Good

My wife and I decided together that this was the healthiest lifestyle to embrace.

The animals deserve to live!

Long term vegan and vegan online store owner.

I became vegetarian when i was at primary school, something considered very weird in the Uk in the 60s. I am ashamed to say i then stuck my head in the sand until 2019 when someone asked me if i was vegan. All i could hear was a mother cow's pain when her baby was taken away. I instantly became vegan. At the time i was working for a charity called Education for health , i started conversations with Dr Shireen Kassam about a possible collaboration, i became treasurer of a vegan animal sanctuary whose mission is to create a more compassionate, sustainable world ( www.pohpsanctuary.com) and have co founded Plant Based Future which has a goal to support organisations to reduce carbon emissions by influencing their staff to eat plant based one day a week. ( www.plant-based-future.com)

Was vegetarian since 90's then went vegan.

I had quite a few health problems and came across Dr Robert Morse promoting an all fruit diet to heal.
I couldn’t get myself on board with it until one a day a friend asked me to watch a documentary about how animals were treat (I can’t remember which it was) but it traumatised me and I went vegan that day. I was also pregnant and the smell of cooked meat was making me feel really poorly.
I never really liked meat and was quite scared of eating it, I was very particular about how it had to be cooked and cut but I never knew why. Love meat free life and I’m raising two young children meat free, 4.5 and 1.5 and never had meat.

I have always found safety and joy with animals and went vegetarian at age 11 and then vegan many years after that after I learned more about the dairy and egg industry. As time went on, I felt more vibrant than ever and it was empowering knowing I was not a part of such a cruel and unsustainable industry. This led to starting an animal sanctuary so their stories could be shared far and wide!

Ethical vegan. I care deeply about animals.

Offering a free consultation for your nonprofit bookkeeping needs. My diverse background in nonprofit accounting, audits and management makes me well qualified.

Thank you for your consideration.

Elizabeth Brave
Brave Bookkeeping LLC
619.917.5951
http://www.elizabethbrave.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-brave-36670b3/

Vegan Healthy Recipe is your go-to destination for delicious and easy-to-make vegan recipes. From wholesome breakfasts to indulgent desserts, we focus on creating plant-based dishes that are flavorful, nutritious, and perfect for every occasion. Discover the joy of vegan cooking with us!

In the summer of 2024 I watched Maa Ka Doodh while I was on a plane to Sarajevo, my father's hometown. I went completely vegan for the animals shortly after.

I went vegetarian/vegan shortly after my mother died & after my (environmental scientist) sister gave me the research on it. Never regretted it once but hard to find a community in the Midwest!

I wanted to be healthier and cut out red meat mainly.

I watched Forks Over Knives on Netflix while I was working abroad in South Korea as an English teacher. Soon after watching the film I got a call saying that an aunt on one side of my family and an uncle on the other were diagnosed with cancer. They both unfortunately passed before I could make it back to the states to see them. After that I watched the film again and went vegetarian for my last year in Korea since there was a lot of pressure at work to consume some form of animal product. I told myself that when I got back to the US, I was going fully vegan, which I did. And after a while I learned about animal sanctuaries and started becoming a regular volunteer at some near me, which introduced me to the animal rights aspect. Then I started watching documentaries like Cowspiracy which introduced me to the sustainability side. The more documentaries I watch now, the more it reinforces that I made the right decision. From "They're Trying To Kill Us" and "The Smell of Money" showing the social justice sides, "Speciesism The Movie" and "Live and Let Live" showing me the more philosophical arguments, "The End of Medicine" and "Eating Our Way To Extinction" showing me the global health and environmental impact, and "The Game Changers" showing me the impact on athletic performance.

Nutrition's favorite team is closing the gap between understanding the science behind the health benefits of food and how to apply that to your plate. TheDocandChef.com

I was born into a family that followed the teachings of Natural Hygiene, so I've been vegetarian since birth. Some of the early doctors of Natural Hygiene included limited eggs and dairy. When I met my wife in 2001, we shifted to exclusively vegan at the same time (Nov 2001).

10 years ago, after decades of being vegetarian, I decided to make the jump to veganism.

In 2019, I was placed in a medically induced coma because of what I was eating my body kept breaking down and at 1 point I was entering into the hospital over 6 times in one month!!! My Doctor told me that if I did not change my diet that I will be in a state of physical decli regarding my health. I was over 215 pounds and I was entering into the high presention and prediabetic stage. I was really tired all the time I had no energy and I was unmotivated and my mental state was really bad. I began to see exactly what the problem was and as a result I began to investigate the possibilities of vegan. By chance I saw the shows on Netflix called the Game Changers, What the Health, and Live to 100 and I began to look at more vegan documentaries and it was then that my mind was fully made up to go completely vegan. One thing I noticed is that when I became vegan I began to realize that my energy level increased dramatically and my mental outlook increased dramatically all of my vitals went to being as if I was in my late 30s I am in my mid-fifties now. I started doing things like gymnastics, yoga, circus training. I have served in 4 branches of the military and I am healthier now than I ever was when I was in the military. The more I began to investigate the more I began to realize the cruelty to animals and the more I began to detest eating meat,, cheese, and dairy. I went from weighing 215 pounds down to 154 pounds and yes I have my Before & After pictures it would like to show them to you. I want to be interviewed for your series because I truly believe that my story is an inspirational one.

I started with being vegetarian at 16 years old (20 years ago now!) and then made the switch to vegan 7 years ago. At the time, when I was 16, I was working in a restaurant on Thanksgiving day. I remember the amount of turkey's I saw in the back of the kitchen that were being cut for dishes. Maybe even a little worse, I remember how many people ate less than half of their dinner, scraping the remains into the trash. In that moment I wondered: on what scale is this happening around the world? How many turkeys have to die to make this possible? I was also heartbroken at the amount of waste. I went home after my shift and started searching these questions online... and I learned about factory farming, I learned about the numbers, and it changed my life.

