Replacing your entire diet with plant-based foods can potentially improve your overall health in a short amount of time. But it's no easy task, especially when facing years of chronic health issues. However, the results often speak for themselves.
Environmental storyteller and online climate activist Lauren Bash saw the enormous health benefits of switching to a plant-based diet. That's why she encouraged her father, James "Neil" Ferree, to ditch his lifelong carnivore mindset and try Veganuary, a month-long challenge designed to promote the vegan lifestyle. To document his journey, Bash recorded Ferree's progress and posted the videos to her social media accounts.
By the end of the challenge, Ferree revealed that he had lowered his high blood pressure enough that his doctor even cut his medication dosage in half. "I wasn't too pumped up, but now I'm kinda pumped up," Ferree said of his journey.
Despite the apparent success of the vegan challenge, Ferree died in March 2022 from an undiagnosed aortic aneurysm. In an effort to honor her late father, Bash produced her first short documentary, "Gimme My Medicine," which premiered on April 5, 2025.
In an Instagram post, Bash wrote, "When we were kids, my dad would ask my sisters and me for a hug by saying, 'gimme my medicine,' because I feel like he knew all along that love heals everything."
In the film, Dr. Alona Pulde spoke about the significance of plant-based diets when examining overall health.
"You know, I can't think of a condition, or an illness, or a disease, or even quality of life that doesn't find improvement with a plant-based diet," Pulde said.
A 2021 study from a team of Oxford researchers, shared by the National Library of Medicine, investigated the potential health benefits of a plant-based diet.
"Overall, the health of people following plant-based diets appears to be generally good, with advantages but also some risks, and the extent to which the risks may be mitigated by optimal food choices, fortification and supplementation is not yet known," the study read.
Plant-based diets may also offer significant environmental benefits as well. These diets can help by reducing heat-trapping emissions, conserving water and land, and preventing biodiversity loss, especially when compared to meat-based diets.
TCD Picks » Upway Spotlight
💡Upway makes it easy to find discounts of up to 60% on premium e-bike brands
|
Why do you eat plant-based foods? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
The health benefits 🥗 According to Bash, creating the film about her father and spreading the word about plant-based diets has already proved to be a success.
"Getting to share his story with the world, and hear how it's touched your hearts, is a daughter's dream come true," Bash wrote.
Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
