Episode 557, air date June 11th, 2026. Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube or your favorite podcast app.

From Physician to Healer: Laurie Marbas, MD

The conversation explores the remarkable success of The Habit Healers, now one of the leading health publications on Substack, and Laurie’s mission to make scientific research accessible, actionable, and life-changing. This episode is packed with evidence-based insights and encouragement for anyone seeking better health through informed choices and daily habits.

In This Episode
How Laurie discovered the power of plant-based and lifestyle medicine
The turning point that changed her approach to healthcare
Common metabolic health mistakes even vegans can make
Simple adjustments that can improve long-term wellness
The inspiration behind The Habit Healers community
Making science accessible and actionable for everyday life
Why habits matter more than quick fixes

About Our Guest
Laurie Marbas, MD, MBA, is a double board-certified family and lifestyle medicine physician, U.S. Air Force veteran, author, and speaker. She co-founded The Habit Healers community with Chef Martin Oswald to help people reclaim their health through evidence-based lifestyle strategies. Through her Substack publications, podcast, and concierge medical practice, Dr. Marbas empowers people to make lasting changes that support lifelong well-being.

Connect with Laurie
Website: https://drlauriemarbas.substack.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrLaurieMarbas/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drlauriemarbas/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrLaurieMarbas

Subscribe, rate, and review the Main Street Vegan Podcast to help more people discover the joy of living with vitality, spirituality, and compassion.

Sign up for the Main Street Vegan blog and newsletter at https://www.mainstreetvegan.com and receive your FREE e-book, Recipes to Help You Age Like a Yogi.

And become an insider by joining the Main Street Vegan Podcast Listeners Group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/207997266555049

Complement are supplements made by vegans, Pamela Fergusson, RD, PhD, Matt Frazier, and Joel Kahn, MD, to enhance diet. Check our their new product Sulfora HERE, and enter ‘MAINSTREET’ in the discount box to save yourself 10%.

Posted June 9, 2026

Do you homeschool your vegan child? Are you alone in a sea of non-vegan parties and other social events that leave you and your kids frustrated and lonely? Do you feel local homeschool groups ignore your needs?

I’m not the first person to raise a vegan child or the first parent to choose homeschooling. Years ago, I found myself at the intersection of two social movements, yet I lacked the guidance to navigate them easily. In 2005, when our family started homeschooling, both that choice and veganism were less common than they are now. The resources connecting homeschoolers and vegans were lacking, even though homeschooling vegan kids was (and still is) a wonderful way to avoid schools that promote the Standard American Diet in their cafeterias and snack times.

Today, more people identify as both homeschoolers and vegan, or they consider these viable lifestyle options. The shared experience built over time can help prepare you for an amazing, rewarding adventure with your family that you’ll treasure long after your kids graduate from college.

Here are six ways vegan homeschoolers can find solutions to sticky situations they might encounter, with a focus on park days, parties, and family. By honoring boundaries early in a child’s life, you set your kids on the path to continue veganism long after they become independent. For parents and caregivers brave enough to tackle these two communities at once, these ideas will get you started.

1. Join a Community

Research local homeschool co-ops and park days. It’s often easier to find homeschooling groups if you live in a big city. Connecting with parents or in groups with older children can take longer, depending on the dynamics. You can also start your own group. I helped form a new park day for toddlers and preschoolers that we attended in its various iterations for almost a decade. Once you find a group you feel comfortable with, attend as many events as possible to get to know the other participants. This may take time. Be patient. Make sure the group fits your desire for community plus your child’s needs and personality.

National homeschooling organizations provide general resources. Check out the National Homeschool Association. Contact state organizations for guidance and information about your state’s homeschooling policies. Find local groups that promote homeschooling.

The School House and A2Z Homeschool–THE A-to-Z of Homeschooling: Best of Ann Zeise’s Home Education Site both feature resources and archived articles.

