Description:
In this solo episode, Michele invites you to look ahead to the final nine weeks of 2025 — and beyond — through the lens of “The Vision Thing.” Michele explores how vision keeps us growing when life feels settled or stuck.
Drawing inspiration from author Tracy Goss, Michele shows how we can stop letting the past dictate what’s possible next — especially when it comes to living more intentionally and compassionately.
Humor, psychology, and even a little Back to the Future wisdom, this episode helps you create a clearer picture of your “invented vegan future.”
You’ll learn:
Why our “winning strategies” eventually keep us stuck
How to spot the “shoulds” that limit growth and creativity
The difference between predicting the future and inventing it
Seven steps to reimagine your relationship with food — and yourself
Why even imperfect progress changes everything
Listener Challenge:
Write two short statements:
Your default future — what happens if you change nothing.
Your invented vegan future — who you’re becoming on purpose. Read them out loud daily and notice which one feels alive.
Key idea:
“The future doesn’t need you to predict it — it just needs you to Vedge Your Best.”
Subscribe & Review:
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners.
For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com
Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/
Description:
Vegan health coach and Healthification host Kate Galli joins Michele to talk about trading outrage for effectiveness—and the practical mindset and protein strategies that keep a plant-strong life doable in midlife.
Kate shares her memorable 5-S Protein Strategy, why muscle is metabolism, and the simple mindset shift that neutralizes overwhelm: only focus on what you can control.
She opens up about moving from training omnivores to working with vegans and “vegans at heart,” and why structure isn’t pressure—it’s freedom.
Whether you’re re-starting, leveling up, or leading by example for your family, this episode blends compassion with clear, repeatable tactics.
In this episode:
How Kate shifted from “angry vegan” to leading with love (and why that approach works).
The 5-S Protein Strategy: Star, Scatter, Side, Stir-through, Sauce—a simple roadmap for balanced vegan meals.
The antidote to O.V.E.R.W.H.E.L.M., starting with the “O”: Only focus on what’s within your control.
Why mindset is the foundation of sustainable change.
How muscle is metabolism, especially for women in midlife.
Why structure = freedom when it comes to food, fitness, and follow-through.
Try this week:
Add one 5-S element to your next meal—scatter hemp seeds (Michele’s fave) or stir through protein powder.
Do a 2-minute Overwhelm Reset: brain-dump everything, circle one “Do,” and start there.
Begin a strength habit: 10 bodyweight squats today, then build consistency.
Connect with Kate Galli:
Website: https://strongbodygreenplanet.com
Healthification Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-healthification-podcast/id856696884
The Plant Positive Journal: https://strongbodygreenplanet.com/plant-positive-journal/
Listener Challenge
Share one small action from this episode—your favorite “S” from Kate’s protein strategy, your 2-minute overwhelm reset, or your first day of squats—and tag @vedgeyourbest so we can cheer you on.
Subscribe & Review:
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners.
For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com
Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/
Ever felt so overwhelmed that when someone asks what’s wrong, the only answer that comes out is “everything?"
In this episode, Michele introduces a simple but powerful tool inspired by the classic game Mad Libs and adapted from education: a “fill-in-the-blank scaffold” that helps transform vague frustration into clear, actionable steps.
When we’re vague, we stay stuck. Specificity can feel risky, but clarity doesn’t need to solve everything—it just needs to shine a light on the next step.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
Why vague help requests create overwhelm and stall progress.
The origins of Mad Libs and how professors use scaffolds to guide students.
A practical “fill-in-the-blank” template you can use to get unstuck.
A plant-based lifestyle example: moving from “I’m bad at meal planning” to identifying a specific, solvable problem.
How clarity, even when imperfect, reduces the fog and opens up possibilities.
The Scaffold: Fill in the Blanks
I need help with: __________
One example of where I’m stuck is: __________
Three things I’ve already tried are:
Listener Challenge
This week, choose one area where you feel stuck. Your vegan journey or any other area . Use the scaffold prompts to fill in the blanks and read it back to yourself—or share it with someone supportive. Notice whether it feels clearer and whether it suggests one or two next steps.
Clarity doesn’t have to be perfect. It only needs to be specific enough to help you move forward—one step, one choice, one meal at a time
Subscribe & Review:
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners.
For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com
Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/
Is moderation your strategy—or your excuse?
