Other Brown Vegan: Dick Gregory

With about 2% of Americans practicing a plant-based diet, it’s no wonder many feel making healthier changes don’t relate to their lives.  Most people don’t even know anyone practicing a plant-based lifestyle.

I’ve decided to start a series to spotlight past and present brown vegans (famous and non-famous), who have made a change in their lives for health and/or ethical reasons. Enjoy!

"I have experienced personally over the past few years how a purity of diet and thought are interrelated. And when Americans become truly concerned with the purity of the food that enters their own personal systems, when they learn to eat properly, we can expect to see profound changes effected in the social and political system in this nation. The two systems are inseparable."

Comedian*Civil Right Activist *Author*Raw Vegan 

"I personally would say that the quickest way to wipe out a group of people is to put them on a Soul Food diet.  One of the tragedies is that the very folks in the Black community who are most sophisticated in terms of the political realities in this country are nonetheless advocates of Soul Food.  They will lay down a heavy rap on genocide in America with regard to Black folks, then walk into a Soul Food restaurant and help the genocide along."

"Peanut, fix me some of that Dick Gregory"

Remember this scene from House Party? Back in the 80's Dick Gregory originated Slim-Safe Bahamian Diet Drink Mix.

Other Brown Vegans: Christa

With about 2% of Americans practicing a plant-based diet, it’s no wonder many feel making healthier changes don’t relate to their lives.  Most people don’t even know anyone practicing a plant-based lifestyle.

I’ve decided to start a series to spotlight past and present brown vegans (famous and non-famous), who have made a change in their lives for health and/or ethical reasons. Enjoy!

How long have you been a vegan? Going on six years

What made you decide to embrace a plant-based diet? The thought of eating animals began grossing me out.

What was the hardest food to give up? Cheese

Any advice for new vegans?  Embrace all the things you are gaining with a vegan diet, focus on what you can eat and not what you can't.  Surround yourself with like minded people through the internet and in your community. Do your homework and educate yourself.

What are some of your favorite books or websites on veganism? The 30 Day Vegan Challenge, Vegan Bodybuilding and Fitness, Vegnews.com, Vegweb.com (for recipes) and countless others! :-)

Please share a recipe.

Chocolate, Banana & Peanut Butter Smoothie

INGREDIENTS

Your choice of chocolate

Flavored non-dairy milk (For this I use soymilk)

Organic creamy peanut butter

Bananas

Vegan Protein Powder of choice (optional)

Ice

DIRECTIONS
Put all ingredients in the blender and whirl it up!
An easy, creamy and delicious way to satisfy a sweet tooth!

 Christa blogs daily at www.vegginoutwithchrista.blogspot.com.  She also writes a weekly article series called "The Green Path" for thriftyandgreen.com.  She loves meeting new people and eating vegan food!  You can follow her on Twitter and "like" her at facebook.com/vegoutwithchrista.  

Other Brown Vegans: Robin Quivers

With about 2% of Americans practicing a plant-based diet, it’s no wonder many feel making healthier changes don’t relate to their lives.  Most people don’t even know anyone practicing a plant-based lifestyle.

I’ve decided to start a series to spotlight past and present brown vegans (famous and non-famous), who have made a change in their lives for health and/or ethical reasons. Enjoy!

*Radio Personality *Writer *Air Force Veteran

"I'm nutty for nutrition. I've become one of those people who can't stop talking about the connection between food and health. Like a lot of people, I used to think I was incapable of doing anything about the way I felt everyday. Now that I know how much changing what you eat can transform your life, I can't stop proselytizing." Huffington Post

Quivers also has a show on Youtube called Vegucating Robin, where she learns how to cook nutritious vegan meals with chef Gavan Murphy.

Thanks to that delicious recipe, quinoa is my new favorite grain.

Recipe

Other Brown Vegans: Evelyn Parham

With about 2% of Americans practicing a plant-based diet, it’s no wonder many feel making healthier changes don’t relate to their lives.  Most people don’t even know anyone practicing a plant-based lifestyle.

I’ve decided to start a series to spotlight past and present brown vegans (famous and non-famous), who have made a change in their lives for health and/or ethical reasons. Enjoy!

