Michael Hardy's Story, Insight, & Perspective

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This interview was captured at the National Health Association Conference in 2022: www.healthscience.org/ for more information.

[@veganizeeverything2769]

That's great he's been on a plant-based diet since 2005, but he was calling himself vegan while only mentioning health and the planet/environment. He did mention that his diet was saving animals but only in regards to the "environment." He doesn't seem to realize that vegan is 100% for the animals and the "ethical" part you asked about. That distinction is important because when people who claim to be vegans drop off of the diet, they wrongly call themselves "ex-vegans."

[@VeganLinked]

I like how you concluded this. At the same time if health is his focus I'm not complaining. Humans are animals too, so we should include them equivocally. When we love ourselves we are more equipped to better love others. Health is a very logical path to veganism and extremely common one. It excites people the most and logically so. Because we don't "need" to eat animals and it is unhealthy it is completely unnecessary when healthier options are available including fasting. If we needed to eat animals then logically we would be welfarist. You don't even have to like animals to not want to hurt them much less ingest them. And most people aren't exposed to animals enough to make the connection in which case health may be the only path to veganism. Because of advancements in nutritional science and information technology we know more than ever about the health and this seems to be a significant part of why so many people are going vegan. This event was mostly health oriented. So the interviews from there are different. It even throw me off guard at times because some people I interviewed didn't even want to use the word vegan because of their negative experiences with the vegan community. I even refused a couple of people when I realized they weren't entirely vegan. I regret not interviewing them though because the off camera dialog was priceless in that I defended veganism well. I'm still learning though. Please bare with me through the interviews like this, there was maybe a half a dozen in all out of these at the conference that we edgy. I have some really golden ones coming you'll love though, I promise. In the end we are all vegan forward when we are trying our best to be healthy and considerate of others and even the most staunch or pure or eminent vegans can still find ways to improve. Ideally we would be encouraging and positive as much as possible especially to those doing the best they can for where they are in their journey as individuals. ❤ Thank you so much for watching and sharing!

[@veganizeeverything2769]

@@VeganLinked Thank you. Yes, health motivates many to start eating a plant-based diet, and I feel that this guy with his WFPB diet and nutrition coaching will stick with it. But it's the ethics that really motivates us to convince as many others as possible, and these "ex-vegan" stories can be very damning. I personally did it for animals while knowing I needed to change my diet. I do find it odd that someone would care more about the "planet" than about individual sentient beings suffering, so there's still that disconnect there.

[@VeganLinked]

@@veganizeeverything2769 indeed, it can be very empowering to remain cognizant of ethics. I like this conversation because I do want to have deeper dives into that direction with people time permitting and if they are ok with it. The deeper I go with people the trickier it can be. There's been a few times where the interviewee(s) later requested I remove segments because they feared what others may think. There's so much to learn, cover, and do. I do these alone, I'm learning constantly and have much more to come. I wish you could tag along and experience everything outside of these interviews. There's so much I'd love to share. I will work to get better helping others think things through deeper into the ethics! I wish you could see/hear segments I've had to remove from some interviews, even specifically about ethics. There's various reasons why someone may not want to go there. It can get deep and personal.

[@VeganLinked]

@@veganizeeverything2769 this is totally a rant, so I hope you don't mind me rambling lol.... as for ex vegan stories. I see what you're saying, they went for health and when that didn't work they went back to eating animals. And then the stories... Until you, or I, or at least someone we know gets sick from going vegan we will not know what that is like. Would we eat animals if we had to? To what extent? If we think we have to and do it to the least extent possible does that mean we're not vegan? Is that scenario even real? can't everyone be vegan just as easy as you or me? Did they fail or just try to survive or were they lying or were they lied to? People fail at everything they do, it is inevitable. People just need to try, try again! Failure is typically a part of success. I'm totally rambling... I just love the health side. It is a very significant and perhaps most significant factor. Because it is healthiest to eat plants exclusively i encourage everyone to do it. And because they don't want to hurt animals it's important for them to know they don't have to. "Eat plants and no one gets hurt"! Health is essential to that.

