That Vegan Podcast: Recent Episodes
Jamie Johnston
Giving a voice and platform to influential vegan figures to help change the lives of people, animals and the planet.
Heard of clean meat? If not, you soon will.
Clean meat is the future. It is considered by some, to be the panacea of all environmental, health and animal welfare ills.
Why? Because people will still get ‘their bacon.’
Like it or not, meat consumption isn't going down. Quite the opposite. So what if we could still create meat, without the suffering and deleterious impact on our bodies and the planet?
Scientists are confident they have found the solution.
In today’s episode, I had the privilege of sharing a conversation with Sarah Lucas - Head of Operations at Mosa Meat.
Sarah studied at Cambridge and then went on to work for the United Nation’s University in New York. She now works for one of the biggest clean meat companies in the world.
Based out of Maastricht University in Holland, her company has pioneered the way for extensive research and product development in the world of cultured meat.
Helped with investment from Google founder Sergey Brin, Mosa Meat created the world’s first cultured hamburger. A prototype costing a mouth watering £250,000.
More recently, American clean meat company Memphis Meats were backed by billionaires Richard Branson and Bill Gates.
Aside from economics, in this episode Sarah tells me about what led her to work for Mosa Meat and how her passion for animal welfare steered her career path into the clean meat industry.
Sarah founded ADF (Action for Dolphins) an international non profit that uses strategic legal action to gain better protection for dolphins and whales, which successfully shut down 50% of demand from the world’s largest dolphin hunts.
Sarah is also director of Lola ya Bonobo, the world’s only bonobo sanctuary in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In our conversation we also discuss;
The benefits to the animals, the planet and the consumer
The science behind clean meat
Mosa Meat and their founder Mark Post
Her hopes and vision for the future
Meet Tom Hickman, the guy behind the Bali Hope Ultra.
I first connected with Tom a little while back, inspired by his vision for improving the lives of the Balinese.
After spending a few months there with my wife in 2016, I was instantly drawn to Tom’s ambitious project.
Inspired by vegan ultra endurance athlete Rich Roll, Tom embarked on a journey to create an event that addressed educational and environmental issues on Bali.
Similar to Rich, Tom had his own seminal moment, realising long lasting change was needed, craving ‘clearer meaning and deeper purpose’ in his own life.
What better way to find this than being of service to others?
In this episode, Tom tells me about the hidden poverty behind Bali’s tourist centred image.
We also discussed Tom’s introduction to veganism, the charities and people that he has helped and his vision for the Bali Ultra in the coming years.
Ross is a former marine, teacher, basketball and all-round vegan advocate. As soon as Ross came across my radar, I was determined to get him on the podcast.
Ross hosts his very own podcast, The 1% Daily Show. ‘Personal performance for everyone’ is his aim and to encourage others to take maximum advantage of only 1% of your day - 14 minutes and 40 seconds.
In this episode, we focus on Ross’ vegan lifestyle and how this has helped him to become a better athlete and father.
Ross gives advice on how he has raised his kids vegan. Ross’ wife runs her own Instagram feed, helping others with recipes and dishes to get more vegan foods into kids. if you’re interested in this, check her out
Ross also talks about his experience of the UK Vegan Camp Out, the reactions of his peers in the marines when telling them he was vegan and his eating protocol when training for an ironman.
I hope you enjoy this episode and feel inspired to become (at least 1%) better.
Dawn will help you create the body and life that you deserve.
Dawn is a plant based nutritionist and all round health guru with one aim, to be of service to others. She told me that she would ‘do anything to help others live their best, most authentic selves.’
For years, she had her own health issues. Suffering from acne, gut concerns, tonsillitis and hormonal issues, she realised that something wrong. These debilitating ailments would get her down enormously. So much so, that this escalated into a depression where she ended up drinking ‘way too much alcohol’ and was ‘severely overweight.’
She knew something had to change.
Overnight, dawn gave up dairy. She was stunned to find out that her battery of health complaints clear up within days. Was it a miracle? Of course not. The answer was plants.
