Shows
Vegan PosseVP#132: Posse Talk with Jen Howk! Mildred the Groundhog, Virtue-Signaling, Myers-Briggs, and MoreVegan Posse will be taking a summertime hiatus! In the meantime, you can support the work that we do bringing vegans together to help animals everywhere via PayPal or Venmo : @veganposseResources:The Superior Human?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqT82oGeax0&t=39sChrissy Benson website: https://christinemelaniebenson.com/Make vegan women’s fiction classic Marrying Myself an Amazon bestseller!https://www.amazon.com/Marrying-Myself-Christine-Melanie-Benson/dp/1685130763/Email the Vegan Posse: veganposse.email@gmail.comSupport the Vegan Posse through PayPal and/or Venmo. Co...
2025-05-301h 10
Vegan PosseVP#131: Danny O'Malley, Founder of Before the Butcher, the Meat You Want to Meet!General Announcements:Make the vegan women's fiction classic Marrying Myself an international bestseller! Get your copies now: https://www.amazon.com/Marrying-Myself-Christine-Melanie-Benson/dp/1685130763/https://christinemelaniebenson.com/Join Chrissy at Vegan Summerfest July 9-13, 2025, in Johnstown, PA: https://summerfest.navs-online.org/Want to change your life? Chrissy is accepting new coaching clients: christinembenson@gmail.comWe love to hear from you! Email veganposse.email@gmail.comYOU are the Posse! Support what we do via Venmo or Paypal - make your contribution to @veganposse...
2025-05-231h 03Vegan PosseVP#130: Leandro "Nachie" Graga, Founder of Geomancer Permaculture with the Marxist Take on Growth, the "Cacaphony of Trauma," and the Healing Power of VeganThis week's episode with Leandro "Nachie" Braga: Leandro "Nachie" Braga is an ecologist interested in how the complex patterns and processes of the nonhuman world can be applied towards resilience in our own society. As a permaculture designer, he works with visionary clients to implement practical infrastructure projects that deepen reciprocity with the landscape while empowering individuals and communities to intervene in and take control of the material conditions of their own lives.Follwo Geomancer Permaculture:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/geomancerpermaculture/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/geomancerpermaculture/Marxist...
2025-05-161h 13
Vegan PosseVP#129: Shouting the Vegan Message from the Mountaintops! Jan Brandenburg, Author of The Modern Mountain CookbookGeneral announcements:Got show topics, guest suggestions questions for our monthly series Posse Talk with Jen Howk, or anything else on your mind? Email veganposse.email@gmail.com We loveto hear form you!Come see Chrissy Benson speak at Vegan Summerfest – Let them know you’re with the Vegan Posse and they’ll be extra-nice to you: https://summerfest.navs-online.org/Make the vegan women’s fiction classic Marrying Myself by Christine Melanie Benson an international bestseller! https://www.amazon.com/Marrying-Myself-Christine-Melanie-Benson/dp/1685130763/Chrissy Benson author website: https://christinemelaniebenson.com/Support the Vegan Poss...
2025-05-091h 02Vegan PosseVP#128: Posse Talk with Jen Howk! A Window into the Howk in the GardenLooking for personal coaching or counseling? Email Chrissyat christinembenson@gmail.comGot show topics, guest suggestions questions for our monthly series Posse Talk with Jen Howk, or anything else on your mind? Email veganposse.email@gmail.com We love to hear form you!Come see Chrissy Benson speak at Vegan Summerfest – Let them know you’re part of the Vegan Posse and there to see Chrissy: https://summerfest.navs-online.org/Make the vegan women’s fiction classic Marrying Myself by Christine Melanie Benson an international bestseller! https://www.amazon.com/Marrying-Myself-Christine-Melanie-Benson/dp/1685130763/Chri...
2025-05-021h 14
Vegan PosseVP#127: Raw Food/Fasting Guru Loren Lockman on Being a Stranger in a Strange (Unhealthy) Land, Helping People Heal by NOT Practicing Medicine & the Tangled Web of Tanglewood Wellness Center's DownfallGot topic ideas, guest suggestions, or questions for Chrissy and/or Dr. Jen Howk in our monthly Posse talk series? Send them to veganposse.email@gmail.comCome to Vegan Summerfest, July 9-13, 2025, in Johnstown, PA! When you register, make sure to mention that you’re a friend of Chrissy Benson and the Vegan Posse, and they’ll take extra-good care of you! https://summerfest.navs-online.org/If you value the work that we do here at the Vegan Posse, consider becoming a financial supporter via Venmo or PayPal. Buy Chrissy a virtual coffee ($5), chip in f...
2025-04-251h 14Vegan PosseVP#126: April 2025 Vegan Posse Soiree! Meet (some of) your Posse.A fabulous time was had by all the first-ever Posse Soiree! You can vicariously experience it here.Got show topics, guest suggestions questions for our monthly series Posse Talk with Jen Howk, or anything else on your mind? Email veganposse.email@gmail.com We loveto hear form you!Come see Chrissy Benson speak at Vegan Summerfest – Let them know you’re a friend of Chrissy's and the Vegan Posse!: https://summerfest.navs-online.org/Make the vegan women’s fiction classic Marrying Myselfby Christine Melanie Benson an international bestseller! https://www.amazon.com/Marrying-Myself-Christine-Melanie-Benson/dp/168...
2025-04-181h 01
Vegan PosseVP#125: Dr. Angela Crawford, Author of The Vegan Transformation - "A weight lifted that I didn't even know was there."Come to the Vegan Posse Soiree! Wednesday, April 16, 2025, 11 a.m. ET, 10 a.m. CT, 8 a.m. PTvia Zoom:https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84904559136Contribute to the Vegan Posse through PayPal or Venmo:@veganposseBuy Chrissy a virtual coffee ($5), chip in for recordingexpenses ($15), or even make it a monthly donation. Thank you - YOU are the Posse!Make vegan women’s fiction classic Marrying Myself aninternational bestseller! https://christinemelaniebenson.com/https://www.amazon.com/Marrying-Myself-Christine-Melanie-Benson/dp/1685130763/Looking for coaching and support? Em...
2025-04-111h 07Vegan PosseVP#124: Posse Talk with Jen Howk! Therapy, Victimhood, Veganism and Mental Health, and MORESupport the Vegan Posse through PayPal and/or Venmo.Consider becoming a monthly supporter!PayPal: @VeganPosseVenmo: @VeganPosse https://www.venmo.com/u/veganposseAnnouncements:Interested in personal coaching? Contact Chrissy at chrsistinembenson@gmail.comQuestions, comments, or guest suggestions? Email the Vegan Posse at veganposse.email@gmail.comJoin the very first Vegan Posse Soiree! When: Wednesday, April 16, 2025, 10:00 a.m. Central.Topic: Vegan Posse Soiree!Time: Apr 16, 2025 10:00 AM Central Time (US and Canada)https://us02web.zoom.us/j...
2025-04-041h 13
Vegan PosseVP#123: Everything You Could Possibly Crave! Vegan Wholesome Author Brandi Doming: Going Vegan for Then-Husband’s Gout, Staying Vegan for HER (and the Animals), Raising a Vegan Daughter, and MoreGeneral Announcements: Got show topics, guest suggestions questions for our monthly series Posse Talk with Jen Howk, or anything else on your mind? Email veganposse.email@gmail.com We loveto hear from you!Come to Vegan Summerfest – and make et them know you’re part of the Vegan Posse with Chrissy Benson: https://summerfest.navs-online.org/Make the vegan women’s fiction classic Marrying Myselfby Christine Melanie Benson an international bestseller! https://www.amazon.com/Marrying-Myself-Christine-Melanie-Benson/dp/1685130763/Want coaching and support in making the MOST of this human experience and creating a rich...
2025-03-2858 min
Vegan PosseVP#122: Swedish Music Pro Ulf Blomberg and the Black Metal Edge of Vegan!Got show topics, guest suggestions questions for our monthly series Posse Talk with Jen Howk, or anything else on your mind? Email veganposse.email@gmail.com We loveto hear form you!Come see Chrissy Benson speak at Vegan Summerfest – and make sure to let them know you’re part of the Vegan Posse and there to see Chrissy: https://summerfest.navs-online.org/Make the vegan women’s fiction classic Marrying Myself by Christine Melanie Benson an international bestseller! https://www.amazon.com/Marrying-Myself-Christine-Melanie-Benson/dp/1685130763/Chrissy Benson author website: https://christinemelaniebenson.com/Suppor...
