Q & A (EP 60: The Vegan Life Coach Podcast)

If you’ve ever felt frustrated by a bloated belly, gotten bean-burn-out trying to eat more protein, or are curious about vegan meal services, Episode 60 of The Vegan Life Coach Podcast is for you!

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*Links mentioned in the episode are at the bottom of this page.


Packed full of golden nuggets, Stephanie and I address some of the most common questions our 6-Week Intuitive Food & Fitness Coaching Program Clients have as they get started in this episode.

The questions we address are:

  • I’ve been waking up with a bloated, soft belly lately. I’m eating vegan with almost all whole foods, working out 5 times a week, and I eat very little sodium. What could be the issue?
  • I’m tired of beans! What other plant foods will give me the protein I need to be strong and build muscle?
  • I’m too busy to cook! Are there any good vegan meal prep delivery services out there?

For more information on the 6-Week Intuitive Food & Fitness Coaching Program, attend my brand new Master Class HERE where I tell you all about it.


MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Attend My New Master Class HERE


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Take Our New Going Vegan Quiz HERE!  

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Have a question you’d like us to answer, or feedback you’d like to give us (we love hearing from you!)? Leave us a voice (or written) message HERE.

Interested in receiving a free coaching session to air on an upcoming episode? Apply HERE.

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Way Beyond Weight Loss (EP 59: The Vegan Life Coach Podcast)

Just wait until you experience the power of Episode 59 of The Vegan Life Coach Podcast!

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*Links mentioned in the episode are at the bottom of this page.


You often hear us talking on the show about what an inspiration our clients are. In this episode, you get to hear it from our clients themselves! 

Sure, you’ll discover how our clients lose weight (and keep it off) without even trying, but you’ll find out how our 6-Week Intuitive Food & Fitness Coaching Program goes WAY beyond weight loss. 

We talk about how Jennifer, Wendy, and Susanne found a sense of FREEDOM they never dreamed possible… Freedom that has put them on the path to an extraordinary life filled with unlimited opportunities… A life filled with passion and purpose.

For Susanne, it all started with her decision to attend my master class. And guess what… I have put together a BRAND NEW Master Class that I’m offering for FREE to you for a short time in advance of the next launch of our Coaching Program on June 19th. 

If what you discover on this free training resonates with you, like it did Susanne, you’ll have the opportunity to speak with me personally about the possibility of enrolling in the Program. We cap the number of clients we work with at only 12, and spots are filling up quickly, so don’t procrastinate. NOW is the time to check out the VEGAN MADE EASY: The 5-Step Master Plan for Losing Weight with a Plant-Based “Live-et” training HERE.

The last day to enroll in the Program is June 15th IF we still have a spot open at that point, so don’t wait. Check out this episode, and the free Master Class now… This may be the single most important opportunity you’ve EVER taken advantage of, and you will be ever grateful to yourself for taking action.


MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Register for the Master Class: VEGAN MADE EASY: How to Lose Weight on a Plant-Based “Live-et”

Client Testimonials


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Purpose (EP 58: The Vegan Life Coach Podcast)

The phrase, “finding your purpose” makes it sound like a treasure hunt… If you just look hard and long enough, you’ll be rewarded with the purpose (the treasure). That’s simply not how it works!

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*Links mentioned in the episode are at the bottom of this page.


If you are exhausted from wasting your energy in ways that are unfulfilling or realize you’re trying to “fill a void” with food (e.g. emotional eating) or in other unhealthy ways, this episode could be a game-changer!

Once our 6-Week Intuitive Food & Fitness clients begin mastering the SECS (Self-Empowerment Coaching System – episode 7), and begin releasing the old programming that kept them playing small, they’re ready to push fears aside and create not only happy life but also a meaningful life.

During this episode, I tell the story of how I discovered my purpose at a very young age, and how knowing my purpose did NOT save me from struggling with disordered eating, a distorted body image, depression, and anxiety for much of my adult life. I share what had to shift for me to heal and align myself with my purpose so that I could go about fulfilling it in a more effective and joyful way.

Stephanie talks about how her purpose seems to be ever-evolving. She shares how she uses the SECS to change her mindset during particularly challenging workdays (Stephanie works for the Department of Justice, managing addictions programs within the prison system).

The shifts we discuss in this episode are ones that you can make today that will allow you to begin living with both passion and purpose.


MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

6-Week Intuitive Food & Fitness Coaching Program

The Vegan Life Coach Podcast EP 7: Secret for Self-Coaching Success


CONNECT WITH US!

