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

Empowerment, Holistic Health, Podcast, Vegan Lifestyle, Vegan Nutrition

Tags: cheat meals, coaching, conscious living, healthy vegan lifestyle, life coaching, meal planning, mindfulness, plant-based nutrition, psychotherapy

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.

LISTEN/WATCH

Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube

*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).

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

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.

23 Mar 2021

Empowerment, Going Vegan Tips, Holistic Health, Podcast, Vegan Lifestyle, Vegan Nutrition

Tags: cheat meals, coaching, conscious living, healthy vegan lifestyle, life coaching, meal planning, mindfulness, plant-based nutrition, psychotherapy

Episode 7 (Self-Empowerment Coaching System)

Our Single Most Life-Transforming Tool: A Client Favorite! (EP 50: The Vegan Life Coach Podcast)

After having some fun with topics like being an introvert during the Pandemic and getting high off of Wim Hof’s breathing techniques, we dive into a discussion on Our Single Most Life-Transforming Tool (a client favorite).

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Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube

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

The “Power Pause” is a game-changer (just ask any of our coaching clients)!

In fact, one of our clients, Dawn, was so inspired she wrote an entire blog post on this tool for the Sexy Fit Vegan blog.

The Power Pause is meant to allow you to explore your thoughts and emotions before you take action. It allows you to respond, with intention, rather than react and immediately fall into old unhealthy patterns (aka programs).

With this tool, you have the power to become the designer of your destiny.

The Power Pause is the key step in our Self-Empowerment Coaching System, which you can learn about in Episode 7, and hear specific examples of by listening to this episode.

We often talk about being the observer, but we don’t realize how challenging it truly is… at first. Using the power pause is how we grasp the opportunity to become the observer of our thoughts and emotions. From there, we have the power to choose new thoughts that will serve us better. We then are able to CHOOSE our actions and can choose HEALTHY behaviors, like eating a nutrient-packed meal, rather than going for the junk out of habit.

We had a client recently asked, “Am I denying myself of what I am truly feeling.”

Taking a power pause doesn’t automatically mean you’ll be seeing rainbows and unicorns. This technique is more of an opportunity to give yourself the chance to feel your feelings and then choose what you’re going to do about it.

What we call “the human experience” includes both positive and negative emotions. When something sad happens, feeling sad is what needs to happen (NOT feeling sad is a symptom of a sociopath after all)!

Susan David puts it so eloquently in her extraordinary TED talk. She says, “Negative emotions are our contract with life. We cannot be fully human and experience negative emotions.”

When Shye jumped off the bed last month, l felt guilty. If I had put her steps in the right place, maybe she wouldn’t have jumped. However, instead of getting lost in guilt and spiraling downward as I used to do, a took the Power Pause, and observed the guilty feelings, and the thoughts causing them. I chose new thoughts. “It’s not my fault. Accidents happen. It is what it is.”

I let myself be sad and scared that it was happening. I even gave myself a couple days to not be on my game (have a bit of a pity party), and after that, I figured it out.

I didn’t overeat, under-eat, over-exercise, under-exercise; I just let myself sit in those emotions and was able to make healthy choices out of love for Shye and myself.

Society tends to shame people, especially in this “positive” culture. It’s easy to get embarrassed when things are going wrong, which spirals into shame and then turns into dysfunctional patterns, even major emotional disorders including major depression, eating disorders, and destructive anger issues.

So, your homework is to start practicing the Power Pause in your life every day. It takes practice, and you may not remember to take the pause in the moment.

When you DO remember, you can use it to run back through the past situation.

Think to yourself, how could the power pause have helped me at that moment? And then replay that information to you, approaching yourself with curiosity and compassion.

With consistent practice, over time, the Power Pause will become part of your new “operating system” and will be the key to helping you build an empowered mindset and healthy habits for the rest of your life!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

From Bitch to BFF: The Power of the Pause in Everyday Life

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.

