Vegans; Since Birth

Anne and Clint petting a pig; both mother and son are vegan since birth

Anne Dinshah - Age 42 - New York - www.americanvegan.org - It was the truthful and eloquent writing of Anne's father; Jay Dinshah, that inspired me to become vegan, 34 years ago. Anne, a lifelong vegan tells us of her latest project: "My book: Dating Vegans: Recipes for Relationships is for everyone in a relationship vegan-with-a-nonvegan, or anyone who has a vegan friend. ~ My parents, Jay and Freya Dinshah, are one of those stories (one was not vegan when they first corresponded, but gradually became vegan). Dad founded the American Vegan Society (AVS) and my parents worked together running the organization for 40 years, frequently giving lectures and hosting conferences. Being vegan, especially the child of such activist parents, enabled me to be more aware than the average person in regards to issues about animals, and the health of our planet and its inhabitants. I love animals and wanted to help, but had to find my own way. I saw how stressful it can be to internalize the suffering of millions of animals. Dad had taken a vow not to take a day off work until all the slaughterhouses were closed. He died trying. Over the past 12 years, mom has continued running AVS in her own style, and I have made more time for vegan work. I began with writing an occasional article for American Vegan magazine, usually a human interest story. Mom and I co-authored a cookbook: Apples, Bean Dip, and Carrot Cake: Kids! Teach Yourself to Cook. Now I find myself speaking around the country on a book tour for 2013...and dear old friends love to tell me about the first time they heard young Jay Dinshah speak. My son; Clint Dinshah, will be two years old on December 7, 2012. He is a lifetime vegan whose favorite activities include visiting an animal sanctuary and hiking a wildlife refuge. He writes The Clint Chronicle; a column in American Vegan magazine that provides insights and solutions for being a vegan kid with one vegan parent and one parent who is not vegan. This extrovert will be accompanying his mom on a book tour, adding his own energy and enthusiasm for life as a healthy intelligent vegan kid."

Soul, Age 4

Soul and Eden Angel Rees - Soul is 4 and Eden Angel is 9 months. They live in the U.S. and New Zealand. Soul was walking and talking early and memorizing letters and words early. Both Soul and mommy supplemented with B12 and algae-derived DHA during birth and early years. Soul's mother; Golden, took a vegan prenatal vitamin supplement and eats a very healthy diet. Soul received mom's milk for 3 years. Soul is above average height and weight and has a beautiful physique and is physically fit. They get mild naked sunshine for their Vitamin D. Both children love food fresh and plain. Soul's favorites are gluten-free bread with avocado, gluten-free pasta (with olive oil and sprinkle as he calls it, which is B12-fortified nutritional yeast), cucumber, raw garden carrots, mango, fruit, Wholesoy strawberry yogurt, and tofu. Eden loves green drinks and any fruit and vegetable she can get her hands on. Golden remarks, "It's been amazing to see how much Soul understands about why he is vegan. Since 2.5, he decided on his own that he didn't want to eat anything non-vegan." Soul knows a few other vegan children, but would love to meet more. He is shy with people he doesn’t know, but personable. He doesn't want what other (non-vegan) children are eating; he is proud of being vegan and understands a great deal why he is. Both children love dogs. Click here to meet Soul (when he was 2.5) on YouTube

Eden Angel, 9 months (left) and Soul, age 4 (right)

