30 Day PBA 2019: A Letter from the Editor
Happy New Year everybody!
My name is Adele Jackson-Gibson and I’m the editor of this Plant-Based Adventure Blog. I’m a writer, producer and fitness expert and I’m so excited for what this new year will bring: more growth, more enlightenment, happiness and prosperity that’s for sure!
I’m also thrilled to be a part of Celebration Spiritual Center’s (CSC’s) Plant-Based Adventure (PBA) team for the second time in a row. Why? Because last year’s 30 Day PBA was absolutely eye-opening for me.
Before January 2018, I had never tried a plant-based diet, though I was gradually moving in that direction. I had never really eaten much beef growing up and my family believed pork was not the best thing for us to be eating.
When I graduated college, I thought dairy was causing me to break out and I gradually phased that out. Turns out milk wasn’t giving me pimples, but I just prefered soy anyway. Then shortly after I moved to NYC in 2014, I went to the grocery store and noticed I didn’t like the look of the chicken cutlets in the meat section.
I’ve given up chicken ever since.
At first, I was a bit worried about this transition because I’m an athlete. I work out five times a week and I’m often on my feet coaching.
However, through the PBA my team member, Jamie Robinson told me that getting the right fuel was more than possible through a plant-based diet. The dude is jacked so I knew that he was onto something. I discovered since going plant-based I’ve never had any trouble maintaining muscle and proper energy levels.
In my own research, I also learned that plant-based food is the best medicine because medicine actually comes from plants to begin with. I began cooking more for myself and discovered how much cooking is like meditation for me. I just love being in silence just chopping things up and smelling the waft of onions sizzling on the pan. It’s the best.
And now I can’t wait to solidify what I’ve practiced in the last year by doing the 30 Day PBA again. I’m so much more passionate about plant-based eating now and I’m excited to deepen my knowledge about food and health.
In 2018, we went on all sorts of restaurant excursions, discussed all sorts of topics on webinars, enjoyed cooking lessons and giveaways … we even had this awesome movie night, where there was this smorgasbord of plant-based delights. I think I went home with my jeans unbuttoned.
This year, 30 PBA team and I are now ready to offer ever more with more outings, treats, events, wisdom and overall support. We added two new members: Marc Wood, a certified plant-based nutritionist and wellness coach, and Terese Lorae, who is a plant-based chef. They have so much knowledge and they share it with so much love. I can’t wait to hear (and taste) what they are going to serve up in 2019.
I’ll be here on the blog, writing posts on various plant-based lifestyle subjects like, “Where do I get my protein?” or “Are all almond milks good for you?” I might even be editing your story!
If you’re joining us on the 30 Day PBA and you find that you are having a transformative experience, please write about it and I’d love to put it up on our blog. This is a community experience and all of our stories lift each other up. As Pastor Yolanda often says, “You never know who’s life you might touch.”
This CSC crew is amazing and come January 13th, we are going to embark on an incredible ride.
Yours in excitement,
Adele
