5
TIPS
for Living Vegan in a
by Diana Goldman
Meat-Eating World Think it’s too hard to go vegan? Drawing from research I conducted, interviewing or surveying almost 1,000 vegans, ex-vegans, and aspiring vegans, these research-proven tips, for going and staying vegan, are sure to help you. • Boost your knowledge and know your why. Learn about the connections between a vegan diet, disease risk mitigation, world hunger, animal suffering, and climate change. Documentaries, books, magazines, and blogs can be great sources of information. The more you learn, the more conviction you’ll have to fuel your willpower. • K now that extraordinary life changes are possible. In addition to experiencing health improvements (92% of research respondents), the majority (87%) reported feeling a greater sense of peace, purpose, and/or personal fulfillment as a result of changing their diet. • Embrace support from a friend, a coach, a mentor, or an online group. This will help increase your sense of community, belonging, and self-confidence. • Focus on progress, not perfection. While some do find success as “instavegans”, the majority of us do well transitioning over time. Be patient with yourself as you make changes in your diet. There is no need to give up due to slip-ups along the way. • Sail Through Social Situations. Of all the challenges vegans face, social pressures top the list. They are most responsible for creating ex-vegans and dashing the hopes of aspiring vegans. In fact, 85% of the ex-vegan research respondents identified social challenges as the cause of derailment.
VEGWORLD
20
November/December 2021
