Going plant-based was one of the best decisions I have ever made.
It made me more conscious of what I consume and I feel empowered when it comes to my health. I cannot control my genes but I can control the foods I eat three times a day.
As it was six years since I went vegan last month, I want to share my best six tips if you are about to start this journey yourself.
I know it must feel scary at the moment. You might be doubting your decision and people around you can insert their own fears into you. This behaviour doesn’t help anybody.
I remember how excited I felt in 2014 when I started to transition and how hard it was to convince my father that what I was doing was right for me.
Knowing what I know now would be helpful but I still figured out a way to survive as the only vegan, not only in my family but in my whole town.
Soon, my father followed and decided he was going plant-based himself.
I cannot predict how your journey will go, but I know you have enough heart to do your best and protect your new lifestyle with the right tools.
Here are 5 tips if you are going plant-based:
- Start with what is comfortable.
Are you so attached to dairy products that it is the biggest thing holding you back from going plant-based? Okay, keep eating cheese and drinking milk.
If meat is something you don’t eat often, then you will have no problem switching to plant-based alternatives right away.
Start with what is easy. Start with what you are willing to do. Sooner or later the benefits you will experience will inspire you to take further steps and one day you will look back and realize you’ve been vegan this whole time.
- Start learning.
The truth is, you don’t know what you don’t know.
While I was transitioning to a vegan lifestyle, I spent the first 11 months reading every single book about plant-based nutrition I could find. I watched documentaries, movies, videos… listened to hours of podcasts and audiobooks.
I knew that the only way for me to live plant-based was to know everything there was to know about this diet.
Going plant-based became an adventure; something I wanted to figure out and enjoy. I knew I was in it for life, so making sure I had the tools I needed was a priority.
- Start following the right people.
If you are reading this, you are probably present on social media platforms.
Who are you following? Who is influencing you? Whose information are you consuming? These questions are important to answer because we want to make sure you are following the right people.
If you are going plant-based you will, naturally, want to surround yourself with vegans and nutritionists and chefs. When your world consists of people who eat plants, it will motivate you to eat more plants too.
You can start by following me on Pinterest and Instagram. I always post helpful tips and resources to make your lifestyle calmer and more enjoyable.
- Start setting goals for yourself.
Do you want to start eating fully plant-based in a matter of weeks, months or a year from now? Are you doing it by yourself or with someone else?
Get real about what you want and where you are going so you will know what steps to take. We want to be clear and focused, okay?
Get a piece of paper, or use Trello, and create a list of goals with a deadline by its side. Then get even more specific and write down subgoals and the steps to achieve those.
If you are not good with goals, then create a vision and follow it. A vision is a story you want to one day live so every action you take leads you there. Goals help with attaining it, but you can just figure out the steps on the way… at least until you get better at goal chasing.
If you know what you want, you will enjoy the process of getting it.
- Start investing.
Invest in learning, in new experiences, in people, in yourself.
Look at the plant-based lifestyle as something you are gifting yourself. You deserve to be healthy and happy, and you deserve to give yourself everything you desire.
Treat yourself well by going plant-based and diving deep into the pool of nutrition by reading good books (find my favourites here) and watching interesting documentaries (here are a bunch of good ones).
Yes, invest in crypto, but also invest in your own health and mindset.
What do you think? Let me know down in the comment section which tip you liked best.
I am so happy about the path you are about to embark upon. Despite all the negative emotions, you might be feeling, there is so much to look forward to.
One thing I know for sure is that you will never be the same again. Your heart will open a bit wider, your body will feel a bit healthier, and your senses will awaken to the beauty you are surrounded with.
When you don’t consume animal products, you feel connected to everyone. There is no blood on your hands and that makes your heart clean and pure.
I want that, how about you?
Well, it is possible.
So if you want more tips on how to create a sustainable eco-vegan lifestyle, please make sure you are following me on Pinterest and Instagram.
Tanja
