Auggie Yap-Suratos is the co-founder of The Vegan Grocer, a one-stop shop that provides meatless and dairy-less alternative food and ingredients in the Philippines. You name it, they got it – everyday meals, desserts, snacks, pizza, ice cream and other stuff that make people say “Wow this is vegan?”
When Auggie and her husband Israel started The Vegan Grocer in 2017, plant-based food was pretty much a novel concept to Filipinos. But thanks to Auggie and Israel, and other relentless plant-based advocates, veganism is now inching towards the mainstream. In Metro Manila, at least, more and more vegan restaurants have opened. Even in non-vegan restaurants, recognizing that a vegan market exist, chefs and restaurant owners make sure to add more plant-based offerings on their menu.
Here, Auggie Suratos-Yap shares her story, how and why she shifted to a plant-based lifestyle, what sparked her and Israel to create The Vegan Grocer, and how veganism has transformed her life for the better. She also talks about the usual misconceptions people have about veganism, and imparts some tips on how people can ease their way into a plant-based lifestyle.
Please tell us about yourself.
Hi, I’m Auggie Yap-Suratos, proudly embraced the vegan lifestyle for 17 years and counting. I’m loving this lifestyle I’ve chosen, a conscious choice which is very aligned with my personal beliefs and the path I’ve chosen to travel as I journey here on Earth.
My transition to a plant-based lifestyle was sparked by my struggle with endometriosis. Impressively, within just 6 months of adopting a whole food plant-based diet, I witnessed the natural reversal of my condition, all without the need for any medications. I nourished my body with vibrant, live foods and invigorating fresh juices. This experience strengthened my unwavering belief in the adage “LET FOOD BE THY MEDICINE” and “THE FOOD THAT WE EAT CAN HEAL OUR BODY”. Indeed, our dietary choices can make a remarkable influence over our body’s innate ability to heal itself.
When did you and Israel start The Vegan Grocer, and what’s the inspiration behind it?
We started The Vegan Grocer in May 2017. It came from my wish and dream to have a place to go to where everything is vegan. The idea came up when my sister was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer. I encouraged her to shift to a plant-based lifestyle to help heal her body, but finding vegan stuff that time was tough. We had a hard time completing what she needed. We would visit different places to buy her vegan needs and spend a week or two to complete everything. With the heavy traffic we encountered during those times, I came from desperation and wished that there is a vegan grocery where we can buy everything we needed. Little did I know, I will be the one to manifest or fulfill that dream.
When you decided to pursue a plant-based diet, did you do it gradually, or did you change your diet overnight?
When I decided to embrace a plant-based diet, I did it gradually. I could really relate to people who are trying their best to transition slowly. My journey began by attending a series of free seminars focused on the plant-based lifestyle, held every Sunday — although regrettably, they had to cease during the pandemic. Through these sessions, I gained enlightening insights that deepened my understanding of how food can heal our bodies. I also learned why we need to avoid eating meat and what’s in the meat products.
With this knowledge as my guide, my transition was a step-by-step process. Week after week, I consciously eliminated meat from my diet. My journey began with letting go of pork, followed by beef, chicken, fish, eggs, dairy, and lastly, bread. I love eating bread so it was the last one I removed from my diet. But every small step helped me grow and learn, strengthening my connection with the plant-based lifestyle.
How did your body (and mind) change when you became vegan?
People thought you would weaken when you shift to plant-based diet. But no, it was the opposite. Contrary to what many believe, adopting a plant-based lifestyle didn’t make me weaker. Instead, it actually gave me more energy.
People who choose plant-based diets often feel more energetic than those who eat meat. The reason? Instead of using excessive energy on digestion, your body can allocate it to fueling your daily activities. What you eat matters actually. If you undereat, you may encounter feelings of weakness and irritability, some friends said they felt this way because of hunger. So I shared with them the secret to have an instant energy: FRESH JUICE! It doesn’t need to go through your digestive system, it goes directly into your bloodstream, and circulates to your whole body, rejuvenating your entire system.
During my initial three months as a vegan, I embraced a 75% raw diet as part of my protocol to expedite the healing of my endometriosis. This journey led me to shed weight, I was just like 98 pounds. My family and friends said even though I lost weight but I didn’t look sickly. Instead they notice my skin is glowing, my complexion radiated health and vitality. Ever since I became vegan, I’ve been fortunate not to be hospitalized for any illnesses (thankfully!). My annual physical exams are always normal. I would only get sick when I’m over fatigued. It’s often my body’s way of gently reminding me to pause, slow down, and take care of myself.
