Welcome to my website! My name is Taryn and I'm 24 years old. I'm so excited to announce that Vegetaryn is up and running! I have spent the past 8 months teaching myself how to build a website, brand, and business. It has been a long journey, but I have learned so much.
I am an animal loving, veggie eating, big kid for life consumed by wanderlust soaking up the sun (#vitaminD) in Los Angeles, CA. I graduated from Arizona State University with a BA in Communications and a Minor in Family & Human Development. Also, I have a Certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition from Cornell University.
As you can see in the picture below, since day one, I have always loved to eat. (Please excuse the creepy doll #photobomb).
Food & eating are my favorite things, and I am not ashamed to admit it. In high school, my diet consisted of Taco Bell, In N Out, Chipotle, McDonald’s, & my favorite, Top Ramen. When I would eat at Chipotle I would order double meat burritos. At In N Out, I would regularly order 2 double-double cheeseburgers (yes, that is 4 hamburger patties & 2 buns) WITH a side of animal style french fries. I was able to eat like this because I was a competitve cheerleader and working out 30+ hours/week. If you ask any of my teammates about my eating habits, they would tell you all I ever thought about at practice was food and I should probably be over 600 pounds.
When I got to college, I stopped exercising, started drinking, and continued my unhealthy eating habits. It wasn’t until I studied abroad in Barcelona, Spain that I started to take the time to think before I put something into my mouth. In Spain, Jamón (ham) hangs from the ceilings in many restaurants & shops, it grossed me out - especially when a pig's thigh was hanging right above my head. This led me to eat many vegetarian meals during my time in Europe. All the while, I thought my mom was going crazy, adopting a vegan diet back in America.
Furthermore, when I returned from Barcelona, I was eager and excited to get back to my “normal” foods: Taco Bell, In N Out, Chipotle, etc. However, once I started eating all these foods again I started feeling really sick and getting horrible stomach aches. Surely enough, I got sick of feeling sick, I started learning about food and making conscious decisions about what I was eating. I began to eat only whole, plant-based foods. The outcome was incredible and extremely unexpected. Not only did I feel better and get rid of my stomach aches, all of the sudden, my eczema went away & my asthma disappeared! (It was “normal” for me to carry an inhaler with me everywhere I went,now I don’t even own an inhaler). Additionally, my acne was no longer an issue for me and I even lost 20 lbs. I didn’t mean to lose weight, nor did I ever think I was overweight; my body just becamehealthier overall. Now, eveytime I eat I am not just eating for myself, I know I am helping animals and the environment too. I feel as though everytime I sit down at the table, my choices have a greater impact on the world. The pictures below clearly show you the difference the role my eating habits played on me:
*Please Note - I never thought and still don't think I was overweight, my body just became healthier overall. I use these pictures to show you the changes I personally experienced.
I share this story with you so that you can learn a little about me, understand where I am coming from, and why I hope to inspire others to make healthier food choices while still experiencing full satisfaction and enjoyment.
Let's change the world one bite at a time!
Peas Out!
-Taryn
