Vegan Great Life 
Peace, Love & SASSY Plants!
Food and Healing Svcs.

Vegan Great Life (VGL) ~ or Vegan Macrobiotics ~ is a way of eating and living in harmony with who you are, and all life.  Eating more intuitively, adjusting food choices and cooking techniques to provide the greatest balance to your personal needs ~ which will vary according to your constitution, current health condition and health goals, and the season ~ you will feel more in control of your health.  Living in harmony with your needs enhances your ability to live a long, great (macros) life (bios).

Vegan Great Life means several things to me, beyond the 'great life' reference to 'macrobiotics' ~ a particular operating system that is near and dear to my heart. 

I first birthed VGL in 2012, having switched from a Paleo Diet to a fully vegan, plant-based diet (based on macrobiotic principles of balance) in late 2011, as a result of my husband and I both experiencing troubling, potentially pre-cancerous health issues. Considering  his family history of both prostate and skin cancer, and both of us having a family history of heart disease and dementia ~ our personal health scares was a big wake-up call.

However, despite having swift recovery from both our conditions ~ consuming all the foods we were previously avoiding, including soy, grains, flax seeds, etc., we had a 'change of heart' around 2017.  We switched from consuming only plants, to barely any,  gave up / unpublished all our plant-based / macrobiotic books (which I am now making available again as ebooks), and dropped Vegan Great Life (along with our Plant Based Solution YouTube channel.)

I'm still in disbelief, but in hindsight, I understand why we went through this experience.  I better understand why so many were unhappy with our choices as well.

I don't want to bog you down with all the details of our switching (some say 'flip-flopping') diets from plant-based, to nearly plant-free ~ and back again.  I'm here to share what Vegan Great Life is all about, now!

You likely heard the saying, 'If you love something, set it free.  If it's meant to be yours, it will come back around.'

True to that saying, it did.  

Vegan Great Life, the URL I used at one point while vegan, was available, again.  As if it was meant to be mine all along.  It's my/our updated version of a macrobiotic approach to enjoying a SASSY vegan / plant-based diet to live a long, great (macros) life (bios/biotic.)

So here we are.  You and I.  Perhaps old friends, who followed us during our first five years as vegans.  Perhaps new friends meeting for the first time.  Welcome to all, vegan, or not.

Keep reading to learn more about what Vegan Great Life has to offer, including FREE Macrobiotic, and Plant-Based Ebooks, SASSY recipes, and informative articles about all things health related.  

I also look forward to chatting with those of you interested in any of my Vegan Great Life holistic healing services!

What is the SASSY Vegan Great Life Diet?

SASSY is the acronym I originally came up with when I published my flagship book, Make Every Bite Count, Elevate Your Choices, Lose Weight and Feel Great, the SASSY ~ Super Affordable, Simple, Satisfying and YUMMY Plant-Based Way to Health.  

I believed that for a plant-based diet to be sustainable long-term for a majority of people, it needed to be simple, affordable, satisfying, and, well, delicious!   I hold to this to this day, and as a result, I veer off from the majority of promoters of a 'whole-foods, plant-based' diet who eschew all 'processed' foods, and tend to be #SOS, or salt- oil- and sugar-free.

And, there's nothing wrong with that.  I was certified in plant-based nutrition by T. Colin Cambell and eCornell back in 2012, and completed the Forks Over Knives oil-free cooking course offered online through Rouxbe Online Cooking School in December, 2022.

However, it doesn't mean strict avoidance of all higher quality oils, sweeteners and salty condiments,  'processed plant foods' or even gluten containing grains poses health risks, or is healthier or necessary for all people, at all times.  

Contrary to public opinion, there are ample studies that contradict the claims that these foods are inherently bad for you, and plenty of examples of long lived populations that regularly consume each of the above mentioned foods. 

By and large, not every meal needs to be restaurant ready.  However, the more we cook our own meals, with fresh (frozen if necessary) foods, the greater control we have on our health.  

Being healthy requires more than just a change of diet.  It's a lifestyle.  It typically involves a willingness to self-reflect, and remain open to a change of mind, and a change of heart.

As I understand this very well, I know I can help others who, like myself, believed my heart to be in the right place.  And, who also believed that the diet I was eating each time was 'healthy.'  

