For this episode, I interviewed Dr. Neal Barnard about phytoestrogens and the WAVS study, in which participants reduced their hot flashes by eating boiled soybeans and following a vegan diet. Dr. Neal Barnard is an adjunct professor of medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine in Washington, DC, and President of the Physicians…

There are many reasons why we may experience cravings during menopause. In this episode, you will learn ten strategies to help deal with them. You may also find these episodes helpful: Menopause and Sleep Mindful Eating Get my free Vegan Menopause 3-Day Meal Plan! Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anna.pelzer/ Follow on Facebook: https…

For this episode, I interviewed Dreena Burton (the OG vegan author with six solo printed titles and two additional books co-authored with Dr. Neal Barnard) about her fascial self-stretching method, which provides the tools to regain a youthful body free of pain and stiffness. You will learn: How Dreena transitioned from cookbook author to Fascia FL…

How difficult is vegan and sustainable eating, travel, and living in Japan? Come in and listen as Brigitte discusses the topic with sustainable travel expert and Hiroshima tour guide Joy Jarman-Walsh, one of the forces behind Japan's sustainable travel improvements. In this episode, we cover: - Joy's journey in discovering that it was possible to b…

Do you want to avoid suffering from swollen, achy, hot joints, feeling fatigue, or struggling with mobility? Or decrease your risk of cardio-vascular events? Those issues often associated with aging are not inevitable! Join Brigitte in conversation with Linda Tyler, author of The Plant-Based Anti-Inflammatory Cookbook and creator of GraciousVegan.c…

Protein is definitely an important topic, and an important one, especially for menopause. Aside from the structure of the body, protein plays many critical roles in maintaining our health. In this episode, you will learn: -why our protein needs change with age -why we need as much protein variety as possible -how protein affects mood -how to know i…

Chef Agathe is a raw vegan chef who healed herself from rheumatoid arthritis by changing her diet. She successfully owned and operated Café by Tao for eight years and now teaches online courses about raw vegan foods through her Living Cuisine Academy. Chef Agathe brings a wealth of experience to the table, having successfully transitioned her three…

This is a can't-miss episode! Join me in conversation with Elaine Perlman, Executive Director of Waitlist Zero, an advocacy group committed to ending the kidney shortage in the United States. In this episode of the Vegan Family Kitchen Podcast, Elaine shares her deeply personal journey from embracing veganism and healthy plant-based living to becom…

This episode is all about breast health. You will learn: -why breasts are more vulnerable to cancer during and after menopause -why the vegan diet is beneficial -which foods help and which foods are harmful -lifestyle practices to take care of your breasts -why you should avoid underwire bras Products mentioned (contain affiliate links to support t…

On this episode, I interviewed Brigitte Gemme, batch cooking wizard, of Vegan Family Kitchen. Brigitte is the author of Flow in the Kitchen, Practices for Healthy Stress-Free Vegan Cooking. We discussed: -society's trend in moving towards convenience food and the effect on health -how batch cooking can help with stress -what to do if you hate cooki…

As we age, our skin becomes more dry. Estrogen keeps our skin and tissues more supple and when that declines, the skin can become more delicate and fragile. In this episode, I share skin care tips and my routine. I mentioned in my episode about hydration that water helps to keep you skin plump, which can reduce wrinkles. Here is a link to a short I…

In this episode of the Vegan Family Kitchen podcast, host Brigitte Gemme talks with her guest, Deborah McNamara - a Vancouver-based counselor who is fascinated by the relationship between food and our connections with each other. Deborah discusses her experiences with helping adults make sense of their relationships with food and children, giving i…

Why would you want to eat mindfully? One reason is that as estrogen drops, we have a tendency toward more eating and getting less movement, which would lead to weight gain. We also have another hormone called leptin that signals that we are full. When estrogen decreases in menopause, we can become resistant to leptin and may not recognize the signa…

Your body and mind interpret emotions from our physiology, like heart rate, or breathing rate, and perceptions, like safety or danger, sights, sounds, and beliefs. In peri-menopause, women may notice changes in mood: mood swings, more sadness, irritability, or anger. And these feelings can become bigger and more overwhelming. So something that migh…

You have probably heard people talking about inflammation, but may be wondering what exactly is it? Reducing chronic inflammation can have huge results on menopause because it can bring about more energy and less fatigue, more mental clarity, slow down the aging process, and lead to better overall health and longevity, and better weight management.…

Do you find that since perimenopause started, it’s become increasingly more difficult to sleep? Not only can falling asleep take longer, you may wake up too early, or be awake for a couple of hours in the middle of your sleep. In this episode you will learn: -Why sleep can be more difficult menopause -Effects of sleep deprivation -Four things that …

In this episode you will learn: -how veganism helps with certain health risks in menopause -benefits of fiber -fiber and weight loss -benefits of vegan protein In my free guide, Five Action Steps to Elevate Your Vegan Menopause Experience, I share five simple steps you can implement immediately, to feel more calm, more positive, and less affected b…

