21 Sep 2015
Vegan-Related Books & Documentaries
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PlantPure Nation Documentary Review

Plant-Pure-Nation-documentary

I was thrilled when I learned I had an opportunity to go to a screening of the new documentary about plant-based eating, PlantPure Nation.

When I learned that PlantPure Nation was being brought to us by the same producers as Forks Over Knives (2011) I was especially excited to check it out. (If you haven’t seen Forks Over Knives, read my review HERE!)

The documentary is narrated by Nelson Campbell, son of renowned nutrition researcher and co-author of the best-seller The China Study, Dr. T Colin Campbell. The film basically picks up where Forks Over Knives left off, focusing less on convincing the viewer that a whole foods vegan diet plan is the way to go, and more on how we, the people, need to take the initiative and come together to demand our rights when it comes to accessibility of information and availability of fresh, whole plant foods. PlantPure Nation follows the journey of Dr. T. Colin Campbell, Nelson Campbell, and Kentucky State Senator Tom Riner as they work tirelessly to start a grassroots movement as well as pass legislation that will bring awareness of the benefits of a plant-based diet to the public eye.

During the course of the film, you go on the road with Nelson as he leads pilot 10-day “jumpstarts” starting in the unlikely small town of Mebane, NC, where Southern charm and barbeque make up the culture. Here he manages to gather 16 participants who receive education, medical exams, and prepared fresh vegan meals for a 10-day period. As you witnessed in Forks Over Knives, the participants were overwhelmed with the results after the ten days when their total and bad (LDL) cholesterol dropped by an average of 20%.

PlantPure Nation also emphasises the role of the medical community, featuring several doctors who testify to the fact that nutrition is hardly a part of their education or professional development at all. They are trained to write prescriptions for drugs. One doctor even threw out the idea that it would be legitimate if one day, it would be considered malpractice for doctors to NOT educate their patients about how a whole foods, plant-based diet can prevent, treat, and often reverse chronic conditions and disease.plantpure nation

This documentary is both powerful and informative. For people like me with a short attention span, Nelson speaks a bit on the slow side, but I believe this is necessary to clearly get his points across, especially to those hearing the information for the first time. You spend a large part of the movie inside the offices of politicians and inside governmental walls, so be prepared to learn a great deal about the legislative process which can be a bit tedious, though vital in order to further grassroots efforts to make change. 

The take-home message is that we have the power to create a movement and revolutionize our health care system and save both our own lives and the lives of people in the U.S. and all over the world. PlantPure Nation is not just a movie, it’s a movement… a movement with structure. They have started something called “PlantPure Pods” which are being formed on the local level all over the country. The Pods are groups of people coming together to bring awareness and start positive change within their communities.

You can join your local Pod HERE. I did… join me!

 

18 Sep 2015
Vegan Nutrition, Vegan Product Reviews
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Vegan Dog Food Review – Pet Guard Vegetarian Feast

vegetarian-feast-vegan-dog-food

There are a growing number of choices for vegan dog food these days.

So far PetGuard’s Vegetarian Feast Dinner is my dog’s favorite.

We are fortunate to live in a day and age where we can feed our dogs organic, plant-based food that is fortified with every nutrient they need to live healthy happy lives. Ethically, I couldn’t rescue a dog from death and then feed her dead animals. Sure, it can be argued that a plant-based diet is not the “natural” way dogs eat. However, if my dog’s diet is nutritionally balanced to meet her needs, she loves it, is full of energy, and has a clean bill of health, I can argue, “What’s wrong with that?” The Vegetarian Feast Dinner is “formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO dog food nutrient profiles for maintenance.”

As with people, dogs can be picky about their food (some more than others) so it can take some experimentation to find the vegan dog food that pleases your pet. My dog Shye happens to love to eat in general, but before I get into more, let me quickly share Shye’s story.

