Alright, here it is:




This is a topic that is very near and dear to me. And it’s something that I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about. But it seems like, for a lot of vegans — and especially for “normal” healthy vegans — people who maybe have never experienced a health crisis — it’s not something they have ever really thought about.

And maybe there’s a reason for that?

I find that in our vegan community, there is a sort of knee-jerk defensiveness that kicks in anytime someone talks about a vegan getting sick. And I sort of understand that . . . sort of.

Because we feel like we have this *thing*, and it means so much to us, and so we really want it to be well-represented! That makes sense, right?

So when we see a person saying “I got sick as a vegan,” what we maybe hear instead is “Veganism failed me.”

And we worry, I think, that what other people will hear is: “Veganism doesn’t work.”

And so, as a community, unfortunately, we tend to react rather poorly. In this sort of, “Be quiet! Shut up!” kind of way. Like, “Silence that person!”

And it’s sad. Our fear of veganism being labeled as *the problem* causes us to lash out. And we direct our anger in the wrong place.

And I think the internet makes that easier. It’s easier to lash out, from safe behind our keyboards, and also, when the person maybe doesn’t feel like a really real person.

So like I said, this is a topic that’s near and dear to me. And so I want to begin by telling my own story.

And I want to do that, partly, so that you can see that vegans who get sick are not just nameless faceless hypothetical Internet people. And they’re not just lazy, or weak-willed, or ethically lenient.

They’re people like me.

And I was a vegan who was deeply committed, and an “influencer” or whatever you want to call it, and living in Portland Oregon with every available resource at my fingertips . . . and even I got sick.

And I felt completely alone. And I had nowhere to turn. And I almost became an ex-vegan.




So, let me tell you about my story of getting sick as a vegan.

It all started at the end of 2010. I was living in Portland Oregon with my husband. I have a degree in biology, and I have a LOT of interest in human health and nutrition. So I had done a lot of research on diet, and was eating what I thought was a very healthy diet. A vegan, minimally processed, whole foods, mostly homemade, high-raw diet.

And a healthy diet was really important to me, because I had just become a mother. My son was born in March of 2010, and I was adjusting to new motherhood. And I was really active, and I was nursing — a lot — and really, just getting into my groove of being a mama.

And then, when my son was about 4-5 months old, is when my symptoms started.




So what were my symptoms?

Intense fatigue, and I don’t just mean like, “Oh man, I’m so tired!” But like, when I would wake up in the morning, my body actually felt like lead, and it would be difficult to get out of bed.

And I would get rashes, weird colorless raised bumps on my arms, and torso, and face.

I would get splitting headaches, and out-of-control mood swings, hot flashes and clammy skin, and also sugar cravings. Along with a bunch of other weird, sort of smaller, incidental things.

So what was going on was of course very nondescript. It was so ambiguous. But it seemed to by cyclical, and anyone who’s ever dealt with a major illness knows it often is cyclical. And so there’s this pattern, of the symptoms alleviating. And you get this sense of hope!! Like – “Oh finally, Im getting better! Finally, god, my life is going to get normal again and I’m going to feel like my old self! Finally!”

And I would get my hopes up. And I would let my guard down.

And then one day I would wake up, and that crushing fatigue would be in my body again. Like lead filling me up.

And that? Was devastating.

The roller coaster, of having my hopes raised and then smashed, over and over, and over. And over. That was so psychologically damaging.

I developed intense anxiety, and for the first time in my life, real, self-hating depression.

So of course, I sought help!

I talked to my midwife, who I was still seeing for follow-ups. Ad she sort of blew me off, actually. She said it sounded like “typical new mom stuff.”

So then I went to an M.D., and old family friend who’s a practicing doctor. He said it sounded like maybe I picked up a virus. Nothing to worry about. He basically blew me off too, even when I came back 6 months later saying – “It hasn’t gone away.”

He said, “It’s hard to adjust to motherhood. Sounds like pretty typical new mom stuff.”

