Tofu Talk Podcast

Friendchip Series Season Finale - This week's episode is the series finale of the Friendchip Series and features a special guest Arnav "Arnie" Roy. Arnie is the host of the Grateful Living Podcast and a new friend of ours. He is a mental health advocate who publishes weekly episodes to inspire you to be the best you that you can be. He is also a youtuber sharing moments of his life through fun and entertaining vlogs. We thought it would be a great opportunity for Arnie to share his experiences, regrets, and more when its comes to the importance of friendships and developing support systems. Please check out the links below to see Arnie's amazing content, and we truly appreciate your continued support of our show! 

Arnie's Content:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gratefullivingpodcast/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9Bo0LHtRJJNJBUYIceg27w/about

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Hn4ttttmbWfVqAhWh4Jhi?si=_laVXIijQMyUvrvoTtM-KQ&dl_branch=1

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/grateful-living/id1503185956

Contact us:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tofutalkpod/

Email: TofuTalkPodcastt@gmail.com

Friendchips Series Part 2 - In this episode, we share our yin/yang of the week and then dive into an open discussion about the difficulties in maintaining friendships as we age. As we get older, careers, responsibilities and changing priorities cause many of us to drift apart. We hope you enjoy this fun conversation and thank you for the constant support. Please share any feedback you have!

Contact Us: www.instgram.com/tofutalkpod

Friendchips Series Part 1 - Welcome to the Friendchips Series! Over the last 1.5 years, we've seen an increase in loneliness due to restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic (which were much needed!). In today's episode we explain why friendships are important to us, why we seek and build friendships, how it makes us feel as individuals, and what we look for when making new friends. Prioritizing these friendships not only has a direct link to a longer life, but the sense of community will also increase the quality. We hope you enjoy the episode and appreciate all of the feedback you provide!

Contact us:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tofutalkpod/

Empty Ocean Series Part 2 - In this episode, we wanted to discuss a recent event that is having a devastating effect on our oceans. The "Dead Zone" that has been appearing in the Gulf of Mexico over the last 50 years has repeatedly reached record size in recent years due to a 30% higher increase in nitrogen and phosphorus from the Mississippi river runoff. We share our experiences handling the increase in climate tragedies and address some steps to deal with climate anxiety. We hope you all enjoy the episode because we sure enjoyed recording it! 

Resources:

https://thecounter.org/gulf-of-mexico-fishers-dead-zone-climate-change-algal-blooms/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBGZtNJAt-M - Is recycling even worth it anymore?

Contact us at:

https://www.instagram.com/tofutalkpod/

Empty Ocean Series Part 1 - Welcome to the Empty Ocean Series! We thought it would be a great idea to kickstart this series by sharing a review and our thoughts on the popular and recently released film Seaspiracy. Seaspiracy is a 2021 documentary film about the environmental impact of fishing directed by and starring Ali Tabrizi, a British filmmaker. The film examines various human impacts on marine life and advocates for ending fish consumption. Lastly, we provide a few action steps for ourselves and our society in order to make a meaningful impact on our planet. Please leave a rating/review and let us know what you think by messaging us over @TofuTalkPod on instagram! 

Instagram accounts to check out and additional resources: 

https://www.instagram.com/seaspiracy/ 

https://www.instagram.com/seashepherd/ 

https://foodispower.org/animals-of-the-sea-2/commercial-fishing/ 

https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/oceans/issues/overfishing-destructive-fishing/ 

Contact us at: https://www.instagram.com/tofutalkpod/

Innovation Series Finale - In today's episode we had the opportunity to sit down and chat with the one and only Erica Korff aka Vegan Kween! Erica is the founder of @vegan_kween and has been vegan since October of 2016. She has made it her mission to break the stereotype that eating & living vegan is difficult to do. Always being a bit of a foodie, Erica quickly adapted to a vegan diet by finding substitutes and goodies that were too delicious and colorful to not share on Instagram and her website. Her passion is helping people find their next meal, and helping promote plant-based products and restaurants around Boston and beyond. Now, with VeganZine, Erica has partnered with Kayla (interviewed on episode #27) to bring the veg Boston community together by sharing reviews, recommendations, spotlights, and more. Throughout this interview Erica shares how she got started on social media, her top 3 favorite vegan dishes in Boston, and SO MUCH MORE! 