2. Bring Food

Parties, field trips, co-ops, park days, relatives’ homes—these activities provide opportunities to share veganism with a larger audience but have the potential to create confusion. When attending a birthday party, bring treats just for your child or to share with everyone. If you bring something to share, check in advance with the host about allergies and food sensitivities such as nuts and gluten. When my son was young, I brought vegan lollipops or cookies to birthday parties, subbing those for non-vegan cake. After he discovered that the other kids at the party were allowed to eat birthday cake, but he wasn’t, I had to get creative and bring a cupcake or other cake-like treat. Luckily, many parents in our homeschool co-op were open to making vegan treats he could enjoy, and after a while, I didn’t even have to ask in advance.

Confirm that friends understand eggs, dairy, and honey aren’t vegan products. This allows for many opportunities to educate others with grace and compassion.

3. Be Consistent

When children are younger, you might feel tempted to let them eat cake, candy, or snacks that aren’t vegan-friendly. By being consistent with your values, you avoid vagueness or uncertain signals. Again, bringing an emergency vegan snack can save you from unhappy outcomes.

4. Encourage Older Children to Read Labels (And Younger Kids to Ask for Permission)

When my kid was a toddler, we attended a mommy-and-me music class once a week. At snack time, the parents of the other kids offered to share their food with my child. These were friendly folks, but they weren’t following anything remotely close to a plant-based diet. I encouraged my child to ask me first before eating the food. This experience makes it easier for older kids to ask hosts for a list of ingredients in the food they are serving at parties.

5. Respond with Grace and Dignity to Family and Friends

Avoid arguments. People will disagree with your parenting decisions. Both homeschooling and veganism, while less unusual than they used to be, still confuse friends and family members who don’t understand either and could even believe that you’re harming your children. Family members may question your decision to avoid feeding your kids traditional favorite foods or not sending them to a real school. Grandparents might even see it as an insult to their parenting skills or family customs.

Try to avoid responding to hurtful or ignorant comments with anger—this can take restraint. At my son’s second birthday party, a relative of my husband’s equated the vegan food we served with excrement. Still experiencing postpartum depression and sleep deprivation, I responded with an insulting comeback.

Books such as Carol J. Adams’s Living Among Meat Eaters: The Vegetarian’s Survival Handbook and Ed Winter’s How to Argue With a Meat Eater (And Win Every Time) offer sage guidance and wisdom about interacting with people who seek information or hope to provoke us into an unproductive argument. We won’t alter our choices because of their assertions, and they won’t either, at least not in that heated moment.

6. Organize a Field Trip to a Local Animal Sanctuary

 When our kiddo was younger, we visited various sanctuaries, including The Gentle Barn and Animal Acres (now Farm Sanctuary), both in Southern California. Later, I organized a homeschool field trip to The Gentle Barn. While we didn’t create instant vegans, I like to think that we modeled some of our reasons for adopting a vegan lifestyle and influenced, even if only on a subtle level, the families who attended.

Veganism and homeschooling are natural fits. Celebrate these brave actions: taking care of your children and teaching them to respect all life. May all your adventures be compassionate, memorable, and magical.

Andrea Zollman, a Main Street Vegan Lifestyle Coach and Educator, dreams of building a more vegan-friendly world. She’s earned certificates in Plant-Based Nutrition from the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies and the Forks Over Knives Online Cooking Course. The proud mom of a college graduate, she and her husband homeschooled their child from preschool through high school graduation.

Episode 557, air date June 4th, 2026. Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube or your favorite podcast app.

Compassion, Practice & Living Ahimsa with Anna Ferguson

In this thoughtful episode, I speak with yoga teacher, author and activist Anna Ferguson about the connection between yoga, veganism and living a life rooted in ahimsa.

Anna shares her personal journey into both yoga and vegan living, and how these paths naturally intertwined to shape her life’s work. She explains how the practice of yoga can embody compassion as something we live through our movements, choices and relationships. This episode offers a look at how inner practice and outer activism can come together to support personal transformation and collective healing.

