Narrative: My Vegan Story

Trigger Warning: Eating disorders 

Five years ago, I decided to go vegan. Going vegan was a huge life change for me; especially coming from a family where meat was in every meal we ate. I never thought I would make such a big lifestyle change. I vividly remember being in high school, talking to a girl who was a vegetarian. I said to her, "It's great what you're doing, but I could never do that. I love meat way too much."

Here I am, five years later, and I am a passionate vegan advocate. This is my story.

The summer going into my junior year of high school, I wanted to eat as healthy as possible. I struggled with an eating disorder all throughout high school and was on to my next way of staying thin, which was eating clean. 

I started watching all these vegan fitness YouTubers, and they were all so thin, and I wanted that. I saw them eating so much food, but still staying so skinny, and I was so surprised. 

I researched the vegan diet and found that because there were so much fewer calories in plant foods compared to meat, it was very easy to naturally stay thin. So that's where my journey started. 

I started eating so much fruit, beans, rice, and potatoes. I found that when I started eating these foods that I was so scared to eat before, I enjoyed them so much and didn't feel gross anymore. Once I stopped eating meat and animal products, everything changed for me. I had so much energy, I would go on runs every day (and I used to hate running!). The foods I was eating now truly fulfilled me and made me feel satisfied. 

The next time I went to the doctor, I had actually gained back all the weight I had lost when I was restricting, but I didn't feel bad because my body felt so good.

All the beautiful, colorful, foods I was eating were nourishing my body and giving me the energy to go and run, hike, bike, and more. 

I gained the weight back, but I also gained back so much happiness that my eating disorder robbed me of for so many years. Going vegan opened me up to so much more food than I wouldn't let myself eat before because society deemed carbs as the "enemy".

Initially, I did go vegan for the wrong reasons. But once I became vegan, I started educating myself more on the effects of animal products on our environment, and all the terrible things the animals go through. I watched the documentary Earthlings and my heart broke into pieces. 

I saw the way these beautiful animals were treated, and I knew I could never consume them again. I became an ethical vegan, and animals became the most important thing to me.

Becoming an ethical vegan gave me my life purpose. It might sound strange, but before animals, I never really knew what I wanted to do with my life. Once I realized all the horrible things that happened to them, I dedicated my life to saving them and advocating for them. 

Now, I want to be an investigative journalist and go undercover to expose the conditions they face. I also want to go to law school to become an animal rights lawyer.

As you can see, going vegan has done so much amazing things for me, and I can honestly say it was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

Interview With A Plant Based Dietitian!

As the plant-based diet trend continues to grow, so do the number of dietitians who promote this lifestyle. When I became vegan, I turned to Youtube to find other vegans to get ideas and inspiration for my own vegan life. One of the Youtubers I watched was a girl named Amanda Sevilla, also know as Applesandamandas on Youtube. 

1. How long have you been vegan?
I have been vegan for 4.5 years.

2. As a dietitian, what have you learned most about a plant-based diet and the way it affects the body?

A plant-based diet has a profound impact on the arteries, kidneys, blood circulation, brain health, and most importantly, digestion. It is naturally lower in fat, void of exogenous cholesterol, low in saturated fat, and high in antioxidants, water, and fiber. Of the 10 leading causes of death, 7 of them (heart disease, cancer, lower respiratory disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s, kidney disease, and diabetes) are diet-related and a plant-based diet has been shown to remarkably improve the state of health with those who suffer from these illnesses.

3.  Since becoming a dietitian, have you found more evidence that a vegan diet is the healthiest diet to be on?

Absolutely. I am exposed to HUNDREDS of people at the hospital who all come for- what I have learned-problems related to their current condition which is usually preventable such as heart disease, diabetes type 2, and kidney disease. Being a dietitian has also primed my brain for reading studies and articles, and I've only found good things about a plant-based diet whereas there are good and bad things about other ways of eating i.e. keto, low carb high protein, etc.

4. What would you recommend to people who want to become vegan but are having doubts about the health aspects?

Do your research! Read The China Study, Whole, Proteinaholic, How Not To Die, and more. But don't just stop there. Research the claims made in these books and your own oppositions. Find out how to read studies and see which studies/information is funded and by who. It might blow your mind how much-biased information is out there. Pretty much all studies I've found that support plant-based eating is not funded by The Vegetable Industry or The Fiber Department. Make sure you use your own judgment to come to your own conclusions.

