24Life: Are there any challenges that you still encounter even though you have been a vegan for a while? If so, what are they and how do you overcome them?
Malik: I’ve been vegan my entire life, and as veganism blossomed through the years, there are still restaurants I’ve gone to that had very limited choices, and that should not be an issue in this day and age. So I just try to go where there are sufficient amounts of selections to choose from.
Brazier: I recommend drinking lots of smoothies to overcome any nutrition you might think you’re missing. They are energy- and protein-rich and have many important nutrients such as iron, calcium, vitamin B12 and omega-3 fatty acids, all depending on what you put in your smoothie. If you like smoothies, you can enhance them with food supplements like Vega, for example, which is one that I developed. Or you can try the smoothie recipes from my book—smoothies are a great way to start.
Aries: You can eat vegan food, but it doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily healthy. Especially now that everything you used to eat as a kid—mac and cheese, pizza, chicken wings, burgers—they make mock versions of it, but it’s so processed and full of stuff that really shouldn’t be a staple of your diet. So for me, it’s about staying on track and trying to not skew too much into the guilty-pleasure vegan foods.
A second challenge is just continuing to break down the myths of a plant-based diet. I try to never come off too preachy, but it seems that people get defensive and feel like you’re almost shaming them for their choices.
Davis: Traveling can sometimes be difficult. Living in Moab, Utah, with a great natural foods store and a lot of excellent local food sources, I sometimes forget how lucky I am in my food choices here. I’ve noticed big changes, though, in recent years with what’s available in places like airports and more mainstream cities. I think there has been an incredible movement in the last couple of years and that people are much more aware and interested in their health and eating choices.
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