action on how to configure a more meaningful life liberated from the so-called gatekeepers. Enjoy! Rich

Leveraging Mindfulness to Change Your Life

Jonathan Fields is a super popular guy. There is a good reason for that, which I'm going to get into in a minute. Before I do, I wanted to check in with you in a bit about what we do over here at the RRP. I have the feeling that Jonathan's appeal will attract some cool new people to the audience (welcome!), so I wanted to take a quick moment to recap the mission. Yes, I am a plant-based endurance athlete. And yes, I do have many plant-based enthusiasts on this show. But this is hardly a narrowly defined “fitness” or “vegan” themed podcast. It's far more about inspiration. I cast a very broad net. When thinking about guests, my litmus test is finding fascinating people and personalities that span a variety of disciplines. People who push boundaries. Live extraordinary lives. Think different. Blaze their own path. Question the status quo. And live large and on their own terms – in service not just to themselves, but in devotion to others, catalyzing life changing improvement in the quality of people's lives, and overall simply raising the bar on what is possible. I deliver these conversations with the sole intention of providing you with a stocked tool-box of education, information, motivation and inspiration to help you take the quality of your life to the next level. The goal? To assist in helping you unlock and unleash your best most authentic self. That's it. Pure and simple. Last week I published an article entitled, “Why You Should Stop Lifehacking and Invest in the Journey” (also up on Medium ). I wrote it because I have been thinking a lot lately about self-improvement. More specifically our shortcutting, lifehacking, biohacking obsessed culture. This meme-fueled drive to circumvent process and expedite results. In and of itself fine. I’m all about efficiencies. But there is something that really bothers me about this trend because on a certain some level it downgrades the inherent value of process. Disrespect for the journey. And the blood, sweat, tears and joy from simply showing up and suiting up for the full commitment. To me, the journey is everything. That is where the value lies. It’s a sentiment that was echoed in last weeks podcast episode with Casey Neistat – a guy who overcame tremendous obstacles with nothing but faith, will, belief and total commitment to process. And it's an ethos that really captures what today’s guest is all about. All in all, a guy who understands the long-term value of the journey over the temporary thrill of the #lifehack. Jonathan Fields. Dad. Husband, serial-entrepreneur, award-winning, bestselling author, speaker, A-list blogger, web-show host, and mindful innovation strategist who has been profiled in pretty much every prestigious publication there is, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, FastCompany, and Forbes. A guy I have been following with great enthusiasm to my tremendous benefit for years. On a personal level, Jonathan is guy I can deeply relate to – a guy (like me) who decided to leave the gilded protective hallways of the corporate law firm existence and risk everything in search of a life path of greater meaning for himself and others. Well Jonathan found it — in spades. His mission? To humanize and empower the process of creation. To help people and organizations conceive and build better, more conscious businesses, art, and lives in less time, with more joy and less effort. What gives Jonathan's particular brand of entrepreneurship such resonance with me personally is his inherent focus on process over results. Enjoy! Rich

Making It Count and How To Do More

Simple yet profound words from this week's guest, a man in full embrace of the ethos of living an impactful, creative, authentic life in overdrive. Uncompromising. Unapologetic. Filmmaker, photographer, builder, father, humanitarian, athlete. But most of all, an artist leveraging his boundless creative energy to tell personal stories that inspire all of us to find the adventure in life. To invest in experience. To be bold. And to do more — both for yourself and for others. I first became aware of Casey around 2010 when his show “The Neistat Brothers” aired on HBO and was immediately captivated by Casey's DIY sensibility. His fearlessness. His acute ability to find the wonder in the seemingly banal. And his refusal to await permission from the gatekeepers to create. I've been a fan ever since, eagerly anticipating each new upload to his wildly popular YouTube channel – 82 movies he refuses to monetize; a network that enjoys a quarter of a million rabid subscribers; and dozens of viral sensations with 50+ million views. At this point, many of you have likely seen his remarkable “Make It Count”. If you somehow missed it, please watch it now for context before listening to the episode (I've watched it at least 20 times and never get tired of it). Hired by Nike to create an advertisement to promote the Fuel Band, Casey audaciously ignored the agreed upon commercial treatment and instead brashly spent the entire budget traveling the world, all the while documenting his incredible adventure until the money just flat ran out. 34,000 miles, three continents, 13 countries, 16 cities and 10 million views later, the rest is history. This past December, Casey raised the bar. Contacted by 20th Century Fox to create a movie to help promote “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”, Casey agreed, with one caveat: permission to donate the entire commercial budget to typhoon victims in the Philippines. Tying creative expression to service, “What Would You Do with $25,000?” became an instant viral hit, trending on Twitter to over 3 million views. Then just one day after we sat down for this conversation, Casey headed out in a blizzard to “Snowboard NYC”– a sponsor-less lark he posted within 24 hours of shooting that clocked 5 million views in it's first five days. In the words of Wired Magazine, “Casey Neistat’s bite-size Internet movies have so much viral potential they make influenza jealous.” But what is it that makes Casey and his work so irresistible? Sure, the movies are fun. Irreverant. Visually captivating with great music and personal storylines that always star Casey himself as the ever-appealing protagonist. But in my opinion, what makes Casey stand out, what gives his work permanent residence in my consciousness, is his devotion to authenticity — an axiom of conviction that infuses every single frame of every single work he produces — and the predominant over-arching theme of this podcast. Read more HERE...

