How My Journey Began

4 years ago, I was inspired to switch to a plant-based diet after learning about the resource consumption
and devastating impact animal agriculture has on the planet.

For all of my life, I had considered myself to be eco-friendly and sustainable. I was always conscious about using re-usable bags and water bottles, recycling, and even limiting take-out food so that I wouldn’t have to throw away Styrofoam containers.

When I learned that raising animals for food requires 14,400 acres of forests to be chopped down DAILY, and that 1 burger uses about 660 gallons of water to produce (the equivalent to taking a daily, 10 minute shower for a month), I was shocked.

All of my sustainable efforts felt meaningless.

I was angry that I had never heard of the single best way to reduce my carbon footprint:
eating plant – based.

In that moment, I connected the dots:

Animals have to eat plants (including lots of soy) to get protein and nutrients into their bodies.

So why couldn't humans do the same?

Humans could skip the consumption of animals, along with the environmental destruction caused by farming them,
and go to the main source of nutrients and protein - plants!

I was filled with hope and optimism.

I could make the sustainable impact I had always desired!

With that, I began my plant-based journey.

From Animal-Based to Plant-Based

Now, I come from a Ukrainian background. I am a first-generation U.S. citizen. I grew up with my family cooking rabbit, cow tongue, and most dishes containing meat, fish, eggs, and milk. For 19 years, I ate animals, not considering where my food was coming from and *who* was on my plate.

The few months before deciding to go plant-based, I began my bodybuilding journey. My typical day of eating looked something like: an eggs and turkey bacon sandwich for breakfast, a turkey or ham sandwich for lunch, and 2-4 chicken breasts, steak, or pork for dinner.

The day I learned about all of the environmental destruction and decided to go plant-based, I started off my day with eggs for breakfast and a turkey sandwich for lunch.

After I made my “going to plants for protein and nutrients” connection, I Googled, “What do vegans eat?”

The search came back with: all vegetables and fruits, lentils and beans, grains, bread, nuts, seeds, plant-based milk, and soy products (tofu, tempeh, edamame).

I was surprised by the long list of vegan ingredients the article noted. The options honestly seemed endless. 

But, I had to learn how to cook again, and differently. 

During the first few weeks, I was eating really boring meals like chickpeas and sweet potato or rice, beans, and broccoli.

Here are some examples of the meals I was eating then. They were spiced well and tasty, don’t get me wrong, but I laugh looking at how boring and carb-heavy they were.

Although my meals didn’t look the most incredible, I experienced a MASSIVE shift within only a couple of WEEKS of eating more plant based…

I had more energy, my skin was clearer, my digestion was better, I was sleeping more soundly, I didn’t feel bloated or heavy after my meals, and my muscles actually started growing faster than when I was eating tons of meat!

I was blown away!

Feeling more energized, healthier, and stronger motivated me to continue learning about 
plant-based foods!

I started experimenting with preparing tofu and tempeh, exploring the vegan meats selection, and incorporating more colorful vegetables in my meals.

Slowly, my meals started looking like this:

They were more flavorful, packed with nutrients, and often times had at least 30 grams of protein per plate!

I began eating 120 – 145 grams of protein each day and my muscles were GROWING!

I felt strong, healthy, clean, and energized.

I was feeling the best I had ever physically and mentally felt in my life!

Each year, my plant-based cooking journey has continued to evolve.

As a quick update to where I am today:

This past year I've been focusing on a Whole Food Plant-Based diet - lots of veggies, fruits, whole grains, soy proteins, and legumes. 

Now my meals look like this:

I Didn't Know My Eyes Could Open Even More

About 6 months into living plant-based, I joined a student animal rights organization through PETA called Students Opposing Speciesism (SOS).

Prior to that, I had never considered animals' feelings or *their* experience of the animal agriculture industry.

SOS opened my eyes to the fear, pain, and suffering that animals who are used for human consumption endure on a daily basis.

For the first time, I understood and empathized with animals’ emotions,
outside of the dogs & cats I had met.

I saw the being, the soul, the individual behind their eyes.

I saw their desire to be loved, to experience an affectionate touch, to experience freedom.

That year, I became an animal rights activist and began holding tabling events on my college campus to educate others about the information I had learned.

My experience within the 3 pillars of veganism – improving my health, decreasing my carbon footprint, and fighting for animal liberation – brought me to where I am today.

I believe that a vegan lifestlye is the key to creating a more conscious and compassionate world. The pillars of veganism center on compassion.

• Compassion to animals – keeping them safe from suffering under a butcher’s knife, a testing needle, or locked in an immobilizing cage.
• Compassion to those who look or sound different from us.
• Compassion to those who don't speak the same language as us.
• Compassion to your body – fueling and healing it with powerful plant nutrients.
• Compassion to planet Earth – protecting ecosystems from destruction and pollution.
• Compassion for future generations’ existence on this planet.

My Mission

The goal of my coaching is to help people easily transition to a plant-based lifestyle.

I want to pass on all of the knowledge I have acquired in my last 4 years of living vegan, take all of the guesswork out for you, and help you create nourishing and delicious meals for yourself!

I want you to experience the multitude of health benefits and make the impact *you* want to have with your lifestyle change.

My Ultimate Mission Expands Even Deeper

I believe that once we feel healthy, strong, and at peace in our mind, body, and spirit (all of which is accessible with a vegan lifestyle), we can show up with compassion to the world and others around us.

We can see the individual soul within every living creature and empathize with them.

We can lead our lives conscientiously and with compassion.

We can decrease the suffering that pervades our current world.

*WE* can be the change.

*WE* can create a better future.

Are you ready to begin your journey?