My initial interest in becoming meat free was to actually see if I could go vegetarian and nowhere near the vegan lifestyle. However my son was a vegetarian from before birth as he would not allow me to eat or even smell meat without serious consequences. I mastered making him meat free dishes and still was okay with testing the vegetarian lifestyle, as long as I got to keep my artery clogging cheese coma going on, I was willing.
Then comes soon to be husband and his doctor actually informs him that he needs to clean up his eating act and drop as much of the bad eating as possible. Pretty much all meat and increase greens intake by tenfold. I leaped onto the chance to show my support and decided then and there we would test out becoming vegans. We had to quickly get a firm foundation in the fact that we would commit to this fully and not give ourselves a deadline. So we slowly but surely act down our "bad" pantry that had just been stocked up on junk snacks and high sugar juices and a deep freezer full of meats to portion out for later use. Luckily the fridge ran on empty and on my next grocery trip I spent close to 3 hours perusing every isle as I bought only vegan items. Being still new I bought only items that plainly stated vegan on them. Now I know to read the entire box and even if they don't state vegan, that could very well still be!

We have been transitioning vegans for 2 1/2 months as we whittled away our old supplies in pantry stock up. We converted to full vegan Jan 1st 2021. It was amazing how quickly our bodies were okay with no meat or dairy substance. Now we feel it if we chance a meal and get non vegan food.
So far the journey seems well worth it and has opened up our eyes to being able to create all our old favorite dishes but modified! This is a change we are very happy to see and plan to stay the course going forward!!!

-

74 yrs old with health problems prior to started this way of life have already been decreasing.

I don't really have a vegan story. One day the question of whether or not animals feel pain popped into my mind. From then on, I regularly contemplated animal rights and began working on reducing and eventually eliminating my active contribution to the mistreatment of animals. Nothing crazy.

Watched Food inc with my husband & never looked back! Our family of four are Whole Food Organic Vegans & bring our knowledge & food to the community through our business: AVO Café in Santa Monica.

My vegan journey is a long one. I stopped eating red meat and pork in 1996. I stopped eating white meat (turkey and chicken) in 2001. I stopped dairy in 2015. I was pescatarian off and on until 2019.

I am a certified Holistic nutritionist and the fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, and whole grains are the most healthful.

After doing my independent research online I went vegan after being diagnosed with stage 1 breast Cancer in 2018. Best choice I ever made!! I am now Cancer Free & helping others become vegan to improve their health and Save their LIVES!!!

Iam a vegan for two weeks now. I feel healthier than ever and I want to keep that up.

I became whole food plant based for my health.

International Vegan Film Festival

Age 16-67 I rotated between vegetarian to pescatarian ...at age 68 I went vegan excluding throwing out all my leather goods since my fixed income does not afford me the ability to repurchase other items
Sharon

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.

I’m on a journey to prevent so diseases! I will eat too live and not die and be an example for all those I can help.

Became vegan for the animals on my birthday 2016.

My super cool older cousin came home from college and dared me not to eat any meat on Thanksgiving day of 1996. I was 9, I took the dare! That night she showed me a VHS tape that she had brought back from college - it was being passed around amongst her friends. It was similar to footage from Earthlings. I never ate another animal again! I didn't learn about the rest until 19 years later, and I continue to learn more every single day. We went vegan in 2015. My son did it the same day, despite me trying to convince him to wait and let me try it first. I'm so thankful he had more sense than me at 5 years old! Now he goes by VeganEvan and speak all over the country! We do activism everywhere we go 🙂

I have been vegetarian for 2+ years for environmental reasons, and currently working on embracing a full vegan diet and lifestyle.

I am a vegan girl who decided to start a Vegfest in my city for 2018. It went amazing, we had 89 vendors and 10k visitors and we are gearing up for our next Vegfest May 11th 2019.

Went vegan for the animals a long time ago!

Has eat a lot and all, but one day found a small video about human digestion, and after that wanted to try a raw-food for one week. After that was months and years of vegan and vegan raw-food.
Especially one person has described me, if I eat someone, it almost the same if I bite or hurt myself.
I hope someday everyone will be vegan or raw-food vegan.

I turned weaken because of self awakening. Now working on to have the vegan world.

I was a vegetarian since age 11. 4 years ago i finally became woke and vegan. I became an activist organizer for DxE Panama and later also for Animal Save Movement and Earthlings Experience. I am currently busy with my Non profit foundation which is the umbrella for our activism here in Panama, as well as the basis for the vegan movement. Aiming at starting the construction of the first Farm Animal Sanctuary in Panama end of this year, or asap (CoVid 19 sort of makes things a bit unstable) I live with 20 rescued animals, 3 of which are Cats with FIV.

