A lot of people have discipline, but Chef Rain Truth, owner of The Cultured Vegan – a company that offers personal chef services, catering, vegan lifestyle coaching, as well as a culinary program for children ages 4 to 18, just to name a few – is the epitome of the word.
After starting her vegan journey back when she was only nine years old, Chef Rain is pregnant with her third child and is continuing her vegan lifestyle.
While most pregnant women can’t seem to get enough ice cream, chocolate, potato chips, pickles and pretty much anything that's loaded with sugar and salt, Chef Rain’s cravings are quite the opposite to say the least.
“My top cravings are avocado or guacamole, beets and watermelon,” she says. “I eat a lot of ethnic food, so I wake up craving Ethiopian, Indian or Mediterranean dishes. Those cuisines are most commonly associated with being vegan-friendly.”
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And it helps that she’s a chef so anything that's not vegan? She waves her magic wand (or a spatula in reality) and makes it vegan. For instance, when she’s craving sweets, her 17-year-old daughter Alaysha, who also serves as a baker for The Cultured Vegan, will whip up a batch of churros, cookies, muffins or maybe even a pie or two. But here’s the secret, according to Chef Rain: “Use coconut oil instead of butter, applesauce instead of eggs, and almond milk instead of dairy milk.”
Chef Rain says simple changes like these are a step in the right direction for anyone who’s interested in adopting a vegan lifestyle. She added that there’s never been a better time to be vegan, let alone vegan and pregnant than right now thanks to the many advancements within the vegan world.
“There are an abundance of options and vegan alternatives that were not available when I was pregnant with my last child,” Chef Rain says. “I feel much more informed and knowledgeable of the different items I need to consume in order to maintain the Recommended Daily Allowance of a pregnant woman and I believe that assists me in balancing the health of my ‘belly baby’ and I.”
As I mentioned earlier, Chef Rain has been a vegan since she was nine, but interestingly enough, she wasn’t raised as one.
“No one introduced the lifestyle to me. It was innate behavior. I always knew I was unique and had this indescribable connection to animals,” she explains. “When I really started learning how to prepare cuisine from scratch and meeting others who didn’t consume animal products, it actually confirmed in my mind and heart that what I was doing was not out of the norm. It gave me a confidence boost and helped me to explore the lifestyle further.”
Interested in eating healthier without becoming vegan? “I suggest that people start by simply deciding to control the sugar, salt and fat content by preparing their own foods at home,” Chef Rain says.
Don’t have much time? Chef Rain recommends preparing as many dishes as you can at the beginning of the week. “Another suggestion is to reduce or eliminate fried foods and grill, bake or steam your food instead,” she adds. “Any small step taken is a step in a positive direction and something I believe should be praised and saluted. We have to take back control of our own health. The time is now.”
With the popularity of shows like ABC’s “Shark Tank,” entrepreneurship is becoming a much more sought-after career path for many. But, successful startups don’t happen overnight. Being your own boss comes with a series of what seem to be never-ending challenges and oftentimes, things get worse before they better.
As someone who loves being her own boss, Chef Rain is passionate about being able to express herself through food, but she also knows firsthand how difficult and cutthroat the business world can be. She had this bit of advice to share with anyone with dreams of making it in entrepreneurship: “Plan, plan, plan! Find one thing to focus on and then put your heart and soul into it.”
She adds, “Business can be a bit discouraging if you allow it and when you feel that things are not moving fast enough. Surround yourself with positive people to help you keep a level head and focused.”
Chef Rain also suggests searching for grants, sponsors and angel investors before attempting to retrieve loans.
“When people see how serious you are when you come to them with a sound solid plan and vision, you would be surprised at how many people will sow into your dream,” she explains.
Her last bit of advice: “Never give up! I believe in you!”
For more on Chef Rain Truth and The Cultured Vegan, visit www.theculturedvegan.com and follow @theculturedvegan on Instagram and @culturedvegan on Twitter. Also, check out Facebook.
