Going Vegan: Tips & My Story
Veganism: it’s been the hot topic of the past couple of years and it’s only getting more popular day by day with the thought of climate change.
I wanted to share with you MY story on how I went vegan, what works for me, and what you can do to incorporate into your life that may help you with your journey.
It all started about 10 years ago, I dabbled with going vegan, but for the wrong reasons. I wanted to start modeling as a career, and I was told I needed to lose about 20 pounds to do so (which was completely false, by the way), so I figured cutting out meat and dairy would be my resolution to that problem. I would give myself one ‘cheat’ day a week where I ate anything and everything I wanted, which meant a whole bunch of non-vegan items and lots of junk.
Fast forward 5 years, I decided to make that change again, but FOR REAL this time. I was getting inspired by family and friends that had tried veganism and saw amazing results, and I never really cared for eating meat anyways. SO, I decided to give it another go.
So, how did I do it, the ‘right’ way? I took it slow.
I want to emphasize on that word slow, because it’s certainly not an overnight process. I mean, maybe for some people, but it was not for me. I decided around the end of 2014 that I would become vegan in the new year. I like to say the anniversary is in March, around my birthday, that I decided I would go COMPLETELY plant-based. It was not an easy decision, but it was something I thought about for a long while.
SO, here’s how I did it and in the order of how it went down:
Research, research, research. This is one of the most important things you can do when you’re deciding to change your lifestyle for good. I geeked out on documentaries: Forks Over Knives, What the Health, and The Game Changers are great to get educated. I also made myself sit through the videos on YouTube about what really happens to animals and why their lives matter. I watched videos on climate change, the dairy industry, the meat industry, and anything that would help me in my transition to veganism. There is a lot that goes into why veganism is a great way of life, and by watching videos and seeing it for yourself really puts it into perspective.
Cutting out red meat. This was an easy-ish one for me because I never really enjoyed red meat to begin with. I didn’t care for any cold cuts like salami, pepperoni, or even bacon, for that matter. I did not enjoy eating steak all that much, so I decided that would be the first to go.
Cutting out chicken. This was a bit more challenging for me because it became a staple in my diet for quite some time. I realized that it’s actually worse than red meat just because of all the hormones that are put into chickens, BUT that’s a whole other blog post.
Cutting out fish. This was the last meat that I eliminated from my diet, so I guess you could say that I eased into being a ‘pescatarian’ and then went into veganism.
Cutting out eggs. I had a difficult time with this one, too, because for a while I was doing eggs about everyday on toast. I noticed, though, that as I eliminated meats and became more aware of my body that whenever I would consume eggs I would get some sort of uncomfortable heartburn.
Cutting out dairy. Last, but not least, the dairy. Now, this was definitely the hardest of them all because I was that girl that would eat string cheese out of the bag like it was nothing. I loved cheese. It wasn’t until I found a vegan substitute that I was able to fully commit to taking this out of my diet. It also helped to learn about how the only dairy we should consume are from our mothers, BUT, again, that’s a whole other blog post.
Some simple tips I would give to someone thinking about veganism would be:
Do your OWN research. It’s easy to get persuaded to eating a certain way or doing certain things. Do what feels right for you! It may take you 10 years to be fully plant-based, and that’s okay! Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither were you. Take it slow and keep an open mind!
Have ONE meat free meal a week. Make it a point to have something meatless just once a week until you feel like you can do it a couple times a week, then once a day, and then go on from there! There are SO many varieties of foods to enjoy, and I find it so funny when people ask me what I eat as if I can’t eat anything! I eat an abundance of all the foods that are good for me: fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, legumes, healthy fats, and healthy carbs.
Transition to dairy-free milk. Swap out your regular milk to some dairy-free milk! I would recommend trying a milk that has as few ingredients as possible. My personal favorites are the ones with, like, 2 ingredients like these from Trader Joe’s: Organic Unsweetened Soy Milk, Oat Milk, and Canned Coconut Milk.
Swap our your butter. For your normal butter intake, I would suggest swapping for the following: Mykonos organic vegan butter, Earth Balance organic Vegan Butter, or just taking butter out completely and using some organic extra virgin olive oil, organic extra virgin coconut oil, or avocado oil. By the way, avocados make for a GREAT butter swap with a little pinch of salt, just saying.
Get inspired. I honestly love going on instragram or pinterest and just looking up new vegan recipes! There are so many out there and it’s fun to get inspired. I love to veganize dishes that are completely NOT vegan, like macaroni and cheese, pizza, grilled cheese, etc.
Swap out protein. Ok, guys, yes you WILL get enough protein going plant based! I can guarantee this. Animals are not our only source out there! I would start by swapping meats for preferably organic nuts, beans, peas, edamame, legumes, tempeh, or if you’re really concerned about protein intake then try out this awesome protein powder by Garden of Life. I prefer the chocolate flavor. It’s amazing because it’s packed with all your nutrients for the day, as well!
Since going vegan, I can honestly say that I really do feel better. I get asked all the time what age I am and what my secrets are, and I’m telling you a lot of it has to do with my diet. It’s true when they say that you are what you eat, so it’s important that we keep this in mind every time we put something into our bodies. I rarely catch a cold, and I’m around germs all the time. I can almost promise you it’s from the way that I eat.
Food is medicine and food is fuel, so it’s necessary to understand this concept and put it into practice when deciding what to ingest. Remember, your body is your temple so treat it as such!
Going vegan isn’t just about the diet, it’s about the lifestyle. It’s about staying away from purchasing anything that have put animals to harm, so that means purchasing anything with leather, sheepskin, any type of animal skin or fur, period.
As I had mentioned before, it’s a lifestyle change. That means it’s something that is incorporated every single day without fail because you choose to.
I could get into specifics as to why I believe all humans should go plant-based, but I’ll leave that up to you to do your own research.
So, there you have it! Try out these swaps and see what a difference this can make for you! I’m telling you, you will not only LOOK years younger, but you’ll FEEL years younger! Give it a chance; you never know if you don’t try. ;)
Are you plant-based? Have any tips you’d like to share about your journey? Let me know in the comments! Let’s create a happier, healthier, and more wholesome planet! :)
Much love,
Ash x