Tell us a little about yourself.
Hey there! My name is Kat and I’m an actress and marketer in Portland, OR. You can keep up with my stupid jokes and vegan antics on my Instagram @heylookitskat!
What lead you to veganism? How long ago?
I went Vegan in February of 2018 after following the Keto diet for 7 months. I was on the early side for the Keto trend, so no vegans were following that macronutrient protocol yet – I mostly ate meat, cheese, eggs, and spinach because that’s what I saw other Keto people eating. One day I was scrolling through YouTube and found the vegan lifestyle channel ‘Pick Up Limes’. All the food she was making looked so good, and as YouTube started to recommend other vegan content creators to me plant-based eating really came to the forefront of my mind. After a few documentaries – What the Health, clips from Earthlings, the usual – I felt too guilty to continue eating the way I had been on Keto. I was ready to jump in head first, but my friends talked me out of switching from Keto to Veganism overnight since it would be such a huge change for my body. Stubborn as ever, I planned out several days worth of Ketogenic Vegan meals, and committed to doing a few days a week vegan-keto, a few days vegetarian-keto, a few days dairy-free-keto, etc. But after eating one day of my vegan-keto meals, I just didn’t want to eat animal products. I continued as a Ketogenic Vegan for a few weeks before deciding it was time to add carbs back into my diet and focus on eating balanced, healthy, plant-based foods. I’ve been Vegan ever since!
When you first went vegan how did you phase out your non-vegan food, clothing and other items?
To be completely honest this is a newer part of Veganism to me. I’m doing my best to only bring cruelty-free items into my life, and I truly believe that every little bit counts. Finding drugstore makeup brands that are cruelty-free has been a lifesaver, and thinking about every purchase I make has cut down on my spending and my contribution to animal suffering and environmental degradation. I haven’t gotten rid of any items I already owned, because I feel like that doesn’t address the issue at hand. Continuing to use what I already have while replacing things with better alternatives has been my strategy in phasing out non-vegan lifestyle items.
What does being vegan mean to you?
To me being vegan means doing the best you can to remove animal cruelty from your life and your footprint. It’s more important to do my best than to try so hard to be perfect that I give up. I want to be vegan for the rest of my life, and I want to inspire others in my life to do the most they feel they can to help animals and our planet. I think it’s important to treat people respectfully – to not be the angry vegan stereotype. Veganism should feel accessible and achievable, not unattainable.
Is it every vegan’s duty to become an activist?
I think a vegan’s duty is everyday activism. Making choices, leading by example, and gently showing others how easy it can be to not contribute to animal suffering and environmental harm.
Any recommended vegan books, social sites, or blogs?
Pick Up Limes,Merry Rose Howely, Vegan Youtubers
What’s your favorite Vegan restaurant?
Prasad,Sizzle Pie, GEM, and Back to Eden. Veggie Grill isn’t bad either.
Some encouraging words for new Vegans?
Do your best. Take your time. Every choice matters.
What is the vegan scene like in your city?
Portland is a great Vegan city!
What does living cruelty-free mean to you?
Treating every creature as they’d likely want to be treated.
What is the toughest Vegan item to find that you need?
A good vegan mascara – still searching for this one to be honest.
Talk about a time when you struggled with your Veganism?
I used to have a really hard time saying no to sweets, even if they weren’t vegan. Re-watching Earthlings snapped me out of it really quickly, and since quitting sweets (vegan and
Leave a Reply