Shye came from the Miami-Dade Animal Services pound, listed as a stray. I remember the moment I saw Shye for the first time like it was yesterday. I was walking by each cage slowly (this is SO hard and heart breaking), and when I got to Shye’s cage, she caught my eye because she was sitting at the very back, facing the back wall of the cage. She heard me and without moving her body, she did a 180 with her head and stared at me with her big brown eyes. We made a connection and I walked out of the facility with her in my arms that day.

From day one Shye has scarfed down food she enjoys so fast I sometimes think she forgets to chew! When she doesn’t like a food however, she will stay away from it like the plague. I tried several different brands of vegan dog food, dry and wet, before finding her favorite, and that is PetGuard’s Vegetarian Feast Dinner. I’ve found that Chewy.com has the best deal for ordering or you can pick it up at your local Whole Foods Market. 

I’m going to keep trying out new brands however, because I’d love to buy from a cruelty-free company (one that makes only vegan products). So if you have a brand of vegan dog food that your dog loves please share!

vegan-dog-Shye

14 Sep 2015
Vegan Product Reviews, Vegan Recipes
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Nasoya Chipotle Baked Tofu Review and Recipe

Chipotle-baked-tofu-review

I recently had the pleasure of trying Nosoya’s latest baked tofu flavor, “Chipotle.”Nasolya chipotle tofubaked

This product gets the Sexy Fit Vegan stamp of approval as a healthy and delicious addition to your vegan diet plan!

As the company says, this TofuBaked flavor is “smoky and spicy with a touch of heat.” I would say its between mild and medium on the spiciness scale, so if you like intense heat, you can simply add some of your favorite hot sauce. This tofu makes a perfect addition to salads, sandwiches, and Mexican dishes like the taco salad below. I also love it because you can eat it as a high vegan protein snack as well. Just one piece has 8 grams of protein (there are 4 pieces per package). I’m always looking for new go-to savory vegan snacks, especially to eat right away after working out, and the TofuBaked products meet this need perfectly.

From the package I got, I ate two of the pieces as-is, without even heating them up, enjoying the flavorful snack after an intense training session. The other two pieces I used to create a new, easy vegan recipe for a taco salad to share with you!

Chipotle Taco Salad

Servings: 2 

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
  • 1/4 cup black beans 
  • 1/2 cup tomato, diced
  • 1/2 cup cucumber, diced
  • 1/2 an avocado, diced
  • 1/2 cup bell pepper of choice, diced
  • 1/4 cup black olives, sliced
  • 3 Tbsp salsa of choice
  • 2 pieces Nasoya Chipotle TofuBaked, chopped into bite size pieces
  • 2 Tbsp vegan sour cream* (optional)
  • Beanitos Chips or chips of choice* (optional)

Directions:

In a large bowl, toss together the lettuce, black beans, tomato, cucumber, avocado, bell pepper, black olives and salsa (the salsa takes the place of dressing). Serve onto plate(s) and top with the tofu and a dollop of vegan sour cream. Line the edge of the plate with Beanitos chips or chips of choice. Enjoy! 

*Tofutti and Vegan Gourmet both make one, or you can make your own such as this one from Food.com.

*Beanitos are a great alternative to regular corn chips because they are made from beans and have more protein and fiber.

For more high protein vegan products and simple recipes make sure to check out the How To Go Vegan Beginner’s Guide.

08 Sep 2015
Vegan-Friendly Restaurants
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Miami Beach Vegan Restaurant Review: Full Bloom

Full-Bloom-Vegan-Restaurant-Review

Full Bloom, a new gourmet vegan restaurant in Miami Beach recently opened it’s doors and I couldn’t wait to check it out!Full-Bloom-Vegan-Restaurant-View-web

I have been living in South Beach for 13 years and although more vegan spots have been popping up in recent years, we haven’t had any gourmet vegan restaurants to choose from… until now. Full Bloom is not only upscale, but it has a killer location with a gorgeous Full-Bloom-Vegan-Restaurant-Owners-webview overlooking Biscayne Bay and the downtown Miami skyline. I can’t speak highly enough about the creative and gracious founders, Omar Barberini, Nicola Dominici, and Alessandro Farana, whose mission is, “to bring animal-caring, health conscious cuisine to food levels in Miami and provide an intimate special dining experience.”

