How to Influence the Healthcare Sector with Plant-Based Nutrition
Healthcare is one of the most challenging arenas to shift, yet also among the most critical. While the science supporting plant-based nutrition continues to grow, many healthcare professionals still don’t include diet in treatment or prevention discussions. This session explores why that gap exists and how vegans, whether patients or medical professionals, can help change it from within.
This VLCM livecast includes insights from Paula Bennett, a CRNA in Arkansas who has made quiet but significant waves inside her hospital system. Additional recorded remarks come from Dr. Ted Ha, a physician with the industry heavyweight Kaiser Permanente.
What You’ll Learn:
Why diet is still overlooked in medicine
Most doctors receive minimal training in nutrition, and even less exposure to plant-based approaches. Time pressures, lack of confidence, and pharmaceutical incentives further sideline lifestyle interventions. Physicians often stick to what they know: medications, procedures, and short appointments.
The challenge with nutrition science
Unlike drug trials, nutrition studies rarely get funded at scale. They’re often observational, making it hard to draw concrete conclusions by clinical standards. Despite this, the body of evidence supporting plant-based diets for heart disease, diabetes, and obesity is gaining credibility.
Strategies for patients
You don’t need to “convert” your doctor. Instead, approach them as a partner. Ask for support with your goals, and share specific sources that have helped you. This non-confrontational approach can lead to more productive dialogue, or even open your provider’s mind.
Plant-based professionals making a difference
Paula shares how she began bringing smoothies to the hospital, casually mentioning what was in them. That simple gesture opened doors to deeper questions, better conversations, and eventually, colleagues choosing to explore plant-based eating themselves.
How to talk to others about food and health
The panel emphasizes motivational interviewing principles—listening, asking permission, and recognizing readiness. Sharing your story can spark curiosity without triggering defensiveness.
How to find plant-based providers
Resources like PlantBasedDocs.com and HealthProfs.com help you locate vegan-friendly healthcare practitioners in your area. These tools can be empowering, especially if your current provider isn’t supportive of your nutrition choices.
Recommended resources
Books, sites, and organizations that combine credibility with accessibility include:
NutritionFacts.org
The China Study by T. Colin Campbell
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM)
Forks Over Knives
What the Health
The Game Changers
LinkedIn groups for healthcare professionals
Whether you’re inside the system or seeking better care for yourself, influencing healthcare starts with small, intentional steps. Watch the full session to learn how to bring evidence-based compassion into the clinic, one conversation at a time.