Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid

 

“When the winds of change blow, some build walls; others build windmills.” Anonymous

Fascinating and diverse are the words that Thor Hanson uses to describe the responses of animals and plants to climate change. As I write this post, between 25 and 85 percent of all species are in the process of relocation. Both plants and animals have the potential to seek different conditions to survive.

 According to Gretta Pecl, a full-time University Professor of marine ecology and founder of the Global Marine Hotspot Network, “we are living through the greatest redistribution of species since the last ice age. Over thirty thousand climate-driven species range shifts have already been observed and measured.”

 “Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid” by Thor Hanson explores the specific changes that various species of plants and animals undergo to survive. With climate change, extreme weather events are more common. Anole lizards, for example, develop larger toe pads to cling to trees more effectively during hurricanes.

  There are many behavioral changes that surprise scientists. The switch experienced by butterfly fish is an example of this. Butterfly fish eat corals. As you may know, corals live in symbiosis with algae, but high temperatures cause stress in them and lead to a phenomenon called coral bleaching. This happens when corals expel the algae that live in symbiosis with them. (Heat waves are also responsible for coral disease, starvation and death).

  Coral bleaching itself wreaks havoc on the entire ecosystem, but the reason I mention coral bleaching here is to explain the behavioral changes of the butterfly fish. To gain access to the coral they need to feed on, butterfly fish act like fierce competitors. However, butterfly fish let go of their hostile behaviors in view of the bleached corals; they become “pacifists”. Bleached corals are a poor meal, so butterfly fish do not waste energy fighting for them.

  Another intriguing example is the situation with the bears in Kodiak Island, located off the Southern coast of Alaska. Everybody knows that salmon is an important component of their diet, but in Kodiak Island something unexpected happened.   When the levels of salmon in the streams began reaching a peak, the bears stopped searching for them; they simply left the fishing area.  The bears pursued the berries instead. Early warm weather had ripened the red elderberries sooner, so the bears chose the berries over the salmon. (By reducing their consumption of salmon, however, there is less available nutrition for scavengers in the surrounding woods).

 

Thor Hanson’s book contains various photographs and illustrations that complement the read. “Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid” kindles our curiosity, as it expounds some of the strategies that plants and animals use to adjust to the challenges of climate change.

  Finally, Thor Hanson poses a crucial question:

What are the human responses to climate change?

  “Seen through the lens of climate change biology, human activities often echo the responses of plants and animals in the wild—moving, adapting, taking refuge. Such parallels are not surprising, because in spite of the complexity of our societies, and the technologies we surround ourselves with, in the end we’re just one more species in a changing world, facing the same climate challenges, and drawing on the same basic toolbox of potential solutions. With one notable difference. Unlike any other organisms on the planet, people have the ability to do more than simply react to climate change. If we so choose, we can alter the behaviors that are causing it to happen.”

  Climate change contributes to food insecurity, starvation, and social conflicts. This is the aspect that is often left out of the conversations:

https://www.sei.org/perspectives/climate-change-amplifies-risks-violent-conflicts-africa/

 

 Here’s a thought-provoking  video:

 

Feel free to visit Thor Hanson’s website to learn more about his works and background:

https://thorhanson.net/

 Kudos to France for banning plastic packaging for nearly all fruits and vegetables:

https://earth.org/france-to-ban-plastic-packaging-for-fruit-and-vegetables-2022/

 

Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest by Suzanne Simard

 

“But man is part of nature, and his war against nature is inevitably a war against himself.” Rachel Carson

   Working in the logging industry, Suzanne Simard introduced the concept of cooperation among trees; it was based on a discovery for which she was mocked and shunned. Her finding had the potential to turn forest practices upside down. 

  Policies and practices in forestry had been established on the basis of competition as the key to the survival of trees.

  Decades ago, Suzanne Simard’s discovery on the way birch trees support the health of the fir trees was the beginning of an ongoing journey that would study the kind of interaction the field of forestry had ignored for so long: cooperation among trees.

 

You may wonder how trees cooperate with each other when all you’ve heard in school was about competition.

 Just as Albert Frank was fiercely criticized when he introduced the concept of symbiosis, Suzanne Simard was dismissed when she explained the need to let birch trees coexist with fir trees to support the health of the desired fir trees. Birch trees were considered “weeds”; therefore, policies to spray and kill those trees had always been in place.

