Every resource below helped me in my journey of learning about vegetarian and vegan lifestyles, evidence-based nutrition (science!), climate change (more science!), factory farming and everything else related to a vegan lifestyle. As I mentioned in the “About” section, my transition to becoming vegan was very much a selfish choice, but it’s awakened me to so much more. I hope you find these resources helpful to you. Scroll down for recommended podcasts, websites, books, recipe sites/apps and movies (adding some reviews soon).
Podcasts
The Rich Roll Podcast – This podcast is at the top of my list for good reason. Rich’s book, Finding Ultra, was the spark that ignited my vegan journey. Rich is an ultra athlete, meaning he partakes in supernatural human feats such as completing five Iron Man distance triathlons (2.4-mile [3.86 km] swim, a 112-mile [180.25 km] bicycle ride and a marathon 26.22-mile [42.20 km] run in 6 days. He does it all on a vegan diet. That’s just one small part of who this man has become. He’s now 400+ episodes into his podcast and he’s averaging 5-stars is his 4,000+ reviews . I’ve learned so much from this one resource, that I could literally stop this list right here and you would be covered. His podcast is so much more than athleticism and veganism. He speaks with leaders in business, music, athletics, spirituality, movies, medicine, activism and so much more. His guests range from household name celebrities to relative unknowns–all of whom are quite inspiring. Rich, a former lawyer, is an excellent interviewer and comes across as a total chill dude you just want to hang out with at the beach. I couldn’t recommend it any higher. Listen and subscribe for free at Apple Podcasts and definitely check out Rich’s website at rich roll.com
The Exam Room Podcast – Hosted by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, this fun podcast touts the benefits of a vegan lifestyle backed by evidence based nutrition advice from renowned scientists and physicians. The podcast ranges from relatively short, 20-minute episodes to longer, 1-hour plus deep dives. Here’s the description from the site’s home page: The Exam Room™ is the ultimate vegan podcast from the Physicians Committee. Dr. Neal Barnard, a real-life rock star and authority on plant-based living, motivates and inspires the vegan-curious and those who have been plant-powered for life. Learn the secrets to radically improving your health as show host “The Weight Loss Champion” Chuck Carroll, who lost 265 pounds and kept it off, goes one-on-one with others who have transformed their lives. Then dive into the science of a vegan diet! What can eating just one hamburger do to the body? Is cheese really addictive? Plus, recipes and breaking medical news from the Physicians Committee.
Nutrition Facts Podcast with Dr. Greger – If short and sweet is your preferred podcast style, then check out Dr. Greger’s podcast. His episodes are usually less than 20 minutes and packed with easy-to-understand, science-based nutritional information. Plus, his dry sense of humor is hilarious, especially when he calls out big pharma, big food companies, lobbyists and others for misleading the public.
Websites
NutritionFacts.org – Bookmark this free website right now. Seriously. It should be your go-to site for any food-related question. Here’s how the site describes itself: “NUTRITIONFACTS.ORG is a strictly non-commercial, science-based public service provided by Dr. Michael Greger, providing free updates on the latest in nutrition research via bite-sized videos. There are more than a thousand videos on nearly every aspect of healthy eating, with new videos and articles uploaded every day.” Dr. Gregor is also the author of NY Times bestselling book How Not to Die. Like Rich Roll’s book above, this book is quite literally life changing. The chapters are organized by afflictions that are killing the most people. So, chapter 1 is “How Not to Die from Heart Disease,” followed by “How Not to Die from Lung Diseases,” and so on. I don’t think I’ve highlighted any other book as much as I’ve highlighted this one. There were so many “holy $#it!” moments. The book was not only eye opening in terms of what food can do for you, but also in the ways that are bodies are designed to maintain health. It’s also eye opening from the standpoint of how government and large corporations are not necessarily set up with consumers’ best interests in mind. Wouldn’t you know it, Dr. Gregor has a free podcast too! You can learn more about it here, NutritionFacts with Dr. Gregor.
