i

Welcome raise a peep of protest.

By Ocean Robbins Fortunately, you don’t have to do that.
Now is the time to find out how you and your family can
Thank you for participating in one get informed and take action.
of the most important conversa-
tions about our food that has ever
taken place. “Food is not just a commodity. It is also a commu-

Our food system is in crisis. We have a health industry that nity. It’s a web of relationships that connects you

consistently acts like food hardly matters. We have a food to all of life. What you eat literally becomes you.

industry that consistently acts like health doesn’t matter. When you bring your food choices into integrity

And we have a political system in which junk food is not with your values – with what you truly want for

only normalized – it’s subsidized. your life and your world – something extraordi-
nary happens. Your life takes on a deeper sense
Big agribusiness has made profits more important than your of meaning. Your thoughts become clearer. Your
health. More important than the environment. And more im- world becomes more congruent.”
portant than your right to know how your food is produced.
~ Ocean Robbins
Large-scale industrialized food production is wreaking havoc
on our forests, topsoil, air, water, and climate. Farm animals
are being treated with unthinkable cruelty. Farm and restau- Have you ever been chronically ill? Worried about the
rant workers are often exploited. Genetically engineered health or survival of a loved one? Would you like to know
“Frankenfoods” are being released, without adequate test- how to lose weight, clean up your arteries, or defend your-
ing, into the American food supply on a vast scale. self against cancer?
Meanwhile, people are eating more and more artificial food - Do you sometimes wish you had more energy, got sick
and getting fatter and sicker. In fact, more people are chron- less often, and felt more confident about what to eat for
ically ill today than at any time in the history of the world. optimal health?
You probably already know that large-scale industrial agri- For most of us, a good diet is the best gift we can give
business is controlling an expanding share of the world’s to our loved ones and ourselves... because it’s the gift of
food supply. They have huge advertising budgets to market lasting health. And it’s not rocket science. Using simple
highly processed, genetically engineered, chemical-lad- and easy-to-remember steps, you can dramatically increase
en, pesticide-contaminated pseudo-foods. With all their your chances of living a long and vibrant life.
lobbyists and political donations, they pretty well run the
This action guide, and the Food Revolution Summit, are
show in most of our government regulatory and agricultural
here to help you bring your food choices into greater align-
agencies. This is pretty dangerous for our health!
ment with the health and the life that you want.
These corporations want to keep your mind closed and your
Thanks for joining us in this critically important journey.
voice silent. They’d like you, and all the rest of us, to keep
eating foods that are unhealthy, because by eating these Bon appétit.
foods, we provide big profits for companies like McDon-
ald’s, Monsanto, and Pepsi. They’d like to keep you sub-
ordinate to their agenda and so distracted that you won’t

1
Top Ten Reasons We Need A Food Revolution
1 Our food system is killing us. many cows never see a blade of grass.
In the U.S., more than 2/3 of the population is now
overweight or obese, and heart disease and stroke are killing 6 It’s destroying our antibiotics.
more than 700,000 people every year. The National Institutes of To keep animals alive under these deplorable condi-
Health reports that in the 1960s less than 2% of America’s kids tions, they are fed antibiotics with every dose of feed. In fact,
had a chronic health condition. Today it’s over 25%. And one in 80% of antibiotics used in the U.S. are fed to livestock, not to
three American children is expected to get diabetes. All of these people. If you wanted to breed antibiotic resistant bacteria
illnesses are directly linked to food and lifestyle choices. you’d be hard pressed to find a more efficient way to do it. We
are already seeing increasing incidences where anti-biotic resist-
2 It’s bankrupting us. ant bacteria in humans can be deadly, and this is why.
Three quarters of medical spending in the U.S. today
goes towards managing lifestyle-related chronic illness. Medical 7 We can do better.
expenses are already the leading cause of bankruptcy for Less than 10% of Americans eat a healthy diet consist-
families, and they’re quickly driving the entire nation towards ent with federal recommendations. And an estimated 90-95%
fiscal disaster. In fact, the costs of Medicare in the United States of cancer cases and 80% of heart attacks have their roots in
are expected to double in the next generation. Meanwhile, the diet and lifestyle. We know how to radically improve the health
federal government in the United States provides tens of billions outcome for millions of people – and to save trillions of dollars,
of dollars in subsidies for “commodity crops”, like corn, wheat, and possibly the future of our planet, in the process.
and soy, that are in turn processed into high fructose corn syrup,
white flour, and animal feed for factory farms. The very things 8 The times are changing and young
that science tells us we should be eating less of are people are leading the way.
actually being subsidized by the taxpayer. Sales of organic foods have increased over 26-fold in the last
generation, to now exceed 4% of market share. We’ve seen
3 It’s devastating our planet. a three-fold increase in farmer’s markets in the last decade.
Modern food production practices are depleting our Nine U.S. states have now joined the entire European Union in
soil and groundwater, polluting our water and our bodies with banning gestational crates for pigs, and Australia’s two largest
neurotoxic pesticides, endangering pollinators like bees and supermarket chains now sell only cage-free eggs in their house
butterflies, depleting ecosystems of other important wildlife like brands. Sales of certified non-GMO products have gone from
frogs, fish and salamanders, and they’re a driving force behind nothing to $7 billion in sales in the last 4 years. Sales of natural
climate change. foods have now grown to be a $100 billion industry. Thankfully,
younger consumers are leading the way, and are far more likely
4 It’s hitting kids and poor people the hardest. to stand up for healthier food.
Many low income and inner city communities are
described as “food deserts”, because there is so little access to 9 Everyone can benefit.
fresh vegetables and other healthy foods. People of low income Whether you’re young or old, sick or healthy, wealthy
and people of color have the lowest life expectancy and the or poor, you have a stake in your health. And it turns out there’s
highest rates of diabetes, heart disease, obesity, cancer, and serious money to be made in the food revolution. Farmers,
other lifestyle related chronic illnesses. producers, retailers and consumers all have the opportunity
to take part in a massive shift in how we grow, process, eat
5 It’s inhumane. and think about food. And to reap the benefits.
Farm workers are being exposed to large amounts of toxic
pesticides on the job, and they’re driven to work brutally long hours 10 You can be an everyday food revolutionary.
for very little compensation. The average life expectancy for a You don’t have to wait for government or industry to
migrant farm worker in the U.S. is 49 years. In Mexico, condi- change. You can lead the way be reclaiming your relationship
tions are even worse. And then, there are the animals. Chickens with food and making it an expression of your values. If you
never see the sunlight and are kept in cages so small they cannot want health, and a healthy planet, the invitation is clear. Join
lift a single wing, mother pigs are forced to spend most of their the Food Revolution!
lives in gestation crates so small they cannot even turn around, and