2025-03-2150 minVegan PosseVP#121: Join us for the very first Vegan Posse Soiree! Wednesday, April 16 , 2025, at 10:0 a.m. Central via ZoomThank you for being part of the Vegan Posse, bringing vegans together to help animals everywhere. This week, we've got two exciting announcements to share...Announcements:Support the Vegan Posse via PayPal or Venmo - buy me a virtual coffee ($5) or chip in for recording expenses ($15). Even better, become a monthly supporter!Venmo: @veganpossePayPal: @veganposseJoin Chrissy at Vegan Summerfest in Johnstown, PA, July 9-13, 2025. Let them know that you’re part of the Vegan Posse and are coming to hear Chrissy Benson speak: https://summerfest.navs-online.org/co...
2025-03-1407 min
Vegan PosseVP#120: Beyond Bro Science! Conscious Muscle Founder Jordan Dranes on Building What Matters – and Muscles TooThis week, the Vegan Posse welcomes bodybuilder and Conscious Muscle founder Jordan Dranes! Jordan loved powerlifting and bodybuilding more than anything in the world – and then veganism came along! Now, Jordan’s muscles are massive, and so is Instagram following, but most massive of all is his compassion for animals, which fuels his work helping thousands and thousands of individuals who want to get strong, get jacked, and crush their fitness goals. Join the rabid tribe of fans following him on Instagram and get muscle- building tips from a dude who knows what he's talking about! Do you v...
2025-03-071h 03Vegan PosseVP#119: Posse Talk with Jen Howk! Taboo Subjects, Dancing with Dogma, and Multi-Level UnleashingWelcome to Posse Talk with Jen Howk, the monthly series where Dr. Jen Howk and I shoot the breeze about veganism, life, love, and anything else on our minds! Share your questions, thoughts, ideas, and opinions! Email: veganposse.email@gmail.comIf you value the work we do bringing vegans together to help animals everywhere, consider supporting the Vegan Posse financially via PayPal or Venmo. We appreciate you!Venmo: https://www.venmo.com/u/veganpossePayPal: @VeganPosseHelp normalize veganism through the arts by making THE vegan w...
2025-02-281h 05
Vegan PosseVP#118: Aging like a (Gorgeous) Yogi! Victoria Moran on Her New Book, Unexpected Life Turns, Pitfalls of Ego and COVID Jab, and Embracing “Radical”The Vegan Posse podcast has been coming to you WITHOUT FAIL every week since October 2022. Do you love bringing vegans together to help animals everywhere? Consider supporting the Vegan Posse financially via PayPal or Venmo:Buy Chrissy a coffee or chip in for expenses - every amount helps! And even better if you make it monthly: https://www.venmo.com/u/veganposseOr send USD or BTCH via PayPal or Venmo to @VeganPosseQuestions, comments, or guest suggestions? Email us at veganposse.email@gmail.comVictoria Moran bio:Listed by V...
2025-02-201h 14
Vegan PosseVP#117: Valerie Martin, Founder of The Gaia Center for Embodied Healing, on the Vegan "Soul Allergy," Therapizing Vegans, and Just Doing ItDo you value what we do in bringing vegans together to help animals everywhere? Support the Vegan Posse!Buy me a coffee! $5 Help w/ recording cost! $10Montly support - thank you! $25Or any amount you choose - we appreciate you! https://www.paypal.com/donate/?business=U6Q2GULJVMN6J&no_recurring=0&item_name=The+Vegan+Posse+brings+vegans+together+to+help+animals+everywhere%21+We%27re+not+just+keeping+the+peace+but+creating+it.¤cy_code=USDHelp makevegan novelMarrying Myselfan international beststeller and normalize veganism through t...
2025-02-1459 min
Vegan PosseVP#116: Putting The Sweet Back in Soul! Vegan Vibing with Jenné Claiborne, Author of Cookbook Sweet Potato Soul Vegan VibesAtlanta native and founder of the beloved food blog Sweet Potato Soul, Jenné Claiborne is obsessed with plants. As a picky eater turned certified health coach, Jenné has been enjoying the vibrant health, energy, and joy from eating whole foods for more than a decade without sacrificing her taste for Southern Soul. Jenne just released her second cookbook, Sweet Potato Soul Vegan Vibes. Make sure to check it out!
Resources:
Support Vegan Posse on Patreon! patreon.com/VeganPosseCB
Questions for Posse Talk with Jen Howk? Email veganposse.email@gmail.com
Interested in...
2025-02-071h 07Vegan PosseVP#115: Posse Talk with Jen Howk! Vegan Message in Third-World Countries, the Medicalization of EVERYTHING, and Making America Nuanced AgainIt's time for our monthly Posse Talk with Jen Howk! Longtime Vegan Posse friend Dr. Jen Howk and I don't puport to solve many problems, at least in a utliitarian sense, but we cover a lot of ground. Enjoy :)
Resources:
Got questions for Posse Talk with Jen Howk? Email veganposse.email@gmail.com
Interested in Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy? Email chrissy at christinembenson@gmail.com
Help make vegan women's fiction classic Marrying Myself an Amazon bestseller! https://www.amazon.com/Marrying-Myself-Christine-Melanie-Benson/dp/1685130763
Christine Melanie Benson website: http://christinemelaniebenson...
2025-01-311h 09
Vegan PosseVP#114: TN Vegans Rock! Getting Real with Down-Home, Ultra-Glamorous Nashville Native Hayden Blane: Her Heart Cracked Open for Animals and There’s Been No Looking BackHayden Blane is a native Nashvillian, a wife, a mother, and an actor. She lived in LA for almost a decade, and her heart called her home to Nashville in 2014. She’s been vegan since 2007, when she read a book that opened her heart and changed her life. She’s a runner, 43 years around the sun, she loves all animals, but her favorite is her 6-year-old cavapoo, Leroy Jenkins. After seeing Free Willy at 13, she started a fund raiser for the whales at school and raised $65 :) If there is a film on where an animal dies, she won't watch it.
2025-01-241h 05
Vegan PosseVP#113: Wicked Curious! Spiritual Mentor Karen Kenney on the Brutal Murder that Changed Everything, Connecting the Dots to Animal Suffering, and the Choice to Live in LoveAs they say, we can't choose what happens to us; we can only choose how we respond. Often it comes down to a choice between victimhood and empowerment - and Karen Kenney chose the latter. After her mother's brutal murder, Karen would have had every justification in the world for considering herself a helpless victim. Instead, she turned her energy to helping the beings that don't get to make any choices over their own existence - the animals in our so-called "food" system, medical labs, and beyond.
In this week's episode I got to chat with Karen...
2025-01-171h 17
Vegan PosseVP#111: Ringing in the New Year with Chef AJ and Special Friend! Her Cancer Diagnosis, Fear of Betraying the Vegan Community, Feeling Betrayed, Forgiveness, and MOREWhy was longtime vegan celebrity Chef AJ so reluctant to go public with her diagnosis of lung cancer? How is she doing now? We get into that and LOTS more in this intimate, vulnerable, and FUN interview that you won't want to miss!
Among other things, you'll hear Chef AJ talk about the benefits she's experienced from Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy, which I trained in and have been practicing since 2014. If you'd like to learn more or schedule your first IFS session with Chrissy, email veganposse.email@gmail.com or contact Chrissy directly at christinembenson@gmail...
2025-01-031h 10
Vegan PosseVP#1110: BONUS EPISODE! Angela Fischetti's Self-Love Total Body Workout for Bone and Muscle Strength with SupersetsHow can we stay strong in 2025? Angela Fischetti can help!
Angela Fischetti: A virtual physical fitness and yoga instructor and on-site licensed massage therapist specializing in fitness and wellness for older adults.
Angela Fischetti is a virtual physical fitness and yoga instructor and on-site licensed massage therapist specializing in wellness for older adults. She began teaching seniors when she was 30; it was also when she embarked on her own tough healing journey. Over three decades later, a senior herself, Angela combines years of experience and research with a unique combination of empathy and encouragement for o...
2025-01-011h 00Vegan PosseVP#109: Posse Talk with Jen Howk! How Good Can You Stand It? Expanding Our Capacity for the Joy and Richness of Life - Bring It, 2025!Welcome to the Christmas 2024 edition of Posse Talk with Jen Howk!
A longtime friend of the Vegan Posse, Dr. Jen Howk is an
author, researcher, and interdisciplinary social scientist. She earned her B.A. with honors from the University of Washington, and her M.A. and Ph.D. from Harvard University. Her work explores themes of health and well-being, broadly
considered. Her new book called Truth Be Told discusses the freedom that can be found by adopting a “radical truth” practice. She’s got a podcast about everything called “The Face of the Deep.” She offers individual one-on-one...
2024-12-271h 13
Vegan PosseVP#108: Going Deep with ASAP Founder Dr. Faraz Harsini! Life, Liberty, & Abandonment of the Pursuit of Happiness?As we close out the year, it's a great time to reflect on values, priorities, and purpose. If you've been feeling uncertain or lost about the importance of your vegan activism, I hope that you find this week's episode with Dr. Faraz Harsini, founder of Allied Scholars for Animal Protection (ASAP), as grounding, centering, and urgent as I did.
