1. Start With Replacement Foods
There are so many options for new vegans to eat very similar to their current diet! For example, if you love a bagel and cream cheese every morning, don’t drift too far from that when making the initial switch. Even after 5 years of eating completely vegan, I love to start my morning with fresh fruit and then a bagel or english muffin with Tofutti cream cheese (my favorite is the Garlic & Herb flavor). If you love spaghetti and meatballs at dinner, use vegan meatballs and you won’t even notice the difference. You can also use Shirataki Tofu Noodles for a healthier and lower calorie option to traditional pasta. (Delish!)
2. Don’t Deprive Yourself
If you’re hungry…EAT! Stock up on fresh fruits and veggies for snacks and eat them throughout the day. My favorite snacks are clementines, apples, bananas, carrots with humus and celery with almond butter. I also keep dried mango slices (my personal preference are those from Trader Joe’s) and Larabars handy if I’m in a pinch and don’t have access to anything fresh. Keep vegan options everywhere (purse, office, car, gym bag) so you can mask hunger or cravings during your initial transition.
3. Drink Water And Then…Drink More Water
Your body is constantly trying to clean itself from the inside out, especially when you put nutritious and wholesome food inside of it. Water will help your body flush out the toxins from years of consuming animal products and other processed foods. Your body may also feel withdrawal symptoms from the lack of dairy and animal products, and water will help ease any of the symptoms you encounter.
4. Understand The Health Benefits
If you understand the science behind why eating vegan is dramatically better for your health, you are more likely to stick with it! Watch the documentary Forks Over Knives, read anything from Dr. Neal Barnard, or do your own research online. It has taken me years to fully understand the health benefits of veganism, and I am still learning things every day as new research is conducted, but once I learned to put aside the years of incorrect information I was fed through big corporations and great marketing campaigns, I was more enthusiastic about eating vegan for my health.
5. Stock Up On Easy Options For Mealtime
Vegan recipes do NOT have to be complex and take hours to cook. No one has that kind of time. Always keep your favorite salad ingredients handy, and Mexican food is always a great, easy option. I always keep my fridge stocked with tortillas, salsa, guacamole, refried beans, and ground-beef style crumbles for an easy meal. Additionally, I am certain to always have the ingredients for a “beef” potpie, a personal favorite.
6. Make A Few Big Meals
Eating vegan does not mean you can’t continue to enjoy mealtime! If you make a few meals over the weekend that can be eaten throughout the week, you are more likely to continue the vegan transition with less hiccups. Try making a vegan chili with cornbread or curry lentils over rice or mashed potatoes.
7. Exercise
Physical activity is great for all lifestyles, and studies have shown that exercise increases your energy and improves your attitude. If it is a simple walk after dinner or a cycling class every morning before work, anything is better than nothing!
8. Don’t Be Hard On Yourself
The transition to a completely vegan diet can be a tough one, so if you have a few mishaps, don’t beat yourself up about it. It takes time to learn to read labels correctly and the withdrawal symptoms can be challenging for some people who have consumed excessive amounts of animal products for years. However, remember that you made a commitment to yourself for your health, and it is exactly that, a commitment.
9. Get Social
Your friends and family may not be into the vegan diet and they may be completely ignorant to the health reasons behind your transition, so find people who will support you and your journey to a healthier you! Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites are a great place to find others just like you, traveling on the same path for health.
10. Have A Positive Attitude
You are giving yourself a gift everyday you commit to eating vegan. The transition may be hard initially, but remember why you made the commitment to a vegan diet. Go into your new vegan diet with positivity, knowing what you are doing for your body, and believe that you can do it! If you believe, you will achieve!
28 days! 4 weeks! You can do anything for 4weeks. Making a commitment to go completely vegan for 28 days is not a lifelong endeavor…it is simply a jump-start to a healthier you. On top of feeling better, being healthier and having more energy, you will probably lose weight!
Corn Pudding is a traditional, Southern side dish that is often eaten on holidays and family get-togethers. Everyone has their favorite way of making and eating Corn Pudding! This recipe is a sweet version, my personal favorite! Enjoy!
I recently completed an interview with Life University, the largest chiropractic college in the world. They were founded on a health based philosophy, so I was excited when they asked me to do an interview for 
Each part of the world is unique in its own way, known to the rest of the world for its good qualities and bad, some true and some not. The southern states in the US are no different, providing a stereotype to the rest of the world filled with soul food, Southern Belles and small towns. While that stereotype isn’t completely untrue, the southern states have provided me with so much more than a basis for great vegan recipes.
After college, I moved to DC where I worked as a Marketing Executive for a traveling concert that played in large arenas across the country. I have traveled to most major cities in the US, where I discovered that each area of the country is wonderful for something unique. We can all take something positive from each area of the world and use it in our own lives, no matter where they are being lived. Realizing what great qualities you already have around you, while also realizing what your life or those around you are lacking, is the first step to everyday happiness.
Having a positive attitude is not only beneficial for those around you on the receiving end of your smile, but it is also great for your own happiness. Doctors across the world have found that the ratio of positive to negative thoughts is a major factor in overall happiness. Your brain is constantly monitoring the emotional tone of your thoughts – too many negative thoughts and your brain responds by creating stress and sadness in your body. When you add more positive thoughts, your brain will create relaxation and happiness. Even just for a few days, try to banish negative thoughts from your mind, practice changing negative thoughts into positive thoughts, and use positive words when talking to others. You’ll be amazed at how great you feel with just a few extra smiles a day.
Just because you are vegan doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy all the perks of Superbowl Weekend:
In May of 1990 I decided to change the way I ate when I realized that controlling my weight by skipping meals was not good for me. Within the space of a few weeks, I met two men who changed my way of thinking and eating. The first was Jay Cordich, the Juice Man, whom I met at the Houston radio station where I worked in the early morning. He was there to talk about his juicer, which makes fresh juice from fruits and vegetables. He said that drinking at least sixteen ounces of freshly squeezed juice each day will increase a person’s energy, strengthen the immune system, and reduce the risk of disease. A few weeks later while doing publicity for a meet in Minneapolis, I met Dr. John McDougall, a medical doctor who teaches about the link between good nutrition and good health and was promoting his latest book. Dr. McDougall challenged me to make a commitment to eating a vegetarian diet and then to just do it.
