The mindbodygreen Podcast

As one of mbg’s first contributors, a class instructor, and now mbg collective member, Rich Roll is passionate about using his personal story as a blueprint for how to build a life full of purpose and intuition.An ultra-endurance athlete, enthusiastic vegan, author, and podcast host, Rich has channeled his love for the outdoors and a plant-based diet into an inspiring health and wellness journey for a little over a decade. For Rich, wellness is about alchemy; health is about what’s on your plate. And although Rich credits yoga as his saving grace during his time fresh out of rehab, he recognizes that real transformation is an inside job that is oftentimes messy but always rewarding in the end.His book Finding Ultra was recently rereleased and happens to be one of my favorite books. Did I mention he was recently named the world’s fittest vegan? In this episode, Rich talks about how his rock bottom moments and early struggles with alcoholism and his climb up the corporate ladder left him broken and empty. Rich also shares the pivotal turning point of his journey—from Stanford swimmer to an overworked lawyer to recovering alcoholic—the night before his 40th birthday. It revealed a major health scare and his ongoing existential crisis and eventually, triggered his desire to seek a healthier lifestyle. He also describes the series of events that led him to pursue some pretty wild endeavors like finishing 5 Iron Man competitions in less than one week and swimming across the Baltic Sea—all while over the age of 40.If you're someone who's keen on resetting their biological clocks with the right fuel from exercise and nutrition or just simply want to learn how to maximize your life's path no matter the direction, you might want to tune in to hear Rich's insights on learning to build a life, not a résumé, all while cultivating healthy mental, physical, and spiritual habits.To contact Jason with comments, questions, or speaker ideas, please e-mail podcast@mindbodygreen.com. For all sponsorship inquiries, please e-mail sales@mindbodygreen.com. Want to join our podcast newsletter? Sign up here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ever wondered what the connection between chi and the mitochondria might be? Want to know why relaxation is all about activating the parasympathetic nervous system? The human body is endlessly fascinating, which can also make getting and staying healthy feel terribly complicated. That is, until you have an expert explain it to you in a way that makes perfect sense.Dr. Frank Lipman is a leader in integrative and functional medicine, my personal doctor, a New York Times best-selling author of five books, an mbg practices instructor, and a member of the mbg Collective. His new book, launching today, How to Be Well: The 6 Keys to a Happy and Healthy Life, puts four decades of experience in one place. It's like having a health coach right in your living room.Join me as I sit down with one of my favorite people to chat about sleep, diet, movement, protecting ourselves from chemicals, and connecting with our loved ones. As it turns out, being well doesn't have to be complicated; the ordinary things we take for granted—like reggae music, gratitude, and sunshine—can have extraordinary effects on our health.To contact Jason with comments, questions, or speaker ideas, please e-mail podcast@mindbodygreen.com. For all sponsorship inquiries, please e-mail sales@mindbodygreen.com. Want to join our podcast newsletter? Sign up here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paige Bourassa, a licensed acupuncturist and holistic nutritionist with a master's in traditional Oriental medicine, shares her deep knowledge of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). She breaks down essential components like acupuncture, cupping, and herbs while debunking common myths, including whether acupuncture hurts. Bourassa also highlights everyday nutrition and movement mistakes that may cause health imbalances. Plus, she offers insights on enhancing travel comfort and improving fertility through TCM practices.