5. Would you recommend veganism to all your patients?

I definitely would. However, it is not appropriate at the hospital/acute care level to suggest to someone to change their whole diet at home while they are laying in bed. I offer information and let them know that they can speak with me if they want information. Usually, the plant-based print outs I leave are from the Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

6. How has becoming a vegan changed your life personally?

It has taught me so much about patience when talking to people, about how to navigate social situations, how to be friendly but not a pushover when it comes to my beliefs. It has given me a reason to stand up for something, to spread something. Being vegan solidified my childhood dreams of becoming a physician and now I'm actually working my way to achieving them. Before I wanted to save people but I didn't know how to. Now I do know how to, and it starts on the plate.

If you want to follow Amanda on social media, you can find her on Instagram or subscribe to her on Youtube. 

Favorite Vegan Spots In NYC

I am incredibly lucky to have attended school in New York City. Being a vegan in New York is so easy, and so fun. There are so many options, and below I will give you a list of some of my favorite places to eat out in New York as a vegan/vegetarian (in no particular order).

1. Juice Generation
This really isn't a restaurant, but it is my favorite place to get an acai bowl in New York. I have tried countless places, but none of them come close to Juice Generation. They have locations all over the city and do not disappoint. My go-to order is the PB Acai. All of their ingredients are natural and healthy. Especially in the summer, it is a great treat to cool off too.

2. Champs Diner
Possibly one of my favorite restaurants in New York. Champs Diner is located in Bushwick, Brooklyn. It is almost always jam-packed on weekends, but the food is worth the wait. All the food you loved before you went vegan, you will find at Champs Diner. It is known to be vegan comfort food, and it is just that. My favorite dish at Champs is the cookie dough pancakes.

3. Screamers Pizza 
Another amazing spot in Brooklyn. They have a huge selection of pizza, and the cheese is incredible. Definitely check this out if you are ever in Brooklyn.

4. The Cinnamon Snail
The Cinnamon Snail not only has great food but amazing desserts. They have endless amounts of pastries to pick from, that not only look delicious but taste amazing.

5. by Chloe
by Chloe is pretty well known in the city, and also has many locations. They have great healthy food, and my go-to is the Quinoa Taco Salad. 

"8 Proven Reasons Why Vegan and Vegetarian Diets Ruin Your Body" Response

As I searched for blogs relating to veganism and health, I came across one that really angered me, with the blog post titled, "8 Proven Reasons Why Vegan and Vegetarian Diets Ruin Your Body" You can read here Blogpost.

The creator of this blog is a man named Alex Fergus, whose bio says he's passionate about health and wellness. While it's great that he's running a blog to share his advice, there's a difference between not wanting to follow a diet as a personal choice rather than saying the diet is not healthy as a whole.

In his blog posts, the first thing he says is that it is not possible to get the needed amount of protein on a vegan diet. It's 2019 Alex, and this is simply not the case.

It is more than possible to get enough protein as long as you are consuming enough food as a whole. When I went vegan, I tracked my nutrients on a great website called "cronometer" where it breaks down all the food you're eating, and I never had a problem getting enough protein. There are so many plant-based foods that are protein-rich like nuts, legumes, plant-based meats, and more. Also, some of the biggest and strongest animals on our planet are actually plant-based, such as elephants, gorillas, and rhinos. Would you ask them if they're getting enough protein? Probably not.

Another thing he mentions is that it's hard to consume enough healthy fats. Also wrong. 

I myself, and my vegan friends have never had a problem getting enough fats. As mentioned, it's 2019 and there are so many options to choose from: flax, chia, hemp seeds are a great source of healthy fats. There's also almonds, cashews, and other nuts. There are also so many vegan cheeses and "plant-based dairy" items to pick from that contain all the nutrients and are free from all the added hormones in real dairy products. 

The last thing Alex mentions is that being vegan only feels good in the beginning, but fades as your journey continues.

I have been vegan for over five years, and have felt great in the beginning, and to this very day. If you do it right, you shouldn't have a problem eating a vegan diet, unless you have an underlying health problem. It is also very unfair of him to make such a large generalization because I can guarantee there are so many people who have been vegan for a long time who still feel great. 

Overall, I felt his post was really just a way to get people to not go vegan. He's provided outdated information that can easily be solved now due to the demand of veganism. He, of course, can choose not to be vegan, but it is not right of him to put down the diet as a whole.

My Response to "10 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Went Vegan"

Matt Frazier, a writer for HuffPost, wrote an article titled, "10 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Went Vegan" which you can read here. 

In this article, Frazier talks about all the things he wishes he could go back and tell his former self what would happen when he went vegan. Reading his advice for his pre-vegan self, I can relate to much of what he said.

