29 Sep 2020
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10 Tips for Transitioning That Will Save Your Relationships (EP 25: The Vegan Life Coach Podcast)

 If going vegan has put a strain on your current relationships or you want to avoid ruining your relationships as you transition to a vegan lifestyle these ten power tips are sure to help. 

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

Going vegan and obtaining the support of friends and family is a common struggle for many who make the choice to live a vegan lifestyle. On last week’s episode Stephanie shared her story of going vegan and broke down the 5 stages that family and friends go through. 

Today Stephanie is giving 10 tips for transitioning that will save your relationships. If going vegan has put a strain on your current relationships or you want to avoid ruining your relationships as you transition to a vegan lifestyle  these ten power tips are sure to help. 

Stephanie discuss these tips in depth in this episode: 

  1. Define your boundaries.  Once Stephanie committed to veganism, she decided she was no longer going to or cook meat. 
  2. Talk about going vegan and answer questions.  Stephanie decided to use a lot of I-statements to demonstrate that she was taking responsibility for her own choices. Often times talking about veganism can challenge the way people see themselves as ethical, whole, compassionate human beings. So she plans ahead for these moments when she will be asked questions.
  3. Have a sense of humor. Because Stephanie is able to laugh at herself she believes that really rebunks that stereotype of the angry, raging vegan. And thus laughing about these things becomes easier for my family and for my relationships. Most vegans will be the victims of malicious jokes, Stepahnie says, but generally the people in our lives are really just poking fun.
  4. Get educated about nutrition for yourself and your kids. And this is the right spot for you. This program was the foundation for Stepahnie’s nutritional metamorphosis for my family. There are tons of great cookbooks and resources out there. Getting educated about nutrition is not only good for you. It’s good for your kids. And it’s good for that mom guilt too. When Stephanie knows that what she’s putting in front of her kids is nutritionally sound, then she knows that without a shadow of a doubt that mom guilt can not creep in. And if it does, she can challenge it at every level.
  5. Keep it simple. Especially if you’re cooking for a family. When Stephanie’s family got curious, she  started with breakfast smoothies. Now everyone gets a smoothie for breakfast. 
  6. Stop preparing two completely different meals. You are not a restaurant.  When Stephanie went vegan she started preparing one dish and it was always a vegan main dish. She was okay with them adding animal protein to the side themselves. but she stopped saying she was going to prepare what everybody’s dish was. She wasn’t a short order cook. 
  7. Veganize your favorite dishes. Stephanie suggests exploring new dishes with familiar flavors. One of her families favorites? Stir-frys, and mexican food. 
  8. Honor other people’s gestures and be flexible without compromising your values. Stephanie says to be appreciative of the steps that people take that might help you feel included and comfortable. Make a really big deal out of it. The one gesture Stephanie does that has never failed her? Telling her friends and family how much she loves to cook and offering to bring whatever they’d like her too. 
  9. Connect with other vegan families. Stephanie has a a great Facebook community in her local area that has meetups and suggest finding on in your local area to connect with others who are like-minded and whose beliefs are similar. 
  10. Promote vegan role models, especially if you have kids. Stephanie sees the importance to introduce her children to people that they can look up to in all aspects of their lives. 

We hope these 10 tips are useful for you and your family. We encourage you to take an honest account of where you are in your own journey and where your loved ones might be in theirs. Accept where you’re powerless and challenge yourself to control the way you respond to what’s happening because that’s really where your power is in your own response to what’s going on around you. Use these tips as you transition to navigate the tough terrain of relationships with family and friends. 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Vegan Life Coach Academy

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22 Sep 2020
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Going Vegan: When Your Family or Friends Aren’t on Board (EP 24: The Vegan Life Coach Podcast)

Based on a recent survey we did with our listeners, going vegan without the support of your family or friends is a struggle that a lot of people share.

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

Based on a recent survey we did with our listeners, going vegan without the support of your family or friends is a struggle that a lot of people share.

My story is exceptional in that I knew when I was just 7 years old that eating animals was a hard “No.” It didn’t matter to me one bit that nobody I knew was vegetarian. At 15 I fully understood the suffering of all farm animals and went fully vegan and knew my purpose in life was to save animals. My compassion for animals ran so deep that ridicule was not a deterrence. (My family followed in my footsteps and went vegetarian and then vegan as well!)

Stephanie however, represents our listeners to a much higher level. In this episode, Stephanie shares her personal story, discussing what went down each of the 4 times she attempted to make the transition to a vegan lifestyle. It took 4 attempts before it stuck, and she has dissected the reasons why, all of which are likely to resonate with others in similar positions.

In short, here are the reasons:

Attempt #1: Stephanie’s family was quick to remind her that she was raised by farmers, and that her family’s background in farming was how she was afforded a comfortable upbringing. Family guilt!

