It’s been awhile since I last shared anything about my health and diet update, but after taking time away for the last two years, it feels right in my heart now to finally open up about my health, life and dietary changes. I kept pushing this post off because its difficult to look back at such a dark time in my life and I wanted to feel 100% ‘ready’… and I was waiting for the ‘right time’. I’ve come to realize though, that I don’t think I will ever be completely ready to share my journey over the last few years nor will there ever be a right time to share something like this. I was worried about how it would be received, the opinions made and whether people would understand. And that was my own problem, I expected people to understand, but how could I expect someone to understand something that they never went through. I’m now in a place where I’ve accepted that people won’t understand, but I wanted to share my experience because I felt that I still do owe an explanation, to try and help those who have reached out to me about their concerns, how I’ve navigated these huge changes over the last two years and what changes to expect moving forward with my blog and platforms.
With that being said, I’ll be going over a lot of things. This was written over the course of two and a half years and a lot has changed. And I also do want to give a trigger warning because I will be talking about physical health, weight, diet, exercise and mental health.
I briefly shared that I was no longer eating a 100% plant based diet on my instagram story at the end of May in 2022 and looking back, I made the mistake of rushing to share this part of my life. I went into it thinking I was going to make a thorough explanation shortly after, as to why and what the past few years have been like for me. I was in a dark place for a very long time because so many things were happening to me physically and mentally. I felt guilty and embarrassed, and going through all of this I was scared because I didn’t know what steps to take to help myself. I was still so unsure and confused with how my body was reacting and changing– and wasn’t in the position to share anything in detail yet. I’m appreciative that 95% of the responses were understanding and encouraging, and I respect the few that were disappointed, but with the few that were aggressively negative, it really took a toll on me mentally alongside my own feelings about it. Even while I thought I was ready for these kinds of responses, I didn’t think it would affect me as much as it did… but with everything else going on, I felt that I really needed to take a step back from social media. I apologize for taking such a sudden and long break to follow up.
Before getting into it, I hope to be clear that I know veganism is a moral standpoint, NOT a diet. Veganism has nothing to do with my health, but eating plant based is a huge part of the lifestyle. I am in no way implying that a plant based diet is unhealthy or not optimal. I wholeheartedly believe that it can be one of the most healthful ways to eat for many people and absolutely the best thing for the animals and environment. In the past, I didn’t understand how or why some one could just go back to consuming animal products knowing what goes behind the scenes in the animal farming industry. The 10 years that I was ‘vegan’ or eating a plant based diet, up until February 2022, I never ever considered going back. However, after 3 years of my own health declining and experiencing the debilitating physical and mental pain that revolves around food, I understand that for some, it can be really difficult or impossible to be 100% plant based. I will be going into as much detail as I can to provide context and be transparent about how my diet, food and health has changed throughout the years.
Why Veganism & a Plant Based Diet
I became interested in veganism when I was 15, after watching the documentary Earthlings. I was appalled by the inhumane practices towards animals in our food system. I watched multiple documentaries/videos and learned more and more about the environmental, economical and health aspects of veganism.
The first immediate shift was food. In terms of what kind of food, I knew I could eat anything that didn’t come from an animal, but didn’t really know how/what to cook so I ate pretty simply: fruits, vegetables, beans, tofu and grains. I was never a huge meat eater and being lactose intolerant, I never consumed dairy anyways so it wasn’t a drastic change in terms of food choices. While looking for some recipes online, I came across different diets in the vegan community: raw vegan, 80/10/10 and high carb low fat, raw after 4.
I think like most people during that time, I tried a ‘high carb low fat’ plant based diet for about a year, but because I was still growing and weight lifting, I did consume more fats from foods and protein than the HCLF diets suggested to fuel my activity levels and ensure I was still having regular menstrual cycles. I know there are some arguments that eating any of these kinds of diets may have been the cause of a lot of ‘ex-vegans’ health issues, but I personally can’t confirm or deny that because there isn’t really any evidence (only experience) suggesting so.
