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Writer's pictureXimena Diaz Velazquez

Redefining Masculinity Through Veganism: Insights from the Real Men Eat Plants Podcast



In the latest episode of Real Men Eat Plants, Bryan dives into the transformative power of plant-based living and masculinity with four inspiring men who are blazing trails in the vegan community. Champion bodybuilder and Clean Machine founder Geoff Palmer, Bro Pro Vegans founder Jim O’Quinn, Ghanaian actor and filmmaker Majeed Suhuyini, and Brent Hagood, founder of One to Save Many, joined Bryan to share their unique journeys into veganism, the challenges they face, and how they’re building healthier, more compassionate communities.


Breaking Stereotypes Around Men and Veganism

For many men, going vegan is a radical shift, often facing stereotypes that view meat-eating as essential to masculinity. Geoff Palmer opens up about his journey in bodybuilding, challenging the myth that muscle and masculinity require animal protein.

“Strength is about using your power to protect the vulnerable,” Geoff shares.

At 61, he proves that a plant-based diet supports strength and vitality, emphasizing that men can thrive on plants at any age.


Jim O’Quinn discusses how society has conditioned men to think that meat equals manliness. He’s on a mission to challenge that narrative, advocating that men feel healthier and more energized on a vegan diet.

“It’s about breaking down the mental walls,” Jim says, “and showing that real strength comes from making conscious, compassionate choices.”

Taking Veganism Global

Representing Africa, Majeed Suhuyini brings an international perspective, sharing his mission to spread the vegan message in Ghana and across Africa. Coming from a family of butchers, he shares how difficult it was to make the transition, not only because of cultural pressures but also due to a lack of awareness around veganism in his community.

“When I tell people I’m vegan, they think it’s a cult,” Majeed says with a laugh.

He works hard to bridge the cultural gap, creating documentaries and a cooking show to promote veganism in Ghana.


Building Community and Leading by Example

Brent Hagood highlights how community can support men’s transition to veganism.

“Leading by example is crucial,” Brent shares.

He encourages other men to approach veganism with openness rather than aggression, acknowledging that it can take years for some people to make the switch. Brent also points out that veganism has shifted his outlook on life and the environment, and he’s now more aware of the impact of his choices.


Delicious Vegan Recipes to Try

The guests also shared some delicious plant-based recipes that are easy to whip up and packed with flavor. Bryan himself boasts a hearty vegan chili recipe that’s a hit, featuring charred poblano peppers, beans, and a touch of cocoa powder for richness. Brent loves his easy crockpot curry chickpeas, a low-maintenance dish perfect for anyone on the go. And Jim swears by his four-cup bowl of soaked oats with apples, cranberries, nuts, and a dash of maple syrup for a powerhouse breakfast.


Bryan’s Vegan Chili

  • Ingredients:

    1. Poblano peppers (charred under broiler for smoky flavor)

    2. Variety of beans (black, kidney, or pinto)

    3. Standard chili spices (chili powder, cumin, paprika)

    4. Onion, garlic, and tomatoes

    5. Secret ingredient: A touch of cocoa powder for depth

  • Instructions:

    1. Char the poblano peppers under the broiler.

    2. Sauté onions and garlic, then add beans, spices, and tomatoes.

    3. Add a small amount of cocoa powder to balance flavors.

    4. Simmer until flavors meld and serve warm.


Brent’s Curry Chickpea Stew (Crockpot)

  • Ingredients:

    1. Chickpeas

    2. Curry powder and spices

    3. Coconut milk (optional for creaminess)

    4. Assorted vegetables (carrots, potatoes, spinach)

  • Instructions:

    1. Add chickpeas, curry powder, coconut milk, and veggies to the crockpot.

    2. Cook on low for several hours until vegetables are tender.

    3. Serve hot, ideally with rice or naan on the side.


Jim’s Soaked Oats Breakfast Bowl

  • Ingredients:

    1. Old-fashioned oats

    2. Apple cider and soy milk (for soaking)

    3. Diced apples, dried cranberries, and nuts (e.g., almonds, walnuts)

    4. Flaxseed and optional maple syrup for sweetness

  • Instructions:

    1. Soak oats in a mixture of apple cider and soy milk overnight.

    2. In the morning, top with diced apples, cranberries, nuts, flaxseed, and a drizzle of maple syrup.

    3. Enjoy as a hearty, filling breakfast.


Majeed’s Ghanaian-Inspired Quinoa Jollof

  • Ingredients:

    1. Quinoa (as a base instead of rice)

    2. Tomato stew ingredients (tomatoes, onions, peppers, spices)

    3. Optional: Fried plantains or potatoes as a side

  • Instructions:

    1. Prepare a tomato stew by sautéing tomatoes, onions, and peppers with spices.

    2. Add quinoa to the tomato stew, stirring well.

    3. Cook until quinoa absorbs the flavors and is fluffy.

    4. Serve with fried plantains or potatoes on the side.


Geoff’s Supercharged Morning Smoothie

  • Ingredients:

    1. Seasonal ripe fruits (5-10 varieties in different colors)

    2. Optional addition of Clean Machine’s Duckweed powder (for protein, omega-3s, and B12)

  • Instructions:

    1. Blend a variety of fruits together to create a nutrient-packed smoothie.

    2. Add a scoop of duckweed powder for a protein boost and additional nutrients.

    3. Enjoy as a vibrant, antioxidant-rich start to the day.


Key Takeaways

  1. True masculinity and strength are grounded in compassion. Geoff and Brent show how veganism is an expression of true strength, as men protect the vulnerable and care for the planet.

  2. The journey to veganism is different for everyone. Brent and Jim emphasize leading by example and staying patient, as each person’s journey to plant-based living unfolds at its own pace.

  3. Breaking down stereotypes is crucial. Jim’s Bro Pro Vegans challenges the misconception that veganism isn’t “manly,” while Geoff showcases that muscle and meat are not synonymous.

  4. Cultural awareness is key. Majeed’s work in Ghana highlights the importance of understanding cultural perspectives and finding ways to introduce veganism that respects local traditions.

  5. The vegan movement has global significance. By coming together, these men are helping make plant-based living accessible worldwide, from Canada to Ghana.


This episode is a powerful reminder of the positive impact that plant-based living has on our health, communities, and the world. Listen to it on Real Men Eat Plants and start your journey towards a stronger, healthier, and more compassionate lifestyle.


🔗 Useful Links:

Visit Jim O'Quinn's website: https://www.broprovegans.com/

Visit Geoff Palmer's website: https://cleanmachineonline.com/

Visit Brent Hagood's website: https://onetosavemany.com/

Visit Majeed Suhuyini's IG and FB


Subscribe to the Real Men Eat Plants podcast on YouTube or your favorite streaming platform today and stay connected with our ongoing exploration of the complex plant-based business world.


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Episode’s Transcript

Please understand that a transcription service provided the transcript below. It undoubtedly contains errors that invariably take place in voice transcriptions.


Bryan (00:00)

Welcome back everybody to Real Men Eat Plants podcast where we explore the transformative world of plant -based living. Today we're talking about something super essential in my mind, building a strong vegan community for men. We've got a powerhouse lineup of guests today who are not only thriving on a vegan diet, but are leading the way in making plant -based lifestyles accessible to more and more men. So let me introduce really briefly,


Geoff Palmer a champion bodybuilder and owner of clean machine. We've got Jim O 'Quinn He is the founder of bro pro vegans and we've got Majeed Suhuyini I hope I said that right sir, and he's an actor He's an actor a filmmaker and a model who's spreading the vegan message all throughout Ghana and all around Africa and and then least but not


Majeed Suhuyini (00:42)

We're in it, yes.


Bryan (00:54)

Last is Brent Hagood. He is the founder of One to Save Many who promotes vegan animal rights and helping to save the animals in many, many ways. So thank you guys for being here. We really appreciate you jumping in. So we're really trying to unpack this discussion today by jumping straight to the core of like man, veganism, community building. And each of you, feel like have been pivotal in creating communities of vegan men.


