Morning run through Dungarvan, Ireland. Stopped by Blasta Wholefoods for a bit of Nobo Irish Salted Caramel vegan ice cream. Absolutely delicious!

​Every vegan will tell you that their only regret is that they didn’t go vegan sooner.

A year ago today I became vegan. It started as a regular Sunday morning. I was excited to be going to my first New England Vegfest. I was already a vegetarian but had been toying with the idea of veganism. I knew that the dairy and egg industry were just as cruel as the meat industry but I needed a push. I needed to expose myself to the truth. 

I wanted to go to the Vegfest to see if I could fit in as a vegan. I didn’t know any vegans in real life and only had heard of the stereotypical “angry vegans”. I didn’t want to be an angry vegan. I was worried that these people would not be my tribe. I was a 32-year-old mom originally from Pennsylvania and I was on the plan. I got married, bought a house, had a kid, played happy families and at the dinner table we smiled and laughed as we ate our "humane" chicken dinner. I really questioned whether I was ready for this lifestyle change. Could I be a vegan and still conform into societal roles? I knew deep down that after I walked out of my front door that day that I would be coming home a vegan. I remember making myself my “last meal”, a caprese salad with cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil. I remember that I wasn’t even hungry and it wasn’t even that good but I ate it anyway because 1.) I was worried that I would find nothing to eat at the VegFest (ha!) and 2.) I wouldn’t ever have cheese again.

At first I was completely overwhelmed at the VegFest. There were SO many people there but I was pleasantly surprised to see that everyone was so diverse. They couldn't all be angry vegans, could they?  Food trucks were serving things like Seitan and Jackfruit. What the hell was seitan anyway? I decided to dive in head first. I remember trying a Boca “chicken” burger…oh my gosh. It tasted just like chicken. I then tried the Earth Balance Cheddar “Cheeze-it’s”…oh my gosh. It tastes just like cheese. As the day continued I tried more and more food and realized that just maybe, everything was going to be okay.

The VegFest put on guest presentations and I decided to go to the “How to go Vegan” talk. I thought, okay, this will give me more information about how all of this works. Well little did I know, the infamous James Aspey was the guest speaker and that I had hit the vegan jackpot. The room was packed. People were sitting on the floor, against the wall and standing outside of the ballroom just to hear him speak. He walked into the room like a celebrity. People started cheering and clapping. My first thought was wow, vegans are really passionate about other vegans. Maybe there is something to this. James Aspey gave the best damn speech that I have ever heard. Here is a link to the speech he gave at the New England VegFest. Please watch it. By the time James was done speaking he had converted me. I could no longer live a life that did not align with my values. I walked out of that room feeling sky high. I went home and knew there was one more thing that I needed to do if I wanted this to stick. I watched Earthings. That was the longest 1 hour 35 minutes 47 seconds of my life. I watched with my hands covering my tear soaked face. Every 10 minutes I had to pause to collect myself but I made myself continue until the very end. I’d be damned if I didn’t finish this documentary. If the animals had to endure this abuse and exploitation, then I could watch it and bear witness to their suffering. That’s when I made the connection. All of the doubt of whether I could do this immediately vanished. It wasn’t an option to not do it. I declared that not in my name will this happen. I was willing to endure anything that people threw at me. My part is easy. There are so many options and alternatives. It’s the animals who suffer.

The first month was filled with learning and educating myself. I researched what vegan options I could eat at restaurants, found new recipes to try, learned more about what clothes and products are vegan and why I shouldn’t go to the zoo anymore.  What I loved most about transitioning was that I got to try so many new different types of fruits, vegetables and vegan alternatives that I’d never heard of before. My life was filled with more food than it ever had been. I was eating more of a variety of food then when I was eating meat, dairy and eggs. I started feeling better, I lost weight and had more energy. I had a complete mind-shift. What right do we have to exploit animals? We are also animals, just a different species. How would we like it if what was done to the other animals was done to us, day after day, until the tragic end? I realized that they are here with us, not for us. We can co-habitat on this beautiful world. How did I not see it before?

