The Sonya Looney Show

What if you could do something about your diabetes or even reverse it?  There have been some many, many real life stories of people switching to a low fat plant-based diet and seeing incredible results with not only Type 2 Diabetes, but also Type 1 and Type 1.5.  Weight loss is one strategy for managing diabetes and plant-based diets are nutrient dense without packing on excess unhealthy calories.  That means you don't have to eat small portion sizes if you are eating whole foods, plant-based meals.  Also, the studies show that a diet high in carbohydrates (as long as they are whole foods, NOT from refined sources) helps with diabetes as well.  Interestingly enough, cardiovascular disease is what kills most diabetics (just like everyone else) and plant-based diets are highly effective and preventing and reversing heart disease as well. Today's guests are awesome- Cyrus Khambatta, PhD and Robby Barbaro are the founders of MasteringDiabetes.org.  They offer a successful coaching program for people with all form

Isn't it fascinating how riding a bike can teach us so much about ourselves and about life?  Blogger, Pro Enduro Racer, and YouTuber Syd Schulz has learned a lot of valuable lessons.  Her blog is one of my favorites to read.  From posts about mindfulness on the trail, to living in a van with her husband Macky, to her adventures around the world, Syd always has insightful and useful posts.  You also may have seen her work published for CTS, REI, Bicycling, Runner's World and so much more!  I wanted to invite Syd on the show because she and I think about a lot of similar topics.  In this podcast episode, you'll learn why you should stop apologizing on rides, how to turn a bad ride into a good ride, hear about why we care so much about what other people think, and what it's really like to be a professional racer.  We also talk about how it's sometimes hard to be happy with where you are right now and about what progression means in our sport.  Syd and I also talked about how she and Macky make a living which is

Allegra Stein is all about moving the needle so that people take action on their ideas.  She understands that it's scary and exciting to get started, so much so that she coined her own term "terrexcitifying!"  Allegra loves the blank whiteboard- a place you can talk and write out your ideas to create continuity and clarity.  She specializes in supporting women to get out of their own way to take action on their big idea, or even help them figure out what their next direction should be.  Don't worry, if you're a guy, there's a lot of value in this show as her knowledge extends past gender !  Allegra herself has had an interesting life from traveling in Nepal to serving in the Peace Corps in Bulgaria to teaching science in New York.  The path has lead her to coaching.  We talk about the three tools she uses in her job (a mirror, a flashlight, and pom poms), how microactions lead to bigger actions, how to make a decision, and how to deal with overwhelm.  Allegra has some brilliant metaphors to help you see the f

What would it be like to lose $100 million +?  How would you pick up the pieces and move on?  Noah Kagan aka Rabbi Can't Lose aka the Taco Meister knows all about the ups and downs of start-ups, building solid businesses, the art of comedy (seriously, the dude is hilarious), and even a little bit about mountain biking.  Noah is the Chief Sumo of Sumo.com (a domain he paid 1.5 million for), one of the most entertaining and motivating people I've ever spoken to, and is incredibly down to earth.  I have a lot of respect and admiration for Noah, but after listening to many hours of him on both his podcast called Noah Kagan Presents as well as listening to him as a guest on other shows, I was even more inspired by his attitude, his down to earth vibe, and his commitment to always wanting to be better and challenging himself. We had so much to talk about that I barely scratched the surface with questions I wanted to ask him. From working in a cubicle at Intel, to being one of the first employees at Facebook and Min

Jim Murphy is one of the most inspiring people I know.  We first met by coincidence when our paths crossed in the bicycle industry.  Since then, I've looked to Jim as a mentor, a ride buddy, and most importantly, as a great friend.  When he was diagnosed with cancer almost exactly 5 years ago, I was speechless that cancer had attacked my amazing friend.  He started a blog about his experience and I distinctly remember his impactful words saying to his readers, "Do not tell me 'I'm Sorry.' I'm not sorry."  His tenacity and passion for life were the key to how he dealt and beat esophageal cancer.  He refused to let the diagnosis dictate his future, and he insisted on continuing to ride his bike and ski as a Ski Patroller, even while undergoing chemo and radiation. He even rode his bike to the treatments.  But that's not all, Jim has lead an incredible life with a dynamite career.  He has been the National Director of Sales and also has held Vice President of Sales for massive companies like Snapple, Red Bull, F

