PLANT BASED LIVING
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Why Veganism?
I understand why the world initally opposes the idea of a vegan movement. No smart businessman wants to kill off a multi billion dollar industry and that's what most governments are, smart businessmen. Several economies around the world rely on the animal industry. So much so that It is social and economical suicide if it were ever to lose momentum but when the industry is breeding global warming, deforestation and a growing rate of death by disease what choice do we have? 60 billion animals are killed for human consumption yearly. The grains & crops used to feed mechinally breeded animals can be used to end world hunger.
I chose to follow a plant based diet because out of all the problems the world faces, theoretically this is one of the biggest problems to solve.
We are all victims of systematic brainwashing, habit and ignorance but I’m a strong believer in that we all pick our poison. Supporting infinite murder, world hunger and the destruction of our borrowed time on earth isn’t going to be mine.
So you’re Vegan now?
I hate the stigma behind the word 'vegan'. It makes it sound like not eating and wearing animals is something absurd when realistically this lifestyle should have been the norm. Everything begins and ends with energy and I honestly believe that a plant based lifestyle provides you with a cleaner aura. In terms of health, Cow milk leaches calcium from your bones and red meat is one of the leading causes of heart disease. It’s so easy to remain unaware of the detrimental effects that the manufactured breeding, raping and killing of billions of animals causes but then again the facts are out there.
Here are some things that might shock you: Bonny Rebecca - Why Vegan
Are you a Vegan activist?
Yes and No. I don’t want veganism to be advertised as a thing only ‘ethical’ people do. Veganism should be a thing you participate in because it’s just normal not to wear or eat murder. It makes you a better person but it won’t make you a saint.
Top recommended documenataries?
‘Cowspiracy’, a documentary executively produced by Leonardo Di Caprio.
The infamous 'Forks Over Knives'.
'101 Reasons to go Vegan' The best presentation on Veganism on the Internet. Watch the first 4 minutes and I guarantee you’ll continue to watch the rest!
Vegan Influencers you follow religiously?
Mr & Mrs Vegan, Basic Vegan Bitch, KoiFresco, Bonny Rebecca, Thriving on Plants, Happy and Healthy 96’, Cornelia Grimcorn, Stella Rae, Nina & Randa Nelson, VegSource, Freelee the Banana Girl, Durianrider, Vegan Gains.
ETHICS
But you support big fashion houses like Chanel, Dior, Givenchy?
Of course. My love for fashion will never die out. I appreciate so much about the industry like the designers, the editors and everyone who work very hard to create stories out of clothing. I support their art, creativity and the ability to look at things differently than the ordinary human eye. What I don’t support are the business strategies and the coy use of animal products to sell an image, concept or brand. There is more than one way to tell a quality story in the name of fashion.
What about the people/factories making the clothes you wear? They’re being exploited too. You’ll save animals before you save other humans?
Capitalism is the root of all evil. It is the underlying cause of all major and minor problems in this world. From terrorism, to racism and the destruction of the environment. I love shouting from the rooftop that I am against capitalism but unfortunately I benefit from it. I benefit because I can wake up any morning and decide I want to set up a business. I can walk into any shop and pick up things that I know will further help in my career: a laptop, smartphone. I can create different avenues of wealth to sustain myself. Nobody likes to talk about the prison houses that these laptops, phones and clothing come out of. The slaughtering of animals isn’t the only problem that rules the world but it is a big one. One that affects the planet and our health. In 1000 years there might be nothing on this earth to come back to but selfishly we don’t give a damn because we won’t live long enough to have to face that devastation.
PERSONAL
NATIONALITY: Nigerian & Irish
HEIGHT: 165cm
WEIGHT: 119 lbs / 54kg
MESUREMENTS: 32 -24 -38
How long have you been vegan for?
15 months.
Are you only vegan to remain slim?
No. You can be very slim eating animal products, the only difference is you might just starve to death from the lack of carbs. Since I was a child it never felt right to me to eat meat, munch on pizzas and drink milk. I remember Mum forcing me to drink cow milk and throwing it up everywhere on several occasions. I watched her cut up meat to cook and after it was cooked, I could never eat it. I could only eat meat from fast food restaurants because I didn’t have to see it being cooked or murdered. I wasn’t healthy though. I loved fatty foods and rarely ever ate real food.