But I'm just curious, like how do we shift the broader culture towards accepting and embracing this lifestyle? I want to lead off with you, Majeed, if we can, just because like we were talking about in the pre show little chat a little bit is like you're like this lone island here in many, many parts of your country. So talk about it there, because I do think the vegan word resonates in different cultures at different different places. So help us help us understand your side of it.


Majeed Suhuyini (01:40)

Yeah. Yeah.


Yeah, so like I was saying in the pre -conversation, the word vegan is kind of like alien in the community that I find myself in, the region that I find myself. It is mostly people who are like very exposed to Western idea or maybe now like people who are in love on social media that get to see what is vegan and what is not vegan, you know. But if you go traditionally, vegans are termed as


strict vegetarianism in my community, in my region. I'm speaking of people in West Africa, Ghana, especially where I'm from. I say it with pride, I'm a village boy. So there are a lot of people who are from my hometown and they don't know what veganism is. If you go to a regular restaurant in my hometown, let me say Tamale, and then you say, I want a vegan dish. They're going to look at you like...


Brent Hagood (02:36)

Thank


Majeed Suhuyini (02:50)

What nationality are you talking about? You say you are a vegan. Unless you tell them you are a vegetarian. But guess what? Most of our food, our traditional food are plant -based already. A lot of them are vegan. But the label is not on it. You understand? So it's like, it's already there, but the label is not on it yet. So it's just like, someone has to discover it. But then it's already there.


Coming out as a man who is vegan is kind of a bit challenging because I come from a place where killing animals is masculine. It's them that's a masculine thing, you know. And if follow my story, I am from a family of butchers, you know. Traditionally, so in my local community, have like, everybody have like a local occupation, you know.


Geoff Palmer, Clean Machine (03:26)

.


Majeed Suhuyini (03:47)

that brings back to our ancestors. So some were hunters, some were blacksmiths, some were butchers, some were drummers. And my family happened to be butchers, you know. So for someone to come from a butchery family to now say, I'm not gonna kill animal again. I remember I said that in one of my hand piece, we're like, what happened to your superpowers? You know, it was just a joke, but it's like something has taken my super power away, you know, because.


That is it, a butcher, as a son of a butcher or a grandson of a butcher, you should be able to butcher an animal. So coming up from that family or from that community and choosing to go a different direction is just like mind blowing to everyone. And a lot of people think, I mean like a cult or some sort of movements, spiritual movements that, so it's a bit challenging, but it's fun when you get, when you say it and then.


The reaction that you get from people is very fun. that is it from my side here.


Bryan (04:49)

Love it, Majeed. Thank you. And then we do have Canada representing us today with Jim hiding out a little bit up in the Northern country there. So how do you see it different in Canada? And tell us your perspective on sort of the vegan community where you're at.


Jim O'Quinn (05:07)

Yeah. What I'm really happy to see every day when I'm walking into store shops, down to different towns and everything like that, that the acceptance of this lifestyle is growing and growing and growing. And, you know, different suburbs, different cities have higher acceptance of the way this, this whole lifestyle works. And what I'm finding is.


I'm not the alien in the room anymore. And when I'm at a restaurant, it's the most amazing thing that I don't have to have plain pasta or just a salad and buns and carrot sticks like I did 28 years ago when I first started this. I can go to an entirely dedicated restaurant and it's all vegan. And I'm always thrilled to see sitting across from me, whole families, guys with...


their girlfriends going out on a first date, that type of thing. So whether they're being led, the men are being led to this lifestyle and these restaurants and these shops and stores by their significant other, their female counterparts, I don't care how they're getting there. It's the fact that they're there, they're open -minded, they're willing to try these things. And when they do, I, in my experience, I've seen them become


Majeed Suhuyini (06:27)

Okay.


Jim O'Quinn (06:35)

very open to it and willing to try even further and to go more. And in the grocery stores, a great example of getting guys who are so heavily wrapped up in the masculinity, meat equals manly, that they put Beyond Meat burgers beside the Chuck Round and the beef and all these different things. They're willing to give it a try and they do and they love it and they think it's totally fine to eat plant -based.


And then you'll have the haters out there who are saying, you know, but that's junk food is making you just as sick as everything else. But the education kicks in at that point where they get taught, listen, those are stepping stones. You went from don't meat. Meat is the only thing I'm going to eat. Plants are just the occasional garnish on the side to, wow, that burger was all made out of plants. Damn, that tasted good. Then you can get them to try. How about a black bean burger? How about a garden burger?


Majeed Suhuyini (07:10)

I.


Jim O'Quinn (07:35)

I'll try that one too. Holy crap. That tastes really good too. So they get to learn and evolve and grow. And I'm seeing that happening more and more around me here in Canada. And I think this is starting to be the case all around the world in so many places. So the more we hear and the more we connect through the internet, I think we're going to hear this kind of thing repeat over and over and over again. And it's fantastic.


Majeed Suhuyini (07:59)

you


Bryan (08:02)

I love it. Thank you, Jim. Yeah, I really appreciate that. I'm curious, Brent, what's your perspective?


Brent Hagood (08:08)

For my specific region, where I'm at, I mean, I wish I could say I'm seeing the same thing that Geoff is seeing, but where I'm at, I do still feel like an alien in most places. all my local friends, the gym, you know, I have to travel quite a long way to get to a vegan restaurant, but I will say the things that I do see changing are more options in the grocery store.


I do notice that a lot of the plant milks are out of stock where normal dairy is in stock, which is irritating, but in a good way. Like I'm, you know, I'm, I'm bummed that I don't get my oat milk, but I'm also happy that there's so many people out there that are choosing the plant -based milks over, over the dairy and whatnot. So I'm seeing changes there. A lot of restaurants now are offering, you know, like


Majeed Suhuyini (08:46)

Thank you.


Brent Hagood (09:04)

like Geoff said, things more than buns and carrots. You don't have to be creative anymore, because there's at least a couple items on the menu that are vegan options. for the most part, I don't see any big changes until I go to other parts of the country, like Florida or whatnot.


Bryan (09:22)

Yeah, and I know, Geoff , you're down in Florida. I think you've been spearheading the movement for quite a while now. Appreciate you supporting the Plants vs. Meat podcast there. Talk to us about the stuff that you've been seeing in the Florida area or just in general around the broader culture of embracing this lifestyle shift.


think you're on mute, Geoff , sorry. Click that button.


Geoff Palmer, Clean Machine (09:54)

There we go. Yeah. Back in 1985, when I became vegan, like I said earlier, I didn't even know the word vegan until about a year later. So yeah, there was no books, there were no movies, there was no internet yet. So no social media, there weren't any of these areas where people learned about it, read about it, and were exposed to it.


Majeed Suhuyini (10:02)

Yeah.


Geoff Palmer, Clean Machine (10:24)

much less and I'm in the science field. There was no science. There was not a single study on anybody in a plant -based diet. Every single one was based on the standard American diet of meat eating. That was the normal diet. That was the only diet pretty much by and large. When I started, there was probably less than 100 ,000 vegans in the United States. Now we're in the millions.


So that's quite an improvement. Back then, I was putting on a plastic glove and fishing tofu out of a bucket. That's how I got my tofu. So we've come a long way. I made a pizza by getting whole wheat pita and putting pasta sauce on it and then smothering it in nooch. sorry, for people who don't know that word, it's a nutritional yeast.


You know, that's how I made pizza. And now we have all kinds of stringy, cheesy, wonderful, meaty pizzas. So that part's changed a lot. What unfortunately hasn't changed in the entire 40 years is men's attitudes towards a plant -based or especially a vegan diet. You know, it felt...


weird to be one of the few compassionate males that I knew in my entire life. Thankfully, I now have many of them. It's thanks to social media, many, many more. But, you know, when I look at the reasons for masculinity, what is masculinity to me? Masculinity is using strength to protect the innocent.


That's exactly what veganism is about. Using your strength of character, your strength of compassion, your strength of understanding to preserve and protect the most innocent, the most vulnerable. We're slaughtering 90 billion animals a year and almost two trillion fish, unnecessarily. The education has continued to evolve where most people, I shouldn't say most, many people getting close


close to most people understand that you can survive and thrive on a plant -based diet. And that's why I got into bodybuilding to show there was no way. I'm 61 years of age. I should be losing muscle at my age. And yet with proper exercise and plants, you can keep growing. You can keep building into your 60s and more. That's what I want to show people. The second major thing about masculinity is what?