This is one thing I want to highlight to anyone who is interested or just starting a plant based diet: please, do NOT follow what other people online are eating based on their appearance or experiences. I urge you to do your research thoroughly from reputable plant based sources and dietitians to ensure you are eating a well balanced and sustainable diet that is right for your body’s needs. Here are some reputable sources and plant based dieticians: vegan.org, vegan sociey, and the vegan RD.
12 years ago, there weren’t all the amazing vegan products and options we have today. Once new products started hitting the market, I loved trying new plant based options. So naturally, I started to incorporate more of these kinds of foods. Vegan mock meats, cheeses, yogurts, cereals, ice cream and all kinds of desserts– they became something I really enjoyed incorporating into my diet. I found it mentally and physically more satiating and satisfying. And this was how I’ve been eating ever since: predominantly whole plant based (lots of fruits/veg, grains, tofu, tempeh, beans, legumes, nuts) with the inclusion of cooking with oils and still enjoying dairy free yogurts, mock meats, dairy free cheeses, ice cream and all the desserts when I felt like it. This was the time I felt the most optimal with lots of energy. Being physically active, I was amazed at how quickly I was able to recover. I truly thought I would be eating a plant based diet forever.
When Things Started to Change
In the beginning of 2019, I began having digestive issues, though nothing in my diet or environment changed. It was very mild at the time, and because I’ve never experienced uncomfortable bloating before it didn’t even cross my mind that it was potentially something to be concerned about. I brushed it off thinking it was purely stress related because of it was coming close to the end of my time in university and finishing up the last of my exams. After graduating, I went back home and although I felt so happy and free to finish school, the bloating continued. During this time I was still on top of my supplements, eating the same amounts of food with variety.
Around spring time, my digestive issues became more frequent and noticeable– the bloating was a constant nuisance and the gas was terrible… diabolical. I refused to go out and would have to leave the room to where no one was to release it because it was that bad. I always felt heavy in my stomach and the need to poop. I kept making excuses for why this was happening and my family would laugh it off for eating so much plant based foods that were more prone to producing gas. I went for my regular check ups and blood work but everything came back normal. I didn’t really know what else to do so I started experimenting with adding and removing certain foods to see if there were certain foods that were causing these symptoms. I really thought that it would resolve on its own and left it at that until the end of the year (the red flag I should have dealt with sooner).
By March of 2020, my symptoms intensified. I was heavily, uncomfortably bloated, painfully inflamed and had diarrhea multiple times a day. Skin conditions I’ve never had before, rashes began to flare but I kept trying convincing myself it was something in the environment. This was also the time when the first COVID lockdown happened. I was resistant to seek help from my doctors because I knew that one of the first things to come up would be to try and reintroduce animal based foods back into my diet and at the time, mentally it was not an option for me.
However, understandingly my parents kept insisting to me to go for another checkup, do other examinations and seek for second opinions. Due to COVID restrictions, my appointments for examinations were weeks away and spread throughout the year and into 2021. I’ve had multiple tests done– two colonoscopies and endoscopies, MRI’s, ultrasounds, blood work, urine tests, stool tests and even X-rays with no results. I was cleared for hyperthyroidism, Crohns, celiac, cancers, polyps, ulcerative colitis, diverticulitis and peptic ulcer disease. Every time I got results back, a little part of me hoped it would be that so I would have some sort of answer so that I could know what to do to make myself better. I was so exhausted and frustrated not knowing what was going on and just trying different medications and dietary changes with no improvement. As a result, I was diagnosed with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome).
I worked with two dieticians to figure out in more detail what foods were causing my symptoms, and the main culprits were soy (tofu), beans, legumes, oats, pea protein, kale, radishes and several other vegetables. Basically, all plant based protein sources. I stubbornly stood by my morals despite having the results right in front of me. It was either I cut that food out which was an important macronutrient, continue to eat those foods and feel like sh*t, or to reintroduce animal proteins back into my diet. I chose the first two for a long long time.
