Why I am vegan

I get asked a lot why I decided to go vegan.  Honestly, one day I read something that I couldn't un-read. I couldn't get the image out of my mind.  I kept reading and the more I learned, the more troubled I became. 

I think because my decision was coming from somewhere deep inside, making the switch to vegan was surprisingly easy. I didn't feel deprived. In fact, I felt empowered. And relieved. And peaceful. Finally, my daily choices were directly aligned with my values. How great is that?!

And, interestingly, I find I enjoy food now more than ever.  I appreciate it in a whole new way. And, of course, I feel great! 

In a small nutshell, here are the three main reasons I am vegan:

1) Compassion - factory farming (where 99% of our meat/dairy comes from) is unbelievably cruel and highly unregulated; profit is king and as a result, billions of animals suffer horrifically daily. Who wants to be a part of that?

2) Environment - factory farming is the #1 cause of global warming (documented by the U.N.). You can drastically reduce your environmental impact by eating vegan. And you thought switching out your lightbulbs felt good!

3) Health - a vegan diet is the healthiest thing you can do for your body in terms of gaining energy and preventing disease (documented by the American Dietetic Association). Studies have even shown that vegan diets can reverse disease. 

If you want more information and some tasty recipes to try, Ellen Degeneres has a great online vegan "starter kit"! Be sure to check out all the celebrities who are vegan!