This week’s wellness tip comes from Kara Maynard, one of the six locals taking on our wellness challenge.

Kara wants to become a vegan bodybuilder. She’s been a vegetarian for years but is now working to go vegan while also building muscle, which can be a little tough since a lot of popular protein sources come from animal products. To get some tips on how to achieve her goal, she’s working with Korin Sutton, owner of the fitness training company Body HD Fitness.

So how’s she doing it? She’s worked new foods into her breakfast routine, like Vega snack bars and Evolve’s plant-based protein shakes, that still give her the protein boost she needs to gain muscle. The main piece of advice she has for anyone looking to change up their diet or start a new meal plan? Don’t put it off.

“I am sure many people have heard this phrase before, but I think it’s especially crucial for someone beginning a new diet/fitness program,”  Kara told us. “There’s always an excuse. I’ll start to diet AFTER my friend’s wedding, my trip to LA, etc.—but, we have the opportunity to start fresh at every meal.”

Stay tuned for more tips and advice from our challengers each week!

MADE POSSIBLE BY BAPTIST HEALTH SOUTH FLORIDA

… that 10 Days of Connection officially begins! This community-wide initiative to build empathy, kindness and connection across lines of difference will happen across more than 70 events, with hundreds of locals of different backgrounds, ages, and perspectives. You can find out more about that here.

We’ll be keeping the conversation going every day over in the Facebook group. Head there to join almost 400 locals and do things like:

• Suggest songs for a silo-busting Spotify playlist
• Raise your hand to be someone’s lunch buddy (Friday is “Let’s Do Lunch” day)
• Brainstorm questions for Ask an Asian
• Share snaps from your connection experience
• Find out about more experiences
• Take that day’s connection challenge
• Ask us to explain what this is all about 😉

TODAY’S CONNECTION CHALLENGE:

In real life: Host or attend a potluck with some folks you don’t know well.

Online: You’re invited to a digital potluck. What dish do you bring and why? What does it mean to you? Head over to the Facebook group to share your story.

SOME PLACES TO CONNECT ON MAY 2

• Check out Overtown’s new B&B
• Why millions of ex-cons can’t get jobs and why you should care

Remember, there are at least 70 of these happening all over the 305, so head to the calendar to browse all of them.

Rock the vote. If you live in state House District 114 (you can check here) then heads up, there’s a special election today. Three people (Republican Andrew Vargas, independent Liz de las Cuevas and Democrat Javier Fernandez) are vying for the seat left vacant by Daisy Baez. She stepped down after it was revealed that she lied about living in the district.  There are also special elections today in North Miami and Florida City, and you can get the full rundown on the Miami-Dade elections website. (Miami Herald)

There goes the neighborhood. Little Haiti has been a magnet for development for years and now a group of long-time business owners say they’re feeling extra pressure from a developer to give up their space. River Esquinas LLC has moved to evict or end leases with 13 of the 15 businesses in the strip malls located near Northeast 82nd Street and 2nd Avenue. Business owners are asking for more time to relocate and prepare before they’re forced out. (Miami Herald)

Paying for protection. Nearly two months after the Florida legislature approved new gun control legislation, some school districts are still not sure they’ll be able to pay for some of the new requirements, like armed security guards and beefing up police presence. The main issue? There’s more than twice as many schools in Florida as there are available school police officers. (Tampa Bay Times)

Justice for juveniles. Last year the Miami Herald’s Fight Club investigation dug into the state’s severely-flawed juvenile justice system and focused on tragic cases like the death of 17-year-old Elord Revolte, who was attacked by more than a dozen other detained juveniles. Antwan Johnson, the officer accused of overseeing the fatal attack and a “bounty system,” was charged with conspiracy and a civil rights violation by a federal grand jury. (Miami Herald)

#FLClimatePledge A coalition of local and national environmental groups have introduced a statewide climate pledge to promote climate change education and push for state action, like moving to 100 percent clean energy by 2050 and involving underserved communities in convos about climate change. (WLRN)

The long and winding road. If you’ve spent time driving on the stretch of Flagler Street that runs through Little Havana and near the Miami River, chances are you’ve hoped that heavy rain didn’t create a small lake and prayed for your tires to stay intact. Construction on the road has taken more than two years and state officials said it should be done by September. But local business owners say the work has caused irreparable damage and they don’t see much urgency from workers to finish the job. (Miami Herald)

Our bad: In our Monday news roundup we had a story about how Florida would spend its share of a Volkswagen settlement with the EPA, but we listed the settlement figure as $2.7 million instead of $2.7 billion. Either way, it’s more money than most of us will likely ever see in our lifetimes.

ONE MORE THING: FAN OF TAP 42?

There’s a new location opening tomorrow at Aventura Mall, so you can grab a few brews after touring the mall’s swanky new food hall.