Unveiling the Power of The Honest Whisper: Paving the Way for Veganism and Animal Rights

Laura Warner, also known as Lucy, is a remarkable individual driven by her love for art, science, food, and, above all, animals. With an advanced diploma in Biotechnology, Laura’s thirst for knowledge is quenched through hands-on experiences and extensive reading. Balancing a busy life, she devotes her time to working full-time at a vegan, organic, and raw small-business manufacturing company while caring for her beloved fur kids—a cat and a dog.

Laura’s dedication to activism, both online and offline, predates the establishment of The Honest Whisper, an organization close to her heart. Deeply moved by the stories of animals and their well-being, Laura holds a special place for animal sanctuaries and finds great importance in understanding their compassionate care.

Meatless Movement recently had the chance to chat with her.

With her multifaceted interests, Laura stands as a shining example of someone who embraces compassion, knowledge, and action, using her voice to create a better world for all living beings.

Professional photo credit: Images by Martin Paul

Tell us more about yourself, please

Come on Vegans, Let’s Go Party
Laura Christine Warner

My name is Laura, I am from Peterborough, Ontario but am living in Toronto. I moved to the city, after graduating with an advanced diploma in Biotechnology, to pursue animal rights activism and gain more experience doing what I love.

Currently, I supervise the production of organic, raw, vegan snack food for Nud Fud (www.nudfud.com), which is a small female-founded business. I have lived here, with my vegan dog, for 6 years and enjoy the opportunities and community support it has. Living here has motivated me to continue writing and creating products for my non-profit blog/shop The Honest Whisper (www.thehonestwhisper.ca), to get involved with animal rights organizations, and work as a member & designer for The Vegan Fashion Show (www.theveganfashionshow.org).

As someone who has always been more of an introvert and shy, I have come to really appreciate self-expression through art such as photography, art, writing, and fashion. I like to wind down from busy days by doing yoga, meditation, or simply snuggling on the sofa with my dog watching some of our favourite shows.

I have been vegan for 10 years. Before going vegan, I started with being pescatarian and then vegetarian for about a year. I went vegan because I began making more of a connection to the animals on my plate and became uncomfortable/disgusted when eating or preparing them.

As I started to replace animal-based foods with plant-based foods I felt a lot healthier and happier about the choices I was making. Previously experienced chest pain often, which scared me because heart problems run in my family history. After going vegan, I rarely ever experience them now and knew I was doing the right thing for my body. Lastly, I realized the incredible significance of going vegan for the environmental solutions to combat climate change.

Going Vegan Saved Animals Lives & Mine
Laura Christine Warner

At the time, the town in which I was living was very traditional and many ran animal farms. I got treated differently from some when I started transitioning and many people did not approve of my choice. For me, the hardest part about going vegan wasn’t getting proper nutrition, but adjusting to the social challenges from other people.

Since I am shy, the fact that I was not participating in eating meat, dairy, etc. or supporting it made people uncomfortable. I often felt rejected and dismissed based on their own interpretations and judgments before any chance to talk about my choice. Although not everyone is like this, and some may take more time than others to accept and respect vegans.

Going Vegan Saved Animals Lives & Mine
Laura Christine Warner

I think it’s important to be able to differentiate that being vegan isn’t the problem, it is in fact a solution to many issues. The problem I think most people face going vegan is social acceptance. Being secure with yourself, and who you are, and not being afraid to follow your values even if it means standing alone is a valuable asset.

My father, who is not vegan, has helped support me with a handful of animal rights protests – including hosting my first protest. It meant so much to me that he was not only willing but wanted to be there with me because of his love for me and the animals. Unfortunately, he passed away from cancer but I will always have a deep love and appreciation for all he did out of the goodness of his heart. He was just the type of person who loved and supported me unconditionally and the best he could possibly do for me.

We have certainly progressed in the vegan food department and nutritional resources for individuals. However, just because these resources are more accessible, does not mean they are being used adequately.