Bravery, right? Courage. That's one of the key foundational masculine traits. Yet what I hear is, I don't want to change because I'll be judged by my peers, my fellow friends at work, my masculine friends at work, my family, whatever, my other male friends. I'm like, well, that's not courage. That's not standing up to the face of judgment and being strong and being bold and being unique.


I mean, but that's exactly what veganism is, is to say, know what's right and I'm gonna stand for what's right in strength, in power. That takes courage. That takes a lot of facing where you can be ostracized by your peers, where you can be put out by people on your workplace. That takes a lot of courage. To me, those are the tenants of masculinity.


Yet what I hear from men on the reasons why they don't change is just the opposite.


Bryan (14:23)

Yeah, I very, well said, Geoff . mean, like we've done a few other episodes on some of those, you know, different words and stuff. And it's so, so important to have each person figure out how they define that masculine. I don't think it's something that we, that our dads ever sat us down and said, let's define what it is. Like we, know I went to, to boy scouts and got a little bit of a flavor in that, but I felt like certain parts of the bad side of that, the fishing and other pieces were reinforced, but


I mean, some amazing points. I guess I want to flip the question and be very, very direct with each of you and see what you guys think. So I'll start with you, Brent, on that. like, how do we bring more men to the vegan arena? I mean, that's really the trick of it. Fitness, health, ethics, there's so many different avenues. What have you seen that's working for you? What advice do you have for those trying to encourage more men to make the switch? And how do we bring more men?


to that, to our realm. How do we get you more friends in your local area, for example, Brent, right?


Brent Hagood (15:25)

I don't think it's going to be like the same for everybody. I feel like it's going to be largely different for everybody. It's really tough to break what 20, 30, 40, 50 years of programming from society. I feel like that's probably the hardest thing to break. But in my experience, the things is leading by example, not shoving


vegan propaganda in people's faces. I feel like that pushes people away. I know we're all passionate deep down inside and we want to choke people and say, look what you're doing. But that doesn't work. At least in my experience, it doesn't. It's almost like going back to high school. Vegans need to be the cool kid club. And I think I've told you in a past podcast that we have the worst marketing team ever as vegans.


Bryan (16:04)

For sure.


Brent Hagood (16:24)

And I think that's what we need to change. We need to somehow change, like, vegan is not being a bad word or not being a bad thing. And when people hear the word vegan, actually understand, like Geoff was saying, we're trying to protect the weak. And I've only been vegan for seven years. so I'm still trying to crack that code. I'm still trying to figure out what works for people. I like to think that


you know, wearing a shirt in the gym that says vegan on it. When I'm, you know, like not maybe not the biggest guy in the gym, but you know, closer to the top of being one of the bigger guys in the gym. And every time I go to the gym, I wear something that says vegan or I only wear plants like every time I'm in the gym. And I feel like, you know, that works. Taking friends out to places that make amazing vegan food so they can see we don't eat grass. You know, I'm


I'm constantly looking for opportunities to either squeeze in some information under the radar or squeeze some food in under the radar. And I think everybody's on their own timeline. That's another complexity is we all want everybody to like just, we have a conversation with them and they're like, well, I'm gonna go vegan tomorrow. But it doesn't work that way. It's like, it's like death by a thousand paper cuts or you know, you have to like just keep.


like slowly working at them and you some people it may be a month, some people it may be a year, some people maybe 10 years but everybody's on their own timeline so and my years as a vegan and trying to convert people I feel like that kind of sums up what I've seen and experienced.


Bryan (18:02)

No, I appreciate those insights. think you're spot on. Majeed, I want to turn the question to you just because you're a prominent figure. You're doing the acting. You're building this presence online, in my opinion. How are you seeing a way to use your platform? And what do you think the key is to bring more men into the vegan fold?


Majeed Suhuyini (18:15)

Right.


said.


It's not, it wouldn't work by just like trying to shove it down their throat, you know, trying to, because that way become offensive, defensive, because this is something that they've been mentally conditioned for like decades, you know, you know how it is with men, have egos, know, if it is a woman, you try to talk to a woman, you know, emotionally and try to, you know, get them, but men have these egos that is like, they don't want to change because they feel like he's going to


bruise their egos, you know, and coming from a background where, as I said, killing animals is termed as, you know, it's celebrated, you know, so it's almost very hard for men to shy away from doing that because I don't know if any of you guys here have like literally killed an animal yourself, you know, but almost every millennial, you know, my age probably


has killed a chicken, goat, you know, one way or the other when we're growing up, because it's like, we are like, directly to the animals like that. So it's to be very hard for you to like, you know, just like, tell them to wake up and not, you know, kill the animals, you know. So one thing that has worked for me is just like, conversations, you know. And I am very bold with my statement, you know. Of course, when I started, it was hard because I had most of my peers laughing at me like,


Why are you vegan? Why are you compassionate? Why are you crying about the animals? If I post a video about animal cruelty, they will come and they will be laughing and they'll be like, ha ha ha. You think you are so compassionate, you know? But now, because I stood on my ground and I kept spreading the message, now a lot of them have come to respect me and then respect my message. know, so some of them you get to have one -on -one interaction with them, even though they will laugh at you on social media.


but you have one -on -one interaction with them and they will tell you, yeah, I think you're right. know, these animals are really going through a lot, you know? So for me, I just like one -on -one conversations, you know, and just doing it by yourself, just like Brent said, leading by example, you know? So I have decided to use my craft and my skills to also propagate the message. I shot the first documentary, the first vegan documentary in my country, you know?


It hasn't, it hasn't, it hadn't been shot until then, you know, and I had a lot of men in there from different, different age groups, you know, talking about why we need to go vegan, why it is we need to leave the animals alone. You know, I just finished writing a proposal right now for the first vegan TV, vegan cooking show that I'm about to, you know, go pageant to sponsors and get sponsors and start shooting it, you know, that alone too is going to propagate the message. And guess what? The host is going to be a man.


Brent Hagood (20:59)

and


Majeed Suhuyini (21:25)

You know, so I guess we're like just doing things in your own little corner, you know, not necessarily trying to shove it down their face, you know, but when they see that you're doing something, as time goes on, realize that, okay, I think this person is making sense. You know, people like seriousness. If they see that you're serious about your message, then they will try to align with it. You know, but if they, if you start and then they laugh at you and then you stop, that is when they're going to be like, okay, yeah, we got this person. You know, so for me, I just feel like


First of all, just one -on -one interactions, just simple interactions with our friends. And if I'm out with my friends to eat, I make sure that there's a vegan menu there. And some of them, when they're eating, they'll be like, can I try it? When they try it, they'll be like, wow, that's actually good. I never thought vegan food would taste that good. So just like smaller steps like that. And then a lot of people, I was very surprised. And when I post, I used to do like, I still do,


vegan restaurant reviews. A lot of them when I go in and I eat and I post it online, a lot of people are mind blown because they never thought vegan food would look that good. So yeah, so I just feel like doing the little by little you can within your own pace.


Bryan (22:44)

I agree completely. I love to do a quick restaurant review of some vegan food and showcase how beautiful it looks. Jim, I think this is like straight up your alley because this is what Bro Pro Vegans is all about. So how are you going to get more people into your community? How are you getting them to join up? And what do you see as some of the keys to to getting people to to come to the fold?


Geoff Palmer, Clean Machine (22:52)

Okay.


Brent Hagood (22:55)

I don't know.


Jim O'Quinn (22:55)

Yeah. Yeah.


Yeah, I agree with you all. And I think what's, what's happening is we're all on the same page with regards to not forcing this onto people, not shoving it down their throat. I learned a long time ago, standing on the hilltop with a megaphone screaming at everybody just does not work. But leading by example works. And to add to that, I like helping people as much as I can. And a good example is a friend of mine, we went out for coffee.


Majeed Suhuyini (23:21)

.


