This Rawsome Vegan Life
As many of you who’ve done The Juicery Co’s cleanses know, we recommend easing in and out of your cleanse by eating mostly raw and vegan foods in the days before and after. This helps your body readjust to the rather drastic change in your diet. For many of us, raw and vegan foods aren’t necessarily the norm, so trying to eat this way can be challenging. This is where we turn to some outside inspiration for help…
For those of you who haven’t had the pleasure to meet Emily Von Euw, let me introduce you! She is the author of the amazing mostly raw and vegan blog “This Rawsome Vegan Life” as well as three cookbooks, Rawsome Vegan Baking and 100 Best Juices, Smoothies & Healthy Snacks and her latest The Rawesome Vegan Cookbook (available for pre-order now). Needless to say the Juicery Co is a huge fan! We asked Emily a few questions in order to get a bit better acquainted, read through to get insights on her healthy outlook and lifestyle!
The obvious, when, why and how did you become vegan? Slow progression or sudden lifestyle change?
Pretty sudden. I basically went vegan overnight when I was 16, as a 30-day challenge to myself. Just a couple days into it I knew it was going to last a lifetime, not 30 days.
What would you say are the top three benefits you’ve experienced since your transition?
I used to have white marks on my nail beds which is a sign of nutrient deficiency, they have disappeared. I don’t have trouble falling asleep anymore. I eat all the food I want and maintain a strong, healthy body.
What are/were the biggest challenges?
I didn’t experience any!
What made you start the blog?
My friends and family urged me to do it; I would feed them recipes I made up in the kitchen and they thought I should share my food ideas with the world [wide web]. At first I held off but now I am so glad I listened. Being a blogger and cookbook author is my dream job.
You’ve had so much success through social media, what has been the coolest part of growing such a large following?
The connections I have made. They mean everything to me and honestly I don’t know if I’d be such a comfortable, optimistic person without them. My readers are the most kind, empathetic and beautiful people and they never stop sharing their love with me. I host potlucks in Vancouver sometimes with the help of a friend and we get 30-50+ people showing up. Those nights are some of the best ever because they are non-stop deep conversations and hugs with people who share the same values as I do. I have made wonderful friends through my blog, and I also have a little folder in my Gmail of people around the world who have offered their homes for me to stay in if I ever visit their country! My life is too good!
Anyone who follows you knows you are basically the queen of smoothies, what is your all time favourite smoothie ingredient?
Oh geez, I’m blushing now. I’m probably gonna sound boring with this but I gotta say: frozen bananas. They make every smoothie like a mylkshake.
Favourite snack?
Shoot, I can’t pick just one. I would say avocado toast or dates with walnut butter.
How do you keep on budget with all of the shopping required to make your delicious recipes?
You’d be surprised the deals you can score at the farmers market. All winter I was grabbing beets there for $1/lb! It’s epic! I also buy in bulk (organic, fair trade bananas are just $27 for an entire box). Rice, beans and potatoes are always cheap too, so I base my diet around those. And finally I supplement with more expensive stuff like tropical fruits (that aren’t bananas). Growing your own greens is easy and waaaay more affordable.
Any words of advice for someone wanting to integrate more raw and vegan habits into their everyday routines?
Sure! Just do it at a pace that is comfy for you. Add in a smoothie at breakfast, raw snacks like veggies and tahini between meals, a salad with lunch, and raw soup with dinner. In general: eat fruit all day, and drink lots of water. Have big beautiful bowls of fruit in your kitchen so you grab that instead of chips. And PLEASE eat all the fruit you like. 10 mangoes is perfectly awesome as a light meal. I like to top mine with cinnamon powder.
There you have it! Inspiring words for us all!
Links to the delicious recipe’s featured in all of Emily’s beautiful photographs included in this post! Don’t forget to pre-order her latest cookbook, so much yuminess!!!!!!
ORANGE-BEETROOT TARTLETS with ALMOND-FIG CRUST
PORTOBELLO BURGERS with COLLARD GREENS, GUACAMOLE and HIPPIE CHIPS
THE VEGAN CHRISTMAS PLATE: baked yams, steamed corn and pepper garlic brussels sprouts with mushroom nut loaf, tahini ginger miso gravy and orange cranberry sauce
THE GLOW BOWL: baked sweet potato with pesto pasta, tomatoes + pumpkin seeds
SWEET POTATO WEDGES with GARDEN SALAD + SWEET CORN (NO OIL OR SALT)
MEYER LEMON COCONUT CREAM TARTS with MINT + LAVENDER
RAW VEGAN HOT CROSS BUNS
STRAWBERRY CASHEW CREAM CAKE with CAROB DRIZZLE
Carrot Cake Cupcakes With Whipped Coconut Cream
MY FAVOURITE GREEN SMOOTHIE