Attempt #2: Stephanie’s Insecurity as a new mom, being told by others that her children would not thrive on a plant-based diet, led her to succumb to “mom-guilt!”

Attempt #3: Stephanie’s overall lack of self-confidence caused her to give into what was comfortable and safe. She wasn’t confident in her choices, and wasn’t able to counter the criticism and ridicule from others from a place of compassion and education. 

Attempt #4 (Success!): Here are the self-realizations as to WHY Stephanie was successful…

  1. Stephanie realized that her relationships are equally important as her life choices. She concluded that other’s thoughts and feelings about her choices are not important, BUT her relationships ARE important. This is a distinction that takes a lot of self-awareness and self-confidence!
  2. Stephanie realized that she was the one changing the rules, so she was required to fuel her own progress with empathy toward the people in her life, giving up the idea of perfection in relationships. There were going to be tough conversations, and she was able to be assertive instead of aggressive.
  3. She was able to embrace a vegan lifestyle with the consideration of being the caretaker of her three kiddos. She was able to set boundaries and not succumb to handle her “mom guilt.” She had to step back and explore her conflicting feelings with, as we say in VLCA, approach her thoughts with curiosity and compassion. From that place she has been able to navigate the changing dynamics within her family.
  4. Stephanie made the transition solely about herself. She went vegan in “stealth mode,” didn’t make a big announcement until she had established her vegan lifestyle with confidence.

Once she felt good about her own journey, Stephanie started sharing her new lifestyle with her family and friends.

In doing so, she noticed that most of the time, people she told went through 5 stages. The stages, which she describes in depth in the episode are:

  1. Defiance 
  2. Resistance 
  3. Curiosity 
  4. Acceptance
  5. Embracing

On our next episode, we’ll be sharing 10 powerful tips for going vegan without ruining your relationships in the process.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Vegan Life Coach Academy

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15 Sep 2020
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Scale Obsession: How to Let Go Without Letting Yourself Go (EP 23: The Vegan Life Coach Podcast)

According to Harvard Health, for most dieters, preventing the pounds from coming back, after working so hard to lose them, is the biggest challenge. On average, people regain two-thirds of the weight that they’ve lost within two years.

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

One way people try to prevent gaining (or regaining) weight is through daily weigh-ins.

On one hand, this idea makes logical sense. When the number on the scale starts to increase, you know it’s time to tighten up the diet and/or hit the gym more. We hear clients say, “I’ve got to catch myself before my weight gets out of control.”

For some people, keeping a high level of awareness on small  changes in their weight can be motivating… But at what mental and emotional cost? True health isn’t just about the number on the scale… It includes mental and emotional health too.

First off, one problem is that daily fluctuations in weight is normal and to be expected due to differences in water retention from one day to the next. People often interpret a one-pound weight gain as FAT gain, and freak out. The scale doesn’t differentiate the weight of bone, fluid, muscle and fat.

The number on the scale all too often dictates a person’s mood. So what is a normal variation in weight, can literally ruin someone’s day for no logical reason.

At Vegan Life Coach Academy we talk about “finding your why.”

Next time you get on the scale we challenge you to ask yourself, “Why?”

Your answer is going to come from one of two places:

  1. FEAR. Fear of not being _____ enough. (Fill in the blank (e.g. skinny, pretty, etc.)
  2. LOVE. Loving and respecting yourself and your body so much that you make conscious and mindful choices about what you put in your body and how you move your body. (Hint: If you self-sabotage you’re not embodying true self-love.)

In this episode we explore why your obsession with the scale is causing more harm than good. Why daily weigh-ins are setting you up to stay stuck in a cycle of self-sabotage. Why constantly worrying about your weight is likely a reflection of low self-worth and shame.

What if you could focus on eating and training out of love and respect for yourself and your body? I’ll tell you! You will eat healthy, whole foods and workout the right amount so that the pounds will take care of themselves. 

No scale necessary!

We finish up with a challenge… Ditch your scale for an entire month and binge listen to the Vegan Life Coach Podcast!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Episode 17: Busyness   |   5-Day Quick and Simple Whole Foods & Fitness Challenge  |   Vegan Life Coach Academy

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08 Sep 2020
Going Vegan Tips, Podcast, Vegan Fitness, Vegan Lifestyle
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Boundaries Part 2 (The Vegan Life Coach Podcast Episode 22)

If you haven’t listened to episode 21, part 1 of our 2-part series on boundaries, check it out HERE first!

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Setting and sustaining boundaries is a skill. Unfortunately, it’s a skill that many of us didn’t necessarily learn growing up. We may have picked up a few pointers here or there, but in reality, it can be very challenging and feel really uncomfortable when we first begin setting those boundaries. 

I have a few steps that will help get you started.

Step #1

First, look to your emotions to help you name your limits. Two really good indicators of boundary violations are discomfort and resentment. If you are feeling uncomfortable, you can likely point to a boundary being violated from the outside. 