In This Episode
Anna’s journey into yoga and veganism
The meaning of ahimsa in everyday life
How yoga postures can reflect compassion for all beings
Sharing vegan values within yoga spaces
The vision behind Compassion for All

About Our Guest
Anna is the author of World Peace Yoga: Yoga for People Who Breathe, director of the Compassion for All Yoga Teacher Training, and founder of Our Collective Heart, a vegan nonprofit. Her work brings together yoga, activism, and compassion, helping people align their practice with their values.

Connect with Anna
Website: http://www.worldpeaceyoga.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/worldpeaceyogah
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/worldpeaceyoga/
Compassion for All Yoga: http://www.compassionforallyoga.com
Yoga for the Common Good: http://www.yogaforthecommongood.com

Subscribe, rate and review the Podcast to help more people discover the joy of living with vitality, spirituality, and compassion.

Sign up for the MSV newsletter at www.mainstreetvegan.com and receive a FREE e-book, Recipes to Help You Age Like a Yogi.

Become an insider by joining the Main Street Vegan Podcast Listeners Group on Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/207997266555049

Main Street Vegan Academy – (listeners can get $250 off with the VegCoach250 code)

Complement are supplements made by vegans, Pamela Fergusson, RD, PhD, Matt Frazier, and Joel Kahn, MD, to enhance diet. Check our their new product Sulfora HERE, and enter ‘MAINSTREET’ in the discount box to save yourself 10%.

Posted June 2, 2026

As the Main Street Vegan Podcast nears its 600th episode, I often think of favorite past guests. One is certainly David Jenkins, MD, PhD, DSc. He’s now sceintific royalty but was once a sensitive boy who went vegetarian when his mother expected him to eat a pet chicken. When I interviewed him in April 2022 (listen here on Spotify), we focused on his development of the Glycemic Index and his Eco-Atkins diet, a way for people who want a lower-carb diet and stay fully plant-based. However, Dr. Jenkins is also the developer of the Portfolio diet for lowering the LDL cholesterol that fuels our number 1 killer, coronary heart disease.

The development of this plan, all vegan, dates back to 2003, but it’s surging in popularity now as the recommended levels for LDL continue to lower. While anything sub-100 was once considered fine, that’s now under 90 for the general public, under 70 for anyone with heart disease risks, and “as low as you can get it” by many cardiologists. The most direct way to accomplish this is with statin drugs, but those are not without side effects and since no drug is vegan (all were tested on animals), many of us would prefer to keep pharmaceuticals to a minimum.

But why do need a new diet? Don’t we know from the groundbreaking work of Dean Ornish, MD, in the late 20th century and that of Caldwell Esselstyn, Jr., MD, in the early 2000s that heart disease can be reversed with a low-fat vegan or virtually vegan eating plan?

Let’s back up. The original Ornish program featured a diet with less than 10% of calories from fat, all plant-based except for small amounts of low-fat dairy and egg whites, and lifestyle components: a miniumum of 180 minutes of cardiovascular exercise per week, weight training 2 or 3 times, 1 hour of stress management daily (yoga, meditation, visualization, breathwork, or yoga nidra (NSDR: non-sleep deep rest), and ongoing group support.

Dr. Esselstyn focused entirely on the diet. Both eliminated the dairy and eggs fairly early, and Dr. Ornish added EPA/DHA (omega-3) supplementation and eventually one ounce of nuts and seeds daily.

Those plans worked, and they still do––so effectively that Medicare, Medicaid, and many insurance programs cover the 9-week Ornish program, now offered via Zoom. The Portfolio Diet fits in as:

1. An alternative to this very low-fat approach, especially for people who do not have active heart disease
2. A slightly easier way to eat in a very heart-healthy way for people who are younger or at lower risk
3. An added bonus of LDL-lowering potential for people who do eat according to the earlier proven heart-disease-reversal principles
4. A way to add in LDL-lowering foods for people who are not motivated to make major dietary deletions.

