Dr. Michael Klaper was raised on a dairy farm, became a physician in 1972, and spent his first decade in medicine watching his patients get sicker. Then, he connected the dots: it's the food, doc!

For the past 40+ years, he has been one of the most beloved voices in plant-based medicine, reversing high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, autoimmune disease, and more thanks to the whole plant food diet.

In 2017, he founded his not-for-profit Moving Medicine Forward to (finally!) bring nutrition education to medical schools across North America. He just published his book by the same name, and it's FANTASTIC!

In this conversation we talk about:

• The "toxic red tide" of molecules that flood your bloodstream every time you have a cheeseburger
• Why most doctors know next to nothing about nutrition (and what that costs their patients)
• What it takes to change someone's diet in a clinical setting
• Whether the medical system can be redeemed
• And why Dr. Klaper is the happiest of doctors!

Whether you are in the medical system as a patient or as a health professional, you'll LOVE this episode.

Support Dr. Klaper's work by donating at http://movingmedforward.org/

Get your copy of Moving Medicine Forward: https://bookshop.org/a/114636/9781637748268 (while supporting the Plantwise Podcast at no extra cost to you!)

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Love this conversation? You'll be right at home in the Plantwise Book Club. Learn more here: https://brigittegemme.com/plantwise-book-club/

What if the real reason why we can't change our habits has nothing to do with willpower?

Leo Babauta, creator of Zen Habits and one of the original voices on mindfulness and simplicity on the Internet, joins the Plantwise Book Club crew for a conversation that goes deep. We talk about the emotions hiding underneath our food choices, why "should" never works, and what happens when we stop running from discomfort and just… sit with it.

Plus, Leo shares how he went from overweight, in debt, and smoking to running marathons, going vegan, and building a life aligned with his values. The real shift? Love.

This starts with "pick a tiny habit and go from there" and goes much deeper.

Recorded live as a fireside chat with the Plantwise Book Club during our deep dive into Leo's book Essential Zen Habits. 🔗 Leo's blog: http://zenhabits.net ✍️ Leo's new book-in-progress: http://zenofdoing.substack.com 📖 Leo's book Essential Zen Habits which was the Plantwise book of the month in February 2026: https://bookshop.org/a/114636/9781434105257

💚 Join the Plantwise Book Club: https://skool.com/plantwise/about/

Javant Benton's healthy journey started when a possibly lymphoma diagnosis shook him to his core. Pre-diabetes and high blood pressure ran in his family but he wasn't prepared for cancer. This health scare set him on a path of discovery that led to losing 80 pounds, reversing his chronic disease signs, and falling in love with whole food plant-based cooking.

His Instagram is super inspiring! https://instagram.com/healthyveganeating/ and you can also follow him here on YouTube: http://youtube.com/@healthyveganeating

Everything he does is oil free, refined-sugar free, and wheat free... and it all looks AMAZING!

Javant's first cookbook, Make Your Own, is just coming out on March 17th, 2026, and it's a MUST HAVE! I hardly ever endorse cookbooks but I love everything about how Javant creates delightful meals from whole plant foods, and I know my Plantwise people are going to love it too.

📚 Get Javant's first cookbook, Make Your Own, from Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/a/114636/9780306836695 Your purchase using this link will support the Plantwise Book Club, at no extra cost to you. Also available in all bookstores.

This podcast is brought to you by the Plantwise Book Club: a welcoming community of curious people who want to learn from the top sources about plant-based nutrition *and* put what they learn into practice in their everyday lives. Learn more and join us here: https://skool.com/plantwise/about/