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My Story

I’m often asked how I came to be plant-based/vegan. It started with health. I was in college eating the Standard American Diet (SAD) and burning the candles at both ends, as college students do. I had cystic acne and chronic bronchitis that turned into adult-onset asthma. I was sick of being sick, but luckily, I met a woman in NYC who changed my life. She was a macrobiotic counselor and acupuncturist, and I started seeing her weekly. She immediately had me eliminate dairy, refined and processed foods, meat, eggs, and poultry. Under her tutelage, I learned to cook vegetables, whole grains, and legumes and how to use seasonings and fermented foods like miso, tamari, and pickles. She taught me to ditch refined sugars and flours for less processed and more nutrient-dense versions. I went whole food plant-based before that even became a term!

I committed 100%, and within six months, my asthma disappeared, and my skin cleared up. My energy soared, and I lost my green pallor and all the bloat from the asthma and acne meds I was able to stop taking. That was almost 40 years ago! It was the first of many connections between how my dietary choices affected my physical health. I also read John Robbins’s “Diet For A New America” and learned about the environmental impact of animal agriculture and the socioeconomic disparities in our severely flawed food systems.

I never looked back.

In my post “Eating Mangoes With My Ancestors,” I write about the first connection I made between the animals on my plate and the animals in my yard I loved so much. But it took many years before I truly understood the impact of my food choices.

For anyone inspired to make dietary changes to improve their health or the health of the planet and the animals, my advice is to start with one meal. I am passionate about supporting others on the path to eating more plants!

I’m often asked how I came to be plant-based/vegan. It started with health. I was in college eating the Standard American Diet (SAD) and burning the candles at both ends, as college students do. I had cystic acne and chronic bronchitis that turned into adult-onset asthma. I was sick of being sick, but luckily, I met a woman in NYC who changed my life. She was a macrobiotic counselor and acupuncturist, and I started seeing her weekly. She immediately had me eliminate dairy, refined and processed foods, meat, eggs, and poultry. Under her tutelage, I learned to cook vegetables, whole grains, and legumes and how to use seasonings and fermented foods like miso, tamari, and pickles. She taught me to ditch refined sugars and flours for less processed and more nutrient-dense versions. I went whole food plant-based before that even became a term!

I committed 100%, and within six months, my asthma disappeared, and my skin cleared up. My energy soared, and I lost my green pallor and all the bloat from the asthma and acne meds I was able to stop taking. That was almost 40 years ago! It was the first of many connections between how my dietary choices affected my physical health. I also read John Robbins’s “Diet For A New America” and learned about the environmental impact of animal agriculture and the socioeconomic disparities in our severely flawed food systems.

I never looked back.

In my post “Eating Mangoes With My Ancestors,” I write about the first connection I made between the animals on my plate and the animals in my yard I loved so much. But it took many years before I truly understood the impact of my food choices.

For anyone inspired to make dietary changes to improve their health or the health of the planet and the animals, my advice is to start with one meal. I am passionate about supporting others on the path to eating more plants!