I’ve only been at my current job at York Region Rapid Transit for 9 months, but have been a dedicated vegan for 14-plus years (and a vegetarian since birth). Plant-based eating is my passion. While I actively volunteer for the Toronto Vegetarian Association in the hopes of directly influencing people, in other areas of my life, subtlety, tact and sometimes even downplaying my beliefs is in order. Workplace being a case for the latter.

However, just setting the example has influenced many at the office. It started with a colleague, Andrea, observing and being curious about my lunches. I’d offer her a bite, a taste or bring in a full serving for her the next day if she really liked something. Andrea attended a couple of my events — a nutrition panel I was a part of, and one of my Loblaws cooking classes. She’s motivated to change her habits due to a health concern and a desire to lose weight.

Around Christmas time I offered to help her with her food choices, with a huge support system in place. In a nutshell, for her commitment to a 100% plant-based diet for three weeks, I would help her with menu planning, provide recipes, take her on guided shopping trips to a health food store and a regular grocery store, and cook with her on three consecutive Sundays to load up her fridge and freezer for the upcoming week. In addition, I would provide her with three lunches the first week, two lunches the second week and one lunch the final week (so she wouldn’t get bored eating the same things prepared on Sunday all week). She readily accepted and a second colleague, Liza, jumped on board when she heard about our planned little vegan adventure.

I was also asked by the leader of our social committee to do a “healthy eating” presentation as a lunch and learn benefit for staff — I was only too thrilled to be asked. I took my blender in and treated about 10 – 12 attendees to samples of green smoothies and eggless egg salad mini pita pockets — both were a hit. From that presentation alone, numerous people have incorporated green smoothies into their breakfast routines, and one co-worker got all excited and has been making an effort to eat plant-based ever since. My approach to the presentation was “you may not want to do what I do, but perhaps you’ll be inspired to incorporate some plant-based recipes into your lifestyle.” (Knowing I was speaking to dedicated omnivores, the soft sell was the way to go). It was very well received, with some enthusiastic participants asking me to turn it into a series of workshops (hasn’t happened yet), and one thanking me profusely for the resources I presented (a selection of my favourite books/DVDs — The China Study by Dr. T. Colin Campbell being my ultimate nutrition bible).

And how are Andrea and Liza doing? Both made it through the three weeks — they each had a moment of temptation, but neither gave in — they honoured their commitment of three vegan weeks. One missed cheese, the other missed salmon. But Liza, when she had the cheese after the three weeks were over, wasn’t overly thrilled with it. Andrea thought it tasted like plastic. Both have incorporated green smoothies into their regular breakfasts, although Andrea doesn’t want to do them seven days a week (she’ll do 5 – 6 days). Andrea is also somewhat conflicted — wants to keep at it for health reasons, but family pull and emotional ties to old eating habits remains strong. Andrea is also noticing that when she now eats meat (after the three weeks of vegan eating), it doesn’t digest well at all. But both said the three-week trial was a great experience, and their eating habits have improved after having gone through it.

These are the lessons most people learn when they’re in transition — the key is to try the lifestyle for an uninterrupted three weeks. That’s enough time for your body to notice a difference, and for the chemistry changes to take place.

It was also a wonderful lesson for me to be reminded through this experience that sometimes just being the change you want to see in the world is enough.

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Nimisha Raja writes the “Ask Nimisha” column on vegan living for the Toronto Vegetarian Association’s newsletter Lifelines and she’s been helping Veggie Challenge team since 2007.