Our story It began in a foreign country in Western Europe. It was the summer of 2018. We made a move and later, another decision that would change our lives f o r e v e r. The city was Berlin. The year was 2017, in the … Read more...
I want to be vegan for a month!
As luck has it January is known as Veganuary. Therefore it is very easy to try to be vegan for a month! Our three tips will help you!
So you have made a wonderful decision of wanting to try being vegan for a month. No matter how long you can hold on to it, your choice is very much worthy of applause. Even if you manage to be vegan just for one day, you will save 1,100 gallons of water, 45 pounds of grain, 30 sq ft of forest, 20 lbs CO2 equivalent, and one animal’s life. Isn’t that great?
But month being vegan does sound much nicer, eh? With the help of a wonderful vegan calculator at Vegancalculator.com, you can do some easy math. So during one month of being vegan, you would save the following:
There is more than one reason to try going vegan for a month at least. Below are some things to keep in mind though when going vegan. These few tips will help you out during the most difficult few days and weeks.
What matters you the most?
Now think about why you want to be vegan for a month? Is it for the health, the animals or environment or some other reason? Though the most popular reasons are health and compassion for the animals, the others around you, especially meat-eaters can be threatened by that. As they think you are trying to be better than them. Or they will just do not get your sudden wish of loving animals of all kinds. The third reason why people go vegan is for the environment. This is half less popular than the previous answer. But this is actually the most acceptable cause for those who are not vegans. Environment affects us all, and making conscious choices about your eating habits, may actually make others also want to question theirs.
Being vegan is connected to saving CO2, forests, and water. In a year a person who only eats plants will save:
- 3,373 kilograms of CO2
- 3,340 square meters of forest
- 1,520,851 liters of water
Striking numbers, right?
Eat more
When you do not consume animal products you leave out of your plate, you’re not eating so much. it is really important to replace the missing food items with others. Think of tofu, tempeh, beans, mushrooms, etc. Vegans tend to eat more, as the meals made of plants are less calorically intense. So you need to compensate for what you are missing. If you really love cheese, deli slices, and some other animal products, do not worry. There are a wonderful variety of all kinds of spreads, cheeses, and mock meat. Another good way how to eat properly is to google for vegan meal recipes. You will find a galore of breakfast, lunch, and dinner ideas. Whole grains, legumes, and starches are your friends now. You need to consume more of these food items to obtain more energy!
Plan ahead!
It is very important to stay on track when just started with a vegan lifestyle. Our lives are oftentimes so busy that we do not have time enough to prepare our meals and snacks. That’s how we may grab a muesli-bar which has some milk powder in it or a pastry made of eggs and butter. Believe us, we know that there are not many vegan-friendly snack options always nearby. Be one step ahead and prepare a little snack bag. It may consist of nuts, seeds, dried fruits, and dark chocolate bits. Most of the potato chips are vegan and so are Oreo cookies. Let us recommend once again our favourite snack – peanut butter or peanuts and banana. Oh, they go together so well, giving you a sweet and salty, soft and crunchy experience. And this combo is oh so filling.
Conclusion
Starting with something or changing habits may not come overnight. If you started this journey because of health issues, you may see some changes overnight or you may have to wait for the results. Do not give up, just enjoy your path. The easiest is to cook food yourself and make your favourite homemade meals vegan. If you need help vegan websites and communities are there for you. Remember, plan a bit ahead, as every beginning is a bit bumpy. As an article we read about becoming vegan – it is a journey, not a race.
Perhaps now you want to be vegan longer than just a month.
Read more about our other article on Veganury here.
Helpful links:
Get help from this vegan starter kit at Veganuary.com
If you’re still not sure what to expect, read more by Maggie Kelly about her experience of going vegan for a month at Bodyandsoul.com
Statistics of the vegancalculator.com are listed here.
Why start volunteering this year?
We have been volunteering for 10 years. We can’t imagine our lives without it. Why you should make volunteering a part of your life? Read below.
