No-Bullsh!t Vegan

Karina Inkster

Myth-busting and evidence-based advice to help you kick butt with your health and fitness - on a vegan diet. Join our movement of No-Bullsh!t Vegans who value critical thinking and want to further our cause using scientific truths, not made-up facts. Meet our expert guests who use science to acquire knowledge about the world and how it works. Learn why some of the biggest trends in vegan health and fitness are completely false and based on misinformation.

Your host, vegan fitness coach and author Karina Inkster, sifts through the bullsh!t, so you can focus on levelling-up your health and fitness in ways that actually work.

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20 episodes
Updated July 21
Explicit

Episodes20

Newest first

July 21 · 47 min
NBSV 227: Rare steak to whole-food plant-based: Skepticism, longevity, and running a vegan cafe, with Dr. Phil Narini
Dr. Phil Narini spent decades hunting, fishing, and eating meat-centric Italian home cooking before a single lecture on fish and mercury changed his and his wife's eating habits overnight — no cravings, no willpower. Fifteen years later, he's a reconstructive plastic surgeon who insists he's not a nutrition expert (and thinks you should be suspicious of anyone who claims to be), co-founder of a whole-food plant-based café built on the idea that healthy food has to taste good first, and an outspoken advocate for scientific skepticism over Instagram influencers. We get into the "trifecta" most doctors won't connect to diet, why medical school teaches close to zero nutrition, what a trip to Sardinia's Blue Zone actually taught him about longevity, and why he'd rather trust someone with fifty years of grey hair than a six-pack and a supplement code.
July 7 · 47 min
NBSV 226: Pull-ups, protein, and the myth of the apolitical gym, with andrea bennett
Gym culture likes to pretend it's apolitical: just protein, PRs, and personal responsibility. My guest this week isn't buying it. andrea bennett is a senior editor at The Tyee and the author of several books, including Hearty: On Cooking, Eating, and Growing Food for Pleasure and Subsistence, which won a Taste Canada Gold Award. andrea also happens to be my open water swim buddy of several years, and the author of a recent Tyee piece on how MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) is trying to co-opt fitness culture, and why progressives shouldn't let it. We get into the difference between training for aesthetics and training for your actual life, and why so much of commercial gym culture is coded white, male, and able-bodied by default. andrea also walks me through their 10-month journey to a first unassisted pull-up (I may have had a hand in the programming), and why representation of bigger bodies in fitness matters. We also talk protein hype, the class and access issues underneath population-level "under-muscled" stats, and why choosing a goal that feels borderline impossible is worth doing at any age.
June 23 · 47 min
NBSV 225: Eat more plants, celebrate imperfection: Molly Patrick on ditching diet culture for good
Co-founder of Clean Food Dirty Girl and certified life coach, Molly Patrick, joins me to talk about why knowing *what* to eat is only half the battle. We dig into the mindset work behind lasting behaviour change, why abundance — not restriction — is the real engine of sustainable eating, and how dismantling shame-based diet culture is just as important as knowing what to put on your plate. Molly also gets candid about her decade of sobriety, and why the best thing you can do for the non-vegans in your life is to stop lecturing them.
June 11 · 4 min
You're invited to my 40th birthday online taco party!
I'm turning 40 in a few days, so (obviously) I'm hosting an online taco party Hope to see you there! Cook along with me, or just watch and hang out. We'll do a book giveaway, Q&A, and share vegan intel with likeminded folks. Join me on Wednesday, June 17 at 5pm Pacific / 8pm Eastern. It's free, it's going to be a super-fun community event, and I'd love to celebrate with you. Grab your spot at www.karinainkster.com/40!
June 9 · 29 min
NBSV 224: Veganism, fashion, food, and sustainability in Ghana with Nana-Serwa Mancell
Five years after her first appearance on the show, Nana-Serwa Mancell returns to share her journey from running a vegan African food business in Dubai to building a sustainability-focused retreat and community space in Ghana. We discuss West African vegan food traditions, overlooked plant protein sources, ethical tourism, sustainable fashion, environmental challenges in Ghana, and why she believes Africa's future is full of innovation, creativity, and hope.
June 2 · 5 min
Turning 40 and launching a Patreon!