Dehydration could certainly be making your experience of menopause worse and I have some ideas for you to help, beyond drinking water. The Standard American Diet, consisting of high amounts of salty processed foods or fast foods, sugary drinks, and low amounts of fresh vegetables, is very dehydrating, and most North Americans are probably mildly de…

Learn about plant-based baking from the professionals! In this episode of the Vegan Family Kitchen Podcast, Brigitte Gemme interviews Natasha and Ed Tatton, owners of Whistler's BReD Bakery and authors of the newly published book BReD: Sourdough Loaves, Small Breads and Other Plant-Based Baking. We talk about: Replacing dairy and eggs with whole pl…

In this episode, I discuss my experience with trying to find stock photos depicting menopausal women for an article in Global Vegan Magazine. I also discuss North America's youth based culture versus views of other cultures around menopause, my transition from exercise obsession to now doing exercise that is enjoyable, and some thoughts on opening …

In this episode, I explore something that you might not have thought of that can really help your experience with peri-menopause -- body awareness. I cover why it is beneficial on a practical level as well as how it can become a meditative practice, with even more benefits. In my free guide, Five Action Steps to Elevate Your Vegan Menopause Experie…

Most people could cook faster, waste less money and time, and be less stressed if they handle their grocery haul differently. In this podcast episode, Brigitte shares strategies for reducing food waste and cooking faster by properly storing groceries. Listen to the episode and try Brigitte's tips to get more organized in the kitchen, cook more effi…

Can there be such a thing as a blissful menopause? Every woman's experience will be different, but certain lifestyle and mindset shifts will make it a smoother ride. Brigitte's guest on the Vegan Family Kitchen podcast today is Anna Pelzer, a vegan menopause coach. She has some gentle guidance to help. In this thought-provoking conversation, Anna s…

In this episode, we explore why weight gain around the midsection is so common during menopause and some tips on what to do about it. This is not about body shaming, and I encourage you to have a healthy body image and to love your body regardless of perceived imperfections. However, weight gain, particularly around the belly, is a very common stru…

Brigitte explores the idea of cooking as a form of spiritual nourishment and shares her current five rituals for a deeper and more meaningful cooking experience. These include expressing gratitude before cooking, deeply understanding the origins of ingredients, staying fully present during the cooking process, cooking with a community, and sharing …

In this episode, I address a common question -- how to tell if you are in menopause. Perimenopause, the stage before the one year with no menstrual cycles, can last many years and this is the stage where estrogen is fluctuating downward. That can cause certain symptoms, and the symptoms are not going to be the same for everyone, but I discuss eight…

Menopause can have a negative effect on our bone health. In this episode, I discuss risk factors, and what we can do to help our bones. In my free guide, Five Action Steps to Elevate Your Vegan Menopause Experience, I share five simple steps you can implement immediately, to feel more calm, more positive, and less affected by menopausal symptoms If…

In this episode, I discuss brain fog and my personal experience with it, how the brain is affected by hormonal changes during perimenopause, and what can help with cognitive changes. I mention this Harvard study which in 2022 found that for every 5% of calories that came from plant protein instead of carbohydrates, there was a 26% lower risk for de…

In this episode, I discuss -common stressors around menopause -effects of chronic stress -how lowered estrogen affects stress -the analogy of capacity for stress as a bucket of water -simple ways to reduce stress -One-Minute Mediation video In my free guide, Five Action Steps to Elevate Your Vegan Menopause Experience, I share five simple steps you…

In this episode, I share my story and how to view menopause as an opportunity. In my free guide, Five Action Steps to Elevate Your Vegan Menopause Experience, I share five simple steps you can implement immediately, to feel more calm, more positive, and less affected by menopausal symptoms If you're struggling with menopause symptoms, a Menopause W…

With the charismatic Jean-Philippe Cyr, delicious and comforting vegan dishes are served with a side of self-deprecating humor... or is it the other way around? Jean-Philippe, a.k.a. The Buddhist Chef, just published his most recent English-language cookbook, The Buddhist Chef's Homestyle Cooking, and we chatted about: How being from a big Quebec f…

How to stay connected with our culinary heritage without sacrificing health? Let's talk about it with Karla Salinari, a.k.a. The Latina Health Coach and author of the recently published cookbook Abuela's Plant-Based Kitchen: Vegan Cuisine Inspired by Latin & Caribbean Family Recipes. Diving into Karla Salinari's inspiring journey, we learn about he…

Veganic gardening is an approach to growing plants organically without any animal inputs. In other words: plant-based gardening! If you already have a garden, listen in to learn from Meg Kelly how to transition to a kinder and safer approach. If you don't already grow your own veggies, be prepared to get inspired by her hot tips to get started! Meg…

Why not try something different, pay attention to the results, and take it from there? This Vegan Family Kitchen Podcast episode's guest, Helen C. Giles, is a colleague, cooking friend, and meal plan subscriber whose stories will encourage you to embrace experimentation and give thanks for the life and body you have now. In this conversation, we ex…

