“Veganism is a way of living that seeks to exclude as far as possible and practicable all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to animals for food, clothing or any other purpose.” The number of people who have gone vegan in the US and UK has continued a steady climb in recent years, yet there’s still something about this topic that causes people to shrink back in their seats and quickly become defensive. This week, join Lorena and Kelly for part 1 of a very important and special conversation all about veganism, where the pair try to tackle exactly where this knee-jerk reaction to the cruely-free lifestyle comes from, and why it’s so important to be doing the best that we can. The episode starts off with Lorena sharing her personal story on how she went from someone who couldn’t care less about the death of animals, to someone who believes being vegan is the only compassionate response to a culture and society that revolves around the exploitation of other living beings. For her, this decision was made easily, but she understandably opines on how the context and circumstances involved in turning animals into something someone eats enables our culture of ignorance; “They love animals, but don’t make the connection between the cute pig they just liked on their instagram and the bacon on their plate.” As a non-vegan, Kelly discuss how their journey to food freedom and recovery from disordered eating is the driving factor in their inability to go vegan, and the conversation weaves in and out of other instances where being vegan for some folks just isn’t accessible, sustainable, or healthy. For Lorena, health itself isn’t a good enough reason to go vegan as the purpose of the lifestyle is about ethics and compassion, not about what animal products can or cannot do for her body. The episode wraps with the two chatting about how exploitative (and racist) the dairy industry is, hashing out some vegan grey-areas like palm oil and oysters. But the two agree that no matter the context or circumstance of how these big issues affect our small world, at the end of the day “you do have the power to make changes.” Go vegan for the month of January with Veganuary: www.veganuary.com Documentaries mentioned: Earthlings (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XrY2TP0ZyU), Land of Hope and Glory (www.landofhopeandglory.org), What the Health (www.whatthehealthfilm.com), Forks Over Knives (www.forksoverknives.com)// Contact us for questions on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mindlesspodcast // Contact us for questions on Instagram: @mindlesspodcast // Music: Bad Snacks - Summer in the Neighbourhood; Andrew Langdon - Keys // Tarot readings with Kelly: @pathostarot on Instagram & Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pathostarot // Coaching & Breathwork with Lorena: https://www.lorenaschuth.com