Category: Diet

One of the most essential methods to lose weight is to control your diet. Almost every weight loss program suggests following a strict diet or eating pattern, however, how many of these programs actually offer a concrete solution to weight loss? According to Boston University School of Medicine, Americans spend approximately $33 billion dollars per year on products for weight loss (Weight Management, 2017). If this is the case, wouldn’t it be logical to conclude that America is getting healthier? The actuality of the case is that over 33% of the United States adult population is obese (Weight Management, 2017). If this is true, and Americans can spend so much money on weight loss products, then why is the US obesity rate so high? Do the ‘quick and easy steps’ that all weight loss programs promise, really provide people with an easier solution for losing weight? And if so, why does the US obesity rate remain stagnant? This paper is an analysis of dietary programs such as intermittent fasting and the Atkins diet and their contribution to weight loss and health benefits.

One of the many methods that promises weight loss is intermittent fasting, where an individual cycles periods of fasting and non-fasting throughout the day. Studies have indicated the benefits of fasting through several experiments. In one case, a 2003 study tested the effects of alternate day to day fasting on mice in comparison to mice who reduced their caloric intake. The mice who fasted regularly had lower levels of insulin and glucose in their blood, which meant they were significantly sensitive to insulin and a reduced risk of diabetes (Stipp, D., 2013). As shown in these results, there are many health benefits linked to a regular fasting schedule, including a less likely chance to develop any diseases, including obesity. Nutritionist Clive McCay discovered that rats who were restricted to a daily diet from early age were able to live longer and had a lower chance of developing cancer (Stipp, D., 2013). This research does not necessarily link the importance of fasting in humans however. Diseases such as obesity could be different in mice because they are genetically and anatomically different than humans. While fasting may be linked to significant health benefits for mice such as an extended life, statistics may show the opposite in humans. Recently, studies done on humans show that intermittent fasting is a reliable method for weight loss as it restricts the time frame in which they are allowed to have a meal, however, results may indicate that it isn’t better than any other diet.

A study conducted at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center tested the feasibility of this method, as well as whether fasting improved any limits to longevity, similarly to the mice study. To test this theory, 16 non-obese human subjects were involved, 8 of whom were men and the other half being women. The subjects were measured on body weight, body composition, resting metabolic rate, respiratory quotient, temperature, fasting serum glucose, insulin, free fatty acids, and ghrelin as a baseline to note differences in the measurements as soon as the testing was over. The measurements on body weight and composition could be done using a basic tape measurer. With this information the researchers could calculate the measurements for RMR (resting metabolic rate), as well as body composition. The resting metabolic rate variable is important because it is the amount of calories that is burned at rest. The subjects were assigned to follow a strict schedule of 36 hour fasts every other day for 22 days. The subjects were measured by their hunger using visual analogues weekly, which meant there was room for possible error in this measurement, as hunger is a characteristic that cannot be measured directly. Over the 22-day period of alternate-day fasting, the subjects loss 2.5 +/- 0.5% of their initial body weight and lost 4 +/- 1% of their initial fat mass. Results also showed that insulin levels dropped 57 +/- 4%, showing the link between regular fasting and a lower risk of developing diseases such as diabetes. Fasting in this study was also measured by how long the individual is limited on their consumption of energy, rather than when energy is not consumed. These usually give the individuals 20 – 25% of energy demands on ‘fast’ days.

An individual is most prone to diabetes when they are resistant to insulin due to the build-up of glucose in the blood. Insulin is a hormone that controls the amount of glucose in the blood. When resistant to this hormone, the cells are not very reactive, resulting in the build-up of glucose in the blood. The weight loss as a result of using this method regularly can also be linked to a lower risk of developing obesity. This method could be used to keep body fat percentage in check in order to reduce the risk of developing excess body fat.

In a fast, there are 5 metabolic processes that the body undergoes as a result of not having enough nutritional intake. The first phase takes place during a meal, where insulin levels are raised. When insulin levels are too high, weight loss becomes extremely difficult. This metabolic hormone causes the body to store fat, as well as forbids the body to break down fat. Any glucose that remains ends up being stored in the liver as glycogen. This is stored for when it is required later. About 6-24 hours after fasting occurs, the post-absorptive phase begins which is where insulin levels begin to decrease. The process for glycogen being broken down into glucose, is called glycogenolysis. This happens for a few hours, and soon the stores in the liver being to gradually decrease. This leaves the liver to use the process of gluconeogenesis to revert glucose levels. This process, as mentioned in its name, is when glucose is created. During this process, the liver takes up glycerol, lactate, and amino acids from the blood to convert into glucose, maintaining glucose levels in the liver. A couple days after a fast and the fourth phase, ketosis, begins. Here the low levels of insulin reached during fasting increase the levels of lipolysis, which breaks down the fat in return for energy. During this process energy cannot be supplied to the brain using fatty acids, however it can be supplied to other tissues in the body. Ketones are produced in order to help provide energy to the brain. Ketones (ketone bodies) are produced from fatty acids and are able to cross the blood-brain barrier. This is helpful when there is a lack of glycogen stores, however, after a couple of days, about 75% of energy is used by the brain through ketones. For somebody who has diabetes, the process for ketosis could be very dangerous due to the decrease in insulin, however, this will be overlooked due to the study being done on healthy test subjects.

In text, given these results, this method seems like an effective way for weight loss, however, it may be conditional depending on the individual. The results of this experiment showcased that there are in fact benefits to dieting by intermittent fasting that can correlate to weight loss and the prevention of certain diseases such as obesity. However, hunger did not decrease in the fasting periods, meaning that it is more likely that a person on a strict fasting diet would not last very long in doing so.

The results from this study clearly shows a correlation between alternate day to day fasting and weight loss. The difference between this style of diet and a regular caloric restriction diet are the changes in the glucoregulatory markers. Otherwise, both diets are similar when it comes to weight loss. However, this study still does not show whether intermittent fasting is the superior diet. It is important to remember that a regular caloric restriction diet has been practiced for a long time and has provided people with a sufficient amount of nutrients that are needed for the day. This study only showed the effects of alternate day fasting over a 30-day period. One month is not nearly enough time for a complete evaluation on a diet.

Even if it can be proven that it is a healthier lifestyle than eating 3 meals a day, it still would not be a reliable choice. The subjects produced a lot of ghrelin which is a hormone that signals feelings of hunger. This feeling is an important survival mechanism and if it didn’t exist, people would most likely die of hunger. Our bodies always give us signals to tell us when something is wrong or when we need something. An example being, when we get hurt, our bodies will give us awareness that we are endangered. This is a similar case all together since our bodies react and relay the message to the individual. So, is this the result of their bodies telling them that their bodies are incompatible with the diet? It may be a good method for quick weight loss, however, our bodies may not be compatible with this form of dieting all together. Eating 3 meals a day may be the better option, considering it is universal in the US. Traits of previous eating habits may have affected the way people eat now which may be the result of the incompatibility of our bodies with this type of dieting. When saying incompatibility, this is referring to the hunger, not weight loss. Exercise is another factor to weight loss, however the test subjects physical activity was never specified in the study, making room for another possible error in the experiment. If the participants were also measured on their amount of exercise, the experiment could have shown a correlation between the data.

An investigator for the National Institute on aging had a theory on the subject on the reasoning for the health benefits of intermittent fasting, which was that the cells are under a mild stress. Similar to when in exercise, putting stress on your muscles damages them, however, during the recovery process they become stronger to adapt. His name, Mark Mattson, and he believed that during fasting, the metabolic system undergoes a similar process of cells undergoing stress to adapt to their environment. If this is the case, it would explain the resistance to diseases such as diabetes.

During a fasting period, approximately 25% of energy is used. This could be the result of the body attempting to maintain homeostasis. When the body is not getting energy directly from the liver stores, the body must adapt and get energy from another source. If Mark Mattson’s theory is correct, then similar to when muscles are strengthened when they are damaged, the cells will overwork themselves to the point that during the repairing process the cells will be stronger to adapt to the stress. The damaging and repairing process may be the cells adapting, resulting in homeostasis, which requires more energy. Overall, intermittent fasting may seem like a good way to lose weight, although it may be a more difficult process and our bodies may not be compatible with the process, however it can still be done to lose weight.

