Jamie Roach was already a vegetarian when she watched “Forks Over Knives.”
The 2011 documentary, widely circulated on DVD, explores the link between diet and the leading causes of death in the U.S. — heart disease, cancer and stroke — making a persuasive case for banishing meat and dairy from the dinner table.
Then one of her vegan friends told her that some of the experts featured in the movie were coming to a two-day Healthy You Network symposium in May.
“A light went on,” said Roach, a retired Air Force major.
Impressed by the symposium, which drew more than 400 people from throughout Arizona and other states, and was presented by a small group of volunteers, she decided to get involved.
Formed just a few years ago with the goal of educating Southern Arizonans about the benefits of a plant-based lifestyle, the network has held symposiums a couple times a year with nationally known speakers, including the “fathers” of plant-based movement, T. Colin Campbell, (author of “The China Study”) and Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn Jr. (author of “Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease”).
People are also reading…
A daylong event that packed the Fox Tucson Theatre in September featured speakers that ranged from an ultra-endurance athlete to a cookbook author in addition to doctors.
The message: teach people how to use food as their medicine and incorporate whole foods into their lives.
Roach, who became what she calls a healthy vegan (no french fries or sodas) after that May conference, says she has more energy than ever.
“You can get all your nutrients from eating plants, as long as you are eating a variety of plants,” said Roach, an avid hiker who also works out at a gym.
Last month, the nonprofit opened a resource center that has information in the form of books and DVDs, as well as merchandise and a kitchen for food demonstrations and potlucks. It is also a meeting venue for volunteers and a space for the network’s smaller events.
The network plans to roll out its first membership program at VegFest, a free daylong symposium it’s holding on Sunday at Hilton Tucson East, 7600 E. Broadway. The membership will include discounts at 10 local businesses.
The top reason people give for wanting to learn about plant-based nutrition is to improve their health, Roach said. Animal welfare is probably No. 2, followed by a growing concern for the environment.
One of its volunteers is Ben Braman, a 36-year-old website developer active in Tucson’s vegan community.
“More and more people are questioning where their food comes from and examining the health consequences of that and sometimes the ethical consequences,” he said. “I’m really excited to see how this continues to grow.”
He was also looking forward to Sunday’s event.
VegFests have been springing up across the country and have become extremely popular in communities such as Portland, Ore., and Boston.
Tucson’s first VegFest will be the Healthy You Network’s biggest free event to date. The nonprofit has already scheduled the event for two days next November.
Inger Sandal
