This is the 100th episode of Real Food Real Conversations and I can't believe it! I published my first episode almost two years ago, so much has changed since then.

Listen in to hear updates of how we are doing and where we are now!

Time can change people, especially after the last two years we have had. It most certainly has changed our family and life.

Starting my podcast was something I decided to do after realizing life was slowing down with all happening in 2020 and business was going to change for me. Brand budgets were tight, the world was unsure of it's future.

I needed something else and my awesome business coach (I interviewed her in the episode about exercise habits) suggested a podcast. I am thinking it's because I like to talk, LOL! She is not wrong.

Starting a podcast helped me express the thoughts and ideas I had without the pressure of social media. I liked having a platform that I didn't have to worry about an algorithm for, I could choose what to say and how I wanted to say it.

It was so freeing and really helped me get through 2020. I loved meeting so many new people, even if it was only online. But that was our new normal at the time, and it gave me avenues to be social when being social in life was harder.

How Our Life Has Changed

The last two years have taught me a lot. My life, my self, and my business have all gone through changes. Some experiences have been good, and some have been rough. But all in all, I am a better person today than I was two years ago.

Changes in my business

When the world shut down, unfortunately so did a lot of my income. I make the bulk of my money partnering with brands to share products I know, use and love with my audience.

Because of the financial breakdowns with all that happened in 2020, many businesses put their budgets on hold. Which meant I my income was also put on hold.

The good part was that my site traffic increased a ton as people now were home learning how to cook and bake, and having more meals at home. This was great and I loved sharing more with everyone!

I even created some pantry meal videos and gave them out for free to my audience, this felt good because I love giving to the community. But overall, we took a hit financially so I had to make some changes.

When you go through struggles, you learn a lot about yourself and are able to step back and see what it is you truly want.

I realized how much I love food photography and the creative aspect in what I do, from the photos to the recipes. Which led me to a year long photography mentorship that I am doing now.

I also learned that I love the health aspect about what I teach and got certified to be an ACE Health and Wellness Coach. I truly enjoy working with clients to help them meet their health and wellness goals! If you are looking for a coach that will guide you towards your goals and be by your side as you succeed, I'm your girl!

Today, I am in a very good place with Veggies Don't Bite. Business is picking up again and I am focusing on partnerships that make me happy and fill me up. One thing that I have learned is that life is too short to be unhappy. Money isn't everything, you can adjust your budget to keep your mental health in a good place.

Why I don't eat gluten

If you have read about our journey with our diet changes, and what led me to start my business, you'll know that it all started with my husband's health. We began eating a plant-based diet for his heart health, and (mostly) haven't made a ton of changes.

About two years ago, I started working with a functional medicine doctor (I had her on the podcast to chat about mental and physical health) after I went into early onset menopause. One of the first things I learned was that I needed to cut out gluten.

Wow, what a life changer. I had dealt with seasonal allergies my entire adult life, being on one form of medication for many years.

With the obsession over protein, we often miss the mark on what we really should focus on, fiber. This is why we are talking all about why fiber is important with our guest expert!

Fiber is a necessary carbohydrate for our body. Everyone needs to include it in their diet in order to maintain physical health.

Nichole Dandrea-Russert, MS, RDN, author of The Fiber Effect, has been a registered dietitian nutritionist for 27 years, specializing in heart disease, diabetes, sports nutrition and women's health.

For the past 13 years, she has focused on plant-based lifestyles through inspiring and educating people about plant-based eating to optimize their health and the health of the planet.

Nichole has been featured in Eating Well, Business Insider and Atlanta Journal Constitution. She is also a media spokesperson for The Weather Channel and local Atlanta television networks.

She shares her passion through her website Purely Planted. She lives in Atlanta, GA with her husband and rescue dog, Mariposa.

Grab her Free 5 Tasty and Simple-to-Make Plant-Based Dressings ebook here!

What is Fiber?

Fiber is a carbohydrate that is not digested by our body. We don't have enzymes to break down the fibrous components of plants, although chewing does help a bit. But overall, it moves through us undigested and whole.

There are two types, soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber becomes a gel like consistency when we eat it as it absorbs with water. Insoluble is more like roughage that moves through whole.

Why Do We Need Fiber?

Fiber is so important for our body. It impacts us both directly and indirectly. While many people think that fiber is there mainly for your digestive system, it does impact many other things as well.