Full Bloom is off to a great start in fulfilling their mission. The ambiance is classy, the vibe friendly, and the food delicious.

The menu can be considered “vegan fusion” with great variety. I had recruited my ex-boo to take me on a date and although he is not on a vegan diet plan, he was as impressed with the menu as I was. We started out with cocktails. Although the restaurant does not have a full liquor license, they are able to serve low a.b.v. liquor and can therefore still whip up some refreshing cocktails using fresh pressed juice. Rob and I got different margarita varieties with paprika salt which were wonderful. They also have a good wine selection.Full-Bloom-Vegan-Restaurant-Cocktails-web

They started us out with some bruschetta that came with a shot of vegetable puree. Yum!!! We then ordered a couple appetizers… the mac and cheese side (my pick) and vegetable tempura (Rob’s pick). The mac and cheese was awesome, and it was such a large portion I had to resist eating too much! Although I rarely eat fried food so I’m no tempura expert but wow, this tempura was outstanding, and the daikon soy sauce was the perfect compliment. 

Full-Bloom-Vegan-Restaurant-Bruscetta-webFull-Bloom-Vegan-Restaurant-Mac-'n-Cheese-webFull-Bloom-Vegan-Restaurant-Tempura-web

Choosing a main course was a challenge because all the dishes sounded so appetizing. We ended up ordering the farro risotto of the day and veggie fajitas. By the time these dishes arrived we were both fairly full already so we had a few bites and packed the rest to go (we ended up eating it later the same night). The risotto had a delightful flavor. If you try it, just keep in mind farro is an ancient grain that has a different, more course, texture than the rice typically used to make risotto dishes. The veggie fajitas were also incredibly flavorful and delicious. If I order these again I will ask them to include grilled tofu or tempeh for the added texture and protein  The menu was packed with so many items that interested me that I was already feeling excited to go back and try out more!Full-Bloom-Vegan-restaurant-Farro-and-Fajitias-web

The service we received was impeccable. (This is a statement that unfortunately cannot be said for many restaurants in South Beach.) I can say with confidence, “At Full Bloom you can expect the nothing but the best.”

I highly recommend the Full Bloom Gourmet Vegan Cuisine experience…. so check it out and let me know your favorite dishes!Full-Bloom-Vegan-Restaurant-with-Rob-web

 

04 Sep 2015
Going Vegan Tips, Vegan Product Reviews
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Top 5 Belgium-Style Vegan Beers for Labor Day

Vegan-Belgium-Beer-for-Labor-Day

Over the years I have grown into quite the vegan beer chick, so with Labor Day around the corner, I wanted to give all you beer lovers some vegan options to try!

First of all, if you are wondering, “Does alcohol belong on a vegan diet plan?” click HERE to read my answer.

Secondly, a big thank you to Barnivore.com is called for. This website makes it easy to quickly find out if a beer, wine, or spirit is vegan-friendly or not. You simply type in the name of the product and 9 times out of 10, the product is displayed with a “Vegan-Friendy” or “Not Vegan-Friendly” label. The website also gives exact statements from the company when available, explaining why or why not the product is vegan. Awesome, right?!

I am a lover of Belgium strong dark beers so the many of these beer suggestions reflect my preferences and are flavorful but not hoppy, but don’t worry, I’ve included a variety for those of you with a preference for lighter beer and/or enjoy some hop!

1. La Trappe Quadruplevegan beer - la trappe

This is a “quad” which, according to CraftBeer.com, makes it amber to dark brown in color. Caramel, dark sugar and malty sweet flavors dominate, with medium-low to medium-high hop bitterness. Quads have a relatively light body compared to their alcoholic strength. If aged, oxidative qualities should be mild and not distracting. Sometimes referred to as Belgian strong dark.

