{"id":23005,"date":"2021-11-02T22:41:46","date_gmt":"2021-11-03T05:41:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.happycow.net\/blog\/?p=23005"},"modified":"2022-02-28T01:52:14","modified_gmt":"2022-02-28T09:52:14","slug":"ambassador-spotlight-tonya-kay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.happycow.net\/blog\/ambassador-spotlight-tonya-kay\/","title":{"rendered":"HappyCow Ambassador Spotlight: Tonya Kay"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

The Happy Cowmunity boasts over 540 city ambassadors around the world! From Dubai to Sydney and everywhere in between, our stellar HappyCow ambassadors know the best vegan eats in town. This month, we\u2019re spotlighting Tonya Kay from Los Angeles, California. The professional dancer, actress, and filmmaker travels extensively for work, so we sat down with her to glean all we can about how to travel and eat well as a vegan on the road. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Image<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

28 Years Vegan<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Kay recently celebrated her 28th veganversary, and she couldn\u2019t be more excited to see what the next 28 years of plant-based eating will bring. The entertainer adopted the vegan diet while on tour with the legendary musician, Kenny Rogers. She had her foot in the door already\u2014she\u2019d been a vegetarian for 10 years and was acutely conscious of what was actually in food. One night, tired but unable to sleep, the tour bus pulled over and all she could find to eat was packaged, processed food. Sleep-deprived and hangry, she decided to go vegan on the spot \u201cas an FU to The System for allowing entire stores to be filled with consciousness-altering and physically-altering control agents instead of real food.\u201d Of course, she eventually got some sleep and food in her, but her resolve remained, and she\u2019s been resolutely vegan ever since. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a sense, Kay went vegan overnight, but it also took her 10 years to make the leap from vegetarian to vegan. To all the vegetarians out there, Kay offered up some grace: \u201cI really do honor and reach a hand down to the vegetarians. Safe transitions can take a decade or a day depending on the individual.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Veganism and Performance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWork is a kinder place because of the spiritual growth veganism has nurtured in me,\u201d Kay explained. First and foremost, it allowed her to get more in tune with her feelings\u2014a connection that improves her performance on stage and her interactions with others on set. Kay particularly enjoys working with other vegans. Not only is there a common thread to bond over, she wholeheartedly believes that the more vegans, the better the afterparty! In regards to physical performance benefits, Kay remarked, \u201cMy professional dance career reflects more consistent energy, a youthful appearance into my mature dancing years, my muscles are strong, and it\u2019s easy to stay lean.\u201d Energy, power, and eternal youth? Who wouldn\u2019t go vegan after hearing that! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vegan Travel<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Naturally, Kay highly recommends that the first thing to do when traveling as a vegan is to download the HappyCow app. \u201cThe HappyCow app has been with me every step of the way to make sure I am eating the best food and I\u2019m meeting the coolest people,\u201d she raved. And she\u2019s been everywhere, not just in the United States, but Europe, Asia, South America, and Africa. She also offered up a bit of cautionary advice, particularly for those who prefer to adhere to a whole food, plant-based diet: \u201cDon\u2019t plan on every little destination to have really anything for you, especially if you care about being healthy and feeling good. Prepare by bringing your snacks and food basics with you.\u201d Whether you find an exceptional vegan spot in a tiny town or end up making a meal out of hummus, marinated tofu, and raw vegetables, Kay encourages everyone to meet as many people as they can. Afterall, veganism isn\u2019t just about the food but the wonderful people who make up this movement. Oh, and bring your own reusable water bottle and cutlery, because the planet deserves respect, too!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"HappyCow<\/a><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Happy Cowmunity boasts over 540 city ambassadors around the world! From Dubai to Sydney and everywhere in between, our stellar HappyCow ambassadors know the best vegan eats in town. This month, we\u2019re spotlighting Tonya Kay from Los Angeles, California. The professional dancer, actress, and filmmaker travels extensively for work, so we sat down with her to glean all we can about how to travel and eat well as a vegan on the road.  28 Years Vegan Kay recently celebrated her 28th veganversary, and she couldn\u2019t be more excited to see what the next 28 years of plant-based eating will bring. The entertainer adopted the vegan diet while on tour with the legendary musician, Kenny Rogers. She had her foot in the door already\u2014she\u2019d been a vegetarian for 10 years and was acutely conscious of what was actually in food. One night, tired but unable to sleep, the tour bus pulled over and all she could find to eat was packaged, processed food. Sleep-deprived and hangry, she decided to go vegan on the spot \u201cas an FU to The System for allowing entire stores to be filled with consciousness-altering and physically-altering control agents instead of real food.\u201d Of course, she […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7417,"featured_media":23008,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23005","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general"],"yoast_head":"\nHappyCow Ambassador Spotlight: Tonya Kay - HappyCow<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Meet one of HappyCow's fabulous ambassadors, Tonya Kay! 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