Another diet, named by its discoverer, was founded in the 1960s by an American physician and cardiologist called Robert Atkins. The Atkins diet was popularized because of its promise for a quick fix to weight loss. The Atkins website itself provides information on the advantages of this diet. The information they provided supported why the Atkins diet is the ‘best option to lose weight’, however, when looking into fad diets that provide their own research, it is important to understand that their intentions aren’t always as wholesome. Alongside their research supporting the idea that the Atkins diet is the superior diet is a shop of products that ensure that you stay on track. It is important to generally not commit in the original diet programs research. Since the information is coming from a primary source, they may leave out specific information about their plan and diet that will benefit them.

Atkins was popularized due to their claims that high-carb diets show a link between obesity and other diseases such as type 2 diabetes. These claims however, are not very specific, considering that there are different types of carbohydrates. When people are exposed to dietary health programs such as the Atkins diet that make claims that are based on research, it is easier to misunderstand when desperate to lose weight at a quicker pace. Sugars and chain sugar units are the most abundant constituent of living matter. New carbohydrates are still being discovered, as are new roles for them in normal biological processes and disease. Carbohydrates are sugars and are important because they are the main source of where the body gets energy. Carbohydrates are mainly found in whole grain foods which includes brown rice, oats, and bread. It provides fuel for most of the body’s functions. One example of a type of carbohydrate that is essential for a healthy lifestyle is fiber. Fiber helps food go through the digestive system and gives the body the feeling of being full. This is an example of a type of carb that is critical in losing weight. When the body feels full it is easier to cut back on any excess calories. If carbohydrates are actually an important part of a diet, why do dietary programs such as the Atkins diet claim the contrary?

A meta-analysis and a critical review have concluded that low-carb diets are better than other nutritional approaches for controlling type 2 diabetes. There have been at least 11 case studies, 19 observational studies, and 74 randomized controlled trials.

The reason why this diet may be misunderstood is because there is a link between an increase of weight gain and consuming extra kilojoules (calories). When the body is supplied with an extra amount of calories, it is then stored as glycogen or fat, which continue to expand resulting in weight gain. Since carbohydrates are mainly a source of energy, it can be easy to deduce that a diet filled with high carbohydrates provide the body with an excess amount of energy. However, carbs aren’t the only source of the body’s fuel, as there are still foods out there that can supply the body with an excess of calories with lower carbs.

Carbs are important for fuel in the body, and when it is restricted, it can lead to a lack of glucose which is essential for energy. When the body is not getting enough glucose, the process of ketosis occurs. The process for ketosis may be different depending on the situation, for example, if the body demands any excess energy that is not supplied, ketone levels may rise in its debt. As previously mentioned, ketones are made from the process of breaking down fatty acids when glucose is not available. Our bodies go through this process every time it demands any extra glucose that is not available. This could happen as a result of missing a meal, and our bodies will most likely go through a mild process every day. This process is normal for people without diabetes since the insulin in their bodies prevent ketone levels from getting too high in the blood. However, a person with diabetes will be in danger during this process due to a lack of insulin which would result in the buildup of ketones in the blood, which is dangerous.

In the Atkins shop, there are recipes and meals all prepared for the people looking to lose weight quickly. They provide frozen food, bars, and shakes, which offer to satisfy cravings while maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The foods provided are all of course, low carb based and come pre-made, making it easier for anybody who is looking to solve their weight problems to try.

Overall, there are many forms of dieting that help in weight loss, however, there are only a few that provide the body with essential needs to live a healthy life.

I have been giving it some thoughts about slimming down on my weight and just overall wanting to feel healthy. I have tried all the diets that you can think of, but never fully committed to one as I always see no results and eventually give up. I have been doing some research and looking into video ideas of what it would be like and the timeline and the result that could be achieved using a vegan or vegetarian option diet. Changing your diet can have positive and negative feedback because our environment is what codes our DNA. Epigenetics is the idea that we are the ones that are in control of what happens to our health, whatever we put into our bodies can create the outcome. There have been studies done around epigenetics and how chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases are caused because of our environment, our dietary and lifestyle choices are what cause those certain diseases to occur.

The idea of going vegan has recently skyrocketed with acceptance, but the majority of the audience was the younger generation. Going vegan isn’t just about changing your diet, it also includes changing your belief systems and your lifestyle. Vegan diets are usually higher in fiber, magnesium, and vitamin C. But it can be difficult to intake the number of calories needed to sustain life. It also lacks many nutrients such as vitamin D, calcium, and vitamin B-12. A vegan diet appears to be important in taking in the correct vitamins of choice for a healthy body and avoiding any negative chemicals that could cause harm to your body. There are also some downfalls to going vegan, in a study that was done indicated that meat eaters had a higher level of BMI and were less active. It also showed that vegans had a lower percentage of BMI, but a higher indication of movement. However, the main difference was the intake of calcium, that indicated meat had a great amount of calcium and vegans had a lower amount of calcium intake, which resulted in a 30% higher fracture rate compared to all other diet groups, including meat eaters, vegetarian, and pescatarians. But the positives outweigh the negatives depending on why you choose to go vegan, as yes you will be healthier if you are intaking the right amount, and you are also can have a change on the environment, because the environment is also part of our life.

There is a range of motivations behind going vegetarian and it is closely tied to going vegan. Both diets were compared and had the same amount of caloric intake, the main health difference was that the amount of B12 and calcium was much higher in a vegetarian diet. Referring back to the study on bone fracture, it was indicated that vegetarians had roughly the same result of bone fracture as meat eaters.

Having a minor in Biology has opened my eyes to food and GMOs, which are genetically modified foods. I have been learning about GMOs and the effect they have on our bodies. This goes back through this cycle that whatever we intake in our bodies will result in what we put in. Organic food is the concept of growing food without the use of artificial fertilizers, chemicals, or any growth hormones. The simple answer if organic foods are better is complex, it isn’t as simple as it is. There are many factors to answer that question but the short answer is that studies have indicated that organic food appears to contain less harmful chemicals that could cause chronic illnesses, it also indicated a low percentage of risk of poisoning. The downfall of purchasing organic food is that it can be very expensive, especially if you are a college student living off a part-time job and your scholarships. I feel that personally that it can be difficult to go full organic only as I don’t have the money or resources to support myself.

Another idea that I also gave some thought was cutting down my meat, I feel like that could be the balance that I’m looking forward to. I also want faster results and also have realized that I’m not the biggest meat eater to begin with as I tend to only intake white meat and I keep it a minimum amount.

The reason why I have been giving some thought to changing my diet was that I have been wanting to lower my body weight. I have always been on a larger size of scale, my heaviest was around 254 lbs. But slowly I have been progressively slimming down but also at the same time I have been gaining muscle. Also, another motivation behind why I want to slim down in such a short period of time is that I’m planning to run a half marathon at the end of April, so I have a date set when I want to see the results.

I have been giving several thoughts about what perspective I should take. Looking at the positive and negative consequences of each diet. I roughly have around 2 months until the marathon. I’m currently sitting at 218 lbs and have a 23.6 BMI. What I want is to slim down to around 200 and lowering my body fat percentage to 16-19 body fat percentage. I need results quickly because of the time frame that I have, I was thinking about starting with the vegan diet straight away. Taking into account three things. One is my current body weight at the beginning of the diet and at the end. I also want to take my BMI into consideration. And third, I would like to find a system where I can rank myself on how ‘healthy’ I feel, and this could be considered into small goals, for example, how many minutes does it take me currently to run a mile and compare that at the end of the 1 months. I also was going to take how many push-ups and pull-ups I can do currently and also compare those at the end of the time frame. Then the second month I want to go vegetarian and take the same data and then by the time the marathons roll through I want to compare and contrast the data from each month.

