Hello earthlings!
In this post I’m going to share with you some of my favourite resources that I believe offer a great starting point for anyone interested in learning more about a plant based diet and its multiple benefits on human health. Whether you’re completely new to the idea or you’ve taken the leap into the lifestyle already, these are the books, documentaries, websites and podcasts that taught me everything I know today. I’m confident that these will really help to kick start your curiosity and to delve deeper into the wonderful world of plant based living. So let’s get straight into it.
I have selected the following resources because they tend to be mostly based on science when it comes to nutrition and health and are less biased towards animal welfare and environmental activism. Although I support Veganism as a movement and believe that following a plant-based diet is far better for the environment than any common western style diet, I think that the health aspect of this lifestyle is more appealing to the majority and these resources are mostly focused around that aspect of this diet and lifestyle.
Books
The China Study
By Dr. T Collin Campbell
The China Study is a summary of results based on one of the most comprehensive studies of nutrition ever conducted – the China-Cornell-Oxford Project. The book examines the link found between the consumption of animal products and chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease, diabetes and many different types of cancer. This was a really fascinating read and I found it incredibly eye opening. It was the first book I read that really made me begin to question everything I thought I knew about healthy eating. It gave me a lot of ‘OMG’ moments. If you don’t mind facts and figures, I would highly recommend this book.
The Blue Zones
By Dan Buettner
Dan Buettner travelled the world to meet the planet’s longest-lived people. In this book he shares nine powerful lessons learned along the way, that he believes could improve our quality of life and help us live longer. The Blue Zones are communities where common elements of lifestyle, diet, and outlook appear to promote longevity. I found this to be a really good insight into different cultures and healthy ways of living. A plant-based diet is a common theme throughout, but it also speaks of a positive mentality and high levels of physical activity – all commonalities among the residents in these communities. It was wonderful to read about the lives and the mindsets of some of the oldest people on earth. It’s given me a new found and deep admiration and respect for them. We really can learn from our elders. This was an inspiring and down to earth, humbling book – I loved every page!
31-day Food Revolution
By Ocean Robbins
One of the founders of the Food Revolution Network, Ocean Robbins, shares how you can heal your body and maintain good health through eating a wholefoods plant based diet. This is a really easy to use and helpful resource for anyone interested in making a lifestyle change. Even if you’re not interested in completely cutting out animal products, this book provides a great insight into making better educated choices about the foods you eat and suggests the healthiest options that you can tailor to suit you. I particularly like the table of foods, where it states those you should eat abundantly, those you should eat moderately and those you should avoid. I find this really useful and refer to it a lot.
Food Rules
By Michael Pollan
Michael Pollan is an internationally-acclaimed food journalist and his book Food Rules is the perfect handbook for anyone concerned about the relationship between health and food. He lays down easy to understand principles for eating well. This is a great resource based on a variety of sources, from nutritionists to ancient cultures. Simply put he recommends we all ‘Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.’
Documentaries
Forks Over Knives
This is a great documentary to watch if you’ve read or are thinking about reading The China Study, as they occasionally refer to the book in the film. Essentially, Forks over Knives examines the profound claim that most, if not all, of the chronic diseases that afflict us can be controlled through adopting a wholefoods, plant based diet. Head over to the Forks Over Knives website to learn more: https://www.forksoverknives.com/the-film/#gs.xdcpc7
Game Changers
One of the newer additions to the recent boom of documentaries about the food industry and diet – Game Changers looks at the relationship between diet and athletic performance. Presented by James Cameron, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jackie Chan, Lewis Hamilton, Novak Djokovic and Chris Paul, this is a revolutionary film about how some of the world’s best athletes are thriving on a plant-based diet. Head over to the Game Changers website to learn more https://gamechangersmovie.com/the-film/
You can also watch both of the above documentaries over on Netflix if you have a membership.
Websites
The Food Revolution Network
‘Healthy, ethical, sustainable food for all.’
The Food Revolution Network is packed full of useful and interesting information about eating a healthy and sustainable plant based diet. I subscribe to their emails and love the content I receive in my inbox. It’s always really insightful and I’m keen to learn as much as a can about eating in a way that is better for my health and also the health of the planet.
John and Ocean Robbins are the founders of the Food Revolution Network and they set it up with the aim of empowering individuals, building community, and transforming food systems for the better.
Below I have shared a video from their YouTube channel which explains their mission. I would highly recommend that you check out their website.
Podcasts
Plant Proof
Plant Proof was founded by Simon Hill, a qualified physiotherapist. Simon has also completed a Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate course at Cornell University and is currently studying a masters in Human Nutrition. He started the Plant Proof podcast to share his knowledge about a plant based diet and hosts a number of world-renowned doctors and public figures on the show. There are now almost 100 episodes on various topics surrounding eating a plant-based diet. The episodes are quite long so you do have to invest a good hour or so of your time per episode, but I’d highly recommend this as a great insight into the health benefits of eating this way. You don’t need to listen to them in order as they all discuss different topics.
Visit the Plant Proof website for more information.
Great episodes to start with are:
Episode 89: ‘Adopting a new lifestyle to reduce the risk of heart disease with Sean Ryan’
Listen on Spotify
Episode 84: ‘What does a healthy plant based diet look like’
Listen on Spotify
Episode 75: ‘Stopping heart disease in its tracks with Dr Caldwell Esselstyn’
Listen on Spotify
That’s all for now. I will continue adding to this list as I discover more great resources, so check back soon for more!
Thanks for reading, have a beautiful day!
Disclosure: Some of the links featured in this post are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click through to these products and make a purchase. I will only ever recommend products that I personally use and benefit from. For more information, please click here.