At the time of our interview, Emily was on the cusp of turning 20 years old. She had just graduated from West Chester University of Pennsylvania in the Spring of 2020 with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the School of Science and Mathematics with distinguished honors and awards for excellence. She will be pursuing her Masters degree in Psychology in the Fall of 2020 at DePaul University in Chicago.
While in undergraduate school Emily studied with Cornell University to complete their plant-based nutrition certification as well is a graduate of the Institute of Integrated Nutrition as a certified Holistic Health and Wellness Coach.
Before heading to Chicago, Emily will attend a two-week yoga intensive training in the Summer of 2020 where she will earn her 200 hour yoga teacher certification and her Reiki 1 attunement.
Do you see a pattern here? This young woman is motivated!
I was eager to chat with Emily to learn how she adopted wholesome veganism at a young age, her motivation for doing such, and how she stays committed amidst the pressures and stresses of her academic and personal pursuits. Here we go!
Carla: Tell me about your vegan transition history. How long ago did you make the switch and was is sudden or did you slowly adopt this lifestyle?
Emily: I decided to go vegan 4 or 5 years ago on Thanksgiving Day and was vegetarian for roughly 2-3 years before that. My mom and I thought we were doing pretty good getting our milk from the local creamery and our eggs from a local farm. I was learning online – largely through social media and from PETA – that milk and eggs, even the most “humane” versions, are not what they seem. I talked with my mom about it…about issues like cows just not always making milk naturally…and she went vegan after I did. The switch from omnivore to vegetarian was pretty easy since we tended towards vegetarian meals already. It took more effort to go from vegetarian to vegan, especially because I was looking to avoid the processed cheese and egg taste-alike analog products.
I definitely went vegan for the animals first. The environmental issues with food have come more to the forefront the past couple of years. As I’ve gotten older and studied more about food, I definitely do it for my health. All three reasons are important for me at this point.
Carla: What is it like eating & cooking vegan food at school compared to home?
Emily: I love to cook and I got that from my mom. I’m on a tighter budget at school so my fruits were mostly apples and bananas. Being home for the summer and shopping with my mom, I’m definitely eating more delicious fresh fruits and a wider variety of recipes. I don’t cook with oil or eat processed vegan foods and my diet is predominantly starch-based.
Carla: Was it difficult for you as a new vegan to eat what you wanted to eat at school, with extended family, or at friends’ homes?
Emily: I think because I learned to cook so young – I could make an entire meal by the time I was 13 – that I’ve not had much struggle with eating what I want to eat. When I was younger, sometimes I had to eat some food that I really didn’t want to be eating (ie: fish) at a relative’s house. But because I’ve been cooking for so long, I’m happy to make or bring my own food so it’s easy for everyone else for me to be vegan. The more self-reliant I’ve become, the more I’ve been able to control my own decisions and preferences.
Carla: You seem to me to be very in touch with a relationship with self-discipline…from the way you eat, your commitment to your studies, and the goals you have for yourself. Do you think you were born this way? Do you think you learned self-discipline? Where do you think this comes from?
Emily: I think a lot of of it comes from being an older sister to a younger brother and I was always willing to help and be responsible. I think self-discipline comes naturally to me. When I was younger I would make extra assignments for myself in school in order to challenge myself to learn more. I think it’s one of my gifts in that I’m self-discipline. I stay on track and I feel a great sense of accomplishment when I achieve my goals whether they are small or big ones. I like that feeling and it’s reinforcing to set more goals for myself.
My discipline has paid off so many times for me and I’m so thankful I was able to learn how to practice discipline as a young person. I was cyber schooled starting in the middle of 6th grade and that taught me a lot about time management and figuring out how to schedule to get my assignments done. It was really important for me to just not get behind. If I could stay current, I would do well.
During high school and the first part of college I struggled with chronic pain issues and chronic fatigue. Between cyber school and my health issues, I think I learned self-discipline because I had to get things done in the very short windows of time when I was feeling well. I had to know my limits and understand when I could be productive today so that I didn’t overextend myself and ruin the ability to be productive tomorrow. I couldn’t stay up late and I couldn’t eat junk food that would make me feel bad,
Carla: How is your chronic pain now?
Emily: I have only 2 or 3 headaches a week now which is so much better than having them everyday and all day like I used to. As long as I stay on track with my eating and my sleep, get outside, not stay on my phone too much, and drink enough water, I’m good. I can’t control if I get a headache, but I can control how bad they are and how much they affect me. I still have more fatigue than I think someone who sleeps as much as I do should have, but it’s definitely a lot less than it used to be and very manageable.
Carla: Did you ever get a diagnosis that explained your pain and fatigue?
Emily: I got several. I was treated for Lyme Disease. I was diagnosed with POTS and I went to physical therapy for that which helped a lot. I have been diagnosed with postconcussive syndrome and have had MRIs that show some brain inflammation. All I know is that I feel so much better now which is great!
Carla: In those rare moments when you feel that you are getting off track, how do you get yourself back on track? What tools do you use?