In this episode of Vedge Your Best, Michele unpacks the sneaky ways “moderation” shows up in our lives—not as a well-thought-out plan, but as a default response when we don’t want to commit.
You’ll learn:
Why moderation isn’t a value—it’s a strategy.
How default moderation leads to decision fatigue and moral licensing.
The difference between spontaneous flexibility and intentional, values-based boundaries.
Tools to design your own moderation rules (including the “More or Less” framework).
How to apply behavioral science and coaching tools from Dan Ariely and Britt Frank to your plant-based goals (or any life goal).
This episode is especially for anyone who describes themselves as “mostly vegan,” “trying to eat better,” or “aiming for balance”—but suspects that their version of moderation might be keeping them stuck.
Vedge Your Best Challenge: Pick one area where you’ve been practicing vague, rearview-mirror moderation—and make a real decision. Define it. Write it down. Set a review date. That’s it.
Because you don’t have to be perfect to be powerful.
Subscribe & Review:
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners.
For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com
Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/
Is moderation really the key to fabulous health? According to plant-based nutritionist and author Terri Chrisman, board certified through the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, the answer is a resounding no. In this candid and passionate conversation, Terri shares why moderation has failed us in the age of ultra-processed foods, and how shifting to a purposeful whole food plant-based lifestyle can transform not just our health, but our identity and culture.
We talk about:
Why the myth of moderation contributes to today’s obesity, diabetes, and heart disease epidemics.
The role of culture, memory, and identity in making (and resisting) dietary changes.
Terri’s personal story, including the loss of her father to heart disease, and how it shaped her mission.
Practical strategies for transitioning family meals without conflict.
The science behind lifestyle medicine and why more physicians are embracing it.
Why vegan junk food is still junk food—and how to focus on whole plant foods for real vitality.
Terri also reminds us that lifestyle isn’t just about diet—it’s about exercise, sleep, connection, and creating an environment free from toxins. Her message is both compassionate and uncompromising: don’t gamble your health on being an outlier when the science is clear.
Whether you’re vegan-curious, already plant-based, or supporting someone through lifestyle changes, this episode will leave you with tools, insight, and encouragement to take your next step with intention.
Connect with Terri Chrisman
Website: fabuloushealth.net
Book: Fabulous Health: A Simple Plan to Get Well and Stay Well (and her newest release, recently #1 on Amazon!)
Subscribe & Review:
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners.
For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com
Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/
Episode 264 – "Vegan Voices in Your Head: Internal Family Systems and the Plant-Based Practice"
Ever feel like there’s a whole committee in your head when it comes to staying consistent with your vegan or plant-based choices? One part of you is passionate about animals and the planet. Another part just wants to fit in at the family dinner table. And yet another whispers that travel would be easier if you weren’t vegan at all.
If that sounds familiar, nothing has gone wrong..
In this episode of Vedge Your Best, Michele introduces Internal Family Systems (IFS), a powerful way of understanding those inner conflicts. Instead of trying to silence the “vegan voices in your head,” you can learn to listen, thank them, and then let your calm, compassionate Self take the lead.
What you’ll learn in this episode:
Why mixed feelings are a normal — and even healthy — part of behavior change.
How IFS reframes conflicting thoughts as “parts” that are actually trying to help.
Why acknowledging your parts can make self-advocacy as a vegan easier.
A short guided practice you can use before meals, social events, or travel.
Whether you’re navigating restaurants, family gatherings, or planning trips abroad, this episode will help you see inner conflict not as a setback, but as a sign of growth.
Listener Challenge:
This week, when you feel that tug-of-war inside, don’t shut it down. Pause, thank the parts of you that are speaking up, and invite your compassionate Self to guide the next step.
Little by little, your vegan journey will feel less conflicted and more peaceful.
Subscribe & Review:
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners.
For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com
Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/
I’m packing me battered Rimowa suitcase for a trip to Liverpool, Belfast, and Dundalk, Ireland. No matter how organized we are while traveling, there’s so much we can’t control—flights, weather, menus, other people. But the Stoics, have plenty to say about what we can control on a vegan journey of any kind: our choices, our mindset, and our integrity.
In this episode of Vedge Your Best, I revisit the Stoics and connect their wisdom to both vegan practice and my 30-day writing challenge. Because whether you’re committing to a plant-based lifestyle, writing a book, or simply trying to live your values more fully—Stoic teachings are surprisingly relevant.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
Why looking foolish might be the first step toward real progress.
