Green Practice News

The Nutrition and Nature Issue

February 2026

• Guest Expert Editorial: New U.S. Dietary Guidelines Miss the Mark
• From Plate to Planet
• Book a Call With My Green Doctor
• Prescribe Nature as Preventive Care
• Two Free Sustainability Webinars: February 25 and March 5
• Tell a Colleague about Green Practice News

But alongside these improvements lies a troubling contradiction that undermines decades of scientific progress linking diet to long-term health. The new Guidelines miss the mark becasue they continue to endorse red meat as a “high-quality” protein source, despite overwhelming evidence associating high consumption of red and processed meat with serious chronic diseases, from heart disease and type 2 diabetes to cancer.

An Endorsement That Conflicts with the Evidence
This endorsement of red meat – meaning meat from four-legged animals such as beef, lamb, and pork– flies in the face of consistent, peer-reviewed research. Studies across major populations have long shown a dose–response relationship between red meat consumption and increased health risks. The World Health Organization classified processed meats as Group 1 carcinogens—the same category as tobacco—and red meat itself as probably carcinogenic to humans.

The health risks are well established, but the environmental costs amplify the concern. Red meat production remains one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, land degradation, and water use globally. By publicly endorsing red meat, the Guidelines risk not only confusing consumers but also reinforcing a food system that is misaligned with climate and sustainability goals.

Overemphasis on Protein Leads to Misguided Messaging
The new Guidelines also set exceptionally high protein targets for the daily diet while continuing to frame animal-based foods—particularly meat—as the preferred sources to meet them. This framing crowds out other nutrient-rich, sustainable options such as beans, lentils, nuts, tofu, and other plant-based proteins that have proven health and environmental benefits. Even the vegetarian and vegan sections of the Guidelines fall short, devoting considerable space to possible nutrient deficiencies rather than emphasizing the extensive evidence showing that plant-based diets are nutritionally beneficial for all life stages.

By disproportionately elevating meat as the “gold standard” for protein, the Guidelines send the wrong message at a time when public health experts are urging the opposite. Americans already consume more protein than required by recommended dietary allowances. The problem for most Americans is not a lack of protein but rather a lack of balance and dietary diversity.

The Power of Shifting Focus
Reorienting the conversation around quality rather than quantity of protein can dramatically improve outcomes. Whole, plant-based foods—such as legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds—offer not just adequate protein but also fiber, antioxidants, and other protective nutrients that animal products lack.

This shift doesn’t require everyone to become vegan overnight. Instead, it emphasizes realistic, inclusive approaches—like the Mediterranean or flexitarian diets—that emphasize plant sources while limiting red and processed meats. Even small, consistent reductions in red meat intake can significantly lower both disease risk and environmental impact.

Public Health, Policy, and Industry Interests
The Dietary Guidelines influence far more than individual food choices. They shape federal nutrition assistance programs, school lunches, military meals, and hospital food services. When these Guidelines misrepresent evidence or cater to industry pressures, the ripple effects can be profound and long-lasting.

Critics have long pointed to the extensive lobbying influence of the meat industry in the policy process. Despite mounting evidence from independent health and environmental studies, red meat continues to receive favorable treatment in federal dietary advice. This undercuts public trust and slows progress toward healthier, more sustainable food systems. Transparent, science-based policymaking must take precedence over corporate interests. Dietary recommendations should reflect the best available science—not outdated models or economic pressures from powerful industries.

A Call for Evidence-Based Nutrition Policy
A growing coalition of health professionals, environmental scientists, and concerned citizens is calling for more accurate and ethical dietary guidance. Updating national nutrition policy to reflect the latest science on red and processed meats is not only a matter of public health but also of professional responsibility.

Encouraging Americans to “eat more plants and less meat” is a simple, actionable public health message. It aligns with global recommendations from organizations including the World Health Organization, the EAT-Lancet Commission, and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Each step toward reducing red meat intake—whether through “Meatless Mondays,” shifting snacks and entrees toward plant-based proteins, or institutional menu changes—helps move the nation toward better health and a more sustainable future.

The Bottom Line
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans are a powerful tool meant to guide the nation toward better health. But to fulfill that mission honestly, they must evolve with the evidence. Continuing to promote red meat as “high-quality protein” ignores a vast scientific consensus that its overconsumption poses serious health risks and accelerates environmental harm. Policymakers, health professionals, and the public must advocate for evidence-based nutrition policies that reflect the best available science—not meat industry interests. This means less red meat and more whole, plant-based foods.