2
Welcome to Food 3.0
Food 1.0 = Survival. If you can get enough calories to survive greenhouse gas emissions.
another day, that’s success.
Non-GMO Food
Food 2.0 = Commerce. Food 2.0 has brought us an amazing The vast majority of corn, soybeans, canola, cotton, and
array of tastes, textures, cuisines and opportunities. But it’s also sugar beets grown in the U.S. are genetically modified (GMOs).
brought us a food system in which health suffers. In the United Monsanto and its allies claim that GM crops reduce pesticide use,
States, the average citizen now eats more than 150 pounds of increase yields, reduce water consumption, and offer foods that
added sugar each year, while less than 5% of the population is are more tasty and more nutritious. But in the 20 years since GM
consuming the recommended amount of fiber. The stats are clear. crops first came on the market, studies have found that they have
Toxic food is killing us. led to higher pesticide use, and no meaningful improvement in
Food 3.0 = Health. In Food 3.0, we make health for people flavor, nutrition, yield or water consumption. Instead, what
and for our planet into the central organizing principle of our they’ve created are plants that are engineered to withstand
food system. There are healthy profits to be made in Food 3.0, massive dosing of toxic herbicides, and plants that function as
and they’re made from healthy food. Food 3.0 means vastly living pesticide factories. Monsanto’s Bt. corn, for example, is
lower rates of chronic illness – which saves trillions of dollars actually registered with the EPA as a pesticide. Many credible
in medical care, and which fuels a healthier and more capable scientists have significant concerns about the safety of these
population. crops for human and animal consumption. And the environmental
impacts are documented, and alarming.
Food 3.0 means more real, organic, plant-strong, non-GMO,
humane, locally grown, and fair trade food. Here’s why... Humane Food
More animals are being subjected to more torturous conditions
Real Food in the production of meat, dairy products and eggs in the world
Decades of food science have resulted in the cheapest, most today than has ever occurred for any reason anywhere in world
abundant, most addictive, and possibly the most nutritionally history. You don’t have to be a vegetarian or an animal rights
inferior food in the world. Modern diets are based around food- activist to find these conditions appalling, and to want animals
like products that are laced with chemicals, pesticides, hormones, that are raised for food to be treated with respect.
antibiotics, genetically modified organisms, and stunning amounts
of added sugar. In this context, eating real food is an act of Locally Grown Food
liberation. When you eat food that comes from plants, instead Local fruits and vegetables are fresher, have better flavor,
of food that is manufactured in plants, your body will thank you and more nutrients. Studies have shown that vitamins,
for the rest of your life. phytochemicals, antioxidants and many other important
nutrients decrease as fresh food ages. Local food supports
Organic Food your local economy. It has a lower carbon footprint. And it
The number of chemicals that are used in the growing and connects you to your community.
production of industrial food is alarming. These highly toxic
agrochemicals are increasingly contaminating our bodies and Fair Trade Food
the environment. The pesticides used in U.S. food production Coffee is the world’s second most valuable traded commodity–
have been linked to cancer, birth defects, auto-immune diseases, after oil. Chocolate is pretty popular, too. Unfortunately, both
asthma, autism, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and many other coffee beans and cocoa beans are often picked by people who
diseases. Organic food means food grown without poisons. It are not paid nearly enough to have a decent life, and in some
helps to protect the environment, save family farms, enhance cases by child slaves. When you buy fair trade certified
biodiversity, protect rural communities, empower workers, products, you help to insure that the people who grew your
replenish topsoil... and most people also think organically grown food were treated with dignity. And you’re investing in a
food tastes better. healthier global economy.

Plant-Strong Food Food is more than just a commodity. It’s also a community. What
Large-scale animal agriculture is causing disastrous health, you eat literally becomes you. So why not make your food into an
humanitarian, and environmental impacts. Eating a whole-foods expression of the life you want, and of the world you want?
plant-strong diet greatly enhances the health of your cardio-
vascular system, strengthens your immune system, and reduces Shall we get started?
your risk of cancer and many other illnesses. It also lowers your
environmental footprint and saves a tremendous amount of

3
A Food Revolution The reality today is that if you eat the Standard American
with Love: Diet you’re on a fast track to debilitating illness. We have
epidemic rates of so many diseases that more people are
A Conversation living with chronic illness today in the United States than
any people in the history of the world. And this madness is
Between Ocean bankrupting millions of families.
Robbins and We’re expecting the rates of
John Robbins Alzheimer’s disease to continue
to accelerate and the cost of
treating Alzheimer’s is expected
John Robbins: Ocean, what does the phrase “revolution” to quintuple in the next gen-
mean to you in the context of the Food Revolution? eration. Right now, one out of
Ocean Robbins: Well... we live in a context where the two, that’s half of the people
norm around food is eating food that we’re now discover- who reach the age of 85, have
ing is toxic. We’re surrounded by food that’s contaminated Alzheimer’s. Meanwhile, one of
with neuro-toxic pesticides. Much of it is genetically engi- three of our kids is expected to
neered. It’s laced with hormones and antibiotics. It’s full of get diabetes in their lifetimes.
chemicals with names that we can’t pronounce. It’s full of So we’re paying a terrible price as a society, and as individ-
sugars which are added by the pound. uals, for a toxic food system.
This toxic food is adding pounds to our bodies. It’s adding Food is the foundation of health, and yet our doctors, and
massively to accelerating rates of diabetes. Enormous our medical care system, are focused on treating disease.
numbers of people are suffering from heart disease, cancer, We have a food industry that acts like health didn’t matter,
degenerative ailments - problems that are fundamentally and we have a medical industry that all-too-often acts like
being driven by the food that we’re eating. food hardly matters. In fact, the average physician in their
entire medical school training gets 23 hours of coursework
in nutrition. Our doctors are being trained in how to treat
the symptoms of illness, but they are not being trained in
how to help us be healthy.
So that’s why we’re standing for a food revolution. Because
people’s lives are on the line. And because we can do bet-
ter. And because we can do better, and because the stakes
are so high, I think we’ve reached a point where the status
quo is no longer an option.
In this context, it is imper-
ative that we be accurately
informed about what’s going
on. There is a lot of very
solid science. But I know
that I keep hearing a number
of misconceptions over and
over, often from some pretty

2
intelligent people, that seem to be coming straight out of The seeds would be cheap and freely available to poor
toxic food industry PR. A lot of people are clearly believing farmers without restrictive licensing.
these myths and some of them have significant and even And, they would be crops that fed people directly, rather
devastating consequences. So I’d like to take some time than fed to meat animals.
now to ask my dad how he would respond to what I con-
sider some of the most damaging yet widely believed food We’ve had GMOs in our fields and in our food supply for
myths of our times. more than 20 years now. And the sad reality is that after
20 years, none of the GMO crops that have been, or are
Here’s the first one: GMOs are necessary to feed our grow- now, in the food supply have a single one of these desir-
ing numbers. Monsanto and the other chemical companies able characteristics.
that have developed GMOs repeatedly tell us that these
crops will alleviate world hunger. If that were true, it would
be, of course, a wonderful thing. But is it? “For years, Monsanto boasted about GMO wonder
crops they said were just around the corner. They
promised corn that would grow well in drought
conditions and crops that would thrive with minimal
amounts of nitrogen fertilizer. But none of that has
come to pass, and in fact the company has now
stopped even making those kinds of promises.”

