About me
Hey! I'm Davina.
I'm the founder of veganfitnessco.com, and I'm deeply passionate about living a vegan lifestyle for my health, the environment and for animal welfare.
I'm a qualified Personal Trainer and certified Vegan Nutrition Health Coach. I created this space to help coach, inspire, educate and empower others to transform their health and fitness through plant-based nutrition.
More about me...
As an athlete and coach, my health and wellness come first and I’m very mindful of what foods I put into my body. I've run almost 20 marathons, dozens of half marathons, and 4 ultra-trail marathons, so you could say fitness is important to me!
I'm continually seeking ways to improve my health and fitness levels via food and now I love inspiring and coaching others by sharing my knowledge and experiences, I truly believe that the healthiest thing we can do for our bodies is to eat a natural plant-based diet.
My own vegan journey began back in 2017, going vegan was honestly the best decision for me as I've found I've become a healthier and more mindful person.
“Keeping your body healthy is the biggest expression of gratitude”
Originally growing up in the UK, I'm now based in Malta, a tiny island in the Mediterranean. It's not always been easy living on a vegan diet here, as veganism has not been so widely spread as it has now become in the UK. However, the trend is definitely changing, and not just in Malta. With more and more vegan restaurants and cafes popping up all across the world, there's never been a better time to embrace veganism.
You are what you eat
I fully believe in the old saying "you are what you eat" because I've witnessed first hand for myself the positive impact oft eating a plant-based diet has had on my health.
Of course as a runner, fitness and nutrition are big parts of my life, and I'm keen to share my own experiences of what plant-based nutrition has done for me, and how it can help you too.
Why I turned vegan
Being an animal lover, I initially dabbled with vegetarianism as a teenager. However, back then it was a little known topic with nowhere near the amount of widely accessible information that we have today. It was in 2016 whilst living in Barcelona, that I again turned vegetarian as a way to live more compassionately.
Looking back, I never thought that adapting to fully vegan diet would ever be on my agenda. Then I was introduced to ‘Veganuary’. This initiative encourages and supports people as they try being vegan during the month of January. It's a great way to understand the food choices we make and the affect these choices can have on the environment and the animal agriculture business.
It was at this point that I discovered the real horrors of the animal agriculture industry from documentaries such as 'What the Health' and 'Cowspiracy'. I realised that by consuming milk, cheese and even eggs, I was still contributing to animal suffering.
These two films uncover the shocking reality of the meat and dairy industries, the negative impact they have on our environment, and how unhealthy animal produce is for our bodies. I urge everybody to watch them and find out for yourselves.
No going back
After all this, it felt like there was no going back. Almost immediately after I cut out all meat, fish and dairy, I began to notice big differences in my health. I was sleeping much better, I was less fatigued, I felt less stressed, my hair, skin and nails had visibly improved, and I stopped catching colds and getting sick all the time.
But the biggest change was with my fitness. I follow a strict and intense training schedule which can take its toll, but after turning vegan, that all changed. I no longer get the usual stiff aching muscles after a hard gym or training session, and my recovery times have all but disappeared. By changing what I eat, I've improved not just my health, but also my fitness levels.
Related post: Get fit on a vegan diet
Is vegan the right choice for me?
For me, becoming vegan has 100% been the right choice to make. It's allowed me to re-think the way that I eat, and it's given me a more conscious way of life. My passion for cooking has been reignited and I love exploring different food options and recipes that I would never have discovered before. (It's not all about salads!)
Make the change today
One of the main reasons people find the vegan lifestyle unsustainable is because they are unsure of what foods to eat. This is why I usually recommend making small steps at first - for example, cutting out milk and replacing it with a plant-based alternative is an easy start. And when you remove something like meat from your diet, it needs to be replaced with a suitable alternative such as beans, lentils, chickpeas, quinoa, tofu or other plant-based protein sources.
The thought process that goes into choosing plant-based foods can be daunting and complex at first, but there’s never been a better or easier time to go vegan. On this site I've included dozens of tips, advice, recipes and even meal plans to get you started.
It brings me great satisfaction coaching and helping people learn the benefits of plant-based nutrition, and it gives me a sense of purpose that no other way of life could offer.
I’ve had no regrets about changing my eating habits, my only one true regret is that I didn’t try it sooner!
Much love,