How to resist short-term pleasures in favor of long-term values.
Why difficulties reveal your true strength, not your weakness.
How honest effort counts more than perfectionism ever will.
Resources & Links
Epictetus, Discourses and Selected Writings
Follow my vegan and writing journey at VeganAtAnyAge.com
Until next time — remember: it’s never too late, and you’re never too messy, to Vedge YOUR Best.
Subscribe & Review:
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners.
For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com
Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/
Vegan travel without compromise. Kim Giovacco, of Veg Jaunts & Journeys, talks about building a vegan travel community, 52 tours around the world, and why 60% of her travelers keep coming back.
Traveling as a vegan doesn’t have to mean settling for side salads or stressing over where to eat. My guest this week, Kim Giovacco, founder of Veg Jaunts & Journeys, has been changing the way vegans see the world since 2017.
Kim has led more than 50 small-group vegan tours around the world, with an incredible 60% of travelers returning for more. Her itineraries blend community, culture, and compassion—so you can explore places like Berlin, Lisbon, and South Africa without worrying about whether the menu has something for you.
In this episode, Kim and I talk about:
How a birthday gift and a love of food co-ops sparked the idea for her tour company.
What it took to build a vegan travel business—and keep it going through the pandemic.
Why her guests come back for multiple trips each year.
The hidden gems she’s uncovered around the world, from vegan Christmas markets in Berlin to plant-based safaris in Namibia.
Her passion for building vegan community, both abroad and in her hometown of Greenville, South Carolina.
Whether you’re a seasoned plant based traveler or dreaming of your first vegan tour, Kim’s story will inspire you to pack your bags and see the world—vegan style.
Learn more about Kim and upcoming tours: Veg Jaunts & Journeys
Subscribe & Review:
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners.
For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com
Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/
September feels like a fresh start. New notebooks, crisp air, sweater weather. The perfect time to go "Back to Vegan.”
Whether you’re brand new to plant-based living, returning after a flexible summer or a long-time vegan looking for fresh inspiration, this episode will help you reset across food, fashion, cosmetics, health, and even fun.
In This Episode
Why September is a great time to re-energize your vegan practice.
Restock your pantry and reset your capsule kitchen with simple staples.
Health habits to revisit, from supplements to scheduling your annual check-ups.
Cruelty-free fashion and cosmetics.
Vegan Reading List for fresh inspiration.
From Veg Fests to Vegan Travel — keep this lifestyle joyful and sustainable.
Resources & Links Mentioned
Supplements: Ritual, Future Kind, Complement
Fashion: Good On You, Immaculate Vegan,
Cosmetics: Leaping Bunny, Logical Harmony
Books: Never Too Late to Go Vegan (Adams/Breitman/Messina), Vegan for Life (Messina/Norris), We Are the Weather (Foer)
Podcasts & Films: I Could Never Go Vegan (Thomas Pickering), Lucia’s Vegan Lifestyle, Veggies Abroad (Rebecca Sawicki), World Vegan Travel (Brighde Reed)
Listener Challenge
This week, build your Back to Vegan Starter Pack:
One pantry staple.
One movement routine.
One cruelty-free product swap.
One book, documentary, or podcast for inspiration.
One fun fellowship activity — a veg fest, vegan meal with friends, or a day trip.
And don’t miss next week’s episode with Kim Giovacco from Veg Jaunts and Journeys — all about vegan-friendly travel. Subscribe so you never miss an episode.
If you create your list, I’d love to see it! This September is the 5 Year Anniversary of the podcast! Share it on Instagram and tag me @VedgeYourBest or email me directly.
Subscribe & Review:
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners.
For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com
Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/
What if the most meaningful, exciting, and vibrant years of your life require you to be bad at things—on purpose?
In this episode, Michele explores why midlife and beyond might be the perfect time to stop chasing mastery and start embracing messy, awkward beginnings. If you’ve been stuck in “I should already know this,” or “I’m too old to try that,” Michele makes the case for becoming a beginner again—on your terms, with your timeline, and with plenty of self-compassion.
