178. Here's Why You Haven't Gone Vegan YET | Solo Episode

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In this episode I am sharing my take on one of the biggest reasons you haven’t gone vegan yet.

When I first thought of going vegan, I held myself back for ages because of the fear of the unknown. I felt like I was going to lose out on life and the things I loved by being vegan.

I was worrying about things like:

How was I going to make this lifestyle affordable? 

Was I going to be spending hours cooking every night?

What would I do if I was at a restaurant that had no vegan options?

Was I gonna tell everyone I was vegan and then mess up a week later? 

In this episode I share the story of my own journey to veganism, including how I originally went vegan and failed after just two weeks. I had this image in my head of what being vegan looked like (limited options, boring salads, giving up meals I loved), and had no idea how to make it sustainable and long term.

I realized that veganism actually can look like:

  • Throwing together a 15 minute healthy and delicious recipe

  • Having an affordable grocery bill AND delicious meal options

  • Feeling inspired to cook and learn new things in the kitchen

  • Finding new favorite meals with my family

  • Confidently finding vegan options anywhere I went, even in a pinch

In this podcast episode, I’m here to let you know that veganism is not a one size fits all  lifestyle–you get to make it look the way YOU want it to look. This is a lifestyle of abundance and creativity. You don’t have to lose who you are.

Resources mentioned:

Skinny Bitch

Sistah Vegan

Preview of the episode…

7 Steps to Go Vegan Workshop is happening next Thursday! This live virtual workshop is going to be an actionable and practical opportunity to jumpstart your vegan journey.

We’ll be talking more about finding your why, meal planning, grocery shopping, and being a social vegan.

I’d LOVE to see you there and get a chance to work with you (there will be a Q&A session too!).

177. Why Fruit is the Gateway to A Healthy Life & Focus vs Balance with Dr. Bobby Price

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If you’ve been tuned in to the Brown Vegan Podcast for a while now, you are likely very familiar with my friend Dr. Bobby Price. Dr. Price has been on this podcast twice before to share his experience of the healing benefits of plant-based eating, his work as a holistic doctor, his detox program, and more. 

This week on the podcast, Dr. Bobby Price is back once again, this time sharing all about his new company i Heart Fruit Box, why society has demonized fruit, and how fruit is an ancient gateway to living a healthy lifestyle.

Dr. Bobby Price is a certified plant-based nutritionist, exercise physiologist, and Doctor of Pharmacy. Dr. Price earned double bachelors in Chemistry and Exercise Science from Georgia State University, Certification as a Plant-Based Nutritionist from Cornell University, and a Doctorate of Pharmacy from Mercer University. He has extensive clinical experience in the hospital setting, one on one patient contact in community pharmacy, and health care regulatory experience with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

After personally experiencing the healing powers of a plant-based lifestyle seven years ago, Dr. Price was inspired to adopt a more holistic approach to healing others. Since that time he has traveled the world studying with herbalists, shamans, and spiritual gurus learning the magical art of healing the mind, body, and soul. Now instead of filling synthetic prescriptions, he uses plant-based foods, medicinal herbs, and simple holistic techniques to help others restore their wellbeing.

In Vegucation Over Medication, Dr. Price exposes the myths, lies, and truths about modern foods and medicines. He believes that when aligned with nature, our bodies have an innate ability to heal and the responsibility of our health should be placed back into our hands.

Since it’s been over a year since the last time Dr. Price chatted with me on the podcast, we started our conversation catching up on what has changed in life and business since the Coronavirus pandemic first took root. Dr. Price shares with us some personal reflections from the beginning of 2020, what he learned, and how the pandemic caused a rollercoaster of unpredictable ups and downs for entrepreneurs (and his business personally). Most importantly, he shares how people refocusing on themselves, their self care, and their health shifted his business and gave way for his new company, I Heart Fruitbox, a subscription box centered around making health accessible in the form of beautiful, naturally grown tropical fruits delivered to your doorstep.

We also talk all about:

  • How the pandemic and vegan health documentaries changed society’s perception of holistic health

  • The growing issue of food security, the prevalence of unnatural foods, and Dr. Price’s thoughts on the impacts of GMOs

  • Why fruit has a bad reputation, the fear of sugar, and why not all sugar is created equal

  • The importance of fiber in fruit and in our diets

  • Fruit being the most easily digestible food, providing hydration and time released energy

  • How fruit production has changed over decades + the importance of naturally grown fruit

  • Why seedless fruit is so common and the importance of consuming seeded fruit

  • I Heart Fruit Box and how fruit delivery is making health accessible

  • Fruit as a gateway drug to living a healthier lifestyle

Connect with Dr Price:

Resources:

Previous episodes with Dr. Bobby Price - 91. From Drug Dealing to Herb Healing & 107. Q&A

Fruit Ripening Guide

176. Building the FIRST Black Vegan Bakery in Detroit & the Secret to A Perfect Pound Cake with Estella's Cuisine

Shout out to this week's sponsor:

Maxine's Heavenly - https://brnvgn.me/maxines use discount code BROWNVEGAN to save 25%

Clicking the link above is an easy and free way to support the podcast.

Thank you so much for checking out the sponsor!

Listen here…

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On this podcast episode, I am talking with Chantele Jones, chef and owner of Estella’s Vegan Cuisine & Desserts and Estella’s Vegan Dessert Boutique–Detroit’s first all vegan bakery and home of the vegan pound cake!

