PAULO’s

GUIDE TO BEING VEGAN

INTRODUCTION

There are many reasons why you could be reading this- be it yourhealth, your love for animals, your concern for our planet or simplecuriosity. It could be that a bunch of ‘those vegans’ ruffled you upand you have some unresolved questions, or you’re already veganand stopping by. !

As an individual you have all the power to start making a shift inyour life, to take control of what you eat and how you feel.Especially today with research building up supporting the plantbased diet and with so many alternatives there is really no morereason for us to continue exploiting other animals. Please stick withme and I will introduce you to my vegan lifestyle, and hopefullyprovide you with some stepping stones to help you on your ownway. 🐾

Either way, I am really glad you’re here. 😀 Having been theremyself I know going vegan may seem like jumping off a cliff edgewithout much knowledge of what you’ll fall on. My aim is to showyou that it’s more like jumping over a ditch to a parallel universefull of good food and cool people. It’s easy, you just need to wantto.

Ultimately I would love to see a world where vegan is the normnot the exception where we are closer to nature, closer to otheranimals, healthier and happier. I know we all hate to see otheranimals suffer, we wish for peace in the world, we care about ourhealth and our planet. We just need to start acting it.

- Paulo 🌱

CONTENTS

• VEGAN- WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

• WHY VEGAN?

• IS VEGETARIAN NOT ENOUGH?

• WHY ARE WE NOT VEGAN? %

• BECOMING VEGAN

• WHERE DO I GET MY NUTRIENTS FROM?

• IDEAS FOR WHAT TO EAT 🍽

• WHERE TO EAT

• GROCERIES

• VEGAN KIDS

• RESOURCES

• GET INVOLVED

• FAQs

• ABOUT ME

• MY VEGAN JOURNEY

“We can judge our progress by the courage of our questions and the depth of our answers,

our willingness to embrace what is true rather than what feels good.”

Carl Sagan

VEGAN- WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

A vegan is someone who doesn’t eat, use, wear or exploitanimals in any of their day to day decisions.

Taking it straight from the vegan society’s page, veganism is

“A way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing, or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes

the development and use of animal- free alternatives for the benefit of humans, animals and the environment. In dietary terms

it denotes the practice of dispensing with all products derived wholly or partly from animals.”

We all agree with this. We hate to see other animals suffer. Wetend to be deeply uncomfortable with the words ‘exploitation’ and‘death’. We get upset when we hear of people raising their hand todogs- we see them as precious beings. Veganism extends this to allanimals on the principle that no animal life is less precious thananother- all animals, including humans.

A plant based diet is part of the vegan lifestyle and describeswhat vegans eat. We eat a lot! There are innumerable differentplants, legumes, vegetables, fruit, spices, herbs. Anything thatdoesn’t include products derived from other animals is plant based.This includes a broad spectrum of food from vegan junk food,through whole food, to the raw diet. Anything can be veganised:pastas, pizza, burgers, curries, cakes.

WHY VEGAN?

-> FOR THE ANIMALS 🐮🐷🐶🐟🐑🐓

We treat animals like they have nomoral value yet they are consciousand sentient just like us, they feelpain both physical and emotional.They are innocent and unable to voicetheir suffering to us. They’re helplessin our hands and we are ruthlesslyexploiting them.

Photo by Adrian Infernus on Unsplash

You won’t believe it till you see it. Click here to access footageof common, legal practice (including organic cage free and grassfed) in the UK animal industry. (TRIGGER WARNING: Thisvideo contains sensitive NSFW content)

Some other things you should know…

• 800 “mega farms” have appeared in the British countryside in recent years. They can pack in more than a million chickens or about 20,000 pigs

• in the UK animals can be slaughtered by a bolt gun to the head, blunt force hit or electrical stunning. Pigs and chickens can be lowered into a gas chamber

• any of the methods above have a likelihood of not functioning and the animal being fully or partially conscious for ‘processing’

• the animals we breed into existence are slaughtered as babies-only live out a fraction of their lifetimes

• hidden behind the walls of slaughterhouses until now with the rise of cameras and video footage, animals cry and struggle to avoid slaughter

• all animals are essentially the same. Humans included. All want to live

WHY VEGAN?

-> FOR HEALTH 💚

There is nothing worth more effort and consideration than yourhealth. And there is no diet with as much robust researchsupporting its benefits to our health.