We are volunteering weekly to make 100+ sandwiches for those in need. Also, we work every day to save food, trade it, and pick it up from kind people, so we can support our local little food pantries. Some may think that this is too much work, but for us this is joy. We encourage you to make volunteering one of your goals this new year. Why? Because if you volunteer in a field you feel strongly about, you feel like you can conquer the world! It makes you feel sublime.
Last year as most likely this year, will be not easy for many people. Now is the right time to reach out a helping hand. Think about your neighbourhood. What needs to be done? Or feel free to start your own volunteering opportunity. Like making soup and handing it out at an intersection or near a church. Possibilities are endless. Read more below about volunteering and its positive sides.
Volunteering is good for your health
I guess this is no news that volunteering is good for your health. As those who have ever helped out somebody knows how good it makes us feel. Do not believe me, read more here.
Volunteering isn’t something to put off until you have extra time and money. There are numerous reasons why the returns far outweigh the time you invest, especially during difficult times. Below are some reasons why to start volunteering now.
Not only for your physical health but also for mental health. The benefits are clear. It can relieve you from the effects of stress, depression, and anxiety. When you have a group of volunteers, even if you do not meet physically, it helps you develop a support system. So you do not feel so lonely and depressed. This is the most effective when volunteering with animals.
Volunteers live longer
Volunteers are happier and healthier than non-volunteers. Also, the older the volunteer, the more beneficial for one’s health. Even more than exercising and eating well. Who would have known that? Perhaps this explains why volunteering is so much connected to older people. They live longer as well. But you do not start volunteering at an older age, as they were volunteers already when younger. So now is the right time to start.
Usually volunteering is done in a group and it connects you with others. It is especially helpful for those who feel isolated or want to widen their social circle. Volunteering is a great way to make friends. Though at this moment social volunteering is not prohibited or accepted, there are still options for you to volunteer. Don’t know where to start? Check this webpage for tips.
Volunteering makes you feel good and builds your self-esteem
Helping others and doing good for the community will create a natural sense of feeling good. It definitely gives your pride and puts you on a pedestal. After all, you are giving your time, care, and a helping hand to make somebody else feel better. Not to mention that this will give you a boost in your self-confidence. The aspect of helping others can have a profound effect on your overall psychological well-being.
Also keep in mind that when volunteering, you are not receiving monetary compensation. Therefore choose those organizations or actions, you feel closest to. It is a great way to give back to them. While helping others you can forget your own problems. Most of the time we help out those who in need and it can show us, that perhaps we are not in the worst position in our life. Another way of feeling good.
A little remark, when volunteering, you are gathering valuable experience, which can be useful in your life. For example when applying for a possible new job opportunity. Though we recommend not to go for a full-work option. Why? Read more from here.
Conclusions: the importance of volunteering
It’s clear the benefits of being a volunteer are huge. Don’t you think? Improved mental and physical health, possibility to make new friends, and feeling less lonely. It also gives you a sense of purpose and deeper self-confidence. In turn, all of these things will help to boost your overall happiness: a win-win situation for all involved.
Before considering volunteering, ask yourself a few questions before taking the plunge. Firstly, think about which causes you’re passionate about – it means you’re more likely to enjoy and stay committed to the work. We like food and veganism and hence our volunteering is connected to both of these subjects.
Secondly, are you looking for regular volunteering or one-time opportunities? Thirdly, consider the skills you can offer and what is it you are hoping to get from the gig. Is it to be around people, feel better, or learn something new. Whatever it is, the main idea of volunteering is to enjoy yourself and have fun!
Inspiration:
How to embrace the new year and set your goals?
Bye-bye 2020! You were a struggle, enjoyable, but still a struggle. We are really happy to greet the new 2021, and set our new goals!
