Food Is Fuel: 5 Podcasts for Those Who Love to Eat

Food is the essence of life, we dare say. It’s so vital that even the United Nations marked October 16 as World Food Day.

When you think about it, food provides more than just sustenance — it provides us comfort, it plays a huge part in making memories, and it’s one of the main reasons we get together. And at Mindvalley, we believe your relationship with food is a huge part of your transformational growth. After all, as the saying goes, you are what you eat. 

So for the love of food and your nutritional growth, here are five episodes from The Mindvalley Podcast, available on Spotify and Apple Podcast. Let’s dig in.

#1: Jillian Michaels on the Truth About Weight Loss

One of the most common resolutions every year is to lose weight or get in shape. And if there’s one person you can count on to keep it real about that, it’s Jillian Michaels. As a leading fitness expert, nutritionist, and wellness entrepreneur, she’s bound to have things to say about weight loss and diets.

This episode is jam-packed with Jillian’s take on high-intensity training, micro workouts, diet fads, and even the not-so-talked-about under-recovering.

There’s no such thing as overtraining, there’s under-recovering. You know, I fully agree with that because people get injured when they do things they’re not capable of doing.

— Jillian Michaels, fitness expert, nutritionist, and wellness entrepreneur

One key idea stands out, though: any kind of fitness training or diet you do should be tailor-made for you.

Our favorite moments

• What’s wrong with the way people lose weight today
• Intermittent fasting  — is it good or bad for your health?
• The number one rule of fitness

#2: Dr. Steven Gundry on How to Boost Your Energy Level and Live Healthier

Do you suffer from tiredness, brain fog, or fatigue? Or have you caught yourself saying you need a nap, a double espresso, or an energy bar?

It turns out, this could be a warning sign that there’s 1) “a power failure” in your mitochondria — the powerhouse of the cell — and 2) you’re suffering from a leaky gut, according to Dr. Steven Gundry.

This cardiothoracic surgeon is also a pioneer in nutrition and medical director at The International Heart and Lung Institute Center for Restorative Medicine. And in this episode, he and Vishen discuss how your diet affects how you feel physically and mentally, as well as how eating foods rich in melatonin (like pistachios and dark chocolate) can help the mitochondria.

Please eat your pistachios. … Pistachios are the highest source of melatonin of any food that’s ever been recorded. Vastly more melatonin than anything else.

— Dr. Steven Gundry, cardiothoracic surgeon, a pioneer in nutrition, and medical director at The International Heart and Lung Institute Center for Restorative Medicine

Tune in to this episode with Dr. Gundry as he provides you with practical gems that will shift your day-to-day life.

Our favorite moments

• The best way to produce a healthspan
• What are microbiomes and how it helps with your health
• What Americans can do about their unhealthy food

#3: John Robbins on 3 Easy Changes to Our Diet That Will Help Save the Planet

If you’re looking for a food-related episode to blow your mind, it’s this one. Vishen sits down with John Robbins, bestselling author and humanitarian, to talk about how our dietary lifestyle is not sustainable for our planet. 

As the heir to the Baskin Robbins empire, John Robbins walked away from all 31 flavors because “ice cream isn’t healthy food.”

The truth is unhealthy food may give you temporary pleasure, but at a cost. And this goes for a lot of the foods out in today’s market, especially fast food because healthy food is a luxury these days.

Healthy food is not as available, not as accessible, and not as affordable as it needs to be.

— John Robbins, bestselling author, social activist, and humanitarian

There’s a connection between your diet, physical health, animal cruelty, and environmentalism. How? Tune in to find out.

Our favorite moments

• Guide to eating in a humane way
• Three things we could change about our life to help the planet
• The most effective way to reduce your carbon footprint

#4: Ronan De Oliveira on 5 Powerful Hacks to Improve Your Immune System

Your immunity is the most effective when it’s balanced. Makes sense, right? Unfortunately for many of us, that’s not always the case, especially with the current lifestyle we have during this pandemic.

Your job [during the pandemic] is not only to practice social distancing and stay at home. It’s also to question ‘what needs [for your body] are not being fulfilled?’ and ‘how else can I fulfill those needs?’

— Ronan De Oliveira, Mindvalley’s Head of Health & Fitness

This is where Ronan De Oliveira, Mindvalley’s go-to health and fitness specialist, can help. He explains how your immune system functions and how to implement simple (and cost-effective) lifestyle daily habits that can immensely improve your immunity.

Our favorite moments

• Five key areas of a healthy lifestyle
• His thoughts and experiences of the vegan diet
• Simple daily habits to help with your immune system

#5: Shawn Stevenson on Upgrading Your Brain to Transform Your Health

Your heart may be saying chocolate, but your body is screaming, “for the love of health, eat a salad!” But eating a bowl of greens isn’t going to solve your diet issues. And unfortunately, there are many misconceptions about what healthy food really is.

Enter Shawn Stevenson, bestselling author and creator of the #1 nutrition and fitness podcast on iTunes, The Model Health Show. He and Vishen cover how your self-beliefs are connected to your health.

The human mind is the most powerful pharmacy in the world because, and I say this very specifically, it’s not bioidentical. … The chemicals being secreted are designed for your receptor sites based on your perception of reality.

— Shawn Stevenson, bestselling author and creator of The Model Health Show podcast

Tune in to Shawn to learn how to use the power of food to reboot your metabolism, upgrade your brain, and transform your life.

Our favorite moments

• Why you need to drink more water
• The truth about the vegan diet
• Which supplements you should take

Next Level Eating

If you followed your heart and it led you to your fridge, we don’t blame you. But we hope your fridge is full of food that helps your body instead of hurting it.

And if you’re interested in learning more about how you can optimize your health, head over to The Mindvalley Podcast. There’s a diverse buffet of quality food-related episodes to dig into. Alternatively, you can join WildFit and experience the benefits of conscious eating. Happy eating!