What fiber does for your body

Soluble fiber helps lower cholesterol and control blood sugar and feeds healthy bacteria in the gut.

There is now newer research coming out that shows how fiber is the foundation for gut health. Gut health is being linked to many things, from digestion to mental health and moods.

Fiber helps lower cholesterol by decreasing the absorption of bad cholesterol and pulling some of it out of our system.

Also helps keep inflammation down by feeding bacteria in our gut and diversifying it. This keeps inflammation down both short term and long term, which helps prevent lifestyle diseases like heart disease, diabetes and also manage weight.

This can also help indirectly by preventing types of dementia and cancers.

Insoluble fiber helps to clear our toxins and carcinogens out of our body and pulls water into the large intestine and colon which helps you poop.

What Happens if You Don’t Get Enough Fiber?

Most of the population are not getting enough fiber, in fact more than 95% are not getting what they need. Women are supposed to get a minimum of 25 grams a day and men 38 grams. This is based on fiber's role in the prevention of heart disease.

When your body isn't getting enough fiber, it can't function

ConstipationStomach painsHeadachesBlood sugar swingsMood swingsCraving carbohydratesNot feeling satisfied with mealsOvereating leading to weight gainNot sleeping well

Sources of Fiber

Whole foods are the best source of getting fiber. You cannot get fiber in animal products. When making any change in your diet, especially with upping your fiber, make sure to up it slowly to minimize GI discomfort.

There are different types of fiber, so eating a variety of foods is important. Some foods that contain fiber are:

Beans (lentils, black beans, pinto beans, etc)Leafy greensWhole grains (brown rice, farro, quinoa, buckwheat, etc)Chia seedsFlaxmeal

Also make sure to drink plenty of water when you are eating lots of fiber!

While supplements can also be helpful, using whole foods to get fiber is best because with supplements you aren't getting the other healing benefits like the phytonutrients that come with fiber.

Is there a connection between diet and menopause? There is a lot we can do as women while we go through this big change in our life!

Join us today as we chat with a triple board satisfied OBGYN all about menopause and how we can tackle this time in our life to make it through in the best way possible!

Having been through menopause myself (I was an early adopter yay me LOL!), this topic is such an important discussion to have. Learning the tools to navigate menopause in a way that works for you is the best thing you can do!

Dr. Anna Cabeca, DO, OBGYN, FACOG, is triple-board certified and a fellow of gynecology and obstetrics, integrative medicine, and anti-aging and regenerative medicine. She has special certifications in functional medicine, sexual health, and bioidentical hormone replacement therapy.

For the past 20 years, she’s served 10,000+ women in her private practice— and millions more through her books, online videos and articles.

When her own health took a troubling turn during menopause, she sought out the wisdom of healers around the world. She learned that modern medicine and time-tested natural remedies are not at odds. Working together, they create indisputable results and true well being. Using delicious, healing foods and simple lifestyle changes, Dr. Anna reclaimed her health and life.

Fueled by her belief that every woman deserves to be empowered and in control of their health and life, she developed the Keto-Green lifestyle, which has helped thousands of women opt out of menopause misery and experience a joyful transition to the next stage of their lives. With her methods, you, too, can breeze through menopause into your “second spring”, feeling the best you ever have.

What is Menopause?

While many think menopause is a period of time, it actually isn't. Menopause is the actual day that is 12 months from your last period.

There are different stages you go through around the day of menopause, these are known as peri menopause and post menopause.

This is a time of neuroendocrine vulnerability, your glucose uptake increase and your progesterone plummets. This can begin as early as our mid 30's and comes with a multitude of symptoms.

Symptoms

The symptoms during the stages of menopause can vary from person to person and in severity. Because we are all different, we can't pinpoint the exact things we will go through, but here are some common signs:

hot flashesmood swings, depression and anxietyweight gainsleep disturbances and insomniairregular menstrual cycleschanges in hormones as seen through blood work

Stages of Menopause

As we said, the actual name menopause is the day that lies 12 months since your last period. Here are the stages that lie before and after that day:

Pre menopause- this is the period before any symptoms of peri menopause begin. This is the time of main reproductive years for women.

Peri menopause- this is the period of time when you are experience menopausal symptoms. It can be anything mentioned above and on average starts anywhere between 35-55.

Menopause- the day that is exactly 12 months from your last period.

Post menopause- this is the period of time after the day of menopause.

