The Missing Link in Healing: Why Human Connection Matters

In this episode, I speak with Rachel Atcheson about changing food systems from within. Drawing on her work in New York City government, Rachel shares how plant-based meal programs in schools and hospitals made healthier choices more accessible while reducing costs and environmental impact. We discuss the power of changing default options, building unlikely partnerships, and taking patient, practical steps toward lasting policy change. Rachel also shares how Food Policy Pathways is preparing future leaders to advance a more regenerative food system.- - - - -About the Guest:Rachel Atcheson is the founder and Executive Director of Food Policy Pathways, an organization dedicated to cultivating the next generation of food and agriculture policy leaders. Previously, she served in several New York City government roles, including Deputy Director of the Mayor's Office of Food Policy, where she helped advance citywide nutrition initiatives and developed the country's first plant-based default meal program. Combining behavioral economics with nutrition science, Rachel has worked to make healthier, more sustainable food choices accessible through public policy and institutional change. Her work also brings together policymakers, business leaders, and innovators to advance solutions that connect human health, environmental sustainability, and food systems. Through Food Policy Pathways, she continues to mentor future leaders and build the partnerships needed to create a healthier, more regenerative food future.- - - - -Social Handles:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ratcheson/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xvxrachel/?hl=en- - - - -The Plantrician ProjectWebsite: https://plantricianproject.org/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plantricianproject/https://www.instagram.com/drscottstollofficial/Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/plantricianproject/- - - - -PODCASTThank you for listening.Please subscribe and share.This podcast is produced by DrTalks.comhttps://drtalks.com/channel-growth/

In this episode, I sit down with gastroenterologist Dr. Will Bulsiewicz to discuss why gut health involves more than food and fiber. We examine how stress, trauma, and the body's survival response can influence digestion, inflammation, and the gut microbiome. Will shares lessons from his mentor, Dr. Douglas Drossman, a remarkable patient experience, and his personal journey of reconnecting with his father. Together, we explore how emotional safety, compassion, meaningful relationships, and finding purpose can support healing.- - - - -About the Guest:Dr. Will Bulsiewicz, MD, also known as Dr. B, is a double board-certified gastroenterologist, gut health expert, and New York Times bestselling author of Fiber Fueled and The Fiber Fueled Cookbook. With over two decades of clinical experience, he combines microbiome science, nutrition, and lifestyle medicine to promote whole-person health. A graduate of Georgetown University School of Medicine, he completed his residency at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and gastroenterology fellowship at UNC Hospitals. He is also the founder of 38TERA and has served as US Medical Director of ZOE, a personalized nutrition company. His approach emphasizes understanding each patient's individual experiences, recognizing that gut health extends beyond diet to include emotional well-being, stress, and meaningful human connection. Through his books, research, and educational work, Dr. Bulsiewicz encourages a more personalized and compassionate approach to lasting health.- - - - -Social Handles:Website: https://theguthealthmd.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theguthealthmd/- - - - -The Plantrician ProjectWebsite: https://plantricianproject.org/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plantricianproject/https://www.instagram.com/drscottstollofficial/Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/plantricianproject/- - - - -PODCASTThank you for listening.Please subscribe and share.This podcast is produced by DrTalks.comhttps://drtalks.com/channel-growth/

In this episode, I sit down with Brian Vaszily, founder of The Art of Anti-Aging and Purity Woods, to discuss how everyday chemical exposures may influence our health and aging. We examine the ingredients in personal care products, the skin's role in immune protection, and the challenges of understanding long-term exposure risks. Brian also shares practical ways to make healthier choices, from selecting independently certified skincare products to improving indoor air and water quality and supporting the body's natural processes through nutrition, exercise, and sleep.- - - - -Ready to upgrade your skincare routine with USDA certified organic ingredients? Visit puritywoods.com/drscott to claim an exclusive special offer for our listeners!- - - - -About the Guest:Brian Vaszily is a natural health researcher, author, entrepreneur, and advocate with more than 20 years of experience in health, wellness, and healthy aging. He is the founder of The Art of Anti-Aging, an educational platform dedicated to helping people make informed, evidence-based lifestyle choices, and Purity Woods, a company specializing in USDA Certified Organic skincare products. He has also hosted several online health summits reaching more than 600,000 people and has contributed to the development of major natural health organizations, including Mercola.com. Through his work, Brian advocates for greater transparency in personal care products, reduced exposure to potentially harmful chemicals, and practical approaches to healthier living, supporting the regenerative principles of prevention, responsible choices, and long-term well-being.- - - - -Social Handles:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheArtOfAntiAging1Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brianvaszily/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/BrianVaszily- - - - -The Plantrician ProjectWebsite: https://plantricianproject.org/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plantricianproject/https://www.instagram.com/drscottstollofficial/Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/plantricianproject/- - - - -PODCASTThank you for listening.Please subscribe and share.This podcast is produced by DrTalks.comhttps://drtalks.com/channel-growth/

