Jesse: I’ve been a vegetarian for about 6 years.

Saradha: Why are you a vegetarian?

Jesse: I was skateboarding down a hill in college and ended up romantically entangled with a fence. The relationship left me with a bruised face and broken wrist. A couple weeks later I was eating a steak dinner with my family. While chewing on the morsel of cow I suddenly lost all appetite for any kind of animal what so ever. I believe it had something to do with the trauma of the accident/taking the pain killers/being an animal lover. From that point I began reading literature about the various aspects of vegetarianism (spirituality-health-animal rights).

Saradha: What challenges did you find in going or being a vegetarian? How did you overcome them?

Jesse: My first challenge was making it apparent to my family that this wasn’t just a stage. My father’s father was a butcher, and as all of you know this makes me a quarter butch. In other words I come from a family who has a high propensity for meat. For example my mother would eat (vegans cover your eyes & read ahead) raw hamburger before cooking the patties.

This challenge was overcome through determination and education. Additionally, I began to noticed my body burning it’s fuel cleaner. The combined effect led to a paradigm shift about food, diet, and animals. Once this shift took place I gained a solid belief in this lifestyle. After that point none of the challenges my family presented really affected me.

Saradha: What's your favorite vegetarian dish?

Jesse: There isn’t one dish that sticks out in my mind. I’ve been eating a lot of soup lately. If I want something quick I’ll go to the Well Bento. They have pretty good vegetarian & vegan dishes.

Saradha: Do you exercise or do certain activities for fitness?

Jesse: I like to hike when I can get away from building my empire. I bicycle instead of driving to pay bills and do errands. My favorite biking exercise is riding to the only All Vegetarian Health Food Store on the island, Down to Earth!!

Saradha: As a vegetarian, what kind of snacks or desserts do you like to eat?

Jesse: There are two right now. The first is Joyce Zoccolante’s homemade cherry/almond vegan cookies. Better then you can imagine. The second is fresh fruit like Soursop, Lychee, Durian, Avocado, Jackfruit, and almost any kind of berry.

Saradha: Do you have any advice for people who want to or are trying to become vegetarian/vegans?

Jesse: This is for the vegetarian/vegans. In the pursuit of truth, don’t forget to respect other people’s opinion and LISTEN! I’ve met too many people living this lifestyle that carry a fundamental mentality about eating. A famous vegetarian by the name of Mohandas K. Gandhi believed there is one ultimate truth and everyone has a piece of it. The only way we’ll find it is by coming together and trying to understand as well as compromise with one another.

And to the people thinking about a vegetarian lifestyle, go for it! Everyone knows vegetarians are the best kissers!

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