I became vegan initially for health reasons but soon was impressed by Animal Cruelty arguments, so much so that I now refrain from killing any living things including insects. If, for example, I find a cockroach in my house, I catch it using a simple bug catcher and take it outside. Surely, all living things have a right to a full life without having it cut short by unthinking humans.

It all began as an undercurrent, a feeling of unwellness that permeated my every day. I was the woman with a successful career, a loving family, raising kids, yet beneath that façade, wellness was a foreign concept. The standard American diet was my norm; it was simply fuel, with no apparent link to how I felt—until it all came to a head.

I was young, yet burdened with hypertension and a rising cholesterol level. Not overtly overweight, but sickness clung to me—a myriad of gut issues that no one could untangle. My diet was not under scrutiny until doctors, stumped by my condition, suggested an endoscopy and colonoscopy. “Possible Crohn’s disease,” they said after noticing a lesion. Crohn's—a word that struck fear into my heart, signaling a change needed to be made.

I embarked on a journey not knowing the destination. It was a friend, Pam, who handed me the first clue—a DVD titled “Eat” that connected the dots between our diet, diabetes, heart disease, and more. My family’s history with diabetes, laden with blindness and amputations, flashed before my eyes. I had been blind to the correlation, but not anymore.

I read, I learned, I attended workshops. My diet evolved, not overnight, but gradually. The label “vegan” wasn't part of my vocabulary yet; this was for my health. As my gut issues dissipated and I felt the joy of well-being, the weight of chronic illness lifted. I embraced a plant-based lifestyle without even realizing it.
Then came the biggest surprise—my sugar addiction vanished. I, a self-proclaimed sugar addict, had not craved sweets for months. It was a freedom I had never known.

Over 20 years have passed since that pivotal moment. Letting go of old habits was a process, but as I detached from my past diet, I connected more deeply with the world around me. I started seeing animals in a different light—not as food, but as beings with emotions, families, lives. This connection was transformative, and it was then I vowed never to consume another animal.

My perspective widened to include not only animal welfare but also environmental concerns. With droughts and ecological disruptions becoming more frequent, the question arose: What could I, as one individual, do to make a difference?

Now, when I look back at that time of sickness, I see it as a catalyst for a profound transformation. By adopting a plant-based lifestyle, I not only reclaimed my health but also found purpose in advocating for a kinder, more sustainable way of life.

I ate the standard American diet my whole life, I have been having surgeries since the age of 8 and I now know it was all from eating animal products. At the age of 41 I found out that I had colon cancer and had surgery to remove the tumors. I had a chemo port placed and before I started with the therapy I watched "what the Health" and immediately I went on a whole food plant based diet. I am almost 45 now and I feel better than I did in my 20s. I am now fascinated with the human system and learn as much as I can everyday and started working at a gym and am able to help others learn about the detrimental effects of the standard American diet and the benefits of a vegan diet by listening to my story

Date is approximate - it's been a long time. :). I originally went vegan after being vegetarian for about a year. I went vegetarian for health reasons based on my sister's example. Then while researching veg recipes in the very early days of the internet, I came across info. on factory farming of chickens and cows. After reading that and seeing some pictures, I immediately stopped eating dairy and eggs. I shared the info. with my sister and she did the same. I don't know if I would have been successful if we hadn't found Tofutti ice cream - the only non-dairy option at the time. Since then I have leaned towards whole food, plant-based eating as research became available. Eventually, my sister and I launched our own vegan meal prep business in 2014.

I have been vegetarian for 18 years.. and ready for the change!!!

I came out of the womb a radical* feminist, but it wasn't until my late twenties that I thought to consider the injustices to non-human females and their offspring. Thanks to the suggestion of my progressive and eclectic Aunt Dorothy, I read The Food Revolution by John Robbins and immediately went vegetarian. It wasn't until a year or so later during a volunteer stint at Farm Sanctuary that I went fully vegan. Shortly after that I moved to Seattle and found my people through NARN (The Northwest Animal Rights Network), and realized my penchant for bookkeeping (as the original "Donut Director" at Mighty-O - vegan - donuts). Since 2010 I have been self-employed, offering bookkeeping services to nonprofits and ethical small businesses. I resist the violence of our dominant culture. I believe in dignity for every body, and freedom from oppression for all.

*I'm not sure how radical I was but I like using the term "radical feminist" 😀

I've always had a stong connection to animals, but it didn't occur to me to stop eating them until I was 20 or 21 years old. After being vegetarian for four years, I was inspired to become vegan after reading Diet for a New America (by John Robbins) and attending an animal rights conference in DC. I then became more and more involved with local (Seattle) and national AR groups. In the past 3 decades, I have moved a lot and had many career & relationship changes, but the one constant in my life has been my committment to veganism.

I became vegetarian after reading Eating Animals. A year later, I learned about the male chicks in the egg industry via a Humane League tweet. I went vegan that night.

I want to grow older healthy and prevent deceases by eating a raw plant based way of living.

For my health
The Environment and animals. It just seems the right thing to do.

I decided to go vegan around 2012/2013 in order to reduce the amount of harm done to animals.

Really want to reduce weight

I went veg in 1991 when pregnant with my 4th child and I realized that eating dead animals was disgusting. After that I would eat eggs maybe once a month, cheese on occasion, and a tablespoon of plain yogurt almost every day. Finally I stopped the yogurt and realized that I felt less sleepy after eating. More recently I've realized that I feel better eating raw food but seem to be still addicted to cooked.

