vegan podcast

188. Paying Off Debt, Home Ownership & Money Talks While Dating with Grace Henderson

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Today on the podcast, I’m back with a returning guest for our next episode of the Brown Vegan Podcast Money Series.

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With the Money Series, I’ll be bringing in guest experts to focus on all things finances because, as you’ve heard me say, you can’t have wellness without financial wellness.

My friend Grace is on the podcast with me today.

If you missed episode 89, we spoke about fitness, food, being vegan in the military and more, so make sure you check that out to get the background on Grace.

That being said, today we’re talking about DEBT. 

A few years back, Grace and I were hiking together and she shared with me that she had recently paid off all of her credit card debt. As someone on my own financial wellness journey, I was so interested to hear what strategies she used and how long it took her. We ended up talking about it for so long, that when I started the Money Series, I knew I had to ask Grace to come back on the podcast to share her own story. 

This episode is full of such valuable insight from Grace about debt, building your credit, and home ownership. But what I love about this episode is that it’s so relatable. Grace’s debt didn’t come from a lack of income; her debt grew over time due to predatory credit card companies, lack of education around credit payments, and subtle overspending.

This is the story for so many of us, and there is typically so much shame around these topics. But with the right knowledge and support (accountability is a huge part of Grace’s journey), there’s no need for shame or guilt, it’s all about finding the right plan. 

I’m so excited to share this episode with you all so please let me know your takeaways.

You’ll hear us discuss:

  • Grace’s childhood beliefs about money

  • Why overspending can lead to debt even if you’re making good money

  • Dave Ramsey’s approach to paying off debt and whether or not we think it’s culturally competent

  • How Grace improved her credit score and got out of debt

  • The importance of having good credit as a Black person in America

  • Predatory credit card practices and how they target college students

  • Buying a home and why having no debt makes underwriting easy

  • How to use accountability groups to help pay off your debt and create financial stability

  • Finding what works for YOU when it comes to paying off debt

  • How Grace plans to handle money in relationships

Follow Grace:

Instagram

Resources mentioned:

Previous podcast episode with Grace

Dave Ramsey

Listen to a preview of this episode here…

170. What Vitamins Do Vegan Kids Need & A Plant Positive Lifestyle for Families with Dr. Shayna Smith

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Listen here…

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Dr. Shayna Smith is a board-certified Lifestyle Medicine physician and pediatrician promoting a ‘plant positive’ diet and a healthy lifestyle. 

A family history of illness is what first motivated Dr. Smith to learn more about medicine and the role of lifestyle on our health. While she always considered herself healthy and active, it wasn’t until she experienced her own health scare that she became interested in a plant based diet. She shares with me on the podcast how she was introduced to the idea of veganism when a friend who flew in for her surgery took her to a plant-based restaurant and mentioned The China Study.

If you don’t know, The China Study is considered the most comprehensive study of nutrition ever conducted which explored the impact of diet on long term health. It basically concluded that the more animal products humans consumed, the higher the risk of chronic disease.

Dr. Smith shares how she was intrigued by the idea that eating vegan could reverse diseases and began researching on her own, then taking part in a 10 day plant-based challenge with her son that led her to realize she could do this full time.

We talk about what that transition looked like for her and her family, and how she learned that eating vegan isn’t about restricting foods but eating more new foods. She also talks about how her son (who was in 4th grade) felt about going vegan and what she makes for school lunches for a vegan child.

Of course, being a vegan doctor in the medical field comes with amazing expertise and interesting experiences, and Dr. Smith shares a lot about her life and career with me on this episode. While she once worked nonstop in the emergency department of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Dr. Smith opened up her own pediatric private practice a few years ago to focus more on the health and wellness of her patients.

We dive into so many valuable topics that you won’t want to miss. This episode includes:

  • How dealing with a health scare led to a vegan diet

  • Raising vegan children including tips on what to cook for them (keep it simple), and what supplements vegan (and non-vegan!) children need

  • How the medical field traditionally focuses on reactive vs proactive medicine and how a plant based diet can prevent and reverse chronic disease

  • Stress and the importance of self care as a physician and mother

  • Rest and movement as a form of self care

  • The lack of nutrition education in the medical field

  • Dr. Smith’s ‘plant positive’ approach and her goal of getting people to eat more plants

  • The importance of trying new foods and challenging your ideas of what you don’t like to eat

  • How modern food is designed to overwhelm your taste buds and your brain

  • The rise of preventable diseases in children and what we can do about it

Contact Dr Smith:

Flourish Peds in GA

Flourish Peds Instagram

Dr Smith’s Personal Page

Resources Mentioned:

155. Vegan Grocery Shopping Tips for Beginners (Solo Episode)

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Listen here…

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In this episode, I share practical vegan grocery shopping tips. My goal is to make shopping a little less overwhelming for you, so you’re more confident in the store.

Resources:

152. Vegan Meal Planning Tips for Beginners (Solo Episode)

Shout out to this week's sponsor:

Freight Farms https://brnvgn.me/freightfarms

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Thank you so much for checking out the sponsor!

Listen here…

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In this episode, I share practical tips on how to start meal planning as a a new vegan.

  • Think about what you’re already eating and make a vegan version of those meals Example: Smoothie - instead of using dairy, switch it out with plant-based milk

  • Don’t feel like you have to plan 7 days of meals right away. Start small with 2 or 3 meals.

  • Theme your meals: Taco Tuesday, Pasta on Thursdays, Leftovers on Mondays, Eat Out on the weekends

  • Plan for leftovers, so you don’t spend a lot of thinking about what’s for dinner.

  • Always have easy snacks like fresh fruit, carrots & hummus, nuts available.

  • Plan ahead for busy times. Look for vegan options near you and always add convenient options to your meal plan like veggie burgers, potatoes and frozen vegetables in your freezer. 

  • Consider a meal delivery service kit like Purple Carrot or Green Chef. They do the planning and grocery shopping for you.

  • Be open to experiment - Add a new ingredient, produce, etc. to your grocery list. Be okay with failing in the kitchen. 

  • If you’re not much of a cook right now, the only way to get better is by DOING. 

Resources mentioned:

143. Unpopular Vegan Thoughts & Good Food with Vegan Tastes Good

Shout out to this week’s sponsor Rouxbe! Make sure you check out this amazing culinary school to improve your plant-based cooking. Click here for a 14-day trial (no credit card required)

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Listen here…

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We chat about:

  • How and why Felicia started her vegan journey

  • Why it’s important to do what’s best for YOUR vegan life even if it doesn’t align with what everyone else is doing.

  • Some of her favorite meals to cook and how she makes vegan meals delicious for her family

  • Behind the scenes of Felicia doing pop-ups in Atlanta and opening a vegan restaurant in Washington, DC.

Connect with Felicia:

Instagram

Restaurant’s IG

Website

TikTok

Resources mentioned:

The Nature and Purpose of Disease book

FineAppleVegan

Daring vegan chicken