As you may or may not know, I'm a board member for Nashville VegFest. Last year was our inaugural event, and it was one of the best days of my life. I love being surrounded by like-minded people and the positivity that these type of events invoke. I have since tried to take every opportunity to experience that feeling. So, this past Saturday, I and two of my dear friends, Nicki and Lee, loaded up in my Jetta and hit the road for the 2016 Atlanta VegFest. Lee and I had attended last year's event while planning was underway for our own Nashville VegFest, and we had a great time. We couldn't wait to go back. Nicki is a fairly recently converted vegan and was looking for inspiration and community-building opportunities. Our plan was to meet up with Glen, our Nashville VegFest founder, and other committee members at the event.

Armed with my matcha latte and lots of snacks, we left out at 7:30 am. The trip was pretty uneventful, although we did pass through the areas outside of Chattanooga that are burning, which was quite worrying. But since there were no signs warning of danger, I suppose the situation is under control. I sure hope so, anyway.

Spending our 3 or so hour drive getting to know each other even better, listening to classic rock on my iPhone, and laughing a lot, the time passed extremely quickly. We arrived at the Cobb County Civic Center around 11:30 am to find zero parking at the event location. It sucked for us, but it was so great to see an all vegan event be such a hit. We ended up parking at the community ball park down the street and walking in the cool, windy air back to the civic center.

When we walked through the front door, the energy of the people there was almost palpable. We made our $5 donation, used the restroom, and ventured into the main hall. This year, the venue was two stories, with most of the vendors on the first floor, and more in a balcony area that surrounded the outer edge of the lower level. We decided to start on the right side of the main door and were greeted by the lovely smell of fresh baked cinnamon rolls right off the bat. Since I hadn't eaten all morning, this smell sent my stomach into a tizzy. I was suddenly starving. Our friend Kimberly had sent Lee a message saying she found pumpkin lentil chili, and after finding Glen, we set out on a mission to locate the vendor who was selling such an appetizing meal. As we tried to locate this mysterious chili, we passed numerous food vendors, all with stuff that looked incredible... cupcakes, Asian food, pasta, tacos, etc. It was hard to not eat everything in sight! There were animal advocacy groups sharing literature and selling apparel, healthy living advocates, and lots and lots of samples being offered. We finally found the food we had our hearts set on being offered by Chef Levy Catering. The friendly guys manning their booth were offering the chili, but also roasted sweet potatoes, quinoa, curried cauliflower, and other veggies. I considered getting a plate of everything, but settled on just trying the green juice they were selling and pumpkin lentil chili. We all ordered the chili and headed to a hallway at the side of the room to have a seat on the floor and eat. Dude, this chili. Possibly the best chili I've ever eaten. Seriously. So good. We were all super impressed.

Once we finished our chili, we realized it was time to hear Dr. Michael Greger speak, which we were all looking forward to. If you're not familiar with Dr. Greger, he's a physician who also happens to be a New York Times bestselling author who speaks all around the world about health issues, food safety, and nutrition. I had heard him interviewed on one of my favorite podcasts, The Rich Roll Podcast, several months ago, and found him to be very interesting. So when I saw he would be speaking at the Atlanta VegFest, I was super excited. The room was packed, but we managed to find seats just as he was starting his talk. He did not disappoint. He was so charismatic, funny, and informative. He had the whole room laughing out loud a few times. His slideshow was full of incredible scientific information that has been kept from the mainstream media, and I learned so much. I can't wait to get his new book, How Not To Die.

After Dr. Greger's talk, we headed back into the main event and began exploring the vendor booths, sampling our way through the entire event. Along the way, we spoke to some new vendors about attending our event in April. We've got some exciting stuff coming, let me tell ya! We tried tempeh and hempeh, a few types of chocolate, tonics, gluten-free bread and cookies, mock-beef empanadas, and so much more. It was amazing, and my belly was quite happy.

