Suzy Amis Cameron Launches Program to Transform North Carolina Schools and Communities With Plant-Based Food

Suzy Amis Cameron and her husband James Cameron had a plant-based epiphany a few years back, prompting them to transition to vegan diets. But Suzy did not stop there; she has made it her mission to spread the plant-based message, with a strong focus on educating the youth. Along with her sister, she formed the California-based MUSE School, which has a plant-based kitchen, a garden the students tend to, and a one meal a day (OMD) slogan that represents their ideal of eating plant-based for the planet. The school has now expanded, offering global franchise opportunities, but that’s not all. Cameron has written a book called OMD: The Simple, Plant-Based Program to Save Your Health, Save Your Waistline, and Save the Planet and is currently focused on transforming North Carolina schools and communities toward a more healthful, plant-based lifestyle.

Why North Carolina? As explained on the OMD website: “North Carolina is ground zero for Environmental justice and a hotbed of health inequity. The state has the largest number of CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations — a.k.a. factory farms) in the country, and Durham County has more hogs per capita than people. The conditions are causing an ongoing public health and environmental crisis, mostly in communities of color and those living in poverty. People living near these operations often suffer from chronic illness and are subjected to substandard living, as the noxious stench from the ‘lagoons’ of excrement are inescapable — even when indoors.”

Additionally, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that a staggering 91 percent of adults in North Carolina do not eat at least two servings of vegetables daily, and a third of the state’s adult population has prediabetes. This is not only alarming for health reasons, but from a financial standpoint, this means a large chunk of taxpayers’ money is being used to address these health problems, problems that can easily be lessened by preventative measures, aka a healthy plant-based diet.

The OMD website also notes that natural disasters like hurricanes have made the already toxic animal waste problem plaguing North Carolina even worse, and new laws have made it increasingly more difficult for citizens to seek justice against these large meat and dairy operations. OMD states: “People want justice, clean air and water, better health and an end to corporate animal agriculture’s oppressive negative impacts … Kids and families deserve better. OMD aims to work together with communities to increase access to healthy, plant-based foods, tell stories of local leaders and change the game — starting with restaurants and school lunch programs.”

The non-profit Physicians Committee partnered with Cameron’s One Meal a Day program to create The Kickstart Your Health Triangle initiative, which is supported by Durham Mayor Steve Schewel, Cary Mayor Harold Weinbrecht, and Raleigh Mayor Nancy McFarlane. These mayors have all proclaimed October 27th as Kickstart Your Health Day, and this past weekend was filled with free educational events for the public, with Suzy Amis Cameron as a special guest. The Kickstart Your Health Triangle helps people make health-conscious plant-based food choices, providing the public with guides, online resources, social Support networks, and local events.

To learn more about OMD and see how you can become a part of their mission, visit their website here.

And to learn more about Suzy Amis Cameron’s goals in shaping a plant-based future, listen in on her recent interview on the Eat for the Planet with Nil Zacharias podcast. Check it out here.

And to learn more about the environmental impact of our food choices, be sure to check out the Eat for the Planet book!

Image Source: museschoolca/Instagram