Breaking the Shackles of Apartheid in Medicine

We need more doctors in the world like Dr. Frank Lipman. Western medicine is astounding when it comes to treating acute, isolated conditions — a catastrophic injury, an arterial blockage or a serious infection, for example. But how does it fare when it comes to preventing disease, particularly chronic illnesses like diabetes, heart disease, obesity and countless other conditions sweeping the globe like a modern day plague? Well, not so well. On this I think we can all agree. On that note, when was the last time your doctor focused his inquiry on things like increasing energy levels and general vitality, elevating mood, sustaining optimal body weight, or enhancing mental acuity and focus? Not recently I would imagine, if ever. He or she might advise you to reduce the stress in your life, “eat better” and/or “start taking care of yourself” — but these proclamations are rarely combined with an actual specific protocol to implement. And that, my friends is a shame. Dr. Lipman is working to break this paradigm. Early in his medical career, he began to see that the polarization between western modalities and other healing philosophies merely negated positive attributes of both. He began to see that true healing lay in a blend between the two. He now practices his unique method of what he calls “Good Medicine”, which merges the best of the west with many traditions more eastern or alternative in origin — a holistic form of medicine that is truly unique and integrative in its approach to patients. It's for this reason he has become the go-to, in-demand doctor for the celebrated — people like Donna Karan, Kevin Bacon, Gwenyth Paltrow, Peter Sarsgaard & Maggie Gyllenhaal. If pharmaceuticals are truly in order to rectify an acute medical issue, he is happy to prescribe. But disease management isn't what gets him out of bed every morning excited about life. Instead, it's taking the time to evaluate each patient as a complex web of interdependent systems, with a keen lens focused on disease prevention. The idea is to optimize the quality of his patients' lives through implementing techniques such as acupuncture; Chinese, herbal & functional medicine; nutrition; biofeedback; meditation; and yoga. When was the last time your doctor prescribed you to go to yoga? It's never happened to me, and I live in LA. In short, Dr. Lipman's ultimate goal for all his patients is simple: sustained, long-term, optimal wellness. Sustained, long-term, optimal wellness. If you know me, then you know I'm all about this subject. So it was an honor and a treat to sit down with Dr. Lipman in his office at Eleven Eleven Wellness Center in the Flatiron District of Manhattan — with its soothing meditation retreat / yoga studio vibe — where he generously offered up his perspective on medicine & the medical profession, nutrition & food allergies, and the types of things we can and should all focus on more intently if we want to maximize our “wellness” in the truest sense of this all-too often over-hyped word. I hope you enjoy the enlightening conversation. Leave a comment below and let me know what you think. And don't forget to give Tyler — my trusty podcast producer and stepson — a nice shoutout for all his hard work not just putting today's show together, but for all his amazing original music compositions that accompany the interview. Thanks Ty!Enjoy! Rich

How Adam Transformed His Life, Dropped 50 lbs & Became the 1st Person to Run the 163 Mile Pan-Mass Challenge

Straight up, this conversation encapsulates every aspiration I ever had for the show when I embarked upon this podcast journey a little over a year ago: inspiration, in the form of a relatable everyman guest sharing his personal story openly and honestly with absolute humility and a vulnerability that is rare in today's panoply of admirable role models. We get emotional. We get real. We get authentic. There's even a few tears. If you're not moved by Adam' story, then check yourself for a pulse. ” Adam Scully-Power ? Never heard of him.” I get it. Adam certainly isn't a household name. But that’s a shame, because we need more guys like Adam. So I'm doing my part to help change that, because Adam's story is extraordinary. And one that needs to be more widely heard. I'll start off with this — talking to Adam was like staring in a mirror. Not because we look alike – we don't. But I have never met anyone with a story that so closely tracks the facts and emotions my own experience. In fact, it's downright eerie. So let's break it down. Much like me, Adam is a happily married family man and father of four. Much like me, Adam had a denial-snapping middle-aged come-to-Jesus moment of reckoning catalyzed by his ever-expanding waistline, quickly deteriorating energy levels and dissatisfaction with his overworked, all-too-sedentary corporate lifestyle. Much like me, Adam turned to his health-conscious wife for a little guidance, who at the time had been experimenting — and finding success — with a plant-based way of eating. Much like me, and with nothing to lose, Adam decided to give this insane idea of just eating plants a whirl. Here's the Cliff Notes on what happens next: Adam's energy levels explode. Almost overnight, the extra pounds around Adam's waist melt away, seemingly without effort. With a vitality he could not previously recall, and for the first time in years, Adam resumes a modest fitness program to burn off all the extra energy coursing through his veins. But incapable of contentedness with “the occasional jog” Adam instead sets his sights higher. So high, in fact, he becomes determined to achieve his own personal impossible. Overwhelmed by the tragedy of last year's Boston Marathon, driven by an undeniable primal urge to test the outer limits of his physical, mental, emotional and spiritual limits, and propelled by a series of eerie, impossibly synchronistic and equally improbable events — including an image texted to him by his friend David Green from the Boston Marathon finish line that led to the capture of bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev — last summer Adam lined up to attempt the unimaginable. An unprecedented 163-mile run across the entire state of Massachusetts. Adam accomplished this feat. Not in spite of his plant-based diet, but because of his plant-based diet. A feat made all the more remarkable because it occurred only one year subsequent to his epiphanic, life-changing moment of reckoning. To be sure, Adam Scully-Power's story of life transformation is nothing short of miraculous. An extraordinary journey that didn't just repair his health and resolve his waistline dilemma, but instead resulted in astonishing heights of accomplishment he could have never previously imagined in his wildest fantasy. A story of such dramatic life transformation you will be left in tears — and beyond inspired. Of course, not all of us have the desire to test ourselves as ultrarunners. That's not the point. What's important is the power that resides within all of us to change, achieve and be so much more than we think we can. Inside all of us resides a better,