My story final

My Story Cancer Story

My vegetarian lifestyle began in 1978, due to a serious life-threating medical emergency. An emergency surgery was performed which almost took my life. An ovarian cyst had ruptured, causing lots of internal bleeding and a lot of pain. The surgeon said he drained about 4 to 5 pints of blood before he could see what was going on. My life nearly slipped away. The pain and suffering endured can be compared to the pain and suffering of animals being slaughtered. As a result of that experience, the consumption of animals that suffered and died left my life entirely and I had a firm knowing that I would not participate in the taking of innocent lives. I could no longer justify it. I wanted my life and I knew the crying suffering animals were fighting for their lives too. It became something I could not do it. I understood!

This began an amazing journey into food and humanitarianism. These new feelings calmed my spirit. Many books on the subject were purchased and read. Attending lectures and classes on the subject became my new normal. Potlucks were the best, providing stories from practicing vegetarians that helped me to develop my own skills.

One of my lifelines was a magazine called Vegetarian Times. As a military family we moved often, however, that magazine always arrived in the mail every month without fail with new recipes for me to try, new stories and new research for me to consider. We were truly ready for this lifestyle change. My family made the transition to vegetarianism.

Several changes were noticed in my family as we progressed with the new lifestyle, that encouraged me. First, my son’s allergies and frequent trips to the hospital for 5-10 day stays each year became fewer and fewer. Then, finally no more trips to the hospital.

Next, our body odors changed. My daughter came home one day from school and proudly announced that her teacher had said she was the best smelling kid in her class. She was the only vegetarian. This had been my own observation, but she was proud! The whole family’s body odors changed! Additionally, my husband’s weight stabilized. His general disposition improved. Finally, my own energy vastly improved. The energy was much needed with two children, a husband and a household to manage in addition to a job.

These improvements in my family encouraged me to challenge myself with learning to prepare awesome dishes. We did not miss the meat consumption! The creole cooking style of seasonings was blended into my vegetarian cooking. This made for tantalizing meal experiences for everyone that ate at our house. One couple asked me to write a little book of recipes as a wedding gift for them. This honored me. Positively affecting the lives of others with my own experience made me happy.

This lifestyle continued without any health concerns, then divorce happened.

In 1991, I lost my precious son at age 19, in a car accident on the base. He was serving in the U.S. Army at Ft. Hood Texas. The diet had helped rid him of his asthma, as a result he was able to serve in the military, which was one of his dreams.

Around the year 2000, serious pains developed throughout my body. My sleep got crazy. My brain was foggy. Places on my body could not be touched at all! Fibromyalgia was diagnosed. Children who are abused are more likely to have the condition when they grow up is what I understood about it. This may happen because abuse changes the way the brain handles pain and stress. My childhood was an abusive one!

My own research on Fibromyalgia produced three books from the Health food store. All three books recommended a raw food diet because of its live enzymatic cleansing action. They suggested that the enzymes would reduce inflammation and that would put Fibromyalgia in remission. I didn’t observe anything in the books that would hurt me. The diet was simply raw uncooked fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds and grain. The dishes were simply beautiful. I gave it a try.

Four weeks after beginning the raw food diet, my weight went down by 20 lbs. and the Fibromyalgia was gone! My energy surged again to it normal state. The food was delicious and beautiful. It was more creative than my vegetarian dishes and I loved the challenge of a live, living foods diet.

This food style was clean and organic! Raw food potlucks and lectures popped up everywhere. This gave me the ability to take classes and to go on weekend retreats. The new people, in this lifestyle, displayed tenacity and I liked that.

Another lifestyle change became necessary in February 2009, when I was diagnosed with a very aggressive Stage 4, T-Cell Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Shock exploded in my brain! My diet and daily exercise habits had been superior. I was confused sitting there on the gurney, in my oncologist office.

My oncologist said, while fighting back her own tears, “Your people come to me with these horrible cancerns and I can’t do anything to help. Honey, I am so sorry to give you this the bad news, but the most I can give you is 4 months with this nasty cancer you have. If I can put the cancer into remission you could have as much as 2 years, but it will not be pretty and you will suffer greatly. “It will not be pretty”. “I don’t want to get your expectations high because this does not look good”. My oncologist walked away from me. She continued to look through my file, while I sat there dazed! I sat there trying to make sense of what she had said. Suddenly, she interrupted my thoughts by happily saying, “Wait a minute, I am looking at a pathology of a 30 to 33-year-old, I was 61 years old at the time. I can help you because with this pathology I can get you into a bone marrow stem transplant program,” and she did.

This was the power of raw food. Make no mistake about that! The power to back my biological age up in half, that’s powerful! In that moment, when she said I had a pathology half my age, I clearly understood the power of Genisis 1:29, which I had put so much faith in. There it was, the fruit of the trees and herbs of the field to my rescue! I was 61 years old with the pathology of a 30-33-year-old. I felt so blessed to have found and practiced this diet which had so much hidden power. This caused me to advance to the top of the transplant list.


The literature indicates that chemotherapy destroy patients’ immune systems. Everything the transplant patient eats must be microwaved to death again! Without the support of your immune system, spores from an apples, an oranges and bananas could kill you. Patients cannot touch any live food.

I am always 100% vegan and I keep my diet at least 90% live living foods. I am 14 years post cancer with no pain in my body and I take no pharmaceuticals! My story illustrates the power of a plant only diet! It had my back when the chips were down and continues to nourish my body mind and spirit.

I am a51 year Vegan

I became vegan 12 years about after having stage III colon cancer.

In 2017 I acquired Alpha-gal syndrome. Since this diagnosis, I changed my way of eating, personal hygiene products, and household cleaning products. I began to educate myself about nutritious foods and natural products that do not poison the body.

At the same time during the process, a very beautiful spiritual awakening occurred that showed me a new way of thinking and perceiving non-human animals. Seeing the similarity we have in the ability to feel and love. Therefore, starting in January 2022, I immersed myself in the beautiful world of respect for life, non-violence, connection with feelings and never again consume, use or exploit a non-human animal regardless of its species. I live a vegan life and base my diet on a 100% plant-based.