Dr. Faraz Harsini is a Food System Biomedical Scientist. As the founder and CEO of Allied Scholars for Animal Protection (ASAP), he is leading efforts to build infrastructure in universities to protect both human and non-human animals. He...
2024-12-201h 10
Vegan PosseVP#107: A Vegan World by 2026? Dr. Sailesh Rao Is Doing His Job to Make It Happen!First and foremost, help make the vegan novel Marrying Myself an Amazon bestseller! Buy copies for all your family and friends and leave a STELLAR review ***** - it's our best way of normalizing veganism through the arts!
Buy Marrying Myself on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Marrying-Myself-Christine-Melanie-Benson/dp/1685130763
Christine Melanie Benson website: https://christinemelaniebenson.com/
Got guest suggestions or questions for our monthly Posse Talk with Jen Howk? Email veganposse.email@gmail.com
This week's episode:
Dr. Sailesh Rao is the Founder and Executive Director of Climate Healers, a...
2024-12-131h 10Vegan PosseVP#106: Lightning, Love, and Not Getting Over It with Helga Tacreiter, Founder of The Cow Sanctuary and Author of Children's Book “Harvey and the Lightning Herd"In this one-of-a-kind episode, the Vegan Posse returns to its
podcast roots with a special audio only episode. If you think you’ve heard some incredible stories about the lengths that people will go to help animals, trust me, you haven’t heard a story like this! With an uncanny ability to make things happen, never give up, and tap into near-miraculous levels of serendipity, Helga Tacreiter not only saved a group of calves who survived a lightning struck that killed their mothers but went on found a sanctuary called The Cow Sanctuary for
these any a host of othe...
2024-12-061h 15Vegan PosseVP#105: Posse Talk with Jen Howk! The Holiday Hot Mess, the Pet Problem, and Tips for for Getting through with Grace (or at Least Not Totally Losing It)It's coming up on that special time of year - good-special in some ways, frustrating-special in others, especially if you're a vegan. We're releasing this month's Posse Talk with Jen Howk a few days early, to give you that extra-special vegan boost going into Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, and all the winter holidays. Enjoy this episode of Posse Talk with Jen Howk!
Resources:
Dr. Jen Howk website: https://www.jenhowk.com/
Dr. Jen Howk membership group, The Collective Unconscious: https://collective.jenhowk.com/feed
Truth Be Told by Dr. Jen Howk...
2024-11-281h 08
Vegan PosseVP#104: The Secret Sauce of Vegan Activism with Veganuary U.S. Director Sandra HungateWho doesn’t love a challenge – and what better than a VEGAN challenge? Veganuary is a month-long challenge that encourages people to go plant-based for the month of January, and in this episode, I chatted with the U.S. Director of Veganuary, Sandra Hungate, who now lives in Portland, OR, but who’s live all over the world, speaks four languages, and has been working in marketing for sustainable living and eating for most of her career. She’s been vegan for over seven years, and has been with Veganuary since 2023. Enjoy this conversation with Sarndra Hungate – and tell all your n...
2024-11-2251 min
Vegan PosseVP#103: Landmark Pre-Thanksgiving Episode! Convention vs. Compassion with Animal Rights Hero and “World’s Most Influential Living Philosopher” Peter Singer, Author of New Book "Consider the Turkey"Welcome to this landmark pre-Thanksgiving episode with Peter Singer! Peter Singer has been called the world’s most influential living philosopher. He’s been credited with starting the modern animal rights movement, and his work was certainly integral in my own vegan education. This month, he was featured in a New York Times interview titled "Pater Singer wants to Shatter Your Moral Complacency" - but between you and me, it was the Vegan Posse that got the real scoop.
Peter Singer is a renowned moral philosopher and bioethicist, recognized for his influential contributions to applied ethics from a ut...
2024-11-141h 01
Vegan PosseVP#102: Climate Influence Producer Andrea Learned on the Plant-Powered Planetary Solution, the MOMENT, the Unicorn Search, and the Joy of Vegan!We all have our unique vegan path. Andrea Learned found that path through her environmental and sustainability work. Andrea is a self-proclaimed climate influence producer and host of the Living Change climate leadership podcast. She’s now in the development stage of her second podcast, Climate Influence, with Andrea Learned; and is working on a short documentary. Andrea is well known for her deep climate network and counterintuitive social engagement and leadership development approach.
Andrea’s early career was in marketing to women, during which time she co-authored the book Don’t Think Pink: What Really Makes Women...
2024-11-081h 01Vegan PosseVP#101: Posse Talk with Jen Howk! Truth, Authenticity, and (Political) CircusesWelcome to this month's Posse Talk with Jen Howk! Every month, Dr. Jen Howk and Chrissy discuss life, love, relationships, human nature, world events, the meaning of life - and anything else on our minds. We welcome YOUR questions, comments and topics suggestions - email us at veganposse.email@gmail.com
Resources:
Dr. Jen Howk website: https://www.jenhowk.com/
Chrissy Benson website: https://christinemelaniebenson.com/
Buy Marrying Myself, the vegan anti-romance romance: https://www.amazon.com/Marrying-Myself-Christine-Melanie-Benson/dp/1685130763
This Jungian Life podcast: https://thisjungianlife.com/
Radical Honesty by...
2024-11-011h 19
Vegan PosseVP#100! Sense and Sensitivity: Ruffling Feathers with Our Hen House Hosts Jasmin Singer and Mariann SullivanWelcome to the 100th episode of the Vegan Posse! This week, you get two special guests for the price of one.
Mariann Sullivan is a lawyer and teaches animal law at Cornell Law School. She has served as the chair of the American Bar Association’s Tort Trial Insurance Practice Section’s Animal Law Committee and the NY Bar Association’s Committee on Legal Issues Pertaining to Animals. She is also the 2021 recipient of the Excellence in Animal Law: Scholarship-Teaching-Service Award from the American Association of Law Schools. In addition to co-hosting the award-winning, weekly Our Hen House po...
2024-10-251h 06
Vegan PosseVP#99: From Stay-at-Home Mom to Vegan YouTube Sensation! Getting Cozy with Nutmeg Notebook Host Tami KramerFall is here! And what better way to kick it off than by
getting super cozy with Nutmeg Notebook host Tami Kramer?
But first, some Posse news...
NEW MONTHLY SERIES: Posse Talk with Jen Howk!
Our new monthly series, Posse Talk with Jen Howk, will be airing the FIRST week of every month - don't miss the dish! Got questions or comments, or just seeking general advice from evolutionary psych guru gone rogue, Dr. Jen Howk and/or for Chrissy? Send them to veganposse.email@gmail.com
Get head start on holiday...
2024-10-181h 11
Vegan PosseVP#98: More than a Makeover - The VALUES of the Vegan Transformation with Angela Crawford, Ph.D.New monthly Vegan Posse series: Posse Talk with Jen Howk!
Email your questions about human nature, relationships, health, or anything else to Dr. Jen Howk and/or Chrissy to veganposse.email@gmail.com
This week's episode...
Angela Crawford, Ph.D., is passionate about the benefits of a compassionate vegan lifestyle for emotional, mental, and physical well-being, compassion for all sentient beings, and caring for the planet. She recently researched and wrote The Vegan Transformation: A Journey to Heal Yourself and the World, due to be published in 2025.
She became vegetarian over 17 ye...
2024-10-111h 09Vegan PosseVP#97: NEW MONTHLY SERIES - Posse Talk with Jen Howk!Welcome to the new monthly Vegan Posse series, Posse Talk with Jen Howk!
On the first Friday of every month, Chrissy will be chatting with Dr. Jen Howk, author of the book Truth Be Told and host of the Collective Unconscious, about life, love, the state of the world, and anything else that's on their minds. Many of are familiar with Jen Howk from the Beat Your Genes podcast. But Jen has now moved on from Beat Your Genes, and their loss is the Vegan Posse’s gain!
Got questions or comments for Jen and/or...
2024-10-041h 06
Vegan PosseVP#95: A Dazzling Third Act with Author/Yogi Victoria Moran! The Gnarly Path to Vegan, the Calling of Words, New Book “Age like a Yogi” & MOREThis week, the Vegan Posse welcomes BACK legendary Victoria Moran. Featured twice on Oprah and listed by VegNews among the “Top 10 Living Vegetarian Authors,” Victoria Moran has written fourteen books, including Creating a Charmed Life, Main Street Vegan, and the upcoming Age Like a Yogi. Vegan for 40 years, Victoria serves as director of Main Street Vegan Academy, training vegan lifestyle coaches since 2012; hosts the Main Street Vegan Podcast; and is a co-director of the Compassion Consortium, an Interfaith spiritual center for animal advocates. She lives in Manhattan with her husband, William, a chihuahua named Rupert, rescued
from hoarding, and a half-blind pige...
