New to Being a Vegan? Here the Hacks on How to Keep Things Simple

Shifting to a vegan lifestyle may seem daunting, but remember, more often, it is the idea of a significant lifestyle change that is more frightening than the actual transition. By focusing on making one change at a time, you will naturally progress towards veganism. You have to do it at your own pace and look for methods that will work for you to have a successful progression.

If you are considering going vegan because of the benefits a plant-based diet can give, here are a few tips to help you on your way.

#1 Learn as much as you can
The first step towards transitioning to veganism is to familiarize yourself with the concept. You have to learn about the benefits of this lifestyle and educate yourself about the practices behind producing animal products. Find your one reason for going vegan and how a plant-based diet can benefit your body. By reading the ingredients list, you can discern what product is vegan and what is not. Know where you can get vegan products and vegan-friendly restaurants.

#2 Introduce new food to your diet before you subtract from it
Begin by including more whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, tofu, and beans in your diet. At the same time, you will be familiar with preparing, storing, and using them. Start experimenting with vegan recipes and learn different easy and quick vegan meals that you will enjoy and will be quite comfortable preparing them.

You can also start to shift to almond or soy as a non-dairy alternative for your milk. It is easy to switch to a non-dairy product because there are many options available.

#3 try to stick to real foods when you can
There’s a wide range of vegan foods available in the market today. You can find non-dairy substitutes and even veggie burgers to help transition to a vegan lifestyle quickly. These foods are not harmful, and the way they are processed is much healthier than before. Try to keep 75 percent of your grocery cart with real foods like veggies, nuts, greens, whole grains, among others. Real foods are much healthier and less expensive.

#4 Look for a Good B12 Supplement
You need Vitamin B12 to keep you in good health, mainly on a vegan diet. The reason is that our bodies cannot produce it. Vitamin B12 is essential for the heart, nervous system, digestive, and the red blood cells of the body. Please choose the best vitamin B12 supplement so that you can get its maximum benefits.
#5 keep your meals simple
One of the most exciting parts of transitioning to a balanced vegan diet lifestyle is realizing that you can eat all those fantastic dishes without meat products. But in the middle of all the excitement, you will also recognize that you have to prepare time-consuming and complicated recipes that can be overwhelming. They can be great to try during the weekend, but you can stick to basic meals on your busy days. Try simple recipes that are easy to prepare but equally fulfilling and healthy.

#6 don’t get caught up in trends
You can find many fad diets in the plant-based and vegan sphere. While some have real benefits, a well balanced vegan diet is the best approach. A diet with whole foods without much alteration is the best diet. It should be simple, totally doable, and useful. You should stick to the basics and stay away from diet trends that will deprive you of the much-needed calories. It can be obsessive too and expensive.

#7 Swap out your Unhealthy favorites with healthy options
Switching to a plant-based diet is not as easy as it sounds, and it is hard to let go of your favorite food like burgers and fries. Try to look for vegan substitutes or try to make your own delicious vegan concoctions; you can find the recipes online. It can make cooking more fun and find the best alternative for your favorite unhealthy foods.

White Veggies Fight Diseases from Colds to Cancer

White vegetables from the onion family contain a powerful disease-fighting phytochemicals (a substance found only in plants) called allicin. According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), allicin has many positive effects on health. It can help to:

• lower cholesterol and blood pressure
• help you fight infections
• speed up your recovery from colds
• reduce the risk of heart attacks
• help stop the spread of certain cancers, especially stomach and colon cancer

The best sources of allicin include:

• garlic
• onions
• chives
• leeks

Adding the “white vegetables” like garlic and onions to your recipes, chives to your salads, and onion to your burgers and sandwiches can make an important contribution to your diet and health.

It’s important to eat an assortment of colorful fruits and vegetables every day because each color group has unique phytochemicals, vitamins, and minerals. The NCI advises that women try to consume at least seven portions of fruits and vegetables a day, and men should try for nine. The more colors–orange, red, green, white, and blue-the better!

Final Thoughts

Being a vegan is not only about being perfect or cleansing your body. If you feel that you cannot commit to a 100% vegan lifestyle, you can start by transitioning one food at a time. Don’t let a barrier food stop you from minimizing your intake of animal-based products to whatever you can.

Don’t let yourself get caught up trying to label yourself as a vegan based on your diet. Thinking this way is not constructive and will not allow flexibility. Just do the best you can by simply cutting down your consumption of animal products; you will be taking a step in the right direction.