This is my personal story/testimonial.

Let me preface this by saying that I've been vegan since 2006. Vegan is a step in the right direction (animal products and byproducts contribute the most to cancers, diseases and other ailments), but in no way does vegan equal healthy.

I want to be vulnerable with you all. I want to be real. The girl on the left was struggling with her health. Badly. My blood pressure was through the roof, and I had experienced a few troublesome moments where I probably should have gone to the ER. I should have been placed on medication, but absolutely did not want to entertain that idea.

The photo you see (on the left) is from the day I was introduced to my biological family on my birth father's side.

That day I learned a lot about my genetic makeup.

I discovered that my birth father passed away relatively young from a massive heart attack. I discovered that like many Americans, Heart Disease runs in my genes.

This was my wake-up call.

I had battled my weight for YEARS. I was never happy with how I looked in photos, focusing greatly on angles and keeping every photo chest up only.

I had yo-yo dieted and even joined Medi Weight Loss where they do a medically supervised Keto diet. I dropped 20 pounds but quickly gained it back.

I would track calories in My Fitness Pal and watch the scale go back and forth.

Realizing my genetic predisposition, I knew it was time to focus on my health.

Once I shifted the focus from my weight to my health, everything became much clearer for me. I knew I did NOT want to be just another American on Heart meds. I knew I didn't just want a band-aid for the wound.

I started by watching documentaries such as:

- What The Health

- Eating You Alive

- Game Changers

- Forks Over Knives

- The Big Fat Lie

(all of which are linked in the Documentaries tab of this website)

And various others that I can't think of off the top of my head.

I read The Starch Solution by Dr. Mcdougall.

I enrolled in The Plant Based Nutrition program through eCornell and the Center for Nutrition Studies.

I changed my life. Completely. It didn't happen overnight, but it happened. I stopped buying processed foods. I stopped buying and using oil of ANY type. I started exploring and learning new ways to cook/bake/snack that were Heart healthy (ACTUALLY Heart healthy - not words used for marketing purposes on packages of processed food). I changed the foods and staples in my pantry and home.

I changed my entire life over the course of a few years.

No, I'm not perfect but I do follow this lifestyle 98% of the time. Every now and then I'll allow myself a vegan cupcake, an impossible burger or a pint of my favorite dairy free Ben & Jerry's.

I'm writing this to let you know that good healthy change doesn't happen overnight. It takes consistent focus and dedication. If you aren't losing weight for your health, you're doing it for superficial reasons and vanity. For most of us, that's not enough to maintain the focus. Change your mindset.

Some people WILL see a dramatic difference, quickly, when changing to a Whole Food Plant Based No Oil lifestyle. I am not one of those people. It's taken me 2 years of eating this way to get to where I am, today. I did, however, see a rapid change in my blood pressure and that was enough to keep me on track.

And I'm so thankful it did.

Stop looking for a quick fix and start making healthy choices. You may not see results overnight, but you WILL see results. The kind of results that stick around.

The health benefits I've personally experienced: regulated Blood Pressure WITHOUT medication, my resting heart rate is that of a triathlete, no more restless nights, more physical endurance, more energy throughout the day - no fatigue, clearer thoughts, and the best part? I actually like who's looking back at me in the mirror and that wasn't even the point of changing my lifestyle. The weight loss is merely a side effect. Who would have thought?