Plant-Based Canada Podcast

Episode 106: Fueling Success: Jason Fonger on Triathlon Triumphs and Inspiring the Next Generation

Welcome to the Plant-Based Canada Podcast! In today’s episode, we’re joined by Jason Fonger to chat about his experiences from being a plant based athlete, living in Thailand and his environmental observations, to professional speaking for schools.  Jason Fonger is a triathlon champion and professional speaker from Ontario, Canada. A vegan for more than 15 years, he combines evidence-based nutrition with elite endurance training to prove that plants fuel peak performance. He works primarily with secondary schools, delivering interactive workshops designed to empower students and professionals with the transformative benefits of plant-based eating. He is also in the process of collaborating with school boards to pilot plant-based cafeteria programs that bridge the gap between current school food offerings and Canada’s Food Guide, helping shape an aligned and inclusive National School Food Program.Resources:Book: The Plant Based Athlete by Matt Frazier & Robert Cheeke Stories of world-class plant-powered athletes: https://www.greatveganathletes.com Jason Fonger’s Socials:Website: https://www.jasonfonger.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonfongerInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasonfongerTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jasonfongerYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jasonfongerPlant-Based Canada’s Socials:Instagram  (@plantbasedcanadaorg)Facebook (Plant-Based Canada, https://m.facebook.com/plantbasedcanadaorg/)Website  (https://www.plantbasedcanada.org/)X / Twitter @PBC_orgBonus PromotionCheck out University of Guelph's online Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate. Each 4-week course will guide you through essential plant-based topics including nutritional benefits, disease prevention, and environmental impacts. You can also customize your learning with unique courses such as Plant-Based Diets for Athletes and Implementing a Plant-Based Diet at Home. As the first university-level plant-based certificate in Canada, you’ll explore current research, learn from leading industry experts, and join a community of like-minded people. Use our exclusive discount code PBC2025 to save 10% on all Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate courses. uoguel.ph/pbn.Thank you for tuning in! Make sure to subscribe to the Plant-Based Canada Podcast so you get notified when new episodes are published. This episode was hosted by Stephanie Nishi RD, PhD.Support the show

Episode 105: The Real ‘Nutty’ Professor: Dr. Joan Sabaté on the Science of Nuts, Plant Power, and Sustainable Eating

Welcome to the Plant-Based Canada Podcast! In today’s episode, we’re joined by Dr. Joan Sabaté, a renowned physician and nutrition researcher, best known for his work on environmental and sustainable nutrition, and the health benefits of nuts and plant-based diets.Dr. Joan Sabaté MD, PhD is a Professor of Nutrition and Epidemiology. He directs the Environmental Nutrition research program at Loma Linda University School of Public Health and he is also a board-certified physician in Internal Medicine. He was the principal investigator of a nutrition intervention trial that directly linked the consumption of walnuts to significant reductions in serum cholesterol, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1993. He is a co-investigator of the Adventist Health Studies, the largest cohort of individuals following a vegetarian diet relating dietary intake with health outcomes. For the past 25 years, he has been the principal investigator of many human nutrition intervention trials investigating the health effects of nuts, avocados, and other plant foods. Dr. Sabaté has authored more than 200 high-impact research articles (with an h-index of 82 and >40,000 citations). Additionally, he was a member of the US 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee.Resources:Adventist Health Study 2 Studies: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23836264/; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30487555/Whole-food, plant-based lifestyle intervention trial: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39305340/Review of Plant-Based Milks: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36083996/ 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans: https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/resources/2020-2025-dietary-guidelines-online-materialsNuts & Health: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8357360/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8269904/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15559025/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10479222/Dr. Joan Sabaté’s Socials:Faculty profileInternational Congress of Vegetarian NutritionEnvironmental NutritionLLU Nutrition CenterPlant-Based Canada’s Socials:InstagramFacebookWebsiteBonus PromotionCheck out University of Guelph's online Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate. Each 4-week course will guide you through plant-based topics including nutritional benefits, disease prevention, and environmental impacts. Use our exclusive discount code PBC2025 to save 10% on all Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate courses. uoguel.ph/pbn.Thank you for tuning in! Make sure to subscribe to the Plant-Based Canada Podcast so you get notified when new episodes are published. Support the show

Episode 104: Driving Plant-Based Change in Cities and Campuses: A Conversation with Eleanor Carrara

