Episode 11: Chris Darwin

How going meat-free for one day per week could change the world

HealthHackers Ep 11 with Charles Darwin’s great-great-grandson and flexitarian conservationist, Chris Darwin

No time to watch the video? Below is the audio podcast on Soundcloud. Or subscribe on Apple Podcasts to get the audio on your iPhone here.

In this episode, we cover:

Chris’s three worst-offender foods he avoids for good health
what kinds of meat we should be giving up
why not all meats are created equal
what impact your meat-free days have on the planet and children in poverty
how Chris broke the Guinness record for holding the world’s highest dinner party
why he was onboard the first Round Britain Windsurf expedition
how you can benefit from his motivational tracking app
how to tell if you’re truly an environmentalist
why Chris moved to Australia
how he travels after he gave up flying
the research Chris did on me (!) about my near-fatal health scare… plus lots more!

How your MFDs could change the world

Despite his passion for reducing the amount of animal products we eat, Charles Darwin’s great-great-grandson, Chris, is not vegan or even vegetarian. He’s flexitarian - which means he eats a largely plant-based diet but enjoys the odd organic free-range steak now and then.

In this episode of HealthHackers, Chris chats to me about why he wants us all to have a meat-free day (MFD) at least once per week. He's got strong opinions and some shocking stats on what would actually change in the wider world if we just quit meat a bit more often - including a significant impact on children living in poverty.

Chris's life so far seems just as fascinating as that of his famous naturalist great-great-grandfather. As well as raising $1.3m for charity and being the Ambassador of Bush Heritage Australia, he's also accomplished some impressive world firsts and broke the record for holding the world’s highest dinner party (spoiler: two guests got hyperthermia during pudding).

Chris has also launched a motivation and tracking app that we can all use to see what effect our meat-free eating is making. Check out The Darwin Challenge app.

Don't forget to subscribe to HealthHackers on iTunes here.