16 Mar 2021

Going Vegan Tips, Podcast, Vegan Nutrition, Vegan Product Reviews

Tags: coaching, conscious living, healthy vegan lifestyle, life coaching, mindfulness, psychotherapy, vegan fitness

Matthew Kenney’s Instagram

Matthew Kenney: Plant-Based Culinary Guru (EP 49: The Vegan Life Coach Podcast)

I couldn’t have been more excited to interview plant-based culinary guru Matthew Kenney.

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Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube

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

With a career spanning decades, a lifestyle brand, and over fifty restaurants opened in his image or with his name, Matthew Kenney is someone I have great respect for. I was honored that he made the time to have this intriguing conversation for The Vegan Life Coach Podcast.

Matthew Kenney, A Bio

Matthew Kenney is the founder and CEO of Matthew Kenney Cuisine (MKC). The MKC business is an integrated, California-based lifestyle company that provides high-quality products and services in the culinary arts and wellness markets. Matthew’s company, MKC, holds places in six business categories: education, hospitality, wellness, services, products, and media. They operate in more than ten major cities across the globe.

Most of the work that MKC does is based on innovative and proprietary techniques that can help prepare minimally processed, plant-based foods that are refined and healthy. MKC sees things differently, especially when it comes to food.

Everything Matthew’s company does is based on the desire to bring culinary art and ultimate nutrition together.

Matthew, himself, is a graduate of the French Culinary Institute in New York City. He is the author of 18 cookbooks, operates 16 restaurants in ten countries over five continents. He has been named one of America’s Best New Chefs by Food & Wine Magazine.

“A good chef can be a magician of sorts, but no amount of magic can make up for subpar ingredients. Being fanatical about quality is not something that only restaurant or professional chefs should take into consideration.”

My Conversation with Matthew Kenney

Over his career, more than fifty restaurants have been opened with Matthew Kenny’s help, and he can speak to the lessons that came with each experience. It’s crucial for anyone who wants to be an entrepreneur, to be willing to take calculated risks. As intelligent as Matthew is, it was his passion that drove him at the beginning of his career, and it is one part of why he became so wildly successful.

“Chefs can either be drug dealers or food healers.”

When I brought up this quote to Matthew Kenney and told him how much I loved it, he explained to me how this quote is a little more sensational than his personality tends to be. However, he did mention that veganism can be equated to how everyone in the 80s, his parents included, smoked. Once doctors discovered how hazardous tobacco was to our health, and began disseminating this information, we eventually stopped allowing smoking in restaurants, in planes, and so on. Now, if someone tried to light up a cigarette in a plane, people would freak out!

While more provocative than how he tries to get his messages across to people, this analogy is something that Matthew can equate to eating a plant-based diet.

Matthew wants to be part of shifting the global food paradigm so that plants become the norm. Although he doesn’t believe in preaching or forcing anyone to follow his beliefs, he certainly has been the catalyst for countless people to rethink their food habits and make the transition to veganism.

He feels motivated knowing he can bring positive change to the environment, animals, human health and get the opportunity to do something creative and fulfilling through spreading his passion.

A raw vegan diet should be all plants that can be eaten raw or kept below a specific temperature (which there are some disagreements on) whole, plant-based, fruits, vegetables, healthy plant-based fats (avocado, coconut, sprouted seeds and nuts) and legumes.

Because there weren’t standardized techniques, gourmet vegan restaurants, or even gourmet vegan food for such a long time, there was no structure to Matthew’s vegan menus at first. He would come up with dishes during yoga or walking down the street and begin to experiment and create.

When he opened his culinary school, he realized he needed structure to his planning, menus, and how to eat vegan. This opportunity gave the school so many various options to make new dishes (and from the looks of those dishes, they’re also pieces of art!).

Because many of the students were from all over the world, they bring their knowledge of veganism to the school. Between that, the new methods Matthew was learning, and with the use of new tools that were used in vegan restaurants around the country, a new way to look at veganism in the culinary world began to form.

This new view helped Matthew ultimately change how he developed new recipes and helped shape what we know about plant-based cuisine.

