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Why Plant-Based Nutrition?

(or go straight to links below) (recipes here) My background: BSc in Ecology, MSc in Human ecology, worked in nature conservation, musician, life-coach, vegan for 7 years. It has never been more urgent to face the destructive practices of humanity and choose either a future of extinctions, conflicts and mass suffering or a future of wisdom, healing and fulfilling the positive human potential, There are many ways of creating a more just, healthy, safe, compassionate, peaceful and environmentally sustainable society. However, not all actions are equally effective. Doing completely plant-based nutrition or reducing animal input to very low levels would contribute massively to the positive world scenario which most people really want. Animal agriculture in it’s present form and the typical western diet are an ecological, health and moral disaster. See links below for reasons. According to increasing scientific peer-reviewed evidence including studies on long-lived populations and disease reversal, there is no advantage to consuming animal products over plant-based except in areas where there is no choice logistically. Plant-based diet, if done in a balanced way, appears to be the wisest choice, when considering health, morality and sustainability together. Probably on health grounds alone. If you are open to the ideas above and want to find out more information or try the plant-based nutrition (personal experience is best!) I have provided some links below. Most importantly you should be aware that vitamins B12 and D3 (at high latitudes because of lack of sun comparatively) are needed as a supplement – easily done and non-vegans can often also show deficiencies. See link below. In fact non-vegans consume supplements added to foods like milk or frequently buy them anyway. Getting a balanced vegan diet is pretty simple once it becomes habit! Enjoy the new knowledge and social activities! One way to get started is to go to vegan events with cooking etc. (A note about getting to the truth Because there are a lot of conflicting infos out there it can be difficult to be objective. Especially with diet. However, peer-reviewed research, although not free from abuse, is probably the nearest we can get to it within science at least. The environmental and dietary scientific evidence is on balance very convincing. There is a lot of disinformation that is often propagated by interests of the powerful meat and dairy industries, including through health authorities (Germany, too!) and individuals who are in denial of the rigorous evidence who use non-scientific arguments. Don’t believe everything you read/hear/see including here and please consider that not all bias is equal in amounts, or levels of harm that it causes, or funding! Also badly informed doctors, wishful thinking, and defensiveness play a role in our decisions and what we choose to believe or not. I have included a few debunking links to media as examples.)

LINKS

GET FREE SUPPORT: TRY THE VEGAN CHALLENGE

Challenge 22

Also:

https://veganuary.com/de/

https://www.veganstart.de/

https://www.milliondollarvegan.com/de/go-vegan/

How to try / transition to veganism

nice little video covering the essential topics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b60YgdoVHWg

HEALTH / TIPS / BLOG

https://nutritionfacts.org/ A wealth of information from Dr. Greger including recipes Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine They conduct their own research and have successful plant-based programmes to heal many conditions. They are forerunners in campaigning for replacing animal-based testing in medicine with more cost-effective and ethical compeuter-modelling / http://www.pcrm.org VLOG – Mic the Vegan https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGJq0eQZoFSwgcqgxIE9MHw a large amount of information, very science-based on all the regular myths to do with nutrition, including evolution of the human species! Vitamin D3 http://www.naturarzt-ganzheitlich.de/VITAMIN-D.html (German) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pL7_3tahYQw&feature=youtu.be (German) http://www.vitamindelta.de/ (German)

FILMS

COWSPIRACY – about the wide-ranging environmental destruction due to animal agriculture and the corruption, mistruths in industry and some environmental organisations at the time (the claim of 51% Greenhouse gases was not peer-reviewed – UN says 18% which is more than transport) http://www.cowspiracy.com/facts/ FORKS OVER KNIVES – health, healing on PBD and industry (haven’t seen it but heard some positive critique) WHAT THE HEALTH: should be on Netflix. Similar to Knives over Forks. http://www.whatthehealthfilm.com/facts Many have tried to debunk What the Health. e.g. Debunk 1: https://www.vegan.com/posts/vegan-dietitian-review-what-the-health/ Debunk of Debunk 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3xcrw09lik Debunk 2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skIGCoopR-g Debunk of Debunk 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7b4kBTuHF0 EARTHLINGS – What is being done to animals for food DOMINION – as above plus evidence using drones and also how many animals in the entertainment industry are treated – kept secret before. GAME-CHANGERS – (netflix) “ The Game Changers introduces the world to elite athletes, special ops soldiers, visionary scientists, cultural icons and everyday heroes. Each on a mission to create a seismic shift in the way we eat and live.” Especially aimed at men, it breaks through the macho meat-eating man myths, including errection tests!

SEASPIRACY Seaspiracy is the groundbreaking Netflix Original documentary which seeks to expose the fishing industries impact on the world’s oceans and challenge notions of sustainable fishing. SEASPIRACY is the groundbreaking Netflix Original documentary which highlights the fishing industries plunder of our oceans, and challeneges the notions of sustainable fishing.

