As I make the transition from vegetarian to raw vegan I have noticed many changes in my body–some great and some, well, stinky! In the last several weeks I have quit caffeine, adopted a vegan diet, and set the goal to cook as little of my food as possible. As a result, I’ve noticed some great changes to my waistline, but some not so great changes in my digestion! Let…
Share the story of a vegan tea farmer who started growing organic tea. Mr. Lin has been vegan for 40 years, and in recent years his principles of compassion toward all living beings have been put into practice. After dropping out of the large-scale commercial tea industry 15 years ago, he returned to his family land to plant a persimmon grove. For years, he attempted to prevent his fruit from…
By Just a Pack contributor Amy Benson I’d read before coming that meat was a big deal, had steeled myself for potential hunger, awkward encounters, wider hips. Had attempted to comfort my previously pescatarian, juice-obsessed self with the idea that it would be fresh, free roaming, grass fed – that the African version of myself, steeped in pink sunsets and newly barefoot, wouldn’t mind. Botswana exports only two things to…
As a nationally ranked athlete, it’s very important that I stay in shape at all times…even on vacation. That can be hard, because like most people, the point of a vacation is to do something different and get away from your everyday routine. But as long as you budget some time into your vacation for workouts, you’ll still have plenty of time to enjoy other things and not get out…
Vegan = healthy, right? Not necessarily (think: diet of vegan fried food and beer). Many people think that switching to a vegan diet will automatically make them healthier, but physician/author/lecturer Dr. Michael Greger shares why this isn’t always true, and what you can do to make sure you ARE getting the nutrition you need!…
Earlier this year, we made a move from Austin, Texas to Houston, Texas in search of better career opportunities and to finally begin a new journey—expanding our family from two to three. I’ve been eating plant-based for more than two and half years by now, and when I began to think about creating a new life, I immediately looked at my diet. I knew the basics of eating plant-based and…
Next month I will be an Ironman, although my body will no doubt feel like an overcooked noodle. And I’ll do it as a vegan. Something I was told was impossible. Those people apparently don’t know me very well because the gauntlet was dropped and it was game-on. I’ll show them. In reality, it just takes a bit of research and planning ahead. Something vegans are accustomed to doing. Goodness,…
To some folks, vegan food is a mystery. But it really isn’t! vegan food is everything that you have always eaten. Vegan food has always been your food, minus the animals. Fruit, vegetables, grains, rice, pasta, potatoes, nuts, beans, a lot of dark chocolate and many breads are all vegan food. Let’s dispel some myths about vegan food: 1. What Is “Vegan Food”? Technically, vegan food is no meat/flesh, no…
I walked my way through rows and rows of neatly lined up bushes in the summer heat holding my green cardboard container, intensely looking at each one, pushing branches aside. I stopped and excitedly called over to my kids, “Here is a good one!” They came running over past the other people with their containers and said, “Oh look at them all.” This bush had lots of beautiful, plump, vibrant…
There’s something deeply satisfying about the vibrant sweetness of a summer garden berry smoothie, especially with fruit freshly gathered from your own raspberry and strawberry plants (if you are fortunate enough to grow your own that is). For years, my soft fruit crops never seemed to yield enough to allow me to bring any back to the kitchen, because I’d devour them straight off the plant! These days, I feel…
If you’re vegan, do you think you get fewer colds than the average person? Speaking for myself, I have to answer with a resounding “yes.” I’ve been vegan for the last 15 years. In that time, I have never had the flu. I get a cold about every 3 to 5 years, and the duration and severity of the cold are far less than when I wasn’t vegan. The colds…
Last week I had a physical. Since becoming vegan over two years ago, I actually look forward to physicals. At my age, for the record I am half-expired, this is when doctors start to salivate over the notion of prescribing some sort of medication to keep me alive. It’s also that time of life when they are making their Viagra quota and are very disappointed when I let them know…
We are now in full swing of running, biking, hiking, swimming and kayaking season. Race events are scheduled every weekend. Retail sports stores are advertising the latest and greatest high tech running sneaker that is weightless and made with the most advanced materials to promise maximum performance. Brightly colored tech shirts and shorts that whisk the moisture away from the body, compression socks that give extra support and increase blood…