Here are just some of the facts that have struck me themost…

• a 2009 study compared 60,000 individuals and found thevegans to have the healthiest average BMI by a significantamount

• the same study also found the prevalence of type 2 diabetesto be the lowest among vegans

• Dr Esselstyn, a renowned cardiologist, has been putting peoplewith advanced heart disease on a whole food plant based diet.He found arteries clearing, chest pain wearing down and diseasereversing in those who stuck to it

• plant based foods contain no cholesterol• the World Health Organisation reviewed evidence linking the

intake of red and processed meat with colorectal cancer riskacross 10 studies. There was enough evidence in humans toclassify processed meats as group 1 carcinogens

• in the world’s most comprehensive study of nutrition Dr ColinCampbell directed a study looking at epidemiological data(details of how people were getting sick) across China. Thismeant comparing people in one country, who were geneticallysimilar just had different diets. He found an overwhelminglystrong link between a diet rich in animal proteins anddisease and a link between whole plant based food and health.Subsequent studies even showed disease reversing with a plantbased diet

WHY VEGAN?

-> FOR THE PLANET 🌏

We are on a final call to save the planet from acatastrophe and I for one expect generations after me to want toknow what I did about it. Being vegan really is the single biggestthing you can do so we can:

• use our resources more sustainably world meat production has quadrupled since the 1960s

• free up land and stop deforestation if we eliminated animal agriculture global farmland use could be reduced by 75 percent which would be like the US, China, Australia and the EU combined

• stop driving species to extinction our oceans are predicted to be empty of fish by 2048

• reduce greenhouse gasses cutting meat and dairy out of your diet could reduce your carbon footprint by 70 percent. Animal waste releases methane and nitrous oxide, greenhouse gases that are respectively 25 and 368 times more potent than carbon dioxide

• take a stand against pollution the waste flowing out of the concentrated animal feeding operations is a toxic slurry of excrement, blood, antibiotics, transmittable diseases and fertilisers- not mentioning air pollution and the smell

• save water we only have so much fresh water. And we are using it up very fast. The average hamburger takes 2400 litresof water to produce. A vegan diet uses at least three times less water

Photo by NASA on Unsplash

IS VEGETARIAN NOT ENOUGH?

THE EGG INDUSTRYAbout half of the eggs eaten in the UK come from caged hens. Theyoften live their lives in atrocious cramped conditions with their primarysensory organ, their beak, clipped with a laser. Eggs are part of themenstrual cycle of a hen. Wild hens lay around 10 to 15 eggs per year.The average domesticated hen is bred to produce nearly 300 a year.This puts a massive strain on her reproductive organs which after allare meant to bring her the joy of parenting not be something they areexploited for. Spent hens, the intelligent individuals, go on to die forsomeone’s chicken soup while they are still babies themselves. Buthold on, these are just the lucky female chicks. Male chicks are masssuffocated or thrown into a macerator on the first day of their lives.

Photo by Theo Leconte on Unsplash

THE DAIRY INDUSTRYA mother produces milk for her baby to provide nurturing after birth,to create the sacred mother to child bond, to enjoy the closeness aftera long pregnancy. Cattle and women both are pregnant for 9 monthsand both need to give birth in order to produce milk. As do allmammals. But the babies of cattle aren’t allowed to stay with them.They are taken away leaving the mother and the baby both grievingfor each other. This happens to a cow 2-5 times in her lifetime. Thespent mother, again a baby herself (cows live up to 25 years) is sentto slaughter. Boy calves are killed on the first day unless they arebeing kept a little longer for ‘veal’.

Photo by Luke Syres on Unsplash

WHY ARE WE NOT VEGAN? %

SOCIAL CONDITIONINGwe have all gone through a process of being trained to behave in amanner generally approved by the society we find ourselves in.Sometimes we forget to question it

THE PROTEIN STORYwe have been taught that we need it in order to survive. Yet theconcept of protein is only about 150 years old and all this time wehave had solid evidence to say we shouldn’t have much of it at all

PROPAGANDAinformation of a biased or misleading nature used to promote anagenda. Advertisements, visuals on food packaging (smiling cow onmilk carton), euphemisms (ham= flesh of a baby piglet that didn’twant to die), sponsored research

COGNITIVE DISSONANCEthe uncomfortable feeling you get whenever something you hearcontradicts your world view. It’s actually an innate response toperceived threat and can cloud your rational judgement andresponse by helping you ignore or dismiss the information

TASTEI get it you like the taste. I used to like it too, as did most vegans.Then we realised what it really was we were eating and that therewas no need to, that it was morally unacceptable to.

BECOMING VEGAN

Go at your own paceCold turkey or in stages. Don’t worry if it takes you time. Whatmatters is you are continuing to make effort in the right direction

You will get it wrongYou’ll be surprised to find how many things sneakily contain animalderived products. Learn to be conscious of exactly what you’reeating

Educate yourselfKnow your reasons why. This guide is a start- check out theresources and FAQ sections and go wild on google 🤓

Take care of your nutritional profileAnimals don’t care what you eat so long as long as it’s not them.You can become a junk food vegan but you want to reach foroptimal health. Check out my section on nutrients

Be adventurousTake it as an opportunity to reinvent your diet. Try new things. Fallin love with food and your kitchen

Be part of a communityFind vegans on social media, pages with recipes and differentlifestyles for inspiration. Get involved with your local groups likeAnonymous for the Voiceless. Check out the get involved section

Stick with itI beg 😂😭 Keep going. For the animals. The aim is to stop payingfor their exploitation and their deaths. You can do it! 2

“You can do it like it’s a great weight on you, or you can do it like it’s part of the dance.” Ram Dass

WHERE DO I GET MY NUTRIENTS FROM?