If you are feeling resentment, that is often an indicator that you have pushed yourself beyond your limit to avoid feelings of guilt, or you are giving in to someone imposing their expectations or views on you. You are responding by violating our own limits.

Step #2

Pay attention to your feelings and become clear about your own limits, both internally and externally. You can’t set good boundaries if you’re unsure of where you stand. 

Identify your physical, emotional, mental and spiritual limits. Consider what you can tolerate and accept, and identify what makes you feel uncomfortable or stressed. Those feelings coupled with your understanding of your values help us identify what our limits are.

Take a moment to think of some examples of where your limits might be. For example, you may find that you are uncomfortable when your best friend asks you for money.  This might be a mental and emotional limit that you are wanting to set with your friends and family. You do not lend money because everyone has a different philosophy when it comes to money, and it is something that tends to cause a lot of conflict, so that is your particular limit.  

Another might be that you become stressed when your children have a lot of the neighborhood kids over. Maybe this is your line. Your children can play with the neighborhood kids in the yard or the garage but not in the house. This is an example of setting a physical boundary. 

Maybe your partner expects you to take on the bulk of the responsibility for the household; however, this is something that you find impossible to do successfully.  It is okay to set the boundaries for those areas that you are willing to take responsibility for and no more.

Step #3

The next step is to give yourself permission to set boundaries and work to preserve them. When setting new boundaries, emotional pitfalls can cause us to wonder why we deserve to have boundaries in the first place. Fear, guilt and self-doubt are big potential pitfalls. 

It can feel strange when we start to set boundaries because we aren’t used to creating these limits. We might fear the other person’s response if we set and enforce our boundaries. We might feel guilty by speaking up or saying no to a family member. For example, many believe that they should be able to cope with a situation or say yes because they’re a good daughter or son, even though they “feel drained or taken advantage of.” This can cause some self doubt… So much so that we might wonder if we even deserve to have boundaries in the first place.  

It’s important to keep going back to why you set the boundaries in the first place. Creating that line and holding to it creates a healthier you and healthier relationships in the long run.

Boundaries are all about honing in on your feelings and honoring them. If you notice yourself slipping and not sustaining your boundaries, ask yourself some questions…

What’s changed from when I set this limit? Consider the situation. “What I am doing or [what is] the other person doing?” or “What about this situation is making me resentful or uncomfortable or stressed?” 

Then, examine your options: “What am I going to do about the situation?” “What do I have control over?”

You might also consider the roles you play, and commit to putting yourself as the leading role in your life. It is not only okay, but also necessary to put yourself first and to consider your needs just as important as the needs of others.  

Prioritize self-care. Taking care of yourself isn’t selfish… It is necessary for a healthy life. Putting yourself first also gives you the energy, peace of mind, and positive outlook to be more present with others and be there for them. When we’re in a better place, we can be a better wife, mother, husband, co-worker or friend.

Step #4

If you’re having a hard time with boundaries, seek some support, whether that means finding a support group, church, or seeking counseling, coaching or time with good friends. 

About 13 years ago, I went through a divorce. It was painful and devastating as most divorces are. But when I came out of the emotional haze, I started really analyzing what went wrong. 

It came down to boundaries…. I didn’t have any, and my ex didn’t meet a boundary he couldn’t violate. I knew it was imperative that I build them.  First of all, I didn’t have them in my marriage, and I didn’t have them anywhere. 

Secondly, I had to form a new relationship with this person…We had children and he wasn’t going away. Finding support was the key.  I found a church that had a support group based on forming boundaries and the book, Boundaries: When to Say Yes and How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life by John Townsend and Henry Cloud.  

The support group was a game changer, not only for my relationship with my ex husband but for my relationships with others. I don’t think this would have been possible without the education and support that I took hold of during that time.  I can tell you now that my ex husband and I have a great relationship.  One in which my children never have to choose between their parents, and one in which I can honestly say that he and I are friends.

Step #5

It’s not enough to create boundaries; we actually have to follow through. Even though we know intellectually that people aren’t mind readers, we still expect others to know what hurts us, or makes us uncomfortable or stressed. Since they don’t know, it’s important to assertively communicate this when a boundary is crossed. Most of the time, it is just about being direct and communicating respectfully with the other person (or yourself) so that you can work it out together.

I want to point out that there is a world of difference between being assertive and being aggressive. To hold firm to healthy boundaries it’s vital to communicate those before you feel the need to become aggressive with another individual. 

Being Assertive puts forth your needs and views confidently and directly. Being assertive is simply standing up for yourself while still considering that others have different views than your own and that yours are equally important. It is becoming your own best advocate.  

