“The Respect And Connection That The Mayans Had With Nature Were Incredible”

Lili Olivares lives in Spain but has grown up in Guatemala, the country of eternal spring. Thanks to the constant contact with nature and the indigenous population there, Lili learned from a very young age the incalculable value that the environment has not only for our lives, but as a home for all living beings.

From that early awareness comes a deep respect for everything around you. With more than ten years of environmental activism and animal rights behind her, Lili Olivares has one of the most active profiles on the web. He manages three projects: two non-profit and his own business, Vegan Expedition, in which he recovers part of the Mayan tradition through handmade accessories. We talked to her about her projects and her lifestyle.

Lili Olivares: “I realized that I had to promote ethical and sustainable fashion”

– You have worked at Google and in an NGO like Animanaturalis, how was your experience there?
– Without a doubt they were two very enriching and different stages. Thanks to Animanaturalis I became an activist for animal rights at the age of 23 and in a few months I went from vegetarianism to veganism. I was lucky enough to coordinate the Barcelona team for almost a year and hold various media events and demonstrations. Google was a wonderful experience on a professional level, I learned a lot and made very good friends, but after four years I felt that I needed a change of life and I gave it up.

– You gave a change of life and now you work for yourself and from home, why did you create Vegan Expedition?
– Vegan Expedition is the result of the change in life that I gave three years ago, when I left the corporate world to enter the world of entrepreneurship and thus get closer to my dream of leading a calmer life and in contact with nature. A project that began as a vegan recipe blog and that little by little evolved with me, encompassing much more than food. The fashion industry is the second most polluting industry on the planet and I realized that I had to go beyond food and create handmade and vegan accessories, to promote ethical and sustainable fashion. Thus was born this limited upcycled collection with vintage huipiles (ornate dresses) and vegan suede.

“The worldview of the Mayans is still alive in the huipiles”

– You grew up in Guatemala, what customs do you like the most in that country?
Without a doubt, the best thing about growing up in Guatemala was learning about the Mayan world and culture. I grew up surrounded by huipiles and from a very young age my mother taught me to value these precious works of art woven by hand for months, loaded with meaning and history. The respect and connection that the Mayans had with nature is incredible, and today their worldview is still alive in various ways. My favorite is through the symbols present in the huipiles that are still used by the indigenous population and to which we give a second life to create sustainable accessories.

– From that respect for nature and other animals, you bet on a more sustainable and more ethical life: how do you apply it in your day to day?
– I believe that everything begins with leading a more conscious life and keeping in mind the enormous impact that everything we consume has on the planet. At home we are always in constant evolution towards a life as “zero waste” as possible. In recent years we have managed to reduce our plastic consumption by 80%. We buy organic products in bulk and as “km0” as possible. Not only fruit or vegetables, but also cereals, cleaning products and personal hygiene.

– Now you are also a vegan mother, how was Iris’s pregnancy?
– Totally normal and very beautiful. Carrying a vegan pregnancy made this stage much easier for me, since my diet did not change or I had to remove food from my diet. Just the typical, like avoiding coffee and alcohol, but I kept eating the same thing and that makes you reflect on how wonderful and balanced a vegan diet can be at any stage of life.

“At the age of two, my daughter Iris leads a balanced, organic and vegan diet”

– You say that the pediatrician is surprised at how healthy Iris is, how has her diet been?
– Iris has just turned two years old and continues to drink breast milk on demand. From the year on, he began to eat exactly the same as us. He loves legumes, coconut milk, and fruit. Take B12 every week like us and eat a balanced and organic diet.

– Undertaking in feminine and having feminist references of women who defend nature is one of the keys to your business, what values ​​do you want to transmit to Iris and the people who follow you on social networks?
– For me it is very important to live a life consistent with my values ​​and philosophy of life. To want to transmit values ​​to other people, whether or not they are your children, you have to live them first and be an example. Without a doubt, empathy and respect for all living beings with whom we live in the world, human and non-human. They are the basis of everything.

– You also run two communities on Instagram: Vegans of Spain and Mamás Veganas: what is the purpose behind them?
– Vegans of Spain was born almost four years ago after rescuing five kittens with my dear Cris Rodrigo (current director of ProVegan). Our goal is to bring veganism closer to people in a friendly way, mainly through food. Over the years, we have managed to create one of the largest vegan communities in Spain and veganize many hearts. Mamas Veganas was born with the idea of ​​normalizing veganism in the little ones. Girls and boys are born with a lot of empathy and love for animals that is lost as they are influenced by a speciesist society.

“Kundalini yoga is my anchor to live in the present”

– Three adopted dogs, a girl, a business and two non-profit communities, how do you combine everything with a slower life?
Very good question! The truth is that I still don’t have the definitive answer. Since Iris was born I have had to reorganize my priorities and I have a lot less time. I am still looking for balance and it is not easy, but without a doubt kundalini yoga is my anchor to live in the present. Thanks to him I combat the anxiety that I have suffered since I was a child and work on my personal growth.

– You have been vegan for ten years, what advice would you give to someone who is just starting out?
In my case, I had been a vegetarian since I was 13 years old and my evolution towards veganism came ten years later when I made the connection and I realized that animal exploitation is also present in our clothing, makeup or personal hygiene. It wasn’t just about not eating animals. Veganism is a lifestyle and like all change, it requires time, effort and a lot of love. Breaking habits that we have been raised with is not easy, but it is entirely possible. It is without a doubt the greatest act of love towards animals, nature and oneself. My best advice would be to be consistent and not overwhelm.

– Finally: do you recommend a book, a quote that you like and your favorite food dish?
Women who run with wolves, by Clarissa Pinkola. It is one of my favorite books and essential reading for any woman. The quote: “Be the change you want to see in the world”, inspired by the thought of Ghandi, is without a doubt the phrase that governs my life, since if we want a better world, we have to change first. And finally … my favorite dish is a rich vegan feijoada, a typical Brazilian dish.