Valter Longo, PhD, has been studying longevity for years. It wasn't long before he became fascinated by the world of fasting and calorie restriction and how they can help us maintain a healthy body and prolong our lifespan. He is now the director of the Longevity Institute at the University of Southern California, creator of the ProLon fasting-mimicking diet, and author of the best-selling book The Longevity Diet.In this episode of the mbg podcast, we talked about the five pillars of longevity and the best way to eat to stay healthy long-term, which includes plenty of vegetables, nuts, legumes, and some fish. Dr. Longo also shared the mistakes people make when they're trying to get healthier—like moving from an unhealthy diet to an overly restrictive diet—which oftentimes leaves them lacking essential vitamins and minerals. He explained why it's important to eat food that you actually like and warned us not to assume a food that's bad for some people and is bad for everyone (think: gluten).Dr. Longo made us think twice about what healthy food really means and called our beloved avocados into question. You don't want to miss this one. To contact Jason with comments, questions, or speaker ideas, please e-mail podcast@mindbodygreen.com. For all sponsorship inquiries, please e-mail sales@mindbodygreen.com. Want to join our podcast newsletter? Sign up here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Functional medicine trailblazer Dr. Mark Hyman knows a thing or two about optimal living. A man with many titles—practicing family physician, ten time #1 New York Times bestselling author, and director of the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine, just to name a few—Hyman has been force in the wellness world, revolutionizing our approach to eating, moving, thinking, and ultimately, thriving in transformative and healing ways. His upcoming book, Food: What The Heck Should I Eat? aims to wade through the chaos involving today’s food hysteria, including nutrition confusion, environmental factors, misinformation, and conflicting science.In this episode, Dr. Hyman gets real about the current state of confusion about food, policies and government practices. We also discuss a list of wellness topics and highly contested topics like, “is adding butter to your coffee a crime?" and whether all types of dairy should be permitted in the food pyramid. A practicing 'pegan', Dr. Hyman also shares the origins and makeup of this lifestyle and why everyone should consider adapting a paleo and vegan diet. Plus, we delve into the real time effects of climate change’s impact on food production and the consumption of meat in the context of healthy food—like how eating beef can help to save the environment.If you’re an avid follower of Dr. Hyman’s inspiring work in functional health or are looking for answers on what to eat and why, you'll want to grab a notebook and pen to record all of Dr. Hyman's invaluable tips about the who, what, where, when, and why of food.To contact Jason with comments, questions, or speaker ideas, please e-mail podcast@mindbodygreen.com. For all sponsorship inquiries, please e-mail sales@mindbodygreen.com. Want to join our podcast newsletter? Sign up here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Teacher and innovator Light Watkins has been revolutionizing the practice of meditation since 1998—and now, he's on a mission to make meditation an everyday practice, for everyone. As first a meditation practitioner and then apprentice to his Vedic Meditation teacher, Light has worked to deconstruct meditation and make the practice more accessible and sustainable.He’s the instructor of the mindbodygreen classes A Meditation Expert's 14-day Guide and Meditation For Anxiety and founder of The Shine Movement, a global pop-up inspirational variety that spotlights the stories of everyday people. Light also takes his expertise on the road, traveling around the globe hosting workshops, panels, meditation trainings and retreats. His TED Talk, “Debunking the 5 Most Common Meditation Myths” further echoes his uplifting efforts to bring meditation into the public sphere, along with a focus on cultivating inner strength, as demonstrated with first book titled, The Inner Gym. And if that doesn’t seal the deal, Light is dedicated to using his platform to spread positivity and inspiration in all ways, including his daily inspirational email called The Daily Dose and his new book, Bliss More: How to Succeed in Meditation Without Really Trying.In this episode, Light recounts his many career paths—from yoga instructor to model and board game entrepreneur—and life-changing realizations that ultimately led him to meditation. We discussed the transformative power of using mantras while meditating, the resurgence of meditation, and the importance of introducing the practice to pop culture. Plus, Light shares his insights on building a healthy inner life and owning the shift of dialogue around meditation from one of productivity to sustainability.Whether you’re a bonafide meditation follower or a skeptic looking for more information, you won’t want to miss Light Watkins’s simple and refreshing real-life perspective on meditation as an art form, daily practice, and way of life.To contact Jason with comments, questions, or speaker ideas, please e-mail podcast@mindbodygreen.com. For all sponsorship inquiries, please