I’m so excited to be sharing another interview today! Meet the lovely Lindsay from Lindsay Living Vegan! We connected on instagram and she is the first vegan gal that I have really clicked with. We get each other. A couple weeks ago, I was thinking about writing Lindsay an email to ask if I could interview her for the blog and then an email from her popped in my inbox!
How crazy is that?!!
That was definitely a sign that we need to be friends.
We already decided we are vegan soul sisters.
Lindsay lives in Arizona at the moment but she is from Chicago so hopefully one day we can meet in person and do things that vegan friends do. Like what you ask?! Probably go to a juice bar and pick up a green juice.. definitely take a insta pic together.. stop in Anthropologie.. and Urban Outfitters.. most definitely go to The Chicago Diner (one of the best vegan restaurants in chi town) and obvi chat about blog life. Haha.
So here she is!
Q: Hi Lindsay! Tell us about yourself and about your blog, Lindsay Living Vegan.
A: Hi! I?m Lindsay from Lindsay Living Vegan 🙂 I live in beautiful Arizona with my boyfriend and furbaby Kingsley. I am from Chicago and plan to move back in the near future! I created LLV at the same time as going vegan so it?s very special to me. I absolutely love blogging and am happy to have finally found my passion. I know that not everyone out there is vegan so I like to post easy recipes that are appealing to non-vegans. It?s important for me to show people how easy and delicious it is to be vegan! I am also a gigantic animal lover and I?m currently in the works of having my own vegan boutique for pet treats and apparel as well as getting involved with saving shelter pets.
Q: How long have you been vegan and what made you decide to make the lifestyle change?
A: I became vegan just this past April but I have been a vegetarian since I was 4 years old. Going vegan was not that hard since the only difference was giving up dairy. Growing up I would go to my step-moms dads place in Wisconsin where he has a huge land for hunting. I would see dead animals all around and that did it for me. I gave up eating meat when I was so young that I couldn’t even tell you what it tastes it. I never even had fish in my life. I also never ate eggs but I would eat cheese A LOT. I started drinking almond milk in college so when I decided that it was time to be vegan all I had to give up was cheese. I am more aware and cautious of not eating anything that contains milk, eggs, etc.
Q: What is the hardest part about being vegan?
A: The hardest part would probably be that going out to eat can be tricky but I have not yet experienced going to a place that doesn’t have any vegan options. I also think it is not really hard but more annoying when you tell someone you are vegan and they judge you. I am a sensitive person so when I get told that I eat like a rabbit or that I must not eat anything that tastes good? it can hurt sometimes. The other day at work someone told me that all I eat is smoothies and soup and I didn’t really know how to respond. I was like ummm yes at work you won’t see my scarfing down a pizza or a vegan cake. People think that vegans are judgemental but I think it?s the complete opposite.
Q: Your skin is glowing! Tell us your favorite cruelty-free vegan beauty products.
A: Aztec Indian Healing Clay! That stuff is my lifesaver and I also love African Black Soap. I had the most horrible acne in my teens and early 20s and since being vegan it has gone away. I am guilty as charged that I am still using my gross animal tested chemical filled makeup but that is only because it was so expensive. I am using it until I am all out (which should be very soon) and when I buy new makeup I will be buying only cruelty-free vegan stuff. So please send your suggestions my way 🙂
Q: Beauty tips/tricks?
A: I love to start my mornings off with oil pulling followed by a cup of warm lemon water. Sleep is also very important – I try to get a good amount of sleep each night to feel fresh and energized everyday. Also, when it comes to makeup, I try to wear a very little amount so that my skin can breathe.
Q: Who inspires you to live healthy?
A: My family and myself! I don?t exactly have a specific person that I follow for motivation but I do love to see success stories of people whose lives have changed from going vegan. My family is my rock and I want to be happy and healthy for them. Plus when I do end up having kids, I want to be a great example for them. My dad has MS and my great grandma passed away from ALS as well as some other family members so I always have stuck in the back of my mind that you never know what can happen. I believe that food is medicine and by only fueling my body with the good stuff it will help me fight off any diseases.
Q: Tell us what you typically eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
A: Breakfast is always a green smoothie! Lunch is usually a salad or soup and then dinner I never have any restrictions. I love to have quinoa stir-fry with veggies, zucchini pasta, burritos and pizza! I like to eat light ? heavy so I let myself eat whatever I am feeling like for dinner. I only like to eat organic, whole and unprocessed foods so I like to think that even when I do eat pizza, it is healthy!
Q: What is your weekly exercise routine?
A: Pure Barre! I must admit that I am not the best person when it comes to working out. When I would have a gym membership I would go like 2 times a week and only use the treadmill. I also tried working out from home but that never really worked out. When I discovered Pure Barre I knew that I have found my perfect place. I have been going for a little over a year now and it has done wonders for my body. I also walk my dog in the morning and nights and I am starting to practice yoga more. I am very interested in becoming a yoga teacher.
Q: Can you offer any advice for new vegans/people who want to go vegan?
A: Start slow and don?t rush into it because than you will suffer from withdrawals. My advice would be to start by going vegan 2 days a week and then increase it to 3 days a week and so on until you are fully vegan. I am also a huge believer in drinking one green smoothie a day and having one salad a day, rather it is a big salad or just an appetizer – You gotta get those greens in!
Q: Do you have any boyfriend-approved vegan recipes you can share?!
A: My boyfriend absolutely loves cookie dough bites. They are a staple in our house and when you open up the freezer you will most likely see them.
Ingredients:
- 1 ? cups gluten free rolled oats
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons almond butter
- ? cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ? cup almond flour
- dash of sea salt
- 2 tablespoons of enjoy life chocolate chips
Instructions:
- In a blender, blend oats until a fine flour forms
- In a large bowl, combine the oil, almond butter, syrup, vanilla, and salt
- Then slowly add the oats and flour into the mixture
- Lastly, fold in the chips
- Roll the dough into small balls, freeze them in the freezer on a plated lined with parchment paper for about 10 minutes.
Q: Favorite quote?
A: ?Just Breathe?. Whenever I get anxiety or have a stressful day I just always tell myself to just breathe and things always seem better. It?s important to just stop, inhale and exhale and then go on with the rest of your day.
Can’t wait to try this cookie dough recipe! And thank you to Lindsay for this fun interview 🙂
Check out my vegan story that I shared with Lindsay here.
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