Conversations to Inspire

Today’s episode is very special to me because it’s a topic I’m extremely passionate about. My good friend Nelly is joining me to discuss all things vegan parenting. 

Nelly is a mom of two girls. She first tried going vegan back in 2013 but failed. Three years later, after her mother was diagnosed with cancer, her own extensive research into the link between cancer and diet led her to try a vegan diet once again.

In this episode we’ll answer questions like:

Why are we raising our kids vegan?

What do they eat?

Can kids survive without meat and dairy?

Are they getting enough protein?

Do we use supplements?

Documentaries mentioned in this podcast include:

Vegucated

Fat sick and nearly dead

Cowspiracy

What the health

Forks over knives

Food Inc

Dominion

Earthlings

The best speech you’ll ever hear

Dairy is Scary

Book mentioned in this podcast include:

Ruby Roths- that’s why we don’t eat animals

T. Veg: The story of a carrot-crunching dinosaur

Follow the podcast on social media @conversationstoinspire.

Follow me on Instagram @jeanettepadillavega.

Do you think you could go an entire year without buying anything new? In this episode of Conversations To Inspire I’m discussing my self-imposed no new clothes for a year challenge. I’ve always had a love for clothing and I’ve been a style blogger for over 5 years now; but I had to make a change. Tune in to hear why I decided to take such a drastic step. I’m also sharing a three month update. There have been some ups and downs and some unexpected turns during recent travels. You can follow my no new clothes for a year challenge by searching the #nnc365 hashtag on Instagram, 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

The True Cost

Follow the podcast on social media @conversationstoinspire.

Follow me on Instagram @jeanettepadillavega.

My ex started a website that mimicked mine. I was the expert and he new nothing about the topic yet he made $30,000 in 3 months while mine made zero. Why? I explain it all in this episode. 

You have a multimillion dollar idea but it’s not quite ready to launch, you just need a bit more time right? Is that really the case, or are you holding yourself back? Perfectionism kills a lot of projects before they’ve even launched. I share in this episode two real life examples of people who didn’t let perfectionism stop them from turning their idea into REAL money. One had no knowledge on the topic, the other had no option but to succeed. 

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Welcome back to the podcast!

It’s been a minute since I’ve recorded an episode. I’ve been taking a lot of time to reflect, be present, and live consciously. In doing that, I’ve realized there are three new things living a vegan lifestyle has taught me. These life changing lessons are as follows: how to live consciously and with intention, how to put structure around your goals, and how to arrive at selflessness. I unpack a lot in this episode and I truly hope you find it enlightening and helpful. 

As mentioned in this episode, if you’re looking to go vegan, here are some resources to help you get started. 

RECIPES:

www.forksoverknives.com

www.veganyackattack.com  

www.hotforfoodblog.com

www.thecheaplazyvegan.com

www.itdoesnttastelikechicken.com

EDUCATION

Documentaries:

The following can all be found on Netflix and do not show any graphic content. 

What the Health 

Cowspiracy 

Forks over Knives 

The following documentaries can be found on Youtube 

Earthlings 

https://youtu.be/BrlBSuuy50Y

This documentary does show graphic content. It shows you footage inside slaughter houses. It’s a real look at where your food comes from and how it’s produced. 

Dominion

https://youtu.be/LQRAfJyEsko

This documentary also shows graphic content. If you love animals and want to go vegan but need persuading, this film will help you. It’s narrated by vegan celebrities like, Joaquin Phoenix, Sia, and Kat Von D.

Books:

How not to Die

The China Study

Prevent & Reverse Heart Disease (by Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn Jr.)

The Cheese Trap (by Dr. Neal Barnard, founding President of PCRM)

Blue Zones (Dan Beutner)

Clean Protein (by New York Times Bestseller Kathy Freston)

PODCASTS

The Exam Room (by The Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine)

Heal Thy Self (by Dr. Christian Gonzalez)

Nutrition Rounds (by Dr. Daniel Belardo)

The Plant Proof Podcast (by physiotherapist and plant-based nutrition certified Simon Hill) 

The Rich Roll Podcast

Online Reading

www.NutritionFacts.org

Support

www.Challenge22.com

This is an amazing resource for people wanting to try out a plant-based diet but are having hesitations for whatever reason. It’s also great for the newly vegan. They provide awesome recipes, personal guidance, and support from a network of other vegans and nutritionists.

