Founder of the Church of Veganism.

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

I used to eat a lot of meat as I come from a very carnivorous country. I met my partner, who has been a vegetarian for most of her life. Cooking at home for both of us, I was tired of cooking two different meals. I stopped eating meat at home, I decided to eat only once or twice a week in a restaurant. One day she told me that she wanted to stop eating animal-based dairy products, I was getting more complicated in the kitchen since I had little experience in veganism. When I started to cook vegan, I found it very interesting how to substitute dairy products. One day I decided to eat vegan, at least try it, it has not cost me anything. I realized that I am passionate about vegan cooking, I hope to learn and practice as fast as possible to be able/try to work in a restaurant. Since I am a chef.

Been Vegan for the animals for 5 years, wish I had known sooner 🙁

I had been a lacto vegetarian since 1975. As I became more aware I decided that I should be a vegan.

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 wanting to become vegan to live an overall healthier life. I would like to join a community for sharing the journey, recipes, lifestyle, etc.

Heavenly Organics Skin Care founder, Mary-Anne created the business after she embraced an organic, vegan lifestyle and desperately struggled to find skincare that met both her ethical & skin’s requirements. Finding that so many products were laden with unnecessary and unpronounceable chemicals, Mary-Anne decided to make her own, just using a few, simple organic and natural ingredients. Friends began to use her skincare and the feedback was so overwhelmingly positive that a new enterprise began. Fast forward to 2019 and still true to its founding beliefs, there are now over 100 products.

I have been plant based since 1998 and haven’t been on any prescription drugs . I’m almost 59 and feel fantastic!

2020

Recent heart disease diagnosis has brought me here.

I had been vegetarian for around 28 years when I began to understand the horrors of the dairy industry. I went vegan in (approximately) the summer of 2013.

It was a slow and winding path starting in college and culminating shortly after the birth of my third son. I was influenced both by health issues (mine and my kids plus older relatives), bands I listened to, plus a distaste for most animal flesh and an unbearable sense of injustice, dread and despair whenever I let myself connect what was being served up to what had to happen prior. Once I decided to be fully vegan, I have never, ever looked back. I even became a plant-based Registered Dietitian!

The BuyEatVegan team consists of passionate individuals who hold their own set of morals and values, each centered around the grand idea of veganism putting an end to animal cruelty, helping us live better lives every day, and restore proper respect for all forms of life besides just our own. Our goal is to educate and inform the public about inhumane processes, alternatives to those processes, and make the argument that veganism can and will make a significant positive change in personal lives as well as bettering our society as a whole.

Watched "Forks Over Knives"
And was shocked!

Walking back from morbidly obese with a plant based diet

My wife and I became vegan after watching Vegucated on Netflix. We woke up the next morning, cleared out our fridge and pantry, and haven't looked back.

I am for 5 years vegan. In live in the Netherlands

I stopped eating animals as a peaceful protest against the US involvement in the Vietnam War.
I read Gandhi's writings that "If you want to stop men from killing men ... first you have to stop men from killing animals."

I firmly believe in being a vegan and therefore I am here.

Vegan for the animals, for a healthier planet Earth, and a healthier and more compassionate human race.

I grew up working at my dad's Italian sausage factory and eating the SAD diet. Then when I was about 20 years old I saw my good friend loose 100 lbs by switching to a nutrient dense plant-based diet. This was my "a-hah" moment! After seeing this transformation I became obsessed with researching how food affects our health. Meanwhile, I was still physically and mentally addicted to sugar, salt and processed meat. I wanted to learn how to cook and eat healthy but didn't know where to begin. At the time I was also a producer for television so I decided to apply this skill set to my mission to learn about eating healthier. I created a cooking show called Trying Vegan with Mario where I invite vegan experts to teach me how to cook their favorite recipes. I created Season 1 of Trying Vegan with Mario and it took off with really surprising early success. Today I spend my time learning as much as I can about cooking and health foods. I am constantly working on new segments to inspire non-vegans to try eating vegan and learn through my transformation.

serious autoimmune - went lowfat raw vegan - am thriving

Eczema from head to toe is difficult, embarrassing, and devastating. I could not get a diagnosis or a solution. I had inflammation throughout my body due to an acidic diet, I was eating fish and chicken and cheese and drinking wine. My plant based foods were less than 30% of my diet. I was eating saturated fat from fried foods and animals Now I am invested in the plant based healing. I am a vegan chef and a walking encyclopedia about nutrition - it is a magic bullet and I am thrilled to join the community! My spirit is relieved that I don't contribute to the killing of 70 B animals in our food system (pork, chicken, beet, fish, etc). Thanks you to Dr. Michael McGregor for your research on evidence based nutrition! I have many doctors mentors "on line" and they each make a difference for my raw vegan journey.