For months, I experimented with different suggestions from my doctors and dieticians while still maintaining a plant based diet: working on a FODMAPS diet, incorporating more fermented foods, taking probiotics, incorporating more variety into my diet (changing up the types of fruits/veggies), eating completely gluten-free for several months, removed all artificial sweeteners, started soaking my beans and then stopped eating beans and lentils all together and made sure to cook all my vegetables. Each one of these changes helped my symptoms but only for a brief period of time. I started digging in deeper and kept a food diary of how I felt after eating what kind of meals. I tried cutting out all ‘processed’ foods, refined sugars and any deep fried foods. Every time I cut a type of food out, I was scared to incorporate them back because of how it would make me feel. I started to literally fear food and eating because of how it made me feel. No matter what I removed or added into my diet, it felt like I was on an emotional and physical rollercoaster with symptoms constantly going up and down.
By this time, my entire life revolved around food. I never in the past thought a plant based diet was restrictive, but the combination of sticking to a plant based diet and the long list of food that really triggered my symptoms made it mentally and physically so exhausting to the point where the thought of food was repulsive.I began to hate food. The thought of having to cook and eat felt like a chore because I was constantly worried and stressed about whether or not I would get through the day. You really don’t realize how much life revolves around food until you have these restrictions.
But I continued to do this until the end of 2020 and throughout 2021, which was the peak of the worst. I had lost over 24 pounds, had no period for over a year, was going bald, insomnia, my skin was breaking, constant extreme burping and took a huge toll on the quality of my life. I know a lot of this is superficial stuff but at this point I started to hate how I look: sunken face, bald patches behind my head and dry, flaky skin from head to toe. I had no confidence and found myself always alone because I didn’t want to see anyone.
I spent more than half my day in the washroom and the other half in bed sleeping because my body was so exhausted. As a person that loves to work, move and be busy it was also affecting me mentally. I felt that I was wasting every single day not being able to function properly and the way I wanted to.
This wasn’t just a problem of my own either, it affected everyone around me and my relationships with friends and family. When you’re that low of a weight, you can’t think straight or logically and I became an extremely toxic person to be around. Looking back, I treated those around me that I loved so horribly because I couldn’t control my mood and emotions.
As 2022 approached, after numerous tests, going back and fourth with my doctors and dieticians and exhausting all my other option, I truly feel that I tried everything in my power to heal while still on a plant based diet. It wasn’t until my sister told me that my mom showed my dad a photo of me and started to cry that it hit me. As dramatic as this sounds, my parents thought I was going to die. Eric told me right before that he didn’t know how much longer he could wait for me to get better. It makes me sick to my stomach that I made the people I love feel this way. I put off making this change for months, for years and even though I did this out of my love for animals I felt selfish for not considering the people around me. After being vegan and maintaining a plant based diet for 10 years, it was a huge part of my life and identity. Online, it was almost like my personalty trait and I didn’t want to let that go. I love animals, I don’t want to contribute to the suffering of animals but I also didn’t want to suffer anymore either.
My experience adding animal proteins back into my diet
February of 2022, I began to add fish back into my diet. I felt guilty and it did gross me out. None of that magical overnight physical mental thing happened, but I stuck with it for a few months. This was when I briefly mentioned on my stories that I was no longer plant based. I needed to step away from social media and to focus on getting well first. My mom was going back to Japan for a week for business, so I decided to tag along last minute for a few months for a change of pace.
I felt lonely but I was able to spend a lot of time with my uncle who has also been extremely sick for many years (severe hyperthyroidism). He’s the only person left from my mom’s side that lives in Japan and going through all of it alone. He was the only person around me that somewhat understood what I was going through physically and mentally. We had long conversations about life perspectives, navigating and what it takes to be happy. I’m forever grateful to my uncle that shared words of wisdom with me that gave me hope and courage, and will hold onto for the rest of my life. We also reminisced a lot together about my grandma’s (his moms) food, taught me more about Japanese food and cuisine which was also a huge highlight. During my time in Japan, it was much easier to maintain a pescatarian diet because of the wide variety of seafood. Japan is my home, away from home. As much as I wanted to stay in Japan, I knew the time was coming to an end and I had to head back to Canada.
When I got back to Canada, I felt like I was stuck, again because I was in the same environment that I went through everything. There were so many sad memories that I couldn’t let go of. I went back into a mental spiral with going back and forth on a plant based diet because I felt so guilty, which made my body fall back. I was spiralling out of control again to the point where I couldn’t control my myself. This lead to a so many arguments, injuries and emotional pain on my partner and myself that I really regret.