I had made up my mind that I was going to buy one t-shirt to commemorate our weekend, but once I saw everything being offered, I knew it was going to be so hard to decide on one. I spent all afternoon making mental notes of the shirts I liked, and trying to decide which one I would take home. It was so hard to choose, but I finally settled on a long-sleeved gray t-shirt from Nicobella Chocolates that said, "My mom, my milk" with a picture of a mommy and baby cow. The message was cute, and the shirt was super soft cotton, so I knew I'd get plenty of wear out of it. I handed my shirt to the pretty lady working the Nicobella booth, and when she ran my card, it was denied! WTF? I had to call my bank because they thought my card was stolen. Apparently, when you're at an event with vendors from many locations, it sends up red flags due to the fact that each vendor's Square ID shows their home location. Oopsie! A quick conversation with the customer service guy at my bank, and all was well. I got to buy my shirt and go on my way.

By this time, it was after 4pm, and we headed back to the auditorium to hear the other speaker we'd been looking forward to... NFL defensive lineman, David Carter. David's website, The 300 Pound Vegan, tells how he went from being in constant pain, suffering many common health issues at a much-too-young age, to being a vibrant, pain-free 300 pound muscle machine.

First of all, David is quite the handsome fella, and he's freaking ripped! Anyone who questions whether you can build and maintain muscle on a vegan diet only needs to take one look at him to know it's not a problem. David (reluctantly) went vegan as a Valentine's Day gift to his beautiful wife, Paige, and now espouses the benefits to anyone who will listen. His talk was geared toward the health challenges in minority communities and how food deserts make it difficult for these communities (who have statically high rates of obesity, diabetes, and hypertension) to be healthy. As someone who lives in an area where you could through a penny and hit a grocery store, this wasn't something I'd given much thought, but he definitely has my attention now. He presented pictures he'd taken of the pitiful produce selections in stores located in metropolitan areas, and it was shocking to me. We like to talk about how easy and affordable it is to go plant-based, but in some areas, healthy foods just aren't available. He is trying to bring attention to this problem and motivate people to start bringing change in their neighborhoods. The sad fact is that meat and dairy industries have a lot of political power. The only way we will change these food deserts into thriving produce markets is to start a grassroots movement, asking our local stores to carry the vegetables, fruits, and healthy food products we want to eat. After all, they want to make money, so they'll sell what customers want to buy. We have to vote with our dollars. He also spoke about how the African American population has been unfairly treated when it comes to the availability of a healthy lifestyle, thanks to archaic zoning laws, referred to as "redlining," that allow fast food/convenience food businesses to build without limits in historically poor areas while preventing them from entering more affluent neighborhoods. It was a fascinating talk, and I feel quite motivated to help this movement. (If you want to get involved or just read more about the cause, check out The Food Empowerment Project or check out this article from PBS).

The gist of all of this is that we have to not only provide healthy foods in these forgotten areas, but also educate these communities about how to eat healthfully. One of the most staggering statistics he presented was the rate of lactose-intolerance among certain ethnic groups.

It makes sense when you consider that most of the world didn't consume dairy until Europeans introduced it to them. Cows aren't native to the areas of the world where the most lactose-intolerance people live. When you think about the inflammatory effects of dairy and how inflammation leads to disease, it's no wonder that Africans and African Americans, who, according to the CDC, have the highest rates of diabetes and obesity are in the top 5. David did an amazing job of highlighting these issues, and driving the point home that making an abundance of plant food available to lower income areas can lead to massive change within these vulnerable populations.

Sorry for the social justice detour, but this shit is important! Children in these food deserts need to be given a chance. Their parents are working their butts off, doing the best they can, and I doubt that leaves much time for campaigning for change. That's why everyone, all races and income levels, need to know about this issue. It's one of equality!

Anywho... after David's amazing talk, we wondered back into the event space to see what some of our friends were planning to do after the VegFest. We decided to meet up at the after party later that night at a local bar called 97 Estoria, and left to get settled into our hotel.

We had all reserved rooms at the Hilton in Marietta, which is located less than 1.5 miles from the event space. Unfortunately, it's 20 miles from the after party. Probably could've planned that better. Oh, well. We checked in, and noticed there were several weddings going on the same weekend. Everywhere we looked, there were people in fancy clothes. I felt a bit underdressed, but I'm positive I was much more comfortable than them. (Yoga pants for life!) Nicki and I headed to our room to get freshened-up for the party. After a couple of wardrobe changes, we settled on our attire and refreshed our makeup. Finally looking bright-eyed and bushytailed (which we weren't since we'd gotten up super early), we went to meet the guys in the lobby. After a few comments about how long it takes for women to get ready, we hit the road into Atlanta. Glen had talked to a friend of his who's a raw vegan chef, and she wanted to meet up with us before we went downtown.

