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Beth Garver
I became vegetarian in college for health reasons after living abroad and gaining excess weight. I leaned toward veganism, but wasn't fully educated on how perfidiously animals were treated. I didn't realize they were abjectly tortured until I became active in the local vegetarian society. I also had some health issues, for which the best remedy was a vegan diet. At that point, I eschewed all animal products and became active in the vegan movement, founding organizations, volunteering and coordinating activities to fight for animals' rights. In 2019, I took a position with my friend's non-profit health education intervention org, Rochester Lifestyle Medicine Institute. I began reading the studies, seeing first hand in our patients, and learning about all of the MANY health benefits of WFPB vegan nutrition and lifestyle medicine, while also protecting animals and the environment from undue, deleterious harm. It's amazing how small changes in behavior and lifestyle can have such magnanimous outcomes on health, the environment and for animals and humans.