 Thankfully, Simard found another job at the University of British Columbia and she continued to work hard on her path of research, asking questions that challenged the blindsided system and paved the way to comprehend how trees communicate with each other.

 

Suzanne Simard’s research showed that trees connect underground with the roots of other trees through an intricate network of fungi (the mycorrhizae), and their health and resilience depend on this complex web.

  In her book Finding the Mother Tree, Simard details the story of her research and threads into it her own life experiences, delving into her childhood, youth, family relationships, motherhood, and other relevant matters, like her cancer diagnosis and treatment.

 I appreciate how she was able to integrate so many subjects into a thought-provoking book, and I could empathize with her on every aspect of her journey.  

 “I have come full circle to stumble onto some of the indigenous ideals: Diversity matters. And everything in the universe is connected—between the forests and the prairies, the land and the water, the sky and the soil, the spirits and the living, the people and all other creatures.”

  

Suzanne Simard also focuses on the role of Mother trees. These are the oldest trees in a forest, and they are pivotal to the survival of young seedlings and various other trees, for they provide nourishment, making the forest strong and resilient. Mother trees are the foundation that underpins the integrity of a forest, and they are vital to the diversity of the woods.

  Simard reveals the power of her scientific observations by adding poetical reflections:

  “Imagine the flow of energy from the Mother Trees as powerful as the ocean tide, as strong as the sun’s rays, as irrepressible as the wind in the mountains, as unstoppable as a mother protecting her child. I knew that power in myself even before I’d uncovered these forest conversations. I’d felt it in the energy of the maple in my yard, flowing into me as I contemplated Dr. Malpass’s wisdom about embracing the mystery of life, sensing that magical emergent phenomena when we work together, the synergy that reductionist science so often misses, leading us to mistakenly simplify our societies and ecosystems.”

  After she survived her breast cancer treatment, she asked for some kind of reassurance to get on with her life, but all she encountered was the mystery of life, so she used her knowledge and passion for trees to create The Mother Tree Project. 

 “Our goal is to further develop an emergent philosophy: complexity science. Based on embracing collaboration in addition to competition—indeed, working with all the interactions that make up the forest—complexity science can transform forestry practices into what is adaptive and holistic and away from what has been overly authoritarian and simplistic.”

 Perhaps this book will confirm what your intuition perceives in your own interactions with trees and forests; or it may offer you a new window of contemplation, immersed in a deeper understanding of the trees, inviting you to cherish those moments of communion.

 “There is no moment too small in the world. Nothing should be lost. Everything has a purpose, and everything is in need of care. This is my creed. Let us embrace it. We can watch it rise.”

  Feel free to visit The Mother Tree Project:

https://mothertreeproject.org

 To keep marveling at the ways trees communicate, check this video by Suzanne Simard:

 

You may want to read my writing on Entangled Life if you haven't had a chance to read it yet:

https://juliahoneswritinglife.blogspot.com/2021/12/entangled-life.html

 

Untamed: The Wild Life of Jane Goodall

   

“Knowledge is the only sword that can cut through harm being done in ignorance.” Sara Dykman, author of Bicycling with Butterflies.

  Jane Goodall was the first person to discover that chimpanzees make tools and use them; when she later wrote about their emotions, personalities and intelligence, she was criticized. Just like humans, chimps have emotions like happiness, sadness, anger, frustration and grief. 

 Thanks to her childhood teacher-- her family dog, Rusty—Jane Goodall had learned at a very early age that animals have individual personalities.  

 

Jane Goodall loved animals since she was little. She spent hours watching them and learning about them. Her connection with animals was deep.

  

One day in winter, when she was lying sick in bed, a British robin came to her windowsill; to encourage his visits, she left crumbs every day for the robin. In the spring the robin returned with a mate, and the birds made a nest in a bookshelf in her bedroom.

   Anita Silvey wrote Untamed for children, but it turned out to be a mesmerizing read for people of all ages. In an engaging conversational style she provides details about Jane Goodall’s life story, anecdotes, facts, maps and delightful photos. It is a book that can be shared and celebrated with an entire family, because it connects generations of people through experiences from the past, which are linked to historical events.  

