TJ Long stays busy as a full-time student at the University of Minnesota, pursuing a master’s degree in education. Outside school and personal training, he works on researching the principles of natural health, coaching youth ice hockey athletes on- and off-ice and organizing and attending outreach events with local animal rights organizations. For fun, he enjoys hiking, snowboarding and creating raw vegan meals. TJ Long lives with his best friend, a rescued companion dog named Brooks, who came into his care in 2012. Always having a strong connection to animals, he first acknowledged the impacts of industrial farming practices as a teenager and later made the steps to a morally focused vegan lifestyle near the end of college. He believes that all animals deserve to be respected and cared for. Rescue, sanctuary, outreach and education makes a positive impact for everyone, human and nonhuman individuals alike.
Follow TJ Long on his website, WholeConnectionHealth.com, and on Facebook and Instagram.
Presenting TJ Long’s Top 5 Tips for Staying Raw Vegan in a Cold Climate
1. Get enough sunshine in the summer months.
2. Pay attention to mindset and self-talk going into winter. It’s best not to create a fixed mindset that it will be too hard. Avoid self-defeat. Try not to have a negative attitude about cold weather throughout winter.
3. Take advantage of being able to buy produce year round. It’s OK to increase your caloric intake if needed, and eat enough good-quality seasonal foods such as apples, dates, persimmons, pears, citrus, pineapples, bananas and hearty dinner salads with avocado, nut or seed dressings.
4. Keep yourself warm, with adequate home heating, proper clothing and layers (clothing not too tight to help trap heat) and exercise. As an added bonus, get out in the elements and find something fun to do such as fat tire biking, skiing or snowshoeing.
5. Stay hydrated. Juicy fruits, fresh juices, coconut water and water all do the trick.
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