
Today’s episode is more of a controversial topic, but it’s a very important one. I’m here with Diana Rodgers, a dietician, real food nutritionist, and sustainability advocate. She co-wrote Sacred Cow (the book and the movie) with my friend Robb Wolf. Her latest adventure is the Global Food Justice Alliance, which advocates for including animal foods in global dietary policies. The goal is to create a more nutritious, sustainable, and equitable food system for people around the world.
I’ve had Diana on before to talk about the book Sacred Cow, but today we take a deeper dive into the topic. She busts some of the myths behind the thinking that cattle are bad for the environment and unhealthy for humans. We cover how much water cows really use (hint: not as much as we’ve been told), the health differences between grain-fed and grass-fed meat, and how we can all help create a more sustainable food supply. Plus much much more.
In half of the countries worldwide, women still aren’t allowed to own land, but they can own livestock. And women and children especially are at a nutritional disadvantage when they don’t eat enough animal products. While protein is an important macronutrient for all of us, sustainable animal farming has a really big impact, especially for women.
I hope you’ll join me and listen in as I chat with Diana today!
Episode Highlights With Diana Rodgers
- How she got into nutrition through her own undiagnosed celiac
- Why meat is the most vilified food and some reasons this is off base
- The most common myths and misconceptions about meat: nutrition, environment, and ethics
- Why personal food decisions should stay personal and not be imposed on others
- What the research says about meat being critical for childhood development
- The elephant in the room: 60% of the US diet is ultra-processed foods
- Why it’s possible to meet protein needs and still be deficient in amino acids
- Protein consumption is especially important for women and children and specifically from animal products
- What sarcopenia is and why it is such a big problem
- Ways to help avoid sarcopenia
- For every pound of plant-based protein, there are four pounds of waste
- The ways that cows are actually beneficial and important for the environment
- Almonds vs cows for water consumption and why almonds waste much more water than cows
Resources We Mention
- 374: Sacred Cow: The Case for (Better) Meat (& Methane Explained) With Diana Rodgers
- Sacred Cow: The Case for (Better) Meat: Why Well-Raised Meat Is Good for You and Good for the Planet by Diana Rodgers and Robb Wolf
- Sacred Cow DVD
- Paleovalley beef sticks
- The Paleo Solution: The Original Human Diet by Robb Wolf
- Ishmael by Daniel Quinn
- Cronometer.com
More From Wellness Mama
- 371: How Eating More Protein Will Transform Your Metabolism With Dr. Gabrielle Lyon
- 612: Dr. Gabrielle Lyon on Muscle-Centric Medicine, Eat Your Protein, and How to Train Better
- 072: Robb Wolf on How to Turn Off Cravings & Rewire Your Appetite
- 314: Why We Need Meat (& So Does the Planet) With Anya Fernald
- 222: Mike Salguero on How ButcherBox Is Bringing Back Grass-Fed Meat
- Are Organ Meats Healthy?
- Is Grass-Fed Beef Healthier Than Grain-Fed?
- Duck Eggs: Have You Tried Them Yet?
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