I became vegan for health reasons

Thought about it for a long time and finally took the step. Cannot believe that I was missing out on this for so long. Anyone who says I’m missing out on flavors, etc. are misled!

After being vegetarian on and off for 20 years, in 2019 I became whole-food plant based (WFPB) after reading the book The Whole Foods Diet by John Mackey and Dr. Alona Pulde and Dr. Matthew Lederman. I was shocked to learn how bad meat, dairy and eggs are for our health - they're literally killing us - so we made the switch the very next week! Our family ditched dairy and eggs and went fully plant based July 7th, 2019.

I continued to research and learn about WFPB eating, and inevitably stumbled across information about the impact of animal agriculture on the environment and the horrors of our treatment of non-human animals. This strengthened my resolve - we were not only going be a healthier family, we were doing the absolute best thing we could do for the environment, and living compassionately and not harming other sentient beings. I am now an ethical vegan, and animal liberation activist.

My and my mother became vegan immediately after watching What The Health for the first time. Its been almost 1 year and it changed our life, we feel happier than ever.

Been veggie since 2001 and vegan for past 3 or so years

I'm tired of being sick and tired. This is my 4th time doing this and i trust it will lat because I really want tp be healthy and see my 4th generation.

i became a vegan mainly for acne issues but then as i began looking into nutrition and what foods are best to thrive on i learned that we dont need animal protein and my whole outlook changed and now im here for the animals and the environment and healthy skin is just a plus!

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.

My name is Marco Knox. I am the founder of The Phytogenic Chef™ and this is the story of how I transformed my life and became a whole food plant-based chef and advocate.

The Beginning:
I have been cooking since I was 12 years old. I got my first start at my big brothers’ restaurant; ‘The Bridge’ — a large waterfront seafood restaurant at the foot of the bridge that leads you to beautiful Ft. Myers Beach, Florida. I would come down from the Great Lakes State of Michigan and spend a month or so during summer break. I earned my stripes by cleaning the parking lot, touching up the paint and other odd jobs around the property. However, my curiosity and awe of what was happening in the kitchen was always drawing me away from the ‘job’ at hand. My brother, a very successful restaurateur and chef, saw the same passion in me that he possessed and gave me my first chance to work in the kitchen. Now it wasn’t glorious, my first summer was spent washing dishes and scrubbing everything in the kitchen, I had that place shining! Eventually though, he allowed me to do some prep work and I was hooked! I instantly became a favorite amongst the kitchen staff for my quick work, willingness to do what was needed and consistency. Naive? Perhaps, but somehow I knew then that being a chef was my calling. So, I went back home after my summer break ready to get a job in the industry. One small problem — I was still under 16 years old and I couldn’t get a job like the one I had at The Bridge. I learned that the only reason my brother could allow me to work at his restaurant was because we were directly related. While I was disappointed that I couldn’t get a job yet, I knew my day would come eventually. In the meantime, I spent my free time educating myself by reading about restaurants, famous chefs and food preparation while anxiously awaiting the next summer break and my chance to go show my brother what I had learned.

I spent the next three summers working at The Bridge and learning the fundamentals of cooking. Then the summer of 1992 arrived along with my opportunity to get a real job, I was now 16! It was in New Baltimore Michigan at the ‘Green Turtle’, a family owned restaurant that served a wide array of dining options that I got my second real job. I started out in the dish tank but that didn’t last very long. The owners recognized my dedication and hard work, so they actually gave me a shot as a prep cook. I took full advantage of this opportunity with the intention of proving to the owners that I was worthy of being a line cook. After a few weeks it paid off, I was promoted. Now this is like being a freshman in high school and being called up to play varsity ball…it was a big deal to cook on the line with some industry veterans at only sixteen years old.

