Host

Linda Middlesworth, aka the VeganMentor, has been living as an ethical plant-based vegan for over 36 years. At age 80, among Linda’s many accomplishments are: creating the Sacramento Vegan Society in 2008 which boasts 5,200 members and obtaining her certification in Plant-Based Nutrition from eCornell and the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition in 2018.

Linda is incredibly passionate about physical activity and is an aerobics instructor for CA Family Fitness, where she has taught cardio and weight training classes for the last 20 years. She is a Certified Personal Trainer through AFFA and an event organizer for Get Healthy Sacramento.

Linda is the founder of Go Healthy Live!, a series of virtual summits designed to reach people around the globe with healthy, plant-exclusive teaching. The series, Lose Weight Without Dieting LIVE, features doctors and leaders in health, animal advocacy and climate change.

Linda is also the co-owner (with her son Darren Middlesworth) of v-dog.com, a vegan dog food business that she and her late husband, David, launched in 2005 so dogs could benefit from a healthy, cruelty-free and environmentally friendly dog food. V-dog recently garnered international recognition as one of the Top 3 Best Specialty Dog Food Companies. Linda remains an active animal rights activist for PETA, DXE, Sacramento Animal Rights, Sacramento Animal Save, and Sacramento Health Save.

Linda was appointed to the Medical Advisory Board as Community Liaison for CNS, T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies in 2023.

Neal Barnard, MD, FACC, is an Adjunct Professor of Medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine in Washington, DC, and President of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

Dr. Barnard has led numerous research studies investigating the effects of diet on diabetes, body weight, hormonal symptoms, and chronic pain, including a groundbreaking study of dietary interventions in type 2 diabetes, funded by the National Institutes of Health, that paved the way for viewing type 2 diabetes as a potentially reversible condition for many patients. Dr. Barnard has authored more than 100 scientific publications and 20 books for medical and lay readers, and is the editor in chief of the Nutrition Guide for Clinicians, a textbook made available to all U.S. medical students.

As president of the Physicians Committee, Dr. Barnard leads programs advocating for preventive medicine, good nutrition, and higher ethical standards in research. His research contributed to the acceptance of plant-based diets in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. In 2015, he was named a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology. In 2016, he founded the Barnard Medical Center in Washington, DC, as a model for making nutrition a routine part of all medical care.

Working with the Medical Society of the District of Columbia and the American Medical Association, Dr. Barnard has authored key resolutions, now part of AMA policy, calling for a new focus on prevention and nutrition in federal policies and in medical practice. In 2018, he received the Medical Society of the District of Columbia’s Distinguished Service Award. He has hosted four PBS television programs on nutrition and health.

Originally from Fargo, North Dakota, Dr. Barnard received his M.D. degree at the George Washington University School of Medicine and completed his residency at the same institution. He practiced at St. Vincent’s Hospital in New York before returning to Washington to found the Physicians Committee.

Niki Davis, MD is a “rocket scientist” turned physician. She is board certified in both family medicine and lifestyle medicine. At age 13, she started removing animal products from her diet because she didn’t feel it was healthy. Once in college, she obtained bachelor and master degrees in mechanical engineering and worked on the space shuttle program for several years. However, instead of rockets on her mind, she was constantly thinking about health and nutrition - helping her own family members improve their health and their lives by switching to a plant based lifestyle.

She eventually found her way back to her passion after leaving her engineering career to apply for medical school. She graduated from the University of Utah School of Medicine in 2017 and completed a Family Medicine residency program in 2020. While in residency, in addition to serving as Wellness Chief, she helped form Plant Based Montana, an advocacy group with the mission to educate healthcare providers and the general public about the benefits of a plant based diet.

She has had the pleasure of speaking at plant based events around the country and has been lucky enough to train with phenomenal mentors such as Dr. John McDougall, Dr. Michael Klaper, Dr. Anthony Lim, Dr. Laurie Marbas, and Dr. Alan Goldhamer, among others. She is a regular guest on Chef AJ’s YouTube channel show, has a certificate in plant based nutrition from the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies through eCornell, and is certified in The Starch Solution.

Dr. Davis is available for Lifestyle Medicine TeleHealth appointments through Love.Life TeleHealth.

John Pierre has captivated and entertained audiences around the world. With a fascinating blend of science, humor, and practicality John Pierre offers life-changing strategies in an easy to understand method.

A pioneer in the brain building field for the elderly, John Pierre created the first brain-building programs utilizing a plant-based diet and nutraceuticals over 25 years ago. With more than 35 years of experience in the nutrition and fitness field, John Pierre has developed cutting edge programs with a blend of science and ancient modalities.

John has authored two books, along with cooking DVDs, exercise videos, and numerous online programs. His heart of service is a nonprofit called Living With Harmony that works to heal, inspire, and transform the lives of people, animals, and the planet, through the education of “PLANET-Based Living.”

Chef AJ has been devoted to a plant-exclusive diet for over 43 years. She was the host of the television series Healthy Living with CHEF AJ which airs on Foody TV. A chef, culinary instructor, and professional speaker, she is the author of the popular book Unprocessed: How to Achieve Vibrant Health and Your Ideal Weight, which chronicles her journey from an obese junk-food vegan faced with a diagnosis of pre-cancerous polyps, to learning how to create foods that nourish and heal the body.

Her latest bestselling book The Secrets to Ultimate Weight Loss: A Revolutionary Approach to Conquer Cravings, Overcome Food Addiction, and Lose Weight Without Going Hungry has received glowing endorsement by many luminaries in the plant-based movement.

Chef AJ was the Executive Pastry Chef at Santé Restaurant in Los Angeles where she was famous for her sugar, oil, salt, and gluten-free desserts which use the fruit, the whole fruit, and nothing but the whole fruit. These recipes can be found in her book A Date With Dessert.

She is the creator of the Ultimate Weight Loss Program, which has helped hundreds of people achieve the health and the body that they deserve and is proud to say that her IQ is higher than her cholesterol. In 2018 she was inducted into the Vegetarian Hall of Fame.