The plant only lifestyle has the coveted tick of approval from not only dietitians, health professionals and environmentalists around the world as well as big-name celebrities like Matt Frazier and Jenna Dewan who swear by a lush leafy lifestyle for health and vitality. And it's not just about food. It's about anything that we consume.One former journalist and founder of Vegan Business Media, Katrina Fox, started a business in 2015, to help plant based businesses to grow and shining a bright light on how individuals can save the planet from their kitchens.
As a committed vegan, Katrina believes we should be looking to the paddock for one of the solutions to our climate debarkle.
“ONE OF THE KEY CONTRIBUTORS TO ENVIRONMENTAL DEVASTATION IS ANIMAL AGRICULTURE. IT’S A LEADING CAUSE OF GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS, SPECIES EXTINCTION, DEFORESTATION AND AIR AND WATER POLLUTION.” IT’S A HIGHLY INEFFICIENT WAY TO EAT AND IT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE WITH MUCH MORE LAND NEEDED TO PRODUCE MEAT AND DAIRY THAN VEGETABLES AND GRAINS.RESEARCHERS HAVE FOUND THAT ANIMAL FARMING USES 83% OF AGRICULTURAL LAND BUT PROVIDES JUST 18% OF CALORIES.”
Katrina Fox launched a business advising vegan / plant based businesses on how to market themselves after she wrote a book on the same subject, Vegan Ventures, in 2015 for vegan businesses - food, fashion or body care, she offers all kinds of free and consulting advice.
Overall, plant-based eating uses fewer resources and causes a lot less environmental damage than animal-based diets. So it’s great for the health of the planet, but what about you? Tracie O’Keefe, a registered nutritionist, explains that“A whole food, plant-based way of eating can reduce many of the health problems caused by eating animal products such as an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, arthritis, type 2 diabetes, dementia and some cancers.Combining plant-based eating with exercise and lowering of stress offers the maximum opportunity for healthy living."
Cutting out all animal products isn’t for everyone but making small dietary changes will still have a big impact.
If you’re new to the regimen test-out going plant-based one day of the week, for example joining in MeatFreeMonday and work your way up to one plant-based meal a day.
Tracie and Katrina are a part of Vivid’s Green Future speaker series, Plant Based Eating for our Future Planet on June 9th. Lottie Dalziel is the founder of Banish an education platform and plastic free online store. Images: Unsplash - Victor Vazquez | Alexander Mils | Brooke Lark | Ivana Milakovic