John Lewis on how systemic racism fuels nutrition deserts

John Lewis, known online as The Badass Vegan, is on a mission to show that making simple dietary and lifestyle changes can be the key to overcoming health challenges. In the season 2 premiere of Just Beings, John tells Evanna and Melanie about his remarkable life story: born to a drug-addicted mother, he was adopted and grew up amid the violence of Ferguson, Missouri, before becoming a prominent advocate for health and wellness and a staunch promoter of compassion. John also discusses his eye-opening documentary, They're Trying to Kill Us. The documentary—which was developed with the help of executive producers Billie Eilish and Chris Paul—explores the roots of health disparities in the United States. It attributes these disparities to centuries of systemic racism and inequality, and it sheds light on how this inequality has created a stark divide between those with ample access to nutritious food and those whose access to such food has been unjustly denied. John grew up eating the Standard American Diet (which consists mostly of processed food with lots of added sugar, salt, and fat), weighed 315 lbs at the age of 13, and was plagued with IBS in grad school. On the advice of a doctor, he experimented with eliminating meat from his diet—and he hasn’t looked back since. After becoming fully plant-based in his twenties, John created Badass Vegan, a health and nutrition company that strives to educate people about plant-based nutrition. John is also the brains behind VeganSmart, a plant-based protein shake company with a foundation that seeks to prevent obesity through education, physical activity, and plant-based nutrition. Check out John’s website to learn more about his book, Badass Vegan: Fuel Your Body, Ph*ck the System, and Live Your Life Right, and his merchandise. John’s documentary, They’re Trying to Kill Us, will be out later this year. Follow John on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter). John refers to A Billion, a social platform for vegan food reviews and recommendations. Check out Melanie’s new book, "How to End Injustice Everywhere," out September 12. Check out Evanna’s book, "The Opposite of Butterfly Hunting". This season of Just Beings is brought to you by our friends at Leafside and Vivo Life! Learn more about LeafSide by visiting GoLeafSide.com. Learn more about Vivo Life by visiting VivoLife.com. Stay up to date with Just Beings on social media by following @JustBeingsPod. This episode was edited by Andrew Sims.