black vegans

Other Brown Vegan: Samuel L. Jackson

Here's a clip of Jackson telling Letterman about his plant-based diet....

He talks about eating oatmeal for breakfast with mango & banana and how much he misses "meat" lol

I'm sure a lot of people can relate but he'll be just fine. :-)

I holler every. single. time. I see this meme.....

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Vegan Favorites! November 2013

It's about that time again! In my latest YouTube video I review some of my favorite vegan products.

Products mentioned in the video.....

Moroccan mint green tea-bought it from Wegmans

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Whipped products

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TofuXpress-this is a gift from my friend, Michelle

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So Delicious Pumpkin Spice

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The Compound Effect- A must read!

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Watch the video below and don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel for more vlogs and cooking videos.

Click below to subscribe to my YouTube channel

Disclaimer: Not a sponsored video-The Flax Seasoning and TofuXpress were given to me as gifts. Everything else was purchased with my own money. All opinions are my own.

Other Brown Vegan: Asana Hamidu

With only about 2% of Americans identifying as vegan, it's no wonder many don't feel the lifestyle relates to them. I use Other Brown Vegan to profile famous and every day people living and loving this vegan life.

This week, Asana Hamidu shares her story.... 

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*How long have you been a vegan?  
I’ve been vegan since June 26, 2012

*What made you decide to embrace a plant-based diet?
In high school I was very depressed and was going through some emotional problems that made me unhappy. I remember feeling like I was living in a haze. Also, during my senior year in high school, I went in for a doctor’s visit and was told I was approaching obesity!! That was around the time I looking for information on natural hair (Hey naptural85!). Once I made the connection between what I ate, how I felt and looked, I was sold! I began researching the types of food I was eating and I remember being so disgusted by what was being put into the food and the conditions the animals were in. Most importantly I was shocked by how the lives of people living elsewhere and the environment was being altered by what I ate (i.e. the cutting of the Amazon forest).
 I transitioned slowly by cutting out soda, red meat, chicken. I then decided to be pescaterian for a while then got tired of eating seafood. So I cut out seafood and became vegetarian one month before my freshman year in college. Once I embraced this lifestyle, I felt great because along with working out, I was losing weight and feeling better. I became interested in veganism when I got more in touch with my spiritual side; I started to see the connection between our souls/spirits, and how what we consume affects the way feel. Also, I felt very hypocritical knowing all I knew about that was in the food while eating eggs, cheese and drinking milk. So after examining how far I had come as a vegetarian, I decided to transition to vegan lifestyle on June 26 2012. I knew I wanted to be vegan and I was committed to this lifestyle …I was sure of it! I knew I would feel so much better. I was right! I haven’t looked back since!
 
*What was the hardest food (meat, dairy, eggs, etc) to move away from?  
Surprisingly meat wasn’t hard for me to quit at all. Being from a Ghanaian family, every time my mom would make soup, some of the meat would go missing hehehe. The hardest foods for me to move away from was diary and eggs. I love dessert so most of the things I would cook and buy had one or both ingredients in it!

*Any advice for new vegans?
My advice for a new vegan would be trust the process and take it one step at a time. Another important advice is research different kinds of food and know what kinds of vitamins and nutrients are in it. Since this is a new lifestyle, you will start seeing some changes in the way you feel and look! Beware! This is normal too.
Don’t be hard on yourself if you err, mistakes are normal and are part of the journey. Also, don’t be afraid to tell others that you are vegan. I remember going to a traditional naming ceremony and fearing to tell my extended family about my lifestyle because I thought that they would question me or say something negative. But, it was alright, everyone was curious about what I ate and wanted to know what I could and couldn’t eat so they could serve me the right food. This brings me to my next point, which is always eat something before you go to an event or simply tell the host about what your diet is all about and they might be happy to accommodate you! Before going out to eat at a restaurant, look at their menu online or call in to check out the types of vegan options available. Remember, just because something is vegan does not mean it is healthy!
Eat a variety of nutritious foods to ensure that you are getting your daily vitamins!  Don’t forget to workout out! You will feel and look great!
Remember why you are doing this, trust me there will be many people out there who will question your decision (and there are many who will support you) but you have to be your biggest supporter and be steadfast in the belief that this is the right thing for you.
Lastly, Stay True, Be You, Trust the Process and Live life to the fullest!
 
