The Argument for Plant-Based Eating You've Never Heard Before

In this episode of the Plant Based Support Podcast, Dr. Niki Davis sits down with author, screenwriter, filmmaker, and longtime plant-based advocate Glen Merzer for a thoughtful conversation about health, storytelling, compassion, and the power of changing minds.

Glen shares his journey from Hollywood television writer to co-author of influential books including Mad Cowboy, Food Is Climate, Own Your Health, and Moving Medicine Forward. Together, they explore why communication matters in health advocacy, what motivates lasting behavior change, and how storytelling can inspire people to rethink their relationship with food.

In this conversation, you'll discover:

🌱 Why Glen believes humans are biologically designed to thrive on plants

🌱 The surprising reason humans are the only mammals that commonly develop heart disease from blocked arteries

🌱 Why community support is often the missing ingredient in successful lifestyle change

🌱 How plant-based eating impacts health, ethics, and the climate crisis

🌱 What gives Glen hope for the future of the plant-based movement

🌱 A preview of his upcoming film, Buddhist Blues

Whether you're plant-curious, newly plant-based, or a longtime advocate, this episode offers practical insights, thoughtful discussion, and plenty of inspiration.

🎙 Guest: Glen Merzer

Author | Screenwriter | Filmmaker | Podcast Host

🔗 Learn more:

• Glen Merzer: www.glenmerzer.com

• Plant Based Support: www.plantbasedsupport.org

💚 Join the Plant Based Support community for live events, support groups, expert education, recipes, resources, and encouragement from people who understand the journey.

👍 If you enjoyed this episode, please like, subscribe, and share it with someone who may benefit from this conversation.

#PlantBasedSupport #GlenMerzer #PlantBasedDiet #WholeFoodPlantBased #LifestyleMedicine #HeartHealth #Vegan #PlantBasedLiving #Nutrition #HealthPodcast

What does happiness really come from?

Is it success, money, health, purpose… or something deeper?

In this powerful episode of the Plant Based Support Podcast, Dr. Niki Davis sits down with author, speaker, and happiness coach Ricky Powell for a deeply human conversation about mindset, gratitude, plant-based living, purpose, resilience, and what it truly means to live well.

Before becoming a happiness coach, Ricky spent decades working in television, helping put some of the biggest shows on air at NBC. But behind the scenes, he was navigating workplace toxicity, personal loss, health scares, and life-changing realizations that completely transformed the direction of his life.

Together, Dr. Niki and Ricky explore:

📺 Ricky’s journey from Hollywood and NBC into lifelong happiness coaching

🌱 Ricky’s return to plant-based living after a life-threatening heart condition

🧠 The “40% Happiness Factor” and the science of positive psychology

💚 Gratitude, forgiveness, service, and emotional wellbeing

⚡ Why mindset changes everything — even in difficult seasons of life

✨ The difference between “Thank God It’s Friday” and “Thank God It’s Today”

🤝 How community and connection help lasting health changes stick

This episode is warm, inspiring, funny, emotional, and full of practical wisdom for anyone seeking better health, deeper meaning, and a more joyful life.

Whether you are plant-based, plant-curious, rebuilding your health, or simply trying to navigate life with more peace and purpose — this conversation will stay with you.

⏱ Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

02:13 Ricky’s unbelievable origin story

05:25 Workplace toxicity and discovering happiness psychology

06:37 Returning to plant-based living

12:26 “Everything happens”, reframing life

15:11 The 40% Happiness Factor

17:01 Gratitude, forgiveness & service

23:28 “Thank God It’s Today” mindset

25:16 Loss, mortality & purpose

30:43 Lifelong Happiness & final thoughts

🔗 Learn more about Ricky Powell:

Website: lifelonghappiness.com

💚 GOING PLANT-BASED?

Switching to and staying on a plant-based diet can be challenging, so join a supportive community doing it alongside you, with guidance from trusted experts.

👉 Join us here: https://plantbasedsupport.org

WHAT YOU’LL GET INSIDE:

👥 Live support groups led by experienced hosts

🧭 Practical, easy-to-follow guidance

💬 A welcoming, judgment-free community

🩺 Educational sessions with clinicians and experts

📅 Accountability that helps you stay consistent

🥗 Tools, recipes, and next steps you can actually use

Whether you’re just starting or looking to stay on track, this is a space built to support you at every stage.

