Frick 2017! Here’s What VegNews Editors Plan to Do in 2018 …

A new year can be highly motivating, offering us a chance to recommit ourselves to practices that make us healthier and happier humans, while also adopting habits that better the planet for animals and people alike—including ourselves! Whether you’re learning new cooking skills or working on raising your voice for social justice, there are a multitude of ways to kick off this new year with inspiration and hope. Here are the resolutions VegNews editors are carrying into 2018.

1. Resist and persist
“Friends and family may really get tired of me this year, because everything I say or do I’m going to try and do within the scope of social justice. Last year was a trying time politically, but it was also highly motivating, and in 2018, I’m aiming to channel that motivation to guide my work, practices, and beliefs. As much as I stand up for animals, I’m unabashedly standing for people of color, for queer and trans folks, for women, for immigrants, for the disenfranchised, for Muslims, for refugees, and beyond—and I’m going to work make the VegNews content you read to reflect this, too.”
-Richie Bowie, Associate Editor 

2. Simply simplify
“My resolution for 2018 is to try to adopt more zero-waste practices. Living a vegan lifestyle already makes a big difference in terms of my environmental impact, but there’s always ways to further cut down my carbon footprint. Going zero-waste is not only beneficial to the planet, but to wildlife as well, since plastic waste often ends up in our water systems and oceans. I already use my own set of bamboo utensils when getting take-out, and have stainless steel straws that I use instead of plastic. This year, I’m working on eliminating my use of plastic produce bags and am hoping to try my hand at making some of my own beauty products, such as shampoo and conditioner.”
-Sarah McLaughlin, Assistant Editor

3. Pay myself first
“This year, I’m going to step up my self-care game and actually schedule in time to do healthy things like go running by the ocean, start my day off with a substantial green smoothie, and have more quiet time by myself in my apartment. When it comes to meetings and deadlines, I’m a master planner, but have a bad habit of leaving time for me in my planning. I already added these self-care routines to my calendar, and I’m setting up self-accountability tactics to ensure I stick to my new routines. I’ve been in the animal protection and vegan worlds long enough to know that the key to longevity is to prioritize yourself, which might sound cliché, but it’s cliché for a reason. I can’t show up for animals or anyone else unless I’m taking care of myself.”
-Jasmin Singer, Senior Editor

4. Turn waste into wonders
“I resolve to finally make something using aquafaba—that chickpea brine that I always pour down the sink. I am not much of a baker, but I want to use aquafaba to make custard, or vegan mayonnaise, or cake … or anything at all just so I can post my photo to the vegan Facebook group Aquafaba Hits and Misses, which I have been creeping on since 2015. Cooking with aquafaba is reaching vegan level 10, and in 2018, I’m finally ready to take on the challenge of covering my kitchen in chickpea juice.”
-Anna Starostinetskaya, News Editor

5. Supercharge my day
“The morning is an incredibly valuable time to set intentions for the day, and waking up earlier in order to plan how to most effectively move through the hours ahead has always been a goal of mine—yet, sleep-lover that I am, I’ve never really nailed it. This year, I’m determined to optimize my morning, so I have committed to prioritizing a relaxing and productive early routine, starting with a soothing turmeric golden latte. I’m intrigued by all of the studies pointing to how nutritious turmeric is—it is anti-inflammatory, boosts metabolism, and can be used in pretty much everything, including ice cream (maybe my resolution should be to start my day with a morning turmeric sundae).”
-Aruka Sanchir, Editorial Assistant

6. Bye, Fear-licia
“I’m committed to making 2018 the year I stop worrying. For most of my adult life, I’ve experienced restless nights fretting over the plight of animals in factory farms and in shelters, the plastic that’s killing our oceans, and the terror that people fleeing wars and genocides experience. Worrying, though, is a passive act; by taking action—volunteering, donating money, engaging politically, and writing about causes I believe in—I can help create the kind of world I want to live in and, hopefully, kiss those worries goodbye.”
-Aurelia d’Andrea, Travel + Beauty Editor