Students and staff of the Faculty of Customs Affairs, Materials, and Technologies had the opportunity to learn about the importance of maintaining a healthy diet, the impact of a plant-based diet on the human body, and how transitioning to veganism can contribute to global sustainability. This was the focus of a meeting with USA, Malaysia, and Singapore volunteers.
Igor Dudariev, the Head of the Department of Food Technologies and Chemistry, organised the event.
It is important to note that this is not the first visit of the international delegation to LNTU. Recently, a memorandum of cooperation was signed between our university and the charitable organisation Charitable Foundation "National Development Fund", led by Oleksandr Kulakov.
This collaboration includes implementing educational and awareness projects in sports and healthy nutrition, student involvement in international projects and experience exchange, and developing joint initiatives for the psychological rehabilitation of war veterans, among other areas.
Thus, in collaboration with the сcharitable аfoundation, we have an excellent opportunity to establish communication with representatives of the international charitable organisation "The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association":
- Hu Zhou (USA) – Project Coordinator, representative of The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association;
- Govindarajal Rajaram (Singapore) – Volunteer, representative of The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association;
- Suppiah Nishantini (Malaysia) – Volunteer, representative of The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association.
These international guests were the key speakers at today’s event.
"During the event, the speakers will discuss the technologies of healthy plant-based nutrition, its benefits for health, and the relevance of veganism in modern food technologies and the restaurant business," noted Oleksandr Kulakov.
In his presentation, Govindarajal Rajaram provided a detailed overview of plant-based diets and their benefits for human health. According to the expert, a plant-based diet promotes weight loss, improves cardiovascular function, and enhances insulin resistance.
As noted by Govindarajal Rajaram, a plant-based diet has clear indicators that contribute to improving overall health. Plant-based foods are rich in fibre, providing a feeling of fullness, which helps regulate and control food intake and weight. Additionally, consuming plant-based foods helps reduce the risk of diabetes and has anti-cancer properties, as confirmed by numerous scientific studies.
"I would like to remind you of Hippocrates' words: ‘Let food be your medicine, and medicine be your food.’ I encourage everyone to adopt a healthy diet," concluded the volunteer from Singapore.
Suppiah Nishantini delivered a comprehensive presentation on the significant impact of vegan nutrition, not only from a medical perspective but also in terms of environmental sustainability.
"I hope the knowledge we share with you today will help inspire more people to adopt a healthy diet and contribute to environmental preservation. After all, we all know the famous saying: ‘We are what we eat,’" she emphasised.
Thus, the speaker discussed the impact of vegan nutrition on health. She also touched on the topic of compassion, emphasising that just because we don’t see the face of the victim when buying meat, it doesn’t mean that the meat wasn’t once a living animal.
She highlighted the issue from the perspective of animals, drawing attention to the conditions on farms where animals often suffer from illnesses and live in inhumane conditions. As a result, she pointed out the spread of large-scale diseases, such as avian flu.
"It all resembles a boomerang effect—where we create problems ourselves and then look for ways to solve them," the lecturer noted.
Suppiah Nishantini mentioned climate change in her speech, emphasising that livestock farming contributes to methane emissions into the atmosphere. She also addressed global hunger, noting that two-thirds of the world's agricultural land is used to grow grain for livestock feed while millions worldwide suffer from food insecurity.
The lecturer also highlighted the nutrients found in plant-based foods, comparing them to meat. She pointed out that plant-based products contain significantly more beneficial properties, a wider variety of components, and essential vitamins.
How to Become a Vegan in Ukraine?
Suppiah Nishantini offered practical advice for taking the first steps toward a vegan lifestyle:
- Replace regular milk with plant-based alternatives;
- Look for substitutes for meat and dairy products;
- Seek support from a vegan coach or relevant communities;
- Learn simple vegan recipes and meal ideas.
"You have the power to introduce, promote, and provide people with healthy food," the lecturer concluded, addressing the students.
The event's continuation was no less interesting because, after the lecture, everyone could taste vegan products and try a tasty and healthy alternative to cheese, sausage, or meat.
We would like to add that cooperation with partners will continue, and we can discuss new joint projects. According to Oleksandr Kulakov, in the warm summer period, there is an opportunity to organise various outdoor events, hold open tasting seminars and presentations, focus on grill or street food products, and at the same time, continue to implement projects to help internally displaced people and people affected by the war.