Where to find and connect with Erica

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vegan_kween/

https://vegankween.com/

https://TheVeganZine.com/

Contact us at:

https://www.instagram.com/tofutalkpod/

Innovation Series Part 2 - In part 2 of the innovation series we share with you our thoughts on the wording that is used plant based alternatives. Recently in the European Union, Amendment 171 also known a the Dairy Pride Act was tabled by the department of agriculture and rural development. This legislature will make it the vocabulary used in many plant based alternatives illegal to be used (example: Alternative to milk). We dive into the who, what, when, where, and why of this amendment, and share with you the impacts it may have on the plant based industry worldwide. 

Amazing Article by Oatly - https://www.oatly.com/uk/stop-plant-based-censorship

Earthling Ed Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzm07220K2Y&t=640s

Innovation Series Part 1 - Would You Eat Lab Grown Meat? In the premiere of the Innovation Series, we discuss plant based trends in the food industry and how innovation plays a critical role in exposing individuals to this sustainable and humane food system. We kick it off with our Yin/Yang of the week and then dive into a conversation about food innovation that we hope you'll all enjoy!  Please leave us a rating/review over on Apple and don't forget to share this episode with your friends and family! Contact us @TofutalkPod on Instagram!

New Harvest Website: https://new-harvest.org/ - Global Nonprofit building the Field of Cellular Agriculture

Omnipork Website: https://omnipork.co/about-us/ - Vegan Pork/Spam

Brave Robot Website: https://braverobot.co/ - Animal Free Dairy

Rising Up Series Finale - In today's episode we have a good friend and supporter of the show Dan Kenary with us today. Dan is a graduate of Bridgwater State University in Exercise Science and Nutrition and Merrimack College for Masters in Exercise and Sports Science with a fellowship as a strength and conditioning coach at Boston College. Dan teaches Nutrition at Anna Maria College in Paxton, MA. He is also the founder of Dan Kenary Performance which is an online exercise and nutrition coaching platform where he customizes plans through educating them through the process. Lastly, he is also the co-host of the French Pressed Podcast which is available on Spotify (linked below). In this episode we discuss how movement can lead to improvement in all aspects of an individuals life, and get to hear about Dan's process as an online trainer and coach. 

Dan's Kenary Performance: https://www.dankenaryperformance.com/

French Pressed Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5VXZBywfRr4vMcZxKL0XKL?si=HTVg8JeQRYKljxw3RSUNaA

Rising Up Series Part 2 - In episode 2 of the Rising Up Series, we wanted to share with you our thoughts on the relationship between physical and mental health. Through our experiences, physical health and activity makes an impact on our mental well-being everyday and we passionately believe that in order to "rise up" and create a better life for yourself, its important to have an understanding of this relationship. Physical activity looks different to all of us, it can be as extreme as running a marathon or as simple as a morning stretch, but the impact on our mental health is all the same. Thanks for your continued support and we hope you enjoy this episode. Please head over to Apple Podcast and leave a rating/review and share this episode with a friend, family member, or on your social media platform as it goes a long way in helping more people hear our experiences. We love the conversations we have with you all on a daily basis over @TofuTalkPod on instagram so please feel free to contact us!

Rising Up Series Part 1 - We are premiering this series with a special guest while we are out in San Diego! In this episode, we sit down with Rima Sheehab (@RiseWithRima on instagram and Asia's sister) as we discuss the importance of creating systems in order to achieve your goals and flourish in any environment. Rima recently began documenting her fitness journey, but has been constantly improving her health over the last 5 years and shares how she has able to create a lifestyle that is sustainable to her individual needs and goals. We hope you all enjoy the episode and as always, feel free to contact us with any feedback or topics you would like us to discuss @TofuTalkPod on Instagram!

Cultivating Creativity Series Finale - In the finale of the "Cultivating Creativity" Series, we had the opportunity to sit down and chat with longtime friend and full-time videographer/creative Connor Dever (based in San Diego). This interview has us learning from Connor about the creative process, free-lance career, and emotional impact of creativity, but leaves us inspired by his unwavering work ethic to make his dream into a reality. If you're looking for an example of somebody who took the unconventional route and is "riding the wave" make sure to tune into this episode. Also check us out @TofuTalkPod on Instagram, leave us a rating/review on Apple, and tune in everywhere you listen to podcasts! Thank you for the continued support and we hope to bring you more inspiring individuals onto the show in the future. 

Cultivating Creativity Series Part 2 - As we get older and face new challenges it's easy to lose the creativity we once had as children. In this episode, we talk about the importance of maintaining creativity throughout your life and how to reclaim your creativity if you lose it. We share our experiences and the different challenges we faced and how to actively work towards reclaiming your childhood creativity. Thank you for your support and check us out on instagram @TofuTalkPod!