I’ve wanted to go vegan since I was a teenager, but didn’t feel it was possible for me because I have struggled with iron and zinc deficiency since menarche, due to heavy menstrual bleeding.

But when I finally gave the oil-free, whole-foods-plant-based diet it a try for three months, my menstrual cycle became so much lighter I couldn’t believe it! I’m overjoyed. 😁

Having been vegetarian since the age of 6, I made the links and transitioned to a vegan lifestyle just over ten years ago. I have always loved all animals and as I became clearer about the way humans treat other animals, I could no longer be a part of that. My one and only regret is that I did not become vegan sooner. I love supporting local animal rescues, as well as rescues globally in any way I can. I try and spread the word for non-human animals any way I can and highlight the links between all injustice - no matter who suffers it. I love gardening and creating safe spaces for local wildlife.

I had just transitioned to vegetarian for health reason, and then watched Earthlings and Forks Over Knives. I immediately cut out the dairy and eggs and went vegan. Best. Decision. Ever.

I went vegan initially for environmental reasons but over the past two years my love for animals and the environment has been my sole purpose for continuing to stay vegan.

I was a pescatarian for about 30 years. I tried to become a vegan; I didn’t understand what to eat, neither could I sustain the cost or the stomach for processed, packaged foods. Roll on several years and I was enjoying the beautiful green environment of a recent move to another country, it has been the medicine that i needed; hiking, swimming, camping, kayaking etc became part of my lifestyle.

…After a regular blood works check the doctor told me that my body ‘wants to be diabetic’ and that’s definitely NOT what I wanted to hear, given my family history … It was the beginning of the pandemic and my thoughts were that I will emerge from this as a beautiful butterfly …. I went down that rabbit hole; listening, reading and learning from all of the wonderful plant based experts and with their help, I renewed my health, my body, my mind and my zest for life! There is NO going back!

As my interest for the environment grew, so did my desire to help in any way I could. This is also where the ethical side of veganism and my love of nature and especially animals came together and it just seemed hypocritical of me to claim loving animals when I knew how the meat on my plate had gotten there, with all the pain and suffering it entailed. It was time to stop. I was a strict vegan (no starches by the way) just raw and lightly cooked vegetables, nuts, seeds, some tofu and tempeh for 6 years. Then, for some reason, I felt I needed to be more grounded so started adding back in organic eggs and sometimes some animal flesh: for 18 months or so I would have a couple of eggs a week and perhaps 100 gr of chicken or fish and sometimes yogurt and cheese - always very small amounts and only on weekends. I ate a vegan diet during the week but could not claim to be a vegan anymore. And then it hit me again: how could I be eating animals and their byproducts again? I also came across some very good new documentaries and Podcasts about the whole food plant based way of eating and life and so the only choice for me was to revert back to complete veganism and am there to stay. I feel at peace with my food values once again and feel fantastic physically.

Long story short: I met other vegetarians / vegans, read "Animal Liberation." Vegetarian in 1978, vegan in 1980; looked back often, until then. I didn't want to cause suffering.

🌱 Former Vegf**ktarian between 2012-2020, I realized how hypocritical I was: wearing other individuals' skins, furs & skins, and consuming their secretions & periods while claiming to be ethical by abstaining from eating their dead bodies. 🤦‍♀️

I was always an animal lover and grew up in the country near cow pastures. As a child we went to “visit the cows” and I came to understand them as the unique beings that they are. So, I haven’t eaten a cow in over 30years. Next came pigs: became aware of their intelligence and character and stopped eating pork. About 5 years ago, I started having multiple health issues and then changed from a high sweets, junk food diet to a healthy diet. As I kept learning more and more about how animals were treated, the effects on the environment , health and how the human body isn’t even designed to eat much meat I slowly changed to a vegan lifestyle. Dairy was the hardest and last to go - I loved ice cream, coffee cream, butter,… Don’t miss it now.💕

believe in 800 g of veggies/day, fresh and colorful

I started for health reasons and everything about being a vegan has been catching on ever since. My overall health journey started about seven years ago when I was turning 50. To keep it short lets just say I abused myself my whole life up until then with food, alcohol, and drugs. I am a youtube junkie and got hooked on the keto videos and lifestyle. I did lose 70 lbs but still yoyo'd. I was thinking I was doing the best thing then to find out I wasn't. The transition for me as far as eating goes has been an easy one being I was already batch cooking once a week and love veggies. Now really loving plant based, whole food, trying my best with sos and at the very least keeping that part to a very minimum. Feeling good and still have some concerns that I am trying to figure out with doctors and specialists. I can definatly go on forever here with feelings (physical and mental) but can come back and add another time.
thank you..

Concerned with ethics and compassion for others since childhood.

I went vegan because I read something that helped me make the connection between my food and the animals I loved so very much. I haven't eaten our furry friends in 30 years. High raw vegan these days.

