So, you want to turn vegan? Great Decision! Trust me, you’ll never regret this amazing decision. But remember that you’ll not be able to stay this way unless YOU decide to adopt this new lifestyle. So what in the world is a vegan? A vegan is someone who does not consume or use any animal products! It’s as simple as that. Frankly, it does not take a lot of effort to turn vegan if you have good guidance and direction. And here we are, to share whatever we have learned and to help you in whichever way possible. So the possible reasons for you to turn vegan are:
You want to live a cruelty free lifestyle. You want to stay healthy with a vegan diet. You want to make a positive impact on the environment. Things to consider before turning Vegan: 1) Your Diet requirements: Do you have any health condition that stops you from being vegan? If yes, talk to your doctor before you make this decision and stop consuming dairy products and all kinds of meat. Discuss your options with him/ her to see if there are any vegan alternatives. If there are no vegan alternatives for your problem, let’s be practical.
You can call yourself a ‘practical vegan’ when you can avoid animal products as much as possible. When you have no other option but to consume animal products, it’s fine. Don’t feel bad about it. Remember that you are doing all you can to be good to animals, yourself and the environment. 2) Temptations! Do you have a sweet tooth? Weakness for cheese, cream, desserts? It will be a little hard for you to let go of all the amazing sweet-smelling food and look for alternatives wherever you go. But any small act/sacrifice you do will be worth it.
Be it for the animals or for your health. Imagine people complimenting you on your amazing health or asking for tips get amazing skin (Yes! That benefit is included). Whenever I get tempted, I usually imagine a cute calf’s face staring sadly back at me. Since I became vegan for living a cruelty free life, imagining that cute animal face helps me curb my temptations. Can you handle all the guilt after having dessert and your conscience is rolling its eyes at your decision? Imagine not being able to fit into your favorite pair of jeans or having a major zit attack on a date! Noooo! ) It all comes down to a simple truth – It’s your choice.
This new beautiful lifestyle is your choice and you will feel better after each day knowing that you are making a difference in the world! il 570xN. 195641097 Imagine this cute face thanking you whenever you don’t consume animal products! 3)People will say a ton of things. This is a life changing decision that takes a lot of effort and some times people around us won’t get why we would go through this. People around you will try to influence you, make fun of you, force you and pull pranks on you.
Stay calm, turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to all such people. I, personally have faced a lot of situations where people would tell me that I need to have yogurt, milk and other non-vegan stuff to get all nutrients. But guess what, nature is magical and all the things we need to survive and live a healthy life are available naturally. The best part is we do not need to cause harm to any animal for that. At the end of the day, it is you who will feel better. Believe it or not, the universe runs on energy. If you feel good about something you do, your body reacts well.
The key is to do things you like the most, to choose your own way of living, to be yourself. People around you should like you for the person you are! 4) Knowing the right products to choose. We will be posting another article about vegan brands, vegan food, and an easy guide to shop everything vegan. Hang on! The Transition!!! There are 2 ways to transition into a vegan lifestyle Immediate change: When you immediately stop consuming/ using all animal products and just decide to do it the vegan way! This is harder if you are a hardcore meat-eater or love your leather.
I wouldn’t say it’s impossible, it’s just a tad bit more difficult and will cause slight discomfort to your system due to sudden change in diet. Gradual change: When you gradually, very smoothly shift into this new lifestyle. It will require setting timelines (according to your lifestyle) and adaptability. This will help your body get used to the new diet and lifestyle without any discomfort. Transition Timeline: Month 1: If you have a habit of eating meat every day, cut it down to 3 or 4 times a week. Do this for a month and see if it works. Start incorporating vegetables and meat alternatives in your diet.
Have meat alternatives once a week or once in 2 weeks to slowly acquire a liking towards them (You may not like fake meat products at first – It’s an acquired taste). Dairy: Reduce the amount of dairy you consume in small quantities. Start mixing cow’s milk with soy/almond milk in a 3:1 ratio (3 parts of cow’s milk and 1 part of soy/almond milk) Mix dairy cheese and dairy free cheese in a 3:1 ratio and use in recipes. Home goods: Evaluate all products in your home-Shampoos, soaps, face wash, laundry detergent, etc. Buy only cruelty free products the next time you shop for these things. Cruelty free guide coming soon! )
Month 2: Cut down meat consumption to once or twice a week. Starting preparing more and more meals with vegetables and fruits. Have meat if you have a craving. It’s all a part of the transition. You can get your protein from beans and fake meat. (Fake meat guide coming soon! ) Try cooking the fake meat in different styles- it needs some flavoring to taste good! Dairy: Mix cow’s milk and soy/almond milk in a 2:1 ratio-Same for cheese. Home goods: Evaluate cosmetics. If there are brands that conduct/ support animal testing, make a list of all such products you have.
You need not throw them out yet but the next time you think of buying cosmetics, keep in mind to buy only cruelty free,vegan cosmetics. Look for faux leather and faux wool whenever you go shopping for clothes and shoes(Psst: You are going to save a lot of money. Who cares if it’s real or not as long as you are being compassionate! ) Month 3: Cut down meat consumption to once a month. Meat craving is very unlikely if you have gone past Month 2. But, be very aware of any meat cravings you have. Try curbing your temptations with meat alternatives or any other favorite vegan food.
Incorporate a lot of vegetables and beans in your diet. Add fake meat as much as you can. Dairy: Start having only Soy/Almond milk. Try the different flavors if you don’t like it plain. Home goods: You must be well aware of most cruelty free products at home. Keep it up! Month 4: Avoid all animal products including meat, eggs, dairy, honey, leather, wool, silk, cashmere, pearls, etc. Use only cruelty free products. Animal testing policy is usually specified on the back of the bottle/packaging. (Cruelty free guide coming soon! ) After the Transition: By the end of Month 4, you must already be feeling great about yourself.
You feel lighter than ever, you could even lose weight, your skin starts glowing! This habit of avoiding animal products is slowly turning into a way of life. Kudos! Things to remember: Always keep motivating yourself by joining vegan communities, groups and reading vegan articles. Google animal testing policy for a brand if you have a doubt. Share your joy with people around you- tell them how happy you are with the new lifestyle. It will help you keep your confidence. Check for material tags on clothes to see if it has any animal products.
Subscribe to monthly vegan beauty boxes to get samples of amazing products- you can buy full sizes ones of you like the samples(Vegan beauty box reviews coming soon! ) Contact us if you have any questions/ concerns about your new lifestyle. Always feel good about yourself. You doing an amazing job! Always remember that you are Brave, Beautiful and the Best! ‘Brave’ because it takes courage to save another life(yes, you are saving lives here! ), ‘Beautiful because you are beautiful, inside out! ‘The Best’ because nobody needs to remind you of who you are. You are yourself and that’s being the best!