At 10% ABV (Alcohol By Volume), this is a sipping beer that is heavenly smooth and tasty. It’s my absolute favorite, hands down! BeerAdvocate.com describes it as having a “warm and intense flavour is rich and finely balanced. Malty sweet, slightly burnt, and pleasantly bitter with a sweet aftertaste. Quadrupel continues to ferment after bottling and offers aromas of banana, almond, vanilla and others.”

It’s also not an easy one to find. Neither the Whole Foods, Fresh Market, or any local liquor stores in Miami Beach carry it. The Yard House used to serve it but does not anymore. Such a bummer! Total Wine and More usually stocks it though.

2. Ommegang Three Philosophersvegan beer - three philosophers

This is another quad; 9.70% ABV that I find incredibly satisfying and my perfect “go-to”. BeerAdvocate.com describes the flavor well. “Heavenly smoothness within the full body, creamy from middle to end. Thickly sweet of dark malts, nothing roasted. Deceiving alcohol leaves little warmth until the finish. Bitter phenols and a trace hop help to balance. Very herbal and a bit earthy as well.”

Luckily this one is much more common to find stocked at your local Whole Foods, Fresh Market, and/or liquor store.

3. Chimay (Red, White, Blue)

Chimay makes three awesome vegan beer varieties – a quad, a tripel, and a dubbel respectively. They are all fantastic depending on your preference so take your pick!

Check out their company email to Barnivore.com: “We don’t use any animal product for the production of our beers, nor any additive. We only are using first quality products. You therefore can drink our beers safely and with clear conscience!”

My favorite Chimay is the “Blue” which is the “Grand Reserve,” as it is a Belgium strong dark ale, 9% A.B.V. with a smooth and rich flavor. BeerAdvocate.com gives a more detailed description: “Super smooth, creamy, full-ish body, date sugar, estery, warming, spicy, faintly medicinal, yeast, mineral, leafy hops, dried grass, toasted fruit cake, semi-dry finish

The “White,” or Tripel, is 8% A.B.V. is lighter bodied than the Blue and is “sweet / tart balance up-front with a unique bitterness on the tongue. Alcohol notes seem to stay and dominate the mouth. The beer goes crisp, rather dry. More malt sweetness follows along with a very mild tea-like hop flavour that carries thru to the finish. Notes of Concord grape comes to mind” according to BeerAdvocate.com.

Last but not least, the “Red,” a.k.a. Premiere, is a Dubbel, which is 7% A.B.V.  This one has a “Soft powdery mouth feel with a crisp carbonation and medium body. Smooth. Very evident clove flavour up front and stays around throughout the beer. Hints of birch and ginger beer-like flavours, peppery medcinal phenols and light herbal tea hop flavour. Quite malty but it stays in the back. Fruitiness is likened to a delicate date sweetness and ripe plum. As the beer warms, there’s also a suggestion of chocolate/carob. Finish dries a little though still a bit of residual sweetness leftover, herbal flavours also.”

Chimay is a popular brand and is not difficult to find.Vegan Beer - Chimay

4. Unibroue La Fin Du Mondevegan beer - la fin du monde

This one makes the top of many beer favorite lists. It’s one of the few beers that has a 100 out of 100 rating by “The Bros” of BeerAdvocate.com! “Peppery clove spiciness with a warming alcohol right behind it. Estery with a hint of solvent-like character in the high level of alcohol. Malt lays down some sweetness with a thick drying pale graininess, fruity flavours of mango and pear flash on the taste buds. Bitterness from the hops melds with the thick powdery yeast and bring the mouth to a slightly dry finish.” 

