In this episode of Teach Me How To Vegan, we explore some of the many reasons for switching to a plant-based diet focusing on five main themes: personal health, animal rights, the environment, social justice, and public health. In our discussion on personal health we examine cholesterol, trans fats, heart disease, and diabetes. In regard to the animal protection we explore animals' intellect and personalities, wildlife protection, species extinction, wildlife services, the humane myth, and labels such as free-range, cage-free, and grass-fed. As we discuss the environment, we explore climate change, greenhouse gas emissions, land use, water use, pollution, and deforestation. When we look at our food choices through a social justice lens, we discuss systemic racism in the food system, food apartheid, and world hunger. Finally, when we look at how our diets affect public health, we discuss zoonotic diseases, antibiotic use in livestock, and diet-related diseases.

The contents of this podcast are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and does not constitute medical or other professional advice.

Further reading about topics discussed in episode:

HEALTH:

Health and Diet Fact Sheet: https://apnm.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/PBE_Health_FINAL.pdf

Cholesterol and plant-based diets: https://www.pcrm.org/good-nutrition/nutrition-information/lowering-cholesterol-with-a-plant-based-diet

Trans Fat in Meat and Dairy: https://nutritionfacts.org/2014/02/27/trans-fat-in-animal-fat/

Plant-Based Diet Reveres Heart Disease: https://www.ornish.com/undo-it/

Healing Diabetes with Plant-Based Diet: https://www.pcrm.org/health-topics/diabetes

Tony's Transformation Story: https://apnm.org/plant-based-transformation-with-tony-quintana/

ANIMALS:

Animals and Diet Fact Sheet: https://apnm.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/PBE_AnimalWelfare_FINAL_2.28.19-1.pdf

Ag-Gag Laws: https://aldf.org/issue/ag-gag/

Wildlife Services: https://apnm.org/what-we-do/promoting-coexistence-with-wildlife/usda-wildlife-services/

The Humane Myth: https://www.humanemyth.org

ENVIRONMENT:

The Environment and Diet Fact Sheet: https://apnm.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/PBE_Environment_FINAL_2.28.19.pdf

Deforestation: https://awellfedworld.org/deforestation/

Additional Facts: https://www.cowspiracy.com/facts

SOCIAL JUSTICE:

Social Justice and Diet Fact Sheet: https://apnm.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Facts-about-Diet-and-Social-Justice.pdf

Dangers to meatpacking workers: https://apnm.org/executive-order-for-meatpacking-plants-to-remain-open-takes-hazards-to-a-new-level/

Targeting undocumented folks: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/05/08/exploitation-and-abuse-at-the-chicken-plant

Worker exploitation: https://www.propublica.org/article/who-would-pay-26000-to-work-in-a-chicken-plant

World Hunger: https://awellfedworld.org/global-hunger/

PUBLIC HEALTH:

Zoonotic Diseases: https://nutritionfacts.org/video/where-do-deadly-coronaviruses-like-mers-cov-come-from/

The Power of Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/pdf/2009-Power-of-Prevention.pdf

Antibiotics in Meat: https://nutritionfacts.org/2016/03/10/antibiotic-resistant-superbugs-in-meat/