I continued working in restaurants into my mid to late twenties. Everything from ‘fill ’em and bill ‘em’ concepts, to 5-star dining and world class resorts. I won’t go on record by saying that I learned it all, we are all constantly learning and growing, but I learned a lot — from the five mother sauces to growing all of your own produce and creating menus from the harvest.

The restaurant industry is a hard business and like a lot of folks that work in this sector, I burned out and needed a change. So, I jumped into the fitness industry. I had always been pretty athletic and took good care of myself so it seemed like a natural fit, and it was. I loved it so much that I started my own personal training business and eventually worked my way up to a Strength and Conditioning Coach for the local Arena Football team. Life was great! But as I neared my thirties, I decided that I needed to start focusing on what I deemed as a more long-term career field.

I don’t regret any of the paths that I have chosen to follow, it’s what has helped shape me into the man that I am today. However, it wasn’t until recent years that I didn’t look back and wonder why I left the fitness industry. But I did, and became a multi-line road sales rep with ironically, my big brother! He was now retired from the restaurant business and had a sales agency that was booming. We traveled the eastern United States selling our lines to big box retailers and made a great living doing so. Years went on and I was working for some of the largest apparel brands in the business, life was great again..so I thought….

The fall of 2017 was a life changing time for me. It was during my annual doctor visit that I received news that frightened me to my core. A little family history — my father died at an early age from heart disease and diabetes. After his passing I had made a personal vow to myself that I wouldn’t ‘go out like the old man’. But here I was at age 40 facing hypertension, diabetes, dangerously high cholesterol, medically obese with an overall poor health grade. What did I do wrong? I mean I thought I ate healthy, I worked out regularly and I felt pretty good. The truth was I wasn’t living a healthy life at all. I had gotten pretty out of shape by drinking alcohol, eating nutrient deficient foods and succumbing to a sedentary lifestyle. It’s a strange thing that we humans do…this denial behavior, and trust me when I say, I was leading the pack when it came to denial! I just chalked it up to my age and this is just what happens. I mean come on I am 40 now, right? Wrong! I was denying my true self, my dharma and I was doing it by making extremely poor food choices. Me, a chef, a fitness professional, a person that should absolutely know better, no excuse! The truth was, I had gained over 35 lbs. of body fat and was tipping the scales at a very unhealthy 250 lbs. All my clothes were busting at the seams, I couldn’t walk up or down the stairs without feeling completely winded and I had severe back pain, I mean laying on the ground and staring at the ceiling begging for relief type of back pain. The time for change was now!

The solution didn’t come to me right away. I did the whole ride my bike and get a gym membership thing for a few months, but the results were inconsistent at best. I would lose 10 lbs. here, gain 5 lbs. back there, it wasn’t a real change and I needed a real change or else I was repeating my father’s mistakes. That’s when I discovered a whole food plant-based lifestyle. Mind you, I was a chef and I had always prided my chef skills by the wide variety of meat, poultry and seafood dishes that I could prepare. How could I cook without those ‘staples’…where would I get my protein, and how would I get enough B12? Learning comes to us in all sorts of forms — mine hit me through a few awakening documentaries which spawned into extensive studying and a new way of living.

I started out by eliminating dairy and only consuming chicken and pork, no red meat. The impact was noticeable in a couple of weeks. Inflammation that I didn’t even realize was negatively impacting my body, went away. So, I decided to go all in and eliminate all animal products from my diet. After a few months it was working, I mean really working! I had not consumed a single animal product for 8 months and I now weighed 205 lbs. and I felt better than ever! I was riding my mountain bike through trails with some of the best local riders and keeping up! My back pain —  completely gone and my clothes, well I needed new clothes because nothing fit anymore, they were all too big!

But the question still remained, was what I was doing from a food perspective actually healthy? Or was I robbing my body of essential nutrients? I had pretty much known from my own research and quite frankly, how great I felt, that what I was doing was indeed very healthy. But the numbers don’t lie. So, after one year, I went back in for my annual physical and had my blood work done — a full lab; cholesterol, glucose, everything. Not to my surprise, it all checked out! Not only did it check out, everything drastically improved. I went from all of the aforementioned health issues to all of them no longer even remotely a concern. Cholesterol was perfect, even better than perfect. Hypertension and diabetes, zero trace!

