The Exam Room by the Physicians Committee

Brenda Workman transformed her health. Now she is working to transform an entire state.
 
After losing 60 pounds and getting off cholesterol and blood pressure medication with a plant-based diet, Brenda became a Food for Life instructor and dedicated herself to improving health in her home state of West Virginia.
 
She teaches cooking classes, speaks to nursing students and businesses, appears on television, and trains community organizations to bring practical nutrition education to the people they serve.
 
In this inspiring conversation with Chuck Carroll, Brenda explains why personal stories can reach people when facts alone cannot, how to talk about healthy eating without creating defensiveness, and why you should never wait for your family to change before taking responsibility for your own health.
 
🧠 You'll also learn:
How to eat plant-based when your family isn't plant-based
Why respect is more effective than shame
How to cook healthy food for one or two people
Ways to make plant-based eating practical and affordable
How Brenda is training others to teach healthy cooking
Why delicious food is essential for lasting change
 
Brenda's Wellness Weekend is coming to Canaan Valley Resort in West Virginia on October 9–10, 2026. Chuck will be there with Brenda, Cyrus Khambatta, and Kylie Buckner from Evolution Health for presentations, workshops, exercise, delicious plant-based food, and an unforgettable fall weekend.
 
Exam Roomies of the Week
Barbara Kurtzweil
Kelly Bonnell
Marjorie Lewis
Make a gift to support The Exam Room Podcast and the life-changing work of the Physicians Committee.
 
🙏 Support The Exam Room Podcast & PCRM 
👉 https://bit.ly/SupportExamRoom
 
📘 Wellness Weekend Tickets 
👉 https://bit.ly/WellnessWeekendWV
 
This episode is not medical advice. Always speak with your doctor about any changes to your diet or lifestyle.
 
- About Us -

The Physicians Committee is dedicated to saving lives through plant-based diets and ethical and effective scientific research. We combine the clout and expertise of more than 17,000 physicians with the dedicated action

What happens when you know exactly what you should do for your health but you still don't do it?
Motivation may not be the answer.
Best-selling author and performance expert Alan Stein Jr. joins Dr. Hana Kahleova and Chuck Carroll to reveal the "next play" mindset that can help you bounce back from bad decisions, stop self-sabotage, and become more consistent with your health.
Before becoming a keynote speaker, Alan spent 20 years in basketball performance and had the opportunity to observe some of the greatest athletes in the world, including Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant.
What separates elite performers isn't perfection. They miss shots. They have bad days. They make mistakes.
The difference is what they do next.
In this episode of The Exam Room Podcast, you'll learn how to stop one unhealthy meal from becoming an unhealthy week, why emotions should inform your decisions rather than control them, how to build discipline when motivation disappears, and why your environment may matter more than willpower.
Chuck also opens up about weighing 420 pounds and eating as many as 10,000 calories of fast food a day — and why he is learning to have compassion for the person he used to be instead of continuing to punish himself for the past.
Plus, Alan shares the daily routines that help him protect his mindset and explains why small wins eventually become enormous changes.
Your last play is over.
What will you do next?
Exam Roomies of the Week
Yvonne Brinson
Ilaria Ottino
Ken Swartz
Make a gift to support The Exam Room Podcast and the life-changing work of the Physicians Committee.
🙏 Support The Exam Room Podcast & PCRM
👉 https://bit.ly/SupportExamRoom
 
📘 Next Play by Alan Stein Jr. 
👉 https://amzn.to/4quiIkk
 
This episode is not medical advice. Always speak with your doctor about any changes to your diet or lifestyle.
 
- About Us -
The Physicians Committee is dedicated to saving lives through plant-based diets and ethical and effective scientific research. We combine the clout and expertise of more than 17,000 physicians with the dedicated action

Chef AJ has been through one of the hardest chapters of her life. But she is still laughing. Still exercising. Still showing up. Still making plans. And most importantly, still finding reasons to enjoy life.
In this deeply personal and often hilarious conversation, Chef AJ joins Chuck Carroll to talk about continuing to move forward despite health challenges, treatment and unexpected obstacles. She shares why improv comedy and exercise remained priorities even during some of her most difficult days—and why doing the things that make you feel better can matter most when you least feel like doing them.
Chuck and AJ also open up about the friendship they've developed while both navigating their own health challenges and the messages of encouragement they've exchanged along the way.
Plus, Chef AJ talks about laughter, improv, overcoming fear, taking chances, creating your own luck and why sometimes the first step forward is the hardest—and most important—one.
And there is plenty of fun ahead!
Chef AJ is hosting the Plant Powered Party in Las Vegas September 4–6, where Chuck will also be appearing along with an incredible lineup of plant-based doctors, chefs and experts. Can't make it to Las Vegas? You can join the party virtually from anywhere in the world and watch online. Use the link in the episode notes to learn more.
This is a conversation about friendship, resilience and finding joy even when life doesn't go according to plan.
Never stop moving forward.
Exam Roomies of the Week
Hemma Werner
Gail Sears
Anette Cathrine Nedreli
Make a gift to support The Exam Room Podcast and the life-changing work of the Physicians Committee.
🙏 Support The Exam Room Podcast & PCRM
👉 https://bit.ly/SupportExamRoom
 