Cultivating Creativity Series Part 1 - In part 1 of the Cultivating Creativity series, we wanted to get personal and share with you our thoughts and experiences when it comes to self-expression and creativity. Asia poses a great question, "Which comes first: creativity or confidence?" which leads to an intriguing conversation. Thank you for your support and if you enjoyed the episode connect with us @TofuTalk on instagram!

How to Act Series Finale - In the finale of the "How to Act" series, Kayla Kaplan M.S. (she/her) aka @VeggieKayla on instagram, joins the show to discuss all things veganism, activism, and social media related. In addition to being a wonderful human being, Kayla is the Co-CEO of @TheVeganZine and also co-host of the @Foodspacepod! She is an anti-oppression vegan and believes strongly in the need for intersectional advocacy for collective liberation. We discuss the introduction to Kayla's choice to go vegan and how it was deeply rooted in her Jewish culture, our individual thoughts on what an activist is, and how the innovation of social media allows us to cast a wider net by using our platforms. Thank you for your continued support and let us know what you think @TofuTalkPod on instagram!

Instagram Accounts discussed:

1. @VeggieKayla

2. @TheVeganZine

3. @IyeLovesLife

4. @Veggiekins 

How to Act series Part 2 - In part 2 of the How to Act series we reflect on how our decision to go vegan opened our eyes to the plethora of social justice issues that are going on and how all of these issues are interconnected. We define intersectional veganism, cultural appropriation within the food blogging industry, and explain why silence can speak louder than words. Thank you for your continued support! Please leave us a rating and review on Apple podcasts and contact us @TofuTalkPod on Instagram. 

How to Act Series Part 1 - In part 1 of this series, we introduce the topic, provide our high-level understanding of what activism is, and share action steps you can take to get involved. With all of the issues going on around the world, it can sometimes feel like what we do as individuals is not enough which can lead us to inaction towards these causes. We share how we choose what causes to focus our time towards and how the growing popularity surrounding social media has led to an increase in activism and also allowed us to play a bigger role. Thank you for your continued support and please connect with us on Instagram @TofuTalkPod

Welcome to part 3 of The Side Effect Series! Every wonder how much of an impact your lifestyle has on the environment? In this episode, we discuss how a vegan lifestyle helped us become more aware of the impact we had on the environment and share plenty of experiences, facts, and resources to help emphasize the importance of this issue.

Helpful Links: 

@earthrise.studio

@intersectionalenvironmentalist

@chicksforclimate

@venetialamanna

@ssustainably_

@jackharries

@earthlinged

Identity Series Part 2 - In part 2 of the side effect series, we share our experiences communicating our decision to go vegan with families and friends, the different reactions we've been met with, and ultimately a few tips to handle these conversations and social gatherings with grace. Thank you for the continued support and please contact us on Instagram @TofuTalkPod

Welcome to the first episode of The Side Effect Series! In this episode we share with you a short story about the beginning of our vegan journey and the most compelling side effect we weren't expecting! Learning about the corrupt and horrific nature of the animal agriculture industry is something many people do not see, but once you learn about it, it will change your perspective forever. Thank you for the constant support and feedback and please feel free to message us on Instagram or Facebook @TofuTalkPod. 

SERIES FINALE - In this episode, we dive deep into our experiences with self confidence and share how our experiences have allowed us to create a more confident identity. Thank you for all of the support with our first series! More series, giveaways, and conversations on the way! 

Identity Series Episode 2: What do you want to be known for? That's a really hard question to answer! In this episode we share our thoughts with you regarding our perceptions of ourselves, constructing our identity, and what we want to be known for at the end of the day. Connecting with you all continues to provide us with an outlet to share our experiences and we hope it helps in some way, shape, or form. Please feel free to contact us via email at TofuTalkPodcastt@gmail.com or via social media on instagram @TofuTalkPod

Welcome to part 1 of our 3 episode Identity Series! Over the next three episodes we dive into the topic of self-identity. In this episode, we discuss our experiences growing up as Asian American's in majority white communities and how it affected our mindset and perception of ourselves/society throughout our lives. Asia shares her unique perspective of living in a majority white community as well as a majority Asian community and opens up about her emotions during both experiences. We appreciate all of the feedback so please share it with a friend and check out our social media @TofuTalkPod on Instagram and Facebook! 