I walked out of the doctor’s office that day smiling from ear to ear and what felt like a green glow (you know, plants!) surrounding me — that day The Phytogenic Chef™ was born! It is my calling, my purpose, my dharma to share this story and help others that are in the same place that I once was. I wasn’t living a bad life, I just wasn’t living to my potential and now I am.

Marco — The Phytogenic Chef™

Grew in interest because of health problems and watching various documentaries on the whole food plant based diet.

For health reasons

After being a meat eater for quite a while I decided to go vegan only a few weeks ago and haven t been disappointed so far

Vegan runner

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.

I am the founder of Veenofs and an all-natural vegan bodybuilder. My mission now is to promote a vegan lifestyle and great vegan products that I truly believe in, which excludes exploitation of - and cruelty to - animals for the purpose of clothing, food, and experimentation.

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'm the owner of Goodness Goodies, an online store specialising in vegan sweets and eco-friendly home products.

I was wegetarian from early life.
Iam vegan 15 years. BECOME WEGAN 2007.

I am a psychotraumatologist and have seen mentally ill humans chained to concrete walls (just like cows) in several countries of the world. I have worked with survivors of rape/impregnation held captive in prison (war) camps, in trafficking situations or child pornography when pregnant having their babies taken away to to be sold (just like cows). Even rebells eating human flesh grilled over campfire (smells just like meat). I have worked with survivors of torture which is extremely horrifying and so similar to what we do your fellow animals. Humans can be incredible cruel. We do not have the right to hold another being captive, exploit them, make them suffer in the worst ways and kill them, just as we do with our fellow human beings. Our NGO vivo international works to overcome and prevent traumatic stress and its consequences within the individual, the family as well as the community, safeguarding the rights and dignity of people affected by violence and conflict for the development of peaceful, human rights-based, societal ways of living. Vegan living is a fundamental way to stop violence.

I turned vegan to manage my health early in 2021

For the animals

We were vegetarians for about 25 years and went vegan about 3 years ago. We only wish we did it sooner. We learned about the dairy industry and the terrible suffering of the cows and wanted nothing to do with it. We also learned the truth about the egg industry and it made us sick. Vegan for life!

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

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 had been vegetarian for about 5+ years & my younger sister took me to a Cube of Truth. There was no turning back for me. That changed me forever. I choose to be vegan for ethical & compassion reasons.

Knowing that you’re buying a new Nissan that’s safe, reliable, fun to drive, and comes at a great price… that’s a good feeling. Getting a true Lifetime Warranty to fully protect your new vehicle… now, that’s even better!

I haven't

I went vegan after studying an animal rights module for my politics degree. I then went on to specialise in animal rights for my MA degree.

I just discovered your request that I contact you and therefore I am responding.
Although I am definitely influencing folks to become vegan, I have not always been 100%. I believe that “the perfect can be the enemy of the good.” I have no other vegans in my life and am extroverted, so being vegan remains a real challenge. I am also passionate about exercise (I started a running group decades ago in midMichigan and have run marathons), climate change, learning to love unconditionally and non duality. I follow Dr. McDougall and normally am not connected with the medical establishment. I believe that the medical industry is completely controlled by the drug companies and food industry. I take no prescription drugs or supplements. I am currently power walking six miles a day and have never had a real issue with weight. I have never suffered from chronic pain or had a serious illness. I am very grateful!
Thank you so much for your commitment to veganism!
Bless you.

Have not eaten meat for over 4y and felling fantastic

I’m looking forward to living a healthier life the vegan way.

Always an animal rights advocate, the light went on about who and what I was eating and to what I was contributing.

One of our beautiful Beagles had an accident and I was coming back from the vets at 1am in the morning after having spent so much money on care and I went to get some chicken out of the freezer for dinner the next day and it was like a light switch went on. Something flicked and changed for me.

The next day I started looking in to veganism more. I had friends that were vegans and I had thought about making the change for health reasons but not for animals reasons.

Someone suggested watching What The Health, so my husband and I watched that at lunchtime of the same day and we were both completely vegan immediately.