Aggressive behaviors can sometimes look like you’re living the life of a Neanderthal, where the biggest club is equal to the loudest voice. I’ve noticed in my own work that sometimes aggressiveness is mistaken for strength, when in fact, aggressiveness really notes a lack of control and a lack of respect for boundaries.  

Like any new skill, assertively communicating your boundaries takes practice. So, if this is something new to you, I suggest starting with a small boundary that isn’t threatening to you, and then incrementally increasing to more challenging boundaries. Build upon your success. Setting boundaries takes courage, practice and support.

If you aren’t used to setting these limits with people, it can be difficult at first. Your inner people pleaser will be screaming at the top of her lungs! That’s okay. Let her scream, and start with something small. 

Maybe you will want to start with your partner and block off an hour of time on the weekends where you do something completely for yourself and by yourself while he or she takes the responsibilities of the kids. 

Maybe it is less threatening to start with a co-worker who is often teasing you about your healthy food choices or your vegan food choices, and you simply have a conversation with that person about not appreciating the teasing and why. 

Maybe it is with your children and the amount of money you are spending on their impulse buys at the grocery store, and setting the limit before you go that you are only buying the things that are on your list and if they request something extra, you will say, “No.”

As you build confidence in this, that inner people-pleaser will stop screaming, and you can start on the bigger boundaries where you anticipate a little more push back from those around you.

– Stephanie Hamilton Aguilar, Vegan Life Coach Academy, Master Mindset Coach

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Episode 21   |   Vegan Life Coach Academy

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01 Sep 2020
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Boundaries (The Vegan Life Coach Podcast Episode 21)

We hear the word, “boundaries” thrown around a lot, but many people lack a clear picture of what they really are, or at least why they are important.

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

In this episode we dive deep into the topic of boundaries, which are key for healthy relationships.  Healthy relationships have a balance of both togetherness and separateness.  Boundaries really just define the lines that set us apart from those in our lives.  And this is an important part of making empowered choices, both when it comes to our personal growth and daily activities as well as those choices we might make with another person. 

Something that may surprise people… Boundaries are a measure of self-worth. Our self-worth has everything to do with the way that we value ourselves. And, if we have a high self-worth, if we really value ourselves, that value is NOT contingent on the feelings others have towards us. As we value ourselves less, our self-worth diminishes, and we place a much higher value on another person’s feelings toward us. We can see this play out in our values in really five different ways:

  1. Intellectual Worth and Boundaries:  I am entitled to my thoughts and opinions just as you are entitled to yours.
  2. Emotional worth and boundaries: You are entitled to your own feelings to a given situation, as are others.
  3. Physical worth and boundaries: You are entitled to your space, however wide it may be, as are others.
  4. Social worth and boundaries: You are entitled to your own friends and to pursuing your own social activities, as are others.
  5. Spiritual worth and boundaries: You are entitled to your own spiritual beliefs, as are others.

When you break it down into these five areas, it’s really easy to see where boundaries get violated as well as where they get drawn. It’s also much more clear as to what a toxic relationship, with both yourself and others, may look like.  

When we talk about toxic relationships, this is often difficult to define. Toxic relationships are marked by a lack of personal boundaries or the inability to maintain those boundaries set. Healthy relationships have a balance of both togetherness and separateness. Boundaries really just define the lines that set us apart from those in our lives.  This is an important part of making empowered choices, both when it comes to our personal growth and daily activities, as well as those choices we might make with another person. 

We can start by creating limits on acceptable behavior from yourself as well as those around you. A healthy life is marked by good boundaries. This is because we have to create healthy boundaries in our relationships with ourselves.   

Just as you would never tell your best friend she was worthless or ugly, this is a limit I encourage you to set for yourself. The feeling of discomfort when you’ve spent way over your budget… The discomfort is a signal that you’ve crossed a personal boundary. These are healthy guidelines and limits that we set for ourselves because we have established that we have self-respect and limits to our behaviors in the relationship we have with ourselves.

Three Parts to Setting Healthy Boundaries

First, have a clear understanding of what your limits are. For this it’s important to have clarity on what your values and commitments are.  

Our limits are really an extension of our values and commitments. For example, one of my boundaries with my children is that they are not allowed to use my bathroom. I value time alone, and that became a pretty big issue when I became a mom. I set this physical boundary that has a big emotional impact for me. I know that I need a space that is mine because I need a break from the outside world, including my beloved kiddos.  

Another boundary for me is with my co-workers.  I know my tendency to be a people pleaser. I was brought up in the Midwest, and still live here today. There was no higher compliment to pay someone than to say, ”She would give you the shirt off her back,” and I know for me, I probably would. The problem came when I was fulfilling the needs of everyone, even the people at work that weren’t particularly significant in my life. I had to start saying the word, “No” to the people in my workplace.  I was able to start doing this by delegating more of the duties that were simply not mine to complete, but had fallen to me because I was simply too “nice.”

