A Sustainable Holiday Season: Tips to Make Your New Year Merry and Healthy from Author Stuart Waldner

Are You Ready for a Healthier New You in the New Year?

One of the best things we can do for our own health and the health of the planet before, during, and after the holidays is to adopt a plant-based lifestyle. Becoming plant-based is so powerful because animal agriculture is resource intensive and contributes greatly to climate change. Growing plants for human, rather than animal consumption would be a much better use of land and water and generates fewer greenhouse gases. In fact, Oxford University says if everyone became plant-based, global food emissions would decrease by an incredible 70% by year 2050 and 8.1 million lives would be saved annually.

Author Stuart Waldner

What If We Really Like to Eat Meat?

If you choose to eat meat, avoid eating beef, lamb, goat, and sheep because they are ruminant animals, which have the largest greenhouse gas emissions. However, you can lower your carbon footprint the most by eating only plant-based proteins such as peas, nuts, tofu, legumes, and whole grains. These foods are excellent healthy and climate-friendly choices for the holidays and every day of the year.

Stress During the Holidays and Anytime

Stress during the holidays (and any time) raises cortisol levels in our body which suppresses our immune function. Eating healthy, plant-based foods can help us keep cortisol levels in check, especially during the stressful holiday season. The most beneficial foods for lowering stress come from nutrients found in plant-based foods like bananas, dark chocolate, oranges, grapefruit, broccoli, berries, and green tea, to name a few.

Tips for Vegan and Healthy Living Choices from Author Stuart Waldner

  • To lower your carbon footprint, eat the sides but not the mains at holiday meals.
  • Use healthier and more sustainable plant-based milk substitutes in your recipes such as almond or oat milk.
  • Lower your cholesterol intake by using plant-based egg replacers such as flax in your holiday recipes.
  • Eat all your veggies, especially your leftovers! Food waste is a big problem in the US and contributes to climate change!
  • Choose activities that bring you joy and surround yourself with people who uplift you.

Do Your Research and Find a Healthier You

According to Author Stuart Waldner, “The exponential growth of people adopting plant-based lifestyles in recent years means that a healthy, plant-based version of nearly every dish, even favorites from the holidays, can easily be found online.”

More information can also be found in his book, Escape the Meatrix: Eat Plants, Feel Great, and Save the Planet! The book is available on Amazon and from other fine retailers.

Escape the Meatrix Book by Author Stuart Waldner

About Author Stuart Waldner

Author Stuart Waldner is an activist who transitioned to a plant-based diet in 2008. His health improved, he felt better, and the more he learned about the statistical connections between our dietary choices and the worldwide climate crises we face, the more he felt an urgency to wake people up—for our health and for the planet. 

Waldner spent nearly two decades exploring Earth’s greatest wonders and connecting with sacred sites around the globe. When he’s not advocating for the health of people and our planet, he spends time playing with his dogs, cooking plant-based foods, running, and restoring is 128-year-old Victorian home.

Visit author Stuart Waldner’s website for more information and to discover more tips about living a more sustainable and healthy lifestyle in the New Year and beyond.