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Chanel Green is the head of Birmingham's first vegan Caribbean cooking school.

Delivering cooking lessons in venues across Birmingham and personal one-to-one home classes, she is on a quest to promote a healthy lifestyle to citizens of Birmingham.

Her ambitions were sparked by a life changing transition from meat to a plant based diet.

Opting for vegetables, she has seen a life changing transformation for her health.

Introducing her mother to the diet, Chanel has claimed to have reversed her diabetes and she is now embarking on transforming the lives of others in the city with food.

(Image: Chanel Green)

Ending her battle with Irritable Bowl Syndrome (IBS)

It all began for Chanel Green, 34, after watching a documentary about veganism.

"How animals were treated, the hormones and impurities, after watching that I felt completely convinced that I didn't want to (eat meat) anymore," recalls Chanel.

"Giving up meat made me the only vegetarian in the family home which meant I could no longer rely on mom’s lovely cooking.

"My only option was to learn fast how to cook for myself.

"The main challenge was being able to cook my own food, where there isn't much space for two people to be cooking meals everyday. It was a logistical issue. I had to cook two, or three meals at a time.

"First I gave up meat, then fish, then dairy but not cheese.

"I used to have IBS," she reveals.

"Sometimes I would go 10 days without going to the toilet."

"When I started eating better, I stopped having these digestive ups and downs. It sort of regulated my digestive system,"

"Certainly when I stopped eating dairy, I noticed a massive difference in my health," says Chanel.

"My IBS settled down and the monthly torture of painful periods was no more.

“I saw immense health improvements, weight loss and better skin to name a few with a vegetarian diet. I then began to research the benefits of a plant based diet.

"It made sense to go all the way and just become plant based and my health was all the better because of it."

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'Reversing' disease

Growing up in a Caribbean home with Jamaican and Bajan heritage, Chanel's family members were initially reluctant about her dietary change.

"Initially they thought that it would lead me to be less healthy weak or feeble. They didn't understand the benefits.

"There was a lot of suspicion about it," she says.

It was during 2011 that Chanel was able to convince her family that consuming a plant-based diet may have positive health benefits.

Her mother was suddenly diagnosed with type two diabetes.

"This was the first time she was diagnosed with it.

"My suggestion was that she needed to change her diet, to omit meat and dairy for four weeks just to see what effect it would have.

"She was so frightened by the diabetes. A lot of things can happen like blindness and amputation.

"On her next check-up after eating plant-based for four weeks because of the way she ate, she lost a lot of weight.

"A month later the diabetes reversed."

(Image: Chanel Green)

Before entering into the culinary industry with her business Better Bites Cooking School, Chanel was just a student at Aston University studying to be an accountant.

"Once I graduated I didn't know what to do with myself. Just doing admin jobs here and there.

"I decided I needed to do something with my education," she says.

Chanel then went on to complete a PGCE to become a qualified Food Technology teacher in 2010.

During a personal stint to Michigan, America, to do a health and wellness course, her passion was sparked to aim for an-all round healthier lifestyle.

On her return, between balancing substitute teaching and attending more cooking classes across the UK, Chanel was determined to recreate the successes she had learnt overseas.

"I actively, very intentionally, went to host my own classes. I was going to places like Newcastle, Liverpool, Manchester. It was always in a church, like a church hall.

"After many failed attempts and dinner party mishaps I gradually began to turn a corner creating dishes where people would request the recipe."

(Image: Chanel Green)

Better Bites Cooking School

Being a substitute teacher wasn't enough for Chanel.

"I wanted to create and teach my own recipes and so I started the social initiative called Better Bites Cooking School as a way to host cooking demonstrations in Birmingham and all over the UK."

"The success of the cooking schools lead to more and more invitations to teach until eventually the demand was there to host hands on classes and here we are."

The cooking courses take place in various venues in Birmingham city centre, and are advertised on the Better Bites Cooking School website.

Individual classes taught by Chanel are £70 per person, with discounts available for couples or group bookings.

(Image: Chanel Green)

"It is your genes that hold the gun but it is your lifestyle that holds the trigger"

"The classes are fully hands on, I demo, the attendees make," Chanel says.

"We treat the classroom like a home kitchen, one big family cooking together.

"We have reggae and calypso on in the background for that chilled atmosphere, attendees love it, it's proper chill and eat good vibes."

As of recent, Chanel's efforts to promote plant-based eating and a healthier lifestyle has become a personal battle.

"I have recently been diagnosed with endometriosis," she reveals.

What is Endometriosis? Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb starts to grow in other places, such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes. Endometriosis can affect women of any age, but it's most common in women in their 30s and 40s. The main symptoms are: pain when going to the toilet

some difficulty getting pregnant

pain in the lower tummy or back (pelvic pain)

period pain that stops normal activities

constipation, feeling sick, diarrhoea, or blood in pee during a period For some women, endometriosis can have a big impact on their life and can lead to feelings of depression.

"I'm passionate about people learning how to cook in a way that preserves health and empowers them"

"Some people are naturally built to abuse their bodies and be okay. I am not that type of person.

"I just want to be the best that I can be. I have people in my family that have cancer, high blood pressure, and diabetes. I am highly susceptible.

"I've heard this saying; 'it is your genes that hold the gun but it is your lifestyle that holds the trigger.'

"I may be genetically disposed but my lifestyle can put a stop to all of that. And that is what I want people to understand and realise.

"It’s not just the healthy eating but the all round healthy living that I am trying to promote," says Chanel.

"I'm passionate about people learning how to cook in a way that preserves health and empowers them to be their best self," she says.

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According to Douglas Twenefour, Deputy Head of Care at Diabetes UK: "There’s growing evidence that some people living with Type 2 diabetes are able to put their condition into remission as a result of significant weight loss.

"However, while there is evidence to suggest that some diets – such as low calorie, low carb, Mediterranean or low fat – may have an increased impact on weight loss and remission of Type two, there’s not yet strong evidence to suggest that a plant based diet will do the same.

“Ultimately, the best diet for weight loss for any person is the diet that they’re able to stick to, and anyone living with Type 2 diabetes who is considering making any change to their diet, or trying to lose weight, should discuss this with their healthcare team to make sure they do so safely and with the right level of clinical support.”