Vegan Action
Lead by Example: Matt Ruscigno, MPH, RDN
By Skyler Kilmer
Imagine that you've been riding your bike for 508 miles. You've powered through the physical pain and the mental intensity of cycling across Death Valley. And finally, you've reached the finish line of the Furnace Creek 50, the "toughest 48 hours in sports." That's an experience registered dietitian Matt Ruscigno has had multiple times, powered by plants.
Making the connection between animals he loved and the food on his plate, Ruscigno decided then he no longer wanted to eat them. The same day he graduated high school, he stopped eating animal products and has been vegan for 23 years.
Ruscigno is adamant that one of the best tactics for effective activism is to be an excellent example. He uses his athleticism to show people that an athlete can be successful on a vegan diet. Ruscigno hosts a web series on YouTube called "Strongest Hearts" that chronicles vegan athletes and how they cook, eat, and train. He said this project was "fun and showed off what's possible" for vegan athletes.
Ruscigno also co-authored Plant-Based Sports Nutrition with Dr. Larsen-Meyer. The book compiles over 600 references about sports nutrition into one resource that encourages athletes, coaches, and trainers to reap the benefits of eating vegan foods.
Initially studying physics at Penn State University, Ruscigno thought nutrition classes would give him information to pair with his vegan lifestyle. He went on to earn a master's degree in Public Health from Loma Linda University and is now a registered dietitian. As a first-generation college student, he considers his graduate degree his most significant accomplishment to date.
He said being a registered dietitian gives him an "opportunity to show people how to be a healthy vegan, which challenges a lot of the myths and falsehoods that exist around this way of eating."
Because being a registered dietitian is part of how Ruscigno practices vegan activism, he offered advice to future vegan dietitians:
- Choose your battles. The field of dietetics is changing, and you will be an essential part of that.
- Some professors may be stuck in their ways. Learn from them, and then go into the world and do the vital work that needs to be done.
- Science-based training prepares you for all you will be up against after graduating.
- The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has a Vegetarian Nutrition Practice Group. It's inexpensive for student members ($10) and you can connect with like-minded dietitians.
To learn more about Matt's work, find him on Twitter and Instagram as @MattRuscigno.
Skyler has been vegan for two years and studies nutrition at the University of Alabama. When she's not studying, you'll find her with her rabbit companions or taking pictures of food for her Instagram, @skykilmer_rd2be.