I went vegetarian when I turned 50; then one & a half years later got an email suggesting that I try the 30 Day Vegan Challenge. I wasn't sure what my intentions were but knew at the time it would help me take the next steps to veganism - if I could do 30 days I could do so forever, right? When the challenge ended I never looked back. Vegan for the animals, not for my health - no animal products whatsoever in food, clothing, cosmetics, household items etc. I try to just set a positive example by my actions, always.

I watched the documentary 'Game Changers' on Netflix with a friend and later Cowspiracy. It was very soon after that I went Vegan in the second half of 2020 out of compassion for the animals and that remains my motivation till date. The only regret I will ever have is not going vegan earlier. I would like to connect with Vegans across the world and motivate people to Vegan through my actions

I am a 51-Year WFPB Vegan. I have not been sick nor been to a doctor for illness in 51 years!

I was constantly sick as a child and got the FLU every September for 23 consecutive years, from the age of 5 till the age of 23, regardless of whether or not I got a Flu shot. I also had between 3 to 5 colds every year. When I contracted the Flu every year I would be bed ridden for at least 5-7 days. In 1973 when a produce manager at a vegetarian market gave me some 25 herb Chinese Tea and it miraculously removed my fever and I was well within 6 hours of drinking the tea, I decided to take this man up on his suggestion that I adopt a vegetarian diet.

When I became vegetarian and gave up all meat and fish, I did increase my consumption of cheese and there was no change in my weight. I was slightly chubby. As a vegetarian for 15 years I only contracted the flu twice and each time it was a mild case.

In 1988, I had the great fortune of attaining my life-long goal of Buddhahood while meditating. I shall not describe the profound experience but I was suddenly overcome with a burning desire to “Save Living Beings”. Having grown up in New York City I was completely ignorant of animal farming and I knew nothing about the production of milk. I merely assumed that no harm came to the dairy cows when giving their milk. However, it was absolutely imperative I determine that no animals were harmed so, the following day
I went onto a PETA website called “milksucks.com” (now defunct) where I learned the awful truth about milk production. The cows don’t roam the fields eating their normal diet of grass. Rather, they are chained to their stalls, get no exercise and are fed GMO laced Soy and old stale candy bars. When a cow gives birth the female calves are sourced to be milk-producing cows while the male calves are left to starve and sold as veal. Having discovered this horrific, abused life of cows, I instantaneously took a vow to become a 100% vegan and to never again consume any product that comes from any other living being.

Three months after becoming 100% vegan I noticed all of my pants were too big and kept falling down. I discovered that I had suddenly lost 35 pounds in having given up cheese and milk products! I conclude that Dr. Neil Barnard, President of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine was correct when he said “cheese is more dangerous than meat”. When I quit eating meat I did not lose any weight but when I gave up cheese I lost 35 pounds! I’ve read most of his books.

In 1993 I went to a Buddhist meeting attended by 30 people and a week later received a notice from that meeting organizer informing me the guest speaker had Tuberculosis and it was recommended I visit the doctor for a check-up as Tuberculosis is an air-born illness. I did not go to the doctor but a month later went to donate my blood platelets to help cancer patients. Two weeks later I got a letter from the clinic that I could no longer donate blood. In phoning the doctor he informed me that I had a Tuberculosis Antibody in my blood which prohibited me from donating blood. When I asked what this meant, the doctor told me that apparently, I had been around someone who had Tuberculosis and because my immune system is so strong my body created an antibody to prevent me from contracting the illness!

In 2004 I had a motorcycle spill and fractured my leg and, being unable to work I ended up in a homeless shelter for 12 months. Everyone in the shelter had bedbug bites all over their bodies except for me, the only vegan. I even awoke one morning and found a bedbug on my sheet right in front of my eyes. I concluded my never having gotten a bedbug bite to have been the result of my vegan diet and that the bedbugs were not attracted the pheromones my body emitted.

Eight years ago, in 2016, at the age of 71 I received a phone call from a V.A. nurse asking me to come in for an annual physical. I told her it was not necessary. She insisted saying to me, “No, let me explain. The doctor has not seen you in 25 years and given your age he just wants to make sure you’re in good health. I went and gave blood and urine samples and returned the following week to see the doctor. He looked at my lab results and then he staired at me. Then he looked at the lab results and again he staired at me. When he did this a third time I became concerned. I asked, “Doc, what’s wrong?” “How old are you?”, he asked. “I’m 71 years old.”, I replied. Then the doctor said, “Well, according to these lab results, you appear to have the body of a 35 year old. I’ve never seen anything like this before. I said, “That’s because I’m a 46-year WFPB vegan. I’ve been studying nutrition for 45 years. I’ve concluded that only three things cause illness in humans, meat, dairy and chemicals.”
And when you eliminate those from your diet you never get sick! My body is the living proof of everything that Dr. Michael Greger says in his book, “How Not to Die”.


And now, my body is living proof of everything that Dr. Michael Greger says in his latest book, “How Not to Die”.

I’ve created the Buddhist Diet:


“Eat only fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, organic whenever possible.”

This diet is revealed and explained in my forthcoming book, “The Truth About Buddhism”. The Truth about Buddhism is that “there is no meat-eating in Buddhism” because the Buddha clearly states, “He who eats meat is no disciple of mine.”

Most people are completely unaware exactly what is in their food. Unbeknownst to most people, food manufacturers are permitted by the FDA to add up to 1,000 different chemical ingredients without having to list them on the “Ingredients” label of packaged food! Unless you eat only plant-based organic whole foods, you really don’t know what’s in your food!!!

Want to know what causes cancer and ALL illness?

MEAT, DAIRY and man-made chemicals (GMO’s pesticides, artificial flavorings and colors.) are the cause of all human illness.

I am living proof that if anyone follows the diet I have created they will be able to attain Optimum Health just as I have.