I put myself in group #3. I follow the Ornish principles (dietary and lifestyle) and while my overall cholesterol is low, my LDL was sticking stubbornly in the upper 80s. Then Dr. Michael Greger came on my podcast early this year and reminded me about the Portfolio principles, a potential gamechanger. The upshot for me personally was a 29-point drop in total cholesterol (156 to 127), a slight rise in HDL (good) cholesterol from 150 to 152, and an amazing decrease in “bad” cholesterol––LDL, triglycerides, and the rest––to 75. This happened within 3 months’ time.

Here are the Portfolio principles in a (literal and figurative) nutshell:

1. Plant sterols
2. Soluble fiber
3. Plant protein
4. Nuts

Incorporating all four is key.

“Plant sterols act like a lock that blocks cholesterol from entering the bloodstream. Viscous [soluble] fiber acts like a broom, sweeping cholesterol and bile acids out of the gut. Plant protein, particularly soy, increases the number of LDL receptors in the liver, helping the body remove LDL from circulation. Nuts provide monounsaturated fats, additional sterols, and fiber, further enghancing cholesterol reduction and offering cardiovascular protection.” — David J. Martins, RDN, The Portfolio Diet Dr. David Jenkins: The Evidence-based Plan to Lower Cholesterol, Reclaim Heart Health, Boost Energy and Become Overall Confident

To do this in real life, component #1 will require a supplement. Plant sterols certainly exist in plant foods––pine nuts, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, almonds, cashews––but the amounts needed to do a superior job of cholesterol-blocking are higher than you can realistically expect to get from food alone. While many supplement are out there, the one that appears to have 3rd party safety and efficacy verification is Metagenics Meta-Sitosterol 2.0 (there may be others, as well; I have no affilation with Metagenics and no reason to recommend their product other than my research indicates that this is a quality brand).

#2, Soluble fiber, is all about the food. Here are the strongest sources:

• psyllium husk
• black beans, lima beans, lentils
• Brussels sprouts, okra, sweet potato
• flaxseeds
• oat bran, oatmeal, barley
• dried figs
• pears, blackberries, oranges, apples

#3, Plant protein we’re already eating: dried beans and peas of all sorts, with an emphasis on soy foods: black soy beans (soy protein plus lots of soluble fiber), edamame, tempeh, tofu, soy milk.

#4, Nuts. Walnuts are the allstars here, but all raw, unsalted nuts are good. The magic amount is 45 grams daily, about an ounce (also the amount used in the contemporary Ornish program.) Says David J. Martins, RDN, “Unlike restrictive diets that eliminate indulgence, the inclusion of nuts demonstrates the power of strategic additions. A daily handful feels satisfying, adds texture and flavor to meals, and reinformces the principle that dietary changes do not need to feel like punishment.”

Victoria Moran is the founder and director of Main Street Vegan Coach Training Academy, training Vegan Lifestyle Coaches and Educators since 2012. The next cohort takes place in the fall of 2026.

For more information on the “strategic additions” that lower LDL, see both Mr. Martins’ book (link above) and Dr. Greger’s latest: Lower Cholesterol Naturally With Food.

]]> https://mainstreetvegan.com/a-new-asset-for-your-heart-health-portfolio/feed/ 0 https://mainstreetvegan.com/vibrant-living-with-susan-smith/ https://mainstreetvegan.com/vibrant-living-with-susan-smith/#respond Thu, 28 May 2026 17:16:18 +0000 https://mainstreetvegan.com/?p=26212 Episode 556, air date May 29th, 2026. Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube or your favorite podcast app. Working WONDERS on Your Wellness: 7 Steps to Vibrant Living with Susan Jones   What if vibrant health and lasting joy could be cultivated through a few simple, daily practices? In this uplifting and energizing episode, […]]]>

Episode 556, air date May 29th, 2026. Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube or your favorite podcast app.

