Meet Neal Barnard

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Neal Barnard a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Neal with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?

After growing up in North Dakota with a shotgun in my hands, one day I just woke up.

Every fall, my father, brothers, and I hid next to the ponds where ducks and geese, making their way from Canada, would light, for a bit of rest. As they came down within our sights, we shot them. Mother cleaned them–a euphemism for gutting a carcass, and we ate them.

My uncle and I drove cattle to East St. Louis, to sell them for beef.

Going to college, I followed my instructors’ advice and ran psychology experiments on rats and pigeons.

And then I woke up. Those ducks, geese, cows, rats, and pigeons did not want the fate we had in store for them. They had lives of their own.

I took the shells out of my gun. I stopped eating animal parts. And I realized I would be a better scientist if I focused on understanding the human animal.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

At the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, I run research studies on how diet changes can improve diabetes and other conditions and work to reform federal food policies. I also work with our team to improve the ways that research is conducted.

When we do studies, it is wonderful to see how simple diet changes transform lives.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Compassion is something one can acquire by looking at the world we live in and those with whom we share it, whether they be animals or humans.

Understanding that life is short and there is a lot to do helps us concentrate on what matters.

Realizing that we can only do so much alone allows us to work as a team.

Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?

Most people have no idea of the power of a healthy diet, and so it’s all about education. We help people jump into a healthy vegan diet, and soon, people see how helpful it can be.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://pcrm.org

Image Credits

Elliott O’Donovan