“It doesn’t have to be all or nothing—that’s what I tell family or friends who are curious about plant-based diets,” said Dr. Harpinder Nagi, who has been following a vegan diet for the past seven or more years. “I was an omnivore for many years as well as a vegetarian. But I educated myself about the environmental impacts of mass agriculture and animal welfare and knew I had to change.”

For Dr. Nagi, that change came about step by step. First, he aimed for one plant-based meal a week; then he eliminated red meat.

“Chicken and fish came next,” he recalled. “Then dairy. Cheese was the last—it was the hardest. But there are plant-based cheese options. And, oat or soy milk instead of cream in your coffee. In the end, I find I don’t really miss anything. It’s not like my lifestyle has suffered. If anything, I’ve benefited.”

Dr. Nagi is a marathon runner; fitness and nutrition are important to him.

“I’m very active, including riding my bike to work,” he said. “Ever since my diet has become more plant based, I feel like I have more energy. I feel healthier. There are many world-class athletes and endurance athletes who are vegan. Looking at the studies, there’s evidence that a plant-based diet is healthier for you as well as for the planet.”

A professional perspective

Dr. Nagi is a general internist at VGH and works primarily on the CTU. He is also the program director for undergraduate medical education for internal medicine. He sees many patients with chronic illnesses and diseases that are linked to the standard North American diet.

“We have a duty as physicians to be role models,” said Dr. Nagi. “If our diets are more plant based, we can educate our patients about it. Diet is one of the most important things we can do to impact our health and it’s something most of us have some control over.”

Dr. Nagi points to other planetary events such as heat domes and forest fires that are affecting our personal health as well as the health of our planet. He also adheres to the One Health approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, animals and ecosystems. It recognizes these are closely linked and interdependent.

He decries the small amount of training physicians receive on nutrition and, in his work as a program director, is working to add more such training to the curriculum. He aims to become more mindful about counselling patients about their dietary choices.

“It takes more time and effort to do that but if I can convince some patients to slowly switch or make a little bit of change in their lifestyle, the long-term impacts are a huge investment in their health as well as collectively for our planet.”

Advice to colleagues

Dr. Nagi encourages everyone to be open minded and curious about plant-based diets. He emphasizes that such meals don’t have to be expensive or extravagant and they can be very simple to prepare.

“Living in a city like Vancouver where plant-based restaurants and options are readily available means it’s becoming easier to try,” he said. “It can be hard to feel like you’re going against a social norm and sometimes people worry about whether plant-based diets are nutritious. I’ve found that a wholesome plant-based diet offers more than adequate nutrition.”

He notes that even small steps can make big changes down the road and suggests that with everything going on with our planet, we need to be mindful of our decisions and be role models. Dr. Nagi has also contributed a favourite meal to our recipe collection: falafel and walnut stuffed portobello mushrooms. Check it out!