However this all can be tricky because the terminology needs some work. For example, what happens when you've had a hysterectomy? Are you in post menopause even though you haven't naturally entered that stage? More work needs to be done in this area.

How long does menopause last?

The main stage of menopause, which is peri menopause, can last anywhere from 5-15 years.

This again can vary from woman to woman.

What Is the Best Diet for Menopausal Women?

There are a lot of opinions when it comes to women and menopause, especially in the diet area. But according to Dr. Anna and the work she has done, she treats her patients with a keto green diet.

This consists of:

dark green leafy greensno sugarlow carbohydratesfoods t...

Learning how to go dairy free in an easy and doable way is an important part of your success! It doesn't have to be hard or stressful!

There are many ways to love your dairy free diet, whether it's by choice or need going dairy free can be just as delicious.

I don't have the best relationship with dairy. While I am not allergic, my body doesn't love dairy. That being said, I am really picky with my dairy free alternatives. So if I don't find something that tastes great, I won't eat it!

I can't say I am totally dairy free, because if I want something and I don't have a great dairy free version as an option, I will still eat the dairy. But I try and do as dairy free as possible.

If going dairy free is something you're looking to move towards, you can do it! There are lots of options, both store bought and homemade, to make your transition delicious.

What is Dairy?

Dairy is any food that is made of the milk products from an animal. There are many animals that produce milk, cow, sheep, goat are the most common. But there are other countries that use the milk from many other animals.

Foods that have dairy

There are many foods that contain dairy. Milk, yogurt, butter, cream, cheese, kefir and ice cream are some common ones. But milk can be hidden in many other foods so you have to be careful if you cannot eat it.

Knowing the alternative names of dairy is important as there are many you probably wouldn't recognize. Some of the names for ingredients that are considered dairy but don't have the common names listed above are:

caramel colorcaseincaseinatescurdscustardgalactosegheehalf and halfhydrolysateskoumisslactalbuminlactate solidslactitol monohydratelactoglobulinlactoselactuloselactyc yeastNisin preparationnougatpaneerpuddingquarkrecaldentrennetsherbetsimplessewhey

Is Dairy Bad for You?

Some people can tolerate dairy better than others. But just because you can tolerate it, doesn't mean you should be eating it as part of your regular diet.

While I advocate for balance, and I don't think that eating dairy once in a while is a big deal (unless of course you can't tolerate it or have an allergy), it should be something you eat in small amounts.

Dairy is the leading source of saturated fat in foods. Saturated fat contributes to chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes and heart disease and can increase your risk to things like high cholesterol and cancer.

Dairy can also cause side effects for some people, for me especially I see it affect my skin. Whenever I eat dairy, I always have breakouts.

How Long Does It Take To Get Dairy Out of Your System?

Everyone's bodies are different. When trying to transition away from dairy, it takes months for you to see the full effects. But some sources say that after 2-3 weeks you can feel better with the effects of dairy making their way out.

How Do I Transition to a Dairy Free Diet?

Any time you make a change in something you are used to doing it will be difficult. This is because our daily habits are set in our life and we don't have to think hard about them.

So changing those will take some brain power which takes more of our energy. But this doesn't mean that you can't make it easier, and one day the new habits will take over!

Here are my tips for making the transition to a dairy free life easier:

Start slow. This isn't a race and no one gets a trophy. Begin with foods you love most and find alternatives for those.Transition one food at a time over. No need to do a huge overhaul all at once. Look for store bought versions to start to make it easy, then you can start making your own if you prefer.If something doesn't taste good to you, don't eat it. You won't last with things you don't like.Have fun with it! Life is too short to be stressed!

Best Dairy Free Brands

I am really picky when it comes to my dairy free products. I often make a lot of things, like my vegan ranch dressing,

Many people want to know what a raw food diet is and how it differs from a traditional vegan diet. Our guest today is an expert on all things raw and is dishing out all the facts!

It can get confusing keeping it all straight, and with so much information online it's hard to separate the real info. So we are making it easy!

When it comes to deciding what way of eating is best for you, having up to date information you can trust is important.

At the age of 28, Russell took a life-changing trip to Koh Samui, Thailand to clear up the acne that had plagued him for years. It was there he discovered raw food.

Russell’s mission is to make raw food accessible every day. Whether it’s raw sandwiches or show-stopping dinner parties, your meals can be amazingly healthy.