GOOD NEWS!

Dr Colin Campbell’s findings from The China Study (amongothers) show beyond scientific doubt that whole plant basedfood works with our bodies and has health promotingeffects, without concern for individual nutrients.

🍌🍉🍅🥔🍐🍒🥦🥒🥥🌰🌿🍆🍇

A whole food plant based diet is a poor man’s diet- it ismade up of foods as close as possible to the whole way inwhich they grew. This means less processed food and morewhole vegetables, whole fruit, whole grains, seeds,legumes, nuts and other whole plants.

The China Study is based on the findings from the China-Cornell-Oxford Project, a 20 year study which was described by The NewYork Times as “The Grand Prix of epidemiology.” The studyfound that whole plant based foods have health promoting effects.Not isolated nutrients, not concentrated nutrients, but whole, realfood such as whole vegetables, whole grains, whole fruitand nuts. This means ditch animal and processed foods and focuson a variety of simple meals made of whole foods. There is no needto micro- tailor your diet.

Check out the Centre for Nutrition Studies’ Whole Food, Plant-Based Diet Guide here.

Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

WHERE DO I GET MY NUTRIENTS FROM?

ProteinAll protein is synthesised by plants from nitrogen in the soil.

Protein is found in things like grains, legumes, seeds, nuts andvegetables as a full source of protein from which you can get all theessential amino acids plus vitamins, micronutrients andphytonutrients. The World Health Organisation has, since 1974,recommended that adults get 5% of their calories from protein.This translates to 38 grams a day for a man burning 3000 calories,and 29 grams for a woman using 2300 calories. This marginincludes athletes and those in special circumstances, such as thoserecovering from illness. It is almost impossible to not consume thisamount of protein if you are eating enough calories and eating adiet full of whole plant foods. For example, if you got all yourcalories from rice you will have consumed 71 grams of very useablehealthy protein.

Check out this protein factsheet by the physicians’ committee forresponsible medicine and this handy leaflet on protein sources.

B12A deficiency of this vitamin can put you in pretty serious healthissues, from nerve damage to impaired red blood cell production.B12 isn’t actually produced by animals or plants but by anaerobicbacteria. This does mean you can’t get your B12 from plants, soyou will need to find a way to supplement it. A lot of alternativeproducts like plant based butter, milk and nutritional yeast areoften fortified with B12. Otherwise you will need to find a B12supplement. Check out Dr Thomas Campbell’s great article goingthrough the ins- and outs of your B12 needs here.

WHERE DO I GET MY NUTRIENTS FROM?

CalciumCalcium is important for the strength of our bones and teeth, forour nervous system, blood clotting and muscle function. Goodsources of dietary calcium include whole wheat products,vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, kale and bok choy, dark leafygreens, beans and legumes including edamame, tofu, lentils, andblack beans, okra, nuts and seeds, mineral water and herbal teas.

IronIron deficiency is the most common nutrient deficiency in theworld. Fortunately you can get all the iron you need in a vegan dietand a lot of plant foods contain good amounts of it. These includelentils, chickpeas, beans, tofu, cashews, chia seeds, linseed, hempseeds, kale, dried apricots, raisins, quinoa and fortified breakfastcereal. Vitamin C improves iron absorption. Good sources ofvitamin C include pepper, broccoli, cabbage, oranges, strawberries,and grapefruit.

Omega oilsChia seeds, hemp seeds, flax seeds, spirulina, chlorella and walnutsare loaded with healthy fats.

IDEAS FOR WHAT TO EAT 🍽

FOR BREAKFAST

The basic idea is, you can have more or less the same stuffjust swap everything for the vegan version. Whatever youwould like to have, you can ask the internet for the veganversion and there will be a way. Some ideas to start you off..

• a freshly squeezed or juiced fruit or green juice• make your coffee with soya milk• a smoothie- use fruit and/or veg, and a plant based milk

alternative. I love to use banana, pears, kale, frozen blueberriesand maybe strawberries and small amounts of maca powder

• make a fry- the hash browns are vegan, have baked beans, putsome vegan butter on your toast and fry your tomatoes andmushrooms on olive oil. If you want bacon, have vegan bacon.

• imitate scrambled eggs by making tofu scramble or getting anegg replacer

• have your cereal or porridge with a plant based milkalternative. Top porridge with fruit, golden syrup, flax seeds,chia seeds, date syrup, nut butters or jam.