Jim O'Quinn (23:38)

And he was saying he was in a lot of pain because he had kidney stones. And I started telling him, you know, there's a way to prevent that from happening. And it's you're eating too much animal protein and stuff. And I was saying in a very subtle way and very matter of fact, and all this type of thing. And he realized that the overconsumption of the animal protein was causing calcium buildup in his kidneys and everything. And he ended up getting these kidney stones.


Majeed Suhuyini (23:47)

you


Jim O'Quinn (24:06)

Long story short, I converted him to vegan. And he was very happy about his change in life. He felt better. had more energy, more strength, a lot of his joint pain went away and he did really, really well on it. And he stayed on it for a good, I think it was about seven years until the peer pressure of his fellow coworkers just got to him and he would, you know,


Brent Hagood (24:10)

So,


Majeed Suhuyini (24:17)

you


Jim O'Quinn (24:35)

sneak in some chicken here and there, but he would always lean back on his new lifestyle. So helping people understand the health benefits and the benefits to themselves. And it's always about you, you, you, you, you. That's what I'm always focusing on. The animals are going to be a positive by -product in the end when they don't get killed because you're not eating them anymore. But if I can make you look better, feel better,


have a happier, healthier, more amazing life, then I think you're gonna have your ears perked up and you're gonna be on board. Grow Pro Vegans is all about that. I think it was, Brent, I don't know if you mentioned the high school analogy, but I see it always like that high school game where you've got the cool kids, the losers, the outcasts the in -between ones. And my vision is to have


Brent Hagood (25:21)

Yeah. Yeah.


Majeed Suhuyini (25:23)

.


Yeah.


Jim O'Quinn (25:31)

slowly siphon off the cool kids onto my side of the fence over here on the playground so that the people who are very stubborn and don't want to look at this in a positive way, they're like, where'd everybody go? they're over in the vegan corner. I'm gonna just inch my way over there and I'll just fit in, you know, and it works. I think it's gonna work really well that way because nobody wants to be left out.


Brent Hagood (25:35)

Yes, yes.


Yeah, yes.


Majeed Suhuyini (25:47)

Okay.


Jim O'Quinn (26:00)

And I've said this before on many, many podcasts and different interviews where I don't want to ever use the word vegan ever again. Or vegetarian or plant -based. I just want it's food. And there is no such thing as eating meat. There is no such thing as eating animal product. It's just, this is life for all of us. And that's the big goal, the big, big, big one up there. And I think.


When we have more people over on that side of the playground having the best time of their lives, there'll be very few stubborn ones over here who are reluctant to join the team, you know?


Majeed Suhuyini (26:33)

Okay.


Bryan (26:38)

Yeah, very, very well said. I hope we can see that come to reality sooner rather than later. But we support you, Jim, on that journey. Geoff , I love to hear your reaction to a few people's comments of what they said. But I also I think of you as our honorary doctor on the show here and there, too. So if you could also like, you know, because to me, I do think there is a subtle element of shoving it in people's faces like.


Brent Hagood (26:39)

Very well, sir. I love that.


Jim O'Quinn (26:46)

Yeah. Thank you.


All in.


Brent Hagood (26:57)

No, not.


Bryan (27:05)

I'm sorry, you're single and looking for a really pretty smart girl, go hang out with the vegans, right? And or the sexual benefits of going vegan. I just don't think guys, if guys knew this, they'd be flocking to this in droves. So I want to promote that piece of it a little bit. So maybe you could touch on that a little bit, Geoff , for us as well.


Brent Hagood (27:09)

Yes.


Majeed Suhuyini (27:09)

Okay.


Geoff Palmer, Clean Machine (27:26)

Yeah, so to make things attractive, you can't tell a guy what to do. They'll get the defenses up, right? But you can make something attractive to say, hey, wait a minute, I want what you got. Now, how do you make that attractive? That's a good question. So two big things are guys like to be right. Because if they're right, they're better than the next guy, right? I'm right, you're wrong. That good old black and white thing. OK.


Majeed Suhuyini (27:51)

.


Brent Hagood (27:54)

you


Geoff Palmer, Clean Machine (27:56)

So I provide information that is so obvious and overwhelmingly right. I support it with study after study, so it's just not arguable. And then they're like, well, this guy knows his stuff. OK, I got it. You know, I get it. So the second thing is people need to feel secure in them being right. Well, if I do make that decision, I need something to defend it because I know I'm going to get attacked if I make the change.


Majeed Suhuyini (28:18)

you


Geoff Palmer, Clean Machine (28:26)

So arming them with information that will make them sound strong, confident, right, I mean that's basic sales 101, right? That's how you win at sales is to speak confidently and accurately with better knowledge. Now, if it's new knowledge that other people don't get, bonus, right? And when you're talking about somebody who says,


well, can't, know, a heme iron from animals is better than plant -based iron because it absorbs. No, actually heme iron absorbs too much and causes what we now know is theroptosis, which is actually iron -caused cell death. It is now known to be the number one leading attribute to creating type 2 diabetes. You heard that right. Me, now, in the largest meta -analysis ever done in history.


Majeed Suhuyini (29:18)

right.


Geoff Palmer, Clean Machine (29:22)

with almost two million people involved in it, yes, showed that meat eaters, especially red meaters, had the highest rates of type 2 diabetes because of this heme iron that everybody thinks is so great. It's not. It's killing people. As a matter of fact, when our liver says, my God, that's way too much heme iron that's oxidizing and destroying our cells and causing diabetes and heart attacks and cancer,


Jim O'Quinn (29:25)

Ho ho.


Brent Hagood (29:39)

Hahaha!


Geoff Palmer, Clean Machine (29:51)

I'm gonna push back on that. So our liver secretes this thing called hepcidin and blocks it. You think, great, we have a mechanism to prevent that. Except when it blocks it, none of the heme iron can get into our bloodstream and then pushed out through our waste. Instead, it piles up in our colon. Now making colon cancer the number one cancer cause of death in men under 50 years of age because of their high meat consumption.


Majeed Suhuyini (30:18)

Wow.


Geoff Palmer, Clean Machine (30:22)

Men don't know this and I don't know if any of the guys out there think they're real sexy by carrying a colostomy bag full of crap in it outside of their gut. It's not attractive guys, let me tell you that. Colon cancer is your worst enemy and there it is, that heme iron that you thought was so great and why you should be eating lots of meat and liver and all that good stuff can actually kill you or destroy your life.


Once you get armed with that kind of powerful information, one, it makes you feel much more confident that, okay, I don't want that happening to me. Two, in conversations, I know I'm gonna be right, because this guy knows what he's talking about. And three, I feel confident making that choice, because I'm gonna get better results out of me. And I wanna be here for my wife and kids. I don't wanna be dead. I can't be a good provider if I'm sick, if I have cancer, if I have heart disease.


I'm just not being my supportive masculine role and I can't make any money. And that's another thing they want. So appeal to whatever it is that makes them happy. Now, the first thing I try to do is try to read the individual. What's important to them? Hey, they got a fancy car and you know, making good money. Okay, that's monies clearly. Let's show them how changing their diet can make them be around


Majeed Suhuyini (31:44)

.


Geoff Palmer, Clean Machine (31:46)

so that when they earn all that money, they're not dead at 65 and get to enjoy those millions that they make. Okay, appeal to whatever it is. Find out first, listen, right? Second is go in and try to address whatever it is that's important to them. Is it family? All right, well be here for your kids. Don't get colon cancer. Stop eating that. You wanna be a wealthy single guy and you wanna live forever? Great.


Majeed Suhuyini (32:10)

You


Geoff Palmer, Clean Machine (32:15)

If you want to be a single guy and hot on the take to find the hottest lady, okay, we can talk about what makes that work, what makes your plumbing work too as well and why plant based are beneficial there. So there's always good reasons, but first we have to build up that knowledge. We need to share that knowledge in that community so that when we talk to individuals, we can address them where they're at, meet them where they're at.


Bryan (32:39)

I love it. That's right. I love it, Geoff . I mean, just drop some videos as we're talking in this next question or the rest of the show here. like Game Changers was the big one that just really hit a bunch of statistics and stuff, especially on some of those metrics that you were talking about, Geoff . So thank you for that. I want to spend just like, you know, maybe 30, 45 seconds from each of you on a couple other topics. You know, we want to talk about the ethics of it.