Mood lighting.  Great for ambiance, terrible for pictures. — Mood lighting. Great for ambiance, terrible for pictures.

We found Sarah and her friend Nina at Octane coffee bar on Marietta Street. Octane had a very hip atmosphere, and they made a great chai almond milk latte. Nicki and I were starving by then, but the latte helped hold us over until the party. We discovered that Sarah and Nina are both pretty awesome chicks. We spent an hour or so talking about food, beauty, and our future plans within the vegan realm. I was so glad that Glen decided to introduce us. I always enjoy meeting like-minded, strong, driven women.

Eventually, we parted ways with the lovely ladies we'd just met, and headed to 97 Estoria, where we were told there would be lots of special vegan food available just for the VegFest crowd. The party had started at 7, but we didn't make it out there until around 9. When we arrived, a lot of the crowd was gone, but we located our friend Allison (the brains behind the incredible Pure Abundance Cheese). As I talked to her, Glen, Nicki, and Lee went to order our food. Oh, the hilarious (and adult) conversations we had. Eventually, our food arrived, so Allison left us to eat, and we settled in at a table by the bar. We had black bean tacos, a falafel plate, a hummus plate, and bean chili. Everything looked amazing, and I was starving, so I forgot to take a picture. I'm terrible, I know. We split all four dishes between us, and everything was really good. I think the lentil chili at the VegFest was better, but that's holding the bar pretty dang high, and this chili was still pretty great. The falafel was nice and crispy, and the fries were delicious. I thought the hummus was a bit dry, but it had a nice flavor. The tacos were a bit bland, but nothing a little salsa couldn't fix. All in all, we were satisfied, especially considering the place wasn't a vegan restaurant. They do offer a few vegan options on their daily menu, which was really nice to see. Times, they are a changin'.

We spent the evening goofing off, making dirty jokes, talking to strangers, and just having a generally great time. I love being with these people. There's something amazing that happens when a bunch of positive, upbeat people get together. The energy is just so uplifting.

Around midnight, we figured we should head back to the hotel and get some rest. I was fading fast after spending the whole night before being kicked in the back by a toddler, so I was excited to sleep alone for once. It didn't take long to crash after arriving back at our room. I snuggled right up under that blanket and faded into oblivion in no time. I slept so well in that Hilton bed that I didn't know where I was when I awoke before sunrise the next morning to use the restroom. That's always how you know you've been resting REALLY well. I went back to sleep with no trouble at all, and finally got up for the day at 9am. There's something so special about getting to wake up on your own, no alarm clock, no kid yelling your name. It was glorious.

We packed up and hit the road around 10:30 with one goal in mind... stop for juice at Glen's favorite spot. He had left before us, and planned to meet us there, but he should have known better than to travel with women and count on doing anything early. He ended up getting tired of waiting and left before we arrived at Local Juicery in Chattanooga. I can't blame him. We were slooooow.

Local Juicery is a 100% organic, cold-pressed juice shop that also offers superfood smoothies and bowls, raw foods, salads, and more. Glen had bragged to me numerous times how much he liked the place, and they had sold their delicious kombucha at our VegFest, so I figured I would love it too. When we walked in, my first reaction was, "wow, it's so pretty!" The space itself is beautifully designed, with brick walls, barn board and raw-edge wood furniture, mason jar lamps, lots of greenery, and plenty of sunlight filtering through their huge windows. It's a very aesthetically pleasing space. The two ladies working were friendly and helpful. I grabbed a "Glow" juice from the cooler, we placed our orders, and had a seat on the couch by the front window. I began sipping my juice as I continued to admire my surroundings and envision what ideas I could use from their design in my own imaginary vegan restaurant that people have asked me to open. When the food arrived, it was also gorgeous. I got the PB and berry smoothie bowl, Lee ordered a salad with miso ginger dressing and a pitaya smoothie, and Nicki had the berry bowl. We girls had also ordered matcha green tea lattes, cuz who doesn't love a delicious pick-me-up on a long drive? But after a few minutes, we were informed that they had run out. Bummer! Since they'd already charged us for it, they offered to refund the money, or we could pick out something else around the same price. I ended up with a raw superfood brownie, and Nicki decided on a small juice with carrots, other veggies, and jalapeño. We were sad we didn't get our lattes, but agreed that the substitutions were pretty awesome.