Working WONDERS on Your Wellness: 7 Steps to Vibrant Living with Susan Jones

What if vibrant health and lasting joy could be cultivated through a few simple, daily practices? In this uplifting and energizing episode, I welcome longtime colleague and renowned wellness expert Susan Smith Jones, PhD, for a conversation filled with wisdom, warmth, and inspiration.

Drawing on decades of experience in holistic health, Susan shares her signature W.O.N.D.E.R.S. framework, seven powerful pillars designed to support healing, vitality, and a positive, balanced life at any age. With humor, heartfelt stories, and practical guidance, she reminds us that true wellness is both an art and a daily choice.

This special episode also celebrates Susan and Victoria’s long-standing friendship and shared history in the wellness world, making for a truly joyful and meaningful exchange.

In This Episode

Susan’s journey into vegan living and holistic health

The W.O.N.D.E.R.S. framework for total well-being

Why mindset and outlook shape our health outcomes

The healing power of nature and time outdoors

How a whole-food, plant-based diet supports vitality

Staying motivated with exercise and daily habits

The importance of rest, sunshine, and joy in everyday life

About Our Guest

Susan is a globally recognized holistic health and lifestyle expert specializing in anti-aging, optimum nutrition, and balanced living. She taught at UCLA on being healthy and fit for 30 years and has been a passionate advocate of vegan living. Through her books, lectures, and media appearances, Susan inspires people of all ages to embrace vibrant health, inner peace, and joyful living.

Connect with Susan

Website: https://SusanSmithJones.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/SusanSmithJonesPhD

X: https://x.com/SusanSmithJones

Featured Books

A Hug in a Mug
Uplifted
Joy & the Butterfly

Mentioned Links

Subscribe, rate, and review our Podcast to help more people discover the joy of living with vitality, spirituality and compassion.

Sign up for our blog and newsletter at www.mainstreetvegan.com and receive your FREE e-book, Recipes to Help You Age Like a Yogi.

And become an insider by joining the Main Street Vegan Podcast Listeners Group on Facebook:

www.facebook.com/groups/207997266555049

Complement are supplements made by vegans, Pamela Fergusson, RD, PhD, Matt Frazier, and Joel Kahn, MD, to enhance diet. Check our their new product Sulfora HERE, and enter ‘MAINSTREET’ in the discount box to save yourself 10%.

Posted May 26, 2026

GLP-1 has become one of the most talked-about hormones in nutrition and weight management, and for good reason. This naturally occurring hormone helps regulate appetite, blood sugar, digestion, and feelings of fullness after meals. While GLP-1 medications have gained attention recently, there’s another important part of the conversation: your body already produces GLP-1 on its own.

One of the most effective ways to support that process naturally is through the foods you eat every day.

A whole-food vegan diet supports healthy GLP-1 activity because it centers around fiber-rich plant foods, intact grains, legumes, herbs, spices, and slower digestion patterns that encourage satiety and balanced energy.

Fiber: The Unsung Hero of Natural Appetite Regulation

One of the biggest drivers of GLP-1 release is fiber.

Unlike processed foods that digest quickly, fiber-rich whole plant foods break down more slowly. Beans, lentils, oats, barley, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds help nutrients travel farther along the digestive tract to where GLP-1 is released.

Research comparing plant-based meals with animal-based meals consistently shows higher GLP-1 responses after eating plant foods. In one study, participants eating a veggie burger produced roughly double the GLP-1 levels compared with those eating a meat burger, even when calories and protein were similar.

Why? Plants come packaged with fiber.

Fiber slows digestion, helps stabilize blood sugar, and increases fullness after meals. Instead of the rapid spikes and crashes that often follow consumption of ultra-processed foods, whole plant foods have a steadier burn.

Some especially supportive foods include:

• Lentils and beans
• Intact whole grains, i.e., oats, rye, barley, and quinoa
• Sweet potatoes
• Leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables
• Chia and flax seeds
• Apples, berries, and pears

Studies on intact grains like rye and barley show increased satiety and GLP-1 activity lasting into the following day. What you eat today can influence your hunger tomorrow.