 Untamed also contains an uplifting foreword by Jane Goodall, opening the minds of children to new perspectives and hopeful horizons.

  Jane empowers children to make a difference in the world.

  Anita Silvey’s book recounts how and why Jane Goodall traveled to Africa in her twenties, and how she got in touch with the mentor who would support her work through her years in Africa. His name was Louis Leakey.

  When Jane first settled in Gombe, Africa, to explore the lives of the chimps, her mother was with her. In a secluded place in a forest, away from people, where they had to dig a hole for a latrine, Jane found the magical site she had dreamed of in her childhood. Jane’s description of the place was idyllic; she wrote to her family about it:

 “It is so beautiful, with the crystal clear blue lake, the tiny white pebbles on the beach, the sparkling ice cold mountain stream, the palm nut trees, the comical baboons.”

  Anita Silvey explains the risks, dangers, and discoveries of Jane's adventures, making the book intriguing and unique. Untamed also details how the study of animals has evolved over the years, including amazing information about the challenges Jane encountered back then.

 “She devoted more hours to observation and recording than anyone in the area of chimpanzee research. And she did so through illnesses such as malaria, horrible weather, and rough living conditions.”

  

I did not know that chimps draw and paint, but some of them do. This is a photo of chimp Congo. He began to draw when he was two years old, and two years later he completed more than 200 abstract compositions.

    

Jane Goodall continues to work tirelessly to protect forests, prairies, oceans and the lives of animals and people. She also inspires children and people of all ages to do the same.

 Jane’s organizations include Roots and Shoots, Jane Goodall’s Institute and TACARE.

Feel free to check these sites:

https://www.rootsandshoots.org/

https://www.janegoodall.org/

https://tacare.org/about-us/

 I am humbled by Jane Goodall’s wisdom and courage; here’s an interview with Jane Goodall.

 Here’s another thought-provoking conversation with Jane Goodall published by Vox.

https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/22585935/jane-goodall-chimpanzees-animal-intelligence-human-nature

To learn more about Anita Silvey’s works, you can visit her website:

https://www.anitasilvey.com/

National Geographic Kids is the publisher of “Untamed”:

https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/

Running for Good: the Fiona Oakes Story

 

 

  When Fiona Oakes decided to run competitively, no coach wanted to take her on. She had no money to buy magazines about running, no time to spend on blogs. With over 400 animals under her care, she relied on her determination, strong work ethic and discipline to compete. She did not have a coach to support her goals, but she did have a purpose that compelled her to do her best.

 The lack of a knee cap never deterred her from running either.

  Fiona Oakes has competed and won in several places, including the North Pole, Antarctica and the Sahara Desert. “Running for Good” is a book I could not put down. I was spellbound by Fiona’s adventures of running marathons under extreme conditions; her humility and compassion are at the heart of every experience.

 “It hasn’t been easy. I’ve got no coach, nobody to tell me what to do or what not to do. I have to truly believe that whatever effort I’m putting in on any given day, there is going to be a reward for it on race day. I’m short of time; it’s horrible weather, and I’m tired, but I’ve got to believe that by going and doing that run, that training, it is going to make a difference on that race day, somewhere in the future. That belief has been one of my greatest strengths, and underlying that belief is the motivation that allows me to do it all. I am not doing it for myself. I don’t want anything for myself that badly that would drive me that hard and make me that determined.”

 Fiona Oakes saves lives in different settings: as a firefighter, as a caregiver in her animal sanctuary, and even as a runner, at the marathons, when she has the chance to support her competitors in need.

  Fiona Oakes is vegan, and she runs to stand up for her beliefs. She competes to bring attention to the brutality of factory farms, places where animals are exploited and tortured from the day they are born to the day they die. Everything is connected, so it makes sense to point out that the cruelty of factory farms has domino effects on human animals too, and this is a good time to highlight a relevant fact that the mainstream media ignore: Factory farms are breeding grounds for new pandemics. (Feel free to check the articles at the bottom of this post to learn more).

   The first time the BBC contacted Fiona Oakes for an interview, after she won a competition in the North Pole, they made a special request: they asked her to avoid mentioning that she was vegan. Why would they want to censor that about her? However, when she was asked what compelled her to run, she had the chance to state her purpose and she emphasized her veganism. The reporter ignored her comment.

