Going vegan as a New Year’s resolution? YES!!

Happy NEW YEAR everyone and good luck for all your new challenges!!

 

Ever thought about going vegan as a New Year’s resolution? Well, maybe the beginning of a new year could be a perfect start in a new life style! But pretty much any time point is the perfect one as long as you’re ready for it. Today I want to talk about my journey of going vegan based on five easy steps you can follow if you are thinking about going vegan.

When I went vegan, it was like waking up. Months before I tried to eat more consciously, for example to find dairy products from farmers who are treating their animals ‘ethically’. Well, now I know that’s just not possible but it was part of my journey. The more I read about common practices in agricultural farming the more I knew how impossible it was to find those products.

Reading is definitely STEP ONE in becoming a vegan: Read about the common practices, pages like PETA.org may help you to find out more about animals being used for food. Visit a sanctuary for farmed animals and learn about the personality of these animals. Farm Sanctuary, Animal Place, or Harvest Home Animal Sanctuary are the ones I’ve been to and they are all amazing!! Or learn about environmental issues on pages such as chooseveg.com, or think about the health benefits and watch movies such as Forks over Knives. Whatever YOUR reason is to make the transition, it’s wonderful, it’s important AND it will help the world on SO many levels.

STEP TWO on my journey. That was the point where I knew that I wanted to become vegan but wasn’t sure how. So I picked up a copy of Vegan for Life, a comprehensive guide to plant-based nutrition by registered dietitians and long-time vegans Jack Norris and Virginia Messina. It’s an amazing book that helped me through the vitamin b12 jungle or the protein myth. I also signed up for the 30-day Vegan Challenge by Colleen Patrick-Gourdreau where I learned SO much about veganisms and non-vegans, the psychology behind and much more. Of course, I needed to learn to cook vegan. NO worries on that end! There are SO many incredibly good vegan cookbooks out there, OMG, it’s hard to pick one, really. The one I picked up as a newby-vegan was Chloe Coscarelli’s Chloe’s Kitchen. She also has a nice website with recipes, so you can try those first and see if you like it. The Raspberry Tiramisu Cupcakes were the first vegan cupcakes I ever made and they wowed friends we met that day! But books like Vegan Cupcakes take over the world made me NEVER look back 🙂 If you’re looking for blogs that are providing vegan recipes, then you should definitely check out Oh She Glows and Plant Based On A Budget. These are just two of my fave recipe blogs.

Okay, now you know what to cook. You may have picked up a decent blender by now and are addicted to green smoothies, haha 😉

STEP THREE on my journey was looking through my closets: Cleaning products, body care products, clothing. If you’re anything like me then you might think about getting rid of all this overnight. I couldn’t stand the fact of using products that were made using animal cruelty, so I donated most of that stuff to a local Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Center or to the SPCA store. If you can’t afford buying new products, then it’s absolutely fine to finish your products first before looking for cruelty-free alternatives. Pages like Vegan Cuts or PETA will help you to find new cruelty-free items.

STEP FOUR: GET ACTIVE-GET CONNECTED! Getting active will help you to use all your new vegan power you just gained from waking up alone (meaning going vegan) and it will allow you to do something meaningful and to do your share to spread the word. Try to find a local animal shelter and donate your time or get active via social media or non-profit organizations. Organizations like Food Empowerment Project or Factory Farming Awareness Coalition are always looking for volunteers, there’s something for everyone. Connect with people via groups on facebook, or at work, at college or in your city. You’ll be surprised how many groups are already out there and they’ll welcome you with open arms. Visit vegan events in your area, just google vegfest and a bigger city near you and you’ll find all the vegan festivals near you. Or sign up for running groups such as PETA Pack or Team Vegan. Those made it super easy for me to connect with like-minded people 🙂 Finding a good support system is SO important, not just online but also in the real world which will make it so much easier for you to stay vegan.

STEP FIVE: HAVE FUN AND BE HAPPY! Yes, enjoy your new life and be proud of all you’re doing for the planet, for the animals and for your beautiful self! It’s a wonderful thing and no omnivore will ever be able to bring you down as long as you know that. The ‘real’ world can be tough on us vegans but no matter where you are there are always ways to stay connected with other vegans, AND this movement is unstoppable. It’ll get easier and easier with every day.

This is pretty much the way how I became a vegan and I’m loving it 🙂 But there’s no right or wrong. Whatever works for you, will be the perfect way for you. I hope you enjoy becoming and being a vegan, and please feel free to contact me anytime with any questions you may have!!! Love to all of you! ❤