Marlie with a butterfly on her finger

Marlie Pepper Wednesday Adams - Age 10 - Marlie was born in Florida, USA and now resides in Melbourne, Australia. Marlie's mom, Reggie Mackenzie, didn't supplement with any nutrients and nursed Marlie till her 4th birthday. For Marlie's first year of life, she had only her mother's milk. After that, she ate lots of grains, vegetables and beans. She didn't have sugars for at least 4 years. Marlie now gets treats, but mostly home-baked, sweetened with brown rice syrup. Reggie imparts “Marlie is a big animal rights activist; she loves going to protests and sharing her knowledge with others. When she attended school (she's now home schooled) she often did her projects with an animal theme, teaching those around her to find a more compassionate way of life; to avoid animal exploitation.” Reggie adds “Marlie's best friend is vegan. She has a close network of friends; some are vegan, and some are not. Those that aren't know why they should be, as told by Marlie. She is proud of being vegan; she has no interest in ever supporting the cruelties of a non-vegan lifestyle. When asked if she'll ever try anything that is from an animal, she is repulsed. She has a deep love and understanding of compassion. She loves all beings. Yesterday she found a butterfly with wet wings. She gently found some shelter for the butterfly. Today she brought her a flower so she could have some nectar and was thrilled when the butterfly ate and then flew away. There isn't a cat or dog she doesn't snuggle up to and wants the world to know how gentle and loving we should be toward our animal friends.” Reggie shares "My husband is vegan and strongly into animal rights, he was very active and used to set up stalls each weekend, teaching the world about animal exploitation. I met him at a vegan event he and his friend put together. I have many friends who tolerate partners that aren't vegan and frankly I don't get it. Veganism is a way of life, not a diet - and for me I can't share my heart with someone that doesn't feel this way too. I don't use soaps, shampoos, conditioners, toothpaste, brushes, clothes, shoes, etc. that contain animal products. If we go out for the day and know we won't have food choices, we bring our own; we never bend our belief for convenience. There is always an apple, banana or plate of veggies to be found. I carry some vegan soap for when we need to wash our hands in public. Marlie doesn't go to circuses, aquariums or petting zoos, she has been raised to respect animals and let them live their life without our intervention."

Natasha (left), Gabe (center), and Mark Fox

Gabriel - Age 6.5 from Queensland, Australia - Gabe was breastfed exclusively for the first 6 months. Solid food was introduced at that time, such as pureed fruit, etc. and he continued to breast-feed until 3 years of age. His diet now consists of fruits, vegetables, lentils, beans, tofu, rice, rice noodles, the occasional mock meat of the Fry's range, TVP (texturized vegetable protein), chick peas, soy milk, oat milk, rice milk, cereals, grains, juice, and the occasional vegan pie, etc. Natasha, Gabe's mom, explains "Basically, anything that an omnivore eats we are able to have a vegan option if we so desire." Gabriel has reached all the normal milestones for his age and he is above average for his height. He is on the slender side, but he is extremely active. His doctor called him a ‘lean machine’. Gabe had not had Vitamin B12 supplements until about a month ago just as a precautionary measure. The only other regular supplement Gabe took was spirulina. Gabe is very good with not wanting to have things that contain animal products and always asks when we are out, if food is offered. ‘Is that vegan?’ He does wish it was vegan though. If there is a party, I will try to make him a cake. Gabe has a good understanding as to why his family is vegan and explains this to others. We are currently volunteering at a farmed animal sanctuary, which gives Gabe first-hand experience with these loving animals and instills even more so our reasons for being vegan. He does have a few vegan and vegetarian friends, and some that are not. If asked why he can’t eat something, Gabriel explains to other children why he is vegan; sometimes to other parent’s dismay.”

Elijah A. Francois - Age: 15 Months - Location: Phoenix, Arizona, USA - Elijah Francois is half Jewish, half Dominican, and ALL Vegan! He is 15 months old, and as you can tell from his picture, he is happy, healthy and adorable! He was breastfed until 8 months old, and then he was introduced to some soft fruits, veggies and grains. Mom says “Elijah is average height and weight for his age; although his head size is a little above-average (mommy and daddy say it is because he has such a large brain!).” His mom did take a vegan multi-vitamin for a few months while she was breastfeeding, which included B-12. She stopped taking the vitamins because she read lots of reports that made her think all vitamins and minerals should come directly from food, not from a pill. (The author would be curious to hear the reliable plant source of Vitamin B12; not B12 analog that they use.) Elijah's favorite foods include rice and beans, whole wheat noodles, bananas, oatmeal (although Elijah likes to throw as much of it as he eats), broccoli tops, and strawberries. He is very friendly when he meets other kids at the park, and he especially loves animals. Elijah tries to hug and kiss every animal he sees! Some of them don’t like when he does that, though. His mommy is working to open a huge vegan supermarket. (website: www.vegcomarket.com) When he goes to pre-school, Elijah will bring in treats all the time so that other kids can see just how much fun it is to be vegan!