Majeed Suhuyini (32:46)

.


Bryan (33:08)

We want to talk about the health and then obviously the environment. So I want to throw it to you, Brent, just to talk about the ethical side of it, because that is a major pillar of veganism, specifically animal welfare. And I think as men, how do we help shift that conversation from dominance over nature to really that compassion for the animals? And how do we how do we tie that into the community we're trying to build? Because like people haven't watched Dominion.


Majeed Suhuyini (33:19)

you


Brent Hagood (33:20)

Yeah.


Bryan (33:37)

Like go watch Dominion and you will you will just see, you know, the awfulness of what we do to the animals. unfortunately, the male animals get the most beatings on that front because we kill all the baby male chickens, you know, first and foremost, the rate is they hatch. But, you know, I don't want to your thunder here, Brent, but help. This is one of your big passions and causes with one to save money. So help us unpack the ethics side briefly.


Brent Hagood (33:45)

Yeah.


Majeed Suhuyini (33:49)

You


Brent Hagood (33:52)

Yeah.


Yeah, that's a tough one for me. I get a little defeated on that one sometimes because I feel like just naturally women are more empathetic than men. So it's really hard to figure out how to tap into the empathy of men. I don't want to say the little bit that they have because I mean, I feel like it's...


Majeed Suhuyini (34:19)

You


Brent Hagood (34:28)

I feel like it's there. Like, you you see the way that dads are with their children, you know, that, you know, that, you know, that they're capable of it. But I don't know back to cracking that code. I don't know how you get men to, to have it for animals. And, like Geoff was saying, earlier on, I feel like it's more the bravery and the protecting the weak aspect of it. That's probably going to,


get more of them over to shift and trying to pull their heartstrings when they're looking at the factory farming videos. I honestly don't know 100 % either direction, but just from my experience and the people that I've tried to convert and the people I've talked to and even just, know, growing up as an extremely empathetic kid in a world where I didn't fit in, I feel like it's just gonna be really tough to get other men to see through our eyes.


Bryan (35:22)

Yeah. Yeah. And it's it's definitely an interesting thing because I got you get the dog lovers or I mean, the men are guests are stereotypically the dog lover and you say, you know, let's slice up that dog for a nice dog steak and you'll you'll get you'll see their empathy for their their fight, their fight mechanism come out for sure. But when you talk about the same thing with some of the other animals, they they don't have it. I'm curious, Geoff , your quick take on the ethics side of it.


Brent Hagood (35:36)

Yeah.


Yeah.


Geoff Palmer, Clean Machine (35:52)

So I think my empathy came from my own empathy, empathy with myself first. And I think that may be the best place to start. I lost my mother, my father, and both brothers at a young age, and it was devastating to me. I fell into drugs and alcohol and chronic depression, attempted to take my life a couple of times. I was in that dark hole and I didn't see a way out. I had a person,


helped me through in a breakthrough that was so intense. I quit drinking quit smoking quit doing drugs and quit eating all animals in one day. And it's because of my empathy because I felt somebody helped me out of my own personal suffering. I was mentally and emotionally in such a dark place. I wanted it to end and end now to come from that place to


Majeed Suhuyini (36:45)

you


Geoff Palmer, Clean Machine (36:49)

just loving life, excited about what I can accomplish the next day and never having another day of depression in my life since becoming vegan. I wish I could share that experience with people, but people aren't gonna have that kind of huge breakthrough experience. But for me, that empathy of knowing what suffering feels like, I never want to contribute that to another living species on this planet ever again.


I wish there was some way I could communicate that experience, but when I tell guys that, mostly the walls just go up. I don't know if they're afraid of their own darkness. We all have it to some degree, but God, I wish sometimes I could just reach in and grab that and tell them to feel it and push through it because there is such a better place on the other side of that.


Bryan (37:23)

Thank


Yeah.


Brent Hagood (37:47)

Yeah.


Majeed Suhuyini (37:47)

You


Geoff Palmer, Clean Machine (37:47)

once you move through that darkness and don't just keep sitting on it. I think that's part of where this anger, this rigidness, this hardness comes from in men is they're shutting down of their own, so they don't feel that emotion. I use drugs and alcohol and it still didn't make it go away. The only way to go get rid of it is to go through it. And I just wish more men would be strong.


Majeed Suhuyini (38:17)

you


Geoff Palmer, Clean Machine (38:17)

Seek some guidance, seek some help and move through that pain so that they can be a better person for their partner, for their kids and for themselves because they're killing themselves with their diet and their behavior. That's my take.


Bryan (38:31)

Yeah. And it like the theme there really, I thank you, Geoff , for sharing that. I mean, it's the vulnerability piece of it, right? I mean, as men, we need to have each other's backs and we need to be able to say that we can be vulnerable. Like I know I've I've been through my ups and downs throughout my life. Nothing compared to what you've had, Geoff . But we all have to go through those dark moments like that's that's how we get back to happiness and and other things that we want in life. So I really appreciate you being vulnerable.


Majeed Suhuyini (38:47)

You


Bryan (39:01)

again on the show and just helping demonstrate what I feel is a true real man who eats plants. So it's going to be hard to follow that act, Majeed, but I'm curious what you've got to sort of share with us on the ethical side. mean, because like we're very disconnected in America from the food that we eat. You know, we go to the grocery store. And as you said earlier in the show, like almost everybody that you know,


Brent Hagood (39:13)

Thank


Bryan (39:27)

has had the chickens and the goats and whatever running around and has had to be a part of helping bring that meal to the table. talk to us about, from your perspective, some of the ethical and animal sides of that.


Majeed Suhuyini (39:39)

Yeah, so as I said in my


podcast with you the other day. My compassion grew from this is actually an irony because coming from a butchery family, I had direct contact with farm animals, you know, because they'll bring animals home and they each other so they give you an animal to take care of, know, and once you're taking care of the animal, you've all of the status that developing bond with the animal, you know, to the extent that


now you can go out with the animals without having it on the leash because the animal trusts you and then you play with it. And then the next minute the animal is safe to you again to eat. know, and for me, I just started asking questions like, you know, this was my friend days ago, you know, I think there's something wrong with this act, you know, so I started questioning and I come from a Muslim background. You get it. So what I do right now and it's so fascinating, you know, human beings, we


we pick up information that favors us, you know, and then we just run with it, you know, because we all know that Islam is like, there's this festival, Idul Adda, where they kill like masses of animals, you know, they slaughter them, and everybody runs with it. And but sometimes just by asking logical questions, you know, and sometimes just, so what I use to invite people into the ethical side or the empathy side is


know, quoting religious, who's that backs veganism? You know, and there are thousands of them in the holy books of Islam, you know. Someone went to hell fire in one of the teachings, someone went to hell, a lady went to hell fire because she tied up a cat, you know, and then feed the cat and then the cat died out of starvation, you know, and then there's someone gave water, just water to a dog.


You know, and then the person was granted heaven, you know, the holy prophet says that whoever is kind to the creatures of God is kind to himself. You know, so all of these like a lot of teachings, you know, I'm not religious, but I use the rule because a lot of people stand on religion to, know, to be helpful to this animal. They tell you, God created the animals for us to eat. I'm like, why? Where did he say that? You know, because even in the Bible, he said,


Bryan (42:04)

Yeah


Majeed Suhuyini (42:04)

eat fruit and use the seeds as medicine. So why do they say you should eat the animals? So a lot of times I use religious books to kind of counter -attack whenever they are trying to because religion is always the last hammer they bring out. but God said that in the Bible, in the Quran. And then you realize that no, but God also gave you brains. Even if he said he should. So do you mean that if the


red meat is going to give you arthritis and then the Bible said it should eat you, you're also going to continue eating it. Like use your brain, you know, so sometimes I go a little aggressive and get asked sarcastic questions, you know, and that is what mostly flaws their analogy. But for me, it's just like, sometimes you have to go talk to them, not like in an argumentative way, like, but the Bible said this at this point, the Quran said this at this point, you know, and sometimes


they get it sometimes they don't get it, I feel like that is really helpful. know, cause I give you a very quick example. There was this time that they killed a cow in a particular house where I lived. And I went, then I was interacting with one of their religious leaders, you know, who was champion. And then I'm like, but the holy, the Allah said it is not the flesh nor the blood of the animal that goes to him, but


the intention of, you know, whatever sacrifice you're doing. So I asked them, okay, so if you have that same intention, because that cow is about probably $2 ,000, right? And they use it to kill the cow and then you say you're going to give it to the needy. Okay. And then I asked, don't you think you can feed way more people with the $2 ,000 if you just use it to make food, but with the same intention of sacrifice, you know, so sometimes you just have to ask the


the mind -boggling questions. They might not agree to you at that point, but when they go home and then they sleep on it, sometimes they'll be like, okay, yeah, I think you were making sense. So sometimes that is what I just do.