And I talked to my dad. He’s a prolific doctor of Chinese Medicine. He does acupuncture and Chinese herbalism. And he told me that my Qi was weak, and that I just needed to drink some bone broth. Maybe eat some fish.

Obviously, not very helpful.

And so this went on, for months and months and for over a year, in this up and down cycle. And clearly – no one was willing to help me.




I felt completely alone. And it wasn’t just the midwives and the doctors. I felt like I had to keep this all secret from my community.

I mean, I’m a blogger, and an author, and a “public figure” in the vegan community . . . and I felt like a damn fraud.

And so I suffered alone. And I withdrew. I stopped blogging. I was miserable. I felt betrayed by my body, I felt like a failure, and . . . I hated myself.

But luckily, in the spring of 2012, I finally reached out to a naturopath. And for the first time, someone who could help me, was actually taking me seriously.

She ordered blood tests!

And, long story short:

–> I had extremely low cholesterol, which was inhibiting my body’s ability to make hormones. Most people know that too high a cholesterol is bad, but most people don’t know there’s a lower limit as well. Obviously, vegans don’t consume cholesterol, and my body wasn’t making enough of it. Cholesterol is required by our bodies in order to make the sex hormones – estrogen, testosterone, etc. And I didn’t have enough cholesterol to make the hormones I needed. So my hormones were all out of whack. Which is partly why my symptoms were cycling.

–> And secondly, my blood tests showed markers for protein depletion. So you know how vegans are always like “Shut up about protein!” or “You don’t need to worry about protein!” or the one I keep hearing lately: “If you’re eating enough calories, you can’t not get enough protein!” . . . Well, I am here to tell you. I am a vegan who was not getting enough protein.

Okay, so getting this news – that I was suffering from low cholesterol and low protein – it felt like a punch in the stomach. I mean, it would be pretty comically ironic if it weren’t having such a devastating effect on my life.

And my naturopath was encouraging me to eat eggs. Because really, what is an egg? It is literally a packet of protein and cholesterol.

And I was desperate. At that point, I would have done almost anything to feel better.

And I have to say, I was pissed. I was so angry, and the vegan leaders, and the vegan doctors, and the vegan gurus, who had all told me that I was eating the healthiest diet on the planet. And no one warned me about this!

And now, I was faced with this . . . horrible decision.

My anger didn’t last very long. All it really took was for me to remember why I was vegan in the first place.

And it wasn’t about those leaders or those doctors or those gurus. It wasn’t even about me.

I am vegan for the animals.

So I went to my naturopath and I said “No — we need to find a vegan way to do this.” And she said okay. And we did.

She devised a plan, and I was able to raise my cholesterol, and correct my protein depletion, using entirely vegan foods.

And once we had that blood work, and knew what we were dealing with, it happened very quickly. Within just a few months, I was a different person — healthy and happy, and still vegan.




So my story has a happy ending — but here’s the thing about my story:

I am an incredibly stubborn person. I am also the kind of person who is very comfortable with the idea of doing things my own way – of forging my own path. And I was also living in a place that gave me a lot of access, to a lot of resources.

And the thing that I’m acutely aware of is that not everyone is like that. And so this experience has given me great insight, and a lot of empathy, towards people who are sick. And even towards people who stop being vegan.

Because unfortunately, our community is not currently set up to help them.




This is what I see a lot of in the vegan community right now.

Judgement: food choices, lifestyle choices, health. *Every* one judging.

Victim Blaming: which is essentially saying “Whatever is going wrong for you, is because of something you did. It’s your fault.”

And then I see a lot of shaming, especially between ethical vegans and dietary vegans. If you’re an ethical vegan, “You don’t care about your health” or “You’re making bad food choices” or “You’re not eating healthy enough”. But if you are vegan for your health, well then “You’re only in it for yourself” or “You don’t care about the animals” or even – “If you’re not an ethical vegan, then you’re not a real vegan at all.”

Doctoring. Everyone’s a doctor. And this is usually like, “Whatever works for me will totally work for you!” which is just like, a really narrow way of approaching the diversity of humanity and human health.

