Last week we talked to Nutritionist & Holistic Health Coach @amy-goodrich... If you missed it you can read the full interview here.
>>>>> This interview series picks the brains of our fellow Steemians, sharing valuable knowledge, expertise, and personal health testimonies that can benefit us all! <<<<<
This week I chat to vegan blogger @heart-to-heart, host of #veganwednesday, a very well-traveled, adventurous and spirited woman, never without a good story to tell, a kind word for everybody, and super passionate about natural nutrition and health!
1. Your 'Vegan Wednesday' has been running for quite a while now – what inspired you to begin this contest?
Thanks for mentioning #veganwednesday! To be honest, it all started with SCC (the Steemit Culinary Challange)! I loved entering each week but I really wanted to focus more on the vegan lifestyle. After I judged a round of SCC with a vegan theme, it got me excited to take a challenge into my own hands and ask people to try going vegan or writing/expressing what that means to them for a chance to win a prize.
It's just my small way of encouraging and promoting the vegan lifestyle that has truly changed my life. I love Wednesdays because 1) I was born on Wednesday and 2) they are right in the middle of the week and I believe what you do on your Wednesday can change the rest of your days!
2. Were you raised as a vegan, and if not, what influences (people, events, ethical issues) lead you to switch to 100% plant based diet?
Ahhhh, smh. You know, I was born a vegan but not raised a vegan! What I mean by that is even in my earliest memories I can recall refusing meat and dairy products but my parents thought they were necessary for my survival! (Oh how I wish I could turn back time and download what I know now into their minds!) I know they were just trying to be good parents so there is no resentment but over time, I became accustomed to (and in my opinion addicted/attracted to) meat and dairy in all of its forms.
I love animals deeply but I was so desensitized (a cow is my dinner and a glass of milk to go with it) that I couldn't see it that way. I met the director of Cowspiracy and honestly, that doco worked for me at first. The shock and awe pushed me quickly into putting my knife down but what ended up being the biggest contributing factor for me was my health. I needed to change what was happening in my body and I started to look at my diet for answers.
Upon adopting WFPB (whole foods, plant based) diet, it was like magic, my body was thanking me for taking care of it and I've stuck with it ever since! After that, I have just been fully into trying to inspire and encourage others to try for their health, the environment and the animals!
3. What advice can you offer someone thinking of becoming a vegan themselves? Do you have any recommendations for sources of good information or recipes? (websites, cookbooks, Steemit blogs, etc)
I always tell friends, family, clients and fellow Steemians that you first must have a 'why!' As in WHY are you going to do this. Personally, I don't care what it is. It doesn't matter. It just needs to drive you personally.
Mine was my health and then when I became more clear minded and healthy, I could see the other benefits and reasons for adopting this diet and lifestyle as well but it has to be something that you truly connect to, to start off with. Don't say you're doing it for the animals if you don't care. It's ok, not everyone sees things the same. We have a lot of programming that is within us so whether it's environmental, health oriented, family motivated, trend provoked, or animal rights associated, find your connection and pull the energy from there!
I get my passion from creating vegan food. I never had that before I changed my diet so for me it's a lot of "what would I like to eat? I am going to veganize it!" I'm too rebellious to follow a recipe and it's a pull of my arm to get me to record anything I make so we really only get about 20% of what I create shared here! I love trolling the vegan tag here just to support and encourage people to keep creating and inspiring the world with their delicious vegan editions!
I'd recommend @lenasveganliving who is my Steemit soulmate, I love her creations and can't get enough of her food photography! @vegan.niinja is also one of my favourites, she'll make anyone want to eat her recipes! @plantstoplanks is a motivational lady who always impresses me with her gusto to help pass along the vegan message! @street.yoga has been making me drool for weeks entering #veganwednesday and honestly, this could go on forever so really if you're in the market for some vegans to check out, my tag #veganwednesday has the best stuff ever (imo) and like I mentioned, the vegan tag never disappoints!
4. Can people who switch to a 100% plant based diet expect to notice improvements to their health? What kind of health benefits would you say are the most prominent?
Absolutely but the biggest problem I see within people who are wanting to obtain health improvements is that they want them right away. It doesn't always work like that! I mean you can't just expect that one day in your skin will glow and hair grow longer but I hear these thoughts a lot. My advice is to be patient and kind to yourself. Sometimes things get worse before they get better. A lot of people experience detoxing from their systems (associated with chemicals and hormones in dairy and animal products).