How do you engage in the perception of what you believe is possible?  Magda Boulet continually raises the bar.  Born and raised in Communist Poland, she moved to German and later to the United States as a teenager.  With a love for swimming, she wanted to be more social and found running high school. Eventually, she had the dream of one day going for the Olympics for the United States.  After one failed attempt at Olympic Trials in 2004, she continued pushing for her dream.  In 2008, Magda finished 2nd in the Olympic Marathon Trials and was awarded a spot on the USA Team and headed to Beijing.  The unthinkable happened - a freak accident, causing an injury that resulted in Magda having to drop out partway through the Olympic Marathon Event.  Completely devastated, Magda went home and sought solace in nature with her family and had a decision to make: let this catastrophic event define her and give up, or figure out how to overcome it.  And overcome it she did.  Magda tells us about how she became an even fast

Aaron Keith Hawkins is the podcast host of Unbreakable Success and is passionate about personal development. He is also one of the most genuine people I've ever met!  After a serious health scare in 2009, he found clarity for what he wanted to do in life.  Not everyone gets a second chance to address their regrets and change their life, but Aaron did!  He became an inspiring high-performance life coach, and has some interesting stories on how he got on life's most meaningful life for you.  His goal is to help people realize the power they have to get from the life they're living.  He is also hosting a Live event!! It is to help mission-driven entrepreneurs leverage the power of sincere customer connection and influence to grow their business. Check it out!   He has some great tools you can apply right away in your life.  I can personally relate with his mission and values. Listen Now!   Topics Discussed in the Podcast  Aaron's journey to finding his mission "the pain woke me up" how to take responsibilit

I'm obsessed with the idea that our mind is as powerful or even more powerful than our body.  With all my experiences in ultra-endurance mountain biking, I've seen over and over that mental toughness really plays a roll in how hard you can push yourself and what you believe you are capable of. I was thrilled to find the book: Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance by Alex Hutchinson.  It was jam packed with really interesting research on whether limits live in our mind or our body. I also looked up Alex and learned that he is a National Magazine Award-winning journalist whose work appears in Outside, The New York Times, The New Yorker, and more.  Another fun thing I learned was that he is a very accomplished runner, running on the Canadian National Team and even more interesting, he is actually Dr. Alex Hutchinson - he has his PhD in Physics.  Getting a PhD in Physics would be the true test for pain tolerance!  I did my Master's in Electrical Engineering which is basically

We spent the first 20 minutes doing a Q&A with the questions you submitted. The questions we answered:Since you do a lot of longer endurance type races and train with TrainerRoad, what is your main focus?  Is power building a benefit or hindrance to the endurance/stamina you need for a longer ride?  I would love a FTP of 400 watts, but...would I be better off training at 2-4 hours/ride @ 150 watts for 100 miler training? ———————— I would love to hear about any efforts you make specifically with regards to aging - e.g. maintaining bone mass density, agility, strength, speed, and - oh - grace and humor! ——————— how do you choose a bike race ____________ what made you decide to start a plant based diet, did you have any issues ————————— how do you feel about e bikes A powerful journal entry about how I actually felt before the start of my first race this year (around 30 min mark)   Mentioned in the show: How I Deal with Self-Doubt Listen Now Topics Discussed in the Podcast  Q&As that you subm

Sarah McLean has been teaching meditation for over 20 years. I first met Sarah in Sedona this past winter when I visited her at the McLean Meditation Institute.  There was an instant connection and I had even more respect for her after she guided my husband and I through a meditation.  I discovered that she is the author of 2 books, The Power of Attention, and xx.  Sarah has had an amazing and interesting life, dropping out of high school at the age of 17 and going homeless, to joining the army where she first learned about meditation. She also has traveled the world with her bike riding in places like Turkey, Pakistan, and Greece and her tremendous life experience has given her insight for her sense of purpose on the this earth. Sarah is incredibly approachable and has worked with everyone, from Fortune 500 companies, Olympic Athletes, to small families. She worked with Dr. Deepak Chopra in Lancaster, Massachusetts for 8 years at the Ayurveda Health Center, a Transcendental Meditation community. After Deepa