Emily: I love my Passion Planner. It helps me stay on track with short and long term plans. I’ll break down my daily, weekly, and monthly goals and checklists work really well for me.
Carla: Do you reward yourself for checking off your lists?
Emily: Yes. It feels really good to get through a list and sometimes I’ll promise myself a reward if I get everything done. Sometime just the completed list is reward enough and other times something bigger like a bottle of kombucha especially when you’re just starting out helps create motivation. The more I just get my goals done, the less external reward I need because completion is reward in itself. It’s so satisfying.
In the Fall 2019 I decided I wanted to do more yoga. So I committed to a daily practice, even if I had only 10 minutes a day. I built on that even if I had to wake up early to get it done on days when I had school and work for 12 hours. I haven’t missed a day since December 2019 except for two days. Building up a habit starts small. Doing yoga has helped me tremendously with my headaches and keeping my neck and shoulders less tense. It helps me relax and it keeps me active. It also helps me control the anxiety I have sometimes over school deadlines.
Carla: How do you see veganism and yoga fitting together?
Emily: As I’ve done more reading for my training, I’ve been excited to learn more about the yama (ethical rule) of ahimsa which means non-violence. For me I don’t see how I could do yoga and believe in the teachings of yoga and not be vegan. Yoga helps me to connect the sacredness of human life and animal life.
Carla: Do you think you’re too self-disciplined sometimes?
Emily: Definitely! Sometimes it works against me. I’ve learned to be flexible with myself when I need to be. But I think self-discipline offers more positivity in my life than negativity.
Carla: Are you disciplined in all areas of your life?
Emily: It’s pretty much across the board in my life except for one area: my car! (laughter) I always say that my car is not a reflection of who I am. (laughter) When in school, I commute a lot and so many food containers just add up in my car.
Carla: What’s it like being vegan at college?
Emily: A lot of people are curious. It’s definitely a conversation starter. When you open your backpack for a study session and pull out a container of vegetables, a container of fruit, and a ziploc bag of 8 baked potatoes, it gets a lot of looks. (laughter) Luckily I’ve never been super self-conscious of what I’m eating. I’m not that concerned with what other people think about my food. There are always vegan options at the school food outlets, but I prefer the freshness and clean preparation of my food from home, hence all the containers in my car!
Every so often a friend would say “I can’t believe you’re not 800 pounds! You eat so much!” And I would say “This is a great time to have a conversation about calorie density and how plant foods are naturally lower in calories so that you can eat a lot!” (laughter)
Carla: How do you think veganism will serve you as you move forward in life?
Emily: Veganism gives me a sense of purpose. It feels so good to make the choice every single meal to be environmentally conscious and to be ethical in my choices. I think veganism is such a cool thing because it has so much meaning. I’d like to continue sharing the message and I’d like to include it in my yoga practice as well as my future clinical practice. I’d like to do some research on lifestyle interventions. There are so many opportunities for me to integrate veganism in both my professional and my personal life. I’m so grateful for veganism and for everything it has taught me.
Carla: Do you ever feel like you’re living on a different planet?
Emily: Yes! I forget sometimes that all people aren’t vegan. Sometimes in the grocery store I can’t not believe what people are buying. I forget that nonvegan food is even in the store until I see it in someone’s buggy in front of me. Or sometimes at someone else’s house when they use disposable paper plates, I flip out inside. I can’t even remember the last time I used a paper plate. It’s so foreign to me and I’m so frugal and can’t imagine spending money on something that is designed to only be used once. It’s not economical or environmentally friendly. I hope I can help people see all the good reasons to move into a more sustainable, ethical lifestyle.
One time at the grocery store check out I was buying for the week and had a bunch of vegetables, some apples and bananas, and maybe some plant milk and the cashier was amazed that it all rang up for just $35. She commented that she thought eating healthy was expensive. It’s a myth that plant-based food is expensive. Done smartly, it’s very affordable. You don’t have to eat foods that are labled “VEGAN.” Everyone is already eating vegan food. Most likely that peanut butter sandwich you just had, as long as the bread doesn’t have whey in it, it’s vegan.
Carla: Last question, could you date a nonvegan?
Emily: Probably not a popular answer, but yes. As long as they were open to eating my food, because I love to cook and it’s just good tasting food. They would definitely need to be open-minded when it comes to food. Taste palates change and anyone with an open mind could be happy eating this way.
These days my favorite meals are a huge salad with spring mix, spinach, cabbage, carrots, steamed green beans, frozen peas, nutritional yeast, sriracha, and mustard. It’s so good! And I love oil-free fries with vinegar, ketchup, or BBQ sauce.
Carla: Thank you Emily! It’s been a delight spending this time with you. Best wishes with your yoga teacher training this Summer and your studies in the Fall.
All photos shared with permission. See more of Emily’s recipes and quotes at Plant Powered by Emily Feldman on Facebook or PlantPowered_EF on Instagram.
Readers, to access all the posts in this interview series, please click HERE.
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