PCRM.org – The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is led by Dr. Neal Barnard who is the organization’s president. Dr. Barnard is a badass. He’s a leading authority on leveraging nutrition as the means to prevent, stop and reverse chronic illnesses. He’s fearless when it comes to his advocacy and activism, standing up to the US government and big-money lobbyists. The website has tons of information for those getting started with a vegan lifestyle, including kickstart programs, recipes, and so much more. There is also detailed advice on specific health issues, specific foods, as well as links to the latest research that legitimate science has to offer.
Books
How Not to Die by Dr. Michael Greger – In my entire life, I have never highlighted so many passages of any book, fiction or nonfiction, as I have in this book. It is extremely well written and thoroughly researched. While other books I’ve read started me on the path to ridding meat from my diet, this book sparked a fire in me to help others. Most of us are totally clueless how the food we eat impacts our heath and the health of those we love. There are so many eye-popping pieces of information, you’ll find yourself saying “holy sh!#!” every other page. At least that’s how I read it. The book’s chapters are organized by the leading causes of death, and how best to avoid these diseases through nutrition and lifestyle changes. You’ll learn, without a doubt, that afflictions like heart disease (the #1 killer in the US), hypertension, obesity and type 2 diabetes are not only preventable, they’re stoppable and often reversible. I read it twice and often refer back to it.
The China Study by T. Colin Campbell, PhD and Thomas M. Campbell II, MD – This book, first published in January 2005, can be credited with bringing whole food plant based (WFPB) diets into the mainstream consciousness. The book, based on perhaps the largest human research study ever conducted, examined the diseases and eating habits from 65 counties across China. The painstaking research conducted by Chinese and American scientists proved that so-called “diseases of affluence,” such as obesity, heart disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, autoimmune disorders and certain cancers could be traced back to diets that were high in animal protein. The researchers, expecting to find most diseases localized to poor rural areas, discovered the worst diseases and highest prevalence of those diseases were actually in affluent areas–where inhabitants consumed orders of magnitude more animal protein. Dr. Kim Williams, president of the American College of Cardiology said it best. “There are two types of cardiologists: Vegans and those who haven’t read the data.”
Becoming Vegan by Brenda Davis, RD and Vesanto Melina, MS, RD – This book reads more like a text book, but the information contained within is invaluable. The book I have in my possession is the “Express Edition” and it is loaded with information and clocks in at about 300 pages. There’s also a “Comprehensive Edition” if you’re interested. This is an excellent resource to keep handy if, say, you’re anticipating an argument about carbohydrates, good fat vs. bad fat, antioxidants, sugar and so forth. Here’s a description of the book from Apple Books: This thoroughly revised edition of a seminal classic offers new evidence of the health benefits of a vegan diet, fresh insights into the treatment of animals in food production, expanded information on phytonutrients, in-depth coverage of all the essential nutrients (calcium, protein, essential fatty acids, good carbs, and vitamin D and B12), a thoroughly updated food guide, and guidelines for designing balanced vegan diets for all age groups, infants through seniors. Extensive yet easily understandable, this streamlined “express” version offers lay readers a sound blueprint for a healthy diet, along with overwhelming evidence that following a plant-based diet is one of the best things you can do for your health and that of your planet.
Finding Ultra by Rich Roll – This is the book that pushed me over the edge. Or put another way, it opened my eyes. It awakened me to everything that is possible with nutrition. Prior to reading this book, I was already aware of how my nutrition choices were impacting my athletic performance. I noticed that the cleaner I ate, the better I felt. But how clean could it go? Didn’t I need protein to build muscles? Surely vegetarians can’t be athletes, let alone elite athletes. They’d whither and die. They’d bonk at every race, right? What the hell is a vegan anyway? Rich Roll’s book blew every preconception I had regarding athletics and nutrition out of the water. At the time I’d never read a single book or scientific article about nutrition, yet I was a know-it-all. I owe Rich Roll a debt of gratitude for thrusting my mind wide open on so many levels. This book is much more than athletics and nutrition. At it’s core it’s about addiction and recovery, and the will of the human spirit to overcome any obstacle. To endure.
