Profile in Courage – Seba Johnson

Seba Johnson is the first Black woman Olympic skier, and youngest Alpine Ski Racer in Olympic History!  She placed 28th out of 64 of the world's best in the Women's Giant Slalom at age 14 in the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary.  She received death threats, hate mail and attempts to disrupt her safety then and through the following World Cup and World Alpine Ski Championship competitions.  Skiing was considered a white man’s sport. 

 Seba was born in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands.  She lived in a public housing project, and attended Head Start.  Her family moved around living in New Hampshire, Maine, and Nevads.  A vegan since birth, Seba learned about animal exploitation and attended protests with her Mother.  By her early teens, she held her own protests, once standing alone with a handmaked sign outside a zoo.

In the 1992 Winter Olympic Games in Albertville, France, Seba qualified for the 1994 Games in Lillehammer, Norway.  She boycotted because Norway had resumed commercial hunting for whales.  She was disqualified from a World Cup ski race for refusing to wear a ski suit with a patch of leather on it.

"We must connect to a moral and ethical regard for each human and nonhuman animal until oppression is completely eradicated.”

 

 

 

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The Meaning of 'Vegan' by SharonL. Wallenberg

‘Vegan’ is a word first coined by British activist Donald Watson (1910 – 2005), founder of the first vegan organization. He was frustrated that the word ‘vegetarian’ came to include dairy products and eggs. His definition of ‘vegan’ was a "philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude – as far as possible and practical – all forms of exploitation of and cruelty to animals for food, clothing, or any other purpose.

‘Vegan’ is about compassion. It is about making the world a better place, not only for people, but for the billions of other inhabitants of this planet whose lives and well-being have been overlooked, sometimes driven to extinction, and usually used as vehicles for providing human satisfactions of all types. It is about providing solutions to complex global issues.  The meat and dairy based diet is a major contributor to Climate Change – the world's greatest threat to security and survival, and causes diabetes and heart disease and antibiotic resistance.

‘Vegan’ is not a form of depravation. It is a lifestyle which embraces life, and life lived to the fullest. Vegan holds the promise of a healthier population, a sustainable planet, and kindness and compassion for all.

 

 

Cooling For All critical during Global Warming by Sharon L. Wallenberg

According to the Representative from Rwanda at a recent Sustainable Energy For All Conference – 50% of their food is destroyed from the farm to the market because of lack of cooling.  Global Warming is increasing, and so is the need for cooling!

Cooling for All does not mean an air-conditioner or refrigerator in every home; it means providing affordable and sustainable solutions to address the needs of the vulnerable, such as access to nutritious food and safe medicines and protection from heat in the transition to clean energy.

1.09 billion people are at high risk due to lack of access to cooling and a further 2.34 billion lack access to clean and efficient cooling.  Cooling access gaps for the rural and urban poor at highest risk grew in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America and the Caribbean compared to the previous year.

 

COVID-19 vaccination distribution is uneven, and inequities exist.  A dramatic expansion in cold chain equipment is necessary to guarantee equitable distribution of vaccines.  Those living at the last mile in countries will be at risk of not being able to access a COVID-19 vaccine specifically due to cooling requirements.  The Critical 9 are the countries with largest number of people at high risk: India, China, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Mozambique, Sudan, and Brazil.

 

The single greatest contributor to global warming is the greenhouse gas, methane, resulting from animal agriculture for the meat and dairy based diet.  In addition, the destruction of forests to create grazing for animals raised for food and dairy exacerbates global warming and the need for sustainable cooling.  Transitioning to a plant-based diet is the single most effective way to solve global warming and need for cooling solutions.

 

Environmental and Health Consequences of Meat and Dairy by Sharon L. Wallenberg

“The animal protein culture, conventionally viewed as improved consumption in a “nutrition transition”, has serious environmental and health consequences.”  The Lancet

Seven million people die every year from air pollution.  Animal agriculture is responsible for methane which holds heat in the atmosphere more effectively than carbon dioxide.  In addition, animal agriculture causes air pollution from ammonia, nitrous oxide, methane, hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide.  This is in addition to water and land pollution.  Manure laden with disease, chemicals, antibiotics and hormones is polluting rivers and water tables worldwide, poisoning soils and contaminating waterways.

The single most effective way to eliminate the majority of the problems faced today – food insecurity, hunger, poverty, climate change, disease, habitat loss and species extinction is the plant-based diet, and elimination of exploitation of the most vulnerable – those of other species.

The recent EAT-Lancet Commission advocates plant-based foods.  “Eating plants directly rather than in meat, dairy, eggs, much less of the crop is required to deliver the same amount of protein, without the pollution and pandemics.”

 

Nature Strikes Back

U N Secretary General Antonio Guterres stated: ‘Making peace with nature is the defining task of the 21^st century.  Humanity is waging war on nature, and nature always strikes back.  It is already doing so with growing force and fury.” 

The underlying cause of Earth’s problems are its thoughtless treatment of nature including animal agriculture, conventional agricultural practices, and the unjust treatment of other species.  Failure to live in peace with nature causes zoonotic disease, (75 % of all disease), wasteful use of scarce resources - land and water, and global warming.

16 times more farmland is needed for a diet of animal protein than plant protein.  Copious amount of water are used in animal agriculture.  Methane from animal agriculture holds heat in the atmosphere more effectively than carbon dioxide.  This dominion over the Earth and other sentient beings is not simply sustainable. 

Assuming human superiority over Nature, and other species, is causing the predicament we are facing today.  It is only when pride is surpassed by compassion will these deadly dilemmas be overcome.

