How I stay on track
In the past ten years adopting a plant based lifestyle has been one of the best decisions I have ever made.
I look back on my twenties as a fog of emotional highs and lows and being frequently exhausted and bloated. When I opened my eyes to the cruelty of animal agriculture and the environmental impact it impacted me hugely. Whilst I am just one person living an imperfect life, knowing nothing had to die or suffer for me to eat gives me a feeling of contribution that I am proud of.
Day-to-day how and what I eat is easy now and I have a bank of recipes I turn to and love. I prioritise time to cook and eat well as I know the connection between what I am eating, the impact it has environmentally and how I‘m feeling. It’s as if a lot of the confusion of my earlier years has come full circle.
Whatever stage you’re at, if you are finding it overwhelming, I promise it gets easier and will it will soon become second nature to do a quick shop, meal prep, cook for friends and nourish your body in a gorgeous vegan way.
Writing lists, meal planning for at least 4 days of the week and also taking a little bit of time every day to connect with myself helps.
Remember why you are doing this, stay true to yourself, your values and your intuition and it will guide you along the way.
The past few years have opened my mind and broadened my palette in ways I never thought possible. People ask me do I miss certain thing and if I am honest I feel I eat a much wider variety of foods now than I ever did before.
Most importantly I am passionate about good food, great flavours and sharing this with other people.
While I am not a fan of dramatic changes or doing things just because they are trendy, there’s no doubt Veganism is a big thing. Lots of people are committing to eating without any animal products and having gone through it all myself, I’ve a lot of experience with the challenges you will face.
Personally, I cut out meat and chicken overnight but stayed eating very small amounts of dairy and fish, mainly in social situations, for about 6 months. That worked for me and the idea of going cold turkey vegan is pretty dramatic. Whatever stage you’re at these are my tips.
Your Decision Is Personal
Remember that you are doing this because you have chosen to, and it’s
your decision. You do not have the right to make a decision on what other people choose to do or bore them to tears or give out to them for eating sausage rolls in front of you.
Let people be drawn in by how good your food looks or how well you seem to be feeling.
STAY SOCIAL
Do not use veganism as an excuse to isolate yourself. Veganism is an entire lifestyle that extends to excluding, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose. This means not going to Zoos, wearing any form of leather or wool or using any cosmetics that have animal ingredients so be aware it’s not just about the food.
Whilst I think it’s admirable that some people commit to changing every element of their lifestyle, any step someone chooses to take is a positive one in my opinion, even if it’s just swapping to plant-based milk in their coffee or making sure their cosmetics are cruelty-free.
Wishing you every happiness and good health on your journey.
xx Holly.