For any retailer looking to maintain a diverse product lineup and improve their product margins, trustworthy vegan supplements are essential. You want your customers to find products they can depend on every time they step through your doors. At

We will be showcasing our product line to retailers at Expo West this year, represented by our Parent Company, The GHT Companies, at Booth #3472. 

Vegan Life Nutrition at Natural Products Expo West 2023

When you visit Natural Products Expo West 2023, you’ll want to be searching for vegan supplements that not only address your customers’ variety of health needs but also improve your product margins. 

When you visit The GHT Companies booth, you will have the opportunity to learn about our products, our people, and partnership opportunities.

Our Products: Vitashine – Vegan Vitamin D3 

Our vegan Vitamin D3 product line is unmatched, harnessing the cleanest and most highly-vetted ingredients on the market. The success of the products is due to our exclusive proprietary Vitamin D3 blend: Vitashine. 

Vitashine is a 100% vegan, all-natural source of Vitamin D3 that comes from lichen, whereas most Vitamin D3 products are made from Lanolin (sheep’s wool grease). 

We know your customers don’t only want vitamins and supplements that cater to their plant-based needs – they also need to be effective!

Vitamin D3 is more bioavailable than Vitamin D2 due to the fact that we naturally produce a small amount of Vitamin D3 on our own, and our bodies are more likely to accept and absorb a nutrient it’s already used to. That’s why we chose Vitamin D3 to be the star of the show, removing unnecessary ingredients and allowing customers to get the best bang for their buck.

The GHT Companies’ contract manufacturing company, Health Specialties Manufacturing, is the exclusive source for Vitashine in North America, and it’s just one of many raw ingredients that came from The GHT Companies’ network of founding scientists from across the globe.

Sample Our Vitamin D3+K2 Spray at Expo West

Vitamin D deficiency is common. It comes from a lack of exposure to sunlight and not getting enough of the essential vitamin from diet – either way, being deficient in vitamin D can lead to some serious health concerns. 

That’s why we developed products like our Vitamin D3+K2 Spray. 

Made with Vitashine, this power-packed, immune-boosting spray promotes immune health and bone strength, perfect for preparing for cold & flu season or even daily use. 

Its lite citrus flavor makes it delicious and easy for the whole family to take. Best of all, due to its liquid form, it’s more bioavailable than capsules and gummies – allowing you to get the most out of the supplement.  

Try a sample of our Vitamin D3+K2 Spray when you visit our booth at Expo West!   

100% Vegan Vitamins & Supplements for Retailers

If you are looking to broaden your client base with a vegan vitamin and supplement line, look no further than Vegan Life Nutrition. Connect with us at Expo West – find The GHT Companies booth information here. As a retailer, you have the opportunity to schedule a meeting with President & CEO, Jim Rex ahead of time to discuss opportunities to get 100% raw, vegan products like Vitashine into your stores.

The post Natural Products Expo West 2023 – Vegan Supplements For Your Store appeared first on Vegan Life Nutrition.

We put our products through rigorous testing, but there’s no test more thorough than a vegan mom looking for vitamins for her family. Check out this video from mom Angelina Torres to hear her take on Vegan Life Nutrition products.

Clean, High-Quality Vegan Supplements

Vegan Life Nutrition’s products are always free of toxins and unnecessary ingredients. We want our products to be accessible to everyone and as beneficial as possible. We achieve this by prioritizing quality over everything else, adhering to the guidelines of some of the strictest regulatory authorities in the world.

Our entire manufacturing process happens under the watchful eye of our in-house science team in San Diego, California. No matter your lifestyle, when you purchase a Vegan Life Nutrition product, you can be certain that you’re purchasing the best.

Vitamins for Vegans and Non-Vegans Alike 

There are great benefits to integrating plant-based supplements into your regular self-care routine. No matter what your diet looks like, you are likely experiencing some nutritional gaps that can easily be mended with daily vegan supplements. 

Essential Nutrients

Even though fruits and vegetables contain a number of vital nutrients, it can be difficult to obtain essential vitamins like B12 and D3 through diet alone. Vegan supplements can help you to achieve those daily nutritional goals. 

Bioavailability

Our team works with cutting-edge health and supplement technology to bring you plant-based formulations calibrated for maximum efficacy and absorption. 

Learn more about the importance of bioavailability. 