That said, on the other side, you can experience incredible wonders to the body and mind including increased energy, mental clarity, hormone balancing, reduced/removal of skin ailments, improved digestion, reduction of gas/inflammation/bloating and truly the list goes on.
Every body is different and long story short, when your body does not have to devote energy into dealing with systemic issues such as inflammation, it allows more energy to be focused on other areas which opens you up for the benefits you are seeking!
5. Any follower of your blog will have noticed how much you travel around the world in your van! I imagine this leads you to meet people with all kinds of diets, to try many different ingredients, and inspires all kinds of creative recipes. Can you tell us a bit about your 'food journey' as you travel around?
Hahaha well to be honest, the van was only a New Zealand attraction! I did keep the van and leave it there while I was visiting Bali but I ended up getting a house here which lead to round two in the van before I sold it! (I miss Sam Wise!)
As far as the van life went though, it relied heavily on stock piling at organic markets and shops whenever they would come up. I basically had to plan my journey around where bigger cities would be so that I could grab food that fit my dietary needs. Luckily, NZ is pretty turned on and I could grab organic ingredients at the supermarkets and find organic produce without too much of a hassle. In the van, I didn't really interact very much with people concerning their food choices to be honest since my van had a kitchenette inside and I would cook from within however traveling in general certainly has led me to meet so many people from all over the world who are adopting plant based and it's always one of my favorite things to listen to their WHY stories!
Some helpful hints for traveling with dietary preferences: download Happy Cow and Trip Advisor. I just search both apps everywhere I go and find the local food that works for me before I even show up! It makes things a lot easier! I also ALWAYS have a lunchbag with me with dried fruits and nuts and usually homemade chocolate treats because I would not survive long without my cacao ;)
6. What has been your most memorable food-related moment of your travels so far? (if that question can even be answered!)
AHHH! I'm going to rack my brain! OK, I know! I was OUT OF THIS WORLD surprised to find the most incredible vegan restaurant in a small beach town in Vietnam. It was so good I couldn't even believe it. I starved myself the entire day after eating here the night before for dinner so that I could have all of the room in my stomach ready for to eat as much as I could when it opened the next day for dinner. I ate so much the owner came to the table haha! I came to find that the owner was a 19 year old magician who got inspired living in the USA! It's called El Cafe in Mui Ne, Vietnam for anyone who wants to have a mouth-gasm!
7. What is the biggest challenge you face with regards to food preparation in that tiny van kitchen?!
It was a nightmare at times. The part that frustrated me the most was not having space to be wild and free as normal! Normally when you make a bunch of dirty dishes you can wash them as you go or put them in the washer... In this van, they had to go 1) on the bed 2) outside or 3) they would end up in my way. There was only a small water tank so I learned to be very frugal with water consumption (even more so than when I was living in California during the drought!) I would say that it really pushed me to my limits and gave me increased creativity from having such a small and limited workspace! Now, I LOVE having even a tiny space and having a blender is an absolute dream! <3
8. Do you have any plans or hopes for the future of Vegan Wednesday?
I don't! I just look at it as a seed I planted and I am just happy to see it taking off and growing on it's own. Whenever it needs special attention, I come in and give it some extra water but for the most part by this point, it's pretty strong and able all on it's own and that makes me super proud to see!
If you enjoyed getting to know our dear @heart-to-heart better, you can find out more by checking out her latest posts here (and don't forget to do some upping of the current ones!):
Come on a Date With Me to Hong Kong! Part 1: The Surprise Attack!
Sneak Peak into the EOS Hackathon in Hong Kong!
Come Celebrate With ME! Milestone Party! 3050 Means A Very Special Cake + I'm Going Rogue!
Funny Pics Show You How To Hack Your Body's Health!
Secret Ingredient Carrot Cake Recipe Will Make Even The Haters Love It!
Epic Smothered Garlic Cheese Fries, Supersized! Hold the Guilt! (Healthy/Vegan!)
Unexpected Advice That Changed My Life! I Hope It Will Change Yours Too!
Shut Yo' Mouth! Fro-Yo So Good It'll Leave You Speechless! (Healthy, Easy Treats!)
Yep, you're gonna love me for this one! Baked, Herb Ecstasy... I mean Cashew Cheeze!
* All photos in this interview belong to @heart-to-heart*
If you have something to say about health that can benefit others, please contact me to arrange an interview, either in the comments thread below or privately on Steemit.Chat.
To find out what the "Make It Healthy Project" is all about, and how you can be involved in growing this project, please click here.
