Interviews
Dr. Leo Venus
Medical Doctor & Public Figure
Q & A
1. Please tell me a little more about yourself and your social media.
1. I am a medical doctor who is passionate about healthy lifestyle and preventative medicine. As a medical professional, I have had the opportunity to see the inner workings of the medical industry. I experienced the disheartening truth that though the majority of the disease burden today comes from lifestyle related disease, this is not a main focus within the mainstream medical industry. I therefore now dedicate myself to helping others achieve better health and fitness through social media platforms such as Instagram and YouTube as well as working personally with people through my website.
2. How long have you been vegan?
2. I have been vegan for almost 7 years now, still waiting for that protein deficiency to kick in!
3. Why did you decide to go vegan?
3. At first I went plant-based when I was made aware of the research and scientific evidence backing this lifestyle. I truly went vegan though once I made the ethical connection, realizing that not going vegan undoubtably contributes to the unnecessary suffering for other sentient beings.
4. How has it changed your life, health and outlook?
4. This lifestyle changed my life in many ways. Firstly it changed how people identified me through social interactions and has helped teach me a lot about human relations. My health has become much better, due to not only following a vegan diet but a whole-food, plant-based diet as well as learning and incorporating other lifestyle factors which contribute to better health. My outlook is probably what has changed the most, giving me a much broader perspective and expanding my open-mindedness to new levels.
5. What’s the hardest thing about being vegan?
5. The hardest thing about being vegan is accepting that many trillions of animals including human beings will still unnecessarily suffer and vast amounts of nature will be destroyed before humanity as a whole make the connection.
6. What’s your favourite meal?
6. My favorite meal has to be rice and black beans, a Brazilian staple full of health promoting nutrition.
7. Are there any foods you miss or crave?
7. Cravings were surprisingly small for me and not at all an issue!
8. Have you convinced any friends or family to change their lifestyle?
8. A lot of people have adopted this lifestyle after I did however I do not like thinking of it in terms of “convincing” anyone. I believe people must convince themselves and make their own decisions. It is not our responsibility to change others, but rather to live as examples, inform others in a positive way and allow them to change themselves.
9. Who/what is your biggest inspiration?
9. I draw so much inspiration from so many sources, from plant based doctors, activists, fitness giants, family to the beauty of nature and life itself. I simply wouldn’t be able to give a single dominating source of inspiration!
10. What advice would you give someone who is thinking about going vegan?
10. To anyone going vegan I would say first of all congratulations on finding this amazing lifestyle, and to approach it with open-mindedness and patience. As with learning anything new it is ok to make mistakes so don’t put pressure on yourself to be perfect. With time to increase your knowledge and correctly incorporate this lifestyle, being vegan can work for everybody!
"The hardest thing about being vegan is accepting that many trillions of animals including human beings will still unnecessarily suffer and vast amounts of nature will be destroyed before humanity as a whole make the connection."
To anyone going vegan I would say first of all congratulations on finding this amazing lifestyle, and to approach it with open-mindedness and patience. As with learning anything new it is ok to make mistakes so don’t put pressure on yourself to be perfect. With time to increase your knowledge and correctly incorporate this lifestyle, being vegan can work for everybody!
