I’m an open-minded vegan offering an alternative healthy lifestyle to my non-vegan friends!
Thanks for stopping by! My name is Monique Starks, the founder of Daytime Vegan. I’m a professional chef who creates tasty vegan global cuisine. I draw inspiration from my world travels, made possible by my parents’ military careers. Born in Germany, and growing up in Hawaii (as well as many other places) I’ve also spent time in Belgium, the Bahamas, Jamaica, and Thailand. I have worked alongside Oprah Winfrey’s former personal chef, Chef Art Smith, developing a new menu for his restaurant in Atlanta, and many other talented chefs. I have been asked to cook for celebrities , commissioned to cook for large gatherings of hundreds of people, and even worked at some of the best restaurants in Disney World.
After graduating from college I attended culinary school. I worked in several fine dining restaurants and cooked with plenty of butter, cream, bacon, cheese….you know, the good stuff! I never, EVER, thought about healthy cooking.
Daytime Vegan was started after learning I had a disease called Endometriosis, as well as Ovarian Cysts. Doctors told me there was no cure for the endometriosis. They said I would always have to take medicine to control the pain and might even need surgery every few years to control the endometrial growth and ovarian cysts. I refused to accept this information. I knew there had to be a way to heal myself without harmful medicine and invasive surgeries. I began to learn about the healing powers of whole plant foods. Vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds….this is what the majority of our daily meals should consist of. I read story after story of individuals with all types of diseases who healed themselves by adding more fresh vegan foods to their diet and cutting out the processed stuff.
I began eating vegan for breakfast, lunch, and snacks in between. I slowly cut out the processed food and made vegan meals consisting mostly of fresh, whole, plant foods. For dinner I ate high quality seafood and poultry, along with plenty of vegetables on the side of course! The result? In a few short months I went back to the doctor and there were no cysts showing in the ultrasound! I couldn’t believe it. I had never had an ultrasound that didn’t show cysts! I still have endometriosis, but it is slowly healing and my symptoms have almost completely disappeared. I feel great everyday.
How I Became Vegan!
As of 2016 I became 100% Vegan! Woohoo! Let me tell you this was very unexpected. I never had plans to become 100% vegan, but eating the Daytime Vegan way for so long has truly transformed my tastebuds. I woke up one day and decided I no longer have a taste for animal products, and the rest is history! I crave delicious veggies more than anything now. It’s amazing. The Daytime Vegan lifestyle is a great way to eat for the rest of your life, but I can tell you from personal experience that it is also the best way to transistion to 100% veganism. If you want to be a vegan long-term, I suggest you start with the Daytime Vegan lifestyle. Studies show that most people (at least 70% of vegans) who switch to the vegan lifestyle “cold turkey” are not able to maintain the lifestyle long-term. Seriously, look it up online and you’ll see the statistics. Instead, my advice is to allow the Daytime Vegan lifestyle to give your body and tasteuds time to adjust to such a major life change.
I want this to be a space where I can share my journey to healing my Endometriosis symptoms naturally (without a bunch of potentially harmful pills and surgeries). I also want to inspire you to eat healthier by adding more plant foods into your diet!
***I do not claim that eating Daytime Vegan, or even switching to a 100% vegan diet, will automatically cure your disease. I only stress the fact the whole plant foods can aide in healing our bodies.***
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