I needed to set myself straight again. I could not continue to eat in a way that was also not supporting my health. I know that eating a 100% plant based diet is best for the animals, but I needed to find a healthy balance and treat my body kindly too. To me, veganism was always about compassion and doing the best you can. Compassion for animals, for people, the planet… but also for myself. I stood by my morals for as long as I could, I really wanted to hold onto it but my body was telling me something different.
I re-introduced fish back into my diet but after a year, I felt food restriction in the way I never did on a plant based diet. Since developing a shellfish allergy last year, I was rotating everyday between the same three fish. Eventually, I began to add eggs a few times a week and poultry a few times a month back into my diet for variety. Again, I didn’t get better overnight. If anything, I felt worse for the first month… mostly mentally. But as the months went on, I no longer had painful inflammation, bloating and diarrhea. I began to gain healthy weight and started to have energy again. Although physically I was improving, it took more time mentally for me to adjust. The constant guilt I had when eating wasn’t healthy and I knew I had to work on that too.
Moving Forward: What to Expect from Okonomi Kitchen
There is no doubt that eating a plant based diet is the best thing we can do for the animals and environment. I still believe in the power of a plant based diet for health, and I truly feel the best eating a predominantly plant based diet. However, I do now realize that some people just cannot be 100% plant based and be at their optimal health either. How can I expect myself to be healthy when my body can’t tolerate majority of plant based proteins? It’s taken me years to accept that.
I knew I needed to be in a good place both physically and mentally before I commit to sharing this change. People have said I used vegansim to make money, or I’m not plant based anymore to make money or just stopped caring. Again, no matter what I said or don’t say you are entitled to your own opinions, but I’m in a place now where I know in my heart I changed my diet for my own health and thats what matters to me.
Now what to expect from this blog and my platform? This part was what was holding me back from returning to social media and continuing food blogging because sharing plant based recipes was what started my food blogging career and what I had been doing from 2012 – 2022. For a long time, I didn’t know what I should, or wanted to share on my platform anymore.
I’ve really missed sharing recipes on a regular basis, and that is where my heart is still at so that is what I want to continue to pursue. Over the two years, I’ve been practicing new cooking techniques, learning to cook with different ingredients and developing recipes.
After almost a year and a half of figuring out who I am as a person now, what I enjoy and how my lifestyle has changed, my focus is to share as much recipes from my culture. Japanese food and plant based food has always been the core of my diet so will continue to share many plant based recipes. But there will also be recipes that are not plant based. However, if and when I share a non-plant based recipe, I will have plant based options/alternatives where possible in hopes to cater to all eaters and so that anyone can opt to try whichever variation they prefer. I want to keep this space welcoming to all eaters without criticism or judgment. My ultimate goal has been, and will always be to inspire others to eat more plant based food and will continue to do so in my own way.
I will always advocating for eating more plant, I feel the best eating majority plant based but healthier wth the additional of animal proteins in this stage of my life. Thank you for reading if you made it this far. Even if you don’t understand my decision, I hope you can respect it. I appreciate all of your continued support and excited to regularly share recipes again.
Lisa
Thank you for sharing your journey and truths, Lisa.
One suggestion to keep you website accessible to all eaters, is if you could possibly add a small icon on your vegan recipes to make it easier to identify without having to check the content. Also for your Instagram videos, a simple tag word at the beginning of the description would be super helpful to know whether to stay or scroll along.
Thank you for considering and wish you health, authenticity and peace of mind.
Hi Lisa,
I am so sorry for what you went through with your health. Reading your story, I can only imagine how difficult it must have been going through all of that in the public eye and dealing with being attacked for it. I have been vegan for 35 years and experiencing worsening serious health issues for the last few years, and I can’t imagine how I would cope if it turns out the only way to regain my health is by eating animals. Your story is my worst fear, and I am so glad you were able to make peace with what you needed to do to turn your health around. Your blog is my absolute favourite and I’m so glad you’re able to share content again. I do selfishly wish you had a vegan Collection filter in your menu options so I could drool over those recipes more easily, but your recipes are also worth the effort of additional scrolling.