Chantele comes from a family of bakers but her own passion for baking started when she was just 6 years old, when her grandma Stella taught her how to make her first cherry pie. Chantele’s love for baking continued well into adulthood, until she was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease and had to completely change her diet. 

After experimenting with an elimination diet–removing sugar, soy, dairy, and more from her diet, and slowly incorporating things back in–she found that eating vegan eventually naturally healed her body. Still wanting to enjoy the foods that she had grown to love, Chantele learned to make them a different way, and thus Estella’s was born.

Chantele says that her journey has really been a journey of unlearning unhealthy habits which  has led her to her mission of helping people start their own journeys to better health. She is also determined to destroy the negative stereotypes associated against vegans and our food–one meal and pastry at a time. 

On this podcast episode we chat about:

  • The secret to making perfect vegan pound cake

  • Veganizing your favorite meals from childhood

  • Why Chantele gave up meat before she was fully vegan

  • How the pandemic inspired a rebranding and the opening of her bakery

  • The behind the scenes of what it takes to run a vegan pop up

  • Detroit’s vegan scene and why Estella’s is based there

  • Tips on how to use city business resources to finance your small business

  • Navigating burnout as a business owner and creating time for self care

Resources Mentioned:

7 Steps to Go Vegan workshop

Detroit Retail Boot Camp

Connect with Estella’s:

Instagram

Website

Facebook

175. You CAN Be An Environmentalist Without Being VEGAN with Sustainable Brown Girl

Shout out to this week's sponsor:

Maxine's Heavenly - https://brnvgn.me/maxines use discount code BROWNVEGAN to save 25%

Clicking the link above is an easy and free way to support the podcast.

Thank you so much for checking out the sponsor!

Listen here…

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So many of us here in the vegan community care about the environment and how our decisions impact our planet. In fact, environmental concerns are in the top 3 reasons why people go vegan. You all have heard multiple times here on the podcast how the documentary Cowspiracy, focused on the environmental impacts of animal agriculture, has influenced many of my guests to go vegan.

Animal agriculture is a leading contributor of greenhouse gasses globally and is one of the top concerns in the climate movement. In fact, the common catchphrase “you can’t be a meat-eating environmentalist” now dominates a huge part of the vegan community because of the negative impacts of animal products on our environment.

BUT, the pressure to be perfect often holds people back from ever going vegan, even if they are interested in the vegan lifestyle or their environmental footprint. In this episode of the podcast, Ariel Green of Sustainable Brown Girl and I explore how to make changes that benefit the planet, all centered around the question of “Does environmentalism have to be all or nothing?”

Ariel Green is the host of the Sustainable Brown Girl podcast and community, a platform created to highlight black, brown, and indigenous women within the sustainable movement. Through sharing the stories of these women, Ariel aims to inspire other women of color to make better choices for the health of their bodies and the planet. Ariel also shares more of her own personal sustainable journey on YouTube and Instagram as Naturally Mermaid. 

Making green choices can be overwhelming and I wanted to explore with Ariel different areas of our lives where we can easily make more eco-friendly choices.

In this episode we cover:

  • Why Ariel started the Sustainable Brown Girl brand and how she began her podcast

  • Fast fashion and the negative impacts of fast fashion on communities of color 

  • Thrifting tips and capsule wardrobes

  • Food waste and how to plan ahead to prevent it

  • Composting at home for beginners, including Ariel’s ‘freezer method

  • What is a trash audit and what does it teach us?

  • Toxic ingredients in beauty products that are bad for the planet and our health

  • Easy eco-friendly swaps for common household items

  • Tips for using what you already have in a more environmentally friendly way

  • Why Ariel is not a vegan

  • The environmental impact of animal products + ethical concerns of animal agriculture

  • The importance of finding what works for YOU and starting there

Resources Mentioned:

Marley’s Monsters

Koils By Nature

Tree Naturals

Connect with Ariel:

Website

Instagram

Facebook

Naturally Mermaid Instagram

Naturally Mermaid YouTube

Listen to Sustainable Brown Girl Podcast:

Spotify

Apple

Listen to a preview of our episode:

174. Easy Vegan Tips for Busy Folks (or LAZY Vegan Tips lol) | Solo Episode)

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I’m bringing you a quick 15 minute podcast today full of my “lazy vegan” tips to help you save time and keep you on track in your vegan lifestyle.

I’m calling these lazy vegan tips, but in reality, these are just real life tips. We all have things going on in our lives between family, work, our social lives, and so many obligations. I share in this podcast the simple truth that if you’re going from eating a standard American diet to trying out a plant based diet, you’re going to be spending more time thinking about and planning for food. It’s just the reality. But with some strategy, you can quickly learn how to make veganism convenient for you and feel much more capable of staying on track. 

You’ll have to listen to the episode for all the details, but I’m talking about:

  1. Using meal and grocery delivery apps to make meal planning and shopping more convenient

  2. How to find vegan options and specialty items near you

  3. Using convenience items like precut fruit, frozen vegetables, or bags of fries to make quick meals

  4. Easy vegan meal prep suggestions

  5. The importance of vegan sauces and how to make your own

Alright ya’ll, let me know if you found this helpful and if you have some of your own lazy vegan tips, please share them with me–I’d love to know!

Resources Mentioned:

Sign up for a podcast consult with me

Instacart - pick up groceries or have them delivered to your door

Imperfect Foods - get produce delivered right to your door

Happy Cow