Six or seven years ago, he began funneling down the possibilities of how to bring veganism into more focused ideas like vegan-French cuisine. He brought a test kitchen to California and has Michelin star chefs creating new recipes, and new techniques.

While Matthew’s business is worldwide, he always knew that flying from place to place was not the most efficient use of his time. He wanted to use technology to supplement how his company worked. The pandemic, allowed him to use technology more effectively and helped his business, the school included, get a chance to dig into the technological realm.

When I asked him what kitchen tool he can’t live without, Matthew replied, “a chef’s knife.” With a sharp knife, you can do everything. Everyone should have an outstanding chef’s knife and a sharpener. There are so many good options to finding a knife, so finding what feels good is the most important thing. The second, most important thing is to sharpen the blade on a sharpening stone every day. It will transform your cooking experience.

Three Question Sprint Round

List three staple ingredients you never let run out in your kitchen.

Olive oil, Lemon, and Seasalt. Or, if you’d like something a little more exciting, avocado, sauerkraut, and lemons.

A healthy dish anyone can make in minutes?

Guacamole

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

A fox. I love foxes, they are clever, but they play a lot. They have beautiful fur, and they love the outdoors.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Matthew Kenney’s Website

Food Future Institute

Matthew Kenney’s Facebook Page

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.

09 Mar 2021

Empowerment, Going Vegan Tips, Holistic Health, Podcast, Vegan Lifestyle, Vegan Nutrition

Tags: cheat meals, conscious living, healthy vegan lifestyle, meal planning, mindfulness, plant-based nutrition

Wim Hof on Russel Brand’s Podcast

To Cheat or Not to Cheat (EP 48: The Vegan Life Coach Podcast)

How would you like to build a relationship with food you never need to cheat on?!

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Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube

The idea of “cheat meals” and “cheat days” is one I became familiar with as a fitness professional and bodybuilding competitor. It’s a concept that goes hand-in-hand with diet culture.

Most of our clients and Vegan Life Coach Academy members come to us wanting to remove the stress around food. They want to be free from obsessive thoughts about food and their bodies. They long for eating to simply be an enjoyable and easy part of life… A way to fuel and nourish their bodies without spending tons of time and energy thinking about what, when, where, or how much they need to eat every day to achieve the results they desire.

In this episode we explore how using “cheating” as related to diet promotes disordered eating and self-sabotage. We share how our clients have been able to eliminate refined sugar from their diets permanently without feeling deprived.

We discuss how to make the powerful mindset shifts necessary to create a balanced LIFESTYLE where there are no more wagons to get on or fall off… How refreshing is that?!

(All with the SIDE EFFECT of losing excess body fat FOR GOOD.)

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

EP 7: SECS

Wim Hof on Goop

Wim Hof App

CONNECT WITH US!

Subscribe to Ella’s Soul-Aligned Sunday Newsletter HERE.

Take the NEW FREE Self-Assessment to explore your relationship with food, exercise, and your body, and receive valuable, personalized insights and resources from Ella herself!

Check out Ella’s website HERE and learn about current coaching opportunities HERE.

15 Dec 2020

Holistic Health, Podcast, Vegan Lifestyle, Vegan Nutrition

Tags: healthy vegan lifestyle, lifestyle medicine, plant based diet, vegan, vegan health, vegan recipes, whole foods plant-based diet

Plant-Based Telehealth Website

Plant-Based Telehealth with Doctor Klaper, Marbas, & Miller (EP 36: The Vegan Life Coach Podcast)

You’re in for a treat today! I was extremely honored to sit down with Dr. Laurie Marbas, Dr. Michael Klaper, and Dr. Kristina Miller to talk about Plant-Based TeleHealth.

LISTEN/WATCH

Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube

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

Having incredibly impressive bios is one thing (which they all do), but during this episode you’ll witness for yourself the remarkable level of expertise, professionalism, passion AND compassion that make Dr. Marbas, Dr. Miller, and Dr. Klaper extraordinary telemedicine physicians who are changing and saving lives all over the world with their work.

