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My guest today, actress and filmmaker Jasmine C. Leyva does not want to be an Invisible Vegan.

Jasmine is committed to being the example that was not there for her, when she used to believe veganism was, “a white person thing.”

Today, Jasmine and I discuss the feature length documentary, The Invisible Vegan, a film that chronicles Jasmine’s personal experience with plant-based eating. The film explores the historical background of dietary inequality, leading to modern, unhealthy African-American diets while highlighting the health and wellness possibilities enabled by plant-based vegan diets. 

Jasmine has a skill for teaching and uplifting… and I hope this conversation takes us a step closer to veganism becoming an Every-person thing.

I found this conversation to be both eye-opening and thought-provoking in a good way. I am here to learn and to get better at meeting people where THEY are, and by doing so, more effectively communicating the vegan message.

Jasmine was a gracious and generous guest. Please enjoy this conversation about why veganism is (thankfully) Not “A White Person Thing” with the (thankfully) NOT so Invisible Vegan, Jasmine C. Leyva. 

In this conversation we cover:

• The historical background of dietary inequality, leading to modern, unhealthy African-American diets.
• Food injustice and how our broken food system still disproportionately negatively impacts communities of colour.
• Jasmine’s original thoughts that a vegan diet is ‘a white thing’ and the push back she faced from her community as she flirted with the vegan lifestyle.
• How access to healthy foods in the US has become a privilege instead of a right and how that can change.
• The Invisible Vegan, Jasmines first feature length documentary produced with her husband Kenny Leyva.
• The insidious connections of those keeping us sick while profiting trillions.
• Environmental impact and why true health is not only personal health it is also the health of your community and the planet.

I hugely recommend you check out The Invisible Vegan.

Although the topics covered are both urgent and vital, the film is playful and upbeat as it: offers an optimistic outlook on the future of food consumption in the black community, a future where veganism will transgress its current invisibility to become familiar, offering consumers a sense of comfort that comes with the promised longevity of a healthy life.

To dig deeper into the insidious connections of those keeping us sick while profiting trillions, I suggest the work of Climate Healers founder Dr Sailesh Rao and my chat with Sailesh in E681, where we discussed the “Meatocracy” of Big Meat, Big Pharma, Big Chem and Big Media.

To connect with Jasmine I have you all linked up in the show notes below.

Connect with Jasmine across the socials: Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Twitter | TikTok

Also via her main website, https://theinvisiblevegan.com/

Purchase, The Invisible Vegan:

Jasmine mentioned Aph Ko’s book Aphro-ism:

Jasmine is a producer in a film directed by Erica L Taylor, Red Alert: The Fight Against Fibroids:

That’s it for this week in Healthification. If you’re yet to rate, review and subscribe please do! It counts big time in letting this little show – and the amazing guests I get to chat with achieve some visibility among the millions of podcasts out there.

Exciting news! My Plant Positive Journal is the proud NEW sponsor of The Healthification podcast.

Perhaps you are plant-based curious? Maybe you are already vegan but need a healthier approach to nutrition?

In this daily journal you will learn how to consistently prioritise food, exercise and other healthy habits that build on each other to have a compounding and lasting effect.

To help you create a BODY and LIFE you LOVE by successfully managing your TIME and your MIND.

It makes a great gift to YOU! Or, for the loved one who would benefit from some support managing their time and their MIND. Even better, the loved one who is vegan curious or who has been a valuable vegan ally to you.

To learn more check out: strongbodygreenplanet.com/journal

With love and gratitude plant friends.

If you liked “Veganism Is Not “A White Person Thing” with The Invisible Vegan’s, Jasmine C. Leyva.” you’ll also like Reversing Diabetes and getting Healthy at Last with Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams.

If you liked “Veganism Is Not “A White Person Thing” with The Invisible Vegan’s, Jasmine C. Leyva.” you’ll also like Might Be Vegan’s Kimberly Renee and The Intersection Of Food and Social Justice.

If you liked “Veganism Is Not “A White Person Thing” with The Invisible Vegan’s, Jasmine C. Leyva.” you’ll also like Veganism is a Privilege Debunked with Aditya Prakash from Soytheist.

If you liked “Veganism Is Not “A White Person Thing” with The Invisible Vegan’s, Jasmine C. Leyva.” you’ll also like Vegucator Dawn Hilton-Williams is Creating Health Wealth in Disproportionately Impacted Communities.