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It’s one thing to go vegan. It’s another thing to go plant-based. But optimizing a plant-based diet for health, longevity and athletic prowess is another thing altogether. So today we dive deep into the finer specifics of fueling for peak well-being and performance.
To help set us up for nutritional success, we reconvene with Simon Hill.
Whereas our first conversation (RRP 638) was quite broad in scope, today’s nutrition science-intensive presents a more focused discussion on the tactics and practical details of optimizing a plant-predominant diet to conquer your athletic ambitions, live long and thrive.
For those new to Simon, he plies his master’s degree in nutrition to help people make better diet and lifestyle choices. Outlets for said counsel include his popular Instagram feed (@plant_proof), the Plant Proof Podcast and blog of the same name. Simon is also the plant-based food contributor to Chris Hemsworth’s fitness app, Centr as well as the proprietor of Eden, hands down the best plant-based restaurant in Sydney, Australia.
The culmination of Simon’s obsession with nutritional science is The Proof Is In The Plants, the ultimate evidence-based primer on the positive impact of a plant-based diet on human and planetary health—and an essential must-read for any and all interested in grounded nutrition science.
If you enjoyed our initial exchange, you’re in for a treat because this one is even better—packed with actionable takeaways certain to upgrade every facet of your well-being.
“It’s not the carbohydrates making people sick, it’s the foods those carbohydrates are coming in. More black beans, less jelly beans.”
– SIMON HILL
Today we pick up where we last left off, digging deeper into the latest and best nutrition science to deliver specific and practical advice on a variety of typical concerns while simultaneously course correcting common diet misunderstandings.
We discuss the difference between caloric density versus nutritional density and turn our attention upon responsible supplementation, going deep on the role of specific nutrients, including iodine, calcium, iron, selenium, zinc, nitrates, lectins, and more.
Of course, no discussion on plant-based nutrition would be complete without a discourse on protein. Today we evaluate its importance, how to meet our needs on plants, and the various hotly debated distinctions between animal and plant protein.
Finally, we discuss what the latest scientific research indicates concerning the health implications of plant-based meat products, the best ways to transition to a more plant-forward diet, and specific fueling and supplementation strategies for building strength and athletic performance, among many other interesting topics.
The visually inclined can watch it all go down on YouTube. And as always, the podcast streams wild and free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
I find Simon to be a highly credible authority with a very grounded and balanced perspective on a subject I think we would all agree can be at times quite emotionally charged. I appreciate the rigor he brings to this field, and this one is chock-a-block with important information and very actionable takeaways for anyone looking to level up their plate.
Final Note: As a compendium to this conversation, Simon created an impressively thorough and visually stunning document detailing all scientific references for both this episode and RRP 638, as well as a litany of topical infographics, a comprehensive list of supplements and products referenced in this discussion, and many other helpful, additional resources. I strongly encourage you to download this free document HERE.
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Introducing Free Association Run—my collection of sustainable, vegan men's running gear crafted from recycled materials in collaboration with Ten Thousand.
- Connect with Simon: Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
- Nutrition References: Resources for Episodes #638 & #664
- Podcast: Plant Proof
- Book: The Proof Is in the Plants: How Science Shows a Plant-Based Diet Could Save Your Life (and the Planet)
- Men’s Health: This Australian Fitness Junkie Is Totally Ripped — and 100% Vegan
- Men’s Health: Simon Hill on Why You Should Consider Moving to a Plant-Based Diet
- Men’s Health: How Do I Find Protein On a Plant-Based Diet?
- Plant Based News: Nutritionist Simon Hill Releases Book On How A Plant-Based Diet ‘Could Save Your Life’
- Plant Based News: Is Documentary ‘Kiss The Ground’ Just A Last Ditch Effort To Keep Meat Relevant?