Get inspired to cook more healthy vegan Italian food with Antonia Ricciardi! Antonia trained in physics and worked in the publishing industry, but her roots in the family restaurant in Southern Italy stayed strong. In our podcast conversation, you'll learn more about: Antonia's inspiring shift from the sciences to the culinary world, ingeniously we…

How to deal with having to go down to the air raid shelter in the midst of cooking dinner? Is there even something that's good to eat when you are under threat of bombing? And how can we make cooking and eating a more meaningful experience, even under a prolonged state of emergency such as war? In this can't-miss episode of the Vegan Family Kitchen…

In this episode of the Vegan Family Kitchen podcast, I sit down with Dr. Jules Cormier, a family physician, plant-based nutrition advocate, and ninja sports athlete who shares his inspiring story of transformation, healing, and performance. In his 20s, Dr. Cormier suffered from cholinergic angioedema, a severe condition that caused anaphylactic-lik…

Most people believe that they'd cook better if they had a bigger kitchen... but is that so? Kathy Davis, who runs the Eat More Plants Academy and published three cookbooks, lives in a RV and her story challenges conventional views. It's all about intention. Kathy Davis is the CEO of VegInspired and a plant-based lifestyle and mindset coach for fema…

Nic Bathurst, a dietitian and nutritionist, and mom of four kids, thought of herself as a healthy and fit person with good habits. Then, at age 48 she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She underwent a mastectomy and started digging into the literature about breast cancer. What she found out was not what she had learned in school. That was 10 years …

The food we eat isn't neutral: every bite has the potential to nourish and heal us, or harm us. So says Leah Cooper, my friend Down Under who teaches yoga and whole food cooking in the macrobiotic tradition. In our conversation, we talk about: Why the connection between yoga and food isn't always made in conventional yoga classes What therapeutic y…

"When we uncover who we are, and we are willing to show up as that person, a lot of barriers just fall away." Those are the wise and inspiring words of my guest, Kimberly Winters. Kimberly is the host of the Did You Bring the Hummus? podcast, where she gently guides those who wish to adopt a vegan lifestyle through their transition. In addition to …

Charlyn Black trained as a family doctor more than forty years ago, but most of her career has been as a scholar dedicated to understanding the social determinants of health for over three decades. She is now a Professor at the UBC School of Population and Public Health, and an enthusiastic advocate for the power of predominantly plant-based diets …

Today on the Vegan Family Kitchen Podcast I meet with Crystal Bonnet, raw vegan chef and author of the just-published beautiful book The Art of Raw Desserts. Crystal is a graduate of the Matthew Kenney Culinary Academy and of the Pure Joy Academy. She develops unique and delicious all-vegan raw recipes and now teaches everything she knows to home c…

How can the principles of mindfulness and compassion support a transition away from overeating and food addiction? I had the pleasure of exploring this topic with Karen Steiner in conversation for the Vegan Family Kitchen Podcast. Karen Steiner is a Weight Loss Coach, Food Activist and Meditation Teacher. Professionally, she has Master’s degree in …

My first book Flow in the Kitchen: Practices for Healthy Stress-Free Vegan Cooking is available for pre-order in ebook format from Amazon (compatible with all mobile devices)! (Paperback and Kobo coming soon.) It's not a cookbook! Instead of feeding you recipes, I offer you the seeds you can plant to grow your own versions of standard vegan dishes …

Do you hate cooking? You are not alone. My guest today, Gemma McFall, used to feel just like you, but then she found a way to leverage her strengths to improve her kitchen reality. Listen on to find out what she did. Gemma McFall is a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach and also a Vegan Meal Plan subscriber. Her work is to help women reduce stress and…

Cooking really good food for myself and my loved ones isn't a sprint. It's an ultra-endurance event. It has to be attended at least 3 times per day (more like 6 when counting snacks for growing and/or active people). It's not like I can deal it once for the year or a few months and be satisfied. It's one of those cyclical things that repeats every …

Babita Shresta thought she had landed on another planet when she first visited a grocery store in Minnesota. Coming from rural Nepal, where as a child she learned to cook fresh vegetables and simmer lentils alongside her grandfather, she had never seen packaged processed food. Pre-cooked tortillas and roti sold in plastic bags blew her mind. She co…

This question has been settled scientifically for a number of years but it still keeps on coming up, so I thought I would review the recent scientific evidence about the link (or rather, the lack of link) between soy and cancer risk for your convenience. Spoiler: soy certainly does not cause cancer and in fact may be preventive. You will find the r…

Can fertility improve with a plant-based diet? Research certainly seems to be on the side of a reduction in meat intake having a positive effect, while health plant-based diets focused on whole foods have the potential to improve many of the factors that influence fertility. To talk about it, I invited Dr. Jenny Lee on the podcast. Dr. Jenny Lee is…