Victor Bradley Jr. and Mark Cervenik came to the realization of disparity in nutrition understanding and food access from totally different directions, but, like spokes to a hub, they reached many of the same conclusions.
For as long as I remember medicine has taught me about disease: the characteristics of disease, the effects of disease, its signs and symptoms, how to diagnose it, and how to attack it. Sadly, medicine rarely gets truly involved with the big picture of health, let alone the bigger picture of public health - a people’s ability and need to pursue happiness, have a roof over their head, feel safe, get education and nutrition, enjoy wealth and health... I wonder why I never defected!
The average American visits the grocery store 1.6 times a week. And every time we go, we are influenced, steered, and pushed to buy certain products. Marketers skillfully apply all they know, investing more than $1.6 Billion per year to assure that buyers are engaged, and products are flying off the shelves.
Dr. T. Colin Campbell is the Jacob Gould Schurman Professor Emeritus of Nutritional Biochemistry at Cornell University. He has published multiple papers in the scientific literature and has presented widely on the topic of plant-based nutrition. Dr. LeAnne Campbell is president of the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies. She has over 30 years of experience designing and directing education initiatives, including leadership programs, professional development for teachers, and development workshops.
Spending time working in the yard is not one of my favorite summer past times. Spending time planting and working in my garden is something I do enjoy immensely during the summer months. Gardening is an excellent way to spend time outdoors and soak up some Vitamin D, get exercise, and an opportunity to reap the rewards of eating healthy food.
This week, we brought on Amie Hamlin to talk about her organization's work toward changing school foods. Amie Hamlin has served as the Executive Director of the Coalition for Healthy School Food (CHSF) since its founding in 2004.
We invited Dr. Ashwani Garg to talk about his experiences with plant-based diets for his family, his patients, and himself. Dr. Garg is a Family Physician at Advocate Health and Clinical Associate Professor at North Central College. Inspired by works such as Forks Over Knives, he has adopted a plant-based diet and works with his patients to make healthy lifestyle changes.
This week, I am following the Fasting Mimicking Diet (FMD). The FMD was created by Dr. Valter Longo, researcher, and Director of the Longevity Institute, University of Southern California. https://www.valterlongo.com/biography/ The FMD involves consuming minimal amounts of whole plant foods, lots of water, and herbal teas for 5 days. According to Dr. Longo's research, eating this way helps the body remove old, declining cells and release stem cells, thus supporting health, rejuvenation, and longevity.
This week, we invited Laughlin Artz to discuss how individuals can impact the climate crisis. Artz is the Executive Director of 2030 or Bust, championing its mission to empower humanity to end the climate crisis. Laughlin has distinguished himself as a global radical change agent, putting the power to resolve humanity’s most urgent issue in the hands of ordinary people.
An article in PBNM’s March newsletter (Food Without Fighting: Kids Do Eat Vegetables!) shared tips on how to encourage children to eat more vegetables. This month I interviewed two moms whose children are being raised vegan. They share what being vegan is like for their family and how they navigate the vegan lifestyle with their children.
