Susmitha Veganosaurus is a holistic business coach, vegan chef and culinary consultant, joyful vegan transition coach, meditation guide, and multi-passionate entrepreneur. She helps people make happiness, fun and self-love their highest priority through her podcast (The Feel Good Factor), workshops, courses, talks and online coaching programs.
She's passionate about teaching people to lead frictionless, fulfilling vegan lives. And she mentors conscious women entrepreneurs, helping them grow their business with a focus on self-care and a mindset of abundance.
I grew up vegetarian, and I used to love milk and curds. Then, I found out about the cruelties in the dairy industry.
At first, I was in complete denial and refused to learn more about what happens to cows. There was no way I could "give up" my milk, curds and desserts, right? So, I figured ignorance is bliss. But gradually, I realised that I couldn't ignore the facts anymore. So, I went vegan.
I still clearly remember the exact moment I decided. I felt a shift in my energy. An expansive feeling. It's so hard to explain it in words, but I just knew in my soul that this decision would change my life in powerful ways. I was about to become who I was meant to be!
I originally made the transition for ethical reasons, but soon I began to experience benefits to my health and spiritual practices. It took a while for me to make the connection, but there was no denying it, going vegan had changed my life for the better in so many amazing ways. There was no looking back.
My journey as a vegan has been nothing short of amazing! It's given me so much purpose in multiple areas of my life, and it's helped me grow as a person. Even now, there's always something new to learn. It never gets boring. I have made so many discoveries since turning vegan! The top two are discovering the endless world of vegan cuisine and boosting my spiritual growth.
I'm not a typical animal lover, but I still went vegan. It was quite eye-opening for me to see that you don't have to love/rescue/care for other beings to respect their free will and not mess with their lives.
This way of thinking and questioning conditioned beliefs opened me up to becoming more conscious and compassionate. My passion for feminism, equality and inclusiveness stems from my veganism.
Yes, in those first few years, the onus was on me to make people understand what veganism even was. The arguments and push backs were difficult. There was zero awareness, so of course, people didn't know how to be sensitive or inclusive of vegans.
In those first few years, on the one hand, I was experiencing the pure magic of this way of living, but on the other, I wasn't able to make my friends and family see this magic. It was frustrating! Haha
But every one of those experiences has taught precious lessons. They now empower me to help people transition into veganism smoothly and easily. My lessons shorten their learning curve. Here are the top three tips that I like sharing with all new and transitioning vegans:
• Always check ingredients. It should become second nature to you. Never take a "vegan" label at face value.
• Learn to cook. When you make your vegan food, you never have to depend on the availability of products (though it's important to support vegan businesses). And more importantly, you can whip up delicious dishes and feed them to non-vegan friends and family. A super effective way to increase awareness
• Surround yourself with a solid support system. Connecting with other like-minded vegans will enrich and ease your journey.
I turned vegan for ethical reasons, but I stayed vegan because of how freaking delightful it's made my life! Being vegan has shaped my entire identity. Almost every aspect of my life is infused with the essence of veganism.
Here's some of the work I do/have done in the vegan field:
• Run one of the oldest vegan recipe blogs in the country
• Taught hundreds of people, including professional chefs, to make vegan food
• Co-owned and operated Carrots, India's first 100% ethical vegan restaurant with an in-house bakery and culinary academy for several years
• Coach and mentor vegan entrepreneurs to run their businesses
• Help people make their vegan journey/transition more joyful in a holistic way through my Vegan Immersion Experience course
I can't even imagine who I would be today if I hadn't gone vegan!
Going vegan is a much needed conscious way of living in today's world. It's great for the animals, environment, and health. But, even if you don't care at all about any of those things, you should still go vegan because it's the best damn gift you can give yourself.
It'll change your life in incredible, unimaginable ways.