FEATURE: Kat Theo

Kat Theo is the author of the children's book Layla Escapes the Zoo: An Adventurous Slow Loris Dreams Big! Kat moved to Asia about two years ago as an ESL kindergarten teacher, and was inspired by the different conversations she had with her students about her vegan diet, so she decided to create a children's picture book.

Kat states:

"I am a huge fan of the vegan movement and even more in the black vegan movement. I cannot tell you how many times I've been to a vegan event (like most of us brothers and sisters) and I am the ONLY sister in the room. That really got me to start thinking about why veganism is not really a thing in our community. I remember finding your page and falling in love! It's all about redefining what it means to be a vegan. I knew I wasn't alone but I was shocked by how many of us are out there!"

Social Media:

Website: Kattheowrites.com

Twitter:@KatTheoWrites

Facebook: @Kattheowrites

FEATURE: Alexis Dupree

 I just celebrated my 10 year veggie-versary in August! I became a vegetarian in high school—the beginning of my junior year. In the beginning my family was like “umm…what?! that’s not healthy…you’ve gotta eat meat”. I tried to give up meat prior to this around middle school, but my mom wouldn’t let me quit all meats. So over time I started to omit meats one-by-one. First pork, then beef, then chicken, and lastly fish.

I had always felt weird eating meat anyway…as graphic as it is i’d have this vision of the animal being killed while eating meat and it really never sat right with me. Things started to change around middle school when I met a girl who was vegetarian and then learned in health class how to read food labels, how to count calories, and how to take ownership over what I put in my body. I ran home and tried to rid the cabinets of “bad foods” and at first my mom was basically like take  a chill pill, girl. I think it was because she knew that oftentimes preteens are very impressionable and she wanted to see if this was something I truly felt strongly about. Through constant conversations I started to implement whole foods into our cabinets. As I opened up to my social group some were supportive, some weren’t. It was always “black people need meat” or “mmm nah I couldn’t do it" or something like that. 

Today, it seems like veganism has  grown to a household name and I’m thankful for social media to find others who “look like me" and "eat like me”. (Fun fact: once on twitter, I had a follower tell me he became vegetarian just from engaging with me) I knew when I started my journey as a vegetarian my end goal would be vegan. This didn’t happen overnight. But through this journey I’ve helped influence others: my cousin became a pescatarian, i’ve got my mother drinking green juices and smoothies, and even online followers engage in questions with me about healthy eating options and recipes. I know that everyone’s story is different.

Veganism as a whole has helped me become compassionate and turned me into an unexpected animal lover. I want people to know how to eat healthy, and to not say that nobody ever showed them! Even though I don’t think it’s right for ME to eat meat, I don’t want to pressure others with a seemingly cult-like attitude to quit. That won’t help. The running joke is that vegans always find a way to bring up that they’re vegan. Yes, it does happen. But the thing I want others to stop doing is making vegans feel uncomfortable in social settings, you know? 

Outside of my diet/lifestyle I am many things. I am an actress, writer, and Zumba instructor. I recently published my debut ebook, Everything I Wanted to Say, which is available for $5.99 on LuLu.com. This is a compilation of free verse poems about love, growing up black in the suburbs, and briefly addresses mental health. I also blog at www.everythingiwantedtosay.blog. 

Social Media

Instagram: @adinkc_

FEATURE: Kesha

Hi my name is Kesha and I've been vegan for six months. My doctor suggested that I become vegan four years ago. It was my second time having kidney stones and she told me that I may be able to prevent the stones if I change my diet. It took me four years to finally make a decision but I'm glad I did. My health has improved, my skin is clearer, my nails are growing and I also feel better emotionally and spiritually. I love trying out new foods that I never thought to eat before. I love cooking, baking and photography so I have been sharing my meals a lot on social media since I became vegan. 

I hope that I can encourage others to change to improve their physical, spiritual and emotional health. My goal is to grow my own food and to continue to inspire others the same way that the vegan community continues to inspire me. 

