We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Yvonne O’ Halloran. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Yvonne below.

Alright, Yvonne thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. If you had a defining moment that you feel really changed the trajectory of your career, we’d love to hear the story and details.

A pivotal moment in my professional journey occurred when, after three years of practicing as a dietitian, I began to question the recommendation of dairy, meat and eggs to my clients. Despite feeling conflicted due to my university education, I stumbled upon plant-based dietitians and doctors online. The wealth of research supporting plant-based eating both shocked and excited me. As I delved deeper into the literature, the evidence overwhelmingly supported this dietary approach. This discovery led me to explore the dark realities of animal agriculture and the cruelty within the meat, dairy, and egg industries, breaking my heart in the process. It was in that moment that I realized I had found a path that resonated with my values, ethical beliefs, and passion.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am Irish but have lived in Australia for 18 years. I graduated with a masters in nutrition and dietetics in 2012 and have practised as a dietitian ever since. After beginning my career as a private practice dietitian on the Gold Coast in Australia, I then decided to set up my own virtual practise so that I would have the flexibility of travel, which we do often. In 2017 I went vegan and found overwhelming evidence on the health benefits of this lifestyle, particularly whole foods plant-based diet and have never looked back.. I I homeschool my three children and I really enjoy spending time with my kids. I started up Living Vegan in 2019, a news and educational platform for vegans and the vegan curious to help more people learn about this wonderful lifestyle.

I offer email and video consultations to clients all over the world via yvonneohalloran.com and I absolutely love helping people achieve good health through ethical eating. I also offer resources (some free) and pre-designed meal plans. I feel that my mission is to help the world to make a compassionate connection to the ‘food’ they choose to eat. I am a published author of two children’s books called ‘Plant-Powered Animal Protectors’ and ‘We Are Love’ which touch on topics such as love, empathy, magic, oneness and respect. I am currently working on my first evidence-based non-fiction book which is focused on nutrition, spirituality and psychology. I am hoping to have this book published by the end of 2024.

The problems I solve for my clients are varied, I help them to make better decisions, I provide education and I support them during their lifestyle changes. My aim is give them the tools so they can treat, prevent and sometimes reverse their chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, autoimmune diseases obesity and cardiovascular disease. I help pregnant mothers achieve a healthy plant-based pregnancy. I also assist new mothers in introducing solids to their child, or just a health well-rounded diet for their vegan child. I have helped many pescatarians and vegetarians take the next step towards veganism through education and confidence-building, helping to align their values and ethics with the food that they eat.

What sets me apart from others is I am extremely passionate about helping people on the planet wake up and remember that we are all connected and to understand the process sentient beings endure prior to their slaughter. I aim to reignite peoples compassion and remove the cognitive dissonance when it comes to the consumption of animals and their by-products. I want to spread the message that the evidence is clear- for optimal health and longevity centre each and every meal around whole plants and keep animals off your plate, for ethical health and environmental benefits. This, I feel is my ultimate mission.

If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?

Yes I absolutely would, but I do wish that I had learned more about plant-based diets at university so that I could have impacted more people sooner, rather that working as a traditional dietitian for 5 years.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

I would say that the thing that is most helpful in succeeding in my field is compassion, understanding and patience. Everyone is at a different place when it comes to their food choices and the stage of change they may be at. Working with clients on an individual level that suits where they are at is very helpful and speaking with them without judgement or expectation.

I would also say bringing in the holistic approach to health has really helped me connect with clients and has also helped them to be more successful in achieving their goals. Factoring in their lifestyle, spiritual connection, coping mechanisms, sleep hygience, physical activity, water consumption, product usage and other factors brings a well-rounded approach to improving their lifestyle.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.yvonneohalloran.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yvonne_plantbaseddietitian/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/livingvegandietitian/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yvonne-o-halloran-ⓥ-a03219173/
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@yvonneohalloran1111