The Bay Point School for Boys in Miami, Florida

Heart disease, stroke, diabetes, certain cancers — we’ve all heard how eating meat and dairy can affect our physical health. But what about our mental health? Especially in developing children, can veganism be the answer to perceived behavioural disorders and even low grades in school? One of the only people to have studied this topic, Antonia Demas, PhD, will discuss the surprising results of her month-long study at a school for troubled young males from the streets, and give us the details on her Food is Elementary curriculum that teaches children about food, nutrition, culture, and healthy living, and The Food Studies Institute, devoted to changing the health destinies of children through proper nutrition and education.

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More about Dr. Demas:

After graduating from Godard College with a B.A. in Community Nutrition, Antonia Demas worked for 20 years in food education before completing a Ph.D. at Cornell University. In 1999, in cooperation with distinguished colleagues dedicated to the improvement of the long-term health and education of children, she founded the Food Studies Institute. Dr. Demas has received national recognition for her research in food studies. In 1994, her food education curriculum won national awards for the Most Creative Implementation of the Dietary Guidelines from the US Department of Agriculture and Excellence in Nutrition Education from the Society for Nutrition Education. In 1999, the curriculum was published as Food is Elementary. Articles by Dr. Demas on the topic of achieving acceptance of healthy, low-fat, meals in schools have been published in New Century Nutrition and the American Journal of Cardiology among others. As a consultant and speaker, Dr. Demas works with schools, non-profit organizations, vegetarian societies, and corporations across the country.