Jamaicans urged to eat green
Published:Thursday | February 4, 2016 | 12:00 AMJanelle Oswald
Once veganism was widely associated with Rastafarians, health fanatics, and animal-rights activists; however, more and more, people are choosing to 'go green'.
Sick and tired of being sick and tired, lethargic, feeling unmotivated, uninspired, depressed, ill, and suffering from various lifestyle diseases, including having low libido, are just some of the reasons why people, especially overworked, stressed corporate heads and business leaders are opting to become vegan.
This shift of consciousness in Jamaicans' desire to go green was recently witnessed at the Jazz Up Your Health four-day seminar and workshop, held at the Devonshire, Devon House. Questions raised throughout the seminar reflected the wider community's concerns about serious lifestyle illnesses such as hypertension, diabetes, cancer, and heart disease, among others.
Certified raw-food chef and health coach Kerry Coote, organiser of the event, told The Gleaner why she invited wholistic health educator, founder, and president of Puradyme Lou Coronas to Jamaica.
"More and more people are becoming sick. It's an everyday occurrence to see and hear about people dying from various self-inflicted diseases. Knowing this can be avoided by simple lifestyle changes prompted me to share my knowledge with my fellow Jamaicans."
Overwhelmed by the positive feedback and interest, Coote added: "People are definitely beginning to link and understand the value of food and the importance of what they are consciously putting in their mouths. This is a great shift for Jamaica and Jamaicans because it's about healing."
Guest speaker Coronas revealed how to become disease-free and how to live a clean, lean, serene, radiant, and vibrant life by sharing his life-changing story along with his research living under his four principles of life, culinary advice, raw-food cooking tips, and recipes.
PROMOTING A CHANGED LIFE
Dropping to the floor to do his famous finger-body press-ups, the 64-year-old American senior said, "Since I have gone green, I have had more energy than ever before despite not working out in 45 years. Like Kerry, I want to assist people in helping them make a shift in their lives and attitudes. I want to change people's mindsets to know they don't have to kill and eat animals to be strong and healthy. I hope to educate people about how to consume calcium and minerals without using dairy products and change their mindsets from thinking they have to eat processed, cooked foods. I want people to see how they can eat rich, tasty food from plants, fruits, vegetables, fresh herbs, and cultured seeds and nuts."
Leaving an open door to anyone who is considering shifting green, booking a consultation or purchasing any of the Puradyme supplements and recipes, Coote said: "I am passionate about helping people and saving lives. Any change is positive in my view. Anything that pushes that shift to eat less animals rather than more is great. Very few people go straight to a vegan diet. Some change overnight. Others give up red meat, then white meat, then fish, then diary, etc. Most people go vegetarian before vegan."
The founder of her own alkaline bottled-water company said: "This has been an introduction to what is to come from Jazz Up Your Life. It has not only been about opening a new palate by going green, but the opening of hearts and minds."