• have some toast with peanut (or almond or cashew) butter, topwith banana slices (and cinnamon)

• have some avocado toast, topped with black pepper, pink saltand a dash of lemon.

• have some beans on toast, use vegan butter or coconut oil tospread on your toast

• whip up some delicious vegan pancakes- use plant based milkand swap the egg for half a banana mushed up

• find a vegan recipe for your favourite muffins

IDEAS FOR WHAT TO EAT 🍽

FOR LUNCH ☀

A lot of you reading this might be thinking about your long day at work or school. Although vegan options are more and more accessible in shops and canteens, it helps to come prepared. Play about with it and adapt your lunch to your day, habits and likes.

• make sure to stay hydrated with non- sugary drinks: water,water infused with fruit, coconut water, herbal teas

• bring and eat a lot of fruit during the day- bananas, lunchboxes of cut up apple, grapes, and berries

• do the same with vegetables- lunch boxes of cut up peppers,cucumber, celery

• bring a little box of nuts, seeds, berries etc. for snacks• make a falafel wrap (get falafel and hummus from a

supermarket and add fillings like tomato, cucumber, srirachasauce)

• have leftovers from dinner the evening before• make a chickpea tuna/ chickpea avocado sandwich- pulse

chickpeas in a food processor and add chopped onion, springonion, sea salt and pepper, and vegan mayo or a blendedavocado

• make a sandwich with some vegan cheese• I love to toast some chickpeas on a pan with coconut oil and

spices like himalayan salt, smoked paprika, cumin, mild chilli,cayenne pepper, black pepper and mixed herbs. They go reallynicely into a burger bun or ciabatta bread with some hummus,cucumber and tomato slices

• whip up a salad with some leaves, beans/pulses, maybe someavocado, grated carrot, and bring some sauce in a separatecontainer (so it doesn’t all get mushy) You can get vegan saladsauce in the supermarket, or try making a sauce like vinaigrette

IDEAS FOR WHAT TO EAT 🍽

FOR DINNER 🌆

Even if you don’t cook much you can still have yummydinners. There are more and more options in supermarketsand you can ask the internet for the veganised version ofanything. Here are some of my go-to dinners.

• simple wholemeal pasta with a tomato sauce from the shopwith seasoned mushrooms from under the grill or sautéedvegetables

• throw a big seasoned portobello mushroom under the grill, andhave it as a burger

• find sachets of noodle sauces in supermarkets like Tesco- mostof them are vegan (check ingredients). Get some noodles,some veg, ginger and garlic, and put together your own noodlebonanza

• roasties still are vegan (make with olive or sunflower oilinstead of butter). Most gravy also is (check ingredients). Inmost supermarkets you can now find extra bits and pieces tothrow in the oven too, like nuggets, schnitzels and sausages

• raid the free-from freezer section in the supermarket for burgerbuns and nuggets. Have cheat oven dinners like a burger ornugget-and-chips

• make soup. The only thing that ever makes soup non- veganare things like cream and milk and animal based stock, thoseare easy to find plant based. Make some homemade garlicbread for the side by mixing fresh ground garlic and salt withcoconut oil or non-dairy spread

• try vegetable curries. I love a good chickpea, spinach andsweet potato curry. Or chickpea and kale. If you don’t want tomake curry from scratch, most supermarkets have really handyindividual curry making sets in the rice isle that take youthrough the process and provide all the spices

• try a takeaway- check out my where to go to eat section

IDEAS FOR WHAT TO EAT 🍽

DESSERTYou can still have desserts no problem. Check out the zillions ofrecipes for vegan desserts on the internet. You can even makemost if not all of the recipes you have enjoyed so far. Find theveganised recipe or- check out ways of replacing egg here. Replace dairy milk with a

plant based one and butter with vegetable oil or coconut oil- this is the best chocolate cake recipe I have ever come across

on the internet- in the freezer section, apple schnitzel, fruit crumbles and pies

are often vegan- have a platter of fruit!

TRAVELLINGToday this is a lot easier than it used to be, but- do come prepared with some snacks in case you don’t find any

good vegan options- use apps like Vanilla Bean and Happy Cow to find vegan food

places- I like to book accommodation that has a kitchen because being

constrained to the hotel breakfast bar and whatever restaurants you find can become frustrating and you want to be able to throw together simple stuff. Airbnb works a treat. If you have never tried it, follow this link for £25 off your first trip

MUNCHIESLet’s be real, munchies are probably a part of your lifestyle whetherit is a big or small part. There are many things you can pick up inpretty much all big shops. Check their free from section forspecialised free from munchies including chocolate and cookies(very affordable and available). On top of that, a lot of things wealready know and love are vegan. Check out this list by PETA ofaccidentally vegan munchies in the UK.