And then finally, just straight-up stigma. “You’re sick? You’re BAD.” “Go away.” “Shut up.”




Okay, so obviously that’s a problem. But what’s the solution?

What should you do if you are sick? If you’re vegan and you develop an illness — physical, mental, you don’t know what’s going on — whatever.




First thing – SPEAK UP! What I learned, when I finally started speaking openly about getting sick, is that there are a lot of people out there who are sick and confused.

And every single one of them feels completely alone.

As I said in my big blog post about this: “If nobody shares their stories, then everyone feels alone.” And that is not what we want!




Seek professional help! I seriously cannot emphasize this enough.

I have a side project going with Matt Ruscigno, and we’re exploring what we call “The Ex-Vegan Phenomenon”. Essentially, we’re studying why people stop being vegan. And one of the biggest reasons, of course, is because they were having health problems.

And what’s so amazing about these stories – and so often these people are bloggers, or have somehow shared their stories online – and the vast majority of the time they are self diagnosed, and they never got blood work done!

And I know from me, from my own personal experience, getting someone to take me seriously – yeah, that was hard. But once I got my blood work done, well I had my answer!

And it was so easy after that!

So I cannot emphasize it enough. Get blood work done, and get it done with someone who is competent enough to help you analyze and understand your results. I just threw a few of my favorite vegan dietitians up there – they’re all really awesome.




Okay.

So this is a big one, and this goes along with the last one, of self-diagnosing, of not getting professional help, and of really focusing on the idea that whatever is wrong with you, no matter what it is, will be able to be fixed by tweaking your diet.

Sometimes that is true . . . and sometimes it’s not. Sometimes you really need medication. But either way, you’ll know more when you get your blood tested.

But instead, what we see over and over again – and we see this in ex-vegans a lot – is this sort of extreme dietary management that develops, usually out of a quest to regain health or feel better.

So maybe it starts with a 3-day juice cleanse, and then after that you’re like “Okay, I’m gonna eat totally pure, totally *clean*”

And then you’re like, “Okay, I’m gonna try gluten-free because I think I might be sensitive to it.” And then you’re like, “”Okay, I read that soy can like, interfere with hormones, and I know a lot of people don’t digest it well, so I’m gonna be soy-free too.” And then, all those vegan doctors are saying oil-free, so “Now I’m going low-fat/no oil!” And then – “I actually think I’m gonna cut out all grains all together, because of the phytates! They’re anti-nutrients you know! And then also, I’m not eating nightshades because they’re inflammatory.

So basically I just eat kale.”




“And this is what my diet looks like!”

“Oh but wait . . . kale is a goitregen. It’s bad for your thyroid. Can’t eat kale anymore!

Sooooo okay, I’m gonna be a breatharian. I’m gonna be SUPER healthy!”




Okay so obviously, this is an extreme example and i’m kind of poking fun. But seriously? I see this sort of thinking a lot.

And to be clear, I’m not saying you can’t manage your health, and even an illness, through diet. (I did!)

But what I am saying is that right now, there is a culture of restriction. And that is not necessarily the path you should be going down if you’re trying to feel better.

Especially if you haven’t had your blood tested.




And last but not least — there is no *One True Way* to be vegan.

Veganism is not a diet. And what I mean by that is, veganism does not tell you what to eat.

It tells you what NOT to eat – animals and their secretions – but aside from that, it doesn’t give you any direction.

And that’s really important to remember. There are a lot of different ways that you can eat within a vegan diet.

And it may be true that all-raw or high-raw works for you. And it may be true that oil-free works for you, or gluten-free or soy-free or high-carb starch-based or high-protein eco-Atkins, or whatever.

The point is that there are many ways. And if one way isn’t working for you, it’s okay to try something different –> even if the vegan guru or doctor that you’re following says it’s not.

So that’s something very important to keep in mind.




Okay, so what about what you should do if someone you know is sick?




Basically, these are the things I would like to see our community STOP saying to and about sick vegans.

