052: Food & Diversity with Dr. Leila Dehghan

Dr. Leila Dehghan, is a doctor turned plant-based nutritionist.

With a 100% committed to a vegan lifestyle, Dr. Leila is on a life journey to raise awareness about living kindly through what we consume, wear and buy in a number of ways. Leila received her medical degree from the University of Vienna and completed her internship in the UK. 

Her personal experiences of overcoming health challenges through diet, shifted her professional interests to focus on the power of nutrition. After transitioning to a whole food, plant-based lifestyle herself, she earned a Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate at eCornell, part of Cornell University, and obtained a Master’s of Science degree in Clinical and Public Health Nutrition from the University College of London. 

Dr. Dehghan is the founder of Plant-Powered Qi Nutrition. 

As a registered associate nutritionist and a personal trainer, Dr. Dehghan takes a holistic approach to understand her clients’ needs and helps them optimize their well-being, manage their weight, and prevent or recover from lifestyle diseases.

During our conversation we discussed how communities of people are marginalized in ways that make it very difficult for them to eat healthy.

Often, there are external obstacles, while other times, families are the greatest challenge for those who choose a vegan lifestyle.

“Change can be a threat to one’s identity as well as a cultural threat,” Dr. Leila states.

Making it her life’s work to educate people through film, media and podcast interviews, Dr. Leila encourages anyone interested in veganism to do so with reliable resources. Far too often people get information from those who do not have the knowledge level the experts have.

Dr. Dehghan is passionate about food justice and health equity. She aims to find effective ways to address racial and socio-economic issues that affect health. Her project “Food and Diversity” seeks to introduce a plant-based diet to people of the global majority (a term coined to refer to Black, Indigenous and people of color).

Dr. Dehghan is a member of the Advisory Board for the Plant-based Health Professionals UK, and has created the 21 Day Plant-based Health Challenge to encourage and invite more people to go plant-based. 

She is regularly invited to deliver webinars and talk about the benefits of a whole food, plant-based diet.

You can get in touch via her Facebook page Dr Leila D.- Plant-Powered Qi Nutrition, or follow her on Instagram @plantpowered_qi_nutrition or drleilad.com