Veganism has become a popular way of life especially after celebrities like Aamir Khan, Jaqueline Fernandez and Neha Dhupia talked out loud about how beneficial it has proven. Cutting out animal products completely from your diet (Read: cheese) isn’t an easy task, be it for health reasons or otherwise. But if you are keen on making the switch, here are 10 things you need to know to make it sustainable. All aspiring vegans must read this one!
1. You won’t be able to do it all at once so stick to the motto of one change at a time. Start with giving up meat and then slowly move to milk and other aspects.
2. Being vegan can disrupt your budget. It may be expensive diet switch because you’ll have to pick up healthier stuff which can cost more. (Read: organic).
3. This change will impact more people than you think. Without even realising you will inspire people to be healthy and this will act as a motivation for you.
4. It will be hard. Making the switch and giving up your favourite foods like cheese and meat will not be a cakewalk for sure. But be sure of what you’ve signed up for. You may not be able to accompany your friends for dinners or host guests for lavish meals but it’ll be worth it.
5. Weight loss isn’t mandatory. Yes, you might be on a healthy route but that doesn’t necessarily mean you will lose weight because vegan sweets are by no means low calorie.
6. Not necessarily healthier. Cutting out animal products doesn’t necessarily make your lifestyle healthy because these days there are vegan alternatives available for almost everything; even chips and fries which just end up adding to your body fat.
7. You might need extra supplements. When you quit animal products you also give up a lot of vitamins and minerals that your body needs. Vitamin D, calcium B12, iron, Omega-3 fatty acids and zinc are vitamins that you need to supplement.
8. Know all about non-meat protein sources. Since you are not going to eat any meat that is rich in protein you will have to make sure you include other alternatives. The list includes things like tofu, miso, soymilk, edamame, legumes, nuts and seeds.
9. Keep yourself motivated. Since you are going to make so many changes in your diet, it might get difficult to keep up with it. The best way would be to find yourself a vegan buddy to keep you going.
10. You will have to be more vigilant about your food. This means when you eat out, you may have to order off the menu.
