How to transition to a vegan diet.
There is no right or wrong way. Do this in the best way you can.
First, let’s start by dispelling any myths. We need amino acids. We don’t need those from animal products. We need protein. Protein originates from plants not animals. Some of the largest animals in the world get their protein from plants. You can, too! Hippos, rhinos, gorillas, elephants. The strongest land animals on the face of the planet get their protein from plants.
We don’t pant to keep ourselves cool. We don’t have long fangs or talons. We have a mandibular jaw, unlike any other carnivore or omnivore with flat surface molars for chewing and grinding.
Humans are the only species on the face of the planet that cook their food and nurse from the breastmilk of another species.
You can start by replacing your milk with soy milk, almond milk, oat milk, hemp milk, coconut milk, walnut milk or pea milk. You get the drift?
When you’re ready, you can start making the exact same meals you’ve always been making just substitute the meat for something vegan or plant based. You can buy a vegan meat or make your own. When I first went vegan, I used to buy a bunch of vegan meat. Now I prefer to make my own. It’s healthier, cheaper, more sustainable and I feel better when I eat them. For example, I use lentils, mushrooms, tofu, and walnuts. I blitz those into a ground crumble, which I can use for tacos, spaghetti, nachos, burritos, chili, burgers, and so much more!
So many people have an all or none, black or white way of thinking. Be gentle with yourself. This is not about perfection. This is about progress. It’s OK if you fall off the wagon. Get back on. It’s OK if you start out with one meal a day or one meal per week. You can work your way up.
Many people go “cold tofurkey”. Studies show that we are less successful when we do that. For me personally, that is what I did and it worked perfectly, however, I’m a weirdo, and I had a really strong why.
I suggest finding your why. Commit to your why. Watch movies about your why. The animal agriculture industry is one of the leading causes of the healthcare crisis, global warming, climate change, ocean dead zones, water contamination air pollution, deforestation, water shortages, species extinction, world hunger, zoonotic pandemics and most definitely animal cruelty.
Those are some of the many why’s that I choose, and why it’s easy for me.
Read books, watch movies, do your own research. Don’t worry about what anyone else thinks or says.
Ask for help! People like me can be a great resource. Join some vegan groups. Unlike many rumors, vegans really can have a lot of fun. I’m a member of a vegan rollerskating group, dance party group, hiking group, paddle boarding group. Most of us really are supportive and encouraging. We won’t shame you or judge you. We aren’t scary and we really do want you to succeed. We want to love everyone on the planet. The handful of few that are judging, preachy, militant, shaming, rigid- please give them a break and understand, they’re just experiencing so much pain and heartache from watching people contribute to atrocities at a level of genocide and the destruction of the planet.
I’ve compiled a list of free resources. I also recommend doing challenge 22. That was so fun for me. I did it three times.
I'd love to help...
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Here’s some help if you are interested!
Movies: Forks Over Knives, What The Health, The Game Changers, Eating You Alive, They’re Trying To Kill Us, Cowspiracy, Seaspiracy, Diet Fiction, The Big Fat Lie, Code Blue, Heal, Food Choices, How Not To Die, Unsupersize Me, Unsupersize Us, Vegucated, Kiss The Ground, End Game 2020, One Tree Planted, Live and Let Live, Engine 2, Plant Strong, Plant Pure Nation, The Need To Grow, The Invisible Vegan, Hope: What You Eat Matters, David Attenborough’s A Life On This Planet, Earthlings, Dominion
Christspiracy
Websites and Instagrams
👇 Recipes:
https://plantbaseddietitian.com/
https:// www.thejaroudifamily.com/
https://www.nutmegnotebook.com/
https://dreenaburton.com/
https://thevegan8.com/
https://www.keepingthepeas.com/
https://highcarbhannah.co/
https://plantifulkiki.com/
https://www.chefaj.com/
https://www.chef-julia.com/
https://www.forksoverknives.com/
https://shaneandsimple.com/
https://krocksinthekitchen.com/
A Plantiful Path, Brand New Vegan, Clean Food Dirty Girl, Eat Plant-Based
Fat Free Vegan, From My Bowl, Hello Nutritarian
High Carb Hannah, Kathy's Vegan Kitchen
Monkey and Me Kitchen Adventures, My Quiet Kitchen, Plant Based Jess
Plantiful Kiki, Plant-Based with Jane Esselstyn and Ann, Mary & John McDougall, Salad Therapy
Shane and Simple, Simply Plant Based Kitchen, Simply Vegan Blog, Straight Up Food, The Culinary Gym, The Vegan 8, The Whole Food Plant Based Cooking Show, This Healthy Kitchen, The Jaroudi Family, Veggie Chick, Veggie Inspired, Your Mom's Vegan
Here’s some of my favorite doctors on YouTube
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Neal Barnard, Caldwell Esselstyn, T Colin Campbell, Michael Gregor, John McDougall, Michael Klaper, Dean and Ayesha Sherzai, Saray Stancic, Dean Ornish, Joel Fuhrman, Pamela Popper
Milton Mills, Brooke Goldner, Will Bulsiewicz
Michelle McMacken, Sofia Ochoa, Ruben Guzman, Roger Seheult
Bodybuilders
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Samantha Shorkey, Kim Constable, Nimai Delgado, Torre Washington, Robert Cheeke, Rich Roll, Ella Magers, Brandi Shine Doming, Cherokee Davidson, Brooke Sellers, Vicki Jones, Julian Hierro
Jordan Dranes, Paul Unterleitner, Natalie Matthews, Harriet Davis, Matt Frazier, David Cleary, Clarissa Gagnon
Organizations
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The Physicians Committee on Responsible Medicine, Centers For Nutrition Studies, Nutritionfacts.org, The American College of Lifestyle Medicine, Plant Pure Communities, The Plantrician Project, Switch4Good
The PCRM has a free 21 day kickstart with a guide, grocery list, recipes and meal plans.
I can help! Check out my website: www.totallifetransformations.org and
https://www.acefitness.org/resources/everyone/find-ace-pro/dww8vx33/april-joyce/
