I have an exciting but short announcement to make. Aside from the important subject that we will discuss the next couple of months, January 15, 2020 marks my 1 Year of being Vegan! One of the best decisions I ever made! I’ve have never felt better and healthier then I do now! Never in a million years did I think I will go vegan. My two cousins tried to convince me many times that a plant-base diet was the healthier choice but I was stubborn and my reply would always be “I can’t give up my chicken.” I hate to admit it but boy let me tell you, they were absolutely right. Not every experience will be the same but my experience was WONDERFUL! I never knew there were so many vegan dishes and a lot of them are DELICIOUS! There is so many reasons why I had such a good experience with veganism. I, for one, enjoy attending vegan street fairs. One of my favorite things to attend and every time I hear there’s one near by, best believe I will be there one way or another. Vegan Street Fairs have a row of stands full of vegan food, cruelty free and vegan apparel and make up! It an incredible experience and here is where you get to met others that enjoy the same food as you and many that live the same lifestyle. It’s where all the vegans come together as one and others. Well at least to me it feels that way. Another thing that has made my experience so great is meeting other vegans. They are super cool and sweet people. When you meet another vegan it’s rare and at that moment you feels so happy because you met someone that enjoy the same food as you, you discuss about different restaurants, bakeries, and ice cream shops you both have tried, they understand why you chose this lifestyle and exchanging stories is the best part and so encouraging. Maybe this doesn’t happen to everyone, but it sure has happened to me and it’s been going great so far and honestly, I don’t see myself turning back. I remember exactly what changed my mind on a plant-base diet. I remember watching “What the Health” (honestly one of the greatest documentaries out there and please feel free to share any documentaries related to this topic that you personally enjoy) and this documentary taught me so much about nutrition and what we consume. But while I was watching it, I kept telling myself “if meat and dairy cause all these problems why should I continue eating it? I’ve never been under the knife and I sure don’t need to anytime soon.” It’s that thought that kept replay over and over again during the movie and another reason is my dad. Did you know the #1 thing that kills Americans and people in other countries is Cardiovascular Disease? This could lead to heart disease and could cause heart attacks. Sadly, that’s what took my dad’s life. I wish I would of known this information sooner. Maybe then I could of helped him live just a little bit longer. I think about it a lot but my goal now is to help others. Everyone is different when it comes to their health but if you believe that a plant-base diet is the way to go, by all means GO FOR IT! I cut meat and dairy out, cold turkey the minute that movie ended. I told myself “I can’t live like this” and changed my life around. Since then, I never went back to meat or dairy. I lost weight, I’m more energetic, I think positively, and more. If you are considering giving a plant-base diet a try; Do your research, find out what foods are best for you, and try it out max 2 weeks. If you do, I would love to hear your stories on how your two weeks went. This will bring me so much joy! Now, I want to take the time to thank my two cousins for helping me out when I first started. I did my own research but hearing what they do, where they shop, and how they keep healthy helped out tremendously (they have also been vegan for 4+ years). I also want to congratulate my brother for passing his 1 year mark on being vegan! He was the first one out of the four of us to try a plant-base diet. His story is interesting. I also want to congratulate my two younger sibling for there 1 year mark coming soon on being veterinarian. Veganism wasn’t for them but they made a step in cutting meat out. For those of you that have been on a plant-base diet for many years and for those of you that have just start, I know it’s not always easy but hey, WE DID IT!