Testimonies

Testimonies

Robert and Jessica

After realizing that our food and exercise habits were affecting our children negatively, we arrived at the conclusion that they deserved more than to watch our health fall apart at a young age. We started very simply—Jess took up Zumba. Meanwhile, I began playing tennis, a former favorite pastime from my childhood, and once the rust chipped away from all the parts I hadn’t moved in years, I began to feel exhilarated. The effort and feeling of competitiveness were addictive.

Our food habits changed much more slowly, as I was convinced that all we needed was to reduce our portions to reclaim our health. We became much more disciplined in our cooking and eating, ensuring that when we made our favorite foods, we made just enough for everyone to have a single serving. We began to see the weight slip off us, and more importantly, we began to feel stronger, with a growing sense of confidence in ourselves.

Encouraged by our initial success, we began reading everything we could about food, nutrition, the horrors of factory farming, and organics and how these things were either a help or a detriment to our bodies.
Our level of activity was ever growing over the course of our journey. We registered for our first 5K in December 2012, and our enthusiasm for running grew from 5K to 10K races, and eventually, I completed my first marathon, after hundreds of hours of training. We are now looking forward to our next challenges, our next races, and our next meals, which, as of just recently, are all 100 percent vegan.

We sought during this process to change many aspects of our lives, and this ultimately yielded information that led me to return to school in pursuit of my medical degree and led Jess to enroll in school to obtain her art degree. We have grown more confident, more intelligent, and more compassionate—especially toward the animals who are seen socially as mere products instead of the wonderfully intelligent, sentient beings they are.

Kelly

I was born and raised in Pennsylvania, and I grew up on the standard meat- and dairy-based diet that most people eat today. By age 16, I had developed exercise-induced asthma, making it difficult to exercise; my vision got worse and I started wearing contacts; and I fell sick several times a year. By age 18, I was struggling with my weight and had become obsessed with calorie restriction. At this point in my life, I had limited nutritional knowledge and didn’t see the connection between my diet and my health. I would do restrictive dieting or run an hour a day for quick weight-loss results, then lose control and gain all the weight back.

At age 24, I met my husband, and I gained 50 more pounds during my pregnancy with our first child. After watching Forks Over Knives and reading several nutrition books, I decided to cut out the foods that were most likely to cause weight gain—red meat, dairy products, and egg yolks. I never considered myself a vegetarian or vegan on this diet until a couple of months later, when I decided to give up chicken and fish and animal byproducts after learning about cruelty to animals. I have been fully vegan for 3 1/2 years now.

Who would have guessed that choosing compassion and plant-based foods would get me, a mom who weighed 200 pounds after my son was born, into better shape than I ever was? I lost 75 pounds, my total cholesterol dropped to 150, my vision improved to 20/20, and my exercise-induced asthma disappeared regardless of workout intensity. My weight loss and muscle gain inspired me to become a certified nutrition coach and personal trainer to share my knowledge. Over the past three years, I have helped more than 100 people get fit by eating plants to fuel their workouts.

Eric

Before my transformation, I weighed in at 280 pounds and had a 50-inch waist. I was 51 at the time, and my doctor told me that unless I made immediate changes, I would probably live less than five years because of my poor health, which included type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. My medications cost more than $1,000 per month.

I decided to take action when I saw President Bill Clinton interviewed on CNN talking about The China Study and the healing power of a plant-based diet. I bought the book and hired a nutritionist, who told me that I could cure all my medical problems by going vegan and avoiding processed sugar.

In addition to switching to a plant-based diet centered on whole foods, I started to exercise. At first, I was unable to tie my shoes without being out of breath. Then by walking every day with my adopted dog, Peety, my stamina began to improve. Now, I’m running an average of 40 miles each week and plan to run five full marathons and between 15 and 20 half-marathons this year.

Today, I take no medications, am down to 175 pounds, and have a trim 32-inch waist. My type 2 diabetes is gone, my total cholesterol is 130, and my blood pressure is 96/60. At 53, I can compete athletically with most 25-year-olds.