Hi Lisa,
I remember the first video I watched from you a few years ago was the eggplant ‘unagi’ rice bowl. It is still one of my favorites from your recipes that I make to this day and I recommend your recipes to everyone that want to try more plant-based foods.
I appreciate you taking the time to share your life journey and glad that you’re in a better place physically and mentally. Personally I’ve been looking into FODMAP as well for my IBS and it is extremely restrictive. I am not a vegetarian (I focus and love eating fruits and veggies) and just looking at the list of foods you’re not allowed to eat is insane, I don’t know if I could stick with it. Major kudos to you for trying it out and seeing what works for you. I’m happy that you are looking out for your health.
I hope once you’re ready, you’ll post more videos again. I love your content and how you always share your stories with joy 😊
Hi Lisa!
I am glad you are better now and I’m very sorry you had to go through so much.
While I do think for a majority of people a plant based or mainly plant based diet is the best approach, for environment, animals, resource sustainability,… reasons.
In the grand scheme of things a single person eating or not eating animal products will make a much smaller impact than so many other things… I feel like putting this extreme moral weight on an individual’s diet is damaging in a lot of different ways. we should honor a person’s intentions and their efforts to do well and decrease suffering (including your own) and not focus on having a ‘perfect x-year vegan streak’
You sharing your recipes and your passion for plant based food is much more important in my opinion than whether or not you consume animal products!
Wishing you all the best and I’m looking forward to seeing your recipes and videos again ❤️
Much love Lisa, I’ve been following your blog for a very long time. I’m so glad that you are in a better space now and I look forward to the new recipes <3.
I know you wrote this months and months ago, but I was coming to your blog to look up the yaki imo recipe so I could reheat my potato lol. I found this post and want to say I’m so sorry for all the hardship you had to endure. I’m glad you’re able to move forward and taking this blog with you. I’ve been a follower of yours on IG for a few years now even though I wasn’t in a plant based diet myself. Your recipes just looked really good and I was curious about vegan food in general. Your content has also just been generally inspiring and positive for me 🙂
I recently had to transition from my meat based diet to plant based for health reasons. I’m lacto-ovo vegetarian. Reading about the direction you’re taking the blog really speaks to me as I’m on this new diet and think that I’ll eventually incorporate animal proteins when I feel ready. Right now they scare me and what they could do to make my health worse at the moment. But knowing that you’ve got recipes that will be plant based and maybe just have animal protein as a compliment or a very small portion mixed in sounds promising and what I’d like my future lifestyle to look like: where most of my meal is yummy well seasoned veggies and the animal protein is there as a broth or a mix in that you don’t notice in every bite. If you’re taking the blog in a direction that’s welcoming to both vegans and non-vegans, I’m excited to reference your recipes as I go on my own journey. 🙂 Al the best and I hope you continue to prioritize your well being.
I am so glad I encountered this latest post of yours, I have been following you for YEARS, and I must say it’s incredibly brave of you to share your journey, to be honest about what you experienced. I am sorry you didn’t receive the support you need when you announced about you no longer being 100% vegan, I have seen that happened to quite a few influencers, and it is truly sad. We should not be judged by what we eat, that’s the worst. But I am glad you have gotten over all the mental blockage and found a more balanced diet that works for your health. I wish you good health Lisa!
Oh Lisa, thank you for sharing your experience with illness so honestly. It’s incredibly brave, and kind, and it helps people. I’ve been chronically ill for most of my life. Because I move in circles of disabled/chronically ill people, most of my friends have food intolerances of some kind – as well as religious taboos, and beyond. I think it’s becoming more and more of a regular thing for young people especially to understand that what and how we eat is complicated, changeable, deeply personal, and something that we can respect even if we don’t understand it
Also, I wanna say this cause it took me far too many years to figure it out – no matter how sick you may get at any point in your life – you are worthy of love.