Continued education

Plant based nutrition certification from ecornell. https://www.ecornell.com/certificates/nutrition/plant-based-nutrition/

Today’s guest is Alicia Mattera, founder of doula agency, Las Vegas Baby Co. Birth has become a topic that is close to my heart since becoming a mother. Birthing experiences are unique, no two are alike. Some births are completely blissful, while others can be traumatic. These experiences stay with us for the rest of our lives and they can deeply impact how we connect with our children. 

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could all have beautiful, blissful births and establish a deeply rooted connection with our baby the second they are born? While births can be unpredictable and erratic, there are some ways one can facilitate the birthing experience. I’m talking about doulas. Doulas have been supporting expecting mothers and working to provide their desired birth goals for decades. 

In this episode, Alicia and I speak extensively on the topic of doulas. She runs a doula agency here in Las Vegas Nevada and she shares all about what doulas do, who they are, the benefits of hiring a doula, and what questions to ask when hiring a doula. We also get into other related topics like preventing and dealing with postpartum depression and anxiety, mom guilt, breastfeeding, and the impact of social media on motherhood. 

Some other questions and topics discussed in this episode include:

What is a doula?

Types of doulas

Professional doulas vs hobby doulas

What do hospitals think of doulas?

Why are so many babies born via c-section?

Whats the best type of birth to have?

Why can’t some women give birth naturally?

Postpartum depression

Post partum depression support 

Postpartum anxiety

How to prepare for postpartum depression

Social media and motherhood

Mom guilt

Support after birth

What to do if you feel like you might harm your baby (which is a really common thought)

Questions to ask when hiring a doula

Alicia also teaches child birth education and is a volunteer for Postpartum Support International. 

You can find her and see the wide array of educational classes her agency offers through her website and social handles below. 

To connect with Alicia's Doula Agency, Las Vegas Baby Co., click here.

To contact Las Vegas Baby Co., click here.

To find Las Vegas Baby Co. on Facebook, click here.

To find Las Vegas Baby Co. on Instagram, click here. 

To connect with Conversations to Inspire host, Jeanette Padilla Vega, click here. 

Noteworthy reads on doulas:

New York to Expand Use of Doulas to Reduce Childbirth Deaths

Evidence on Childbirth Benefits & Doulas

Cities Turn to Doulas to Give Black Babies a Better Chance at Survival

Gratitude—we’ve been seeing, and hearing, it everywhere. There’s a good reason for that. 

On a day where twenty things worked in my favor, I’d often find myself clinging to the one thing that didn’t, the one thing somebody said or did to upset me. My good mood would be ruined, and my cheery disposition would go out the window. We all do this. It’s not our fault; it’s part of human evolution. We remember the bad things to help us survive, at least, that’s how it worked many eons ago. But how does that help us now? It doesn’t, at least not in any majorly significant way. We all want to be happier. Chances are you’ve tried time and time again to push on and stay in a positive mindset. But it gets tough, sometimes unbearably so, and we revert to thinking the world is against us. Not only is this type of mentality not helpful to us, but it’s also extremely detrimental to our emotional health, mental health, and physical health. Additionally, this negative type of mindset is highly contagious and self-perpetuating. 

Having a happy outlook makes life so much easier. It doesn’t automatically solve all your problems, only you can do that, but it does provide you the emotional tools you need so that you can face difficult situations confidently as your best self. So how does gratitude play into all this? You see, gratitude is a building block for happiness. Gratitude teaches sympathy, love, understanding, and respect. This combination of emotional tools open up the doors to happiness. 

In this episode, my guest, Brin, and I discuss the practice of gratitude. Why is everyone practicing gratitude, the benefits for practicing gratitude, how does one practice gratitude, how has it helped us transform our lives, how can a single individual change the world through the practice of gratitude? We talk about all this and more.

