‘Rawvana’ shows how it can be cool to be vegan

Yovana Mendoza wants you to try raw/vegan and she’s created a YouTube channel to tell you all about it. Available in English and Spanish, the San Diego native’s “Rawvana” channel endeavors to help viewers along on their “own transformation of body, mind, and spirit,” offering up more than 400 videos on topics ranging from self help and day-to-day living to fitness and diet. A health coach with certificates in raw food nutrition, Mendoza’s site is packed with recipes she’s developed over the last three years that use only plantbased proteins and ingredients, dishes such as vegan chilaquiles, pizza, burritos, tamales, key lime pie, cheese cake and even a Thanksgiving dinner; a detox salad and Nutella ice cream. And a whole lot more. She began her vegan journey five years ago when she gave up animal proteins, quit drinking and smoking and started on a two-week vegan detox program. Within three days, she felt a difference in her overall well-being and within two months, she felt so good that she decided she wasn’t going back to her old ways. “Rawvana” is her way of sharing her discovery with others. foods “I was for actually me are just 100 the percent most raw cleansing vegan and for the detoxifying first three foods years out of my there. vegan They’re journey,” very nourishing. she explains. I “So feel raw great on them and that’s actually how I got into veganism. And then after three years I began to eat some cooked, and so many of my followers would ask me about just more vegan cooked meals because for them it was obviously a lot easier to do. And once I started to eat cooked, I began to share that with my audience as well.” And the benefits of eating raw/vegan, Mendoza says, are many, which for her included more energy, better sleep, clarity of mind, better digestion and a feeling of peace. “Also, my skin cleared up,” she says. “I used to have blemishes all the time and when I started eating raw foods, my skin really cleared up. So yeah, great benefits.” As for advice on how to get started, Mendoza says, “Prepare. I think that’s the best way to do it. Come at it with an open mind, first of all. Don’t judge it. If you want to try it out, try it out with an open mind. Educate yourself on the subject, so watch videos, follow people, get inspiration, get motivation. “And have a plan to follow,” she continues. “So that’s why my programs are great for beginners, because I really tell them exactly what they need to do. And I have a lot of videos, actually, where I show people how to meal prep and many people do it and they have great benefits as well. So that’s basically what I would tell someone – just prepare your meals and then just eat and enjoy.”