Naturally Speaking Interview: Vegan Coach and Personal Trainer Ramona Cadogan

I am delighted to share talented Vegan Coach and Personal Trainer, Ramona Cadogan’s story

with you.

Ramona became a vegan for the animals but also to prevent or reduce the chances of getting ill from

consuming animal products.

She is a National level athlete in Olympic weightlifting competitions–in fact, she took the silver medal

at her first National meet by being in the sport less than 3 years.

Ramona is a certified personal trainer, Pilates instructor, vegan coach/meal planner and hula hooper

plus she has worked in the educational field for over 20 years.

 

“If  you do veganism right,

you can gain health benefits

like more energy, clear skin

and balancing your weight.”

 

Urban Naturale: Tell us a little about yourself.

 

Ramona: I am Queens native and presently reside in Great Neck, N.Y.

I have been in the educational field as long as I have been into fitness–which spans over 20 years.

I was introduced to physical fitness by taking ballet at 5 years old.

I have a Bachelors Degree in Biology and a Master’s in Education from Adelphi University with a

Pre-med background.

I also have a tutoring service for most subjects/home schooling and test preps Pre-K to college.

I am a certified personal trainer, pilates instructor and hula hooper in the fitness industry.

I have been vegan since 2000 and competed in Olympic weightlifting competitions.

I took a silver medal in the Master’s Division for my age and weight class at my first national meet

in under 3 years after competing in the sport.

Urban Naturale: What motivated you to become vegan?

Was it a quick switch or a gradual transition?

Tell us about your vegan journey?

 

Ramona: I became motivated to become a vegan because of the animals and felt a plant-based lifestyle

is the way to go!

It was a quick transition especially when I saw how animals were slaughtered in many documentaries.

I became a vegan in 2000 and not only for humane purposes but I saw how my skin glowed and I had

more energy!!

Urban Naturale: How/when did you become a vegan health coach

and personal trainer?

 

Ramona: I became a vegan health coach in 2008 and a personal trainer in 2011.

I am certified by Alyssa Cohen’s raw vegan chef course and received my personal training/pilates certifications

from Fitour.

Urban Naturale: How do you work with clients? What is your philosophy?

 

Ramona: I work with athletes, non-athletes, stay-at-home moms, children and the elderly on fitness.

I work with clients for fitness prep, weight loss, bodybuilding, toning, strength/conditioning and core fitness.

I have clients online or in-person.

Some clients request meal plans based on their fitness levels to enhance their performance.

Urban Naturale: What is your basic approach to vegan strength training

and diet planning?

 

Ramona: There is a different approach to providing a meal plan for a marathon runner as opposed to a weightlifter.

I base the meal plan on what type of sport the athlete or client participates in.

Urban Naturale: How should vegans plan nutritionally balanced meals

for the week? How can they make sure to meet their nutritional needs?

 

Ramona: To stay healthy vegans must have fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds.

Most of the diet–depending if you are an athlete or not–should be high carbs and low fats.

Nutritional needs are met based on the individual’s blood work.

Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables brings fiber in your diet which is needed regularity and

antioxidant boost.

Limit your nuts and seeds because they take longer to digest.

They are great source of omegas.

Eat more avocados for omega benefits and they are easier to digest than nuts and seeds.

Eating lots carbs like quinoa and sweet potatoes are important for endurance and strength athletes.

 

Urban Naturale: Why is protein so important for fitness and

muscle-building?

What are your favorite vegan protein sources?

 

Ramona: Protein is for building and repairing.

My favorite sources are Beyond Meat, beans, tofu and seitan.

Purium is the best protein powder!

UrbanNaturale: Many vegans are overweight.

What is an effective way to lose weight on a vegan diet?

 

Ramona: To lose weight you need to weight train not just do cardio and have meals based on your

fitness goals designed for you.

If  you do veganism right you can gain health benefits like more energy, clear skin and balancing

your weight.

Drinking alkaline water with lemon to naturally detoxify the body the first thing in the morning

is a must.

By doing this you reset your metabolism.

Urban Naturale: What does a typical day on your vegan diet plan for strength

training look like?

What do you recommend that a client eat and drink on a typical day — drinks,

meals, snacks — to support their fitness goals?

 

Ramona: First thing in the morning it it best to have lemon in water to detoxify the body.

If I train in the morning I want to get my carbs and protein in 2 hours before I train along with my fats.

This could mean 2 to 3 sweet potatoes, 2 pieces of Beyond Meat and a half of avocado.

40 minutes after I train have some quinoa with seitan and some broccoli.

Then I eat some mixed nuts 2 hours later with an apple.

Then 2 hours after I’ll have a large salad with a variety of greens, seaweeds and dressing made from

lemons, pine nuts and dates.

Urban Naturale: Please share one of your favorite fitness-training-supportive

vegan recipes with us.

 

Avocado Kale Salad

1/2 head of kale

1 Hass avocado

1 radish, sliced

1/2 cucumber, sliced

1 handful almonds

1 medium organic red pepper

1 medium organic carrot shredded

1/2 lemon, squeezed for juice

Sea salt to taste

 

Directions:

In a large bowl add a ½ head of chopped kale, cut up an avocado into many slices, then add to the bowl.

Other ingredients will be added to the bowl in following order: 1 radish, sliced cucumber, 1 handful of

almonds, 1 chopped organic pepper, 1 shredded organic carrot, 1/2 a lemon squeezed, a dash of sea salt.

Toss all the ingredients together and then serve.

Urban Naturale: Tell us more about the services you offer and how

our readers can contact you.

Ramona: To further connect with me on my journey as a vegan athlete you could find me on

www.officialteamgreen.com.

I am one of the ambassadors for the NY area.

Check out this link to learn more about me:

http://alkhalife.info/content/vegan-health-and-fitness-athlete-olympic-weightlifting

You can connect with me in the following ways:

Email: ramonacadogan@mail.adelphi.edu

Tel. 917-608-0018

Websites:

www.fitveganchef.weebly.com

www.officialteamgreen.com

www.academictutor.weebly.com

Social Media:

Facebook: Ramona Adelle Cadogan

www.facebook.com/academictutorfitnessrawlivingprofessional

Twitter: rawveganathlete

Instagram: nyambassadorteangreen63

Linkedin: Ramona Cadogan

Thank you for sharing your knowledge, insights and vegan fitness and diet coaching services with us, Ramona.

We value and appreciate your insights.

 

What did you think about Ramona’s vegan diet and fitness journey?

How/why did you transition to a vegan diet?

How do you fuel your workouts on a plant-based diet?

Share your thoughts and comments with us.

 

“Shared on Healthy Vegan Fridays”