1) People who stop being vegan were never vegan to begin with.
This is something I see all the time. The implication is that if you truly commit to veganism – on a personal, ethical, and environmental level – then you could never go back. Because once you see the light, you can’t un-see it. Or something.

The implication is also that anything less than that level of commitment is not “real” veganism. And so anyone who goes back, like due to a health crisis, was just never vegan to begin with.

And that’s basically a way of saying “You. Don’t. Count.” It’s a complete erasing of the person’s experience, and even their very existence.

And, not only is that just kind of cruel, but it’s also just really un-helpful. It just doesn’t actually accomplish anything. For either party.




2) This works for me, so it’s obviously the One True Way, so just do it and it will work for you too!
This is something I’ve touched on already, so I won’t spend too much time here. But essentially, it’s totally fine to be like “Hey friend, have you tried adding greens and protein to your smoothie? I got a real boost of energy when I started doing that.”

And that is nice! And helpful!

And its totally different from being like “ALL you have to do is go 80-10-10 raw vegan, and you’ll never be sick EVER! It’s for sure scientifically proven that if you eat 30 bananas a day, you will always maintain perfect health, DUH!”

See the difference?




And finally, 3) Being a healthy vegan is easy! Just look at so-and-so, or whats-his-name. So if you really wanted to be vegan, you would/could.
I see this a lot with vegan athletes and vegan strongmen. Like, “Well if so-and-so can run a triatholon, I’m sure YOU can manage to get up in the morning”.

But again, everybody is different, and these sorts of comparisons simply don’t help anyone. They are not productive.




This is how I think our vegan community should be treating vegans who are sick or stumbling in their veganism:

With empathy. A little kindness goes a long way.

With affirmation. Don’t blame.

Embracing them. Helping them feel like they won’t be ostracized or abandoned.

Listen to them. Stop talking or trying to “fix” them, and just let them tell you their story.

And finally, with a zero tolerance policy for anyone who will judge, shame, or stigmatize sick vegans.




And continuing from there, what about newly-ex vegans? What about people who have had a health crisis, and maybe have fallen into some of these traps, and have recently gone back to eating animal product?

Well, I know part of you probably wants to be like “WHAT ARE YOU THINKING??? Noooo, here. Watch Earthlings!! Watch Forks over Knives!!! Nooooo!!”

But . . . take a deep breath. Again, we need to think about what is actually helpful.

1) Speak gently. Remember that deep down, they probably regret their decision, or at least carry a lot of guilt and shame about it. Whether or not they let you see how much they’re hurting, they’re probably really emotional about it. So be gentle.

2) Encouragement. A lot of times when I talk to people who used to be vegan, they tell me “Well I still eat a lot of vegetarian meals!” or “I still eat a lot less dairy!” And I always tell them – “Oh man, that’s so awesome! You’re still doing so much more than most people.” And I know that can be hard, but truly. The ONLY time I reach people, especially ex-vegans, is when I keep it positive.

3) And finally, be welcoming! Extend an open offer. To come over for dinner, to join you for tea, whatever. Don’t ostracize them. Make yourself available, and approachable.

And let them come around.


Okay, so what’s the bottom line here? What’s the takeaway from this whole thing?




Vegans can get sick. Sometimes it is related to their diet, and sometimes it isn’t.

The sooner we can acknowledge that vegans are not bulletproof — that vegans are just human beings with the same set of human problems — then that’s the sooner that veganism moves one step closer to the mainstream.

And I’d say that’s a fair assessment. I think that most of us who were there are feeling a sense of inadequacy in our ability to convey to our friends and readers just exactly how it felt, and what we learned, and how the whole thing has carried us forward into our work and lives.

And maybe that’s partly what’s kept me hesitant about blogging since I’ve been back. It was such a special experience; profound and fleeting.

