I don't care if the animal dies, I just can't metabolize it

My title comes from a Far Side cartoon - meat packing sign read 'we only kill depressed cows' and a picture of cows saying 'kill me, eat me'.

In 1987 my 15 year-old daughter became a vegetarian. I believed she did it only to inconvenience me. Ten years later she had the pleasure of hearing me say 'you were right'.

In February 1996 my doctor told me to just go home, dial 9-1 and wait for the stroke/heart attack to hit before I dialed that last 1. I was 47 years-old, 40 pounds overweight, and my cholesterol was 427. Serendipity rules, and at home I had a newly purchased book by Dr. Dean Ornish, HEART DISEASE REVERSAL in which he professed 'no meat, no fish, no chicken, no eggs, no oil, no cheese'. He recommended 'cold turkey' so to speak, as drastic steps bring drastic positive results so I went that route. I did miss meat and chicken for a year or so, but the immediate increase in energy, well being, and feeling clean were big payoffs.

I would never, could never, go back to eating meat, fish or chicken. I did not last long without eggs and cheese, but today I'm at a healthy weight and my cholesterol is (drum roll, please) 156.

One person can make a huge difference

I became vegan almost two years ago. I skipped the vegetarian bit (although I’d given up red meat some years earlier) and dived straight into the vegan pool, to realise I’m a strong swimmer. But to swim well, I’ve discovered, you need to have reasons for doing it. In my pool, there are plenty of sharks to keep me on task. The more reasons you have for becoming vegan, the less it feels like a diet. The more reasons, and being vegan simply becomes a fabulous way of life.


Growing up in a regional Australian town where the main industries were (and still are) meat and dairy, it was just a given that my parents would serve up animal products at every meal. Being allergic to dairy from birth still didn't stop me from eating ice cream and drinking chocolate milk. I constantly see-sawed between slim and chubby. Regardless of my weight, I felt I carried a toxic layer of fat around with me. Although I couldn't explain it back then. I just knew my body wasn't quite right. The real me was somehow hidden underneath a layer that wasn't meant to be there. No matter how much weight I'd lose, I just didn't feel right.


It wasn't until I moved to Los Angeles in early 2007 that I began to explore and immerse myself in the vegan culture there. I became vegan after completing my Reiki I certificate (an energetic healing modality). I turned vegan the very next day and gave up a two-year addiction to coffee.


Since leading a 100% vegan lifestyle for the past two years, it's not only my body that has changed shape. I'm mentally clear and find I don't have nearly as much mental chatter going on as I would have in my pre-vegan days. I feel more connected to source, or God, if you will. I have a life purpose that drives me like nothing has before. I also have a spiritual connection to the food I eat. Dinner is no longer just a meal to stop the hunger pains. It's a conscious action that affects my life in countless wonderful ways.