Samantha Bailey is one of the partners of Urban Vegan Kitchen in Manhattan, NY. She is a certified nutrition counselor covering the topic: Are people of color afraid to go vegan? Take a look at our recent interview with her and learn the truth about being vegan!
Let’s dive into how you became a certified nutrition counselor.
On my journey to figure out how we can be healthier humans, I started to give nutritional advice to acquaintances and friends for minor ailments like headaches and insomnia, etc. After casually giving advice for a handful of years, I was encouraged to do this professionally. I had just two babies back-to-back and was quite overwhelmed already, but I was motivated by the prospect of doing something I was passionate about. I enrolled in the Academy of Healing Nutrition and finished that course. Soon after. I took an online eCornell plant-based certificate.
What’s the difference between a vegan versus a plant-based lifestyle?
There is a significant difference between Vegan and Plant-based. Vegan means foregoing any and all animal products, from flesh dairy, and eggs to leather, suede, and wool; even honey and silk, It has everything to do with not exploiting animal life, and health is not attached to veganism, though it can be, it’s not the defining aspect of veganism. Plant-based people are those who eat all real, very low-processed plant food with the intention of abiding by a healthy diet for wellness and the planet. It is also important to mention eating plant-based is the avoidance of some vegan foods like sugar, fried foods, and processed foods.
With October being Breast Cancer Awareness month, can you provide some tips on the benefits of a plant-based lifestyle for those battling breast cancer?
Tip #1: Juice. Definitely begin juicing as juicing will be your friend. It’s a big amount of nutrients in the easiest digestible form. It’s literally foods to juice for battling breast cancer including Kale, Broccoli, Tumeric root, Ginger root, lemon, and garlic.
Tip #2: Transition out of eating or consuming dairy or food that consumes dairy. Ditch the dairy for life! The amount of hormones in cow’s milk influences tumor cells to duplicate and multiply.
Tip #3: Remove processed sugar from your diet 100%. As a nutrition counselor, I even suggest and recommend the removal of maple syrup and honey. Sugar in its processed form is tumor cell food; they gobble them up. This is why you are asked to drink a syrupy substance when they want to scan your body for tumors; it lights up with activity while tumors eat up the sugar. Foods that have been deep-fried all become carcinogenic to varying degrees. I would suggest never eating foods that have been submerged in 400+ degree temperature oil while you are on your healing journey.
Is it harder for People of color, specifically African Americans to transition into a plant-based lifestyle? Is there a cultural perspective you could provide?
The only difficulty in transitioning for anyone is their own mindset. Period. If you decide this is for you, you will forge ahead blazing a path, clearing the forest to make it happen, no matter your background, culture, race, or economic situation. Now I’ll say culturally, everyone is at a disadvantage because our entire culture tells us to eat meat and dairy 3x a day every day. The one locational hindrance is living in low-populated areas. These are fewer options where there are fewer people. Those people have to work hard and have more perseverance. Anyone in a major metropolitan city in 2022 has options at their fingertips, literally. With a click of a button.
What are some plant-based easy meals that can be created especially for the upcoming holiday season?
Side dishes have always been the vegan and vegetarian haven: Green beans, sweet potato salean with egg-less mayo, Rice& beans, cheese-less salads, and cranberry sauce. There are many meals you can incorporate. Seitan is a great chicken substitute that you can incorporate that is delicious and has the texture of eating chicken.
Tell us about your restaurant, Urban Based Kitchen.
Urban Based Kitchen is a 100% vegan restaurant in Manhattan’s West Village selling semi-sophisticated comfort food. It is a throwback to the NYC of yesterday that so many films reference; the synth music of the ’80s, hip hop of the ’90s, and disco of the ’70s with a fun easy vibe.
Samantha Bailey is a New York-born and raised Nutrition Counselor, restaurant share owner, and overall health and wellness advocate focused on translating to communities most left out of the wholistic discussion how decolonizing diet and habits ultimately leads to improved health and economic situations. As a former owner and co-founder of a vegan homeschool cooperative, she is intrinsically aware of how important food justice awareness be made available starting from childhood.
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