EMILY LUKASEWSKI

DANCER // ATHLETE // MOTHER

vegan 20+ years

Who is the woman behind Luka Health Coach? It's me, Emily!

I am a 36-year-old plant-eater, thrill-seeker, and contemporary dancer. My life has taken me from New England to Chicago, across the ocean to Portugal, and now Belgium.

I grew up in Hartford, Connecticut, where I started dancing and became vegan.

After earning a BA in Chicago, I worked professionally as a dancer, choreographer, teacher, and performer.

I returned to New England to earn an MFA in Dance from Smith College.

I moved to Portugal where I continued my dance work. I also worked on a permaculture farm building ecological dwellings, establishing a food forest, and participating in a zero-waste lifestyle.

In Belgium, I continued dancing & practicing sustainability. I gave birth to my 2 children, earned a certificate in plant-based nutrition, and began health coaching professionally.

Now, here we are. 2022. During our recent era of isolation and vigilance, I found peace in home life. Our little clan consists of mama, papa, toddler brother, baby sister, mama dog, daughter dog, and Guillaume, the black cat. As a relatively new mom of two pandemic babies, I hope to honor the role of matriarch with guts and wisdom.

Although I work as a dance teacher & plant-based health coach, I'm also a lifelong student. I'm currently learning some new dance moves from my toddler. Meanwhile, my fast-growing infant is helping me increase muscle mass in my arms and core. Teachers and coaches come in all ages and sizes!

Through my dance training, I listen to my body and push the boundaries of its capabilities. Through my veganism, I nourish my body and connect it to the holistic systems of our lovely planet. Join me in the endeavor to connect the power of plants to human potential.

My Vegan Story

When I was 10 years old, my mom suspected that I had a dairy intolerance and told me to avoid dairy products. So I had to learn about all the foods that contain hidden dairy products. We all know that milk, cheese, butter, and yogurt come from cows. But did you know that dairy products can also be found in chips, sauces, bread, dressings, and processed cereal products?

My dairy investigation led to me learn more about the origin of these animal-based foods. I was disturbed by the treatment of agricultural animals and felt wrong contributing to their needless suffering. I was concerned by the fact that farm animals are forced to participate in our diet. They would not willingly choose to live in squalid conditions, be separated from their babies, and die prematurely. From that moment forward, my heart did not feel comfortable eating animals.

Being a child, it was difficult to modify my diet to, as it was regarded at that time, such a radical degree. It was the 90's. I didn't even know the word 'vegan' existed. Nobody at that time was using this word and people were confused by the concept. My family was no exception.

Little by little, I took control over what foods ended up on my plate. By age 16, I was a vegan, in my heart and in practice.

In the beginning, I subsisted on peanut butter & bagels. There were hardly any specialized vegan foods at all! No cauliflower buffalo wings or cookie dough ice cream. I remember trying to eat a tofu turkey on Thanksgiving one year when I was about 16 years old. The taste was something I'll never forget! It was reminiscent of old rubber that had been dragged through a dirty puddle. The texture resembled a pencil eraser. After that dismal affair, I did not attempt to eat another fake meat product for a long time.

Luckily, vegan convenience foods and mock meats & dairy have come a very long way since then. It's possible to find a vegan version of anything in the world, including haggis (minced sheep organs), shrimp, Peking roast duck, tuna, caviar, mozzarella sticks, and meringue. My omnivorous husband swears that vegan chicken tastes better than real chicken! I'll take his word for it.

I'm very grateful that technology and ingenuity have propelled the tastes and textures of vegan options to sophisticated and delicious levels. (No more dirty puddle tofu turkey!) With recent innovations in vegan cuisine, it is easier and tastier than ever to eat more plants!

Not only have the vegan food options improved over time, but society has dramatically opened up to the plant-based lifestyle. When I stopped eating animal products, I didn't even know there was a name to describe my diet. I simply told people a list of foods I didn't eat. And the responses were always the same: "WHY? What do you even eat? Where do you get your protein/calcium? I could never give up meat and cheese." Now, there is hardly a need to explain my food choices. In fact, in the past few years, people tell me that they've been trying to incorporate more plant-based meals into their diets, as well! That makes me a very happy vegan. I dare to assume that the cows would feel the same way.