Bryan (44:16)

Yeah, it's really, it is really about planting those seeds because it's not going to be me interacting with one person. It's going to be all of us in the community planting several seeds and they'll all add up and stuff. So Jim, I'm curious your side on the animals and the ethics piece of it. Is it a pledge that the bro pros have to do before they join or?


Majeed Suhuyini (44:34)

Okay.


Brent Hagood (44:37)

Yeah.


Geoff Palmer, Clean Machine (44:37)

Thank


Jim O'Quinn (44:37)

No, it's not because I found that the more rules you put in front of somebody that you have to do this, you got to comply to this, the more people say, I'm out, I'm done. I find the people who are initially curious and interested in just sitting in and listening and hearing all the positivity and the energy and the goodness that's coming out of it, they like something good here. I like this, you know, as opposed to, you know, there's, there's groups out there that are vegan and they're like, I saw you step on an end, you know, you're out, you're out.


Bryan (44:47)

Yeah.


Mm


Jim O'Quinn (45:06)

You know, that kind of thing is they can be so ridiculous in regards to the militant mindset. So that's not where Bro Pro is with the all or nothing kind of mindset. but with regards to something that I've always found interesting is the disassociation people have with meat and the living creature and how the media plays on it. So it has nothing like.


A chicken nugget does not look like anything like that chicken that died to become that chicken nugget. So they teach kids right from the get -go that this is a product, just like the Lucky Charms in the box and that this and that, they don't see the connection. And when you have these men who are so masculine, I'm so tough, I'm a hunter, I'm whatever, really. So when you see roadkill on the road, do you start salivating? Like, mm, that looks good.


if I tell you go kill that cow with your canines and your claws and that virile strength that you have, go and do it. And then once you, if you even come close to even hurting that animal, do you think you could eat that raw flesh? Just like the carnivore you say you are this manly masculine person you think you are because that's what meat is all about. It's not the case when you take.


Majeed Suhuyini (46:04)

Right.


Jim O'Quinn (46:33)

that thunder away from them, that they're so tough and so strong, you're eating somebody else's product that they went and killed in a factory. They're not this guy with a spear running out hunting. And they turn it into something that you, at your leisurely, can go and pick up and throw on the barbecue. Hey boys, come on over, let's go on the barbecue, because we're so manly. But not one of you did anything to get that


Majeed Suhuyini (46:34)

Okay.


Okay.


Jim O'Quinn (47:02)

into that state that you're eating it in. And that is an interesting thing. So I kind of like try to pull a little bit of that thunder away from the, the, the, the, the roars out there who are like, I'm carnivore. I'm a man and all that shit. So, but something you had mentioned, Geoff , about depression and with regards to eating life, eating energy and positivity, not death, not hormones, not fear. have.


I don't have depression. I've always had an optimistic, energetic, positive life mindset. And people will say, you know, they'll always find a way to try to sink your battleship somehow in saying this and this and that. But I know prior to being vegan, I was a major meat eater and I was also ate a lot of crap. I was also very angry. I would, I punched holes in walls. I smashed things. would try to start fights, all this different stuff.


Majeed Suhuyini (47:37)

Okay.


Jim O'Quinn (48:02)

And I know what it was like there. So when you click, help turn the switch in somebody's brain and say, listen, what do you think your state of mind would be if you didn't have a consumption of continuously eating, sadness, sickness, pain, and suffering, because that's trapped inside the flesh of the animal you're eating. You will start to see your mood change, your mind clear up your


overall attitude towards life change. When you say all those hippie vegans, well, they're happy, they're living life and they're feeling because they're in tune with life now. They're seeing, my God, life, energy, happiness, love, all these different things, because they're not a part of the eating death. So that's where the sympathy and the compassion needs to come in. When you realize it's going to better yourself. I'm always going back to how can I make your life better?


Majeed Suhuyini (48:56)

You


Jim O'Quinn (49:01)

by giving them that knowledge to say, stop eating the stuff that's making you feel depressed, angry and sad. Try the other things and you'll see your life improve. And your compassion will definitely skyrocket because then you're going to really identify with all, my God, I can't believe I used to do that. But at least you can say, I used to do that and you're not doing that anymore.


Majeed Suhuyini (49:26)

Thank you.


Bryan (49:26)

I love it. Very, very well said. I think there's got to be more research into that, that state of mind that these animals are killed in and how it does get trapped in that. And I did not hear my plant cry when I ate it for lunch today. So, but the, the last quick topic, cause I want to, I want to do a couple of little things as we wrap up this episode, but like the environment is the other thing. Like I think we've addressed the health.


Geoff Palmer, Clean Machine (49:41)

I'm sorry.


Jim O'Quinn (49:42)

Yeah.


Bryan (49:53)

piece of it with some of our other topics earlier. the, you know, the bigger thing is like we want to be healthy. We want to help save the animals that are right now today embracing this earth with us. But like I do want to talk about like the climate change and the environmental impact. Like it just.


Majeed Suhuyini (49:56)

you


Bryan (50:13)

breaks my heart to know that like we are ripping down huge portions of the Amazon which are the lungs of this planet to help graze more cattle. You know so I just help let's spend a quick quick your quick thoughts.


on the impact on the environment and how do we harness the collective power of these vegan communities that we're building to help amplify environmental change. Majeed, you want to kick us off with what you're seeing over in your neck of the woods?


Majeed Suhuyini (50:43)

Yeah, so one thing about veganism that I really like is that no matter the door, there are so many doors to veganism. Some people come in through the door of health, compassion, environment, know, climate and all of that. One thing I really love about veganism is that once you enter through one door, you're going to automatically start caring about the rest of the doors.


you know, so even if you went into veganism because you were trying to, you know, feel healthy, all of the sudden you're going to start feeling this sort of compassion towards animals, you know, and all of the sudden you're going to start feeling compassion again, you know, for the environment, for the climate. So I think it's crazy how climate change is going. And then we just, we just like 10,


our backstores and everybody's like, we're pretending it doesn't exist, but it is literally right in our face. Right now, the times of winter have changed, Hamilton, rainy season. It's just the weather is not as it used to be, because we are killing the environment, literally. And this is not a metaphor. We are literally killing the environment for one selfish reasons and also capitalism.


But veganism has come to be in such a way that you have to be compassionate about the environment also, even though that is the true essence of vegan. If not, then you're not a true vegan. Excuse me, but you're not like a true vegan because you might be termed as plant -based, but the term veganism caters for the environment. So I really love the fact that I am able to have compassion for


the climate and then every now and then there are like beach cleanups that we do in Ghana here that we go and clean up the beach because the oceans are even worse. know, if you see what is going on in the ocean, the fish and the plastic, everything is, if I'm going to talk about this, I'm going to cry because it's like, it's really bad. But then we just turn deaf ears towards it. I don't know if we think there's another planet somewhere else.


that, as soon as this one gets destroyed, we'll jump onto it because this is literally happening to us. And if you look at the statistics, people are saying by 2050, what is going to happen? I'm like, no. In 10 years time, if we don't stand up, if we don't wake up and start taking actions against all of these things that is happening to the climate, it is going to be very difficult to live in. It's already difficult. So I get really


emotional when it comes to climbing. that'll be my. Yeah, two tokens.


Bryan (53:33)

Thank Thank you, Majeed. Geoff , help us unpack how we impact the environment with our vegan bros here.