Start the dr Brooke Goldners protocol for health reasons

I went vegan with my eldest daughter for various reasons and as a doctor took blood samples at the beginning and after the first three weeks. I had way too high cholesterol levels all my life - despite a "healthy diet" and was amazed at the improvements after such a short time: they turned normal for the very first time in my life...
Ever since I really enjoy learning a whole new way of cooking/living and am always enthusiastic about trying out more vegan recipes 🙂

I was born into the ital life (jamaican Rasta)

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I became Vegan because I believe in the ethical treatment of animals. I do not support using animals for food, clothing, or any other purpose, considering it a form of exploitation and cruelty. I then switched my career to work on similar values and ethos which gave birth to our plant-based vegan leather.

As Dr. Richard Oppenander, author of Comfortably Unaware would say, I was! At 47, my life would be catapulted into a different paradigm, another dimension that showed me the deeper underbelly of this machine we call society. At 47, after a half lifetime of experiencing abuse , ( not from home but elsewhere) sexual violence, substance addiction, and what it felt like to be the subject of domination by force by someone stronger, who took what was never given ( as we do to the victims of anthropocentrism )I figured out, after becoming an ethical vegan, why society is experiencing self inflicted wounds.
I was getting ready to open my small 24 seat cafe, on the first floor of The Grand Summit Hotel and Conference Center. I'd just gotten done running the breakfast line and it was time to change hats and open the cafe.
A routine I'd done since the hotel opened in 1996.
Chopping, dicing, and preparing the menu, I happened to have NHPR radio on. Something caught my ear. The word "slaughterhouse". A few sentences were mentioned about a slaughterhouse investigation. I'd not heard the word before, nor vegan for that matter. Pathetic in hindsight considering Judaism not only obligates us to never harm animals, but we must do everything in our power to protect them. Tsa'ar Be Alei Chayim. As an aside, if I ever end up in court, I have a good Jewish attorney and a Rabbi, all the help I need. So that word, slaughterhouse, stuck in my brain and when I went home, I looked up the story I'd heard about called, "They Die Piece by Piece", by Washington Post's Joby Warrick.
There was a photo. It was the head of a cow whose eyes were bloodshot, bulging. The headline was, " He's been skinned to his head, his legs cut off, and he's still conscious" https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2001/04/10/they-die-piece-by-piece/f172dd3c-0383-49f8-b6d8-347e04b68da1/

I read the article and got sick to my stomach. Panic ensued. That panic is a daily part of my life. A walking panic attack, fully functional because, damn, I have to be for them!
The article in the Washington Post moved me like nothing ever had, prompting me to contact the journalist at the Post. We spoke. He put me in touch with who would become the reason I became vegan, almost overnight. Gail Eisnitz was the investigator who did the investigation that prompted the article, one of many years she investigated slaughterhouses for HFA, Humane Farming Association. I called and spoke with her. She sent me a signed copy of a book that I would come to buy multiple copies of and send to politicians and give away. I actually sent one to the White House where GWB was presiding over this pretentious and failing empire.

It was twisting trying to read what actually happens in these places far removed from the public's eye. Very twisting indeed. So horrific, and surreal, I could hardly stop talking about it at work, with family, the launch of why I spend much time alone, and feeling more like I live in a Rod Serling, Alfred Hitchcock series that civilized society.

So what choice did I have? To NEVER EVER spend one penny supporting this sickness, this grotesque and vulgar system that does atrocities to nonhumans manifesting in exactly the warped and deformed society we have, what with all its SYMPTOMS. That was it for me, Vegan almost overnight. Lost my job at the hotel after several calls to HR because employees were upset that I was talking about this, and becoming estranged from the community, even family, as I tried to bring up the darkness I'd become aware of. Nope! Leave us alone, We are entitled to eat "our meat", ( ever notice when talking to others about this, they always say, "my" meat, or "my" cheese, like the addicts they are, both to the supremacy that they cling to that makes them feel a false sense of status, and their ill-fated addiction to eating what causes their disease?

So that's the story. Since then, I've made it a point to use every possible tool in the box, to raise awareness that the plight of violence to animals, is the plight of violence to humans. They are inextricably one and while society claims to abhor cruelty to animals, even has some laws against it, that same society is guilty of egregious violence to animals and has become a victim of its own ethical, legal, and moral, schizophrenia.

I cook vegan food almost daily to bring to work, write many letters to my paper, have organized film showings, just finished teaching an after-school cooking class at one of the elementary schools and only used vegan recipes. I joined PCRM, ( www.pcrm.org) and always have their materials on hand to leave in hospitals, doctors' offices, wherever possible, and I have been the lone protestor at pig scrambles, kids fishing derbies, and more. Now I'd like to join Serina, buy a BUS, and travel nationwide doing exactly what is warranted, giving information that the current corporate media refuses to.


I grew up in the suburbs of West Hartford, CT. even though I was incredibly sensitive as a child, moving worms back to the soil, removing insects from the horse trough at camp, asking my daddy about fish because it must have bothered me to take them from their homes to his earnest reply, they don't feel pain. He just didn't know.

Going vegan is one of the best decisions in my life....

I first learned about the vegan movement and the incredible benefits of a whole food plant based diet around 2016, whilst performing research for my PhD in organic chemistry. At first I was very resistant to the idea that a vegan diet could be a good choice, but over time, I came to see just how powerful a vegan lifestyle was, and I felt compelled to embrace veganism from an ethical standpoint. The health and athletic side effects have been incredible, leading to my losing 50lbs and feeling better than ever.

I now use my scientific training in chemistry and food science, as well as my experience cooking incredible whole food vegan meals to advocate for the adoption of a healthy, mind-blowingly tasty vegan lifestyle.