I'm announcing the brand-new Patreon for the No-Bullsh!t Vegan podcast and giving you a peek at what's inside. Check it out at patreon.com/noBSvegan! If the podcast has helped you feel stronger, more informed, more connected, or more confident in your vegan life, this is one way to help keep it growing, while getting some fun (and possibly unhinged) bonus content and behind-the-scenes access along the way. Thank you for being part of my little corner of the internet. Whether you support on Patreon, listen every week, or just send me memes occasionally, I appreciate you!
May 26 · 44 min
NBSV 223: Dr. Michael Klaper's mission to change medical education
After going vegan in 1981, Dr. Michael Klaper has spent decades helping patients use food to reverse chronic disease. He's now focused on a new mission: changing medical education from the inside out. We talk about his transition to veganism in the early 1980s, the moment he realized food was at the root of many chronic diseases, and why most doctors still receive shockingly little nutrition education. Dr. Klaper also shares the work he's doing through Moving Medicine Forward to bring nutrition science into medical schools across North America. We discuss: why nutrition is still largely absent from medical training how plant-based diets can help reverse chronic disease the cultural and systemic barriers keeping people stuck keto and carnivore diet trends the economics of modern healthcare why he believes medicine is slowly starting to change Dr. Klaper also shares details about his new book, Moving Medicine Forward, and why he believes the next generation of doctors could transform healthcare as we know it.
May 12 · 53 min
NBSV 222: Paul Erlandson on ethical veganism and running an animal sanctuary
What does it mean to treat veganism not just as an identity, but as a practice? I'm joined by Paul Erlandson, co-founder of Rivendell Sanctuary, for a conversation about animal sanctuaries, ethical veganism, mindfulness, and the relationships we build with farmed animals when we actually get to know them as individuals. Paul shares the story of how he and his wife started their sanctuary from scratch during the pandemic, why their first rescued pigs changed everything, and how his decades-long spiritual practice shaped his approach to veganism. We also get into some nuanced territory: rescue chickens and eggs, veganism as a "practice" versus an "identity," the discomfort of being the only vegan at the table, and why sanctuaries can be such powerful catalysts for change. We discuss: How and why Paul went from musician to sanctuary founder Why veganism isn't a "lifestyle preference" How sanctuaries help people connect the dots between dogs, cats, and farmed animals Why delicious vegan food is part of activism …and much more!
April 28 · 44 min
NBSV 221: It's never too late to get strong (even in your 70s), with Jane Thurnell-Read
Strength training in later life might be one of the most important things you can do for your health. Jane Thurnell-Read—vegan, author, activist, and 78-year-old strength athlete—joins me to share how she went from thinking she was "too old for the gym" to deadlifting 160 pounds and getting stronger every year. We get into what actually changes when you start lifting later in life, why it's never too late to build strength, and how that strength shows up in everyday life. We also dig into the mindset side of aging: the myths that keep people stuck, and what most folks get wrong about "enjoying life". Jane shares her journey from decades of vegetarianism to going vegan in her late 60s, how she approaches training now (including working around injuries), and what she'd say to any woman over 60 who thinks strength training isn't for her. If "too late" has crossed your mind, this conversation is your wake-up call.
April 14 · 42 min
NBSV 220: Out of Sight: Inside animal agriculture, and Gail Eisnitz's survival story
Gail Eisnitz, chief investigator for the Humane Farming Association and author of Out of Sight, shares what it's really like to spend decades documenting animal cruelty inside slaughterhouses and factory farms, and why she chose to tell her story as a memoir. We talk about how her work led her to become vegan, what she's witnessed behind the scenes in the meat industry, and the frustrating reality of trying to expose these issues through media and legal channels. Gail also opens up about living with undiagnosed OCD and a rare neurological condition for most of her life, and how those challenges shaped both her perspective and her work. This is a conversation about persistence, empathy, and the personal cost of doing difficult, necessary work. It's also a reminder that the systems we don't see often have the biggest impact, and why bringing them into view matters. Trigger warning: This episode contains descriptions of farm animal abuse.
March 31 · 43 min
NBSV 219: Cycling 30,000 km for the planet: plant-based athletes Leanna Carriere and Dr. Timm Döbert
Leanna Carriere and Dr. Timm Döbert are preparing to cycle 30,000 km from Alaska to Chile as part of their Wings of Survival project, following migratory birds and raising awareness about biodiversity and climate. We talk about how they fuel extreme endurance—like cycling 150 km a day and eating up to 10,000 calories—entirely on a vegan diet. We also dig into the environmental side: land use, why animal agriculture doesn't scale, and what real change could look like over the next decade. This conversation is part science, part storytelling, and part "wait…that's humanly possible?"
