As one of the most popular films on Netflix at the moment, The Game Changers Movie has elevated the conversation about plant-based and vegan eating for elite athletes, weekend warriors and general fitness fans to an all-time high. While the film has no shortage of supporters, critiques of the film are also pretty easy to come by.

From articles like this one in Men’s Health to a nearly 4-hour debate-style episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, the (often heated) conversation surrounding the movie tends to focus on point-by-point fact-checking of the movie’s content.

What’s arguably lost in the discussion about the film, though, is a discussion of what the film gets right. At least that’s the opinion of today’s podcast guest, Sharon Palmer, MSFS, RD — The Plant-Powered Dietitian. With more than 18 years of experience in the field of plant-based nutrition and sustainability, Sharon has authored more than 1000 articles on plant-based eating in various publications, including Better Homes and Gardens, Oprah Magazine, and LA Times.

In today’s episode we discuss that while the film at times presents information that doesn’t necessarily meet the gold standard of science, its overall message of positivity toward plant-based eating can be viewed as inspiring.

We also go through some of the various claims made by the film about the anti-inflammatory properties of plant-based eating and refute the claims that a diet that includes animal-based foods has been proven to be pro-inflammatory.

As fans of soy, Sharon and I both discuss how the film does a good job of dispelling some of the more common soy myths — including the fact that it has not been shown to promote cancer and instead may protect against some forms of cancer.

We round out our interview discussing how the film does a good job of offering a different portrayal of what a diet for an elite athlete can look like, but also acknowledge how important it is for that diet to be well-planned to ensure its overall healthfulness. Sharon provides listeners insight on where to find her resources online, including an offer to sign up for her new Vegan Tool Kit for free.

I wrap up the show with a recap of a discussion I first opened up in the Facebook group — the insights Spotify provided me about what music listeners of the show enjoy the most. I note — with much embarrassment — that apparently I’m the only person I know, who didn’t know who Lizzo was. If you’d like to jump into that discussion on Facebook, join that group at Facebook.com/groups/thisunmillenniallife. If you have opinions about the list I share in that post about the listening audience’s favorite aritist, let me know! You can reach me at regan at thisunmillenniallife dot com, message me on Instagram OR tweet me.

Thanks so much for tuning in this week! ~Regan

Today’s podcast is brought to you by DexaFit Atlanta. DexaFit Atlanta, your premier provider of medical-grade diagnostic body composition and metabolic testing, is offering listeners of This Unmillennial Life a 10% discount on any purchase of any package by booking at Dexafit.com and mentioning the code “UNMILLENNIAL” at checkout.

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