Vedge Your Best, Vegan Ideas for Everyone At Any Age

Would you ever give a vegan restaurant a “bad” review?  In this solo episode, we talk uncomfortable conversations and whether we sometimes grade vegan businesses on “a curve.”
Of course we want to support vegan businesses at home and on the road.  AND we also want to give honest information and useful feedback. As someone who is much more comfortable encouraging and amplifying than criticizing, I share why this has felt like such an uncomfortable conversation for me to finally have.
We discuss the challenge of relying on review platforms while traveling, the importance of thoughtful standards in vegan dining, and why clear, respectful feedback may actually be real support.
This is a conversation about honesty, expectations, and the difference between loyalty and lowered standards.

In this episode:
Why I never really talked about my trip to Paris this winter

The tension between supporting vegan businesses and being honest about the experience

Why some review platforms have felt less helpful than I’d like while traveling

What happens when expectations and reality do not line up

Why standards matter for vegan restaurants and vegan diners alike

The difference between harsh criticism and useful feedback

Why honesty and support do not have to be at odds

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For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠veganatanyage.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠or email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Music, Production, and Editing by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Charlie Weinshank⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. For inquiries email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Virtual Support Services: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://proadminme.com/⁠

This week on Vedge Your Best, Erin Stanczyk of EatMoveRest.com shares the health struggles that pushed her to question the standard American diet and eventually build an entirely different life around food, movement, and rest. 
Symptoms like anxiety, brain fog, sluggish digestion, irregular cycles, and high cholesterol in her twenties led Erin to search for answers beyond quick fixes, which led her to a whole-food, plant-based lifestyle.
One step led to the next.  After hearing Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, letting go of animal products one step at a time, working through protein fears, and discovering that simple really is sustainable, Erin and her husband Dusty went on to build EatMoveRest.com. Now they share recipes, wellness tools, an app, retreats, and their family cookbook, The Happy Healthy Plant-Based Cookbook. (The Stanczyks | EatMoveRest)
Michele and Erin also talk about raising plant-based kids without perfectionism, leading by example instead of pressure, making healthy food colorful and fun, and why “rest” is about much more than sleep. This is a practical conversation for anyone who wants to feel better, start smaller, and build a plant-based life that works in real life with real friends and family, not just in theory.

In this episode, we talk about:
Erin’s early health struggles and the search for answers

Food as medicine and the shift to whole-food, plant-based living

Why eggs were the last thing to go

Getting past protein obsession

Building EatMoveRest out of personal healing

Creating simple, family-friendly plant-based meals

Raising kids by example, not pressure

Bite-size habits and the power of getting 1% better

Why rest is more than sleep

Community, retreats, and the value of immersion and support

Resources Mentioned:
EatMoveRest

The Happy Healthy Plant-Based Cookbook

EatMoveRest app

EatMoveRest retreats (The Stanczyks | EatMoveRest)

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If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners.
For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠veganatanyage.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠or email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Music, Production, and Editing by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Charlie Weinshank⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. For inquiries email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Virtual Support Services: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://proadminme.com/⁠

Factory farming is an animal issue, but it is also a story about debt, lost autonomy, pollution, and the pressure many farm families face when powerful companies control the terms. This week, Megan Hunter, Senior Program Specialist for Transfarmation joins the pod to talk about what happens when farmers want out — and what it can look like to build something different in its place.
Megan explains how Transfarmation helps farmers transition from industrial pig, chicken, and some dairy operations into specialty crop production such as mushrooms, hydroponic lettuce, microgreens, herbs, flowers, fruits, and vegetables. She also shares examples of farmers in North Carolina, Iowa, and Indiana who have repurposed former animal agriculture spaces into new local food businesses.
We talk about the debt loop many contract farmers face, the lack of transparency in the system, the environmental burden of waste, the next generation’s reluctance to inherit this model, and why supporting local farmers and diversifying what we eat can be part of a more just and resilient food system. On the eve of Earth Day, this conversation feels especially timely.

In this episode, we talk about:
• how factory farming contracts can trap farmers in debt
• why many farmers lose autonomy
• the waste burden and public health concerns tied to factory farming
• how former hog, poultry, and dairy facilities can be repurposed
• why mushrooms and hydroponic crops can make sense as transition crops
• how buying more local food can support farmers in transition
• why this conversation matters not just for animals, but for farmers, communities, and the future of our food system

Megan Hunter was born and raised in the Midwest and previously worked as a 911 emergency dispatcher in rural Indiana. At TheTransfarmationProject.org, she works closely with farmers as they move away from factory farming and helps document their experiences so other farmers can see that another path may be possible.
If this episode gives you a new way to think about factory farming — especially the human side of it — please share it with someone who might not usually listen to a vegan podcast.