Second, it is not enough to know where your limits are. You also have to communicate and maintain those limits effectively. Knowing our boundaries and setting them are two very different hurdles to overcome. 

Setting boundaries does not always come easily. It’s often a skill that needs to be learned. As renowned psychologist Albert Bandura noted, much of human social learning comes from modeling behavior, so if we do not have adequate role models whose behavior we can encode through observation and later imitate, we are at a loss, often left fumbling and frustrated.  

Finally, we have to come to the understanding of why this is important.  I think this is the perfect phrase to define what boundaries really mean. It is ”knowing where you end and I begin.”  It is that sense that there is a separateness that makes you, you, and me, me, and that if we blurr those lines of separation, we both end up unhappy and unhealthy.

In the next episode we will be giving you the exact steps you can take to effectively implement boundaries into your life and relationships… Boundaries that can empower you to start moving through the world with more confidence, joy, peace, and freedom!

-Stephanie Hamilton Aguilar, Vegan Life Coach Academy, Master Mindset Coach

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Vegan Life Coach Academy

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25 Aug 2020
Going Vegan Tips, Podcast, Vegan Fitness, Vegan Lifestyle
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Finding Your “Why” with Vegan Bodybuilder Roger Smith (Vegan Life Coach Podcast Episode 20)

Pro-bodybuilder, entrepreneur, and motivational speaker Roger Smith has 19 years as a vegan under his belt. Roger’s mission is to uplift, embrace and promote Veganism, particularly within the Latin American community.

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In this special episode, Roger and I had a blast discussing a wide range of powerful topics related to veganism and fitness. 

Roger’s positive outlook on life, his passion for being a voice for the voiceless, and dedication to making a positive impact on the lives of people is inspiring.

One of the ways he helps people make the transition to a healthy vegan lifestyle is by encouraging them to connect with their “why.” 

Getting clear on his “why” is how Roger was able to go vegan overnight himself, and how he has been able to achieve his pro bodybuilding card after winning the third bodybuilding show he had ever competed in.

Get ready for a jam-packed episode with information and motivation to help you step into your power, align your actions with your values, and achieve not only a healthy, fit body, but also a happy and meaningful life.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Roger Smith’s Website and Links

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18 Aug 2020
Going Vegan Tips, Podcast, Vegan Lifestyle, Vegan Nutrition
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Problems Are Not The Problem! (Vegan Life Coach Podcast Episode 19)

On this episode of the Vegan Life Coach Podcast our goal is to help you see problems from a very different angle than you’re used to.

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In the book, The Power of Now” Eckart Tolle says, “NOW is all we have.”

That does not mean we shouldn’t have goals for the future. It means that on our path to our goals, we can be present, live in gratitude, operate from a place of abundance, and put the positive energy out that we want to get back.

When it comes to problems, all too often we think, “Once I __________, I’ll be happy, at peace, and/or free from stress… Once I lose weight, land the right job, or find my soulmate everything will be butterflies and rainbows.

We tend to think that one day we could be free from problems… Like there’s a magical place that we would get to and we would then be happy and free.

What if we changed that thinking and began to explore our problems from a different angle? What if we acknowledged that there is an underlying issue. For many of our Vegan Life Coach Academy members, the root cause of unhappiness is the core belief, “I’m not enough.”

So many people are longing for the day that they can feel whole. 

When you don’t feel whole, you feel incomplete, when the reality is that you are already whole.

If you really think about it, there is no “arrival.” You’re never going to arrive at this magical place where you’re free from all problems.

When you’re single for example, you have one set of problems. You may dislike dating and think that if you found the right guy to marry everything would be fantastic in your life. But then, when you find that guy, and you do get married, have you “arrived” and have no more problems?

Of course not! You’ve simply arrived at a whole new set of problems!

Why are we running around so stressed and anxious all the time, trying to solve our problems as quickly as possible? What if we accepted the fact that once one problem is solved, there is going to be a new problem that arises. It’s just going to be a different problem. This is called life! 

We call it the human experience… Having a problem, facing it, learning, evolving, and then having new tools to use for the next problem.

So let’s take a deep breath here.

Problems are simply our own perception of a situation. Problems are created in the mind. In fact, the mind is the only place problems exist.

What’s a problem for one person could be an ideal circumstance for another.

If you’re somebody who doesn’t want children and you get pregnant that’s a problem, right ?

If you’re dying for kids however, and you get pregnant, it could be the happiest day of your life.

What happens is that our perceived problems cause negative emotions, and we are afraid of negative emotion. So what do we do? We fight.  We fight to make those problems go away.  We fight because we think freedom is on the other side of that problem, but that’s not the case. 

Instead, what if we learned to perceive situations in a way that will allow us to grow. What if we acknowledged, accepted, and even embraced the problems we have, because without them we wouldn’t be human. Without problems we wouldn’t exist… We’d be dead!

