Nutrition Talk: Plant-based for Human and Planetary Health

Monday, September 17, 5:30 p.m., Orcas Library

— from Gigi Carter —

To transform the way consumers and organizations view the relationship between food and its role in chronic diseases and environmental sustainability, entrepreneur and nutritionist Gigi Carter will be speaking at the Orcas Library on Monday, September 17, 2018 at 5:30 p.m. The talk is expected to last an hour.

Carter’s presentation will include scientific evidence from various observational and experimental studies showing that a whole-food, plant-based dietary pattern is beneficial for human health. In addition to the science, Carter will share details about her personal wellness journey that began when her physician informed her she “had the arteries of a 46-year-old, yet was only 35.” Carter’s unconquerable spirit refused to acquiesce to a life of prescription statins. She instead chose to empower herself by adopting a plant-based diet and reversing the dietary damage her former life had inflicted. Now in her forties, Carter has the arteries of someone half her age.

In addition to the evidence supporting the human health benefits, Carter will provide evidence of the impact animal agriculture has on the environment, including greenhouse gas emissions, land use, water depletion and threats to biodiversity. “We are already feeling the effects of a warming planet here locally, and it is within our ability to change course through our daily decisions, including our diet,” says Carter. “I’m providing the evidence in hopes that people become more aware and mindful of their food choices.”

Carter’s Bio:
Gigi Carter, Nutritionist and author of The Plant-Based Workplace was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio and currently resides in the San Juan Islands of Washington state. She earned her bachelor’s degree in economics from John Carroll University and a master’s in business administration from Cleveland State University. Over the last 24 years, Gigi’s career has been mostly with Fortune 500 companies in financial services and manufacturing leading and driving change. She’s held management and leadership positions in finance and accounting, strategic planning, mergers and acquisitions, post-merger integration, operations management, project and program management, and operational and business process excellence. Gigi made a career change in 2016 to pursue her master’s in nutrition sciences from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where she graduated with honors, and launched a wellness coaching and consulting practice, My True Self, PLLC (mytrueself.com). Gigi is a licensed Nutritionist and certified personal trainer. Her focus area is in chronic disease prevention using plant-based nutrition and other lifestyle management concepts. When she is not working, Gigi enjoys spending time with her husband, Kevin, three rescued dogs and cycling.