“Nothing will benefit human health and increase the chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.” – Albert Einstein

“You love me!” exclaimed Annie.

LJ laughed, “How do you know?”

“Because I can taste all the love you poured into this amazing Breakfast Burrito. It tastes so good!”

“Yup, that was the intention and the motivation,” he said, putting a lunch bag next to her plate, “I made one for Cassie. I like her and the podcasts you two are doing, so be sure to let her know it comes with my best wishes.”

“I will. I better go. Thanks, babes.” Annie put her plate in the dishwasher and headed out the door. A brisk forty-five-minute walk brought her to the recording studio. As she came through the front door, she ran into Cassie. “Hi, here’s a gift from LJ, and he sends his love.”

Cassie opened the bag, “It smells so delicious. Is this a breakfast burrito?”

Annie nodded, “made from scratch and loaded with a lot of yummy goodness.”

“I’m saving this for lunch to have time to savor it. I’ll send LJ a quick thanks and meet you in the studio.”

The studio clock wound down, signaling the start of the podcast. Cassie turned the microphone on and welcomed the audience. Next, she introduced Annie and the topic: The Case for a Plant-Based lifestyle.

“You’re here today to make a case for plant-based. Am I correct in assuming eating a plant-based instead of an animal-sourced diet is healthier for the Earth and us? If so, that will be difficult; changing a lifelong habit is hard, especially habits around food.”

“Indeed,” said Annie. “Ask me how I know. However, research shows people are motivated when they know the personal benefits, are guided by a process, feel in control of their progress, and even more if they participate with a community.

One way to benefit your health and planet Earth’s is switching from meat to legumes, aka beans. They are the perfect substitute and are the most sustainable protein on Earth. Legumes need only one-twentieth of the land and one-tenth of the water used to produce beef. When choosing legumes over meat, you actively conserve water, reduce methane gas (contributes to global warming) emissions, and eliminate chemical fertilizers.   As a part of a low-cal plant-based diet, legumes are low in fat and cholesterol, and consistent consumption lowers the risk for heart disease and obesity. They are chock full of fiber, which is only found in plant foods. Fiber helps control blood-sugar levels and can play an essential role in reducing the Type 2 diabetes epidemic.

The process of moving to a  plant-based diet can be as easy as joining the Meatless Mondays community. Going meatless one day a week is a gentle way to change.

Make progress toward controlling your health status by walking more, sitting less, shopping at farmer’s markets, shopping online for inexpensive, healthy food, and switching to a plant-based diet to guarantee Earth’s future.”

Cassie looked at her notes, “making a case for plant-based is so important, especially now, but I’m not sure if one podcast will prod our listeners to take action.”

Annie thoughtfully nodded, “the key is Synergy; an interaction or cooperation generating a whole greater than the sum of its parts. That sounds like the description of community to me. We have reached a point where it is well past time for the global village to come together to combat climate change. Research shows this is beginning to happen, and each generation is finding ways to cooperate. For example, baby boomers lead the way in ditching plastic bags and shopping locally. Millennials and Generation Z are going vegan or vegetarian in massive numbers and are leaders in buying reusable and earth-friendly products. These synergistic behaviors are happening worldwide and at every income level; however, we can and must do more faster. Every time someone opts for beans over beef, they participate in reducing greenhouse-gas emissions. If this momentum towards plant-based eating accelerates, we could reach greenhouse gas reduction targets considerably and vitally faster.”

“That’s good news. This high note might be the best place to conclude our conversation today. The key takeaways are each of us can play a role in saving our planet and becoming healthier on a plant-based diet. Yesterday was a good time to start.”

“Indeed,” nodded Annie. “Albert Einstein said it best as far back as the early 1950s.”

Annie and LJ are a fictional couple.  Their storyline promotes healthy eating and earth-friendly practices.