FEATURE: Alicia S.

My path to veganism began with disease, Type II Diabetes to be specific. After 30 something years of eating the Standard American Diet (SAD) my life changed in the summer of 2012. Just like the title of one of my favorite documentaries I was fat, sick and nearly dead. I was on the highest dosage of Metformin and my doctor had just informed me that my blood sugar was still too high and that I would need to begin to take insulin! I was horrified, I mean I didn’t feel great but I didn’t feel that sick!!

I didn’t want this to be my destiny: my grandfather was a double amputee due to his diabetes and every other older person I knew who had diabetes was dealing with serious medical complications as a result. So I began a mission to reverse my disease! I began to research cures and every book I read, website I visited, documentary I watched was clear: animal products equals death!

The first thing I did was buy a VitaMix, and yes, I am a kitchen appliance junkie. I started making green smoothies and began to cut back on meat. Unfortunately, at that time we were heading into the fall holiday season. Needless to say, my blood sugars and A1C remained high so back to the drawing board. I then discovered juicing...to be more specific...juice fasting. Fast forward to Christmas 2012, I actually bought a really expensive prime rib roast and all the fixings for Christmas dinner. This was going to be the last time I ate meat after all.  I wanted to go out with a bang.

I was planning on starting my juice fast on New Year’s Day!!! I couldn’t hold out till 1/1/2013 after days of eating prime rib, rich foods, and desserts. I started my juice fast on 12/28/2012. I spent the first several days locked in my bedroom under the covers crying and trying not to smell all of the fast food my kid was buying since I wasn’t strong enough to cook for him. This was by far the hardest thing I have ever done.  With a lot of tears, dreams of eating fast food, and journaling, I completed a 31 day juice fast! Me! I felt amazing and had completely lost my appetite for meat and dairy! More importantly, when I went back to the doctor in the spring, I had lost almost 50 pounds and no longer needed medication.

I have had a few slip ups along the way and gained some of the weight back. I usually struggle around holidays, work events or other social functions but I always pick myself up and get back on the wagon! I’m still working on reversing my disease, but that is not the only reason I remain vegan. I am very proud to say that I am vegan for the animals now too. I no longer want to contribute to the needless slaughter of sentient beings. I have grown so much in these last few years and learned so much about why buying organic is so important and how GMOs are destroying our farms.  And don’t get me started on the BEES!  I still have much to learn and hope you join me on my journey to health and wellness.

Social Media

I just started a blog: www.thezengoddess.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thezengoddess/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/aliciajcs
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thezengoddess/

FEATURE: Kenny and Kristen

Veganism is deeply rooted in our family infrastructure. My husband Kenny and I have enjoyed being vegans for quite some time now. It has been about 6 years for Kenny, and going on 3 years for me. I had tried being vegetarian during college after watching "Vegucated" - however, I failed after 6 months and went back to eating white meat, as many often do. Although I had a natural inclination towards wanting a more plant-based lifestyle, I must admit that meeting and falling in love with Kenny gave me the extra motivation that I needed. I was young, fresh out of college, and ready to learn how to cook and try new things. It did not take me very long at all to make the transition! 

We recently had a baby girl, Ida Billie (she is now 4 months), and we will be raising her as well as any future children on a vegan diet as well. I had a very healthy vegan pregnancy, successful natural home birth, and am exclusively breastfeeding Ida without any issues. Plants have fueled me well into motherhood, and they will continue to do so.  

I grew up eating the standard American diet. As a child and teenager, I regularly struggled with miserable seasonal/animal allergies, sinus infections, eczema, and my nose was stuffy almost constantly. I now know that animal products, especially dairy, was to blame for a lot of that suffering. I am no longer on western allergy medications that merely mask symptoms rather than actually heal and eradicate the root issue. I have not had a sinus infection since going vegan, and I can enjoy hours of fun time with cats and dogs without any suffering. Kenny, on the other hand, was raised vegetarian and decided to go vegan on his own at age 28. While he was not as sick as I was growing up, his health has improved dramatically after eradicating dairy and eggs as well. 

I am still constantly learning about nutrition, plants, and the human body. In addition to the peace of mind and relief that comes with eating a green and cruelty-free diet, I must say that my favorite part of being vegan is the way in which it has lifted my consciousness in other aspects of my life as well. When my seasonal allergies do occasionally still bother me, I now reach for nettle tea or infused onion water rather than a Zyrtec. When I am feeling stressed, I know that lavender and chamomile will lift my mood in no time, rather than feeling desperate to have a glass of wine in order to get through the day. This week, I finished straining my very first batch of Fire Cider, which I will use this fall/winter if I get a cold rather than Dayquil. And if I do ever get another sinus infection - I will be using essential oils, not antibiotics and steroids. 

