Episode
Ep. 343: Charles Gassenheimer - From Multiple Meds to Marathons: How a Plant-Based Diet Changed His Life
- Podcast
- PLANTSTRONG Podcast
- Published
- Mar 5, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 3763
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://www.plantstrongpodcast.com/blog/charles-gassenheimer
Actions
POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/plantstrong-podcast-244579/episodes/ep-343-charles-gassenheimer-from-multiple-meds-to-marathons-how-a-plant-based-diet-changed-his-life/transcription-requests
Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/plantstrong-podcast-244579/ep-343-charles-gassenheimer-from-multiple-meds-to-marathons-how-a-plant-based-diet-changed-his-life.md
Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.
Summary
At just 43 years old, Charles Gassenheimer was 75 pounds overweight, pre-diabetic, struggling with joint pain and memory loss, and taking high-dose cholesterol medications. His doctors were managing his decline — not reversing it. Then one conversation changed everything. After meeting cardiologist Dr. Robert Ostfeld, Charles committed to a whole-food, plant-based lifestyle. The results were extraordinary: he lost over 70 pounds, came off medications, reversed his cardiovascular risk markers, and returned to running. Today, Charles has completed over 15 marathons — including running the New York City Marathon faster in his 40s than he did in his 20s — while raising three plant-based children and supporting cardiac wellness programs for underserved communities. This episode is about reclaiming your health, challenging your assumptions, and making Plant Strong living non-negotiable. Episode Webpage: https://www.plantstrongpodcast.com/blog/charles-gassenheimer Watch the Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Tb2twg7p9Pg Learn More About our 2026 Live PLANTSTRONG Events: https://plantstrongevents.com/ Let Us Help Your PLANTSTRONG Journey Learn More About Our Corporate Wellness Program: https://liveplantstrong.com/corporate-wellness/ COMPLEMENT: Use code PLANTSTRONG for 30% off at https://lovecomplement.com/pages/plantstrong-special-offer Follow PLANTSTRONG and Rip Esselstyn https://plantstrong.com/ https://www.facebook.com/GoPlantstrong https://www.instagram.com/goplantstrong/ https://www.instagram.com/ripesselstyn/ Follow the PLANTSTRONG Podcast and Give the Show a 5-star Rating Apple Podcasts Spotify