I also have been giving a thought about what could go wrong. First, I feel like it will be easier to give up on the diet so I would need to commit, so one way to do that is that I’m going to write a journal every day and keeping myself in check. I also have many friends who follow vegan and vegetarian diets, so I want them to keep me on track. Another thing that I needed to consider is that I have to make sure I don’t get sick because of the sudden change in my body, so I need to make sure I’m intaking all the essential vitamins and nutrients in my body, so I need to do my research on what needs to go in my body.

After the 2-month time frame, I want to be able to take into consideration the results that I get and think about if this is sustainable for me, and do I feel better compared to my current body. I also was thinking about going organic only, but I don’t think I can fully commit due to the fact that I don’t currently have the resources to do so. I was hoping that I can start small and pick certain things vegan, such as the cheaper fruits that I can afford. Start slow and build my way through.

I will measure my success with how much weight I lose and take my BMI into consideration, but I also want to take my mental state into account and figure out if I feel healthier and happier compared to before. I also want to take my body image into consideration because I always had a low self-esteem problem, so I want to see if I look better and if I’m not just actually losing my muscle mass because that could be a huge problem for me. I’m excited to challenge myself and see how far I can take my physical, but most importantly, my mental state.

References

1. Appleby, P., Roddam, A., Allen, N., & Key, T. (2007, February 7). Comparative Fracture Risk in Vegetarians and Nonvegetarians in EPIC-Oxford. Retrieved from https://www.nature.com/articles/1602659/
2. Health Effects of Vegan Diets. (2009, March 11). Psychology of Health. Retrieved from https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/89/5/1627S/4596952

Introduction

The hotdog, a beloved food enjoyed at ballparks, barbecues, and street corners, has sparked a long-standing debate: Is it a sandwich? While some may argue that it is a unique culinary creation in its own right, the evidence suggests that a hotdog is indeed a sandwich. In this persuasive essay, we will explore the characteristics and definition of a sandwich, examine the structure and ingredients of a hotdog, and present arguments that support the classification of a hotdog as a sandwich.

I. Defining a Sandwich

To determine whether a hotdog can be classified as a sandwich, it is essential to establish a clear definition of what constitutes a sandwich. The general consensus is that a sandwich consists of two or more slices of bread or a bread-like substance with a filling in between. This definition encompasses a wide range of foods, from classic deli sandwiches to wraps and even burgers. By this definition, a hotdog fits the criteria, as it consists of a split roll or bun with a filling placed inside.

II. Structure and Ingredients

When examining the structure and ingredients of a hotdog, it becomes apparent that it aligns with the traditional sandwich concept. A hotdog typically consists of a long, cylindrical meat product, such as a sausage or frankfurter, placed inside a partially sliced bun. The bun serves as the bread component, and the sausage acts as the filling. Just like any other sandwich, additional toppings and condiments can be added to enhance the flavor and customize the experience.

III. Culinary Similarities

From a culinary perspective, the hotdog shares many similarities with other sandwich varieties. Like a sandwich, a hotdog can be customized to suit individual preferences. One can choose from a wide array of toppings, including ketchup, mustard, relish, onions, sauerkraut, and more, to create a personalized flavor profile. These options for customization align with the spirit of sandwich-making, where individuals have the freedom to select fillings and condiments to their liking.

IV. Cultural Recognition

The hotdog’s status as a sandwich is further supported by its widespread recognition and acceptance as such in various cultural contexts. In restaurants, food stalls, and delis across the world, hotdogs are categorized under the sandwich section of menus. Moreover, culinary competitions and events often include hotdogs in the sandwich category. This recognition from both culinary professionals and popular culture solidifies the hotdog’s place as a sandwich.

V. Pragmatic Considerations

From a practical standpoint, treating a hotdog as a sandwich offers numerous benefits. Classifying hotdogs as sandwiches allows for easier categorization and organization in menus, cookbooks, and culinary discussions. It simplifies the understanding and communication of the food item. Additionally, recognizing hotdogs as sandwiches ensures that they receive the same legal and regulatory considerations as other sandwich products, such as food safety standards and labeling requirements.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the hotdog is a sandwich. By examining its structure, ingredients, culinary similarities, cultural recognition, and pragmatic considerations, it becomes evident that a hotdog aligns with the characteristics and definition of a sandwich. While the debate may continue among food enthusiasts, the evidence overwhelmingly supports the classification of a hotdog as a sandwich. So, the next time you enjoy a delicious hotdog at a ballgame or backyard barbecue, you can confidently assert that you are indulging in a quintessential sandwich experience.

Veganism becomes a popular lifestyle that excludes the use and promotion of animal-derived products. Although, being “vegan” can be embraced in many ways. Not only does veganism promote a cruelty-free lifestyle, but it can also truly motivate people to eat healthier. A common factor among all vegans is a plant-based diet, avoiding all foods that come from animals: such as meat, fish, eggs, and dairy. While this knowledge grows, many of these people may use what they learned to write more blogs, and other informational sites, to increase awareness and help other people who may be trying to go vegan. The vegan community has raised awareness of the cruelty used on animals in large factory farms when being used for food, and other products. Although, the vegan community is more widely known for promoting the healthier lifestyle that comes along with being “cruelty-free.” Websites, blogs, and YouTube channels that promote veganism can guide people into the lifestyle through tips, vegan recipes, and support through an online community. Each of these features helps, in some way, teach and guide people about veganism.

Exploring different blogs and websites introduces an entirely new world of communication. “The Compassionate Road” is a website created by Gemma Davis that incorporates many different features such as different vegan books, learning courses, recipes, Davis’ personal blog, and facts including the negative effects of mass production on the environment. I personally decided to engage a strong interest in the vegan community because I had become very interested in the lifestyle and health benefits. As I grew up eating a large variety of foods, I recently took the initiative in my diet as I went vegan to better my mind and body. I believe that the vegan community is seen as “boring” and “minimal” when it comes to food choices, but with a growing community, I have learned that veganism is so much more than eating a salad three times a day. Veganism is simply nourishing your body with energizing and healthy foods that are natural and good for you. Websites like Gemma Davis helped introduce me to a whole new world of vegan food. I realized that it is not as hard as it seems and changing your health habits for the better become easier with supported online communities like these vegan blogs.

The power of writing and sharing information spreads knowledge and keeps that particular subject alive. As Jenkins says in his blog excerpt “Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21st Century (Part One),” participatory culture continuously has a “long-term impact on [people’s] understanding of themselves and the world around them” (Jenkins, 2006). According to Jenkins, participatory culture is the encouragement of creation and civic engagement within a community that shares its creations with others. Popular communities are those like YouTube where people post their own creative and/or informational video content. That is the type of influence that is seen in websites like “The Compassionate Road.” Reading Gemma Davis’ blog and website introduces you to a whole new world that you could experience through writing. Davis’ blog includes various different topics in the vegan community that Davis personally experiences and/or comments on. People reading Davis’ website and blog could learn about veganism this way. In his article “Argument as Conversation: The Role of Inquiry in Writing a Researched Argument,” Stuart Greene also introduces writing connecting metaphorically to the conversation. As the conversation is said to emphasize the social nature of writing, that is exactly what the community of online vegan blogs is all about. The writing that the bloggers do invites an audience to start a conversation. The way the information on recipes and other health guides are set up is personalized to engage in a comfortable relationship through this online community.

Studying this community is of value to many writing scholars because veganism comes with lots of research, and with research comes knowledge. Within the online community of “The Compassionate Road,” the writing style is very informative and easy to follow. For example, under the “recipes” tab on Gemma Davis’ website, there are many snacks, breakfast, and main meal ideas. To do all of this research on how to make the food dishes, Davis would have had to do plenty of research to put her website together. Each individual recipe is shown with a picture for reference and specific ingredients and directions on how to cut and prepare the meal. In turn, she used the knowledge that she took away from her research and turned her vegan experience into words for more veganism supporters to follow. Including features like this on her website with many written guides allowed Davis to communicate her passion to the world. As well as recipes, Davis has a “course” feature built into her website that is actually designed to teach those enrolled all about the plant-based diet. Whether you are looking to increase your knowledge or simply change your lifestyle, the concept of the veganism course allows the reader to fully understand veganism to grow on information and/or decide if it is the right pathway for them.