BOOKS

Becoming Vegan – by Brenda Davis (for beginners)

The Cheese Trap: How Breaking a Surprising Addiction Will Help You Lose Weight, Gain Energy, and Get Healthy .- by Neal D. Bernard MD

Dr. Neal Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes: The Scientifically Proven System for Reversing Diabetes Without Drugs – by Neal D. Bernard MD

Power Foods for the Brain: An Effective 3-Step Plan to Protect Your Mind and Strengthen Your Memory – by Neal D. Bernard MD

The China Study: Revised and Expanded Edition: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss, and Long-Term Health – by Colin Campbell et.al.

Guide to vegan pregnancy

http://theveganpregnancyguide.com/

EASY VEGAN MEALS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=In4vTeL2Y5A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wofs3rFnggs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=In4vTeL2Y5A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOGnhjLGYRo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGmLDsgjFl0 https://www.forksoverknives.com/plant-based-primer-beginners-guide-starting-plant-based-diet/#gs.tvjm4v

http://www.rohkost-rezepte.com/08_hauptgerichte/pastinakenpuffer.php

You can google (or ecosia!) easy healthy vegan meals. There are lots!! e.g. https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/vegan-chilli https://www.olivemagazine.com/recipes/best-ever-vegan-recipes-ready-in-under-30-minutes/ I often eat: Breakfast: porridge with some frozen organic blueberries (national) and apple (regional), beetroot juice, Ground hemp- and linseeds (I use a coffee grinder I bought on eBay), walnuts Lunch: red-lentil Dal with madras, salt / soup stock (veg. / palm oil free) with different veg. e.g. Chinese Leaves / broccoli and millet Evening: Large salad with potatoes, tomatoes, rocket, radicio, carrots, cucumber and rape-seed oil (high in omega 3 – but it might get oxidised – regional) and lemon-juice dressing Dr Gregor’s daily dozen – lots of science based infos https://nutritionfacts.org/video/dr-gregers-daily-dozen-checklist/

SUPPLEMENTS

UK: https://vegan-vitality.co.uk/

Germany: https://www.sunday.de

VEGAN GROUPS IN MUNICH

(I organize events myself – inform me if you wish to be invited!) https://www.facebook.com/groups/459413224176443 http://www.vegan-kochen.tumblr.com/ https://www.facebook.com/Vegan-Brunch-M%C3%BCnchen-1613094912279925/ “Viking” – vegan hikes – non-vegans welcome. They have proved popular – a chance to celebrate nature with sustainable, ethical food. transitioning to facebook – get in touch if you want to join. Beginner to advanced

As a composer, guitarist and singer I used to hate playing solo in front of people for fear of being ridiculed and wanted to smash up my guitar whenever I made mistakes! Despite this, I would often get enthusiastic feedback from my audiences. This went on for a number of years until I realised that something had to change: either I gave up being a musician or worked on feeling free on stage so I could appreciate what I was doing as much or more than my audiences, despite “imperfections”.
In a nutshell: I took a firm decision to become free and 2 weeks later was offered the chance to play with a Bavarian comedian/musician celebrity on state television for whom I had done recording for his CD previously. At first I told him (Willy Astor) that I was busy on that date but after putting the phone down I realised this was an excellent opportunity to achieve my goals. Despite fear I called him back, to confirm that I was actually free, and committed myself.

I forced myself to play much harder solo pieces in front of unofficial audiences as much as I could before the gig where I was to play a simple accompaniment. The concert went really well and all the musicians were likeable and easy-going. I wasn’t nervous and could hardly believe that! This lead on to further gigs at 4 of the most famous venues in Munich and surroundings, including a further TV performance and audiences of between 1500 and 2000. In the middle of all this I had envisioned my final goal of feeling free, playing a challenging solo piece of my own in front of 1000 people, for example in the flamenco style. Just after this and without having mentioned any of the above story to my colleagues, the main guitarist in the band said that I should do some improvisation at the next gig! I knew this was another fantastic opportunity and took it gratefully. It went well I wasn’t nervous!

After this performing solo became a breeze generally speaking but it wasn’t until about 4 years later that I realised I had achieved my goal after having performed 3 fairly challenging solo compositions of my own in front of 1000 people at a church for the funeral of the brother of a girlfriend who tragically died young whilst snowboarding. It was freezing cold and the church and I had to use hand warmers but I was both touched and happy to support the family of the deceased and was completely free in my mind as I performed. This was an unexpected backdrop to my goal but it also taught me yet again that when one focuses on providing value for others, it is perhaps the best way of feeling free as a performer, rather than concentrating on achieving a high standard per se, free from any imperfections!

PLANT-BASED RESOURCES