The Switch4Good Podcast

The Science of Getting Swole on a Plant-Based Diet with Derek Tresize

Oct 16, 2019

Watch Episode 44 with Derek Tresize here:

Is it possible to make massive muscle gains without any animal products? How can you shed those last few pounds without relying on boring meals high in animal protein and low in carbs? 

The guest in today’s episode can teach you how to do both.

Derek Tresize made the switch over a decade ago when his now-wife took a break from her role as Guild Master in their World of Warcraft game to school him on the evidence supporting a plant-based diet. 

As a B.S. in Biology, he dug into research and was convinced by the works of Drs. T. Colin Campbell and Joel Fuhrman to try a thirty-day plant-based challenge. Now he’s a certified plant-based nutritionist, personal trainer, competitive vegan bodybuilder, and author of Vegan Muscle and Fitness

Derek joins Dotise and Alexandrea today to share the science behind both building muscle and getting lean with the help of a plant-based diet. 

He busts the protein myth, breaks down the fear of soy and estrogen, and gives excellent advice for anyone looking to cut animal products from their diet. 

Plus, you’ll hear this fitness and family fanatic’s secrets for gaining weight, dropping fat, and raising two healthy vegan children.

Listen to Episode 44 with Derek Tresize here:

What we discuss in this episode:

  • Dotsie’s top three dairy-free coffee creamers you have to try, including her favorite Silk Vanilla Soy Creamer
  • The one piece of scientific evidence that was most convincing for Derek to make the switch
  • How Robert Cheeke encouraged Derek to compete in bodybuilding competitions as a vegan
  • Are you afraid of the estrogen in soy? Check out this biologist’s perspective
  • Derek’s secret weight gain weapon, and the plant-based alternative to chicken and rice
  • Why you need to be weight training, even if your goal is to get lean — plus, hear how it can help your bone health
  • The two pieces of advice Derek gives his clients who are looking to go plant-based
  • Busting the protein myth: Why you don’t need to worry about protein when you eat plant-based whole foods
  • Tips for feeling full while cutting calories, plus Alexandra’s secret to thick, creamy smoothies
  • Follow Derek on Instagram at @veganmuscleandfitness, on Facebook at @veganmuscle, on Twitter at @veganmuscle, and grab the How to Gain Muscle and Lose Body Fat on a Whole Food Plant Based Diet ebook at VeganMuscleAndFitness.com.

Connect with Switch4Good

Listen on:




Addiction, Recovery and Plants with Dr. Tara Kemp & Adam Sud

Addiction, Recovery and Plants with Dr. Tara Kemp & Adam Sud

A plant-based diet has so many health benefits: reduced inflammation, a stronger immune system, and improved gut health, just to name a few. But can plant-based eating also have an impact on addiction and recovery? Could it prevent relapses and increase your resilience to cope with life? These are the questions that today’s guests, Dr. Tara Kemp and Adam Sud, set out to answer in The INFINITE Study, which researches if there are any benefits to plant-based eating in addiction recovery.

Your Last Bad Day with Meditation Teacher Michael O’Brien

Your Last Bad Day with Meditation Teacher Michael O’Brien

On a summer morning in 2001, today’s guest, Michael O’Brien, had what he refers to as his last bad day. While out on a morning bike ride, an SUV traveling at 40 mph crossed into his lane and struck him head-on, forever altering his life as he knew it. Doctors were shocked that he survived and told him that he’d likely never ride again or even walk with comfort. Yet, in 2022, Michael completed a 41-day, 3,600-mile bike ride across the United States, proving all of them wrong.

How to Beat Long-haul COVID with Dr. Melissa Mondala & Dr. Micah Yu

How to Beat Long-haul COVID with Dr. Melissa Mondala & Dr. Micah Yu

Today’s guests are on a mission to empower patients and accelerate change in the way medicine is practiced. They are husband and wife practitioners of functional and integrative medicine and experienced huge improvements in their own health by switching to a whole-food, plant-based diet. Dr. Micah Yu is an integrative rheumatologist and he has a unique perspective as both a physician and a patient because he was diagnosed with gout—a form of inflammatory arthritis that’s extremely painful—at the age of 17. Dr. Melissa Mondala is a triple specialist in family medicine, lifestyle medicine, and primary care psychiatry. She’s one of the first and youngest nationally recognized lifestyle medicine fellows and has devoted decades of volunteer work in underserved communities throughout the world.

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This