When you love the plants, they will love you back. 

Social Media

IG: @kandkveg (food inspiration), @afroveganmama (vegan & natural parenting)
Facebook: Afro Vegan Mama (vegan & natural parenting)
Store: (Radical Vegan t-shirts & more to come): kandkveg.bigcartel.com

FEATURE: Ebere A.

My name is Ebere, I'm Nigerian, 19, and a Biomedical Sciences major. I'm currently residing in Orlando. I went vegan about six months ago. It was something that always interested me, but like many other people, I had my excuses, with "I love meat/cheese too much" taking the cake. Initially, it started as a challenge with a friend intended to last a month, but I began to feel way more clarity both mentally and physically along with more energy, so we continued on. I'm still growing and learning as a vegan.

I watched Cowspiracy and What the Health a couple months into the journey and was so shocked to learn how much I didn't know. I can honestly say that I do not ever see myself going back to a carnivorous diet. I hope to be able to interact with other black vegans, and spread the good word to every willing person. 

When I first went vegan, my friends teased me. I remember when they first found out, they said things like "I could never!" or the stereotypical salad jokes. Over time they started to accept that I wasn't giving up on the newfound lifestyle and even they started to try new dishes. I got some friends to watch What the Health, too!

My family reactions varied. The most extreme reaction came from my mother, who said that veganism is bad for you and that I should "at least eat fish", as if fish is healthy (oh, mother), and even complained about "the expenses". The most accepting people have been my sister and auntie. I also have 3 brothers, one of them has a vegan girlfriend, and all three of them looove my BBQ jackfruit sandwiches!
 
To my fellow black vegan prospects, just the simple interest is worthy of praise. As far as expenses go, I'm a college student and proud member of the broke life! I'm fortunate to have a mother who financially supports me. Every two weeks, she sends me money for groceries/gas/miscellaneous. She sent the SAME amount before I went vegan as she does now. If you want to make it work financially, you'll make it work! And I did so with no problem. I try to shop locally. Stores that have bulk sections are golden because it cuts down costs A LOT. My grocery bill always comes out to roughly the same, if not less, than it was before. 

As for difficulty, I was able to make the switch cold turkey but as with many things, this is NOT a race. If you need to adopt vegetarianism prior to veganism, do that. If you need to start with one vegan meal a day, do that. Everybody has their own unique path and will experience this journey differently.  If you have any questions, I'm always down to help to the best of my ability. 

Social Media:

Instagram: @ebereajo

Twitter: @ebereajo

FEATURE: Chris Hooten

Chris Hooten is a non-profit professional with extensive community service, education, and event planning experience. His youth development and education experience ranges from teaching English in rural Rwanda to serving on the state board of Circle K, a statewide collegiate non-profit encouraging students to engage in public service. He has earned multiple awards and honors for his community service and commitment to youth development, including the Kiwanis Distinguished Service Award and Community Service Leader Media. He has served as an AmeriCorps VISTA working to engage youth from under-supported communities. He graduated from Indiana University-Bloomington with a Bachelors of Arts in Political Science with a concentration in Gender Studies.

Chris has been vegan for over three years and regularly mentors others in adopting a plant-based diet. He also coordinates a Vegan and Vegetarian Meet Up for LGBTQ+ individuals called VegOut in Washington D.C. He is passionate about creating gender, racial, environmental, and economic justice by supporting leaders who challenge and combat oppressive systems in their communities.

Chris can be reached at thehooten1@gmail.com. 

Social Media

Twitter: Veganoire12
Instagram: Veganoire
LinkedIn: ChrisHooten
Youtube: Veganoire

FEATURE: Saba Mallory

I like to think of my journey into veganism as a love story. I didn’t seek it out or make a decision to go cold turkey on animal products. I just stumbled into it by following my body’s lead. A few months before my wedding in 2014 I noticed that I had a constant need for an afternoon “pick me up” every day around 2:30 PM or so. I was usually so sleepy after lunch and sometimes I even took a mini nap in the car (no judging!). I would head straight for the caffeine until that wore off and I crashed when I came home. I knew something was up. I was already a vegetarian at this point because I gave up meat for a fast and just didn’t have the desire to go back after. I did some research on how dairy products can affect the body and I figured there was no harm in trying it out. So I slowly eliminated dairy every other day for my work lunches and I had SO much more energy! After a few months of slow eliminations I decided to just go for it and be done. I’d like to say the story stops there…but it doesn’t.

