For 24 years I thought of living a healthy and eco-conscious life until my husband and I learned more about the vegan lifestyle.
In my past journal/blog entries, I have talked already about
the ‘Serious consequences of plastic waste for the planet’
8 tips to minimize microfibers when washing synthetic clothes
and Reuse, Donate, Recycle - don’t throw textiles away!
but I never considered that becoming fully vegan would be the easiest and best way to reverse climate change, heal our own bodies and stop animal cruelty. Knowing that, it was a no brainer.
In March 2020 we switched overnight from a vegetarian to a whole-food plant-based diet. Today, we would never go back because it opened our eyes and heart to a lifestyle that improved our overall well-being.
1. Audiobook ‘Living Health’ by Tony Robbins
First I stumbled across ‘Living Health’ by Tony Robbins. My husband bought the audiobook many years ago and it was one of the reasons why he became vegetarian, bought a mixer and started to make smoothies for breakfast. Tony says in his book that:’Eight of the top ten causes of disease in America today are directly related to diet.’
2. How not to Die - Book by Doctor Michael Greger
I was hungry for more and read the amazing New York Times Best Seller list book ‘How not to die’ by Dr. Michael Greger that really opened my eyes. Dr. Greger breaks down the science into easy to understand chapters on scientifically proven ways to prevent and reverse diseases.
Suddenly diseases like Cancer, Heart Disease, Stroke and Diabetes II aren’t terrifying anymore because I understand today that they aren’t unpredictable. Instead, our diet has a direct impact on our health and is the key to never developing them.
3. NutrientFacts.org by Dr. Greger
With the question in mind ‘What is the healthiest diet’ from a scientific standpoint, Dr. Greger created NutrientFacts.org. It’s a platform where Dr. Greger and his team share the latest nutrition research on a daily basis and in an easy to understand format. It’s a non-commercial website which doesn’t want to sell you any product but simply deliver evidence-based nutrition facts. This is another reason why I personally trust Dr. Gregers advice so much.
4. PBN Plant-based News - Podcast
The plant-based podcast hosted by Robbie Locke is my favorite regarding the vegan lifestyle. They feature scientists and doctors like Dr. Greger, celebrities that went vegan, vegan businesses, activists all on the topics of vegan lifestyle, climate change, politics, fashion and more.
5. Seaspiracy - Documentary (2021)
Science knows today that eating fish is unfortunately toxic and unhealthy for us just like eating meat and that we can live a healthier and stronger life without it. But this documentary goes further into the problems of fishing. Did you know that half of the plastic in the ocean (in so-called garbage patches) are actually fishing nets? But the ocean is like our bodies and can bounce back into its diverse and beautiful being if we simply leave it alone…
6. A Prayer for Compassion - Documentary (2019)
I find this documentary meaningful, no matter if you call yourself a spiritual or religious person or not. It simply gives a great insight into the meaning of compassion and asks why we teach kindness around the world towards other human beings but accept the suffering of other creatures.
7. What The Health - Documentary (2017)
If you want to live your life to the fullest potential, this is a documentary for you to see. It talks about the effects that eating meat, dairy products and eggs have on our bodies. It further shows the corruption of the government and big businesses to influence what we eat. I had to watch this documentary twice, it’s very powerful.
8. The Game Changers - Documentary (2018)
Are you an athletic person, thinking that you need to eat animal protein to perform well and grow muscles? Then, this documentary is for you. I have not been into sports to be honest but enjoyed hiking, swimming and more common things like ice-skating and bicycling from a young age. It's more because of my husband that I got into golfing in the summer and skiing in the winter. From this personal experience I can say that my recovery time is much faster since we became vegan and switched to a plant-based diet. That’s not a coincidence but actually also proven by science and the experience of real athletes whose performances and recovery time improved immensely because of the vegan diet.
But don’t just take my word for it and watch this documentary to hear about it yourself.