Sharon L. Wallenberg’s new book ‘Transitioning To A Plant-Based Lifestyle’ is full of scientific facts, how lifestyle choices are affecting Earth, tips on living a happier, more fulfilling and compassionate life.  Available on Amazon soon.

"Transitioning To A Plant-Based Lifestyle", A New Book by Sharon L.Wallenberg

Today everyone is concerned with health, quality of life, and longevity.  Old ways are not working, and it is becoming more obvious that a comprehensive new approach is necessary.  No longer can we wait unit illness occurs or incorporate a nominal amount of exercise and supplements into our regime and consider the problem solved.  What is needed is a new Lifestyle!  And one that works!

Preventative medicine is a new relatively concept.  Given the rising healthcare costs, and plethora of preventable illness, it has practical ramifications.  Preventative medicine involves diet and exercise to prevent the more egregious and expensive maladies and for practical reasons and is beginning to have roots in modern medicine.  Lifestyle Medicine has begun to emerge as an alternative to conventional ways that are not working. 

I think it is possible to go further than preventative medicine and lifestyle medicine to simply ‘lifestyle’ which encompasses all facets of living life.  It is physical, mental and spiritual – mind, body, and soul!  This concept has been around for many years and was considered ‘new age’.  Although its roots may have been on the fringe, it is finally becoming a main-stream concept.  Doctors may refer to it as ‘Lifestyle Medicine’, but I prefer to simply call it ‘Lifestyle’ since it is an all-encompassing healthy way to live life.

‘Lifestyle’ includes not only Diet and Exercise, but also Relaxation, Rejuvenation, Detox, Happiness, Kindness, Compassion, Courage, Humility, Gratitude and Honesty - and most importantly - Forgiveness.  A toxic, unforgiving lifestyle can lead just as easily to disease and debilitation as any tangible cause.  Happiness and kindness may not have monetary value or scientific studies to prove their worth, but I believe they contribute greatly to wholesomeness and longevity.

My new book, “Transitioning to a Plant-Based Lifestyle” proposes to show you how you can live a fuller life, without the assortment of contemporary illness, dissatisfactions, and emptiness, a life that includes not just health, but happiness and purpose.  One that is lived with courage and conviction, is meaningful and enjoyable and includes the satisfaction of knowing that your life makes a difference for many more besides yourself.  It is called the Plant-Based (Vegan) Lifestyle.  

The Plant-Based (Vegan) Lifestyle is about compassion.  It is not just a diet.  It is a Lifestyle that not only involves diet, exercise, and health.  It is about making the world a better place, not only for people, but for the billions of other inhabitants we share this planet with.  It is about providing simple solutions to complex global issues.  Plant-based (vegan) is not a form of deprivation.  It is a lifestyle which embraces life, and life lived to the fullest.  This lifestyle holds the promise of a healthier population, a sustainable planet, and kindness and compassion for all.

 

 

 

On Line Vegan Retreat

The Vegan Retreat is a virtual internet business offering support for individuals seeking to transition from the unhealthy meat and dairy based diet to the healthful plant based vegan diet.  This will be accomplished through lectures by the Founder on a variety of relevant topics, and individual counseling sessions by appointment.  Individual counseling fees will be announced.

Lectures are offered remotely on the internet.  Topics include Understanding Nutrition; Reversing Diabetes; Cancer Causes and Prevention; Healthy Hearts; Natural Pain Management; Weight Loss Naturally; Raw Food Made Easy;  Personal Wellbeing; Stress Management; Understanding Zoonotic Disease Causes and Prevention; Plant Based Kitchen Essentials; Organic vs. Veganic; Sustainable Agriculture; Detox; Draining The Lymphatic System; Hormones and Balance; The Body’s Need for Water; Animal Agriculture - Its Implications for Human Health and the Environment;  Environmental Effects of Dietary Choice; Transitioning from the Meat and Dairy Based Diet to the Healthful Plant Based Vegan Diet; and many others.

Individual Counseling sessions will be offered by appointment on Zoom for a fee.  In person meetings for small groups will be held at The Rabbit Hole, a vegan restaurant in Pompano Beach.

Sharon Wallenberg is a Health Care Provider with experience as a Dietitian, Licensed Massage Therapist, Licensed Colon Therapist, and Licensed Esthetician.  She has certifications in Reiki, Reflexology, Live Blood Cell Analysis, Lymphatic Drainage, and Microdermabrasion.  She is a graduate of the Christian Healing Ministry - School of Healing Prayer. 

Ms. Wallenberg has a Masters Degree in Business from Long Island University, has studied on the Doctoral level at Fordham University, has a Bachelor Degree in Business from the University of the State of New York, and an Associate Degree in Nutrition from Westchester Community College.

Ms. Wallenberg is the Founder of Vegan International, a UN ECOSOC applicant.  The Advisory Board includes health experts: Neal Barnard, M.D., T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D., Nandita Shaw, M.D., Lawrence Kushi, Sc.D., Juliana Hever, R.D., exercise experts: Robert Cheeke and Mindy Colette, and veganic agriculture experts: Nassim Nobari, Mona Seymour, and William Faith.

Ms. Wallenberg attended Carolina Farm Stewardship Association Conferences, completed the Organic Growers Certification program, and attended agriculture classes at the University of North Carolina.

She is the Author of “The Search For Raoul Wallenberg – The Truth”, is currently writing “Transitioning to a Plant-Based Lifestyle” and many, many articles on Health, and United Nations issues.