Upcoming talks and events; Harvest of Hope, Lifestyle Medicine, and Santa Cruz Vegfest

September 12, 2018 by admin Leave a comment

Hi blog readers! A quick note before we get to the event details.

Most of you probably know that in April I was hit by a car making an illegal left turn and suffered serious injures including 11 broken ribs, a broken-in-two-places clavicle that required surgery and two plates, 3 broken vertebrae, and a broken shoulder (which I’m still dealing with as it is the slowest to heal). You can read the details and updates on this series of instagram posts: one, two, three, four. I didn’t do a gofundme or similar, but if you are interested in helping out please get in touch and I can point you to some links.

Fall 2018

15 Sept 2018 | Modesto CA | Cancer Prevention talk

I’m working with the Sutter Health Memorial Medical Center on an event that brings together clinicians, farmers, and community members. I’m giving the headlining presentation on plant-based nutrition and cancer prevention. There are workshops and a full meal is included. Have any friends or family members who want to know more about the connection between diet and disease? This would be perfect for them. More info and registration here.

15 October 2018 | Rochester NY | Sports Nutrition

I’m honored to give a talk on sports nutrition as part of the Lifestyle as Medicine Lecture Series at the Rochester Academy of Medicine. In or near Rochester? I’d love if you could make this. Sign up here.

Spring 2019

06 April 2019 | Santa Cruz CA | Fueling Physical Activity

First ever Santa Cruz Vegfest! This is going to be super fun. Reed Mangels, PhD, RD is helping to put this on so you know it’s going to be good. Mark your calendars and I’ll see you there. Maybe we can do a group mountain bike ride that weekend?

18-20 May 2019 | Raleigh NC | Time for Public Health Nutrition to Shine

The 6th annual Plant-based Prevention Of Disease national conference returns to Raleigh and it’s going to be the best conference yet! As you probably know I’m a board member and put a lot of work into making this conference evidence-based and affordable. It’s truly a one-of-a-kind event. If you haven’t been, join us in 2019! There’s walkable campus housing so no need for a rental car. We save you money every step of the way! I’m giving the opening address on why, now more than ever, we need to focus on plant foods in healthcare.

Are you part of an organization that puts on events or needs speakers? Let them know I’m available. That’s the most common way I get invited, so please don’t underestimate the power of your suggestion.

Since I post here infrequently, these are the best ways to stay in touch: newsletter | twitter | instagram

The Lifestyle Intervention Program to Prevent Diabetes is finally here!

September 28, 2017 by admin 1 Comment

It has been a busy year! For long-time readers of my site, that would normally mean races and travel and adventures. Well, the adventure this year has been a new one: the building of Nutrinic. In my last post, I announced the establishment of our nutrition clinic in Pasadena. But the goal here has always been the creation of a nutrition program for disease prevention. And we finally have it! It’s called the Lifestyle Intervention Program to Prevent Diabetes, or LIPPD for short (my fellow nutrition nerds will appreciate the acronym).

It’s a 6-week program that guides people through the science of nutrition, the ins-and-outs of shopping and preparing food, and successful strategies for long-term change. So often I see people ask about making diet changes and are told to either 1) read a book 2) attend an expensive retreat or training. Our goal with LIPPD is to have an accessible, simple program addressing every challenge in dietary behavior change. In many ways it’s everything I have learned in my 15 years in the field of nutrition condensed into 6 weeks. I’m really proud of the work we’ve done and I implore you to check it out in detail on the website!

While we focuse on type 2 diabetes prevention and are working primarily with pre-diabetics (an incredible 1 in 3 US adults have pre-diabetes), I believe the program is useful for everyone who wants to learn about nutrition, the pathophysiology of cardiovascular diseases, or simply how to make the changes they’ve always wanted to make! If you know me, or have heard me speak in-person or on podcasts, I’m all about simplicity. And this shows, I think, in this program through our video lessons, handouts, recipes, and structure. Plus it’s available world-wide as it’s fully online and tele-health compatible.

Since it’s new, we have it for an incredibly low price right now, so please do check it out and share it with anyone you think would be interested or who could benefit from such a program! All the info is at nutrinic.com.

Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for more regular updates with the new site.

Some notes:

Please follow my more-regularly-updated social media: facebook | twitter | instagram | newsletter

This site is migrating to mattruscigno.com very soon. That link is now up and working (with a redirect here) so if you have me linked you can update it now.

Announcing Nutrinic: A Plant-based Nutrition Center in Pasadena, CA

December 7, 2016 by admin 6 Comments

It has been awhile since I have posted, but today I have big news: I’ve opened a nutrition center in Pasadena, CA called Nutrinic!

Nutrinic is a place for you to send your friends and family who could benefit from eating healthier or who want to learn how to incorporate more plant-based meals. And we have video-based consulting for those not in Southern California.

Read more about us in this press release.

Over the years, my small practice focused primarily on helping vegans and aspiring vegans to develop healthy eating habits. I will continue this work through Nutrinic, however our focus is on plant-based diets as therapeutic treatment and prevention of the major cardiovascular diseases, which together are the number one killer in America.
Our approach is different because we go beyond education by focusing on skill acquisition and habit building to sustain long-term change. Our goal is not successful diets, but new lifestyles.

