VP#19: "Women really hold the key to everyone's health." From Waif, Wanderer & Wild Child to OBGYN to Lifestyle Medicine to Woke Coach - and Everywhere in Between! Meet Dr. Debra Shapiro

"I always wanted to be a doctor." From an early age, parroting terms from her dermatologist father's medical journals, Dr. Debra Shapiro was clear on her vocational calling. But her mother's death from a brain tumor when she was just 14 threw her into an emotional tailspin, and she left high school, later obtaining her GED. She went on to college at age 16 but "didn't last." Finally, at age 21, she returned to college and subsequently went on to medical school - where she learned lots about the pathogenesis of disease and NOTHING about optimizing health through nutrition. When, as a med student, she assisted in a birth and was told, "Catch this baby," Debra knew that women's health was where she wanted to be. She became a board-certified OBBYN and loved helping women and delivering babies. However, when her practice crumbled due to embezzlement by a corrupt office manager, she took the crisis as an opportunity to shift gears to lifestyle medicine. She also took it upon herself to become a skilled public speaker, to be able to better carry the vegan message. Debra now does her best to be a shining example of health in a world that doesn't make it easy to live a healthy life! "The more people see us as being in excellent health, the more it will catch on. Instead of it seeming so extreme, people will be saying, 'I can do that.'' Resources mentioned: Dr. Debra Shapiro website: https://anewviewoffood.com/ Farm Sanctuary video "What Came Before": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNxcylWLEH8 "Dairy Is Scary!": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcN7SGGoCNI&t=50s Dr. Greger's Daily Dozen: https://nutritionfacts.org/daily-dozen/ Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine - Dietary Guidelines recommendations: https://www.pcrm.org/good-nutrition/nutrition-programs-policies/2020-2025-dietary-guidelines Myoko Shinner - Myoko' s Creamery: https://miyokos.com/pages/story Dr. Michael Klaper - Moving Medicine Forward: https://www.doctorklaper.com/moving-medicine-forward Matthew Kinney vegan restaurants: https://www.matthewkenneycuisine.com/double-zero Jamie Oliver Greek-inspired cauliflower stew: https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/cauliflower-recipes/greek-inspired-cauliflower-stew/ Cauliflower recipes: https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/cauliflower-recipes/ Instant Pot: https://www.instanthome.com/shop/instant-pot Vegan doughnuts NYC: https://vegoutmag.com/food-and-drink/8-spots-for-vegan-doughnuts-in-nyc/ Vegan beers: Guinness: https://www.guinness.com/en-us/frequently-asked-questions; Anchor Brewing: https://www.anchorbrewing.com/blog/ask-bob-brewer-is-anchor-steam-vegan/ Sammy, the Vegan Cat: https://www.good.is/features/vegan-cats; https://www.thespoof.com/spoof-news/science-technology/105410/evolution-takes-giant-leap-forward-ny-cat-turns-vegan Vegan cat/dog food - Evolution Diet: https://petfoodshop.com/