​As the days went on I definitely drank the vegan Kool-Aid. I got the t-shirts, the buttons, the books, etc. (By the way, vegan t-shirts are a great way to spread the message if you are a new vegan and/or introverted.) I watched more and more videos, subscribed to podcasts, visited r/vegan and felt like I had a community I could go to for support. I found this aspect to be extremely important. You need people. The best days are when you meet vegans in real life! It is awesome.

I also decided to become certified in plant-based nutrition through the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies. I now give presentations to communities about the benefits of a whole foods plant-based diet in hopes that it improves the health of families everywhere. My now four-year-old son is thriving on a plant-based diet and has overcome many health challenges due to the nutrition he is getting from vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes and nuts and seeds.

...Who was I kidding?

I know veganism gets a bad rap. I get it. Vegans are passionate and sometimes that passion comes across as holier than thou. I promise you that we do not feel this way. You have to remember, the majority of us were meat eaters and not always vegan. We are only here to help the animals and to wake the world up. In my experience, when you go from being a non-vegan to a vegan you immediately connect that a beautiful sentient being had to die just because you like the taste of a burger. That's not a good enough reason for me. Cognitive dissonance is very strong and is built up over the years in order to avoid the reality of what happens when you buy that steak (cow) or sausage (pig), etc. Vegans are breaking that facade and showing us the reality. I believe that if you look at the issue at hand and why we are advocating so strong for the animals and if you can get past the human conflict then you may feel the same as vegans. When a child is in a room with a pig and an apple they will naturally eat the apple and pet the pig. We need to get back to this point. 

"The question is not, can they reason nor, can they talk but can they suffer?
-Jeremy Bentham

We may not speak their language but we hear their cries. We must not sit back and do nothing. We must act on their behalf. 

I am now at a point in my vegan journey where I feel compelled to be peaceful activist.  The jump from passive vegan to vocal advocate did make me feel a little nervous at first. I'm an introvert, people-pleaser, hate conflict and not always confident in conversation. How in the world would I be able to advocate on the animals behalf when I wasn't fit to be an activist? I learned that this was not the case. There are different types of activism for all types of people. I decided to start with participating in a "Cube of Truth." This was a perfect first step for me since I would simply need to hold a computer and stand in a cube with other people and I wouldn't have to speak. 

The Cube of Truth was developed by Anonymous for the Voiceless. Anonymous for the Voiceless is an animal rights organization that specializes in nonviolent street activism. The Cube of Truth's goal is to show the public what happens in the meat, dairy and egg industry and provide thought provoking conversation. I believe that people cannot see what they do not know.

My first experience as a vegan activist was incredibly powerful. I left filled with so much energy that I felt like I was going to burst. I felt like I could do anything. It was amazing to be surrounded with people that had the same passion and determination to help the animals. 

I implore you to learn more about the meat, dairy and egg industry. Watch Earthlings or one of these other documentaries to get an idea of what actually happens before the food reaches your plate. I know you may not want to watch because it is too hard but just imagine how difficult it must be for the animals. Try Challenge 22 and get access to free resources and recipes to help you on your vegan journey. 

​May you go out and fight for what you believe in!

Photos by Laura Ray, AV of Boston Organizer

My boy and his health concerns
When I think of my four-year-old son, James, I think of how kind and compassionate he is. He has a smile that lights up any room. You would never know from looking at him that the past four years leading up to now has been a roller-coaster of health issues. He has had diagnoses that include Failure to Thrive, encopresis, and recurrent ear infections among many other conditions. While the doctors were trying to push PediaSure to help him gain weight, I treated him with calorie-dense smoothies to help him grow. While the doctors pushed cow’s milk when he turned one, I transitioned him to hemp milk. When he struggled with years of encopresis and severe constipation, his doctors pushed large doses of MiraLAX and Ex-Lax. This was the final straw.  Although I respect his pediatrician and specialists, they weren’t looking at James as a whole and only by their own specialty. I was looking at my son as a whole and knew that the food we eat can make a significant impact on his health.