*What are some of your favorite books/websites on veganism?  
The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone - Great book!
 Love Food Eat
 Sistah Vegan
 Oh She Glows
 Vegan Yum Yum

*Please share a recipe you enjoy.
Healthy Banana Bread (Whole Wheat, Vegan, Oil-free & Sugar-free) Ohh my goodness this is sooooo delicious!

 *How can we reach you?
You can reach me on my blog
Facebook page
Email: whatshetaughther@yahoo.com

Thanks, Asana!

If you're a brown vegan interested in being featured on the blog, send me a message on the contact page.  

Other Brown Vegan: Ifayomi Victory

With only 2% of Americans identifying as vegan, it's no wonder most people don't feel this lifestyle relates to them.  Other Brown Vegan features famous and every day vegans who love this lifestyle.

This week, Ifayomi Victory is sharing her story..... 

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*How long have you been a vegan?
I have been vegan for 7 years.  The best 7 years of my life by the way!

*What made you decide to embrace a plant-based diet?
When I became vegan, I had already been vegetarian for 10 years. And even though I was fit, healthy, cooking most of my own food and embracing a compassionate lifestyle, I was diagnosed with a rare illness that almost cost me my life. After being released from a 2 week stay in the hospital, while laying in the bed on my back (because the pain was to excruciating for me to sit up), I read the book Natural Cures That They Don’t Want You to Know About by Kevin Treadau.  From reading that book I learned that no matter what the illness, “if you’re sick…you probably ate it.” That changed my life! And after a very strict 28 day detoxification process I embraced plant-based eating as a diet and way of life for me and have not looked back.
 
*What was the hardest food (meat, dairy, eggs, etc) to move away from?  
CHEESE…..CHEESE…..CHEESE…OMG CHEESE!

*Any advice for new vegans?
Because I believe transiting to a plant-based vegan diet is a constant process and is ALWAYS evolving (or at least it should be)…my advice would be practice patience with yourself and with others.
 
*What are some of your favorite books/websites on veganism?  
Oh my, there are soooooo many…but I will start with mine: www.ifayomi.com is my absolute favorite vegan website! However, without dissing anyone or any of the others, I have to say the Vegetarian Resource Group and Vegan Mainstream are two of my favorites because of their up-to-date information and services that accommodate plant-based eating and living.  Also, the Vegetarian Resource Group published and sells a book titled “The Vegan Handbook.”  I love this book because it’s informative, easy to read and caters to the novice or person interested in embracing a plant-based diet but don’t know where to start.  It even has recipes!

I’ve purchased several copies of “The Vegan Handbook” & Natural Cures That They Don’t Want You to Know About just to give them away to friends, family and strangers.  

*Please share a recipe you enjoy.

Mango/Banana Ice Cream

1    med to large ripe mango cut into bite size cubes
1    small to medium chopped frozen ripe banana
1    ½ cup coconut milk*
1    ½ teaspoon vanilla
Pinch of nutmeg
Dash of Cinnamon

In a high powered blender (Vita-mix, Cuisnart, Kitchen-aid etc.) add the mango, banana and vanilla. While slowly pulsing the blender on high in 3 to 4 second increments add your coconut milk. Continue to pulse, stirring occasionally until creamy to your taste. Enjoy!
*For creamier ice cream add more milk.

 *How can we reach you?
www.ifayomi.com
The Boogalafini Vegan…Organic Soul Kitchen Blog
Facebook
Twitter
Linkedin
Skype
Email
Remember…”You Are What You Eat!”

 

Thanks, Ifayomi!