I‘m a vegan, and this morning I woke up to the smell of bacon, buttery eggs, and ham. The cheesy stench was hard to ignore. To make matters even worse, I was continually offered a variety of meat and dairy foods throughout the entire two days while staying with a family friend. I lost my appetite so much that I went without eating.
Everyone that knows me understands that I only eat plant-based foods, but it happens every time I stay with friends. Although we retain different values, these are the most beautiful people I know. They are loving, spiritually welcoming, and generous.
- Should I be bitter that they are so ignorant of disregarding my righteous “vegan” label?
- Should I belittle them for not conforming to my own beliefs?
- Should I give them an ultimatum?
I suppose I could. At times, I have felt annoyed enough and even thought about it. But I determined that would be useless energy and judgment without a cause. I’m already too familiar with the harsh realities of discrimination.
I was born with Treacher Collins Syndrome, a craniofacial condition that is categorized as a rare genetic disease causing physical bodily and facial malformations that induce various chronic illnesses. I’ve faced judgment and prejudice my entire life, in social circumstances and in my career.
For reasons of health, my husband, Thane, and I decided to adopt herbalism and organic plant-based diets. Both of us endured different sicknesses. My husband, a disabled USMC veteran and PTSD sufferer, was diagnosed obese and pre-diabetic, and I nearly died because of my craniofacial illness.
After just weeks, the evidence of our improvement was impossible to overlook, so we made the complete transition in three months. Many newfound vegan enthusiasts take even longer than that. For others, despite their best efforts, they fail miserably, but continue trying and then succeed. They build comfort with failure and capitalize on it.
As we’ve immersed ourselves in the realm of veganism, we started resenting what we became a part of. Recently we spent a considerable amount of money on two sizable vegan and plant-based social events, only to find utter disappointment. A community of self-righteous and entitled people in an ethical category who are unintentionally voting against their own. Although we’ve met some lovingly accepting people, the rest have put our hearts to the test.
We will never forget the vegan food truck owner who so blatantly and cruelly displaced animals over the human lives lost in the Las Vegas shootings. Her words were vile, revolting, and immoral. Only a few days later and their business was taken out through the power of social media. The people exercised their voices, and they were heard.
It’s been said countless times that the meat eaters are the ones who are destroying the world. But if we flip the switch, it’s really “vegans” who are causing more conflict and diversion.
Many are aware of the vegan health movement, and although they know they need to make significant lifestyle changes, that day never comes. While the vegan and plant-based communities are well-intended, their hypercritical approaches to the mainstream are the most obvious barrier to veganism.
Let’s agree to disagree. We don’t seek to resist healthy changes by choice. In fact, we are all seeking the same things: wellness, balance, harmony, equality, and happiness.
Yes, animals are voiceless. They are being mistreated and slaughtered in horrible and unimaginable ways. Metaphorically speaking, our people are experiencing the equivalent.
Human lives are suffering from causes beyond confinement and slaughter.
Poverty, diseases, malnutrition, water and food scarcity, climate change, decolonization, psychological hate, sexual abuse, human trafficking, emotional trauma, discrimination, homelessness, overpopulation, drug addiction, lack of health-care coverage, domestic violence, social justice, chauvinism, war, murder. The list goes on.
If you genuinely love and accept others, you’ll make attempts to adapt to your environment and theirs without force. Live to educate others until they unravel the changes needed for their own wellness. If you shun others for their lifestyle choices, you’ll be met by rebelling separate forces.
Slow and steady wins the race, and our people will change at their own pace.
Embracing a heart-centered approach to wellness is the best way to bring about consciousness and realization. The rest will follow. Others will come to accept the benefits of veganism.
My husband reversed several medical ailments, including his pre-diabetes and obesity diagnosis, and I’ve drastically improved my craniofacial condition. Countless testimonials all swear by this life change. Yet, we aren’t going to hit anyone over the head with what we believe is the right choice.
We’ve been eating plant-based just over a year, and now we’re living completely different lives. Our vision before now had nothing to do with health and wellness. My husband drank twelve Pepsi Colas, and I ate cupcakes for breakfast and hot Cheetos for snacks every day. Our journey from illness to health opened many doors for us.
A few months ago, Thane, and I built Assuaged, an FREE highly functional charitable reference and recipe app to help guide families find safe foods and products to buy. The features are impressively endless, and most important, we offer a judgment-free zone.
Many of us are startlingly aware of the health epidemic taking over America. Our country is ranked as having the lowest food qualities in the world. The toxic chemicals and GMOs allowed in our foods are not allowed in other countries. We are being left to suffer health disparities because we are consuming these harmful foods.
We founded Assuaged on the concept of organic eating and the Blue Zone movement, and in the region of Loma Linda, California—one of only five geographical areas in the world and the only one in the United States. Research studies and several news reports have established that blue zone residents maintain supreme health and live past the age of one hundred.
Assuaged is a digital plant-based blue zone that allows people to easily and readily find the things they need the most without financial burden or inconvenience.
We are passionately seeking to bridge the gap between healthcare and self-care to meet the needs of healthy living as a method for longevity. We’re going beyond charity and unifying people through love and compassion.
From left to right: Cynthia Today at Optimal Health, Thane and Cynthia Murphy Happily Married 11+ Yrs, Thane in USMC 2004
