324: Regenerative Farming vs Plant-Based Diet: What’s Best? w/ Diana Rogers, RD

The Healthy Skin Show

Whether you’re considering a plant-based diet or you’re wondering if there’s ANOTHER option to better, healthier farm practices – we need to talk about regenerative farming.

Never heard of regenerative farming or regenerative agriculture before?

Don’t worry – you’re not alone because most people think their options are only conventionally farmed produce and animal products, or organic.

But that’s NOT true.

So if you care deeply about the quality of the produce you eat AND the welfare of the animals raised for their products…

And you’re concerned about the quality of the soil, avoiding chemicals sprayed on fields, the treatment and wages of the farmers involved…

Then I URGE you to consider regenerative farming as a better way forward that IS actually good for you and good for the planet.

I’ve touched on regenerative farming in my dairy series HERE, but my guest today is extremely knowledgeable on this.

She travels all over the world advocating for and lecture on the benefits of regenerative farming while inviting audiences to rethink the plant-based diet narratives that I too have become critical of.

Joining me is Diana Rodgers, RD, who is a “real food” nutritionist and sustainability advocate based near Boston, Massachusetts. She runs a clinical nutrition practice, hosts the Sustainable Dish Podcast, and speaks internationally about the intersection of optimal human nutrition, regenerative farming, and food justice. Diana is co-author of Sacred Cow: The Case for (Better) Meat and the director and producer of the companion film, Sacred Cow. Her nonprofit, the Global Food Justice Alliance, advocates for the inclusion of animal-sourced foods in dietary policies for a more nutritious, sustainable, and equitable worldwide food system.

I’m excited for you to hear this thought-provoking (and surprising) conversation!

In This Episode:

• What is regenerative farming? (How is it different than organic?)
• What are monocrops + why are they so destructive to the environment?
• Why meat isn’t considered part of “clean eating”
• Deceptive marketing tactics used by plant-based diet proponents (especially towards young women)
• Nutrient deficiencies triggered by plant-based diet
• What type of meat is MOST nutritious (based on farming method)
• Tips to buy regenerative agriculture produce + meat affordably
• What if you can’t find organic or grass-fed meat options?

Quotes

“You want to have as many different species of life, both plant and animal, on a farm as possible because that makes more resilience” [24:10]

“If you add up the dairy and beef cattle, all the cows in North America, it is just about equivalent to the bison plus all the other ruminant animals that were here before we got rid of all those animals. So we don't have net more, we just have different animals.” [30:29]

Links

Find Diana online | Instagram | Youtube

Check out the Sacred Cow site or go directly here to Buy the Book | Watch the Film

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