Health professionals and support workers across the South-West are taking to start the Plant-Based Diet Challenge from Monday January 20th to Sunday February 18th, 2020. Registration has now closed.
If you have registered for the challenge please see our January 2020 Update below. Watch your e-mail for exciting updates and event announcements. If you haven’t received any e-mails please contact academy@thehappypear.ie for support.
David & Stephen Flynn
Its all about delicious food and a thriving community
Challengers will receive all the shopping lists, meal plans, recipes and on-line support they will need to enjoy a really healthy and delicious plant-based diet for 28 days.
The recipes have been kindly provided by Stephen & David Flynn of The Happy Pear, who will be joining Dr Alan Desmond and Registered Dietician Deborah Howland to support you on your 28-day plant-based adventure.
There will be plenty of Plant-Based Diet Challenge Events, both on-line and in our Coastal communities. We are also planning a get-together after the challenge to present the results and share more delicious food! Watch your e-mail for updates.
January 2020: Challenge Update
It's time to take down the tinsel, shake off the holiday cobwebs and get 2020 off to a really healthy start. If you are one of 150 health care professionals who are gearing up for the South-West Plant-Based Diet Challenge, here’s what you need to know.
When does the challenge start?
The official start date is Monday January 20th. The challenge then runs for four weeks, ending on Sunday February 16th.
Can I start later than January 20th?
Don’t worry if you can’t start on the same day as everyone else. You will have access to the recipes, shopping lists, meal plans and the on-line course from for a total of 8 weeks. So you could start on Monday January 27th, February 3rd, 10th, 17th or 24th. Its best to start it on a Monday, as all the meal plans and shopping lists are set up for a Monday start. All we ask is that you complete the four weeks and that you check your numbers before and after.
How do I get access to the recipes, on-line course and Facebook group?
We will e-mail you a link on Friday January 10th with access to the on-line course, recipes and shopping lists. We will also invite you to join the the private Facebook Group where challengers will be sharing their own experiences and where we will host the live Q&A sessions each week of the challenge. Joining the private Facebook group is not mandatory, without it you will still receive e-mail updates and access to the Q&A videos.
How do I find the pre-challenge questionnaire?
We will e-mail you a link to the pre-challenge questionnaire. It asks about your usual eating habits and asks for your pre-challenge numbers (height, weight, blood pressure and cholesterol). It only has 15 questions and should take just a few minutes to complete.
How do I get my blood pressure, height and weight and fasting blood tests done?
We’d like all challengers to have these numbers checked before and after the challenge. You can click here to download a letter for your GP. If your GP practice is unable to give you an appointment for the fasting blood tests and measurements, you can make an appointment with a volunteer nurse at Teignmouth Hospital by e-mailing chloe.myers@nhs.net. Finally, you might choose to check your own blood tests at home! There are several reputable on-line services that offer simple home testing kits by a finger-prick blood sample, including www.letsgetchecked.com , www.medichecks.com and
All challengers are invited to the Launch Event!
The launch event will get our challenge community together for the first time. Stephen and David Flynn of The Happy Pear will be there to talk about their own plant-based journey, do a live cooking demo and a answer your questions. There will also be teas, coffees and tasty plant-based nibbles.
The Launch Event is on Tuesday January 21st, 7.30pm - 9pm at the Alice Cross Centre, 1-3 Bitton Park Rd, Teignmouth TQ14 9BT. Click here for directions.
All challengers are invited to the launch event. If you would like to attend please e-mail chloe.myers@nhs.net