I have spoken to many food service workers who still don’t understand what being vegan is or are knowledgeable about ingredients that are animal-derived or even allergens such as dairy. Some workers will say there is no milk or eggs in something because they simply do not care to check, so vegans must take this step and check for themselves.

There are many different types of activism you can do to help create changes in the world
Laura Christine Warner

I feel very good about being vegan and it has become my norm. I feel good about my choices and commitments to my health, the planet, and the animals. I couldn’t ever imagine not being vegan anymore. Being shy has not stopped me from pursuing animal rights activism and supporting others who are interested in going vegan because it is something very important to me.

Is there a significant difference in each individual’s ability to adapt to dietary changes based on our genetics?
Laura Christine Warner

I believe it is usually most effective if they are the ones approaching or questioning you about a choice they see you make on your own. Sometimes, if you try to pressure this change on someone and don’t give them the opportunity to think about it on their own, they will not be accepting or open-minded to it.

Being present and taking up space with your lifestyle, it gives others the opportunity to think about trying meatless and spark curiosity in them to try meatless food like you. I may suggest some of my favourites (that are similar to what they are used to eating) like pulled bbq jackfruit sliders or chickun nuggets. I would also want them to know it is okay if mistakes are made and its an ongoing learning process to understand what ingredients and products are vegan.

The best way to help the environment, animals, and your health is to go vegan though!
Laura Christine Warner

A lot of meals I make for myself I have just created over time based on my personal cravings. One of my favourite staple meals to cook is scrambled tofu. It is very simple, fast, healthy and versatile to make. All you need to do is hand crumble a block of firm tofu and cook on a frying pan over medium heat for about 15 minutes. Then you can add plant-based milk, turmeric (for colour), nutritional yeast, salt (I use table/himalayan), and any other spices you like such as chili flakes or paprika. Once that is mixed you can add chopped kale and veggies such as bell peppers and onion (for this step I usually cover and add a bit of water to steam them). Bonus options you can do is add some plant-based cheese (cover pan to melt), maple syrup, or serve with ketchup.

What advice would you give to someone who is just starting out on a meatless journey?

Listening to Other Animals – You may think, how is it possible to listen to another species if they don’t speak our verbal language?
Laura Christine Warner

Try as many different vegan foods (prepared in various ways) as possible so you can find what you like best. Also, be patient with yourself, mistakes happen and it is a learning process. It is also helpful to try to surround yourself with people who are supportive and accepting.

The most common misconception I hear about being vegan is that it is unhealthy and “unachievable”. I find it helpful to remind those individuals that there are many food sources that they may not have heard of before and the necessary nutrients can be obtained.

If not by food source, they also have the option of taking supplements, fortified plant-based milk beverages, or something as simple as sprinkling some nutritional yeast on food. If they are still unable to absorb the nutrient, it is possible they have an issue that requires regular injections such as B12. Doctors can also be biased when patience try to express this nutrient absorption issue, they may quickly assume it’s from being vegan because of their misconceptions.

A patient may require injections and routine blood testing to ensure they are giving their body the proper nutrition. Ensuring you have a good unbiased/supportive doctor is especially important if you are just starting the transition or if you are experiencing any health concerns.

Vegan Material Is The Future of Fashion
Laura Christine Warner

After being vegan for so many years, it has really opened my eyes and taught me that being vegan is not only a diet but also a lifestyle. There are many fashion and lifestyle choices that also should be considered when making vegan choices. It is excellent to try meatless, another option (or one to add) is making compassionate choices in the fashion choices we have.

A great non-profit organization that I have learned from about what my choices are and their impact on the planet and animals is The Vegan Fashion Show. It is very educational and a great place to meet vegans who are looking to extend their values to include more lifestyle choices in addition to food. For example, did you know there are next-generation materials of plant-based leather (cactus or banana leaves) being used to offer a sustainable option for consumers to support and use as an alternative to animal-based leather?