Appealing to Common Identity, Not Vegan Identity, Effectively Promotes Change

If you have seen and are convinced by the impressive body of evidence showing that consuming animals and animal products is unhealthy for our bodies, our society, and the environment, and if you want to make the world a better place, you might quickly run up against the question of how best to share this … Continued

Social Issues

From Fast Food to Lasting Lifestyle Change

My whole-food plant-based (WFPB) journey started around 2010 when my twenty-year-old son came home and said, “Mom, I’m going vegan.” And she said, “What the hell is that?” We watched him eat this way for one to two years before he commented to us, “You guys need to take better care of yourselves.” He was … Continued

Success Stories

From The Jungle to Ag-Gag: How the Meat Industry Still Fears the Truth

Earlier this year, a US federal judge upheld an “ag-gag” law in Iowa that prohibits unauthorized access to private property for the purpose of recording footage inside animal agriculture facilities.[1] To many, this decision may seem like a minor issue of property rights. But its implications reach far deeper, striking at the core of transparency, … Continued

Food Sustainability

From Survival to Thrival: Connecting with Our Food, Our Planet, and Our True Selves

My name is Jose Rosa, and I am the founder of The Thrival Network and co-creator of Everest Eats, a plant-based culinary and wellness brand based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. My journey into a whole-food plant-based lifestyle began in 2016 through my wife, Katy. While she was studying environmental science, one of her first classes opened … Continued

Success Stories

Persistence, Not Perfection, Is Key to Change

When I was diagnosed with prostate cancer at thirty-five, one of the six urologists I saw urged a plant-forward diet. He told me to cut red meat and dairy and load up on cruciferous vegetables, berries, mushrooms, and wild salmon. I grew up in Texas on barbecue brisket, chicken-fried steak, Whataburger, and Mexican food like … Continued

Success Stories

From Pain to Purpose: How MaryEllen and John Are Improving Food Security and Reducing Food Waste

I (MaryEllen) found whole-food plant-based nutrition in 2020 while desperately searching for answers to the chronic Lyme disease I had been living with for more than ten years. My husband John and I decided to jump all in together—and it completely changed our lives. My body began to heal in ways I hadn’t thought possible, … Continued

Success Stories

Make It Tasty: How Food Descriptions Impact Our Choices

What sounds better—a healthy, low-fat vegan black bean burger or a 10-spice smoky black bean burger? What if I told you they were exactly the same? Research has shown that most people gravitate more toward foods described by flavor, not healthfulness. Buffet-style dining halls located at five different college campuses were assigned to use three … Continued

Nutrition Science

The Hidden Universe Within: Feeding and Nurturing the Microbiome

Imagine stepping into a vibrant zoo or, better yet, a bustling planetary system where trillions of creatures of staggering diversity roam, interact, and shape entire worlds. That might sound fantastical, but it’s the everyday reality tucked within us: our microbiome. A landmark study estimated that a typical adult has approximately 30 trillion human cells and … Continued

In The Kitchen

Seeds of Resilience: Why Dwindling Food Biodiversity Matters for Our Future

Our future food security depends as much on what we eat as on the seeds we choose to protect. A diverse diet generally promotes better human health, while crop diversity strengthens the resilience of farms and ecosystems. Yet, over the past century, we have lost the vast majority of our seed varieties, leaving the global … Continued

Food Sustainability