Here I have a fantastic guest post for you from a blogging friend who has written about going vegan. This is something that has always interested me and I know some of you readers have thought about it too.
Sophie Mei Lan is a fantastic blogger who also has an extremely popular YouTube Channel. Do pop and say hi if you enjoy this post. For now, I will hand you over to Sophie.
Why Sophie became vegan
I have been Vegan for a year now and here’s how I went from being a lifelong Vegetarian to a full-time Vegan since Veganuary 2018.
Veganuary is in the month of January and its aim is to inspire people to turn Vegan for the month and if possible, for the rest of the year.
But rather than go from Vegetarian to Vegan overnight, I did it in stages so I could get used to my diet change and feel prepared.
In November 2017, I stopped buying eggs as I ate a lot of eggs to boost my protein. I knew I had up my protein intake using pulses and tofu so I wasn’t just cutting things out of my diet.
This gradual change has also helped me whilst recovering from an Eating Disorder. But I would recommend first and foremost consulting a medical professional. For me, I can’t allow myself to check all food items as I can get obsessive about it, so instead, I just do my best without feeling too bad.
Here’s why I went Vegan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-rPXFPlE0g
How Sophie became vegan a Meal at a Time
Here’s how I turned Vegan, it’s not medical advice and I am not a health professional, it’s just the way I found to be most effective:
Start with one plant-based meal a week: Try and transform a meal from something meaty or cheesy into something Vegan (there are loads of swaps you can make). Try to replace rather than cut out.
Go gradually by reducing your intake of dairy or meat items. Veganuary is a great aim but I know I would’ve failed if I had gone from eating lots of dairy to turning plant-based overnight. It’s amazing how your taste buds change over a period of time. So start prior to Veganuary and then January is great to boost your momentum.
Get stocked up: You need to be prepared to maintain your health and diet, so get stocked up on plant-based food and replacements.
Go to Vegan Cookery Classes or watch films online: I took the kids to a Vegan cookery class and I learnt about replacements in cooking and baking e.g. You can use Chickpea Juice aka Aqua Fava as egg whites for baking and meringues etc.
Eating out and shopping
Plan where you eat out: A lot of places will cater to Vegans if you let them know in advance. But better still, there are lots of cafes, restaurants and eateries that cater already for Vegans.
Think about where you shop for clothes, food, homeware and accessories. I’ve been shocked at how things are made and what they are made of – so I try to be as conscientious as possible.
“Anything is better than nothing”: Is my life motto. So if you make a mistake or eat something try not to feel bad and just start again. It’s the same when it comes to exercise anything is better than nothing. As often we/I can do all or nothing.
So keep it interesting, start slow and just try your best. Have you turned Vegan? What are your tips?
More from Sophie
You can find more about Sophie and her websites here:
Do pop over, have a nosy and say hello!
More articles to help with a vegan lifestyle
If you are considering or already following a vegan lifestyle then these articles may be helpful.
A few vegan recipes that are popular – Moroccan tagine, banana pancakes, aubergine soup, carrot soup, how to marinate tofu, chia pudding,
How to raise a vegan child to be healthy
Can a vegan pregnancy be healthy?
Mistakes to avoid on a plant-based diet
Foods you didn’t realise were vegan but are!
Not all dairy-free recipes are vegan but a lot are by their nature. Check out these 18 Dairy-free recipes to try this week and see if any suit you.