Jane Esselstyn is a Registered Nurse, author of 4 cookbooks in conjunction with Engine2Diet and Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, and a charismatic voice in the plant-based community.  She also is a researcher and hosts conferences for women on getting preventing and reversing heart disease and auto-immune diseases.  I was excited to talk to Jane because I interviewed her brother Rip back in July and her father, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn earlier this year.  It was really cool to see that the whole Esselstyn family is involved with helping the world get healthier and make better food choices for health and longevity. Jane offers some great insights on how to actually implement a plant-based diet from the food preparation side of things.  We talked about the easiest meals you can make, what to use instead of salt, sugar, and oils, and whether green juice is actually a true health food.  We also talk about protein, where she gets her inspiration for recipes, and the fact that you don't need to oil to saute your fo

In todays's show, I had the opportunity to speak with a concussion expert with all of the latest cutting edge research. As someone who has had a few concussions myself, learning about CTE (Chronic traumatic encephalopathy) a few years ago was frightening.  I wondered how concussions and the after-effects would impact my life.  My last concussion was in 2016 just days before defending my World Championship title at the 24-Hour Worlds in Rotorua, New Zealand.  I didn't feel that bad but I had some definite symptoms of concussion.  I wasn't sure if I should race, after all - it was defending my World Champion title.  It was difficult and probably one of the best decisions I've ever made to skip the race.  My husband had an unfortunate injury the year after my experience.  He had one concussion and felt totally fine and was back to regular activity and intensity very quickly.  It was 3 weeks after the first concussion and he was symptom free so he decided to do the race he was signed up for. He had an unfortunate

As athletes, we all know if we exercise, we'll feel better and get stronger.  When you start adding in focus and structure, I like to say that you are no longer just exercising: you are training.  As a Professional Athlete myself, I've been through pretty much every scenario of trying different things in my training, I've been chronically overtrained, I've played with doing minimal training, and I'm always looking for the latest research and methods for improvement.  Today's guests are two people I respect and continually follow for new information - they are the backbone behind the popular cycling trainer app: TrainerRoad.  I've personally used TrainerRoad to get me through the winters and I even train for long stage races indoors using the dynamite combo of Trainer Road and the Wahoo Fitness KICKR Smart Trainer.  This episode isn't about riding the trainer per se, it's about a lot of pitfalls and common questions that come up with any type of endurance sport.  We have the Head Coach at Trainer Road, Chad Ti

Today, I had the opportunity to talk to Josh LaJaunie.  I first heard him on the Rich Roll Podcast about a year ago and was blown away by his story.  I literally had to stop by bike while listening because his story was so overwhelming and his authenticity and passion were contagious.  His story is a powerful one of transformation.  It's about how taking one brush stroke after another can create a beautiful masterpiece.  The Josh LaJaunie you see now is an enthusiastic ultrarunner who has been on the cover of Runner's World, laughed with the hosts on Good Morning America, and how regularly speaks around the country.  He is part of not only the Plant-Based Community, but an even bigger one - how to help people lose weight and create positive change in their lives. Josh wasn't always the man you see today and he'll be the first to tell you that he never imagined his life to take such a fortuitous turn.  He grew up as a self-proclaimed "coon-ass." (more on that later).  Josh grew up in the Bayou close to his fam

Last year, I went to the Bicycle Leadership conference and discovered that Bicycling Magazine appointed a new Editor-in-Chief, a female Editor-in-Chief, Leah Flickinger.  I was excited to see that one of cycling's biggest publications had a female at the top of their leadership.  I did more research into who was working at the magazine and noticed something exciting - over half the team was comprised of females.  In the bike world, empowering women to ride and to work in the industry is a common topic.  I was excited to see that Bicycling took the reins and actually did what a lot of businesses say they are going to do: create equal opportunity for women.   When Leah was appointed, she was quoted in BRAIN Magazine, "Cycling in general is becoming more diverse in terms of gender, race, and age. I'm thrilled to lead the Bicycling team as we reflect this growth while continuing to expand the gear and fitness content our existing readers know and love." We also have Bicycling's Features Editor, Gloria Liu on the

