Four years ago, Chiara embarked on a life-altering journey toward veganism, driven by a profound motivation: her health. At that pivotal juncture in her life, she received the daunting diagnosis of Hashimoto’s disease, while simultaneously facing the loss of her beloved father to cancer. In the midst of these challenging circumstances, Chiara found herself pondering how she could improve her own health, as she was grappling with the worst health-related symptoms she had ever experienced.
Her quest for answers led her down a path illuminated by documentaries and literature extolling the virtues of a vegan lifestyle and its potential health benefits. Determined to make a change, Chiara decided to give veganism a try, hoping it might provide a glimmer of improvement amidst her health struggles. Remarkably, only a few months into her vegan journey, she began to notice a transformation. She was astonished by how much better she felt.
Before embracing a vegan diet, her Hashimoto’s disease had left her perpetually fatigued, weakened, and prone to mood swings. Moreover, she had gained a significant amount of weight, reaching her heaviest point. However, with her transition to a (mostly!) whole foods vegan diet, Chiara’s life took a dramatic turn. She found herself filled with newfound vitality and strength, shedding the excess weight she had gained, and most remarkably, witnessing the vanishing of the debilitating side effects of Hashimoto’s disease.
Chiara’s inspiring story is a testament to the remarkable power of dietary choices in the pursuit of health and well-being. Through her personal journey, she exemplifies the transformative potential of embracing a vegan lifestyle, not just for herself but for others seeking a path to vitality and renewed health.
Please tell us more about yourself
Running is my therapy. PERIOD
call me Kiki
Hi everyone!
My name is Chiara (or Kiki). I am from Germany, 30 years old and a nutritionist. I am also a passionate runner and traveler.
I’ve been vegan for 4 years now and the initial reason for eliminating animal products was my health. 4 years ago I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease and at the same time my dad died of cancer. During this difficult time, I asked myself how I can improve my health since I was feeling the worst I ever have.
I came across many documentaries and read a lot of books about veganism and its health benefits, so I thought I would try it out and see if there is any improvement to my health condition. Already a couple months later, I recognized a change and was surprised how good I felt. Due to my disease, I always felt tired, weak and moody. I also gained 18 kg and was the heaviest I’ve ever been. With the (mostly!) whole foods vegan diet, I felt energized, powerful and lost all the weight I gained. The side effects of my Hashimoto’s were gone.
Besides the health benefits, I am now also vegan for other reasons like the animals and the environment. I want to contribute to a peaceful, non-violent world as much as I can and I think going vegan is the minimum I can do. It’s clearly become an ethical stance as well.
I was always very much into sports – especially running and volleyball – but I lost that passion when the disease started. When the side effects reversed and I started to feel energized, I also started to follow my passion for running again. The vegan diet gave me so much power that I started to run longer distances like half marathons and marathons. I hit a PB (personal best) one after the other and I never felt so strong and healthy! My recovery time after those runs is also very fast. I strongly believe that a healthy (vegan) diet makes you perform better and allows your body to recover faster.
I don’t think it is that hard to find vegan options nowadays than it was 10 years ago. Finding healthy vegan options is another question but if you are vegan for moral reasons, there is many restaurants/cafes that serve vegan food now. Of course, there is always the little fear when you are in a not fully vegan restaurant and you ask yourself if the dishes are really labeled correctly and the food is fully vegan. Every time I order a cappuccino or iced latte in a coffee shop, I like to watch the baristas when they fill my cup with plant based milk 😀 I think a lot of vegans actually do that and the first sip is always a test.
I feel very happy and proud that I changed my diet to a meatless one and be part of the vegan community. I do not have any moral issues and I can happily say that animals do not suffer from my food consumption.
I am not trying to force anyone because that doesn’t lead to the desired outcome. I am explaining to them why I changed to a vegan diet and other benefits you can gain from that. Also, I like to challenge them to just try it out for a month or so and see how they feel afterwards. You never know if you don’t try, right? 😉
Suggestions for excellent vegan dining locations and dishes?
Honestly, I prefer my home cooked meals over anything else. Maybe it’s the nutritionist in me that likes to know what exactly is on my plate and what kind of ingredients are used. On the other side, I am a passionate foodie and like to discover awesome vegan restaurants and cafes.
Here is one of my go to meals for lunch/dinner at home:
• Quinoa, potatoes, homemade falafels and lots of veggies •
Breakfast/snack inspo:
- plant based yoghurt (e.g. coconut, soy, almond) with vegan protein powder (optional), various fruits, nuts and gluten-free cinnamon crisps •
Restaurants/cafes I recommend:
Lisbon area (since I lived there for 3 years):
- The food for real Alcântara • Tofu & Hummus bowl with whole grain rice and salad – all gluten-free restaurants with mostly plant based dishes!
They also have amazing desserts like this vegan snickers cake and vegan banana bread:
- Fauna & Flora – Estoril or in Santos:
Vegan pancakes with caramel sauce and berries / avocado on portobello mushrooms / green & açaí smoothie:
Oakberry (multiple locations in Lisbon):
For more food recommendations around the world, follow me on Instagram. I share a lot of places while traveling:)
Common misconceptions about vegans and vegetarians
I think the main misconception about vegan/vegetarians are that people think you can’t be strong or powerful when not eating meat. The most asked question is probably: Where do you get your protein from?
I always answer that there’s many plant based protein options. My main protein sources are tofu, different kinds of tempeh, lentils, chickpeas, protein powders (since I do a lot of sports) and any other kind of beans.
There’s a lot to choose from – don’t worry 🙂
I am a passionate vegan long distance runner and I also love to go to the gym and lift weights. Why can I do that? Well, I get all the necessary nutrients from plants 🙂
Advice for individuals new to a meatless diet
Don’t be too hard on yourself. You don’t need to go from 0 to 100. Especially when you want to be vegan. Try it out and feel what’s good for your body! You will see how you will feel over time.
If you have a strong will, it is going to be easy for you! If you do it for the right reasons, it will not be hard and you won’t feel like it’s a burden but a blessing. In my case – I never looked back. I don’t miss meat or any kind of animal products because I found my reasons why.
Please list all your web and social media accounts to be included in the article.
My instagram account is @veganfitkiki. I try to inspire people with vegan food and running/sports content.
If you are looking for a nutritionist to help you with your meatless diet – I am ready and happy to help you with your journey!
call me Kiki
➸ vegan 🌱 🗣 🇺🇸 🇩🇪
➸ certified nutritionist✨dm for inquiries
➸ running & fitness
➸ Hashimoto fighter🦋
all images courtesy of call me Kiki