Eat & Run by Scott Jurek – Shortly after I completed Rich Roll’s book, I found Scott’s book. They were both published around the same time. Scott is an ultra runner whose achievements are so mind boggingly unbelievable, you’ll be reading this book with your mouth agape. He’s an incredible ambassador not only for the sport of running, but also for vegan lifestyles. Like Rich Roll, you get the sense that Scott is on a mission to help everywhere, whether your goal is to run around the block or around the country. He’s your guide on how to do it and how to fuel up. Here’s a short passage from Scott’s website to give you a sense of what he’s accomplished: “He has claimed victories in nearly all of ultrarunning’s elite trail and road events including the historic 153-mile Spartathlon, the Hardrock 100, the Badwater 135-Mile Ultramarathon, and—his signature race—the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run, which he won a record seven straight times. Scott has also taken the running world by storm with his 2015 Appalachian Trail speed record, averaging nearly 50 miles a day over 46 days—and the United States all-surface record in the 24-Hour Run with 165.7 miles: 6.5 marathons in one day.”
The Blue Zones by Dan Buettner* – I’d heard about this book for years and listened to multiple interviews with the author. I finally got around to reading it. Well, I listened to the audiobook. If you’re not familiar with the title, “blue zones” are geographical regions defined by the author and his team as areas that have the largest concentrations of centenarians, those who’ve lived 100 years or more. This fascinating book reports on the findings, or rather the commonalities, of the handful of blue zones located on earth. You’ll learn what they eat and don’t eat, their physical activity levels, their tight knit relationships with family and friends, their community involvement, spirituality, their sense of purpose and more. The research itself and the people you’ll encounter are both beautiful and eye opening. You’ll understand that taking charge of your health isn’t a game about who gets to live the longest, only to end up debilitated and a burden at the end of life. It’s about maintaining vitality, vigor and a zest for life well into your 80s, 90s and well beyond. The centenarians in this book will astound you, encourage you and hopefully inspire you to live your best life.
*As a side, I finished this book shortly after California was ordered to shelter-in-place to help slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, in March 2020. As a work-from-home professional on the outskirts of Silicon Valley, seeing my family and friends more often is constantly on my to-do list, and the common denominator fact that every blue zone includes centenarians with a deep reservoir of close friends and family is not lost on me. It seems there’s always something stopping me from spending more time with those I love, but who don’t live with me. Whether it’s my work load or my young child, there’s always some excuse. Now that I’m physically unable to visit my mom and give her a hug, or share a laugh and a beer with my friends–which has become much too rare anyway–it pains my soul what we’re all going through together at this time. May we all share virtual hugs, love and maybe a little laughter (it’s good for you if you can manage) as we trudge through our shared crisis.
Recipes
Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine – This free recipe site is a godsend. PCRM has a ton of simple recipes and not-so-simple recipes if you’re feeling adventurous or if you are culinarily gifted (which I am not!). You can search by “Dish” type (e.g. breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, etc.), “Dietary Type” (e.g. nut free or gluten free) or keywords. You can also filter your search results. All recipes include complete nutrition facts, in addition to recipe staples like prep time and ingredients, so you can see how many calories the meal contains per serving, sugar content, fiber contact, vitamins, carbohydrates, protein, fat, etc.
T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies – This is another free recipe site that will help take the pain out of meal planning and preparation. Like PCRM above, there are a TON of recipes that you can search by meal type, or dietary type . NutritionStudies.org doesn’t appear to offer a breakdown of nutrition facts with every recipe, but don’t let that stop you from visiting the site. It’s another excellent resource that I’ve returned to time and again.
Forks Over Knives Website and App – Building upon the success of the iconic Forks Over Knives documentary, the website is bursting at the seams with all of its useful content. The free recipe portion of the site offers all of the same capabilities of the above two recipe resources, with the exception of providing nutrition facts for every recipe. What sets FoK apart is that they also offer a useful app that makes meal planning and prep a cinch. While using the app you can click on ingredients to add to your shopping list to make grocery shopping easier, add “favorites” to list of favorite recipes, and click on the resources tab for additional information and inspiration. Although the app is $4.99 on Apple’s app store, it’s constantly being updated with content.