Name : Stacy G!
Website : forkspokespoon.tumblr.com

How long have you been riding : I got my bike in March 2010, I would say I didn’t actually really start riding until the Chicago girls’ jam in June 2010.
Favorite spot/s to ride : geez. I’ve never raced, but I REALLY like the Elgin(Illinois) bmx track. It was one of the first things I got to ride when I got my bike, and it made me want to ride even more! plus I never ate shit there!

Your main purpose for your website : To inform and educate people on the real truth related to health and nutrition that mainstream media seldom shares. I like to throw in bike stuff here and there when I can because I feel that riding pushes me to take care of myself!
When did you become vegan and what triggered the change :I became vegan in Feb 2006, pretty much cold turkey, I had maybe a month transition from the typical american diet. I used to get sick all the time, and I had very little energy. I had a friend living with me who was vegan but 100% for animal rights reasons so she wasn’t very healthy. She ate mostly chips and salsa, cereal, and french fries. I went to the library and checked out a bunch of vegan cookbooks for her (which she never even looked at). I started leafing through some of them, and the explanations they gave for the health benefits just made sense to me. I decided to try it for myself, noticed a complete 180 change in how I felt, and never went back!

I know you read a lot of books/articles regarding nutrition, have you ever read “Skinny Bitch”? If so, what’s your take on the book : I actually just bought that book a few weeks ago at a used bookstore. I haven’t actually read it, but I know quite a bit about it. I’ve read so many vegan conversion/diet books which all basically have the same message with the same information, just targeted towards slightly different audiences.

Do you not eat meat because you think it is unfair to animals or it is bad for your health? In the beginning it was only about health(and yes its EXTREMELY bad for your health, especially in the way typical Americans eat it), but a funny thing happens when you stop eating animal products (or at least it did for me) is that you stop looking at animals as food, and you start looking at them as just fellow beings. So although in the beginning I would have said I didn’t care, now I absolutely do. But whether you consider yourself an animal lover or not, factory farming is just wrong, and a lot of us don’t realize that that is where the majority of our meat comes from. These animals aren’t just grazing peacefully frolicking on Old McDonald’s farm. I could go into all the gross details, but I won’t. People like to keep a separation from it, so we can pretend this kind of thing doesn’t exist. We don’t like to associate animal cruelty with what is on our plate, or in our glass.

What’s your take on protein powder – Whey, soy, rice, etc. : If you eat a varied WHOLE foods diet (this means actual fruit and vegetables, beans, seeds nuts, NOT processed foods) you will get all of the protein you need. However if you feel you’re unsure, go ahead and put a supplement powder in a smoothie in the morning (especially if you’re riding hard all day long!). I stay away from anything with whey in it because obviously that comes from cows, but I am rather partial to the brand “Vega” which has been formulated by the vegan triathlete Brendan Brazier who wrote one of my favorite books, The Thrive Diet.
Hawaii is killer for its fish, mahi mahi is a nice treat they like to make, is it hard to resist eating some of the foods that look really good, considering your not into eating meat : Fortunately for me, before I was vegan i wasn’t a seafood fan, so I don’t really know if I’m missing anything. But even if I was into it, I’ve read too much about our modern fishing practices and what thats doing to our oceans. Add that to all the mercury and other high toxin levels found in fish and no thank you!
Whole foods is pretty gnarly, and considering you work there, do you educate yourself since there is so much readily available : Whole Foods is AWESOME. I was vegan for awhile before I started working their but they really helped me to step up my game. Right when I started working there they began to roll out their healthy eating initiative, which began with educating team members. It put a fire under my butt about nutrition, and finding out more information, and it put my vegan junk food days far behind me.
Which section is your favorite : The bulk section!
Soy milk or almond milk : Almond, but I like to mix it up with a variety so my body doesn’t get too overloaded with one thing (Hemp, Coconut, Soy, Rice, Almond!)
Anything else you want to add go for it :
Oh geez. I think most of my responses were pretty long winded as it is, but I will say this:
As a girl the biggest thing I’m scared of when riding is injury, on top of that its not easy keeping up with the boys (especially if they’ve been riding 10+ years longer than you!). The best thing you can do is take care of yourself and your body, and that starts with what you put into it! If any girl (or guy for that matter) ever wants helps with nutrition/plant-based eating or just has questions I’m always open to it!
There are so many great resources out there. I read a lot, but if you don’t like to read there are a bajillion documentaries that really highlight the important information. If you want to start with a book (that will change your life) I suggest The Food Revolution by John Robbins. Also, there’s a new documentary coming out in May called Forks Over Knives that is a must see!