Today, Russell has had the pleasure of teaching raw food to thousands of people worldwide. Students have learned through his livestreams and online courses at therawchef.com.

Definition of a Raw Food Diet

A raw food diet focuses on food that is in it's raw state or cooked below 116 degrees Fahrenheit (although that exact number can change depending on who you ask). 116 degress is the temperature that food tends to lose the most delicate of it's enzymes.

Raw chefs use different ingredients that are in their natural state or dehydrated in a dehydrator. With this they can create all types of recipes, from food like pizza, crackers and even bread.

Sauces can also be made in raw form. The secret is using alternative methods like thickening with other raw foods (like sun dried tomatoes for a tomato sauce or cashews for a dip or dressing). Making things like crackers or pizza tortillas requires you to slowly crisp these foods in a dehydrator. It simply just takes longer.

The Theory Behind a Raw Food Diet

As we said before, food tends to lose it's enzymes at around 116 degrees Fahrenheit. So theories behind raw foods diets say that to get the most out of foods you want to keep the enzymes.

While not necessarily backed by science, theorists saw our body has enzyme bank account and if you eat food with all it's enzymes in it, you don't deplete them from you enzyme bank account which allows your body to be in it's best state.

Others will say that enzymes don't make it through stomach acid anyway so it doesn't make a difference. The bottom line is that you need to try and see what works for you.

Everyone needs to do their own research. If you eat something and it makes you feel good, then do it.

Is a Raw Food Diet Healthy?

Whether or not a raw food diet is the best for you depends on your individual body. You need to listen to your body and what works for it. Some people can't digest things that other people can, so while eating some raw food can make you feel amazing, others may not.

Ethically, you can't say a raw diet will solve all problems. What works for one person may not work for another. That being said, raw fruit and vegetables is filled with nutrients that our body loves and needs to function.

Nutritional deficiencies take a long time to show up, so it's hard to base how healthy a raw food diet is on that fact alone.

You also need to think about what satiates you, whether you can feel satisfied with simply fruits and vegetables or if you need other types of foods is purely an individual issue.

Examples of Raw Foods

You'd be surprised how many things you already eat that are raw! Here are some examples of raw food and also raw ingredients you can put together to make something:

JuicesSmoothiesGranola made in a dehydratorChia seed puddingOats (are steamed to preserve shelf life but ok when you are just starting)Nut milksSaladsDairy free cheeses made from raw nutsDressings like my vegan ranch Make a raw "meat" like this one from my zucchini roll upsFermented foods like sauerkraut or kimchi (make sure these are in the refrigerated area because if not they have been pasteurized and are not raw)All f...

Having a healthy relationship with food is so important for our mental health, but it also affects our physical health. Tune in to hear our guest expert, a board certified pediatrician, share strategies and tips to keep you feeling amazing!

Keeping a positive food relationship when you are trying to make dietary changes can be challenging, even when you are trying to eat a more plant-based diet. The online diet world is tough to navigate so leaning on experts to guide the way is really important!

Dr. Yami is a board-certified pediatrician, certified lifestyle medicine physician, national board-certified health and wellness coach, author and international speaker. She is a passionate promoter of healthy lifestyles, especially the power of plant-based diets for the prevention of chronic disease.

She founded VeggieFitKids.com where she provides information on plant-based diets for children. She also hosts the popular podcast Veggie Doctor Radio which boasts listeners from 96 countries and nearly half a million downloads to date.

She is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, a diplomate of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, has a certificate in plant-based nutrition and is a certified Food for Life Instructor.

Dr. Yami owns Nourish Wellness, a pediatric micro-practice in Yakima, Washington where she lives with her husband and two active sons.

Her book is called “A Parent’s Guide to Intuitive Eating: How to Raise Kids Who Love to Eat Healthy”. You can learn more about Dr. Yami at DoctorYami.com and grab some of her free resources here!

Definition of a Healthy Food Relationship

While the meaning of a healthy relationship with food will be different for each person, it's really important that we strive towards having one. According to Dr. Yami, her healthy relationship with food is defined as:

One the supports health and well-being and fuels the body but also fits into ones lifestyle, culture, brings pleasure and is never associated with judgement, guilt or shame.

The journey and end result may morph and change as we go through life, but the main thing to focus on is that you are moving forward and not falling into traps that diet culture can bring.