Immune Health

In order to build and maintain a strong immune system, you must have healthy levels of certain vitamins and nutrients in your body. Vegan supplements, such as those sourced from organic Lichen, work to boost the body’s first line of defense and support your health during cold and flu season. 

Product Lines From Vegan Life Nutrition 

Interested in our products? Here’s a breakdown of our product lines and their benefits: 

Vitamin D3

Our vitamin D3 supplements come in multiple forms to make taking vitamins as easy, fun, and tasty as possible! We rely on Vitamin D3 for things like immune support, healthy calcium absorption, maintaining bone strength, and more.

Diosmin95

Sourced from oranges, Diosmin95 helps to fight chronic venous insufficiency by strengthening veins and stimulating circulation, to target spider veins, keeping your legs looking and feeling their best.

Synergistically Vegan

Synergistically Vegan is uniquely formulated with Vitamin D3, Vitamin K2, and vegan calcium sourced from calcified red algae – all of which are needed to promote healthy bones and teeth and to support a strong immune system.

Prenatal / Postnatal Supplements 

Our Prenatal Focus Bundle and Postnatal Focus Bundle provide essential vitamins and minerals to women who are trying to conceive, pregnant, or breastfeeding to support the mother’s health as well as fetal and newborn development.

Marine Phytoplankton

Marine Phytoplankton provides a blend of ocean-derived amino acids and minerals, offering benefits like optimal micronutrients that translate to vitality and cellular health support. It comes in liquid, capsule, and gummy form.

Pure Vitamin C

Our plant-based Vitamin C works to regenerate antioxidants in the body, boost immunity, and encourage improved white blood cell health. 

Vitamin B12

Recommended for older adults, Vitamin B12 helps to produce energy and combat fatigue, supports healthy regulation of the nervous system, helps to maintain a strong digestive system, and is essential for healthy hair, skin, and nails.

Vegan Supplements for Kids

Our kid-friendly vegan supplements work to support the developing immune systems of children. Our highly-effective supplements are formulated in delicious, chewable tablets and sprays that are easy to swallow and absorb.

Vegan Life Nutrition At Expo West 2023

Looking for vegan supplements to add to your store or product line? Our parent company, The GHT Companies, will be attending Natural Products Expo West 2023 to share our top products with retailers and other leaders in the supplement industry from March 9-11, 2023. Learn more about the exhibit.

The post 100% Vegan Supplements You Can Trust appeared first on Vegan Life Nutrition.

Why is Bioavailability Important in Supplements?

A supplement’s bioavailability is the percentage of nutrients and micronutrients that reach the bloodstream in order to be useful to our bodies, rather than passing through the GI system. However, not all supplements are created equally. You need to be intentional about choosing a highly bioavailable supplement to increase the chances that your body will take in the necessary nutrients and help you stay healthy – otherwise, you could be paying for and consuming vitamins that have little to no impact on your system. 

Factors that Inhibit Bioavailability

There are many factors that can keep your supplements from being beneficial to your health. This includes the quality of the food you are eating, the overall health of your Gastro-Intestinal tract, pregnancy status, and genetic makeup. 

Here are some additional factors to be mindful of:

Alcohol 

Alcohol can interfere with the absorption of vitamins A, D, E, K, most of the B vitamins, and the minerals magnesium and zinc. Alcohol increases the demand for nutrients while accelerating their loss from the body. This, in turn, impairs the supplement’s storage and utilization.

Caffeine

Caffeine can decrease the absorption of nutrients and increase the excretion of important vitamins and minerals. It also contains properties that can inhibit the absorption of B vitamins, calcium, iron, and magnesium.

Digestive Issues 

Crohn’s, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), celiac disease, and other digestive problems can significantly hinder the body’s ability to properly absorb and utilize nutrients.

Stress 

Excessive stress can increase cortisol levels in the body which can deplete the body of its nutrients and wreak havoc on the digestive system.

Factors that Enhance Bioavailability

Not all supplements are going to be naturally bioavailable, and that’s ok! There are other things you can look for and put into practice to increase the chances of higher bioavailability.

The Form

Liquid multivitamins have far more bioavailability potential than capsules or gummies due to the fact that liquids enter your bloodstream easier.  

Time of Day

Some supplements may have more benefits when taken at certain times during the day. Research on the specific nutrient can help you determine when to take your supplement(s) of choice.