- Centr: Simon Hill on why going vegan doesn’t have to mean eating fake meat
- Antagonist: Nutritionist Simon Hill says the Key to Eating Healthy is in Plants
- Goodness Me: My Day On A Plate: Plant Proof – Vegan Nutritionist Simon Hill
- Daily Mail: Is this Australia’s hottest vegan? The millionaire entrepreneur who sculpted his abs with nothing but plants – and it’s easier than you think
- Documentary: Rewilding a Mountain
- Bloomberg Law: ‘Impossible’ Foods Mark Dispute Tossed On Jurisdictional Grounds
- Eat This, Not That: This Ingredient In Impossible Meat May Not Be Safe, Lawsuit Alleges
- Rush: Diet May Help Prevent Alzheimer’s
- The American Journal Of Clinical Nutrition: A randomized crossover trial on the effect of plant-based compared with animal-based meat on trimethylamine-N-oxide and cardiovascular disease risk factors in generally healthy adults
- American Journal Of Hypertension: Antibacterial Mouthwash Blunts Oral Nitrate Reduction and Increases Blood Pressure in Treated Hypertensive Men and Women
- Scientific Reports: Effects of Chlorhexidine mouthwash on the oral microbiome
- PubMed: Brain creatine depletion in vegetarians? A cross-sectional ¹H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H-MRS) study
- NIH: Creatine Supplementation and Brain Health
- PubMed: The influence of creatine supplementation on the cognitive functioning of vegetarians and omnivores
- BMC: Pea proteins oral supplementation promotes muscle thickness gains during resistance training: a double-blind, randomized, Placebo-controlled clinical trial vs. Whey protein
- MDPI: The Effects of Whey vs. Pea Protein on Physical Adaptations Following 8-Weeks of High-Intensity Functional Training
- NIH: Effects of daily 24-gram doses of rice or whey protein on resistance training adaptations in trained males
- NIH: High-Protein Plant-Based Diet Versus a Protein-Matched Omnivorous Diet to Support Resistance Training Adaptations: A Comparison Between Habitual Vegans and Omnivores
- NIH: A polyphenol-rich dietary pattern improves intestinal permeability, evaluated as serum zonulin levels, in older subjects: The MaPLE randomised controlled trial
- British Journal Of Sports Medicine: IOC consensus statement: dietary supplements and the high-performance athlete
- NIH: Long-term coffee consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease: a systematic review and a dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies
- Nature Communications: Caffeine blocks SREBP2-induced hepatic PCSK9 expression to enhance LDLR-mediated cholesterol clearance
- The Plant Proof Podcast: Is coffee healthy with Danny Lennon, Msc
- American Journal Of Hypertension: Antibacterial Mouthwash Blunts Oral Nitrate Reduction and Increases Blood Pressure in Treated Hypertensive Men and Women
- Scientific Reports: Effects of Chlorhexidine mouthwash on the oral microbiome
- Science Direct: Portfolio Dietary Pattern and Cardiovascular Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Controlled Trials
- NIH: The influence of creatine supplementation on the cognitive functioning of vegetarians and omnivores
- NIH: Dietary Nitrate and Physical Performance
- PubMed: Effect of a dietary portfolio of cholesterol-lowering foods given at 2 levels of intensity of dietary advice on serum lipids in hyperlipidemia: a randomized controlled trial
- JAMA Network: Effects of a Dietary Portfolio of Cholesterol-Lowering Foods vs Lovastatin on Serum Lipids and C-Reactive Protein
Recommended Supplements
- Lucky Vitamin: Red Mineral Algae Vegetarian Calcium – 180 Vegetable Capsule
- Amazon: Prescribed for Life Trace Minerals | AquaMin (F) Red Marine Algae Calcium & Mineral Complex
- Nature’s Answer: Marine Based Cal-Mag
- Green Nutritionals: Pure plant-source of CALCIUM
- Eagle Natural Health: Eagle Tresos Natal 90 Tablets
- Metagenics: Pregnancy Care Advanced 60 tablets
- MegaFood: Baby & Me 2 Prenatal Multi
- Nutrikynd: Essential 8
- Use code THEPROOF for 5% off
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Thank The Team: I do not do this alone. Send your love to Jason Camiolo for audio engineering, production, show notes and interstitial music; with additional audio engineering by Cale Curtis and additional music by Moby; Blake Curtis & Dan Drake for video, & editing; graphics by Jessica Miranda & Daniel Solis; portraits by Davy Greenberg & Grayson Wilder; the copywriting by Georgia Whaley; and theme music by Tyler Piatt, Trapper Piatt & Hari Mathis.
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