Aaron Stuber and Jackson Long are the plant-based duo behind Thought for Food Podcast and TV. Their mission is to educate and inspire people to live healthy, compassionate, and adventurous lives through plant-based nutrition.  I personally enjoy their show and use it as one of my guides for staying up to date on the latest evidence-based nutritional science. They are both high level athletes and always have interesting insight about how to be a plant-based athlete.  They are both interesting individuals in their daily life as well. Aaron is a registered nurse and also a Health and Wellness Coach.  Jackson is an elite cyclist, finishing his Master's Degree in Applied Nutrition, and has the eCornell certification for Plant-Based Nutrition (something I want to get!) I love these guys because they are authentic, unpretentious, and hilarious.  Th  is was a fun episode because we talked about a lot of the frequently asked questions about plant-based diets.  We talked about how they formed Though for Food, how to

Dr. Kris Keim is a well-known sports psychologist and work's with some of cycling's top athletes. She has her doctorate in clinical psychology and her master’s in sports psychology AND she was actually my very first podcast guest.  The link is in the show notes if you want to go back and listen to it!  She is incredibly passionate about helping others.  She said, "During my competitive cycling career I started to understand how the mind and body worked in a way that could help and/or hinder one's performance. Being a part of a team was something I enjoyed, but it also opened the door for me to help others reach their full potential. Honestly, I would rather suffer on a climb for a teammate and help them stay calm and collected so they could go for the win. This mindset helped me realize that perhaps my purpose was not behind the handlebars, but rather behind an athlete/client offering them psychological and emotional support. This is what I refer to as the human side of sport and performance. Remembering tha

You'd never guess that Lauren Gregg wasn't a cyclist growing up.  She identified as an artistic musician type.  It wasn't until she decided to grab her dad's dusty bike out of the garage and start mountain biking on a whim that she turned into an athlete.  The simple yet life-changing decision to start mountain biking has enabled Lauren to carve her own path. Starting as an XC racer, she moved up through the ranks and eventually found a love for Enduro. Enduro is an interesting sport. You ride a bigger travel mountain bike and there's a huge course you have to complete.  You have to endure the fatigue of riding all the climbs, but only certain descents are timed.  With a passion for travel and a fortuitous relationship with Ford, Lauren decided to move into a sprinter van.  That sprinter van was her year round home for 2.5 years. In the show, we talk about Lauren's path to becoming a professional cyclist.  One day, some old racer guy told Lauren Gregg, "You'll never be able to make a living as a female mounta

Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn is a pioneer in medicine.  He currently directs the cardiovascular prevention and reversal program at The Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute and has saved thousands of lives. As a surgeon, he was operating on patients with breast cancer.  Disillusioned by treating the disease and never addressing the cause, he decided to do his own research. From his bio: "In 1995 he published his bench mark long-term nutritional research arresting and reversing coronary artery disease in severely ill patients. That same study was updated at 12 years and reviewed beyond twenty years in his book, Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, making it one of the longest longitudinal studies of its type. In July of 2014 he reported the experience of 198 participants seriously ill with cardiovascular disease. During 3.7 years of follow up of the 89% adherent to the program, 99.4% avoided further major cardiac events." Dr Esselstyn is incredible and I highly recommend watching Forks Over Knives. It changed my life!

Today’s guest is no stranger to the cycling world.  He has finished 5th  two times at the tour de France, won stages in races like the Giro D’Italia and the Vuelta Espana. His name is Tejay Van Garderen and he currently rides for BMC Racing.  This guy is in on top of the world stage of professional road cyclists. The thing I really enjoyed about Tejay is that he was really down to earth and easy to talk to in our conversation.  My husband Matt co-hosted this episode together and we both thought that Tejay seemed like a truly genuine guy.  He has been racing since the age of 10 and has had his ups and downs over his career.  We talked about how to deal with expectations, especially when you aren’t meeting them.  We talk about his background in racing and what it’s actually like to race at his level. In interviews at some of these grand tours, you don’t get to hear the whole story and Tejay told us a lot of interesting stories. We talk about what it’s like to have little kids and a wife and travel like he does.