The vegan lifestyle became the transformative cornerstone that led me to the place I am today. One of my spiritual mentors said my journey unfolded in distinct phases of growth. It started with physical purification through adopting a vegan diet. Subsequently, my journey encompassed emotional purification through a leadership training—where forgiveness emerged as a powerful lesson. This experience was magical for me because it brought me back to my true essence which is LOVE. Following this emotional cleanse, my path embarked on a spiritual journey. I attended PRANIC HEALING, where I delved into the realm of prana, chi, and energy healing—a learning that was entirely unique and intangible. This path led me to Lily and Beyond, expanding my understanding to embrace ONENESS. And eventually guided me to VAJRAYANA, Tibetan Buddhism. Remarkably, it all ignited from my foray into veganism.When I embraced veganism, it connected me with practices rooted in LOVING-KINDNESS & COMPASSION. I always believe that being vegan is a choice of the SOUL— the most noble decision one can make in this lifetime. My mantra as a vegan: I DON’T WANT TO BE THE CAUSE OF SUFFERING OF ANOTHER BEING. So, I’m definitely vegan for life. There’s no turning back, for this is my choice – my soul choice – not just for this lifetime, but beyond.
What did you struggle with when you started your vegan journey? And how did you overcome those challenges?
Oh, it’s super hard to be vegan 17 years ago! I was literally crying to the health coaches. I told them I really can’t eat the food, I don’t know how to prepare and cook and I don’t think I could last! They gave a menu to follow for my breakfast, lunch and dinner which served as a guide since I really don’t know anything about vegan food yet. Unfortunately, I struggled to eat the vegetable smoothies and salads I prepared. So they provided me with guidance on creating healthy and delicious food, and I’m super grateful for their patience and support. The early months proved to be the most challenging part of my journey, particularly when grappling with the concept of raw vegan cuisine.
But with the help of YouTube, I was able to search for mouthwatering vegan dishes. My lifestyle inspired me to learn how to prepare and cook my own meals, like creating vegan ice cream, baking cookies and cakes, and even crafting cheese from plant-based ingredients. Back then, ready-made vegan products were scarce, pushing me to create everything from scratch. Unlike today, where almost everything you need is readily available at The Vegan Grocer®, offering a wide range of vegan products. It’s a testament to how accessible transitioning has become. Hence, there is no reason for people not to opt for this kinder and more compassionate lifestyle.
When you transition, no matter what challenges and struggles you encounter, you have to bear in mind: why are you transitioning? For me, I really wanted to heal my body, my endometriosis, so even though it was so difficult that time, I really stayed committed with my diet no matter what.
What do you think are the usual misconceptions of people about vegan food?
There are several common misconceptions about vegan food. A prevailing notion is that vegan food tends to be bland and lacking in flavor. However, this perception quickly shifts when individuals try the products we offer. It’s amazing to see them realize that vegan food is just like the traditional dishes they know. Actually, the reason meat dishes taste so good is because of the sauces and seasonings used. When these same ingredients are applied to meat substitutes like tofu, mushrooms, or seitan, it can be hard to tell if it’s vegan or not. People might not even know they’re eating vegan food!
Another widespread misconception is the presumption that a vegan diet solely revolves around salads! It’s an experience I’ve encountered most of the time. Once people find out you’re vegan, they’re likely to prepare a salad. While salads are delightful, but rice is life, right? Sometimes you just want your rice and ulam (main dish), right?
What makes me really happy is seeing how people’s view of vegan food is changing. Nowadays, people actively look for choices beyond salads. Visitors to our store often express their intention to accommodate vegan guests, and they’re pleasantly surprised by the diverse array of dishes they can create.
And they are super amazed that they can serve them the regular Filipino meals like adobo, kare-kare, isaw, barbecue, crispy pata, pizza, cake and ice cream, to assembling a cheeseboard complete with plant-based cheese and a variety of desserts—possibilities abound. Even pasta dishes are not off-limits, thanks to our selection of different sauces and pasta noodles. The culinary choices for vegans are truly extensive.
How did you try to change that?
We’ve taken a proactive approach to address these misconceptions by meticulously curating our product offerings. We try them first before selling to make sure clients will only buy the best vegan food from The Vegan Grocer®. Coming from my 17 years of experience as a vegan, I must admit that there have been instances where I’ve encountered vegan food that is, quite frankly, not very palatable. It occurred to me that people might form the impression that all vegan food is like this, potentially turning them away. This realization motivated me to ensure that our clients’ experience at The Vegan Grocer® is exceptional. I wanted their reaction to be ‘Wow, vegan food is actually delicious!’. So far, I’m proud to share that this is consistently the feedback we receive from our valued clients.
