Vitality Room- For Our Health – For a Thriving Body, Mind, and Spirit

The Vitality Room offers a variety of topics related to plant-based nutrition, preventive care, and what are the best dietary choices to help us thrive. This room is organized and hosted by Live Lifestyle Medicine supported by the Eugene Plant Based Providers. Learn more here.

Please note: A plant-based diet and vegan lifestyle are not a cure or replacement for medical treatment. If you are experiencing serious symptoms, have a disease diagnosis, or are managing a chronic condition, please consult a qualified medical professional. While a well-planned vegan lifestyle can provide numerous health benefits and support overall well-being, it should not be considered the only approach to health management.

11:00 – 11:50 am

Eat Plants and Thrive! The Health Benefits of a Vegan, Whole Food Plant Based Diet with Charlie Ross DO and Scott Wagnon PA

Charles “Charlie” Ross DO, DipABLM is board certified in Family Practice and Lifestyle Medicine and has been a practicing osteopathic physician in Oregon for over 48 years. Charlie’s current life goal is to change the practice of medicine from treating symptoms to treating the root causes of disease. He has been teaching free community classes on the science of nutrition and food as medicine for over 12 years.

Scott Wagnon has been a Physician Associate since 2005 and is currently working in Family Practice in Springfield, OR. He switched to a Whole Food Plant Based Diet in 2012 when he was overweight and developed high blood pressure, high cholesterol and prediabetes, despite riding his bicycle 7,000 miles a year. He studied Nutrition and eventually became board certified in Lifestyle Medicine through the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. Scott has been teaching free classes on Diet and Lifestyle in the Eugene/Springfield community since 2018.

You can learn about the free classes here: https://www.livelifestylemedicine.com

Pam Birrell is a PhD psychologist and holds a master’s degree in biochemistry. She has been vegan and plant exclusive for 15 years. She has become passionate about the effects of plant-based eating on mental health and the nervous system. In her work as a psychotherapist, Pam became very aware of the importance of connections, with the self, with others, and with our natural world.

1:00 – 1:50 pm

Take Health To Heart: A Vegan, Whole Food Plant Based Diet and Heart Disease
with Cardiologist Kristin Linzmeyer MD

Kristin Linzmeyer MD FACC has board certifications in general cardiology and lifestyle medicine. While pursuing a masters in public health degree in 2016, she became more interested in the impact of public health measures and lifestyle choices and habits in preventing and reversing disease. This led to the discovery of Lifestyle Medicine as a subspecialty to enhance and improve her ongoing work in cardiovascular medicine. She currently is working at Oregon Heart and Vascular Institute at Riverbend Hospital developing a preventive cardiology clinic where she can use her skills and knowledge about lifestyle choices to help patients treat and potentially reverse their cardiovascular risk factors. Through education and lifestyle prescriptions that encourage whole food plant-based nutrition, physical activity, good sleep hygiene, healthy stress management, avoidance of toxic substances, and the importance of social connections, she wants to empower people to make healthy choices that support wellness and longevity.

2:00 – 2:50 pm

Build Your Body on a Plant-Based Diet with Robert Cheeke

3:00 – 3:50 pm

Raising a Family Vegan, Whole Food Plant Based: Panel Discussion
with Sean and Dorothy Egglestone, Kathy Meldrum, Tyler and Ashlee Shupe, and Eric Colgrove

 Sean and Dorothy Egglestone, have embraced veganism for a combined 25 years and are raising their 10-month-old son, Miles, on a vegan diet. As a Registered Dietitian, Sean brings expertise to the family’s nutritional choices, while Dorothy, a volleyball coach, exemplifies the vitality of plant-based living. Together, they’re building a thriving, health-conscious vegan family.

Kathy Meldrum is a physical therapist who integrates her love for health and wellness into both her professional and personal life. She encourages her patients to engage in physical activity, while also advocating for a plant-based vegan lifestyle, as tools for optimal health. Kathy is raising a plant-based family, leading by example. Kathy feels that a commitment to both movement and nutrition sets a foundation for a vibrant life!

Tyler and Ashlee Shupe have been living in Eugene for the last 6 years and are both working as physical therapists for the 4j School District. They made the decision to raise their children on a plant-based diet since Ashlee was pregnant with their first child. They now have a 10 year old son and 8 year old daughter that have been plant-based their whole lives. They are excited to share their experience and tips to raising plant-based children when it comes to daycare situations, birthday parties, school lunches, family get-togethers, and the conversations they have had with their children about the many benefits that come from a plant-based life.

Dr. Eric Colgrove earned his medical degree from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. He is board certified in Pediatrics and is a strong advocate for promoting health through a lifestyle medicine approach, particularly with a focus on plant based nutrition. Dr. Colgrove began his career by serving the Navajo people for four years, an experience that greatly enriched his practice. His wife Akinyi, hails from a small village in Kenya, and together they have two children attending college in Seattle.