To really free myself, I've had to let go of many long-standing beliefs, about what was healthy and what wasn't.  And, clear out a lot of other disturbances, which I now do for others during my Five Elements Energy Clearings.

Living as a unified, integrated being ~ as opposed to having disparate parts / unhealed old wounds vying for our attention and pulling us in opposite directions ~ restores our sense of wholeness, peace, power, confidence and strength.  There's nothing greater than experiencing the harmony and peace when our mind, body, heart, soul and spirit are harmoniously synced.  It's truly priceless!

My Vegan GREAT Life SASSY Diet website offers recipes, educational resources, and holistic healing services to help you live your most vibrant, illuminated life.  That's been my focus and passion most of my life.  I desired this for myself, and believed it was how we are all meant to live.  (You may also like my book, The Strong Spirit 10-Step Plan to Overcome Obstacles, and Realize Your Dreams)

Whether you desire to lose weight, balance your moods, uplift your energy, and / or experience greater peace, there is a process that can help you be the greatest version of yourself that you came here to be.

This is where my SASSY Vegan Great Life dietary approach, and unique Energy Clearing and Harmonizing (and Health Coaching) provides a more effective and impactful difference.  

Until Don and I uprooted, or cleared out some deeply buried subconscious beliefs and old, unhealed wounds, our thoughts and actions were in disharmony to the truth and values within our hearts.  It's pretty impossible to have sustainable success and happiness when we are splintered and divided within ourselves.  And, it was nearly impossible to see our blind spots, and 'enlighten' our being while consuming animals, including the negative residual energies ~ and hormones ~ transmitted during slaughter.  

Being a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) this became evident to me once we transitioned back to our SASSY Vegan Great Life Diet.

Now, it's all about the Peace, Love ~ and SASSY Plants!

Care to join me?  Contact me! Let's chat!

What type of food and healing services do I offer?

• I share simple plant-based / vegan recipes, an ongoing series of articles sharing the sometimes lesser known health benefits or affects of various foods (including carrots, potatoes and tomatoes, with barley, salt, whole wheat, natto, and more to come), macrobiotics and principles of balance, Chinese medicine 5-elements seasonal eating, FREE Macrobiotic and Plant-Based Ebooks, what it means to be an HSP, and more.
• I offer health coaching and other holistic healing services, available in person or by phone, including Guided Visualization,  Holistic C.O.R.E. Counseling and energy healing integrating Reiki,  and a unique Five- Elements Energy Healing ~  geared towards clearing any disturbing energies preventing you from feeling your natural state of harmony and peace.

Whether on a budget, or a self-starter, check out any of my content, recipes and free ebooks.

If you feel stuck, and could use some outside help, I'm here for you!  Contact me, or check out The Strong Spirit 10-Step Plan, on Amazon or Kindle.

Having the right support  ~ someone to help us see our blindspots, hold us accountable, and guide us through any potential 'healing crisis' that may emerge (or erupt!) when changing one's diet ~ can greatly improve chances of success in achieving our ideal weight and other health and personal life goals.

Every step you take towards transforming any obstacles ~ be they physical, mental, emotional or spiritual ~ helps clear the way for more of your light to shine.

Are YOU ready for a Vegan Great Life?

According to a large body of evidence, we all benefit from incorporating a more plant-dominant diet.  There are many health benefits including helping minimize many common diseases.  (Grab a FREE copy of Powered by Plants, by my husband, Don to learn more.)

Eating a nutrient, water, and fiber-rich plant-based diet is a safe, sustainable way to lose and keep off unwanted excess fat and body weight.

That said, many are either not ready or not willing to adopt a more plant-based diet, or make the changes to restore gut health for which many now suffer.  However, avoidance of foods believed to be the culprit of digestive woes may be further hampering the body's ability to tolerate foods that are highly beneficial for health and longevity.  (I share how I tweaked our meals, applying recommendations from Ayurvedic medicine to improve our digestion, here.)

Striking the right balance takes some time, patience and a commitment, something I understand from personal experience!