This propelled dawn onto a trajectory that changed her approach to wellness, and her relationship to food. Not only did her physical health change, but she discovered an improved emotional and mental acuity. She was now able to cultivate previously untapped energy reserves and devote the time and attention to her child.
Dawn’s mission it to now help others experience the profound change that she had created for herself.
Andy is somebody that gives me hope. A self-confessed 'meat lover' who could not imagine life without animal flesh, is now living the life of a fully fledged vegan. He was as pessimistic as they come. He even asked 'those questions' that 'us vegans' have had to endure and sometimes deflect. Where do you get your protein from? Why do you eat a fake version of an animal? I'm sure you can think of plenty more.....
Andy proves that its simple to embark on a plant base lifestyle, if you can just shift your perspective.
In this show he talks passionately about the physical and cognitive energy it now brings. We also discuss how to control and direct advocacy within our own family setting, giving great advice on how to navigate the inevitable hurdles when dealing with spouses and children.
In this episode I sit down with Dr. Alex Lockwood, discussing his book, ‘Pig in Thin Air’, his journey across North America when he met Gene Baur at Farm Sanctuary and his animal advocacy work with North East Animal Save.
Conor and Brandon work tirelessly giving a voice to the voiceless. Vegan or non-vegan, one cannot fail to be shocked and saddened by the suffering, pain and torture of an innocent animal. Sentient beings deserve the chance to be happy and live, just like us. Along with the rest of their team, Conor and Brandon show footage to people in cities across the world. They adopt a non-confrontational approach, standing with their laptops and iPads displaying difficult footage that people don’t want to see. Why would you? Who would possibly want to witness pigs being boiled, cows throat being slit, calfs torn from their mothers and artificial insemination. Perhaps this is footage that we all need to see at least once…. to fully grasp the endless and merciless torture that 50 billion animals endure every year. I look forward to sharing this conversation. I learned so much. I hope you do too.
‘We’re not fast food, we’re junk food…comfort food.’
Meet the couple behind the north east’s first vegan diner and discover the driving force behind what is ultimately, a unique experiment.
Even as recent as a few years ago, one would have accused Beth and Phil of being downright crazy for opening a vegan restaurant in the heart Gateshead.
Yet, this pioneering pair have created a success of their ‘junk food’ concept in an area that can quite simply be described as a ‘food desert’.
Juxtaposed by local greasy spoons and bargain stores, the Grumpy Panda stamps its presence in a part of the north east where you’d be far more likely to see a donner kebab than a vegan burger. Yet, this couple have managed to amalgamate the two. In this episode of That Vegan Podcast, I delve into the couple’s backstory and chronicle their journey into becoming the ‘Grumpy Panda’ brand.
For anyone still thinking that vegans are skinny and weak….meet the ‘Vegan Warrior.’
In this, the 2nd, episode of That Vegan Podcast, I sit down and talk with Anthony Mullally.
Anthony is a professional rugby league player who plays for Leeds Rhinos and has also represented Ireland in the world cup.
Like most athletes, Anthony grew up eating the standard western diet, conforming to the conventional mythology that eating animal protein would provide the power and strength needed to pursue a professional sports career.
However, unlike most professional athletes Anthony set of on a different path. A self-imposed education of vegan you tube videos and documentaries planted the seed to further understand the destructive impact of animal agriculture and the athletic benefits of eating a plant based diet.
This is where his journey into veganism began.
Standing at an imposing 6’5”, Anthony is proof that athletes can not only compete, but thrive on a vegan diet.
Conor Devine - The Ironman Who Couldn't Swim
Conor Devine is a guy who has overcome great adversity. At the age of 28 he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. His consultant said "you have MS and will have it for the rest of your life"
He decided to not only fight back, but to grab life by two hands and take on one of the most difficult fitness challenges know to man - an Ironman.
In this episode, Conor talks about how his approach to developing an 'ironmind' has helped to put him on a trajectory towards a life of fulfilment and true health. We also discuss the power of plant based nutrition and how this has alleviated, and even reversed some of his MS symptoms.