Why a Healthy Food Relationship is Important

In the US, 70% of children's calories come from ultra processed foods. Let that sink in a bit. Offering a diet rich in all the nutrients is so important for a child's growing body. And doing so in a way that helps guide them into a healthy food relationship is just as important.

By the age of 5 children have already unlearned tuning into their bodies. This is due to many things, but parents trying to get their children to eat more, finish their meal, clean their plates, etc is a big contributer.

If we don't give our children opportunities to be in tune with their own body cues with relation to food is very damaging. They won't be able to tell when they are hungry, full, or even honor their body's cravings (which can be a signal they need a certain nutrient).

If children don't have these self help skills when they become adults, it can lead to a range of disordered eating. Which then moves from generation to generation.

However, if we help guide our children when it comes to food, we allow them to become adults with a positive relationship to food.

What Causes a Bad Relationship with Food?

There are many reasons why one would create a negative relationship with food. It generally stems from the past and their experiences.

One reason could be family environment, meaning how their family growing up viewed food and handled eating. It could be comments about appearance, weight, eating habits, etc.

For example, telling our kids that we can't eat birthday cake, ice cream or candy can trigger a false fear surrounding that food. This restricting of certain foods can affect the brain and trigger binging when they come into contact with that food again.

While there are many things wrong with diet culture, a major issue is its effect on foodways and how it influences people into thinking the food from their culture may be deemed bad or wrong.

There is no reason (other than a medical one) why you can't eat a food that is part of you and your culture. Just because our diet world likes to demonize certain foods, it doesn't mean it's right.

Listen in to hear more about why this shouldn't happen and how to eat what makes you feel good while including all the foods you love!

Dalina Soto MA, RD, LDN is a Spanish speaking registered dietitian. Dalina works as one of the few Spanish speaking RDs in the Philadelphia area and virtually across the country, teaching her clients how to ditch the diet mentality and keep their culture alive.

Check out her Free Workshop: 3 Ways to Ditch Diets!

What are Foodways?

When we talk about foodways we mean what, how and why people eat as related to their culture or traditions. It isn't just about the actual food people eat but also about the reasons behind it, how it gets prepared, etc.

Foodways encompasses the social, cultural and economic practices behind a person or groups of persons food.

How Diet Culture Affects Foodways and Traditions

Much of the science based training behind food (and diet culture), and how food affects health, is based on Eurocentric research (much like the history of BMI).

This research doesn't include people in different countries, so how can we apply this science worldwide? We all know that even people within one culture are different in their bodies, the way they react to certain foods, what they can handle, etc. But yet, we apple the same science to them and to people in all different cultures.

Instead of digging deeper and expanding our research, we apply stereotypes to all. The United States is a melting pot of cultures, it's the foundation of our country. So it's time to start being more culturally aware in many areas, especially when it comes to health and wellness.

It is time to update the science to include things like social determinants of health, not just how food and exercise relate to our bodies.

How to Eat and Keep Your Foodways

One of the main things we need to start focusing on is the mental health aspect behind how we look at food. We need to move away from the diet culture message of what is "right" or "wrong" and away from extremes.

Extremes sell, middle grounds do not. This is why we see extremes in main stream media and social media. But extremes also cause issues with our mental health, so it's up to us to control what we consume.

There is a hierarchy of needs when it comes to our wellbeing: shelter and money are first. Then we can talk about nutrition. However, we often are made to feel like nutrition comes first and if you don't have the means then you are SOL (shit out of luck!).

This is far from the truth. The sooner we can start using that hierarchy to help others guide their wellness, the more success we will have.

First, start with reducing stress. Move away from what diet culture says you can and can't have. Honor what you have access to, and what you eat culturally. White rice is a great carbohydrate, and we need carbohydrates for energy. If you like it eat it, if you like brown rice, eat that. Both will provide carbohydrates.

Try frozen and canned produce. Did you know that produce meant for freezing and canning is picked at peek ripeness? It's a great option for people!

Take the fear away from what is sold as scary. A lot of the fear mongering behind foods isn't based on real data. It's base is sales in nature and while it can have success in making the sale, it wreaks havoc to our mental health.

The bottom line is you get to choose, you don't have to do something that doesn't feel right. Once we can give the education to those that need it, it's up to them to use what they learn to make decisions for what they ...

With all the info out there, it is hard to know what the best vegan, cruelty-free and clean skincare products are. But our guest today is an industry expert and is sharing all the info we need to choose the best products!