Social Media

Facebook: Natural Kesha

Instagram: naturalkesha 

FEATURE: Stewart Mitchell

My name is Stewart Mitchell. I'm an advocate for human rights as well as animal rights. I'm also a book author. My vegan journey began in 2011. I was working in food and retail for a number of years when I started to question the business practices of food companies. I started to wonder how come there's always an over abundance of chickens and other animals for every supermarket and restaurant. Then I started to question the factory farming industry and realized how destructive it is to the environment, our health, and especially the animals! I started to see animals in a different light. I realized that ALL animals are sentient beings, not just cats and dogs...ALL animals!

We have no right to interfere with their existence and treat them as commodities for food, clothing or entertainment. I recently wrote a children's book called Kayla The Vegan. It's about a young girl who tries to transition into a new school being the only vegan and trying to deal with people who have a hard time understanding her choice not to exploit animals. I wrote it to teach kids the value of all species lives and that you can continue to eat great food and delicious snacks that do not involve harming animals. I think going vegan was one of the best things I could have done not for myself, but for the sake of animals, the planet and others.

Social Media

Instagram: @ vigilante_vegan
Facebook: Kayla The Vegan
Twitter: @kayla_the_vegan

FEATURE: Nicole Williams

Hello fellow vegans, vegetarians, plant based people, and diabetics on Instagram!

I'm a mom, wife, and individual who suffers from many health conditions. Veganism Changed Me!

My vegan journey began in August of 2016, the last semester upon becoming a Certified Community Nutrition Specialist. I knew completing school was important, but health problems could affect it (I finished). It wasn't a hard decision to make because I knew something needed to change to lessen the stress and harm I was causing my body. I had enough of being sick all the time from diabetes, GI problems, high blood pressure, and other health conditions. By applying what I learned in school and research, I changed my diet to a vegan, plant-based low-carb diet, which would help alleviate many of the health conditions I was suffering from. My vegan journey has recently become healthier because I have started eating healthier nutritious foods, I've become a role model for my children and family, and I've gained purpose in life. 

For me, this has been an incredible journey because now I am able to share my personal story about veganism changing my life. By making a commitment to myself and my health, I have the control to change. I have some challenging days, but by going vegan, it has made a tremendous impact on my life. I can say, "It actually saved my life." Now I'm able to share with others that diabetes can be reversed or almost non-detectable, since that happened to me. My purpose today is to help others by encouraging, inspiring, and teaching others a new way to prepare, cook, and eat. I have now started my own health and wellness club called Veganladysoul Health and Wellness Club. 

My motto is: This world is too big to eat the same thing every day.

Social Media

Instagram: @veganladysoul

FEATURE: Chef Beverly Kumari

Chef Bev Kumari began her meatless journey on September 3, 1989 when she became a vegetarian.  However, she knew at the tender age of 12 she had a special place in her heart for the animal kingdom, and didn’t see her kindred spirits as a source of food.  Not being able to choose this alternative diet because of the stern belief of her father, she continued on the omnivorous journey for another 14 years where she decided enough was enough.  Soon after she would relieve herself from all animal exploitation and become a vegan where she quit consuming animal products.

It was her trip to India that solidified her belief and stronghold with veganism where 70 % of the population are vegetarians and spiritually sound regarding ahimsa (the belief in not harming any life or soul).

Chef Bev attended Purdue University, where she studied sociology and journalism.  She decided on a career change in her early forties, and began attending Daytona State College, where she studied culinary arts and eventually would pursue a career as a Chef.

She has had the honor of preparing meals for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, senators, five-star general and military officiants, federal officers of courts, and other politicians as well as the comptroller of the United States.

She currently works as a sous chef at Marriott Hotels International in the Washington D.C. area.

Her new cookbook, Nouveau V: The New Renaissance of Vegan and Vegetarian Cuisine, was released on May 22, 2017. It was co-written with Executive Chef Jonathan Layton, Executive Chef Abdellah Aguenaou and Executive Chef Douglas De la Reza. 