Years ago, a friend showed me a homemade video depicting animal cruelty rooted in cultural beliefs. It made me realize that we do the same in the USA. That night, I decided to stop eating meat. Since then, I've grown as a vegan, learning about the impact of animal agriculture and embracing a compassionate lifestyle. Being vegan isn't just about food; it's a transformative shift in perspective. I'm grateful for the journey and strive to create a compassionate world for all beings.

I stopped eating mammals at age 15 because my mother was upset about the cost of beef being so high. After that went fish, dairy and poutry. It took a long time. I finally stopped eating animal products in my 50's. It had everything to do with being a health care professional and seeing the damage caused by the Standard American Diet.

Kavita left her high-paying accounting job to follow her passion to open a vegetarian restaurant which serves a unique fusion of street food options which she had been dreaming of since childhood. She pushed hard for this venture to us and finally, we gave in and we are glad that we did. Our family members with their expertise in different fields joined in to support her passion and thus “Veggie Planet” was born on September 2017 in Mississauga. In a nutshell, we are a family-run vegetarian restaurant aiming to serve our unique delicacy of vegetarian food options with warm customer service across the world in the coming days.

I became vegan on July 17 2017 after watching the documentary what the health. Seeing the way the animals are treated and the impact it's having on the environment, I chose to be more environmentally cautious about my choices in food.

I was first looking for philosophy and there was this great podcast a decade ago called "Satisfy the Mind", they had 30 or 40 episodes and one or two were vegan, I first listened to all of the shows and then went back to reconsider the vegan idea... I decided I would spend a week researching everything I could and if by the end of the week I hadnt decided to go vegan I would never waste my time again... turns out I had to go vegan and now 12+ years later I'm an every day activist

After being vegetarian for over a decade, I made the full switch as I realized more and more, that I was not doing enough to end the use of animals in the food chain.

ive always had a passion for the natural and the outdoors. didnt take much for Veganism to get me.

Hi, I went vegan because I watched What The Health. This changed me. I began to watch more and more on the China Study. I’m hooked. I also looked at what happens to the animals on the front end of the food process. This really did it for me. Plus the stories were proof on how fast and healthy one can be going vegan.

I was introduced to a vegan diet at a Buddhist retreat centre.

I went vegan because I was already vegetarian (Ovo-Lacto) and I started to have headaches from eggs and diary. I stooped eating eggs and diary.

I was diagnosed with stage 4 kidney disease.
I was told that I would have to get a kidney transplant, or go on dialysis.
I also have CHF as well as Diabetes and diabetic retinopathy.
I am obese and have been for most of my life.

I believe in the saying, "You are what you eat." I believe this to the core. I have been vegan for about eight years, and I love how I feel, think, look, and how I am giving back not just to the animals but to the planet. Living and eating with compassion have changed my life completely. I was in the military for about eight years and have served in Operation Iraqi Freedom III and IV. With that said, I have seen a lot of death, poverty, hate, destruction, captivity, and many horrible things and the dark side of a war.

When I first discovered about eating clean on a plant-based diet, I became instantly aware of how much hate and destruction that we cause not only to ourselves but to other living species and the planet. I sat down for a moment and realized that there is just too much hate in this world - this can't be the meaning of life. I could not sit and see how animals were treated for food, entertainment, pleasure, and personal objects, instead of as living souls. This realization disturbed me, and I wanted to change my life. I was tired of living and thinking in a world of shame and death.

When I started to transition to a plant-based diet, my body changed for the better, but my perception of life shifted. My heart opened up, and my mind could see and think clearly. As a result of my new lifestyle, my spirituality woke up, and I felt connected to the earth and all living things.

Four months later, I had successfully left the military to dedicate my activist life to being an educator on the health and fitness benefits of a plant-based diet.

I wanted to educate the world on the incredible sense of well-being and beauty that come when you live a life with even more compassion.

America has among the highest rates in the world in heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Heart disease is the number one killer in this country. We are also among the worst around the consumption of animal products. Out of 198 countries, we are # 1 in meat consumption, sixth in eggs, and 17th in milk.

We also have been at war since 2001, for 16 years now.

I believe that it is time to shine a light of peace in this country and remember what's essential in the world: peace, love, compassion, connection, and life. Peace starts with what we eat - plants -, and who we don't eat - other beings.

When we consume animals who are treated with hate as they experience death, disease, rape, and many horrific things, we also consume all that negative energy.

So let's eat life and not death! Let's eat fruits, grains, lentils, vegetables, and foods that the earth has grown with experience and nourishment! Let's share the world with our fellow animal friends and do what nature intended for us: to live with happiness, health, and compassion for everyone and everything.

I lost my father for a problem related to his heart. My reaction has been studying everything I could put my eyes on to understand why that happended as he was in good health apparently. My conclusion was that if my father would have eaten vegan (or more vegan) he could've still been here. After that I decided to go vegetarian and after one here when I kept studying I discovered more and more also about ethical issues and sustainability so I went vegan. In these 8 years I volounteered with several nonprofit organizations that fight for animal rights

I had 2 strokes as well as brain surgery. After my second stroke, I stopped eating meat, then fish, eggs, and dairy products. it was for the sake of taste. I just stopped liking these foods. So I ate for 1 year. But I didn’t call myself a vegan, because vegan is not about food, it’s about a conscious choice for me, philosophy. Then I began to eat some of the listed products. And now I'm a pescatarian. But since then, after the second stroke, I have not eaten meat. But the philosophy of veganism appeals to me very much🌱

Hello. I've been a strict vegetarian since 1992 and went fully vegan in 2014. My plant-based journey started as a child when I made the connection between animals and what was being served.

