This is not another one of those preachy “convert to veganism” articles.

This is for people who are sincerely unaware of what is happening to animals on a daily basis. This is for the people who say, “I love animals,” but continue to eat them, turning a blind eye to the injustice their eating is doing to these sentient beings, our bodies, and the planet.

It was 20 years ago when I first learned about the dangers of cow’s milk and the effect dairy products have on humans bodies—extra mucous, skin problems, and inflammation to name a few.

It was 15 years ago that I watched the documentary ”Super Size Me” and gave up McDonald’s indefinitely. My four-year-old son had never had McDonald’s and went to a friend whose parents took him there without me knowing for pancakes. He literally threw up the food. It is not fit for human consumption, and when the body is not used to it, it will reject it. This is what many kids are eating day after day.

It was a decade ago that I took a class called “Food and Mental Health” taught by a naturopath in Seattle.

I was a meat-eater and a dairy consumer at this point. I had given up “red meat” for the most part and thought it was better to use ground turkey, but had no idea where the turkeys came from. I didn’t think twice about my “healthier” alternative to red meat. I was fortunate that in this class I learned about how these turkeys are all stuffed together in their metal cages.

I saw footage of chickens and turkeys being debeaked so they wouldn’t peck each other to death, and them being so “plumped” up with hormones they could no longer walk. I watched them try to lurch themselves over other dead birds, while they sat in piles of their own excrement.

I saw footage showing the baby male chicks being dumped in a huge garbage bin alive, with their soft yellow down to later be incinerated as they were no use to the factory farm as they couldn’t lay eggs to be sold.

I won’t continue, but you can imagine scenarios like this across the board within the meat and dairy industries, and if you still think dairy is okay because it doesn’t kill the animal, listen to the cries of the babies and mothers before slaughter and when being taken away to be bottle-fed while the mother is milked so that humans can use her milk!

It doesn’t make much sense when you really stop to think about it. We harm innocent creatures for a taste or flavor that goes well with our nightly glass of wine or our dinner out, but put no connection to the sentient beings we are massacring on a daily basis?

For those of you still with me, with curiosity, what does this meat-free life look like? What will I eat? What will my family eat? How will I get my protein? I’ve got you.

Below are some resources to get started on your journey.

Do you have to be perfect? No. A good beginning would be to learn about the animals we say we care so much about. Watch a documentary; start following vegetarian and vegan recipe bloggers; give up meat one day a week (Meatless Mondays is a thing); give up meat and dairy for a month (Veganuary).

You won’t die and you might just like it!

What is the worst thing that can happen when you incorporate more whole foods into your diet and maybe try something that you traditionally wouldn’t have?

If this sounds too daunting, remember—just start somewhere, but also remember our planet needs you, and the animal agriculture industry needs us to stand up and say, “No more mistreatment of animals.” We will not stand for it.

Have you seen the video where they cut the cancer out of the meat before they package it? That’s enough to resolve to turn to veganism for me but to each his own.

To keep it really simple, I have outlined the first five tips below to start on your vegan journey.

1. Stop eating meat.

2. Stop eating dairy.

3. Stop eating/using things made from animals—lotions, shampoos, honey, eggs, shoes.

4. Yes, fish is an animal; give up fish too.

5. Start talking to your friends about how to go vegan—to save our planet and animals while remaining vegan—and eating delicious food.

Try making fewer excuses about how much you love cheese and how well cheese goes with your wine. Animals are being ruthlessly killed and mistreated to feed humans who have plenty. As a plea, I ask you to please stop supporting factory farms. Please watch some documentaries revealing the truth of the meat and dairy industries.

Here are some documentaries that have helped me along the way, but a quick internet search will show you many more.

“Forks over Knives”

“Engine 2 Kitchen Rescue-Rip Esselstyn”

“Food Matters”

“Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead”

“GMO OMG”

“The Gerson Miracle”

“Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret”

“What the health” (my personal favorite)

“Earthlings”

“Game changers”

Another good one, that makes it 11: Food Inc.

Follow some vegans who are making a difference in our world:

Read Rich Roll’s book: Finding Ultra, and listen to his podcast.

No meat athlete

There are hundreds of vegan bodybuilders, plant-based endurance athletes, vegans who participate in the Olympics.

Other vegans worth following:

Russell brand

Joaquin Phoenix: such an amazing activist, watch the video below, and try not to cry.

I understand that some people say, “I need meat for my blood type,” “I need more protein,” “I could never give up meat,” but really?

I encourage you to give it a try; what do you have to lose? Maybe some inflammation, extra weight, possibly a medication, or some numbers in your cholesterol profile?

Here I am, another one of those preachy vegans, but I can’t stop!

I have to speak up for those who can’t, and I honestly didn’t know what I didn’t know when I learned about veganism. I feel like I need to pass along what has been freely given to me, to help anyone who may be on the fence, but doesn’t know where to turn.

Many of those documentaries and websites will claim that following a whole food, plant-based diet reverses heart disease, diabetes, cancers, skin issues. In my research, I have heard much of the same, but one of my favorite people I follow is Tabitha Brown, who tried a 30-day vegan challenge to help her neck pain and headaches, and it changed her life in so many other ways. 

Here are some recipe Bloggers that I really enjoy.

Shane and simple

Sweet Simple Vegan

Minimalist Baker (not all vegan)

Oh she glows

Kris Carr (untreatable cancer survivor)

Thank you so much for reading if you have come this far. I am open and honest about my journey toward veganism and would love to engage in a conversation about it anytime. There are no dumb questions and I am sincerely open to comments and questions.

I hope these resources will be of benefit and I encourage you to do your own research.

This is the most sustainable way of eating for our future generations and the planet, and just think, you never have to worry about where to cook your meat, your milk curdling, or your mayo going sour. It is truly a clean way of eating with benefits for all.

Much love.

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