The Hidden Cost of Veganism - Lierre Keith #143

In past episodes of ReWild Yourself Podcast, I’ve explained why I’m not a vegan (ReWild Yourself Podcast #94) and, instead, why I’m a conscientious omnivore (ReWild Yourself Podcast #100). In my personal quest for the most natural diet for the human animal, I was a vegan for about 10 years, and The Vegetarian Myth by Lierre Keith was an impactful read for me as I transitioned back to an omnivorous diet.

I’m thrilled to have Lierre Keith — former vegan, best-selling author and environmentalist — join us to share about her experience with veganism. Lierre spent 20 years eating a vegan diet, and in that time, she did significant damage to her body. Only when she began to introduce animal foods back into her diet — eating a more balanced, omnivorous diet — was her body able to heal and regenerate. Lierre also explains the destructive history of agriculture and why veganism is not the answer for ecological restoration of our devastated prairies and forests. This is an important conversation for all of us interested in eating the optimal human diet while living with a light ecological footprint on this planet!

**Please note: The audio quality of this interview is not excellent because we recorded over Skype. We apologize in advance for the audio quality, but we think the content makes up for it!

EPISODE BREAKDOWN:

  • Show introduction:
    • Poison ivy, nettle stings and tick bites
    • Harvesting Hopniss, Apios americana
    • Upcoming Florida hunt + gather trip
    • Subscribe to my newsletter
    • Q&A: Thoughts on gardening vs wild food foraging
  • Introducing Lierre Keith
  • How Lierre came to write The Vegetarian Myth
  • The damage veganism can do to the human body
  • The results of Lierre’s 20 years of veganism
  • What led Lierre to ecological restoration
  • Why are vegans so angry?
  • Agriculture and our hierarchical civilization
  • Is organic farming a way forward?
  • Restoring the prairie grasslands
  • The future of Lierre’s work
  • What keeps Lierre motivated in her work
  • Lierre’s prognosis for the future of the human species
  • How to find Lierre’s work

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Deep Green Resistance: Strategy to Save the Planet
By Derrick Jensen, Aric McBay, Lierre Keith
Buy on Amazon

Meet Lierre

lierre_portrait.jpg

Lierre Keith is a writer, radical feminist, food activist, and environmentalist.

Her book The Vegetarian Myth: Food, Justice, and Sustainability has been called “the most important ecological book of this generation.”

Her writing and lectures focus on civilization’s violence against the planet, male violence against women, and the need for serious resistance to both.