While veganism has grown tremendously in the health community, it has also created a platform for people to express their craft through the internet and share their knowledge with the world. As this knowledge spreads, many of these people may use what they learned to write more blogs, and other informational sites, to increase awareness and help other people who may be trying to go vegan. Websites like these truly represent writing as the community is forced to expand the face-to-face limit and find a way to induce the same experience through text. Writing is as simple and complicated as a conversation. Once information from these vegan blogs and websites is shared through the art of writing, it can be passed around the world to educate others interested in veganism. Writing assists scholars in understanding and adapting to the concepts, practices, and ideas of a certain community.

Introduction

Eating out has become a part of the Australian culture, but dietary requirements constrict the demands from consumers and this has a large influence on menus for food and beverages in restaurants of this genre. This report analyses and evaluates the impact of two key dietary requirements on the food industry. The two focus trends are veganism and lactose-free. Evaluating how the industry has accommodated people with these demands and what they offer to them on a food and beverage menu.

Findings

Veganism

Through the years veganism has been a rapidly growing food trend. In 2014 0.25% of the population was vegan, in 2016 it increased to 0.46%, and in 2019 1.16% of the population has gone vegan. With this dietary requirement growing so rapidly, the food industry has responded by producing vegan options on the menu. Major fast food companies such as Mcdonald’s, Hungry Jacks and Domino’s Pizza. With a wider range on their menu, they offer more support to those choosing to go vegan and bring in more consumers.

Lactose Intolerance

Experts estimate that approximately 68% of the world’s population has lactose malabsorption. Due to such a large portion of consumers having these requirements, many fast food chains that offer coffee and other beverages have begun to offer an option of lactose-free milk in the drinks. Fast food chains such as Mcdonald’s, Starbucks, and Zarraffa’s. Creating such a wide range of milk options, these fast food chains offer themselves larger consumer rates.

Evaluation

Veganism

Vegan options have been incorporated into many large fast food chains such as Mcdonald’s, Hungry Jacks, and Domino’s Pizza. Mcdonald’s has offered a new burger to customers known as the McVeggie. The burger is a vegan take on other Mcdonald’s burgers. Ingredients of the McVeggie are listed in appendix __. Hungry Jacks has also come out with a vegan burger option with their, vegan cheeseburger. The ingredients for the vegan cheeseburger are listed in Appendix __. Dominos Pizza has offered a new vegan thin crust for pizza bases, whilst there are no options for vegan cheeses there are a variety of vegetable toppings for the pizza. Vegan options from Dominos are listed in Appendix __. Other sides in most fast food destinations such as chips, drinks, salads, etc. Are more often than not vegan as well. By creating these options for customers with these demands, the food industry opens itself up for an increase in growth and publicity creating better overall sales.

Lactose Intolerance

Lactose intolerance and malabsorption impact over half the population so it is only fitting that fast food chains accommodate these needs. Large companies such as Mcdonald’s, Starbucks, and Zarraffa’s have made options for customers with these demands. All three of these fast food chains offer alternative options to cow’s milk such as soy milk, almond milk, and lactose-free milk. These three chains, and others, serve coffees that are quite popular on their menu and so it seems only plausible that they offer lactose-free options to the public. Other companies and these ones would have already offered lactose-free options in coffees such as long black, short black, teas, etc. They contain no milk or cream. By offering these options to the public, the industry offers a wider variety to people with these dietary requirements and therefore welcomes in more customers creating more revenue for the business.

Conclusion

With the uprise of these food trends and demands it is only relevant that fast food chains produce more and more variety to those with these demands. Developing options for these demands will improve the overall well-being of the company and bring a wider range of customers. The fast food companies being so popular in modern-day society it is only fair that as a society the food industry listens to the consumer’s needs and develops ways to resolve these demands.

Reference List

1. https://veganbits.com/vegan-demographics/#:~:text=So%20how%20many%20vegans%20are,million%20of%20us%20%E2%80%94%20is%20vegan.
2. https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/lactose-intolerance#:~:text=Approximately%2065%20percent%20of%20the,to%20digest%20lactose%20after%20infancy.
3. https://mcdonalds.com.au/menu/mcveggie%E2%84%A2-0
4. https://www.hungryjacks.com.au/better-food/vegan-en
5. https://www.dominos.com.au/menu.MsftOfcThm_Background1_lumMod_95_Fill {fill:#F2F2F2;

I am here today to talk to you about one of the world’s most misrepresented groups, Vegans. But before I introduce you to this, I would like to tell you a quick story. A couple of months ago, I saw an ad on TV about buying a Domino’s pizza online for five dollars. When I went to buy the pizza, the website convinced me to purchase 3 sides and a drink. I didn’t plan a buying these sides, but the marketing was so persuasive that I almost felt like I had to. (pause) I am certain that every single person has experienced some form of media manipulation in their life and this needs to change. The marginalization of vegans in the media ignores the fact that vegans are only trying to protect the environment and instead negatively portrays them with generalized and false statements. The media’s statements are incorrect and outrageous, and I can guarantee that when you leave today you will have a whole new view on veganism.

Ladies and gentlemen let’s be real. (pause) Practicing veganism undoubtedly results in benefits for the globe. It contributes to sustainability by not only protecting our environment but also saving a huge number of animals each year. Helena Horton, a well-known journalist recently wrote an article about Alicia Day, a vegan activist who rescued a pig from the slaughterhouse after coming to the realization that the treatment of animals is unfair and wrong. Now I’m sure many of you are thinking, “That’s ridiculous”, “why would anyone do that?”. (hand gestures) But the reality is that by going vegan, you can save up to 100 animals per year. Vegans’ intention is simply to protect the environment and save animals, but the media constantly manipulates society to believe this is incorrect. In addition to this, the activist explains, “I can’t save them all, but I thought I would save one.” As soon as you start reading the article and see the word ‘slaughterhouse’ you are immediately engaged. Then when you start hearing quotes from the activist herself, you feel a sense of sympathy and appreciation for her actions. It might not seem like much, but all the small things count. Now, there is absolutely no reason to think of this to be anything other than thoughtful and sympathetic. It is very rare for the media to positively display veganism, but this article definitely does. (pause) However, even with the growing trend of veganism and the number of vegans in the world as of 2020 said to be nearly 75,300,000, there is still so much controversy in the media.

The media has been marginalizing and isolating vegan figures for years. Let’s have a look at this political cartoon. (hand gestures) The author, Dan Piraro uses visual techniques to manipulate the audience into believing vegans are weak. Salience, vector, and gaze have been incorporated into this cartoon to marginalize the vegan figure. The salient feature is the 2 women positioned in the middle third of the cartoon. The effect of this corresponds with the use of vector as the speech bubble at the top draws our attention to the 2 women. Gaze has also been incorporated into this text to overpower the vegan and take away her voice and purpose. You can see that the other characters in the cartoon are staring at the vegan, not only manipulating but intimidating, isolating, and controlling her. Additionally, this newspaper headline, written just recently on January 15th also contributes to Othering in the media. CHEESED OFF Vegans are tired all day, spend hours planning meals, and don’t have a sense of humor. The author, Astrid Hall has incorporated the rule of 3 in this headline. However, her statements are not supported by any facts or evidence so how are we supposed to believe her? Vegans have been Othered in this article through the negative connotation of cheese. ‘Cheesed off’ is theoretically another way of saying ‘pissed off’. There is no relativity between personality and food, so this article is not reliable and accurate. The headline provides a generalized statement dealing with around 75 million vegans in the world. Out of these 75 million people, there is no evidence suggesting how many people are “tired all day”. Therefore, both these media texts considerably reflect inaccurate media stereotypes through the use of media manipulation.

