Photo by Vegan Liftz on Unsplash
Reflecting on the positive changes this healthy lifestyle has brought and looking back at how much better we look and feel helps us stay committed. And if that isn’t enough think about this: for every year you’ve been vegan, you’ve saved hundreds of lives, water, forests, etc. I was shocked when I calculated what my impact has been so far. Check it out.
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Pomegranates are a favorite staple in Jordan. From salads to juice, they're present in everyday meals. These ones are from As- Salt, Jordan and were taken during my first trip there. Image © Diana - The Elephant Soul
What are some challenges you have found since starting your vegan journey? Are you someone who would like to switch to this lifestyle and are wondering how to cope with social settings, traveling, eating well on the go, etc? During my past three years as a vegan, I have found some coping tools that help me stay on track with my beliefs and health habits.
In this week’s blog post, we’ll talk about 5 ongoing challenges we face as vegans and how having a plan and preparing ourselves for different scenarios can make a big difference in how we deal with them. I hope they help you too!
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This photo was taken at Basantapur (Kathmandu Durbar Square) in Nepal during one of my first photo shoots there. © Diana, The Elephant Soul
An encounter with a veterinarian who denied the impact of methane in the environment prompted me to write this week’s blog post and to pose some questions: Are we doing enough to reduce our environmental footprint in our nomadic lifestyle? Are we removed from a global concern due to the nature of our transient life? Is there something we could do/adopt/try wherever we are?
With the concern that many of us might not think it possible to go vegan while living overseas, I’ve put together 5 environmental reasons to help you see the potential and the opportunities there are for you and the planet, no matter where you live. I’ve also included useful links to recipes and contents for the omnivores who aren’t ready to make the shift. Enjoy and go green!
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During my last trip to Nepal, I shared this beautiful sunset with these magnificent souls while sipping a nice cup of green tea. Seeing elephants enjoying themselves without being forced to work carrying tourists on their backs is priceless. To find out more about this unique eco-lodge visit TigerTops Image: ©Diana from The Elephant Soul
In the past decade, my travel preferences have shifted. Whenever possible, I try to make it a part of my trip to visit legitimate sanctuaries and animal rescue organizations. I have put together a short and simple list of ethical choices we can make at any destination we visit this summer, plus
This list includes 7 ethical choices you can make anywhere you find yourself this summer and the recommendation of 8 wildlife-friendlly destinations that I have personally visited, all of which are legitimate venues and sanctuaries that humanely care for wild animals. Read on and don’t forget to share it with your friends and family! Visit theelephantsoul.com to learn
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This image was taken during my recent visit to Tiger Tops, the only elephant-friendly resort in Chitwan, Nepal
Books are great teachers, and it is my hope that these six book recommendations help us open our hearts wider to the wonderful sentient beings that we’ll hopefully get to share this planet with.
These book recommendations are for readers who love elephants and animals and for those looking for inspiration to help improve their lives. In this week’s post, you will find a brief summary of the 5 must-read books for elephant & animal lovers + 1 children's book recommendation to teach compassion.
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Photo by Kevin McCutcheon on Unsplash
Are you considering going vegan? What are your major obstacles? In my case, fear was the main obstacle. I didn't want to be left out of social activities nor to have people confront me for my decisions, and quite frankly, I didn’t want to stop eating yummy desserts.
Two and a half years ago I became while living in Nepal. Now in Jordan, I still encounter multiple challenges, but there has not been a day in which I’ve regretted making that decision. It is so exciting, so right and delicious!
Here are 5 challenges and opportunities I have found so far, plus a ton of resources for you to read, watch and try!
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A beautiful sheep that I met during my trip to New Zealand.
Regardless of our lifestyle choices, what we do every day has an impact on animals, even if we don’t own one at all. And although it is wonderful to have a cruelty-free way of living, I know it us not feasible for everybody. The great thing is that we can still be kind no matter how small our efforts are and we’ll be rewarded for it. Here’s why.
Helping animals improves our humanness and boosts our happiness. It also helps us heal from trauma and depression. The following are five ways in which being kind to animals makes us feel better.
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This is an amateur photo of mine taken during a memorable trip to Italy back in 2009. The love for photography and solitude has been growing ever since.
When we learn to be comfortable in our own presence and experience the joy of being alone, we seek more of those moments and value how precious they actually are. However, it doesn’t come easily to many of us and it can actually be quite scary in the beginning.
In this week’s blog we’ll share five tried-and-true ways in which we can embrace the uplifting power of solitude. Hint: one involves food, the other one, travel.
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Working animals in Jordan and in other developing countries are usually overworked and undernourished. Their mistreatment is not apparent to most tourists who hire them without taking a closer look at their working and health conditions. In this article you will find humane and animal-friendly alternatives for your next visit to Jordan.
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Losing an animal companion is extremely difficult to say the least. As an expat, you rely entirely on friends and local contacts to go through the loss. Being prepared for it, however, is something only you can do.
Having a plan of action in case of an emergency really helped us when we recently lost our precious kitten Najia. This is why, aside from telling her story, I thought it would be helpful to share what we did and how we’re coping.
Preparing and anticipating helped us feel at peace, but when the emergency came, it also made things easier for the other ones involved. These are 5 of the lessons we learned through this process.
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