Ocean Robbins: They’ve been so full of promises. You

know, if GMO crops were indeed helping us feed the
world’s hungry, or to save our precious water, or to fight
disease and malnutrition, that could be a blessing. But
what’s happened is that we’ve put the power to create life
into the hands of corporations whose fundamental goal,
despite their marketing, has nothing to do with ending
hunger or bettering the world. It has everything to do with
John Robbins: Well, no. [LAUGHS] If genetically engineered making a profit. And in fact, when the Union of Concerned
crops were aimed at feeding the hungry, then Monsanto Scientists conducted a major study on GMO agriculture
and the others would have developed crops with certain and world food security, they ended up titling their study
predictable characteristics: “failure to yield.” They concluded that genetically engi-
neered crops were not leading to any net benefit to global
They’d have the ability to grow on substandard or
food production.
marginal soils.
John Robbins: That’s true. And the idea that GMO crops
They’d be able to produce more high quality protein; they’d
have been developed to feed our growing numbers is a
have enhanced nutrient profiles.
myth. And it’s worse than that. It’s a manipulative tactic
They’d have increased yields, without the need for expen- that exploits the misery of the world’s hungry while doing
sive machinery, chemicals, fertilizers, or excessive irrigation. nothing to alleviate their suffering. It’s a deceitful strategy
They could be grown on small biodiverse farms rather than to sell the public on foods that are in fact causing enor-
huge mono-crop mega-farms. mous environmental devastation, that are adding hundreds
of millions of pounds of cancer-causing pesticides to our

3
croplands, that are linked to hundreds of thousands of against hormone-re-
farmer suicides, and that are, in fact, reducing our ability to lated cancers. These
sustainably feed ourselves into the future. seeds - flax, chia
and sesame - inhibit
Ocean Robbins: I find the gap between the promises that
aromatase, reduce
these industries have made, and the reality that they’ve
estrogen production,
delivered, to be heartbreaking.
and lower circulating
Now let’s go to another myth: The key to a healthy diet estrogen levels. One
lies in getting the right percentage of carbs and fat. At study found that
its extreme, you hear several variations on this. You hear women who regularly
from some folks saying that fat free foods are healthier, ate flaxseeds had a
and that a low fat diet is the key to preventing illness and 42% reduced risk of
to long-term health. And you hear from others that the death from breast
developed world has jumped on the low-fat bandwagon for cancer, and a 40
the last 40 years, and it hasn’t worked. Our waistlines have percent reduction in
only expanded. And that we actually need to eat more fat, all causes of death.
and less carbs, if we want to be thin and healthy. One side
As well as seeds,
demonizes fat, and the other side demonizes carbs.
another very quality
source of fats are nuts - such as almonds, walnuts, brazil
nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, coconuts and pistachios. We
have hundreds of studies telling us that the cardiovascular
benefits of nuts are substantial. We also have overwhelm-
ing evidence that nuts and seeds can play a pivotal role in
prevention of diabetes and also in preventing of cancer.
Another quality high-fat food is avocados. Avocadoes are
associated with many positive health benefits. And as far
as animal fats go, if you want to include them in your diet,
the healthiest sources of animal fats are low-mercury and
high omega 3 fish such as wild salmon and sardines.
Bottled oils are processed foods, and are definitely not my
first choice. I do use some of the best bottled oils, which
John Robbins: Yes. And I think they’re both wrong. include organic, unrefined, cold-pressed coconut oil, organ-
ic extra virgin olive
There certainly is a lot of discussion today about what the
oil, hemp seed oil, and
ideal ratio of carbs to fat might be. But the truth, as I see
raw, unrefined and
it, is that the quality of the fats and the quality of the carbs
fresh flax seed oil.
you eat is much more important than the percentages.
High quality fats include seeds such as chia, pumpkin, flax, Ocean Robbins: Let’s
hemp, sesame, and sunflower. Now, flax, chia, and sesame be clear that there are
seeds in particular contain types of lignans - these are phy- also some really un-
to-chemicals that are structurally similar to estrogen that healthy fats, including
bind to estrogen receptors - and provide a protective effect trans or hydrogenated

4
fats, like margarine, and as you just mentioned - most bot- and memory.
tled oils. In fact quite frankly we’d all do well to steer clear Really, all vegetables and fruits in their unprocessed forms
of deep fried anything. And we’d also do well to avoid are high quality carbs. And for many people, whole grains
processed meats, which are directly linked with increased and legumes can make a marvelous contribution too.
rates of cancer and heart disease.
Ocean Robbins: One of the reasons that I think carbs have
John Robbins: Yes, absolutely! When it comes to nutri- gotten a bad reputation is because most of the carbs that
tion, there are good sources of fat, and there are also some many people are eating today are not the quality carbs my
very bad ones. And the same is true with carbs. dad was just describing. The average American consumes
The highest quality carbs include dark green leafy vegeta- more than 150 pounds of added sugar each year, and
bles, and also almost every other kind of vegetable. Lentils almost the same amount of white flour. I don’t think any
and other legumes are fabulous, too. And berries - blue- of our listeners need a lecture on the devastating toll that
berries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, as well added sugar and white flour are taking on our health, but
as more exotic fare such as acai berries and goji berries it is extremely significant to the conversation about carbs
- they’re all excellent sources of a wide range of phyto- to recognize that the average American consumes nearly a
chemicals that are highly health supporting. Their vibrant pound a day of a combination of white flour and sugar, and
colors signal that they are full of phytonutrients, including
flavonoids, antioxidants and vitamins.
In fact, berries are some of the highest antioxidant foods
in existence, and their plentiful antioxidant content con-
fers both cardio-protective and anti-cancer effects. They
reduce blood pressure, reduce inflammation, prevent DNA
damage, inhibit tumor angiogenesis, and stimulate your
body’s production of antioxidant enzymes. We have studies
showing that berry consumption is strongly linked to reduc-
ing the risk of diabetes, reducing the risk of cancers and
cognitive decline, and to improving both motor coordination

that together, these together are wreaking havoc on the

health of millions of people.
John Robbins: They are, and meanwhile, only 3% of
people in the United States are getting the recommended
amount of fresh vegetables and fruits every day, and that
recommended amount is actually very low compared to
what the optimal amount would be. What we see is a
great many studies showing us that consuming more whole
grains, legumes, fruits and veggies, all of which are high
in carbs, is directly correlated with reduced risk of many
diseases.
Reduced risk of Alzheimer’s, cancer, heart disease, diabe-