1. "The Jokes Will Never Stop"

This is true. No matter how much people respect you for being vegan, there will always be the time you get people saying, "But bacon though!" or "So all you eat is lettuce, huh?", and more. My family has come a long way, but to this day, I still get called "extreme" for not eating certain foods. For example,  this past weekend, I was at my grandma's house and my dad ordered pizza for dinner. He got me a Margherita pizza with no cheese. When he picked it up, and my grandparents saw it, the first thing they said was, "How can you eat that with no cheese? That's not pizza," Those kinds of comments hurt a lot more when I was younger, but now I'm just used to the fact that not everyone will understand your reasoning for going vegan, and that's okay.

2. "Giving Up The Cheese Isn't Nearly As Hard As It Seems"

This is one of the reasons why people don't want to go vegan, believe or not. When I went vegan, I found there were more alternatives to cheese than ever. Giving up real cheese was not at all as hard as people made it out to be. I found when I stopped eating cheese, my skin cleared up and I felt a lot better. It was not the life-changing crisis people made it out to be.

3. "You Will Impact More People Than You Realize"

This is true, and one of the most fulfilling things that could happen as a vegan. Over the course of me being vegan, I have seen my mom stop eating turkey because when we visited a farm sanctuary, she met a turkey who changed her life. She saw that he had so much personality, and she realized she couldn't eat it anymore. My dad as well has stopped eating all meat except fish. Seeing my family realize that this lifestyle is so beneficial has been amazing to watch. I even have had friends told me they went vegan because of me, and nothing feels better than that.

4. "Be prepared for a feeling of responsibility, and the compulsion to hold yourself to a higher standard than before."

This is especially true. When people find out you're vegan, they begin to think you're also up to date on all the important social justice movements, and that your lifestyle is pure in all aspects. In some ways, this can be true, but in others, it can be really difficult. For example, because I'm vegan, people also think I'm 100% plastic-free. Although I'm trying really hard to get there, I'm not right now, and because of the vegan title, I have been judged for that. Also, because I don't eat many veggies, but mainly carbs, I'm also told I'm a "fake vegan" (whatever that means). That is also hurtful because I'm vegan for the animals. Not to be a healthy eater.

These are just some of the things Frazier listed, and I relate to them all. It will always be hard being vegan (not because of the food, but dealing with the people who do not approve of your lifestyle) but the positives have always outweighed the negatives for me. Going vegan will always be one of the best things I decided to do, and I'm proud of that.

Are vegan stereotypes real?

As a vegan, people are always associating you with certain stereotypes. When I first went vegan, many of these were real. Years later, I've learned how to advocate for veganism more effectively, and laugh at the stereotypes. In this post, I am going to comment on a video about vegan stereotypes, and tell you if they're true or not. 

In the first part of the video, much like the thumbnail, the vegan is portrayed as a food shamer. She goes around yelling at people who are eating meat, saying "Meat is murder!" As much as I wish I could say I didn't relate to this at one point, I definitely did. When I first went vegan, after finding out all the horrible things done to animals, I was heartbroken. Every chance I got to tell someone what they were eating caused an animal their very life, I told them. 

I would tell my grandparents they were eating dead animals who wanted to live. I didn't care if I came across as an "angry vegan". Now, almost 5 years later, my approach on this has changed drastically. I still don't care if people think I'm an angry vegan, but I definitely don't go around telling people that their food is murder. I realized over the years that that actually hurts the animals more then helps them because it makes vegans look bad.

The second stereotype was the vegan food is tasteless and boring. This for sure is not true. It's 2019, and the world is filled with so much flavorful, delicious, vegan food. I can eat anything I want: pancakes, burgers, mac n cheese, and more. Especially living in New York, the opportunities are endless. When I first went vegan, it was a little harder because the world was not as open to a vegan diet. I also didn't know what I could eat and what I couldn't, so most of the time, I did eat fruit and vegetables which weren't the most exciting. But as I learned more, it became so incredibly easy and fun to be a vegan in 2019! My diet consists of everything I love and more.

The third stereotype was a vegan shoving vegan food down a non-vegan's throat. Although I never did this exactly, I did push family members to try different vegan foods to expose them. I still do this today but in a different way. I just make my food look yummy and a lot of people want to try it. The second part of the stereotype was the girl not letting anyone eat her food - this I can relate to because most of the time my food is so good I don't want to share with anyone else!

The next stereotype was the vegan-only eating lettuce most meals, but the actual vegan eating a huge burrito. This is very true because people always think vegans are super healthy and just eat lettuce. As someone who hates lettuce, I can assure you this isn't true. As mentioned above, I can eat anything I ate before, just made vegan. One of my favorite foods is chipotle because the burritos are so big and can be made completely vegan!