Taking Your Supplements with Food

Since supplements generally aren’t well tolerated when taken on an empty stomach, most should be taken with a meal.  For example, vitamins A, D, and E, are fat-soluble supplements and should be taken with a meal containing fat to aid in their digestion. 

Supporting Ingredients

Some ingredients can increase the bioavailability of other nutrients. For instance, vitamin C can enhance the bioavailability of iron. Also, Vitamin D3 and K2 help facilitate calcium absorption into the bones for maximum bioavailability.

Proper Storage 

To help ensure the efficiency of your supplements, be sure to store them in a cool, dry area away from direct sunlight. Make sure they’re tightly sealed to prevent moisture from getting in. If the structure of the supplement is compromised, it won’t be as effective. 

Vegan Supplements with Vegan Life Nutrition

No matter what vitamins you take, you need to make sure that they are built with ingredients you can trust. Learn more about Vegan Life Nutrition, our story, and our products on our website.

The post What Factors Impact Supplement Bioavailability? appeared first on Vegan Life Nutrition.

Shop Vegan Supplements from Vegan Life Nutrition

What is Bioavailability?

When we talk about bioavailability, we mean the percentage of a substance that enters the bloodstream upon being ingested. You want the supplements you take to allow for easy and maximum absorption into the bloodstream while minimizing the percentage of nutrients flushed out through the digestive system. 

Many supplement brands will promote a high Daily Value (DV) of their vitamins, knowing fully well that the way they’ve either sourced or combined those nutrients don’t actually provide the best bioavailability. This is why reading the label on your vitamins and understanding the fine print is so important – especially when it comes to vegan, plant-based products. 

What Types of Vitamins Have the Best Bioavailability?

Bioavailable Ingredients

A prime example of the importance of bioavailability is the difference between Vitamin D3 and Vitamin D2.

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that promotes calcium absorption, regulates bone growth, and plays a role in immune function. Vitamin D deficiencies come from a lack of exposure to sunlight and can lead to some serious health concerns. Traditionally, Vitamin D2 comes from plants, and D3 supplements come from animals. However, here at Vegan Life Nutrition, we source our Vitamin D3 products from lichen. 

The other major difference between the two is that we produce Vitamin D3 naturally in our bodies, while we don’t produce Vitamin D2. Our bodies are more likely to accept something it’s already used to, which means that Vitamin D3 is more likely to have a stronger impact on our bodies. 

Supplement Forms with High Bioavailability 

The delivery method of supplements also plays a role in bioavailability. A liquid vitamin, such as one that comes in a spray, is ideal because liquid has a higher bioavailability percentage than traditional capsules or gummies. 

However, for those who don’t want liquid, we also offer our vegan D3 vitamins in gel capsules and gummy forms – perfect for people who don’t prefer liquid vitamins but still want the bioavailability of vitamin D3 over vitamin D2. 

How Do You Know if Your Supplements Are Bioavailable?

When assessing your vitamins, it’s essential to ask yourself the following questions to determine if your supplements are worth taking: 

• What’s the most absorbable form of a supplement?
• What’s the purest form of the nutrients I need with the least amount of filler?
• Do I take the supplement with or without food?
• Do I have to take the supplement apart from other supplements that might interact poorly or take it at certain times of the day?

At Vegan Life Nutrition, we choose to harness our powerful ingredients from natural plant sources. Our science team works with cutting-edge health and supplement technology to bring you plant-based formulations calibrated for maximum efficacy and absorption. 

Learn more about the importance of vegan vitamins. 

Vegan Life Nutrition

Here at Vegan Life Nutrition, we are dedicated to providing a complete line of nutritional supplements for everyone. Discover our complete line of clean, high-quality, plant-based products.

The post Bioavailability in Supplements: Are Your Vitamins Really Worth It? appeared first on Vegan Life Nutrition.

Without proper nutrition, people become more at risk of vitamin and mineral deficiencies that can lead to serious health problems. And even in other cases, a properly nourished person may still need additional vitamins and minerals for their individual health journey. Even if you’re not vegan or plant-based, evidence is showing that opting for vegan supplements can provide even greater benefits than synthetic and animal-product alternatives.

1. Vegan Supplements Are Animal-Friendly

You’ve made a life decision that’s better for your body, the planet, and all living beings in it. Looking at supplements from an ethical standpoint, you can see the benefits to the environment when you choose plant-based alternatives. 