5
tes, and obesity. But we also know that consuming refined or which source of sea salt is best. I think we should be a
flour and sugar and the other unhealthy carbs is a recipe little less self-absorbed. I think we should be paying more
for a great deal of suffering. attention to how farmworkers are treated, or to how little
restaurant workers are paid, how to impossible it is for
So, please, let’s not stigmatize carbs or fats, but instead
people in inner cities to afford or even find healthy foods,
make the healthiest choices
or what’s being done to animals in factory farms, and
from both groups.
what’s happening to small farmers and their communities.
Ocean Robbins: So let me ask
But is organic food elitist? My answer to that is an em-
for a clarification here. Are you
phatic No. Because if you care about the health of farm
saying that the fat and carb
workers, there is no single act more powerful and more
ratio is unimportant?
important that you can do than to buy organic food.
John Robbins: That’s a great
Pesticide exposure causes farmworkers to suffer more
question. No, I’m not. But I
think that different people will
thrive best on different ratios,
and there is not one formula
that is best for everyone.
We know from the remarkable work of Dr. Dean Ornish and
Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn that many types of advanced heart
disease can be prevented and actually reversed with a
low fat diet. And we also know that for some people with
epilepsy, a diet that is very high in certain types of fats can
help to control seizures.
But for most of us, I don’t think it serves us to be overly
concerned with trying to ascertain the ideal fat to carb
ratio. And I know it doesn’t serve us to demonize fats or to
demonize carbs. We’re much better off focusing our atten-
tion on eating fresh, high quality, whole foods, grown and chemical-related injuries and illnesses than any other part
produced sustainably, that have been minimally processed of our workforce. The pesticides used to grow non-organic
or not processed at all. food are a primary reason the average lifespan of a migrant
farm worker in the US today is only 49 years.
Ocean Robbins: Okay, well let’s jump the next myth,
which is that organic food is an elitist luxury. So no, I do not think that eating food that’s grown
without poisons is elitist in the slightest. I think what
John Robbins: I think this myth gets some traction. One
is elitist is our perverse system of subsidies that makes
of the reasons is because of the unfortunate reality today
foods grown with poisons the cheapest to buy and
is that healthy and organic food often costs more. It really
makes ultra-processed junk foods the cheapest to buy
is a shame that our food policies have made it expensive to
and in the process condemns the poor to eat foods
do the right thing. That’s something we definitely need to
that are nutritional disasters.
change.
What we need to ask is, why is the cost of organic food
And another reason this myth gets some traction is that
as high as it is? And the answer is in part that that we’ve
the food movement can sometimes be elitist. Some of us
been subsidizing a model of industrial agriculture that’s
can sit around debating which variety of olive oil is best,

6
based entirely on the use of agri-chemicals. If we were in- John Robbins: Yes, it really would. But as it stands,
stead to subsidize organic agriculture, then healthy organic organic producers are having to pay a significant certifica-
food would be far more affordable, and far more accessible tion surcharge. It’s a little like being fined for wearing your
to everyone. And the benefits would ripple out from there. seatbelt. They’re penalized for growing food in a way that
Farm workers would not be working in poisoned fields. Our protects the fertility of the soil, and spares farm workers
soils and rivers and air would be far less polluted. Our land and the entire web of life, including us, from poisons. I
would remain fertile and could continue to feed us. Small mean, really, how stupid is that?
farmers could make a decent living. And the people who
Ocean Robbins:  It’s
pick the fruits and vegetables that are the foundations of a
completely crazy.
healthy diet would not be getting cancer and dying in their
And it pushes the
forties.
price of organic
Ocean Robbins: That’s a world that we all want to see. foods out of reach
And one thing we may have to change in order to get there for tens of millions
is the organic certification system. In the US right now, or- of people.
ganic farmers have to pay for certification in order to prove
Okay, here’s the next
that their farm is in fact meeting organic standards. These
myth: Which is that
costs can be considerable, and they are especially hard
you need dairy prod-
ucts to get enough
calcium.
John Robbins:
For years, the dairy
industry has been
telling us that dairy
is the best thing for
healthy bones, that
kids need to drink
cow’s milk, and that
milk is Nature’s perfect food. Actually, milk is nature’s per-
fect food for turning a 90-pound calf into a 450-pound cow
in about 12 months.
If it were true that we need dairy products to have strong
bones, then the countries in the world with the highest
dairy product consumption would probably have the stron-
gest bones, and they would probably have the lowest rates
on smaller farms. Just imagine what would happen if this of osteoporosis.
was reversed. What if all the farms that used pesticides
Well, the four countries with the highest consumption
and chemical fertilizers had to pay a fee to prove they were
of dairy products in the world, are: Finland, Sweden, the
doing so properly, and were subject to inspections, while
United States, and England. Now, the four countries in the
the organic farmers had a lower, instead of a higher, regu-
world with the highest rates of osteoporosis in the world
latory burden? This would radically change the economics
happen to be those very same four countries: Finland,
of organic food.
Sweden, the United States, and England.

7
Ocean Robbins: This can actually seem kinda hard to life, your best approach is to eat plenty of green leafy
believe, when we’ve all been inundated by ads telling us vegetables, to exercise regularly, don’t drink Coke or
that the calcium in dairy products is the best way to build Pepsi because cola drinks are made with phosphoric acid
strong bones. Most of us have come to believe that this is that deletes calcium from bone tissue, and minimize your
just a fact of life. consumption of animal protein, which has a similar effect.
You’ll feel better, your bones will be stronger, and your
John Robbins: Yes, but in reality it’s a fabricated myth
overall health will benefit in many other ways, as well.
designed to sell dairy products.
Now, it’s true that milk has a lot of calcium, and that wom-
Ocean Robbins: Thank you! And now I’d like to take us to
the next myth: Antibiotics are necessary to raise healthy
en, in particular, need more calcium then men do.
livestock.
But a famous study of 78,000 female nurses found that
the relative risk of hip fracture for women who drank two
glasses or more of milk per day, was nearly one-and-half
times higher than for those who drank one glass or less per
week.
And another population that can need a bit of extra calci-
um is the elderly. Yet a study published in the American
Journal of Epidemiology found that elderly people with
the highest dairy product consumption actually had double
the risk of hip fracture compared to those with the lowest
consumption.
Calcium is of
course important.
But dairy products
are not the best John Robbins: The truth is that antibiotics are necessary
way to get this to raise animals in the filthy, intensely overcrowded and
important miner- miserable conditions of industrial feedlots and factory
al. One reason is farms. We shouldn’t allow an industry to treat animals with
that the calcium this degree of contempt for their basic needs in the first
absorption rates place. But now we have an additional problem. In many
for green vegeta- cases, the antibiotics they are using are the very same
bles is so much drugs used to stave off infections in people.
higher than it is for The US meat industry currently uses 80 percent of the anti-
dairy products. For biotics used for all purposes in this country. If you wanted
kale, the calcium to design a system that would breed antibiotic resistant
absorption rate bacteria - and that would render these drugs impotent to
is 50 percent; For treat infections in people - you could hardly do better.
Brussels sprouts,
it’s 64 percent. But
Ocean Robbins: Meanwhile, the meat industry’s use of
antibiotics that are deemed medically important in treating
for milk, it’s only half of that - 32 percent.
humans just keeps growing. So it seems that if nothing is
If you want to have strong bones throughout your entire done to change the current system, resistance to antibiot-

