Founder's Story
Several times in my childhood I felt that eating animals and killing was wrong but was told that meat was something I could not live without. That I would get sick if I didn't eat it. As a child I felt an unspoken foreboding when I would eat the various animal parts offered to me for nourishment.
When I was about 5 years old, I was at a friend's house for dinner and the family was having hot dogs. Something came over me and I could not eat it. My friend's mother was not happy as I stood my ground that I did not want to eat animals anymore. She yelled and preached to me that people have to eat meat. She brought me to tears as I ate the hot dog bun with nothing more than a slab of mustard and relish on it. I went outside and sat on the porch and listened to the whole family joke out loudly at my strange behavior. Although I stayed vegetarian for that day, their laughs haunted me quickly back into eating meat.
When I was about 8 years old, I went with a friend and his stepfather to a house in the country to pick up some "bacon". What I didn't know is that this "bacon" had not been killed yet. My friend and his stepfather tried to get me to watch the pigs being butchered. I refused and they left me sitting on a wall. The screaming of the pigs kept the animals out of my body for a few weeks after that until I was told I would not be healthy if I stopped eating meat.
At age 23 a girl I was seeing explained to me that she did not eat animals for reasons of compassion and that she would not get romantically involved with anyone who ate meat. She explained to me what happens to animals killed for food. She helped me understand a lot about the ethical reasons for not participating in suffering and killing of animals by getting them off my plate. I feel very fortunate that I had someone so special in my life to help me see the light and that love helped motivate me to make the change.
When I first became vegetarian I ate a lot of eggs and cheese. It was not until sometime later that I met a friend who suggested that I read John Robbins' book Diet For A New America. After reading just the first chapter, I went vegan (no meat, dairy products or eggs). The video, Diet For A New America also had a large influence on me.
I was very impressed by the segment in the Diet For A New America video where Dr. Michael Klaper makes the connection with animal fat and heart attacks by showing the blood in a test tube from a person who had just eaten a fatty fast-food burger and compared it to one from a person with a clear bloodstream. This had a profound impact on me and I really understood the health implications of the typical fast-food diet from Dr. Klaper's comparison. Not long after I had seen the Diet For A New America video, I met a friend who just happened to work for Dr. Klaper. I offered my video production services to Dr. Klaper and I helped produce / edit the A Diet For All Reasons Video.
The next stop of my nutritional path was a three week stay at the Optimum Health Institute in San Diego, California. There I learned about the benefits of fasting, detoxification and eating a diet of primarily organic raw foods. It was at this time that I truly felt an increase in my level of health and vitality. I stopped drinking coffee, alcohol, soft drinks and processed foods. I learned about wheatgrass juice and other juices and their healing abilities on the body. Although this was probably the best investment in my health next to buying and reading John Robbins' book.
At this time I was also reading a lot of books, attending a lot of vegetarian potlucks and events and constantly searching out any information I could get my hands on about vegetarianism, detoxification and rawfoods. Books can certainly affirm a vegetarian life, but nothing is more convincing than personal life experiences.
Conclusion
It is my personal experience that a primarily organic, vegan diet with plenty of raw foods and fresh juices is the best diet for maintaining long term health. I have been vegetarian since 1989 and mostly vegan since 1991. I started eating more raw foods and decresing processed and cooked foods in 1993. I have experimented with some raw eggs, raw milk and fish. I am not as strict as I once was, but still eat primarily vegan. I believe I am healthier eating mostly organic plant based foods and juices.
Any change to eat healthier is good. Here are some stages that may help you:
- Buy a good juicer and juice daily with an emphasis on green juices. Everyone can benefit from fresh organic juices regardless of your diet. The Green Star Juicer or the Breville Juice Fountain Elite are my favorite juicers. Click here to learn about juicing.
- Eat plenty of fresh, organic salads with a variety of veggies.
- If you are still eating meat, replace with meat substitutes and veggies burgers.
- If you are still eating cheese, try soy or rice cheeses.
- If you are still drinking milk, try almond or rice milks.
- If you are still eating eggs, try scrambled tofu recipes.
- Regardless of where you are at with your diet, make an attempt to eat at least 50% raw/organic fruits and vegetables and incorporate as much fresh organic vegetable and fruit juice. Plenty of green juice is best.
- Read plenty of books on vegetarianism, rawfoods and fasting, get involved with a vegetarian organization and attend potlucks and meetings. Surround yourself with loving, health conscious people.
- Check-out the EatVeg Transition area for more tips.
Note: Some people have problems digesting soy products and some recent research has shown soy is not the health food that it has been advertised to be.
Also: Some people can get into trouble eating too much fruit and flour products on a vegan diet which can lead to teeth problems and yeast infections like Candida. I believe it is important to focus on plenty of organic raw vegetables, greens and their juices. Soaked nuts are a good source of protein.
What we put in our bodies is important, but there are many other keys to opening the doors to and maintaining a healthy life. Some of my favorites are:
- Loving yourself and others unconditionally as possibe
- Work you are passionate about
- Exercise
- Clean air and water
- Connecting with nature
- Having a path of service to people, the earth, or animals
- Living in a positive environment with loving people
- Staying clear of drama and conflict driven people as much as possible
- YOGA!
- Bike Riding!
