ketogenic diet

10 Crucial Facts Before Going Vegan

Veganism has in so many ways become a religion. Some view it as a way of life while other see it as the best thing that has happened to them. Many celebrities have actually become vegan, the fact which has swept the general public by storm, almost doubling the number of people who have chosen to give up on meat and dairy products. This does not actually mean that you have to be a trend-seeker, as there are does who think that become vegan is just a method of gaining popularity. But the truth is that going vegan adds to your health and increases your fitness levels. Here are some of the most crucial things that you need to know before becoming vegan yourself.

1. B-12 deficiency

B-12 is paramount to the function of our body as it keeps the body going by helping produce blood cells and keeping a healthy body. As it is not produced by our bodies we need to find other sources of getting it. The most popular one is of course animal meat. But, another downfall for vegans is that this vitamin is not produced by any plants of vegetables they eat. So how are you going to function without this vitamin if you are vegan. The trick is to find supplements or other healthy and doctor-approved types of food which include B-12. B-12 supplements are now very easy to find and you will need to get a healthy dose or a regular intake if you decide to become vegan yourself.

2. Include a bit more iron in your diet

The same which goes for B-12 can in a way go for iron. There are two types of iron, heme and non-heme iron. Heme iron is found in about 40 % of animal product, while there is any of it in the products that vegans can use. Vegan products contain non-heme iron, but you will then have to eat twice as much as you would usually need to in order to get your daily serving of iron. In order to surpass this issue, you need to find nutrients which have enough iron in other to sustain your bodies. The best vegan sources of iron are sunflower seeds, legumes, dried raisins and leafy greens. So if you are a respectable vegan practitioner, you will need to include some of these foods in your diet to get your iron count higher.

3. Don’t swap meat for junk products

Many people get a wrong impression that if they cut out meat altogether they are doing themselves a favor of choosing a healthier life. An even worst act would be substituting meat for some products like white bread and pasta. You have only managed to deprived your bodies out of the necessary vitamin, minerals and proteins that is contained in food and substituted it with products which are inferior. You are not getting a healthy dose that you need to enable your body to function properly. You will need to choose a diet which will enable an intake of the most necessary and healthy nutrients and work from there.

4. Searching for a variety of protein sources

Proteins are the building blocks of life, they contain amino acids which are essential to muscle growing and tissue regeneration. There is a premise that vegans do not get enough protein in their diet. The highest concentration of protein is found in meat of course, while the lowest in plants. Vegans need to find other alternative sources in order to get their daily dose of protein in order to enable their bodies to develop properly. The most sensible thing to do is include vegan protein powders in their diet which are a healthy way of upgrading your protein intake. Vegans also include some essential amino acids this way which otherwise cannot be found in plants or vegetables. You can find some great and healthy vegan protein powders on this page http://veganproteinspowder.com/.

5. Easy with the soy

People argue that soy is the best substitute for meat. There are those who agree of eating too much soy is not healthy as well. The thing is that soy consumption in larger does can lead to heart problems and even enhancing the probability of cancer. Many scientists agree that eating too much soy is even worse than consuming too much meat. If you become vegan, make sure to balance your soy intake. It can be a healthy substitute for meat but only if used and consumed properly.

6. You don’t have to do it cold turkey

Making a drastic change in your lifestyle is not as easy as turning a switch, especially as something that deals with changing your eating habits. It takes work and dedication and you need to work on it in order to make the change in a healthy and balanced way. Doing things in an aggressive way will only result in health problems as your body will respond to this kind of change. The best way is to gradually start including vegetables and plant-based products to your diet and increasing them from time to time to make the change more natural.

7. Start reading food labels

You will need to introduce a new habit to your shopping ritual, and that it label reading. If you are seriously thinking of becoming vegan you will need to inform yourself thoroughly about the products you are taking into your body. This includes careful consideration about what a certain product contains. If a product seems vegan, it does necessarily make it so as some may include additives and supplements which are not vegan. Be sure to inform yourselves and always carefully read what the label on a product you are thinking about eating says.

8. Don’t worry about changing restaurants

Don’t be upset about your eating habits interfering with your favorite spots. If you are used to eating in a certain restaurant you will certainly not have to change it because you have changed your diet. Many restaurants have already included a vegan diet due to the rise of popularity of vegan products. We are sure that if you ask the waiter in your favorite restaurant that he or she will inform you what on the menu does not have any meat or dairy in it and will most certainly include a vegan menu for the future.

9. It is actually not that expensive to be vegan

Many people obsess too much about the money they will have to spend if becoming vegan. Actually the truth is that the price of meat is much higher the price of a grocery bag full of vegetables. You will be able to find everything you need and as little as money possible. There are now only vegan stores which offer their products at available prices. Also, there are many other ways of finding vegan products particularly if you order them online.

10. Plants will make up for lack of calcium

What is great about an all plant diet is the extra amount of calcium. People need to get a daily intake of about 1.000 g of calcium per day. But vegans can actually get away with it as almost each type of vegan food is riddled with calcium. Almonds, soy, bok choy, figs or kale are all calcium rich types of foods. So as for the calcium part of your diet, vegans get the upper hand. at least you will not have to think about that when being vegan as you will always have a healthy intake of calcium in your diet.

About author

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Enter Captcha Here : *

Reload Image

Time limit is exhausted. Please reload CAPTCHA.


Close