KASHO,
The 21st Century Buddha

My wife Patty and I , originally from San Francisco and Boston respectively, both grew up within the invisible belief system that eating animals was normal, natural and necessary. We were both animal lovers, or so we thought. It was during the pandemic of Covid-19, living in Miami, that we came across documentaries, books and articles that removed our blindfolds and led to the light switch moment to make a change for the better. And it was because of Covid-19, a zoonotic disease transmitted from animals to humans, that we realized the hypocrisy of the human relationship with animals and the absurdity and destructive nature of the food production system on animals, humans, the planet and social justice as a whole. Today we continue to learn and grow and share our insight as animal rights, vegan and social justice activists, volunteering for several organizations. True Justice 4 All, a novel published in September 2024, our only book, and truejustice4all on Instagram, are our written contributions to the movement of which we are dedicated.

After starting on my spiritual journey and listening more and more to my body, I realised that eating meat and dairy was just a habit and my body didn't actually want or need animal products. Then on 4th April 22 my wife and I watched the German movie BUTENLAND which is about a rancher who turned his ranch into a cow sanctuary and we went vegan.

In my pursuit of living a more authentic and conscious life I realized quickly that eating animals was no longer an option for me.

I am a remote freelance professional who is passionate about supporting other vegans.

I watched What The Health and went vegan and my cholesterol went from 265 to 165. So, I started asking others to go vegan and now I am a vegan for the animals!

I am just beginning! I have felt it in my heart for awhile now!

I'm a vegan in college. I study journalism at Wichita State University and have written for the university's newspaper and other local publications. I went vegan at 16 after watching popular documentaries and Bong Joon Ho's "Okja", following a short vegetarian stint. I love finding new recipes and learning more about sustainability and health.

I went vegan gradually from 2000 to 2009

So I went vegan first sometime in 2012 after watching a raw vegan youtuber talking about animal cruelty especially with dairy industry , now I was primarily already a "vegetarian" with 95 % of my non fleshy foods but I've been vegan since 24th Jan 2014 when I was able to connect the dots of human, animal and environmental health when I reconnected with the interconnectedness of all planetary system ( natural & man made). Since I was already an environmentalist for a few years before this pivotal movement, it was surprising to me that I went vegan for animal cruelty reasons when I would never claim to be an animal lover but that's not a reason to deny them their reverence and basic right to freedom. And now it's been so long since I've been on this path, that most days I don't even remember why I went vegan in the first place, the dots keep connecting and now I am vegan for oneness and that there's no reason not to go vegan starting with animal liberation.

I wasn't happy with myself couldn't heal from alot of things

I experience my family members passing away from not eating healthy, in almost suffered the same way until I started eating to heal

In 2012 I saw the movie Forks over Knives as recommended by a coworker and became immediately intrigued by the idea. I went vegan right then and continued for several years. However, I let the use of vegan butters seep into my diet, which stopped all progress and enabled the weight to come back on. After I retired in 2019, I got a new smart TV and started watching videos. In 2021 August I rediscovered Dr. John McDougal‘s starch solution book and watched his videos where he reminded people that oil is disastrous to health and losing weight. Once I gave up the oil the weight flew off. I lost the 40 pounds I wanted to lose and have basically been able to maintain that loss. I will go up a few pounds generally when I eat the super tasty new meat alternatives they have now but then I get back on track and it easily falls away again. I am 6 feet tall and have been as heavy as 235 pounds. I now way between 166 (my favorite weight) and 171.
Although I started this way for health, I love the fact that I’m not eating and causing harm to animals not to mention I’m not hurting the environment as much.
It is a bit lonely but I stay strong and feel I will never go back as eating animal products seems outdated and unnecessary.

I began to have problems with headaches back in 2016 and I slowly began a little at a time changing my diets when I got a job as a Vegan Chef. I have been cooking and been a chef for almost 20 years I told myself well since I am cooking it everyday I might as well. Start eating it and as I slowly changed my diet my headaches went away.
It's a lot more details but that's the quick version.

I love being vegan.

I took voluntary redundancy in 2018 and reengaged with the animal activism of my youth which, back then, only consisted of cruelty free cosmetics and signing a few petitions. I then made the connection that ethical veganism is the ‘moral baseline’ as Francione said.

I never knew how hideous the dairy industry is and just thought it was the meat industry. When I discovered the unimaginable cruelty of both industries, I became an ethical vegan for the animals overnight. I will never go back.

I suffer from daily Weltschmerz when I think about the treatment of the animals but passionate and dedicated fellow ethical vegans keep me hopeful.

Vegan for the animals, always (because veganism is about animal rights)! I consider the countless other benefits to be positive side effects. I went vegetarian in 2004 immediately after seeing about 30 seconds of PETA’s “Meet Your Meat” video. It wasn’t until 2014 that I saw a video about the dairy and egg industries; I was heartbroken and horrified, and went vegan immediately. I’m passionate about: animal rights activism, WFPB high raw nutrition, foraging, holistic health, sustainability, yoga and mindfulness. My partner and I are working on starting a micro sanctuary for farmed animals and a vegan homestead. Be the change you wish to see in the world! ☮️💚

I was vegetarian since I was little thanks to my love for animals, then after learning about the dairy, egg, etc. industries as I got older, I knew I couldn’t support them anymore and have been vegan ever since.

I read the preface of 'How Not to Die' and that was it for me. Since that time, I've continued to expand my knowledge and passion for ecological restoration, which has only further solidified my belief in plant-based living.

I was vegetarian for about 25 years, then I learned about the milk and egg industry and decided to go vegan 🙂

Put your morals where your mouth is. Live vegan.

Became vegan in 1987 when I was 14. Nowadays veganism is much more there for everyone to realise what a horrific world this is for all animals. There’s no excuse to be ignorant and not care

As a child I’d always loved animals. Therefore, it seemed a logical to become vegetarian. I realised consuming animals did not align with my values. However, I then began to question the ethics of eating any animal products. I felt a deep sadness for the plight of dairy cows. Separating these loving mothers from their calves is unthinkably cruel. I didn’t want contribute to this animal suffering. But going vegan seemed like a big step. Especially for a teenager in the 1980’s. So I decided to try vegan for a month. It seem more achievable to have this goal.

