A New You In 2014: Going Vegan

January is all about new beginnings and a new you. Many people use the beginning of a new year as a catalyst for self improvement and that’s awesome. Hopefully you are still going strong with all of your resolutions and feeling better about yourself. I’d hate for you to not feel awesome only a few weeks into the new year!

Self-improvement gets a high five! Yay!

A few people that I know have decided to give veganism a try this year. That’s right, vegan. They aren’t going vegetarian, they’re going vegan. That means no animal bi-products at all. No cheese, no eggs, no meat, no fish, no dairy – If it had a mother, it shouldn’t be on your plate, in your tummy, or being used as a fashion accessory.

~ mmm hot dogs ~

Going vegan is kind of tricky but it’s a lot easier now than when I first started in ye olde 2007. Also, I live in a major metropolitan city (Los Angeles), which makes it even easier. Here are a few tips from me to you should going vegan be on your list for improving yourself in 2014:

1. Ease Into It

~ sometimes, leaping in isn’t the best thing ~

I’m going to just say that going vegan isn’t for everyone. No judgements. Your body, your choices. It’s also kind of a shock to your body if you give up eating all of the things you’re used to nom-ing JUST LIKE THAT.

Have you ever heard of Meatless Mondays? It’s a thing. Give one day of eating no meats a try. Ween yourself off of the things that you have been eating forever and see how you feel.

2. Pay Attention To Your Body

When you’re trying any new diet, pay attention to how your body feels. Hopefully you are trying to plan out the things that you eat so that you are eating correctly and getting enough fuel for the day. I don’t want you passing out after you’ve only eaten a bunch of mixed nuts and an apple.

3. Plan Your Meals

Like any food eating, you should probably plan out your meals. You want to make sure that what you’re eating actually has a purpose for going into your mouth. Need some meal planning tips? Try this 30 Day Vegan Challenge.

4. Read Labels

Reading labels is fun. If you aren’t careful, you could be eating bugs, weird milk things, and other kinds of gross that you normally wouldn’t eat. There are lots of lists out there on the internet, so do your research before you buy things. Here is a handy list of things to be on the look out for.

5. Love the Internet/Ask For Help

The internet is your friend. Countless vegans before you have blogged their little hearts out on what has worked for them. They’ve also blogged about their fave foods, products, cruelty-free fashions, and so on. A quick search on ye olde Google should send you down a rabbit hole of vegan information, should you need it.

Also, if you know any vegans, ask them what works for them. Keep in mind that going vegan means a totally different thing for you and this is just one way of finding out what you’re into. Hopefully you’re able to make well informed choices and one day you can be that helpful person helping out a vegan newbie.

If you have any questions about vegan stuff, let me know in the comments. Feel free to share any thoughts you have as well. TTFN!

Would you ever go vegan?