Your Gut Microbiome Plays a Major Role

GLP-1 production is closely connected to the health of your gut microbiome.

When beneficial gut bacteria ferment fiber, they produce compounds called short-chain fatty acids. These compounds help stimulate the intestinal cells responsible for releasing GLP-1.

Feeding your gut bacteria helps activate your body’s natural appetite-regulating system.

This is one reason plant diversity matters so much. Different plant foods feed different strains of beneficial bacteria. Aiming for a wide variety of plants each week can support a healthier microbiome and healthier hormone signaling.

These foods include:

• Vegetables
• Fruits
• Whole grains
• Legumes
• Nuts and seeds
• Fresh herbs
• Spices

Spices Can Help Boost GLP-1 Naturally

Even herbs and spices count toward plant diversity, which brings us to another helpful strategy: certain spices appear to support GLP-1 release and improve satiety.

In one study, participants eating a highly spiced vegetable curry had significantly greater GLP-1 increases than those eating a milder version. The spices included turmeric, garlic, onion, coriander, cumin, cayenne, and cinnamon.

Cinnamon, in particular, shows promising effects on blood sugar balance and GLP-1 activity. Even adding a teaspoon to oatmeal, smoothies, or plant-based yogurt may help support more stable energy and fullness.

Turmeric’s active compound, curcumin, has also been studied for its role in metabolic health and gut support.

Supporting your hormones doesn’t have to mean restriction or complicated food rules. Sometimes it looks like:

• Adding cinnamon to your breakfast cereal or smoothie
• Cooking lentils with cumin and coriander
• Making vegetable soups with garlic and turmeric
• Using herbs generously in grain bowls and salads

Flavorful food can also be deeply satisfying.

Slowing Down Matters More Than We Think

GLP-1 isn’t influenced only by what we eat. How we eat matters too.

Research shows that eating more slowly and chewing thoroughly can increase GLP-1 release and improve satiety signals. In one study, participants who chewed food more times produced higher GLP-1 levels than those who ate quickly.

This makes sense physiologically. GLP-1 is part of a communication system between the digestive tract and the brain. Eating too quickly can override fullness cues before the body has time to register satisfaction.

Simple practices can help:

• Sit down while eating
• Put utensils down between bites
• Chew thoroughly
• Notice textures and flavors
• Pause midway through meals

Mindful eating gives your brain enough time to catch up to your body’s fullness signals.

Whole Plant Foods Naturally Support Satiety

One of the biggest misconceptions about plant-based eating is that it leaves people hungry.

In reality, meals built around fiber-rich whole foods often increase fullness because they combine volume, water, fiber, and slower digestion. A bowl of lentil soup, roasted vegetables, intact grains, and avocado affects hunger very differently than highly processed convenience foods.

Vegan eating can support appetite regulation because many plant foods are less calorie-dense while being more nutrient-dense and fiber-rich.

This combination helps create meals that are satisfying physically, nutritionally, and psychologically.

Supporting Your Body Instead of Fighting It

GLP-1 doesn’t need to be viewed only through the lens of medication. Your body already has sophisticated systems designed to help regulate hunger, digestion, and energy balance.

Whole plant foods help support those systems.

Fiber feeds beneficial gut bacteria; intact grains slow digestion; spices support metabolic health; and mindful eating allows fullness signals time to work.

Perhaps that’s one of the most empowering parts of plant-based eating: the food itself becomes part of the support system.

Anna Pelzer is a Registered Health & Nutrition Practitioner, certified Professional Food Addiction Coach, and host of the Vegan Menopause Podcast. A Main Street Vegan Academy graduate, Anna specializes in helping vegan and plant-based women lose weight in perimenopause and menopause without giving up their lifestyle. She knows this journey firsthand: gaining 25 pounds in perimenopause and losing the weight as a vegan, after being told it couldn’t be done.