This turned out to be pretty easy. So I’m still vegan over 37 years later. I often get asked if it was difficult back then. Without the variety of vegan products now available in supermarkets. Not to mention the plentiful options for eating out. It certainly wasn’t as convenient. It was also seen as unusual or frankly weird. I spent lots of time answering questions. Also defending my choice!

But, I see this as the best decision I have ever made. Now my eyes were open I had no desire to consume animal products. Having that motivation made it easy. As did finding a liked-minded community. This helped me to navigate a non vegan world, and to spread the message to others. I’ve been involved in vegan campaigning, animal activism and animal rescue work. My successful experience of trying vegan for a month led me to support others in this way. I organised the first vegan pledge in London. Participants tried vegan for a month. Significantly, many of them stayed vegan.

Though I began to think about animal sentience with my first rescue dog, it took me a good 10 years to face the reality of all the ways I was causing harm to our friends. Since then, I have never looked back and believe this is the most important issue of our time for animals, people and the environment.

I finally went vegan in 2018 after being vegetarian for many years. I'm so thankful I made the connection and will never go back. Every aspect of my life has fundamentally changed and I'm very lucky to have a partner who also went vegan with me. We have two dogs who are also plant based, and they are both healthy and thriving!

I knew eating animals was wrong after I watched the film 'Babe' as a child. My family wasn't vegetarian though, so I ate meat here and there until about high school when I watched a gruesome factory farming documentary in my social studies class. From that point on, I became full vegetarian. But as I did more and more research about the dairy industry, I realized being vegetarian wasn't enough for me so I finally decided to make the full commitment to veganism. It has been one of the best decisions of my life!

There was a number of events that pulled me into veganism. I stopped eating meat after a duck that someone brought to my home as a present got defrosted in my freezer during a black out. The freezer didnt turn on and so three weeks later, upon my return from holidays, I had to clean this disgusting scene. I said to myself “do I not need to be cleaning rotten cadavers from my fridge”. It clicked. But my change was not immediate. I went from not bringing meat my home fridge to eating meat only when dining out to not eating fish to vegetarian. Then I got tired of having meals covered up with white fluid everytime I ate out. People did not know how to cook without dairy and were not understanding when I wanted veg dish without any kind of maternal milk in it. Most dishes were covered in white. “If I cannot explain it I ll go vegan”, I thought. I did. It was then that I started slowly discovering what vegan means. Besides I was studying for my masters in environmental policy and it made no sense to say I am an environmentalist without being vegan as well. I was also participating in buddhist retreats. Spiritually it made no sense to consume animals and their suffering. Although one may decide on the spot, becoming/being vegan is a process “of awakening”.

I got tired of all the opposing info from doctors and health experts. I decided to begin my own research into food and what my body actually needed. After hundreds of hours researching medical journals and other literature I quickly learned a vegan diet was the best. This process took me from vegan for my health to vegan for the animals as I began to learn of their horrific treatment. Now I have over 30 rescued animals dogs cats chickens pigs goats horses and donkeys. I have been vegan 24 years and will never go back.

Around 1992, my journey toward a plant-based lifestyle began with a series of heartfelt decisions. It all started with my decision to abstain from consuming certain animals, a choice driven by personal connections and stories.

My first step was to bid farewell to sea animals and pigs. The moment of clarity that led me to eliminate pigs from my diet was when my mom explained what baby back ribs were. It was a revelation that struck me deeply; I couldn’t fathom the idea of eating baby pigs. These ribs had been one of my favorite treats at the annual Spokane Interstate Fair. Little did I know back then that my true love was for the delectable BBQ sauce that accompanied them, but at the time, I was blissfully unaware. So, one by one, I decided to give up consuming animals that held a personal connection.

In the summer of 1995, just before I entered the 7th grade, I made a seemingly random decision. As my mom and I indulged in our regular Whoppers at a drive-through, I matter-of-factly declared that this would be my last one, and it indeed was.

As my 7th-grade year began, we were assigned a research report, and I chose the topic of factory farming. Back then, information was not as readily available as it is today, with the internet still in its infancy. I scoured my school library and the Spokane public library to gather insights. What I discovered during my research was both painful and shocking. When I presented my findings to the class, I revealed that I had given up my final animal, chicken.

After 18 years of contentedly leading a vegetarian lifestyle, the universe bestowed upon me a partner who introduced me to a profound shift. It all began with her decision to watch the first 20 minutes of a documentary called Earthlings. As she sat in the other room, tears streaming down her face, I felt the intensity of her emotions, and it was almost too much to bear. Many years ago, I had played a role in helping her transition to a vegetarian diet, and now, she had led me on the path to becoming vegan.

I was vegetarian since age 25 (40 years ago). My youngest daughter embraced veganism and helped me see the environmental impact of the dairy and egg industries of which I was unaware and how companies use words like "humanely raised" and "free range" to deceive the consumer (me) into thinking those animal products were not causing harm or suffering. After seeing a documentary about animal
sanctuaries and reading Will Tuttle's, The World Peace Diet, I embraced veganism in 2019 and it is now part of my spiritual practice. I started an ethical vegan group at my Unity spiritual center called Compassionate Choices which meets monthly and I do a weekly Face Book and e-newsletter post for the spiritual center.

I have never went vegan, but I've been mostly mostly vegan for about 25 years (as of writing this in June 2024)

I don't claim to know for sure if we humans should not kill other animals for food, even though many other animals do it, BUT .... I am SURE that we should NOT be forcing animals to live a life of torture (which is how MOST MOST MOST animals raised for human consumption are raised).

Because of this realization sometime in the mid-90s, and even though I really enjoy eating meat which I grew up eating, I have been 95% (or more) vegetarian since then.