Taking care of our skin is so important. It's the largest organ we have! And nothing feels better than high quality products that are good for your body and actually work. Which is why I always turn to OSEA Malibu for all my skin care needs!

Use my link above and code SOPHIADCOACHING10 for 10% off your first order!

OSEA began in Jenefer’s kitchen sink after a decade working as Spa Director at the historic Murrieta Hot Springs. Paired with her training in various healing modalities including Polarity Therapy, Acupressure, Shiatsu and Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy, Jenefer was a thought leader in the burgeoning wellness space.

Her desire to create active, vegan and clean skincare was revolutionary and what began as a personal passion soon evolved into a fully-fledged beauty brand, manifesting the seed of her idea into reality.

What Does Clean Mean in Skincare?

The term clean skincare doesn't have one set definition because it is not regulated by the government, so it is up to each brand to define what clean skincare means to them.

In general, clean skincare uses products that are from the earth, sustainable and do not contain synthetic chemicals. They are often also vegan and cruelty-free.

OSEA products focus on marine based elements. Most of their products are seaweed based.

What Is the Difference Between Vegan and Cruelty-Free?

When you look at a clean skincare brand, you often also see the labels vegan and cruelty-free. While these most often, and should, go hand in hand, they don't mean the same thing.

Vegan means that they do not contain any animal products in the product itself. While cruelty-free means that the products are not tested on animals.

Products can be cruelty-free but not vegan. But vegan products are also cruelty-free because vegan means that no animals were used at any point in making the product.

Are Vegan, Cruelty-Free and Clean Skincare Products Best?

Everyone has their own opinion on what products they believe are best. But over here, we focus on vegan, cruelty-free and clean skincare brands. They are more sustainable than those that use synthetic chemicals because they use ingredients from the earth.

Typically, clean skincare tends to give people less of a reaction when using them. This is mostly because they don't contain synthetic chemicals and focus on earth based ingredients, however someone can react to ingredients from the earth as well.

Reducing synthetically derived chemicals also makes it so that products can work with so many different skin types. Often times a person who thinks they have sensitive skin finds out it was just the chemicals they were reacting to and their skin is not that sensitive.

Also, clean skincare tends to have sustainable packaging which is also another way to help the earth. OSEA for example packages their products in glass packaging.

A vegan plant-based life is overall the most sustainable way for us to live, there is so much to choose from when it comes from earth!

Ingredients in Clean Skincare Products

Most clean skincare brands use ingredients from the earth.

OSEA stands for Ocean, Sun, Earth and Atmosphere. But they mostly focus on marine based ingredients. Most of their products use seaweed as a base, and some use essential oils.

Seaweed is rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that are all amazing for your skin.

Essential oils are another main ingredient used for clean skincare. They come from plants and capture the plants scent.

How Do I Get a Clean Skincare Routine?

First you need to find a product you love. OSEA is my go to!

You also need to be consistent. You can't make progress on anything until you establish a good consistency.

If you're looking for info on how to start a vegan diet, you've come to the right place! Our expert guest is sharing all her best tips and tricks to make it easy and seamless!

Change can be hard, but when you take it slow and commit to learning all you need to know it can be a lot easier than you think. Focusing on what works for you is most important!

Having the info you need to make a change is also very important. We only know what we know!

Monique Koch started her vegan journey in April 2010 because it was a way for her to protest animal & human exploitation, preserve the planet, and improve her health.

Her purpose is to help everyday people learn about the benefits of vegan life with tips, recipes, and encouragement.

After struggling to find easy recipes with accessible ingredients, she decided to start my YouTube channel to share all the creations she was making for herself and her family.

A few years later, she started her podcast to have candid conversations with other vegans (especially other Black vegans) to inspire veganism in the Black community.

Monique believes in “progression over perfection” and this compassionate approach gives everyday people the support they need to stay vegan for life.

Make sure to pick up her free vegan starter kit!

What Is a Vegan Diet?

A vegan diet means you do not eat any products with animals. Veganism as a whole is not just about food though, it actually means that you live a life without any animal products.

Things like leather, wool and even animal products in make up are things vegan people don't use. When the focus is purely on the diet part, it's more accurate to say you eat a plant-based diet.

How Do I Start Going Vegan?

The most important thing to start with is asking yourself why you want to do it in the first place. Is it health? The environment? Animals? There is no wrong answer, only the answer that resonates with you.

