5 Things to Know Before Going Vegan | My Best Tips & Advice
I’ve learned a lot about going vegan in these past 6 years.
During my freshman year of college, I felt motivated to change my eating habits to better understand nutrition’s impact on overall wellbeing. A year of campus cafeterias and eating for convenience left me feeling exhausted and burnt out. Food didn’t excite me. If anything, it was a source of anxiety and guilt.
After doing research with Nicole and speaking to my doctor, I decided to try a vegetarian diet for a month. Soon, those four weeks turned into 12 and I even began going vegan in most meals.
It wasn’t until two years later when I moved to Florence that I realized: Sometimes it is impossible to be completely plant-based. Whether financial constraints or lack of access to healthy fruits and vegetables, there are environmental and situational boundaries that make this lifestyle simply unattainable.
With that being said, I’ve fluctuated between a vegan and vegetarian diet for over 6 years now. My mind, body, and soul feel connected and I truly cherish every meal I eat.
So, here are the 5 things I wish I would have known before going vegan.
Creamy Cashew Alfredo Pasta – Vegan
1. Going Vegan Doesn’t Have to Be All or Nothing
Transitioning to a vegan lifestyle can be a gradual process. You don’t need to wake up tomorrow and completely change your current lifestyle.
Begin by adding more fruits, vegetables, legumes, and grains to your diet. Once you find a few plant-based meals you feel comfortable with you can try a “Meatless Monday” or opt for the vegan or vegetarian meal when you go out to eat.
The next step in going vegan is making gradual swaps, like removing red meat from your diet. Red meat is a Group 1 carcinogen. Just like arsenic, asbestos, mustard gas, and tobacco, carcinogens like red meat are proven to cause cancer and other health problems.
After you’ve removed the most harmful of substances, move on to dairy and “white meat.” Luckily, lots of restaurants and grocery stores are now offering plant-based meat alternatives that help this transition.
Soon, you’ll be able to transition to a well-rounded plant-based diet that includes various legumes, grains, fruits, and vegetables. But remember: This process will not and should not happen overnight.
Like all forms of self-development, this transition will take time for your mind and body to adjust to. If you haven’t taken much time to think about the food you consume in the past this will be a newfound responsibility in your day.
Depending on where you live, it may not be possible to be completely vegan. However, we can all make smarter choices around our consumption of meat and the harmful carcinogens within.
Take things one day at a time.
2. You can’t change people’s minds, you can only inform them
I wasted a lot of time and energy arguing with people for the sake of veganism.
As with most aspects of life, arguing on deaf ears won’t make any change. The person has to want to make a change in their own lives for things to resonate.
Instead of preaching, I now wait to be asked about veganism. If someone is interested enough to ask, I’ll have the conversation. I like to recommend documentaries and studies to start with. Some great places to start include:
Forks Over Knives Documentary: What if one simple change could save you from chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease? Take a deep dive into the plant-based diet documentary that has influenced millions around the world.
Plant-based diets and their impact on health, sustainability, and the environment research conducted by the World Health Organization
Risk in Red Meat study by the National Institutes of Health: A new study adds to the evidence that eating red meat on a regular basis may shorten your lifespan.
What the Health Documentary: The film exposes the collusion and corruption in government and big business that is costing us trillions of healthcare dollars, and keeping us sick. This investigative documentary will be an eye-opener for everyone concerned about our nation’s health and how big business influences it.
You can’t change someone’s mind just because you are passionate about a topic.
All you can do is inform in hopes people will do the research themselves and understand the true risk of eating meat.
3. Listen to your body
Your body will tell you what it needs if you take the time to listen.
If you regularly feel sick, tired, or bloated, it might be time to take a look at the foods you are eating. Meat, dairy, and processed foods create inflammation in the body, resulting in health problems across the board.
I notice when I feel sick or tired it is usually due to what I’ve eaten. Opting for a healthy plant-based breakfast sets me up for a great day. When I listen to my body I can make better choices.
Of course, your doctor can also help with this discussion. If you’ve never taken the time to listen to your body’s needs because you have work, family, or other obligations, it might be time to prioritize yourself and your health for the people you love.
Speak with your doctor about how your body feels and they can help advise on healthier choices you can make today to begin feeling better.
4. Connect With Like-Minded People
Going vegan with Nicole is one of the biggest factors in sticking to this lifestyle.
Since we were able to make this transition together, we could stick by each other’s sides when we went out to restaurants and cook-outs with meat-eaters.
We were able to explore plant-based restaurants in Pittsburgh and experiment with new vegan recipes we found online. After a few months, we even began sharing our favorite vegan recipes on this blog to connect with other newbies.
Relying on each other as a support system made the first few months much easier than when we had tried by ourselves.
After 2 years or so of veganism, I met my partner Tom who is a vegetarian. Again, having a fellow plant-eater in my corner made it that much easier to stick to my lifestyle.
Now, it is easier than ever to connect with people who share your interests and passions.
We’re proud to be part of a thriving plant-based community on Instagram and Pinterest and hope you will feel compelled to check it out as well.
You don’t have to make this transition alone.
5. Be Wary of Influencers When Going Vegan
As a vegan blogger, this may be surprising to read. But it is true.
Unfortunately, we’ve seen many “vegan influencers” use this lifestyle as a cover-up for disordered eating.
We want to be sure to stress that a plant-based lifestyle should be filled with self-love, a passion for healthy food, and the desire to better ourselves. There is no ideal vegan body, and healthy bodies come in all shapes and sizes.
Be wary of the influencers who promote unhealthy habits (like detox teas) or use their platform to try and sell you items that were likely made in an unethical production facility (like cheap jewelry).
You may also feel discouraged looking at seemingly perfect people who make plant-based eating seem easy and completely accessible. While we wish this were the truth, lots of people do not have access to the resources to live a completely vegan lifestyle.
Do not feel discouraged by any disadvantage. Know your efforts, however gradual they may be, are valid and important. Your decision to pursue a more plant-based lifestyle will have a positive impact on your life, even if it doesn’t seem as glamorous as the influencers with millions of followers make it seem.
Follow your own body, soul, and mind, and do your best to ignore the static coming from social media.
Conclusion
I wasn’t always a vegan. The reality is that I was trapped eating the same meats and dairy items my parents grew up eating. Just like millions of Americans, this resulted in a disconnect from my mind and body connection and led to health problems like fatigue, bloating, and headaches.
I don’t want you to go through this as well.
I hope these 5 tips help you as you make the transition to a plant-based lifestyle.
Remember: you don’t have to go all-in after reading this blog and it is easier to make this swap with like-minded friends nearby.
Please share your favorite tips in the comments below and connect with us to share healthy vegan recipes and information.