And I really do want to share as much of it as I can with you, because there was so much wisdom and knowledge and inspiration and fire. So here goes! My best attempt to thoroughly recap VVCIII, Day 1:

Matt is an awesome speaker, just a pleasure to watch. I was going to write a big summary of his talk, but the incredibly on-top-of-it MeShell and Sews Before Bros already beat me to it! Both of their write-ups are super detailed and worth the read, but the gist of the presentation was that science is awesome in the literal sense of the word: vast and complex and ultimately, un-knowable. So it behooves as as vegan writers and activists, not to lean *too* heavily on science in our outreach. Because science can be manipulated, and science can be contradictory, and science can even work against us (see: successful weight loss and improved health markers after the “Twinkie Diet”) in making our case. Science is awesome, but compassion is the real core of veganism.

Also in the first time slot were Gene Bauer of Farm Sanctuary, speaking on “The Paths To A Mindful Life”, and my friend Jackie from Vegan Yack Attack, giving a fantastically informative talk on “Blogging Etiquette and Social Media Essentials”.

The other two talks during the second session were “Demo’ing the Demo” by Fran Costigan, and a panel on “Feminism and Veganism” featuring Julia DeNoto, Nicole J. Georges, Jojo Huxster, and Anika Lehde.

This is all tied into other work that I do – to the Ex-Vegan Phenomenon and also to my philosophy towards food, health, and holistic wellness. It’s all so connected.

At the end, I opened the floor up for discussion, because that’s what I really wanted – to have a conversation. And there were vegans who stood up and tearfully, gratefully, shared their own experiences with illness. Thank you. And there were questions and concerns and ideas and understanding. It was a valuable dialogue and I feel so, so thankful to have been able to make the space for it.

I wish I had a picture from my actual talk, but I didn’t get one. But suffice to say, I had a blast (like I always do, my stupid nerves are so silly!) and I can’t wait to do it again. ♥

Also, I shared my time slot with some pretty amazing women: my friend Joni of Just The Food presented on “So, You Want To Write A Cookbook” (she has a wee bit of experience, with TEN under her belt), my friend Whitney spoke about how to “Make Your Blog Your Full-Time Career”, and my friend Amey hosted a zine-making workshop. So much goodness!

Meal times at Vida Vegan Con are always exciting, and I continued the tradition of sitting at a different table, with different people, for every meal of the conference.




Right after lunch we jumped into more talks, and I was so excited to attend the fantastic “Preventing Ex-Vegans – Strategies To Maximize Longterm Success” by one of my friends and idols, Ginny Messina, RD. Ginny has this certain way in which she talks about food and health which I just find so freaking compelling. I adore her no-nonsense approach, and this talk was truly a pleasure to see (and obviously, one of my greatest areas of interest!). She covered so much, but the overall gist was that “The only guaranteed promise of a vegan diet is that it removes yourself from the exploitation of animals. It won’t make you look young forever, it wont necessarily make you lose weight or live forever, but you will remove yourself from the exploitation of animals.” So true.

If you’re interested in learning more, MeShell did an AMAZING recap of the talk, here.

Afterwards, Matt and Ginny and I (Science Track!) had a chance to chat, and hopefully there will be some collaboration in the future . . .

There were two other presentations that shared that time slot: a panel called “Let’s Talk Marketing,” featuring Colleen Holland, Jill Pyle, Whitney Lauritson, and Joshua May, and a Food Styling Workshop from Hannah Kaminsky.

Also, there was one more time slot that evening, and although I didn’t attend any of the sessions, I wanted to include them because I have no doubt that they were awesome. Michelle Lee spoke on “Branding for Bloggers & Beyond,” Nicole J. Georges spoke about “Touring Your Book or Project,” and Christy Morgan led a group discussion called “Can We All Just Get Along? Finding Common Ground in Different Forms of Activism.”

There was, obviously, so much great stuff going on! If you want to learn/hear more, there’s a really wonderful discussion of many of these talks (including mine!), and how they all relate to one another, and what we can take away from them, on the absolutely awesome Vegan Warrior Princess podcast.




By the end of the day we were all inspired and exhausted . . . and hungry! So my trailer-mates and I, along with Mr Sexy Vegan, headed over to Bouldin Creek Café (my favorite Austin restaurant!) for some dinner grub.