What You’ll Hear:
Why “Master of None” isn’t a character flaw
How our adult brains resist learning new things
Two big reasons to be a beginner (even if you're bad at it)
Six mindset tools to help you start anyway
Why being real beats being perfect—every time
A personal challenge to try something new, slow, awkward… and wonderful
This episode is for you if:
You’re in your 40s, 50s, 60s (or beyond!) and are unsure of your “purpose” or “passion.”
You’ve been putting off something you want to try because you’re “not good at it”
You love learning but it reminds you of time you’ve “wasted.”
You want to model curiosity, courage, and self-compassion for the people in your life
Listener Challenge: Choose one thing you’re willing to be a beginner at this week. Let Michele know what it is—she’d love to cheer you on.
Mentioned in this episode:
The phrase: “Jack of all trades, Master of None”
Malcolm Gladwell’s “10,000 hours idea” of mastery in his book Outliers
The power of tiny habits (like one Duolingo daily language or chess lesson)
The phrase: “Let your mess be your message”
Subscribe & Review:
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners.
For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com
Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/
What if "not enough" action is actually the most powerful thing you can do?
In this episode, Michele reflects on the overwhelm and discouragement that can come with new habits—especially in our 24 hour, performative culture. Drawing inspiration from her 30-day Substack challenge (How You Go Vegan Is How You Do Everything) and psychotherapist Britt Frank’s work on the intention-action gap, Michele unpacks what it means to show up imperfectly.
Whether you're trying to go vegan, declutter, write, start a side hustle or a plant-based business, this episode is your reminder that not-zero counts—and over time that compounds.
You’ll hear:
Why comparison culture steals your motivation before you begin
How Britt Frank’s nervous-system approach reframes “procrastination”
The power of default wins and quiet persistence
Why September feels like a New Year, and how to prepare with “not-zero” actions now
A plant-based challenge to carry you from August into autumn
Resources Mentioned:
The Science of Stuck by Britt Frank
Michele’s 30-Day Substack Challenge: How You Go Vegan Is How You Do Everything
Vedge Your Best Newsletter (V-Mail): Subscribe at veganatanyage.com
Listener Challenge: What’s one not-enough action you can take today? Try something so small it feels silly—then decide to let it count. Tag @vedgeyourbest and share your not-zero win.
Subscribe & Review:
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners.
For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com
Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/
You wake up with the best intentions.
Today’s the day. You’re going to eat fully plant-based, limit animal products, skip the leather belt or bag, and speak your truth. But by dinner? Things may have unraveled. Again.
If that sounds familiar, you’re not broken. You’re human.
In this episode of Vedge Your Best, we explore the gap between good intentions and actual change—and why it’s not about willpower, discipline, or moral failure. The old saying goes, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions,” and when it comes to going vegan or making any major life shift, that expression can hit home.
What we cover in this episode:
Why your intention isn’t the same as a plan
The difference between rules and strategies
Why your brain defaults to old habits under pressure
What to do when a friend offers you food you didn’t plan for
The truth about people who “seem” to go vegan overnight
How vague commitments lead to shame, not success
This isn’t just about food. This episode is for you if you're:
Trying to eat more plants
Decluttering your home
Spending less
Setting boundaries
Or starting any behavior change that matters
Listener Takeaway: Intentions matter—but they’re only the invitation. Without a plan, your good intentions might be setting you up for self-doubt and shame. Let’s fix that.
Mentioned in this episode:
The “V” in the V-E-G-A-N Method = Vision
My free Substack: How You Go Vegan is How You Do Everything → Follow along as I write a first draft of my book in 30 days. → Comment and share where you’re stuck
Subscribe & Review:
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners.
For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com
Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/
What if the way you go vegan is the way you do everything else in life?
This week, we go behind-the-scenes with Michele Olender writing the first draft of a book in 30 days using the very same coaching method she’s used to help hundreds of people start, restart, or re-energize their vegan and plant-based practices—especially in midlife and beyond.
This isn’t just about writing a book. It’s about facing resistance, moving forward without the perfect plan, and becoming the kind of person who keeps going. Whether you’ve been stuck on a big goal, scared to fail, or overwhelmed by the “how,” this episode offers a candid, encouraging look at how small daily actions build real transformation.
Michele shares:
Why she decided to draft a book in public, in just 30 days
How her V.E.G.A.N coaching framework applies to writing, mindset, and more
The role of fear, perfectionism, and vulnerability in personal growth
What her book-in-progress is about (and where you can read it)
Why the practice is more powerful than the finished product
If you’ve ever said, “I’ll start when…”—this one’s for you.
