OWYE Series Event 04: The Diet Dilemma: Short-Term Gain, Long-Term Pain

We've all had the common refrain drilled into our heads by the medical community that if you want to lose weight, it's necessary to "eat less, move more," aka balancing a mathematical equation of "calories in, calories out."

Despite advice from experts regarding the dangers of eating too much fat, sugar, protein coupled with a lack of exercise, our nutrition, and the global obesity crisis, is getting worse. Even if you work hard to educate yourself, there are contradicting articles, studies and documentaries confusing the situation.

And how can you really know which popular diet is best?

Event Overview

In recent times, supported by new research, there has been a dramatic shift in our thinking about nutrition – and most professionals recommend moving away from the “one size fits all” formula. There are vocal proponents for (and against) these eating plans: the Mediterranean, flexitarian, ketogenic, low-carb, paleo, clean eating, Whole30, intermittent fasting, DASH, Volumetrics, vegan, raw, VB6, probiotic-rich, Weight Watchers and more.

At the 4th event of the Own What You Eat event series, a collaboration between Green Initiatives & David Laris, some of the issues we are looking to tackle include:

• Why do people choose diets or buy ready-made meal plans?
• What are the pros and cons of some of the most popular diets?
• Defining important nutrition terms: gut health, microbes, personalized nutrition, food diversity, etc
• What is the best way to assess the ‘health’ of our bodies? BMI? Body fat percentage? Overweight, underweight, or just right?
• How do we identify a balanced diet? What is the purpose of eating this way?
• Do we eat for energy, physical fitness, bright skin, shiny hair, happiness or...?

Ultimately, when it comes to diet and nutrition, we need to take a holistic approach. Instead of asking what we want from our diet, we need to start asking what we want in our life.

So where do we begin?

Event Itinerary

18:30-19:15 Registrations & networking; light snacks and drinks may be served
19:15-19:30 Event introduction by GI & David Laris
19:30-20:10 Presentation by the Speakers
20:10-20:40 Open Q&A session with the audience
20:40-21:30 Food, drinks & networking / Event ends

Speakers & Panelists

Drew John Campbell, Fitness & Nutrition Serial Entrepreneur
Subject: The history of fad diets, leading diets in today’s modern era based on the research and science from the ISSN - Keto, IF, high protein and low calorie. Critical importance of solid nutrition knowledge in all aspects in the fitness and wellness business world.
Background: Drew Campbell was the founder of the very first health-food-store chain in Mainland China, and now is CEO of The International Society Of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) in Asia as well as co-founder of Sizzling Solutions - a unique branding and consulting agency for businesses in the wellness space. Drew is a certified Sports Nutritionist with The ISSN and has 23 years of extensive experience in the nutrition and wellness space. Drew will be talking about about “Diet Fads & The Business Of Nutrition” as the key note speaker and how this can be best applied to your personal lifestyle choices as well as your clients needs in business.

Lorraine Lee, Founder, Inward Living; Nutrition & Mental Health Advocate
Subject: Eating well, without the deprivation – Moving away from dieting, towards a healthier physical and mental relationship with food.
Background: Lorraine holds a certificate in Nutritional Science from Stanford University and is currently completing her Diploma in Counseling from the Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors to support her passion in advocating for greater mental health openness and conversation amongst people and communities. Lorraine struggled at a younger age, with an eating disorder for many years, it was through counselling support and educating herself about proper nutrition and holistic health that she was eventually able to recover and grow a more balanced and holistic relationship with food, free from deprivation and dieting. Today, Lorraine is passionate about balanced nutrition and self-care, encouraging others to embrace a more nourishing approach to health that considers the impact on both mental and physical wellness. She is a proud volunteer with Lifeline, and the founder of Inward, a WeChat platform that will raise awareness and connect people to resources regarding issues that affect the emotional and mental wellbeing of ourselves and others.

Deshawn Peterson, Health & Fitness Coach
Subject: A journey from flabby to fit. How the simple things beat the complex diets every time. Deshawn will share his personal experience and practical tips for getting a healthier lifestyle.
Background: Deshawn is a Fitness Coach at StyleDuro and a leader within BeastMode Workouts. His health journey began 4 years ago and he has been a health advocate ever since. He attributes his wellness progress to a supportive network, being honest with his Shanghai eating habits, and exercising rain or snow. He focuses on practical steps, simple yet effective habits, and consistency. During the day he helps people with financial planning so he lives his life by health and wealth.

Juan (Fannie) Liao, Nutritionist
Subject: A Chinese perspective on achieving good health and happiness through diet... and more.
Background: Juan has lived in Shanghai for over 20 years, working in several fortune 500 companies, including Ford and Michelin. While she was dealing with stress and anxiety as a result of her high pressure job, she discovered about plant-based diets from friends and gave it a try. She immediately felt better, and her curiosity drove her to further research and study this subject. She also switched to a Whole Food Plant Based (WFPB) diet from 2012, which reduced her anxiety further and also helped her lose some extra weight. She spent several years learning about nutrition and received her certificate in nutrition from Cornell. She was also intrigued about people around her suffering from various chronic diseases and decided to commit herself fully to the health & wellness space. Over the years she has received several authoritative certifications in this area, and is currently studying precision nutrition from an institute in Canada.