2024-09-201h 07Vegan PosseSPECIAL BONUS EPISODE: Chrissy Benson on VeganLinked! From Ignorant Vegetarian to Radicalized VeganIt was fun to be asked about my own story - so much to reflect on! Thanks to Jeff Adams of VeganLinked for a thought-provoking interview.
Resources:
https://veganlinked.com/
2024-09-0655 minVegan PosseVP#93 SPECIAL EPISODE: Calling the Posse! Who Stole My Bitcoin?While I love mysteries, being thrust into my own real-life mystery has been less than pleasant. This special episode of the Vegan Posse is less about the "vegan" and more about the Posse. I need YOUR your help in uncovering the truth regarding the Bitcoin heist the was perpetrated on me in August 2024. Listen to the sequence of events, let me know what you think, and help me get to the bottom of this real-life mystery in the way that only a Posse can.
In addition, if you are able and would like to help me begin...
2024-09-0626 min
Vegan PosseVP#92: Living the Dream with Chrissy Mitchell on Shy 38 Farm SanctuaryThis week, Chrissy welcomes Chrissy! Christina Mitchell describes herself as a fun-loving Kansas girl who loves animals and at one point in her life wanted to be a veterinarian but didn’t think she could handle having to euthanize animals. Chrissy grew up as a meat-eater questioning where her food came from, but went vegan in 2016 when a random slaughterhouse video played on her Facebook feed. Since then, she has protested with activists around the United States against animal cruelty at slaughterhouses, factory farms ,and pet stores, and she’s also been part of a number of pretty dramatic anima...
2024-08-3057 min
Vegan PosseVP#91: From Wheelchair-Bound to Newfound Youth, plus a Partner across the Pond! Complementary Medicine Assocation Founder Jayney Goddard, Author of Bestselling Book "Rewind Your Body Clock"You may recall last week’s amazing, extraordinary guest, Dr. Frank Sabatino. This week, the Vegan Posse welcomes Dr. Frank’s equally amazing, extraordinary partner, Jayney Goddard, founder of the Complementary Medicine Association. Jayney has a Master of Science post-graduate degree from UCLancashire, England; and trained in Mind/Body Medicine at Harvard Medical School, USA, under Dr Herbert Benson (the “father” of Mind/ Body Medicine). Jayney herself faced a life-threatening illness that left her wheelchair-bound for ten years – and through lifestyle and dietary changes, she not only recovered her health but rewound her own body clock in the process. She compil...
2024-08-231h 13
Vegan PosseVP#86: Far Beyond Sushi with NYC Plant-Based Restaurateur Chef Guy Vaknin! From Hell’s Kitchen, Shark Tank, and Vegan Sushi to City-Wide Fine Vegan Dining, Cultural Connectedness, and TruthChef Guy Vaknin is the founder and executive chef of City Roots Hospitality and based in New York City. For part of his youth, Chef Guy was raised on a kibbutz in Israel, where he was immersed in agriculture from a young age. He was taught how to cultivate food for the benefit of a community as a whole. To this day, Chef Guy believes that food is deeply connected to emotion, culture, and memory which is why he set out to create a restaurant group that would raise awareness about the interconnectedness of food and environment.
Chef Guy...
2024-07-191h 04
Vegan PosseVP#85: Born and Raised Vegan with Full-TIme Animal Activist Sarina Farb! "My parents just told me the truth."How many of us bemoan all the years we spent consuming "foods” that were in fact the products of unconscionable animal suffering? If you’ve ever wondered what it would have been like to be raised vegan, you can hear firsthand
from Sarina Farb, who was born and raised vegan and now, as an adult, continues to carry the vegan message of justice and liberation for all beings!
More about Sarina...
Sarina Farb is a vegan educator, TEDx speaker, and liberation activist working to make the world a better place for all beings. As a form...
2024-07-111h 13
Vegan PosseSelf-Love Series Episode 9: Self-Love Recap with Chrissy BensonThis final short but sweet episode summarizes the aspects of self-love and my own biggest takeaways from our amazing guests. Be part of the self-love revolution! And go forth in love.
Resources:
Christine Melanie Benson website: https://christinemelaniebenson.com/
"Why Am I Me?" from musical Shenandoah: https://youtu.be/ONGXYI2WDo0?si=z2YFw5iQbfHWe_V8
Music credit:
"Spring, Spring Is an Amazing Thing" by Lij Shaw (with Sarayah Shaw: https://youtu.be/1OVkxnN9qLk?si=ZDbiyMv2Z7utvpeh
2024-07-0707 min
Vegan PosseSelf-Love Series Episode 8: The Peaceful Path to Self-Love with Dr. Will TuttleWelcome to Episode 8 of the Vegan Posse Self-Love Series!
Before we can even consider what it means to love ourself, we have to ask what this “self” actually is. Does it even exist? There’s no one better equipped to take us on a deep dive into the rabbit hole of self-love than former Zen monk Dr. Will Tuttle, author of the bestselling book The World Peace Diet.
A visionary author, educator, and inspirational speaker, Dr. Will Tuttle has presented widely throughout North America, Europe, and the Pacific. He holds a Ph.D. from the Universi...
2024-07-0746 min
Vegan PosseSelf-Love Series Episode 7: From Self-Hate Prison to Self-Love Freedom with Derrick BrozeWelcome to Episode 7 of the Vegan Posse Self-Love Series!
Sometimes, the fog is so all-encompassing that we can’t even see it. Derrick Broze discovered prayer and meditation in prison, when he was incarcerated for a nonviolent drug offense. Only then did he discover prayer and meditation and begin to emerge from the fog of depression and addiction. When he was released from prison after 18 months, he finally experienced true freedom - physical, emotional, and spiritual - and moved from a prison of self-hatred to the freedom of self-love.
Derrick is an investigative journalist, author, do...
2024-07-0648 min
Vegan PosseSelf-Love Series Episode 6: Evolve into Self-Love with Dr. Doug LisleWelcome to Episode 6 of the Vegan Posse Self-Help Series!
Evolutionary psychologist Dr. Doug Lisle isn’t much for fluff and silliness and has little tolerance for the ludicrous. In this episode, you’ll get a straight-up, no-nonsense breakdown of self-love in the manner that only Dr. Doug Lisle can deliver. You’ll get a peek into the traps – pleasure, ego, and otherwise – that keep us out of self-love – and how to evolve on into it!
Dr. Doug Lisle is an evolutionary psychologist and co-author of The Pleasure Trap: Mastering the Hidden Force that Undermines Health and Happiness...
2024-07-051h 05
Vegan PosseSelf-Love Series Episode 5: Existential Self-Love with Clare MannWelcome to Episode 5 of the Vegan Posse Self-Love Series!
In this episode, you’ll get an existential take on self-love! Clare Mann is a psychologist, existential psychotherapist, author, and communications trainer. Clare’s work now focuses on providing vegans, animal advocates, and animal protection agencies with tools to live in this “not-yet” vegan world, so they can communicate the imperative of veganism more effectively.
Clare coined the word vystopia; the mental anguish of
knowing about the systematized abuse of animals within a hidden dystopian world.
Resources:
Clare Mann website: https://veganpsychologist.com/...
2024-07-0448 min
Vegan PosseSelf-Love Series Episode 4: EXERCISE Self-Love with Kylea RorabaughWelcome to Episode 4 of the Vegan Posse Self-Love Series!
In today’s episode, you’ll get to hear from one of the very earliest Vegan Posse guests, therapist Kylea Rorabaugh, of Kansas City, Missouri. Fun fact: it was that conversation with Kylea in 2022 that inspired me to go back to school for a master's in counseling. Based in Kansas City, Kylea has decades of experience helping people shift dysfunctional beliefs and learn to love their lives and themselves.
Resources:
Email
Kylea: kylearorabaugh@gmail.com
Blog: www.healthyonpurpose.org
Marrying Myse...
2024-07-0346 min
Vegan PosseSelf-Love Series Episode 2: Radical Honesty and Self-Love with Dr. Jen HowkWelcome to Episode 2 of the Vegan Posse Self-Love Series, a special series of episodes dedicated to expanding our tenderness, affection, curiosity, and sheer delight in one VERY important animal: ourselves.
In today’s episode, you’ll be hearing from Dr. Jen Howk. Dr. Jen Howk is an author, researcher, and interdisciplinary social scientist. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington and a master’s and Ph.D. from Harvard University. Her work explores themes of health and well-being, and she is particularly interested in how a radical truth practice can help unravel longstanding patterns of self-sab...