In this episode, I welcome Dr. Matthew Lederman, a physician, mentor, and close friend whose work has profoundly influenced my life and relationships. We discuss why nutrition and healthy habits are only part of the healing process, and how chronic stress, unmet emotional needs, and disconnection can affect our health. Through personal experiences and practical examples, we examine how nonviolent communication, emotional awareness, and compassion can help us build stronger relationships and create the conditions for human flourishing.- - - - -About the Guest:Dr. Matthew Lederman is a renowned physician, author, and certified trainer in Nonviolent Communication whose work brings together lifestyle medicine, emotional awareness, and meaningful human connection. Featured in Forks Over Knives and formerly associated with Whole Foods Market, he has spent his career helping people understand the many factors that influence health and healing. His own experiences with chronic pain led him to study the relationship between emotional needs, communication, and physical well-being. Through Connection Docs, he and his wife, Dr. Alona Pulde, integrate nutrition, lifestyle medicine, and connection-centered approaches to support individuals facing complex health challenges. His work reflects the principles of regenerative living by emphasizing compassion, relationships, and the conditions that support human flourishing.- - - - -Social Handles:Website: https://www.connectiondocs.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/connectiondocsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/theconnectiondocs/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ConnectionDocs- - - - -The Plantrician ProjectWebsite: https://plantricianproject.org/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plantricianproject/https://www.instagram.com/drscottstollofficial/Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/plantricianproject/- - - - -PODCASTThank you for listening.Please subscribe and share.This podcast is produced by DrTalks.comhttps://drtalks.com/channel-growth/

In this episode, I sit down with health and eco-fashion pioneer Marci Zaroff to connect the dots between food, fashion, farming, health, and regeneration. We explore how the clothes we wear begin with agriculture, why fast fashion and synthetic fibers have created environmental and human challenges, and how regenerative practices can help rebuild healthier systems. We also discuss conscious consumer choices, circularity, and why meaningful change can begin with something as simple as asking where our clothes come from.- - - - -About the Guest:Marci Zaroff is a health entrepreneur, educator, author, and pioneer of sustainable fashion who coined the term “ECOfashion” in 1995. She is the founder and CEO of ECOfashion Corp, a “Greenhouse of Brands” connecting sustainable agriculture, responsible manufacturing, and conscious consumer products. Her ventures include MetaWear, Farm to Home, Seed to Style, and YES AND, while her RESET initiative helps transition conventional cotton farming toward certified organic and regenerative practices. A co-founder of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and Textile Exchange, Marci has spent decades connecting food, fiber, farming, business, and human and planetary health.- - - - -Marci Zaroff:Website: https://www.marcizaroff.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marcizaroff/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marcizaroff/Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/ECOrenaissance-Lifestyle-Cocreating-Stylish-Sustainable/dp/1501123564/- - - - -The Plantrician ProjectWebsite: https://plantricianproject.org/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plantricianproject/https://www.instagram.com/drscottstollofficial/Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/plantricianproject/- - - - -PODCASTThank you for listening.Please subscribe and share.This podcast is produced by DrTalks.comhttps://drtalks.com/channel-growth/

In this episode, I sit down with filmmaker Kip Andersen to trace the path from his first film, Cowspiracy, to the global conversations sparked by What the Health, Seaspiracy, and Christspiracy. We talk about the inner work that helped him find clarity, the power of storytelling to challenge food systems, and why his next chapter is moving from exposing problems toward solutions. Kip also shares how meditation, gratitude, service, and a more holistic view of health are shaping the work ahead.- - - - -About the Guest:Kip Andersen is a filmmaker and entrepreneur whose work includes Cowspiracy, What the Health, Seaspiracy, and Christspiracy. His films use documentary storytelling to examine the environmental, ethical, and health dimensions of food systems and animal agriculture. In this conversation, he also shares the personal practices behind his work and his growing focus on solutions, whole-person health, gratitude, and service, themes that closely connect with A Regenerative Life’s vision of aligning personal well-being with the health of the wider world.- - - - -Kip Andersen:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kip-andersen-884807a/Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/kip.andersen.9/- - - - -The Plantrician ProjectWebsite: https://plantricianproject.org/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plantricianproject/https://www.instagram.com/drscottstollofficial/Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/plantricianproject/- - - - -PODCASTThank you for listening.Please subscribe and share.This podcast is produced by DrTalks.comhttps://drtalks.com/channel-growth/