I've been vegan since birth, and trying to change the world ever I could talk!

Testing from Safari

I was at my friend’s house and we were working on a campaign for Prop2 to help egg laying hens used in factory farms. I said, “I love animals so much.”
My friend Judy Landey exclaimed,”If you love animals so much, then why do you eat them.” That was the wake up call I needed to stop consuming dead flesh. I’m thankful my eyes & heart were opened that night. We are all pre-vegan in our hearts.

I turned vegan because I finally watched a documentary called “Cowspiracy”. I had avoided this documentary and all the rest, because I was afraid of the truth. I pledge to be vegan as well as raise my two children vegan proudly, and I wish that soon the rest of my family will too.

My vegan story started in 2007 when I watched a screening of Earthlings. During the Q&A someone from the Vancouver Humane Society said that the best thing we can do to help the animals we'd just seen onscreen was to take meat out of our diets. I didn't do it 'cold turkey' but over the course of a few years I slowly focused on seafood and plant-based foods. I was able to let go of seafood in 2017 and when I found out I was sensitive to dairy (after taking a sensitivity test to get at the root of my digestive pains) in 2018, that was it.

Dont Really Know The Real Difference Between A Vegetarian And A Vegan:
THERFORE I'm YET TO WRITE MY OWN STORY...

Hoping to make a difference by making some lifestyle changes for my family xx

Vegan since 2019
Currently a volunteer for SlaughterFreeLA
Trying to help the animals thru political action

I was in a downward spiral of weight and depression when my first son was born. It wasn’t until my body stopped producing milk and I was unable to feed my son that I woke up and searched for how to make sure formula wouldn’t ruin my child. I knew if I wanted him to have optimal health, I needed to lead the way. I had no idea about animal cruelty or the planet until I started down this path and I have never looked back. Everyday I wake up and feel a sense of purpose to show my family a better world through a vegan lifestyle. I am 100 pounds lighter and my kids (two now) are always remarked at for their health. I am a happy mama!

Went vegan after watching Earthlings

I read a book called Man vs Beast that described factory farming when I was 11 years old and I haven't looked back ever since.

Our family were long term vegetarians and went vegan overnight after watching "What The Health".

In the summer of 2017 I was encouraged by my mom to start a candy company. At the same time my sister began a plant based journey and asked that I craft treats that she could also enjoy. From there I tested several recipes to find just the right combination of ingredients to craft delicious confections without any animal products.

During Corona quarantine, I became familiar with veganism.

I saw how retired dairy vows were devastating the forests of India and went Vegan.

go vegan

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" 😀

Vegetarian since youth, did not know the harm done for drinking milk and eating eggs until a few years back.

Helping individuals adopt a whole foods plant based diet and make lifestyle modifications to improve their health

2yrs

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.

My name is Ryan Richards and I’ve started a vegan food company called “Virgin Vegan” based out of Notthern VA. I’ve been vegan for 2 years now and back in October 2020, I started to think about how I can make a difference in community. 

“What can I do?”
 “How can I make a change ?” 
“How can I help the people in my community”

Then BOOM!

Virgin Vegan was born.

Follow us on Facebook.com/ThankYouVirginVegan
Instagram.com/ThankYouVirginVegan

In Des Moines, IA, I plan monthly dine outs for a group of vegans, vegetarians or want-to be's. Everyone is invited, as long as they order plant food for that evening's dinner.

I watched What the Health documentary on Netflix. 20 minutes I was fully and completely committed to aWFPB life style. I’ve never looked back.

Doctor wanted to put me on statin to lower cholesterol which was 240. I watched Forks Over Knives and that convinced me to go plant based. Thirty days later, at age 75 I had a mild stroke. Tests showed that my cholesterol had dropped to 133 in that 30 days eating a plant based diet. Question is did the diet cause the stroke or would I have had it anyway? Nevertheless I have stayed on diet and lost weight, blood pressure dropped below 120/80 resting pulse rate is 47 and blood tests have been perfect.

I have been an activist for a couple of years, full time or more. Got burnout and now doing it slowly.
Also, I am the developer of the vegan oriented nutrition site http://v-nut.e-motiv.net

Been vegan/plant-based since 2016! Encouraging patients to get more plants on their plate since 2016 too! As a Pediatrician I think it is imperative to change the mindset we have around food towards a plant-based plate rather than a meat centric plate and so I’ve been trying to help others on this journey as much as I can.

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!

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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 .

I started eating more plants for my health, then I ate less meat for the planet’s health, finally I went full vegan for the ethical concerns of the animals. Turns out, eating vegan is just better for all of us.

