So many people get overwhelmed with all the information online and in various books. How did you go about transitioning to a whole food plant-based diet?
I saw the film, “Forks Over Knives” in 2011, and that is what finally convinced me to take the plunge into the plant-based lifestyle. This was also just a few years after my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. Health was definitely on my mind. The first thing I did after watching the movie was to clean out my fridge and pantry. I got all meat and dairy products out. Next, I bought some cookbooks and did research online for blogs/recipes. Finally, my boyfriend (now husband), who also made the plant-based transition with me, started going to vegan meetups. Finding a community is definitely important when making such a big lifestyle transition.
How long have you been practicing yoga? What benefits have you realized from your practice?
I have been practicing yoga on and off for the last 12 years. I started going to yoga at the gym in college. I rediscovered a constant yoga practice when my husband and I lived in Annapolis, Maryland. We attended a Yin/Yang class at the Naval Academy workout facility. We celebrated our first honeymoon at the Yogaville ashram near Charlottesville, VA. Since we moved to Mississippi, I have practiced Iyengar yoga based on the teachings of B.K.S. Iyengar. I also am a teacher in training at StudiOm in Fondren. My yoga practice gives me greater focus, balance, and posture. I am also stronger and more confident because of my yoga inversion practice.
You and your husband, Matthew, have a beautiful little girl that has been plant-based since birth. What advice and tips do you have for mothers-to-be who are planning to follow a similar path?
The first thing to know is that it is perfectly healthy to maintain a completely plant-based lifestyle while pregnant. I read the “Everything Vegan Pregnancy” book to help me prepare for pregnancy. This book tells you exactly how many extra calories you will need, which foods contain the nutrients you need during pregnancy, and even some meal ideas. I joined the “Vegan Pregnancy and Parenting” Facebook page to talk to other vegan mothers’ to be. I also referenced the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine web page for vegan pregnancy tips. A great vegan pregnancy blog to follow is “Ashley’s Green Life.” She has two vegan kiddos and goes through each month of both pregnancies on her blog. Overall, my OBGYN was never concerned with my diet. I lost weight in my first trimester (which is normal), and continually gained throughout the rest of my pregnancy.
As a working mom, how do you juggle everything to stay healthy?
When I first had my daughter, I depended mostly on convenience foods such as boxed soups, veggie burgers, smoothies, and anything else quick. After a few months, my husband and I started to order Plant Pure meals for lunches and Green Chef meals for dinners. We did this for a while, but it got expensive. We still order the Plant Pure meals for lunches, but now I use Clicklist at Kroger. Clicklist is the online ordering system for Kroger. I order my groceries online, and then pick them up at the store. I plan out my meals and then order my food online. This keeps me from buying unnecessary food/junk, and we save money by not eating out as much. We try to make all of our meals simple but filling. We focus mostly on unrefined carbohydrates such as rice, potatoes, and quinoa. We usually add vegetables and beans on top. Meals do not have to be fancy to be delicious!
Alyssa is a Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine Food for Life Instructor and owner of Magnolia Healthy Living where she provides helpful education on cooking tasty, healthy plant-based meals.