Take Our New Going Vegan Quiz HERE!  

Grab the valuable gift we have for you HERE.

Have a question you’d like us to answer, or feedback you’d like to give us (we love hearing from you!)? Leave us a voice (or written) message HERE.

Interested in receiving a free coaching session to air on an upcoming episode? Apply HERE.

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Money Mindset (EP 57: The Vegan Life Coach Podcast)

We’re taking the taboo out of money in Episode 57 of The Vegan Life Coach Podcast.

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*Links mentioned in the episode are at the bottom of this page.


Before diving into the topic of “money mindset, ” it’s important to note that, although it’s not the focus of this episode, we want to acknowledge the severe systemic problems (social oppression and institutional racism) that make poverty continue to be such a crisis in this country and around the world. 

If you make one mindset shift today from this episode, it would be to begin to view money as simply an exchange of energy, representing a level of commitment.

Think about that!

“MONEY IS SIMPLY AN EXCHANGE OF ENERGY REPRESENTING A LEVEL OF COMMITMENT.”

When you say those words, do you feel how it takes the taboo away?

In this episode, we talk about how this one shift opened up the opportunity that changed the trajectory of my entire life… The opportunity that led to my success building my brand and coaching business, and in turn has led to the success of hundreds of our coaching clients in every aspect of their lives.

Get ready to be inspired!

 


MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

6-Week Intuitive Food & Fitness Coaching Program

Freely Vegan Do Food

 


CONNECT WITH US!

Take Our New Going Vegan Quiz HERE!  

Grab the valuable gift we have for you HERE.

Have a question you’d like us to answer, or feedback you’d like to give us (we love hearing from you!)? Leave us a voice (or written) message HERE.

Interested in receiving a free coaching session to air on an upcoming episode? Apply HERE.

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Positive Thinking My A** (EP 56: The Vegan Life Coach Podcast)

The idea for the theme of this week’s episode came in the wake of Shye’s emergency spinal surgery.

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*Links mentioned in the episode are at the bottom of this page.


It was one of the toughest, most emotionally exhausting weeks of my life, and I wasn’t sure I had the energy to record… Until the title, “Positive Thinking My A**” popped into my brain. And I knew Stephanie would have plenty of powerful insights on the topic of positive thinking culture she’d love to share.

We dive deep into the complexity of the term, “positive thinking,” and give strategies for not only making your own life-altering mindset shifts but also the best ways to help people you care about deal with sadness and grief.

Buckle up for this empowering episode of The Vegan Life Coach Podcast!

 


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Inquire about the 6-Week Intuitive Food & Fitness Coaching Program [[email protected]]

Episode 24: Going Vegan: When Your Family Is Not on Board

 


CONNECT WITH US!

Take Our New Going Vegan Quiz HERE!  

Grab the valuable gift we have for you HERE.

Have a question you’d like us to answer, or feedback you’d like to give us (we love hearing from you!)? Leave us a voice (or written) message HERE.

Interested in receiving a free coaching session to air on an upcoming episode? Apply HERE.

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Intuitive Eating Model (EP 55: The Vegan Life Coach Podcast)

If you’re over dieting, and “INTUITIVE EATING” sounds appealing, yet daunting, you’re not alone!

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*Links mentioned in the episode are at the bottom of this page.


In this episode of The Vegan Life Coach Podcast (following some fun storytelling involving skinny margaritas😉) we dive into our simple, 6-Step process for eating intuitively.

The “Intuitive Eating Model” has been a complete game-changer for our coaching clients. It allows you to feel confident about every food choice you make because you make those decisions CONSCIOUSLY (not based on your subconscious programming which runs on autopilot).

Steps for Making Conscious Food Choices

 Next time you have a craving, utilize the “Power Pause” (as taught in episode 7), approach yourself with curiosity and compassion, go through the following steps, and record your thoughts and experiences

Step #1: Ask yourself WHAT specific food are you craving right now? Describe in detail including the quantity.

Step #2: Ask yourself WHY do you want to eat right now? Does your craving seem PHYSIOLOGICAL (true hunger/your body’s need for nutrients)? Is it being caused by a craving due to food addictions? Or is the craving PSYCHOLOGICAL (trigger related to a mental/emotional state (“self-medicating”, avoiding or numbing feelings)?

Step #3: Pause to reflect about how you will FEEL AFTER you indulge? Take yourself through the imagined experience and notice how you’ll feel immediately after you finish eating, 5 minutes after that, a few hours later, and the following day. Consider the positive/negative consequences.