Our services:

A one-time nutrition check-in to review your current diet and learn how you can make improvements.
The Fundamentals: a more intensive look at your eating patterns with a focus on addressing shortcomings and learning new skills and habits. Includes before and after lipid panels.
Want to go all-in, revamp your relationship with food, and learn the skills for continued health from shopping to cooking to habit formation? Our 21-day program is coming soon.

I have been a Registered Dietitian for 13 years and involved in the plant-based/vegan world for two decades and now is a time like no other. The evidence for the efficacy of plant-based diets in the prevention of disease is growing daily, as is the availability of vegan options in grocery stores and restaurants. It’s an exciting time!

This next chapter is big and I’m elated for what the future holds for plant-based nutrition. Thank you for being a part of this with me! Also please note that some changes are going to come to my website(s), please stay tuned.

Ps. We are having a small office warming party this Saturday at 5pm, if you’re local and would like to come, please let me know and I’ll happily send you the details.

Pps. You can support my work directly, here.

Men’s Nutrition Guide and Strongest Hearts Interview with Stic from Dead Prez!

November 12, 2015 by admin Leave a comment

I recently worked with The Discerning Brute to create a Men’s Guide to Nutrition that answers common questions and concerns dudes often have. Click the link or the banner below. This is the perfect page to send people who are spreading myths about vegan diets- there are lots of links and references with the science to back up the claims.

And have you seen the Strongest Hearts video where I interview Stic from Dead Prez and his wife Afya Ibomu? As a long time fan of Hip Hop and Dead Prez I was very excited to sit down with them and chat about health, RBG Fit Club, straight edge and more! Give it a watch and share with your friends. You never know who you are going to influence.

-video embedded below-

Portland and Scotland Vegfests Coming Up!

November 11, 2015 by admin Leave a comment

I have a very exciting couple of weeks with talks at the Portland Vegfest this Fri, Sat and Sun (yes, 3 talks!) and then I travel across the pond to visit Glasgow and the Scotland Vegfest. I’ll be speaking there Sat and Sun, December 5th and 6th.

Any recommendations in either of those cities? Do you plan on going? Be sure to say hi!

While I’m traveling be sure to follow me on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for updates and more.

Boston Sports Nutrition talk Thursday night before Cape Cod Ragnar Relay

May 4, 2015 by admin Leave a comment

This Thursday I return to the difficult-to-spell state of Massachusetts to give a talk on vegan sports nutrition in Boston. It’s in collaboration with the Boston Veg Society and the Strong Hearts Vegan Power running team before they take on the Cape Cod Ragnar Relay! There’s a $15 vegan buffet option at the host restaurant, Walnut Grille. Please RSVP here for the dinner. The talk is free! There will also be a Q&A panel with some of the runners on the team. It’s a great opportunity to learn more about vegan nutrition- especially for curious friends who want to know how to eat plant-based and stay active. Can you still get enough protein? You sure can! Come learn how.

Plant-based and Powerful: How Vegan Athletes are Defying Stereotypes

Thur May 7th
5-7 buffet ($15)
7-815 talk and Q&A (free)
Walnut Grille
1203 Walnut St
Newton, MA 02461

617-964-1029

Facebook event page

Then on Friday and Saturday I’ll be covering three Strong Hearts Vegan Power teams (36 vegan runners!) racing the 200-mile Cape Cod Ragnar Relay. I’ll be there as Strongest Hearts, where no doubt there will be lots of confusion about our similar names! Like we did with the Plantbuilt Team at the Naturally Fit Games, we’ll be documenting their experience in our video series. Follow our Twitter and Instagram for photos and updates through the weekend.

2015- Year of the Vegfests!

April 15, 2015 by admin Leave a comment

Little known fact: when I was a little kid I obsessively watched- and studied- Russel Simmons’ Def Comedy Jam because I wanted to be a stand-up comic. I never acted on that desire- except for always trying to be the funniest kid in class- but now I get to travel and speak in front of crowds in a different way. Not quite a comedian, but fortunately the bar is lower for being funny when you are talking about health and nutrition. So maybe I’m almost a comedian? Kind of like I am almost a stuntman- the only other ‘job’ I dreamed about when I was young. Just see Strongest Hearts for my stunt work!

This is just a long way of saying I’ve a number of speaking events happening in 2015. The next one up is in the East Bay this Sunday for the Berkeley Vegan Earth Day. If you are in the Bay Area please come by- there are excellent speakers and my friends from Food Empowerment Project (amongst others) will be tabling. I’ll have books and Strongest Hearts merchandise for sale too. My talk will be focused on the theme that you don’t need special or exotic foods to be a healthy vegan. I’ll talk about what constitutes healthy eating patterns, based on the research, and how to apply it to your own life. But in a fun/funny way. I hope.

Links and details for everything are below. Thanks to all the organizers; I’m grateful for these opportunities.

2015

*Sun April 19 Berkeley, CA. Berkeley Vegan Earth Day. Unraveling the Myth that Plant-based Foods are Expensive and Exotic.

