I have been vegan since 1989. I discovered I was allergic to several animal-derived foods including dairy & egg yolks, & I never cared for beef, chicken or turkey, so I started cutting them out of my diet & learned about vegetarianism in order to make my diet more healthy. From there I learned about veganism & was so impressed by a vegan presentation at the 1989 NAVS Sumemrfest that in 1993 I went to a culinary institute in NY where I was trained as a vegan chef (the now defunct Natural Gourmet Institute). My husband & I ate mostly vegan (organic, locally raised turkey on Thanksgiving & Christmas) until 1999. In 1999 I became ill & disabled with multiple autoimmune illnesses & since recovering in 2012 I've used a whole foods plant-based diet to remain healed & also keep my health stable. My husband is now also completely vegan & we're both also gluten-free & entirely sugar-free.