Going vegan is not a decision you can take lightly. It will take dedication to stay with the path. But it can be gratifying when it comes to your health. So whether you are just changing your diet to detoxify or are under orders from your physician or plastic surgeon, going vegan can be worth it. The trouble is that it can be a problematic move towards going into an all-plant diet. But you can make it happen in just a month. Here are some tips on how you can make it happen.
Be Clear About Your Motivation
Before anything else, you need to be clear about your motivation for getting into the vegan lifestyle. Some people get into it for moral and environmental reasons. They see how the meat industry is causing widespread environmental problems. Scientific studies show that plant-based diets can help mitigate the increase in greenhouse gas emissions. This is through lower demand for meat. Additionally, some people go vegan because of the cruelty they see in the world’s slaughterhouses.
Health reasons can also push people towards veganism. Plant-based diets are naturally healthy since they are full of various vegetables, grains, and vegetables. These all provide better nutrients to the body than just depending on meat products. You might also be recovering from sickness or surgery. For example, some cosmetic surgeons recommend that you shift to a completely healthy lifestyle to protect the gains made by the surgery.
Knowing your motivation can help keep you stay your course when it comes to lifestyle. Having a clear goal will ensure that you will stay focused and keep to your diet as the month continues.
Start By Adding Things In
Now that you are beginning your vegan journey, you should not go with your first instinct. Many people think that they should immediately cut out all animal products from their diet. That is the wrong approach. What you should be doing is to up your intake of plant-based products. For example, there might be several vegetable dishes that you liked. This includes things like baked potatoes, three-bean chili, and more.
When you add a dish to your diet, it will start changing things. People are creatures of habit. You might not notice it, but you usually cycle through a particular set of meals throughout the week. With new vegetable dishes coming in, your habitual meals are going to feel a bit crowded. At some point, you’ll slowly cut back on the animal products until only plant-based foods are on the menu.
Come Up With Meal Plans
Habit is going to need some help when it comes to keeping you on the vegan path, though. It is still very tempting to cook meals with meat or with ingredients from animals. To assist with keeping your diet strict, you should start planning meals out. This helps ensure that you will be able to avoid meat when it is time.
The first two weeks should have you simply adding more vegetarian meals. The third week is when you slowly start cutting out the meat and other animal products. Do it a day at a time to make sure that the transition is gradual. This allows you to phase out the meat while keeping the cravings at bay. Note that you may have to up your vegetable proteins and iron intake from plants to make up for the loss of meat.
An excellent way to do the transition is to have at least one fully plant-based meal a day. The best meal to start with is breakfast since it is easy to convert. A bowl of oatmeal and fruits with juice should be enough to start your day. There are also muffins, waffles, and more for other options. With one meal done, the plan is to transition to two plant-based meals then an entire day of vegan meals.
Stock Up On The Right Foods
Another way to help the transition is to start changing the contents of your pantry. As you go through your old stock, you should start replacing them with healthier and vegan alternatives. This reduces the temptation of going back to old habits. Take note that you’ll have to read the ingredients closely. If you want to be fully vegan, you have to be aware of what might be animal products in the food you eat.
The sudden jump into veganism might be difficult, but there are certain benefits to it. For one, your entire body will feel the change. You will be consuming more antioxidants since the replacements for meat and fish are rich in them. Additionally, you might be able to lose a lot more weight as you cut out the fats of a meat diet. Overall, you’ll get healthy with the shift despite the discomfort.