2024-07-0151 min
Vegan PosseVP Self-Love Series! Episode 1: Intro to Self-Love with Chrissy BensonWelcome to Episode 1 of the Vegan Posse Self-Love Series, a special series of episodes dedicated to expanding our tenderness, affection, curiosity, and sheer delight in one VERY important animal: ourselves. There will be eight episodes in total, released daily, featuring interviews with psychologists, spiritual leaders, therapists, and self-help gurus.
What is self-love? How do we get it? And how do we grow it? And why should you take the leap of love with YOU? Find out all this and more in this introductory episode with Vegan Posse host Chrissy Benson, author of novel Marrying Myself.
Resources:
Website...
2024-06-3042 min
Vegan PosseVP#84: Getting Personal with a Warrior for Animals! At 75(!), PETA Founder Ingrid Newkirk Is Fiercer, More Determined, and More Human than Ever.In this landmark episode, PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk joins the Vegan Posse for a rarely intimate conversation, shortly after celebrating her 75th birthday!
No discussion of the animal rights movement is complete without a mention of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Notorious for its undercover journalism, graphic videos documenting animal abuse, and willingness to disrupt commonly-held human attitudes and beliefs regarding non-human animals, PETA is loved by many and not so loved by many others - and no one bears the brunt of the pushback more than founder Ingrid Newkirk.
A true warrior...
2024-06-2837 min
Vegan PosseVP#83: Rev. Shad Groverland Is Speaking Out for Compassion, Integrity, and Truth - and Not Everyone Can Handle It!How much truth can you handle? Reverend Shad Goverland, brother of television producer and The Highwire host Del Bigtree, was born and raised in the Unity Church, a religion founded in the 1900s by a husband and wife who were pioneers in the vegan movement. At the age of 12, after hearing his father, a Unity minister, give a sermon about oneness with all creatures, Shad became a committed vegetarian. Decades later, his wife, Erinna, introduced him to veganism, and from then on he's been not just preaching the vegan message but living it. He went on to become President...
2024-06-211h 15
Vegan PosseVP#82: "The animals are our best vegan-makers." Catskill Animal Sanctuary Founder Kathy Stevens on the Education Approach, Animals as Teachers, & Falling in Love with a PigMany of us vegans fantasize about opening an animal sanctuary, but how many of us ever actually do it? Kathy Stevens is one who did - making it a priority to incorporate a piece missing from other rescue operations: education. Hear from the "horse's mouth" the ups, the downs, the wins, the losses, the human relationship trials, and the inter-species bonds from a true teacher and pioneer - and what you can do to help.
Resources:
Catskill Animal Sanctuary website: https://casanctuary.org/
Donate to CAS: https://casanctuary.org/support-us-2/donate-2/
...
2024-06-141h 09
Vegan PosseVP#81: Cancer Conqueror and Hempcetera Owner Bobbi Hemmen Has Grit, Heart, and a Way with Hemp!Tennesseeans are known for their grit, and Bobbi Jo Hemmen is a living example of true vegan grit! Bobbi is a Nashville native who lives in Whites Creek, in the house my dad grew up in. After losing her job during the COVID years, she statted her own CBD baked goods business, Hempcetera. She went vegan in 2022, when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She refused chemotherapy and instead changed her lifestyle, and she's now as healthy as she's ever been -not to mention, cancer-free! At the age of 48, she is living her best life with her three dogs a...
2024-06-071h 09
Vegan PosseVP#80: Tennessee Series! Plantrician Project Co-Founder Dr. Scott Stoll on What "Falling Apart" Really Means, Grassroots Healthcare that HELPS, and the Power of Potluck!Welcome to the fourth and final week of the Vegan Posse Tennessee Series! How many doctors do you know who take it upon themselves to organize plant-based potluck dinners to help weave veganism into the fabric of community life? I know of exactly one, and his name is Dr. Scott Stoll.
Dr. Scott Stoll is board-certified physician specializing in sports and regenerative musculoskeletal medicine and is a recognized as an international leader in lifestyle medicine and whole food plant-based nutrition. He is the co-founder of the Plantrician Project, the International Plant Based Nutrition Healthcare Conference, the International...
2024-05-311h 10
Vegan PosseVP#67: Congruence over Convenience: Jazz Singer, Reiki Master, & Feline Entrepreneur Risa Branch on Going Vegan in TX, the Myth of Vegan Non-Diversity, Tough Truths about Finding a Vegan Mate, & More!Risa Branch is a jazz and blues singer, Reiki Master, and professional cat-sitter based in New York City. She’s also a dedicated, longtime vegan, having adopted the lifestyle as a teenager, and she’s been advocating for animals and veganism for all of her adult life. Risa has recorded two albums, and she’s been featured in a variety of media as a vegan music artist.
Resources:
Website: http://RisaBranch.com
Facebook: http://Facebook.com/RisaBranch
Instagram:http://Instagram.com/RisaBranch
Risa Branch animal rights song “Strange Fruit”: https://risa.ba...
2024-03-011h 19
Vegan PosseVP#60: Return of the Howk! Dr. Jen Howk Checks in about Relationships, Her New Podcast "The Face of the Deep," & Evolving beyond Evolutionary Pscychology?For many of us, 2023 was messy, gritty, and all too real -and boy, does Dr. Jen Howk get real about her own challenges and "growth opportunities" over this past year. Never one to rest on her laurels, Jen continues to push new limits. In this, her epic encore appearance on the Posse, Jen lays it all out on the table, including her tumultuous 2023; her new podcast, The Face of the Deep; her fraught relationship history, complicated by that pesky "ethical veganism" of hers; and her ever-evolving relationship with evolutionary psychology.
More about Jen...
Jan Howk...
2024-01-151h 17
Vegan PosseSpecial Holiday Episode: VP Host Chrissy Benson's Seven LUCKY Vegan Holiday Tips!The holidays can be tricky for us vegans! In this special holiday episode, I share my top seven LUCKY Tips for navigating the holidays with ease, grace, and plain old vegan fun.
Resources:
Gingerbread cake - FYI I find it easiest to order gingerbread spice online since grocery stores may not have it, or you can make your own: https://thevegan8.com/vegan-gingerbread-cake/
Pumpkin cornbread (FYI, I tweaked slightly and use 1 cup pumpkin puree and 1/2 cup maple syrup): https://www.veggieinspired.com/pumpkin-maple-cornbread/
What the Health documentary: https://www.whatthehealthfilm.com/
2023-12-2009 min
Vegan PosseVP#56: Take Our Hands Off Their Necks! Lee Hall on the Animal Liberationist Mindset, Liberationist Love, and Experiencing Life as a Primate on the PlanetLee Hall has been vegan for almost 40 years! Lee worked for many years as a legal officer, a board member for several nonprofits, and an adjunct animal law and environmental law professor at Rutgers Law School and Widener-Delaware Law School. Lee even wrote the entry for the Encyclopedia for the UN Sustainable Development Goals titled "Nonhuman Rights and Human Sustainability." A frequent presenter at Vegan Summerfest, Lee is the author of On Their Own Terms: Animal Liberation for the 21st Century. Check out Lee's studio for the Art of Animal LIberation at patreon.com/leehall.
Resources:
2023-12-151h 14
Vegan PosseVP#52 - VP ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY: Vegan Mother-Daughter Duo Zina Znayenko & Tatiana Znayenko-Miller Are Making Medical Miracles Happen!The Vegan Posse welcomes its first mother-daughter duo! Zina Znayenko and her daughter Tatiana Znayenko-Miller are both long-time vegans and living examples of the power of plant-based eating. In this super special episode, they discuss their overlapping vegan journeys, whcih include their own respective real-life "medical miracles!"
First-generation Ukrainian-American Zina was a fat vegan, yo-yo dieter, and binge-eater for most of her adult life. She's discovered veganism after reading the book Diet For A New America by John Robbins. While it changed her life and her worldview, it did not change her waistline. She gained and lost...
2023-11-171h 26
Vegan PosseVegan Posse Host Chrissy Benson Tells All on Chef AJ Live!In this special interview on Chef AJ Live, Vegan Posse host Chrissy Benson tells all! You'll hear all about my CRAZY food history, my decade-plus in the "medical mill," and my journey to health, veganism, personal autonomy, and - of course - self-love, as epitomized in my vegan anti-romance romance novel Marrying Myself.
2023-09-021h 14
Vegan PosseVP#39: Healing Vystopia with Vegan Existential Psychologist Dr. Clare Mann (& Side Story of Chrissy's Surreptitious Activism in Grand Central Station)Why do vegans hurt so much? And why do so many vegans cease their questioning after they reject our horrific animal-based food system? Freedom-loving vegan existential psychologist Dr. Clare Mann ponders these and other big questions in this, an episode for the ages!
