Thrive on Plants

"Why wasn't I taught this?" If you've ever felt this way about your health, this conversation is for you.
In this episode of the Thrive on Plants podcast, Dr. Daphne Bascom is  joined by award-winning health journalist Meghan Rabbitt, author of "The New Rules of Women's Health: Your Guide to Thriving at Every Age." They dive into the health conversations women desperately need but were never taught to have, from advocating for yourself in the doctor's office to understanding your heart and brain health in midlife.
Main Topics Covered:
✅ Why medical research has left women behind (and how that's finally changing) 
✅ How to prepare for doctor's appointments so your voice is heard 
✅ The connection between your gynecologic history and heart disease risk
✅ Why Alzheimer's starts in midlife (and what you can do now) 
✅ Breaking free from diet culture and nourishing your body instead 
✅ The new rule: suffering is not an option 
✅ How to become an empowered patient in a system that wasn't built for you
About Meghan Rabbitt: Meghan Rabbitt is an award-winning journalist and author of The New Rules of Women's Health: Your Guide to Thriving at Every Age. She spent over three years interviewing more than 100 female health experts to create a comprehensive, evidence-based resource for women at every stage of life. Her work has appeared in Women's Health, Oprah Daily, Prevention, Maria Shriver's Sunday Paper, and more.
Connect with Meghan
Book Website: https://www.newrulesofwomenshealth.com 
Resources Mentioned
WISDOM Breast Cancer Study (UCSF): https://www.thewisdomstudy.org/
Tyrer-Cuzick Lifetime Breast Cancer Risk Assessment: https://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/blog/tyrer-cuzick-model/
#MeghanRabbitt #NewRulesOfWomensHealth #WomensHealth #Menopause #HeartHealth #BrainHealth #MidlifeHealth #EmpoweredPatient #HealthAdvocacy #WomensWellness #Perimenopause #LifestyleMedicine #PlantBased #ThriveOnPlants 
Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your healthcare provider regarding any medical questions or conditions.
Additional resources to help you thrive on plants:
🌱 Join our free Thrive on Plants community: Join Here
🌱 Access the free Plant-Powered Body course: Access Here
🌱 Take the free health assessment for women 40+: Start Here
🌱 Watch every episode on YouTube
⭐️ If you loved this episode, please leave a review! ⭐️
Here’s how to do it on Apple Podcasts:
Go to the Thrive on Plants Podcast page: Click here
Scroll down to the ‘Ratings & Reviews’ section. Tap ‘Write a Review’
(you may be prompted to log in with your Apple ID).
Thank you for your support!

What if the biggest obstacle to your health and fitness goals isn't discipline, it's who you believe you are?

Who you believe you are shapes everything from your habits to your health to the risks you are willing to take. In this conversation, recorded at the annual Vegan Superhero Retreat, Dr. Daphne Bascom is joined by Coach Arman and Vegan Superheroes Toosdhi and Kaitie to explore identity and how it evolves along a health and personal growth journey.

Together, they unpack how labels like “not athletic,” “too old,” “strong,” or “disciplined” can either limit growth or unlock new potential. Through honest reflection, real-life examples, and deeply personal stories, this episode reveals how physical challenges, mindset shifts, and community support can expose where we are growing and where we may be hiding.

This conversation is a reminder that identity is not fixed. It is built through action, challenged through discomfort, and reshaped when we are willing to let go of what no longer serves us.

In this episode, we explore:
▹ How identity influences consistency, confidence, and self-trust
▹ Why physical goals can sometimes distract from deeper growth
▹ What it means to let go of an identity that no longer serves you
▹ The role of discomfort in identity expansion
▹ Using identity as a tool rather than a limitation

If you have ever felt stuck, uncertain, or hesitant to step into a new version of yourself, this episode will encourage you to rethink who you are becoming and remind you that your potential is far from finished.

— 

The information shared on this podcast is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making changes to your health and wellness plan. 