Listener Challenge:
What’s one thing you’ve been putting off because it doesn’t feel like the right time? What if you started a tiny version today?
Resources & Links Mentioned:
Follow Michele’s writing journey on Substack: How You Go Vegan
New website: VeganAtAnyAge.com — help Michele test it!
Instagram: @vedgeyourbest
About Vedge Your Best:
Hosted by certified life coach Michele Olender, Vedge Your Best helps midlife and beyond listeners use mindset tools, humor, and compassion to make consistent and meaningful vegan choices—without perfectionism or pressure. New episodes every week.
Subscribe, rate, and share if you enjoy the show—it helps more people find us!
Subscribe & Review:
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners.
For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com
Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/
What happens when “gratitude” starts to feel like guilt? When “aging gracefully” sounds more like “don’t complain?”
This week, Michele shares a reflective episode (aka RANT) on the ways we’re told—directly or indirectly—that our pain, concerns, or values aren’t serious enough to matter.
From personal health challenges to compassionate food choices, Michele explores:
This is an episode for anyone who's ever felt dismissed or told to lower their voice—or their standards. You're not asking too much. You're just telling the wrong person.
Listener Challenge:
Where might you be using your blessings against yourself?
Who benefits by you being diminished?
Subscribe & Review:
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners.
For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com
Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/
Why do we say we want to go vegan—or at least more plant-based—and then we don’t follow through? Why does it sometimes feel so hard to align our actions with what we deeply believe?
In this episode, we explore the "Blame Game"—the very human habit of explaining away our inaction by pointing to our personalities, families, jobs, pasts, or even our cats. You’re not lazy, weak, or failing. You’re not behind. You’re not alone.
Join Michele as she shares why blaming (ourselves or others) offers temporary relief—but keeps us stuck. More importantly, she offers a mindset shift that opens up possibility, creativity, and compassion. Whether you're struggling to stay consistent with a vegan practice or any meaningful life change, this episode is your reminder that you're allowed to start again. And again. And again.
In this episode:
The surprising comfort of blame
Why knowledge doesn’t always lead to action
What to try instead of beating yourself up
A gentle, powerful reframe for moving forward—even imperfectly
Listener Challenge:
When you catch yourself in a blame spiral this week, pause and ask:
“What’s one small step I could take right now?”
Then take it. Not perfectly. Just powerfully.
Mentioned in this episode:
Michele’s new website: https://veganatanyage.com
Subscribe to the weekly "V-Mail" newsletter
Subscribe & Review:
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners.
For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com
Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/
Switzerland’s groundbreaking new labelling law, effective July 1, 2025 doesn’t abolish animal cruelty—but maybe it bans ignorance. Food products like meat, dairy, eggs, foie gras, and even frogs’ legs must now clearly disclose if the animals experienced painful procedures—such as dehorning, castration, tail docking, force-feeding—performed without pain relief. The requirement extends to supermarkets, restaurants, small businesses, and importers (swissinfo.ch).
Michele unpacks how sunlight—the best disinfectant—can shine on systems once hidden from view. Especially for those of us in midlife, this transparency invites reflection, choice, and meaningful shifts. It's not about forcing people to change; it's about widening awareness.
In this episode:
Why truth on a label isn't an agenda—it’s an invitation.
How the “right not to know” may be the real barrier.
What we can each do—no guilt, just curiosity.
Listener Challenge: Choose one animal-based product—food, clothing, or cosmetics. Research how it was made. Ask yourself: does it match how I want to eat, live, or care?
Mentioned in this episode:
Swiss federal food labelling law requiring disclosure of painful animal procedures (plantbasednews.org, swissinfo.ch)
Labeling obligation applies to meat, milk, eggs, foie gras, frogs’ legs—across food outlets (plantbasednews.org)
Subscribe & Review:
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners.
For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit veganatanyage.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com
Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/
What if your kitchen could be the starting point for personal liberation?
This week on Vedge Your Best, Chef Day Radley joins Michele to talk about how cooking plant-based isn’t just about what’s on the plate—it’s about reclaiming agency, aligning with your values, and discovering what’s possible in midlife and beyond.
