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November 22, 2022 58 mins

“If clinical research ran the world - we’d all be walking around with washboard abs” - Nivi Jaswal.

Have you ever wondered why our food system is the way it is, and why so many people continue to struggle with their health even though we have cutting edge brilliant research and knowledge about health and nutrition?

In today’s episode I speak with Nivi Jaswal MBA, NBC-HWC, who is the founder and president of the VIRSA Foundation about her background and journey from working for a corporate food and beverage company, to running an intersectional vegan research non-profit, and her view that clinical research alone doesn't take into account social, racial, political, and economic factors that impact how and why people make the food and lifestyle choices that they do.

This conversation covers: 

  • Nivi’s unique insights into why our food and health care systems are the way they are, 
  • How and where mixed messaging around what is healthy and sustainable food spreads from
  • What intersectionality green-washing is
  • How human health and planetary health are deeply connected
  • The importance of applying a social science and intersectional justice lens to health and nutrition research   

Learn more about Nivi’s work with the VIRSA foundation here

Follow Nivi’s work with the JIVINITI Coalition on Instagram

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