The company email to Barnivore.com states, “In reply to your question there are no animal or dairy products used in the production of our beers. As far as filtration goes we use a silica xerogel and PVPP (nylon) to help clarification of our beers and no isinglass is used. This of course only applies to our filtered beers (U, U2, Bolduc). Our speciality refermented beers are not filtered and contain living yeast which carbonate the beer naturally via the refermentation in the bottle. As far as other raw materials are concerned, we do not use honey and all other sources are GMO free cereals, sugar, hops and spices. I hope this answers your question clearly and will premit you to continue enjoying the high quality of Unibroue beers.”

5. Belzebuthvegan beer - belzebuth

I saved the strongest for last… Belzebuth, considered a Belgium Strong Pale Ale and has a whopping 13% A.B.V.! For this reason it comes in a smaller, 250ml bottle. It is surprisingly smooth and I find it incredibly delicious. BeerAdvocate.com reviews it as “Very fat and chewy malt mouth feel with a creamy slickness coming from the alcohol. Moderate carbonation accenting the spicy sweet alcohol that seems to dominate the front … we could feel the alcohol warm from mouth to belly. Some fruitiness and hop bitterness is evident leaving candied orange and raisins with a hop leaf flavours. Ghost like grain in the finish that leaves an amazingly clean after taste.”

This one can be a challenge to find. It used to be stocked at the local Whole Foods here in Miami Beach, but now the only place I see it is at the restaurant/bar, Burger and Beer Joint.

I hope I have sparked your interest and motivated you to try some new vegan beer this Labor Day (and for football season as well)!

I’d love to hear your favorites as well… I’m always looking for new craft beers to try!

02 Sep 2015
Sexy Fit Vegan of the Month
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Pamela Anderson-Sexy Fit Vegan Celebrity of the Month September 2015

She may be an obvious choice but I have to recognize vegan Pamela Anderson for her ongoing effort to raise awareness about animal cruelty!

Recently launching her own online vegan cooking show, the “Sensual Series,” Pam is focused on showing vegan newbies just how flavorful and sexy vegan cooking can be. I love the fact that Pamela is an ethical vegan who not only raises awareness on animal rights issues, but is now working hard to show people how to make positive, cruelty free lifestyle choices. This show is in part an introduction to the vegan cookbook she will soon be putting out. Anderson, who says she could “live off toast, peanut butter, and sweet potatoes,” created the program to expand her own repertoire, stating, “You really learn how to cook from your parents and then all of a sudden you want to be vegan and you’re like, ‘Now how am I going to cook that?’”

Pamela has done numerous PETA vegan-promoting advertisements throughout the years. Her latest in May 2015 is aimed to educate people on the amount of water wasted by animal agriculture. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, 55 percent of the country’s water supply is drained by animal agriculture, while  only 5 percent is used in homes. She is always willing to sex it up for these ads knowing “sex sells” and whatever sells veganism she is willing to do! 

pamela-anderson-peta ad

Anderson was also in the news recently to expose gross cruelty against chickens for a video that features images captured in the latest Mercy for Animals undercover investigation of Gordon Food Service.

Thank you Pamela for doing all you do for the animals!!!

31 Aug 2015
Vegan Product Reviews
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Biossance – Plant-Based Skin Revitalizer Review

I was recently asked to participate in the Biossance “Embodied Project” by trying out “THE REVITALIZER” skin hydration drops for 30 days…biossance revitalizer

I read all about it to make sure it was vegan of course. It is. Squalane is a moisturizer found naturally in both plants and animals. THE REVITALIZER is made from 100% plant-derived squalane so I said, “Sure, why not?!”

My skin tends to be dry, but it also breaks out sometimes with all the working out and sweating I do here in Miami Beach, so finding products that can tackle both issues can be a challenge. I was excited to give it a shot, and it soon arrived in the mail, packaged with elegance.

Biossance The Revitalizer The directions said to gently apply 2-3 drops onto cleansed face, neck, and body day and night. I decided to use it primarily on my face and neck where my skin is most sensitive. I immediately liked how it felt on my skin… smooth and moisturizing. I was concerned it would be greasy or cause “shine” on my face but it did not. I consistently used it for the next 4 weeks. I found that my skin truly did seem to become softer and healthier looking and feeling. It also did not make me break out as I had feared. I therefore give two thumbs up to this product!