Did you lose weight on a Vegan diet?
Yes but not a lot. Anyone who comes on this lifestyle will lose weight if they have weight to lose. You can also gain weight on this lifestyle if that is your aim. I loosely follow a whole starch low fat diet, thanks to my Vegan parents Mr & Mrs Vegan. My weight drops by at least 6-10lbs in the weeks that I cut out oil and processed foods entirely but I don’t do that often, even though I should – not to lose weight but for optimal health. Oil and processed foods have no place in our bodies – we shouldn’t be eating them. Food for me however is a social thing so I don’t mind indulging once in a while.
How many calories do you eat in a day?
2500+ of Spaghetti, rice, fruit, oats, breads, potatoes and starchy veggies.
How much do you exercise?
At my peak, 30 minute jogs 3-5 times weekly. I find it therapeutic. I’m not as fit as I could be but I’ll be working on that this summer with my brother!
Are your whole family Vegan?
Haha no! Turning a Nigerian family Vegan is like expecting a newborn baby to be able to swim. My two sisters are trying out the vegetarian and pescatarian lifestyle and my Mum eats a lot less meat now. My brother is a ‘gym bro’ who prefers a low carb high protein diet.
I thought you were a fashion blogger? What happened?
I recently came to a conclusion that I can't live a life without purpose. I can't live a life without contrinuting something beneficial and of worth to the world. The whole purpose behind fashion blogging was to take power away from people who had too much power (industry insiders) and give it to those who have nothing but dreams. Little did we know, that fashion blogging would just become a part of the game and a part of the system. When I came to that realisation, I fell out of love with fashion blogging. It has reached its peak. I lost interest in it and couldn’t find the purpose behind it. I used to think it was a means to an end but then I realized if I continued with fashion blogging that would be the end and I didn’t want that. Luckily, I found veganism when I was living in Vancouver this time last year. All in short, I woke up and smelled the coffee. Something much more valuable to me is in the works now.
What are your goals and aspirations for Diamants au chocolat now that you quit fashion blogging?
I’m currently rebranding Diamants au chocolat into what I want it to be. Eventually It’s going to have a lot to do with increasing diversity in the film industry, creating opportunities for out of work actors/producers/directors and most importantly making stories and short films that speak to people on a deeper level. Character development is something I find very interesting and on DAC I want to show how multi dimensional we all are. No story is ever one sided. No human being is good or bad but a mixture of both and like all of the great authors and filmmakers that I look up to, I want to find a way to depict that in a way that will reach a wider audience of the latest generation.
I have a long way to go before then but I think it’s time to start utilizing the Internet and social media on a bigger scale. The world is full of fashion blogs and I want to do something different.
Twisted Fate
Twisted Fate is a fictional book I'm writing right on this website. My dream is to turn my main characters Ivy, Fleur and Gaia into women people can relate to, and eventually understand. I want to communicate a few life lessons through these characters and systematically build a story and personality for each of them. Ultimately I want to create fictional role models that people will one day grow to admire. You know when you read a book and can't put it down because you start to care so deeply for the characters? It's like you're facing their adversities with them while at the same time, learning every single inch of them and by the end of the book, nobody knows them better than you do. That's the goal. That's the feeling.
The Future
They say at the heart of marketing is storytelling. I want to create fashion and beauty vegan companies that will be able to compete with high end brands of today. I want to attach a new meaning to the word luxury and show that it is something everyone can have ethically and abundantly. I want to use clever, discrete marketing to push this lifestyle onto the general public… and to do that I need a brand and that's what I'm going to spend a few years building. :)
If you have a similar mindset and want to help out contact me: diamants.au.chocolat@gmail.com
If you made it this far, thank you so much for reading and supporting me. So much of what I've shared with you has been in my head for such a long time, it feels great to finally be able to share it with you all. THANK YOU and see you on June 1st 2016 for the first chapter of Twisted Fate ♥️
