Hi Everyone…
Happy Monday 🙂 it’s time for my top 5 Monday post… I would love to hear from you guys on ideas and what I should post about as well, so if you want me to do a top 5 list for something please let me know in the comments! always fun talking to you guys… you can also follow me on snapchat, IG and twitter and send me your ideas that way too 😀
Don’t forget to enter my GIVEAWAY… I am giving away TWO boxes of awesome cruelty-free & vegan products and some snacks… only a few days left to enter and it ends on Saturday the 17th… ENTER HERE NOW!
alright…. now lets move on to My top 5 tips for first time vegans 🙂
it can be really hard to transition for some people… and for others they make a life decision and they never look back… the first time I went vegan… I fell off the wagon because I didn’t really know what I was doing.. I didn’t know any other vegans and pretty soon I second guessed my decision to be a vegan…
most importantly I think I was just not sure why I was vegan… I had a very quick and strong reaction to animal cruelty and it made me not want to consume meat… but I was not really sure what I was supposed to eat…
it sounds silly now to me that I would even think that! but I feel like because I failed… I can relate to those who are having a hard time transiting… which is really why I started this blog in the first place 😀
so I wanted to write this blog and maybe give some tips that i would have found useful in the beginning 🙂 these are just some general lifestyle tips and not tips on how to eat or what to eat!
1. Stop focusing on what you can’t eat and focus on what you can eat
The possibilities are seriously endless… it is so easy today to get ideas on what to eat from youtube, from google and by just experimenting in your own kitchen!! thats what I do…. honestly I had always hated cooking! but since I went vegan I have been loving experimenting with flavors and cooking delicious and healthy meals for others! you can visit my Food Page HERE to get some ideas… or make up your own 😀 whatever you do.. think of it as an adventure, you will see that going to the grocery store will become much more exciting as well!
2. Appreciate Plant Based foods
There are so many amazing flavors out there that are hidden under salt, under dairy and overpowered by sauces and meats… when I first transitioned I thought everything was going to be tasteless… but to my surprise it was just the opposite,
I realized that Meat on its own never really tastes good… there is always some sauce or salt or something that made it a meal for me… so I lowered my sodium intake and I realized that Plant based foods on their own have an amazing flavor and my taste buds needed to adjust to them! a simple mono meal of mangoes was delicious to me and exciting! rice… natural organic tomatoes sauce were so healthy and delicious and I didn’t feel bloated or sick afterwards!
so I guess this would be two pieces of advice in one! avoid Vegan junk food… if you need it to transition thats fine, but try to focus on plant based natural foods and you will discover a whole new world 🙂
3. Going out to eat does not have to be a nightmare
Yes, you can still go out to eat… its not going to be the end of the world for you! you might find that your favorite restaurants are no longer your favorites… but you’ll find new places! again, its like an adventure!!!
I had a blog on my top 5 vegan Apps a while ago, which is an awesome tool to finding new vegan restaurant around you!
and even if you go to a non vegan restaurant, you’ll be surprised at how easy it is to veganize your meal! all you have to do is ask… trust me… they will NEVER say no, because they want you to be happy 😀 don’t be scared to ask questions, to ask them for no cheese and extra veggies! I have never had anyone say no to me 🙂
4. Not judging others
I feel like when I went vegan, I was really angry at the world for all the torture and pain we were causing and it was almost too much… and even though I used to contribute to it, all of a sudden I felt like I needed to tell everyone that they were torturing animals and how wrong it was… no one likes to be preached to! take a deep breath and calm down and you will realize that you can influence others ( if you want to) by your actions!
Make your friends vegan food! so they can see how delicious it is! and if you follow the Plant based diet, you will naturally start to glow and feel amazing and everyone around you will see that and complement you on it! you don’t even have to say anything!! you might get into a conversation or two about it and you might not! but live by example because that is the best way to influence and let others make their own decisions and transition… let them make the connection!
If you do get into a heated argument…. just remember to have a sense of humor about things 😀
5. If you mess up, don’t beat yourself up too much
you might accidentally eat some dairy! or find out your rice was made with chicken stock!! but don’t let that defeat you! its not the end of the world! these things happen and you learn! ask more questions! and try to do better next time 🙂
If you just fell off the wagon like I did my first time, its ok! try to connect with why you are vegan and maybe watch a few films like Cowspiracy, Earthling, Forks over Knives and reconnect with what made you go vegan in the first place! start with being vegetarian and slowly cut things out if that works better for you!
My last mini piece of advice would be to educate yourselves on Nutrition and where things come from!
Blogs that I have written that might help you…
alright guys! I hope this was helpful and it didn’t seem like I was rambling TOO MUCH 🙂 haha!
as always YOU’RE WELCOME!
Love & Peace
veganneeds.com 
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