Geoff Palmer, Clean Machine (53:40)

Yeah, so that's been a major focus for me writing a book on Omega -3 nutrition because it's so misunderstood. There's one study out of the Inuits, Alaskan Eskimo tribes, found that they had less heart attacks because they were eating more fish. That was totally blown up later, a decade later, when they found out they were measuring their heart attacks wrong because they were dying of cancer and everything else before they could even develop a heart attack.


So it wasn't that they weren't getting heart attacks, it's they were dying too early to actually form the plaques in their arteries to cause heart attack and had nothing to do with the fish. As a matter of fact, now we know that Omega DHA from fish actually causes atrial fibrillation. Once you have AFib, you're at 63 % more likely chance to have a heart attack.


Taking fish oil or consuming fish in high quantities can actually lead to a heart attack. DHA from omega -3 from fish actually increases your LDL cholesterol, whereas plant -based ALA and EPA both lower LDL cholesterol. When you see plant -based eaters, they have almost always lower blood pressure because of that, because there's no plucking in their arteries because of the cholesterol increase.


So we've got it just backwards, but myths can be persistent. And this myth that fish oil and fish is important or good for us is just false. It's backwards and it's wrong and it's dangerous. So I'm trying to get this information out there in a big way because right now our fastest way to a climate collapse is from the fish.


Majeed Suhuyini (55:16)

.


Geoff Palmer, Clean Machine (55:32)

consume 90 billion animals, land animals per year, but 2 .3 to 2 .7 trillion fish every single year. Now we don't actually have to wipe the fish out of the ocean. All we have to do is get it to a tipping point where the ecology collapses. Because fish eat other fish, which eat plants. Okay, if the fish aren't there to eat the other fish, they collapse and then the plants collapse because there's no fish.


providing fertilizer, there's no fish providing the CO2. So there's a perfect balance of fish and plants in there. You wipe out the fish, you wipe out the plants. Now here's the real scary part. You said the Amazon is the lungs of the planet. That's actually not true. That's another big myth. That's another big myth. The contribution to the Amazon, to oxygen for the rest of the planet is close to nothing.


Bryan (56:19)

That's probably the ocean, you're right, yeah.


Majeed Suhuyini (56:28)

Thank you.


Geoff Palmer, Clean Machine (56:30)

because there's such dense populations of animals in the Amazon, they consume that oxygen almost entirely. It's in perfect balance once again. What does contribute to over 70 % of the oxygen that you and I are breathing right now is plankton in the ocean, plants, single organs. So when you consume the fish and they don't have anything to consume them, then the...


Bryan (56:37)

Okay.


Geoff Palmer, Clean Machine (56:57)

plankton overpopulate and wipe out all the oxygen and then you create dead zones where they can't even exist. Once you do that, our oxygen supply plummets and we'll all basically, except for the few billionaires who can make their own machines that create oxygen for themselves, everybody else will pretty much die, including all other species that live on this planet. That's the scary part.


Majeed Suhuyini (57:00)

.


Bryan (57:23)

And we're heading there extremely fast. Brent, anything?


Geoff Palmer, Clean Machine (57:27)

10 to 20 years away from tipping that balance. We're that close. And we're accelerating. Our foot's on the gas pedal, not the brake.


Jim O'Quinn (57:31)

Yeah.


Bryan (57:36)

Yeah, it's very, very scary. Brent, anything you want to add to that side of it?


Brent Hagood (57:42)

was really hoping you weren't going to make me follow Geoff because I I don't even know how to follow that. I feel like I'm in preschool here after listening to him. Now, what I was going to say, and I like following up on what Majeed said is that one benefit of slowly converting more people over to vegan, like myself as an example, like I haven't been a vegan as long as Jim and Geoff have, but in the short time that I have, I've gone from


Majeed Suhuyini (57:44)

Okay.


Bryan (57:45)

Sorry, I know.


Geoff Palmer, Clean Machine (57:46)

Good.


Bryan (57:54)

.


Brent Hagood (58:12)

not really paying attention to the environment at all until I became vegan. And then once I became vegan, it's almost like this entire other world opened up to me. Everything from the medical industry, pharmaceutical industry, like environmental, like, you know, it's just, have a completely new perspective on the way that you see the world. So I'm hoping that as more and more people switch over to plant -based that the more and more people will be.


Majeed Suhuyini (58:26)

.


you


Brent Hagood (58:39)

aware of how their actions are affecting the environment. And I'm embarrassed to say that because I've only been vegan for seven years, I have so much to still learn about the environment. But I feel like I'm learning something new every day. And after listening to Geoff , I feel like I got like two months worth right there. Geoff , I need you on speed dial. I really do.


Majeed Suhuyini (58:40)

Okay.


Bryan (58:58)

That's right. That's right. He always...


Geoff Palmer, Clean Machine (59:00)

You got 40 years worth of me learning this stuff.


Jim O'Quinn (59:04)

Yeah.


Bryan (59:06)

That's right.


Jim, your thoughts.


Jim O'Quinn (59:13)

Yeah. I agree with you and Brent, we're all learning every single day. And I, I, I applaud you for taking note of that and, pursuing it because that's truly what it's all about. Anybody who thinks they know everything, they know nothing. They absolutely know nothing. And all what I'm thinking in regards to the environment, it just keeps going back to the, changing up the mindset for people and getting them into this lifestyle. I always keep focusing back to the me, me, me.


Brent Hagood (59:18)

Yeah.


Thank you.


Majeed Suhuyini (59:36)

you


Jim O'Quinn (59:42)

I mean, you, you, you, and then they can see, you said, Brent, that your eyes start to open up and you start to realize, I'm not contributing to that anymore. I'm not a part of that mass farming industry. I don't have anything to do with it. And the more, you know, they say, you, you vote with your dollars. The more people we vote have voting with their dollars, as in buying the plants and not the meat, then those companies are just going to start to fall apart and they're going to stop needing to.


cut down that forest because you know what, we're not selling as much meat as we used to. And the dairy industry is a fantastic example. Not only are they not selling the dairy as much anymore, and that it's equal in many grocery stores, at least in North America. You see the bunkers there, you got 50 % dairy, 50 % plant -based, and it's fantastic. So that's a great thing. And then that these farmers are converting their farms from


dairy farming to raising all kinds of different crops that are sustainable and they've changed their farming practices. They've also realized that, you know, 80 % of the plants that are grown out of there where they always complain about soy being so bad because 80 % of it's going towards feeding those animals. Whereas they've converted those farms and are now using them to produce


products that are going to produce more oxygen into the air and into the environment and everything. So that in itself is really, really great. So I think just getting more people on board will change the environment a whole lot better.


Bryan (1:01:21)

I love it. Very well said. And I want to close out the episode with just, you know, bringing it back to the practical side. And that's the cooking piece of this. And, you know, I want to each of you to sort of hit us with like, what's your go -to plant based recipe that's easy to prepare and perfect for men to dive into the cooking side of it? I know I'm proud to say that I've got a pretty awesome chili recipe with you char the


Majeed Suhuyini (1:01:31)

.


Bryan (1:01:51)

poblano peppers with the broiler and then you put a couple different cans of beans in there and a couple typical chili spices. And I think the secret ingredient is just a little bit of cocoa powder with the poblano burned flavor. And I took second place at my chili competition with my vegan chili. Like I'm hoping next year I'm going to take first place. Nobody. I mean, they all knew it was vegan because they kept asking me and they knew I was vegan. But


Majeed Suhuyini (1:02:07)

I'm legends.


Brent Hagood (1:02:08)

That's awesome. That's awesome. Yeah.


Jim O'Quinn (1:02:08)

Nice. Nice.


Majeed Suhuyini (1:02:12)

.


Bryan (1:02:19)

At the same time, I was really proud to see that I can get in there and take second place. But I'm curious, each of your quick go -to recipes, Brent, you wanna shoot one out there?


Brent Hagood (1:02:30)

A quick question for you on your chili. Did you use TVP or anything to mimic meat in it or is it strictly like beans and veggies?


Bryan (1:02:38)

Yeah, it's just the beans and the veggies and then the typical chili powder and onions and stuff like that. I think to me, it's the little scoop of cocoa powder and then the poblano peppers being charred and giving it that little hint of spice to it.


