Displaying items by tag: california

Stephanie is a fellow YouTuber who I recently got to know well through her participation in my web course The 4 Week Vegan YouTube Plan. She has been a rockstar student and her videos are getting better by the day! I've been a fan of her work for a while now due to her autenthic and inspiring content - I especially love following her fitness and raw food journey. Her story about why she became a vegan and how it has impacted her life is heartwarming and it's amazing what she has accomplished in 3.5 years.

Hey Guys! My name is Stephanie and my YouTube channel is called Vegan, What?. I was born and raised in Cali, ventured out to the East Coast for a few years, and made my way back to the West Side (It was too cold over there lol). I love to make yummy vegan recipes, fitness videos, and share information on how to have fun being vegan. Through my channel I hope to entertain and inspire others to live a Fan-Vegan-Tastic life!

I began my vegan journey in April of 2011 and it's been an amazing transformation. I was tired of how my body felt and I knew I needed a change. I wanted to be more compassionate and kind to my body but I didn’t know how or where to start. But, I did remember hearing about Alicia Silverstone’s book The Kind Diet. I went online and did a little research and decided that I needed to check this book out. When I received the book in the mail I was excited and nervous at the same time. I wanted to see what new and delicious food I would be trying but I didn’t want to hear about how terrible I was for eating meat. So, I proceeded with caution. “I’m just going to be a flirt,” I said, which in her book means to just try and incorporate some vegan changes into your life from time to time. No commitment. That’s exactly what I wanted: no commitment! As I continued reading the book I realized that by eating meat and dairy, I wasn’t just affecting my health, but I was also contributing to the pain and suffering of animals and their children. I continued to research by searching the web and watching documentaries and I was finally faced with the question “Am I going to make a change or not?”

So, I decided to take the plunge and go vegan. Wow, it’s been such an amazing experience and the benefits are endless! I lost weight and became about 99% asthma free (I only use my inhaler when I’m sick which is so rare these days). It was like my body had been waiting for me to make this change. I’ve met some wonderful people and animals, ate some delicious vegan food that I never would have had the chance to try, and feel completely as peace with at least one of my life choices.

Stephanie's favorite Eco-Vegan Gal video: "hmm…there are so many, but I guess if I have to choose then it would be The Kind Diet – Artichoke Dip: cooking with Eco-Vegan Gal. I believe Alicia Silverstone posted this video on her website and that’s how I found Eco Vegan Gal. You really inspired me to start my own channel and start producing content. "

Follow Stephanie's journey:

• Website: http://veganwhat.org
• YouTube: http://youtube.com/veganwhat
• Facebook: http://facebook.com/veganwhat
• Instagram: http://instagram.com/veganwhat
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/veganwhat

The vegan lifestyle is about more than what one eats, it's encompasses every purchase. But don't let that overwhelm you because cruelty-free products are in ambundance and there's no need to feel like you're comprimising on how you feel, act or look. Just as there are many meat and dairy alternatives in the food realm, there are animal-free items galor for home goods, cosmetics, clothing and beyond. And if you want to take it to another level and make your belongings environementally-friendly, no problem!

Three years ago a fellow green blogger and friend of mine mentioned she was attending a festival called Lightning in a Bottle (LIB). I had never heard of it, but her coverage on the event really sparked my interest; she had me when she described it as "Coachella for the greener" and "Burning Man with an eco-twist". Last year I was invited to attend to do press coverage and I was deeply disapointed I couldn't make it, so this July I'm determined to go and share my experiences with you! If you're looking for an inspiring escape from the day-to-day, here's why you should join me at the 9th annual positive and uplifting experience instead of waiting for my video documentation.

I met Kylie when she applied to the EvG Apprenticeship Program - I was instantly impressed with her online presence and can-do attitude, but her sweet personality really touched my heart. She is incredibly passionate about veganism and I love her story about making the transition, as well as her husband's journey to plant-based living. Bonus: the photo of her with Buttercup from Gentle Barn is just so darn cute!

My name is Kylie. I am 34 years old living in Los Angeles with my husband and two rescue dogs, Henry & Willow. I started my vegan transformation just over two years ago. I had a couple of extremely inspiring friends who were vegan and I admired them immensely for a couple years before I realized it was silly to just look up to them when I could join them! I gave myself a challenge: go completely vegan for one week and see how it went. By day 3 I felt noticeably better, lighter in body and mind. At this point the term vegan to me was strictly dietary. I didn't think about all the animal by-products that were in the beauty products I was using and the clothing I was wearing. In that first week I also started reading and researching. I read The Kind Diet and that was a great starting point to open my eyes into what it truly means to be vegan. As I sat there with tears pouring down my face, soaking the pages of the book I knew that I could never go back to the way I was living. I could no longer ignore what was really going on in the world.

Being vegan is a constantly evolving journey. Everyday I learn something new and try my best to make ethical and eco conscious decisions. Luckily, there is a huge vegan community in Los Angeles and online. I have met so many amazing people who share my way of thinking and I get excited when my omnivorous friends tell me they are going vegan. It took my husband a full year of me being vegan before he made the switch (and I didn't even have to beg him, he did it all on his own!). Now the two of us love discovering new vegan places to eat around L.A. and it's great to have a partner in crime ;-)

In my spare time I like to blog about my experiences as a vegan and make things for my online shop Fabulously Fierce. I love unique home decor,
so my main focus is on that, but I do make some embroidered clothing as well. Having a creative outlet keeps me sane (most days)!

Kelly's favorite Eco-Vegan Gal video: Eco-Vegan Gal has been such a great source of information for me as well. Her positivity and knowledge are so inspiring. Whenever I have a question about certain products or what I can do to make smart choices for the environment or just need a little mental boost, I know I can find it in one of her videos! Since I'm not the best at taking care of myself and tend to lose motivation to exercise, I especially love her video "How to Reach Exercise Goals and Make Them a Priority Every Day":

Kylie online:

• Blog
• Store
• Facebook
• Twitter

UPDATED: February 24, 2015 (originally written in 2013)

It's that time of year again - Natural Products Expo West starts on March 7th! This business trade show is an amazing place for professionals in the health field to meet eachother, discover new products and introduce others to them. Attendees are bombarded with free food all day long, namely energy bars, chocolate, sweet drinks and bagged snacks. Unfortunately this wonderful experience often leaves to upset stomaches due to weird food combinations and cravings for nutritious, sit-down meals. Though the area around the Anaheim Convention Center doesn't offer much in the way of healthy restaurants I've pulled together a list of places that offer whole plant-based meals, which will satisty both vegans and omnivores.

This post was inspired by a tweet from Wilfred star Fiona Gubelmann, who was looking for vegetarian options around the Gas Lamp area of San Diego while there for Comic Con. I've only been to San Diego once years ago so I reached out to the EvG social media community and they had these great suggestions:

1. Evolution Fast Food (2949 5th Ave - 2.5 miles from the Convention Center) ~ top recommendation

2. Pokez Mexican (947 E St - 1.2 miles away) ~ 

3. Yard House (1023 4th Ave - .7 miles away) ~ lots of options with Gardein

4. Masala Spices of India (314 K Street - .4 miles away)

5. Tao (3332 Adams Ave - 7.5 miles away) ~ highly rated restaurant so might be worth the drive!

6. Lotus Cafe and Juice Bar (3955 5th Ave - 3 miles away)

7. Peace Pies (4230 Voltaire Street - 7.5 miles away) ~ raw, vegan, organic, and gluten free!

View Veg Options Near Comic Con (Gas Lamp area of San Diego) in a larger map

Hungry for more? Check out Happy Cow's list