[@charmersify]

Would you like to interview me? I have been vegan since November 9, 1989.

[@brittanieecard2303]

I can not wait to buy His book! ❤

[@debbielente4766]

thank you for sharing Michael, God Bless you and your family, we need to save animals and planet

[@carlo6912]

Thank you for sharing your story. It was truly inspirational. Will be looking out for your book.

[@ChangingTheTide]

Discovering good health makes being vegan easy. Thanks for sharing your story!

[@andreawisner7358]

The vegan world needs more people like him, positively persuading more people to go vegan in the most healthful way than most vegans ever do.

[@VeganLinked]

YES!!!!! :)

[@binta3760]

Great interview! I appreciate his perspective.

[@brittanieecard2303]

🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉THAT’S MY UNCLE 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@leolovejoy5575]

I truly enjoyed it & may God bless .

[@veganizeeverything2769]

Also, if people became aware of the suffering of animals, they wouldn't just be eating this way "just one day a week" They wouldn't be able to bear eating it any more at all. I do like that he said he doesn't miss meat at all although the plant-based versions are a good bridge for people transitioning.

[@Siroitin]

I think people are eating "just one day a week" because they know how much animals. You get weekly reminder how good person you are because you eat meat "just one day a week". You are just flirting with the idea and fantasizing different lifestyles, like when you go shopping but you don't have a real intention to buy. Once you are a vegan, you are just a vegan and you don't get any "excess pleasure" from not making animals suffer.

[@mkmstillstackin]

This guy is making a positive impact on humanity, in my opinion.

[@VeganLinked]

"Veganism does not require us to love our victims, or to be kind to our victims, or to be compassionate to our victims. Veganism requires us to stop having victims. That's all." - There's an Elephant in the Room

[@MassMultiplayer]

Thanks for saying "inspiring" autor. thats very honest and modest. +1 love the vibe

[@carnismiscancer2108]

Great interview!

[@VeganLinked]

A laid back more simple one for sure. I'm saving the most intense for last, can't wait! ❤ thanks so much!!!

[@brittanieecard2303]

Uncle Michael has been a big inspiration 😊in my life he is an awesome person to get information what he says is honest and heartfelt. He really cares about everyone!

[@Bob-ju2ge]

❤❤❤

[@klaraware637]

I was unable to access his website. ☹️ The address brought up another site with ads.

[@VeganLinked]

Yeah, he is having problems getting that going. I probably should have removed that from being mentioned.

[@VeganLinked]

I gave him a hard time about it today again lol. He's getting on the ball with it meow...

[@hardyiimichaelearlw6769]

@Klara Ware, I apologize for the website's issues. I was extremely busy and decided to take it down temporarily. It will be reposted soon with some edits and a link to the book's information.

[@betzib8021]

So is this guy eating raw food? It sure would be interesting to know more about that. Great video. Thanks.

[@VeganLinked]

I have a great video coming soon, interview with someone who's been raw very long, you'll love it.

[@hardyiimichaelearlw6769]

Yes, I am raw for a number of days a week. Thanks for listening and commenting!

[@gerrie720]

ARE THERE ANY VEGANS OR VEGETARIANS IN BHAM, AL. CAN'T FIND ONE, EVEN VOLUNTEERED TO WORK AT A RESTURANT, FOUND IT REALLY WAS NOT VEGAN, GREASY, NOT WHAT I AM LOOKING FOR . PLANT BASED ALL THE WAY IS WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR.

[@jdmmg4904]

Don't do colonics, they flush out healthy stuff that your body needs. I'm not a doctor but please do your research about it before you consider doing it. Same with fasting or raw veganism. Some people definitely rubbed their health with this, especially through listening to people who weren't doctors as well. You don't need your butt cleansed for your spiritual journey. Just be a normal vegan, that's enough:)

[@VeganLinked]

I've asked other doctors about this and they said what you're saying. It was only two tho and they weren't necessarily absolutely certain but every bit skeptical. I literally almost edited that out. But Adama does it, Karyne does it, that blonde couple in the desert do it, etc. Next time when it goes there I will probe lol. And it's already a question on my list for certain doctors, just hasn't happened yet on camera.