When the word veganism gets heard, many things may come to mind. (pause) For the media, something that is very common is the misconception about vegan food being ‘boring’. Andy Singer, a well-known cartoonist created a cartoon titled “A Vegan Easter”. Othering in this cartoon is so manipulating, suggesting that vegans only eat tofu and have no variety in food. The use of the visual technique of symbolism illustrates the chocolate bunnies. This immediately lets the audience know that the cartoon is going to be about Easter before even reading the title. Also, with the chocolate bunnies, the text underneath reads “soymilk chocolate bunnies”. This confirms how misleading the cartoon is because veganism does not mean your food is boring. Especially with the rising number of vegans, there is so much variety in vegan food. (pause) This leads me to my next article, “Vegan Food Is Boring”. The fallacy states that “People will not become vegan because plant-based diets are boring, bland, and unappetizing.” However, the response states that many common day-to-day foods are already vegan. People in the media constantly come up with assumptions without even researching the truth. The common misrepresentation is that vegans only eat tofu and lettuce which is in fact extremely incorrect. Foods like bread, pasta, rice, fruit, veggies, and many more foods are already vegan. Another thought with this is that vegans only eat healthy food. However, there is already a huge number of unhealthy vegan products like vegan chocolate and lollies. (pause) So, I’m sure you can now realize how misleading and marginalizing the media is towards vegans.

Now that we know the truth about what the media really has to say about vegans, let’s do something about it. Who’s with me? Guys, it is your job to come up with a solution. If you’re sitting there wondering how you could possibly make a difference, don’t worry because I know exactly what you need to do. If you think about it, it really isn’t going to be hard to put a stop to these misrepresentations. Publishers in the media genuinely need to read and think before they publish something. They need to stop making assumptions and generalized statements with no evidence to support this. Let’s do it together, we know what we need to do. Now it’s time to do it!

Bibliography

1. Griffin, A. (2018). 10 Common Misconceptions About Veganism It’s Time To Root Out. Retrieved from https://www.theodysseyonline.com/misconceptions-about-veganism
2. Hall, A. (2020). CHEESED OFF Vegans are tired all day, spend hours planning meals, and don’t have a sense of humor, a study on misconceptions reveals. Retrieved from https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/10741692/vegan-misconceptions-tired-unfunny/
3. Miller, S. (2017). Don’t let me be misunderstood: some common misconceptions about veganism. Retrieved from https://millergreen.co.uk/2017/10/dont-let-misunderstood-im-just-soul-whose-intentions-good/
4. Telegraph Media Group. (2020). Vegan activists rescued pigs from the abattoir and fed animals on Wagamama. Retrieved from https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/11/07/vegan-activist-rescued-pig-abbatoir-has-animal-taken-rspca-kept/
5. The Vegan Society. (2020). Statistics. Retrieved from https://www.vegansociety.com/news/media/statistics
6. Vegan Food Is Boring. (2020). Retrieved from https://yourveganfallacyis.com/en/vegan-food-is-boring/resources

Why You Need to Shift to Vegan Society

Vegans are people who feed on vegetables only. They exclude all animal products from their diet. They will mostly feed on foods derived from plants like g maize, kale, mangoes, and many others as long as it is derived from growing plants. Veganism which is the method of having diets that only has plants derived products was invented in the year 1944 by Watson Donald in England. In the year 1951, the vegan society came up with a reason as to why they don’t feed on animals, claiming that they don’t want to be daring to animals. Vegans have been outlined to originate from the Indus Valley Civilization from 3300-1300 BC in India. During that time it had not yet spread in the whole Indian community, but people from the northern, Pakistan, and Western parts of India were the ones who had greatly adopted the vegan culture. However, people like Acharya Kundakunda and Chandragupta Maurya were the first ones to start the vegan diet. Pythagoras was one of the communities that practiced veganism in a more strict way and their followers, were not wearing wool clothing because they are animal products. They also did not associate with the chefs and hunters.

In the article below are some of the historic beliefs and reasons as to why they preferred being vegans. The article has also narrowed down some facts as to why is veganism important and its demerits, and how to become a vegan if one gets interested in veganism.

Historic Beliefs About Vegans?

Al-Ma’arri one of the people who started vegan feeding, has his main view and believes that if humans feel pain when one of them is taken away from them, so do animals feel. He had pity on the animals that were being killed for food; they lose their happiness to satisfy a human. He however ended up concluding that if humans deserve justice also animals too should have justice by leaving their life fully.

Percy Bysshe and William Lambe were one of the early people who could recite poems fed on veganism, from London being physicians. They had a strong belief that vegetables could cure any disease that could be thought incurable.

In some countries such as India, where religious matters come in with animal food. However many people have been confused thinking that only vegetables are eaten in Hindu, and meat is allow allowed but they advise people to feed on the vegetables to prevent the violent act of killing that happens to animals in search of food.

Merits of Being a Vegan

Many people think that the reason for being a vegan is always considering health matters. However, they have been doing this in consideration to protect the surroundings by not killing animals. However, others do so for spiritual stuff and even principled stuff. Below are beneficial matters concerning health as a vegan.

1. Helps Loose Body Weight: Plants-derived meals have small amounts of calories; these are one of the things that help one gain weight. They are mostly found in animal products and hence avoiding the calories by being a vegan will help reduce body weight.
2. Regulates Cholesterol Levels: Getting medications and feeding in veganism mode is the highest cure for cholesterol because most vegetables do not contain excess fats. Research has however shown that many of the people who suffer from cholesterol are the ones who feed on foods derived from animal products. Few people have been noticed to be suffering from cholesterol and if so it is easier to treat once on medication.
3. Prevents Cancer: Despite the fact that they are prone to get colon cancer, they are at a higher percentage of getting other types of cancer. Research has shown that vegans are lowly prone to cardiovascular effects as compared to those who feed on animal products.
4. Helps Better Our Moods. The fact of freshness in vegetables tends to clean and relax our minds hence no stress, and avoiding depression, medical studies have shown that many of the people who seek guidance on stress and depression are always meat feeders, as most animals products are not always fresh hence diddling their minds and they find it hard to deal with stress and depression, which brings up to bad moods as to the vegans whose minds are always purified after every meal leading to them having good moods.
5. Helps Perform Better in Sports. Many people have been tricked that lots of proteins will help them in sports; they forget that proteins have got lots of calories that will increase their cholesterol levels and their body weight. Vitamins and carbohydrates found in the plant diet are the best diets to become a successful sportsperson. It has however still emerged to be great for many of the athletes and many of the sports champions are vegans including Serena Williams.
6. Beneficial to Our Skin. Vitamin C in vegetables tends to sound beneficial to the skin. Many vegans have smooth skins that don’t crack and are without acne. Comparing those who feed on animal products, who have cracked skins, and are accompanied by acne.
7. It Protects the Environment. For anyone to get the animals’ product they have to undergo many tasks to generate the meat. They have to use the plants and water to generate energy for the animal to grow the animal, after maturity the animal has to undergo various methods of preparation including killing which as to the environment it I harmful for its breaking their position in the food chain..
8. Helps in Balancing Hormones. Estrogen has been discovered as one of the hormones that may result in cancer. Animal fats are one of the agents that increase the level of estrogen. Being a vegan reduces the risk of increasing estrogen which results in cancers like breast cancer. Vegetables have high globulin binding hormones that help to staminate the sex hormones.
9. Reduce the Risk of Kidney Failure. Proteins derived from animals are more effective than plants derive proteins. Animal proteins are stronger than muscles and are prone to alter the body’s muscles by either increasing them or reducing them. The altering of organs hormones will at most trigger the functioning of the organ.

Animal products have lots of fats, that may accumulate along the kidney and might trigger the functioning of the kidney, the excess proteins in the animal products raise at times lowers the hormones causing diseases like kidney failure and kidney stones.

How to Become a Vegan

After reading this article you might notice what you have been missing and maybe this is the way to go. However you do not just wake up one day and claim that you are a vegetarian, you have to make sure you supplement the other nutrients you have been getting from the animal food. Being a human being you have to undergo slow changes, not just wake up today and declare being a vegan. Your body needs slow omitting of animal foods and replace them with plant nutrients to avoid nutrient imbalance in the body.

