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

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 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I 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 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!

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.

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

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.

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

I don't actually remember the date but it was quite awhile back. I did it for the animals.

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.

Health

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

I was vegetarian and became vegan for the animals.

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.

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

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

Founder of the Church of Veganism.

The generational curse stops with me.

I fasted on water and went vegan to quit smoking.

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.

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.

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.

I had a student share with me this 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 it is this abuse that is killing us. It was a click moment. I don't miss any of it. I am the biggest vegan fan in the world.