Nicole R’Shae Holiday is a talented actress and plant-based advocate. She has been following a plant-based diet for more than 10 years now. Although she doesn’t strictly identify as a vegan due to occasional use of animal products (like leather shoes), she passionately embraces the health benefits of plant-based eating.
Nicole’s journey into plant-based living began not for ethical reasons but for her well-being. Her commitment to this lifestyle has been unwavering, and she continues to inspire others through her creative content. You can find her on Instagram, where she shares her workouts, dances, and even tantalizing recipes like her raw vegan Snickers – a treat that had her floating with delight during her 44-day fully raw cleanse.
So, whether you’re looking for health tips, a good laugh, or mouthwatering plant-based recipes, Nicole R’Shae Holiday is your go-to source! 🌱🎬🌟
For more of Nicole’s content, check out her YouTube channel and Linktree. You won’t be disappointed!
Tell us more about yourself, please
Eating fruit makes me feel great. Would you try it?”
Nicole R’Shae Holiday
My name is Nicole R’Shae Holiday @plantbasednicolershae
I have been eating a plant-based diet for 13 years, and high raw for about four years. I have a Masters degree in Integrated Marketing Communications with a focus in public relations, and I’ve also been an actress for 12 years.
I’ve been in several independent films, commercials, promo videos, a few plays, and I’ve done a lot of print ads. I am a creative person. I love being on the camera, and expressing myself in different ways. One of my passions, aside from acting, is creating content for my YouTube, and plant-based Instagram page.
I love to share meal ideas, and health info to my YouTube subscribers, and followers, as well as interview like-minded individuals on my podcast, called “Plant-based with Nicole,” that have wonderful stories, regarding their plant-based Journey (weight loss and healing).
Where you from:
I’m from the Bay Area, California. I’ve been living out here all my life. However, I lived in Atlanta for one month, and Los Angeles for three years at one time in my life.
What made you turn vegetarian or vegan? How long have you been one?
I have been eating a plant-based diet a.k.a. vegan diet for 13 years. Originally, the reason I turned to this way of eating was because of an injury I had from the early 2000s, flared up quite badly, 13 years ago. I had tendinitis, myofascial pain syndrome, and cervical strain. That just equates to pain from my hands and wrists, all the way up to my neck and shoulders, and sometimes my face. However the pain in my face wasn’t really a pain per se, but more of a very uncomfortable sensation. I didn’t have all the areas hurting at the same time. Sometimes it was just my left side, sometimes it was my right. Sometimes it was just my wrists and hands, sometimes it was my neck and shoulders. But the point was, I was in chronic pain all the time and I was miserable. It caused me very bad depression because I was in pain all the time.
My friend and I were talking one day about how eliminating animal products can help your body heal itself. The next day I went plant-based overnight. I did not transition. I was desperate at that point, so I was willing to do whatever it took. I eliminated all animal products right away. About a month later, I was feeling so much better. I decided to keep going with this way of eating, because of the way I felt. 13 years later, still going strong.
What are some challenges faced in finding vegan/vegetarian food? Or eating out with friends, etc. How do you overcome these?
I don’t have too many problems finding vegan food, except if I’m going to certain restaurants that my friends/family choose. Usually American restaurants or steak houses are very challenging to find something to eat. Actually, I won’t say it is challenging to find something to eat. I rather say it’s challenging to find something that is enjoyable for me to eat.
You can actually find something to eat anywhere you go, but is it enjoyable, is the question. I can go to a steakhouse and have some type of salad and French fries or something. But, the salad dressings are usually wack at those types of restaurants. So I only have a challenge if I’m going to a restaurant that friends and family choose. But it is very easy to find vegan food when you go to cultural restaurants, like Mexican, Italian, Ethiopian, Japanese, Chinese, Thai, etc. They always have vegan options.
My point is that, you can usually find something to eat anywhere you go, but is it going to be filling and is it going to be enjoyable, is the question. Also, sometimes what I do is eat before I go to a restaurant. So it ends up just being about the social aspect, as opposed to the food. I just want to hang out with friends or family, but maybe I don’t want to eat what they have at the restaurant. I’ll just make sure I fill up at home, before I go.
Same thing applies to going to barbecues, gatherings at people’s homes, etc. Sometimes I eat before I go, or I might bring my own type of food to eat and share. That’s the way I overcome those types of obstacles.
How do you feel about being a vegan/vegetarian?
I feel great about being fully plant-based. It makes me feel good in my body, and I just feel lighter and cleaner.
How would you tell someone who’s not yet vegan/vegetarian to try meatless food?
I often encourage friends and family to eat plant-based dishes. I don’t force it on them, but I like to offer things I make, or certain dishes at a restaurant, and they usually are open to it. And they end up liking it. I try to be the example, by what I eat.
Recommend some good places or food?