I shared this insane “Tarzan” salad with Jackie, along with some tacos (duh).

Do I even need to say that this meal was amazing?

And afterwards we all decided that we needed some ice cream for reals, so we hit up Sweet Ritual for some amazing vegan treats!








There were so many choices, but I finally settled on peanut butter cup ice cream with a real strawberry sauce on top. The perfect end to a truly perfect day.

Coming soon, the second (and final!) day of VVCIII . . .

♥ ♥ ♥

My personal experience with the subject, combined with my science/biology/research background, has led me down the path of pursuing this topic in a more intellectual way. It’s sort of something I study, you could say. Which has led to me and my ex-vegan-studying partner in crime, Matt Ruscigno, slowly but surely piecing together a new website, which we hope will be a hub of information and interaction regarding the important issue of why people stop being vegan.

It’s something we both care about very much.

And we’re not alone! And since we’re both very busy, and since the website is slow going, and since I keep wanting to write about this myself but just can’t seem to find the time . . . well, I thought I’d put together a quick sort of reference sheet, right here and right now.

Not a lot has been written by vegans about ex-vegans, and that’s mostly because sadly, this is still considered taboo in our community. The general response in the past has been to basically shut any conversation down, to “pooh pooh” at people, or to shame them for even bringing it up in the first place. And I think that’s dangerous. Ex-veganism is happening, and until we are brave enough to confront it, to talk about it, and to truly understand it, it will continue to happen again and again.

So if you care about the vegan movement, I urge you to educate yourself on this subject. In fact, I consider it a good activist’s duty to do so. Which is why I’m posting this starter “reading + watching” list. This list includes a number of opinions, perspectives, editorials, and comedic relief, from a range of writers including health professionals, activists, educators, dietitians, and just plain ol’ everyday vegans. I want to acknowledge that some of this material may not sit well with every reader (your mileage will vary), but I believe that it’s important – in fact imperative – for us to hold space where everyone can share their thoughts and feelings. And all together, this will compose a chorus which encompasses “the response of the vegan community”.

So let’s begin:

• Jack Norris, RD actually has quite a long series of posts about ex-vegans, but the primary pair are here: To Quit Or Not To Quit Veganism, and here To Quit Or Not To Quit Veganism: Part II. His post I Was Vegan For A While, But . . . is also really great, and you can see all of the posts under the “Ex-Veg” tag, here. Jack is a Registered Dietitian and comes at this topic from a very well-researched and scientific, yet open-minded, perspective. In general his website is an invaluable resource.
• One of my go-to nutrition bloggers, Ginny Messina, The Vegan RD, recently weighed in on the subject of ex-vegans with her piece Disordered Eating, Restrictive Eating, and Ex-Vegans. As always, Ginny provides a thoughtful and cogent response from a rational, research-based perspective. I also enjoyed the discussion in the comments of this post.
  Ginny has a couple of older pieces on the subject as well. Namely, Do Ex-Vegans’ Stories Make The Case Against Vegan Diets? and also Ex-Vegans, Happiness and Vitamin B12.
• Somer McCowan at Vedged Out wrote a great piece which essentially synthesizes and summarizes everything I’ve been trying to say for the past few years, so THANK YOU SOMER for laying it all out so carefully and clearly. I love this piece: Under The Banner Of Veganism. Deprivation Diets, Eating Disorders, & Orthorexia.
• Miss Marla Rose, never the shrinking violet, has penned a piece of satyrical gold over at her blog Vegan Feminist Agitator. The article, entitled How To Gain Fame And Fortune As An Ex-Vegan In Five Easy Steps . . . , is positively dripping with sarcasm, and smartly uses comedy to illustrate a very valid point. I heart her.
• Gary Smith over at The Thinking Vegan shares his frustration over ex-vegans, in an article called Stop Blaming Veganism For You Not Being Vegan. Gary is in media/marketing and I appreciate his reflections on the way ex-vegans are percieved by popular culture (and the possible motivations for this reaction). There’s also an interesting discussion in the comments.