I was vegan from the minute I took the chicken out of the freezer and made the connection and him from such a short time later.

We are both now very focused animal rescue and welfare advocates and set up VEGAN Happy Clothing to help raise money for animal sanctuaries and vegan causes.

VEGAN Happy is our form of vegan activism, helping to spread the vegan love and message as much as possible.

Can I update this later????

Veg since 1983 plant based vegan since 2011. I teach yoga, practice non violence and like 🥑 . Public speaker about yoga, pain free alignment, & compassion.

In 1984, I contracted chronic fatigue, irritable bowel, candidiasis, sinusitis, & 57 allergies. After a 3 year struggle with medicine, I got myself well within 6 months. I've been a raw vegan since 1991 and haven't been sick a day in nearly 33 years.

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.

Have always thought about becoming vegan. Finally at 54, I feel like I have the strength and discipline to make it happen. It is a gradual process. I am still addicted to snacking but I hope to one day conquer this.

I found Dr. Danielle Belardo's podcast through some co-workers, and learned so much right out of the gate. I wanted to get off my statin medication and also to help the inflammation in my knees so I could actively exercise again. I'm happy to say that my cholesterol is coming down, so I'm planning to go off the statin soon, and I'm exercising 5-6 days per week. I'll never go back to the standard American diet!

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.

Just seeing the need to fight off disease and lengthen my life.

I became vegan 35 years ago after I found out what happened to dairy cows. I also lost my heart disease, my cancer, my obesity, and my pre diabetes by eating a whole food plant exclusive diet. Now I teach Food for Life Nutrition and Cooking Classes under Dr. Neal Barnard. I mostly teach Cancer Survival and Prevention and Reversing Diabetes. I have a 30 Day Vegan Health Watch Program under my business, VeganMentor. I founded Sacramento Vegan Society with over 5,000 members.I am an avid animal rights activist and I created Sacramento Animal Rights Group and Sacramento Animal Save. I work with PETA and DXE.

In third year of veganism. First for health reasons. Now, also for the animals and environment.

I had always been a huge animal lover and tried "to cut down" eating meat for several years with "meatless mondays" and other feel-good-not-good-enough methods. Finally in my early twenties I committed to being vegan a full month and see how it fits me. It was perfect. Not only I felt better both physically and emotionally, my lifestyle improved. I started to cook more, be more mindful what I shop, where I eat, try new restaurants and recipes and I never looked back and never hesitated that it wouldn't have been the perfect choice.

My vegan transition was very quick. Around halloween 2013 my daughter asked me to watch a video with her...sneaky. It was the documentary Vegecated. After watching it she asked me if I would do the 6 week challenge with her. I agreed and we watched more videos on nutrition and food preparation. After about 2 weeks we decided that this was a sustainable of living. While it was challenging at first to read all the labels in the grocery store, little by little it became easier. While initially I chose veganism for my health, my conviction to stay on this path is for the animals and for the environment. I truly believe that the future health of our planet is dependent on a total transition to plant based lifestyle for all humans. And as a byproduct of compassionate living we will eradicate all forms of oppression and hate.

beijing

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

I'd been vegetarian for the past three years, and I didn't know the horrors of the dairy and egg industries. When I happened upon an article online, I realized I wasn't living consistently with my values, so I went vegan.

I stopped eating beef at 18 because I saw no need to kill animals to eat something I didn't particularly like.
It took me nearly 40 more years before I gave up all animal foods. There is still a small part of me that would like to enjoy some select delicacies (seafood) but I now see that forcing other animals to die just to make me happy is incredibly selfish and unnecessary.

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’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. 😁

In college I was in an environmental philosophy class where I was randomly assigned to be part of a two person debate about the ethics of eating animals and their products. In the debate I was supposed to argue that it was ethical to do so. During my research for this class project, I tried to find solid ethical arguments for eating animals but was unable to do so. I might have lost the debate, but the animals won! I have been vegan ever since.

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.