I went vegan for animals and to save our planet! A vegan lifestyle prevents a tremendous amount of animal slaughter and suffering. It offers a potent way to shrink our environmental footprint, especially in regard to climate change. And a well-planned vegan diet can fuel the highest levels of fitness while reducing our risk of various chronic diseases.

Out of necessity and in order to live, change required

I was eating mostly a plant based diet since about 2015. In October 2019 I was diagnosed with Salivary Duct Carcinoma, stage 4 ( Metastatic L parotid adenocarcinoma) with Her2 over expressing. It's a rare and incurable cancer. I went full on vegan, knowing it was the healthiest choice I could make because I had no plans to die. I haven't looked back. I'm not raw vegan. I eat raw as well as cooked. I and my oncology team know that I'm alive today in part due to my vegan diet. I was supposed to die within a short time. The cancer had already metastasized into my liver. It's no longer in my liver and while I have health struggles and am still in treatment (chemo and immuno every 3 weeks) I have more energy than many of my friends who are supposedly healthy but not vegan! I make food that non-vegans love as they struggle to believe it's vegan! I love my plant based diet and I really love all it's done for me

2020

My grandfather was a dairy farmer and, for a few years before I was born, my father took over the farm. After I was born, we had pigs until my parents started a plant nursery instead. Nevertheless, animals were always there to work for us, not be with us. I knew everything about milk production, but it didn't bother me one bit. My favorite foods were steak (rare) and cheese (blue). Still, I always considered myself a good eco-friendly citizen and in particular I was keen on cycling everywhere. Sometime in 2013, I got into an online argument with someone who told me that, if I was fueling my bike rides with steak, I might have well have been driving a Hummer. That was like a punch in the gut: I had never thought about the environmental impact of my food before. I started educating myself and decided to go plant-based at home and vegetarian when eating out. At friends' homes, I would eat anything. Then in 2015 my second child was born. Just like the first one, I breastfed him... except that now I truly felt compassion for the cows. It was in the middle of the night, while nursing him, that an awful thought hit me: what if someone came, took away my baby, and hooked me to a milk machine instead? The morning after, I decided to be vegan for life.

Vegan for the animals and the environment.

I’m trying to prioritize my health and change the way I eat.

A selfish unethical vegan. It's not about the animals and it's all about my health.

Trying to be healthy

I enjoy cycling and cycling videos on Youtube. A video by DurianRider showed up on my recommended list called "Sh!t Cyclists Say." It was really funny and so I looked at more of his content, expecting more comedy. Instead, I found some superb plant-based nutrition advice that I started to incorporate into my cycling. Curious, I investigated more plant-based content from other content creators and doctors. I read the books, watched the documentaries, and gave it a try. I lost weight, my blood pressure improved, and my cholesterol improved. And my cycling has been getting better and better year after year. As I have gotten more into this lifestyle I have learned about animal welfare, the environmental impact of our food, and racial justice issues. I am only disappointed that I didn't learn about plant-based eating earlier in life.

Ever since I was old enough to ask questions, I started asking my parents, "what is meat?" When my mom finally told me the truth I remember being heartbroken and totally rejecting it. She still snuck it into my diet, but she was just doing her best and meant well with the information she had at the time. She is now also vegan. Years later, I was working at a local restaurant. At the time I was about 16 years old, and had the PM shift during Thanksgiving. I did not eat meat at this age, but I did still eat cheese/dairy. I witnessed how many wasted plates/leftovers were being scraped into the trash can. It made me wonder about the scale on which this happens. I went home and learned about factory farming. Since that day I have removed myself of animal consumption practices to the best of my ability.

My whole life, I have been extremely connected to animals. Like magnets, we have always been drawn to one another. Even as a baby, my mom wrote in my baby book that I would not eat meat.
I wish I could say that I've been vegan since birth but, truth is I did eat meat and dairy for many years. Like so many others, I was raised in a household that said they loved and cared for animals but, sat down at the dinner table and ate others. I spite of this disconnect, I was otherwise passionate about rescuing and caring for just about every kind of small, furry fuzzy creature... mice, rats, hamsters, gerbils, bunnies, guinea pigs, ferrets, even a squirrel... you name it, I probably cared for it. My animals were my best friends and I was determined to dedicate my life to helping them.
I thought that veterinary medicine was my path and enrolled in Auburn. I was advised to go the "Animal & Dairy Science"/Vet route so I could get hands on experience with the animals faster. I had no clue what I signed up for. I learned first hand about the hormones, pesticides, antibiotics and everything that goes on behind the scenes in animal agriculture. As a sensitive, animal empath - I was horrified and immediately turned vegetarian and dropped out of school. Not long after returning home, "Diet for a New America" by John Robbins came into my awareness and as soon as I learned the truth about the dairy & egg Industry, I became vegan... March 1990. Best Decision Ever.
I became passionate about ianimal rights and for a time was President of Sarasota in Defense of Animals. I went on to become an Animal Cruelty Investigator with Manatee County Sheriff and in 2001, Founded the Non-profit Animal Resuce, Blue Heart Sanctuary.

