It is no secret that changing what you eat ends up changing your life. The healthier you eat, the better you realize this fact. No sooner do you dare to move out of your comfort zone than you start the change inside out. Some people recover from their health problems and some become activists to devote their lives to helping others. You will learn about 5 inspiring Turkish people who have changed a lot in Turkey by going vegan.
Turkey’s Brave and Inspiring Vegans
There are maybe thousands of life transformations out there thanks to the vegan or plant-based lifestyle. I have tried to list my top inspiring vegans from Turkey whose lives have transformed not only their own life but also many others including me.
You may see the list of all vegan, vegetarian and vegan-friendly doctors in Turkey here.
1- Dr. Murat Kinikoglu
Here is the Turkish counterpart of Dr. Greger (at least for me). Dr. Kinikoglu is a successful cardiologist in Turkey. He is the author of Vegan Saglik, an amazing book on vegan nutrition in Turkish.
He lost his parents due to heart disease. His four other siblings had heart attacks. He ended up thinking it was inevitable for him to get heart problems as well. After reading an article on the importance of nutrition on heart disease, he started educating himself about it. Since then, he and his family have been following an oil-free vegan diet.
The reasons why his life transforms others:
- · He is a patient, kind and joyful doctor with great videos on YouTube.
- · His son, Oguz Kinikoglu, is also a vegan doctor and activist.
- · His wife shares healthy, delicious, oil-free vegan recipes.
- · He is an ethical vegan, environmentalist, and a great researcher.
2- Dr. Yeliz Utku Konca
Dr. Utku Konca is a great scientist who studied the chemistry of biological molecules (see protein). She received her MA and PhD degrees from NYU where she became vegan. She has had two healthy vegan pregnancies. She has written many articles, produced podcasts (Ozgur Vegan), organized workshops and translated a book on veganism and yoga.
She says she realized that a cow had the same feelings and instinct towards her baby as a human mother did. She did her research and went vegan knowing it she would be even healthier. However, it was hard for her to convince some of her family members and friends to believe her. That’s why she created veganyemekler.com, to share her knowledge, research and experience.
Dr. Yeliz Utku Konca has a huge impact on my other vegans because:
- She is a mother, scientist and yoga teacher.
- She teaches at one of the top universities (Koc University) in Turkey.
- She researches biomolecular chemistry, sustainable biofuels, food chemistry, etc.
- She is a positive, happy, productive and inspiring woman.
3- Dr. Suat Erus
Dr. Suat Erus is another inspiring doctor from Turkey. He specialized in thoracic surgery and works as an assistant professor. In his pretty busy life, he also produces great Youtube videos, runs en.kolayvegan.com, shares Instagram posts, and translates books.
He claims that if he became a vegan, anyone in the world could be. He used to follow a heavy animal-based diet and avoid plants as much as possible for years. Then he realized that people caused both themselves and animals to suffer a lot. Knowing his family and friends wouldn’t believe he turned vegan, he created a video to explain his decision. After watching the video, his friends asked him to put it on Youtube and share with everyone. This is how he entered the Youtube world as a vegan doctor.
Dr. Erus has transformed many lives because:
- · He is an honest, humble and patient person.
- · He creates transformative videos on Youtube with other vegans in Turkey.
- · He and his team created a platform for all vegan health professionals in Turkey.
- · He translated Simple Happy Kitchen into Turkish.
4- Nevsin Mengu
Changing the field of work, I would like to continue with an inspiring journalist woman from Turkey. Nevsin Mengu went vegetarian when she was a kid. I think that shows that she was fearless, obstinate and quite sensitive. That’s why she is good at what she does now.
In an interview, she was asked if the vegan diet was healthy enough. Her answer makes me smile: ‘The healthiest (!) is human meat, if we talk about health, let’s eat each other. We have no right to eat animals and their secretions, it’s that simple for me.’
Nevsin Mengu-Vegan journalist
Nevsin Mengu has inspired many others as:
- She is one of the fearless female news reporters in Turkey.
- She is a triathlete and ironman triathlon finisher.
- She is a funny, clever, outspoken and happy vegan.
- She compiles and shares daily news on her Youtube channel.
5- VeganTeacher (@veganoteacher)
Here is the last transformer on my list. VeganTeacher is another inspiring vegan from Turkey. On his Instagram account, you can find fantastic recipes and lists of vegan products in Istanbul.
He shares vegan guides for various products ranging from vegan clothes to vegan cleaning agents.
As a teacher, content creator, and explorer, VeganTeacher touches many lives:
- He creates easy and delicious vegan recipes.
- He exchanges vegan gift boxes with other vegans all around the world.
- He researches a lot to find real vegan brands in the market.
- He shows how to be a healthy and happy vegan to his students at school and many others online.
You have read about five inspiring Turkish vegans working in different fields. They are all hard-working, ethical, and life-changing people. Yet, there are many more successful vegans leading the vegan movement in Turkey.
Share your comments or questions with me.