Proteins derived from animal meat can be replaced with foods like beans. The best way to go is by slowly reducing the amount of meat you have been taking up to a zero level, and as you reduce the other amount you can substitute with vegetables or salad.

According to the United States vegans, they advise that you should start buying whole grain foods like brown rice, including salad fruits and vegetables. Ensure you are well exposed to Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D which can also be found in the sun, and do not intake high sugar level foods associated with high levels of fats.

Disadvantages of Being a Vegan.

Being a vegan is one of the great choices you can make for your health because you will have stayed away from diseases such as kidney disease, and heart disease.

You will have begun your successful journey to sports. However, being a vegan has its side effects too, but most of them come along if you don’t substitute your nutrients very well. Meaning you have to be careful when substituting nutrients.

Social Discomfort

Being vegan with friends who take meat is kind of a great challenge. Your friends will always be watching you when you visit a restaurant and they order the animal foods that will always appease your eyes and you might get tempted to intake them. Many restaurants do not offer or give space the vegan diets. You might visit a restaurant and find all the foods have somehow in a way added some of the animal products which makes life when visiting a restaurant awkward. Now that you have not found your diet your friends will try and influence you to take their diet with jokes and acquaintances from more so your peer mates. However, you should not give in let them know that you mean it when you decided to be a vegan because it’s for your own benefit, not their pleas.

Vitamin Deficiency

Many of the people who invade vegetarians end up getting vitamin deficiency disease this is because they never did good research on what to substitute with meat nutrients. Many animal products are important when it comes to nutrients such as iron which are of great help to the body. When you don’t substitute it yes your body will be kind of healthy but there will be an imbalance of the iron nutrients and you might be exposed to diseases like anemia diarrhea and many more. The importance of doing research or attaching yourself with a vegan who can help you with outcomes in If it is research then you need a thorough one unless you want to get the illness, or rather you can visit a medic who is specialized in food nutrients who can give you the way forward on which foods to substitute with.

Heavy Gas

Great volumes of fiber nutrients in vegetables have a high effect when it comes stop the production of gas within the body. In many cases, this gas is always awful and whenever you decline to take it out it might cause problems like stomach aches. This is the worst effect of being a vegan it makes one bumpy and in most cases many will avoid being in public areas. While this might not switch your mind about being a vegan, here is the solution take note and observe when the gas comes, and after which meal. Does it occur repeatedly? You can then reduce the amounts of that meal then substitute it with another that does not produce lots of gas.

In conclusion being a vegan has been always associated with good health, despite that it has been linked with some effects and disadvantages do not get shocked about that. Do not forget that the advantages overweigh the disadvantages, and by taking this journey you will have started a healthy life with no diseases if you correctly substitute the nutrients.

Many of your nonvegan friends might come in to discourage you but always remember that you are doing it for the sake of your health. Other vegan friends might come in and mislead you with the kind of foods you should eat and later get vitamin deficiency disease. Research is more important when it comes to matters dealing with your health. If you can’t research then visit one of the food nutrients doctors and get advice on which food to eat. They will guide you more than you might be guided by friends. However, a vegan diet is one of the important things you have to consider when you are suffering from diseases like kidney disease, heart disease, and many others. More of it, you will have stayed away from diseases, healthy and satisfied, which is healthy for your body and your mind.

People eat meat and think they become strong as ox, forgetting that an ox eats grass. Nothing benefits human health and increases survival on earth as much as the evolution of a vegetarian diet. Veganism is not only a diet it’s about what we all need to have. Following a vegan lifestyle is associated with a bevy of health benefits.

Cardio-benefits :

Vegetarian diets are credited for lowering cardiovascular diseases. A vegan diet decreases blood cholesterol levels and reduces heart diseases, strokes, and various cardio disorders. Plant-based foods have zero cholesterol, however omnivorous and dairy foods have high levels of cholesterol that may clog and harden the arteries. Less inflammation of arteries is seen with people having vegan diets due to the abundance of anti-inflammatory molecule intake. These foods have low sugars, low fats, low cholesterol, and low salt which would reduce the odds of heart attacks, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure. Vegan diets are the only diets proven to reverse and reduce heart strokes. People consuming more fruits and vegetables are at a lower risk of death as compared to those with low consumption. Polyphenols in plant-based products play a major role in improving cardio health.

Weight loss :

A vegan diet is increasingly becoming recognized as a healthier alternative to meat plan diets. Filling your food with plant-based products would help you reduce weight and body fat. Fiber intake is a key for losing body weight and vegan products are more focused on fiber. Fiber consumption improves our clockwork bowel moments and boosts the digestive system. Eradicating animal foods from your diet means getting rid of unhealthy saturated fats. A vegan diet would help you shed some pounds as junk food is replaced with healthy whole food that is enriched with healthy fats. Vegan foods are rich in carbohydrates giving you instant energy, that helps you to boost your motivation for fitness. Considering the pros of a vegan diet more fiber simply means a more healthy body.

Protection against cancer :

A vegan diet is the best thing you can do for your health. Cutting animal products would reduce the risk of breast, prostate, and colon cancers. Vegan diets are less processed, less smoked, and are cooked at low temperatures thus reducing the risk of carcinogens. Cancer risk is reduced by 15 % in vegans as they are high in fiber, vitamins, and phytochemicals. Plant diets have more soy proteins that decrease the risk of breast cancer. Phytochemicals present in food and vegetables help to protect again the damages caused by cancer. Consuming nutrient-dense food, whole grains, and legumes, and cutting down the processed meat and dairy products reduce the cancer risks to half.

Glowing Skin :

Increasing access to healthful foods fights stubborn pimples control acne, and improves complexion and skin tone. Getting a vegan diet not only improves your metabolism but benefits will also definitely improve your skin. Fruits and vegetables have Vitamins C and E and selenium that prevents skin cancers. Squamous cell carcinoma (SSC) risk is increased by eating meat and dairy whereas a vegan diet helps to reduce the risk of SSC. Surprisingly, dairy products cause skin breakouts and acne. Having a vegan diet leaves you with healthy glowing skin. Root vegetables such as carrots and beetroots have B-carotene that boosts anti-oxidant properties and give a healthy glow. Additionally, soy foods increase the level of hyaluronic acid that help keep skin hydrated.

Improve kidney function :

Dietary intake plays a significant role in the prevention and management of several kidney disorders. Consumption of soy protein leads to less hyperfiltration and glomerular hypertension which preserves the efficiency of the kidney. Moreover, soy proteins reduce the urinary area nitrogen as compared to animal proteins. A vegan diet increases the level of insulin in the blood reduces the sugar level and protects from diabetic problems that can make the kidneys worse. Eating plant-based foods would turn down the load factor on kidneys as they are low in acids and fats. During a kidney disease, excess phosphorus may harm bones but veggie diets have less phosphorus which aids in improved kidney function. The alkalizing effects of plant-based potassium foods have explained reductions in metabolic acidosis and kidney disease progression.

Cognitive decline :

Cognitive decline refers to frequent confusion and memory loss as symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Plant dietary patterns exert neuroprotective effects. Vegan diets are rich in phytochemicals, polyphenols, anti-oxidants, and saturated fatty acids and studies reveal that these compounds aid in the connection and survival of brain cells and boost brain function. Polyphenol-rich plant foods play a role in preventing ARCD and improving cognitive function. Vegans have better self-control and interoception as compared to one’s consuming animal diet plans. Plant-based dietary supplements promote cognitive function and vegans show greater visual memory gains than meat-eaters.