It is my greatest wish that others will achieve the happiness I’ve achieved, which is possible just by making this one dietary change in their lives. But you don’t have to be a marathoner to see great results. Many will see a drastic improvement just by switching to a vegan diet and walking for a half-hour several times each week!

Stephane

At the age of 45, I was struggling with many health issues: I had high blood pressure and borderline diabetes, my knees were hurting, and even though I was a vegetarian, I weighed 280 pounds. I was eating a lot of dairy products. Soon, I became frightened because walking was difficult, and I couldn’t even imagine running. But I started to read about going vegan and the horrible dairy industry. It really opened my eyes, and as soon as I cut dairy products out of my diet, the weight started to come off. I joined a gym. The stares, the giggles—I endured them all. But I went every day. I did my first “boot camp” classes at 255 pounds.

I was hooked. My friends started joining me in my training. They had plateaued in their weight loss, but not me, and I credit my vegan diet with my consistent weight loss. In addition, I always had energy, and I never felt bloated or lethargic.

I am now a runner, and now that I am training full time in order to compete, I recuperate in a flash. At age 48, I am beating records and finishing before people half my age. Why? You know the answer by now.

I went from 280 pounds to 135 as a mother of three! I tell myself every day that true strength comes from plants but, more importantly, from compassion.

 Eve

I stepped onto the scale, and I was dumbfounded. The number 340 registered on the digital reading. At 24 years young, I exhibited the onset of kidney dysfunction, hypertension, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, and an irregular heartbeat. I was told that my next step would be gastric-bypass surgery. My future would be filled with prescription drugs, hospital visits, and disability if I didn’t make a change.

I was in Las Vegas with my brother and sister-in-law, who are vegan, so I was excited to try some vegan cuisine. I had toyed with the idea of going vegan because of the animals and because I had heard that there are health benefits, but up until that day, the only big decision I was willing to make was “Do I want a large or an extra-large fountain drink?”

I went back home to San Diego and started researching. I was startled. No, I was horrified. The more I researched the subject, the more I realized that going vegan was the best choice for me—and all the animals, too. I started going to vegan stores and reading vegan blogs. I started my first vegan food blog called Eve’s Tasty Apples to share my excitement about and passion for my newfound lifestyle. I didn’t have to diet. I didn’t have to worry about splurging or feeling insanely full and disappointed in myself for eating a certain way. Veganism allowed me to feel full in both body and spirit.

My passion for physical activity was equal to my passion for cooking. I loved the opportunity that vegan cooking offered in the way of ingredients and creativity. I started turning my favorite omnivore recipes into vegan masterpieces. I became so passionate about vegan food that I started hosting cooking classes in homes and at a vegan restaurant called Casa de Luz. With the “Meatless Monday” movement catching on, I wanted to demonstrate what was possible by incorporating meatless meals into people’s diets.

Recently, I completed my first triathlon. From self-defeat to triathlete! While crossing the finish line, I was reminded just how far my course had taken me—much farther than just the distance of the triathlon—since I had realized in Las Vegas that I had lost control of myself and wanted it back. I’m the product of what’s possible when you stop focusing on the reasons why you can’t do something and go full-heartedly for the result that you want to create. I’m an example of what’s possible with a vegan lifestyle.

I am a believer !!! Raw is AWESOME!!!!

by Kim
(Houston, TX)
I started the raw food diet yesterday and this morning I had lost an amazing 6 1/2 lbs. I was extremely satisfied all day long starting out with the Super Green Smoothie. I had zero cravings and zero withdrawals. I had so much energy yesterday and woke up with even more energy today. I was very skeptical doing this, but not any more. Looking forward to my date with the scale tomorrow morning.

Lost 20 lbs.

by Ken

(Albany, Georgia, United states)

I lost 20 pounds in a month. I have never before lost that amount of weight in my life. The scales where either the same or steadily going up.