About the Author: Dr. Martin is an Internal Medicine and Preventive Medicine physician, epidemiologist, and Associate Clinical Professor at the University of California, San Francisco. He is Founder & President of Physicians Against Red Meat (PhARM) which informs health professionals and the public to reduce red meat consumption. To learn more, visit www.pharm.org.

Food choices are increasingly recognized as a critical link between individual health, population health, and environmental sustainability. For healthcare professionals, this connection is no longer theoretical. What clinicians, staff, and patients eat on a daily basis influences chronic disease risk, healthcare utilization, and the environmental footprint of the health sector itself.

Importantly, the evidence shows that meaningful benefits do not require extreme dietary changes. Small, consistent shifts in food choices by patients can produce measurable gains.

Vegetarian or Vegan Not Required
Diet-related chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and hypertension remain among the most common diagnoses in outpatient care. At the same time, global food systems are responsible for approximately 30–34% of world  greenhouse gas emissions, driven largely by food waste, energy-intensive production, and high-emission animal products.

The research is clear that dietary patterns emphasizing whole foods, fruits and vegetables, legumes (beans, lentils, peas, peanuts, and soybeans),.and moderate animal protein intake are associated with improved cardiometabolic outcomes and lower all-cause mortality. These same dietary patterns also generate substantially lower greenhouse gas emissions, land use, and water use compared with diets high in red meat and ultra-processed foods. A 2025 review published in The Lancet Planetary Health found that even partial dietary shifts—not strict vegetarian or vegan diets—were associated with both improved health outcomes and significant reductions in environmental impact.

Small Changes, Scaled Benefits
Some of the most effective food-related interventions are also the most achievable:

• Reducing food waste at home and in healthcare workplaces
• Choosing plant-forward meals more frequently
• Favoring minimally processed or unprocessed foods
• Being mindful of portion sizes and overconsumption
• Selecting seasonal and locally available foods when feasible

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2023 Synthesis Report identifies food loss and waste reduction as one of the highest-impact, lowest-cost climate mitigation strategies, with immediate benefits for households, institutions, and communities. From a clinical perspective, these same interventions are associated with improved dietary quality, lower patient inflammatory markers, and reduced cardiometabolic risk.

Why the Healthcare Setting Matters
Healthcare professionals are uniquely positioned as trusted messengers. When clinicians discuss food choices in the context of health rather than as ideology, patients are more likely to listen and engage.  The foods consumed in the office also matter. Break room offerings, catered meetings, vending machines, and workplace norms influence daily behavior. When food-related sustainability efforts are framed as supporting health and well-being, staff engagement tends to be higher and more durable.

How My Green Doctor Supports Sustainable Food Behaviors
Many practices struggle to translate awareness into consistent action.  My Green Doctor’s proctice management program devotes a full month to this topic. The “Healthy Foods Workbook” is combined with educational brochures and expert coaching of practice mangers and clincians alike. Rather than adding mandates or administrative burden, My Green Doctor facilitates:

• Practical, achievable actions aligned with real clinical workflows
• Engaging physicians, staff, and leadership around shared goals
• Integrating sustainability into existing quality improvement and wellness initiatives
• Reinforcing patient education through consistent, evidence-based messaging
• Building momentum through visible wins, including reduced waste, cost savings, and improved staff morale.

Practices that adopt these approaches can expect:

• Improved staff engagement and job satisfaction
• More successful recruitment of the finest young clincians
• Stronger patient trust and alignment with preventive care messaging
• Reduced food waste and operating costs
• Clear alignment between health promotion and environmental responsibility.

Implications for Patients
Patients expect healthcare organizations to reflect the community’s values. When sustainability is visible in practical, health-centered ways—including how food is discussed and modeled—it strengthens credibility and reinforces preventive care. Clinicians can encourage patients to make these evidence-based food choices as part of overall health.

Whether in the clinic lunch room or in patient homes, small shifts in food chocies can improve health outcomes, reduce environmental impact, and strengthen healthcare culture. With appropriate guidance and structure, sustainability becomes not an added task, but an extension of good medical practice. The approach offered by  My Green Doctor’s workbooks and coachign is practical, evidence-based, and designed to work in real-world healthcare settings.