  Overlooking the central aspect of her running is no longer feasible, because it has always been the driving force of her career.

  Fiona does not run to celebrate awards and medals. She does it for the sake of others.

  “I sometimes feel embarrassed when I say that what drives me on is the suffering of animals in the factory farming industries and the cruelty that’s going on in the world today. For example, take the Marathon des Sables: It is a tough race, it’s a brutal race. Indescribably hot. It never goes below 50 degrees. You’ve got sandstorms, you’ve got a marathon to do a day, one day you’ve got an 80 K, you’ve got jebels to climb, you’ve got sand to deal with. You’ve got all sorts of problems, but I say I feel embarrassed because the caveat to all this is that at any point I can put my hand up and say, ‘Actually, I’ve had enough and I want to go home now.’ You can. The animals can’t, so what I’m doing is just a drop in the ocean, and because I’m doing it for a purpose, failing is a disaster for me. It’s not something that I’ve got written in my agenda that I’m going to fail.”

 Unlike other runners, Fiona does not have much time to recover. She needs to look after the animals in the sanctuary that she founded: the Tower Hill Stables Animal Sanctuary. The sanctuary is her priority. Running is secondary.

 “Every penny we’ve got has always gone into the sanctuary,” she says.

  I hope her own words will help to explain the authenticity of her love and humility, and to illuminate the darkest corners of this world:

                                                                            “People ask what sort of animals we take in. Let me tell you, people don’t ask you to take in young, healthy, fit, well-trained dogs. And people don’t come to you and say, ‘I’m really looking for something elderly, something on expensive medication, and preferably we’d like it to be incontinent.”

 

Her connection with the animals has always been deep. She has a special understanding of them.  I hope that she will write a book about her relationships and experiences with the animals at the sanctuary. I will be happy to read it and will write about it on this blog.

  Thank you so much for everything you do, Fiona. You are an inspiration to many people, and those who support you are also an inspiration. Keep up the ripples of love and hope.

Happy New Year.

 To learn more about her Sanctuary and how you can help, visit the Sanctuary site.

https://www.towerhillstables.org/founder

You can learn more about Fiona Oakes from this interview:

https://www.plantstrongpodcast.com/blog/fiona-oakes

 

Articles about how factory farms are breeding grounds for future pandemics:

https://www.foodnavigator.com/Article/2021/02/02/Scientists-warn-factory-farming-raises-future-pandemic-risk-COVID-19-could-be-a-dress-rehearsal

https://ffacoalition.org/factory-farming-pandemics/

https://brocku.ca/brock-news/2021/06/u-k-brock-research-shows-people-resist-factory-farming-as-contributor-to-disease-outbreaks/

https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2020-11-30/minks-covid-pandemic-factory-farms

https://earthfirstjournal.news/2022/02/01/prosecutors-silence-evidence-of-cruel-factory-farm-practices-in-animal-rights-cases/

This is an insightful conversation about this.

In Search of Van Gogh

   

“There is something infinite in painting—I cannot explain it to you so well […]. Tomorrow I hope to go and work in the open air again.” Vincent Van Gogh (The Hague, August 26, 1882. To Theo.)

  When you think you have read everything about Vincent Van Gogh, a book release proves you wrong. “In Search of Van Gogh” invites you to trace the artist's steps, and to visit the mental and physical spaces that he inhabited. Art historian Gloria Fossi put together Van Gogh’s musings and reflections on life experiences, relationships, art and books, along with relevant photographs, adding new revelations about the artist.

  

Historians used to believe that the remarkable vortex in his painting “The Starry Night” was the product of his hallucinations. However, a number of American astrophysicists now agree that it may be “a reference or a memory of one of the most fascinating nebulae ever discovered: the Whirlpool Galaxy in the Canes Venatici constellation”. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1773. Vincent Van Gogh was an avid reader and had a special interest in the sky.

  Now we know that the stars in his paintings were not placed randomly. Researchers agree that Vincent carefully studied the sky, and his artworks reflected them with a certain precision, helping scientists to deduce, for example, that “The Starry Night over the Rhone” was painted in Arles at about 10:30 p.m. between September 20 and 30, 1888.

