The Vegan Gym Podcast

In this episode of The Vegan Gym Podcast, Erin sits down with physician and women’s health expert Dr. Daphne Bascom to break down how to navigate perimenopause and menopause with confidence, clarity, and a proactive approach to your health.

They dive into what is actually happening in your body during this transition and why so many women feel caught off guard by changes in energy, mood, sleep, and body composition. As Dr. Daphne explains, these shifts can begin earlier than most women expect, often starting in the late 30s.

Instead of taking a reactive approach, this conversation focuses on how to set yourself up for a smoother, more optimal experience by focusing on the key foundations that truly matter.

In this episode, we cover:
▸ The biggest early signs your hormones are starting to shift and what most women miss
▸ How to actually reduce menopause symptoms instead of just managing them
▸ What to do in your 30s and 40s to set yourself up for an easier transition
▸ The truth about fertility, timing, and what most women are not told
▸ How to train and build muscle to support your hormones and metabolism
▸ Simple ways to track your health and understand what is normal for you
▸ The most important nutrition strategies, including protein, fiber, and key foods like soy
▸ Why sleep and recovery have a bigger impact than most people realize

✅ Take Dr. Daphne's MenoScore Assessment

👉 Apply for a free month of 1-on-1 health and fitness coaching
Support the show

In this episode of The Vegan Gym Podcast, Erin and I break down exactly how we are designing our diets to maximize healthspan, longevity, and performance without obsessing over food or making life miserable.
My goal is simple. Live to a healthy 120. Not just longer, but stronger, sharper, independent, and fully alive. We talk about the difference between lifespan and healthspan, why “healthy enough” is not the same as optimized, and how we are building a nutrition strategy that supports our future selves.
We walk through the core principles guiding our current approach, including simplicity, protein prioritization, longevity focused foods like broccoli sprouts and berries, reducing decision fatigue, and building health systems that run on autopilot. We also talk honestly about what it looks like to align your habits as a couple, and how to encourage healthier choices without creating tension or resentment.
If you want to build a diet that supports your 85 year old self while still enjoying your life right now, this episode will give you a practical blueprint.
In this episode, we cover:
▹ The difference between lifespan and healthspan
▹ How to design a longevity focused diet
▹ The power plate framework and protein priorities
▹ Why simplicity reduces food waste and decision fatigue
▹ The foods we eat daily for long term health
▹ How to build health systems that run on autopilot
▹ How small daily habits compound over decades
👉 Apply for a free month of 1-on-1 health and fitness coaching: https://www.vegansuperheroacademy.com/free-month?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=organic%2C-description%2C-podcast&utm_campaign=14-mar-2026-audio&utm_content=tvg-podcast-episode-4
✅ Check out my full day of eating video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDxcn7Oa_cY
✅ Try our free vegan nutrition calculator: https://calculator.thevegangym.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=organic%2C-description%2C-podcast&utm_campaign=14-mar-2026-audio&utm_content=tvg-podcast-episode-4
✅ Check out our Complete Vegan Nutrition Guide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJV_ZY6rXo8
✅ check out our fruit ranking video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5ggMT2xjHc
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If you're new to my channel, my name is Leif Arnesen. I’m an engineer turned nutrition nerd and the founder of The Vegan Gym.
In 2014, a rare cancer diagnosis forced me to completely rethink my life. I adopted a whole-food, plant-based diet, and a few months later, after watching Earthlings, I went vegan overnight — not just for my health, but for the animals.
At first, I struggled to lose fat and get fit as a vegan. But after diving deep into the science, I built a system that transformed my body and my life. That journey led me to start a blog in 2017, which eventually became The Vegan Gym.
Now, our team is on a mission to help 1,000,000 vegans get into the best shape of their lives because we believe that the more healthy, fit vegans there are in the world, the faster veganism will spread.
Let’s work together to inspire change, spread compassion, and thrive on plants! 💪🌱

Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thevegangym

Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thevegan
Support the show

Why do healthy habits feel so hard to stick to, even when you really want to change?

In this episode of The Vegan Gym Podcast, we break down why willpower and motivation are the wrong tools for long-term health, and why most people fall off track despite their best intentions.

You’ll learn how human nature, delayed rewards, and daily friction quietly sabotage consistency, and how to replace “trying harder” with a simple framework that makes healthy habits feel easier, more enjoyable, and sustainable in real life.

If you’ve ever felt disciplined one week and completely off track the next, this episode will change how you think about nutrition, health, and habit-building.