• Back in January, Matt and I gave a talk entitled “Exploring The Ex-Vegan Phenomenon” at the Animal Advocacy Museum in Pasadena. You can watch our presentation in the video above, or you can just read the quick recap here, on Vegansaurus.
• I also have another video, an interview with Eco-Vegan Gal, where I talk about the ex-vegan phenomenon, its possible causes, and preventing ex-vegans (among other things!). You can watch the whole video, or skip ahead to the part on ex vegans, at 20:09.

Edited to add More Resources! I’ll keep this list going as more is written . . .

• That One Time I Was An Ex-Vegan by Lacy Davis at Super Strength Health
• Ryan writes More On Ex-Vegans, over on The Veg Blog
• On a *very* frank (no holds barred!) episode of the Red Radio podcast, entitled You’re Not Hardcore Unless You Live Hardcore, Erin Red invites Lara Yaz, Sarah E. Brown, and Chloe Jo Davis on to discuss Alexandra Jamieson and ex-vegans in general. These girls are pissed, so be warned. Also, they’re smart as hell and bring up some incredibly astute points.

Alright, that’s all the links I’ve got at the moment, but I’m sure I missed a few. Know of a great piece I overlooked? Please share it in the comments below, and I’ll be happy to add it to the collection!

In the meantime, to all my beautiful vegan comrades: please stay healthy, don’t make yourself crazy with unnecessary rules or restrictions, and for goodness sakes, have FUN with your food! Veganism is an expression of love, and that expression begins at the very beginning, with you! Self love, my loves. Because you deserve it.

♥ ♥ ♥

I had SO MUCH FUN doing this! We both did I guess, since we ended up going waaaaay over time, haha. What can I say, I’ve got a lot to share! We talked about everything from raising vegan kiddos to preventing ex-vegans, and had a really fun live audience question and answer period at the end, where we chatted about eco and vegan weddings, navigating non-vegan grandparents, relying too much on carbs, and much more.

A big big thank you from the bottom of my heart to Whitney, miss Eco-Vegan Gal herself, whose wisdom and passion is absolutely infectious. I always find myself so inspired by her, and I know that you will be too!

And just as an aside, I spoke a lot throughout this video about protein and why I think it’s important. This is something I bring up regularly and I know that it can be off-putting for some vegans . . . as evidenced by the [raw] vegan who brought it up in the question and answer period. Which I was grateful for, actually, because it gave me an opportunity to clarify my position in a really spur of the moment, authentic kind of way. If you’re interested in hearing that, you can skip ahead and watch the question and my answer, from around 1:27:15 – 1:30:30.

Alright, that’s all for today guys! I’ll be back on Wednesday with another exciting announcement. See you then!

♥ ♥ ♥

-> How can one ensure that a vegan toddler gets all the nutrients they need?

-> Do you get your blood drawn at the doctor to make sure you are getting all your vitamins and minerals?

-> Is there any way that we don´t actually support killing animals by buying leather?

-> If you had to eat on the run and the only options were supermarkets, what would you buy?

. . . and of course, whatever else comes up!


To join in the fun, just –> click here! <-- Tomorrow, Saturday June 21st, noon-thirty west coast time.

Hope to see you there. And happy summer solstice!

♥

The issue of recidivism in the vegan community is incredibly complex, and Matt and I are still in the beginning stages of mapping out and understanding all the intricacies. But it’s exciting work, and such important work (nobody else is talking about this!), and I’ll continue to share our findings with all of you as things progress.

This event, our first public appearance speaking together on the topic, was super fun and well attended, so thank you to everyone who came out and participated! Matt and I believe that this is a critically important issue for the future of the vegan movement. So please, watch the video and share your thoughts in the comments, on social media, and in your own communities. Let’s get this dialogue started! Because the sooner we can do that, the sooner we can begin to brainstorm effective solutions.

Special thanks to Prabhat and the amazing Animal Advocacy Museum. They’re a seriously fantastic organization, so please check them out!