8
ics will just keep on rising. measured every five minutes by a device attached to their
bodies, and they turned in stool samples for a gut bacteria
John Robbins: Yes, exactly. And I’ve been stunned to
analysis. They also gave blood samples, and they ate the
learn that if we continue to allow the meat industry to do
same exact meals for breakfast.
this, the problem of antibiotic resistant bacteria will be-
come, according to the World Health Organization, an even Now, using all that data, the researchers found that the
greater threat to mankind than cancer. The latest evidence participants all responded very differently to foods. Sushi
suggests 10 million people a year could die globally by caused one man’s blood sugar to spike higher than ice
2050 as a result of antibiotics becoming powerless against cream did. For another participant, the researchers found
common infections – that is more than currently die from that eating a seemingly healthy food - tomatoes - spiked
cancer. her blood sugar.
Ocean Robbins: Wow, we so need to make a change. This Some participants’ glucose levels would spike after eating
is why getting routine use of antibiotics out of industrial fresh fruit, but would not spike after consuming a glass of
meat production is one of our key target goals at the Food beer. For others, the exact opposite was the case.
Revolution Network.
And now we come to the final myth: There is one diet that
is best for everyone.
John Robbins: Well, just as children start with breastmilk
and eventually move on to solid foods, our food needs
continue to change over time. Does a grandparent need
the same food as a young child? Does a sedentary office
worker require the same diet as an athlete?
Well, the answer is unequivocally, No.
A large, comprehensive study was published in the jour-
nal Cell that found people can metabolize the exact same
foods in very different ways. To measure how food was
digested, the
researchers recruit-
ed 800 people and
studied them intent-
ly over the course of From so many studies, we know that some people are met-
a week. Participants abolically and genetically suited to thrive on whole grains,
were asked to log while others are not.
every bite, every What does all this mean? I think it means that each of us
sip, every exercise is more unique than we often realize. The art of learning to
session, every listen to your body is a lifelong journey.
bowel movement
and every sleep Ocean Robbins: Many people feel very confused about
session on a phone what kinds of food we should really be eating. I mean we
app. Their blood have all kinds of diets coming through, and some people
sugar levels were say to eat by blood type, or to eat all raw for vitality, or to
eat mostly meat for digestive healing, or to eat more fat,

9
or less fat, or only fruits before noon, or no fruits at all. minimally processed or not processed at all.
With all the people that are pointing at studies that seem
Ocean Robbins: Can you say more about the next part of
to back up their particular point of view, it can be confus-
Michael Pollan’s advice, “Not too much.”
ing... What’s your take? Do you think there’s any kind of an
over-arching scientific consensus John Robbins: Yes. One of the problems we face in the
developing in the world of food? western world is that we’ve normalized obesity. We’ve
Like with climate change, where gotten so used to seeing so many people who are so over-
despite a few outliers the vast weight that we think it’s normal. But it isn’t, and it causes
majority of scientific consensus a lot of health problems. My heart goes out to those who
now points in a clear direction. are overweight, and even more so when I consider what
Is there anything equivalent Summit speaker Dr. Susan Peirce Thompson says, which
that you see developing among is that obesity is not really a product of lack of willpower
thoughtful and informed people or motivation.
Dr. David Katz who look seriously at the data? It’s more often
an outgrowth of
John Robbins: There really is. In fact, there’s a global co- a food addiction
alition of experts, led by Dr. David Katz, who have created over which people
the True Health Initiative specifically to communicate that often feel painfully
there is a clear way of eating and living that massively pro- little control.
motes the longevity, vitality, and overall health of human
beings and the well-being of the planet at the same time. The good news is
Their consensus is epitomized very well in Michael Pollan’s that the more real
famous 7 words, “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” food you eat, and
the more you move
By “eat food,” we mean “eat real food,” not the ultra-pro- away from pro-
cessed products that make up over half the calories in the cessed food-like
American diet. Those products are more food-like sub- products, the less
stances than they are real food. There is an over-arching you have to worry
scientific consensus, and it calls for us to eat fresh, whole about how much
foods, grown and produced sustainably, that have been you eat. And the
easier you will find
it to break free from food addiction.
Ocean Robbins: And how about Michael Pollan’s final two
words, “Mostly plants?”
John Robbins: Yes. Plants are wonderful. Plant foods
are just fabulous. And there is a profound consensus that
plant foods, and in particular fresh vegetables and fresh
fruits, are definitively the most concentrated sources of
the nutrients we most need to be healthy. They provide
antioxidants, phyto-chemicals, phytosterols, fiber, enzymes,
prebiotics, probiotics, essential fats and proteins, vitamins
and minerals.

10
And, like a symphony, these compounds work together to disease risk, and
turn off disease promoting genes, to reduce inflammation, to minimize the
to boost immune function, to balance your hormones, pathogenic factors
enhance detoxification enzymes, maintain stable blood that contribute
glucose levels, ensure healthy blood pressure, protect car- to the onset and
diovascular function, and in a vast number of other ways progression of
disease. And those
are mostly plants.
Ocean Robbins: I
remember Michael
Pollan saying in
one of our sum-
mits that he’s
gotten pushback
about the words,
“Mostly plants.”
Vegans want it to be “All plants,” while people inclined to
eat more meat want to push him in the other direction.
John Robbins: Yes, I remember him telling us that.
But the scientific consensus is what it is, and the words
“mostly plants” are I think quite astute. From a purely
health perspective, some people seem to thrive best with
modest amounts of high quality animal products in their
diets, such as wild fish, and possibly pasture raised meats.
promote vibrant wellbeing. Other people thrive with small and infrequent amounts of
animal products. And some people clearly thrive best as
In this symphony, it is the phyto-chemicals - the compounds vegans. But a scientific consensus does exist, and it tells
produced by plants - that play the most critical role. They
block tumor formation. They eradicate carcinogens. They
stimulate enzymes. They destroy bacteria. They reduce
inflammation and oxidation. And they perform thousands of
other functions that are crucial to human health.
Ocean Robbins: We are also learning today what a
powerful role legumes and whole grains - which also come
from plant sources - can play in providing the fiber, protein,
and other critical nutrients we need. In fact both legumes
and whole grains have been linked in many studies to
reduced rates of cancer, heart disease, and mortality of us that none of us need to eat anything near the amounts
all kinds. of animal products that have come to typify the standard
American diet. Even Boyd Eaton, the founding father of the
John Robbins: Yes, they have. And it really does matter
Paleo diet movement, calls for people to eat less meat.
that you maximize the protective capacity of your diet by
eating the foods that have the greatest potential to reduce Ocean Robbins: The scientific consensus around climate