Thank you for sharing your story which resonates so much for me as well right now. I too have been 100% plant based for years but due to health reasons and the upheaval of hormonal changes now that I have hit 50 years old, I am having to do the same thing. My already sensitive digestive issues have blown out of control and I have tried really hard to keep it plant based too but it just isn’t working and sadly sometimes making my issues worse (legumes are not agreeing with me at all). I am sorry it has been such a rough journey for you. I hope you are getting better everyday. You won’t lose me as a follower of your blog and socials – I think you are fantastic!
That was nice to read. I am actually living a dilema about my food choices right now. I’ve been 3 years vegetarian living in a city where I have no access to these vegan products such as tofu, vegan salami, vegan (and good) yogurt, I don’t have vegan hamburgers. The only thing I can eat when I go out with friends is French fries. And I’ve been sick of eating the same lentils and chickpeas even though I prepare it differently every time. I’ve been wanting to go back to meat to make my routine easier as I’m a full time student and also because I can’t take eating the same things anymore. But it’s really taking my mental health away just to think of eating animals. It’s a battle between my morals and my cravings. I don’t know what to do, I feel confused.
Thank you for sharing, you are such a strong and admirable person for going through such a really hard time and opening up. I think life is always a quest about norms and values which keep shaping our happiness. Whatever I do, I keep trying to remind myself to enjoy, take it easy and put myself (therefore health) first. even if you’re not completely plant based anymore, that’s totally fine. I have been vegan for almost 5 years now and your Youtube-channel which I followed 6 years ago has been a fun inspiration for me becoming vegan. All the love, from the Netherlands
From The Vegan Society: “Veganism is a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose”. It’s NOT possible or practicable to live with health challenges brought on by a plant-based diet, and through sharing your thoughts and recipes, you are still advocating for people to make kinder, more ethical choices. Thank you for sharing your experience here and best wishes to you in this next chapter.
I really loved this post! Thank you for sharing it with us and letting us know how you’ve been all this time and I’m sorry to hear that you had to go through painful moments, whenever I experience painful things there’s a quote I like to remind myself of “the wound is where the light comes in.” By Rumi. You absolutely do not need to mind or put any value in any single person’s opinion when it comes to your health and your well-being! Don’t be upset if you see someone disagreeing with you because it’s not worth it! Just live your own life however you wish because in the end, you are the person who is going through all these things so always believe in yourself and trust yourself and this journey you’re on! We as human beings have always lived on eating animal based foods for thousands of years so there is nothing wrong if your body needs to feel better with it. I am also vegan recently turned vegetarian for health reasons as well and honestly I took a long time thinking about whether I would eat meat or not because I also had restrictions based on my health and I haven’t yet but if I feel like it comes to a point where it’s important for me to just introduce it back to my diet I thought I would just consume organic free range halal meats from time to time – that’s the best choice that came to mind but I never once considered if people were going to like or not like my decision because it has nothing to do with anyone else but me! So please Lisa don’t mind anyone at all! Only soak up the positive comments and forget the rest! Sending love and I wish you all the best! I’m happy you’re posting more on Instagram and I’m waiting for you to fully be back even with non-plant based recipes!
Thank you for sharing your story!
I’m glad you are doing better ❤️
Excited to see the next recipes you’ll share!
Wishing you good health, happiness and prosperity!
I’m so sorry for all the suffering you’ve had to endure these past years, especially from those less open-minded. I hope that you have found strength and turned your trials into lessons, and kindness and understanding of yourself.
Being raised Buddhist, I see the core of veganism as essentially being kind and thoughtful to the whole world around us, including other humans. Sadly, we forget that sometimes. You are doing your best. Others have no right to judge you. Thank you for courageously sharing your story.
Lisa I love you!!! You are so brave and such a fighter. I have followed you since I was vegan (for six years) till now while I am not anymore. You have always stood out to me as authentic, kind, and passionate, and nothing has changed in that regard. Excited to see how you will keep creating in this new season of your life. You are so loved!
Thank you for your vulnerability. At the end of the day every being is unique and we all have somewhat different needs. I will continue to love your recipes as you share them 🫂 I am ultimately just so so glad you’re doing better and hope that continues!
