Many years ago I was in a cycle of a certain kind of stress that was bubbling just beneath the surface, in a way that didn't scream urgency as you would perhaps feel during a big life transition, exam season or project deadline season, the illness of a family member, but rather, the kind of daily stress that keeps you on a hamster wheel, moving through your day scratching things off to-do lists, with your mind firmly on the next thing.

I started having this very uncomfortable feeling that I was ending my day and when my head hit the pillow, even when I had gotten a lot of things done that day, I felt as though I had missed the whole day. I felt as though time was rushing past me and twirling me around as if caught in the force of white rapids. Had I even taken a conscious breath in the entire day? Had I really been present in my conversations? Had I even looked at my dogs as we were going on our long walk that I looked forward to so much? Had I even looked at the beauty of the woods we were walking in?

As it tends to happen, when I looked at my food choices that day, I had similar questions. Why did I eat that food I really didn't feel like eating just because it was easiest? Did I even taste my food? How long did it take me to eat? How was it? What was my favorite part?

The answers to all of these questions were either a mind left blank, or a big, no. As in no I hadn't been present in anything I had done that day, only in the race to get everything done.

Something had to change, and I did a little Google search and found something that changed my life forever. A free, open sourced, no email required course on something called mindfulness, MBSR mindfulness to be specific. What happened during the next few weeks was so astounding, and it still keeps me company to this day, it has changed my relationship with food, and it has been, above all else, a time stretcher.

In today's episode, I give you a beginners guide to MBSR mindfulness and how it connects to mindful eating and veganism. I'll provide you with resources, courses, apps, tools, videos and especially, a guide for getting started.

For the videos and links mentioned in today's episode click here or visit brownble.com/blog

In today's book club episode I'll be talking about the book Eating in the Light of the Moon: How Women Can Transform Their Relationship with Food Through Myths, Metaphors, and Storytelling by Dr. Anita Johnston. It has been a go-to resource in the field of eating disorder recovery since its original publication in 1996, and I found it so eye opening and helpful that I felt I had to give it special attention in the podcast and tell you a bit about what you can find within its pages. I can't recommend this book enough for anyone who has or is struggling with an eating disorder, for parents, siblings or partners of people with eating disorders, even for clinicians. Through stories and metaphors Anita guides us to the deeply rooted issues associated with our relationship to food, our grasping of disordered habits as a defense mechanism, and how the same folk tales that have been passed down from generation to generation can be used as tools to understand disordered eating and move towards a better relationship with food.

For all the other links mentioned in today's episode, click here or visit brownble.com/blog

Today we delve into the fascinating concept of cognitive dissonance and how it relates to veganism, our relationship with food, habit changes and more. We'll explore the psychological discomfort that arises when our beliefs and actions don't align and how this can bring up challenges when attempting any changes that are so deeply linked to our value systems (veganism and our love of animals is one example but not the only one we discuss in this episode).

We'll also discuss strategies for accepting and moving forward in spite of experiencing cognitive dissonance as imperfect vegans and making the shift towards a more ethical and sustainable way of eating, a kinder way to view imperfections or stumbles, a kinder way to view our bodies and improve our relationship with food, and more. Whether you're a vegan looking to understand your own thought processes or a curious observer interested in psychology and change, this episode is sure to offer valuable insights and practical tips for moving forward as well.

For all the links and resources mentioned in today's episode, click here.

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful end to 2024 and start to the new year, that you’re reenergized, and excited for anything you’ve set out to do this year.

January is such a strange month, it’s filled with that new start, new you energy, and all the feels because of the Holidays coming to an end, it’s also Veganuary and the month of so many new year's resolutions when it comes to our habits, and so many people (myself included), chose this time of year once upon a time to make the change and go vegan or at lest start taking more steps in that direction. So to start off the year I thought I’d bring you part 2 of our much anticipated conversation with registered dietitian nutritionist Taylor Wolfram, to continue where we left off in part 1 discussing how to build balanced vegan meals and navigating common food fears associated with vegan eating, and because Taylor is Taylor, and she is such a pro at making sure people are getting everything they need, it again turned into a masterclass of so many of those vegan nutrition basics.

In part 1 which I highly recommend listening to first if you haven’t already, Taylor talked about her own path to going vegan and becoming a dietitian, she gave us the lowdown of how to build balanced meals and a method for meal building that is as simple as it gets while still covering all your bases, and we began discussing common food fears like oils, vegan processed foods, grains and more.

In today’s episode we continue talking about common food fears like the fear of too many carbohydrates in a vegan diet, or eating carbohydrates and starches at night, our consumption of fruit, more on oils as in, whether there are some she recommends more, and a big one, the fear supplementing within a vegan diet. What I wasn’t expecting within this episode though, is that when talking about that last fear, Taylor gives us a master introduction into supplementation for vegans. Perhaps one of the biggest questions we get on a regular basis, “what should I supplement as a vegan?”, Taylor talks about it all in this episode.

