Like A Dog With Two Tails

I think I discovered my British soul sister in Pippa Day! She is my same age, vegan, a teetotaller, body worker, spiritual seeker, a booklover, and mother. We had a lot of common ground to share and explore! Pippa, a long-time vegetarian, was turned on to veganism by her brother who invited her to participate in Veganuary and shared with her the famous and powerful video by Gary Yourofsky in 2015, the same year I went vegan. Pippa and I fell so easily into a delightful conversation. I hope you will get a sense of her effervescent, adventurous, and devoted spirit here. The idiom “like a dog with two tails” means to be very happy and that is exactly what Pippa Day is!

Carla: When you think about your vegan foods, do you tend to eat mostly whole plants or do you also incorporate some of the taste-alikes?

Pippa: I try to be as whole food as possible and try to eat the rainbow (food color groups) every day. I aim for 10-12 portions of fruit, vegetables, and pulses every daily. Every now and then I’ll indulge in some of the vegan cheeses and meats, but I don’t feel optimal afterwards. I prefer foods made from scratch and during COVID lockdown I’m able to spend more time in the kitchen. Before lockdown I was eating more bread and processed food which comprised maybe 20% of my diet then.

A couple of years ago I went on a seven-day yoga retreat and we were fed the most amazing colorful vegan food. By the time I left I felt as though I had been given injections of vitamins. That’s my goal and I’ve been meeting the mark about 90% lately. I’m fully committed to being an ethical vegan to the extent of my control, however I’m not always a perfect 100% whole food, unprocessed, plant-based vegan. No matter how earnest we are in being vegan, the world is so cruel to animals and people that even our best intentions are imperfect. Be kind. Eat the rainbow. Stay hydrated. That’s about the best we can do. It doesn’t need to be complicated.

Carla: You were vegetarian before becoming vegan so you were a bit familiar with the lifestyle that you were adopting. Were there any tools that you used that helped make the transition smoother for you?

Pippa: Yes, I bought quite a few cookbooks. We have some amazing vegan chefs in the UK. The Bosh Guys create recipes that are so easy and healthful. I found blogs and websites and became familiar with the options and techniques. Cookbooks are very helpful if you like cooking which I do. My partner of 10 years is French-Italian-Sephardic Jewish so there is a massive emotional attachment to food which has to be tasty. When we’re together (he lives in Spain) he cooks vegan food which has a lot of depth and flavor. My kitchen is filled with different oils, vinegars, herbs, and spices. It really helps to experiment with many international dishes which tend to be traditionally plant-based. It is important to eat in a way that makes you feel that you’re not missing out. I don’t feel I’m missing out at all!

In London there is a wonderful restaurant called Unity Diner. If you want a little vegan junk food fix, it’s the most wonderful place to go and all the profits support vegan activism through Surge and “Earthling Ed” Winters, a wonderful and well-known vegan activist. The beautiful vegan meal photographed above was enjoyed in Dubai on one of our many trips.

Carla: When you were becoming fully vegan, did you get any pushback from family, friends, or co-workers?

Pippa: I’m very lucky. My three siblings and I are vegan and vegetarian though our parents are not. Family events are very easy as a vegan. I’ve had some co-workers say some very banal things to me but no one has ever said – oh wait, one ex-brother-in-law did (laughter) – anything deeply negative to me.

I think people know the days of eating animals is nigh. For one, you can’t be an environmentalist and eat mass market meat. There is so much positive media in the UK about veganism. I don’t think that anyone here would now dare say that veganism is ridiculous.

Carla: Have you always been close with your siblings or has veganism brought you closer together?

Pippa: We’ve always been super close. My brother, who turned me on to veganism, is very spiritual too. He’s a vegan runner. In fact he ran 50 miles yesterday for charity as part of the Fiona Oakes Vegan Runners group. She’s a hero to all of us! We all sponsor her Tower Hills Stables.

Carla: Did your transition from vegetarian to vegan require much self-discipline on your part? Were you methodical about your approach?

Pippa: I’m almost 50 years old and the process just felt very natural to me as I became more aware of the animal and social implications. Had I tried to do it when I was younger, I may have had to try harder.

About 21 years ago after I had my son, I did a detox diet to shed the baby weight that I had gained. It was basically just a vegan diet and I felt great. I wanted to eat that way forever but back then it was so much harder because the food options in the grocery store were not as plentiful as they are now. Then I had two small children and I was so busy. This time around, everything was aligned. I was ready. My love of animals has impacted every area of life including the food I eat. At some point in life – perhaps it’s maturity – it just doesn’t makes sense to say that you love animals and then eat them. I can’t separate those two anymore now that my actions are aligned with my values.

My partner and I love to travel and sometimes it can be hard to eat out and stay fully vegan, but it’s getting easier. A vegetable curry might have ghee (clarified butter) in it. Or a dish might have some milk powder hidden in it. Ugh! It seems to be in everything! The first year that I was vegan I was very vigilant and on high alert for these things but I’ve relaxed as more people and establishments understand what vegan food is. I was doing a lot of activism then and was hyper aware of all the possible ingredients in food that were not vegan compliant.