You are so brave to have gone through all that and to share your story. I can only imagine how painful it must have been for you. I am happy to know that you’re in a better place and doing well. I love your recipes and I look forward to seeing more of them. Will continue to follow your journey and cheer you on!
Sometimes the most radically vegan thing we can do is take care of ourselves. I’m so grateful that you’re still here and that your health is better! Thank you for your vulnerability – this vegan is proud that you’re doing what you need to thrive.
Thank you for sharing your story. What a rough time to go through. I’m so glad you were able to connect with your uncle in such a meaningful way and that you’re doing much, much better now!! I look forward to your new recipes—your revised approach sounds great and along the lines of how I try to cook much of the time. Welcome back!
Thank you Malia!
Proud of you for sharing this ❤️ I think a whole lot of people are in a similar boat and scared to either start processing that or scared to share it publicly. It takes a lot of willpower and strength to do both! I eat yogurt and fish and it definitely makes my brain work better and my pants fit more comfortably. I’m looking forward to seeing your new recipes 🥰
Lisa, I have been following your page for some years. I was very happy to have come across it, as I have been wanting to incorporate more veggies into my diet. More than anything, your health is what is most important, and I’m glad to hear you have found a balance. You have inspired me to be more conscious about what I eat, and for that, I’m grateful you have shared your story. Whatever you decide to do, I will continue to follow and support your page.
Thank you Melany!
I know it has been an incredibly difficult journey of healing for you, and I’m so sorry you suffered so much in this process. You have done and continue to do so much to promote a plant-based diet and a kind and compassionate lifestyle.
I’m so sad you have experienced this and I’m grateful to have you still sharing your plant-based recipes going forward. It’s been nice to see you get your vitality back and I appreciate the transparency in your journey.
You very clearly wanted to stay plant-based, and anyone who criticizes you for your journey needs to step away and be more compassionate.
Thank you Lisa, for always being there for me from the start. Appreciate you always 🤍
I’ve gone back and forth on being vegetarian for lots of years. I was one for 3 years, and have currently been one for 2! Life is wild and the body needs what it needs. I admire your humanity and look forward to seeing all of your content.
Thank you for your vulnerability Lisa. All perspectives are important and it’s so generous of you to share yours when it was so painful. Looking forward to continuing to follow along 🫶
Thank you for sharing your journey with us! We don’t love you because you shared vegan lifestyle, we love you because of who you are🤍🤍
Hi Lisa! I just wanted to leave a short comment to tell you this: I am proud of you.
As someone who mainly eats plant based myself, I really can’t wait to follow your journey and amazing recipes, plant-based or not.
Thank you for sharing your story. Your voice and experience are so valued (and valid!).
Keep taking care of yourself<3
With love,
Mia from Sweden/Lebanon.
Thank you Mia!
Hi Lisa,
thank you for sharing this experience with all of us.
You don’t know how much I can relate with your experience.
I had the same severe bloating and pain at the beginning of 2020, did endless tests and nobody could tell me what was going on (Yes I also was diagnosed with IBS in the end that basically means that they don’t know why your gut is acting like that -.-, so annoying).
For me the key to get better was actually the reverse: I switched to a plant based diet and even if at the beginning I didn’t notice any difference, in the end it went better and I found my balance.
But every body is different and nobody should judge you for this.
The relationship with food is so complicated and involves so much more that just eating 🙁
Be kind to yourself as you would with a friend or the animals.
Please keep sharing your recipes, I love them <3
Hi Serena,
Thank you for sharing your experiences. I completely agree, appreciate you!
You’re so brave to share, all the blessings to you.
You deserve to be happy and healthy! You’ve done so much good work providing plant based Asian recipes but you don’t owe anyone that or an explanation.
You aren’t alone in experiencing digestive issues postCovid (except mine was Crohn’s) but I’m happy to see you doing better!
Thank you so much!