Adair Moran - Age 29 - Website - www.adairmoran.com - Adair is the daughter of author Victoria Moran, and she has this to say "I was raised vegan from birth and have never tried animal products. My mother is vegan as was my late father, so it always seemed perfectly normal to me and was not really something I thought much about growing up--when you are raised to really understand the facts about where meat comes from, eating animals never seems very appealing. My health is good; I am a stunt performer and aerialist (I work professionally and also train for health and recreation), and have no trouble keeping up with the physical demands of the work. I grew up in Kansas City, MO and now live in New York City, but I've always found a way to be vegan wherever I happen to be. I've toured the country with theatre companies and traveled internationally to Africa, Central America, and Asia--there is no reason to let veganism stop you from going anywhere you want to go. My husband ate meat when we met, and gradually went vegetarian as we dated; today is vegetarian but still eats some eggs and cheese. We had a beautiful and totally vegan wedding. I'm happy that we live in a meat-free home, and if he ever decides to go totally vegan I would help him in any way I can, but that's ultimately his decision and I can't force my veganism on him or anyone else. I do my best to be vegan in all areas (avoiding wool, leather, and down, buying cruelty-free cosmetics, etc.); I am not always perfect, but the world is becoming more vegan-friendly every day, and as the years go by, I evolve to live a more and more compassionate lifestyle. I think the best part of being vegan is that I get to see all animals as amazing living creatures who are not as different from us as many people think. We have two amazing rescued dogs and I volunteer as a NY State Licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator, and I really treasure the time I spend getting to know each animal that comes into my life."

Adair and hubby at their vegan wedding

Kishema Pendu Malik - Age 34 - Location: Las Vegas, NV. - Kishema tells about herself: "I am an artist (professional dancer with Cirque Du Soleil), a choreographer, a fitness educator and an educated woman with a Bachelor’s degree in Bio-engineering and a Masters in Kinesiology. Being brought up as a dietary vegan has only enhanced my abilities in all areas of life, making me emotionally stable, super spiritual and always reaching to evolve as a person. Growing up in a non-vegan world has had its ups and downs, but has only encouraged me to gain a hard emotional exterior by battling teasing from my peers, however also gaining respect from many that wish they could follow in my footsteps. I have always LOVED being vegan and being different from others because my health has always been amazing, and my immune system is very strong. Also, many don’t believe that I am vegan because I have strong muscle definition and super high energy, which actually has made some of my friends want to try limiting their animal intake to get the results that I have.” For those who don’t know - Ciruqe du Soleil - is a vegan circus with no nonhuman animal acts, but only breathtaking feats of strength from humans! Kishema moves to a new subject “As far as relationships, it has been both very difficult when dating non-veggie people, but very easy when dating folks who were at least vegetarian. I do strive to marry someone vegan, but will accept vegetarian or someone who is health conscious and has the potential to become vegan, as I will definitely raise my future children vegan as my parents did me. My parents were vegan since their early 20’s and passed on the lifestyle to my 5 siblings and myself, so our entire household was vegan together. We also were against pharmaceuticals and anything unnatural. As a family we just tried to be about living as natural as possible in an unnatural world.” Thank-you Kishema for sharing your spectacular and unique plant-powered family history! Kishema also says “In my normal life I do try to educate others about vegan living but sometimes feel that I may “preach” too much. I have found that those that actually change to a vegan lifestyle are the ones that just “watch” me and how I live, so instead I try to lead by example. In my 34 years of life I have never strayed from veganism as I feel that this is the way that humans were naturally meant to be, so I have never seen the point in trying something not beneficial to the body. Lastly, I am mostly a dietary vegan, but educate myself about becoming vegan in all aspects of life so my journey is not finished, as my goal is to be free of ALL animal products such as clothing, shoes, etc.- as animals should be free to live their lives just like we live ours."

Kishema dancing with Ciruqe du Soleil

Henry, left playing with his friend.