As time goes on, you will go through moments that you really need to lean on your why. And your why may change! You need to make the decision for yourself because there is so much power in committing to something you really want!

A great place to start is veganizing your favorite meals, this will give you something familiar that you can still eat.

Focus on what you can eat and not what you can't eat. While many people think that you are eliminating so much, you are in fact adding in so much! There are so many new foods you will be exposed to and try that you may love.

What Should a Beginner Vegan Eat?

Other than focusing on finding vegan versions of your favorite meals, here are some ideas of simple meals you can make. The key is to keep it simple, eat things you love and making sure you are getting all your nutrients. Here are some ideas:

Pasta: Use your favorite sauce or find plant-based alternatives to meat and dairy to make your favorite recipe.Smoothies: A great breakfast or snack and very easy to customize and add your favorite flavors.Soups: There are many options that are vegan, and you can even make your favorite non vegan soups using veggie broth instead of chicken or beef broth and adding veggies or meat alternatives.Find vegan versions of any staples you love like eggs, meat, cheese, ice cream, etc.

Tips for Success

The key to making a vegan diet part of your lifestyle is finding tips that work for long term success. Here are some ideas:

Just because you try one hting you don't like don't give up because there are so many options and other ways to make something you love. This applies to store bought things like cheese or recipes you try to make.Be open minded to try and try again. All things take trial and error, you need to give yourself grace! Start small, it doesn't have to happen over night. Change takes time and there is nothing wrong with that.It's not a one size fits all support. We are all different humans so we can't expect a change like eating a vegan diet ...

The controversy between organic foods being healthier than conventional is ongoing. But what are the facts? Are organic foods healthier for you?

I get this question often. I am unpacking all the details, and sharing my personal opinion about what organic means and making the choice to buy organic.

Organic labels can often be used to spike prices and this is where food inequality comes into play. So does that make health overall an unreachable goal as well? This seems to be a common misconception.

What Does Organic Mean?

Some trains of thought out there say that organic food is no different than conventional food. That it's basically a farce and a sales tactic.

While it can be used to hike prices, there actually is a difference with organically grown food. You can learn more about the details of organic farming in my post all about organic farming, but here are a few key points:

If a farm grows conventional produce, it takes 3 years before it can sell it's produce as organic.Organic farmers focus more on the roots of the plants versus the end product, therefore they need to be more proactive and always stay steps ahead in order to catch an issue before it affects growth.The longer a farm is organic, the richer the soil is because organic farming has a mutually beneficial relationship with the earth as it gives to the soil as the soil gives back to the plants.Organic farmers have an approved list of substances they can use to treat issues that come up, however before they are allowed to use them they must show they tried physical, biological and mechanical solutions first.It takes a lot of time, effort and money to become certified organic so not all farms can make that happen.

Why Is Organic Food So Much More Expensive?

There is definitely a price difference between buying organic food and buying conventional. The main reason is that it costs the farms more money to grow organic food.

While some brands may take advantage of this and hike prices even higher, most simply want to make a living!

Do We Need Organic to Be Healthy?

Overall, you get the same nutrients from conventional produce than organic produce. So on the nutrient level, there is no difference. However you do get less exposure to pesticides with organic produce.

The question remains, does that exposure matter? Does it affect your health and cause issues long term? There isn't a hard and fast answer to this. Studies are not conclusive, even those that show a connection to pesticide exposure and health issues cannot be fully validated because people that tend to buy organic also tend to have healthier overall life styles and access to more health support.

While a person can have allergies to certain chemicals found on conventional produce, this doesn't apply to everyone.

The main overall advice is you should first focus on eating fruits and vegetables. The nutrients you gain far outweigh any risks of conventional produce. Then, if it's affordable and you want to eat organic, do so.

Washing your produce and removing the outer leaves can even remove most of the pesticides used. Some also focus on only buying produce that is known to have higher levels of pesticides organic (such as celery, apples, grapes, tomatoes, strawberries and spinach) and don't worry about the rest.

Benefits of Eating Organic

There are benefits to eating organic when it is affordable and accessible. These benefits are not only focused on you but also the environment and community:

Organic practices give back to the earth so it helps keep the soil rich and better for the animals living around the soil.Organic farms need to try many methods before they are allowed to use chemicals from an approved list so there are less pesticides in the food.Not always, but some organic produce is fresher due to lack of preservatives and since some come from small farms closer to where the produce is sold.