Taylor Wolfram is a licensed registered dietitian nutritionist, a long-time vegan and owner of a weight-inclusive nutrition therapy practice. She is a Certified Befriending Your Body Teacher and works with adults who are interested in ditching the diet mentality, reconnecting with their bodies and learning to trust their inner wisdom. She also specializes in vegan nutrition and created the Anti-Diet Vegan Nutrition Online Course, which I am a student of and can tell you, it’s amazing and covers so much when it comes to vegan nutrition without fear or obsession.

I thought Taylor was the perfect way to bring in the new year, because I’m pretty certain I can speak for both of us when I say, we can have fantastic nutrition as vegans, without the added obsession, fear or worry, with a little education, which in my opinion is Taylor’s superpower, other than teaching the internet her amazing nooch tofu which I make on a regular basis.

Without further ado, click play above for part 2 of my conversation with Taylor.

For all the links mentioned in today's episode, click here or visit brownble.com/blog

It's our last post and episode of the year, and with these sort of time markers, no matter how present I always try to be, there's no way to not catch the end of year bug and look back or look forward.

Growing up I had a huge new year's resolution tradition with my mother. We'd sit in our living room, put on some music and write down a list of all the goals we wanted tor each the following year. We'd cut up the list into little strips of paper and stick them in a box or in our Christmas stockings to find the following year and see how we did. There was a big flaw in our tradition, in that if a goal is set and put away with Christmas ornaments in a box in the basement, never to be checked back into again until it's time for the final test, most plans dwindle. You've heard me talk about focusing on systems rather than goals before, and I believe this is the secret sauce to getting anything done, not to mention the full practice of presence and mindfulness in action, not to look ahead at what the dreamy end will look like, but to be in the here and now taking action on the tools and practices that will get us there. We have a full episode on goals and systems in our post and episode titled 4 Key Habits of Habit Formation and Maintenance for more on this topic and lots of examples, but one thing that is key when talking about those systems and the goals they'll guide you to, is that you need reminders. You need to keep them where you can see them, touch them, play with them, so that they stay in your surroundings as guiding lights and reminders of what's important to you.

In today's episode I look back and forward, sharing the lessons this year brought and turning them into resolutions for next year. Each of them, perfectly aligned if your goal is going vegan in the new year, or taking more steps in that direction.

To end the episode I share three pieces of wisdom from Stoic philosophy to help with the three biggest sticking points when going vegan.

For all the links mentioned in today's episode, click here or visit brownble.com/blog

When it comes to sitting around that beautiful Holiday table, something happens when we're surrounded by people who love us, where the invisible adult line called independence and autonomy is blurred, wiped out somehow, and all topics seem like fair game. As vegans we need to deal with conversations about why we aren't eating the non-vegan apple pie and what's the difference if you just have "a little butter", navigate questions about grass fed beef, animals who are treated well, mom and pop farms, and the carnivore diet. If you're in recovery from an eating disorder or disordered eating you may have to listen to people talking about their exercise regimes and what diet they're on. If you're just a regular human, you may have to navigate comments on your single status, or your childless or child free status, your child raising ways, your job status, how your body has changed. Mix a large family gathering with some extended family you haven't seen in a while, alcohol, traditions and especially food traditions, and you'll find yourself in conversations around the table where you might need a few skills that run along a spectrum of brushing it off, to a little grace and understanding, to a big dose of boundary setting.

This is what we'll be talking about in today's post and episode, how to set boundaries in conversations around the Holidays, whether these surround the topics of being vegan, or any other life choice or change.

For all the links mentioned in today's episode, click here or visit brownble.com/blog

Our 2024 gift guide episode is here! In today’s post and podcast episode I’ll be helping you with a list of amazing holiday gifts you can give to a vegan cook in the ultimate vegan Holiday and Christmas gift guide (that can also help you out for birthdays or any gift giving occasion). 

From fancy gifts for the vegan home cook to baskets and kits filled with ingredients and goodies, appliances, simple tools that make great stocking stuffers, some of the best vegan cookbooks out there, as well as different ideas for edible gifts and DIY presents that go straight to the heart and don't cost more than a few dollars.

Make sure to check out our recommendations shop here for specific brands, sizes and materials for everything mentioned along with even more cookbooks and gift ideas.

For all the links mentioned in today's episode, click here, or visit brownble.com/blog

Today I have a total treat for you in that you’ll get to meet one of my favorite podcasters, Michele Olender, vegan life coach and host of the Vedge your Best Podcast.

You know me and the way I talk about veganism, I meet people where they’re at, I respect the journey and timing of each person, I understand and have empathy for the fact that this change happens differently for different people. I’m not a proponent of adding shame, blame or guilt, or the idea of reaching perfection when you’re on this journey to eating more plants and living vegan. I’m telling you all this because although I listen to a ton of podcasts, I don’t listen to a lot of vegan podcasts. It’s a short list of timeless shows from advocates who I feel talk about these issues in a way that is actually practical, joyful, doable and fun, without excessive fear mongering and like you’re talking to a knowledgeable friend. All this to say that Michele’s podcast is all about the motivation, all about the inspiration, she has the best voice in the podcasting universe, so soothing that listening to her is like meditating. Most importantly, she talks about these issues and making the transition to veganism in a way that is truly inspiring and refreshing.