Sources for  Additional Reading
1. IPCC, 2023: Climate Change 2023: Synthesis Report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change https://doi.org/10.59327/IPCC/AR6-9789291691647.
2. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanhl/article/PIIS2666-7568(25)00061-3/fulltext

A 2023 population-based analysis published in The Lancet Planetary Health found that consistent exposure to green space is associated with lower anxiety and depression, reduced cardiovascular disease risk, and lower all-cause mortality. These findings align with guidance from the World Health Organization, which recognizes access to safe outdoor environments as a key social determinant of health—particularly for mental health, cardiovascular outcomes, and chronic disease prevention. A 2022 systematic review published in Environmental Research reported that regular outdoor walking and forest-based activities were associated with reductions in salivary cortisol, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure, especially among adults managing chronic conditions.

This evidence echoes long-standing clinical wisdom. As Dr. Todd Sack wrote in an earlier My Green Doctor ecotherapy article, “Even mild exercise such as daily walking is a potent treatment for anxiety, depression, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and some arthritis.”

The Clinical Value of Prescribing Time Outdoors
Prescribing time outdoors may appear deceptively simple, yet it directly addresses multiple drivers of chronic disease. Outdoor walking combines physical activity, stress reduction, circadian rhythm regulation, and social engagement. There is no need for difficult structured exercise programs.

Research on “green exercise” and practices such as forest bathing (the Japanese custom of Shinrin-yoku) suggests that outdoor environments amplify the physiological benefits of movement. Patients engaging in regular outdoor activity demonstrate improved mood, lower stress hormone levels, and improved blood pressure control compared with indoor activity alone. Importantly, adherence tends to be higher when activity is framed as accessible, restorative, and enjoyable.
For patients overwhelmed by complex lifestyle recommendations, “time outdoors” offers a clear, achievable entry point into preventive care.

Extending Nature-Based Care Comes Indoors
Nature-based care does not stop at the park gate. A growing body of research shows that healing value of indoor exposure to nature. This includes medical buildings and home with indoor plants, natural daylight, artwook featuring nature, and calming soundscapes. A 2022 study published in Frontiers in Psychology found that patients exposed to natural imagery in healthcare environments experienced lower anxiety levels and improved emotional regulation, particularly in high-stress clinical settings.

The benefits extend to healthcare teams as well. A 2023 review indexed in the U.S. National Library of Medicine reported that nature-informed clinical and office environments are associated with reduced burnout, improved focus, and better stress recovery among staff. These findings are especially relevant as healthcare organizations face unprecedented workforce strain.

Dr. Sack anticipated this connection years ago, writing,“Putting Mother Nature back into our lives can lead to an enhanced sense of relaxation and well-being, and perhaps to lower levels of stress hormones.”

Closing the Gap Between Evidence and Practice
Despite strong evidence supporting both outdoor and indoor ecotherapy, these strategies are not consistently integrated into outpatient care. Patients are stressed. Clinicians are burning out. Practices face time constraints, cost pressures, and increasing expectations around environmental responsibility.

This gap between evidence and implementation is where progress often stalls.

My Green Doctor works with healthcare practices to translate research into practical, low-cost actions that fit real-world clinical workflows. Through its consulting and coaching model, MGD helps practices normalize nature-based strategies by:

• Integrating outdoor activity guidance into patient education and EMR templates
• Encouraging optional walking or park-based activities for staff
• Improving indoor environments with plants, daylight, and calming design elements
• Aligning sustainability efforts with staff well-being and patient experience

Prescribing time outdoors may be simple. Creating systems that support, reinforce, and normalize nature-based care—both outside and inside clinical spaces—is where real impact begins. Nature-informed strategies are no longer “nice to have.” They are part of delivering resilient, human-centered, preventive care.

1) March 25, 6am Eastern Time: “Adding Environmental Sustainability and Climate Resilience to Your Clinical Practice”
Sponsored by the Junor Doctors Network of the World Medical Association.
Register at: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/rCEC-yMiQqiD2S8-ft4Gow.
Or join with Zoom meMeeting ID 833 5656 0658 Passcode 639879

2) March 5, 1pm Eastern Time:  “Accelerating Sustainability in Outpatient Clinics: Climate Health through Places, Procurement, and Practices” 
Sponsored by Rutgers School of Dental Medicine (free Dental Education Units offered) and the Rutgers University Office of Climate Action.
Register at https://bit.ly/3OoiBYj

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