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 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 Scottsdale, Arizona. 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!

After my dog died in a tragic accident, I came across a video by Acharya Prashant, who introduced me to veganism. This led me to watch several documentaries that revealed the horrible truths about animal cruelty. Moved by what I learned; I made the switch to a vegan lifestyle. Six months later, I became an activist. This journey helped me cope with my loss and find a new purpose.

I went vegetarian at the age of 13 after accidentally selecting Morningstar “chicken” from the grocery store for my school lunches at the store with my mom. As I was eating it later that night, I noticed the label said “100% vegetarian” and I was shocked! I thought it tasted great and I couldn’t believe it wasn’t real chicken, as I thought I’d selected. I thought back to the one and only time my dad took us fishing and I locked eyes with the poor fish we caught, thrashing around and clearly suffering. I screamed for my dad to put him back in and after many attempts to get the hook loose, he did. I had always felt weird about eating animals but was always able to push it out of my mind. Then at 13, a peer in class was bragging about going hunting. I said something to him about how cruel it was, and he turned to me and said “we’ll do you eat meat? Because if so, you can’t talk.” I wanted to disappear into my chair, because I didn’t really have a good response. He was right! I thought of that fish and it hit me that I was causing that same suffering to so many beings behind closed doors. I went vegetarian soon after, and vegan later in college when I finally learned about how much suffering is in the egg and dairy industry.

I started my vegan journey in the fall of 1989 while working on a Kibbutz in Israel. I saw animals being mistreated and became vegetarian then. I still had some dairy until I read Diet for New America by John Robbins, at which point I made the shift to vegan.

Fully vegan for 7 years now, dairy free for 25. I have two children, 8&9 years old who I’ve raised vegan since birth. I don’t believe anyone needs to die in order for myself to keep on living.

I've always had an interest in living in a healthier, more natural way since I can remember. I ended up getting a job at one of the two Health Food Stores we had in town where the owners and employees were vegetarian. I quickly wanted to join ranks. The more I thought about it the more I felt it was something I needed to pursue. Not for health necessarily, but for the animals. I started off by making my husband and I the same food but would replace the portion of meat for me with some alternative without him realizing it. I was so afraid he would be against it enough to stop me from doing it at all. He never did stop me, but he never did join me either. This was when I was in my late 30's. When I was 40 in 1998, I ended up working for the other Health Food Store we had in town. One of the employees and I became close friends and after sharing some of the things I knew was happening to the animals, she became vegetarian, also. I'm not sure how many years later she started losing her hair to the point of having some bald spots and ended up finding out her iron levels were extremely low. She was pushed by her doctor to eat meat to remedy it. This kind of pushed me into doing that as well. So, for a span of about a year, we both ate a small amount of meat. Neither one of us felt good about it and didn't want to continue. My friend got her iron levels back up, but never really believed her low levels were caused by being vegetarian after researching everything she could about it. We went back to being vegetarian but were actually vegan 95% of the time so we decided to jump in all the way on January 1st, 2013. My friend, her husband and I have been vegan ever since. And my friend has never had any more issues with her iron levels being low.

I read a weird story about a man who ate an airplane (it's true) and it made me think that our bodies can take so much abuse and how this abuse is killing us. It was a click moment. I don't miss any of it. I am the biggest vegan fan in the world.

My last hospital bill was over half a million dollars. I watched "What the Health" on Netflix, went vegan and my only regret is not doing it sooner.

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.

I went vegan after coming across the documentary "Earthlings". I remember crying and being so distraught. My cat, Lady Luck came up to me and tried to comfort me. I realized in that moment that animals were more complex than we gave them credit for. And if my cat could show me empathy than I could to all the animals out there.

I fasted on water and went vegan to quit smoking.

The generational curse stops with me.

Founder of the Church of Veganism.

Just learning more and trying to be as healthy as possible.

Vegan low fat diet is my new plan, to overcome heart disease & pre-diabetes

I read the Starch Diet and went plant-based about 3 years ago. Lost a few pounds, quit for a little while then realized I'd rather just be plant-based. After taking a lot of flack from people for being on a diet that I had never heard before being on any other diet, eventually I realized what the difference is and how it aligns with the highest of values.

I was vegetarian and became vegan for the animals.

I went vegan for the animals, because I could not stand their suffering anymore.

Health

My journey into the world of veganism began with a simple desire for better quality food. For years, I found myself constantly reading articles in popular magazines promoting the benefits of consuming grass-fed animals and Greek yogurt for their protein content. It seemed like the path to a healthier lifestyle was paved with animal products.

Then came the year 2020, a year that would slow everything down and open my eyes to a whole new way of thinking about food. It was during this time that I stumbled upon some incredibly insightful doctors on YouTube. One of the foremost voices in this awakening was Dr. Zach Bush. He painted a holistic picture of soil health, climate change, and the powerful role that consuming plants could play in healing our planet.