Welcome to the Plant-Based Canada Podcast! In today’s episode, we’re joined by Eleanor Carrara, the Founder and President of the Canadian University Initiative and Co-Founder, President, and Board Director of the Plant-Based Cities Movement (PBCM).At PBCM, together with her dedicated team of volunteers they lead national efforts to advance plant-forward food policies. PBCM has successfully advocated for plant-based food motions/policies in 6 Canadian municipalities to date, with others in the pipeline. Through the Canadian University Initiative, Eleanor and her campaign manager work with chefs, students, and sustainability staff to identify barriers and implement strategies that increase plant-based food on campuses. The initiative has conducted national surveys and convened steering committees to monitor and support institutional change. Eleanor brings over 25 years of global telecommunications experience, having held senior leadership roles at a major international provider of digital infrastructure and network services.Resources:PBCM Website: https://plantbasedcities.org/PBCM Instagram: @plantbasedcitiesmovementPBCM LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/plant-based-cities-movement/posts/?feedView=all&viewAsMember=true University Initiative Website: https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/defaultveg/canadian-universities/Eleanor Carrara’s Socials:Emails:eleanor@plantbasedcities.orgeleanor.carrara@gmail.comLinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/eleanorcarraraPlant-Based Canada’s Socials:Instagram  (@plantbasedcanadaorg)Facebook (Plant-Based Canada, https://m.facebook.com/plantbasedcanadaorg/)Website  (https://www.plantbasedcanada.org/)X / Twitter @PBC_orgBonus PromotionCheck out University of Guelph's online Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate. Each 4-week course will guide you through essential plant-based topics including nutritional benefits, disease prevention, and environmental impacts. You can also customize your learning with unique courses such as Plant-Based Diets for Athletes and Implementing a Plant-Based Diet at Home. As the first university-level plant-based certificate in Canada, you’ll explore current research, learn from leading industry experts, and join a community of like-minded people. Use our exclusive discount code PBC2025 to save 10% on all Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate courses. uoguel.ph/pbn.Thank you for tuning in! Make sure to subscribe to the Plant-Based Canada Podcast so you get notified when new episodes are published. This episode was hosted by Stephanie Nishi RD, PhD.Support the show

Episode 103: You Are What You Eat with Dr. Christopher Gardner

For more than 30 years, Dr. Christopher Gardner—Rehnborg Farquhar professor of medicine at Stanford, and nutrition scientist—has studied what to consume and to avoid for optimal health, and how best to motivate individuals to achieve healthy dietary behaviors. He recently completed a two-year term serving on the U.S. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee and is the past chair of the American Heart Association’s Nutrition Committee.He has conducted and published dozens of human nutrition intervention trials, including trials of Mediterranean, Ketogenic, Vegan, Low-Fat and Low-Carb diets and their effects on cardiometabolic health. He was also the keynote speaker for the 6th Canadian Plant-Based Nutrition Conference this year, where he delved into his “Twin Study”, which was featured in a Netflix docuseries titled “You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment.”Dr. Gardner joins the PBC Podcast to bust down some of the comments and criticism around his Twin Study, discuss how he weighs strength of evidence, and misinformation around plant-based meat alternatives. ResourcesInstagramTwitter/XLinkedInWebsiteYou are What You Eat docuseriesTwins Study paperBonus PromotionCheck out University of Guelph's online Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate. Each 4-week course will guide you through essential plant-based topics including nutritional benefits, disease prevention, and environmental impacts. You can also customize your learning with unique courses such as Plant-Based Diets for Athletes and Implementing a Plant-Based Diet at Home. As the first university-level plant-based certificate in Canada, you’ll explore current research, learn from leading industry experts, and join a community of like-minded people. Use our exclusive discount code PBC2025 to save 10% on all Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate courses. uoguel.ph/pbn.Support the show

Episode 102: The Future of Fatty Acid Guidelines: Amy Symington’s Work on DRI Development

Welcome to the Plant-Based Canada Podcast! In today’s episode, we’re joined by (soon to be Dr.) Amy Symington.Amy Symington is a Toronto-based nutrition professor, researcher, and plant-focused chef with over 25 years in the food industry and more than 12 years of teaching experience. She holds a Master of Science in Applied Human Nutrition and is currently pursuing a PhD in Nutritional Sciences at the University of Toronto. Amy leads culinary nutrition programming at Gilda’s Toronto, a not-for profit cancer support organization, and works with Humane World for Animals Canada’s Forward Food team, training executive chefs in hospitals and universities on plant-forward menu planning aligned with Canada’s Food Guide. She also supports the Toronto Vegetarian Food Bank as a chef, consultant, and instructor. An award-winning author, Amy wrote The Long Table Cookbook: Plant-based Recipes for Optimal Health and regularly contributes recipes and nutrition writing to national and international publications. A passionate advocate for evidence-based, sustainable eating, she is also the proud mother of two healthy vegan children. As part of her PhD she is currently working on a clinical trial investigating omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (also known as DHA). DHA is considered an important omega-3 fatty acid that research has shown to help support brain, eye, and heart health, reduce inflammation, and be important for fetal and infant development.Amy Symington’s Socials:Website: https://ameliaeats.com/home Researchgate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Amy-Symington-3Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ameliaeats/?hl=enPlant-Based Canada’s Socials:Instagram  (@plantbasedcanadaorg)Facebook (Plant-Based Canada, https://m.facebook.com/plantbasedcanadaorg/)Website  (https://www.plantbasedcanada.org/)X / Twitter @PBC_orgBonus PromotionCheck out University of Guelph's online Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate. Each 4-week course will guide you through essential plant-based topics including nutritional benefits, disease prevention, and environmental impacts. You can also customize your learning with unique courses such as Plant-Based Diets for Athletes and Implementing a Plant-Based Diet at Home. As the first university-level plant-based certificate in Canada, you’ll explore current research, learn from leading industry experts, and join a community of like-minded people. Use our exclusive discount code PBC2025 to save 10% on all Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate courses. uoguel.ph/pbn.Thank you for tuning in! Make sure to subscribe to the Plant-Based Canada Podcast so you get notified when new episodes are published. This episode was hosted by Stephanie Nishi RD, PhD.Support the show