Animals are spared from a vegan lifestyle, and one person’s commitment to living a plant-based lifestyle helps remove those beautiful beings from harsh conditions. Your decision about what you put into your body and your use of vegan supplements have a bigger footprint on the world’s energy.

2. Vegan Supplements Have Higher Rates of Bioavailability

Bioavailability is the percentage of a nutrient that is successfully absorbed and metabolized by our bodies upon consumption. 

Understanding a supplement’s bioavailability is crucial because while they may be packed with vitamins and minerals – if they don’t have a high percentage of bioavailability – those nutrients aren’t serving your body as well as you might think.  

When it comes to the supplements we take, natural, plant-based supplements are more easily absorbed than their synthetic counterparts. This is because your body distinguishes between natural and synthetic nutrients. 

By including bioavailable forms of vitamins and minerals in a dietary supplement, the body reaps more of the rewards – a better bang for your buck. 

Learn how women can benefit from vegan vitamins. 

3. Our Vegan Supplements Are Naturally Sourced From the Earth

If you abide by a vegan lifestyle, you understand the benefits of natural plant-based products. Rather than using chemicals to try and mimic essential vitamins and minerals from the earth, vegan supplements rely on condensing real, natural, plant-sourced materials that our bodies already know how to absorb and process effectively.

All-natural plant-based and vegan supplements are free from preservatives, GMOs, artificial sugars, synthetic chemicals, etc. This makes them better for consumption over long periods of time – which is not the case for supplements with synthetic ingredients and chemicals. 

Vegan Life Nutrition

How do we keep our vegan products just as innovative as they are effective? With processes that are held to the highest standards, we bridge the gap between the most cutting-edge nutritional science and your good personal health. 

See which Vegan Life Nutrition vegan supplements fit into your plant-based lifestyle.

The post Three Benefits of Vegan Supplements appeared first on Vegan Life Nutrition.

One of the foremost reasons why many people choose to be vegan is their love of animals. We believe that animals deserve to live in peace just as humans do. For many of us, this is where our vegan journey begins, and for our friend Michelle, it serves as the sole purpose for her vegan transition. 

Michelle started her vegan journey in 2017 and in a similar way as many of our other Vegan Life Nutrition friends; as a vegetarian! It wasn’t until she became more informed about the seriousness of animal cruelty that she decided to switch to a vegan lifestyle. She also found her voice and became a vocal member of the vegan community. 

Using her voice to educate

While living a vegetarian lifestyle, she quickly came to the realization that she wasn’t doing enough to inspire change and put a stop to harmful acts against animals. She began watching different documentaries about veganism, including What the health and Game Changers, which is what inspired her to cut out all animal products from her life. 

For Michelle, watching these documentaries opened a new door to an unknown world and allowed her to develop a new appreciation for the vegan community.  Michelle maintains an Instagram account @vegout_withme_ and her posts are not only creative and original but educate others about veganism, ethical decisions, and nutritious vegan meals. She is definitely someone that inspires others!

Any dish can be “veganized” and tasty

Michelle says that she feels amazing! She has lots of energy and keeps her body nourished with food that is grown from the Earth.  When Michelle is not working as a pediatric speech-language pathologist in her hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina, she enjoys hiking, working out, running, yoga, cooking vegan food, painting and spending time with her dog. 

A common misperception that Michelle believes should be cleared up about being vegan is the idea that “vegans are depriving themselves from good food.” She wants everyone, especially those considering switching to a vegan diet, to know just how delicious vegan food actually is. If you don’t believe her, try out some of her favorite types of vegan dishes: Thai and Ethiopian. She also says that eating a vegan diet isn’t as hard as it seems and that pretty much all non-vegan recipes can be veganized. 

Family Support

Like many other life changes, having the support of your loved ones is key to positivity and success. Michelle shared with us that her boyfriend, sister, and stepmom have all embraced the vegan lifestyle.  She’s educating her dad, mom and brother about the benefits of making that switch.

Just like many of the others who have shared their vegan journey with us, Michelle says that going vegan is the best decision she’s ever made. Her only regret is not doing it sooner.