Plant-Based Telehealth has the mission of making Plant-Based Lifestyle Medicine available to everyone who desires it. With telemedicine, Dr. Klaper, Dr. Marbas, and Dr. Miller are removing the barriers that prevent many people from accessing this type of care.

Their services are available in 47 states, and Plant-Based Telehealth is about to increase that number with the addition of 2 new doctors. These physicians work with clients around the globe as well.

If you’ve ever tried to find a plant-based doctor you probably know that it’s very difficult, if not impossible in most places.

Well look no further Empowered Vegan Lifers! You can head on over to their website, plantbasedtelehealth.com where you can schedule an appointment!

Dr. Laurie Marbas

One of Dr. Marbas’s favorite mantras is, “A whole food plant based diet is often more powerful than my prescription pad.”

Dr. Marbas is a double board certified family medicine and lifestyle medicine physician, who has been utilizing food as medicine since 2012. She created a new medical model combining the power of nutrient-dense foods and intensive clinical psychological therapy to treat not only food addiction but also chronic disease.

Dr. Marbas is the Managing Editor for the Plantrician Project’s International Journal of Disease Reversal and Prevention, co-founder of Healthy Human Revolution, whose mission is to provide resources that will empower individuals with the knowledge, tools, and mindset to successfully adopt and sustain a whole food, plant-based (WFPB) diet.

In Colorado, when Laurie convinced a large hospital to create a lifestyle medicine program centered around a WFPB diet, the program showed resounding success.

Laurie received her dual degrees (MD and MBA) from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine and TTU School of Business. She was awarded the Texas Tech University School of Medicine Gold Headed Cane Award, a symbol for excellence in the art of medicine and the care of patients.

She wrote seven books while in medical school, six of which were in a series called “Visual Mnemonics.” These books used cartoons to help people memorize vast amounts of information—a system that helped her personally when she was a mom attending medical school. As a United States Air Force veteran, she served in the Middle East and South America. She is also a wife, mom of three grown children, host of the Healthy Human Revolution podcast, author, speaker, and avid runner.

Dr. Michael Klaper

Dr. Michael Klaper says, “Proper nutrition — through a whole food, plant-based diet — and a balanced lifestyle are essential for health and, in many cases, can make the difference between healing an illness or merely treating its symptoms.”

Dr. Michael Klaper is a gifted clinician, internationally-recognized teacher, and sought-after speaker on diet and health. In addition to his clinical practice and private consultations with patients, he is a passionate and devoted educator of physicians and other healthcare professionals about the importance of nutrition in clinical practice and integrative medicine.

Dr. Klaper is the author of Vegan Nutrition; Pure & Simple and has produced numerous health videos, webinars and dozens of articles for both scientific journals and the popular press. As a source of inspiration advocating plant-based diets and the end of animal cruelty worldwide, Dr. Klaper contributed to the making of two PBS television programs, Food for Thought and the award-winning movie, Diet for a New America (based on the book of the same name). Dr. Klaper teaches that “Health Comes From Healthy Living” and he is dedicated to the healing and flourishing of all living beings and our planet.

Dr. Klaper’s definition of health: “Health is having a body that moves without pain, breathes without distress and allows us to perform the activities of life with complete presence and focused energy. Then, we can love fully and enjoy our lives to the fullest.”

Dr. Michael Klaper graduated from the University of Illinois College of Medicine in 1972. He served a medical internship at Vancouver General Hospital in British Columbia, Canada and received training in surgery, anesthesiology and orthopedics at the University of British Columbia Hospital in Vancouver. Additionally, he was trained in obstetrics at the University of California Hospital, San Francisco. Dr. Klaper is board-certified in Urgent Care Medicine.

