How to become a vegan or vegetarian
Vegan and Vegetarian Case Study
Introducing a client to a new vegan lifestyle
About Me – I was born in 1982 December 24 in Nairobi- Kenya, growing up in the 80’s and early 90’s was straight forward. Everyone had a kitchen garden in our neighbor-hood, we farmed Kale which is known in Kiswahili (the local language) as Sukuma-wiki (translates to Push the week) because from Monday to Sunday it never missed on the table. Other produce from the garden were mainly potatoes, tomatoes, capsicum, mint, green peas etc. we enjoyed our staple food of Kale with Ugali (maize flour) and during the special occasions we ate some animal products supplied to us by the Maasai community, who are the livestock farmers.
The transition
Fast forward late 90’s and early 2000 our eating pattern took a turn, thanks to the mushrooming of the fast food restaurants in every corner of our neighbor-hood.
Names like diabetes, blood pressure, cholesterol, Gout, obesity became more popular in the tongues of our people.
After my colleague lost her mother from cancer, she transitioned into veganism thus when she mentioned it to us, I was supportive of her thus decided to transition from vegetarian to vegan. For her it was for a higher cause than just to keep healthy, look good, saving animals… It was about the value, integrity’ and compassion with which she portrayed in her food that I walked in her footsteps.
My college mate whom I used for this case study was of a different opinion regarding Vegan and Vegetarian diet, he had distorted belief which begged for restructuring.
Four week ago, I informed my client about the Vegan and Vegetarian study I’m planning to undertake, he sounded positive thus he promised to be my case study.
Preparation
I had a rough idea about the person I was going to meet on the 9th of August 2018, so I had to prepare myself in advance with concrete facts to assist me in the process.
I placed my print out information on the table for client to take after having taken him through.
The seat setting was side to side, to sit next to him as we fill the treatment card together and to enable deliver the information I had prepared earlier in an effective manner.
My skinfold caliper to calculate his body fat percentage was neatly place on the table.
A glass of mint tea with Lemon grass was brewing in the percolator ready for Jay to enjoy on his arrival.
Initial consultation
Client is 33yrs young, he has a well-built physique although he finds it challenging managing his body fat percentage, he doesn’t have any medical condition. No surgery in the past six months thus he is not on any prescribed medication.
The skin-fold caliper measurements show his fat percentage is borderline.
No allergies as far as he is concerned
He has an active lifestyle and plays 18holes of golf every Sunday
Completed treatment card and handed him to sign the disclaimer at the bottom end.
Concern
Weight management
Complains of running stomach (diarrhea), nausea, gas, abdominal cramps and bloating every now and then
Needed facts to transition to a plant-based diet
Restructuring clients distorted belief
I started by walking my client through the research and facts that are in the public domain but for some legal or security reasons individuals, organizations etc. are not able to speak out because these and other more factors are in force.
Law
Food Disparagement law or Food Libel law (Veggie Libel law): these laws typically allow a food manufacturer or processor to sue a person or groups who make disparaging comments about their food products.
Cases:
Amarillo Texas beef trial – in 1998 Orprah Winfery and her guest Howard Lyman, were involved in a lawsuit. The two made disparaging comments about beef in relation to mad cow disease.
McLibel Case – A long running legal case in Britain (original case lasted for 10years), Mcdonald’s restaurants versus David Morris and Helen Steel.
Green Illusions: The Dirty Secrets of Clean Energy and the Future of Environmentalism, by Ozzie Zehner, was published in 2012 by the University of Nebraska Press. An evironmental book sold in the united states thus was self-censored due to Food Libel Law.
The numbers don’t lie
World population
1812 = 1 billion
1912 = 1.5 billion
2012 = 7 billion
660 gallons of water = 1 hamburger produced
In a day, humans consume 5.2 billion gallons of water and 21 billion lbs. of food worldwide.
Cattles consume 45 billion gallons of water a day and 135 billion lbs. of food worldwide.
130 time more waste than the entire human population is produced without the benefit of waste treatment.
80% of the rain forest destroyed in Brazil to raise cattle farming.
2048 fishless oceans, prediction by scientists
Responsible for 65% of the worlds Nitrous oxide
When we make a choice to go vegan, in a day we save;
1100 gallons of water
45 lbs. of grain
30sq ft of forest
10 lbs. of C02
Co2 Savings in tons
2.5 electric vehicles – 1.8 vegan – 1.78 hybrid – 1.6 vegetarian – 1.4 solar – 1.4 no beef
1 and half acres of land = 37,000lbs of vegetables vs 375lbs of meat
People killed or imprisoned for taking a stand
Chico Mendes – 1988, a staunch defender of the Amazon rainforest was assassinated.
Sister Dorothy Stang – February 12, 2005 – brutally murdered for speaking out against cattle ranching.
Between 2002 and 2013, in 35 countries 908 people were murdered for trying to defend the environment. Only 10 perpetrators were caught and punished for these crimes. (April 2014 report from Global witness)
Over 1,100 activists killed in the last 20 years in Brazil.
February 9, 2018 The Daily Telegraph reported – a “peaceful” vegan activist was imprisoned for gun crime and told farmers to kill themselves. Joseph (Joey) Carbstrong who has more than 50,000 followers on social media, compared dairy farmers to Hitler.
Quotes
Hippocrates – “let food be they medicine and medicine they food”
Thomas Edison – “the doctor of the future will no longer treat the human frame with drugs, but will rather cure and prevent disease with nutrition”
No brainer Action
The benefits of going or adapting a plant-based diet doesn’t need one to be a rocket scientist that’s why I refer to it as a No brainer Action.
A hunger free world
Weight loss and weight management
Improves quality of life by creating a disease-free environment
Vegan food is packed with nutrients
Helps in pain management
Creates a safer and cleaner environment
Helps in water conservation
Enables us to connect with nature and one another as living being
Summary
Raising and killing animals for food is what’s destroying mother earth.
Farming is not just compassionate but efficient.
Plant based diet is sustainable.
Aftercare Advice
I advised my client to replace cows’ milk with soy milk because it sounds he has Lactose intolerance.
He should adapt a plant-based diet for three weeks, then come back to me and we review his progress.
I advised him to visit Vegan Society Pages on plant-based nutrition for further nutritional advice and recipes
To watch Forks Over Knives and Cowspiracy on Netflix
Henry Ford – “whether you think you can or you think you can’t – you’re right”
Finishing treatment
His eyes and mouth were left open thus I felt the objective was achieved, for once he got the facts he wished for.
We moved to the main sitting area to finish up with our mint with lemon grass tea. He thanked me for taking the time to open his eyes. I handed him the print out copies that had made earlier and scheduled him for the next appointment due in three weeks’ time.
Walked him to the door and bide him my goodbyes with a smile.
Note: Did not take a fee because I’m using him as my marketing model, his success story will bring other clients to my doorstep.
Total time taken
We took 70min in total (20min = consultation)
Client Feedback
He no longer see’s or view’s the piece of beef stake with the same lenses as before thus he feels low when he remembers how he used to drown himself with baby calf growth food (Milk) which nature intended to enable it grow from a 65lbs to 400lbs cow.
He no longer experiences the bloating, cramping, gas in the stomach and nausea thus he feels much healthier.
He managed to drop 4lbs in three weeks thus he is happy with his progress thus his no longer on borderline regarding his fat percentage.
He promised to continue with the plant-based diet through going Vegan.
Conclusion
The value, compassion and integrity in our food, is what’s needed thus this can only be found when we adopt a plant-based eating behaviour via going vegan or vegetarian. You may like to read Thinking of Going Vegan
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