Since starting The Vegan Grocer in 2017, how has Filipinos’ reception of vegan food changed?
I’ve noticed a steady and encouraging increase in Filipinos’ acceptance of vegan food. However, I am aware that there’s still a significant effort needed in reaching out to more people. Many individuals express a desire to transition to a plant-based lifestyle, but they often struggle with the challenge of how to begin and where to find suitable plant-based foods. It is through our store that we educate and guide people who have questions about plant-based and vegan living.
I firmly believe that the concept of eating plain steamed vegetable and chopsuey (a traditional Filipinio vegetable dish) is no longer the only option when eating vegetables. Many people are still surprised when we mention that we offer plant-based isaw, meat-free lechon kawali, vegan chicken inasal, and even vegan fish balls, among other options. It really makes me feel happy when I see their expressions, it’s as if a big door has been opened for them and it’s a delightful new world of plant-based food for them to explore and discover.
Why do you and Israel continue to advocate for veganism?
Israel and I will definitely continue to advocate for veganism because it deeply resonates with our beliefs and principles. We both choose not to take the lives of any beings for food, nor cause harm or suffering to satisfy our cravings. The idea of other beings dying due to our choices is something we wish to avoid. Every living being inherently deserves life, liberty and the enjoyment of their existence on this planet.
We believe that we can co-exist and perpetuate our lives in peaceful harmony and compassion with all existence. And it can start by changing the way we eat, the food choices we make, and our lifestyle as a whole. Being vegan does not only promote healthy plant-based lifestyle, but also alleviates the sufferings of animals. It helps people realize that cruelty is not the only way to sustain our lives, that we can choose to be compassionate to animals, our environment and our body as well. May we inspire others to join us on this path of mindful and conscious living.
What’s your top 3 favorite foods and why?
Ulam or dish? Hmm. I like something crunchy and very tasty ulam. It’s very hard to name my Top 3. I won’t get tired of eating sinantolan, mushroom shanghai and vegnet or vegchon kawali cracklings.
Advice to a person wanting to adopt a plant-based diet?
You have the option to dive in abruptly or take gradual steps. The pace of your transition is entirely up to you. If you’re following my journey, go at your own pace. Your body and determination are your guides. If your primary motivation is compassion for animals, cold turkey is often the choice. For health-driven reasons, a more gradual transition might be suitable. However, we hope that your initial motivation for transitioning shifts toward animal welfare.
You may start slowly by reducing or eliminating meat from your diet. For instance, you can begin by abstaining from pork for a week or two. Pay attention to how your body feels during this time. Then, gradually cut out other meats like beef, chicken, and fish, one by one, from your meals. This approach mirrors my own journey. I removed one type of meat each week, allowing me to ease into the transition until it became a consistent habit. As you go along, it would help you sustain your journey especially if you have a strong reason for embracing this change.
Another advice is to have a very deep reason why you wanted to shift to plant-based or vegan lifestyle. It should be more than a diet, more than health. Why? If your transition to a vegan lifestyle is because of health, the temptation to go back eating meat can be strong when you have healed yourself. I know a lot of people who have fallen into this. Transition mainly because you don’t want to see a lifeless body on your plate. You don’t want to see innocent beings in front of you, eaten by you. When you felt the connection with all beings, then for me, you have transitioned for the right reason.
I wouldn’t deny that my first reason I became vegan was to heal my endometriosis, driven by my health condition. But after watching several documentaries, I realized, my chosen lifestyle is hitting three birds with one stone: benefits my health, liberates the animals and saves Mother Earth.
This realization ignited my commitment of not consuming meat anymore. I wholeheartedly embraced the vegan lifestyle, refraining from using leather or fur from animals. If only people know the harsh process behind leather production, they will never buy leather ever again. Right now, all I can see in leather is an animal skinned alive to get a very good quality leather. That’s how cruel the leather industry is. I hope more people wake up to this reality and say no to leather, no to meat, no to killing, no to sacrificing another being for our comfort.
Although signs of positive change are emerging. There are already prominent brands adopting to plant-based leather and numerous celebrities are not supporting leather and fur anymore. In the Philippines, actress Nadine Lustre has fully embraced a vegan lifestyle and doesn’t wear leather anymore, such an awakened soul. I hope more celebrities follow her footsteps.
Wrapping up this interview, we’d like to leave you with the understanding that veganism is not about a dietary choice; it’s a profound commitment to reduce or minimize animal sufferings across all aspects of life. We hope through this interview, we were able to inspire you to embrace a vegan lifestyle. May we all live in peace and harmony with all beings.
Photos courtesy of The Vegan Grocer
Tags
0 Comments