Vegan Life Nutrition is proud to be a part of so many vegan journeys.  We don’t sacrifice quality for innovation. Our products are always free of toxins, allergens, and unnecessary ingredients. How? We strictly examine raw ingredients and fully-vet each final product. Quality is our top consideration, and we adhere to the guidelines of some of the toughest regulatory authorities in the world.

Would you like to share your Vegan Journey with us?  Provide your contact information below, and we will reach out to you.  

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The post Inspiring voice: Michelle appeared first on Vegan Life Nutrition.

Luis Cerna is a Washington native, and his vegan journey started behind bars in federal prison for drug-related offenses. As strange as it may sound, he says his incarceration taught him to reflect and grow his mental, physical, and spiritual health. The years of incarceration weren’t the only battle he endured. For someone who is serving a prison sentence, the surging stress levels can leave little to be positive for, and that takes a toll on your physical and mental health.

A vegan journey that’s more than diet

Luis took it upon himself to not let his sentence determine the rest of his life. He made significant lifestyle changes in a very vulnerable state and implemented greater changes when he regained freedom. He turned to veganism at the beginning of 2020. This was a New Year’s health resolution that stuck. He experienced health benefits like increased energy but found that veganism had a much greater impact on his life. He spends most of his days exercising, meditating, reading and enjoying time with his 11-year-old daughter, who he credits as his motivation for his change. 

Luis is thankful to spend more time with his family, and although they are not vegan, they are very supportive of his lifestyle change and even eat and prepare vegan dishes when he comes to visit. His absolute favorite dish is vegan fish tacos, and his go-to snack is cucumber with lemon and cayenne pepper. A simple and easy snack that we just can’t wait to try! He says that the hardest part about veganism is that, contrary to popular belief, there are actually very limited healthy vegan options available in dining restaurants. He tries to cook as much as he possibly can.

Luis says that “being vegan feels great,” especially when people ask him where he gets his high level of energy from.  He says it’s awesome knowing that his lifestyle change not only makes him feel amazing both physically and mentally but also helps give back to this planet. His biggest takeaway from his vegan journey so far is that “being vegan is  a way to give back to this planet and to yourself.”

A vegan journey through workouts, nutrition and supplements

A few common misconceptions about veganism that Luis would like to share with others are that you are unable to grow muscle mass on a vegan diet and that being vegan is expensive. In terms of growing muscle mass, Luis has been able to build muscle through daily workouts, proper nutrition and protein supplements. Luis began his vegan journey confined in prison, which is not the easiest place to begin your journey. Although Senate Bill 1138, passed in September of 2018, requires “licensed California health care facilities and state prisons to make available plant-based meal options containing no animal products or by-products,” living a vegan lifestyle in prison comes with challenges. However, for Luis, the vegan options available to him during his time of incarceration were sufficient. 

Luis’ vegan journey proves that anyone can be vegan and get the proper nutrients despite facing challenging circumstances. 

Vegan Life Nutrition is proud to be a part of so many vegan journeys.  We don’t sacrifice quality for innovation. Our products are always free of toxins, allergens, and unnecessary ingredients. How? We strictly examine raw ingredients and fully-vet each final product. Quality is our top consideration, and we adhere to the guidelines of some of the toughest regulatory authorities in the world.

Would you like to share your Vegan Journey with us?  Provide your contact information below, and we will reach out to you. 

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The post Breaking an Unhealthy Sentence: Luis Cerna’s Vegan Journey appeared first on Vegan Life Nutrition.

An Ethical Choice

While Matt’s primary reason for going vegan was for the environment, he says that the ethical aspect was a close second for him. He embraced veganism with the new year, and that start date was January 1, 2015.  In his free time, Matt spends quite a bit of time enjoying the beauty of nature and often finds himself connecting with the animals he meets along his walks. In his eyes, they are friends who cohabitate in the same environment we live in. He truly appreciates every moment he spends enjoying nature and meeting new friends; We definitely consider him a friend to each and every kind. 

When asked by Vegan Life Nutrition what living a vegan life feels like, he said, “it feels amazing, free of guilt and definitely healthier.” Not only does his mind feel better knowing that he is making ethical choices in life, but so does his body. He no longer gets food comas and feels that he has much more energy and stamina than he did before making the switch.