Project Background and Rationale

An ethical customer of the market is an individual those are intentionally paid attention to the marketer with diverse offers for keeping their interest updated towards the organization. The research study will focus on the adaptability of vegan coffee by the wider population of the Irish market in Ireland. The research will discuss the role of the Irish market in producing vegan coffee and the determination of trends in the Irish market. The research on the acceptance of vegan coffee in Ireland has been undertaken for evidencing the importance of veganism in leading healthy life. Evidence can be found regarding the term vegetarianism showing that being vegan is a lifestyle rather than a diet. In the process of accepting a vegan lifestyle, most of the population is regarded to eliminate the consumption of several food items that are meat or beef with a decision to stop consuming the non-veg items completely. The project will thus focus on surveying the population of Ireland who are interested in veganism. The model and theories in the research study will be applied in order to define, the consumption behaviour of the consumer towards

These research papers have been adopted in order to find how the interests of people are rose towards a specific product of a particular region or company that makes it a trend to others. The food and beverages company or production in the region such as Ireland is deepened on the behavior and trends of customers. While initiating this part, a dichotomy of consumer often states the pro-ethical behavior and attitude of the customer of Ireland and purchasing habit towards vegan coffee. The research proposal has explored the needed point by conducting qualitative and quantitative methods and finding out gaps in research that are referred to in the literature.

This part of the research is linked with findings that will allow me to develop my research skills in the field of business research. With the evaluation and analysis of collected data, I will be able to find the literature gap by employing qualitative and quantitative methods in order to find the preferences of executives in coffee shops towards veganism (Wrenn, 2019). By conducting this research, the program of business research skills will be improved on the ground of undertaking a business approach in Ireland. It will be easier for me to investigate the area-wise demand and impact of veganism. The research conducted as per the business skills program is thus directly linked to the business of a Coffee shop that is getting impacted due to veganism culture.

Research Aim

This research aims at figuring out the reason behind the acceptance of coffee shops in the Irish market

Research Objective

1. To identify the different factors leading to increasing veganism in the population of Ireland
2. To understand the ethical behavior of people toward veganism
3. To evaluate the increasing role of the Coffee shop in the Irish market toward veganism
4. To find how Coffee shops can influence the population of Ireland in consuming vegan coffee

Research Questions

Primary Question

1. What does veganism mean to the Irish Population?

Sub -Question

1. What are the different factors that are ensuring veganism to the Ireland population?
2. What vital role is played by the Coffee shops in maintaining the veganism lifestyle of Irish people?

Rationale

Vegetarianism is one of the nutrition terms generally used for defining the types of eating habits. This term eliminates the habits of eating certain foods that are included in the Non-vegetarianism category. According to the survey, veganism has thus been identified as 600% in the last three years. Being veganism means giving up several luxuries included in daily lifestyle such as the consumption of meat, wearing leather, or using products made out of leather. The consumption of coffee in Ireland by its population has increased by 10% as once coffee is consumed by each person per day (green news. ie, 2019). The consumption of coffee has also found in increasing coffee shops in the Irish market by 8.5% (veganinireland.com, 2019). According to the survey, 75% of the population prefers to consume coffee once a day.

In the case of beverages and other drinks, Ireland is observed to have a vegan lifestyle due to changing lifestyles. Veganism in Ireland has undertaken a huge surge and is popular worldwide.

Initial Literature Review

Introduction

In this research section, the concept of veganism and how it is related to the changing lifestyle of the people of Ireland will be discussed with the help of journals and articles. The impact of veganism culture in coffee shops will be observed by applying an appropriate theory or model. Later on, the theory and model along with the influence of veganism will be used in finding the literature gap in the research.

Concept of Veganism in the Context of Ireland

Being vegan is a great deal as it will soon provide an individual with the world of foods with different flavors. The diet chart of vegan food is consisting of whole fruits and green vegetables. It also included dry fruits and other nutrient items that are not acquired from the sources of animals. The endless combination of such vegan food items will not let the consumer become bored of a different flavor (North et al. 2019). Veganism among the population of Ireland has been adopted due to ethical and cultural considerations. It has been considered by the company to ensure animal and environmental conservation that has been followed by government policies, business policies, and community unity. According to the statement of Janssen et al. (2016), veganism is a procedure that ensures the nonusage of animal-related products such as meat, leather or other product to be used as per cultural behavior or due to changing trends of a healthy lifestyle. The key factors that are influencing the veganism lifestyle of the people of the Irish population are morality, ethical behavior, and the last and most important factor is the protection of animals and the environment. Veganism can be said as a combination of deciding to intake a healthier lifestyle and being concerned about the environment (Rogerson, 2017). The people ensure to reach the goal of taking nutrition by consuming secure nutritional food items. The ethical consideration and behavior of the Irish people for veganism can be identified by the reduction of meat consumption and saving animals. It means the elimination of cruelty towards animals and accepting a peaceful lifestyle.

Veganism is not related to the diet instead it reveals the culture and religion of a specific country or location where the vast percentage of people quit consuming animals as non-veg food items. Apart from unethical behavior, veganism is also considered as one of the better strategies for securing the lives of animals and conserving the environment. It has been stated by Rogerson, (2018), that recently, most of the organizations operating in Ireland is involved in motivating the ethics of veganism (Kennedy et al. 2019). In most coffee shops, the usage of cream has been decreased for promoting vegan coffee to its customer and cooperating with the Irish culture. Most of the medicine shops have also considered the approach of stopping killing animals for preparing medicine and instead using herbal items. The medicine is checked before distribution in the market.

Impact of Veganism on the Coffee Shop

The Irish population plays an active role in maintaining the culture of veganism by reducing the usage of leather products and consumption of non-veg food items. Moreover, the shops and local food manufacturers are also involved in producing or selling veg foods. The coffee shop even has tried to produce vegan coffee varieties and tastes (Wrenn, 2017). As per the UCC survey, a drastic change in food consumption habits has been identified due to the vegan culture adopted in Ireland. Where 8% were non-vegan and 2% are vegans. With an increasing sense of veganism, the population using non-veg and even selling non-veg coffees using whole or full milk cream has declined. The vegan coffee shop in Ireland is increasing rapidly with the motive of introducing and supporting the culture of veganism and ensuring less consumption of non-veg food. Coffee shops such as Dublin are providing varieties of vegan food with offers in order to make the customer attracted to veg products instead of non-veg (Waters, 2018). The number or percentage of vegans in Ireland is not officially figured out however the vegan society according to the survey done by the UK department has found a tripling of veganism since the decade to above 500000 (vegan. ie, 2019). In the year 2013, the market for food hit £625 million which rose to £657 million within one year. In current days, more than 12% of the population of Ireland has been following vegan culture. With the increasing veganism, the demand for plant and green vegetables is also getting affected. The culture of coffee per day is intense; however, most coffee shops are needed to adopt a different style of presenting coffee with less usage of milk products and attract customers (Brown, 2018). However, in the case of the vegan coffee shop, the demand the coffee has remained similar however, fewer coffee shop has been able to meet the demand of customer and thus most of the coffee shop has been suffering from less revenue generation.

Theory of planned behavior

Theses theory has been influenced by the Reasoned Action theory originated by Fishbein and Ajzen considering human behavior in the decision-making process. The particular reason for introducing this theory in the concept of veganism is to evaluate the action of Irish people and coffee shops towards this culture (Demmer et al. 2016). The theory assumes that how strong is the intention, the more it will have its action performed in a specific field.

Three determinants have been suggested by Ajzen that are self-reliant. The theory states an attitude of an individual toward himself. The three determinants are subjective norms, emotions, and perceived behavior control that ensures the ability of an individual in controlling one’s behavior and emotion by themselves. The theory has stated that from its perspective, an individual’s intention is formed by the result of three factors that have been determined previously leading to behavioral practices.

An attitude of an individual reflects the favorable or unfavorable behavior of the people and helps in appraising the behavior towards variables. The perspective of controlling one’s behavior gives rise to the intention of an individual that is appropriate for determining the factors of human behavior. Hence, the perspective and thoughts of an individual regarding veganism can be evaluated with a perfect attitude. The negative or positive perspective of humans is then supported by the social connection in a locality determining the second factor of the planned theory which is supportive norms. It has been thus identified that if an individual gets a positive attitude and support from the supportive norms, the action and experience of humans towards veganism culture will be stronger.