WHERE TO EAT

RESTAURANTS

Pizza There are a few places which use vegan cheese substitutes f0r deliciouspizza such as Tasty Bird, Pizza Express, Zizzi, Green’s Pizza, and PizzaPunks

Burgers A student life classic. Build a Burger and Tribal Burger both have veganoptions, you can also get vegan friendly wraps/burgers in Nando’s- just askyour server

Burrito A vegan burrito consists of spiced rice (mexican or herby or lime) and any ofthe following: beans, sautéed vegetables, guacamole, salsa, and sweetcorn.Check out Boojum or Kick Ass Burrito

Indian Food

Archana is one of my favourites with an extensive vegan menu includinggarlic bread and all the curries. Most Indian restaurants actually cater tovegans with amazing curries and sides like onion bhajis. Just ask therestaurant for more details

Sushi I love Yo Sushi- check out their vegan menu. Some things are cucumberrolls, pumpkin or tofu katsu curry, inari nigiri (tofu sushi) and vegetabletempura. I also love Sakura. Ask for their vegan friendly options

Falafel Falafel is vegan. Umi Falafel and Falafel are very vegan friendly

McDonalds Chips, the veggie burger with only the lettuce and sauce (ketchup,barbecue, sweet chilli or curry), and the apple pie are the vegan options

Someother places…

387 Ormeau Road and Eat Street are great vegan cafés. Slim’s Kitchenand Kaffe O cater to vegans with some lovely light options. Happy Doghave a vegan hot dog, Oh! Donuts have 4 types of vegan donut. Try thevegan tofu or jackfruit option in Bao Bun in Belfast. Also look out for slicesof cake by the Honest Vegan or Crumbs Bakery in smaller shops aroundtown!

When you go out to eat, say you’re vegan. Most restaurants cater forvegans but do check or call ahead. If they don’t have options in theirmenu they are likely willing to improvise something. Below is a quickguide to some places to find food out with Belfast in spotlight.

GROCERIES

LABELSMake sure you read the labels on everything, you will be surprisedat where you’ll find hidden dairy or random things like powderedegg white. Look out for ‘free from’ and green ‘V’ labels but alwayscheck the ingredients. Usually allergens like milk and eggs will bein bold. Don’t worry- you won’t be reading labels forever,eventually you will know your way around! 🙂

Most of my groceries come from the fresh end of the supermarket-vegetables, fruit and herbs. The other stuff is just a filler, but mostsupermarkets have ranges of special ‘free from’ products as well.Check out PETA’s guide for vegan products in UK supermarkets.

HEALTH FOOD STORESLet’s not forget the small guy and support the health food storesthat have bravely been providing us for years with all the essentialsand curious odd bits. Here you’ll find the less- likely things likenutritional yeast (cheese flavour), vegan marshmallows, planet-friendly cleaning supplies and those really special vegan nuggets.Ask the internet for your local health food stores.

ONLINEOnline stores are great for stocking up on the odd bits of munchies,toiletries, books, cupboard essentials, as well as whole foods, andthose bits of recipes you really want to make but not sure where tofind the ingredients for like chickpea or coconut flour.

TheVeganKind.com have everything from vegan bacon andchocolate to books, cosmetics, and subscription boxes. Get 15%off your first purchase with this link: http://prz.io/vEDg4aiL

VEGAN KIDS

According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics,“appropriately planned vegetarian, including vegan, diets are

healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits for the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. These diets are appropriate for all stages of the life cycle including pregnancy,

lactation, infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and for athletes.”

Ideas to start you offWhen it comes to kids, the more colourful and fresher the better. Make it fun and involve them. If you are eating whole food your child can have the same dinners, but for special treats:- make a colourful fruit salad, add some plant based yoghurt - a platter of cut up fruit with a spoonful of almond butter to dip- simple fresh tomato sauce and brown pasta- banana muffins for a lazy morning, made with chia seed eggs- hemp milk porridge or semolina pudding topped with fruit - get in the kitchen together and make some rice krispie squares

with a nut butter and rice syrup

Pregnancy, infancy and human breast milkthrough pregnancy the WHO recommends 6% of calories comefrom protein. This is easily achieved with a diet full of starches,vegetables and fruit. We double in size in the first 6 months so ourneed for protein then is the greatest. The concentration of proteinin human breast milk is 5 to 6.3 percent of calories. The proteincontent of rice is 9%, potatoes 8%, oatmeal 15%.

Your children absolutely can be vegan too, and they will behealthier for it. I would even urge you, if you have children pleaseconsider this diet for them. If I had the knowledge I have today at2 or 4 yo, I would certainly have wanted to be vegan. Check outsome vegan mothers on social media- use the #vegankids hashtag.And then, don’t be shy and have a google/youtube as well.

RESOURCES

The China Study by

Dr Colin Campbell

The most comprehensive study of nutrition ever conducted and the startling implications for diet, weight loss, and long-term health.