👉 Apply for a free month of 1-on-1 health and fitness coaching: https://www.vegansuperheroacademy.com/free-month?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=organic%2C-description%2C-podcast&utm_campaign=06-feb-2026-audio&utm_content=tvg-podcast-episode-3
In this episode, we cover:

▹ Why willpower is not the real problem
▹ How human nature works against healthy habits
▹ What food noise and decision fatigue are really doing to you
▹ How to build win win habits that feel good now and later
▹ How to make healthy choices easier with simple systems

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If you're new to my channel, my name is Leif Arnesen. I’m an engineer turned nutrition nerd and the founder of The Vegan Gym.

In 2014, a rare cancer diagnosis forced me to completely rethink my life. I adopted a whole-food, plant-based diet, and a few months later, after watching Earthlings, I went vegan overnight — not just for my health, but for the animals.

At first, I struggled to lose fat and get fit as a vegan. But after diving deep into the science, I built a system that transformed my body and my life. That journey led me to start a blog in 2017, which eventually became The Vegan Gym.

Now, our team is on a mission to help 1,000,000 vegans get into the best shape of their lives because we believe that the more healthy, fit vegans there are in the world, the faster veganism will spread.

Let’s work together to inspire change, spread compassion, and thrive on plants! 💪🌱

Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thevegangym

Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thevegangympage

DISCLOSURE

The information shared here is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your diet, exercise routine, or lifestyle.

Music Credit:
MB01VBQWSONPOBJ
Support the show

In this episode, we dive deep into why your health must become your top priority — not someday, but today. I share the story of my cancer diagnosis at age 21, the mental and emotional toll it took, and how it completely reshaped the way I live my life. Erin and I talk honestly about the difference between being “healthy enough” and truly optimizing your health, and why waiting for a wake-up call is the worst strategy.

We also discuss how to build sustainable health systems without obsessing, how small daily habits compound into massive long-term results, and what your 85-year-old self will thank you for. If you’ve been putting your health on the back burner, this is your invitation to shift your mindset — and your future.
👉 Apply for a free month of coaching:
https://vegangym.co/free-month-podcast-2

In this episode, we cover:

▹ What cancer taught me about living with urgency
▹ Why most people wait too long to care about their health
▹ The difference between discipline and obsession
▹ How to build simple health systems into your life
▹ What your future self will regret if you don’t act now
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If you're new to my channel, my name is Leif Arnesen. I’m an engineer turned nutrition nerd and the founder of The Vegan Gym.

In 2014, a rare cancer diagnosis forced me to completely rethink my life. I adopted a whole-food, plant-based diet, and a few months later, after watching Earthlings, I went vegan overnight — not just for my health, but for the animals.

At first, I struggled to lose fat and get fit as a vegan. But after diving deep into the science, I built a system that transformed my body and my life. That journey led me to start a blog in 2017, which eventually became The Vegan Gym.

Now, our team is on a mission to help 1,000,000 vegans get into the best shape of their lives because we believe that the more healthy, fit vegans there are in the world, the faster veganism will spread.

Let’s work together to inspire change, spread compassion, and thrive on plants! 💪🌱

Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thevegangym

Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thevegangympage

DISCLOSURE

The information shared here is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your diet, exercise routine, or lifestyle.

Music Credit:
MB01VBQWSONPOBJ
Support the show

After a long break, The Vegan Gym Podcast is officially back. And instead of jumping straight into training and nutrition, I wanted to share a life and health update.

In this relaunch episode, I talk about getting married, rebuilding consistency after falling off with my health and fitness routine, and introducing my new podcast co-host, my wife, Erin. We share how we met through The Vegan Gym community, how our relationship developed, what it was like planning a fully vegan wedding, and why restarting the podcast now feels right.

We also talk honestly about what it looks like to lose momentum with your fitness, how I rebuilt a daily movement habit, and why consistency matters more than perfection. This episode sets the stage for the next chapter of the podcast and what you can expect moving forward.

If you have followed The Vegan Gym for a while, this episode will give you more context behind the scenes. And if you are new here, welcome. We are glad you are here. 😊
Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/fdBp5PL3VUI

Listen to more podcast episodes: https://thevegangym.com/podcast

Listen to Dr. Daphne's Thrive on Plants podcast: https://thriveonplants.buzzsprout.com/

Check out Dr. Daphne's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@drdaphnebascom/videos

Topics covered in this episode include:
▹ A personal life update and podcast relaunch
▹ How Erin went vegan and found The Vegan Gym
▹ How we met, dated long distance, and got engaged
▹ Planning and hosting a fully vegan wedding
▹ Falling off track with fitness and rebuilding consistency
▹ The future direction of The Vegan Gym Podcast

Subscribe to The Vegan Gym Podcast:

Website: https://thevegangym.com/podcast

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-vegan-gym-podcast/id1358557895?mt=2

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5BXJKchXPkdatgfS0W1Xkn
Support the show