I would say, when it comes to eating this way, some good suggestions would be going to the cultural restaurants like I mentioned above (Japanese, Mexican, Italian, Thai, etc). They always have vegan options. I don’t know where everyone lives, but they have some wonderful restaurants in San Francisco, and LA. I lived in LA for three years and my favorite restaurants out there were Sun Café, Sage, Real Food Daily, and Café Gratitude.
There’s a few places in the San Francisco Bay Area I like, like Gracias Madre, Millennium, Roasted and Raw. There were a few places in Oakland I really liked, but they shut them down. They were Souley Vegan, Café Gratitude, and Vegan Mob. Also, they closed the restaurant that I love to go to in Walnut Creek, California called Veggie Grill. They have several other locations that are further, but that’s another go to restaurant I love.
Check out some of these restaurants I mentioned to see if any of them are in your area. All these were or are my favorites because they have delicious food that meets all my needs. Depending on which restaurant, they all have great options. If I want something healthy, they have that. If I want something more comforting and junk food like, I have that too. I don’t eat junk food all the time. I’m more like a 90% whole food/10% junk food person. But all those restaurants I mentioned are really great.
Also, I would say my staples are eating nice cream. I love to make this at home with my food processor. I always have frozen bananas as the base and I switch out the other fruit like frozen strawberries or blueberries and I love to add 1 tablespoon of peanut butter for almond butter with a little bit of Stevia. It’s my favorite raw meal.
One of my favorite cooked meals is chickpeas, brown rice with a vegetable, and I like to add some type of sauce or Sriracha. It’s so high in nutrients and very filling. I also love eating at restaurants.
I have attached some pictures of some Taquitos, and some delicious soy chorizo tacos from a Mexican restaurant , as well as some avocado rolls from a Japanese restaurant.
Sometimes I like to experiment if I’m feeling a little creative. When I eat fully raw, I try different recipes. For instance, I experimented and made a zucchini pasta. That’s also attached.
Sometimes I keep it really simple. Some might call it lazy LOL. Sometimes I will just eat vegetables and potatoes. See the picture attached of the beautiful purple sweet potatoes that I got from Sprouts.
The good thing about this way of eating is, you can get so many fun things at different restaurants. As long as their cultural or vegan restaurants.
What are some of the misconceptions about a vegan or vegetarian? How do you explain or educate?
Some of the misconceptions about eating this way are we don’t get enough protein, and we don’t get all of our nutrition. I’m so tired of hearing that. I will say, they are right about not getting enough nutrition because we don’t get B12 and vitamin D in most of our foods, but it is not impossible. For instance, almond milk has vitamin D in it. Nutritional yeast has B12 in it. Also, I’m okay with taking supplements a few times a week just to fill in any gaps, if need be. But, the world seems to think we don’t get enough nutrition. But it could be that way for the regular standard American diet too. For instance, when I used to eat meat, I was anemic. I’ve been plant based for 13 years, and I have not dealt with anemia since. So, people just need to focus on eating foods that have the nutrition and minerals that they need, and they’ll be good. That is the way I explain it to people.
To someone who’s been just beginning to go meatless, what is your advice?
My advice to someone who wants to go meatless, is to take their time and transition if need be. Rome wasn’t built in a day. If they need to transition, it’s okay.
If they want to go cold turkey, that’s okay too. But, if one needs to go meatless, I would suggest that this focus on eating whole foods primarily and only eat processed and junk food just a little bit. Focus on things that don’t have all the ingredients. Focus on things that are born the way they are. Foods like beans, vegetables, nuts and seeds, fruit, salads, smoothies, potatoes, sweet potatoes. The focus should be whole foods. If you’re having trouble turning this way, it’s okay to take your time like I mentioned. You can start off with one vegan meal per day for about six weeks, and then add a second meal per day, after six weeks and so forth. Or, you could do the elimination phase. Start out by eliminating all red meat, do that for six weeks or so, then take out the turkey, fish, and chicken. After you get used to that, then take out the dairy, and so forth. Everyone needs to just do what works best for them. There’s no rush and take your time. You got this!
Any closing remarks
I would love to say that this way of eating is spectacular. I feel so great, and I will say this. I’ve been eating plant-based food for 13 years, so if I ever need to heal something, I go fully raw and the raw foods allow my body to heal itself. I love eating a high raw diet because it’s a great balance.
I get the benefit of eating all these delicious raw fresh foods, but I also get to eat my cooked foods when I want. Check out my YouTube channel under “44 day raw playlist”, to hear about something I healed in 2023. Something major I dealt with for six months. Raw foods are powerful!
Also, I would just suggest anybody that’s interested in this lifestyle to give it a try. At least try it for 30 days. And if you need to start off small, that’s okay. If you need to transition, that’s okay. There’s no rush. There’s no contract. This is for you and take your time.
Nicole R’Shae Holiday
all images courtesy of Nicole R'Shae Holiday