Supply and demand

While exploring the market of coffee shops in Ireland, for primary research, it has been noticed that the cost of coffee has risen due to increasing consumption and demand of coffee in the context of the enormous coffee culture in the UK. The coffee shop is having more than one variety of coffee along with different types of snacks offering with it (YUZUAK and Erten, 2018). At the time of research, several changes have been observed regarding changes in the taste, form, style of serving, and contents of coffee in the shop due to the adoption of vegan culture in a business that has enlarged the demand and supply of coffee as well in the Ireland market. However, the coffee shop is segmented into two different areas with a vegan section and a non-vegan section in order to make it easy for consumers to select and identify their preferred section (Yu et al. 2018). This great movement by the Coffee shop has ensured increasing demand for the customer. With the increasing demand for vegan food and coffee, the market of Ireland has increased the productivity of vegetables and fruits and thus the supply of such organic food products has increased. The consequence of such a veganism culture has on that shop those are relying on non-veg food items. The research has observed a declining position in most coffee shops due to less variety available in the shop of vegan category. In order to support such reasonable requirements of vegan coffee, one and only option available to the coffee shop is to increase the supply or availability of resources for vegans (Wrenn, 2019). The profitability of coffee shops in Ireland is depended on the customers’ demand. Hence the shops are needed to include a vegan section must in the restaurants so at to ensure that regular customers are in the vegan coffee section.

Literature gap

After analyzing the concept of veganism and its influence positive or negative on the coffee shop business of Ireland, the literature review has found a gap in the perspective of business skills where gender discrimination is highlighted in the surge of veganism. The thoughts of the public regarding the consumption of non-veg by masculine in vast amounts are needed to be eliminated. Equality in veganism is needed to bring as feminine veganism is bridging the gap between the concept of herbivores and omnivores. In the context of a coffee shop, the marketers are needed to align the brand images and their functional core value towards the organizational activities in order to ensure profitability and eliminate the issue of veganism.

Research Methodology and Methods

In this research section, an appropriate method will be applied to finding the result of collected data and it will be analyzed for identifying the relationship between two variables.

Research Philosophy

The research study will be conducted on the basis of the positivism philosophy, as it is appropriate in adhering to facts related to the collected data and analysis. The positivist philosophy is more likely to link with originality and can hold proximity to ensure data authenticity proximity (Saunders et al. 2015).

Research approach

A deductive approach will be considered in this research study for finding an effective conclusion out of applied methodology. The deductive approach will allow the researcher in finding a better correlation between the two different dependent and independent variables (Jebb et al. 2017). The approach has been adopted to focus on the theories applied in the literature review. Hence the impact of changing the lifestyle of Irish people regarding veganism and its impact on the coffee shop market can be analyzed.

Research Design

The research design will conduct a causality test with minimum or optimal variables as an exploratory design. The key purpose of the research design in this research study is to conceptualize the research framework in an understanding manner that will be accomplished by conducting an exploratory research design (Bobrovskij, 2018). It will help in improving the research findings at the end of the research

Data collection method

In this research, both the qualitative and quantitative data collection methods will be adopted for collecting primary and secondary data. The qualitative data will be ensuring the accuracy of information by using the interview technique. However, the quantitative data collection procedure will be conducted on the basis of a survey questionnaire (YUZUAK and Erten, 2018). The secondary data will be collected from books, journals, and online articles for ensuring the authenticity of the information.

Sampling and finding

In the method of qualitative data, 3 types of management that are the executive, the manager, and the staff will be interviewed for understanding their view regarding veganism in a coffee shop. The qualitative data collection method will be conducted with the help of a questionnaire for collecting primary data from 51 respondents on the basis of their views towards vegan coffee shops and their influencing behavior.

Data analysis technique

The research will collect data in the form of a survey by using a quantitative method with a random sampling of 51 respondents. The data will be evaluated with the help of percentage calculation to identify what percentage has agreed with the fact and disagreed. Percentage data will be analyzed by preparing a pie chart or bar graph to show the responses in an attractive manner. Graph interpretation will be an effective analyzing tool for attracting attention and evaluating the result of data collection in an easier process in a short time (Milburn, 2016).

Ethical Issues

The research will be following the Data Protection Act of 1998 for the collected information the research in order to keep it safe due to the integrity of the information sources. The authentic usage of information with the consent of the sources will be conducted. While conducting research no such forces will be given to the respondents as to maintain the ethical consideration. With the help of the Data Protection Act, data bias will be avoided by not undertaking the research work of other researchers. Any issues incurred during data collection will be sensitive for proceeding with research work. Hence the research information will be dealt with confidentiality. Instead, the date will be processed and used for the research work only.

Risk Assessment and Contingency Planning

While collecting data from the sources of the survey will consider the permission of the respondents and no forces will be done for responding to the unethical questionnaire as per respondent’s perspectives. The data collected from the sources of articles or journals will be used ethically without harming the confidentiality of the information.

In the situation that data information will be blocked at any instance for any reason, the information will be either collected from the interview with the executive or manager or from the journal, books, and articles collected online. As I am presuming with the business skills program I have suggestive and sufficient knowledge regarding the research on this topic that will help me in completing this research work within the time frame (Kennedy et al. 2019).

In order to complete the research work within semester 2, I will prepare a time frame and make an endeavor to complete the research within 3 months.

With consideration of the Data Protection Act, I will be securing the collected data in my personal laptop secured with a password to eliminate the accessibility of information by another assessor.

Downtown Detroit has some secret gems as far as vegan cuisine goes. Detroit vegan soul has a desire to make healthy food that is accessible to everyone and their goal is to stop disease in dieting and help the families in the community. Detroit Vegan Soul – founded in 2012 – started as a meal delivery and catering service and the response from the community was more significant than what they expected. Their food caters to everyone and is fresh, nutritious, and high in quality. When you go down to Detroit Vegan Soul they allow you to indulge in comfort food that they get from “Earthworks”, “The Brinery”, “D Town Farms”, “Michigan Soy” and “Keep Growing Detroit”. Detroit Vegan Soul is also a founding member of FoodLab Detroit, where they have a locally owned food business that is happy to support one another in the process of undergoing natural development as well as producing more delicious and healthy foods for the economy of Detroit.

Every year DVS hosts a 30-day vegan challenge in collaboration with “GO! Smoothies” where anyone can sign up for free to try being vegan for 30 days. They offer weekly workshops, cooking demos, motivating daily emails, social media pages, grocery shopping lists coupons, and weekly meal packages! So if you’re interested in going vegan Detroit Vegan Soul is a great supporter to look into.

Their menu is 100% plant-based as well as trans-fat free, mostly organic ingredients, minus hydrogenated oils, dairy, lactose, and egg free, naturally cholesterol free, and uses natural sweeteners such as agave and maple syrup. Indulge in their appetizers such as the nacho which is filled with lettuce, tomato, avocado, olives, walnut meat, and creamy cashew cheese, and to top it all off with fresh corn chips. Their Southern Fried Tofu Bites are a true comfort food that is battered and fried and served with spicy buffalo dipping sauce if you’re transitioning into a vegan lifestyle I suggest you try these first, you certainly won’t be disappointed, and will definitely be asking for seconds.

My main course was the “Catfish Tofu Platter” which is battered tofu in cornmeal accompanied by coleslaw, spaghetti, and vegan shrimp which is incredibly fresh and appetizing to the pallet. Another great option to get your dinner started is the Seitan Pepper Steak which is stir fry style in their special sauce with peppers, onions, and garlic all served on a bed of rice with sesame broccoli. If that isn’t enough their Soul Platter is the epitome of comfort food with mac-n-cheese (no dairy of course), smoked collard greens, maple syrup glazed yams, black-eyed peas, and a cornbread muffin!

Their menu expands from sweet potato stacks served with maple syrup sprinkled with cinnamon and walnuts for brunch, an array of starters, a hard-to-choose-from main course section, a coconut “BLT” wrap – psst, the B stands for coconut bacon – underneath their sandwiches, soups, and salads as well as a dessert of the day and last but not least milkshakes and smoothies.

You won’t be disappointed with DVS’s amazing and thought-out menu. Go to their two Detroit locations, 8029 Agnes ST and 19614 Grand River Ave, and see for yourself.