As a bit of an aside, the day I gave this talk was one of the most fun-filled days I’ve had in a really long time, so I thought I’d share my adventures with all of you. I’ve been so delighted by the warmth and enthusiasm of the LA vegan community ever since I’ve moved down here . . . delighted, and I have to say, a bit surprised! I guess LA has changed a lot over the years, and I’ve really enjoyed getting reacquainted with this happier, healthier, friendlier city. So, with that said, a recent day in LA:


Jeremy and I made the drive down from Santa Barbara in the morning, nice and early to avoid any traffic. My number one biggest fear in the world is public speaking, so I wanted to be sure we got there with plenty of time to prepare. Jeremy made us a giant green juice to share in the car – truly the perfect way to start a day!





We made it down in excellent time. The day was clear and bright and warm, just perfect for a drive down the coast.

And having made such great time, and having a pretty light breakfast, our first stop in LA was for lunch! We decided to check out a brand new spot called Organix Vegan Deli, on the advice of Quarrygirl who raved about their jackfruit “puerca” sandwich. Organix Deli is just a little walk up window with a single table, at the back of a wee health food market.





But oh my god you guys. YOU GUYS. I can’t. I just can’t even.

This food was so good. Unexpectedly, mind-blowingly, outrageously delicious. Jeremy got the puerca sandwich and a mini tamale, and I got a burrito bowl with chipotle aioli (both gluten-free). And I’m going right back for more as soon as I’m in LA again. Anyone who lives down there – GO! NOW!

After lunch we made our way over to the Animal Advocacy Museum so that I could prepare. I met the organizers, met with Matt, and got myself ready.




Well you know how it went! You can watch the video above!

You know, public speaking is my phobia, to such an extent that it’s actually held me back both academically and in my career (which is why I’m trying so hard to confront it, now). But the thing about public speaking is, every time I do it, I have a blast. And afterwards I always think, “That was so fun!!! When do I get to do it again?!” So I try and keep that in mind going into it now. I think it’s helping.

Happy and relaxed with my partner in crime, post-discussion:





After the talk we stuck around for long while, chatting with folks and mulling over the many complexities of this issue. I even got to meet a few Bonzai readers, which was so, so awesome. Hi guys!! Eventually though, we had to excuse ourselves. We had a party to attend!

Jason Wrobel, vegan chef extraordinaire, has recently debuted his ALL-VEGAN cooking show on the Food Network’s new sister station, The Cooking Channel. Jason’s show, How To Live To 100, is funny and fun and packed full of amazing vegan superfood recipes. Check it out and support the first-ever vegan cooking show on mainstream television!

We were thrilled to support Jason and attend the show’s launch party at the official Gardein Test Kitchen. Awesome location full of awesome people, and lots and lots of (alas, gluten-filled) free samples:





It was great to reconnect with Whitney and Jason, to meet so many amazing people for the first time, and mostly, to witness this incredible step forward for veganism. Let’s bring this thing to the mainstream!

With the man of the hour:





Afterwards, we stole away with a pair of fellow party-goers, for a late night visit to LA’s newest vegan Thai restaurant, Satdha. Satdha is all-organic and exclusively vegan, with clean fresh flavors and inventive offerings. This food is pretty epic – definitely a “must try” for those in the LA area.

Mostly though, I was just happy to have a quiet meal at the end of a long day, with excellent company. Geoff and Kylie are friends of Jeremy’s, and I met them on the same day that I met him, last year at LA Vegan Beer Fest. Geoff actually appointed himself as Jeremy’s “wingman”, when he walked up to me at beer fest and started chatting, to break the ice. He likes to take credit for our subsequent romance, and feigned disappointment at not being included in my 2013 Recap when I finally spilled to you guys about Jeremy. So here Geoff, for you – front and center!





Thank you, friend, for being bold and taking the initiative that day. We will forever be grateful!

And then? A late night drive home, holding hands, chatting at the end of a very long day, and then straight to bed for us. Tuckered out, and grinning into sleep.

The end!

♥