Species Unite2 Juli 2020

Jasmine Leyva: The Invisible Vegan

"What's sad about it is… a lot of people think it's the norm… that's what I thought. Diabetes was something my grandmother had and my mom was pre-diabetic so I thought, oh diabetes and clogged arteries and high cholesterol, they're just my destiny - that's a normal part of life because that's what I saw happening to everyone around me."

-Jasmine Leyva

Heart disease, diabetes, and obesity have been rising at alarming rates all across the country, but the numbers are disproportionately higher in African American communities. There are many reasons that factor into why that is, but the fact that we have an unjust food system is a big one. Food desserts, regions in urban areas where it is difficult to obtain affordable and fresh foods, make it impossible for the people living in those areas to eat healthy and prevent diseases like those mentioned above.

Jasmine Leyva is an actress, a filmmaker, and the creator and director of The Invisible Vegan, a full-length independent documentary that delves into the complex issues surrounding the unhealthy dietary patterns in the African American community. The film shows how increased dependence on meat and fast food is rooted in the history of slavery, 20th century socioeconomic inequalities, and the rise of big food. And it explores on the health and wellness possibilities that can be achieved through a plant based diet.

The film is packed with information, history, stories of transformation, and interviews with African American vegans ranging from NBA legend, John Salley to Cedric the Entertainer to Stic of Dead Prez. If you haven't already seen it, watch it.

Jasmine is a force of a human being – she's inspiring, wise, and incredibly thoughtful. I learned a ton from her film and from our conversation. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Jasmine's website https://jasmineleyva.com/

Jasmine's instagram https://www.instagram.com/jasmine_c_leyva/?hl=es

Jasmine's Twitter https://twitter.com/jasmine_c_leyva

The Invisible Vegan https://www.theinvisiblevegan.com/

The Invisible Vegan on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Invisible-Vegan-Cedric-Entertainer/dp/B07WF9L1JM

Det här avsnittet är hämtat från ett öppet RSS-flöde och publiceras inte av Podme. Det kan innehålla reklam.

Avsnitt(279)

Michael Schneider: Pilots to the Rescue

"We do own and operate aircraft, but we also put a lot of energy into telling the story and that's really important because that's what's going to provide transformation in this space, because people ...

22 Juli 33min

Kevin Sherwin: How do you Milk an Almond?

"His argument against almond milk is that you can't call almond milk milk because you can't physically milk an almond." – Kevin Sherwin Kevin Sherwin is a composer, musician, and filmmaker who decide...

8 Juli 21min

Jamie Logan and Justina Adorno: Green Goddesses Take New York

"We had to start asking how are we sustainable with the activism in the long run? I think that using humor, using confrontation will get people to look at the things that they normally wouldn't." - Ja...

17 Juni 50min

Cameron Meyer Shorb: Nature Was Never Eden

"So before I encountered these ideas, whenever I thought about human's relationship to animals, I only thought about the negative parts. I thought the best we could ever achieve would be to maybe eras...

21 Apr 38min

Dr. Melanie Joy: Why good people don't want to know

"Let's say that you eat meat and you're sitting down and you're biting into a juicy hamburger, and your dining companion turns to you and says, 'Elizabeth, you know that hamburger is actually not made...

1 Apr 51min

Rose Patterson: What are we willing to risk when we know suffering is happening?

"I think something that I learned from doing that was that this is all in our heads, like it's all for show just because there's a security guard that even if he's right in front of you, it doesn't me...

10 Mars 36min

Todd Friedman: The Pig Who Changed Everything

"You want people to stop eating these animals and the only way to do it is to showcase them in a light where people see them as individuals, and not just a sandwich in the morning, or breakfast, or a ...

11 Feb 44min

Dan Shannon: How Change Happens

"There will come a time in the future where historians look back on this era of history and sort of see it as this moment of historical atrocity, which is what I think it is today. I do think that fac...

4 Feb 48min