Live by vegan

I had been vegetarian for a few years moving away from animal products, primarily because of my health although compassion for other sentient beings added wait to my decision. On 6 June 2012, I got invited to speak at a festival called Venus love to celebrate the transit of Venus. It was here I met my partner who already was a vegan and had been so for the past 15 years. A few weeks later, I was vegan, although not a healthy vegan diet I must say. This came a year or so later at the birth of our daughter and what clinched the healthy vegan push was that we didn't want to model unhealthy food habits to our daughter, wanting to give her the best nutritional start we possibly could. Slowly but surely one challenge at a time out when the bread, out went the pasta, out with the sugar, out when the bad fats. Since making that switch a couple of years in, I was looking for changing career, I made the decision I wanted to retrain, possibly something in the health industry as I had already done a significant amount of research in that sector, after a couple of days of searching for something different. My partner's inbox received an email about the idea of becoming a health coach. I must admit I never heard of a Health coach before, so after finding out it as much as I possibly could I made a decision, I would make health my career and help other people to achieve a healthy lifestyle to meet their full health potential. Five years on and I'm still at it, both online and in-person small groups and focused one to ones.

I've been a vegetarian since high school, finally made the commitment to go vegan and even opened up a vegan general store in Charlotte, NC.

We are not just another sweet shop; we are doing things very differently here at Simply Vegan Sweets HQ.

Not only our sweets delicious and exceptionally tasty and cruelty free, we are completely plastic free with our packaging. We use fully sustainable plant based packaging and have thought of everything, so the only guilty indulgence with our sweets will be how many you can eat!

Don’t be fooled by what looks like plastic, it’s not! It’s made from cellulose film. Cellulose is derived from plants, a naturally compostable product and will decompose in as little as 10 weeks, leaving no trace on the planet. Even the glue we use on our stickers is completely harmless and the protection your sweets are delivered to you in, is shredding from materials we receive and recycle at Simply HQ.

We aim to to be the most eco-friendly pick and mix supplier in the UK.

💚 We are Vegan Founded registered and certified. 💚

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.

I want to help save the environment .

On April 18, 2017, I saw an article by Marc Bekoff called "Human Behavior Toward Animals Hasn’t Caught Up to the Science" shared in my Facebook news feed by Science of Us (now called The Cut). As soon as I saw it, I thought, "Nope! I'm not gonna read that because I know if I do I'll never be able to eat meat again." But by April 20, my curiosity got the best of me. I read the article, and stopped eating animal products immediately.

Both within and outside of her General Practice, I have developed a strong interest for plant based nutrition and optimising health through lifestyle choices. In 2019, I became a diplomat of the International Board for Lifestyle Medicine. In my position as Medical Director, I lead a multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals in a first of its kind, online plant-based healthcare service.

I went vegan overnight! I was at a conference in NY called the Real Truth About Health Conference (it's free, happens every year, and is AMAZING). Listening to speakers like Joel Furhman, Brenda Davis, and Gabriel Cousens made me realize that I could no longer support the exploitation and suffering of animals.

The generational curse stops with me.

I went vegan for my health but came to realize that the ethical reasons are even more important.

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.

Co-founder of the Veterinary Vegan Network, Ethical Globe and Animal Think Tank. I have been involved in social change for most of my career. I haves worked in the international development sector since 2003, conducting research on poverty and food security for rural development projects in the Global South.

Basically, I walked into my father's study where he was reading the paper. I was 10 years old, it was the time of Regan. The headlines shared "dolphins found dead, caught in tuna nets" - that was it, that was the beninning. Short and sweet and as it should be - an awakening.

Hi we’re Foodnerd, and we create positively processed food with a purpose.

The current food supply is in disarray. Out of the top 25 food manufacturers, 86% of products are considered ULTRA-PROCESSED.

In addition, more than half of the Standard American Diet (SAD) consists of processed foods. As a result, the majority of Americans are not receiving the proper amount of micronutrients.

We are shaping the future of food by harnessing the power of positive processing and plant-based ingredients.

Our process allows us to maintain and/or increase the nutritional content found naturally in food - rather than degrade it. All while not sacrificing taste.

Lactovegetarian since 1974 and vegan since August 15th 2019 because of a hear condition.

Hello!

5 weeks ago! Looking to restore my health!

Vegan since 1986

I am the founder of Lawrence KS non-profit farm sanctuary, Shy 38 Inc.
Www.shy38.com

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.

My husband and I became involved in rescue in 1994. We created an animal sanctuary and we advocate living vegan.