The Simple Way To Go Vegan & Have a Conscious 2019

"I want to go vegan butttttt..." everyone has worries & doubts about lifestyle changes! But veganism isn't about restriction or sacrifice as living plantbased & cruelty-free only adds to your lifestyle with a new found compassion & awareness! There's no better time to make the move as more & more people are going vegan & forcing society to catch up. This means there's a massive community online & outside to help just-turned-vegans adapt to living green with tips on how to sustain veganism for life, how to encourage others and how to live healthily & happily! Here, I've jotted down some general hints that came to mind, a few things that I found difficult when turning vegan & what I wish I'd known when I made the swap. I really believe that veganism is life changing ~ not just for our lives & the lives of our animal friends but also for the survival of our natural earth. Living life on the plants welcomes us to be constantly conscious of our footprint on the planet & encourages us to live as sustainable as possible. So if you'd like to go greener, here is my easy 'how to'...

1. Omnivore To Herbivore? Go Veggie First!

Don't let it be a shock to the system... ease your way into plantbased by going veggie first if you currently eat meat. Cut out all meat & eggs & see how you go ~ swap mince for lentils or chicken for soya strips! It'll be one less major change to your lifestyle when you make the swap meaning you'll more likely sustain a plantbased diet. Maybe try being veggie for a couple of months or so beforehand.

2. What Does Veganism Mean For You?

Find your own why! Whether it's ethical ~ climate ~ animal ~ health ~ religious ~ moral ~ happiness reasons, realise why you personally want to go vegan & who or what you want to help. Having a deep-seated goal will keep you motivated when the going gets tough & you're craving a bit of dairy.

3. Slow & Steady Wins The Race

This tip was the most important for me. Although there's A L O T of hype around being vegan, just remember that it isn't a competition & being vegan means something different to everyone! I slowly but surely altered my lifestyle over around 2-3 months to make sure my veganism was sensibly sustainable & not just an overnight switch that I'd easily lose faith in. Here is how I made the swap...

1. Firstly, I decided to cut out all dairy & have a completely vegan diet for around a week. This was tough because of the shock but I knew it would only last a few days so stuck to it. This is the most important bit ~ be strict! By not easing my way into a new diet, I was obviously craving certain foods & struggling. So, I noted down what I missed & what was most difficult to live without then after the week was over, allowed myself to slowly change back to being veggie.

2. Once I knew what I found tricky about a vegan diet & what I found simple to cut out, I started to alter my meals. I completely stopped consuming things that weren't tough to live without (eggs ~ cheese ~ butter ~ chocolate ~ yoghurt etc. for me) & used simple alternatives (Vitalite sunflower spread ~ Moo Free choc ~ Alpro yog) or just didn't eat them at all.

3. While cutting out lots of dairy bits, I still allowed myself the things I found really tough to give up but limited my intake. As a big coffee lover, I found it so difficult to sip a mug of joe without cow's milk so first cut back how many cups I was drinking then tried plantbased alternatives. Soy ~ almond ~ coconut ~ hemp ~ hazelnut ~ cashew ~ rice-coconut... I just couldn't get used to them! After 2 months of guiltily drinking dairy while being vegan in every other way, I finally got used to oat mylk & now can't get enough of Oatly semi-skimmed ~ & I love all the other mylks I mentioned above now too!

4. Once you've completely turned vegan diet-wise, however long it takes, make sure you keep it up. Plant power your kitchen & stock up... keep on trying new alternatives like Vivera or Violife!

5. So, just like anything, it's so much simpler if you ease yourself into change! Veganism is not a competition & nobody is 'a better vegan' than anyone else... whether it takes you 2 years to adjust or 2 days, everybody is doing the same amount of good! & don't forget, some people can't cut out all animal products due to health reasons.

Just like your diet, it's better to slowly alter other aspects of your lifestyle too. So use up all your shampoo or shower gel then when next shopping, choose no animal by-products! All Superdrug products are cruelty-free & mostly vegan (their B range is all vegan!).

4. Community & Compassion

There's no doubt about it... turning vegan can be tough & sometimes having others around us who understand the little difficulties can make a huge difference! Why not pledge to go vegan with your partner, your best friend, your sibling, your mum? You could cook together or go shopping for vegan goodies together. If nobody's up for it & animal-based products in the home are making it more difficult for you, then maybe ask others to cut back on the dairy or meat & eat a few more plantbased meals. Support & the feeling of joining a community I found so important! I didn't know any vegans when switching my lifestyle so joined national & local groups on Facebook & met up with a few other vegans! I still find the Facebook groups fab for all the questions I still have about sourcing the best plant products & being in the know about vegan ranges on supermarket shelves.

5. Be Inspired By The World Wide Web

Instagram ~ Pinterest ~ Twitter ~ Google Images ~ Facebook ~ everything online! Occasionally scrolling & surfing can grant you 1000s of new ideas & tips for your plant powered lifestyle. When my brain is too tired to think up a new recipe... I look at my ingredients & search Instagram or Google for a few recipes then merge them together. Social media is fab for vegan help & finding nearby foodies!

6. Plan Plan Plan

It's so very easy to slowly slip back into old habits & the comfort of tried & tested traditions... so plan ahead & be prepared! Jot down a whole load of plant powered recipes for all seasons ~ stock up on vegan household & sanitary products ~ get your vitamins ~ know the classic vegan fallbacks (salad...fruit...falafel...chips...) ~ follow a few inspirational social media heads ~ join a community ~ swot up on how to best get your protein ~ seek out new restaurants (like What The Pitta seen here!). You'll be grateful when you're sat at home unmotivated & fed up!