Dr. Christina Miller

Dr. Christina Miller’s mantra is, “Together we are healthier”

Christina Miller, MD, FACEP, is double board-certified in Emergency and Integrative Medicine. She worked for ten years in the Emergency Department and served as president of Colorado ACEP (American College of Emergency Physicians), where she advocated for the care of emergency patients and physicians. Due to her own health concerns and the overwhelming amount of chronic disease she saw every day, she radically changed her practice to lifestyle medicine and health promotion. She studied nutritional science and has completed a fellowship in Integrative and Functional Medicine.

In 2013, she opened her own Lifestyle Medicine practice and founded Eat and Live Healthfully website and blog. She now focuses exclusively on nutrition and lifestyle changes to get to the root cause of disease and illness, and today helps empower people to take back their health, essentially keeping people OUT of the Emergency Department.

In 2018, Dr. Miller was medical director at Aspen Valley Hospital and created their Integrative Medicine program. She was also selected to be a member of the Pitkin County Board of Health, where she helped with policy and public health concerns. In 2019, she moved to New Hampshire, where she currently works in a local clinic seeing patients, teaching classes, giving talks, and reaching out to the community. One of her favorite mantras is, “together we are healthier”.

During this interview, these three experts and I touch on many important health-related topics, and answer some of the most pressing questions we get from you, our listeners.

Be sure to check out the Plant-Based Telehealth Website for more information on their valuable services and to book your appointment today!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Facebook Page

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.

01 Dec 2020

Holistic Health, Podcast, Vegan Nutrition

Tags: alcohol, conscious living, healthy vegan lifestyle, vegan, vegan recipes

Alcohol: A Sticky Topic? (EP 34: The Vegan Life Coach Podcast)

During a recent Q&A at Vegan Life Coach Academy, we got the following question… “This may be a sticky topic, so I understand if you don’t want to address it, but what are your thoughts on alcohol?”

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Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube

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

Can you guess the response from Stephanie and me?

“There are no sticky topics we don’t tackle!”

If you’re a regular listener of our podcast you know that we are far from afraid to talk about taboo topics, from sex to poop, and everything in between.😆

In this episode, we touch on many questions people have about alcohol like…

How do I stop myself from over-drinking?
Is red wine really healthy?
Can I be healthy and still enjoy alcohol in moderation?
What are some tips to reduce weight gain if you don’t want to give up drinking all together?

We have fun on this episode, as well as weighing in on the serious side of alcohol. In fact, Stephanie’s field of expertise is addiction counseling, so she is able to weigh in professionally on the topic of addiction.

We also announce the launch of our new, 6-Week Sexy Fit Vegan Bootcamp! You can take our new quiz HERE and learn if the upcoming Bootcamp may help you get the results (short AND long-term) you’re looking for, whether that be weight loss, long-term health, feeling energized and vibrant, gaining self-confidence, or any of the other countless benefits of a Whole Foods Plant-Based Diet and active lifestyle.

The 6-Week Sexy Fit Vegan Bootcamp is by invitation only, so if you’re serious about the possibility of joining us, you’re invited to book a Diet Discovery Call HERE. I am doing these consultations personally, 100% FREE OF CHARGE, for a short time so don’t wait… Book your session now while you’re thinking about it!

– Ella

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Hogs & Kisses ThanksLiving Package: https://hogsandkisses.org/

Take Our New Going Vegan Quiz! https://sexyfitvegan.com/quiz

Book a Consultation with Me (6-Week SFV Bootcamp): https://sexyfitvegan.com/apply

Vegan Alcohol Finder: https://Barnivore.com

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.

18 Aug 2020

Going Vegan Tips, Podcast, Vegan Lifestyle, Vegan Nutrition

Vegan Life Coach Academy | Episode 17: The Busyness Trap

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.

LISTEN/WATCH

Subscribe: Apple Podcast | Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube

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

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

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.

11 Aug 2020

Going Vegan Tips, Podcast, Vegan Lifestyle, Vegan Nutrition

Vegan Life Coach Academy | Episode 17: The Busyness Trap

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

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.

19 May 2020

Empowerment, Podcast, Vegan Lifestyle, Vegan Nutrition

Tags: holistic health, podcast