We will leave the Covid-19 madness on the side and count our blessings for 2020. What a year it was – nice travels at the beginning of the year, moving back to Estonia from Germany, and then moving to Canada. Living with friends and looking feverishly for an apartment on our own. The pains of finding work and our own path. Constant food abundance, new awake open-minded people, lots of cycling, and good food. We are ever so grateful and we are ready for the new year with new goals!
If you still haven’t set your goals for the new year, it’s not too late!
There is every reason to feel excited about this year. A tiresome 2020 is past and we have at least in theory so much promise and potential for growth. The strength has to come within yourself to make things happen. The beginning of the year is the time to feel hyped and energized. You can only do this if you leave the previous year behind. Many things didn’t go the way you wanted. It is completely okay. Just set your new goals and move ahead!
Here are some recommendations for you to use this new year to start over and start fresh.
- Make amends and fix any misunderstandings you have with your dear ones
- Forget the past mistakes and focus on not repeating them
- Choose a mantra, which will describe the new year
- Set new goals
Make amends and fix any misunderstandings you have with your dear ones
This is pretty straightforward, but we can’t repeat enough that the people around us are the most important. Our closest ones. They support you, they help you, and are there when in need. We should be able to be on good terms with them and let our ego go and bend, apologize, and be vulnerable.
We need real, supportive, and loving people around us. Do not waste any time on people who you have to run after, who never call you back, pick up your call, or initiate something. You have better stuff to do than spend your energy on them. Remember always: quality over quantity.
Forget the past mistakes
Past is past. Mistakes we made then, will stay there. Though they may affect us even in the present day, the only thing we can do is let them go. We have to accept the mistakes and learn from them. The best way is to focus on not making the same mistakes this year.
Choose a mantra, which will describe the new year
We have been choosing one for the past three years. Epic, create, and action is the words that we chose to describe our new year. This time we agreed on action, as instead of just sitting, we act. We do not postpone things we want to do, we do them right away. It just felt right for us to go for this particular word/mantra. Your’s can be completely different. One tip, though. Choose the word which helps you to make your goals come through the best.
Set new goals
Perhaps the most interesting part is setting down new goals. Here are many things to keep in mind.
- Your goals should fit in with your purpose. Ask how these goals help you to make your vision come true. You should only concentrate on what really matters to you the most.
- Write down your new goals. Not because you may forget them. They are more effective when written down. Use a notebook or a notes app on your phone or laptop. We prefer the old-school pen and paper version.
- Revisit your goals as often as you can. For example, read them when you are waking up or going to bed. This will help you to influence all your actions toward the attainment of your goals. All as we say – let it out to the universe!
- Short list of goals works the best. I know it is very difficult to put down just a few important goals, but this helps you to be on track the best. We wrote down 7 and too many to count goals. So we had to revisit them and cut our list shorter. Now we are sure that we are focused and achieve more because we are not pressured to accomplish a lot.
Conclusion
We hope this short article helps you to set your new goals and makes you embrace the new year. Remember it will be mostly how you will make it. Some things just happen and then we have to deal with them. Follow your goals, remind yourself of them, and just do it!
Share your thoughts or tips on what else to try to do at the beginning of the year.
Happy New Year!
P.s. Make sure to check our last year’s recommendations for the new year as well.
Inspiration:
Vegan and Keto? Review of The Key Dough
Keto is referring to a diet that is low in carbohydrates but high in protein. While originating as a medical diet, its popularly is associated with weight loss.
The Key Dough was established at the end of 2019 in Toronto, Canada by Julie Sullivan. Vegan Very Much met the friendly and kind owner at the Cabbagetown Farmers Market in October 2020. During our nice chat with CEO Julie Sullivan, we introduced our work at Vegan Very Much, and our interest in reviewing vegan companies to our readers. As November was No-Buy Month, we were unable to purchase the tempting but healthy treats. Julie kindly offered that we choose a pack of Key Dough cookies (made from The Key Dough Mix) each, so that we can try and review them for our readers.