Hi Everyone, I am trying to heal my body from autoimmune diseases. I am learning about using foods as medicine. I watched a YouTube video of
Dr. Montgomery speaking about the many benefits. I am not eating vegan yet but I 'd like to try. I have autoimmune diseases and my body has sensitivities to many things. My purpose is to improve my sad diet and health. Thank you for educating people. I love animals and I look forward to becoming vegan.

The journey of fighting chronic pain and inflammation. Living with a genetic disorder called Neurofibromatosis type 1 and a condition called Chiari Malformation 1 with a syringomyelia, both cause pain throughout my body along with other issues. Before my transition or awakening I was surrounded by people who were plant-based, and conscious about everything that goes in and out of the body. In the month October of 2019, I was in the middle of my 5K Walk Challenging, after finishing one race I was out celebrating eating and felt disgusted looking at the chicken wings on my plate. I thought to myself, this looks more like a hawk wing than a chicken wing. These lead up to me watching different documentaries related to vegan/ plant base. Being led by the Spirit of God I decided to go Vegan.
Since my transition I have learned more about myself and became more aware of what is really going on with the things that go into our food. I am eating more wholes food than process food. I also incorporate my faith into eating a more whole plant-based diet, in which I encourage others in my community.

I initially became whole food plant based for my health. It wasn't long before I started doing more research and learning and there was no going back. I was vegan.

I was suffering from bloated stomach so decided to cut everything out of my diet then re-introduce things like Chicken/Red Meat/Milk/Cheese etc bit by bit to lockdown what the issue was.
After a week i felt great and been Vegan ever since.
Im an Ultra Runner and found since turning vegan my recovery is very much next day. Rarely suffer from DOMs after the gym and generally feel fantastic

My name is Julie Dudley, I am not a chef I just cook alot lol, No the truth is I literally did a 40 day challenge to not eat any meat and never went back! My mind & taste bud palettes changed so much that I found myself moving into a whole new world of eating good! I wear alot of hats, however everyone knows me as Chef Jewl. I am a Plant-based Chef and I own a plant-based food brand here in Charlotte. I like to call myself a "Culinary Alchemist." I specialize in putting foods together for overall health & wellness. I am a certified foodie that has been eating clean for 7 years now. I had to learn how to put foods together to nourish ylthe body but still enjoy it guilt free! Well I have definitely went over beyond in this area and mastered it!

Vegan for all of the reasons

I woke up one morning and lost 50% of strength on my whole right side body. I feel out of bed thinking I was able to walk normally.
This was followed with months of research and understanding what MS really was. I started addressing lifestyle and went PlantBased. Initially I did not call myself vegan because I was doing it for health purposes. I didn’t even yet know about the animal suffering in animal agriculture. I had never made the connection. So as I started watching documentaries and making the link; I then ensured to not make exceptions and to always read ingredients. I also started implementing lifestyle changes beyond stopping eating animals. Like not wearing them (wool, silk, leather) or not going to places where the abuse or exploit animals for profit (animal rides, racing, zoos..)

Once I really understood that I could be healthy and take a social Justice stance at the same time, I was ALL-IN. I became a strict vegan and animal rights activist in 2015.

10 Years Ago, Louis Capet XXVI built 175 VEGAN groups on Facebook based on the most populated cities around the world. Today they have 125,000 members. These are there Best. – – http://www.LaserLightShow.ORG/Vegan-Facebook-Groups

After my father died of a massive heart attack in 2020 I decided to get serious to heal my heart health. Its been a process but getting better every day.

I originally became vegan to decrease animal cruelty. However, I've since learned of the incredible health benefits from a vegan lifestyle along with the substantial decrease in one's carbon footprint.

It started all with gallstones, some 3 years ago. As the attacks got progressively worse my diet changed automatically . With imminent day surgery to have my gall bladder removed, I will need to/like to commit to a plant based diet .

My mother and father both passed away with a heart attack and I was heading in the same direction. I had diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma and was tried of taking over 6 different medications. Met a lady who encouraged me to go vegan and I was off my meds. After that I started a health food store education others about a more healthy lifestyle.

I was born vegan and grew up with American Vegan Society.

I recently went vegan March 1 2023 at the age of 67 years of age.

I don’t have one yet, but I will because I am a diabetic .

After being diagnosed with Lyme disease, I sought out a low-inflammation diet to support my gut health. I watched “Forks Over Knives” and “What The Health” and went vegan overnight. It’s almost as if something clicked for me because now I cannot fathom living any other way. I wish I had truly known about veganism sooner.

I am a biomedical scientist who has been a passionate vegan advocate since 2013!

I remember telling myself I love meat so much that I can never live without it. This was later replaced with cheese when I went vegetarian.

Today, I am the Founder and CEO of Allied Scholars for Animal Protection, a nonprofit that brings vegan outreach and education to universities, to support and mentor students and future leaders! We are building a unified, effective, and sustainable infrastructure for animal advocacy in universities by focusing on 3 areas:

Vegan outreach, education and community building, and making dining halls plant based!

www.AlliedScholars.org

My transition started when my friend told me that I can't say I love animals and eat them too! I resisted for several months, but when I was presented with facts and also saw what animals go through for meat, egg, dairy, wool, experimentation, etc. the only rational and ethical decision was to go vegan.

