Awesome Black Vegan – Nyaki

Career path:
I have a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Pretoria, and work in the Economic Development Division at the Embassy of Switzerland in Pretoria. I’m also very creative and love painting, sewing and expressing myself as the divine feminine spirit leads me. I’m also being led to start contributing more towards the promotion of a plant-based lifestyle. Stay tuned….

Where are you from?
I was born in Harare and moved to Mahikeng with my family at the end of 1992. So you could say I grew up in both Harare and Maf Town. Now I live in Johannesburg.

When did you become vegan and why?
I became vegan in July 2016, after months of research on the food I was consuming (ie. meat, dairy, sugar, gluten, etc.) as I was convinced that they were the source of my health issues. Growing up, I was asthmatic and suffered from eczema, hayfever, allergies and couldn’t be as active as other children because of my asthma. After dropping dairy and gluten, I was cured after years and years of cortisone creams, chronic antihistamine medication, as well as asthma pumps. I could finally breathe at night and then gradually the non-foods just fell away from my diet.

I actually didn’t plan to go vegan. My body led me to it after I started feeling sick after every meal I consumed with meat in it. Now it’s no longer a “diet”, it’s a lifestyle and it just keeps getting better as I’m being exposed to new products and better ways to prepare my meals. I also crossed paths with others who had become vegetarian and vegan, and learnt a lot from them too. Now my mission is to assist others with knowledge and living proof that you can make a positive change in your life that not only benefits animal life, but humanity as a whole, starting with the food you eat.

How has life changed since you became vegan?
I’m definitely more conscious of Myself and the energy I generate and put out. I’m also a lot more aware of frequencies and vibrations (“vibes”) I get from others. Becoming vegan has helped me to become a lot more spiritual and less religious. I’ve taken up yoga and meditation, and this coupled with my plant-based lifestyle has helped me elevate to higher frequencies. And all I can say is that it just keeps getting better.

What challenges do you face as a vegan and how do you overcome them?
Definitely educating non-vegans on the benefits of eating a plant-based diet and convincing them that my diet doesn’t lack protein (the old “vegans are protein deficient” debate) or any nutrients at that. How to overcome people is just to stand firm in your convictions and remember that people can only meet you at their level of understanding.

Also, when attending conferences or staying at hotels all over the world, it’s almost always a battle to find something to eat, even when I indicate ahead of time that I consume a vegan diet. I usually overcome this by carrying back up with me. If I’m not sure about where I’m going, I’ll carry fruits, nuts and seeds, and whatever else I can get my hands on.

What do you enjoy most about being vegan?
Has to be knowing that I’m consuming a guilt-free meal every time I eat, where no animals have been abused or slaughtered for my personal enjoyment. Knowing I’m eating to LIVE and not eating to DIE. It’s also comforting to know that whenever I eat, local farmers are also benefitting financially. It’s very interesting to note how different people react to you when they find out you’re vegan. It’s almost like there’s something wrong with you and they want to find out what it is, lol, I love it!

Lastly, it’s very rewarding when the people around me start being influenced by the way I eat. I’ve noticed even small changes like people eating more fruits and fresh vegetables, and alternating meat days with non-meat days.

What do you see in the future for veganism in Africa?
I see a lot of opportunity for us to start embracing more natural ways of living and re-connecting with Mother Earth and respecting ALL life, not just human (and pet) life, as nature intended. I also see people embracing a more plant-based diet in order to live healthier lives and reverse the effects of dis-ease that seem to have become the norm in our society. How many people do we know who are hypertensive, diabetic and even have cancer before the age of 40? A plant-based diet can and will reverse and eradicate all these ills from our society. Lastly, the more people embrace a plant-based diet, the quicker the prices of some of the more expensive vegan commodities will come down.

What’s your favourite meal/food?
Oh wow, difficult to say because I really enjoy all plant-based dishes. But let me say this, I make a mean vegan moussaka and banana bread!

Anything else you would like to say?
Yes. I’d like to personally thank all those people that have assisted me on this divine journey of ascension, because I certainly didn’t wake up with all this knowledge. It was passed on to me, and I only hope to pass it onto others and assist them in their ascension and awakening, starting with the food on your plate. WHOLENESS & BALANCE FAMILY
I give thanks and honour to:
My Ancestors
My Mother and Father
Queen Afua
Jah9
Infinite Waters – Ralph Smart
Dr Sebi
Dr Llaila Afrika
Sevan Bomar
Drunvalo Melchezidek

Where can people reach you on the networks?
Instagram: @heartspacenation

Thanks to you too Sis Nyaki for making the time to share your awesomeness with us! We are truly humbled and gratefully appreciate it!

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If you’re Black, Vegan and you’d like for us to profile you to share your journey with our people out here looking for that inspiration towards the vegan lifestyle, please hit us up via email and we’ll connect.

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