4 Tips to Make Going Vegan Easy Whenever I tell people I’m vegan, I often hear the phrase: “Oh, I could never do that. That seems way too hard.” Funny thing is, I used to think the same way. Until I did some research and I found people who thrive off of this lifestyle. I thought that if so many people love and cherish this lifestyle, it couldn’t be that bad. And it’s true, it is not that bad. It’s pretty freaking amazing if I say so myself. I went vegan in December last year and I think it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my life. Latisha and I are both sharing our tips on how to make going vegan easy!
1. Have a reason and believe in it Why are you thinking of going vegan? Is it for health reasons? Ethical? Environmental? All of the above? There are so many awesome reasons to go vegan. No matter what you do it for, believe in your cause. Believe that eating vegan will make you feel and look better. Believe that by consuming and buying no animal products you are not part of the animal cruelty process. Believe that you are able to change the world for the better. Because all of that IS true!
2. Do your research This was the most important step for me. Before going vegan I thought: what the heck am I going to eat? At first you might think you can only eat lettuce and rice. But man, nothing could be less true. I looked up vegan popcorn recipes and I already tried and loved some before I made the switch. I found vegan substitutes for almost everything I was afraid I was going to miss. It is amazing how many vegan alternatives there are! Some pretty cool documentaries to watch are “Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead”, “Conspiracy” and “Forks over Knives”. They all show the reality of (vegan) food, where it comes from and what can happen to your body by changing your dietary habits. It’s not only informative to research the topic, it’s also very inspiring and motivating.
3. Make mistakes Since I was going vegan for health reasons, I didn’t really look at the ethical aspect at first. I bought a leather bag and I probably still use non-vegan items now. Now that I’m more informed I try to look at the things I own and if I still feel comfortable owning them.
Vegan popcorn eating was the most important part of veganism for me in the beginning. But I also made some mistakes with cooking. Using vegetable butter that had milk in it, binging on cheese because of cravings, eating fish and cream sauces when eating out, because it was easier than asking for a vegan meal. I’ve done it all! It is fine to make mistakes, we all make them. The most important thing is that you keep going. It’s okay if you accidentally eat or buy something that is not vegan, as long as you won’t let it discourage you. You chose this path for a reason and you know that it is worth it to keep going. Those are my most important tips to make going vegan easy. And honestly, after a bit of research and just making the switch, you’ll figure it out. It really isn’t that hard. I learnt more about being vegan while being vegan than in the research I did before. Remember what you’re doing it for and focus on the positive parts, because there are so many of them. Lots of love and positive vibes to you.