Top Tips for A Vegan Lifestyle
If you are thinking about trying out a vegan lifestyle, you are not alone. More and more people are curious about the benefits it can bring for themselves, animals, and the environment.
However, if you have been a carnivore your whole life, you might wonder where you should even start. Well, at the beginning, of course!
This piece is going to take a look at some top tips for a vegan lifestyle that you can implement gradually. Read on to learn more.
1) Get Educated
To go vegan, you need to learn about veganism. This includes everything from its principles and the reasons behind choosing this lifestyle. Your personal reasons might differ from others, but it is worth understanding the impact of animal agriculture on the environment, animal welfare, and your own health to help encourage you to make the switch. Stay up to date with the latest information and resources available – but make sure to keep a questioning mind.
2) Make it Gradual
If going vegan overnight seems overwhelming, which it will to many, consider making the transition gradually. Start by eliminating one animal product at a time from your diet and gradually replace them with plant-based alternatives so you don’t feel so much of the sting of cutting out your potential favorites. This approach can make the transition much more manageable and sustainable and will hopefully leave you feeling less hard done by.
If you have some personal vices, such as chocolate, get your replacements in early so you don’t even have a chance to miss it! Take a look at gourmet vegan chocolate for an excellent alternative to your dairy-based go-to.
3) Be Mindful of Your Personal Nutritional Needs
While you will most likely be excited about finding out alternatives that you can enjoy on a vegan diet and getting stuck into some new tastes and textures, it is crucial that you listen to your body and are obtaining the nutrients that you need.
Everybody is different, and while a well-planned vegan diet can provide all the necessary nutrients, it will always be important that you pay attention to specific nutrients like vitamin B12, iron, calcium, and omega-3 fatty acids, which often are lacking in natural vegan foods. To combat this, you can use supplementation or fortified foods if you need to. Just make sure to consult a healthcare professional if you have any concerns.
What About Other Products?
Remember, taking on a vegan lifestyle does mean extending those choices beyond food, which means you need to explore cruelty-free and vegan options for clothing, accessories, personal care products, and household items, along with being hypervigilant if you come across something you aren’t sure about. If you look for certifications like the Vegan Society Trademark or Leaping Bunny, this will give you peace of mind that any products you do choose are truly vegan and cruelty-free. If you aren’t sure and you don’t want to risk it – then don’t! There will be an alternative somewhere, even if you have to go digging for it.