I’m glad you came by!
Dear reader! Thank you for visiting my blog 🙂
My name is Anastassiya (the short version is Nastya). I was born and raised in Kazakhstan, lived five years in Cyprus and recently moved to Amsterdam. I like painting, hiking, running and doing anything connected with the creation of this food-blog.
However, most of all I like to eat yummy plant-based food and explore new tastes and flavors.
Few random facts about me:
- I have been living meat-free since 2008
- In 2017 I went vegan
- I have been a certified Vegan Nutritionist since 2020
- Being vegan I completed a full marathon twice (best result: 42 km in 4h47m)
Intro to Vizzini Journal
In this blog I share my experience of living vegan. This major topic revolves around the relationship between our food consumption habits and the health of our Planet — our health, both physical and mental.
If you ask me what my reason is for being vegan, I would definitely put the ethical aspect at the top of the list. However, this list is long and I believe one reason would not be enough to maintain this lifestyle in the long run.
Luckily, a vegan lifestyle is not only about animal welfare, but also about reducing water, soil and air pollution, improving sport results, reducing the risks of numerous dangerous diseases, fighting world hunger and preventing cruelty. As all of these things represent my concerns and values, it’s not hard to choose and stick to a vegan lifestyle.
This blog is about healthy nutrition
I post my thoughts and discoveries about health impact of different nutrients occasionally. Sometimes, I also share my vegan travel and sport experience. However, the most frequent topic here is cooking.
Most of my recipes are easy, based on simple ingredients. I strive to use whole foods as much as possible, so if you are looking for healthy meals or sugar-free deserts – you are at the right place.
This blog can be also helpful, if you’re short on time for cooking. Here you can find many recipes that take no more than 30 minutes to cook.
My source of inspiration
I find my inspiration trying vegan masterpieces in restaurants or when visiting my friends, sisters or parents. Or, when my husband experiments in the kitchen:).
For the past ten years vegan chefs and amateurs have created a completely new cuisine. I feel the urge to take part, share ideas that come my way and spread the word about other people’s inventions.
Veganism as a choice
That being said, veganism is not just a diet. As passionate as I am about a vegan lifestyle, I must admit that it is also an ideology. If you follow some ideology, you want all others to share their ideas as well. Deep in my heart I do wish all people were vegans. However, as much as I value non-violence, I value free will. So, I would like to see veganism rather as a personal choice – a choice you make every day and every moment. This is why I don’t want to push anyone to go vegan.
There are many talented people who do this job, helping others to find answers to many questions that may occur. If you need some guidance to find those people, please refer to the Resources tab.
My message in a nutshell:
By making any choice, whether it is about food or sport or anything else, make sure this choice is coming from the realm of self-love and authenticity.
It’s important to be honest with yourself. Some information sources deserve skepticism and it is always a good idea to make your own investigation. It takes courage to think differently than the majority, so trust your guts! But, most importantly – take a good care of yourself, because you are the person who can do this in the best possible way! We often forget, that our well being is highly beneficial to other living creatures as well 🙂
Enjoy your life, and I hope you will get a kick out of in my blog!