Former Alcoholic Turns Vegan Blogger After Inspired By Plant-Based Documentary

Former alcoholic turned vegan blogger Aaron Calder says he was inspired to turn his life around after watching plant-based documentary Fat, Sick, And Nearly Dead.

Calder, who now creates vegan recipes and YouTube videos, was rushed to hospital back in 2012 after he began vomiting blood. His liver and kidneys were ‘so damaged they couldn’t filter his blood and several veins in his esophagus [had] burst open’.

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I’ve decided 2020 is the year of honesty & clarity. I’ve spent the past 4 years building up my social media platforms but kept something from you all. . In Aug 2012 I was rushed to hospital vomiting blood. It was the lowest most frightening time of my life. I’d literally hit rock bottom. . My body was so damaged I could barely walk due to gout (see pics). I carried on feeling seriously unwell for almost a year but didn’t go to the doctors. I’d ignored my symptoms & now I needed urgent help. . My liver & kidneys were so damaged they couldn’t filter my blood & several veins in my esophagus burst open. I was drowning in my own blood. . I spent two weeks in hospital suffering from a kidney infection, malnutrition, liver damage, damaged spleen, gout, pneumonia & more. . I was told my body was shutting down. . How did I get to this point? Years of binge drinking, bad diet, lack of sleep & not eating properly. . I feel its time to use my knowledge & experiences to help others. I’ve gone from rock bottom & rebuilt my life (see pics). One of the biggest things that helped me was veganism. . My doctor has been shocked at how dramatically my health has improved in the past 4 years since being vegan. From being told I have chronic liver disease to gradually seeing my body heal. I’m not a doctor or nutritionist but most certainly my diet has been life saving. . In the next few days I’ll be sharing a video which will go into more detail about my experiences & how I got better. . My social media platforms won’t change but occasionally I’ll be talking more about my life and helping others. I want to use my experiences to help anyone suffering with addiction issues, poor physical or mental health, rebuilding thier lives & believing anything is possible. . . . . . #addiction #liverdisease #healingfoods #alcoholic #alcoholism #mentalhealth #cirrhosis #recoveryispossible #positivethinking #plantbasedfitness #plantbased #veganfood #crueltyfree #govegan #healthyfood #vegansofig #veganfoodie #whatveganseat #cirrhosis #veganlife #veganforhealth #veganism #veganfitness #veganfoodshare #dairyfree #vegansofinstagram #gayvegan #gaymentalhealth #lowselfesteem #youmatter #gaypride

A post shared by Aaron Calder ? Vegan Blogger ? (@aaroncaldervegan) on Jan 10, 2020 at 1:04am PST

‘Rock bottom’

“It was the lowest most frightening time of my life. I’d literally hit rock bottom,” he said.

“One of the biggest things that helped me was veganism… My doctor has been shocked at how dramatically my health has improved in the past four years since being vegan.

“From being told I have chronic liver disease to gradually seeing my body heal. I’m not a doctor or nutritionist but most certainly my diet has been life-saving.”

‘I couldn’t believe it’

According to The Metro, Calder said he had a fibroscan to measure the inflammation of his liver. But after two years of soberity, his score was at 75 – which he describes as the ‘worst possible result’.

“But just months after adopting the vegan diet, my score had dropped by almost a half to 39 and my liver appeared to be functioning normally,” Calder said. “I couldn’t believe it, and neither could my doctor.”

You can follow Aaron on Instagram here