The Thrive Diet by

Brendan Brazier

The plant based whole foods way to staying healthy for life by vegan former pro Ironman triathlete.

How Not to Die by

Dr. Michael Greger

Dr Greger, the internationally- renowned nutrition expert, physician, and founder of NutritionFacts.org, examines the fifteen top causes of premature death in America.

How to Go Vegan by

Veganuary

All the tools you need to make the change towards a healthier, happier and more ethical lifestyle.

BOSH! by

Henry Firth and Ian Theasby

Simple recipes. Amazing food. All plants.The best selling vegan cookbook ever.

Eat like you give a F**k

by Thug Kitchen

Beloved by Gwyneth Paltrow, with half a million Facebook fans and counting, Thug Kitchen wants to show everyone how to take charge of their plates.

Books 📖🤓

RESOURCES

Watch List

Pages

GET INVOLVED

When I went vegan I felt a little solitary at first. Then I typed‘vegan’ into my Instagram search and discovered a whole newworld. This is extremely important in validating, sharing, creating,and encouraging. Access this world and explore. I am just oneperson with one approach to diet. What you’ll find on social mediaand getting involved with local groups is a massive mix of peoplewho have adopted a vegan diet, living different lives. I lower myhat to this community because doubtlessly without having beenconnected with it I wouldn’t be the vegan I am today.

Search these key words

Explore social mediaI am just one person with one lifestyle and one diet. Get immersedin social media and find a world of vegans who are just like you-bodybuilders, mums or dads, foodies, students, people on abudget. On the next page, I have included just some of theaccounts that have inspired me so far- have a look!

Join local groupsBe part of a community. Search for your local animal rights groupson Facebook, like the Anonymous for the Voiceless chapter in yourcity.

GET INVOLVED

FAQs

à I tried to go vegan and I felt very sick/ weak.Vegan equals compassion, it does not immediately equal optimal health. Youcan be vegan and eat toast with jam all day every day, or dry cornflakes, orOreos, or neglect your overall health in a million different ways. The ultimategoal is to ditch all the crap- including food coming from animals who didn’twant to die, carbonated drinks, refined sugars, artificial and processed food.Research confirms that a diet full of whole, plant based foods is the optimaldiet for health promotion and disease prevention.

à Will I have to live off tofu?Absolutely not. The vegan universe has food for literally anyone. Check out my‘what to eat’ section, go follow some vegans or visit my Instagram profilebelow for some vegan feeds!

à What about protein?All protein comes from plants. Check out the section on nutrients for more.

à Will I be able to make gains?No problem. A whole food plant based diet provides you with a complete rangeof amino acids in a clean form. There are many people making amazing gainson a plant based diet- research vegan bodybuilders for example. Check outBrendan Brazier’s book which explains all about eating vegan to be fit.

à Isn’t it natural to eat meat?Would it be natural for you to chase down an animal and bite into its neck,then rip out their organs with your teeth while the warm blood is still gushingout? No? Then maybe not as much as you think.

à I follow [religion x] and it condones [animal exploitation method y]My guess is your religion is based on compassion. And I will take it yourreligion does not condone killing. In our world today, with the knowledge we(now you) have, it is obvious it is not necessary for us to kill anyone tosurvive. Would a compassionate god want you to take away the lives of hiscreations for no reason, just for momentary pleasure?

à Humane slaughter tho?Humane means having or showing compassion or benevolence. You literallycan’t describe slitting someone’s throat as humane, in any world. And if yousaw it with your own eyes you certainly wouldn’t.

FAQs

à Do vegans not care for people?“Because I’m a civil rights activist, I am also an animal rights activist. Animals

and humans suffer and die alike. Violence causes the same pain, the same spilling of blood, the same stench of death, the same arrogant, cruel and

vicious taking of life. We shouldn’t be a part of it.” Dick Gregory

Vegans believe that the root of all the evil in the world is the idea that somelives matter less than others- speciesism. We fight against this notion. Beingvegan doesn’t mean not being sensitive to/ aware of human issues. I believethat every individual needs to feel empowered to make a change individually,in order for the world to become a better place. We cannot campaign for peacewhile consuming violence and death. This is the biggest, screaming action weurgently need to take to make a stand for peace, for our planet, for ourenvironment. A violent society conditions people to be violent and is a societyin which violence is overlooked. Any kind of violence. If today we startteaching children that all lives are important, and acting it, then maybe oursociety will be better tomorrow.

à It’s my individual choice whether I want to eat animals.If you were to kill me tomorrow you could also call it personal choice, but Iwould be in strong disagreement with you because your decision also involvedme and anyone who cared about me. That’s why we can’t accept that eatinganimals is a personal choice- there is a victim.