As I delved deeper into this new world of information, I discovered other remarkable physicians like Dr. Baxter Montgomery, Dr. T. Colin Campbell, and Dr. Michael Klaper. Their insights were eye-opening, to say the least. But what truly sealed the deal for me was the daily 30-minute live show by the Physician's Committee. It was like having a direct line to experts who could answer everyday questions about what to eat and why a plant-based diet was so beneficial.

Armed with this newfound knowledge, I embarked on a journey to transition my family's lifestyle. Admittedly, it wasn't always smooth sailing, especially with my three young daughters who occasionally sneaked non-vegan treats at school. However, the transformation we experienced was remarkable.

One of the most encouraging moments was when my middle daughter's skin, which had a light patch, returned to its normal pigmentation in just two weeks. It was a powerful testament to the healing potential of a plant-based diet.

But perhaps the most incredible transformation was witnessed in my husband, who had been battling diabetes for years. Within three weeks of adopting a plant-based lifestyle, he was able to stop taking his blood pressure medications. Over the course of two and a half years, he shed an astonishing 100 pounds.

My passion for this way of life led me to pursue certification as a Food for Life coach from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM). Today, I am on a mission to educate and inspire others to embrace a whole food, plant-based lifestyle. It's about savoring the goodness of fruits and vegetables with every meal, knowing that it not only benefits our health but also contributes to a brighter, more sustainable future for our planet.

In a world filled with choices, I've chosen a path of compassion, health, and environmental consciousness. It's a journey that continues to enrich my life in ways I could have never imagined, and I'm excited to share this transformative experience with others.

I write short stories, plays and novels focused on the complex and often conflicted relationships between humans and animals. I am co-founder, with Midge Raymond, of the vegan-owned small publisher Ashland Creek Press.

It is best health decision I have ever made and it is such a blessing.

After my wife went vegan, I decided to try it for a month so I would better understand the decisions she would have to make at grocery stores & restaurants, how she would have to prepare meals, etc. After three weeks I knew I would stay with it. I spent some time a few years ago trying to learn web development and built a vegan web site as my practice project. I got more involved in animal agriculture, climate issues, etc. through that.

I started with a cooperate fast from church. We were to eat no meat or sweets for 21 days. I have been on the journey ever since. I found several health benefits and begin to share with others. I also watch documentaries on how animals are being slaughtered for human consumption and was very disturbed. I’m still free from animal consumption, but have struggled with fish / shrimp here and there.
But I’m determined to be fully committed. It’s been a blessing to learn how to eat without killing animals. I’m on a mission to help my family and friends learn more about the vegan life as well as myself.

I have enjoyed the numerous testimonials on you tube from Vegan Linked. It has truly been a great source of inspiration and information.

Thank you,
Jackie Jefferson

My dad took me to a veggie restaurant by mistake which turned me vegetarian. A few years on living in Brighton I went vegan, which was a basic requirement in the activist community. It really helped that vegan food, even in those days, was accessible in a way you couldn't dream of in my country of origin Sweden. Empathy and imagining what it is like to be the animal has always been the driving force for me.

My husband Steve was going in for a full Right hip replacement, 11/2018. His Orthopedic Surgeon said he would soon be needing his Left hip done as well because it too was riddled with Arthritis.
My nutrition major prompted me to research what we could do nutritionally, it all kept turning up Whole Food Plant Based. We changed our Lifestyle to WFPB, February 1, 2019. Steve effortlessly dropped 40+lbs., has endless amounts of energy and his arthritis and bursitis have completely gone away. The pluses have been just as good for me too. We are avid bike riders and Pickle Ball enthusiasts. In fact on Steve’s 69th Birthday we had our fastest bike ride to date, 4.37minute per mile for 12 miles. This is a Lifestyle we embrace and would never go back!

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.

My vegan journey began in St. Louis, Missouri, but a visit to my great-grandparents' farm at age nine planted the seed. Witnessing a chicken being killed made me realize the connection between animals and the food we eat, a moment that stayed with me for years.

Fast forward to adulthood, my health struggles—high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and digestive issues—forced me to reassess my lifestyle. A scare with Crohn’s disease in 2003 led me to embrace plant-based eating for better health. But what started as a health-driven choice soon evolved into a deeper understanding of veganism as a compassionate, ethical, and sustainable way of living.

Today, veganism is more than a diet for me; it’s a way to align my values with my actions, creating positive change for animals, the planet, and my own well-being.

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 stopped eating animals nearly 30 years ago when I realized I couldn’t love them and eat them too. For years I was vegetarian—still consuming dairy and eggs—until I learned the truth about the industries behind those products. In 2010, I made the full transition to veganism, and I’ve never felt more aligned with my values.

For the past 8 years, I’ve followed a high raw vegan lifestyle, which has been transformative for my physical and emotional health. Eating this way has helped me heal from chronic issues, boost my energy, and feel more connected to nature and purpose.

I believe going vegan is one of the kindest choices we can make—for the animals, for ourselves, and for the planet. Whether you’re just starting or years into your journey, I’m here to support and inspire anyone choosing compassion.

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 🙂