Welcome to my Plant Chat, Irana Hawkins, PhD, MPH, RD! Irana is a Contributing Faculty Member in the PhD program in Public Health at Walden University. A dietitian-educator, Irana has over 20 years of experience in dietetics and public health, ranging from training healthcare providers to establishing nutrition education programs in underserved communities. She is a review editor in nutrition and environmental sustainability for the academic journal Frontiers in Nutrition. And Irana’s research focuses on utilizing a plant-based diet and other pro-environmental behaviors. She is editing the forthcoming textbook Promoting Biodiversity in Food Systems. A native plant steward and a master recycler/composter, Irana continuously looks for ways to support the living beings and the living systems of the planet. It was so fun to sit down with Irana and learn about her inspiring tips for living a balanced plant-based life.
What inspired you to become a dietitian?
I stumbled upon dietetics when I was in pharmacy school as an undergraduate. I had just completed my first round of external clock hours at a retail chain pharmacy during the summer. I found that pushing buttons to fill large bottles of hydrochlorothiazide wasn’t the best fit for me. That fall I took a 5-hour introductory nutrition course as an elective and was hooked. Why fill large bottles of hydrochlorothiazide when you can use healthy, wholesome foods and lifestyle modification to ameliorate and prevent chronic diseases such as hypertension? I changed my major my senior year and was welcomed by my university’s dietetics department. I was also struck by a lecture given by William Connor MD and Sonja Connor MS, RDN of Oregon Health and Sciences University. They discussed their research on the fiber and legume-rich diet of the Tarahumaras of northwest Mexico and the relative absence of heart disease in this population.
What was your journey to eating a plant-based diet?
The scientific basis for a plant-based diet was understood from my undergraduate education in human nutrition. It was when I was in graduate school living in Washington DC when my husband came home with Maryland crab one Friday night. I was in the kitchen when he boiled them alive as they tried to get out of the pot. It was a gruesome sight for me and I became vegetarian that night. I wasn’t going to take the life of another just for one meal. A few years later I closed the loop and became vegan because I could not make peace with the inhumanity of the food system, such as battery cages. Becoming vegan is one of the best decisions I have made!
What kind of benefits can people gain by eating a plant-based diet?
We have a solid base of evidence to easily understand that a plant-based diet can ameliorate and prevent many of the chronic diseases that plague our society. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cite that by 2050, 1 in every 3 Americans will have type 2 diabetes. That’s astounding! We can prevent this by increasing accessibility to and promoting the ease and joy of a plant-based diet. Truly, the benefits are vast and extend far beyond our plate.
What is your personal nutrition and wellness philosophy?
In our society where unhealthful foods and beverages are prevalent, you need to become a “health warrior” that’s on the lookout to fight off the offenders. Stick to your healthy principles—even when you’re the only one in the room doing so. Don’t ever lose sight of the importance of your health and well-being, because it comes first. Also know that the value you place on health extends beyond you to the people around you and to the world around you.
How does our eating style connect us to the planet and our environment?
My scholarly work focuses on this very important connection. Our food choices make a substantial contribution to either the well-being or detriment of the natural environment. I appreciate the planetary boundaries framework because it offers comprehensive approach to understanding our very pressing environmental issues:
Reprinted with permission from Will Steffen, PhD Science 347, 1259855 (2015).
From this graphic we understand that the unprecedented and shocking rate of biodiversity loss is not forgotten and must be rectified. Biodiversity can be defined as all of the living beings on the planet—whether they are mammals or plants or microbes in the soil. The biodiversity on the planet is the foundation of the many benefits we obtain from ecosystems not to mention our food system. Thus, preserving and bolstering biodiversity is in our best interest. With the framework of the planetary boundaries we see where food systems and food choices impacts our planetary boundaries: Biodiversity loss; land-use; climate change; fresh-water use; biochemical flows, and so on. The upshot is we’re connected to everything and our behaviors—whether it be through business practices or personal lifestyle choices—are critical.
By choosing foods grown with concern for the well-being of people and the planet (agroecology or regenerative agriculture) and selecting food choices and a lifestyle that minimizes environmental impact (an organic, whole foods, plant-based diet along with an active lifestyle that lends towards simplicity), we support the living beings and living systems that keep us in the ball game here in the Earth system. What does that look like? Cook! Bring your homemade lunch to work in reusable, durable containers. Avoid disposables and try to rid them from your life altogether. There’s nothing more local than your backyard or window box to grow more of your own produce. Save your seeds. Share your seeds. Supplement with locally grown organic produce. Ride your bike and walk more instead of getting in the car. Repair until it can’t be repaired anymore. Buy used. Do not waste. Work to create positive change. Try to do more with less and share yourself, your food, your ideas, and your goodwill with others. In our fast paced and quick-fix society, these principles reestablish care of self while simultaneously engaging in care of our community and care of the Earth.
What are five plant foods you can’t live without?
Only five? That’s tough! Sticking to just five (all organic) they are: Peanut butter, unsweetened soy milk, cabbage, lemons, olives. If I could add one more it would be lentils.
What gets you excited every day in the nutrition world?
That we have an opportunity to make a difference each and every day. That we can improve the health of people and the planet with a plant-based diet and thoughtful lifestyle behaviors. Importantly, it’s a solution. That means we are in a unique and powerful position to positively contribute in a way that would make a major impact for the common good.
Irana shared one of her favorite plant-based recipes with us:
I decided to create a recipe with some of the ingredients in my fresh produce box this week from Abundant Harvest Organics. I was targeting a leek and sweet potato combination, so here’s what I came up with. Eat some now and freeze the rest for a time when you need a tasty pre-made meal. Use organic ingredients whenever possible.
Ingredients
Scale
1 teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon chili powder
A hearty shake (or two) of Italian seasoning
2 vegan bouillons
4 cups of water
2 medium or large sweet potatoes, washed; peeling is optional and depends on the desired texture
2 leeks, sliced and washed thoroughly
3 cloves pressed garlic
1 cup of unsweetened soy milk
A small amount of olive oil to sauté the garlic and leek
2 tablespoons of peanut butter; smooth or crunchy depending on the desired texture
Chopped cilantro and pistachios for a garnish
Instructions
After slicing and washing the leeks, put them in a large pot on the stove with the crushed garlic and olive oil. Sauté until the leeks have softened and add the spices.
Add the water, bouillons, and diced sweet potatoes and cook until boiling, then simmer until the sweet potatoes are soft. Add in the soy milk and stir thoroughly. Use an immersion stick or transfer to a blender (depending on the desired texture). Serve hot with the cilantro/pistachio garnish sprinkled atop in the center.
One thought on “Plant Chat: Plant-Based Expert Irana Hawkins, PhD, MPH, RDN”
I had the good fortune of sitting nest to Irana on a flight from Portland to Ontario, CA. The conversation was fantastic; in some cosmic coincidence I am currently reading The China Study. If you want information written for non-scientists I highly recommend this read.
Loading...
I had the good fortune of sitting nest to Irana on a flight from Portland to Ontario, CA. The conversation was fantastic; in some cosmic coincidence I am currently reading The China Study. If you want information written for non-scientists I highly recommend this read.