The opportunity to interview the founder of this fairly new establishment and share it with you is thrilling. Since we like food, we like to always explore this field. We hope you learn something new and purchase from The Key Dough. We can’t wait to hear about your first impressions.
First impressions of the Key Dough cookies!
Kerly tried them first with herbal tea in hand. Her first impressions are as follows:
It’s really good! Very rich…I love the texture. It is so….thick!”
She devoured it, albeit, mindfully savouring each rich, tasty bite. After eating the healthy cookie, she exclaimed: ”That one is all I needed!” This is a big compliment coming from this sweet tooth. She felt that it has scratched her itch for something dessert-like, although it was not very sweet. The added plant satisfied the brain!
Just a quick explanation of science, the brain has receptors that attract glucose. Without this glucose, the brain cannot functions. Carbohydrates we consume concert into brain-powering glucose. The Key Dough’s One Mix cookies contain complex carbohydrates and fat, which was responsible for our feeling of well-being and satisfaction after eating just one each at first try.
On the contrary, sugary cookies require you to keep eating to feel satisfied. To lead a healthy addiction-free life, as it relates to sugar, the Key Dough health cookies are a way to go! They are keto-friendly as the clever name suggests. The denseness due to the added plant fat is good for weight loss, as fat burns fat!
My first impressions are as follows:
”Oh wow, the texture is nice. I agree that it’s very rich. Is that coconut oil? Wow, it’s very dense/ heavy, so I can see why you’re satisfied after just one!”
Still, I thought I would eat the other one, because I couldn’t stop, but also had just one. I must point out that this is very rare in our vegan household!
Vegan Very Much interview with The Key Dough
Note: We e-mailed the following interview questions to Julie Sullivan at The Key Dough.
We didn’t alter any part of this interview except for grammar check. We added our own Vegan Very Much comments to create a conversational read, as interviews are. Julie’s answers are in italics.
We asked The Key Dough to ”please put an asterisk* beside your favourite questions.”
1. What would you say is the big ‘why’ for starting your business?
I’m a dreamer, I see possibilities. I thoroughly approach life with a detective’s sense and all the why’s. On a much smaller scale, when I started the Keto Diet and prepared sweets weren’t readily available – I had to make or bake them myself and I have always loved being creative in the kitchen. I was in a one-year business certificate at Ryerson, where I took my very first marketing class (at 29), still figuring out what to do with my life and having had the entrepreneurial dream many times before, I saw an opportunity that I was passionate about.
VVM: I can definitely relate to being a dreamer, which makes it impossible to settle for just any job when you know you’re capable of so much more. I also attended Ryerson, and at the time. My course mates would sneer at the business major because we saw ourselves are opposites, fast-forward, multiple Social Workers have left the field, including myself, to pursue entrepreneurship.
It is wonderful that Julie took the step to attend Ryerson School of Business, it is important to invest in yourself. Interestingly, at 29 years old, she was in her Saturn return. Have you heard of this? Saturn is a slow-moving planet that takes 28-29 years to return to where it was at your birth. At 28-29, Saturn confronts us to make moves that will better our lives; to grow up so to speak. Even without knowledge of this astrological phenomenon, many people we know have married, left their 9-5 jobs (including Kerly at 29 years old), had a baby, or even divorced.
** 2. What do you wish you knew before starting your business?
I wish I had a road map or guidebook specific to the GTA and the food industry and I intend to create something for entrepreneurs of the future.
VVM: This is a great idea! When we start a business, we look for examples of how to make it the best. It’s a great way to give back and answer the questions that were left unanswered for you.
**3. What tips would you give others wishing to start a business?
It’s a lot of work and I think it takes a certain kind of person, but if you’re willing to work hard and are that type of person (passionate, creative, a self-starter) – then go for it because, in the end, nothing else will suffice.
VVM: This is true! It’s much easier to go to work and get a paycheque even if you do the bare minimum. What is not easy is, investing our whole self into a business, working harder than you ever have, and not make any money initially… If you are currently getting a paycheque from your job, pay yourself first and save as much as you can to bring your well-researched business idea to life.