Current Events & Book Signings

*September 16, 2017

Williams Sonoma

University Park Village

Fort Worth, Texas – Cookbook signing & cooking demo

*September 23, 2017

Williams Sonoma

Rampart Commons

Las Vegas, Nevada – Cookbook signing & cooking demo

*October 28, 2017

Williams Sonoma

Beverly Hills, CA – Cookbook signing & cooking demo

Barnes & Nobles

North Atlantic Locations

Dates TBD

Social Media

Instagram: nouveau_vanguard  

Facebook: @NouveauVanguard  

Amazon: Nouveau V: The New Renaissance of Vegan & Vegetarian Cuisine

Barnes & Noble: Nouveau V: The New Renaissance of Vegan & Vegetarian Cuisine

Contact

Beverly Kumari Nouveau Vanguard 954-283-0529 bevkumari@nouveauvanguard.com

FEATURE: Alexis Carter

I am Alexis Carter, I started my vegan journey due to a health issue. I had fibroids and the doctor asked me, "Do you eat chicken?" He later explained that the hormones injected into the animals create growths and cysts in the body once consumed. That was 13 years ago and my research to optimal healing has yet to stop. I am raising 3 amazing health conscious children in the same manner and spreading this sacred knowledge to my clients as a vegan doula.

If you can prolong your life, why not start with your health? You can control your health, you can heal your life.

Social Media

Instagram: Sistah Alexis Carter

FEATURE: Talmadge Spicer

Sunny Goes Vegan Mid-Cheeseburger          

My name is Talmadge “Sunny” Spicer and I went vegan cold turkey mid-cheeseburger. Starting in February 2017, my vegan journey has done many things for me but more than anything else, it has liberated my mind to experience an “outside-of-the-box” lifestyle that has affected every aspect of my life.  7 months in, I am excited for the opportunity to share my green eating experiences with you.

Becoming vegan has always been something floating around in my subconscious only to surface recently at an “Art Of Conversation Event” by my friend Chris Bright. I remember a conversation about veganism and I, like most meat-eaters, respected the decision to be vegan but could not imagine giving up that one food. Mine was chicken. I argued that red meat and pork can and should be left out of my diet but I was married to chicken. In a room full of vegans I was quickly educated on what I was ignorant about.

Within a months time, I decided to give it a try half way through an Italian cheeseburger that, in all honesty, wasn't all that tasty. Step 1 was to Vegucate myself. I hopped on Netflix and watched Vegucated and my eyes were opened and I gained an intense hunger for knowledge on the subject. YouTube offered a wealth of information and thoroughly changed my perspective. I knew that I would be successful as a vegan but you couldn't tell that to anyone around me. They said things like “You bugging, what are are you going to eat?”, “I don't want you passing out at the gym!”, and “We need protein! Where will you get protein?” These comments ironically confirmed that I was making the right decision as I cleansed my cabinets and fridge of all animal products.   

Becoming aware of the benefits and opportunities I had as an individual converting to veganism made the transformation almost effortless. I learned of the factory farming tragedy that my former meat eating diet was contributing to. I learned how it causes the highest levels of Co2 omissions over the world's transportation being the number 1 contributor to global warming. I learned that the plants and grains we feed our food could be fed to other people and potentially end world hunger. Finally, I learned of the individual health benefits I would experience as an individual. Knowledge of these three aspects made becoming a vegan and educating others a no brainier.         

My vegan journey also led me to refocus my social media marketing agency, Growth 4 Green Eats, to exclusively cater to Vegan restaurants. Now I help vegan restaurants connect with local vegans all across the country using their social media accounts and am in love with what I do and the purpose behind it!       

All in all, I consider my journey unique to me as all vegans should. I've been opened up to a whole world of new foods I had no clue existed, my cooking game has skyrocketed, and I've been able to help others see the transformation first hand and helped inspire them to try it out. I love being vegan and hope to promote my lifestyle any way I can.

Social Media

Instagram: @ourunclesunny

Instagram: @growth4greeneats