So excited to have interviewed my friend Yvonne! She's my favorite LA Vegan Chef and I'm obsessed with her food, especially her Goat "Cheese"! Even my non-vegan family LOVES it. Her food is healthy, vegan, gluten-free and tasty. She puts her heart and soul when creating her food, and you can feel her passion in every bite. She's as beautiful inside as she is externally, which is why she's joining us here! We find out more about her Vegan lifestyle, how she found freedom through her struggles and how she achieves this healthy, glowing skin. Because whole beauty always starts on the inside. This is her's- raw, honest, sometimes challenging but always finding beauty in her story. She tells us #thisismybeauty...
Share a funny/wierd fact about yourself?
1) When my parents settled in San Diego, my dad was in the US Navy and supplemented his income doing real estate. After 20 something years of serving, my dad retired and focused on real estate full-time to support his family of 8. In that time, we had rental property and my dad was managing other properties. My sisters and I would help out a lot. I painted inside and outside of homes, pulled huge weeds, sanded wooden floors, and moved a lot of furniture. There were many instances where instead of using moving trucks, my dad would put something on top of our car, lower all the windows, and have me and my sisters hold the ropes with one hand and hold up the furniture with our other hand. While my dad drove slowly, I’d smile at my sisters nervously thinking, “I hope we don’t drop it!”
2) My mom immigrated to the US from Panngasinan Philippines and she cooked with coconut a lot! Growing up when stores didn’t sell shredded coconut, my mom would buy a lot of fresh whole coconuts from the Commissary. She’d cut them in half with a huge knife and on Saturday mornings while watching cartoon I would take turns with my sisters, sit on a grator scrape, and shred coconut.
3) I sometimes carry kale in my handbag in case I get hungry and need to munch on something.
Take us back, why did you choose to become a Vegan and what were some impactful resources that helped guide you through that journey?
I initially became vegan for my health. My dad and my entire paternal side suffered from diabetes and heart disease. While I was in college, my dad suddenly passed from a massive heart attack at the young age of 61. So the fact that I am predisposed to diabetes and heart disease, and have hypothyroidism has led me to this path of health and wellness.
A friend of mine who I considered a health nut was reading The Beauty Detox Solution by Kimberly Snyder and it inspired me to do the same. This book and The China Study sparked many “aha!” moments. After learning about how our bodies are designed, where humans belong in nature as we relate to gorillas and tigers, then reading about the negative effects of animal protein and dairy consumption in the human body, it all started making sense. A light bulb switched on and like that I went cold turkey and fully embraced the vegan lifestyle. I started drinking at least 16 ounces of a green smoothie every morning. I noticed positive results within 3 days. I started following Kimberly Snyder’s principles and felt better as I made other changes in my diet.
I enjoyed how the vegan diet made me feel and started researching more and watching documentaries. To name a few, I watched Forks over Knives, Food Matters, Vegucated, Hungry for Change, and then environmental documentaries. All of the films broadened my perspective and led me to be more of an ethical vegan. I am now vegan for longevity, the protection and welfare of animals, and the betterment of our environment and our world.
When was that pivotal moment you said YES, I'm starting a business!
I am my father’s daughter. My father owned a real estate company, which I worked for at a very young age. I always knew that I'd own a business. I just wasn't sure what it would be right away, but I knew that I wanted to make a positive impact on people’s lives in some way. It wasn't until after I graduated from culinary school, worked in restaurants, and became vegan and creating recipes that I found my true passion Creating healthier alternatives to delicious foods is something I'm very passionate about and feel aligned with mind, body, and soul.
What are 3 things you would say to anyone reading with a dream to start a business in the food in industry?
1) Get experience. Work in the food industry first. You won't really know what you get yourself into until you actually get your feet wet.
2) Know your numbers. Do your due diligence - find lowest prices on ingredients and price accordingly so you pay yourself and actually make a profit.
3) Prepare to work long hours.