Dr. Mann has termed the mental and emotional burden that we vegans carry "Vystopia." She discusses how we can use our Vystopia to gain greater self-understanding, greater emotional awareness, and an expanded capacity for love. In addition - keep this on the DL - you'll hear ME spontaneously disclosing an act of nonviolent activism...
2023-08-181h 23
Vegan PosseVP#36: From Cancer Patient to Helper, Healer, and Educator - Hollistic Nutritionist/Cancer Practitioner Hanna Rakowska on Advocating for Herself, the Animals, the Plenet, and Her Fellow HumansDiagnosed with cancer at the age of only 19, Hanna Rakowska questioned the treatment path down which her traditional doctors were trying to send her and ultimately decided to take her healing into her own hands. What ensued was a never-ending journey of discovery into the healing power of food, lifestyle, and holistic remedies. Hanna went on to become a Registered Holistic Nutritionist and Certified Holistic Cancer Practitioner. Now, almost two decades later, Hanna empowers other cancer patients like her with evidence-based information that will allow them to effectively navigate their own path to wellness. She currently maintains her private...
2023-07-281h 24
Vegan PosseVP#35: Sexy Fit Vegan Ella Magers on Conscious Choices, Taking Charge of Her Own Happiness, Getting Better at Feeling, and Remembering to Ask, "What Would Bob Do?"From working as an exotic dancer to support herself during college to empowering women to become their best selves, inside and out, Ella Magers, a.k.a. Sexy Fit Vegan, has experienced great darkness, great healing, and, at last, great light. In this intimate interview, Ella shares about going vegan at an early age, her journey toward spiritual transformation and self-love, and, most of all, her beloved (late) cat companion, Bob.
Full Bio:
Ella Magers, MSW, is a leading voice for revolutionary transformation in the wellness industry. Ella connects people with the information, tools, support...
2023-07-211h 15
Vegan PosseVP#34: The Healthy Heart (& Sexy!) Doc at 64! Dr. Joel Kahn Is Spreading the Radical Word about Truly Heart-Healthy Nutrition, Lifestyle, and Even ... Kindness.Prevention may not be sexy, but the folks practicing it often are! That category most certainly includes PETA-designated "Sexiest Vegan Over 50" Dr. Joel Kahn, one of the few cardiologists helping people head off heart issues before they blindside them years down the road. Dr. Kahn talks about his leap into plant-based eating during his first year of college, his incorporation of nutrition and lifestyle education into his Detroit medical practice, and the wild ride that began in 2020 when he started hearing fellow cardiologist Peter McCullough, whom he'd worked with for years and even helped train, maligned for raising questions...
2023-07-1454 min
Vegan PosseVP#33: From Self-Hate to Self-Compassion and Self-Love: A Plant-Based Journey of Self-Discovery with Vegan Empowerment Coach Mariquita SolisMariquita Solis is a Vegan Empowerment Coach and visionary behind the Empowered Vegans Livestream Show. As a transformational coach, Mariquita specializes in empowering individuals through personalized one-on-one and group coaching programs. Her expertise lies in guiding people from anger, depression, and frustration toward inner peace, personal power, and effective activism. Her leadership, mentorship, and commitment to helping others on teh vegan path have made Mariquita ia trusted authority in the vegan coaching realm, dedicated to creating positive change in the world.
Resources:
Facebook Group: Empowered Vegans: Voices of Strength for our Mother Earth https://www.f...
2023-07-071h 06
Vegan PosseVP#32: Putting the "V" in Visibility! Vegan Visibility Founder Kathleen Gage on Bringing Vegan Businesses out of the Shadows into the Limelight to Help Humans and Non-Humans AlikeIn today's saturated (and saturated FAT) market, how does any business venture get noticed, let alone one that's cruelty-free? Like the shadowy world of animal ag, plant-based businesses can go unseen by the mainstream - and that's where marketing expert and entrepreneur Kathleen Gage comes in. A business consultant, author, and speaker for over three decades, and a vegan for over five years, Kathleen has written over a dozen books, hosts two popular podcasts, Vegan Visibility and Plant-Based Eating for Health, and is a highly accomplished content creator. Kathleen is also the founder of Vegan Visibility, a visibility consulting...
2023-06-301h 07
Vegan PosseVP#31: Globe-hopping plant-based podcast pro Steven Shalowitz, host of The One Way Ticket Show!An adventurer in both body and spirit, Steven Shalowitz has been to over 70 countries - and counting! Steven was considering giving up eating meat while living in Singapore, but an interview with now-deceased celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain convinced him that if he did, he'd be missing out on key cultural experiences. (Heard that one before, anyone?) Nevertheless, over the years, Steven found himself eating less and less meat, and, in 2020, a conversation with Main Street Vegan author Victoria Moran finally prompted him to "rethink his breakfast" and go fully vegan. Since then, there's been no looking back!
...
2023-06-231h 05
Vegan PosseVP#30: Radiant, Empowered, and Simply Sweet! Plant-Based Positivity Powerhouse Amanda Sick Is Living Proof that Beauty - and Health - Are More than Skin-DeepWhat started out as an attempt to heal her severe acne became a lifelong passion for health and wellness for Oregon-based foodie/recipe creator/activist Amanda Sick, author of recipe e-book Simply Sweet. Now a vegan for over five years, Amanda uses her background in advertising, communications, and graphic design to encourage others to make changes toward a healthier lifestyle. Her recipe e-book Simply Sweet is full of healthy treats made from whole-food plant-based ingredients. Through her online platforms, Amanda shows people just how fun, healthy, and DELICIOUS being vegan can be.
Show Notes:
Website: h...
2023-06-1659 min
Vegan PosseVP#29: Just Living! Full-Time Vegan Activist John Oberg on His Personal Vegan Journey & "Harnessing" the Power of Non-Sentient Social Media to Make the World Better for All AnimalsThese days, humans can generally be found glued to their screens - and longtime animal advocate John Oberg is taking advantage of our virtually-focused reality by shifting his vegan activism exclusively to the massive public square that is social media. Through his strategic use of social media platforms, content posted to pages he has managed has been seen over 1 billion times. Originally from Detroit, Michigan, John now lives in Richmond, Virginia, and regularly works with groups and individuals from around the globe. In his free time, he likes powerlifting, playing soccer, and traveling.
Where to support John...
2023-06-0858 min
Vegan PosseVP#28: A super sweet diabetes researcher? "Glycemic index" creator Dr. David Jenkins discusses the BIG picture of health - and the Christmas hamper that launched his veg journey.Ever wonder where the concept of the glycemic index came from? This guy! Dr. David Jenkins is a professor in both the Departments of Medicine and Nutritional Sciences at the University of Toronto, a staff physician in the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, and the Director of the Clinical Nutrition and Risk Factor Modification Center, St. Michael’s Hospital. Dr. Jenkins has served on committees in Canada and the United States that have formulated nutritional guidelines for the treatment of diabetes and recommendations for fiber and macronutrient intake for the general population under the new joint United States-Canada Dietary Re...
2023-06-021h 11
Vegan PosseVP#27: The oft-invisible history of a movement that didn't even have a name! Journalist Avery Yale Kamila on Maine's scrubbed veg history, women, farm girl life, and being served a friend for dinnerWhere are all the vegetarians in our history books - especially the vegetarian women? Part of the problem in tracing our plant-based past is that the word "vegetarian" wasn't even used in the United States until around 1850. And no one was writing about women, like vegetarian pioneer Ellen G. White!
But in early 2020, journalist Avery Yale Kamila, long-running author of the Vegan Kitchen column in the Maine Sunday Telegram newspaper, discovered a clue from 1838 which unearthed 300 years of buried vegetarian history in Maine, all of which is excluded from Maine’s history books. She went on to cr...
2023-05-261h 11
Vegan PosseVP#26: Maxime-izing Fitness! Maxime Sigouin, founder of Fit Vegan Coaching, is on a mission to transform 1M people's health, make up for untold animal suffering, and help Mom get six-pack abs!When I heard that FIt Vegan Coaching founder Maxime Sigouin helped his 58-year-old mom get - and maintain - six-pack abs, I had to hear more! In this deeply personal interview, Maxime talks not only about his unique approach to body transformation but also about growing up on a family farm raising (and killing) chickens, geese, pigs, rabbits, horses, and bulls, his herculean efforts to raise money for his then-partner's cancer treatments, his rise from debt and destitution to building Fit Vegan Coaching into the 7-figure business it is today, and his determination to make up for all of...
2023-05-191h 11
Vegan PosseVP#25: From Booming to Blooming! Indefatigable Angela Fischetti of Boomer and Beyond Wellness Brings Movement and Healing to Our Forgotten Seniors - and Herself"I believe animals are our saviors."
