What is your name & location?
The Fake Vegan and I was born/raised in the Washington D.C. area but now reside in New York City. I am just a city girl embracing nature.
How do you help people heal?
I believe that any type of healing (physical or spiritual) first occurs in the mind. It may sounds strange but any type of ailment first originates in thought. You get a “bad” diagnosis; you first THINK to yourself “what am I going to do?” You decide to run a half marathon your biggest hurdle isn’t IF you can finish the race but what is your mental capabilities to finish the race. If you want to increase your spiritual awareness you first need to change your mindset. If you want to be “healthier” you have to first evaluate your current state of how you approach health thus essentially educate yourself. I call myself The Fake Vegan because I am continuously learning. I never want to be seen as an expert of anything. I believe I was given the ability to connect your mental consciousness with your physical manifestations purely because of the experiences I have gone through myself. I suffered all my life from health challenges. Everything to allergies to a chronic life threatening illness. I have tried every method of medicine from traditional Western medicine to Chinese medicine to holistic healing to the Gerson therapy (the list goes on) and found one thing, not one method is “better” than the other. If you do not change your approach to health and living the healthiest lifestyle nothing will be beneficial. So, to me, I heal people through education. I think the key to unlocking your full potential is educating yourself specifically what you are putting in your body so you can get the best outcome possible.
What type of benefits does your method of healing provide?
As mentioned, education is EVERYTHING! It’s changing the mindset that “I have to give up” something to “I want to nourish my body by eating, drinking, living this way because it makes me FEEL better”. I think of it as educating yourself on your feelings. Sounds kind of crazy but if you are feeling better that means you are not only educating yourself on what you need to do to feel better but you are putting that mental work first. It became so easy for me to post about the changes I was making in my life and quickly found that I was not the only one struggling with various health issues. I think by providing a safe space on The Fake Vegan site I am giving people the opportunity to learn but to teach me as well. It’s a communal environment of continuous education and I never want to lose sight of that. No one is more educated, smarter, more intellectually driven than anyone else. We each have our own purpose and gifts. This blog was intended to be a space where people can come together, grow, heal and most importantly educate one another.
When did you realize that you wanted to help heal people/why did you start?
The moment I decided that my circumstances were not defining me but refining me was when I knew that applied to any soul on this earth. Finding out you have a life threating illness and that it’s chronic is a scary situation…especially when you are only 22 years old. Fresh out of undergrad and have so much living to do. I immediately thought (see there’s that mental component again) to myself “this can’t be real… is this really happening to me?... how on earth am I going to deal with this?” I instantly felt alone in a room full of expert doctors, family members and friends. I felt as though every question I asked was answered with ambiguity. I then spent years going through treatments, tests and, what I now know as, unnecessary pain and stress. I hit my breaking point. As I began to educate myself on the various medications I was on at the time. I found myself digging deeper and deeper into a hole of holistic education. One question led to another. Like “WHY am I taking this drug? What benefit does it have on my body? What’s the pros and cons? What foods trigger more pain? Is the pain coming from the foods and drinks I am consuming? Is it my diet that needs to change? Do I really need to be on this drug if I am ingesting these type of foods?” The questions went on. I journaled my entire experience which manifested into The Fake Vegan blog.
How does your personal healing journey reflect in how you hold space for others?
“As soon as healing takes place, go out and heal someone else”. This quote by Maya Angelou resonates in so many ways. The experiences I had to endure I NEVER want any of my loved ones to have to go through that. I promised myself that I would help prevent any unnecessary illness or sickness for my loved ones. As I began to share my daily health routines on my personal Instagram I instantly found there was an opportunity to share this to the greater masses…well my friends were really the ones who pushed me to do this and I am so thankful I did. As mentioned, I created a community where learning is continuously evolving…no one is an expert everyone is a student of love and nature. This community I created is reflective of my own personal journey. It was through the prayers, support and love of those who I call friends and family that got me through the toughest times. The very least I can do is spread the knowledge so we can heal together.
Why is what you do so important?
I think the importance comes in the evolution of mental thought. It’s an incredibly indescribable feeling that occurs when someone says that your tips changed their way they approach their current state of health. Knowing that I am fortunate enough to touch someone’s life in that way is humbling.
What is your inspiration to continue doing what you are doing? What is the fuel that keeps you going?
Although I still have a chronic illness, I am already healed. Health is more than just the physical bodies we are blessed with, it’s the mental thoughts we embed in and the spiritual cocoon we create. That constant evolution is what keeps me going. It goes beyond how I feel but how I approach everything in life. This is what keeps me doing what I am doing, sharing and educating! Being able to bless others throughout this process is what blesses me.
How does it make you feel when you are helping people heal?
Overjoyed. It’s like being baptized on a daily basis. A continuous renewal. I love what I do. I love healing WITH people and I never truly am alone despite how I may feel. It makes me feel beyond blessed.
What are your visions &/or goals?
My goal is to help as many people and be helped by as many people I can interact with in this lifetime on a physical, emotional and spiritual level. I think what ties us together in the healing process is love. I learned a long time ago that God blessed us to be love so we never have to search for it. We never have to desire it. We never have to need it because God is infinite and so is love, to me they are one in the same.
My vision is grow The Fake Vegan community. I see it being an international community where people can ask questions, share information and learn freely. My desire is to continue to foster a support a community where this is possible.
Tell us a fun fact about what it is that you do or something people may not know about you.
I ran track competitively in high school and broke state records for the 100M sprint that has yet to be broken!
In one sentence, what is your message to the world?
Health is about endless mental possibilities, spiritual depth and the physical exploration of no limitations.
Is there is anything else that you would like to share about yourself or what it is that you do?
Life is about love, joy, and happiness. Your health and wellness lifestyle should reflect this. Everything in moderation and remember you never have to give up anything. Just transition your thought process. Together we can heal!
You can contact The fake Vegan
Website: thefakevegan2.com
Email: thefakevegan2@gmail.com
Shop us: www.etsy.com/shop/heavenlyjarsss
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