March 17 · 38 min
NBSV 218: Javant Benton on whole-food vegan eating, fibre, and long-term health
Javant joins me to talk about his journey to veganism, which began with a major health scare and evolved over many years into a fully vegan lifestyle. We discuss how he moved from trying different diets to embracing whole-food plant-based eating, and how that shift eventually expanded beyond health to include empathy for animals and compassion for people who aren't vegan. Javant also shares details about his new cookbook, which focuses on familiar comfort foods made vegan, oil-free, gluten-free, and free of refined sugar. We get into his philosophy around helping people eat more plants without feeling deprived, his thoughts on fibre versus protein, and why gut health deserves way more attention than it gets. We also talk about the four pillars of health he teaches through his app: diet, exercise, sleep, and mindset.
March 3 · 47 min
NBSV 217: Vegan fitness myths busted — strength training, creatine, and cardio (Coaches' Corner with Karina and Zoe)
Coach Zoe and I are back for a Coaches' Corner episode, answering the questions we didn't get to during our recent live No-B.S. Reset panel event. We dig into some of the most common (and most frustrating) myths we see in the fitness and nutrition space, especially around strength training, supplements, and social-media "advice." If you're new to lifting, feeling overwhelmed by conflicting information online, or just tired of wellness trends that sound slick but don't actually work, this one's for you. In this episode, we cover: - The biggest mistakes beginners make when starting strength training (and how to avoid them) - Why going "too hard, too fast" backfires, and what sustainable progress actually looks like - Compound lifts vs. isolation exercises: what matters most early on - The rise of creatine gummies (and why "creatine for women" marketing is nonsense) - Why "what I eat in a day" videos can be misleading, or downright harmful - Steps vs. cardio vs. lifting: what really gives you the most bang for your buck - The lingering myth that vegans can't be strong—and why leading by example matters more than arguing - A teaser on upcoming deep dives into diet-culture obsessions like "snatched" bodies and HYROX hype As always, we bring the conversation back to evidence-based coaching, long-term health, and building strength in ways that actually work in real life, without extremes, guilt, or BS.
February 17 · 57 min
NBSV 216: Vegan myth-busting power round (dietitian, doctor, agrologist, fitness coach)
What happens when a doctor, a registered dietitian, an agrologist, and a fitness coach sit down to answer real audience questions? Find out in this episode. In this follow-up to our live No-B.S. Reset panel event, we tackle the questions we didn't have time to answer on Zoom, covering everything from vegan nutrition myths to food system misconceptions. You'll hear evidence-based, practical answers to questions like: What really helps with high blood pressure and low blood pressure, without jumping straight to pills? Should I be concerned about eating too much soy? (Spoiler: no.) How can people with IBS or sensitive guts thrive on a plant-based diet? Are protein bars and powders helping, or just crowding out better options? Is livestock necessary for soil health or food security? Joining me are: Dr. Jade Dittaro: lifestyle MD, hospitalist, and environmentalist. Vesanto Melina: registered dietitian and award-winning co-author of 15 books. Cory Davis: agrologist interested in the socio-environmental impact of food, an animal rights advocate, and co-author of Plant-Powered Protein. We connect personal health, planetary health, and food system reality, without pretending there's a single perfect answer for everyone.
February 3 · 38 min
NBSV 215: 2 million steps in 30 days, and the power of community health — with Kwame Terra
What if getting healthier didn't require more willpower, more tracking, or more "optimizing"… but less? Kwame Terra and I dig into what the world's longest-living communities actually do differently — and spoiler: it's not VO2 max tests, cold plunges, or biohacking spreadsheets. It's walking, connection, and movement that's baked into daily life. Kwame shares how he's building community-based fitness experiences that feel social and automatic instead of like another chore on your to-do list, and why representation matters in wellness spaces. His new app is built specifically for Black communities, addressing the gaps in access, representation, and culturally relevant support that mainstream fitness platforms often miss. We also talk about the story behind his wild goal of hitting two million steps in a month (and going after a Guinness World Record while he's at it).
