Approximately one month ago, Jordana Reim of Planet Verge challenged Dylan Mandel of The Lives of Famous Men to go vegan for 30 days. Becoming vegan has its ups and downs, but if a drummer traveling on the road with his band can do it, this lifestyle change might not be too hard after all. Mandel had some insightful advice for businesses as well as people interested in going vegan.
Vegan Mainstream: What has been the hardest part for you of being on a vegan diet?
Dylan Mandel: Well, there’s a couple different things that I found a little challenging to overcome. For the most part, it’s been actually real easy because for the first part of it I had Jordana in town, and she was showing me the ropes. I think breaking it to my family…it wasn’t a big deal, but they’re just not really informed and they don’t really know much about it. They think I’m not going to be very healthy, you know the cliché. But I’m actually even more healthy than I’ve ever been right now.
It’s definitely trickier on the road than at home, because you basically eat at gas stations or fast food. Before I left, I had to do a lot of research on different places to see what they had as far as vegan options. Another facet to that is I…can’t just be eating pretzels or potato chips. I have to make sure I’m getting veggies and fruit, and make sure I’m getting my vitamins somehow. I’d probably say that’s the hardest part so far - ensuring that I’m getting a sufficient amount of what I need everyday while I’m on the road.
VM: If you could request anything from businesses such as gas stations that don’t necessarily specialize in vegan products, what would you ask them to improve or change?
DM: I’d say that they could maybe have like a better spread of fresh fruits and veggies. ‘Cause usually when you go to a gas station, they’ll have apples or bananas kinda chillin’ there in a basket, but they look kind of gross like they’ve been there for a while. Actually in the Midwest, gas stations are pretty cool about that. They do have a nice spread of veggies and fruits, but it’s unfortunate because it’s not everywhere.
It would be really cool if gas stations carried little boxes of soy, almond or rice milk. I have a bag full of dried food that I bring – like cereal and oatmeal and stuff - and I’m stuck just eating my cereal, just dry. There’s not a mini fridge or anything, so I can’t bring my almond milk from home.
VM: Do you think you will continue to be vegan in the future?
DM: I think I’m actually going to keep going for a while, honestly. There’s something to be said about how I feel. I inadvertently lost a bunch of weight, but that wasn’t really what I was planning on happening. My skin feels smoother. I smell better. I feel lighter. The biggest thing I noticed is my attitude toward things. I just feel better…I don’t know, it’s hard to describe. I wasn’t expecting anything like it, but I’m mentally sound. I guess I just feel too good to go back to eating dairy and animals.
VM: Were you able to find vegan goods at stores that didn’t necessarily focus on these types of items?
DM: When we’re eating on the road sometimes we’ll go to grocery stores and there’s tons of stuff I can eat at grocery stores. But a great place to go is Subway. You just get a veggie sub on, I think wheat bread is the only vegan-friendly bread that they have. So I just get a full-on veggie on wheat and I mean it’s awesome because it’s cheap and you’re getting a nice selection of vegetables.
VM: In your opinion, do you think it’s more environmentally beneficial for people to eat local foods or to go all-out vegan?
DM: Obviously, eating locally is going to be the best option for a meat eater, and it’s also just really good for the community. I’m trying to think…you know what? I’d have to say a vegan diet, honestly. Think about it…I mean if everybody in the world was vegan, you’re pretty much eliminating all of the slaughter houses, which are emitting the two highest greenhouse gases: methane and carbon dioxide.
VM: What advice can you offer to people interested in becoming vegan?
DM: I’ve found the coolest part about the whole thing was that it kinda takes you out of the familiar and it puts you into an unfamiliar setting, forcing yourself to try different things and venture out, and you have to put some legwork into it. I think there’s something to be said about people who search for the unknown, and I definitely feel that I’ve grown as a person…not just from the diet…I feel like my attitude toward other people, my willingness to try new things all together…I’m more sociable. If I had any advice, I’d say try it, go for it.
Overall, Mandel’s experience becoming vegan has been a positive one. While on the road, a vegan diet might be more of a challenge, but there are stores that provide vegan options. Even if you’re an individual thinking of trying a vegan lifestyle or a entrepreneur considering vegan products, Mandel’s advice applies, “Do a lot of research, figure it out, set a goal and go for it. I mean just go for it. Even if it’s not for you, there’s a certain level of accomplishment for stepping out of the boundary and trying something new.”
