Ep. 343: Charles Gassenheimer - From Multiple Meds to Marathons: How a Plant-Based Diet Changed His Life
PLANTSTRONG Podcast
Rip Esselstyn
4.8 • 2.4K Ratings
🗓️ 5 March 2026
⏱️ 64 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
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
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | I'm Ray Besselston, and you're listening to the Plan Strong podcast. |
| 0:04.8 | Hey, y'all. |
| 0:06.6 | My guest today is Charles Gassenheimer, and this one is a dozy of a transformational story. |
| 0:14.5 | Charles is a former Division I runner who went to Wall Street, got swept up in all of the client dinners, the travel, and |
| 0:22.4 | the just trying to keep up lifestyle. And before he knew it, he was 70 pounds overweight on high |
| 0:31.2 | dose statins and dealing with joint pain and even short-term memory loss. Then came the moment that changed everything. |
| 0:40.3 | He had a straight shooting conversation with the one and only Dr. Robert Osfeld, |
| 0:45.3 | who's been on the Plant Strong podcast numerous times, |
| 0:49.3 | who basically told Charles in no uncertain terms where his health was headed and how a whole food, |
| 0:56.7 | plant-based diet could help him turn it all around. Fast forward, Charles is now off the meds. |
| 1:04.0 | He's fueling with plants, running marathons like it was his side hustle, and he's raised over |
| 1:10.5 | $100,000 for Dr. Osfeld's cardiac wellness program |
| 1:15.0 | at Monte Fior. |
| 1:17.1 | And if I didn't mention, he's also raising young triplets that are all plant-based from day one. |
| 1:25.5 | Absolutely incredible. |
| 1:27.9 | This episode is about reclaiming your health and investing in the long game. |
| 1:33.9 | We're going to hear all about it right after these words from Plant Strike. |
| 1:42.6 | What if your next vacation didn't just give you memories? What if it gave you better lab results? |
| 1:51.3 | At Planned Strong Retreats, this isn't about spa days or green juice detoxes. This is about |
| 1:57.7 | measurable transformation. People arrive with elevated cholesterol levels, stubborn weight gain, low energy, and frustration. |
| 2:06.6 | And they leave lighter, clearer, more hopeful. |
| 2:10.6 | Some see their LDLs drop. |
... |
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