what I *actually* eat in a week | letting go of stress around food

[@mmschwartz84]

I think reframing how we think about food is incredibly important. I, however, was liberated from my restrictive eating habits once I began a whole food plant based vegan diet. We are all different, as you mentioned. I experienced a lot of physical discomfort, hormone imbalances, and mood swings when I was eating animal products. So eliminating these foods did not at all feel like deprivation, but like liberation from a life-long struggle around eating how most people eat and feeling terrible, then cutting out whole food groups in attempts to feel "healthier". All that did was exacerbate the anorexic tendencies I developed as a teen. Now, at the age of 40, I have never felt better mentally and physically. Is sticking to a Vegan diet difficult at times, yes. Do others not seem to understand why I am Vegan, yes. But deep down, I do it for me and me only. I wish you all the health and happiness this life has to offer Julia ❤

[@mutedlikesunset]

I appreciate your journey to food freedom and how inter-related the inherent “restrictions” that come with a vegan lifestyle can become with disordered eating habits but I do want to just point out that it’s not impossible to reach food freedom while still maintaining a harm-free diet. You can still enjoy waffles with your friend for dinner with the “less healthy” version of ingredients that does not have to include products that harm animals. I’ve been vegan for over 10 years. I come from a history of disordered eating. I’ve gone through the journey of accepting things like white flour, white sugar, oil, etc as part of a holistic balanced diet, but that does not mean that I choose to extend that to egg or dairy products. I don’t view these products as “unhealthy” anymore, but I still choose not to consume them because of the implications to animal life and I reached this conclusion without promoting or eating these products. I appreciate the difficulty of finding vegan options while travelling, but for me, maintaining an animal-free diet while doing so is worth the extra trouble so that what I’m putting into my body aligns with my ETHICAL values. Of course it’s not perfect and there are some situations where you simply have to choose to starve or accept some animal products in your meal. Veganism in my perspective is limiting harm to the extent that it is rationally feasible. Yes, I have had broth made of fish bones in a rural town in Japan after surveying every open restaurant to find a vegetarian option. Do I still consider myself vegan? Absolutely. It’s fine if this lifestyle no longer serves you, but I think it’s important to consider expressing that this is just not a personal priority for YOU and not necessarily something you should be promoting as “dangerous” to your large audience. It’s fine to state that the mental toll of finding vegan options within your current travelling lifestyle is too much to maintain from an overall health perspective for YOU as an individual, but please don’t make it seem like this is necessarily the revelation that everyone out there who is vegan needs to come to in order to be truly “free”. I loved your channel deeply, I recognize the personal journey you are on. I just really can’t get onboard with the blanket statements about how eating vegan and avoiding animal products is something that can be directly attributed to an eating disorder for anyone who has struggled with disordered eating. This message really doesn’t help the movement for a cruelty-free lifestyle. Just something to consider.

[@corissaah]

I'm loving this journey you are on because it is so real! Keep living your best life :)

[@sarahk.1489]

Hi Julia :-). I'm similar to you. Not everyone will agree or understand, but I also think of myself as a "vegan at heart." At the same time, when my 10yo daughter made me french toast last night with real butter and eggs, and then plated it all pretty just for me, I was not about to turn up my nose at that! I make exceptions where living a full and loving life calls for it, and because of that, I too, don't call myself vegan. I'm encouraged by your journey, Sister, and thankful for your presense on the internet

[@Melodoodles]

I've struggled with an eating disorder since I was 13 (ten years now, wow!) and no matter where I am on my food journey your videos are always a comfort to me.

[@francisv18]

I ADORE YOU LIVING IN YOUR PRESENT TRUTH!! i am having a different reaction than most to your discovery of true food freedom by not labeling foods and diets as "good" or "bad" since i actually stopped watching your videos about half a year ago because it was triggering my guilt about eating what i felt was nourishing, instead of curating perfectly nutritious meals every day like you have. i am not vegan, i never have been so that may be why you speaking honestly about the restrictive nature of veganism rang true to me. when i've gone out to eat with those who are vegan, i'll enjoy a delicious plate of food with cheese, fats, and saucy meats, while they usually stick to a small portion of mixed vegetables with beans or tofu - i may not know what their mouth and stomach feel but they'll sometimes give me a taste and it just doesn't feel as filling to me personally! just know there are those of us who have always loved the cooking and spiritual aspects of your videos, now i'm excited to see what new flavors you get to play with in the kitchen. i can feel it through this video the guilt you've begun to shed and the grace you've given yourself to eat what your heart desires! it's a beautiful thing and i will start watching your videos more!