How long have you been a vegan? 1 year

What made you decide to embrace a plant-based diet?  I decided to embrace a plant-based diet, because of my health.  I wasn't in bad health, but I had some female issues.  As I researched about the health issue that I had, I kept coming across information about diet, which stressed eating plant-based diet.  So I decided to give it a try.  Since doing so, I have noticed a big change.  Eating a plant-based diet has helped me so much.

What was the hardest food to give up?  Ice cream.  I still eat ice cream, every now and then, but now I choose a vegan version.

Any advice to new vegans? Don't be so hard on yourself if you have mess up.  Just start over again.  Focus on eating whole foods and try to limit the amount of processed foods you eat.

What are some of your favorite books or websites on veganism?  I have so many books that I like, but my all time favorites are By Any Greens Necessary by Tracye McQuirter and Eating for Beauty by David Wolfe

Website:  http://vegsource.com

Please share a recipe you enjoy.  I enjoy black beans with quinoa and what I like about this recipe is that you can make the flavors pop any way you like.

1 medium onion

1 garlic clove (minced)

1 onion (diced)

1-2 tablespoon of olive oil

2-3 tablespoons of Nutrtional Yeast

1 can of diced tomatoes

1 can of corn

1/2 cup of cooked quinoa (cook according to instructions on package)

Add these items to your taste:  ground cumin, ground chipotle pepper, Liquid Braggs Aminos or Sea salt (start with a small amount), an herb your choice ( I like oregano).

Directions:  Saute onion and garlic in skillet along with the olive oil.  Add your seasonings, but not too much, because you will also add this after you have the all ingredients in the skillet.  Drain and rinse the black beans and corn.  Add black beans to the mixture.  Mix well.  Add diced canned tomatoes and stir well.  Let simmer a few minutes.  Give taste test and adjust seasonings to taste.  Add in the cooked quinoa.  Mix well.  Let simmer for a few more minutes.

Enjoy!

Evelyn enjoys reading, writing, singing and helping others make healthy lifestyle changes.

Reach her on her Website
Twitter:  @evelyn_parham
Facebook Page
YouTube 

Other Brown Vegans: Anayah Sangodele-Ayoka

With about 2% of Americans practicing a plant-based diet, it’s no wonder many feel making healthier changes don’t relate to their lives.  Most people don’t even know anyone practicing a plant-based lifestyle.

I’ve decided to start a series to spotlight past and present brown vegans (famous and non-famous), who have made a change in their lives for health and/or ethical reasons. Enjoy!

How long have you been a vegan? I was raised in a vegan household for most of my childhood, so I'd say it's been at least 20 years off-and-on.  I embraced veganism in my senior year of undergrad, despite a serious addiction to breakfast at Burger King.  

What made you decide to embrace a plant-based diet?  I noticed that in the years of my eating animal meats and dairy products, I was different (in a bad ways) physically and emotionally.  I always felt heavy, had frequent excess mucous, and suffered during my menses.  I developed digestive problems and was even diagnosed with GERD before revisiting the perspectives on health and healing my parents taught by example.  For the sake of closure on the topic, it's extremely rare for me to suffer any digestive troubles (and I have no GERD type symptoms AT ALL) now that my diet is plant-based, low on processed foods, and mostly home made.

 

What was the hardest food to give up? Hands down: cheese!  Even with all of the vegan varieties in factories, fancy restaurants, and my own kitchen, I have yet to find anything that comes close to the taste of dairy cheese.

Any advice to new vegans? Don't get caught up in replacing foods.  It's much more fun and easier to maintain a plant-based diet when you allow your mind and tastebuds experience the beauty of foods.  Explore new vegetables and fruits frequently, you'll be surprised at how diverse a plant-based diet can be!

What are some of your favorite books or websites on veganism? My favorite vegan related websites include, Brown Vegan and two of mine: SoulVegFolk (social network with over 3,500 members started by my husband and me) and SoulVegMama.

Please share a recipe you enjoy. 

I'm a simple woman.  If left to my own devices, I'd probably eat grits for every meal.  I've been asked how I prepare them, so I'll share my simple recipe:

1 c organic yellow corn grits
4 c water
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tbsp Earth Balance (soy-free)
1 clove garlic - diced
sea salt & cracked black pepper to taste

Boil the water.  Reduce the heat to low while stirring in grits. Let it cook on low for another 3-5 minutes until grits are fully cooked and you reach your desired consistency.  Turn off the heat and add in remaining ingredients.  Eat warm.  Mmmm, isn't that like a nice tummy hug?