11
change has also been building. In 2014, we had the hottest subsidize the very foods that are causing the most damage
year since record-keeping began in 1850. Then 2015 was to people’s health and the most damage to the environment
even hotter, and so far, 2016 has been even hotter yet. In and the most damage to our culture. But that is what we’re
fact, March of 2016 was even hotter yet. doing.
These temperatures are reminders of how perilously close Ocean Robbins: Can you give us an example?
we now are to permanently crossing into very dangerous
John Robbins: I can. For
territory. And they underscore the urgency of reducing glob-
example, the US spends
al carbon emissions. That is why I think it’s so important
$38 billion each year to
that we remember that we all have a tool at our disposal
subsidize meat products.
that can make a huge difference. I’m talking of course
Many of those billions are
about what we eat.
given to wealthy agribusi-
John Robbins: Yes, that’s very true. And it’s also why I nesses who grow huge
find it so aggravating that the US government continues to mono-crops of GMO corn
heavily subsidize the US meat industry. and soy. This greatly low-
ers the price meat produc-
I find it frankly appalling that we’re subsidizing industrial
ers pay for the corn and
meat production, even when we know that the production
soy to feed their livestock.
of factory farmed meat is responsible for more greenhouse
And this, in turn, makes
gas emissions than all the cars, trucks, planes, trains and
meat much cheaper to the consumer. Subsidizing GMO
ships in the world combined.
corn and soy amounts to subsidizing the meat industry, and
encouraging meat consumption.
It may be that some people thrive best with some meat in
their diets. But the amounts of meat consumption we’ve
come to think of as normal are in fact dangerously exces-
sive. It’s also a painful reality that the factory farms and
feedlots that produce industrial meat and emit such egre-
gious amounts of greenhouse gases are treating animals
with absolute contempt, miring them in misery for their
whole lives.
We shouldn’t be subsidizing forms of food production that
are devastating our ecosystems, that are virulently cruel to
The scientific consensus that industrial meat accounts animals, and that are destabilizing our climate. I asked Mi-
for an enormous percentage of overall emissions is over- chael Pollan once, when he wrote those two now famous
whelming. A report from the World Resources Institute words, “mostly plants,” was he was thinking only about
found that moving away from animal products could slash the health effects of meat consumption? And he said yes,
billions of tons of carbon emissions. And a study from the he wasn’t thinking about the ethical or ecological issues
University of Oxford found that moving toward a plant- when he said that. And the scientific consensus supports
based diet would cut food-related greenhouse gas emis- him: From a personal health point of view alone, we should
sions by more than two thirds, and that would have a value be eating far less meat than we are.
to the global economy of a trillion dollars a year. But the ethical and environmental issues are also very
I don’t see how it makes any sense for governments to real and very, very important. And they point very strongly

12
in the exact same direction. Eating “mostly plants” is the meat that comes from animals whose lives were a kind of
most powerful step we can take as individuals to lower our living hell, you’re also consuming the hormones and antibi-
carbon footprint. otics that were necessary to keep these animals alive and
productive under insanely unnatural conditions. When you
Effective action on climate change means leaving fossil
consume the flesh of animals that lived in misery and died
fuels in the ground. It means moving as rapidly as possible
in fear, and that were fed an utterly unnatural diet full of
toward 100% renewable energy. It means organic agri-
GMOs, pesticides, and grains that were designed to fatten
culture that sequesters
them up as quickly as possible, it’s no wonder that this diet
carbon. It means eating
is going to have an impact on your health.
mostly plants. And it
means realizing that our You just can’t build a healthy life, or a healthy society, on a
actions always have an toxic food system. That’s just not how life works.
impact.
John Robbins: No, it’s not. Ocean, I know you’ve learned
Yes, they always do. a lot about how life does work, working with an incredibly
One of the great lies diverse range of people over the years. So I want to ask
of our times is that we you, what have you learned about human nature through
are isolated consumers your 20 years working as a bridge-builder across divides
and that we can be truly like race, class, and religion, that informs your work in the
happy and fulfilled at Food Revolution Network?
the expense of another.
Ocean Robbins: Well, honestly, what’s inspired me the
And yet more and more of us are realizing that it’s just not
true. When you get right down to it, most people want
their food to be produced humanely, without slavery or
rampant abuse.
Polls show that most people would actually be willing to
pay more in order to know that the farmer who grew their
food was paid a living wage. And more than 90% of us, in
some polls, say that animals raised for meat should have a
decent quality of life.
The industrialized food industry for the most part treats
consumer conscience as a marketing problem. That’s why
we have ag-gag laws in many states that prohibit any
photography in factory farms. It’s why we have pictures of
happy chickens clucking in sunshine-drenched fields on the
package of meat from a chicken that never saw the sun
or a blade of grass in its entire life. It’s why we have “all
natural” printed on labels for products that mother nature
would find utterly unrecognizable. And it’s why farmworker most is that all over the world, there are people who are
treatment is intentionally hidden from public view. rising up and making a difference with their lives. Some
people have known huge hardship - and yet sometimes in-
But we all know that integrity and conscience are a lot stead of being crushed by life’s violence, somehow people
more than a marketing or a PR problem. We know that the find a way to turn their own suffering into a kind fuel that
reality is, what we eat literally becomes us. When you eat

13
helps to propel positive action.
I’ve sat with people who’ve lived through wars, who’ve
lost family and loved ones to terrorist violence, and who’ve
endured levels of daily abuse that most of us can barely
fathom - and I’ve helped them grieve, tell their stories, and
find the strength and conviction to forgive and to let their
suffering be a catalyst towards building a better world. I’ve
sat with people for whom hunger and malnutrition aren’t
statistics on a UNICEF chart, they’re a daily reality - and
I’ve worked with those same people to build local, resilient
economies that help to alleviate poverty from the ground
up, often with women leading the way. I’ve worked with
indigenous leaders in the Amazon rainforest and helped
them raise money to buy airplanes so they can monitor
their forest home and help to keep out illegal mining and

I’ve worked with community organizers in Detroit, Mich-

igan, where the median home sale price is $33,000 and
there are thousands of abandoned homes that are falling
apart, vacant lots, and financially destitute people. Detroit
is a city where the unemployment rate sits at 24%. A
Yale University study found that more than half of Detroit
residents live in areas that have severely limited access to
healthy food, and that this makes them “statistically more
likely to suffer or die prematurely from a diet-related dis-
ease.” And yet in the midst of this intense poverty, a sign
of hope is emerging. Detroit has become a world leader
in the world of community gardening, with more than a

cattle ranching - in the process, helping to save the rainfor-

ests which are the lungs of our planet.
I’ve worked with a Palestinian refugee named Ibrahim,
from Lebanon, who grew up living his whole life in a make-
shift refugee camp, and who has literally lived through
seven wars. And yet he loves to dance, he loves to sing,
and he is one of the happiest people that I’ve ever met.
Now Ibrahim travels the world, working in refugee camps,
and bringing song, dance, and joy to children in some of
the most devastated communities on Earth.