Wishing you the best as you go forward. As a parent of a kiddo with food allergies, I know how difficult and isolating it can be. I hope for better days to come and wish you good health, in more ways than one.
thank you so much for sharing your experience Lisa. I know that this was not easy for you. as someone who was vegetarian and vegan for over a decade— and has also struggled with rather debilitating digestive woes for the last couple of years— I have also been in the process of reintroducing some animal products back into my diet. the mental barriers and shame around this process are so hard to navigate. I can only imagine how much harder that would be while also having a large online following and having recipe creation as the center of your career!! please know that you are not alone. reading about your journey has brought be a greater sense of peace for my own journey as well. thank you for your vulnerability and all of your amazing recipes over the years <3
Much love from Austin, TX. Happy you are putting yourself first!
Dear Lisa, thank you for sharing your deepest thoughts with us readers. I personally am not vegan, but I truly appreciate everything that you have written in this post. Thank you for loving and having compassion for animals, and ultimately, thank you for loving and having compassion for yourself too. I wish you the bestest of luck in everything that you do here onwards. Stay healthy, stay happy. X
Thanks for this honest sharing of your terrible health story!!! I wish u the best and please don’t stop sharing your wonderful recipes- send you lots of love und hugs!! Get well soon!!!🙏❤️🩹❤️🩹❤️🩹✨
Thank you Lisa for opening up!
I was diagnosed with IBS, SIBO, IMO and the meds still have no clue what is wrong with me cuz NO TREATMENT helps(except low fodmap diet, a little bit…). People who don’t suffer from stomach-issue or don’t have any relatives suffering that will NEVER understand how it really is. Even my own family don’t understand that. I’ve been mocked, that i can’t go out cuz “hehe you’ll shit youself”, suggested that jUsT eAt HeAlThY (i’ve never eaten non-healthy lol) or “you’re too young to be sick” (double lol). They will never fully understand how is to starve oneself for weeks cuz you can’t stand the pain anymore and not being able to go out for months, always-changing-moods, you’ve feeling like you’ve reached the point of insanity. I’m really glad i’ve got to know the power of medical marijuana for ibs-sibo-issues – instead of 7kg i would probably be like -14 without that. No appetite, never ending pain, all-day-diarreas…i haven’t been able for months to go out with my dog for a short walk… That’s the only thing which helps me for now is medical cannabis and not gonna quit it for sure, until docs diagnose me fully and at least have the idea what’s wrong with me instead “that’s your nature, just eat fit” lol. I’ve always loved travelling and now i haven’t been anywhere for years cause even 3-5 hour trip by car/train is a challenge for me. If i didn’t smoke, I probably wouldn’t even leave the house for groceries for months in the worst times…
Thank you Lisa for raising such an important subject. Nowadays more and more people (young people!) suffer from stomach-issues and such posts help us to not to feel alone. The post makes me really sad, but also happy because you managed to find your solutions and feel better. I hope you won’t be complacent with your choice – IBS is not depended on you, your health is the most important cause it can leads to many other illnesses otherwise. People who laugh or accuse will (and never would) understand what you’ve going and had to went through.
Greetings from Poland, I’ve always loved your recipes even tho I’ve never been plant-based (my stomach wouldn’t accept that, nono :D) and still do use a lot of them! I miss your recipes and I’m excited to know there can be more non only plant-based recipes right here. You’re an amazing content creator, just do (and eat:)) whatever works for you the best! 🙂
Hi Claudia,
So sorry to hear you went through all of that. I wish you well and hope you are able to heal soon too. 💛
Please look into nickel allergy and SNAS,
Systemic Nickel Allergy Syndrome (SNAS) manifestation is instead characterized by gastrointestinal symptoms including bloating, diarrhea or constipation, vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain, and cutaneous signs.
The food triggers you mentioned are exactly those with nickel quantity.
Thanks for sharing your story. I have IBS myself that is triggered from stress and I understand it can be tough to control it. I fully support you in eat whatever makes you happy and healthy! Continue making your delicious recipes!
Thank you for sharing your journey! No diet/lifestyle is one size fits all, no matter what social media seems to show us. I am glad that you have a good support system to bring you back to your optimal health and I hope you stay strong and do what is best for you long term! Everything was put on this earth for a reason. Hopefully you are living in an area where you can connect with local farmers so you can purchase animal products from someone you trust, maybe this will help you reduce the guilt! I hope people are kind to you after this post, don’t let others’ opinions get to you.
Thank you!