e-mail sales@mindbodygreen.com. Want to join our podcast newsletter? Sign up here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It all started with blueberry muffins. Elizabeth Stein made them to woo clients for her health and nutrition, not to start a business —- but everyone was obsessed with the combination of healthy ingredients and great flavor. Ever the brilliant entrepreneur, she recognized the demand and pivoted her business. Now, only a few short years later, Purely Elizabeth is a nationally renowned brand with granolas, instant oatmeals, and more—and plans to grow far beyond breakfast.I sat down with Elizabeth to find out the secret to her mega-success and learned a lot more along the way. In this podcast, she shares the surprising country she derives inspiration from, her thoughts on "unicorn food," and what's next in healthy breakfast trends. She also shares the full story of how everyone's favorite granola came to be.To contact Jason with comments, questions, or speaker ideas, please e-mail podcast@mindbodygreen.com. For all sponsorship inquiries, please e-mail sales@mindbodygreen.com. Want to join our podcast newsletter? Sign up here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Seth Kaufman knows about healthy food. As the head of PepsiCo's North American Nutrition division (whom we partnered with for our Next Great Nutritionist competition!), he's responsible for helping the mega-corporation make healthy options accessible and affordable for people all over the world. It's a weight he feels profoundly. "Talking about this idea of affordable nutrition, if we're not going to do it—with the scale that we have—who can?" he says.In this podcast, we talk about PepsiCo North American Nutrition's "performance with purpose" agenda, their impact on the people they serve, the planet, and more. He also opens up about his personal wellness journey, including how he spent his childhood going in and out of the hospital and the sinus infections that carried into his 30s. When he was 36, he was finally diagnosed with "primary immune deficiency," which means his body doesn't make antibodies and can't fight infection. This kick-started a health journey that lasts to this day (you should hear how far he cycles daily!).You'll also hear Seth's take on which food trends are on their way out and which are up and coming (his thoughts on apple cider vinegar and probiotics are FASCINATING). For business and health enthusiasts alike, this one is unmissable.To contact Jason with comments, questions, or speaker ideas, please e-mail podcast@mindbodygreen.com. For all sponsorship inquiries, please e-mail sales@mindbodygreen.com. Want to join our podcast newsletter? Sign up here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paul Hawken's expansive career as an environmentalist, best-selling author, and entrepreneur began with a case of greenwashing. Get the scoop on that story and so many more in this intimate podcast episode that spans from the civil rights movement into the present day and decades into the future.Hawken's expansive resume as founder of health food mecca Erewhon and lifestyle brand Smith & Hawken, author of a dozen books, and prolific public speaker and activist is only part of what makes him so fascinating. Hawken's outlook on the future of our planet is unlike any other, and the way he speaks about the people fighting climate change from the front lines can make even the most pessimistic of us more hopeful. His most recent project, Drawdown, spotlights 100 of the more substantive solutions to global warming to date and outlines ways for all of us to move them along.The mbg Lifetime Achievement Award winner and revitalize 2017 fan favorite sees climate change as the problem of our time—and says that you play a role in solving it. Find out how to get started with this inspiring conversation.To contact Jason with comments, questions, or speaker ideas, please e-mail podcast@mindbodygreen.com. For all sponsorship inquiries, please e-mail sales@mindbodygreen.com. Want to join our podcast newsletter? Sign up here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

JJ Virgin is, without a doubt, one of the biggest names in health and wellness. She's a certified nutrition specialist and health and fitness instructor, has had numerous books hit the best-seller list, and leads a new class at mindbodygreen called Boost Your Metabolism.Raised on Pop-Tarts and Cap'n Crunch, she went rogue and visited a health food store at the early age of 12, which sparked her interest in health and nutrition. Virgin never looked back and has since dedicated her life to helping people break through weight loss resistance and maintain their healthiest weight—all the way from Jazzercise and low-fat diets to HIIT workouts and eating to balance blood sugar and insulin levels.In this episode of the mbg podcast, JJ opened up about a tragic hit-and-run accident that left her 15-year-old son in critical condition. It was a long healing process, physically and emotionally, and she shared the things that kept her family moving forward, now stronger than ever.To contact Jason with comments, questions, or speaker ideas, please e-mail podcast@mindbodygreen.com. For all sponsorship inquiries, please e-mail sales@mindbodygreen.com. Want to join our podcast newsletter? Sign up here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices