Dr. Antonia Demas - Inspiring Children and Schools with the Benefits of a Vegetarian Diet

Dr. Antonia Demas, founder of The Food Studies Institute, dedicated to promoting the health benefits of vegetarianism for children.

Initiates from Rochester and New York City traveled to Trumansburg, New York, on June 24, Golden Year 3 (2006), to represent Master to present the Shining World Leadership Award to Dr. Antonia Demas. Dr. Demas is the founder of the Food Studies Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the health of children by involving them in learning to cook wholesome plant-based food meals.

Dr. Demas has been interested in making beautiful, healthy and tasty food since a young age. Her Italian grandparents were a strong influence on her, showing her the importance of using fresh, wholesome ingredients.

From left are Dr. T. Colin Campbell, Dr. Demas, Mrs. Campbell, Renell Carpenter and presenting initiates.

After obtaining a B.A degree in Community Nutrition from Goddard College, she became a food educator. Her experiences in her career and as a mother showed her that children who were involved in preparing healthy foods were excited about eating healthy foods. In order to learn to scientifically validate her observations, she pursued her Ph.D. at Cornell University.

After graduating from Cornell, Dr. Demas founded the Food Studies Institute, dedicated to improving the health of children by educating them about good nutrition. The curriculum she created, called "Food is Elementary," not only involves students in growing and preparing vegetables, but also introduces them to other cultures and uses dance and art to get them excited about eating fruits and vegetables. Dr. Demas has introduced this curriculum to hundreds of schools, where she trains teachers to be food educators.

Dr. Demas accepts the Shining World Leadership Award.

The Food Studies Institute also addresses the unhealthy lunch meals provided by most school systems. By working with the ingredients that schools already have available, Dr. Demas helps them create healthy vegetarian meals that children will enjoy eating. This approach has been so successful that she has received awards from the US Department of Agriculture and the Society for Nutrition Education for her creative school lunch menus.

Moreover, Dr. Demas has conducted research that studies the effects of a vegan diet on students' health, behavior and academic performance. In one study, young men in a university residence volunteered to be vegan for three weeks. All of the participants reported improvements in their grade point averages, athletic performance and strength, as well as a reduction in aggressive behavior and a greater overall sense of well-being. The students' journal entries can be found on the Food Studies Institute's web site (www.foodstudies.org). These entries show that they have far more energy, better memory and that they generally feel calmer.

The award ceremony was held at Dr. Demas' home. She invited Dr. T. Colin Campbell, Mrs. Campbell and Renell Carpenter, the webmaster for the Food Studies Institute, to attend. Dr. Campbell is Professor Emeritus of Nutritional Biochemistry at Cornell University, well known and highly respected for his studies on the vegetarian diet. He is also on the Institute's Board of Directors. Dr. Demas introduced Mrs. Campbell as the one person in the entire world who knows the most about being vegetarian -- with a close second being her husband!

After the award presentation, Dr. Demas extended her gracious hospitality by inviting everyone to share in a fruit tart and tea that she had prepared. It was a beautiful summer day and we all enjoyed sitting and chatting on her porch while we looked out at her wonderful gardens.

Dr. Demas is truly passionate about improving the health of children through education and through by involving them in their own food choices. Her dedication has helped thousands of children become aware of the impact of food on their health. Initiates felt honored to be able to present the Shining World Leadership Award to this inspiring woman.