Good Reads About Being Vegan & Other Recommendations
For Christmas I drove from South Florida to Daytona Beach (trip is a little over 3 hours) to visit my family. I got to spend the weekend with my grandmother and aunties and cousins, all of whom I haven't seen in years. When your family is spreadout all over the world and the country, it's hard and expensive to see one another consistently. But as my grandmother nears her eighty ninth birthday, I'm so happy I got to spend one on one time with her. She's a funny and sassy woman; I totally see myself being her when I grow up.
Tales of a hungry vegan..
During the trip I stayed at Baymont Inn & Suites, because as an introvert while I love my family dearly, if I don't have alone time I will become cranky and possibly homicidal.
The Baymont is a lovely place but breakfast definitely wasn't vegan friendly, which I expected, but in my rush to get on the road on Christmas Eve, I forgot to pack fruits and veggies for the trip. Big mistake! So there I was on Christmas Day, which was my only full day in Daytona Beach, searching for something to eat before heading over to my aunt's house to spend time with my family and the only places open were McDonald's, gas stations and thankfully a Starbucks!
I felt like crap going to Starbucks on Christmas Day because I'm sure the staff would rather be with their family but if Starbucks wasn't open, I wouldn't have eaten breakfast and worse I wouldn't have had my caffeine. Trust me you don't want to be with me if I don't have my soy latte.
Thanks to Starbucks I had a yummy breakfast of blueberry and nut oatmeal, a hearty veggie salad bowl for lunch and most important of all, I got my venti soy latte. I was in heaven!
Christmas breakfast was Blueberry oatmeal from Starbucks.
Washed it down with a venti soy latte and my daughter had a frappucino.
And I picked up this Hearty Veggie salad bowl for lunch later in the day.
The point of this story is if you're a vegan and you're going on a trip, you have to travel with snacks even if you're in a rush. And if you forget or all else fails, find a Starbucks, asap!
Good reads about being vegan...
The hardcore life of a man who went vegan, lost 200lbs, and became a marathon runner Once weighing 400 lbs., Josh LaJaunie adopted a plant based diet and lost 200 lbs; he is now an avid marathoner.
I Ate Like My Vegan Boyfriend for a Week and It Actually Brought Us Closer - A Cosmo writer ate like her vegan boyfriend for a week to better understand his lifestyle and in hopes that it would bring them closer. She struggled with eating like a vegan and adopting to this lifestyle. While I commend her for doing this experiment for love, that's not a good reason. Because whether you love your Boo or not, all you'll be able to think about during "the experiment" is what you're giving up. When going vegan your "why" needs to bigger than you and your love or you will always struggle.
An Inspiring Story of Weight Loss and Its Aftermath - Brooklyn borough president, Eric L. Adams shares how his vegan journey has improved his health by helping him lose weight, lowering his blood sugar and giving him control of his Type 2 diabetes. He is now on a mission to share his health story and the benefits of eating a plant based diet with his community.
Sad but heartwarming animal news...
Rescuers Notice Pit Bull Sitting In Freezing Cold, Then Realize Family Left Him In Trash To Die - An adorable pit bull is abandoned by his family in the freezing cold but thanks to some concerned neighbors he's rescued by a local animal shelter. Their kindness is a reminder that pets are family. If you wouldn't throw your family out like trash, don't do it to your pets.