**4. What environmental choices did you consider as you started your business?
I decided to make our prepared cookies entirely plant-based because, before Keto, I was a pescetarian from my early twenties onward. I know how bad factory farming is for animals and the environment so I wanted our brand to be as considerate as I could make it.
It took longer and they cost more – but we searched long and hard, high and low to find our biodegradable packaging.
VVM: As environmental low-impact vegans, we are concerned with ingredients and packaging. We’re glad that The Key Dough took the environmental and animal impact of our food choices into consideration by making The Key Dough prepared cookies, vegan! We hope that the future sees all companies making all their products plant-based, therefore cruelty-free, without sacrificing taste.
**5. How does your brand help build community?
This is a good question. We feel like we’ve been welcomed into other communities more than creating our own thus far. Where I met you was at the Cabbagetown Farmers Market, a group of local independent food growers and producers. I use a shared-kitchen full of food startups.
I have found the keto community on Instagram to be hugely supportive. People love this diet – because it works. I feel way better on it. So it’s a genuine community of people living their lives passionately through food. The Keto community is the best. I have also had a ton of support from friends, family, and my co-workers (our earliest testers). Our retail partners are part of our community as well as our suppliers.
In the building I live in, my neighbours were my first employees and believers. They saw this thing blossom from the ground up and for that, I will be forever grateful. It’s the little guys in the beginning, who believe in you when you have nothing that is the true stars. They made all this possible. I should mention RISE Asset Development too. My first loan provider is funded by U of T’s Rotman School of Business and a CAMH partnership. There I met Steve – who was foundational in believing in me from the start, who helped me believe in myself and led me to Zain, my very first official mentor ever.
VVM: There’s so much here to comment on. It is heartwarming that many people believed in The Key Dough from the start, from friends, family to coworkers and business networks and loan provider. The journey of establishing The Key Dough illustrates the fact that community is key in any endeavour- united we stand, divided we fall.
6. Which of your products would you recommend people start with?
I think The Key Dough Mix is the place to start. Since Covid, we have seen people bake and so we pivoted to an all-purpose sweet mix. You can use it for cookies, muffins, pancakes, or pie crust.
VVM: Being creative in the kitchen is a great stress reliever, we cannot wait to try these mixes. We’ve already requested it at our local Healthy Planet!
7. What would you like everyone to know about your business/products?
Sugar is a carb so if there’s one thing we recommend, it’s lowering your processed sugar intake. The stuff is junk. It makes you feel like crap. It provides no nutritional value and it’s addictive. We want to provide a low-sugar option without sacrificing taste. It’s a healthier cookie without sacrificing flavour.
VVM: We agree, sugar is more addictive than cocaine! As adults, we have to make choices that benefit not only ourselves but our dependents. The Key Dough’s cookies that we were reviewing were very tasty without being overly sweet. The fat content from seeds and coconut oil made them very satisfying- hence the reason why we had just one each with our herbal teas. Try it for yourself- you can be healthy and have tasty treats!
Comment from Julie:
Loved these questions, ladies. Really made me think and get clear on what we’re doing. I honestly teared up in the community part because we’ve had an unbelievable amount of support throughout this journey. I can’t wait to see the article – link me!
Have a great week,
Julie.
Conclusion
Our interview with Julie Sullivan, founder of The Key Dough was mind-opening. We learned a lot, and are happy to share it with you. You can take many gems from the answers that the company provided, whether you are currently keto or not. The Key Dough cookies are 100% plant-based and are a good addition to any vegan lifestyle. If you are vegetarian or pescatarian, you can enjoy the full range of products.
Currently, you get the chance to request The Key Dough products at your local health food stores!
Here is the link!
Community fridge – new phenomena on the streets
During tiring times, communities have come together. Read below how the community fridge is helping to fill the gap while offering free food for people in need.