à What about B12?B12 is very important for many processes that go on in your body. Animalshumans included don’t make B12 and need to ingest it. Make sure yousupplement your diet with an adequate amount of B12. This can be a veganmultivitamin, or one of the many things that are fortified with it such as mostplant based butters.

à I intentionally ate animal products, do you judge me/ think less ofme/ I can’t call myself vegan anymore, I’m gonna stop trying nowSomeone mentioned to me that they hesitated to be vegan because theycouldn’t keep it up for long enough. They felt guilty when they failed to live upto the standard and that put them off. You shouldn’t feel like you areaccountable to any group, just to yourself and your morality. Anyone who isyour friend will not judge you, especially not knowing they themselves madethe mistake once. Just keep doing your best. And I will support any everyeffort you make to cause less harm.

FAQs

à I accidentally ate something containing animal produce?!?!?!?Don’t worry :) It happens. Roll with the punches and keep going. Brush yourteeth if you feel uncomfortable, note where you made the error, and continue!

à What about products labelled organic and grass fed?The animals that had the best lives still get sent to the same slaughterhouse,as babies.

à Isn’t the vegan diet very expensive?Nope. The plant based whole food diet is a poor man’s diet and that is theoptimal diet. You are literally buying veggies, fruit, beans, and grains. They allcost nothing. A bag of rice feeds two people at least three times and costsunder a pound. Which doesn’t mean you can’t spend money with it, of coursethere are endless new veganised fancy products coming out. If you want tosplash some cash on the latest vegan bacon or pineapple leaf shoes, you can.

à What will happen to all the animals if the whole world goes vegan?Supply and demand is what is driving and generating the abundance of factoryfarming. As the world gradually becomes vegan the demand will slopedownwards forcing production (and therefore breeding) to gradually reduce.Some animals will be able to retire to live out the rest of their lives happy insanctuaries until their families get strong enough to eventually live out in thewild. As demand for plant based foods increases, so will the amount ofbusiness to be made in this market, creating jobs that may be lost in theanimal industry. We will see the number of animals in slavery decreasing withdecreasing demand, and a shift to animals getting to be what they are meantto be- free beings, and our companions.

à Do vegans hate farmers/ slaughterhouse workers?Nope! By ethos, being vegan means being compassionate to all includingthose involved in the animal industry. We don’t judge- we have been theretoo. We are just pointing out the unsustainability and the immorality of ourcurrent practices. We believe and hope nobody enjoys slitting throats orpushing pigs down gas chambers for a living. We don’t blame those people fortrying to make a living. If it wasn’t for the demand from consumers, therewould be no market. We would like to see individuals making choices leadingto less of those slaughterhouses and slaughterhouse workers and more jobs insustainable fields.

ABOUT ME

Hi!

Thank you for picking up my guide 😊💚

My full name is Paulina Nnedimma Obasi but friends call me Paulo. I prefer Paulo. I have been vegan since 2014 and still haven’t died of protein deficiency… %🌱 I studied International Business with French at Queen’s University, Belfast. I work as an Insight Associate at PwC Research. We produce bespoke research for an international base of customers. My job is based in Belfast and I love living here. You could also describe me as an INFP and a HSP (highly sensitive person). My passion is researching and reading on plant based nutrition with the hope of living my best healthiest life and being able to help more people adopt this lifestyle. I also love fitness and eating loads, in a way that really makes me feel well.

Photo by Paul Killeen Photography

MY VEGAN JOURNEY

My official nationality status is Polish Nigerian but I have beenliving in Northern Ireland for half of my life. My father is from theIgbo tribe. He met my mother in Poland and I was born in a tinytown called Kluczbork. We got a dog, Blacky, when I was about 1and he was my closest companion for much of my life. He was myguardian and comforter. From when I was 4 to about 11 we lived inthe countryside close to Kluczbork. My connection with naturereally developed there. We had a lot of outdoor space, and we weresurrounded by fields with farmers on either side of our house. Thefarmer to the left had a plot of land dedicated to cow grazingseparated from us by a chicken wire fence. I developed aconnection with the cows. I loved watching them cuddled uptogether, feeding them grass and pushing my forearm through thechicken wire to allow them to lick my fingers with their coarsetongues.

I also loved the chickens running around and the dog next door,and also any cat, rabbit, bird or any animal that turned up everynow again. In short, I loved them all. A lot of my days were spentchasing chickens, picking fruit to eat from trees and bushes,exploring, watching the cows and playing in the mud. I changedschools twice when I was small because of racist bullying. We werethe only non- white family around. Animals were always such agentle loving source of energy in my life even if I can’t say thesame about humans.

When I was 12 my family moved to Northern Ireland. We leftBlacky in a pound which was a massive blow of a trauma. For acouple of years I weathered the atmospheric shock of not havinghim around anymore, shock learning English and living in acompletely new place. This sparked a massive interest in culturefor me. The fresh island air revived me too and I started to reallydevelop my passion for finding things that make me feel good, forsports and for nutrition. Not without stumbling though.