 So,  how do we change our perspective on a situation? 

We use the tool that we teach at Vegan Life Coach Academy… the Self-Empowerment Coaching System (episode 7).

The Self-Empowerment Coaching System is based on the idea that we have the power to write a different story for ourselves, and our lives, including our problems. SECS helps us learn how we can perceive our “problems”  in a productive way and take action to solve them.

So, remind yourself… Problems are forever. Take a deep breath. Feel yourself relax a bit. There’s no big rush!

 We don’t have to walk around in a hurry all day every day flying by the seat of our pants trying to solve the current problem because there’s just gonna be another one waiting for you once you solve the current one.

It’s called life! I wake up every morning feeling grateful to be alive. Do you?

In closing, let’s take some notes from Albert Einstein who said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”

Becoming the master of our minds, including our perception of our problems, will completely transform our lives!

We hope this episode and tips we shared save you time as you stock your pantry, fridge, and freezer with staples so that you can eat healthy, delicious, and nutritious meals conveniently.

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Vegan Life Coach Academy | Episode 17: The Busyness Trap

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11 Aug 2020
Going Vegan Tips, Podcast, Vegan Lifestyle, Vegan Nutrition
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Pantry Vegan Staples: Our Tips & Tricks

On today’s show Stephanie and I are talking about pantry vegan staples and our tips and tricks.

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

 

On today’s show Stephanie and I are talking about pantry staples and our tips and tricks. Our goal for this episode is that you’ll put to use the tips and tricks that we provide to help you eat your healthiest, most delicious meals. We all live full lives, and this episode is going to help you implement easy practices so that you are set up for success with the food already in your kitchen, particularly staples in your pantry and fridge. 

If you have ever wondered what you would find in Stephanie’s or my pantry, what vegan staples we can’t live without, or what tips we have surrounding how to stock your pantry, fridge, or freezer with staples then this episode is for you. 

Some episodes here on The Vegan Life Coach Academy are heavier topics but some weeks, like today’s episode, are lighter episodes. We kick off this episode with a lightning round where we ask each other five questions that the other must respond to quickly, without thinking. Then we share our biggest, most helpful pantry and staples tips and tricks. 

I love how Stephanie organizes the grocery list for our Vegan Life Coach Academy members. On one side, she puts the pantry list and then on the other side, the produce. Both can be staples, but one can be stocked ahead of time and the other, we have to get fresh every week. Organizing the list in this way allows us to think about what we need to keep in the kitchen and pantry, or the refrigerator every week. 

Stephanie always picks a few meals that she is going to have throughout the week, and she chooses them in a way that she can re-purpose them, but there are certain vegan foods that she always have on hand… Staples. So when she organizes her grocery list, she organizes it just that way. She puts them in terms of produce and the things she knows she’s going to have to restock because they don’t keep. And then on the other side, she puts her pantry list and those are usually the staples that she knows that she is going to need. 

Then she goes into her pantry area and looks for them. She buys lots of items like chickpeas, and quinoa in bulk. And then she checks each week to make sure that she doesn’t need to replenish them. She notes, not to forget spices. And that’s the way she does it. Genius, right? 

There are certain non-perishables that I eat every week and it’s so much easier when I buy in bulk too, even though it’s just Christian and I. I know I’m going to eat chickpeas and black beans, all the different legumes. When I purchase those items in bulk my weekly grocery list is so much smaller. It just makes things so much easier. I definitely recommend stocking up on the non-perishables that you know you’ll be consuming each week. 

The way I organize my list, and the way we have our staples list for Vegan Life Coach Academy is by category. We have our nuts, seeds and berries as one category now, frozen foods is another one. However, you can only go as big as your freezer allows.  That’s the only problem there. We usually have more cabinet space or a storage space, but the freezer is a fantastic place to keep berries. I think sometimes frozen food gets a bad rap, but frozen veggies, frozen fruits are really great staples to keep on hand.

That is how we organize our staples, now let’s move on to some tips surrounding them. 

Ella Tip #1:

Organize your fridge so that when you open the door, you see the things that you want to choose first that are the healthiest food.

Refrigerators are set up to put unhealthy foods in front of us because we have the drawers, the crisper, where you want to put the produce and then they are hidden away in the drawer. Well, forget all of that. I want all my whole foods at eye level, I want to see the celery and the lettuce and the avocados and the tomatoes, I want to see all the whole foods right when I open the door. Then I want to slip in those drawers things like:  vegan cheeses, vegan Mayo, vegan meats beyond meat, those sort of things. Anything that I would consider a treat. I want to put those away, where I have to work a little harder to get to them. 