At the same time, the more I learned about the health benefits of plant-based diet, and the health and environmental issues caused by animal consumption, the more I realized this is the root cause of many issues I always cared about! These problems are inherent to animal consumption and not just "how" we exploit animals and factory farms. For instance, free-rage or grass fed animals still contribute to zoonotic diseases, pandemics, antibiotic resistance, and climate change. In fact, in some ways, they are worse!

Veganism isn't just this arbitrary cause that I suddenly became interested in. It is the most impactful, important, and urgent topic we should be talking about. By understanding the depth of the problem and the amount of suffering caused by animal consumption to both human and nonhuman animals, I know that
rationally, mathematically, statistically, and ethically the best way to use my time and energy to help others is to be a vegan and advocate veganism, and that's what I've been doing since 2013!

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I was vegetarian for 20 years and finally went vegan when I saw Mercy for Animals videos about the egg and dairy industries.

I’m a former open heart recovery nurse. My husband and I have enjoyed a whole food plant-based lifestyle since 2011. As with many other health professionals, it was a life changing revelation to learn that we can prevent and reverse disease rather than merely attempting to slow the progression of disease.
One of the most challenging aspects of our plant-based journey has been growing our community of like-minded people to share life experiences. Even dining out with friends became a challenge because of limited healthy offerings.
I partner with the National Health Association (NHA), a non-profit science-based organization that has been championing the gold standard of a whole plant-food diet and lifestyle since 1948. We provide opportunities to travel promoting an active lifestyle with like-minded people enjoying healthy plant exclusive meals. I’m fortunate to be able to combine my passions for wellness and plant-based travel.

I went whole food plant-based, SOS-free for health reasons.

I'm vegetarian since age 2, vegan since 18, but the date thing would date forever to roll back on this site: I'm 61. I fell in love with a calf at a petting zoo in Connecticut called "Old McDonald's Farm" at two. I later pointed to the meat case at my mother's regular kosher butcher, and asked Lenny where it came from. He described it to me. I was HORRIFIED they were eating my friends, like vampires. I was two.

I grew up on a small farm in the midwest, we had cows, pigs, sheep, chickens, lots of cats, and a dog. I knew all about the process of raising animals that eventually were loaded up on a truck and...we know the rest.
I was the county fair queen and champion beef showman, but on the flip side, I remember the sadness I felt when that champion steer was loaded onto a truck.
In my college years, I announced I was a vegetarian to my family, that didn't go over well. It was like I had just denounced our way of life. However, my father - a hard working fit man who never drank alcohol or smoked, died of a massive heart attack at the age of 51. He looked so healthy, but we ate meat, eggs, and dairy at nearly every meal. Fast foward five decades and I watch The Game Changers. My next meal was vegan and I never looked back. I know most people can't change that quickly, but I did. I've witnessed several family members and loved ones struggle with heart bypass operations, the fear, the pain. I want to spare others (and yes, myself).

My vegan story is long and drawnout and ups and downs. Jeff made a great video about it.

i wish i could share this very beautiful long journey of mine in this section but i would have to make it really short which i think it does not deserve to be cutout. they all mean so much to me. feel free to reach out when you have plenty of time 😉

After attending a 10-day Vipassana silent meditation course, it became clear that I did not want to harm other sentient beings just to temporarily satisfy my taste buds. After becoming vegan for animal compassion reasons, my wife and I became mostly whole foods plant based to extend that compassion to ourselves.

Witnessing awful treatment of cows, sheeps, and other animals in my pre-veterinary college program shocked me. I didn't understand their suffering until then. I tried to stay with the pre-veterinary program but dropped out after two years because I lost morale seeing what even veterinary students were expected to do to their patients. I met animal rights activists soon after I left college. Their literature was entirely consistent with my feelings. I began volunteering with them, I saw they were happy & healthy vegans, and I became vegan soon after. As with so many other humans I know, my biggest regret is not becoming vegan sooner.

Originally went plant-based with my brothers as something new to try out during the beginning of quarantine. After connecting with the ethics a few months later through watching videos and reading arguments about the vegan position, I became a vegan for life.

I am a Registered Nurse for 31 years. I Have been overweight my whole life. I developed gestational diabetes 15 years ago. I feel compelled to focus on my longevity primarily for the sake of my son. I don't want to miss the major milestones in his life. I want to be a "Glam Ma"! I don't just want to be alive, I want to LIVE. I am currently prescribed Metformin, Victoza, Glucophage, Lisinipril, Simvastatin and Gabapentin. I need to get off these medications. I enjoy eating the fruits and veggies. I have been avoiding fried foods, bread, dairy, white sugar. I have issues with candies. When I eat them, I overeat them. I know I am doing better with food choices. I am 5 6.5 211lbs. Goal weight is 150lbs. I am convinced WFPB eating can help me reach that goal.

Started my journey on the 13th of November, 2022 due to ill health.
I have been having a lot of health issues, fibroid, High cholesterol etc.

I changed my diet and immediately experienced a change.

“Let’s start doing Meatless Mondays” my wife told me as I had a beer in my hand…”Ughhh, fine… I’ll give it a try.”

