I went vegan in the winter of 1995, almost entirely for ethical reasons, but I was happy about the incidental health benefits that went along with it. Nearly 13 years after going vegan, I now realize that "just go vegan" isn't the answer to every problem.

Over the years, vegan food has become so popular that vegan junk food companies have popped up left and right, making it easier than ever to be sick on a vegan diet. A vegan diet won't protect you from every disease, such as heart disease and diabetes. Like any diet, you do have to eat a healthy, well-balanced diet in order to ensure proper nutrition.

In 2003, I suddenly developed allergies to wheat and gluten, and discovered that I was afflicted with candida (yeast in the blood) that drained me of my health and energy. I was also headed down a clear path toward hypoglycemia and possibly diabetes. After finding raw food, I'm healthier than I've ever been. But even now, there are still so many questions with vague or conflicting answers.

I'm also starting to question the conventional wisdom of only looking at a politician's animal and environmental record when deciding who to vote for. In this age of a tyrannical Bush administration, maybe seeking more government control, even for the sake of ending animal cruelty, isn't the best solution.

I've put this site up because I think these issues are vitally important to any thinking vegan. There are a lot of people with tunnel vision, maybe even myself included. It's time we all started really thinking about the consequences, good and bad, of what we are doing as vegans and as activists.

I grew up in upstate NY, went to college in Austin, TX where I lived for 10 years, spent 4 years in Seattle, and now reside in Asheville, NC. I worked in the high tech industry for over 8 years as a software developer and recently quit my job to work on my own projects. In addition to vegangirl.com, I also built foodscout.org, which is essentially a cataloging of all the information about whole natural foods that I've collected during my journey toward good health.

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