Carla: What kind of activism did and do you do?

Pippa: The first activism I did was with Anonymous for the Voiceless doing the Cubes of Truth. It was an amazing experience being 46 years old and Cubing with all these young kids. In the UK there is a charity called Viva! that occasionally needs volunteers for demonstrations. Whenever I can, I will help them.

I also help two charities in China. One is called Slaughterhouse Survivors which rescues dogs from the dog meat trade. It’s brutal. I went to Harbin 18 months ago to help the girls there with the shelter of 400 dogs. My two rescue dogs are from there. I’ve also volunteered with Little China Dog Rescue which is based in Ireland. We brought back 10 dogs with us for rehoming. I donate to these charities and I do a lot of online activism with petitions. When I’m walking my dogs, I talk to anyone who will listen to me about the heartbreaking dog meat trade in China.

Bessie, the dog on the right in the photo below, is from China. Our other dog from China, Felix, lives with my partner in Spain. Barney is on the left.

Carla: As a holistic therapist, do your clients ask you about food?

Pippa: Yes! All the time! I tell them if they want to lose weight, have more energy, if you want to feel lighter or less depressed or anxious, I have an amazing diet for them. I suggest books, recipes, podcasts, and websites for them to read and I avoid using the term “vegan” unless they’re ready for it. I’m a great cheerleader but this has a dark side too. As vegan advocates we’re not “allowed” to get sick or have a down day because we lead by example. So there’s a little of pressure to appear perfectly healthy & happy to nonvegans at all times.

When it comes to old nonvegan objects – like my old leather sofa and old leather shoes – I’ll never, ever buy them again but I’m not going to get rid of them either. I’ll use them up. But there’s the risk of being “called out” for not being a perfect vegan, as if perfection were really possible.

Carla: Has minimalism been part of your spiritual vegan journey?

Pippa: Definitely. I despise shopping so it’s pretty easy for me. I was not hugely materialistic before becoming vegan but I think since becoming vegan, I’ve become even less so. I purchase most of my clothing from second hand stores (except for my yoga clothes!) and I inherit many articles from my grown children. I care more about looking healthy, happy, calm, and confident than looking fashionable. I’d rather spend my money on vitamins or second-hand books than new clothes.

Below is a photo of me in Harbin, China, on my latest trip helping to save dogs from slaughterhouses.

Carla: What is it like being vegan in your yoga community?

Pippa: A lot of them are vegetarian but not too many are vegan.

Most of the time I just feel like I’m living on a different planet, speaking a different language, in a different time dimension. What happens to animals is so brutal and horrific – it’s a holocaust – and it happens every day even in the milk and egg industries. I’m so aware of it and it seems like so many people around me in public are so unaware of it. I can’t watch cookery shows on TV and I have a hard time even going by the meat section of the grocery store.

But I do think the times are changing. We are entering the Age of Aquarius and people are raising their vibrations. Twenty years ago when I first started doing yoga, people thought I was so strange. Now everyone does yoga. Maybe not the deep spiritual meditative yoga but most people have at least done or are aware of asanas (postures).

Carla: Is self-discipline easy for you?

Pippa: I am not very disciplined at all. I’m a real mañana person. During this lockdown however I have committed strongly to upping my nutrition, eliminating refined sugar, and doing yoga every day.

I live this way for my health now and for my health as I age. As I go through menopause – which I think I have started – without alcohol, as a whole-food vegan, doing yoga, and sleeping well, I’ll be curious to see if I get through the transition without the typical trauma symptoms of night sweats, hot flashes, and depression. So far, so good! I want to do everything I can to stay balanced and keep my hormones in check. I have a lot of good work to do in the world and I want as many years as I can get to do it all!

Below is a photo of me and Felix – our other rescued pup from China – in Barcelona, Spain.

Carla: What keeps you motivated?

Pippa: Until current COVID circumstances, a retreat and activism would keep me super motivated and on track with my practices and values. During lockdown I’ve leaned more on books and podcasts. I love listening to Hay House Publishing, Wisdom of the Sages, Happy Place, That Vegan Couple, Viva!, and others. I love to learn and I feel like learning isn’t done until we’re dead.

Carla: What future do you see for yourself?

Pippa: My partner lives in Barcelona, Spain, so we have to live together at some point! (laughter) I want to leave England. We want to live somewhere where it’s warm and surrounded by nature so that we can have a bed & breakfast and host retreats. I see a beautiful home and guest house filled with books where we can serve the most delicious and nutritious vegan food to our guests.

I want to keep up with my holistic therapy practice and I will be training in 2021 in India to become a yoga instructor. I’ll be able to use these skills at our future amazing vegan retreat.

Carla: Clearly I’m going to have to come visit your retreat center one day! Thank you for this time together Pippa. It has been so wonderful.

Readers, to read all the posts in this interview series, click HERE.