Becoming a Vegan

“I want to go Vegan but...” This phrase has been appearing in increased abundance lately, especially after the release of the sensational documentary, What the Health. People are more aware than ever that their nutritional choices have a direct effect on their health, and quality of life. People feel highly overwhelmed and confused about nutrition because there is a lot of false information in circulation. People really want to become vegan but they may assume its unattainable or beyond their means. If you are reading this and ready for some practical advise advice and guidance this article may usher in a huge change for you. Becoming vegan. Easier said than done? More like, easier to do than you think.

First of all let's address this so its out of the way now. That nefarious question, “Where do you get your protein?" This is likely the biggest misconception created by the meat and dairy industry. That protein can only be obtained from animal products like meats, dairy, and eggs. This is totally FALSE. Moreover those are likely the worst sources of protein, as those foods bring saturated fat, bad cholesterol, and can cause digestive problems since they lack dietary fiber.

Protein is likely the most abundant nutrient and can be found in all plant foods. Even a strawberry contains an amount of protein. For plant foods higher in protein try beans, nuts, and seeds. There are also foods like Amaranth, and Quinoa which are complete proteins all by themselves.

I you are an athlete and feel you need more protein for your active lifestyle consider a plant based protein supplement. A great choice, Pea Protein, as it is good for people trying to maintain low body fat and it is easy to digest.

When it comes to protein with plant based nutrition there is more than enough.

Another misconception is the cost of vegan food. That healthy food is somehow more expensive. Perhaps when it comes to the trendy fancy gourmet vegan foods promoted by celebrities, ie gOOp. Beans, lentils, fruits and vegetables, grains, these items massively undercut the cost of animal foods like meat and cheese. Even at a place like Trader Joe's you can find healthy vegan food at low prices. The same can be said for many other supermarket chains as well. The related expense is no barrier but always remember you can either choose to invest in good health now or be forced to pay for failing health later.

It is important to be aware that there is a tremendous calorie difference between plant based foods and animal foods. For example 100g of steak contains roughly 200 calories compared to 100g of green leaf lettuce which only contains 1 calorie. With this in mind new vegans should know they need to eat much more food to feel full and satiated. This can be a good thing for self identified foodies who will have little to fear about over eating.

There are so many different plant foods available. Try incorporating something exotic. Ever tried sprouting seeds and beans. Sprouts are massively nutritious and a form fresh home grown produce. Even better they are cheap and easy to cultivate. With a little bit of ingenuity and someglass jars you can start growing an abundance of fresh flavorful sprouts (see more about sprouting here).

What about cravings? Yes its a sure thing that new vegans have some challenges removing themselves from meat and dairy products. The key here is replacement foods, exchange animal foods for plant based versions or plant foods that satisfy the same taste cravings. An easy place to start is to replace dairy milk with a plant based milk, fortunately there are so many to choose from, soya milk, almond milk, rice milk etc. Its recommended to make these plant based milks yourself to save money.

As far as meat replacement, try eating heartier, high protein foods with texture. Foods like beans, nuts and  mushrooms, can be made into flavorful stews or nut loafs. In the case of cheese, there are vegan replacements but cheese cravings are caused by naturally occurring opiates(read more about cheese here). In order to get past cheese cravings it is important to just commit to avoid eating cheese.

Sometimes when people go vegan for the first time they experience a higher incidence of digestive discomfort in the form of stomach aches. This discourages people from maintaining their decision to be vegan. What is likely happening is eating more plant foods introduces high amounts of dietary fiber and overstimulates the digestive system. Typically given some time this will pass as the body gets accustomed to all the fiber. Though if digestive issues persist too long try reducing raw vegetables for a while and consider making fresh smoothies. Smoothies allow us to easily consume all the vital vegetables in a somewhat predigested form.

Since the topic of Smoothies has already been touched it should be remarked that this is a great way to incorporate more vital calories with nutritious fruits and vegetables. Of course Invest in a high quality blender that will last a long time. Here is some advice, bananas are a great base for all smoothies. Take large amounts of broccoli, kale, lettuce, spinach, carrots, cabbage and pack with three bananas and let the blender blades do the rest. Two of these a day should do the trick.

For those who still feel they my be lacking certain nutrients consider investing in nutritional supplements. Fortunately we are in a time where nutritional supplements are widely available. Do some research and find a company that makes a quality product.

More on the supplement issue, one supplement that all vegans must be certain to invest in is B12. This nutrient is important and not available in plant foods, nor is it naturally available in animal foods (read more here). Also women may need to invest in a good ironsupplement to compensate for iron lost in their menstrual cycle.

Though, remember always consult a professional physician when making decisions about health.

Planning out meals ahead of time is a great way to stay motivated in the early stages of becoming vegan. This way we can stay focused and have better control of meals. Try the jar method to organize meals for an entire week.

Finally, commitment is the master key. Remember, what was the reason for originally going vegan. Did you see What the Health? was it for weight loss? a new year's resolution? Whatever the case, maintain the original reasoning as a commitment to your decision to maintain plant based nutrition. Try incorporating these tactics and you may find it easier to maintain and consequently benefit from plant based nutrition in the long term.

So what do you think of all this? Are you Vegan yourself and have some additional suggestions you would like to share? Are you contemplating being Vegan but still have questions that may not have been addressed here? Please share your thoughts in the comment section and perhaps we can start a discussion and help some people out.

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