Changing the way we eat
At this point, I decided to transition James and our family to a whole foods plant-based diet. The difference in him was amazing. His growth rates soared, his encopresis resolved itself, and the recurrent ear infections stopped. It was like he was a new child. He was no longer in daily pain and was filled with joy. I was finally able to step back and enjoy the days with my son and not worry about getting him to eat constantly, stress over relieving his constipation, or research nonstop about what I could do to advocate for his health and well-being.
When I went against the pediatrician’s orders of having James take MiraLAX and Ex-Lax and instead to start him a whole foods plant-based diet, I was worried about what they would say at his next check-up. Would they be angry that I thought I knew better than them and not approve of my decision to stop their suggested treatment plan?  Would they report me to child protective services because I was raising a vegan child? All of these questions raced through my head, but what I had on my side was proof. James was not only healthy but he was thriving. This is all they needed to see. They were impressed how well he was doing and asked many questions about how I did it. I felt proud. I was proud that I stood up for him and did what I knew was right, and I was proud that I was able to share something new with esteemed medical professionals.

Making sure they get enough
Of course when you are raising a vegan child you want to make sure you are providing them with adequate nutrition. Should children eat the same things as adults? Do they need added fats in order to grow properly? I had a lot of questions and decided to enroll in the T. Colin Campbell Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate Program. The knowledge that I learned has been invaluable and only further strengthens my confidence that I know that I am raising my son in a way that will benefit him for the rest of his life.

Children and adults that follow a whole foods plant-based diet should be eating a variety of vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, seeds and nuts as close to their natural state as possible. There is no need to stress about adding fat to their diet. Children will eat until they’re full. When you give them a variety of healthy food, they will choose from those and eat until they’ve had enough to eat. Once a child reaches adolescence they will require more calories in their diet. Whole foods such as avocados, nuts and seeds that are higher in fat will help with their growth.

Eating is fun!
In our family, we make eating fun. I have found that providing choice is important. James loves to come to the grocery store with me. I let him pick the fruits and vegetables that we are going to make for the week. This has been fun as we often get to try things that we’ve never had before. My advice is to always be the role model for your child. Show them how to eat well and they will soon follow. You are gifting your child a head start as a model for good nutrition that they can continue well into adulthood.

The T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies released a plant-based shopping guide that others may find useful. You can see the full article by going to their website: T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition

Here is a sample of the items that they suggest:
​
Breads
Choose breads that are 100% whole grain with no oil added or less than 10% calories from fat. Enriched wheat flour, unbleached wheat flour, wheat flour, and organic wheat flour are not whole grain. Some options are:
​

• Food for Life Ezekiel 4:9 breads, English muffins, and tortillas
• Rudi’s Organic Bakery 100% Whole Wheat (not 100% oil-free but very low-fat)
• Wegmans Organic Sandwich Breads (all varieties but White Made with Oatmeal which is only half whole grain, these breads are not 100% oil-free but lower fat)
• Trader Joe’s Whole Wheat Tuscan Pane (double check it is the whole wheat variety)
• Wegmans Whole Wheat Flat Bread Pizza Crust (not 100% oil-free but very low-fat)
• Trader Joe’s Corn and Wheat Tortillas
• Dave’s Killer Bread
• Engine 2 Tortillas (Whole Foods)

Breakfast Cereals
Choose minimally sweetened, whole grain cold and hot cereals without added oil. Some examples are:

• Steel Cut Oatmeal
• Rolled (Old Fashioned) Oats
• Original Cheerios
• Shredded Wheat (not frosted or otherwise sweetened, Wheat’n Bran variety is fine)
• Grape Nuts
• Wheat Chex
• Bran Flakes
• Store brand of any of the above
• Engine 2 Cereals and Granola

​Flavor “Boosters
There are many options to boost the flavor of your food without adding any fat or sugar including:

• Vinegars: Balsamic, white balsamic, flavored balsamic, apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, unseasoned rice vinegar, and more
• Citrus juice and zest
• Spices and herbs: Individual spices and sodium free flavor blends (Mrs. Dash), garlic and ginger (fresh or minced in jars without added sodium), fresh herbs
• Mustards: Avoid high sugar honey mustard varieties
• Hot sauces: Use sparingly as many are high sodium (Sriracha, Cholula, Frank’s RedHot)
• Capers: Rinse before using to reduce sodium content
• Olives: Choose olives that are not packed in oil, use sparingly as most are high in sodium

 Be sure to check out their full list by visiting their website. ​