Even though I haven't had the strength and whatever wherewithal to go fully vegan myself, I SUPER appreciate everyone that does, I support vegan and vegetarian causes, and I seek to continue doing so, so I appreciate this website!

My diet has evolved over the years to reflect my efforts to regain my health and mobility as well as my concerns for animal welfare and the earth's ecological balance.

I went vegan in 2016 after learning about the horrors of factory farming.

2004 [my Age 17, Weight ~45 kg] – I studied Commercial Artist from a prestigious institution in South Bombay (children of wealthiest people all over the country come to study here). Hence, many organisations visited our college to sell their products (papers, paints, brushes etc.) My first hand learning about Veganism (being kind to animals – is what I like to call it now) was done by PETA in 2005, at college – when they told us the cruelty behind obtaining animal hair for paint brushes we used. We all (students & teachers) replaced our stationary to cruelty free alternatives. Apart from that organisations (like Beauty without Cruelty) also visited they showcased entire range of cruelty against animals. Looking at those visuals I made up my mind to become a vegan, stopped consuming milk and reduced eating sweets. My parents were proud of me, but due to my young age – my cravings for mithai, Ghee, not much say/control in the house (kitchen), some political and not so religious reasons, or be it the fear of loosing out (on not so great) friends [who were meat eaters even before their birth (their mothers consumed meat in pregnancy)] – whatever the reasons, I couldn’t continue being a Vegan, ultimately gave up on the thoughts of Veganism, to become a part of mainstream lifestyle [aka consumption of – Junk food, meat, alcohol & tobacco at casual/occasional/office parties, bad sleeping patterns – these are all very common and an integral part of mainstream lifestyle].

13 years later 2017 [my Age 30, Weight ~76 kg, about to become a father], my body started showing signs (pre-diabetic, high cholesterol, higher triglycerides). Me and my wife both looked pregnant. I always felt a burden of something inside my body, mind and soul. I was about to be bombarded by medicines by best doctors in town (who were prescribing me what the Pharma companies were asking them to sell, not what my body wanted). I bought the medicines, but never consumed any as I read about the side effects. At first, my wife suggested and we approached a family Vaidya (Ayurvedic Dr.) his medicines & churna (powder) helped me a lot, reduced 4 kgs without a single physical exercise. After about a year later again there were no signs of drastic improvement, how would there be?? ultimately medicines (which ever technology) have got their limitations.

2 years later 2019 [my Age 32, Weight ~ 71kg, about to become a father again :-)] My elder daughter – a bundle of joy; and I failed as I couldn’t carry her on my shoulders and climb a mountain in Bhutan! The most cleanest and cool country in the world and I was literally sweating there. There was something terrible within my body which no medicine was going to help me with. Eventually, I did a self reiki to seek answers deep within myself and realised that it was the greed (to Eat, to Earn, other bodily pleasures/desires and even Anger) which was holding me behind and killing me. That was a wake-up call. I decided to give up on things one after other, and listened to my heart.

2020 – I chose to became a Vegan, and since two years there is a complete reversal in my medical conditions. Lost over 6 Kgs of unhealthy weight in just first three months, my waist size reduced in inches. I can carry both the bundles [daughters] of joy and play with them without a drop of sweat. Although its a fact that I turned Vegan due to a selfish reason of my own health, but now after watching so many videos about cruelty of the dairy industry I’m convinced it was the cry of animals that gave me the courage to overcome my desires to eat.

My Learning & Findings
Although we have all been raised by our Parents to believe that using animals for food is very natural and also necessary, be it for nutrition, or even medicinal purposes. We have also been told several stories to justify how animals are being benefited by human intervention and how we decorate them on festivals and worship them during religious events, yet these are just to make us humans feel good instead of feeling guilty. I have discovered that there is a much happier and healthier way to live !

A short conversation with my daughter changed my heart.

I’m born Vegetarian, and genuinely hate the strong odour when people eat / cook fish. Yet, I had a fish tank at my house. When I turned Vegan, I put up all sort of restrictions on myself as well as my family in order to turn their minds towards becoming a Vegan; yet, I still had retained the fish tank.

My 3.5 year old daughter who was trying to understand the concept of Veganism asked me some questions which blew my mind.
We took care of the fishes – maintaining their oxygen pumps, decorating the tank with various colourful stones, feeding them twice a day, cleaning their tank at regular intervals and as per our busy schedules. We even had a medicine that relieves fish stress.

My daughter loved the gold fishes in the tank and spent most of her time looking at them, more than I ever did, but she didnt understand the purpose of fish tank at house. Long ago before I started my journey towards Veganism, I had got this fish tank because I read somewhere.. looking at the fishes movement, help in reducing our blood pressure, keeping them at a certain spot in our house brings us good luck and prosperity. My sister told me once that we should not throw away water from fish tank, instead use it in the garden as it improves fertility of soil and our plants grow healthy. So poop of the fish is also beneficial for us..

” .. but what does it give them?” my daughter asked me; I was speechless and yet happy. Speechless because my daughter had observe some of the things which I had failed to realise, and happy because I have been a better parent in teaching the true value of empathy to my child.

Every month me and my daughter had this routine activity of half an hour, transferring the fishes to a bucket, throughly cleaning the fish tank, cleaning the pump, watching the fishes expression after tank was cleaned. We cleaned the fish tank for one last time. Then carried the fishes to a clean pond nearby and let the fishes free. My daughter even wished them a happy journey ahead.

Think about this:
We humans are also animals and ALL animals want to live, and have a capacity to suffer. When I decided to opt out of the cruel practices of using animals without regard to their needs, my life actually became better! Let’s stop drinking Cow’s milk for “calcium and other nutritional sources” – it’s a LIE which dairy industry has been advertising to us.

I regret each day I lived as a non-vegan and wish to compensate for it! That’s when I thought “I should go beyond just being a Vegan”

Writing a separate post to share updates about my – Life beyond being Vegan

Only regret is not going vegan sooner.

