Today we’d like to introduce you to Pamela DeRitis.
Hi Pamela, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
I grew up eating magnificent homemade Italian food. Growing up, my parents made sure that us kids not only had plenty to eat, but that the food was incomparable to anything store-bought or restaurant made. Homemade fettuccine alfredo, braciole, gnocchi, and greens and beans were regular stars of the family dinner table. Legend has it that one Saturday morning I came down from my bedroom, took a look at the spread in the kitchen and proclaimed “Not ANOTHER gourmet breakfast!” and took my ungrateful behind back upstairs. All I wanted was just one morning of plain old cereal.
My interest in health and wellness blossomed in my early twenties, when I began a quest to absorb all of the nutrition information I could get my hands on. My health quest soon led me to learn about the meat industry and how animals we consider “food” are abused in the system of slaughter that we in the West call “agribusiness.” I loved animals yet contributed to their slaughter for my plate, and the more I researched about the animal industry, the more I realized that being vegetarian wasn’t enough. It was then that I made one of the best decisions of my life–going vegan.
Since then I have researched extensively the health benefits of a whole-food plant-based diet. The great news is there are plenty of sound scientific studies stretching back over the past 100 years (of course the bulk of it has been done in recent decades) that demonstrate the health and disease-fighting benefits of plant-based eating. Early in 2021 I completed the Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate program through Cornell University, and decided that I wanted to educate others about what I have learned. Hence Plant-based IQ was born. I conducted my first group class online in June 2021 and am quickly filling seats for future classes. My students are eager to learn and it’s an amazing feeling to be able to impart knowledge that will help them live their healthiest lives.
Our lives are only as good as our health. Work with me and together we will create your path forward as you make the transition to plant-based eating, to the betterment of your own health and the health of the animals, and our world.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The biggest struggles for me as of right now are fighting my own doubts and mental blocks when it comes to building a sustainable business. I am great at some things, like speaking and educating others. When it comes to things like gaining greater focus, learning how to sell effectively and authentically, and running all aspects of the business, well, I’ve had some growing pains! I am fortunate to have joined the Business Builders Mastermind group at the Buckhead Club–this group has been invaluable in my journey to help me overcome my personal hurdles. As the saying goes, we can be our own worst enemy sometimes, but the key to success for me has been in acknowledging my pain points and getting help when I need it.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We all start somewhere. I wasn’t born vegan, I made the transition over 14 years ago, back when Beyond Meat wasn’t available. (The horror!) It’s easier than ever now to go plant-based but if you’re new to this way of eating, it can still be daunting.
I use my experience and hindsight from living a plant-based life as tools to boost my clients on their journey to better health. Specifically, in my courses I teach clients about what happens inside their own bodies as a result of their diet–for example how saturated fat can lead to artery blockage and can contribute to insulin resistance. I comb through all of the research on PubMed — a free resource available to anyone — and curate what studies to incorporate into my coaching programs based on the topics I want to cover. The consistent feedback I’ve been getting from my students is that their eyes have been opened to so many things they didn’t know before they joined my program. It motivates them to make better dietary choices.
My courses and speaking engagements are a judgment-free zone. My purpose, and what I’m most proud of, is that I educate people on the extensive, sound science that is out there which demonstrates the many health benefits of a plant-based diet. I make sure that the research I include has been reproduced over multiple studies and shows consistent results. I am also a graduate of eCornell Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate Program. This adherence to excellence in my educational programs is what sets me apart from just about every other non-university vegan program or challenge that I’ve found out there. I think people are smart. They just need exposure to information they likely haven’t seen before–then they can make their own informed decisions about how to live their lives.
How do you define success?
When my students complete one of my courses and then tell me that their eyes have been opened, that they had no idea about all of the internal processes that happen in response to the foods we eat, and most of all that this information has convinced them to eat healthier and live better, that is the ultimate success to me. I build better bodies, fueled by plants, one relationship at a time.
Contact Info:
- Email: hello@plantbasediq.com
- Website: https://www.plantbasediq.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/plantbasediq
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/plantbasediq
- Other: https://plantbasediq.com/plant-based-wellness-kickstarter/
Image Credits:
Pamela DeRitis