Vegan Family Dynamic

Matt shared that living a vegan lifestyle is a much wider family change.  He and his wife embraced an animal-free way of life and that extended to his wife’s family as well.  He says that many misunderstand veganism.  When asked about the vegan myths, Matt jokes, “That we’re all weird hippies or that we’re a bunch of weirdos. I mean, I am, but I’ve met others that are not.” His favorite dish in his home in the United Kingdom is vegan kabobs.  Matt says that vitamins for him offer extra insurance when he “remembers to take them.”

Reforest the Web

Matt started his company with his mindset on combining his love for the planet with his passion for web design. ‘Reforest the Web’ chooses to use its platform for good rather than greed, which is something that many of its loyal customers appreciate and cherish. For every service that they sell as a team, they plant 5 trees to contribute to reforestation. Matt’s overall mission is to help others grow their businesses while also helping to build a more sustainable world. This way, everyone grows together! Each month, they plant over 1,000 trees, which Matt says “is a feeling that cannot be beat.” 

Matt is proud to have made the choice to switch to a vegan lifestyle, and he encourages others who are considering going vegan by educating them on not only the environmental benefits but additional benefits as well. The best advice he has for anyone looking to make the switch is “living a life that does good in the world is a life worth living, so don’t delay; go vegan today!

Vegan Life Nutrition is proud to be a part of so many vegan journeys.  We don’t sacrifice quality for innovation. Our products are always free of toxins, allergens, and unnecessary ingredients. How? We strictly examine raw ingredients and fully-vet each final product. Quality is our top consideration, and we adhere to the guidelines of some of the toughest regulatory authorities in the world.

Would you like to share your Vegan Journey with us?  Provide your contact information below, and we will reach out to you.  

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The post A vegan journey beyond saving animals: Matt Unsworth appeared first on Vegan Life Nutrition.

At Vegan Life Nutrition, we believe that maintaining a healthy lifestyle is more than just making sure your body gets the proper nutrients it needs through dieting and

We would like you to meet Julie Harper, the ultimate plant-based athlete from Delaware who believes in taking her goals seriously, whether they be fitness goals, nutritional goals, or personal goals. 

Fitness Journey 

Julie works as a personal trainer and gym manager and switched to being completely vegan two years ago to help aid with recovery and decrease inflammation. She  inspires her clients to reach their goals by helping them overcome hurdles. Julie especially understands how challenging losing weight and gaining muscle can be, as she herself wasn’t always in fit shape. Through changing her diet and establishing a consistent workout regime, she lost almost 100 pounds and started taking her health and wellness journey seriously.  Not only does Julie work in the fitness industry, she also spends her free time training for and tackling obstacle courses such as the Spartan Race, which is the most popular obstacle course in the world and Julie has competed in 50 times. 

Vegan Lifestyle

Although Julie’s vegan journey began as a temporary solution to help her recover from workouts and a curiosity, she quickly grew to love the change in her lifestyle and has continued on her vegan journey for two years. She says that compared to the way her life was before, there is a 180° difference. “I sleep better, I feel better-I recover faster from workouts and I one hundred percent believe that it protects me from any injuries.” Overall, being vegan has allowed Julie to hit new fitness goals and has contributed to a more fulfilled health and wellness journey. 

Julie’s approach to helping others become vegan is to encourage them to try it for themselves so see how their body reacts to the changes. She fully believes that veganism has changed her body and her mind in the most positive way and that once you implement a vegan diet into your life, there is no way you can go back from it. She says the reason for this is that “when people start to feel better, they want to continue to do better for themselves.” Julie and her significant other Jason became vegan together to see if it would improve their lives or make them feel better. She says that it definitely led to drastic positive changes in both of their lives and that at 41 years old, she feels better than she ever did at 20.

Eating the Rainbow

One common misconception that Julie would like to clear up about vegans is that their only source of protein is tofu, therefore; they must eat tofu every single day. She says that this is absolutely not true. In fact, because Jason is intolerant to soy, they were able to both broaden their horizons and try new foods that they would’ve never would have thought of. In order to ensure that they are getting a full balanced diet, they “truly eat the rainbow.” Beans are a necessity throughout her diet and her favorite plant-based meal is a 4 bean chili. 

Vegan Life Nutrition is proud to be a part of so many vegan journeys.  We don’t sacrifice quality for innovation. Our products are always free of toxins, allergens, and unnecessary ingredients. How? We strictly examine raw ingredients and fully-vet each final product. Quality is our top consideration, and we adhere to the guidelines of some of the toughest regulatory authorities in the world.

