Name: Emily von Euw
Year of Birth: 1993
Birthplace: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Current Residence: BC, Canada
Blog: http://www.thisrawsomeveganlife.com/

Tell us a little about yourself, what you do for a living, what hobbies / interests / passions you have
Hey, babe. Call me Em. I love trees, meditating, cats, music, hiking, chocolate, green smoothies, reading, writing, painting, dancing, snowboarding, learning, yoga, and YOU. I live in BC and am going to university, majoring in history and minoring in philosophy. I run my own blog – This Rawsome Vegan Life – where I post recipes, photos, and resources about the vegan lifestyle. Soon I hope to start building my own tiny house on a trailer so I can drive to Costa Rica and work on an organic farm, soaking up sun rays with my soul mate. Or something like that.

Why did you become vegan?
Eating meat and animal products is unnecessary, unnatural, unsustainable, disgusting (in MY opinion), and incredibly cruel. Being vegan in today’s developed world is the only lifestyle that makes sense, period.

When you see a baby pig, you don’t want to skin it alive – you want to hug it. And when you see a mother cow, you don’t want to get on your knees and suck on her tits (…I hope).

Factory farming is killing our planet faster and more effectively than any other industry. That is a fact. Plants provide us with optimal nutrition so we can live long, healthy, vibrant lives without murdering others or destroying our earth. Seems like a good plan to me.

When and why did you become interested in fitness?
I don’t even remember! I’ve loved to run since elementary school, and it must have progressed from there. To me, being physically fit and eating right is a no-brainer. What do we do here? We live. How do we live? In our bodies. So… it seems like common sense to take care of our bodies. Anyways – it makes you feel young, live long and look great. Who doesn’t want THAT?

How would you describe your nutrition program?
Mostly raw, and almost always whole foods. You could say it’s like the 80/10/10 diet. I worship kale and all other dark, leafy greens; I’m also madly in love with any fruit – so that’s mostly what I eat! Lightly cooked veggies and grains every now and then too. I cannot resist curry.

How would you describe your training program?
Sweaty! High intensity interval training is my favourite form of cardio – it’s more fun and is proven to be more effective. I also do bodyweight exercises. But my fave kind of workout – weight training I love being a strong woman (even if some guys are intimidated by it). It is empowering.

What kind of supplements do you use if any, and why?
I don’t like the idea of taking pills when I can get better quality nutrition from my food, so I keep it simple; I take a B complex vitamin every few days to get my B12, and after workouts I usually add hemp seeds or rice protein powder to my green smoothie.

How do people react when they find out you are vegan?
They are intrigued and usually impressed. At social functions, it always ends up being the hot topic. I’m proud to say I’ve opened a lot of people’s eyes to the illogic of non-vegan diets. At the same time, I get made fun of quite a bit.

What are some common misconceptions about veganism?
Oh man. I’ve just got the classics: we don’t get enough protein, we’re scrawny and weak, we’re all passive hippies, we aren’t making any substantial changes for animals or the planet… yadda yadda yadda. What a joke, because it couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Have you had success in promoting veganism / vegetarianism to others? If so, how did you go about it?
HECK YA I HAVE! I can’t even tell you how many people have told me they’ve gone raw, vegan, vegetarian, or just cut down on animal products because of me. I also can’t explain in words how much this means to me! I started my blog to share yummy raw dessert recipes and it has bloomed into something so much more beautiful and powerful. As long as there are people’s minds to change and inspire – I will be here preaching about kale and coconuts! Also, most of my close friends have become vegan or at least vegetarian since I did.

What do you think the most important aspect of training is?
Nutrition. Consistency. Mind power. Determination.

What do you like best about being vegan?
Knowing that this is what my body has evolved to and wants; that my diet is sustainable for our amazing planet; and finally that our fellow creatures can live in peaceful harmony beside me while we munch on kale together!

What do you like best about being fit?
Can’t lie – looking good! My body is a temple and when I treat it right, I feel absolutely beautiful, inside and out. On top of that – being physically fit makes living that much more enjoyable. Everything is easier! Lastly, knowing I’m keeping myself in the best condition to live long and thrive.

What advice do you have for people who are just starting out with training?
Try your best, push yourself, and eat enough. YOU CAN DO ANYTHING!

What advice do you have for people who are thinking of becoming vegan?
GET INFORMED. I’ve met many people who go vegan and are super stoked, but they don’t know what they are doing and end up losing too much weight, feeling weak, and/or just eating vegan junk food. Then they think the vegan diet isn’t do-able. Or they forget why they went vegan in the first place and lose connection. Read books. Watch documentaries. Check out websites. Once you know the truth – veganism is the only sane conclusion.

What motivates you in life?
Each day and with everything I do, I strive for personal improvement; spiritually as a universal being and cognitively as a human being. I find joy in helping others reach their goals, and also improve who they are. With each experience, we learn more about ourselves and that is always a positive adaption.

What do you think of veganbodybuilding.com? Has it helped or inspired you?
LOVE IT! I go on the website all the time to find personal inspiration and motivation. The forum has an abundance of friendly, knowledgeable people and the profiles are great to share with “skeptics” because they make it pretty clear WE GET ENOUGH DANG PROTEIN. Look at all those biceps and quads! On another note – seeing the female bodybuilders is terrific. The world needs to accept strong women!

Do you have any other thoughts you’d like to share?
Thank you for reading; check out my blog if you like… or not.
I hope you have a beautiful day!