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Oct 12, 20203 min
Thinking of going vegan or doing a vegan challenge? Here is everything you need to embark on your vegan journey!
1. Ask yourself, why?
So you’re thinking about eating plant-based. You should be PROUD! Eating plant-based not only shows that you’re OPEN-MINDED but will also test how STRONG-WILLED you can be. Unfortunately, not every person in the world has the open-mindedness to either care or think about changing their HABITS even if it affects them!! You are part of the 1%...or 3%...the statistics aren’t exact but I read somewhere that it’s ESTIMATED that about 3% of the WORLD is vegan.
BEFORE YOU START your journey it’s important to establish and REFLECT on why you have decided to either be vegan or eat plant-based. See my post “ Vegan vs Plant-Based" for the difference between being vegan and eating plant-based! Like many LIFE GOALS, if you don’t have a CLEAR VISION or foundation—your path to achieve your goal will have many falls or failures. This is why DIETS FAIL. Eating plant-based is NOT A DIET. Yes, you will lose a lot of bad fat and some weight (see my post on "5 Benefits of Being Vegan") but if you’re doing it for weight loss reasons you’re eating plant-based not being vegan and you probably won’t last long-term. So really think about your WHY? Your REASON.
Is it to better your health? Remember eating and sticking to plant-based eating does both IMMEDIATE REPAIRS (clearing acne) and FIXES YEARS of DAMAGES from eating animal products (digestive system, excessive stored fat, etc.)
Is it because you care about the environment?
Do you want to eat cleaner?
Is it for your girlfriend/boyfriend?
Your “WHY” will be your motivation and reminder. Changing can be hard but if you have a really strong reason that you care about, it will make it easier. Look at some EXAMPLES and TIPS below!
Tip 101: It’s common for some people to miss the flavor or texture of animal products. In part 2 of this series “How to: Be Vegan”, I’ll talk more about alternative products to dairy and “meat” that can satisfy your temporary craving. But a key thing to remember is that it's the flavor of the SPICES and SEASONINGS that people are craving. As a foodie and food blogger I have SEEN IT ALL. There is a vegan replacement for EVERYTHING. Whether it be store-bought or homemade, it’s just a matter of looking up a recipe or taking a trip to a nearby vegan restaurant tbh.
Tip 102: You’re out with your friends and they’re making fun of you, questioning and mocking your new lifestyle....well honestly they’re jerks, jk! But they just aren’t at the SAME LEVEL of thinking you are and you can’t blame them...you were one of them at one point. This is when you need to REMIND YOURSELF of your reason for GOING VEGAN and ask yourself, is it worth it? It’s totally up to you if you want to re-explain your change in lifestyle reasons or just ignore them and continue to eat your cruelty and guilty-free meal. For more tips on eating out with non-vegan friends checkout my blog post: https://www.healingfoodfully.com/post/eating-out-with-non-vegan-friends .You won't want to miss it! Remember there are not that many of us vegans, YET...so don't feel guilty of eating with your friends who are not vegan...again YET!
Of course we are human and we make mistakes but if you’re PREPARED and are AWARE of the challenges you might face, you can AVOID MISTAKES. This is what my 5-part series is all about!
Stay tuned for Part 2 of “How to Be Vegan” Coming soon!!