Have a read/watch on nutritionfacts.org about milk.

As for switching to a plant-based diet being unhealthy. . . No. Plants are healthy, eat as many of them as you like and stop poisoning yourself with animal products and processed foods. Maybe read a good book about nutrition like "How Not to Die" by Dr. Michael Greger - ebook currently on sale for $3.00. Or "The Healthiest Diet on the Planet" by Dr. John McDougall.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Y7USB14/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

The books reviews ^ https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25663961-how-not-to-die

Eating unprocessed, whole plant foods will do you well. A very basic outline:

Breakfast: Banana + Seasonal Fruit. Oatmeal + almond milk nuked in microwave with cinnamon.

Lunch: Black bean burrito with salsa, guac and spinach and red peppers and onions and olives and whatever you like

Dinner: White rice/sweet potatoe/black beans or kidney beans with spices of your choosing.

Last but not least:

THE best vegan youtube channel on how to eat, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8SMtEIVzGk


bonus!
why i quit paleo - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbH6TIdtZ3Q

If he's really science minded - is he into nutrition? How Not to Die is essentially a review of all the most current research into meat/dairy in our diets - fully 1/3 of the book is references to the studies included. It's a pretty convincing argument from solely the nutritional aspect on what meat does to our bodies, obviously I don't need the arguments but I think as an omni I would find it pretty bracing. My SO Is nearly vegan (but sometimes will eat meat like yours) so this is the book I have lined up for him as soon as he has time after writing his CFA exams next month.

I suggest reading the book by the doctor who started nutrition facts which fully explains the scientific evidence and includes all of the studies it's aptly named:
How not to die by Dr. Michael Greger
https://www.amazon.com/How-Not-Die-Discover-Scientifically-ebook/dp/B00Y7USB14?ie=UTF8&btkr=1&ref_=dp-kindle-redirect

Read Eat Like You Care for 30+ common excuses and logical answers to them, and watch Mic the Vegan episodes that interest you. He is great at debating/debunking always cites his sources. For in-depth health stuff I would read How Not to Die as well as any Nutrition Facts videos that interest you, also with all sources cited.

After a while the excuses get so repetitive it becomes easy. And remember, any time you can replace the animal in question with a dog, it's usually a very easy way to get your point across:

-Should we drink dog milk?

-Should dogs be in zoos?

-Should we have dog-fur coats?

-Should we cage puppies for veal?

-Should we eat dogs because they have a smaller carbon footprint than cows?

Etc...

Also, remind your friend that "Vegan" is just a useful term to encompass your principals. You have made an ethical decision to not contribute to harming animals. Veganism just happens to be in line with those ethics and is a useful term for expressing them. If there were no word for "vegan" you would still be doing the same thing, you would just have to do a lot of detailed explaining at restaurants and dinner parties.

I try not to eat dairy or meat products because of the health risk. I also avoid drinking alcohol (a lot of the "vegans for health reasons" ignore this one haha). I've watched this documentary and it's not great.

I am a grad student so I have access to all the studies and I read a bunch before making the decision to go vegan. This book has some good information.

I've also read the studies that are funded by the meat and dairy industry just to round it out. Based on what I have read I really think there is evidence that meat, dairy and alcohol lead to an early death.

But... not being overfat and exercising and only drinking in moderation would vastly improve the health outcomes of many Americans. Most Americans are overweight --> this shortens your life. A lot of Americans would live longer if they lost weight. If they only way they can do that is something unhealthy (according to me, ha) like "keto" I really think they should do it.


In my personal experience (which is not evidence for anything because anecdotes are not evidence). I feel much healthier eating vegan and working out 6 days a week. I'm a healthy weight. I feel strong. I sleep better. My skin looks good. I am also able to think more clearly...but how much of this is just coincidence?


My husband and I will raise the baby vegan but we cheat and eat meat about once a month. We also have an occasional cocktail. When we cheat we never eat eggs or chicken (based on what I've read those seem like the worst for you...) also cheese fucking destroys your stomach if you have been off it a while. Probably the dairy intolerance popping up that most humans have.


This was a book, ha.

TLDR: I'm not a doctor, just a scientist. I went vegan after reading the research not watching these types of documentaries.

Check out How Not to Die: Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease and download the completely free Dr. Greger's Daily Dozen app which tells you what foods you should be consuming everyday to maximize health and reduce risk of disease.