Henry Plummer – Age 4.5, born April 2008. Carrie Plummer; Henry’s mom, tells us that he was conceived, born, and raised vegan. Carrie continues “Henry lives in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (where, unfortunately, hunting is a very popular "sport" but there is a growing awareness of how a plant-based/vegan diet is a healthy and compassionate one).  Henry has been breastfed since birth and we still continue to breastfeed; mainly for comfort and bonding, certainly not for sustenance. He is on the light side, but neither my husband Jeff and I, or the doctor, have any concerns as he is a very healthy, energetic, and bright child. He's the kind of child that would prefer play over eating and since the age of 2 could walk a good two miles straight; he is an avid hiker.  Carrie explains “When I was pregnant I took a vegan prenatal multivitamin and continued to take it up until Henry was about 3 or 4 months old. After that I continued to take Vitamin B-12 all year and Vitamin D2 during the colder months, as I got ample sunlight in the summer time. Because Henry was breastfed he got vitamin B-12 from my milk. Jeff and I decided to give Henry Vitamin B-12 and D2 directly at about 15 months old, a few times a week. After he turned 4 we started to give him a daily chewable multivitamin. Also Henry has been continuously drinking fortified soy milk that has B-12 and D2 in it since it was introduced into his diet at around 12 months of age, and he loves nutritional yeast on his steamed broccoli and spaghetti, which is also fortified with B-12. Henry has a very diverse palette or diet and loves all kinds of vegan foods. He loves oatmeal with raisins, granola, yogurt, banana shakes, tabbouli, cole slaw, steamed broccoli, kale salad that is marinated in vinaigrette dressing, chili, sautéed tofu, Indian dhal soup, spaghetti, pizza, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on Ezekiel sprouted whole wheat bread, carrot sticks, pickles, beets, olives, roasted cashews, oat burgers, warmed unsweetened apple cider, soy and all other kinds of non-dairy milks, all kinds of fruit, fresh carrot juice (which is like soda pop to him) and so much more. His favorite treat is my homemade vegan, chocolate chip cookies. Like any kid he loves apple pie and any kind of cake; chocolate is his favorite.  And he will never turn down a cup of thick hot chocolate. All of these desserts and foods, of course, are veganized.” Carrie wants to add this pertinent information “Henry has never had an ear infection and has had no allergies or asthma. He has had common colds that he fights off fast and so far they have NEVER turned into a cough. I can't tell you how many kids I have seen that end up with bad coughs and upper respiratory infections or ear infections after a cold. I think dairy products, refined grains, and junk foods in general are major culprits for these kinds of infections and coughs. Henry will have refined grains on occasion, but this is the exception, not the rule. Henry is on a whole foods, natural, primarily organic (in fact he once thought organic was synonymous with vegan), plant-based/vegan diet. Since he was a baby he has had many compliments on how beautiful his skin is.” Henry is a bright child with an extensive vocabulary. He is a well behaved and happy child that socializes well with other children as well as adults. It seems he has endless energy, but will also sit down and have mom read to him. Books are like candy to him. Henry’s mom continues “I also find that many of the non-vegan moms I know are very thoughtful and accommodating of Henry's diet and want him to feel included and not left out. However- I am always prepared to bring vegan food with us wherever we go, just in case. Henry has also learned to ask before he eats any kind of food ‘is this vegan?’ If you ask Henry why he is a vegan he will say ‘because I love animals’. Recently, Henry was conversing with a librarian and they were talking about how Winnie the Pooh loves eating honey. Henry was wearing his Pooh sweatshirt at the time. She asked Henry if he loves honey too. He answered ‘I'm vegan and vegans don't eat honey.’ Later I asked him why we don't eat honey and he said ‘bees make the honey and it belongs to them.’  He gets veganism on the most fundamental level. Looking at some borrowed books from the library, Henry noticed a goldfish in a fish bowl, which is a suffocation chamber, and a bird in a bird cage and he made a point to say ‘that's not nice.’ As parents we are constantly teaching him empathy; ‘If you were a bird and could fly would you want to be stuck in a cage all your life?’ That's all you have to say and they get it. He's enamored with bugs and loves to hold them and have them crawl all over him. He talks to them like he would talk to a dog or any other aware being. We plan to adopt a dog at our local non-kill shelter when he is a little older. He loves animals and can't wait to visit Sasha Farm in Manchester, Michigan, the next time we go downstate to visit family. As parents we are always reiterating to him why we are vegans. There are many vegan-friendly books to read to him that helps us along this vegan venture; soon I will be reading E.B. White's Charlotte's Web. We are raising him to not to be a speciesist, which is pretty easy to do as prejudice or bigotry is learned. Henry is a wonderful ambassador for veganism. He is a very happy, upbeat, intelligent, thoughtful, and healthy child. We are very proud of him.” Jeff and Carrie Plummer are founding members of the group Northern Vegans; both a social and educational group in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan - http://www.northernvegans.com/