Vegan, vegetarian, plant-based, but what's the difference? There is a LOT of a confusion out there regarding these three words. In this episode we break down the differences between them for you. We love to connect with you all so please message us on our instagram page @TofuTalkPod or email us at TofuTalkPodcastt@gmail.com. Thank you for the continued support and we hope you enjoy the episode!

Why Go Vegan? Resources:

7 Apps that Make Vegan Life Easier Than Ever - https://www.livekindly.co/vegan-apps/

Nutrition Facts Website - https://nutritionfacts.org/

Veganuary - https://veganuary.com/

Earthling Ed - https://youtu.be/pUsqS1k8Bu0

Happy New Year and thank you for tuning in throughout 2020 and for those of you joining us in 2021! A New Year provides a new opportunity to refocus your mind and provide you with new opportunities (and challenges) to overcome. On this episode, we dive into what a new year means to us, a few of our aspirations/goals, and a couple of tactics we've used to accomplish them in past years. We truly appreciate the continued support of Tofu Talk, and appreciate everyone that has helped us grow and provided feedback. Please feel free to connect with us @TofuTalkPod on Instagram or email us at TofuTalkPodcastt@Gmail.com. Best of luck accomplishing your goals throughout this New Year!

Hey there! In today’s episode, we took some time to reflect on this past year, discuss what we’ve learned and update you all on what we’ve been up to personally and professionally! We talk about the ways we’ve been flexible this year to make progress despite challenges, as well as being honest about setbacks. We hope you are having a wonderful holiday season and find joy in the little things!

Everyday we are faced with negative situations, people, and energy. How we respond to those factors reflects in our character and allows us to grow as individuals. In this episode of Tofu Talk, we discuss how we combat external and internal negativity that we face in our daily lives. Inspired by Jay Shetty's book, "Think Like a Monk", we reflect on our experiences handling (and mishandling) our emotions when dealing with negative factors, what we learned from our experiences, and how we continue to improve as well. As always, we appreciate the constant support and feedback, so please continue to reach out to us via Instagram @TofuTalkPod and Gmail at TofuTalkPodcastt@gmail.com

BOBA EMOJI IS HERE 🧋In honor of Apple FINALLY creating a emoji that properly represents the one thing we love more in this world than anything else, we decided to talk about it. We recorded this episode to shed some light on boba, what it is, why we love it so much, and what it truly means to us. We discuss what constitutes a high quality boba experience and why we think everyone should try boba if they haven't already! We appreciate your time and feedback so please reach out to us @Tofutalkpod on instagram or at TofuTalkPodcastt@gmail.com and let us know what your favorite boba flavor is! 

BAM 💥  What is going on!? In episode #12 of Tofu Talk, we discuss our thoughts on two different types of creative styles - spontaneity and planning. For many of us, creating content requires a lot of time and planning in order to ensure we capture the right shot, the content we want, and/or provide our audience with the information we wish to share. However, sometimes the best content is unplanned and authentic. Listen to us discuss our thoughts on this topic as we share our opinions and even provide examples of the content we enjoy and why! We truly appreciate the continued support and feedback so please leave us a review and rating on Apple Podcasts and send us a direct message to @TofuTalkPod on Instagram and TofuTalkPodcast@Gmail.com via email. If there is ever anything we can do to help you in any way, please don't hesitate to reach out,

All of us have a wealth of knowledge that we have accumulated in our lives, but what qualifications are required to share that knowledge with others? Do we need specific degrees, licenses, certifications, titles, etc.? In this episode, we discuss our thoughts on the different types of qualifications (I.e academic and experiential) and which may carry more importance. In this day and age with social media, it's interesting to see all of the people sharing knowledge/information: but are we all qualified? Listen to this episode to hear our thoughts! We truly appreciate the support we continue to receive each and every week as well as all of the feedback! Please continue to share the podcast with your friends, families, random people - it goes a long way in helping us grow!

Do you know what your values are? In this week's episode, we have an easygoing conversation about how we developed our values. It's easy to go through life without ever consciously identifying your values. Through our experiences, when you are able to explain to yourself and anyone else, why you do what you do, your purpose in life becomes unshakeable and unquestionable. Childhood experiences, parents, school, friendships, the news, tradition, culture, and social media are just a few places where we can gather values. We challenge you today to take a pause to evaluate the reasons you think the way you do and why you act the way you choose to. If you like what you're hearing, leave us a review and tell your friends to tune in as well! We appreciate your support and we love to engage with you folks in our DMs. Hit us up @tofutalkpod and we look forward to hearing from you! 