[@AnastasiaNapreeva]

So Happy to see you Happy, Julia💖

[@divingwithgabs]

This was such a relaxing and wholesome video! Love your energy girl❤

[@sarahjanebee3154]

Hi julia, I just wanted to say,keep being you and keep growing.i really loved this video and I look forward to watching more ❤

[@mazemary8360]

Thank you for encouraging us to let go of the all-or-nothing-mentality

[@keirap7942]

Food is so much more than ingredients or nutrition, It's also about being together, sharing, getting to know cultures and loving life and people❤

[@EmilyHirsch]

This!

[@emiliaowen2387]

YAY! another video! I love ur what i eat in a days! love u girl.

[@EmilyHirsch]

I know that’s right🩷 proud of you Julia!

[@christinegallagherr]

I just wanna say I’m so proud of you for eating the waffles 💗💗💗

[@mattie_17]

Thank you for sharing this very meaningful but sometimes forgotten message with the world, Julia ..♡♥︎ and your food is amazing,as always🌻

[@Ratsfrom42]

Inspiring journey thank you for sharing Mindful eating with no distractions has been a habit I do for a bit then fall into old habits so now I have the rule of at least ONE meal a day (breakfast) no distractions instead of stressing myself with all meals. It’s honestly been great and I find I’m more encouraged to do more mindfulness when I don’t overburden myself with big rules just the single one.

[@grace1626]

I've got your blackberry lemon oat bake recipe in the oven!! 😍So excited to try it!! 🍋🫐🍋

[@juliaayers111]

I hope you enjoy love!!💛✨🌈🌞

[@grace1626]

@@juliaayers111 It was amazing! Just the right amount of sweetness. Thank you for the inspiration. Could even pair with a little non-dairy vanilla ice cream as a dessert 🥰 I very much resonated with what you talked about in this video! I myself have been vegan since high school (now 28) and so I've recently had to reframe my thinking around having an extreme focus on clean eating...my best friend came to visit who is not plant based and similarly to you, I've been working on letting go of control (a little bit to start) and enjoyed our visit cooking together (not always organic products, low sugar or plant-based), and that's ok!!! I love to sneak a piece of a croissant every once in a while...and if the energy surrounding the food is positive, it's ok go for it! ❤

[@mastandstars]

I enjoy your channel more with every video you post. 😎

[@martinafranco937]

Juliaaa 🤩 can we have a video update of your travels?

[@clairebear1318]

I understand that you were vegan for some time but I do understand that when something stops serving us we let it go and do something different. I think thats what your doing. Im proud of you, love you. :)

[@tinatjiuongua506]

Wow Your friend sounds like she's an Afrikaans speaking.. Welcome to Our Country Namibia..so happy You havin' a great time J...❤

[@adaparviainen]

you ✨THE✨ WIEIAWEEK queen

[@splittingsun]

As someone in AN recovery (though I also struggled with orthorexic tendencies), I'm so excited to see you recognize that your previous eating was disordered and restrictive and that you're now working to heal that. Recovery is so damn hard, but also so worth it.

[@plantaetivoli1178]

Your videos brought soo much joy into my life (4/5 years?) but I can't align with your values at this time.I 've had an ED since I was born, pretty much, and I had to earn the privilege to be vegan which, for me, is not restrictive at all. I've gained weight and health while going vegan for almost 10 yrs now. We don't live in the hundreds or thousands of years you mentioned. We are in 2024 and this Planet you adore can't take it anymore. We've depleted all natural resources and we see drastic climate changes everywhere.Chickens will live 10/12 years if you don't eat their eggs and I doubt the milk and eggs you consumed in this video are "humane?" I've ruined my brakes for stopping while dears crossed my way at nighttime. I've called 911 to have the police to come and shoot them in the head to stop their suffering. I held hands with other drivers while we cried doing so. Dears are like pests here. Dutchess county in NY is the capital of Lime Disease.I would never feel OK with hunting one of them. I love you, Julia, but i must say goodbye. Much Love and Peace from Upstate NY.

[@scienceislove2014]

Girl, you don't understand...this person's literally bad for your mental health.. her content is just toxic .. i totally saw this coming.. Whenever you see these words I'm about to state , run in the other direction - Spirituality, journey, obsessiom with happiness ... Like you probably haven't opened your eyes yet (you have no idea how toxic this always feel good thing is)..but glad to hear that your moral and values are important to you.. This is what I dropped on this video.. this should sum up a lot of things for you.. "Wow, I totally saw this coming!! I mean, whenever I see toxic obsession with healthy eating and "spirituality" and "journey" and "connection", I just know what's coming next.. This didn't come as a surprise to me.. I unsubscribed to this channel a long time ago as this toxic obsession was like too much to watch or support! Like , you don't have anything meaningful to do in life other than food and feeling "good".. Stress and sadness are all a part of life.. you feel sad and then you feel happy.. sadness makes happy moments that much better.. I don't know how people even watch this sort of nonsense.. I've already unsubscribed to this asian american woman who is uber famous and is "vegan" and.. "spiritual"... And with portion size that small, I would've starced to death.. like this woman literally eats nothing but vegetables and fruits with some tofu thrown in between.. Legumes , grains, even tofu never form the bulk of her meal.. To sum it up, this didn't even come as a surprise to me.. but God know why youtube will recommend this video to me.."

