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In this week’s Brown Vegan Podcast episode, we are diving into all things raw! 

When talking about raw veganism, there’s no one more fit for the job than Ashley Chong. 

Ashley is the founder of Gym Juice Bar and a ten year raw vegan who lost over 127 lbs and restored her health through nutritional therapy. Her transformation has been featured on PEOPLE magazine, Forks Over Knives, Mercy For Animals and so much more. As a current author and creative entrepreneur, her brand RawandRadiant has inspired thousands of people to take control of their health and to adopt a healthy whole food plant based diet. 

She offers nutritional coaching to help you lose weight, reverse diseases, and to meet your physical goals. She also offers business and financial consulting to budding entrepreneurs. 

Ashley’s venture into the vegan lifestyle started like so many of my guests–she went vegan for weight loss and health. After years of struggling with weight gain and obesity, Ashley’s doctor prescribed her Phentramine, a prescription drug for weight loss. Deciding there had to be a healthier way, Ashley turned down the prescription and began researching alternate ways to get healthy. She took part in a 30 day raw vegan challenge and stayed motivated by thinking, “I can do anything for 30 days.” By day 27 of eating raw, she decided that she was never going to eat animal products again.

If you’re thinking that suddenly going from eating the standard American diet to a fully raw vegan diet sounds incredibly difficult, I was thinking the same thing! Ashley grew up eating soul food, tons of meat-based meals, and typical school lunches and had never dabbled in veganism before her raw challenge. I had so many questions to ask about raw food and Ashley shares tons of helpful tips and strategies for anyone that is interested in eating raw (or just incorporating more fruits and veggies into your diet). I was so motivated by this conversation that I actually went out and bought the exact juicer that Ashley uses and started adding in more fresh juice to my diet.

Even if you are someone (like me, initially)that might be turned off by the idea of a raw vegan lifestyle, this conversation may make you a bit more open. As Ashley shares, this isn’t a ‘fad diet, but an ancient way of eating food from the earth.

In this episode we chat about:

• Losing 127 pounds in one year, and the biggest change that came from that

• The mental health benefits of eating raw food

• The myth that raw vegan isn’t satisfying & how eating nutrient dense plant foods keeps us satisfied

• Why Ashley prioritizes local over organic, and buying the ‘dirty dozen’ organic

• How to best source produce, how to shop locally with farmers markets, and keeping costs down by eating what’s in season

• How to meal plan as a raw vegan and what to eat

• Vegan pregnancy and eating raw food while pregnant

• Having a baby as a raw vegan and advice for getting children to eat more fruits and veggies

• How to avoid digestion issues while eating raw including food combining tips

• How to incorporate more raw food into your diet and the importance of starting the day right

• How to make juicing easy and delicious

Reach out to Ashley:

Instagram

Resources mentioned:

nama J2 cold-press juicer discount code: brownvegan to save 10%

Ashley’s 21 Day Radiant Cleanse ebook

Ashley’s Raw for Kids ebook

Ashley’s All About Food Combining ebook

Plant-Based Tamika Instagram page

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