LOCAL JUICE- SMOOTHIE BOWL AND JUICE.jpg

With fully satisfied and happy bellies, we left set off for home, listening to Death Cab for Cutie the entire way. (The mellow juice bar music had me in the mood, what can I say? And who doesn't like them, really?) When we got back to my house, we all hugged and parted ways. Lee and I would see each other again in a few hours when we met up for our Nashville VegFest meeting, which this time included a special screening of a new documentary about health.

I managed to get in a good lower body workout and some lunch before Charlotte and I had to leave for Franklin. We were meeting everyone at 5pm for dinner at Mellow Mushroom Pizza, which will make any kind of pizza you want, even offering vegan cheese, if you like that kinda thing. I had to wake Char from a nap, which I hate doing, so we were running a few minutes behind when I discovered that the car seat that belongs in my car was still in Jimmy's work van. Crap! Luckily, my father-in-law was right around the corner and was able to drop his off to me. Crisis averted.

We finally met up with our friends at Mellow Mushroom around 5:30. We ordered vegan pizzas all around and discussed the upcoming event. Charlotte and I requested the Mega Veggie with no cheese and a Greek salad, also no cheese. When the food began to arrive, we found that they'd confused our orders a bit. Most of us at the table aren't fans of the brand of vegan cheese they use, so we requested our pizza without it. However, the kitchen had added it to two of the pizzas, and added olives to a pizza that was specifically requested without olives. At least those could be picked off. The manager apologized and offered to correct everything, but it was getting close to time for the movie, and we didn't have time for them to remake everything. We told him we'd just make do, and he adjusted the bill to make things right. Gotta give him credit for trying. This stuff happens, and we understood. Fortunately, my order was correct, but it showed up right as we should've been leaving. We all scarfed down a piece or two and got the rest to go. We hurried to put our leftovers in the car and arrived at the Franklin Theater just before the movie started.

Leftover Mellow Mushroom Mega Veggie, no cheese.  It was just as good reheated. — Leftover Mellow Mushroom Mega Veggie, no cheese. It was just as good reheated.

Eating You Alive is a new documentary about why Americans are so sick and the health benefits of a whole food plant-based lifestyle, featuring well-known doctors (including Dr Greger), everyday people, and a few celebrities, such as Samuel L Jackson, James and Suzy Cameron, and Penn Jillette (of Penn and Teller fame). We were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to see this new movie before its release, and I can't wait until everyone can get their hands on it. It's was so well done, from the interviews, to the editing and music. It was pretty much perfect. It flowed very nicely from one subject to another, from one person to another. I really can't recommend it enough. Charlotte even stayed (mostly) quiet throughout the movie.

The best part of the evening, though, was the Q & A afterward. One of the doctors featured in the film is from Chattanooga, so he and one of his patients (also featured) were at the screening. The audience was able to ask them about their experience, and Dr Michael Hollie had so much to say. It was easy to see his passion for the subject of holistic health, and it was obvious that he's done a ton of research. The producers also spent a lot of time answering questions about how making this film changed their thoughts about health. As it turns out, their whole crew is now eating the way that's outlined in the documentary, and have seen immense benefits, one guy even having lost 70 pounds! Keep Eating You Alive on your radar for next year when it's released to the masses.

Even though it was a couple of late nights, I can honestly say this was one of the best weekends I've had in recent memory. I'm so passionate about veganism and health, and getting to spend an entire weekend with people I love, surrounded by positivity and healthy food, is all this girl needs. I can't wait until next month when I'm off to South Florida VegFest. I'll be sure to give you guys a review of that trip as well. Until next time, Namaste.