In this episode, I sit down with Deepa Deshmukh, MPH, RDN, CDCES, BC-ADM, to explore why lasting nutrition change must account for more than what’s on the plate. We discuss how culture, family, tradition, and community shape the way we eat, and why healthy eating doesn’t have to mean leaving familiar foods behind. Deepa shares how culturally adapted nutrition, shared experiences, and small practical changes can help make healthier choices more joyful, meaningful, and sustainable.- - - - -About the Guest:Deepa Deshmukh, MPH, RDN, CDCES, BC-ADM, is a registered dietitian and diabetes care and education specialist who combines Eastern and Western principles with culturally adapted nutrition. Her work supports people managing diabetes, heart disease, weight, and digestive health while recognizing the cultural traditions, beliefs, and practices that shape how they eat. By addressing root causes and creating practical, personalized strategies, Deepa helps make lifestyle change more relevant to everyday life and more sustainable over time. Her approach closely reflects A Regenerative Life’s emphasis on using food, connection, and lifestyle to create lasting health.- - - - -Deepa Deshmukh:Website: https://plantrician.org/places/united-states/illinois/naperville/licensed-dietitian-nutritionist/deepa-deshmukh-mphrdncdcesbc-adm/- - - - -The Plantrician ProjectWebsite: https://plantricianproject.org/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plantricianproject/https://www.instagram.com/drscottstollofficial/Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/plantricianproject/- - - - -PODCASTThank you for listening.Please subscribe and share.This podcast is produced by DrTalks.comhttps://drtalks.com/channel-growth/

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Sean Hashmi, a triple board certified physician in Internal Medicine, Nephrology and Obesity Medicine, to rethink the way we talk about obesity, GLP-1 medications, and lasting change. We discuss how these drugs work, what people should understand about muscle loss and nutrition, and why weight sustainable management cannot be reduced to willpower. Sean also shares a more compassionate path built on simple habits, movement, whole foods, purpose, connection, and hope.- - - - -About the Guest:Dr. Sean Hashmi, MD, MS, FASN, is a physician board-certified in nephrology, obesity medicine, and internal medicine, and a Fellow of the American Society of Nephrology. He is the founder of SELF Principle, a nonprofit that helps people build healthier lives through Sleep, Exercise, Love, and Food. His work connects kidney and metabolic health with earlier detection, prevention, practical lifestyle change, and compassionate care for people living with obesity and chronic disease.- - - - -Social Handles:Website: https://www.seanhashmimd.com/ Website: https://selfprinciple.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seanhashmimd Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seanhashmimd Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SeanHashmiMD- - - - -The Plantrician ProjectWebsite: https://plantricianproject.org/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plantricianproject/https://www.instagram.com/drscottstollofficial/Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/plantricianproject/- - - - -PODCASTThank you for listening.Please subscribe and share.This podcast is produced by DrTalks.comhttps://drtalks.com/channel-growth/

In this episode, we sit down with Hallie Guiseppe, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2013 after years of unexplained symptoms. We discuss the years she spent cycling through medications that suppressed her immune system and the emotions of losing quality of life, the 18-month whole-food nutrition prescription that changed her health trajectory, and the community support that made lasting change possible. Hallie shares how her symptoms improved, how she gradually came off her medications, and how she now channels her renewed energy into faith, family, and a new venture in agriculture.- - - - -About the Guest:Hallie Guiseppe is an entrepreneur whose personal journey with multiple sclerosis transformed the way she thinks about food, health, community, and purpose. Her experience with a whole-food, plant-based lifestyle strengthened her connection to agriculture and regenerative living, building on her previous work with Rodale Institute. Today, she is the founder of Pocket Gopher, where she brings together her passion for agriculture and problem-solving while continuing to share a story rooted in hope, resilience, and possibility.- - - -Social Handles:Website: https://pocketgofer.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61586598731970Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pocketgofer/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pocket-gofer/- - - -The Plantrician ProjectWebsite: https://plantricianproject.org/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plantricianproject/https://www.instagram.com/drscottstollofficial/Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/plantricianproject/- - - - -PODCASTThank you for listening.Please subscribe and share.This podcast is produced by DrTalks.comhttps://drtalks.com/podcast-service/

In this episode, I sit down with Gene Baur, co-founder of Farm Sanctuary, to explore the idea of a compassionate plate and what it means to reconnect with our food, our values, and ourselves. We discuss how modern food systems have distanced us from the origins and consequences of what we eat, and how cultivating compassion, mindfulness, and community can help create healthier people and a healthier planet. Together, we consider what becomes possible when our food choices align with the kind of world we want to build.- - - - -About the Guest:Gene Baur is the co-founder and president of Farm Sanctuary, one of the world's leading organizations dedicated to protecting farm animals and advancing compassionate food systems. For decades, he has worked to raise awareness about the environmental, ethical, and public health implications of industrial agriculture while advocating for a more humane and sustainable approach to food production. His work continues to inspire conversations about compassion, connection, and our shared responsibility for the future of life on Earth.- - - - -Social Handles:Website: https://www.farmsanctuary.org/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/farmsanctuaryYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/user/farmsanctuary1- - - - -The Plantrician ProjectWebsite: https://plantricianproject.org/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plantricianproject/https://www.instagram.com/drscottstollofficial/Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/plantricianproject/- - - - -PODCASTThank you for listening.Please subscribe and share.This podcast is produced by DrTalks.comhttps://drtalks.com/podcast-service/