*Thur May 7 Boston, MA. Details TBD! In collaboration with Strong Hearts Vegan Power running team and Boston Vegan Society.

*Fri-Sun May 22-24. Paso Robles, CA. The Great Western Bicycle Rally. I will be leading rides and giving a talk or two.

*Fri-Sun May 29-31. Austin, TX. Vida Vegan Con! I’ll be giving a talk called Science is Awesome and will be on the Vegan Athlete panel.

*Sat June 27 Madison, WI. Mad City Vegan Fest. Plant-based and Powerful: What we know about vegan athletes.

*Fri-Sun Sept 11-13 Raleigh, NC. Plant-based Prevention of Disease Conference.

*Fri-Sun Nov 13-15 Portland, OR. Portland Health Conference and Portland Vegfest.

It is difficult to eat well in our world- unless you’ve learned otherwise

March 24, 2015 by admin Leave a comment

I’m generally a very optimistic person, but I’m also realistic and shy away from misleading people into thinking something is going to be easier than it is. Why? Because making long-term, sustainable health behavior change takes, well, a lot of change. And work. Preparing people for this work helps them overcome the barriers that will no doubt arise. Too often I see/hear those who have spent years thinking about eating well, good nutrition, veganism, exercise, etc as saying these things are easy to do. You just need to want it! Just be disciplined! They forget what it was like to not know what they know now. Think about that for a minute- what was it like before you had the knowledge you have now? Are you even able to?

When I broke my dominant arm last year I had to write with my other hand. It’s incredibly hard. Why? Because I’ve had a lifetime of developing the habits and muscles memory to use a specific hand. Switching over just doesn’t make sense to my brain. What is this we are trying to do?? That’s an extreme example though clear in how we learn our behaviors over a lifetime to a point where we don’t think about them. We interpret this as being ‘easy.’

Our world today is not just full of unhealthy food, but cheap, heavily advertised food served in large portions. When we look at individuals’ diet/nutrition from this perspective- the influential environment- it’s no wonder we are in a health crisis with rampant chronic disease.

The American Academy of Pediatrics estimates that a young person in the US sees 3000 advertisements a day.

Three thousand! If those advertisements weren’t influential it wouldn’t be a billion dollar industry. It’s as if our environment has been engineered to make eating healthy as difficult as possible.

I’ve been thinking about this because this Wednesday night is my 3rd lecture of four at the Digital Gym (put on with Cycling Camp San Diego who are also hosting the epic Dirty Devil this Saturday!). I’ll be talking about this topic- why is it so hard to eat healthy? What are the factors working against us? It’s an important lecture if you’ve had trouble turning knowledge into action. You are not alone! The fourth lecture, on Wednesday April 1st, will cover the ‘how to’ of eating plant-based and healthy. You can sign up for both here for a discount!

Both lectures start at 6pm at Digital Gym, 2921 El Cajon Boulevard, 92104 (map).

San Diego: 4 upcoming nutrition lectures!

February 24, 2015 by admin 2 Comments

I’m so excited to announce a series of nutrition lectures! With the help of Cycling Camp San Diego and Digital Gym in North Park, I’ll be presenting four 75-minute lectures on nutrition. You can sign up for just one or the entire series for a discount. This is an excellent opportunity to sharpen your nutrition knowledge! With four workshops we can really get into not only understanding nutritional science, but applying it. While my focus is plant-based, I cover the basics of nutrition, disease prevention and the practical issues of eating healthy in today’s world. And these are fun, I promise! You can sign up here and there’s a facebook event page as well.

All lectures start at 6pm at Digital Gym, 2921 El Cajon Boulevard, 92104 (map).

Wed March 4th, 6pm (1)- Nutrition 101: What you need to know about the food you eat
From carbohydrates to gluten to antioxidants, we hear a lot of nutrition terms, but what do they all mean? Which components of foods are most important to consider for a healthy diet? Matt will discuss the basics of nutritional science and give you the vocabulary to understand dietary claims.

Wed March 11th, 6pm (2) – Diet and Disease: What the research says about risk and prevention
Does sugar cause diabetes? Will eating only fruit prevent cancer? There are many claims relating food to disease, but what does the research say? Matt will cover some of the bigger long-term research studies that look at diet, disease and death.

Wed March 25th, 6pm (3) Hard Fight: The challenge of eating well in today’s world
Ever feel like the world is working against your diet goals? It is! The food environment in America in 2015 is ripe with unhealthy choices at every turn. It’s no coincidence that the proliferation of empty calories has lead to an increase in obesity and disease. In this lecture you’ll learn how we got to this point.

Wed April 1st, 6pm (4) Take Action!: How to make healthy changes that last
Having knowledge and applying it are two different things. In this lecture Matt will discuss the behavior change ideas that will help you apply what you’ve learned so you can make lasting, sustainable health changes. Plenty of time for Q&A in this lecture too!

Please help me get the word out on this series. If you have friends who are curious about nutrition please let them know about this. Four lectures for a cost less than one consultation with me is a deal. You can sign up here or join the facebook page here. Hope to see you! If you have any questions please let me know.