Step #4: Use the Self-Empowered Coaching Model to introduce new thoughts that are in line with your values. Walkthrough the steps of the Self-Empowerment Coaching System and describe.

Step#5: Try an ALTERNATIVE PLAN to address your true needs and take actions that are in line with your values. For a physiological craving, is there a healthier food substitute that will be more in line with your values? For a psychological craving, refer to what you discovered using the Self-Empowerment Coaching System and explore alternative actions that will serve you better (eg taking a walk, calling a friend, putting on a guided meditation, etc.)

Step #6: Whatever decision you make, decide it consciously and eat mindfully with pleasure!

 

 


MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Episode 7 (Self-Empowerment Coaching System)

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Aging (EP 54: The Vegan Life Coach Podcast)

Aging… A touchy topic that we unravel, layer by layer, in this important episode of The Vegan Life Coach Podcast.

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*Links mentioned in the episode are at the bottom of this page.


We break it down into two categories… Physical and Emotional. 

We first talk about the physical effects of aging, and how you can use a healthy vegan lifestyle to slow the aging process. We then dive into the complexities involved with the emotional effects of aging, society’s role, and the tools that help people foster unconditional self-love, step into their power, and reinvent themselves at any age!

 


MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Seaspiracy

The Last Pig documentary

The Self-Empowerment Coaching System

 


CONNECT WITH US!

Take Our New Going Vegan Quiz HERE!  

Grab the valuable gift we have for you HERE.

Have a question you’d like us to answer, or feedback you’d like to give us (we love hearing from you!)? Leave us a voice (or written) message HERE.

Interested in receiving a free coaching session to air on an upcoming episode? Apply HERE.

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All or Nothing (EP 53: The Vegan Life Coach Podcast)

Are you, or someone you love, an “All or Nothing” kind of person?

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*Links mentioned in the episode are at the bottom of this page.


Most of our coaching clients describe themselves as “all or nothing” people, which is often revealed when we discuss their diet. The “cycle of self-sabotage” as we call it, involves taking “clean eating” to an extreme, restricting calories or cutting carbohydrates to a degree that is unsustainable until your willpower runs out and you overindulge, which turns into guilt and shame, which motivates you to restrict, and the cycle continues.

No more! We are helping you get a grip and discover how to create a way of eating and living that is SUSTAINABLE and gets you LONG-TERM results… We’re talking about a healthy and empowered vegan LIFESTYLE here!

Don’t get us wrong… going “all in” on being vegan is something different altogether. Being vegan is about living in a way that does not support the suffering, death, and exploitation of any and all living beings. 

Being vegan is about doing our part to make a positive impact on the world and protect our precious Planet. Being vegan is not about restricting food choices… It’s about celebrating the countless plant options, and making conscious and mindful CHOICES that serve us and other people and animals best!

We discuss it all and offer actionable strategies to help you take your power back in this fun and informative episode.

 


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The Vegan Life Coach Podcast EP 7: Secret for Self-Coaching Success

 


CONNECT WITH US!

Take Our New Going Vegan Quiz HERE!  

Grab the valuable gift we have for you HERE.

Have a question you’d like us to answer, or feedback you’d like to give us (we love hearing from you!)? Leave us a voice (or written) message HERE.

Interested in receiving a free coaching session to air on an upcoming episode? Apply HERE.

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5 Steps for Becoming a Healthy Vegan for Life (EP 52: The Vegan Life Coach Podcast)

We’re taking it back to the basics in this episode of The Vegan Life Coach Podcast!

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*Links mentioned in the episode are at the bottom of this page.


If you, or someone you know, are working on making the transition to not only a vegan lifestyle but a HEALTHY vegan lifestyle, you will discover some powerful strategies that lead to true transformation in episode 52!

1. Knowledge of nutrition  

To make conscious choices, you need to know the basics; why eating plant-based, plant-exclusive, whole foods is so important. It has all the benefits of how it affects you, your body, your health, short-term for energy and long term for the quality of life and slowing down the aging process. But this is the easiest part.   

Some people interrupt their transition to vegan because they say they aren’t healthy. But what were they putting in their body? This is where the basic knowledge of nutrition is so important. 

At one time, there was little information on plant-based nutrition available in the mainstream. Now there is so much information out there it’s easy to become confused and overwhelmed

We have a course in plant-based nutrition we offer to our Vegan Life Coach Academy members that breaks it down, simplifies it, and makes it very clear. Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) is another great resource.