I knew that to make a lifestyle change I had to make vegan food that was similar to what I already ate. I set out to find recipes for my favorite foods and desserts. I was truly blown away by how many resources are available for vegans! I got in my kitchen and practiced making what I used to eat and would “veganize” it. It was the most exciting time of my plant based journey. I fell in love with cooking and taking on the challenge of making my dishes good enough for my meat-loving husband to enjoy. The amount of knowledge that veganism has taught me is unmeasurable. I make sure to research all the vitamins and nutrients I need, superfoods to incorporate into my diet, and I even drink three times as much water as I did before. It just led me down an overall healthy path, which is why I created my company Chefy101. It walks people through 30 days of vegan meal planning.

My most recent venture has been the launch of my app, AirVegan, that lets you know which terminals in the airport have plant based foods and it rates each one on how vegan-friendly it is.

I made this app for all my veggie loving friends and I look forward to engaging with the vegan community about how they travel while being plant based. I’m so thankful for the growth and awareness that plant based eating is receiving and I want to dedicate my career to make sure it continues!

Social Media

Instagram: chefy101

Facebook: chefy101

AirVegan App Store Link: Android and Iphone

FEATURE: Jonathan McKenzie

I'm from the US Virgin Islands and I'm married with two kids. Currently, I have been serving in the US Army going on 10 years. I enjoy just about any kind of martial arts and spending time with family. I chose the route of a plant based or whole foods diet mainly because my mom passed away from diabetes.

I personally have a problem with the diseases that have been plaguing the black community. I figured this is my way of fighting back. I fully understand that the diet itself cannot defeat everything that comes my way, but it at least gives me a fighting chance. 

Social Media:

Instagram: @againstdehgrain

FEATURE: Amber

Hi fellow Vegans of Instagram!

My name is Amber. I currently live in Canada. I started my vegan journey in January of this year after watching some heart wrenching documentaries on Netflix. Needless to say my eyes have been forever opened and since that day I haven’t looked back.

It’s been six months and I have never felt better both mentally and physically. The first thing I took notice of was my new sense of energy. My perception on food and the world has changed and for the best. I realized how much we as a species have objectified beings that deserve as much of life as we do. It’s time to change, it’s time to work towards a better future for us all.

My hope from this point forth is to be a role model for people transitioning and continue to support and promote veganism through social media. Social media is such a powerful platform that I feel can help positively promote veganism and show others how easy of a transition it can be. If I can help change a person’s life, that’s one more person working towards a better future; and what could be better than that? 

Social Media

Instagram: inspiredvegan_
 

FEATURE: Joe

I was was born in Trinidad & Tobago and moved to Canada in 1969 to attend University. I am a Vegan, a former Licensed Massage Therapist, a Writer, and lifelong student of nutrition and fitness. I am 70 years old. My health journey started forty years ago when a good friend encouraged me to stop eating meat. I was never a great lover of meat so it was relatively easy for me to do. It did not take long for me to feel the benefits. My energy level significantly increased and my annual lab tests results were great. I adopted a vegetarian lifestyle for about thirty years, eating seafood a few times a week.

As fate would have it, my childhood sweetheart and I reconnected as good friends several years ago and she has been a vegan for about twenty years. She convinced me to become a full-fledged vegan. This change heightened my passion for healthy living and inspired me to write a book to encourage black people to pay more attention to what they eat than to what they wear. I spent four years researching and writing. My book was published in January 2017. As many black vegans experience, many of my friends and family are for the most part indifferent to my efforts to get them to adopt a vegan lifestyle. But I am beginning to get positive responses from those who have read my book.

I am currently single and would love to connect with other black vegans. I am a strong advocate for eating plant-based whole foods. I currently write a monthly feature article on nutrition for Caribbean Camera, a weekly newspaper in Toronto. My new book, Let Food Be Your Medicine Today –Live Strong and Healthy on Plant-Based Whole Foods, is now available at www.amazon.com and at A Different Booklist in Toronto.  

Joe's Email Address: plantbasedjoe27@gmail.com