#plantbasedsnacks  #veganfitness #identityshift #mindset #veganathlete #thriveonplants #vegansuperheroacademy #thriveonplants
Additional resources to help you thrive on plants:
🌱 Join our free Thrive on Plants community: Join Here
🌱 Access the free Plant-Powered Body course: Access Here
🌱 Take the free health assessment for women 40+: Start Here
🌱 Watch every episode on YouTube
⭐️ If you loved this episode, please leave a review! ⭐️
Here’s how to do it on Apple Podcasts:
Go to the Thrive on Plants Podcast page: Click here
Scroll down to the ‘Ratings & Reviews’ section. Tap ‘Write a Review’
(you may be prompted to log in with your Apple ID).
Thank you for your support!

Chronic pain is real, and there is hope.

In this episode of Thrive on Plants, Dr. Daphne Bascom sits down with Dr. Michael Lenz, a Med-Peds physician board-certified in internal medicine, pediatrics, clinical lipidology, and lifestyle medicine. 
Dr. Lenz specializes in what he calls "invisible illnesses" including fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, migraines, IBS, and other nociplastic pain syndromes that often leave patients feeling dismissed and unheard.

In this conversation, you'll learn:
▹ What nociplastic pain actually is (and why it's different from other types of pain)
▹ The powerful connection between neurodivergence (ADHD, autism) and chronic pain conditions
▹ Why fibromyalgia has been ranked at the bottom of "prestigious" diagnoses for 30 years and what that means for patient care
▹ How narrative medicine and understanding your full story from childhood to present can unlock answers
▹ The research on plant-based nutrition for fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, and chronic pain (including the Plants for Joints trial)
▹ Why the symptoms of perimenopause and menopause can overlap with or unmask fibromyalgia
▹ Early warning signs to watch for in children (including infantile colic as a potential predictor)
▹ Dr. Lenz's personal cardiovascular health journey that led him to plant-based eating at age 40

About Dr. Michael Lenz:
Dr. Lenz is the author of Conquering Your Fibromyalgia and host of the Conquering Your Fibromyalgia podcast. He practices in southeastern Wisconsin and is passionate about helping patients who have been told to "just live with it" find real answers and hope.

Connect with Dr. Lenz:
Conquering Your Fibromyalgia Podcast: https://www.conqueringyourfibromyalgia.com/podcast
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@cqrfibromyalgia
Website: https://www.conqueringyourfibromyalgia.com/
Book: Conquering Your Fibromyalgia
Additional resources to help you thrive on plants:
🌱 Join our free Thrive on Plants community: Join Here
🌱 Access the free Plant-Powered Body course: Access Here
🌱 Take the free health assessment for women 40+: Start Here
🌱 Watch every episode on YouTube
⭐️ If you loved this episode, please leave a review! ⭐️
Here’s how to do it on Apple Podcasts:
Go to the Thrive on Plants Podcast page: Click here
Scroll down to the ‘Ratings & Reviews’ section. Tap ‘Write a Review’
(you may be prompted to log in with your Apple ID).
Thank you for your support!

Weight loss and weight maintenance are not the same skill set, and treating them as if they are is one of the biggest reasons so many people lose weight only to regain it. In this episode of the Thrive on Plants Podcast, Dr. Daphne Bascom sits down with Dr. Holly Wyatt and Dr. James Hill to unpack what actually changes in your body, brain, and environment when you lose weight, why maintenance is harder, and how to build a plant‑powered life that supports long‑term success at any age.​
IN THIS EPISODE, WE COVER:
Why GLP‑1 medications (like semaglutide and similar drugs) work so well for weight loss, and why stopping them often triggers rapid regain if you do not have a maintenance plan in place.​
The difference between weight loss and weight maintenance, including how metabolic adaptation, set point, and muscle loss can work against you, especially in midlife.​
The 3 pillars of long‑term success: food (resetting appetite naturally on a whole‑food, plant‑based pattern), movement (how much and what kind protects weight loss and muscle), and mindstate (the daily mental “state” that separates short‑term success from sustainable change).​
How perimenopause and menopause change metabolism, body composition, and appetite signals, and what midlife women can do to protect lean mass and metabolic health with or without GLP‑1s.​
The three maintenance profiles (food seeker, sedentary sitter, setback cycler) and how to tailor your strategy based on where you see yourself.​
If you want to learn how to stop weight-loss meds without regaining, this conversation offers evidence‑based, compassionate guidance you can put into practice today.​