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If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners.
For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠veganatanyage.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠or email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Music, Production, and Editing by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Charlie Weinshank⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. For inquiries email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Virtual Support Services: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://proadminme.com/⁠

What if the thing that helps you stay vegan isn’t more willpower, more discipline, or a more perfect plan?
This week we talk about resilience — not as a trait you either have or don’t, but as something you build. Just like a muscle.
After a stretch of medical challenges left me feeling deconditioned and frustrated, I found myself back with much lighter weights than I used to lift. And that experience reminded me of something I see all the time in vegan and plant-based change: people don’t usually fail because they don’t care enough. They struggle because they try to lift too much, too soon.
If you’ve ever told yourself you should be further along by now… if you’ve started over more times than you can count… if you’ve made a setback mean you’re weak, inconsistent, or not cut out for this, this episode is for you.
We talk about why resilience matters more than perfection, why smaller changes are often the smarter strategy, and how supporting yourself through the wobble is what actually helps you build a practice that lasts.

In this episode:
Why resilience is more useful than relying on willpower

How vegan change works a lot like strength training

Why all-or-nothing thinking keeps us stuck

What it means to lower the bar without giving up the goal

How small wins build confidence, trust, and momentum

Why getting off track is not failure — it is part of the process

How your vegan practice can strengthen the way you handle challenges in every part of life

If you’ve been trying to do this the hard way, let this be your reminder: you do not need to start at the advanced level. You need to start where you are, build from there, and learn how to come back when things get messy.
Resilience - that’s your vegan muscle. Strengthening it will power a whole lot more than what’s on your plate or the weight rack.

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If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners.
For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠veganatanyage.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠or email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Music, Production, and Editing by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Charlie Weinshank⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. For inquiries email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Virtual Support Services: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://proadminme.com/⁠

What if veganism is not as complicated as people think?
This week Joanne Kong, co-author of Vegan Made Easy: A Practical Guide to Plant-Based Living, visits to discuss what makes veganism more approachable and practical,
Joanne explains why she and her co-author, Dr. Camila Perussello, wanted to create a book that readers could flip through easily for answers, encouragement, and clear next steps.
They talk about the difference between plant-based and vegan, why that language matters, and why Joanne sees going vegan not as adding more complication, but as a return to basics. Joanne also shares why, for her, going vegan became more than a health choice — it became an emotional and even spiritual opening toward greater kindness and connection.
Michele and Joanne explore perfectionism, food labels, non-vegan partners and family members, cultural conditioning around food, and the importance of being a positive role model rather than leading with blame or shame. Joanne also discusses her TEDx talk, her music-based advocacy work through Vegan Virtuosi, and why art and music can sometimes reach people more deeply than facts alone.In this episode:
Why Joanne says going vegan can be a return to basics

Why plant-based can sound more approachable than vegan

Why veganism, for Joanne, became more than a health choice

How to avoid letting perfectionism get in the way of good-faith effort

Why reading labels matters, even on products marketed as plant-based

How to navigate non-vegan partners, relatives, and visitors with more flexibility

Why Joanne believes vegans should be happy, positive, well-adjusted people who also just happen to be vegan

How Joanne uses music and art in her advocacy

What Dr. Camila Perussello brought to the book

Why Lantern Publishing & Media is such an important home for books like this

Mentioned in this episode:
Vegan Made Easy: A Practical Guide to Plant-Based Living — Joanne Kong and Dr. Camila Perussello

Vegan Voices — Joanne Kong

Food for Thought — Dr. Camila Perussello

TEDx talk: The Power of Plant-Based Eating

Vegan Virtuosi

Strands of Compassion

Vegans Make a Difference

Lantern Publishing & Media

Animal Factories — Jim Mason and Peter Singer

James Aspey’s phrase: “Don’t blame or shame. Explain.”

Vystopia — Clare Mann

Vegan Action

Connect with Joanne at vegansmakeadifference.comPublisher:
This book is published by Lantern Publishing & Media, a mission-driven publisher focused on veganism, animal rights, social justice, humane education, and related work.

Subscribe & Review:
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and share the message of plant-based living with more listeners.
For more information, to submit a question or topic, or to book a free 30 minute Coaching session visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠veganatanyage.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠or email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Music, Production, and Editing by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Charlie Weinshank⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. For inquiries email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Virtual Support Services: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://proadminme.com/⁠