🎉 Plant-Powered Party Las Vegas
👉 https://bit.ly/ChefAJParty
 
📕 Chef AJ Books
👉 https://amzn.to/3U4HTxB
 
This episode is not medical advice. Always speak with your doctor about any changes to your diet or lifestyle.
 
- About Us -
The Physicians Committee is dedicated to saving lives through plant-based diets and ethical and effective scientific research. We combine the clout and expertise of more than 17,000 physicians with the dedicated action

Is meat really masculine or could it be causing erectile dysfunction?
Dr. Neal Barnard joins Chuck Carroll to examine the connection between meat, blood flow, heart health, testosterone, muscle, fertility, prostate health, and ED.
Dr. Barnard explains why erectile dysfunction may sometimes appear before more obvious signs of cardiovascular disease. He also discusses whether meat actually improves testosterone or muscle growth, how a high-fat meal may affect athletic performance, and why strong muscles on the outside do not always mean healthy arteries on the inside.
You'll also learn:
How quickly circulation may begin to improve after changing your diet
Why plant foods can provide the protein needed to build muscle
The possible connection between dairy, fertility, and prostate health
What a practical day of eating for men's health could look like
Why tomatoes, beans, whole grains, and other plant foods deserve a place on the menu
Plus, Chuck and Dr. Barnard preview the International Conference on Nutrition in Medicine, happening August 13–15 in Washington, D.C.
 
🎉 ICNM - Washington DC - 8/13-15
👉 https://www.pcrm.org/icnm
Use code EXAMROOM100 to save $100 on tickets
 
Exam Roomies of the Week
Teri Lynn Yunus, NP
Kathy D'Ambrosio
Joanne Pinner, MSN
Make a gift to support The Exam Room Podcast and the life-changing work of the Physicians Committee.
🙏 Support The Exam Room Podcast & PCRM
👉 https://bit.ly/SupportExamRoom
 
This episode is not medical advice. Always speak with your doctor about any changes to your diet or lifestyle.
 
- About Us -
The Physicians Committee is dedicated to saving lives through plant-based diets and ethical and effective scientific research. We combine the clout and expertise of more than 17,000 physicians with the dedicated actions of more than 175,000 members across the United States and around the world.

Can you lower LDL cholesterol by changing the foods you eat?
 
Dr. David Jenkins, the pioneering nutrition researcher behind the Portfolio Diet, joins Chuck Carroll to explain how a carefully selected combination of foods may help bring cholesterol under control.
 
Dr. Jenkins reveals why oats and barley may be particularly effective for lowering cholesterol, how their sticky soluble fiber interacts with bile acids, and why simply telling someone to "eat more fiber" may not be specific enough.
 
You'll also learn:
The difference between LDL and HDL cholesterol
Whether dietary cholesterol is necessary for good health
How the Portfolio Diet was developed
Why soy may lower LDL while replacing less healthy proteins
The difference between fats from plants and animals
Why nuts can be beneficial despite being high in fat and calories
What extra-virgin olive oil may offer beyond unsaturated fat
How plant-based eating can benefit human and planetary health
Why partial dietary changes can still be meaningful
How diet may be used alongside cholesterol-lowering medication
 
Dr. Jenkins is a professor of medicine and nutritional sciences at the University of Toronto and one of the world's leading researchers on diet, cholesterol, diabetes, plant protein, and soluble fiber.
 
Hear more from Dr. Jenkins at the International Conference on Nutrition in Medicine, Aug. 13–15, 2026, in Washington, D.C.
 
🎉 ICNM - Washington DC - 8/13-15
👉 https://www.pcrm.org/icnm
Use code EXAMROOM100 to save $100 on tickets
 
Exam Roomies of the Week
Michelle Walker
Steven Alongi
Todd Lindley
 
Support The Exam Room Podcast and Physicians Committee and hear your name mentioned on the show!
 
This episode is not medical advice. Always speak with your doctor about any changes to your diet or lifestyle.
 
- About Us -
The Physicians Committee is dedicated to saving lives through plant-based diets and ethical and effective scientific research. We combine the clout and expertise of more than 17,000 physicians with the dedicated actions of more than 175,000 members across the United States and around the world.