  During his time in Arles, Vincent Van Gogh wrote: “I absolutely want to paint a starry sky. It often seems to me that night is still more richly colored than the day, having hues of the most intense violets, blues and greens.” (Arles, between September 9 and 14, 1888).

   Vincent Van Gogh did not mind the rain or the wind as he worked in the study of nature.  He portrayed rural life in the memorable images of peasants working, sharing a meal or simply chilling out.  Guided by his intuitive wisdom, Vincent Van Gogh persevered through every obstacle, bolstering the fire of his indomitable creativity; his ardent curiosity; and his love for nature and people.

  There are various amazing facts about Van Gogh in “In Search of Van Gogh”.  Did you know that Vincent descended 700 meters underground to explore the suffering, discomfort and ordeals that miners faced every day? Gas explosions were frequent in those days, and Vincent  helped to treat the wounded in one of the Borinage mines.

 

  In 1990 photographers Danilo De Marco and Mario Dondero traveled to all the places where Van Gogh had lived and worked. Their artistic black-and- white photos were carefully arranged to be integrated deftly into this book, which was published last year for the first time. Unfortunately, Mario Dondero passed away in 2015, and “In Search of Van Gogh” is dedicated to him.

 “In Search of Van Gogh” offers the opportunity to get to know Vincent Van Gogh as a person and an artist, washing away prejudices and myths that cloud the understanding of his artworks.

  Van Gogh’s art continues to touch the hearts of millions of people across the world because his oeuvre transcends time and space. The freshness of his works infuses vitality in the viewers. His drawings and paintings showcase more than what any words can convey. His brushstrokes spark passion for life; the masterpieces he created are fearless depictions of his soul and those of his models. 

    The essence of Vincent Van Gogh’s empathic nature is captured with exquisite grace by Gloria Fossi’s book, and the photographs included complete a vibrant journey into his life and art.

    You can continue learning about Vincent Van Gogh by checking the full collection of letters to his family and friends. Reading those letters is a trip of poetry and inspiration. The literary value of his writing is finally gaining momentum and getting the recognition it deserves.

    Vincent Van Gogh’s full collection of letters, including critical annotations and illustrations, is the result of fifteen years of research by the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam in collaboration with the Huygens Institute for the History of the Netherlands in The Hague. The collection is online here:

www.vangoghletters.org

  

 

Enjoy more of his works here:

 

Entangled Life

 

“Fungi are everywhere, but they are easy to miss. They are inside you and around you. They sustain you and all that you depend on. As you read these words, fungi are changing the way that life happens, as they have done for more than one billion years. They are eating rock, making soil, digesting pollutants, nourishing and killing plants, surviving in space, inducing visions, producing food, making medicines, manipulating animal behavior and influencing the composition of the Earth’s atmosphere. Fungi provide a key to understanding the plants on which we live and the ways we think, feel and behave. Yet they live their lives hidden from view, and more than ninety percent of their species remain undocumented.” Merlin Sheldrake

  If these words catch your attention, you are not alone. It is the first paragraph of the book Entangled Life, a fascinating exploration of the life of fungi. Did you know that you have more microorganisms in your body than human cells? Some of those microorganisms are fungi. Fungi are everywhere; they are not only present in our bodies. They are in the clouds, influencing the weather. They are on the sea floor, on the surface of deserts, in the frozen valleys of Antarctica, in the soil under our feet. They have the capacity to adapt to different habitats. The ecosystems of microorganisms in our bodies help us to digest food, to nourish us, to support our immune system, and may even influence our behaviors (check references 1 and 2 at the bottom of this post). These interactions are not unique to humans. Even bacteria have viruses within them, and viruses can contain smaller viruses.

  Fungi are neither plants nor animals. Plants make up 80% of the mass of life on earth and they are the base of the food chain. However, 600 million years ago, there were no plants on land. Back then, life was an aquatic event and there was no soil as we know it now; only rocks, where minerals were locked. Merlin Sheldrake explains that “plants made it out of the water around 500 million years ago because of their collaboration with fungi, which served as their root systems for tens of millions of years until plants could evolve their own.”

  Here is a surprising fact that is often overlooked: ninety percent of plants depend on fungi to survive and thrive. The intimate partnerships between plant roots and mycorrhizal fungi allow the plant to take in water and minerals from the soil. Fungi also provide 80 percent of a plant’s nitrogen and a hundred percent of its phosphorus. Likewise, the fungi benefit from the plants by gaining access to food produced by the plant. Mycorrhizal fungi are connected to plants and trees through shared networks. “Mykes” in Greek means fungus; “rhiza” means roots.