Anna works with clients 1:1 with her 12-week program, “Menopause Weight Loss Breakthrough.” Grab her free Vegan Menopause 3-Day Meal Plan at blissfulmenopause.com and find her on Instagram @anna.pelzer and Facebook.

Episode 555, air date May 21st, 2026. Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube or your favorite podcast app.

Dr. Haransky-Beck on Seeing Clearly: Vision, Vitality and Whole-Person Healing!

Can improving your eyesight also deepen your insight into life?

In this expansive and heart-centered conversation, I speak with Dr. Elisa Haransky-Beck about the powerful connections between vision, vitality, and whole person healing. Elisa shares her decades-long journey as an optometrist and wellness practitioner, and how she came to integrate natural eyesight improvement with movement, nutrition, and spiritual practice. She explains how reconnecting with our inner and outer vision can help us rediscover purpose, presence, and alignment with our true path. This episode is an invitation to see more clearly, not just with the eyes, but with the whole self.

In This Episode
How natural eyesight improvement became her calling
The connection between vision, awareness, and inner truth
Why nature and grounding are essential for healing
How multiple disciplines weave into one life purpose
Simple practices to support eyesight and overall well-being
Her passionate outlook on leather and plastics

About Our Guest
Dr. Elisa Haransky-Beck is an optometrist and wellness practitioner, spiritual nutrition counselor, EmbodyVision somatic yoga teacher, educator, and speaker. She specializes in facilitating natural eyesight improvement to deepen insight and supports individuals in rising into their true mission in life, their “raison d’être” for being here at this extraordinary time. Her work integrates vision, movement, nutrition, nature, and spirit into a holistic path of awakening.

Connect with Elisa
Website: www.EnliveningConsciousness.com
Facebook: Dr. Elisa Beth Haransky-Beck
Instagram: EmbodyVision
LinkedIn: Dr. Elisa Beth Haransky-Beck (Elisa Beck)

Subscribe, rate, and review the Main Street Vegan Podcast to help more people discover the joy of living with vitality, spirituality, and compassion.

Sign up for the Main Street Vegan blog and newsletter at www.mainstreetvegan.com and receive your FREE e-book, Recipes to Help You Age Like a Yogi.

And become an insider by joining the Main Street Vegan Podcast Listeners Group on Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/207997266555049

Complement are supplements made by vegans, Pamela Fergusson, RD, PhD, Matt Frazier, and Joel Kahn, MD, to enhance diet. Check our their new product Sulfora HERE, and enter ‘MAINSTREET’ in the discount box to save yourself 10%.

Posted May 19, 2026

The rise of veganism, which has become synonymous with vegan food, has been quite amazing. Some of us feel veganism is well on its way to becoming a social norm, with the hope that someday we won’t need the word anymore—everyone will live vegan. We all want to see a vegan world now. Many vegans are often frustrated and devastated because most people refuse to go vegan or refuse to move even a bit towards eating more plants and less meat.

The Reality of Veganism, Food, and Dining Out

The harsh reality is although veganism and/or plant-based eating have made progress by leaps and bounds, it is far, far, far from becoming the default social norm that we need.

So many vegan restaurants have opened, blossomed, thrived––then disappeared. Food and energy prices keep increasing, making restaurant ownership extremely difficult. The only way some formerly vegan restaurants could stay in business was to add animal products to their menus, although the majority have kept most of their menu choices vegan.

This trend has been devastating to those of us who cherish an entirely vegan venue. It can thwart our hopes and certainty of creating a vegan world. We are painfully aware of the extensive cruelty imposed upon animals. We know the excessive resource usage that threatens the ability of Earth to sustain life. Still, time and habits march on, oblivious to the obvious.

People who live in Western and other wealthy countries eat out a lot. Dining is a convenience and a fundamental social experience for us. At this point in time, however, people are eating out less because it’s become very expensive, and the value of our dollar keeps shrinking. This poses major threats to all restaurants, especially those entirely plant-based/vegan.