It also says it can be used as a hair serum for shine, softness, and to tame fly-aways, for cuticles, and dry skin patches. I haven’t tried out these different uses yet.

Check out their website. Let me know what you think!

28 Aug 2015
Uncategorized, Vegan Fitness
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Top 5 Stability Ball Core Exercises

Stability-Ball-Core-Exercises

It’s Vegan Fitness Friday and today I’m sharing the top five effective stability ball exercises I recommend for strengthening your core!

1.  High Plank Hip Extension: Start in a high plank position with your hands on the floor and the top of your feet on the ball. Make sure your hands are directly underneath your shoulders. Engage your core so stabilize your body, and using your right glute muscles, raise your right leg off the ball about 6 inches. Hold the position for a few seconds before gently placing it back down and performing the same movement with your left leg. Make sure to keep your leg straight (do not bend at the knee). Repeat until you reach failure.

stability-ball-hip-extensions

2.  Plank to Pike: Start in a high plank position with your hands on the floor and your shins on the ball. Make sure your hands are directly underneath your shoulders. Engage your core and stabilize your shoulders. Pull your bellybutton in and up toward your spine in order to lift your hips up into the air above your shoulders and only your toes are in contact with the ball. With control, allow your hips to lower back to the start position. Repeat for 10-20 reps or until failure.

Swiss Ball Pike

3. Supermans: Position the ball under your hips and stomach, with your legs stretched out straight behind you, toes on the ground. It helps to also have your feet against a wall. Stretch your arms straight out, elbows by your ears. Lower your upper body until your hands touch the ground. Using your back muscles, raise your upper body, as far as up as you can, arms staying as straight and close to your ears as possible. Lower with control and repeat 15 reps or until failure.

Supermans on Stabilty Ball

4.  Full Range of Motion Sit-Up: Sit on top of the ball, securing your feet under a stable object. The further back on the ball your butt is, the more challenging this exercise will be. Bend your arms positioning your hands by your ears. Engage your core, and slowly roll your back down the ball one vertebrae at a time. Starting with your chin moving toward your chest, use your abdominal muscles to roll back up one vertebrae at a time pulling your bellybutton in toward your spine throughout the entire movement. If you feel any pain in your lower back stop and position the ball further up on your back so you have more support. If it’s too easy on the other hand, stop and move the ball further down under your butt to make it more difficult. Repeat 15-20 times or until failure.

Stability Ball Situps

5.  Russian Twists: Start with the stability ball positioned under your upper back. Adjust your feet and lift your hips so that your knees are bent at a 90 degree angle. Arms stretch straight toward the ceiling, hands together. Engage your abs and twist at your midsection, lowering your arms to one side. Alternate, doing a total of 20-30 reps or until failure. Make this exercise more challenging by holding a dumbbell or medicine ball.

Stability ball Russian twist

 
19 Aug 2015
Going Vegan Tips, Vegan Fame and Fortune
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Real Men Eat Plants, Not Meat

Real Men Eat Plants

I am certainly someone who has been breaking the vegan stereotypes since I was young, and I think the mold is quickly transforming when it comes to women going vegan… now it’s time for the men to catch up!

Vegan Club Brad PittI’m into “manly” men. They are my “type” and I’m telling you right now, a guy who fits the mold of a macho man in most ways (is a sports fan, tattoos, beer-drinker, knows how to fix things, lifts weights, etc.) AND eats plants instead of meat wins the title of REAL MAN by a long shot!