Brooklyn-born Angela Fischetti is no stranger to tough times - but some steadfast animal companions saw her through some of the worst moments. She began teaching seniors while in her 30s, when she herself was just embarking upon her own healing journey. Now, three decades later, Angela has emerged victorious from hard-won battles for her physical and psychological wellbeing, and she's transplanted herself from New York to South Florida, where she Now a physical fitness trainer, yoga instructor, and massage therapist in South Beach, Florida, Angela specializes in wellness for older...
2023-05-121h 31
Vegan PosseVP#24: Veganism Meets Freedom! Unapologetically Uncompliant Dr. Pam Popper on Disserting Anthony Fauci, Getting Folks out of the "Medical Mill," and the Values of Veganism - w/ Special Guest Winston"This whole idea of using medicine to take away people's rights, it's not new. Health has been used as the method for tyranny for a long, long time."
While completing her medical training in 1998, Dr. Pam Popper wrote her dissertation on one Anthony Fauci. When Fauci again reared his double-talking head in 2020, longtime health freedom advocate Dr. Popper knew that we were in for a wild ride - which has only just begun. She went on to launch the grassroots Make Americans Free Again movement and co-author the book COVID Operation: What Happened, Why It Happened, and...
2023-05-051h 19
Vegan PosseVP#23: (NO) More Cowbell? Walking the Nordic Walk with Writer, Dog Rescuer, Nordic Walking World-Record(s)-Holder, & Fellow MSVA Grad Karen Asp - Who Made Me Cry!"For the individual soul, it is very freeing to be vegan." Perhaps it was her gentle, soft-spoken way of conveying some of the awful realities faced by cows, dogs, and other non-human animals, but journalist Karen Asp holds the distinction of being the first Vegan Posse guest to make me tear up on air. In this Vegan Posse episode, Karen talks about her multifaceted writing career, her tips on anti-aging (or more accurately, aging BETTER), her world records(!) in Nordic walking, how she navigated going vegan within the context of a marriage that preexisted her plant-based, ahimsa-based lifestyle, and...
2023-04-281h 25
Vegan PosseVP#22: Certifiably Chic! A Design for Vegan Living with #1 Vegan Interior Designer Deborah DiMare - Cruelty-Free, Toxin-Free, Lap of Luxury, Living in Love <3Vegan design has come a long way, from hippie home decorating. Struck vegan after watching a PETA video about dog leather, luxury interior designer Deborah DiMare instantly made the vegan leap for both herself and her design business. Without even realizing it, her design company soon became the #1 "vegan design" search result on Google. Deborah went on to become a published author, TV personality, educational speaker, and global influencer for the vegan design movement. She's been featured on the Today Show, NBC, TLC, and in The Huffington Post, Ocean Drive, VegNews and PETA's blog. Originally from Bronx, New York...
2023-04-2152 min
Vegan PosseVP#21: Cruelty Is Not a Sport! A Wild Ride with Horseracing Wrongs Co-Founder Nicole Arciello - and NO Saddling Up!Are we really still doing this in the 21st century? Horseracing is a "sport" built on the backs of animals who are kept in isolation and confinement for 23 hours of every day, die by the thousands every year on the track, are illegally drugged and doped, and whose reward after retiring from a successful "career" is to be slaughtered and sold for their flesh for human (yes, human!) consumption outside the U.S. And not only that, your tax dollars are funding it!
Nicole Arciello, who's been vegan for over 14 years, has been active in the animal-rights...
2023-04-141h 30
Vegan PosseVP#20: "Sometimes we just have to do it scared." Lifetime Mystic, Entrepreneur, Two-Time Breast Cancer Survivor & THRIVER, Rawsome Creations Founder Brenda HintonWhat hasn't this self-described "lifetime mystic" done? In addition to founding company Rawsome Creations to help people streamline wholesome food prep, Brenda Hinton has worked as an animal communicator, bio resonance therapist, international tour guide, and travel agent. She's also a two-time breast cancer survivor and thriver - and she's doing everything she can to help others to harness the healing power of food. Now, at the age 66, having emerged successfully from the "World Adventure" of the past three years, Brenda Hinton is on the lookout for her next adventure. Don't blink, or you might miss her!
...
2023-04-061h 24
Vegan PosseVP#19: "Women really hold the key to everyone's health." From Waif, Wanderer & Wild Child to OBGYN to Lifestyle Medicine to Woke Coach - and Everywhere in Between! Meet Dr. Debra Shapiro"I always wanted to be a doctor." From an early age, parroting terms from her dermatologist father's medical journals, Dr. Debra Shapiro was clear on her vocational calling. But her mother's death from a brain tumor when she was just 14 threw her into an emotional tailspin, and she left high school, later obtaining her GED. She went on to college at age 16 but "didn't last." Finally, at age 21, she returned to college and subsequently went on to medical school - where she learned lots about the pathogenesis of disease and NOTHING about optimizing health through nutrition.
When...
2023-03-311h 29
Vegan PosseVP#18: Dealing with the consequences of the "best" medical care - and evolving as we speak! Michelle Cen, former NorCal techie, now artist, globetrotter, vegan promoter, Kiwi-in-the-making?"It was drilled into me that it was bad for me to eat plants - by doctors!" says Michelle Cen of the eating disorder treatment she underwent for severe anorexia at age 17. "I learned what it was like not to have rights. And it essentially taught me what not to eat."
One of the Big Five Personality traits is openness to new experiences, and Michelle possibly broke that test! A Stanford University graduate, she's done everything from learning to grow organic food on a farm in Hawaii to now living and making art in New Zealand. She...
2023-03-231h 11
Vegan PosseVP#17: From Walden Pond to World Peace - A Wild Ride Inside the Head of Revolutionary Thinker Dr. Will Tuttle, Author of "The World Peace Diet" (my personal vegan bible)"It's always an empty boat. There's nothing personal, ever." Of course we all want world peace - so how the heck did we end up with a food system that's premised on violence against non-human animals? Dr. Will Tuttle explores these and related issues in his epic book The World Peace Diet, which I consider my personal vegan bible. In this revelatory interview, this former Zen monk gives us his inside scoop on intuitive understanding, the world of academia, and the fascinating personal history that led him to become a full-time advocate for non-human animals. Don't miss this wildest...
2023-03-171h 33
Vegan PosseVP#16: "Why isn't he home with his mom?" Questions, questions, questions from DIY vegan & animal activist 12-year-old Emma Brozik of Nashville, TN - who calls out sketchy VegFest event!She's young, she's motivated, and she's been asking questions her whole life, leading her to being vegetarian from her earliest childhood days to taking the vegan leap at the tender age of eight! Now 12-year-old Emma Brozik of Nashville, Tennessee, talks about how she successfully went and stayed vegan, her tips for carrying the vegan message without making people cry, and her dreams of creating the next amazing mock meat - and she pulls no punches in calling out Nashville VegFest for exploiting an injured calf by using him as a "tourist attraction."
Resources mentioned:
E...
2023-03-0938 min
Vegan PosseVP#15: Some Vegan Chick! Kelly of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, on Her Journey from Health Vegan to Animal Activist, Manual Laborer to IT Professional, and Everywhere in BetweenWhen in her forties, Kelly of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, went vegan for health reasons - and after she did, her heart woke up! Suddenly she was living vegan not for herself but for the animals. Along the way, she embarked on a whole new career, going from driving a forklift for a living to becoming a web developer and IT professional. And she also learned to cook - on the cheap! Now, at 55, Kelly is crushing it at the gym - and has learned that it truly never is too late to transform your life.
Resources mentioned:
2023-03-0358 min
Vegan PosseVP#14: Vegan Remembering - The Journey Home with Tami Hay of Alberta, CanadaWhile many these days seem to have lost their way, to Tami Hay of Alberta, Canada, the vegan journey is all about remembering the love that is our essence. Does this LOVE approach work in the real world? It did for Tami! She healed herself of life-threatening Crohn's disease and colitis by adopting a raw food vegan diet - and by cleansing her spirit and soul. She went on to obtain her master's degree in live food nutrition through the Tree of Life Foundation under the tutelage of renowned physician Gabriel Cousens, M.D. Now a grandmother, Tami is...
2023-02-241h 05
Vegan PosseVP#13: Not Your Everyday Vegan! DJ of Memphis, TN, Tells All about Compassion, Living the Fast(ing) Life, & Currying Vegan Favor & FLAVOR to Carry the Vegan MessageVegan for six years and counting, DJ, born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee, is a veteran of more water fasting than you probably want to think about. He's also learned to curry vegan favor - and FLAVOR - by showing up at family events with dishes irresistible even to his flesh-loving traditional southern family and friends! You won't want to miss hearing about DJ's never-ending journey to better health, weight loss, and increased compassion for his own body, non-human animals, and, most of all, his fellow humans. Needless to say, he's not your everyday vegan!