The next stereotype was the typical vegan working out intensely, verse what a lot of vegans do which sit on the couch eating chips because it's her "rest day. I can relate to this 100%. Although I do love working out, most days I just want to lay down and eat vegan cookie dough.

The last stereotype was "vegans are hippies" vs what actual vegans are, and then the video listed a bunch of celebrities, politicians, actors, and authors who are vegan.  This was my favorite part because it showed that so many people are vegan and that it really is not difficult. Some of the people the video mentioned that were vegan were Miley Cyrus, Cory Booker, Ariana Grande, and more. Even today, more and more celebrities are showing just how easy it is to be vegan.

Overall, the video was pretty accurate and funny to watch. It was funny to see how I was years ago, and where I am now. 

What People Think You Eat On A Vegan Diet vs. What You Actually Eat

A lot of people think when you go vegan, that your diet will be very restrictive. But it's 2019, and more vegan options than ever.

When people ask me what I eat, they usually assume it's this:

Here is what I actually eat:

and this.....






As you can see, veganism is anything but restrictive. Yes, you can eat lots of veggies and salads, but you can also eat donuts, pancakes, cakes, and so much more. Many grocery stores and restaurants are now carrying vegan options (that isn't just salad or french fries) and they are just as yummy as the real thing!

In my over four years of being vegan, I have never felt restricted or upset because I couldn't eat something. I am also very lucky that I live in New York where there are so many vegan restaurants where I can eat wherever I want, and not have to worry about any animal products.

I eat all my favorite foods that I ate before I went vegan, and so much more. Many people worry that you won't be able to find something that tastes similar, but there are so many options. For meat eaters, there have been two amazing plant-based burgers that have come out in our time that taste and look like the real thing.



The Beyond Burger is made out of all plants, contains the same amount of protein, and tastes just like a real burger. You can find these at Whole Foods.

Another burger, that is now being served at many fast food places like Burger King, is called the Impossible Burger.



Both of these burgers are great choices for meat eaters who want to try to eat more compassionately. Almost everyone loves them, even non- vegans!

What's your favorite vegan food? Mine is definitely vegan pancakes from a restaurant called Champs Diner in Brooklyn.

Comment below your favorite vegan thing you're eating right now!

Why I Went Vegan And How I Answer Skeptics

5 years ago, I decided to make a huge change in my life; I decided to cut all animal products out of my diet. When I first did it, I remember my family was not happy with me. They said it was causing a huge inconvenience when it came to family dinners and weekly groceries. But I couldn't go back to consuming animals; after what I learned, everything changed for me.  I stopped eating animal products because I learned where my food came from. Once I came face to face with my food, I knew I couldn't continue. It was when I visited my first Farm Sanctuary and had the chance to interact with farm animals that I realized I couldn't eat the way I did before. To me, when I thought of meat, I instantly thought of the face of a beautiful cow or pig. Going vegan was not hard for me. Most people think it's too difficult to give up such a big part of your diet, but once you make the connection, it's not hard at all. There are many things that people worry about when giving up animal products, and I'm here to reassure you that if you do it right, none of it is true.

You won't die from protein deficiency.

Many people believe they will fall ill due to lack of protein on a plant-based diet, but as long as you eat enough calories, there's nothing to worry about. Carbs are the most important group of nutrients because every cell in your body runs off of glucose, which comes from carbohydrates. You can also get plenty of protein from plant-based foods such as beans, nuts, and mock meat. In my five years of being vegan, I have never once had a protein deficiency.

Being vegan is too expensive.

This is especially not true. As a college student, being on a budget was really important, and I had to watch every dollar I spent. When I stopped consuming meat, my grocery receipt actually went down. Meat is considered a luxury, while foods like rice, beans, and potatoes are some of the cheapest foods around. You can also buy them in bulk so they'll last much longer.

If being vegan is the best possible diet, how come B12 deficiencies exist?

The only reason you get B12 from meat is that the farmers inject the livestock with B12 shots. B12 doesn't come from the animals, but the dirt that fruits and vegetables grow in. Since we have such strict food requirements now and our food is washed so thoroughly, the B12 is not naturally found in animals, but from them being injected with vitamins.

Being vegan is too restrictive.

Also not true. What I eat now compared to what I ate before I went vegan is so different. Going vegan opened me up to so many foods that I didn't eat before. Also, it's 2019, and veganism is growing, so there are so many options now; all different kinds of plant milk, vegan chocolate, and your other favorite foods that can be "veganized".

Although going vegan is a major change, the benefits outweigh any negatives. I may not eat meat anymore, but the changes I've seen from eating only plant foods has been an incredible journey. My skin has cleared up, I have way more energy than I did before, and most importantly, I can go to bed every night knowing I haven't caused any animals any harm.