Meat and machismo have always gone hand in hand… no more! There’s nothing manlier to me than a man eating Gardein wings while he watches football and drinks a beer. And a guy putting Beyond Meat‘s Beast Burger in his shopping cart… that’s what I call sexy. Just look at some of the male celebs who are vegan, some of whom have been plant-based for 10+ years (click on each for some current info):

I have lived in Miami Beach the majority of my adult life and I will be the first to admit the dating scene here can be rough, and a successful relationship can be tough. I will say that I have been fortunate enough to have found guys that I was able to have long-term relationships with in part because they fully respected my vegan lifestyle, even though they were not vegan themselves. Respect is a requirement, along with an open mind and a desire to make moves in the direction of a healthier, more compassionate and conscious diet and lifestyle. Dating a non-vegan is not easy for me, just as dating a vegan is not easy for non-vegans. 

From the health aspect alone, when I see my man eating animal products it’s had not to think about the damage the food is doing to his health, just as it would be to see your partner smoking a cigarette. It’s a completely valid concern when it comes to the person you love. Then, when it comes to animals and the environment, it’s hard to understand how my man can put the animal cruelty and environmental destruction factors aside and continue to put dead flesh in his mouth. That being said, everyone is different in how they process information and emotions. I believe the best way to promote the vegan lifestyle I believe so strongly in, is to continue to do what I’m doing… leading by example, educating, and inspiring as many people as I possibly can in a positive, sexy way!

I may not have turned boyfriends vegan, but I can happily and truthfully say I have made a huge positive impact on the eating habits of all my boyfriends past. I look forward to meeting more and more real men who step up their game by embracing a macho vegan lifestyle in the near future if they haven’t already!

 

 

03 Aug 2015
Sexy Fit Vegan of the Month, Vegan Fame and Fortune
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John Salley
Sexy Fit Vegan Celebrity of the Month August, 2015

john-salley-vegan-champion

August’s Sexy Fit Vegan® Celebrity of the Month goes to 4-time NBA champion, talk show host, wellness advocate, and 8-year vegan John Salley. 

John has been successful in the countless ventures he has taken on, both on and off the court, and I’m also fortunate enough to call him Ella Magers with John Salley at Seed Food and Wine Festivala friend! As it states on his website:

“Most can achieve a goal and be pleasantly satisfied with their results but to continually create new tasks to accomplish and to reinvent yourself is the mark of a versatile and motivated individual.  It is the definition of father, athlete, actor, entrepreneur, talk show host, philanthropist, wellness advocate, vegan and champion: John Salley.”

I first met John at the 2014 Seed Food and Wine Festival. His charisma and wit make him fun to listen to as a public speaker, and easy to talk to as an individual. He has the ability to captivate his audience, which makes him an effective healthy vegan lifestyle advocate. In one of my favorite interview clips, John is asked what he misses about eating meat… his answer is clever and so true! Check it out HERE. 

A few of John’s John Salley Vegan Vine Winecurrent projects are of particular interest to me. First, he took an ownership role with Vegan Vine wine, a family-owned company that produces vegan wine. Many people don’t realize that many wines are not vegan-friendly because they are often processed using animal products and bi-products (such as fish bladder and casein, a milk protein). John’s goal partnering with Vegan Vine was to educate the vegan and wine drinking community about these non-vegan processing methods of wine production.

Another one of John’s current wellness-related projects is his “Betta Life Challenge,” where he challenges you to take on 22 days of a vegan-detoxing diet. Participants are also offered the opportunity to order a 7, 14 or 21 day plant-based meal delivery service to make the detox easier to tackle at home. The meals are not only vegan, they are also gluten free, nut free, and organic. Betta Life Challenge Meal Delivery

John Salley has many more projects in the works, including producing more vegan-related video content, so be on the lookout!

Last, I would like to express my gratitude to John for his support of Sexy Fit Vegan®. He authored the forward for my new book, “Six Weeks to Sexy Abs Meal Plan” which comes out December 15th (currently available for pre-sale). Thanks John!!!

Connect with John via twitter (@thejohnsalley), Facebook, (/theJohnSalley), and Instagram (@johnsalley).