Resources mentioned:
2023-02-1752 min
Vegan PosseVP#12: How Eating Three Vegan Meals a Day Helped Fine Artist/Graphic Designer Lauren Markham Go from Hating Her Body to Loving Her WHOLE SelfFor over a decade, Nashville artist Lauren Markham struggled with a seemingly intractable eating disorder marked by periods of anorexia and binge eating and an overall feeling of disgust with her body. In 2019, sick of the cycle, Lauren decided to take her relationship with food into her own hands by eating three vegan meals a day, regardless of how full, fat, or disgusting she felt – and it worked. In this very personal episode, Lauren talks honestly about how she finally got a handle on her eating disorder and also about her culinary successes, big fails, and how going vegan re...
2023-02-101h 25
Vegan PosseVP#11: Evolutionary Psychology Coach/PoliSci Guru Dr. Jen Howk Gets Personal!Evolutionary psychology coach and political scientist Dr. Jen Howk is known for her incisive political commentary and sometimes brutal tell-it-like-it-is "cavewoman" approach to human relationships. In this episode, though, we get to hear about Jen, the vegan, the woman, the PERSON. Find out the inner mental and emotional workings of one of the most significant voices of our time - whom we're pumped to have in our Posse!
Resources mentioned:
Dr. Jen Howk website: https://www.jenhowk.com/
Esteem Dynamics with Dr. Jen Howk and Dr. Doug Lisle: https://esteemdynamics.com/
...
2023-02-031h 28
Vegan PosseVP#10: Her Own Woman! Surprisingly Savvy New(ish) Vegan Jenna Carlson"I came to it on my own. I had no support. I didn't know what I was doing." And yet, somehow, a year and eight months into her vegan journey, 30-year-old Wisconsin native Jenna Carlson - now of Nashville, Tennessee - is somehow not only making it work, but making it FUN. Even longtime herbivores will pick up some life lessons from this surprisingly savvy young vegan - and you won't want to miss the big reveal at the very end of our interview. She's her own woman, and she's REAL. She's Jenna!
Resources mentioned:
...
2023-01-2754 min
Vegan PosseVP#9: Sexy, remarkable & CHARMED - Victoria Moran shares all!A true vegan celebrity, Victoria Moran has hobnobbed with real-world celebrities like Oprah and filmmaker Michael Moore. She is the author of 13 books (and counting), founder of Main Street Vegan Academy, a sought-after speaker, host of the Victoria Moran Podcast: Meetings with Remarkable Women - and she was named PETA's Sexiest Vegan Over 50. In this intimate interview, she shares about overcoming compulsive overeating, her love for Ayurveda, and the tragic personal events surrounding some of her most successful books. Don’t miss her upcoming virtual workshop Acing Age with Ayurveda in February 2023!
Links, Resources, and Special Discounts:...
2023-01-201h 12
Vegan PosseVP#8: Never Too Late! Vegan Living, Vegan Dying, and the Dharma with Patti Breitman, Author and Founder of Dharma Voices for the AnimalsTired of all the vegan marketing toward young people? Patti Breitman is an author, former literary agent, and founder of Dharma Voices for the Animals. Patti's books, including "Never Too Late to Go Vegan - The Vegan Guide to Going Vegan After Fifty," teach people that there are advantages to going vegan at ANY age. Find out more here!
Resources mentioned:
Dharma Voices for the Animals: https://www.dharmavoicesforanimals.org/
Film - Animals and the Buddha; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0MWAAykFuc
Diet for a New American by John...
2023-01-131h 13
Vegan PosseVP#7: From childhood vegetarian to pre-teen omnivore to full-on vegan neonatologist - meet Dr. Nehal Parikh!What was it like growing up vegetarian and then teaching himself to "enjoy" meat in order to fit in in the U.S.? And what exactly IS "evidence-based" medicine? Dr. Nehal Parikh talks about all this and lots more, including how he rediscovered his spirituality, became a neonatal specialist, and incorporates evidence-based science into his practice to best serve his patients and their families: "My soul feels whole."
Resources:
Nehal Parikh, DO, MS: https://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/bio/p/nehal-parikh
Disease-Proof Your Child by Dr. Joel Fuhrman: https://www.amazon.com/Disease-Proof-Your-Child-Feeding-Right/dp/0312338082
2023-01-061h 25
Vegan PosseVP#6: Get the inside scoop on CRAZY with vegan therapist Kylea Rorabaugh!We vegans are occasionally called CRAZY - but fortunately we've got some amazing therapists on our team! Vegan therapist Kylea Rorabaugh of Kansas City gives us the inside scoop on the connection between diet and mental health, helping clients go off meds, and raising two teenage boys as vegans - or not! Fun fact: this conversation with Kylea inspired me to go back to school for a master's in counseling.
To get in touch with Kylea:
Email: kylearorabaugh@gmail.com
Website: www.healthyonpurpose.org
2022-12-301h 24
Vegan PosseVP#5: The Unexpected Power of Eating WFPB with 100%(!!!) Compliant Carla SokolA self-described "maniac" who never wants to grow up, whole-food-plant-based Carla Sokol of Ohio has TONS of tips and tricks for eating out, including working with restaurants to plan a delish WFPB meal for a large group every month. Carla shares how she cured her own high cholesterol and confides her sadness at not knowing what she now knows about nutrition when her mother was sick with cancer.
2022-12-231h 16
Vegan PosseVP#4: Voluntary Simplicity, Vegan Imperfection, and Farming's Dirty Little Secrets with Canadian Organic Farmer Graham SparrowWhat's it like to work with the earth, sustain a viable organic farm, and bring wholesome, delicious produce to people's plates? Well, it ain't easy, and Graham Sparrow tells all: the impossibility of living up to the vegan ideal, the rewards of voluntary simplicity, and the empowerment that comes from growing our own food. Graham also discloses some of the dirty little secrets of non-veganic farming, like the use of blood meal, bone meal, and fish liquid to enrich the soil. Honestly, it's gross, and I appreciated Graham's honesty regarding the day-to-day realities of making a living farming the...
2022-12-161h 04
Vegan PosseVP#3: Revolutionary Self-Care - Finding Your Inner Doctor with Vegan Acupuncturist Lisa K.Y. WongVegan acupuncturist Lisa K.Y. Wong, L.Ac., is a champion for the voiceless who also climbs mountains, both geographic and personal. Lisa talks about her experience climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, helping people awaken their "Inner Doctor," and what she learned about forgiveness and unconditional love following the tragic death of her beloved fiancé from a heart attack.
You can find out more about Lisa and her work here:
www.CenterForHealingByDesign.org
www.Linkedlin.com/lisakywong
www.Facebook.com/lisakywong
Article: My Journey to Becoming Vegan
Article: Champion f...
2022-12-091h 30
Vegan PosseVP#2: A Real-Life Potter of the Non-Harry Variety! Meet Plant-Eating, Pot-Throwing Mary Lou Egger of MemphisHave you ever met a real-life potter - and not of the Harry variety? Things get curiouser and curiouser as plant-powered potter Mary Lou Egger of Memphis discusses carrying the vegan message by being who she is, healing her body through food, the fun of creative cooking, all kinds of lovable critters, whether vegans are weird (spoiler - maybe just a little), and the overall amazingness of the universe.
Resources mentioned:
Diet for a Small Planet: https://www.smallplanet.org/diet-for-a-small-planet
The Moosewood Cookbook: https://shop.moosewoodrestaurant.com/collections/cookbooks
The...
2022-12-021h 24
Vegan PosseVP#1: Muscles on Plants! A Vegan Approach to Fitness with Personal Trainer Nik Daniel of Purely Driven FitnessPlant-powered personal trainer Nik Daniel has been vegan for over 20 years. Nik is the owner/operator of fitness coaching business Purely Driven Fitness. Nik talks about what he loves about personal training, how he took his health into hands to overcome his own personal health crisis, and his pig companion, Abby - all in his super cool Aussie accent!
Interested in learning more about training with Nik? You can find him here:
www.purelydrivenfitness.com
instagram www.instagram.com/purelydrivenfitness
Some of other resources mention during my interview with Nik Daniel
2022-11-251h 15
Vegan PosseVP#0: My Vegan Story by VP host Chrissy Benson - and How the Vegan Posse Came to Be!In this introductory episode, I share the nitty gritty of my own sometimes circuitous, down-and-dirty vegan journey from New York to Nashville and everywhere in between, and how the Vegan Posse came to be. This is the real deal - nothing less than radical honesty for the Posse!
2022-11-1827 min
Main Street VeganChickens Count, With Karen Davis and Chrissy BensonChickens count, with Karen Davis, Ph.D, of United Poultry Concerns, and cohost Chrissy Benson, JD, VLCE.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2014-05-0858 min