New year is only around the corner, its like hours before the calendar pages will turn to 2013. New year is one of the most popular time of the year when people set themselves for some kind of a change . It is also a popular time when most people like to set their goals for the new year.Its time for e new year resolution if you are into this kind of setting a goal.
If trying the vegan diet is on your list I would love to share some of my tried and tested tips to help you achieve it and enjoy the journey. Every change requires a bit of effort, but once you make up your mind there is nothing easier , that making it happen.
Every vegan I came across to have their own reasons of going vegan-it could be because of the suffering and torture, that the animals have to go through to get to your plate, or it could be because millions of people suffer from starvation because 70% of the grains are fed to animals , which are then used to produce little meat , which is full with antibiotics, growth hormones and other substances. You can choose to go vegan for health reasons , as the vegan diet consist no animal fast , saturated fats or mucus producing dairy and milk so you are less likely to get autoimmune diseases .If you feel , that you want to give it a try. GO FOR IT!
First of all I want to say , that what worked for me might not necessarily work for you. The Internet and the social media space is filled with information to help you along the way.
I can only give you my own personal experience with it, now I have completed 7 months of being vegan and counting and also had my first Vegan Christmas. Overall I can confirm , that I have never felt better in my life , my energy levels are consistent all day, I am also getting closer to my ideal weight. I haven’t actually weighed myself in any scales, but every single piece of clothing I have is loose on me and also I can see the cheek bones on my face(which I haven’t seen in years) , this fact alone makes me feel really good. I also experience incredible clarity and lightness in general. I feel like a big weight of “energy” have been lifted of my shoulders from the fact , that I do not consume any body with a mother , or any products , that come from them.I sleep really well and my eyes are also clearer and brighter, than 6 months ago.Overall it works for me to be vegan.
My first tip is :Keep your fat intake to around 10-15 grams a day. This will help you digest your food better , it will also help you avoid sugar cravings . The good thing is, that the vegan diet is generally low in fat as most plants and legumes have very little fat anyway. I would like to mention here mainly the nut butters, olive oil, coconut butter and avocado. They do have a very important part in your digestion , but when you are consuming them remember to not over do it. A handful of raw pecan nuts makes a perfect snack, also a handful of soaked almonds is an ideal mid day treat as they are a rich source of vitamin E, calcium , phosphorous, iron and magnesium.Almonds contains zinc, selenium,copper and niacin. Almonds contain the most nutrients in comparison to all other nuts.
There is a lot being said about breakfast. My best tip for how to enjoy the perfect vegan breakfast is to start your day with some fruits , or a fruit smoothie. Fruits are the perfect brain and body food , because they are rich in fiber, carbohydrates and water. Bananas, mangoes and blueberries are very powerful boost in the morning and they will keep you well satisfied till mid-day. If you are like myself and like smoothies I like to blend them in the Vita-mix with some oat milk, spirulina, ginger , macca root powder and I also add pro-biotic microorganisms(I use Acidophilus Plus-suitable for vegans and it’s sugar, salt and starch fee). That smoothie is guaranteed to keep me sustained till lunch time and having spirulina gives me a better lift, than any coffee from my favourite coffee shop.
Another tip I want to share with you is to keep things simple. The good thing about vegan diet is that most foods are already vegan. There are only about 10 foods, that vegans do not eat -meat, fish , creme, milk , eggs , honey .I do not understand why some people call the vegan diet restricted when all the fruits, vegetables, legumes , nuts and seeds are vegan. The variety can be overwhelming in the beginning , but its very easy to keep it simple. Start with the things , that you like to eat and they are already vegan. Or if they are not is very easy to make vegan. For example -if you like spaghetti bolognese instead of mince you can use the soya substitute and then gently move to grated carrots or corrugates, as the soy substitute is highly processed food, but it is a good way to replace the meat. Another tip is to use beans instead of meat when you are cooking. Remember it is mostly the herbs and spices, that make you love and enjoy the food rather , than the meat. All the effort goes into seasoning so keep using the flavours you enjoy and you will find it really easy to get used to being a vegan.
Last but not the least remember , that just because you have decided to go vegan you do not have to remind to people around you and giving them a lecture in nutrition when they are enjoying hot chicken wings. Be nice about it. You are doing this for yourself and your own reasons. Be clear about it. You will experience the benefits from being understanding and compassionate to everybody around you and to every living creature. This is what veganism is about -Love , compassion and sustainability. People who are interested will ask you questions.
Lots of times you will be only vegan in the room and with that in mind remember , that you are the ambassador for the ones, that have no voice , for the mothers, that live in poverty, for the animals , that will live a very short and painful life.
Its never been easier to go vegan. You have all the resources at your finger tips and thanks to social media an ever growing community of supporters and lovers of life. Please consider going vegan . Its worth the try.
Lots of Love,
Ivelina