January 20 · 44 min
NBSV 214: Life is an improvisation: Bob Wiseman on music, mortality, and veganism
5-time Juno Award winner and founding member of Blue Rodeo Bob Wiseman joins me for a wide-ranging, thoughtful conversation about music, aging, and what it actually looks like to live vegan for decades—long before it was mainstream or convenient. Bob and I talk about his early days with macrobiotics and touring as a long-term vegan, why grocery stores matter more than restaurants on the road, and how the West Coast quietly led the way on plant-based food culture. We dig into improvisation—not just as a musical practice, but as a way of understanding life itself—and why the idea that music isn't improvised is philosophically questionable at best. We also get into aging and mortality: how perspective shifts in your 40s, 50s, and 60s; what it means to start losing people you love; and why long-term health habits matter, even though nothing is guaranteed. Along the way, Bob shares stories about teaching beginners, learning accordion on a whim, raising a vegetarian kid in a mixed-diet household, and why trying to force change on other people rarely works. This episode is funny, reflective, a little wackadoodle, and full of big ideas about creativity, compassion, and playing the long game—on stage and in life.
January 6 · 47 min
NBSV 213: Longevity, wearables, and identity-based habits with Coach Mike Howard
Mike Howard is back on the podcast! We start with a proper catch-up: his retreats, my TEDx prep, and the reality of juggling health goals alongside real life. From there, we dive into what's been taking over the wellness section of the internet lately: longevity, biohacking, and the obsession with tracking everything. We talk about why the basics are still the basics (sleep, strength training, protein, veggies, daily movement), and why chasing the "perfect" plan can make consistency harder, not easier. We also get into identity-based habits, expectation management, and simple environment tweaks that make healthy choices easier—without needing a new gadget, a cleanse, or an entirely new personality.
Dec 23, 2025 · 54 min
NBSV 212: Vystopia: the anguish of being vegan in a non-vegan world, with psychologist and author Clare Mann
Vystopia is the profound anguish many ethical vegans experience when living in a non-vegan world. Clare Mann explains why this response is normal rather than pathological, how the burden of knowing affects mental health, and why vegans are often misunderstood by families, professionals, and society at large. We explore compassion fatigue, burnout, and practical ways to stay grounded, resilient, and effective as a vegan advocate, including how to communicate without arguments or self-sacrifice. This conversation offers validation and practical insight for anyone navigating ethical veganism in a non-vegan world.
Dec 9, 2025 · 44 min
NBSV 211: Strength at 72 — Vegan powerlifting nun Pat Farrell and Coach Katya Gorbacheva
At 72, Pat Farrell is turning heads in the powerlifting world. Pat is a Dominican sister, a longtime advocate for social justice, and a dedicated vegan who has recently taken the strength community by storm. She joins me to share her journey into competitive powerlifting, her rapid progress in training, and what it feels like to become known as the vegan powerlifting nun in mainstream news. Pat is joined by her coach, Katya Gorbacheva, who is the third strongest vegan woman on the planet. Katya gives us an inside look at how she programs Pat's training, how they are working toward a full meet that includes squat, bench press, and deadlift, and why strength sports are truly accessible for people of all ages. We talk about protein, recovery, sport psychology, and the powerful mindset shift that happens when performance becomes the focus rather than body size or age. Pat shares insights from her first competition, how she handles the nerves on meet day, and what it means to inspire people around the world to pursue strength at any stage of life.
Nov 25, 2025 · 55 min
NBSV 210: Minimal time, maximum strength — Coach Matt Taylor on training that fits your life
In this episode, I'm joined by strength coach Matt Taylor to talk about what it really takes to get stronger when life is busy. We dig into the concept of bare-ass minimums: the essential actions that keep you progressing even during chaotic weeks—and how to build a training routine that fits into real life. Matt shares how he coaches lifters to make meaningful gains in under five hours a week, why anchoring habits matters more than willpower, and how to set goals that won't burn you out. We also dive into his own journey: from world records to an autoimmune diagnosis, and back to competitive lifting using a more flexible, sustainable approach. Whether you're short on time, struggling with consistency, or just want a smarter strength plan, this conversation will help you rethink what "effective training" actually looks like.