MY VEGAN JOURNEY

I had a lot to work through on a deep personal level which sentme spinning down a spiral of self criticism and restrictive habitsand I developed bulimia. This was difficult to climb out of but withtime I came to love and accept myself, and to take care of myselfin healthy ways. What really helped was the realisation that Iphysically wasn’t tolerating dairy- that it was making me sick.Cutting it out of my diet completely at 16 made me feel amazinglybetter, physically, overnight. I made a choice which improved mywellbeing and I was feeling better than ever before. My walktowards owning myself and how I feel really began. I got addictedto seeing how daily actions have such potential for positive changein my life. My relationship with food started transforming replacingthe restrictive, punishing feelings which I had been trying to fightwith a renewed appetite, curiosity, and sense of adventure in food.

You see I’m just like anyone else. Whatever my life has been sofar I was conditioned by society too. An innocent child who lovedthe animals around her, I ate the things in front of me withoutasking questions. Although I was unwell a lot as a child no onequestioned whether dairy might be making me sick. It’s veneratedin Polish tradition. It’s default. I used to think veganism soundedextreme too. It took me time, and it was a process. In the summerbefore my final year in secondary school I went to Nigeria with myfamily for the burial proceedings of my grandmother. There, asidefrom reconnecting with my roots which is an amazing experience Iwas confronted with the realness of animal slaughter and gave upmeat for good. A beautiful African cow was bought to feed thecrowd. She was kept in the family compound, tied to a tree, for acouple of days before her time came. I saw the world in her bigintelligent eyes, felt such intense love for her, and connected withher deeply. I knew if I saw her execution I could never eat meatagain. I was present when it happened. In the moment I couldmake myself look, I looked into her eyes as a machete sliced intoher neck. Her eyes are burned into my mind forever.

MY VEGAN JOURNEY

You best believe I still ate eggs and fish though and I still didn’texpect myself to ever become one of ‘those vegans’. I still felt a bitsluggish sometimes and I could tell I wasn’t at my best health.Then, one evening, a couple of months after moving up to Belfastto go to university, I signed up to receive a PETA information leafleton a whim. And then another evening, a few months after receivingit, I picked it up and read it. I read about the dairy and fishindustries. That triggered me to google and I researched and readfor a good few hours. (while I was meant to be doing 1st yearuniversity exam prep 😅) I read enough to convince me. More thanconvince me, in fact- I went in to the tiny shared kitchen in thehalls I was staying in, opened the fridge, and threw the only non-vegan thing I had- a bag of salmon- in the bin.

This was the start of a learning curve of a completely new way ofeating. Over the past few years I have been learning as much as Icould about the vegan diet while completing my degree and nowlearning to be a researcher. I am still learning every day. I don’twant to just be vegan. That’s easy. I want to be the healthiest I canbe. I want to help others and the planet be that too. I have beenlucky to find some amazing influences along the way. Amongothers Brendan Brazier helped me understand nutrition, Dr. ColinCampbell and Dr Esselstyn beyond convinced me of the healthargument for the plant based diet, Joey Carbstrong reminded meagain why I was vegan and the massive community on Instagramhas fueled me with ideas and inspired me almost every day.

I recently came to share my home with two baby rabbits, Charlieand Dennis, and they have grown to occupy a massive space in myheart 💚 They daily remind me that something needs to be doneabout this whole situation. Another thing is, I feel so good eatingand living the way I do I genuinely would feel bad if I didn’t try toshare the news with others. My health has gone to places I couldhave never imagined it to go.

MY VEGAN JOURNEY

I feel fit, I can be active, I feel in control of where my health iswhile enjoying food like never before. I also have a clearconscience and a body clear of decaying flesh, with a clear mind toface each day. My body is really thanking me for it. That’s just me,and if I did it, then you can do it too. We can all individually do it.And wouldn’t the world be a great place then? I see us all healthierand happier for it. I see us bringing back our closeness to nature,rebuilding our ecosystems, and finally giving some rest to our tiredEarth 🌏🌱

What’s next?We need to be able to dream. If not us, then who? My dream is aworld where:

• vegan is the norm, not an exception.• we see that we are all one and the same, no matter what skin

or fur we have on the outside• we put ourselves in control of how we relate to each other, our

bodies, others around us and our planet• we have stopped thoughtlessly harming each other• there are loads of vegan restaurants offering exciting tasty food• the green sections in our supermarkets are teeming with variety• I can help more people adopt not only a vegan lifestyle but also

better health

Contact meI will continue on my road, learning and sharing about my lifestylewith you. In the meantime, I would love to hear from you! Do youhave any questions about my lifestyle, are you interested incollaborating? Interact with me on any of the platforms below. Talksoon!

.