It’s true. Today marks my 1.5 year Veganniversary!

My only thought looking back is that I only wish I found it sooner.

Funny thing is that if someone were to have told me I would go vegan cold-tofurkey 😉 and stay vegan for the rest of my life just 1.5 years ago, I would probably laugh. Sure, I was always a health-conscious individual, but just like so many others, I saw veganism as an extreme diet that didn’t seem practical.

Well, here I am 1.5 years later, alive and well, to tell you that it is indeed very practical, and in fact one of the most practical lifestyles to live; not to mention the single most nutritious, economical, ethical and sustainable.

Although I am beyond grateful for where I am at now, I truly value the time I had before going vegan—a whole 20 years! Having been raised on a typical American diet (of course with lots of fruits & veggies—thanks Mom!), it gives me perspective on those who continue to carry out the western diet, heavy in animal products, like meat, dairy and eggs. People are just a model of their makers, a product of their society. People only know what they are told. Sadly, we have been brainwashed through the billion dollar meat and dairy industry to find necessity in animal products, and to block out any negative information, about inhumane treatment or less than sustainable practices, within mass-production factory farming.

The truth must be told, but people must be willing to hear it first. Yes, of course these animal products taste good. We have been conditioned to enjoy these flavors, and this industry makes it their job to insure we continue to feel this way. But do they taste good enough to knowingly put innocent, salient beings through torture? To me, they do not. Do they taste good enough to knowingly poison your body with parasites, feces, unhealthy fats and cholesterol that eventually lead you down the road to fatal western disease? To me, they do not. One must look at the big picture over the minor details to understand the impact and good that comes with this life-changing transition.

Being vegan is not hard. It’s just different. 

I have achieved what I would have never thought possible over the past year and a half, both mentally and physically, and I truly give it up to my plant-based diet. Plant foods alone have every nutrient your body needs in the purest, most superior form, powerful enough to reverse disease and aging in its tracks.

I lost body fat, gained muscle, lost time off recovery, gained a clearer mind, and raised my level of consciousness and compassion. I feel overjoyed to carry out a lifestyle of peace and worldliness.

Veganism has inspired me not just in the way I eat, but in the way I think, how I act and ultimately, how I feel.

Veganism has moved me—as an individual, as a member of society, as a species of this planet. I feel so blessed to have found this lifestyle and will never go back.

Along the way, I’ve managed to inspire countless others to pursue a plant-based lifestyle full of health & wellness—one of the sole reasons I started this blog and the single greatest reward I could receive.

My one request to all of you is to educate yourselves. Be more conscious of the food you are eating. Think beyond yourself. How was this made? Where did this come from? What was the process this endured from farm to plate? What impact on the world am I making?

As for me now, I’m onto the next 100 years! 🙂

Chow for now.