Sunfood Nutrition and Enlightenment Mindy Kim

I vividly remember running home from the library and locking myself upstairs to begin the reading. I rifled through the nutrition book with as much excitement as if I had found the Holy Grail. I stayed up all night to read it, to consume it, to have it become one with my soul. That was the moment when everything came into focus, when all of the little seeds planted by days of research came together, pushing me toward the same conclusion: I was now a conscious-living ethical vegan.

After eating the standard American diet of pizza, French fries, and doughnuts for most of my early childhood, I started to gain an interest in reading health and nutrition books. At the time, that reading reflected only a minute level of interest in self-growth, but it soon grew into something much more. Eventually, I came across the vegetarian diet with its claims of longevity, lowered risk of cancer and heart disease, and increased vitality and energy. The idea of a plant-based diet appealed to me, and once I went on the 30-day challenge, I was hooked. Soon after, I transitioned into becoming vegan, which led me to experience an incredible feeling of well-being -- not just physically, but also emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.

As a vegan, I...