14
thousand community gardens. Instead of fighting in gang urgency is high enough, that some powerful changes are
wars, some of the city’s young people are growing toma- possible.
toes and feeding their neighborhoods. Community gardens And my hope is that our food revolution can be fueled not
are giving meaningful work to the unemployed, they’re just by desire to avoid illness and suffering, but also by
bringing healthy food to food deserts, and they are helping what we are for, what we
to restore the fabric of community. want, and by our hopes and
What I’ve seen as I’ve worked with leaders all over the dreams for our lives and our
planet is that everywhere there is war, there are people world.
working for peace. Everywhere there is environmental
John Robbins: I feel that
destruction, people are standing up for sustainability. And
too, Ocean, very deeply.
everywhere there is sickness, there are also people who
And I imagine that one of
are discovering health.
the things that you saw as
As we’ve seen in the Food Revolution Network, it is often a you traveled the world and
health crisis that will actually precipitate a radical change worked with leaders in more
in diet or lifestyle. And it is my hope that one of the hidden than 65 nations, is that every-
blessings of the health crisis that we now face, with 2/3 where, everybody eats.
of our population now overweight or obese, is that it can
Ocean Robbins: Yes, and all
compel us to make some relatively radical change in a
over the world, what people
short period of time.
eat has a profound impact on the health of families, com-
I think the level of suffering is great enough, and the munities, and even nations. As local food and traditional
ways of life are being replaced by fast food and processed
junk, waistlines are expanding, hospitals are filling up, and
people are suffering and dying.
I’m an American, and the reality is that my country’s way of
growing, processing, and consuming food is spreading, and
with it, cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, diabetes and
obesity are spreading, too. When I see KFC, McDonald’s,
Pepsi, factory farms, GMOs and toxic pesticides making
their way around the world, and I know that many of these
companies and products and practices were developed in
my country, I feel a sense of responsibility.
I feel a responsibility, and a passion, to stand up and to
promote another possibility. I feel a responsibility to use
whatever leverage I have, whatever credibility I have, and
whatever voice I have, to say to the world community:
Please don’t follow us. We’ve seen where the Standard
American Diet leads. It’s led us to a sick population and a
medical system that now absorbs 19 percent of our na-
tion’s gross domestic product. It’s led us to animals living in
abject and tortured misery, to environmental deterioration,
and to epidemic rates of disease.

15
I sometimes look at the Standard American Diet and see it and your food choices, are a statement of what you believe
as something of a virus. It’s spread all over the planet, and in. This place of congruency is a powerful place to stand in,
it’s leaving a terrible toll in its wake. and to move from, as you go through life.
But I also think that if a virus can spread, then so can John Robbins: Yes, it really is. But I’m thinking about
something else. So can visions of hope and possibility. So how many of us have family members, friends, co-workers
can stories of transformation. So can the latest learnings of and others in our lives who don’t eat as healthfully as we
medical science. The reality is that everything we do sends do and as we want to do. For those of us who know the
out ripples. And when you make choices that are rooted extraordinary difference, the really phenomenal difference,
in consciousness, that are rooted in facts, that are aligned that making healthy food choices can make in people’s
with your core values, you take a stand that has a profound lives, it can be painful to watch our loved ones, in a sense,
impact on people, cultures, and communities all over the digging their own graves with their knives and forks.
planet.
I’m thinking personally right now about my mother right
John Robbins: Wow, Ocean. I feel like standing up and now. She passed away a few years ago. She always insist-
applauding. I want to take a moment and just feel what ed that there is no connection between the food we eat
you just said. It’s why we do the work we do in the Food and the degree of health we experience. She said, and she
Revolution Network. Thank you for expressing it so clearly, believed, that genetics trumps everything else. And she
and so powerfully. found doctors who reinforced that way of thinking.
I’ve heard you often talk about how important it is for us I watched as my mother continued to eat the standard
to be in integrity with our food choices. What does that American diet and ice cream every single day, even as my
concept - being in integrity with our food choices - mean to dad changed what he ate and his health improved greatly.
you? I watched as my mother developed macular degeneration
and then went blind. I watched as she was diagnosed with
Ocean Robbins: When you choose food that’s aligned
Alzheimer’s disease, and eventually could not recognize
with your integrity, and that makes you feel good about
me or anyone else. I watched as her cognitive impairments
yourself, then something remarkable happens. You feel
became increasingly severe, and as she eventually become
more love for your body, and for who you are. You feel a
not just blind, but also deaf.
sense of greater satisfaction with life. You get to experi-
ence the power that comes from knowing that your life, Sometimes there is just no way to protect someone from
suffering, and from making choices that may con-tribute to
greater suffering. But all of us, I think, want to be a posi-
tive influence on the people we love.
Ocean Robbins: I want to just say how sad I am that your
mom, and my grandma, had to suffer like that. And really, I
know that all of us can relate, because we’ve all lost loved
ones, we’ve all seen people suffer, and we’ve all suffered
plenty ourselves.
Life on earth is a terminal condition. We’re all going to
die eventually, and death is a fundamental part of life. But
as long as we’re here, I for one want to live as fully and
abundantly as I can. And I want to help my loved ones to
do the same.

16
I’ve found that of the most potent ways to influence some-
one is to understand them. To ask them questions. To get to
know them. And to understand their motivations and also
their values and stories. When vulnerability is met with cu-
riosity and compassion, I believe that is one of the fastest
doorways to forging connection and trust.
When people feel understood, they will naturally be more
inclined to trust you.
When you know what motivates someone, what fears and
hopes they carry, and where they struggle, you can interact
with them as they are – not as you project them to be.
When they feel that you love or accept them at a funda- listen to.
mental level, they will be less defensive and more open
to your feedback. That’s when you develop traction in the Ocean Robbins: I’ve always known you to be someone
relationship. Without that traction, you’ll feel like you’re who treasures the hearts and health of the people who you
spinning your wheels. And they’re liable to feel like you’re love. And for more than 30 years, you’ve been doing this
shoving your dogma down their throat. work in a very public way. What’s kept you motivated to
carry on with this work for so long? Why do you love what
John Robbins: I understand what you’re talking about. you do?
The question I live with is, How can I be true to myself,
how can I be true to what I know - not minimize it one bit - John Robbins: Oh, so many things. I love seeing people
and also be as unconditionally respectful toward others as adopt a whole foods plant strong diet, because I love see-
possible? How can I stay centered on my path, while also ing people become healthier on every level. I love seeing
honoring others when they have different paths? How can their minds become more clear, and their creativity become
I live passionately according to my values and principles, more powerful. I love seeing people become available to
and seek to share the joys and possibilities of healthy a stronger communication from their inner guidance and
choices, while also being caring to others who make other spiritual wisdom.
kinds of choices? How can I communicate what I know in a When people eat more consciously, they don’t just become
way that encourages rather than judges - that appreciates physically healthier. They become more present. They’re
instead of shaming? How can I welcome and draw people able to walk through the world with their hearts more
in, rather than pushing them away? open. They live with less fear and more love.
Ocean Robbins: Those are some profound questions. And I love seeing people commit to a healthier way of life
One thing that I’ve found helpful is to remember that we because I love seeing the light in their eyes become bright-
all want credit and acknowledgement. Every single one er, and the joy in their hearts spreading to their loved ones,
of us wants to be respected and to be seen. So I try to and eventually, as the ripples continue to widen, spreading
appreciate people for the positive choices they make. I try in some way throughout the whole earth community.
to remember that we teach more by example than any-
Really, I consider it a privilege to do the work I do. It’s a joy
thing else. I try to remember that maybe people need to be
to see people learning how to lighten their ecological foot-
appreciated for the healthy choices they are making rather
print, and become more vital and vibrant at the same time.
than criticized for the ones they aren’t.
The food revolution is about changing our food system and
John Robbins: Yes, and in the end, I think it’s the love
our eating choices so that they come to be more in align-
in our hearts that needs to guide us, and that we need to

