How To Start Following A Vegan Diet

 

There’s no denying that more people each year are changing their eating habits for a variety of reasons. When someone follows a vegan diet, people might think that individual is doing so for ethical reasons.

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But, did you know that many people follow a vegan diet mainly (and sometimes purely) for health reasons? There is plenty of scientific evidence to show that eating a diet rich in fruit and vegetables will keep you healthy and lead a longer life.

You’re undoubtedly reading this article today because you’ve decided to give up meat, poultry, fish, and dairy in a bid to lead a healthier lifestyle. Here’s how you can start following a vegan diet the right way:

Know which foods offer the best nutrients and vitamins

As you can imagine, there are a lot of ‘pseudo-meats’ marketed at vegetarians and vegans alike. They are products that imitate traditional foods like beef and chicken. The trouble is, they are processed foods.

Processed vegan foods can be just as bad for you as processed meat and poultry products. If you’re going to follow a vegan diet, it’s crucial to limit processed foods as much as possible. Doing so will ensure your body gets the nutrients and vitamins it needs.

If you’re unsure about what foods you should be consuming each day, it’s worth speaking to a dietitian for help and advice. That way, you can build up a healthy eating plan, and when you’re not at home, you’ll know which foods (processed or otherwise) to avoid.

Check the ingredients on non-raw ingredients

When you follow a vegan diet, you’re cutting out meat, poultry, fish, and dairy products. You might not realize it, but seemingly vegan-looking processed or packaged food products may contain animal derivatives!

For example, jelly might contain gelatin, an ingredient made from the collagen of animal by-products. And even beer might have something called “isinglass,” a fish-derived protein.

You’ll soon know which ingredients are unlikely to be vegan whenever you do your grocery shopping or dine out at restaurants.

Be sure to exercise regularly

Once you’ve got your diet sorted out, the next step is to maintain some form of regular exercise in your life. You don’t need to spend 100 hours each week at the gym, for example! Your routine could just consist of taking your dog for a walk twice a day.

Consider working with a personal trainer to help develop an exercise plan that is realistic, achievable, and easy to follow. After all: the last thing you want to do is exert too much physical stress and potentially cause yourself an injury!

Final thoughts

Following a vegan diet isn’t as difficult as you may have first thought. When you work out which foods to eat regularly, and what exercises to do each week, you’ll soon be on your way to leading a healthier lifestyle.

What’s more, cutting out animal-derived ingredients from your diet is also good for both ethical and environmental reasons.