Bustin Vegan Myths! You read that right. On this edition of Tofu Talk, we dive into some common myths we hear on a daily basis regarding veganism. (disclaimer: Neither John or Asia are registered dietitians and all of the information shared is through our experiences as vegans. Please consult with an RD if you have any health concerns.) We truly appreciate the continued support from all of you and love hearing your feedback and connecting on a daily basis! It helps us to make adjustments and provide information that you all care about. Give us a shout over on instagram @TofuTalkPod, and if you have the time - please leave us a rating on Apple Podcasts it goes a long way! 

A theme we will be discussing repeatedly throughout future episodes is personal development (aka Self-Help). As ambitious individuals we believe it is important to invest into ourselves whether it's with time, money, education, etc. By developing yourself personally, it allows you to gain confidence in your own abilities. In this episode we have a quick conversation about what personal development is, but more importantly what it means to us, as it is unique to each person. We appreciate all of the feedback we receive after each episode, so please contact us @TofuTalkPod on Instagram. Let us know your thoughts by leaving us a rating and review as well! 

Being vegan in 2020 ain't too shabby, especially when you live in Boston where vegan restaurants are plentiful and absolutely delicious. In this episode, we try our best to narrow down our TOP vegan restaurants, as well as non-vegan restaurants with great veg options in the city. We also share our tips for how to order vegan dishes at different ethnic cuisines. From Thai and Vietnamese to Mexican and Ethiopian, you can truly find a vegan option no matter where you go these days. The key is knowing which ingredients to watch out for in each cuisine and not being afraid to ask your waiter/waitress for that vegan-friendly option if it's not clearly labeled on the menu! While this episode covers Boston-specific restaurants, we hope this inspires you to seek out the best vegan eats in your city/town because trust us, they are on the rise everywhere! If you have any questions about transitioning to a vegan lifestyle, slide into our DMs @tofutalkpod on Instagram. Thank you so much for your support and ears! We would greatly appreciate your feedback by leaving us a review and rating the podcast.

In this episode, we wanted to share the important lessons we learned through the various stages of our athletic and physical journeys, but more importantly showcase how stepping outside of our comfort zones and trying new activities provided us with lessons and opportunities we could've never imagined. Having the privilege to grow up in good communities, we were able to surround ourselves with great coaches, friends, and challenges that helped shape us into the people we are today. Throughout this episode we walk you through our experiences from youth sports through post grad life and show how physical activity helped set a strong foundation in our youth and helped us learn and evolve as we grew older. Disclaimer: These lessons are learned through our experience with physical activity, but by no means are stating that these foundational lessons could not be learned through other forms of adversity. Please let us know your thoughts and leave us a rating and review! For more information or to connect with us check out our Instagram @TofuTalkPod!

Food has a variety of different meanings and uses depending on the culture it derives from. It has a way of bringing people together in celebrating special occasions and making us connect with one another in a variety of social settings. In episode 5 of Tofu Talk we take a look back at the ono (Hawaiian for delicious!) foods that made us who we are. For both of us, food has been an integral aspect of our lives based off of our childhood and the environments we were raised. Join along as we travel back to our childhood memories of eating delicious food and how we "veganize" these dishes. 

Thank you everyone for tuning in - in this episode we dive into how we've been spending our time during this pandemic and share with all of you, a few of our quarantine dos and don'ts. From maintaining a morning routine to emphasizing down time, we cover a variety of tips that have helped us stay sane (and thrive) during quarantine. We've been blessed to have friends/family who have stayed healthy throughout this pandemic and to all of those who have been impacted from this tragedy please know you and your families are in our thoughts and prayers. We are truly appreciative of everyones support and we are trying to learn along with you all! If there are any topics that are relevant in your lives that you would like us to talk about please let us know!

Please check out our instagram @TofuTalkPod and share/rate this episode!

Welcome to the first episode of Tofu Talk with John and Asia! Thank you everyone for tuning in - in this episode we reveal some information about ourselves for those listeners who are either new to the channel or we haven't connected with in some time. This is the first episode in the making so please stick with us through some growing pains as we continue to improve our audio and production skills. We are truly appreciative of everyones support and we are trying to learn along with you all! If there are any topics that are relevant in your lives that you would like us to talk about please let us know!

Please check out our instagram @TofuTalkPod and share/rate this episode!