#209: Sisters on a mission to answer your burning questions with Drs. Zahra and Shireen Kassam

“[I wish more health care providers knew] A true understanding of what could be achieved for the population you are caring for just by addressing dietary risk factors. And of course, it’s never going just diet alone, and it’s not always a choice for everyone but supporting people to make that healthy choice and that starts with education.” -Dr. Shireen Kassam

 
 
 

I interview two brilliant vegan oncologists, who happen to be sisters, about their book Eating Plant-Based: Scientific Answers to Your Nutrition Questions.

In this episode of Veggie Doctor Radio, Drs. Zahra and Shireen Kassam and I discuss the importance of diet and lifestyle.

Some of the topics covered in today’s episode include:

  • The relevance of plant-based nutrition to their specialties

  • Why they wrote the book, Eating Plant-Based: Scientific Answers to Your Nutrition Questions

  • The most common questions they each get in their specialties

  • And the questions they wish more people were asking instead

  • What they were both surprised about when they were writing their book

  • Great advice for people that are still on the fence about trying a plant-based diet

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Drs. Zahra and Shireen Kassam

More about my honored guests:

Dr. Shireen Kassam is a Consultant Haematologist and Honorary Senior Lecturer at King’s College Hospital, London with a specialist interest in the treatment of lymphoma. She is also a Visiting-Professor at Winchester University, Hampshire, where she has developed and facilitates the UK's first University-based course on plant-based nutrition.

Shireen is passionate about promoting plant-based nutrition for the prevention and reversal of chronic disease and for maintaining optimal health after treatment for cancer. In 2019 she became certified as a Lifestyle Medicine Physician and is also a CHIP facilitator.

Shireen founded Plant-Based Health Professionals UK in 2018, a non-profit, membership organisation whose mission is to provide evidence-based education on whole food plant-based nutrition. In January 2021, she co-founded and launched the UK's first regulated, plant-based, lifestyle medicine healthcare service Plant Based Health Online.

Shireen qualified as a doctor in 2000. During her training, she completed a PhD, which investigated the role of selenium in sensitising cancer cells to chemotherapy. Shireen has published a number of peer-reviewed papers in the field of lymphoma. Her first book, Eating Plant-Based, Scientific Answers to Your Nutrition Questions, co-authored with her sister Zahra, was published in January 2022. Plantbasedhealthprofessionals.com

 

Dr. Zahra Kassam received her medical degree from the Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine in 1995, completed her specialist training in Clinical Oncology in the UK, followed by three years of clinical and research fellowship training at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Canada, with a Masters in Clinical Epidemiology at the University of Toronto. 
 
Her areas of clinical practice are in gastrointestinal and breast cancers. She has published a number of peer-reviewed papers on these malignancies, as well as in education and mentorship. 
 
A few years ago, Zahra discovered the significant body of evidence demonstrating the benefits of nutrition in the prevention and management of chronic diseases, not taught at any stage of her medical training. She is a certified Lifestyle Medicine Physician with the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine and has completed the eCornell certification in plant-based nutrition and the Plant-Based Nutrition course at the University of Winchester. Zahra co-founded Plant-Based Canada, a non-profit organisation, in 2019, with the goal of educating the public and health professionals on the evidence-based benefits of plant-based whole food nutrition for individual and planetary health. Their inaugural event was held in 2019, the first Canadian Plant-Based Nutrition conference in Toronto. Plantbasedcanada.org

The information on this blog, website and podcast is for informational purposes only. It is not meant to replace careful evaluation and treatment. If you have concerns about your or your child’s eating, nutrition or growth, consult a doctor.

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Habits, Lifestyle, Medical Experts, Nutrition, women, Compassion, personal development, Joyful MovementDr. Yamilifestyle habits, physical activity, Health, nutrition, plant-based, gastroenterology, Aerial circus artistComment