Ep. 375 Vince Rountree - A 108-point cholesterol drop in 6 weeks?

Episode 375 • 15th October 2026 • PLANTSTRONG Podcast • Rip Esselstyn

In 2011, a routine physical revealed a total cholesterol of 240 and LDL of 170 for Vince Rountree. Told there wasn’t much he could do beyond medication, Vince (a chemical engineer) wasn't buying it and kept searching—and eventually found the work of Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr.

So he went all-in.

For six weeks, Vince ate a 100% whole-food, plant-based diet with no exceptions. When he retested, his total cholesterol had dropped to 132 and his LDL to 78.

That experiment changed the course of his life.

Today, Vince is a health coach and founder of The Food Fixer Path, helping others explore what whole-food, plant-based nutrition can do for their health. He and Rip dig into type 2 diabetes, heart disease, ApoB, behavior change, social pressure, and why community and a strong WHY can make all the difference.

They also talk about Vince’s latest experiment: getting stronger after 60.

Since beginning serious strength training, Vince says he has added roughly 20 pounds of body weight and increased his bench press from around 175–185 pounds to 315—all without protein powders, shakes, peptides, or tracking macros.

His approach is refreshingly simple: eat whole plant foods, train consistently, and keep showing up.

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