🤝 STAY CONNECTED

Subscribe for more conversations on plant-based living, health, and real-life change.

Every share, comment, or donation helps us reach and support more people on their journey.

#PlantBasedSupport #Happiness #PlantBasedLiving #LifestyleMedicine #PositivePsychology #Mindset #Gratitude #Wellness #Purpose #MentalHealth #PersonalGrowth

In this episode, Dr. Niki Davis talks with Dr. Sandra Musial of Plant Docs about whole food plant-based nutrition, lifestyle medicine, and how community support can help people build healthier habits that last.

💚 GOING PLANT-BASED?

Switching to and staying on a plant-based diet can be challenging, so join a supportive community doing it alongside you, with guidance from trusted experts.

👉 Join us here: https://plantbasedsupport.org

WHAT YOU’LL GET INSIDE:

👥 Live support groups led by experienced hosts

🧭 Practical, easy-to-follow guidance

💬 A welcoming, judgment-free community

🩺 Educational sessions with clinicians and experts

📅 Accountability that helps you stay consistent

🥗 Tools, recipes, and next steps you can actually use

Whether you’re just starting or looking to stay on track, this is a space built to support you at every stage.

🤝 STAY CONNECTED

Subscribe for more conversations on plant-based living, health, and real-life change.

Every share, comment, or donation helps us reach and support more people on their journey.

What happens when you’re doing your best, but still feel sick, unheard, and blamed for your health?

In this episode of the Plant Based Support Podcast, Dr. Niki Davis speaks with Kristi Kocsis, a Plant Based Support board member, about her deeply personal journey with veganism, whole-food plant-based eating, weight loss, diabetes, and learning how to advocate for her own health.

Kristi shares her journey from becoming vegan at 19 to discovering whole-food plant-based living, lifestyle medicine, and the power of small, consistent changes. After years of feeling unwell, high blood sugar, and losing 150 pounds, her story is a reminder that lasting health can begin with one meal, one walk, and the right support.

💚 GOING PLANT-BASED?

Switching to and staying on a plant-based diet can be challenging, so join a supportive community doing it alongside you, with guidance from trusted experts.

👉 Join us here: https://plantbasedsupport.org

WHAT YOU’LL GET INSIDE:

👥 Live support groups led by experienced hosts

🧭 Practical, easy-to-follow guidance

💬 A welcoming, judgment-free community

🩺 Educational sessions with clinicians and experts

📅 Accountability that helps you stay consistent

🥗 Tools, recipes, and next steps you can actually use

Whether you’re just starting or looking to stay on track, this is a space built to support you at every stage.

🤝 STAY CONNECTED

Subscribe for more conversations on plant-based living, health, and real-life change.

Every share, comment, or donation helps us reach and support more people on their journey.

What happens when your identity, your career, and your beliefs collide?

In this conversation, Josie Clemens shares the real story behind her journey, from growing up with a deep spiritual curiosity to becoming a chef, walking away from everything she built, and redefining what it means to live in alignment.

We explore:

• The moment she realized changing her environment wasn’t enough to find peace

• What it actually takes to question your identity and start over

• The hidden cost of lifestyle change, and why it’s more than just food

• Her unexpected path to Hell’s Kitchen and the moral tension behind that decision

• A powerful perspective on impact vs. personal integrity that challenges the way we think about change

• Why building a peaceful, intentional life starts from within, not from external success

This is a conversation about more than plant-based living.

It’s about identity, purpose, and the courage to step into uncomfortable spaces to create real change.

💚 GOING PLANT-BASED?

Switching to and staying on a plant-based diet can be challenging, so join a supportive community doing it alongside you, with guidance from trusted experts.

👉 Join us here: https://plantbasedsupport.org

What happens when a life-changing diagnosis forces you to question everything you thought you knew about health?

In this episode of the Plant-Based Support Podcast, Dr. Niki Davis sits down with wellness expert Shoshana Chaim to explore a powerful, real-life journey into plant-based living, resilience, and long-term healing.

After being told her husband could have just months to live, everything shifted. What followed wasn’t a quick fix, but a complete rethinking of health, from food to stress, from mindset to community.

This conversation goes beyond “what to eat.”

It explores why:

• Some people see results on a plant-based diet… and others struggle

• Healing isn’t just about food—but also stress, breath, and lived experience

• Sustainable change comes from support, not willpower

If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing everything right… but not seeing the results you hoped for, this episode will help you make sense of it, and show you what to focus on next.

