What nobody tells you about going vegan

More people than ever before are adopting the vegan lifestyle. Veganism goes a step beyond vegetarianism by cutting out meat, dairy, and fish. There are some definite benefits to eating a vegan diet. Eliminating animal and dairy fats reduces the total amount of calories and saturated fats from your diet, and people often say it helps them to feel better and lose weight. One of the other definite pros of eating vegan is that is is better for the environment for numerous reasons, including reducing greenhouse gases that are emitted from livestock.

What nobody tells you about going vegan, however, is that you’ll need to educate yourself about how to get proper nutrition while on this diet. If not, you run the risk of becoming deficient in protein and key vitamins and minerals that are found in the foods you’re no longer eating. In addition, sudden changes in eating habits can cause potential problems such as digestive upset.

In order to avoid issues with digestion, take a slower approach to making dietary changes rather than going “cold turkey”. And, learn about the ways to combine plant proteins and grains to form the perfect proteins your body needs.

It might be easier than you expect

The easy way to go vegan is to let your fingers do the walking. Before you go grocery shopping, go online and research good alternatives to meat and dairy with regard to nutritional value. You’ll quickly discover that it’s possible to find plant-based foods that provide the key nutrients that are normally associated with meat and dairy. For example, did you know that beans and lentils, almonds, sardines, seeds, and leafy greens are all good sources of calcium?

Start by making an effort to plan your meals around your new diet. Don’t wait until you’re hungry to start searching for something you can eat. This is a good way to end up with a sugary or processed snack food with low nutritional value. The same philosophy can be applied to eating out. Go online and check the menu of the restaurant where you’re planning to go so you can find good, healthy items that fit into your new diet.

Getting the support you need

Eliminating animal products from your diet has many benefits. Eating a vegan diet reduces the fat and calories you absorb, can help improve your overall health, and is good for the planet. Most of the time, you can get proper nutrients through plant sources. You may also want to consider supplementing with vitamins, such as D3, for which the recommended daily allowance is difficult to achieve through diet alone.

D3 is normally extracted from animal sources, but Green Leaf Sciences offers a D3 1000 IU Gummies for Vegans. Read more about the excellent plant-based supplements produced by GLS on the product pages.