In today’s conversation we talk about her own journey into this lifestyle and why being an advocate for her daughter started a path of her own that transformed her life (we wouldn’t have her incredible podcast without it!). We talk about life stages and going vegan later in life, aging, and what different life stages brought to the table for her. We discuss that process of embracing that we’re getting older, and we swap opinions of the current focus on longevity. She shares all about the role of a coach and how she supports her clients in making big changes, we get into hot territory discussing ex-vegans, and she gives us some great takeaways when it comes to what to expect when going vegan or making any big life change.

Michele Olender is a Podcaster and Vegan Life Coach with a Certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition from the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies and eCornell. She specializes in helping individuals to start, RE-start, or re-energize their vegan or plant based practice at any age. Vedge Your Best Podcast has published an episode every week since September 2020, and it’s the only podcast aimed at teaching midlife women how to limit and eliminate the consumption of animal products without feeling deprived, overwhelmed or unsupported, even if no one you know is vegan. She shows you how living vegan is the superpower that will unlock your possibilities and give you the confidence to take on your next impossible goal, by doing it YOUR way. That is perhaps, the quality I admire most about Michele, she skips the dogma and goes straight to meeting people where they’re at, while still challenging you, as all good coaches do.

For all the links mentioned in today's episode, click here or visit brownble.com/blog

I still cannot believe that I got the chance to talk to the guest you’re about to hear. I found Jenn thanks to the magic of Google, possibly over a decade ago, when I was looking to see if anyone was working on or talking about veganism and eating disorder recovery. Back then, Jenn was speaking about her own journey of recovery from an eating disorder and was using her beautiful music to help inspire and support fellow people in recovery. For the first time, I heard an echo of what I had been feeling, that being vegan, in the deepest sense of the word aka coming from a place of ethics and a desire to protect animals, isn’t an automatic link to developing disordered habits with food or an eating disorder. Although it involves inherent restriction, there is much more nuance than what you might take at face value, and although it is the case, and you’ve heard me mention this many times before, that for some people struggling with an ED it is best to push the pause button on going vegan, for many others, respecting their deep desire to not eat animals, can be incredibly important in their recovery journey.

It’s been a long journey since I first found Jenn. Since then she’s helped so many people, vegans and non vegans alike by becoming a mental health counselor. On a personal note, I have to tell you that from the very first time I sat down to write lists of potential guests, Jenn’s name was right there, in a paragraph titled DREAM guests, which in my mind meant guests I thought were such a long shot but a girl can dream. Lo and behold she is here. I still can’t believe it even though I should, because Jenn is the most approachable, kind, compassionate, knowledgeable and generous person.

Jenn Friedman, MA, MHC-LP, is a Mental Health Counselor with a Masters Degree in Counseling from Goldsmiths University of London where she trained in psychodynamic therapy. She also holds a Mental Health Counseling Advanced Graduate Certificate from the University at Buffalo and a certification in Creative Arts and Health from the New School for Social Research. She works with adults of all ages who present with a variety of issues, including relationships, career transitions, eating disorders, substance misuse, anxiety, depression, grief, and loss. She has specialized training working with dementia patients and their families. Because of her specialized interest in eating disorders and veganism, Jenn published her book, Veganism and Eating Disorder Recovery in 2022 (Routledge), which aims to improve the discourse about veganism in eating disorder recovery. In her book, Jenn proposes a vegan-informed treatment model, adapted from the existing trauma-informed approach.

In this conversation we talk about all the nuance involved in the intersection between being vegan and in the process of recovery. It’s a conversation that will be so helpful for people in treatment to feel seen and heard, for new vegans, for anyone who might be feeling that something is slightly off with their relationship with food, but it is also in my opinion, so important if you are a clinician and work with this demographic.

Without further ado, join my conversation with Jenn Friedman by clicking play above, or listening wherever you get your podcasts.

For all the links mentioned in today's episode, click here or visit brownble.com/blog

It is rare that after 12 years of being vegan I come across a book on veganism that surprises me with such a jolt that I find myself dedicating not one podcast episode to it but two.

If you missed last week's episode of the podcast I sat down to have the most thrilling chat with Matthew Halteman, author of the book Hungry Beautiful Animals: The Joyful Case for Going Vegan, professor of philosophy at Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and fellow in the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics, UK, and although he articulates the essence of this book much better than I ever could, I wanted to do what we do with the books we find to be incredibly inspiring, to beg the people that sit in a circle in our figurative living room, all clutching their own paper gems to discuss, and beg them to make this the next book club pick. The great news is that when we have a book club episode in the More Plants Podcast, we have no one to convince, other than all our listeners when I say, whether you're a new vegan, veg curious, a seasoned vegan, or someone grappling with the ethics of eating animals, you must get this book, and I'll share why in today's episode.

For all the links mentioned in today's episode, click here or visit brownble.com/blog