🧠 IN THIS EPISODE

• The diagnosis that changed everything

• What happened after going plant-based

• Why results vary from person to person

• The role of cellular health, stress, and breathwork

• How community impacts long-term success

• What most people miss when trying to “get healthy”

💚 READY FOR MORE SUPPORT?

You don’t have to figure this out alone.

Plant Based Support is a nonprofit community designed to help you turn evidence-based nutrition into real, lasting change, step by step, with guidance and support.

👉 Join us here: https://plantbasedsupport.org

🌿 WHAT YOU’LL GET INSIDE

• Live support groups led by experienced hosts

• Practical, easy-to-follow guidance (no overwhelm)

• A welcoming, judgment-free community

• Educational sessions with clinicians and experts

• Accountability that helps you stay consistent

• Tools, recipes, and next steps you can actually use

• Whether you’re just starting or looking to stay on track, this is a space built to support you at every stage.

🤝 STAY CONNECTED

Subscribe for more conversations on plant-based living, health, and real-life change.

Every share, comment, or donation helps us reach and support more people on their journey.

What if everything you were told about food and disease was incomplete?

In this episode of the Plant Based Support Podcast, Dr. Niki Davis speaks with Naomi Green, a plant-based health coach who transformed her life after a breast cancer diagnosis at just 27. After being told that “what you eat doesn’t matter,” Naomi took her health into her own hands—and everything changed.

This powerful conversation explores:

• The truth about food and chronic disease

• Why many people feel powerless in the medical system

• How plant-based nutrition supports weight loss, energy, and long-term health

• The missing piece in traditional healthcare

• How lifestyle changes can help reduce reliance on medications

Naomi shares how she lost weight, regained energy, and built a life centered on helping others take back control of their health—without extreme dieting or restriction.

If you’ve ever felt confused, overwhelmed, or stuck on your health journey, this episode offers clarity, hope, and practical direction.

Watch the full episode and discover what’s possible.

👉 Visit www.plantbasedsupport.org

to learn more and join our community.

🌱 ABOUT OUR PODCAST

The Plant Based Support Podcast features conversations with clinicians, members, researchers, and leaders in the plant-based movement. Our mission:

Support. Educate. Empower.

Together, As One.

🔗 Learn More / Join the Community / Donate

Website: https://plantbasedsupport.org

Instagram: @pbnsg

Facebook: Plant Based Support

🎧 SUBSCRIBE for more episodes

If this episode inspired you, hit the like button, subscribe, and turn on notifications. It helps our nonprofit reach more people who need support, guidance, and hope.

#PlantBasedHealth #LifestyleMedicine #WeightLossJourney #ChronicDisease #PlantBasedSupport

Can a plant based diet actually prevent or reverse chronic disease? 🌱

In this episode of the Plant Based Support Podcast, Dr. Niki Davis sits down with renowned dietitian and author Julieanna Hever Risse to discuss the science behind plant based nutrition, the dangers of nutrition misinformation, and how whole food plant based eating can transform long term health.

Julieanna shares insights from over 30 years of experience helping people improve their health through plant based lifestyle changes. The conversation explores chronic disease prevention, weight management, behavior change, and the growing challenge of misleading diet trends on social media.

If you're curious about plant based nutrition, longevity, or lifestyle medicine, this episode provides powerful insights backed by decades of experience.

Key Topics Covered

🌱 The science behind plant based nutrition

❤️ Preventing and reversing chronic disease

⚠️ The rise of diet misinformation online

🥗 Whole food plant based vs processed vegan foods

🧠 Behavioral change and long term habit building

📱 Social media influence on nutrition advice

⏳ Healthspan and longevity through diet

🌱 ABOUT OUR PODCAST

The Plant Based Support Podcast features conversations with clinicians, members, researchers, and leaders in the plant-based movement. Our mission:

Support. Educate. Empower.

Together, As One.

🔗 Learn More / Join the Community / Donate

Website: https://plantbasedsupport.org

Instagram: @pbnsg

Facebook: Plant Based Support

🎧 SUBSCRIBE for more episodes

If this episode inspired you, hit the like button, subscribe, and turn on notifications. It helps our nonprofit reach more people who need support, guidance, and hope.