Going vegan was the best decision I have ever made

I had been on the vegan "journey" subconciously all my life but went vegan maybe 16 years ago and have never looked back.
It was while on a train journey from London to Lancashire, I noticed the cows in the fields were all uniform sized and questioned it with my partner, which got us thinking about what truths are hidden about "farm" animals.

Later that day , we met my partner's family in a Beefeater for a meal and on checking out the menu this time, more consciously and aware than ever of what each meal actually was, I declared to the whole tribe loud and clear that I was now vegan and will happily eat a plate full of carrots to shut them up should they come with the "what are you going to eat-carrots?" question.

Now I'm a seasoned vegan and very pleased with myself for all such achievements.

Oh, since then, my partner and some of his family have gone vegan and we have a teen who was raised vegan.

And we are niw wwoofing on a veganic food forest, off grid, low till, no dig, no single use plastic farm.

Willl provide soon

I completed a full marathon while raising money for blood cancer research, although I came out of it with a stress fracture. This caused me to gain roughly 65 pounds. I found a nutrition protocol called Eat Right For Your Type where I was not yet Vegan but understanding nutrition more for the first time in my life. After dropping all my excess weight I found a Vegan restaurant close to where I lived and after two weeks I noticed incredibly positive changes within my body from an inflammation standpoint. Then one documentary about nonhuman animal health came out, and another about human animal health, and another about environmental health — needless to say the rest is history.

I went vegetarian in 2001 after watching "Meet Your Meat" by PETA and immediately stopped eating animal flesh. In 2003 after learning more about the dairy industry, I just couldn't continue to cause harm to animals in that way and went vegan.

I became vegan for health reasons and stay vegan because I love animals

went from 100% vegan for a week to 100% vegan for a month to 100% vegan for 3 Month to 100% vegan for life FOR LIFE ///
I am an architect based in Munich, Germany

I went vegan after watching forks over knives and never looked back!

Vegan for animal rights.

I had not eaten meat for over 20 years but felt I needed to go further when I realised how much suffering other factory farmed animals endured. Animal are sentient creatures and feel pain and joy just as we do. I could not live with myself by contributing in any way to an animal's suffering.

After watching Lucent, it changed my life and I couldn't go back! A year later I was fully vegan and have never regretted it.

Am still on the journey to veganism. I am kind of freaked out by the lack of empathy and awareness of others when it comes to their food choices. I live with a meat & dairy eater. It would just be nice to share excitement of a good meal that does not include anything that has a measure of suffering in it.

Little me seemingly always wanted to follow his conscience about not harming animals. One day I didn’t let others stop me anymore.

I went vegan after watching Dominion.

Becoming vegan was the best decision of my life.

I was motivated by a number of factors but one of the biggest prompts for me was reading Peter Singer's, "The Ethics of What We Eat". In that book he told of the heartbreaking reality of the way we treat (use and abuse) animals caught up in the animal agriculture industry. It was shocking and eye-opening and I decided I never wanted to be a contributing factor to that again.

Vegan for the animals! Was vegetarian until 2006 when I attended a 'Viva' food event in London, UK, where I learned the truth about the meat, poultry and dairy industries. I became vegan from that day - it was the easiest and most natural thing in the world to do once I knew. I remain forever shocked and horrified, in fact, traumatised, by the cruelty we human beings inflict on our fellow beings. I was glad to find Clare Mann's book 'Vistopia' - really helped a lot.

I turned vegan about 6 years ago.
Very excited to join this growing network.

I became vegetarian for health reasons, but turned out my mental health cannot improve until I go fully planted based.

I became vegetarian at 17, after reading about a cow going to slaughter. I didn't see or hear anything but I can still see her fear - I gave up eating meat on the spot! I continued on this path for 30 years, unaware of how eating eggs and the occasional dairy, contributed to so much suffering for animals and my health.

In 2007 I was living in New Zealand and witnessed first hand pig-dog hunting and intervened to stop this, had all the hunting dogs on the neighbouring property removed , only to see them returned after their prison cells were improved. I saw, baby calves being taken from their mothers and more. I had no idea that this was normal and not just bad practice in New Zealand. Upon return to Australia a few months later, my partner looked further and watched all the animal videos that are so hard to watch. We went vegan on the spot, not realising that we were vegan! We just knew we couldn't be part of this horrific institutionalised abuse of animals. We also couldn't believe that we didn't know and later on heard that there is a word for this - veganism!

I became an Animal Rights Campaigner at the same time, did street outreach,ran training courses for vegans, went to where animals suffer which today are harder to get into, and was the emcee at major AR events, my first being the Ban Live Export Rally in Sydney in 2011 with over 3000 in attendance and over 20,000 at rallies nationwide.

In 2017 after hearing the stories and conducting research with hundreds of vegans suffering from the anguish of The Burden of Knowing, I coined the phrase Vystopia: The Anguish of Being Vegan in the World. The book of the same name followed shortly and ever since have focused on helping vegans all over the world ever since tranmute their vystopia into powerful action for change.

I now provide resources and run group coaching programs to help vegans transform their vystopia to become calm, happy and influential vegans - who can go out with confidence to be part of the solution to create a vegan world.

We just all need to become the best we can and do our part to usher in this vegan world we so desire!

Vegan for all reasons and seasons

Feel healthier eating vegan

Vegan for justice, ethics and protecting the vulnerable.

Hi everyone! My name is Tracilyn. I'm a health coach based in Wilmington, NC. I help women over 50 lose weight, sustainably and without deprivation, and gain energy and confidence so they can fully engage in their own lives again. Whole foods, plant-based eating is a key feature of my program, of course! I choose to eat plants because it's a triple win: for the animals, for the environment, and for my own health.