Beyond dietary changes, those who will most benefit from Energy Clearing / Harmonizing & Holistic Health Coaching Services (whether intending to be fully vegan, or not) include those who relate to any of the following statements:

• You are passionate ~ like I am ~ about feeling your best, and aging with strength, functionality and grace
• You are willing to remain open to information that may contradict current popular beliefs, especially about diet, nutrition and health
• You yearn ~ like I do ~ to share your unique gifts and body of knowledge in meaningful, joy filled ways
• You are a Highly Sensitive Person who could use support with clearing your energy field of disturbances, and cultivating more nurturing lifestyles, environments, livelihoods, and energetic boundaries
• You would like personalized diet suggestions, and ongoing support to be held more accountable to ensure positive and successful outcomes
• You desire greater personal freedom from contrary or self-sabotaging mental / emotional patterns and situations, food addictions, past traumas, and circumstances that are no longer serving your highest good
• You are a fellow animal lover who is ready to awaken your heart, and align your core values with your thoughts and actions (which is part of your DOS!)
• You want to eat a super affordable, simple, satisfying and yummy  (SASSY) natural whole plant-based diet, and are not sure where to begin!
• You sense that something is weighing you down, or you feel stuck, have old grief you can't shake, or feel overwhelmed by your emotions.
• You desire greater harmony, peace, and joy in your life.

Standard American Style Breakfast, made healthy, and plant-based! Tofu Scramble, potatoes and vegetable.

Macrobiotic books previously published, being released as free e-books

A macrobiotic meal, with brown rice, a variety of land & sea veggies and some tofu

A lake in Prescott, AZ

Mrs. Stokes Park in Hillsdale, MI

Want to get started eating a healthy balanced macrobiotic diet?

Grab a copy of How To Feel Great & Improve Your Health with a Macrobiotic Diet  ~ NOW available as a FREE E-Book.  

Or check out all my macrobiotic related content on my blog, including my weight loss and health journey, how to craft a healthy, balanced diet based on practices common among traditional populations, and more.

Ready to try a 21-Day Plant-Based Challenge?

Ready to try a 21-Day Health & Weight Loss Challenge?

Grab a copy of The Whole-Food, Plant-Based 21-Day Health & Weight Loss Challenge FREE E-Book, then invite yourself to join our FB Group.

Feeling stuck?  Need a MAP to help you create your most illuminated life?

To help you overcome obstacles, and accomplish your goals, or experience greater flow in life, you need a MAP.

I outline ten steps that are like tools you can apply to any area of your life in my book, The Strong Spirit 10-Step Plan, Your MAP to Overcoming Obstacles, and Realizing Your Dreams.

The 'MAP' is my personal integration of the Holistic C.O.R.E. Counseling program for which I am certified, and which is the foundation of the 'MAP' I outline in my book.  The tools I now teach have become the bedrock for helping me transform my life. 

Learn more about all of my Matesz Macrobiotic Holistic Healing Services. 

How to get started with any of my Vegan Great Life Holistic Health Services
 

Protein & calcium-rich Tofu Scramble with Vegetables & Steamed, then Baked Yukon Gold Potatoes

Don & I in the glow from a full day meditation retreat at the Tempe, AZ Zen center, during our earlier years as vegans, late 2011-early 2017.

Two young calves at a local dairy farm we visited in fall of 2022. Living in isolation is counter to their true nature, as they are very social pack animals

Be sure to bookmark that page be alerted when more of my previously published macrobiotic books and cookbooks, along with MEBC and other new e-books, videos, online support groups, and future e-courses are made available!  

A little about me...

I am a homebody, animal and nature lover, writer, and HSP.  

My husband and I regularly practice yoga/mobility and strength training, and share in our passion for health and fitness ~ and our desire to live a long, healthy life!  Since my sweet Jasper's passing in 2023, we began to help shelter several abandoned neighborhood cats.

I hold a Masters of Science Degree Oriental Medicine, and am a Certified Macrobiotics Counselor through Macrobiotics America.  I also hold certifications in Plant-Based Nutrition through T. Colin Campbell's Center for Nutrition Studies, Plant-Based cooking through Forks Over Knives and Rouxbe Online Culinary School, and as a Clinical Hypnotherapist, Holistic C.O.R.E. Counselor, Reiki Master and Teacher ~ for humans and animals ~ and Yoga Teacher.

I look forward to helping you live your most ideal, healthy, illuminated life!

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