The Yum Faciliation Guide

Too often when herbivores are first starting out, they have little to no idea what to do with their dishes and find themselves falling into the same starch-based patterns they courted when they also reached for a side of something animal-based on their plates. The results are low energy, and likely the same lack of kitchen inspiration as before, filled with premade products, an abundance of soy-based faux foods, and little to no green or grain, despite the amazing things that can be done with beans, rice, and other slept-on joys from Mama Nature.
Not everyone's sleeping on the gems in Earthen fields in favor of a quickfix, however. One green sister has stepped up to the call for more accessible information in the preparation of green foods that are rich enough in taste and chi to truly be called green soul food. To this end she's prepared a concise, information-packed work, filled with recipes that can be customized with staples the readers of her soy-free cookbook can get to know and learn the importance of adding to their diets.
A herbivore for many years, she's been through the over-tofu'ed phase. She knows firsthand (through trial, error, and glowing successes) the value of greens and grains, and instructs her readers how to fashion Soyless milk, Fabulous raw cakebites, Vegan Patties, Tomato Gravy, and an abundant more culinary fashionings that new and old (soy-addicted) herbivores can refer to for much needed reconsideration of their diets.

This elemental of Green&Grain, Janine 'Inspired Sis' Jackson, also a Nappturality Guru, and Imagist, extending materials for freeing the om through diet, glorying in the natural resplendence of the crown follicle, and the pulse of Earth in a world that direly needs to remember its natural roots in the planet, a practice celebrated through her Plantfolk blog, granted us audience on how she came to create the Yum Facilitation Guide (click the cover image to get your copy), her perspectives on current Vegan society, and resources she recommends for the herbivorously inclined.



Enjoy the lightbeams she extended below:



What inspired you to write the Yum Facilitation guide? Has it been a longstanding project during your years on this path, or did you see the necessity that vegans have an alternative to the often soy over-celebrative focus in current vegan-ry?

The guide was constructed to assist those who desire to incorporate more (soy-free) plant-based foods into their eating routines. It was also designed to illustrate that plant-based eating is a practical possibility for those who believe that eating in this way is tasteless, expensive and boring. Personally, I think variety is great and that it should extend to your plate. That is yet another reason why this guide exists. I wish that this guide existed years ago when I initially considered eating in this way. I used to go to the local Asian markets and buy tofu by the case! lol. I simply wasn't aware that there were other ways to enjoy my meatless meals. So, this guide is also for those who realize that they're consuming excessive amounts of soy via their faux foods, but don't know what else to do based upon their lack of awareness or creative inclinations.

What are you loving about the current state of vegan society, and where do you hope to see serious improvements? Do you think non-vegans are getting the message on how damaging the animal-based food industry is to the soul, body, and unsurprisingly, the planet itself?

I am pleased to see more folks who are genuinely interested in enjoying this way of healing/living/being and having the opportunity to do so. Seeing more health conscious folks invest in their well-being and transforming their personal worlds is a wonderful experience to witness.

Improvements? I would say an improvement in attitude or mindset amongst some vegans would be great. There is a certain way of being that some exhibit that has a tendency to deter those are interested in living on the plant-based side of life.

I definitely think non-vegans are considering the connections between their fork and their world. The significant changes in the way the earth shows itself currently, along with the mainstream mouthpieces that promote veglife have helped in making those connections.

What are some resources, in addition to the thorough approach extended in your Yum Facilitation guide, that you would advise new vegans to seek on their journey back to the plant-eating wisdom our ancestors celebrated?

Heal Thyself for Health and Longevity -- Queen Afua

Sacred Woman -- Queen Afua

Becoming Vegan -- Brenda Davis

African Holistic Health -- Dr. Afrika

Sistah Vegan -- A. Breeze Harper *check out that cover art! ;)

Dherbs.com is also a wonderful resource for all things health related.

Any words of advice you'd like to impart, shout outs, or something you'd like to share that we haven't covered?

Listen to your body and keep it simple.



note:
If you're having issues with the cover link.
Try the direct link to acquire a copy here:
http://plantfolk.wordpress.com/soy-free/