Stephanie Tip #1:

My tip for people who are transitioning to vegan with families that are not transitioning with them is to do a similar thing. Put those foods away into places where you don’t necessarily see them. My kids are vegan at home, but I don’t restrict them out and I do not ban people from bringing food in. So those items always go into the bottom drawer and those things that I don’t necessarily want to eat all the time that they do. For example: we have almonds, and chocolate pudding right now that goes into a drawer because if I see that first thing, I am definitely going to want that before the broccoli. 

Ella Tip #2:

My second tip is to cut vegetables right away. I love to bring home different dips and hummus but if I bring a big thing of celery and I put the celery whole into the refrigerator, the chance of that getting eaten when I’m in a hurry and I just need a quick snack is going to be slim.  I’m not going to take the celery out, wash it, cut it. I’m going to probably choose something else. So my trick is, when I get home from the grocery store with celery, and I’m just using that as one example, I immediately just go ahead and cut it, wash it. I put it in a big Tupperware with water. It seems to stay really well there. 

Stephanie Tip #2:

My biggest time-saver is to decide how much time you want to spend meal- prepping and really give yourself that permission to say, “I really only want to spend 30 minutes meal- prepping. Or I really only want to spend an hour meal-prepping.” When you box yourself into meal-prepping, it becomes a drudgery, and eventually you’re going to give it up. My biggest time-savers are those vegan foods that take a lot of time to cook. I cook beans, quinoa, and do some veggie prep on the weekends and that’s it. I don’t do anything else. 

We hope this episode and tips we shared save you time as you stock your pantry, fridge, and freezer with staples so that you can eat healthy, delicious, and nutritious meals conveniently.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Vegan Life Coach Academy | Episode 17: The Busyness Trap

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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.

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04 Aug 2020
Empowerment, Podcast, Vegan Lifestyle
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Episode 17: The Busyness Trap

Busy is a drug that a lot of people are addicted to.  -Rob Bell

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

Busyness is not a reality, it’s only your perceived reality. It’s a state of mind, meaning it’s all in your head, coming from your thoughts. 

Think about it, for someone who’s used to doing very little, having a few errands to run one day can have him/her saying, “It’s a busy day.” It’s simply about WHAT you’re busy doing!

Busyness is a perception of your reality. Life is made up of present moments, and life therefore cannot be busy. Only your mind can be busy. We’ve programmed our brains to believe being busy is how we operate, and that it’s outside of our control. We’ve created a personality of being busy, and our personality creates our personal reality!

We are the energy we create and put out into the Universe, so as long as we keep saying we’re busy, we will always let busyness run our lives and keep us in a state of overwhelm.

Saying you’re busy is also a great cop-out. It’s an easy excuse. We can justify anything by blaming it on being busy.

The word “busy” tends to have a negative connotation in a lot of cases because of the feelings of overwhelm, worry, and anxiety that come along with it. Busy can also have a positive connotation though. If you’re an entrepreneur and you’re busy with an influx of business, chances are you are pumped and excited about being busy!

So, what are you really telling yourself when you say you’re busy? What are you making it mean?

The thought, “I’m busy,” could mean, “I don’t think I have enough time to check everything off my to-do list” which can trigger negative emotions/anxiety. Consider this though… There will ALWAYS be something on your to-do list! Once you check one thing off, you add another. There is no “arrival.” So what are you in such a hurry for? This is a journey!

When you think, “I’m busy,” ask, “So what? What does that really mean?” Maybe it’s that you have booked your schedule solid and did not plan for any rest, time to simply “be”, or for self-care including meal prepping and being physically active in an enjoyable way.

Being busy has nothing to do with being productive. In fact, thinking you’re busy is counter-productive. If your mental space is consumed with thoughts of how busy you are, that space and mental energy is not being used to actually get anything accomplished. It’s more of a distraction than anything. 

By the way, you simply can’t be busy (or think you’re busy) when you’re truly living in the present moment. So when you decide on what you’re doing during a certain time frame, be there and put your full attention and focus on that thing you’re doing. Like magic, the busyness disappears. Why? Because it actually doesn’t exist! That’s why being present is one major antidote to busyness.

Great things happen when we give up the myth of busyness. In the mindset of busyness, the  thought is often, “my plate is full.” But watch what happens when you give up the notion that you’re busy. All of a sudden, your plate actually expands. It’s quite amazing!

We encourage you to commit to going the next month without saying, “I’m busy.” And when you think it, acknowledge the thought, and come up with a new thought to clarify what’s really going on.

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We’d love to hear about your experience listening to this episode, and how helpful you found it to be (or not to be)! Email [email protected]. I read and reply to every email myself because your feedback is so incredibly valuable… This podcast is for YOU!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Vegan Life Coach Academy | Episode 4

CONNECT WITH US!

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.

28 Jul 2020
Holistic Health, Podcast, Vegan Lifestyle
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Let’s Talk About Sex, Baby with Tammy Greene

let's talk about sex, baby

Today’s episode is sure to be a favorite because we are talking about sex! And because we have a very special co-host with us, Tammy Greene.