3 years ago, Vegetarian for 30 years

EF

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 😉

I was very ill in 2015, and I could barely walk. Within 6 weeks, I had lost 30 lbs and inflammation had disappeared.

Eating vegetarian food may change his/her life.

going to see factory farming with my own eyes made me vegan

58 years old, post-op RNY Gastric Bypass surgery. Severe osteoarthritis in both knees. Feeling much better overall since switching to a WFPB Lifestyle. I have lost 100 pounds in one year. Starting yoga and stationary exercises bike.

Just trying to understand plant base.

I have decided to become vegan due to my health issues. I want to get my health back!

My wife started to control her high cholesterol and to support the end to animal violence. I followed in her footsteps.

Just feeling wonderful since I am Vegan. I am so sad I didn't went Vegan earlier in my life

My girlfriend and I became vegan to try and improve our overall health; I had spent years feeling terrible and constantly getting sick and she suggested we both try it. Shortly after starting we watched the documentary Dominion and haven’t looked back since. Now we remain vegan not just because of the benefits to our body... but the earth, ecosystem, animals and every reason in between!

I’m a lifestyle medicine family physician in Ann Arbor supporting whole food plant-based health and vitality for people, our planet and the animals for 45 years.

I was not raised vegan, I did not become vegan because I did not like the taste of meat, dairy, or eggs. I became vegan because one day, I had the courage to take responsibility for my choices. I no longer believe animals are here for us for food, clothing, entertainment, testing, or any other purpose. I am vegan

I gradually transitioned to being vegan when I started caring about nutrition and my overall health. I realized that we have the power to transform our world to a more ethical and healthful society with compassion and wisdom. I wish to be the change I wish to see in the world.

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.

Really want to reduce weight

Started due to health issues & then became aware of factory farming & then became aware of environmental influences of the food choices & life styles

High blood work

Keto diet not working...

Hi All,

Happy to meet you on this platform.

5 years ago after being 25 years living the Vegetarian life, my wife and I made one if the most important decision in our life and became full fledged Vegans.

My personal drive for actively promoting Veganism on social media and real life is my concern about the devastating impact of the animal protein diet and use of animal derived products on Health, Environment and Animal Welfare. Therefore I am very interested in the innovative plant-based products/services that are developed and introduced on the market every single day by inspiring Vegan entrepreneurs.

Clean-meat development I consider also interesting looking at the positive impact on environment and animal welfare (not necessary on health).

During my activities as Volunteer for The Dutch Vegan Society, I got connected to some enthusiastic Dutch Vegan entrepreneurs. Together we organized several successful meet-ups (with upto 100 attendees) for Vegan entrepreneurs and investors in The Netherlands.

Our group joined-up with The V-entrepreneurs Network [VEN] founded in Germany, and in corporation with several international colleagues and partners we are now scaling up VEN to a professional international operating network, with already working branches in multiple countries.

For more information about our network please visit and follow : https://www.vevolution.com/organisations/v-entrepreneurs-network

Our aim is to bring V-entrepreneurs offline together for support and knowledge exchange in a personal, trusted environment.

Professionally I work in the leading global technology company ABB as Bid & Proposal Engineer and in this role actively involved in the Energy Transition.

Looking forward to meet you during one of our v-entrepreneurs meet-ups or online via this platform or Linkedin.

Green greetings,

Richard

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.

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

Watched a documentary that opened my eyes to veganism

Since 1991, Emani vegan makeup has offered a beautiful solution for lovers of makeup and animals. Our makeup is 100% natural and ideal for sensitive skin, as it contains only the finest ingredients. The Emani Australia range includes vegan primers, vegan mineral foundations, vegan bronzer, vegan illuminator, vegan mascara, vegan eyeshadows, and vegan lipsticks - all luxuriously packaged and scientifically formulated to nourish your skin, without any nasty chemicals.

Love animals and the best way to show for it its not eating them

I don’t have a story yet but I’m hopeing to have one soon

5 years ago my physician said my cholesterol was too high and I must start taking Lipitor. I'm not a fan of taking medicine, especially on a permanent basis, but it was the side-affects that really scared me (get your liver checked every six months?????) I asked her if there was anything else I can do and the answer was "Change your parents." I did not like this answer and I did some research and found the suggestion that changing to a vegan diet would help. The biggest driver for me was the "China Study." I'm an engineer with a math minor, numbers speak to me and I know how you can lie with numbers. The staggering amount of participants in the study, the length, and the goals removed all my doubts.

I looked at other materials like "Forks over Knives" and such. As so, I got my blood work done, spent 3 weeks getting to a Vegan diet, was on a full Vegan diet for 2 weeks more, then got my blood work done.

