Zach
My vegan journey started with my health. Most of my life, I have had difficulty digesting dairy products. Ice cream, milk, and cheese would cause me to throw up or lead to other unpleasant issues. I would still eat it from time to time with meals and was fine if I took a lactase pill with it. I thought I was pretty healthy overall. I exercised and ate plenty of protein (chicken, pork and beef primarily.) It wasn't until after college that meat started to bother my stomach.
At first, I just started to eat a little less of it. For my chicken dishes, I started to add more vegetables and less chicken. Burgers made me feel sluggish so I would often eat only half and take the other half home for a late snack. Starting the fall of 2014, I slowly started to stop eating meat. For me, it was never a conscious decision. It just kind of happened. By the start of 2015, I was a vegetarian. By that fall, I was completely vegan and haven't looked back.
Most of my friends and family look at this decision as kind of intense and crazy. I think it is crazy to keep eating in a way that makes you feel bad and tired. Humans' normal default setting shouldn't be exhausted. If you are curious about trying something new, what do you have to lose? Try eating no meat or less meat and see how you feel. Maybe it will help and maybe it won't, but you can't know until you start to try new things to heal your body. I think the important thing about personal health is that YOU are in control. If you are in bad health, YOU can change it. So change it.
My vegan journey started with my health. Most of my life, I have had difficulty digesting dairy products. Ice cream, milk, and cheese would cause me to throw up or lead to other unpleasant issues. I would still eat it from time to time with meals and was fine if I took a lactase pill with it. I thought I was pretty healthy overall. I exercised and ate plenty of protein (chicken, pork and beef primarily.) It wasn't until after college that meat started to bother my stomach.
At first, I just started to eat a little less of it. For my chicken dishes, I started to add more vegetables and less chicken. Burgers made me feel sluggish so I would often eat only half and take the other half home for a late snack. Starting the fall of 2014, I slowly started to stop eating meat. For me, it was never a conscious decision. It just kind of happened. By the start of 2015, I was a vegetarian. By that fall, I was completely vegan and haven't looked back.
Most of my friends and family look at this decision as kind of intense and crazy. I think it is crazy to keep eating in a way that makes you feel bad and tired. Humans' normal default setting shouldn't be exhausted. If you are curious about trying something new, what do you have to lose? Try eating no meat or less meat and see how you feel. Maybe it will help and maybe it won't, but you can't know until you start to try new things to heal your body. I think the important thing about personal health is that YOU are in control. If you are in bad health, YOU can change it. So change it.
Kim
Anyone who's known me for a long time would tell you that I love animals, I love the Earth, and I've always been passionate about environmental conservation. I had a stellar education that emphasized critical thinking and independent research, and like most people today, access to boundless information on the internet.
Despite those things, it wasn't until I saw all of the data presented together in the documentary Cowspiracy that I felt the hypocrisy of my convictions. It embarrasses me now to admit that I ignored the facts until a popular movie made them common knowledge, but I'm relieved that it happened at all. The first weeks were difficult; I missed cheese, I didn't know what to cook, I hadn't discovered any good vegan chocolate yet, and the neighbor's barbeque still smelled good to me. After a month, I had figured out some easy and tasty go-to dishes, stocked my fridge with chocolate cashew milk, and meat smelled less enticing to me. Now, the smell of cooking meat has a physical, nauseating presence to me, and I've found lots of vegan sweets to fulfill my dessert needs.
During that first month in the fall of 2015, I spent just as much time digesting information as I did vegetables. I fact-checked the statistics in Cowspiracy, and started looking into the other ramifications of a plant-based diet. Everything I found solidified my decision, and I've never looked back.
I've been working hard since then to reduce my footprint on the environment, animals, and people. I reduce my waste as much as possible, buy less, and choose secondhand or ethically-sourced products when I do buy something. There's always more to learn, and I will keep finding ways to improve.
Anyone who's known me for a long time would tell you that I love animals, I love the Earth, and I've always been passionate about environmental conservation. I had a stellar education that emphasized critical thinking and independent research, and like most people today, access to boundless information on the internet.
Despite those things, it wasn't until I saw all of the data presented together in the documentary Cowspiracy that I felt the hypocrisy of my convictions. It embarrasses me now to admit that I ignored the facts until a popular movie made them common knowledge, but I'm relieved that it happened at all. The first weeks were difficult; I missed cheese, I didn't know what to cook, I hadn't discovered any good vegan chocolate yet, and the neighbor's barbeque still smelled good to me. After a month, I had figured out some easy and tasty go-to dishes, stocked my fridge with chocolate cashew milk, and meat smelled less enticing to me. Now, the smell of cooking meat has a physical, nauseating presence to me, and I've found lots of vegan sweets to fulfill my dessert needs.
During that first month in the fall of 2015, I spent just as much time digesting information as I did vegetables. I fact-checked the statistics in Cowspiracy, and started looking into the other ramifications of a plant-based diet. Everything I found solidified my decision, and I've never looked back.
I've been working hard since then to reduce my footprint on the environment, animals, and people. I reduce my waste as much as possible, buy less, and choose secondhand or ethically-sourced products when I do buy something. There's always more to learn, and I will keep finding ways to improve.
Some of us have been vegan for years, and some of us are just starting out or wanting to learn more. Listed below are some of the resources we used to educate ourselves. If you are as fortunate as we are to live on Hawai'i Island, we also listed places to eat.
Do as much homework as you want! The bolded selections are some of our favorites. And if you ever need a teacher, mentor or just someone who cares, feel free to contact us. This is an issue very near and dear to us. We would love to help you on your journey in any way we can.
Do as much homework as you want! The bolded selections are some of our favorites. And if you ever need a teacher, mentor or just someone who cares, feel free to contact us. This is an issue very near and dear to us. We would love to help you on your journey in any way we can.
Documentaries:
Youtube Videos:
Essential Studies:
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Literature:
Where to Eat on the Big Island - (Vegan Friendly=VF)
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