7. Treat Yourself & Make A List Of Restaurants To Try

Like the previous little tip, plan some lunches & brunches out at some yummy vegan cafés & finds. Scanning endless menus & trying out different flavours will inspire your home-cooking & make you realise how amazing plants are! This is one of my favourite things to do... I like to browse TripAdvisor ~ tap in hashtags to Instagram (i.e. #VeganLondon or #VegansOfLdn) ~ follow Instagram accounts (@thelittlelondonvegan , @vegansofldn & @vegansofmanchester are fab!) ~ ask around ~ find places while cycling ~ read online food blogs.

8. Expect A Few Side Effects At First

No matter how gradually you make the change, your body needs to catch up & is likely to send out a few grumpy signals!

1. Cravings ~ they're only natural so follow the planning hints ahead to curb them.

2. Weight loss ~ it's vital to ensure you consume your healthy caloric intake (whether it's 2500 or 2000 or whatever!). I cannot stress this enough. So stock up on wholegrains & protein & you'll still naturally lose weight just by skipping animal products. & be all the healthier for it!

3. Digestion ~ quickly changing to a vegan diet may instigate digestive & gut problems whether it be due to upping fibre intake or just snacking on veggies instead of processed foods but this is all normal... just stick it out & eat your flax.

4. Headaches & fatigue ~ this is something I noticed most. But it only lasted a month or so once I sorted out my vitamins & new routine! I upped my protein, fat, carb & calorie consumption simply by bulking out meals with quinoa ~ nuts ~ wholewheat breads ~ beans ~ potatoes ~ seeds ~ pasta ~ soya ~ rice ~ root veggies ~ tofu & snacking more often. More on this later!

5. Vitamin & nutrient deficiencies ~ it's SO important to swot up, don't risk you health! More on this later too...

& a few more 'side effects' you'll notice...

1. Energy ~ you'll be running around at full speed ahead once you've settled! Plantbased diets give TONNES of energy at the same time as lean & healthy bodies with lower cholesterol & blood pressure... just ensure you're eating enough calories & exercising frequently. Plants not processed products give the most energy... think wholegrains & bananas not meat & dairy!

2. Glowing skin ~ probably the most well-known benefit of a vegan diet is the wonders it does for your skin... especially facial. Diary has been proven to be the worst for acne so no more pumping your body full of hormones meant for calves! Natural antioxidants in plants clear up spots & blemishes in no time... not creams that cost the earth & are tested on animals.

3. Nutrients ~ apart from being careful about making sure you're getting a few essentials, a vegan diet naturally provides the most fibre, zinc, magnesium, vitamin A/C/E, potassium & tonnes more!

4. Lowering our risk of diseases ~ fast food & quick lifestyles in the western 21st century have lent themselves to disease... heart & kidney disease, cancer, obesity, type 2 diabetes. Toxins & saturated fats & salt & bacteria are found more highly in animal-based food products so swap to plants!

5. Our earth ~ the most important side effect there is. Fewer greenhouse gasses being pumped out ~ higher water supply ~ happier populations ~ saving animals ~ larger food supply ~ reduced deforestation... the list is ENDLESS!

6. Happiness ~ not only will your skin glow but your mood too! Consciously caring for our environment & selves & not pumping out vessels with unnatural nasties of course lends itself to endless smiles!

There are SOOOOO many other wonderful side-effects of going vegan... see for yourself!

9. Construct Your Plate

Another diet tip but this time a bit more fun! When thinking about my next meal, I like to break it down. If I'm craving a bulky tabbouleh with lots of couscous & grilled veggies, I know I've got my carbs & greens but need some extras. So I might marinate some tofu chunks & grill them for protein then dollop a big spoonful of low-fat hummus on my bowl & sprinkle with a small handful of walnuts for fat. Don't just live off greens... think mindfully about your meals & treat your body with care & plantbased love.

10. Look After Your Body

Save the most important 'til last! It might be a bit boring but making sure you get all your vitamins & key nutrients is vital ~ make sure you're living the vegan life to the max & this way you'll be sure to sustain it. Protein protein protein. Try to add it to every meal & for starters, I've listed a few simple sources... almonds ~ lentils ~ wholewheat bread ~ coconut ~ quinoa ~ all the leafy greens ~ oats ~ nut butters ~ hemp ~ tofu ~ pumpkin seeds ~ edamame! As for vitamins, even though the whole rhetoric about ALL vegans being vitamin B12 deficient is one big fat myth (we don't get it ONLY by eating meat... cattle get injected with it!), you still need to be on top of your intake. Whether it's through supplements or lots of mylk fortified with B12 or both, make sure you're getting the adequate amount. The same goes for the following nutrients ~ either supplements or bulking on planty foods naturally fortified... here are a few...

• Calcium ~ broccoli, tofu, figs, rice mylk, almonds, kale, soya yoghurt, pumpkin seeds, brazil nuts.

• Omega-3 fatty acids ~ flaxseed (the queen!), walnuts, squash, hemp seeds, chia, blueberries.

• Vitamin D ~ oranges, bell pepper, fortified cereals, avocado, carrots, plantbased spreads, melon.

• Iron ~ spinach, legumes, dried apricots, tempeh, bok choy, oatmeal, mushrooms, olives.

• Zinc ~ lentils, hummus, miso, cashews, wholewheat bread, coconut, oats, poppy seeds.

These are just a few simple lifestyle tips that first sprung to mind but there's SO much more support out there. Whether it's a few plantbased meals in the week, swapping to vegan make-up or trying to make your whole routine vegan friendly, simply deciding to try life on the plants is enough! Despite what a few overbearing groups or figures might say, veganism is not a competition but a compassionate way of life that welcomes kindness and not hostility. Let the new year embrace your self & goals... I hope you have a joyous, mindful and green 2019!

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