We appreciate food, hate food waste, and work every day to save food, share food, and enjoy food. As a society, we waste so much food every day – approximately 1/3 of the food will end up in the garbage bins. Since we love the environment and try to consume as little as possible, this is a really hot subject for us.
Though we have close connections with the European way of saving and sharing food – Foodsharing, the more common term in Northern America is community fridge, a new phenomenon that should be the norm in every community.
What is a community fridge aka freedge?
A Community Fridge is a refrigerator located in a public space. The fridges, sometimes called “freedges” are a type of mutual aid project. They help to share food within a community. Some Community Fridges also have an associated area for non-perishable food.
Source: wikipedia.org
So basically, it is a fridge in a public space, which gets filled by anybody and can be emptied by anybody (you what you need, leave what you don’t). The food is always free. There is always so much leftover food. These fridges offer a convenient way to store and share surplus food.
Sometimes, such fridges are accompanied by little pantries, which hold the space for food items, which do not need refrigeration. So in a way, community fridges are like little free stores offering a variety of food; except that you never know what you’ll get at the freedges!
Wow, that sounds fun – how can I start a freedge?
Luckily as with most wonderful things, you can educate yourself using the world wide web. Freedges are connected to a worldwide network offering information, support, and media for all community fridge related questions. Please find the link to the Freedge Network at the end of this article.
You may already have a fridge or two in your city, town, or neighbourhood. Now you just have to fill it with food or take food if there is a need. Leaving food in the fridges is not charity. Food is a basic human need. And if our governments fail us, then joining our forces for mutual aid is the only way to go.
The first and most important thing is that you need a small group of like-minded people who believe in saving food and sharing it with others. This is a good start if you can communicate with a small group and set your goals and tasks. Finding a location for the fridge is a very tiring process. Especially when reaching out to businesses and asking permission for the fridge at their storefront. If that doesn’t work out, try private locations. All you need is a spot for the fridge. The shed to protect it from weather, and electricity to keep it working.
When you have found a spot for your community fridge, then it is time to explore more about the options of how to fill the fridge on a regular basis. Visit your local bakery, café, and speak to the manager at your home grocery store and inquire about their surplus food. Most of the time it just goes to garbage or organic recycle bins, but instead, it should reach people. This is where we all can step in. Reach out and make a change.
No good deed goes unpunished
The idea to write this article came because of saddening news. As one of the first community fridges in Toronto was shut down by city officers at the end of November 2020. It was closed because in the city official’s opinion that it was abandoned therefore posed a threat to children, who may lock themselves inside of it…
Jalil Bokhari, founder and community organizer of Community Fridges Toronto shared a post about it on their Instagram feed. And it went viral – 5000 likes in a day! Obviously, one little fridge touched so many people. It offered food to hundreds and hundreds of people in its short four-month life-span. Luckily, the Toronto Community Fridge has four other fridges up and running. But they need desperately all the support they can get. Including filling with food, maintenance, and winterizing. Communities can together to help with all that.
CBC wrote an article about Toronto city’s shameless decision to close the fridge down. In there: “Bokhari said the city’s order is upsetting because the fridge was a source of “fresh, good looking food” for many people in Parkdale and food insecurity is an issue in the neighborhood. The city also failed to help provide a solution, he added.”
It is heartless that the government body, elected to support and help us, makes a decision to close a community initiative that helps them take care of its most vulnerable and forgotten citizens. This being said, it is more of a reason to start even more fridges everywhere! Share the food, spread the love, and keep our tummies full. All of us. Not just those with money to buy all they need and throw away long before the food touches their plates…
Conclusion
With winter is around the corner in the northern hemisphere, and as times are hard for many, it is the right time for people to come together to start community fridges and pantries all over the world. Find a group of like-minded people, a place for a fridge, and plan to build a protective shed around the fridge. When this is all done, the rest will follow. Your community will come together and the fridge will make many people sustained and happy.