🛢️ Let’s Talk OIL… the good, the sketchy, and the “why are we still using this??” Oil is one of those things people assume is healthy by default because… plants 🌱 But not all plant oils are created equal. Some are chill. Some are chaos in a bottle. Literally! ✅ Oils I’m okay with (and MY why) 🥑 100% Avocado Oil – High smoke point – Mostly stable fats – Minimal processing when it’s truly pure – Works for higher-heat cooking without freaking out 🥥 Coconut Oil – Very heat-stable – Doesn’t oxidize easily – Simple, predictable fat – A little goes a LONG way 🌰 Walnut Oil – Best used low heat or drizzled – Contains omega-3s – Real food oil, not industrial sludge ➡️ Notice the theme: simple, stable, and not ultra-processed 🚫 The oils I skip (and why my body said “nah”) Vegetable oil, canola oil, seed oils (soy, corn, grapeseed, yes even sunflower, safflower, etc.) Here’s the short version without the fear-porn: • These are highly refined & deodorized • Made using extreme heat & chemical solvents • Easily oxidize (aka go rancid in your body, no joke) • Loaded with unstable omega-6 fats • Promote inflammation instead of nourishment They start as seeds… then get blasted, stripped, bleached, and “fixed” to look edible again. That’s not food. That’s a science project 🧪 🤨 And can we talk about olive oil for a sec… This one makes my brain itch. There are not enough olive trees on the planet to justify the massive amount of olive oil being sold worldwide. This is a fact. Not my opinion. The math doesn’t math. Many olive oils are: – Cut with cheaper seed oils – Old, oxidized, or mislabeled – Imported, stored forever, and sold as “fresh” Is all olive oil bad? No, absolutely not!! Is a LOT of what’s on shelves questionable? Absolutely. If it doesn’t list origin, harvest date, or purity testing… I personally pass. In other words if you are buying a $14 bottle of 100% olive oil, sorry Charlie you are not getting what you think you are getting. Let's flip the switch and chat about cooking, frying, and baking.

I have had a sweet tooth since I was a little girl! When I went sober 6½ years ago that sweet tooth hit a whole new level! When I first became plant-based I was 100% addicted to sugar! So, I educated myself and did some much needed swappy swaps in the kitchen! So, let’s talk sugar swaps (the real-life kind) 🍯✨ Let me be real with y'all — I don’t do “no sugar ever.” I do intentional sweetness. My go-to sweeteners are simple. •They come from plants. •They don’t make my body freak out. My favorites I use on the regular: Maple syrup 🍁 Still natural. Still contains minerals. Less processed than white sugar. Believe it or not, great for baking! You just need to adjust a few things 😉 Date sugar 🌴 Literally just dried dates. Whole-food sweetness. Fiber stays intact. Date syrup 🤎 Dates blended down. Rich flavor. A little goes a long way. Also cool with me (when chosen mindfully): Coconut sugar Lower glycemic than cane sugar. Still sugar. Just gentler. Stevie (the real stuff only) No fillers. No weird additives. A little is plenty. Monkfruit (real, not bulked up) Naturally sweet. Doesn’t spike blood sugar. Check labels because companies get sneaky. Raw honey gets a pass. 🍯 It’s natural. It’s been used forever. Honey is still sugar BUT comes with enzymes. (Some vegans consume honey, I look at that as YOUR own personal choice AND it's nobodies biz!) What I don’t vibe with: Highly refined white sugar. Corn syrup ANYTHING. Artificial sweeteners pretending to be “healthy.” Fun fact 📣: did you know most refinded white sugar contains bone char to help with the whitening?? I did not know this until I became plant-based! This community isn’t about perfection. It’s about awareness. And choosing better when we can. Sweetness doesn’t have to be toxic. It just needs intention 🌿

Alright friends! The 1st classroom is LIVE with more to come in the up-and-coming weeks (think recipes, how-tos, grocery lists etc). This 1st course just goes over the basics: the foundations for our little community! What it is, what it is NOT, our values, and what to share! I hope you enjoy 🥑

Hey there! I’m Jenny (your host) — a wife, a mother to 3 amazing grown kiddos, and newly an Oma to 2 beautiful little granddaughters! I am also a self-taught, full-time plant-based experimenter 🌿. I went plant-based a little over a year ago after seeing what food could actually do for me. I had tried IT ALL! Keto, Carnivore, Atkins, GLP-1, powders, pills… you name it. Nothing worked, and I was simply sick and tired of being sick and tired! So, I joined a 28-day online fruitarian (paid) challenge — and went all in 🥳 Since then, I’ve shed 60 lbs (naturally), reversed pre-diabetes, healed my gut, reduced inflammation, and finally started pooping daily (hallelujah 🙌). Once my body felt this good, my heart naturally followed — and that’s when I became fully vegan. For the first time in my adult life, I’ve been able to maintain a healthy weight by sticking to a plant-based lifestyle. At 48 years young, I’m on ZERO medications — prescription or over-the-counter — which is huge, considering I was medicated most of my adult life. I’m here to share the real, the messy, the delicious, and sometimes magical journey of living plant-based — the food, the habits, and the everyday wins (and losses) — so you can see that healthy living doesn’t have to be hard or boring. Pull up a chair, and let’s get rooted & wild together! 🌱💛 Photo below: Left: November 2024 Middle: February 2025 Right: June 2025

Welcome to Rooted & Wild! Hellllooo lovely humans! Pull up a chair & make yourself comfortable 🪾 This is a whole-foods, plant-based community rooted in vegan & raw vegan principles — a space for real-life healing, simplicity, and sustainable habits. Here, there’s no perfection AND no judgment! Just support, inspiration, and a little magic 🌿✨ 💡 Start here: •Introduce yourself 👋 •Share what you’re curious about or working on in your plant-based journey! •Ask questions, share wins, or just peek around — trust me, you belong AND I am thrilled that you are here! I’ll be posting recipes (all plant-based and vegan), tips, tricks, and inspiration regularly. Sometimes I’ll pop in with live chats while I'm busy away in my kitchen juicing or prepping plant-based snacky snacks. Welcome to the table — I’m so glad you’re here! 🧚‍♀️