[@scienceislove2014]

Other words include honour (your body), nature , health, sacred, self-love... Hate how these people have made seemingly positive words so toxic...

[@masedi_linda_batsweleng]

I am proud of you Julia ❤

[@sonjailona]

Cooking outside is the best 🎉

[@evanlouis8853]

Hello, Julia...I recommend you watch Unnatural Vegan's assessment of your "I"m not vegan any more" video. It will be a hard pill to swallow, but it will be helpful for you to be more honest with yourself and your audience. .

[@ajgoralczyk]

It was a really great, honest video, but at the same time it had a lot of warm words for Julia.

[@EmilyDean]

I respect your decision, but I am sad to see you leave veganism. Everyone is saying they are happy for you and proud, but I want to give a different thought, since I am thinking how disappointing it is. I've been following you for a long long time, and what I loved most about your food is that is was nutritious. Something the ingredients didn't go together but it was the antithesis of gluttony. Something did not have to be mouth watering to be enjoyed. I have struggled with eating disorders as well, bulimia for 13 years, and when I was vegan it was the only time in my life I stopped throwing up. I realize I do struggle with orthorexia too. I am not vegan, but have a lot of left over habits from when I was and I am committed to returning to the lifestyle very soon. Unfortunately this doesn't help me anymore.

[@lawsabdoder]

I really miss watching your videos ❤

[@steixeira644]

I don’t get how vegans can go from fully plant based to totally not in one day. Your digestive systems not fucked?

[@athirdcup]

Hello... Have a wonderful day... 🌻🌈🎉

[@alexanderrhynd1866]

I thought you said that music was in a link below. I don't see the link

[@juliaayers111]

My apologies! kzbin.info/www/bejne/e2LOd6umg7dpgMUsi=9_01P1MKS5IhooNs

[@justyceboyd4672]

I really think affirmations are good for anything you’re struggling with. I started them consistently two weeks ago and feel like a new person already 🤎

[@DarlinMarleneVeVo]

😔

[@dantedevilx]

This is all about money. You complained about dwindling views and finances, saying you can't live abroad if it keeps up. All your stress complaints are common for omnivores. You weep for starving people but support most of our crops being fed to farm animals. Without farm animals, people wouldn't starve.

[@EmilyDean]

which video did she talk about the views and finances?

[@dantedevilx]

@@EmilyDean' what I eat in a day gentle girl diaries', 2 months ago.

[@ixplain]

​@@dantedevilxWithout Farm Animals, people wouldnt starve. This is either ragebait or troll. Animals consume indigestable foods for US and convert them into animalfat/Protein. We then eat those and the cycle of life continues. Your conment made no sense. If we dont eat animals, then what do we eat?

[@dantedevilx]

@@ixplain USDA says corn, barley, sorghum, oats are the main feed grains and over 50% of grain goes to farm animals

[@dantedevilx]

@@ixplain Colorado Newsline says 50%. I can't find percent on USDA. Texascornorg says only 1% of corn goes to humans. United nations supports plant based diet to save the planet.

[@numivis7807]

You said you were still going to be vegan at home and just not when you’re out because there are not many options. You using that milk and eggs two weeks later is really disappointing. The mild industry is so cruel and I doubt there would be no alternative.

[@lalalatwiluverlalala]

everyone has to do what they can, im sorry this is disappointing to you, but maybe try to not throw stones. we’re all doing our best ❤

[@numivis7807]

@@lalalatwiluverlalala harming innocent animals when there are so many alternatives does not really speak „doing your best“

[@juliaayers111]

Hey, just to clarify. I wasn’t at home in this video. I was traveling in Namibia for over a month

[@danieladelzotto6327]

Hi, besutiful placed..where ate you now?

[@scienceislove2014]

Wow, I totally saw this coming!! I mean, whenever I see toxic obsession with healthy eating and "spirituality" and "journey" and "connection", I just know what's coming next.. This didn't come as a surprise to me.. I unsubscribed to this channel a long time ago as this toxic obsession was like too much to watch or support! Like , you don't have anything meaningful to do in life other than food and feeling "good".. Stress and sadness are all a part of life.. you feel sad and then you feel happy.. sadness makes happy moments that much better.. I don't know how people even watch this sort of nonsense.. I've already unsubscribed to this asian american woman who is uber famous and is "vegan" and.. "spiritual"... And with portion size that small, I would've starced to death.. like this woman literally eats nothing but vegetables and fruits with some tofu thrown in between.. Legumes , grains, even tofu never form the bulk of her meal.. To sum it up, this didn't even come as a surprise to me.. but God know why youtube will recommend this video to me..