Would you like to share your Vegan Journey with us?  Provide your contact information below, and we will reach out to you.  

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The post The Plant-based Athlete: Julie Harper appeared first on Vegan Life Nutrition.

Vegan Life Nutrition

We’d like to introduce you to a woman who has been on quite the adventure to find her vegan journey.

Diane Yen grew up in Los Angeles and moved to San Diego shortly after college. She then moved to Japan for 5 years and to Chicago for 2 but eventually made her way back to San Diego. She just couldn’t stay away from the beach! 

It wasn’t until after she married her high school sweetheart and moved to Japan that she transitioned to a plant-based lifestyle. 

Living in Japan

Her vegan journey, like many, started as a vegetarian.  It was 1993 in Japan, and her husband was lactose intolerant and couldn’t eat dairy.  Between him giving up dairy and her giving up meat, they were almost an entirely plant-based home. 

For Diane, the switch was easy.  She told Vegan Life Nutrition, “Japan has the best tofu.” 

Smartphones didn’t exist in 1993, so learning new information about Japanese culture was not as simple as it is now.  But, she did her best to learn the necessary Kanji and Japanese phrases. She says that living in Japan also introduced her to many new vegetables and helped her really learn to love fresh vegetables. 

No Need for Meat

Diane is incredibly passionate about health, the environment, and animal cruelty and credits these three things to be what inspires her daily. In her eyes, becoming vegan was the best choice for herself, for others and the environment. It’s a decision that she cherishes. She is a huge advocate for informing others that they don’t need meat in their diet to survive and can find substitutes that taste just as good without causing harm. “Plants have protein!” 

She even had two healthy pregnancies while on a plant-based diet and exclusively nursed both of her children. Diane’s son and daughter both live out of state. She says she misses them a lot, but it is nice to know that they are still making ethical food choices while being on their own.  Although she dreams of a world that is all vegan, she says she is not the vegan police, and she herself is not perfect. She herself tries her very best to live a life that isn’t harmful to herself or to others. 

One thing she finds to be difficult about being vegan is that there are still some restaurants that do not offer vegan options. However, she is thankful that many of them do. The vegan industry has also come a very long way, which excites her and gives her hope for the future. 

We can imagine that there are many more vegan options to choose from than there were in 1993. “We only had soy milk, TVP, and cardboard veggie burgers! We typically gravitated to Asian food. Tofu for the win!” 

Her favorite vegan meal is a rice bowl with teriyaki tofu and roasted veggies. We see that even after all these years, Japan still has a large influence on her lifestyle choices. Other vegan meals that she enjoys are a savory breakfast for dinner with a tofu scramble with avocado toast and lots of veggies. She is also a lover of matcha lattes with almond milk and can’t resist a good plant-based ice cream.  

Advice for Vegans

Because Diane has been vegan for such a long time, she definitely has vast knowledge on the topic and a great deal of advice to give. She says one way that she helps share advice throughout the vegan community is by constantly recommending restaurants and new products to try and spark interest, as well as inform others of just how many options there are for vegans. She also helps by providing the vegan community information about greenhouse gases, zoonotic diseases, pandemics, heart disease, slaughterhouses, and many other important topics.  However, she does so cautiously so as not to turn people away from the idea of being vegan or to scare them. She thinks that the best way to turn people onto switching to a plant-based lifestyle is with kindness. 

Diane wants everyone considering a vegan diet to keep in mind that plants have protein and that animals are not the only source of getting it. She says that there is a very common misconception that plants cannot provide the body with the right nutrients or enough protein, which she says is just not true. The best advice she has for anyone looking to switch to being vegan is, “It’s OK to start small. Allow yourself to progress. Try things out. See what’s important to you. If it’s important to you, you will be motivated to find a way to make it work.”

Vegan Life Nutrition is proud to be a part of so many vegan journeys.  We don’t sacrifice quality for innovation. Our products are always free of toxins, allergens, and unnecessary ingredients. How? We strictly examine raw ingredients and fully-vet each final product. Quality is our top consideration, and we adhere to the guidelines of some of the toughest regulatory authorities in the world.

Would you like to share your Vegan Journey with us?  Provide your contact information below, and we will reach out to you.  

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The post Starting Small Leads to Big Vegan Journey: Diane Yen appeared first on Vegan Life Nutrition.