After a few weeks, I noticed I felt better after Meatless Mondays over any other day of the week (sadly indulging in Omnivore Meals)

So… I decided to give up Dairy for a few days… which turned into a week… which turned into a month… which turned into: “Damn, I don’t feel bloated anymore…”

That led to: “well let’s try more meat free days”… leading to… a few weeks… leading to “Damn I haven’t had meat or dairy in a month…” and my plant based journey began.

Now I say plant based, because that is a diet, or choice on how to eat.

It took me about 2 years to finally figure that out and understand what “being vegan” means…

Being Vegan is all about the animals. It’s about how you SEE them As beings and NOT animals, treat them ALL equal, and think about them as LIFE instead of PROFITS!

Animals>Hunans

Caddied for Jack LaLanne as a teen, became an earth scientist, lost too many friends to heart attacks… All roads pointed me to plants.

Born vegan. Force fed the belief that eating animals was normal. Fixed it.

I read the book Diet for a New America by John Robbins and was blown away by the information I was getting. The transition was easy for me, gratifying and started me on a lifelong journey to help change the world.

I had gone through a rough period in my life where I would get little sleep, no exercise, and ate fast food every day (McDonald’s what is the only place open at 1 AM). In late 2010, I decided I needed to make major changes having just tip the scale at 195 (only being 5’7”). One of the decisions I made was to change the way I ate. That let me to read book after book about various diet … and I read a lot of them. There were two books that I read that pointed me to a vegan or whole food plant-based diet: the China Study by T: Campbell and How to Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease by Dr. Caldwell Eccelstyn. So I adopted a plant-based diet in early 2011. I also decided to take running back up and began running marathons. I was quickly back down to my normal weight of 150.

While I see I adopted a vegan diet, I wasn’t very good vegan and consistently fell off the wagon. Cheese pizza was the usual meal that let me down the dark path; I guess you could say cheese pizza was my gateway drug. I would go off the wagon for 46 weeks at a stretch, which start feeling lousy, and then jump right back on.

I see my vegan story begins on June 27, 2017, because that’s the day that while I was riding the New York subway, I had my heart attack. Fortunately, it was an extremely mild heart attack … I walked to my office from the subway … after several doctors visits, one doctor sent me down and said the plaque on my arteries was better than most people, my age, but given my diet lifestyle, weight and cholesterol (175 at the time), I shouldn’t have any plaque. He suggested that I get tested for LPa. I tested positive for high levels of LPa and the doctor recommended. I keep my cholesterol as low as possible. That’s when I became a serious vegan.

I had discovered during my vegan apprenticeship, that it’s easy to cheat when you’re just eating for yourself. I then studied the effects that the meat, dairy and eggs industries have on the planet and more importantly, on the animals. It was, then I decided that I was going to eat not only for myself, but for the planet and my furry, feather and finned friends. I haven’t touched an animal product since.

During Corona quarantine, I became familiar with veganism.

I've been plant-based for over 10 years. I was struggling with digestive issues which at one point had me down to eating only 5 foods. Plant based eating, among other things, brought me back from that mess to a fully healthy, vibrant life!

The more I ate plants, the more I felt compassion for animals. Coming from a farming, hunting background, it was a long path. But now I love it and support a couple non-profit vegan organizations in Africa that are transforming so many lives there!!

I was a graduate student at Harvard when I became vegetarian, then soon thereafter I became vegan.

I was fat sick & dying of heart disease, pre-diabectic, 6 yrs Insomnia. I could barely stand, my feet were so painful. Everything hurt. I had arthritis. I was Vegetarian for 18 years at the time. When I first went vegetarian I became very healthy but now I realise I was mostly Vegan then I got a job and more money started coming in so I started buying heaps of chocolate, cakes, cheese, Eggs, dairy milk. I was 55 yrs old & believed we get old, fat & sick, live on pharmaceutical drugs then Die... I was ! My mother died of a brain tumour, my uncle - diabetes, aunty - 3 strokes & she died before 55. Another aunty - cancer.
...Then a Vegan came into my life...I learned what happens to cows & chickens... I decided I cannot be a part of such horrific Cruelty!
My daughter rang me at the precise moment...her first words were "mum, I'm going Vegan" to which I replied "so am I...Little did we know the dramatic, miraculous change going Vegan would have.

My daughter is now a well known animal activists...In America her nick name is "thunder from down under" - someone else calls her "The perfect storm."

Within a very short time after going Vegan my body healed - COMPLETELY!! MY doctors reaction to my before & after Vegan blood tests was unbelievable... he just sat there staring from the before to after results & couldn't speak except to finally say "How?"
I needed the answers to that question so I went on a journey to find out WHY.... I found Dr. Neal Barnard, Dr. Michael Greger & so many more doctors that turned from traditional medicines to studying Nutrition.

I'm now 8 years Vegan & I'm 64 - I can run, climb, move my furniture myself... I'm stronger, healthier, faster than I've ever been in my life. My brain absorbs more information faster. I'm so Grateful!
11 people at my dog park have gone Vegan.
My 6 year old Granddaughter has become a Vegan activist but she pronounces Vegan as Began 😆. My sister & brother are Vegan.

After going Vegan to Stop Cruelty to farm animals - ones whole mind set changes and we find ourselves thinking ethically on every subject. I'm now also an environmentalist.

I would like to live to see a Vegan world in which Kindness motivates us - animal farmers grow crops & greedy polititicians have to start listening...this is when we Take back our Power ! With KINDESS💚🌳🐥