On the Spirituality of Peak Athletic & Life Performance

American Ninja Warrior. Calisthenics freak. Battlebar champion. Muscle Beach staple. Parkour artist. Spiritual crusader. Social entrepreneur. These are just a few labels we can attach to the badass known as Travis Brewer. But what is truly inspiring about this airborne athlete with a conscience is his mission to live life to the fullest. Catalyzing positive impact through movement to make the world a better place. And inspire others to become more of who they are. For Travis, it's an inside job. His ability to walk through fear, break barriers, push past physical, mental and emotional plateaus to perform the impossible with death-defying body movement begins and ends with one thing – his devotion to spirituality & meditation. Today Julie and I sit down with Travis to explore the boundaries of human potential – both athletic and beyond the monkey bars; what it truly means to unlock the best of who you are; the crucial extent to which devotion, spirituality and meditation play into his holistic health and peak performance equation; and how he pursues happiness and life satisfaction through service to others. Travis is a fascinating, insightful, considerate and contemplative young man with big dreams for the future of youth, health, movement and entrepreneurship. It was an honor to have him spend an evening with our family, and I'm thrilled to share this conversation with you. Enjoy! Rich

On Running Across America For A GMO-Free USA

What do you do when your twelve-year-old son announces he’s going to run across America? That's the dilemma Brett & Kris Wilcox faced, hoping that in time their son David would simply forget about his crazy idea — “it's a phase….he'll grow out of this fantasy eventually……right?” Well, David refused to let up. In fact, he doubled down. On the heels of becoming the fastest freshman cross country runner in his region of Alaska, David became more determined than ever to become the 2nd 15-year old ever to complete a transcontinental run. Needless to say, his parents had a decision to make – quash their son's dream, or dig deep to help make it happen. I am happy to say they chose the latter. And on January 18, 2014, David and his father — supported by his mother Kris and 13-year old sister Olivia — began their coast-to-coast attempt, launching from Huntington Beach, CA en route to Washington, D.C. David has his motivations. But in order to run alongside his son, Brett needed his own. As a Licensed Professional Counselor, Brett has spent his career helping people heal from the poison and pain they’ve endured at the hands of bullies and batterers. Now, he's turned his attention to global bullies—bullies like the giant chemical companies that poison the Earth, our political processes and our agricultural system. The author of We're Monsanto: Feeding the World Lie After Lie*, Brett knows a thing or two about GMO's, the ills of factory farming, the depletion of our soil, and the future of food. So Brett — and David — are running across America to say enough is enough. And during the course of our conversation we dig deep into these issues — what exactly these companies are doing to our food system, why we should care, and what we can do about it. It's a fascinating conversation and one I am proud to share with you. What this humble family has set out to accomplish is extraordinary. But they can't do it alone. Every great accomplishment requires the support of a great team. They need all the help they can get. So let's be that team for them. Towards that end, I implore you to visit their Indiegogo fundraising page and — if it feels right to you — consider contributing to their mission and advocacy — a cause that affects us all, irrespective of dietary preference, geographical location or political prediliction. I hope you enjoy the conversation! Rich NOTE: Unfortunately we did experience some audio quality issues with the recording. Just when I think I have this whole thing figured out! Something about my mic being too hot and the others lower. I don't know. Tyler worked really hard to clean it up, but it's not perfect. Hope it's not too distracting, and all I can say is that I will continue to try harder, learn and do better. Give Tyler a shoutout in the comments below, he's doing a great job as my producer. And all the music cues are his own original compositions.