In this episode of The Muscle Memoirs Podcast, I am joined by Dr. Stephan van Vliet to discuss the role of animal foods in a healthy diet, including the unique metabolites they contain, their synergy with plant foods, and their effect on the environment. Dr. van Vliet earned his PhD in Kinesiology and Community Health as an ESPEN Fellow from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and received post-doctoral training at the Center for Human Nutrition in the Washington University in St Louis School of Medicine. Dr. van Vliet also holds a Masters in Nutrition Science.  His work focuses on the effects of primary (protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins) and secondary compounds (phytochemicals, polyphenols, antioxidants) and the molecular mechanisms by which they impact human metabolism. His work often also involves physical activity interventions and utilizes an integrative approach to improving human health. References A metabolomics comparison of plant-based meat and grass-fed meat indicates large nutritional differences despite comparable Nutrition Facts panels Impossible to Go Beyond Beef? An Unbiased Metabolomics Analysis Plant-Based Meats, Human Health, and Climate Change Achieving Optimal Post-Exercise Muscle Protein Remodeling in Physically Active Adults through Whole Food Consumption Timestamps 00:00 Introduction 04:20 Increased interest in plant-based diets and synergy of animal and plant foods 09:30 The environmental impact of animal foods 18:12 Nutritional differences between plant-based meat alternative and grass-fed beef 32:10 The importance of animal foods across the globe 37:30 Similarities between healthy diets 41:00 Whole food consumption to maximize resistance-training adaptations Sign-up for virtual nutrition counseling and personal training: hammerawayfitness.com  https://www.instagram.com/hammerawayfitness/  You can follow and support Dr. van Vliet at the following: https://twitter.com/vanvlietphd?lang=en https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=L5KcySQAAAAJ&hl=en Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/themusclememoirs)