 Unsustainable agricultural practices ignore these vital relationships between plants and fungi. Did you know that a teaspoon of healthy soil contains more bugs than human beings in the planet? Fungi represent at least one third of the living mass in the soil. The role of fungi in soil ecosystems is an active field of research. Fungi networks in the soil prevent the loss of nutrients in it, and help to regulate the water, so they support the soil under extreme weather conditions that lead to droughts or floods.

 The levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, climate changes and pollution influence the interactions between plant roots and mycorrhizae, and the effects have an impact on ecosystems. A study published in 2018 found that the deterioration of the health of trees across Europe was the consequence of a disruption of their mycorrhizal relationships, which was triggered by nitrogen pollution.

 The term “mycorrhiza” was coined by biologist Albert Frank in 1885; his study of lichens, symbiotic partnerships of fungi and algae, led to the use of the word “symbiosis”. Frank’s passion for the study of mycorrhiza spurred him to focus on the research of mycorrhizal relationships for more than a decade; back then, other scientists opposed his ideas on symbiosis as some kind of “sentimental illusion” that could not materialize in nature.

 Reading Entangled Life is akin to climbing a tree. The higher you ascend, the more views and perspectives you gain. As you clamber up a branch, more questions arise, and the adventure of knowledge guides you to embrace how everything is deeply interconnected to function within the delicate web of life.  

  Merlin Sheldrake shares his wonder for fungi in Entangled Life the way Sara Dykman explores the life of Monarch butterflies in “Bicycling with Butterflies. They both captivate us with creativity, facts and artistry.

 Merlin Sheldrake is a biologist and a writer. He received a Ph.D. in Tropical ecology from Cambridge University for his work on underground fungal networks in tropical forests in Panama, where he was a predoctoral research fellow of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. He is also a musician. You can visit his website here:

www.merlinsheldrake.com

 

References

1)     1)  https://asm.org/Articles/2021/October/Addressing-Systematic-Barriers-in-Human-Microbiome

2)    2)   https://cumming.ucalgary.ca/news/fungi-play-critical-role-within-our-gut-microbiome-research-finds

3)    3)   https://www.farmersweekly.co.za/crops/field-crops/integrated-pest-management-taking-care-of-crop-protectors/

4)    4)   https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2019.00292/full

The Plant-based Athlete

 

   

  Physical energy and mental stamina are crucial to live up to the promise of your highest potential. The Plant-based Athlete provides information, scientific research, resources and creative ideas to develop a nutrition plan that meets your goals. You don’t need to be a vegan to benefit from reading this book, but if you are planning to reduce or eliminate animal products from your diet, it has a comprehensive approach on how to do it.

 The selection of the books I recommend on this blog is based, for the most part, on how unique they are. The Plant-based Athlete is a unique kind of read because there are many dimensions to it.  Authored by Matt Frazier and Robert Cheeke, The Plant- based Athlete contains the contributions, support and feedback of medical professionals, dieticians and over fifty plant-based athletes.

   The inspiring life stories of these athletes propel you towards your own dreams and goals. Take, for example, the story of Fiona Oakes. She holds four world records for marathon running and is the fastest woman in the world to run a marathon on all seven continents. Fiona is in her fifties now, and she continues to run 100 miles per week. She wakes up at 3:30 am, works as a firefighter and takes care of over 400 animals in an animal shelter that she founded. There is a documentary about her life: “Running for Good”.  

You can learn about it here:

   https://runningforgoodfilm.com/home

  Fiona Oakes became vegan when she was only six years old, but not every athlete in this book started to transition to plant-based diets that early. For example, Dr. Harriet Davis, a prominent bodybuilder, decided to eliminate all animal products because she wanted to address her digestive issues. When she was in college, she stopped eating meat. Years later, she adopted a 100 % plant-based diet and has been on it for over a decade.  Harriet Davis is a physician; she is board certified in Family Medicine and Sports Medicine, and her patients seek her for advice on how to lead a healthier lifestyle.