2. Knowledge of your values and acting in alignment with them  

Being clear on your values is important when it comes to adopting a healthy vegan lifestyle. The word “vegan” is defined in large part as a way of living that is in alignment with the value of compassion for animals, avoiding the exploitation of animals, and spreading love to all beings on this earth. 

Getting clear on your”why” can be instrumental in helping you stick with your commitments. Instead of eating and making purchases impulsively, or out of habit, reminding yourself of your “why” can help you make conscious choices that serve you and are aligned with your values. 

When you live in line with your values, you get to CHOOSE who you are and how you want to move through the world, which is an empowering way to live.  

We coach you  to coach yourself in this podcast, and through our programming, because THAT is true empowerment  

3. Discovering how to put into practice steps 1 and 2 in a really sustainable way    

“Discovering” is a great word here. Figuring out how to own your power and live a healthy vegan lifestyle is a process. We’ve got to let go of perfectionism. 

Some people make the switch to veganism quickly and with ease, while others find success with a more gradual approach. Simply going gangbusters doesn’t work for everybody. So, that whole idea of progress, not perfection, is really important.

One of the main reasons people worry about their ability to go vegan is the misconception that being vegan takes up a lot of time. It can, but it doesn’t have to. That’s one of the things we teach with our “Meal Mapping” episode and what I call “F*it Recipes.” The goal is to get to the place where you keep your kitchen stocked with staples,  knowing you can quickly throw ingredients together  without hardly thinking, and knowing the meal or snack is going to be healthy and delicious   

4. Developing self-love and respect for your body and yourself  

Self-Love is what’s needed to make those conscious choices consistently and prevent self-sabotage. All the knowledge in the world is useless if you don’t have control over your own decisions. 

When you choose the chips over the apple, for example, knowing that the apple would give you the energy you need and fill your body with nutrition, and then you beat yourself up about your choice, you get stuck in an endless cycle of self-sabotage. Not to say you always have to choose the healthiest option, but when you make the unhealthy choice out of programming, or to escape from your emotions, then there’s a deeper issue to address.   

5. Getting in tune with your body  

Our bodies are brilliant. Our bodies know we need. We just learn to ignore our bodies and trust other people to tell us what, when, and how much to eat.  When we follow someone else’s plan, we ignore our body’s signals and rely on numbers, macro counts, and calories. It’s an exhausting way to live. 

We must first discover how to get back in tune with our bodies, keeping in mind that we must first overcome food addictions… Dairy and sugar being two common addictions. 

There are some caveats here we need to take into consideration. 

Learning to listen to our bodies, and get away from counting and tracking can be very scary. When Valerie came on board our coaching program, for example, she had lost 100 pounds through very strict dieting, strict macro counting, which she was able to follow for a very long time. She didn’t want to have to live that way anymore. She came to us not because she wanted to lose weight but because she wanted to stop counting, and she was terrified of gaining the weight back.

Valerie joined our Program, trusted the process, and she is now gone two years without counting, getting on the scales, or stressing about food, Food is finally an enjoyable part of her life, and she has not gained ANY of the weight back. She’s feeling and looking better than ever!  

Besides the comment section below, we have the Empowered Vegan Life Facebook Group where we share these episodes and discuss them. So, if you’re not a part of the “Empowered Vegan Life Tribe,” definitely join us HERE!.

 


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Take Our New Going Vegan Quiz HERE!  

Grab the valuable gift we have for you HERE.

Have a question you’d like us to answer, or feedback you’d like to give us (we love hearing from you!)? Leave us a voice (or written) message HERE.

Interested in receiving a free coaching session to air on an upcoming episode? Apply HERE.

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Dr. Elsa Spencer: A Fascinating Story of Passion & Resilience (EP 51: The Vegan Life Coach Podcast)

Throughout my conversation with Dr. Elsa Spencer, we bounced from how she became a vegan and her activism, to how she overcame childhood trauma and an eating disorder, to her favorite healthy brownie recipe.

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*Links mentioned in the episode are at the bottom of this page.


It isn’t often that I get a chance to talk with someone who’s been vegan for longer than I have. Elsa’s expertise and authenticity is refreshing, and much of her story will resonate with our listeners (as it did for me) in powerful ways! Elsa reminds us of just how challenging life can be, and the beauty that can bloom from facing adversity.

Dr. Elsa Spencer, Nutritionist, Professor, Biologist (and So Much More!) 

Dr. Elsa Spencer earned her Ph.D. in nutrition in 2003. She trained as a researcher and teacher in various topics from cell biology to food chemistry and clinical trials throughout her education. Elsa understands what food can do at a molecular level, and she can break the information into bite-sized pieces. 

