Sonja is a 33-years-old mom from Austria. She grew up in the countryside, surrounded by nature – but also farms. As a little girl she already was a big animal lover, and she spent a lot of her free time at the farms of her neighbors, cuddling the baby calves and feeding the cows.
When she was 23 years old, she understood that eating meat didn’t go with her principles of loving animals. Six years later, she realized that the milk industry is even worse, and decided to go vegan. All her memories with the cute baby calves had now another sensation – as a mom she could feel the suffering of the mother cow and her baby being separated. It broke her heart to know that so many years she thought that this was normal and ok.
Step by step she learned about all the animal industries, such as the suffering of the egg-laying hens as well as the horrorizing reality of the fish industry.
She is now a mom of two little kids and her wish is to bring animal empathy and compassion to the next generation. She sees that children still have the love and connection with animals – so let’s keep this seed growing. On her instagram account she wants to bring awareness and inform about veganism, and all the positive impact it has to be vegan!
Please tell us more about yourself
Veganism is expanding and showing the world that the path is empathy, love, and respect
🌱El veganismo se expande y va mostrando al mundo que el camino es la empatía, el amor y el respeto.
My name is Sonja, I am 33 years old and I am from Austria. I have lived in Patagonia, Argentina for 8 years.
What Inspired You to Become Vegan, and How Long Have You Followed This Lifestyle?
When I was 23 years old, I went vegetarian. I always was an animal lover, and at this moment I made the connection that I did not want to eat animals. It still took me 5 years more to get vegan. When I was 28 years old, I made a liver cleaning, which recommends a diet free of sugar, any animal product and processed food for one week. It was not hard for me, so I said, ok, let’s try if I can continue this vegan diet. And so it was – step by step I stopped consuming animal products, first only food, like cheese and eggs, and then I started to see documentaries like Cowspiracy or What the Health, and I felt like I was finally awakening and I started to understand the ethical reasons why to be vegan. This made me every day more secure about my decision.
Any interesting stories during this period?
In my first pregnancy I was vegetarian. When my first son was 10 month old, I went vegan. In my next pregnancy I was vegan. I had two wonderful pregnancies and births. I never had anemia, my blood values were perfect. Of course I was supplementing B12.
What Challenges Do You Face When Finding Vegan Food, Especially When Eating Out With Friends, and How Do You Overcome Them?
It depends where you live. In Austria it’s so easy to be vegan, there are so many alternatives in the supermarket. In Argentina I live in a little town in the mountains, there are some places where you can get vegan food, but I make my own cheese f.ex., and there are no alternatives for ham or bacon. I don’t miss it, but I think it would help other people to become vegan.
How Has Being Vegan Impacted Your Life and Emotions?
💚 Veganism is an ETHICAL STANCE AGAINST ANIMAL EXPLOITATION. Nothing more, nothing less. ✊🏻💚
El veganismo es una POSTURA ÉTICA EN CONTRA DE LA EXPLOTACIÓN ANIMAL. Ni más ni menos
I love it! It’s the best decision I’ve ever made – I am just sad that I didn’t do it sooner.
With instagram I try to reach out to more people, and tell the truth about the milk industry, about all the cruelty that is happening day by day, and that meat is over. We don’t need to eat any animal products to live healthy.
How Can You Convince Someone to Give Vegan Foods a Try?
I would probably start with health benefits. Most people don’t want to make the connection with animal – dead animal – meat. For many people it’s easier to motivate them with health issues. And relax, don´t push. If they are open minded and interested, I am more than happy to explain the ethical reasons.
What Are Some Must-Try Vegan Restaurants and Dishes?
In El Bolsón, Rio Negro, Argentina: Cocina Con Vida, Mamangua, RiSa Casa de Té, La Despensita
Healthy, delicious vegan food!
What Are Common Misconceptions About Vegan Lifestyles, and How Can You Educate Others About Them?
One misconception is that people think that veganism is just about food. But being vegan means that you are against ANY kind of animal cruelty and exploitation, like zoos, animals in circuses or products that are tested on animals.
Another misconception is that still many people believe that having a vegan diet means that you are suffering from a lack of nutrition. Of course it´s recomendable to have the advice of a specialized nutrition, but a well planned vegan diet is absolutely possible at any age and phase of your life, also for children and in pregnancy.
Yet another misconception is that a lot of people think that vegan food doesn’t taste good, that it’s boring. When actually the opposite is the fact! There are so many dishes and recipes I have tried when I started being vegan, it’s so much fun to create new foods with new flavours!
What Tips and Advice Would You Give to Someone Just Starting a Meatless Diet?
Let’s leave the animals in peace.
Dejemos los animales en paz.
Let’s be vegan.
For them. 💚
Seamos veganxs.
Por ellos. 💚
Go easy. You have the possibility to choose your meal three times a day. And I definitely recommend watching documentaries like Cowspiracy, or heavier ones like Dominion.
Sonja
ᴠᴇɢᴀɴɪꜱᴍᴏ • ᴍᴀᴛᴇʀɴɪᴅᴀᴅ • ʏᴏɢᴀ • ʟᴇᴄᴛᴜʀᴀ • ♋
💜Feminista Antiespecista ✊🏻💚🌈
🇦🇷ᴘᴀᴛᴀɢᴏɴɪᴀ, ᴀʀɢᴇɴᴛɪɴᴀ 🇦🇹 OÖ, ᴀᴜꜱᴛʀɪᴀ
all images courtesy of Sonja