The Anti-Trump Diet You Need Now

Carol J Adams and Virginia Messina
Sometimes you just want to collapse under the knowledge that the President of the United States is unfit to hold that office. You don’t want to walk away from this fight, but it’s been almost two years and we still have to stay alert to what is going on and be prepared to protest every single day. It’s exhausting. How do we maintain just the right level of anger and resolve while practicing a little self-care and preserving our sanity?
It’s a question vegans and animal activists have been struggling with for decades. Veganism represents resistance against the suffering of animals on farms and in research and entertainment. The knowledge that drives vegan choices is sometimes overwhelmingly sad. The work is never-ending. We deal with burnout, compassion fatigue, and information overload and it can lead to or worsen depression and anxiety. Our resistance dates to well before Donald Trump and we’ve learned a few things over the years. Here are five things vegans do to fuel their resistance and that might help with yours.
We Choose Not to Know Everything
It’s okay to periodically detach from the news. Vegans don’t need to know about every single bad thing that happens to animals in order to do the work of animal activism. We choose not to scroll through social media feeds that are filled with images and stories about animal abuse. We take a break now and then from the news altogether. It’s the same with the anti-Trump resistance. You can take a week or two off social media and the news and when you get back, there will still be plenty of work to do.
We Eat Well
A vegan diet is a way to resist animal suffering but coincidentally, it gives us some resistance against burnout and suffering, too. Research shows that replacing animal foods with plants may improve mood. Traditional plant-based eating patterns are associated with lower levels of depression, too. The evidence points to the protective effects of foods that sit at the center of these menus: Fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts and seeds, healthy fats, tea and red wine, and fiber-rich foods.
One reason may be the anti-inflammatory properties of these diets. The type of systemic inflammation that sets the stage for heart disease and cancer also seems to raise risk for depression and stress. Plant foods provide compounds that interfere with inflammation. Some plant foods may offer unique benefits for protecting against depression. Soyfoods, a staple of some vegan diets, contain compounds called isoflavones that reduce depression in post-menopausal women.
Eating lots of healthful plant foods isn’t enough to counter all of life’s stresses. It’s not a cure-all for depression. And it’s not going to take away the feeling in the pit of our stomach that arises whenever we think of this failed-businessman sexual-assaulter-in-chief in the White House. We need a holistic approach, including good self-care, social engagement, and exercise. And for some, maybe medication or professional help, as well. But a diet built around plant foods is one additional tool that’s easy to implement and effective.
We Eat Some Treats
All those beneficial compounds in whole plant foods may be good for depression, but we know that indulgences now and then can bring comfort, especially when they’re part of meals shared with family or friends. We may eat well most of the time, but we also recognize that food is fun, and we don’t shy away from cheeseburgers, ice cream sundaes, and a cupcake now and then. We just eat plant-based comfort food. Vegan diets are healthy, but they also allow a little decadence thanks to the ever-growing market of plant-based foods crafted to look and taste like their animal-derived counterparts.
We Eat for the Earth
Nature is a powerful stress-reducer. Japanese researchers suggest that the natural world provides all types of health-promoting substances, including beneficial bacteria and plant-derived essential oils, that may contribute to improved mood. The World Health Organization warns that climate change affects biodiversity in ways that could impact human health, including mental health. Replacing animal foods with plants is one way to shrink your carbon footprint and contribution to global warming.
We Live our Values — Every Day
Whether it’s calling your representative, showing up at Senate Committee Hearings, joining the #grabyourwallet boycott, or working with local non-profit organizations, it feels good to know you’re making a difference. Volunteering has even been linked to spikes in dopamine, the neurotransmitter associated with pleasure. That momentary boost is nice, but it’s not quite as satisfying as the deeper contentment that comes with living your values all the time. We have a sense of how important it is for people to act in ways that align with their beliefs from studies on death and dying. When people who are dying talk about their biggest regrets, a common one is this: “I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself.” Vegans do live a life true to their deeply held beliefs, which happen to be the same ones that underlie the anti-Trump resistance: generosity, compassion, and a commitment to justice and fairness. It’s no wonder that some people report that they feel a sense of deep peace when they stop eating and using animals.
The work of justice and resistance is hard. Eating a vegan diet can be one of the easier parts of that work, though. It means, even when you don’t have the time or energy to take on one more task, you’re still doing something at least three times a day that contributes to a world that is just, fair, and kind to animals, the earth, and other people.
Carol J. Adams and Virginia Messina are the authors of Protest Kitchen: Fight Injustice, Save the Planet, and Fuel Your Resistance One Meal at a Time.