Throughout her career, Elsa has performed nutritional research, written papers on nutrition, gotten these papers published in medical journals, coached individuals in plant-based nutrition, and teaches at her local community college. She continues her passion for nutrition by coordinating food for a local plant-based children’s camp during the summer months.

One item that is critical to Elsa is making sure she gives back to the vegan community. She owes (and discusses in our podcast) her copious physical and mental energy to living her last 28 years as a vegan. She volunteers for the Vegetarian Resource Group, is a former intern for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, and is a regular contributor at Anonymous for the Voiceless Actions. 

When she’s not running around spreading the word about good nutrition, she can be found bicycling to work, challenging herself with yoga, and running (or walking) around Charlottesville, VA. 

The Discussion of Veganism

Elsa’s vegan story started about 28 years ago. During her freshman year of college, Elsa began toying around with the idea that she wanted to become vegan. While already a vegetarian, she and her high school friends decided that they wanted to do something about the environment and know more about animal cruelty. They believed they would be able to slow carbon emissions by omitting meat products from their daily diet. She realized that carbon emissions were still being released not only from cows killed for meat but also from dairy cows. It was the light bulb moment that turned her vegan.

As with every first-year student (Elsa kindly points out), the first year of college can be quite jarring. She had moved out of her home at 17, started going to college, lost her first serious boyfriend, and met her father for the first time. 

On top of those life-changing events, Elsa started to remember events from her childhood. Her eighteen-year-old brain decided that she was finally ready to old enough to remember the incidences of sexual abuse that had occurred when she was a child.

Feeling out of control, Elsa turned to food as something she had the power to control, which led to anorexia.

As she began to come to terms with everything, Elsa sought out a therapist who helped her through her eating disorder. The therapist also helped her realize she might have underlying OCD. 

Even now, at 46, Elsa still sees a therapist to help her work through her thoughts and emotions. While her eating disorder is well under control, she admits to it taking over a decade to get it truly sorted out. 

Life after College but Still a Full-Time Vegan

Elsa described how excited her in-laws were when they came to her with a quiche they made, incorrectly thinking it was vegan-friendly. She was touched that they tried, and when she asked what was in the meal, they responded, “no cheese, broccoli, and eggs . . . “ They had removed the dairy component but forgot about (or were unaware) that the eggs were not vegan. 

While she never compromised her veganism, even to appease her in-laws, Elsa saw that others around her did. She felt driven to spread awareness to everyone who wanted it, and this is where her spunk for activism stems from. 

She wants to make sure that everyone who wants information about veganism and plant-exclusive nutrition can find it easily. 

Three-Question Speed-Round (in Elsa’s words)

If you were a non-human animal, what kind of animal would you be? 

I go back and forth between a dolphin and a bird, but right now, I’m a bird. I love flying dreams. I’ve had very lucid dreams since I was about 12 years old. I could always just tell myself I’m going to fly, and I’d be flying, and then, of course, I’d wake up and realize that I couldn’t fly and I was so disappointed. 

But, it would be a bird, like a big soaring bird—like an eagle or a falcon or a hawk.

If you could choose a time or place that you could be reincarnated, what year and location would you choose? 

I have to say that I don’t know if I would ever go back in time. I was born still-born. My heart stopped when I was inside of my mother, and I was born blue and unmovable. While the doctors and nurses did give me CPR and extra oxygen, they told my mom that I would never walk, talk, and probably be quadriplegic because of the experience. 

I didn’t end up talking until I was three. However, I saved up all my words and built sentences, and I’ve barely stopped using them since. 

I’m very grateful for the life that I do have. Living in the century I do live in, in the Western world as a woman. I don’t know that I would have internalized all the classically-American values, but I would possibly choose France or Denmark (a properly socialist country). 

What is your favorite Dark Leafy Green? Your favorite nut? Bean? Sweet treats you can make or buy . . . 

Kale, pistachios, chickpeas, brownies (black bean, no salt, oil, or sugar, but used with date paste). You could do so many great things with them; you can add stuff (like nuts or dried fruits, or add peanut butter to the top).


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Elsa’s LinkedIn

 


CONNECT WITH US!

Take Our New Going Vegan Quiz HERE!  

Grab the valuable gift we have for you HERE.

Have a question you’d like us to answer, or feedback you’d like to give us (we love hearing from you!)? Leave us a voice (or written) message HERE.

Interested in receiving a free coaching session to air on an upcoming episode? Apply HERE.

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