17
ment with our own good and the greater good. And it’s also are reading this. That is no small thing in this crazy world.
about attuning our lives to the greater purposes for which Thank you for standing for the food revolution we all need
we’ve taken birth. It’s about being our best possible selves. to ensure our health, the health of future generations, and
the health of this planet. Thank you for living the food rev-
I was born into the heart of the Great American Food
olution in every way that you can. I hope you’ll join us for
Machine. My dad and my uncle founded, owned, and ran
the 2017 Food Revolution Summit, April 29th through May
what became the largest ice cream company in the world
- Baskin Robbins. I was expected to follow in my dad’s 7th. You’ll be inspired, and you’ll be empowered to make
footsteps, and from my earliest childhood I was trained changes and choices that will heal your body, help those
and groomed to one day run that company. I enjoyed my you love, and help heal the planet, too.
time inventing flavors, and like just about every kid I loved May all be fed. May all be healed. May all be loved.
ice cream. But I’ve never regretted walking away from the
company and from the money it represented.
The world doesn’t need more ice cream. But what it does 9 Step Food Revolutionary
need is found in every human heart.
Albert Schweitzer once said, “I don’t know what your des- Action Plan
tiny will be, but one thing I know: The only ones among you
who will be really happy are those who will have sought
Step 1 – The Great Fridge Swap-Out
and found how to serve.”
I consider myself blessed indeed to have received so much Look through your refrigerator and choose one thing you
help toward finding how I might be of service. are going to stop buying, and one healthier alternative that
you are going to replace it with. And then, the next time
When each of us comes to the end of our lives, what will
you go grocery shopping, put your vision into action.
matter is not what our social standing was, or whether the
world thought we were important. What will matter - what
in fact always matters - are the values we uphold and the Step 2 – Make A Food Diary
principles and the possibilities we live for. What will mat- Expand your food consciousness by tracking what you eat
ter then - and what matters now - are the quality of love or drink, including both items and quantities. You can do
we share with the world and the statements we make with this for a day, a week, or even longer. This works best if
our choices and our lives. you bring a spirit of self-love and curiosity. After a few
When you choose to live with respect for yourself and oth- days take a look at the data and see what you notice. What
ers, when you chose to affirm the dignity inherent in life, you discover may surprise you! For a useful template to
when you choose to uphold the beauty, the magic, and the help you get started, check out:
mystery of the living Earth, something happens. personal-nutrition-guide.com/food-diary-template.html-

What happens is your life Step 3 – Track Your Mood

becomes a statement of human
possibility. Your life becomes Make a chart to track how you are feeling. Do this at a
an instrument through which a consistent time each day, and give your energy level and
healthier, more compassionate, happiness level a score in a range of 1 to 10. If you com-
and more sustainable future bine your Mood Chart with your food diary, you may get
can come to be. I want to thank some especially interesting information. If you want to get
each and every one of you who even more into it, track your exercise level, too.

18
Step 4 – Get the Non-GMO Shopping Guide petition organizations generally deliver messages to tar-
gets via email. If you get a lot of signatures, you can deliv-
The Non-GMO Shopping Guide features hundreds of er them in person, and contact the media to bring attention
brands currently enrolled in the Non-GMO Project. This to your issue. Or join petition
purse/pocket-sized guide will help you identify and avoid campaigns from organizations like Center for Food Safety,
foods that contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs) Friends of the Earth, Environmental Working Group, and
foods while you shop. Available in English and Spanish at Food Revolution Network. Together, we can make a differ-
nongmoshoppingguide.com ence!
Step 5 – Find A Great Recipe – and Use It Step 9 – Spread The Word
Find a new healthy recipe that you love, and start prepar- Spread the word amongst friends and colleagues. Give
ing it every week or two. Most of us don’t have that many them resources, books, videos and tools. Host movie nights
things that we prepare on a regular basis, so by adding and healthy eating potlucks. Share
something good to your “starting rotation”, you can lean your excitement and your learning journey with
into a healthier life. After you get comfortable, bring in people you love.
another one.
Step 10 – Participate in the
Step 6 – Buy Direct from Farmers Food Revolution Summit
Find out where your closest farmer’s market is, and if Broadcasting Live Globally
possible, check it out. Supporting farmer’s markets and is April 28-May 6, 2018
a great way to get access to fresh, healthy, local food, and
In the Food Revolution Summit, you’ll get to spend an in-
to support local living food economies. It can be fun, too.
spiring and life-changing week with revolutionary thinkers
When you join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture),
and visionaries that will put the POWER IN YOUR HANDS
you enter into a direct
when it comes to the food you eat!
win-win partnership with local farmers. In the U.S., the
number of farmer’s markets has more than Dare to discover the most cutting-edge information, star-
doubled in the last decade. For more info on farmers’ mar- tling facts, and inspirational wisdom that will heal you and
ket and CSA opportunities near you, visit have you CELEBRATING LIFE! (For FREE and without having
www.localharvest.org. to leave home.) John and Ocean Robbins will personally
interview 24 of the top food experts and activists on the
planet. These vision-aries have inspired hundreds of mil-
Step 7 – Write A Food Mission Statement
lions of people and changed the way we think about food.
Write a sentence that describes what you want for your
You’ll have direct access to 3 highly focused interviews
relationship with food, and post it somewhere prominent
every day for a week - personally conducted by John Rob-
where you will see it every day. bins. You can listen via phone (conference call), or over the
Internet. The interviews will be broadcast at 11 am, 12 pm,
Step 8 – Sign or Start Petitions and 1 pm Eastern time (that’s 8, 9, and 10 am Pacific time)
each day of the Summit – April 28-May 6. Join in the live
Check out and sign existing petitions sponsored by organi-
broadcast for bonus Q and A with Ocean Robbins, plus a
zations like care2.com, change.org, or signon.org. All three
chance to win lots of awesome free prizes and goodies. Or
of these organizations also make it
catch the interviews on a 21-hour replay.
easy for you to launch your own petition. The

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2018 Food Revolution Summit Speakers

Here’s what’s in it for you. You’ll get...

• Information and practical tips from modern day heroes

of health and sustainability.

• Huge inspiration to eat well and enjoyed increased

vitality and vigor

• Extremely current answers to your burning questions.

• Tools for talking with your family and peers.

• Inspiration, useful insights, ideas, motivation. and new

understanding.

• A deepened relationship with the food you love!

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