The Fate of a Michelin 3-Star Restaurant in a Vegan-Friendly City: A Barometer for Many Vegan Restaurants

In a most shocking twist of fate, some vegan restaurants have added animal products back into their menus. A most prominent restaurant is Eleven Madison Park in New York City. Chef and owner Daniel Humm created the first vegan restaurant in the world to be awarded Michelin designation and retained its three stars after going entirely plant-based. Initially, Humm created a menu that 90% plant-based and promoted this proudly. Even a cattle rancher from Texas claimed the dinner he had there was one of the best meals of his life. In 2021, he took things 100% plant-based and while we vegans were thrilled, the restaurant experienced revenue loss and a smaller clientele from the outset of this change. As a result, in 2025, limited amounts of animal products were added back into his menu.

Supporting Plant-Based/Vegan Foods

Although our fellow creatures are exploited in laboratories, zoos, the fashion industry, puppy mills and more, the most widespread and excessive use of nonhuman beings continues to be for food. The social and cultural norms that are deeply embedded into dietary choices are not going to fade away any time soon. Most people still eat animals, and most will not venture into an entirely plant-based/vegan restaurant. Formerly vegan restaurants that choose to add some animal products to their menus still have a vital role in introducing vegan food to the many people who are curious enough to try.

Major social change happens in incremental steps. Let’s not make perfect the enemy of good.

Nancy Poznak has a Master of Science in Health Science, is a Certified Health Education Specialist, Group Fitness Instructor, Personal Trainer, and Main Street Vegan Academy graduate. She has been passionately vegan since July 2014. Her vegan food business, BotaniCuisine, which she’s owned since November 2017, hosts vegan food and social events, and organized a Vegan Burger Smackdown in 2019. She’s delivered presentations about the many solutions offered by living vegan, taught college health courses, and senior exercise classes.

Episode 554, air date May 14th, 2026. Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube or your favorite podcast app.

The World Peace Way: Food, Freedom, and Foundations with Dr. Will Tuttle

Can our daily food choices shape not only our health, but the future of humanity itself?

In this conversation, I speak with bestselling author, former Zen monk, and longtime vegan advocate Dr. Will Tuttle about the deep spiritual, cultural, and psychological implications of the way we eat.

Drawing from decades of teaching and writing, Will explores the ideas behind The World Peace Diet, Food for Freedom, and The World Peace Way, explaining how modern food culture reinforces systems of domination, disconnection, and violence and how compassionate living offers a path toward healing.

This episode is both philosophical and practical, inviting listeners to consider vegan living not merely as a diet, but as a transformative spiritual practice rooted in peace, awareness, and compassion for all beings.

In This Episode

The central message behind Will’s life work and books
How food choices affect cultural, ecological, and spiritual well-being
The connection between freedom, health, and compassion
How vegan living supports personal and collective transformation
Why these ideas are often overlooked in mainstream culture
What each of us can do to contribute to peace and healing every day

About Our Guest

Dr. Will Tuttle is the author of the international bestseller The World Peace Diet. Publishers have released the book in 18 languages. He also wrote Food for Freedom, The World Peace Way, and several other books on spirituality and healthful living.

Will has followed a vegan lifestyle since 1980 and previously lived as a Zen monk. Alongside his spouse, visionary artist Madeleine Tuttle, he has lectured in all 50 U.S. states and in 50 countries.

Connect with Will

Website: www.worldpeacediet.com
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@WillTuttle

Subscribe, rate and review the Podcast to help more people discover the joy of living with vitality, spirituality and compassion.

Sign up to the Main Street Vegan newsletter here and receive a FREE e-book, Recipes to Help You Age Like a Yogi.

Become an insider by joining the Main Street Vegan Podcast Listeners Group on Facebook here.

Complement are supplements made by vegans, Pamela Fergusson, RD, PhD, Matt Frazier, and Joel Kahn, MD, to enhance diet. Check our their new product Sulfora HERE, and enter ‘MAINSTREET’ in the discount box to save yourself 10%.