  Rip Esselstyn is a current swimming world record holder in the 200-meter back backstroke for the men’s fifty-five to fifty-nine age group; he is a former elite professional triathlete, and has been a whole-foods plant-based devotee for more than thirty years. He chose this way of eating during the late 1980s, when his father, physician Caldwell Esselstyn Jr, was conducting groundbreaking research on how plant-based diets could prevent heart disease. Rip grew up eating lots of animal protein and processed foods before his father’s research convinced the family to make the switch.

  There are various reasons for embarking on the path of a plant-based diet. One of them is the wish to support one’s health by optimizing the functioning of body and mind. Making choices that are ethical and sustainable are part of the equation of health. Furthermore, many people are starting to become aware of the cruel treatment of animals; they do not want to support the abuse of other living creatures, so they make mindful choices for both their health and the environment. Research has shown that plant-based diets are beneficial to fight climate change, increase diet healthfulness and reduce diet costs (check the references at the bottom of this post to learn more about the research).

   Those who have less of a carbon footprint on the planet are sometimes the ones who suffer the worst consequences. Take a look at the situation in Southern Madagascar. Climate change is responsible for a drought that prevents people from growing and producing food. Famine is striking the region. The women are so desperate to feed their children they have to resort to cactus leaves and insects. You can learn more about this here:

https://abcnews.go.com/International/madagascar-verge-climate-change-induced-famine/story?id=80857410

   The Plant-based Athlete debunks all the myths about plant-based diets; it does so with research, and it also shares the incredible experiences of athletes. The book explains how you can get all the protein you need from it and what you need to do to make sure your nutrition plan is balanced and complete, taking into account both macronutrients and micronutrients. The research citations are at the end, and there is a section with recipes recommended by some of these athletes.

    To keep your gut healthy, you need foods that promote the growth of beneficial bacteria. The wellbeing of your gut is also related to the state of your immune system, mental health and fitness performance. It is a good idea to stay away from soda, overly- processed foods and other foods that are considered pro-inflammatory such as red meat, processed meat like sausages; refined carbohydrates like pastries and white bread; French fries and other fried foods. You can choose instead a variety of fresh vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds, grains and pseudo-grains like quinoa, amaranth, oats, brown rice, barley, millet and others.

     

  Contrary to popular belief, it is not difficult to get enough protein from plant sources. Aminoacids are the building blocks of protein. There are twenty in total; nine of them are essential aminoacids. This means that the body cannot make them, so it needs to obtain the essential aminoacids from outside sources. This is why a variety of food sources matters. For instance, lysine is an essential aminoacid. Lysine is necessary to make collagen, a component of connective tissues, bones and cartilage. It also plays a role in making carnitine, which helps to convert fatty acids into energy. The recommended allowance of lysine is 38 mg per kg of body weight per day. Half a cup of lentils contains 624 mg. Half a cup of tofu has 582 mg; 1 cup of amaranth has 512 mg; half a cup of chickpea beans, 291 mg; 1 cup of quinoa, 442 mg of lysine. You get the idea.

  There are special points to consider when you choose a plant-based diet. Vitamin B12, for example, is not found in vegetables, so you need to take a supplement. Also, make sure you make decisions that are tailored to your individual needs. Everybody is different. If you have questions, do your own research and talk to your healthcare provider to discuss it further.

  All in all, the advice and research in this book offer a good guide to enrich your diet.  

 If you are inspired to try new ideas to enhance your nutrition and lifestyle, you may also be interested in checking blogs with creative plant- based recipes and information.

Here’s a list that may help you:

https://online.csp.edu/resources/blog/plant-based-diet-for-athletes/

https://plantbasedandbroke.com

https://plantbasedonabudget.com

https://runningonrealfood.com

https://www.pcrm.org/good-nutrition/vegan-diet-environment

https://www.nomeatathlete.com/

 

 Wherever you are in your life journey, The Plant-based Athlete serves the purpose of your cheerleader. It empowers you to become the best version of yourself; to keep working toward your goals without letting failures define you; and to surround yourself by people who support you, while staying away from those who doubt you.

 

References:

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(20)30055-3/fulltext

https://ourworld.unu.edu/en/new-research-says-plant-based-diet-best-for-planet-and-people

  https://www.pcrm.org/good-nutrition/vegan-diet-environment