Stephanie couldn’t be here today so Tammy is filling in. Tammy is one of our coaches at Vegan Life Coach Academy, and she’s also a relationship expert. Tammy has her degree in child development. She’s a certified vegan life coach. She’s the founder of the blog and podcast, Married and Naked. 

Today, Tammy and I are talking about, drum roll please, sex. That’s right! And in particular how to increase your libido. We cover everything from the shame that many of us feel for the different levels of drive and desire, to effective ways to communicate with your partner, as well as some fun games to play with your partner. 

Before we jump into our episode today, I have to tell you that  we are in the middle of open enrollment for Vegan Life Coach Academy! We launch on Saturday with a huge celebration, so make sure to get in now. Doors close this Friday, July 31st at 11:59 PM. Click here to find out more information and join today. 

So let’s jump into today’s episode. It all started with a supplement called Horny Goat Weed, which is a supplement that is supposed to increase your libido. During the Burpees and Greens Challenge I was live on camera and I showed participants what I was putting in my drink and they went crazy. So many people were asking where they could find it, and commented that they needed it. It opened my eyes to how big of an issue this is, how silenced it is, how much we hide it, and how shameful it can feel. 

One of the top questions Tammy gets from her clients is: how do I increase my libido? And she wasn’t surprised by the response I got from sharing my Horny Goat Weed. She said,  “We are sexual beings, sex is a big part of our life and our existence and we all want good sex lives.” 

Which leads us to ask the question how do we go about getting good sex and how do we go about understanding the differences that we can have from our partner?

Tammy points out that so much of it has to do with desire. There are definite distinct differences between men and women, as well as between same sex partners. And having a different level of desire than your partner is completely normal. The most important thing to understand is just because your desire level is lower than your partner’s, doesn’t mean that anything is wrong with you. And so often we can feel like because we can’t keep up with our partner and don’t have the same desire, that something has got to be wrong with us. But for most of us, there’s absolutely nothing wrong and we are completely normal. We have to learn to love ourselves through that, accept that part about ourselves, and realize there is nothing wrong with us. We’re just different from our partner. And that’s okay. 

Tammy has been married for almost 22 years and that issue has been at the forefront of her relationship for the majority of their marriage.  

“I think one of the issues that a lot of couples have is that the person with the higher drive can really dominate that sex conversation. And it can often lead to women specifically feeling a lot of shame for their seemingly low desire levels. And they carry that feeling with them that something’s wrong with them. It’s really hard to get past those feelings of shame in order to find your way to feeling sexy.”

Shame is an issue we deal with a lot at Vegan Life Coach Academy, and oftentimes we don’t actually call it that to ourselves. We don’t realize that, shame is what is going on. And I’m so glad that we are talking about it today because I believe shame surrounding a decreased libido and sex drive doesn’t get talked about often enough. 

“It is so vital that we come together and share our experiences. One of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves is to come from a place of understanding and accepting ourselves and our differences rather than judging them. Judgment can be incredibly harmful to our psyches. And of course, it’s going to hurt our sex drives,” Tammy says. 

The importance of communicating about sex is vital.

According to Tammy talking about sex can feel very awkward and very embarrassing. “We each carry our own sexual history forward into relationships. So it’s really difficult to do, but being able to talk about it is so important and the more, and more, and more, and more you can talk about it, the less awkward it becomes, the deeper you can go and the more you can learn about each other.”

And creating opportunities to talk about it is also vital. Tammy doesn’t recommend doing so in the heat of the moment but her and her spouse use date nights to open up the conversation.  They take sexy questions and use them as conversation starters to ask one another fun questions.  “It really opens the doors for us to learn more about each other and have fun with it.” 

When I asked Tammy to give us a tip or two as we closed out the episode, she had this advice to give:

“One of the best ways and one of the fun ways to increase desire is to be more playful in the bedroom to not take it all so seriously. I know it is a serious topic, but to kind of loosen up and have some fun. And that’s one of the things that. My husband I really like to do is we just do a variety of games on date night.”

I couldn’t agree more. One of the mantras that I carry into the Vegan Life coach Academy with me is: play life like a game. And I say that, not because I am great at it, but because I’m not as great at it, as I want to be. I say it all the time and it really does help me. It helps me pause, take a deep breath, and realize that what is the point of stressing about everything?  The anxiety, none of that does us any good. So play life like a game, then bring it into the bedroom! 

Tammy and I hope that this episode encourages you to begin opening up a conversation with your partner about the things we discussed today. Don’t put so much pressure on it, and begin to get curious and playful. 

 

LISTEN/WATCH

Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Stitcher | Spotify |  YouTube

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Vegan Life Coach Academy | Naked & Married Podcast

CONNECT WITH US!

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.