I'm looking forward to another month on this diet. ;) excited to see the results!!

My raw vegan diet....so far, so good

by Jaime

(Niland, CA)

Jaime Jones of The Date People

My raw vegan diet....so far, so good

I became a vegan in 1975 and began experimenting with raw vegan in 1979. I went back to eating cooked vegan after about 6 months. Then in 1986, I went raw again and this time it stuck.

The raw vegan diet has given me the energy and stamina required to do the often intense work of farming. It also connected me up with other health conscious and like-minded individuals. I can report many years of excellent health without any serious problems, except for a B-12 deficiency. In the late nineties, I went 100% raw and gave up my nutritional yeast and B-12 vitamin supplements. After 4 years, the symptoms of the deficiency began to appear. This was easily remedied by reintroducing nutritional yeast and vitamin supplements.

I am currently high raw and still 100% vegan.

I would highly recommend the raw vegan diet to everyone.

65 years young and on a Low Fat Raw Vegan diet

by Dave

(Sun Valley, Idaho)

I’m 65 years young and on a Low Fat Raw Vegan diet eating program (not diet!). I'm currently on day 22. I've gone as long as 3 months LFRV before, but always found an excuse (emotional) to go back to the old ways. Currently experiencing what I believe to be detox symptoms. Light headache, large amounts of phlegm, altered deep, raspy voice.

At the same time, I have great energy, no aches or pains. I am missing quite a few teeth which is tough emotionally (not from raw diet). Two areas of my mouth have been painful and sensitive but on LFRV have no tenderness/pain whatsoever, even though months ago a tooth broke off, and there's still a fragment buried in the gum. I use the feeling in my gums/teeth as a barometer as to what's going on in the rest of my body.

Benefits of 65 years young and on a Low Fat Raw Vegan diet

My gray/brown hair is turning browner. My nails grow faster, thicker. My singing voice changes, I can now hold notes longer, with more on-pitch/clarity.

Would like to hear from others new or relatively new to the LFRV, especially in regards to detox.

Thanks.

The Best Decision I Have Ever Made

by Tiffany

(Minneapolis, MN)

The Best Decision I Have Ever Made

I have always been a person committed to an UNhealthy lifestyle. I drank too much, I smoked, and even though my mom taught me how to eat healthy I never followed her advice. It took a lot of years for me to reach this point.

A few weeks ago, seeing my dreaded 40th birthday coming up, I bought a juicer and went on a juice fast. It has proven to be (hands down) the best decision I have ever made. Although for the first few weeks I was on a juice "fast" and didn't have any solid food, I have now transitioned into incorporating fresh vegetable/fruit juices into my diet along with healthy, vegan solid food.

And juicing has made an incredible difference to my health and my life. The ulcers that I have dealt with for decades have symptomatically disappeared. People at work comment on how great I look, and how good my color is. I have more energy and I'm convinced my body is working better than it ever has before.

Going on a juice fast is an extreme proposition, but I'm grateful that I did it, if for no other reason than now juicing is going to be a part of my life for good.

Thank you, Hugh, for this website. Since the day I started juicing I have gotten all my recipes here, and have even posted a couple. It was the best resource I could have hoped for.

I hope others experience what I have. Now looking at the dark days of winter without a farmers market, it's going to be a long winter but I'll be looking forward to all the wonderful produce I'll be able to get in the spring.

Happy juicing to all!

Tiffany

Recovery from Stroke

by K. Coffman

(Shelton, WA.)

First I have been on juicing & raw food for about 1 1/2 weeks. I had a Major stroke about 7 years ago, could not talk, walk, and no memory. Through rehab all cleared up except right arm and hand nerve, and some of speech. Now after doing this, nerve has healed and speech is better, almost perfect. So excited. I am 66.

I did not tell you, my rehab doctor told me "since it has been over a year after stroke, your chances of getting the hand to work again are very little" so after 6 1/2 years it is working. I has to be the raw food diet I went on.

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