Want to Go Vegan? Here's How to Start

Going on a vegan diet can leave many positive impacts on your health as well as on the environment. Vegan diets can lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and can also reduce the risks of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, or some types of cancer. Going vegan can cut off your carbon footprint by up to 73%, and can help make efforts towards stopping animal cruelty. Regardless of what your reasons are, if you want to go vegan, you should read through this article to figure out how to start. 

Not everyone can become vegan overnight and that is totally fine. Veganism is a lifestyle, and like any other habit, it can be hard to implement. You need to work at your own pace so that you do not get discouraged. You can take small steps towards introducing some of the changes that come with following a vegan diet in your life. 

You can start by increasing the amounts of plant-based foods that you consume in a day or substitute a few non-vegan items with their vegan alternatives. After you start to ease in, you can choose to eliminate meat or dairy from your diet, and then give yourself some time to adjust before removing another food group.  Another method that you can follow is changing one meal at a time. You can start out by removing all non-vegan items from your breakfast for a week, then the following week do the same for your lunch, and so on. Whichever method works out for you, you should always remember to go at your own pace. 

Going on a vegan diet does not always mean that you are healthy. Meat and dairy are responsible for plenty of nutrients that our bodies need to function properly. To make sure that you are providing your body with sufficient fuel, you need to include vegan substitutes that supply your body with just the same amount and quality of nutrients in your diet. Besides, there is a vegan alternative for almost every type of junk food. This is why you need to plan out a healthy diet that does not consist of frequent consumption of unhealthy or junk foods to help you keep a balanced diet. 

If you feel like giving up, you just need to remember why you started this in the first place. Veganism is a lifestyle that you decided to take on for a reason. Remind yourself of the favors that you are doing yourself by sticking to that lifestyle. You should always keep a positive attitude towards this change. Think about how every cuisine in the world has at least a couple of vegan recipes that you should try. Moreover, substituting the ingredients of your favorite meals with vegan alternatives is not as hard as you may think it is. Luckily, every day, a variety of new vegan products are made available, which makes vegan shopping much easier today. Imagine how hard it must have been to go vegan just a few decades ago. Think about all the new food options that you haven’t tried yet, rather than the ones that you are giving up. 

It is not shameful to ask other experienced people for help or advice. This advice can range from any question that you may have regarding opening up to others about veganism, or navigating through life as a vegan, to simply asking about modified recipes for vegans. Many people would be glad to help. If you do not feel comfortable asking others, the internet is full of information that can be just as helpful. Guidance can help you adjust faster and make your transition much easier. 

Vegan-related books can motivate you to cut meat and dairy from your diet. However, you should always make sure that it is coming from a reliable source. Not all books are written by nutritionists, doctors, or experts. Even if they do, you need to beware that facts can be bent to suit the doctor’s biases and beliefs. Before you purchase a vegan cookbook, you should research the most credible and reliable ones so that you do not get misinformed. Vegan cookbooks can cover many niches. You can find ones that represent certain cuisines, instant meals, or even desserts. Comprehensive vegan cookbooks that contain almost every classic dish and vegan cookbooks that are dedicated to just about any cuisine are also available.  

Taking on a vegan lifestyle can be very life-changing. Vegan diets can have many health and environmental benefits. However, the transition can be hard to adjust to at first. This is why you need to find a way to ease into the new lifestyle at your own pace, and know where to look for guidance and advice when you need it. Don’t forget to stay positive and find ways to keep yourself motivated.