Justice - Age 10 - Location: Oak Park, IL. - Justice was born on June 12, 2002 after a wonderful and healthy vegan pregnancy. He was raised on mother's milk until he was 19 months old and he self-weaned. He's always been a food lover. His earliest food was rice cereal, then avocados and bananas mashed together. His mom, Marla, made almost all of his food: usually puréed sweet potatoes, squash, fruits, and so on, which she froze in ice cube trays; a very handy, inexpensive, and waste-free way of feeding babies. After that, the puréed foods stage, he pretty much ate what his parent's ate: rice and beans, vegan Pad Thai, etc. Justice has always embraced being vegan. From his earliest days, if he saw something at the grocery store being sampled that he had animal products in it, he'd simply ask if his mom could create a "vegan version" for him later, which Marla was always happy to oblige. Marla says "He has always "owned" his veganism. This was why he made his videos: to demystify it and help his non-vegan friends understand him a little better. Socially, he gets frustrated sometimes that other children don't "get it" about eating animals, especially as they're all learning now about slavery and the civil rights movement. The arbitrariness of whom we decide to exploit bothers him sometimes. I have to say that one thing that I am very proud of and grateful for is co-founding the Chicago Vegan Family Network. This way, he and his vegan peers will have a place where they are accepted and understood. Our monthly potlucks are a wonderful opportunity to bond and enjoy all the food for children and parents alike. We celebrate holidays together (for example, having a vegan Halloween potluck in October), go on an annual trip to sanctuary together, and so on. CVFN is a big part of our lives and I am so grateful for it. Right now, Justice is learning how to play the violin, and he's very creative and artistic. He creates incredibly original stories and has a very rich inner-world. He talks to his friends a lot about kindness to animals, and is just as likely to be fascinated by an ant-hill as he is our solar system. He's a big thinker but he also likes to have fun. He loves our dog (Romeo) and our cat (Clover) and he is currently obsessed with flying foxes." See Justice on YouTube, here , and here  - Justice’s mom and dad run http://veganstreet.com

Sophia and Raphael spend an hour a day playing chess together.
They show great empathy towards 
one another and good sportsmanship.

Sophia is vegan from birth and she is now 8 years of age, and Raphael is vegan from conception and he is almost 6 years of age. They take no supplements other than B12 tablet once a week. They don't have to worry about Vitamin D supplementation as they live in sunny Southern California. They love veggies, unlike their meat-eating friends from school. By the time they were age 3, they watched slaughterhouse videos and with no adverse effects. Sure they had a lot of questions, especially the one, 'if people eat animals, why don't they eat people too?' They don't think of animals as food, but rather as our friends. When they see meat they don't see food, they remember the horror the animals went through to get on that plate. Their dad says "We can trust them with any family or stranger that might want to feed them meat, because instead of being curious and wanting to try it based on the temptation, they will instead educate anyone who dares suggest they should eat meat, with a visual description of how the animals are treated. They make YouTube videos under my Account Name: Daniel Manahan. They speak regularly to their elementary school friends and show off our Vegan Doggies which we bring to school every day to pick them up."

2012 YouTube Video  - Their YouTube video on fishing -  Their YouTube video on gelatin - Sophia on Pet Stores - YouTube Video - Sophia's YouTube video on Eggs - 

Story

Devon (girl, 9 months), and Story (girl, 2 years and 9 months) – The mother of these vegan sisters,  Linnaea Scott, shares with us “Both girls were born on Feb. 21st, two years apart. Both girls were approximately 8 pounds at birth, and have remained in the 60th-90th percentile on weight and height since birth. Their mama did take a prenatal vegan vitamin including DHA & B12, which was continued while the girls were breastfed. Story self-weaned at 1 year of age, and Devon is still nursing. Both girls are eating solid food: a wide variety of beans, grains, fruit, vegetables, nuts. Story is at an age where a few issues are coming up, like birthday parties with non-vegan friends. Our friends have been gracious in allowing us to bring vegan cakes and cupcakes to these events. Both girls are too young to understand ‘vegan’, but we are looking forward to teaching them. We have no doubt we are giving them the best possible start on life with breast-milk and a plant-based diet. Ethically, the vegan choice is the only one that makes sense to children. We teach children to love animals with all the animal-based books and songs... there is no confusion about what is put on their plate to eat.”