Brent Hagood (1:02:56)

I need that recipe. I am actually a very lazy cooker most of the time, not because I want to be. I love being in the kitchen, but I'm just somebody that goes from the minute I get up until the minute I go to bed just with everything I got to do in the day. So I don't have a whole lot of time in the kitchen. But more recently, I have fallen in love with the crock pot. I'm 50 years old and I'm wondering what took me so long to see how amazing this kitchen device is.


Majeed Suhuyini (1:02:58)

Thank you.


Bryan (1:03:22)

you


Brent Hagood (1:03:25)

Right now, while I'm sitting here, I have a curry chickpea that is insane. I mean, it's better than any food that I've had in any Indian restaurant ever. it took me about 20 minutes to put it all in there, and it's super healthy. So I would say it's amazing what you can do with a Crock -Pot. And I would love to share the recipe so you could try it very quickly.


Bryan (1:03:47)

Yeah, please let everybody send their recipes to me. We'll make sure they're in the show notes down below here. So Jim, how about your go -to recipe?


Jim O'Quinn (1:03:56)

Yeah, I'm a big believer in getting your morning started right. So I'm at the gym at six o 'clock in the morning and every and walk the dog through all these different things. So I'm like you Brent, go, go, go. And when I'm back from the gym, my go -to is always soaked oats. So I get organic, flat, old fashioned oats, soak them in with apple cider and some soy milk in it just a little bit. But that is this big Mason jar and I eat big. That's the other thing.


Majeed Suhuyini (1:04:20)

Okay.


Jim O'Quinn (1:04:25)

that's so cool about this lifestyle. When you're eating whole plant foods, you can eat a ton of food. I'm a big eater and people are like, what the hell are you eating? And it's this, I have this big white bowl and it's this heaping mound of this. It's like, I've measured it, it's four cups. My breakfast is four cups of oatmeal with diced apple, dried cranberries, three different types of nuts.


Brent Hagood (1:04:30)

Yeah.


Geoff Palmer, Clean Machine (1:04:30)

We did.


You


Brent Hagood (1:04:35)

You


my god.


Jim O'Quinn (1:04:52)

some flaxseed on there, some soy milk on top of it, drop some tablespoons of maple syrup or whatever sweetener you want. And that will keep me full right up until lunch. And that's what I'm always promoting to people who say, you know, I'm always hungry because you're eating garbage, know, pancakes and whatever. You know, you eat something like this, even if you eat like the junior lightweight kind of way of doing it, like go two cups instead of four.


Majeed Suhuyini (1:04:56)

Okay.


Brent Hagood (1:05:09)

Yeah.


Jim O'Quinn (1:05:20)

you're still gonna feel full for a good two, three, four hours. And that's my go -to.


Bryan (1:05:26)

Thank you, Jim. Majeed.


Majeed Suhuyini (1:05:28)

mine is very simple. Well, it's simple to me, but I don't know who's going to be simple to you. So there's this meal in Ghana and Nigeria called Jollof. It is made with rice. So you basically cook the rice with stew, you know, and it comes out really good. And there's this international competition between Ghana and Nigeria, like which Jollof is better, Ghana Jollof? Of course Ghana Jollof is better. But I have veganizing. I have veganizing, so it's a word that I cook.


quinoa jello. I don't know if I've ever had it anywhere. So I think it's an original recipe that I just created. So I cook quinoa in the same way and then with like fried potatoes and it's amazing. You guys have to try it. It's so good. So it's just like you make, so when you're making like stew, tomato stew, and then you pour the washed quinoa in it and just let it cook. And it comes out really good. It comes out really, really good.


That is my go -to meal when I'm really hungry. And know, quinoa is like full of protein, you know.


Bryan (1:06:29)

Appreciate it, Majeeb. Absolutely, absolutely. That's great, Majeeb. We'll have to get that recipe and give it a try. Geoff !


Geoff Palmer, Clean Machine (1:06:38)

My favorite recipe for creating the most delicious food is go to a vegan event, find the most amazing woman you can find there and marry her. And I did that and I'm eating great for the rest of my life. No, seriously. But that is true. She's a 30 year vegan and amazing vegan chef. So I am blessed and fortunate.


Brent Hagood (1:06:50)

you


Bryan (1:06:51)

Hahaha


Majeed Suhuyini (1:06:53)

Thank


Geoff Palmer, Clean Machine (1:07:05)

I know when to step aside and let the artist be artist, right? But for me, my first meal every day is almost a smoothie. So I just load as many different in season ripe fruits as I can get. And there are five to 10 different fruits of different colors. All the different colors have different polyphenols. All those different polyphenols have beneficial effects. So I supercharge my smoothie every morning.


Majeed Suhuyini (1:07:26)

You


Geoff Palmer, Clean Machine (1:07:35)

with polyphenols and hopefully soon I'll be able to put duckweed back in it too. The most nutrient rich plant ever discovered that actually contains bioactive vitamin B12. So I'll be bringing that back to market, shameful plug, but I'll be bringing that back to market here in the United States and you won't have to take a B12 supplement ever again. You can just get it from real whole food, nutrient rich.


The duckweed will have over 200 different polyphenols in a single serving. So that's it.


Brent Hagood (1:08:10)

out.


Bryan (1:08:13)

And where can we find that, Geoff ? Geoff , close us out. How do we get in touch with you and where do we buy some of the amazing products you've mentioned today?


Geoff Palmer, Clean Machine (1:08:22)

Yeah, clean machine online .com. That's our thing. I do weekly podcasts right after this one. So I got to leave real quick. But I'll be doing a podcast every at clean machine fit on Facebook and IG and on clean machine online on YouTube. You can catch my podcast. I cover all of the latest research on health and nutrition and fitness. For all of those, you want to learn how to do


things well and live the best of your life you can.


Bryan (1:08:55)

Awesome. Sorry, we went a little over time, but appreciate you being here, Geoff . Brent, how do we get in touch with you?


Brent Hagood (1:09:02)

Wondasavemany .com 100 % of profits of everything on the website go to charities dedicated to helping animals. that's the best place to contact me or I should say best place to place an order at Wondasavemany on Instagram if you want to contact me. Brian, thank you again so much for having me on here. You guys also so awesome meeting you all. So awesome being in a.


Majeed Suhuyini (1:09:20)

I am a social media man. just my cheat. So you need on every social media is just one name. -A -J -E -E -N -S -U -H -U -Y -I -N -I.


Brent Hagood (1:09:30)

a group of like -minded vegans, I would love to do this like once a week. I feel so charged up right now.


Bryan (1:09:36)

I agree, I love it. was a great episode. Majeed, how can we get in touch?


Majeed Suhuyini (1:09:50)

everywhere. am blasting everywhere. Link in Twitter, Facebook, everywhere. And Brian, thank you so, much for this platform. This is really such a beautiful conversation and I've really learned a lot, especially from Geoff and also the experience of Brent and Jim. I really, really love this platform. Thank you so much guys.


Bryan (1:10:10)

Thank you, thank you. Jim, how do we get in touch?


Jim O'Quinn (1:10:14)

Real simple, just go to the website. So it's broprovegans .com and all the social media links are there and you can email, there's an email there you can direct me. It's not direct to me, but it's coming direct to me. You know what I mean? So that way we can connect and anybody who wants to chat, continue on the conversation. Love to do that. And Brian, as always buddy, you're fantastic. Thank you so much for doing this. This is what's making a difference in the world right there.


Bryan (1:10:42)

I appreciate all of you. So thank you again, Geoff , Jim, Majeed, Brent for being here. And if you are a man looking to make a switch to the plant -based living, join us in creating a healthier, more compassionate and sustainable future. Subscribe, like, share, leave us a review, leave us a comment, tell us what you want to hear on our next episode and help us spread the word. We want to do more of this and help all of these other amazing people continue to change the world. So.


I guess, stay green, stay strong, and we'll see you next time on Real Men Eat Plants. Thank you, everybody.


Majeed Suhuyini (1:11:11)

Thank you.


Jim O'Quinn (1:11:16)

it.


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