Founder of The Vegan Chef School in London, Day shares how a pink flyer at a protest changed her life, why she created one of the UK’s first plant-based chef training programs, and how so many of her students are reinventing themselves through food.
Whether you’re a seasoned vegan, newly plant-curious, or simply wondering if it’s too late to learn something new—this episode will meet you right where you are.
In this episode:
How food choices reflect personal power
Why midlife is the perfect time to start something new
What Day teaches her students beyond just recipes
How vegan cooking is gaining ground in the private chef world
The unexpected creative advantage of British food culture
Why Day refuses to count calories—and what she teaches instead
Learn more about Day Radley and The Vegan Chef School:
Website: www.theveganchefschool.com
Instagram: @theveganchefschool
Subscribe and review Vedge Your Best wherever you listen to podcasts.
It’s never too late to Vedge Your Best.
Subscribe & Review:
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners.
For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit micheleolendercoaching.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com
Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/
Even small choices create a ripple effect. In fact we probably can’t succeed without your smallest actions.
Episode Summary: Feeling overwhelmed by the news? Wondering if your vegan lunch really matters? In this episode, Michele Olender explores the power of shifting from passive observer to active participant — in culture, in climate, in your plant-based journey.. Maybe even in traffic..
Inspired by Jonathan Safran Foer’s powerful book We Are the Weather, Michele invites us to rethink our role in the systems we say we want to change.
If you’ve ever thought, “Why bother? I’m just one person,” this is your reminder that your example — and your intention — matter more than you think.
In this episode, we talk about:
Why that traffic jam metaphor is bigger than you think
How doomscrolling keeps us reactive, not creative
What We Are the Weather teaches us about daily action
What to say to yourself when plant-based choices feel invisible
How to lead with clarity, even when no one around you agrees
Subscribe & Review:
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners.
For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit micheleolendercoaching.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com
Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/
This week, we’re talking “excuses”—the kind that hold us back and the kind that might just be trying to help. Whether you're delaying a plant-based shift, putting off a big change, or repeating the same “I just can’t right now” story… this episode invites you to rethink your excuses with humor, compassion, and curiosity.
What if your excuses aren’t obstacles?
What if they’re signposts to your most important breakthrough?
We’ll explore:
Why your excuses actually make sense
How curiosity beats self-criticism
What resistance really looks like (and how to stop fighting reality)
And how laughter can be your coaching superpower
Let’s take off the judge’s robe and put on the detective hat. It’s time to ask: “What is this excuse protecting?” And maybe even… “What’s next?”
Subscribe & Review:
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners.
For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit micheleolendercoaching.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com
Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/
Purchase Miami Vegan: Plant Based Recipes from the Tropics to Your Table by Ellen Kanner on her website soulfulvegan.com, at bookshop.org, Walmart online, or through her publisher LCIX
Award–winning writer, culinary instructor and longtime vegan Ellen Kanner returns to Vedge Your Best to share the inspiration behind her vibrant new cookbook, Miami Vegan: Plant-Based Recipes from the Tropics to Your Table.
5th generation Miami native, Ellen Kanner shares how she honors Latin and Caribbean food traditions while reimagining iconic dishes like arroz sin-pollo, jerk tofu, seafood dip, and key lime pie—all plant-based and deeply rooted in Miami flavors.
We also explore:
Why rice and beans are Ellen’s love language
What it means to “veganize” cultural recipes with care
The evolution of the plant-based scene in Miami
Why delicious food is always step one in her advocacy
Plus, a special giveaway: 3 copies of Miami Vegan to listeners in the U.S. and Canada! DM Michele on Instagram at Vedge Your Best or email at info@micheleolendercoaching. Listening from elsewhere? Let me know and we will get you the ebook version when it’s available.
In a hurry? We don’t blame you.
Purchase Miami Vegan: Plant Based Recipes from the Tropics to Your Table by Ellen Kanner on her website soulfulvegan.com, at bookshop.org, Walmart online, or through her publisher LCIX
Subscribe to Ellen’s Substack: Broccoli Rising — where food, culture, and advocacy all meet at the table.
Subscribe & Review:
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners.
For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit micheleolendercoaching.com or email info@micheleolendercoaching.com
Music, Production, and Editing by Charlie Weinshank. For inquiries email: charliewe97@gmail.com Virtual Support Services: https://proadminme.com/