Resources
Dr. Holly Wyatt & Dr. James Hill
​Book, “Losing the Weight Loss Meds”: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1637747802?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title
Website: https://www.weightlossand.com/
​Website: https://www.weightwisdom.com/
“Weight Loss and…” podcast on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/weight-loss-and/id1723878862​
Key research referenced:
SURMOUNT‑4 trial on stopping meds and cardiometabolic health: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2841273​

Additional resources to help you thrive on plants:
🌱 Join our free Thrive on Plants community: Join Here
🌱 Access the free Plant-Powered Body course: Access Here
🌱 Take the free health assessment for women 40+: Start Here
🌱 Watch every episode on YouTube
⭐️ If you loved this episode, please leave a review! ⭐️
Here’s how to do it on Apple Podcasts:
Go to the Thrive on Plants Podcast page: Click here
Scroll down to the ‘Ratings & Reviews’ section. Tap ‘Write a Review’
(you may be prompted to log in with your Apple ID).
Thank you for your support!

Big hikes don’t just “happen.” They’re earned, through smart training, durable joints, and a fueling plan you’ve practiced before the trail gets serious.

In this episode of the Thrive on Plants Podcast, I’m joined by Mikey Bell, founder of Outdoor Adventure Training (OAT), NASM Certified Personal Trainer + Corrective Exercise Specialist, professional mountain guide (Mount Shasta), and a plant-based athlete for over a decade. 
Together we break down what it actually takes to prepare for long hikes and big elevation days (including Rim-to-Rim style objectives): posture from the ground up, downhill “armor,” pack weight progression, trekking pole technique, heart rate zone training, and plant-based fueling that won’t wreck your gut.

If you’re training for a bucket-list hike, or you simply want to feel confident and capable on the trail, this is your blueprint.

Key takeaways
• Train the downhill on purpose (eccentric strength + stability), not as an afterthought.
• Posture isn’t “stand up straight, ”it’s alignment under load, starting at the feet.
• Use heart rate zones to build real endurance (and stop guessing intensity).
• Your pack plan should be progressive and strategic, not a last-minute ego test.
• For long efforts, practice a plant-based fueling strategy that prioritizes performance and GI tolerance.

Connect with Mikey + Outdoor Adventure Training (OAT)
OAT Website: https://outdooradventuretraining.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@outdooradventuretraining
Instagram: https://instagram.com/outdooradventuretraining

Some Helpful Videos from OAT
Train for Hiking: https://youtu.be/qHO8m0tQ0j0?si=vvGWSTTNRm02Fvb0
Train Without Mountains: https://youtu.be/42qKDlnt59Q?si=FsTQOT8lon1YZo6U
How Much Should Your Pack Weigh?: https://youtu.be/HgG57D95OMY?si=I9bEKYPyS6ZZg7n9
How to Fit Your Backpack: https://youtu.be/h7eFd-D5_DI?si=Uj9OoqvtRZWnvuXR
Nutrition for Endurance: https://youtu.be/XCPm4VRpX9I?si=jM9IkBVRlX6I-2AZ

#hikingtraining #trekkingpoles #rucking #zone2training #plantbasedathlete #endurancefueling #kneepainprevention #outdooradventuretraining #thriveonplants
Additional resources to help you thrive on plants:
🌱 Join our free Thrive on Plants community: Join Here
🌱 Access the free Plant-Powered Body course: Access Here
🌱 Take the free health assessment for women 40+: Start Here
🌱 Watch every episode on YouTube
⭐️ If you loved this episode, please leave a review! ⭐️
Here’s how to do it on Apple Podcasts:
Go to the Thrive on Plants Podcast page: Click here
Scroll down to the ‘Ratings & Reviews’ section. Tap ‘Write a Review’
(you may be prompted to log in with your Apple ID).
Thank you for your support!