I turned vegetarian at age 16. I became a monk at age 19 and remained a celibate renunciate until I was 33. In 1995, I founded and directed a charity called Food for Life Global, which was already the world's largest vegetarian food relief www.ffl.org. I grew this project over the next 30 years to 65 countries. Soon after founding this charity, I became aware of the horrors of the dairy industry and became vegan at age 35 in 1998. Soon after, I made an official policy that the only affiliate projects that Food for Life Global would support would have to be vegan. In 2013, I released a book called FOOD YOGA - Nourishing Body, Mind, and Soul. In 2024, we rebranded the charity as Food Yoga International to highlight the food philosophy of the charity and our mission to unite the world with pure food.

I am 70 years old no medications I eat only beans rice avocado seeds plant milks pears mangos almond butter banana, peanut butter, split peas lentils black beans oats berries apple crispy I make all my own desserts

One really atmo

I am working to becoming a Vegan. I have been on a plant base diet but I love spicy seafoods. I want to get my health to normal but I am determine to get it right.

I’ve been a vegan for a little . However there a lot info that is not true for vegan. A lot of fake food and info so I’m willing to learn the truth

I found myself stuck in a cycle of exhaustion and longing for a healthier version of myself. I flipped the switch and found my spark within to break my habit-based mindset. I embraced a vegan diet and began an adventure to find my motivation. I gave myself the healthy change I NEEDed to give me the extra energy I longed for.

Hello VeganLinked,

This is HealthyIndianBites. We publish cookbooks and food blog on Healthy Indian Diet.
We look forward to collaborate with VeganSociety.

Below mentioned is the summary for your reference:

GOD has given the most precious gift to us-HEALTH. And it is important, we CARE about it. Nowadays, life is full of Tension, Stress and Anxiety. And in this Hustle- Bustle, we forget to care about ourselves. Consequence of that is, we become Mentally-Physically disabled dependents, suffering due to health issues. Thus, fail to live life to the fullest. This is our voluntary effort, to share our cooking experience, making best use of technological advancements. Also, we have gathered some room on social media, to share our culinary art with you all on HealthyIndianBites.

In HealthyIndianBites, we cook and promote healthy, nutritious, palatable food recipes. We consider food eating habits of Indian families and present regular vegetarian diet food meals-Rice, Vegetables, Fruits, Legumes and Whole grains. Cooked food recipe, on low heat cooking methods-Steaming, Boiling, Sauté, Grill and Baking, in home environment kitchen. Shared recipes are less oily and less spicy diet food recipes, we cook and eat regularly. It helped us lose 10-15 kgs, gradually, following a Sedentary lifestyle.

In HealthyIndianBites, we promote a diet that is a good source of Vitamins, Minerals, Proteins, Dietary fiber (soluble and insoluble). Also, a diet that induces prebiotic and probiotic bacteria that helps improve digestion. Finally, a diet that improves metabolism, cholesterol, blood sugar level and reduces body weight. Hopefully, our honest effort helps people EAT RIGHT LIVE RIGHT, maintain the right lifestyle and avoid health issues-Obesity, Cholesterol, Cancer, Diabetes, Vitamin B12 deficiency, Mental stress, Hypertension etc.


Please, find an attachment of a draft version of HealthyIndianBites-Eat Right,Live Right. for your reference.

Also, you can checkout link: HealthyIndianBites online content on

https://online.publuu.com/527809/1182704

We are recently self-published it on Amazon and other well-known bookstores and libraries around the world.

The total number of recipes = 26
Physical size of the book (dimensions) = 6 X 9
Orientation of the book (portrait or landscape) = portrait
Word Count = 17500
Page Count = 190-200
Below mentioned are couple of links for your reference:

Amazon: HealthyIndianBites: Eat Right, Live Right.: chopra, komal: 9798326292605: Amazon.com: Books
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0D52F21TQ
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently published (May 21, 2024)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 195 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8326292605
Barnes and Noble: HealthyIndianBites-Eat Right, Live Right. by HealthyIndianBites | eBook | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com)

BN ID: 2940179962595
Publisher: HealthyIndianBites
Publication date: 05/22/2024

Google Play Store ID: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=UJIJEQAAQBAJ

We would love to collaborate and join.
Looking forward to hear back from you.

Thank you,

HealthyIndianBites

Eat Right, Live Right.

Healthy nutritious food recipe connoisseur.
Food advertising & digital marketing services.

+91 9157854465 | healthyindiansbites.com/

komalchopra@healthyindiansbites.com

I first became a vegetarian after seeing how cows and chickens are killed for meat. Although I had wanted to stop eating meat for a long time before that, I didn't have the courage or the necessary conditions to make the switch. I initially became a vegetarian because I thought eggs were somewhat okay to eat, as I didn't know how the industry works. Milk was never on the table because I am lactose intolerant, and a glass of milk can make me miserable. A few months into being a vegetarian, mainly because I still ate eggs, I saw a YouTube video about how live male chicks are shredded. My eyes were opened once again to the truth. I accepted that it was the truth and took action that day. I stopped consuming anything related to eggs and became a vegan.

Gigi the Vegan's transition to a vegan lifestyle after being diagnosed with colon cancer underscores the profound impact of dietary choices on health. This journey not only helped her overcome cancer but also fuels her mission to educate others about the healing power of plant-based living. Highlighting this story can inspire and motivate others to consider the benefits of a vegan diet for their own health and wellbeing.

I love animals and saw posters in a mall of the slaughter houses. never ate anything animal again.

Just now starting my journey

My journey began in 1986 when I gave up meat.
In the mid-1990s I gave up products that tested on animals.
Finally, a few years ago, I made the full plunge into veganism.
It's a beautiful thing to do for the beloved, voiceless animals on our planet.

Honestly I'm still in my journey as I move farther away from all animal products. I'm doing this with my wife so that complicates things a bit, but we're getting there.

This is a journey for me. I started 30 years learning about nutrition and the miraculous ability for the body heal and thrive when properly cared for. Being stubborn and lovingly tied to my cilinary upbringing, I did not move to a completely vegan diet until 2 years ago.

Went vegan after seeing factory farm footage. Stayed vegan for the animals, ending climate change, public health, and total liberation!