[@jdmmg4904]

@@VeganLinked thanks for responding! I am happy to read about your considerations regarding this topic and glad you'll do more research about it. With a platform like yours it's definitely a responsibility you have and I'm sure it's not so easy sometimes especially when you're not a doctor yourself. Looking forward to more content and maybe some update about your research. Thanks for your work:)!

[@VeganLinked]

Yeah, I should have went with my gut on that and cut it out lol. Maybe if you think of a paper or something we can reference I'll clean this thread up and pin it to the top at least to be helpful...

[@jdmmg4904]

@@VeganLinked ok, I'll do that if I find a link to a published paper. Just recently stumbled across this topic, hoping I'll find it again:)

[@jdmmg4904]

@@VeganLinked I am sorry, I was trying to find a reliable source but couldn't find any that I would be confident to post here. I will still stay away from it due to my research but for sharing a paper online I would have to find a link that is more official than what i've found. Maybe you / someone else can add one:)

[@veganpowergrab]

eh, this guy is in it for the health and the environment. could still be wearing animal skin. hasn't mentioned animals once in this video.

[@VeganLinked]

The doctors at this conference were vegan but some of the people attending were either vegan or vegan forward. There is nothing wrong with taking the health path. The overwhelming majority of people are too far removed from what is happening to animals to care. I pinned a comment just now that was similar to yours where we already had this discourse. Essentially it makes perfect sense for people to come into veganism through the health path. No one really wants to hurt animals so we are all vegan at heart we just eat them because we've been lied to and desensitized. The best way to progress veganism is encouraging others positively, educating them, and making people feel good about vegan especially when they are progressing in this direction. I have met many vegans but I have yet to meet the perfect vegan. We can all get better and as far as I know I don't think this man would intentionally buy a non vegan product. Especially now that he's met me lol. I strive to normalize veganism and people are animals too so it's important to include humans in the equation of ethics and compassion. This man is taking care of himself which enables him to care for others. I would much rather see a health oriented vegan out there than some sloppy junk food vegan making veganism look destructive, sick and insane. After committing to veganism in 2011 I was a closet vegan for 5 years until I understood the health aspect. I wasn't about to go out and say "Hey go vegan even though it's going to kill you." I don't think that would be very effective and I aspire to help everyone be the best they can be. This will actualize our innate potential toward being vegan. More people are going vegan for health than ever before. It would be very counter productive to have a problem with that. Please refer to the pinned comment though for further dialog on this, this will make things a lot easier.

[@andreawisner7358]

Great, critize him for positively affecting more people to eat vegan than most "vegans" ever have.

[@stuartperry8141]

Many other animals kill and maim other animals because it is their nature. I believe God or the Creator made it that way. For man to say that it is unethical to eat other animals but plants do not count as living only as food sources are suspect and baseless.

[@VeganLinked]

The animals you are eating acquired their nutrients from plants. So, instead of killing a thinking, fearing, loving animal AND plants just eat plants and one less thing dies. Plants are the most abundant fuel source for all life to consume because they are autotrophs making food from the sun unlike animals that depend on plants to do this. Plants make it possible for terrestrial life to exist by supplying oxygen and glucose from the sun and carbon dioxide. Plants fix nitrogen from the air and bacteria in the soil to build the amino acids we need for protein, they are the source of this. The animal you ate processed the nutrients they needed from plants. While eating an animal is not profoundly different than eating a human animal, animal is not healthy to consume compared to plant and therefore not necessary to eat for those with access to plants which is most abundant and of course it then becomes unethical to eat animals since they are within the animal kingdom and most sentient. And it is unsustainable to feed more than 10 times as many animals as there are humans, animals forced into existence for privileged, sick indifferent people to eat.

[@VeganLinked]

Animals don't typically go around needlessly killing. And human animals can do better and do better when they don't needlessly and intentionally hurt animals