Big thank you to my friend Brin for being my guest in this episode.

To learn more about Brin and her work, be sure to follow her on social media:

Instagram: @brinamberlee

Facebook: BrinAmberleeModel

Twitter: @brinamberlee 

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook at @conversationstoinspire. 

You can find the links to the talks, documentaries and journals mentioned in this podcast, below. 

Empathy + Gratitude = Success | David Meltzer | TEDxMissionViejo

Why Giving Everything Away Will Make You Rich | David Meltzer on Impact Theory

Want to be happy? Be grateful | David Steindl-Rast

Happy Documentary

Good Days Start with Gratitude Journal

Count Your Rainbows: A Gratitude Journal

Today's episode is all about veganism! My guest, and friend, Brin Amberlee wants to inspire you to live a more compassionate and cruelty-free life. She speaks about how humans are inherently kind and compassionate but have lost some of those valuable traits to desensitization. Brin was bullied about her weight as a child. Often told she was too skinny and scrawny, as a young adult she decided she was going to start working out and eating large amounts of animal protein. Much to her dismay, she wasn’t able to gain any weight. Brin shares why she went vegan, how she amassed such a large social media following and how she uses that following to advocate for veganism and animal rights. We answer questions like: Is veganism just a trend? Do I have to give up my leather shoes to go vegan? What is clean meat and is it vegan? Why are dish sponges not vegan? It seems overwhelming, how do I even start going vegan? What happens if I mess up? Brin and her business partner, Kat, are soon launching Vegazon, a monthly subscription box that slowly turns you vegan over a six-month course. Each box is unique themed, with products ranging from vegan personal hygiene items to vegan-friendly snacks. As more and more people shift towards adopting a semi-vegan or fully-vegan lifestyle, Brin and Kat’s aim is to help people smoothly transition into a cruelty-free lifestyle. To learn more about Brin and follow her work, be sure to follow her on social media: Instagram: @brinamberlee Facebook: BrinAmberleeModel Twitter: @brinamberlee. 

Education is the biggest pillar of adopting a vegan lifestyle. In this episode, we discuss “The Trifecta”, a handful of documentaries that will educate, enlighten and inspire you to go vegan. Cowspiracy (Netflix) From the producers of What the Health, this documentary focuses on the detrimental effects of animal agriculture on our planet. Forks over Knives (Netflix) This documentary focuses on nutrition. It features prominent doctors who’s food research has shown a clear correlation between animal protein and disease. This film follows people on their plant-based journey and shows their lab results before and after following a plant-based diet. What the Health (Netflix) This documentary looks at our health care system and how we’re set up to fail when it comes to dietary choices. Kip Anderson, of Cowspiracy, speaks with administrations from various health organizations, including Robert Ratner, Chief Officer of the American Diabetes Association, on why they recommend animal products although they’re strongly linked to diabetes. Additional Resources: Recipes www.MinimalistBaker.com This website features easy and quick plant-based recipes. All meals fall under at least one, if not all three, of these categories: 10 ingredients, 1 bowl, or 30 minutes or less. www.forksoverknives.com This website came after the success of the Forks over Knives documentary on Netflix. It’s owned and run by the same people. They provide awesome recipes and information for those looking to go plant-based. They also have a Forks over Knives magazine that features amazing recipes and fresh informational content that is all plant-based, of course. The magazine is sold in supermarkets including Sprouts and Whole Foods. Education How not to Die This book is jam-packed with valuable information on disease and prevention. The author, Dr. Michale Greger explains, in layman’s terms, what the most common diseases are, how we get them, and how not to die from them, all while discussing plant-based nutrition and quoting strong supporting scientific evidence. The Rich Roll Podcast Rich Roll is an endurance athlete, he became vegan at age 45 and his story is amazing. He regularly features plant-based doctors, like Dr. Michael Greger, and Dr. Zach Bush on his podcast. The China Study The most comprehensive study on diet and nutrition. Support www.Challenge22.com Recipes, guidance, and support from a network of vegans and nutritionists.