Devon at 6 weeks

Skylar Blake - Age: 2 years, 5 months - Location: South Florida, USA - She has been vegan all of her life, and so far there haven’t been any problems. She received soy formula that had B12 and DHA in it for the first year, and a brown rice formula for toddlers that was also supplemented for the second year. She is in the 90th percentile for height and weight and has always been at or near there. She reached every milestone within normal range. When she began solid foods, avocado and mashed banana were her first foods. She now has a varied, healthy diet. She eats better than most adults I know—even the ones who are paying attention. I’ve used Ginny Messina’s ‘Vegan for Life’ to plan meals and supplements, as soon as she began to eat. Her mom prepares all of her meals each day and does a lot of fun vegan baking and food prep, so there’s always something fresh and tasty in the house. She has never had fast food and eats few foods that are processed. She loves raw fruits and veggies. She takes a vegan multi-vitamin as well as some sublingual B12, vegan DHA for children, and a vegan D/calcium. She eats plenty of nut butters, legumes and tofu, so she has no problem meeting her protein need. Shoes and clothing have been easy, as well, although she and her family do live someplace very warm and don’t have the challenges of extreme cold. Mary, her mom, sometimes shops online to get non-leather shoes. On the social front, Skylar (sometimes called Sky) knows a few vegan children who are older. Due to her age, even though she knows her family is vegan, she doesn’t fully understand what that means. Mom tells us “We have the usual issues regarding birthday parties and being at other kids’ houses with her wanting to eat whatever they have. But she just wants it because they have it; she has no idea what things are made from. Sky loves animals and we live near a rehab center for sea turtles as well as a wildlife sanctuary, and we visit each at least once a week. This year we took a trip to Kindred Spirits Animal Sanctuary for Thanksgiving, and it was a highlight of her life. We know that soon we are going to have to do a lot of explaining about how most people eat and live, and we’re not rushing to that day. We’re enjoying watching her love animals and taking her to parks. Sky loves animals and most of her books are based on animals, and when she can choose a toy or stuffy, she always chooses an animal. We have had greyhounds and a cat since she was born and she adores them.”

Zaedyn Tai - Age 19 months- born naturally in New Zealand, weighing 7lb. 3oz after a healthy vegan pregnancy. Avocados are still a favourite food which he began eating close to 6 months and he is still currently breastfed. Mom; Lindsay says "Our approach to food has always been similar to baby led weaning, allowing Zaedyn to make his own food choices and eat healthy whole foods from the start. He loves avocados, young coconuts, raw cauliflower, hummus, falafel, seaweed strips, vegan sushi, nut butters, green smoothies, and seems to be willing to try quite a range of any vegan food. He basically eats anything that we eat. We have been busy growing some of our own fruits and veggies to help Zaedyn learn about sustainability and know where his food comes from. He is very active and can run all day. His energy is unbelievable which was very noticeable even during pregnancy when my puku (stomach) was constantly moving. He has always been very healthy. Before he was crawling he used to do “push ups” and everybody still comments on his strength and his muscles. I believe that we have had supportive friends and family in raising a vegan baby because they can see how he is so healthy, strong, and clever. This has also made many people curious, and we have been able to share our views with others. Zaedyn loves nature and outdoors where he can spend all day playing with his lamb and bunny friend. When we come across other animals, it is truly apparent how much he loves them, too. He has always been surrounded by animals, starting with his jungle themed room. Whether in real life or books, Zaedyn is always pointing out animals along with a huge smile and saying, “dog, lamb or baa, goat, Kai (our bunny’s name), cow or moo, etc.” Zaedyn is extremely happy and sociable. He loves to make people laugh and smile, and he loves to tell people about his animal friends."

To visit Lindsay's websites: http://arohanuiveganlove.wordpress.com/ - https://www.facebook.com/ArohanuiVeganLove