Not surprising to anyone probably reading this, my bad cholesterol alone when from 186 to 90. Other numbers were very very good also. My physician was very pleased. It was at this point I asked her "Why didn't you suggest this?" and the answer "Noone will change there diet this drastically for health."

I was extremely happy with the results and made a life change to eating Vegan. I was also very upset about the fact my Physician didn't feel it was something I should know that a Vegan diet would help because I would want to eat my self to the grave.

Over the years I found another health route of problems... You cand still eat CRAP and be a Vegan. Just recently my health has started to slip, Colersteral is still good, but sugar is high, blood pressure is up, etc. Using information from Dr. Greger, and reading his two books, I've gone 100% Plat based (as much as possible) and implemented his programs. My last visit... excellent! Making huge strides in the issue areas.

This information needs to be pushed out to EVERYONE. We are killing ourselves one dollar at a time to Big Food/Drink/Meat/Dairy. This alone should be enough for us to wake up. The other benefits like saving our environment, the cruel treatment of animals, etc are huge too, however, most people may resonate with the "what's in it for me right now"

Trying to be healthy

I became vegan because of the WHAT THE HEALTH documentary. It totally inspired me and convinced me that it is better for my own body and the planet to go Vegan.

I became plant based after reading Eat To Live by Joel Fuhrman. An online friend asked me why I wascalled myself plant-based. After some discussion, I committed to veganism.

ey! I’m Rebecca the creator of Veggies Abroad. During the pandemic, like so many people, I took time to re-evaluate my career — I wanted to find a way to align it with my ethics in hopes of making this world a tiny bit kinder.

But I struggled to find a fit.

So, what does any college-educated person do during a global pandemic? Well, they leave their full-time career of 15 years and start a vegan travel blog, of course!

Initially, I thought this would just help me pivot my career, but it's turned into much more. The blog focuses on showcasing mouthwatering lineups of vegan food, action-packed travel guides, tips, and everything else a veggie-traveler would need!

On top of that, it has forced me to learn many new skills — SEO, digital marketing, Word Press — and improve others — writing, communication, and PR. All of which helped me launch an array of consulting services. I hope to use my skills to amplify the voices of ethical businesses and organizations making a difference in the world. Maybe that could be yours?

Watched Earthlings and made the switch. I became an activist shortly after and used my skills in video production to help the movement as well as vegan businesses

None.

I was raised a vegetarian in India but was a milk guzzler until I got to know about how cruel the dairy industry really is. Around the same time, I started reading blogger Steve Pavlina's story about going vegan. Both together prompted me to go on a 30-day trial of being vegan. Within about 6 months, I decided to permanently ditch dairy and go vegan for good.

I went vegan for the animals. However, I'm whole food plant based for my health.

I had come across a group named 'vegans united' on facebook. There are came to know about Horrors of Dairy Industry. I started doing my own research and found out that being a vegan is a moral baseline. That's how I became a vegan

My 5 year old nephew was diagnosed with cancer 12 years ago. His mom was in nursing school and had a professor ask if she'd looked into the role of diet in cancer. She started reading books and suggested I read The China Study. We did a 10-day trial and my cholesterol dropped 50 points. That was all it took. My family of 4 made the transition, and this year my book about our transition and a quick guide for people to do it themselves, 'For Fork's Sake: A Quick Guide to Healing Yourself and the Planet Through a Plant-Based Diet' was released!

Cleared up internal inflammation and acne as well as sports performance enhanced

I went vegan 14 years ago through a love of animals and the environment.

I went vegan for ethical reasons and plant-based for my health. Having grown up with dogs, I eventually got dogs myself. It was the amazing bond I formed with my pooches as an adult that opened up my empathetic eyes to the complex and beautiful spectrum of emotions that animals possess, and ultimately, provided me with the conduit to vegetarianism in 2014. After watching Earthlings, and resonating so profoundly with the message of activists like Gary Yourofsky, James Aspey and Earthling Ed, I went vegan in 2016.

I believe that food, the production and consumption thereof, is the one human activity that has the greatest impact on ourselves and the planet. The impact can be positive or negative depending on what and how we produce and consume. The scientific research has proved that veganism is unquestionably essential in preserving our health and that of our planet.

After being interested for years in all aspects of food production and consumption, I finally became vegan due to Dr Gregor's publications on Nutritionfacts. Food, its production and consumption, is the one human activity that has the greatest impact on ourselves and the planet. Scientific research has unquestionably proved that veganism is essential to preserving our health and that of the planet.

My story is simple. Just got tired of eating animals and dairy products and wanted to be more healthier and lose weight

Widow maker survivor on WFPB.