If you’ve ever been to Anamaya Resort you know a lot of love goes into every dish they make for their guests. They are a gluten and dairy free resort, and although they do serve chicken and fish for those who want it – the foundation of their menu is whole food, plant based.
So what does that mean exactly? What is the difference between being vegan, plant-based, or whole food, plant based?
A lot more people are adopting a plant-based diet and choosing to reduce the amount of animal products they consume. Many celebrities or high-profile influencers have made the vegan lifestyle more mainstream.
People like Joaquin Phoenix, Bill Clinton, Ellen DeGeneres, Brad Pitt, Jennifer Lopez and Stevie Wonder praise their vegan/plant-based diet and its massive benefits.
Some people describe themselves as “plant-based”, others say they are “vegan”, and then we have those who say they are “whole food, plant based” – so what is the difference?
Veganism has evolved since the term was created in 1944 by Donald Watson, the English Founder of The Vegan Society. It excludes any and all animal products including sea food, fish and eggs.
Veganism is also considered a way of living. Many vegans will avoid purchasing products beyond food like clothing, household products, wine, shoes, or personal care items that have been tested on animals or use any animal byproducts.
The plant-based movement came out of veganism, but there are a few differences. Some people who consider themselves plant-based do consume some animal products, and if you are whole foods, plant based you avoid processed foods.
You may have heard about all the meatless burger options that even the fast food restaurants are implementing into their menu… and seen all the vegan options at your local grocery store. The selection of items like veggie dogs, vegan mac & cheese, meatless “chicken” tenders, non-dairy yogurts & cheese slices, and other vegan options have been steadily increasing over the years and become a huge industry. However, if you consider yourself whole foods, plant based you wouldn’t eat these packaged foods because they are heavily processed.
If you consider yourself vegan, you typically avoid any foods or products that cause harm to animals in any way.
If you consider yourself plant-based you typically eat a diet that has a foundation in plant foods with limited or no animal products.
If you consider yourself whole foods, plant-based you typically avoid all the packaged and processed foods on the shelf.
Adopting these lifestyle choices can be based on very individual and personal reasons. Some are focused on their health, others the health of the planet, or animal rights, or allergies… and for some it’s a combination of all of the above.
You might consider yourself vegan… you might consider yourself plant-based… you might choose to not use any labels and are simply interested in reducing animal consumption and focusing on eating healthy foods that will serve your body and lifestyle.
Anamaya Resort’s focus is on serving their guests the most nutrient dense, whole, plant-based foods they can, so you feel rejuvenated, energized and super healthy by the time you leave to go back home. They have received numerous messages and emails from their guests saying that they’ve completely changed their way of eating after staying at Anamaya, and they couldn’t be more grateful!
Over the past 11 years one thing they hear over and over again from their guests is:
“When are you putting out a cookbook?!”
When Covid hit, many people were stuck at home so they turned to experimenting in the kitchen. What a perfect time to launch a cookbook, but do it in a more sustainable way.
In the summer of 2020 Anamaya Resort launched their online cookbook. Having an online platform allows them to upload videos, new recipes and articles every month… and one low price gives you access for an entire year.
It’s sustainable.
It’s helping people stay healthy.
It’s bringing families together.
It’s helping Anamaya keep their staff employed during difficult times.
It’s serving a community who love delicious and healthy food.
Maybe you perfected your baking over Covid… or perhaps you started ordering produce boxes from your local farm and experimented with some new ingredients and recipes… or maybe you dove head first into comfort food. One thing is for sure, plant based cooking has taken 2020/2021 by storm.
For more information on Anamaya’s online plant based cookbook, click HERE.
