While most of us are creatures of habit and fearful of change, eliminating meat and animal by-products from our food, cosmetics and clothing is by no means a horrible process. In fact, you will likely feel incomparable satisfaction and peace when you establish your new routine. And what better time to start than now? If living a compassionate life is at the top of your New Year's resolution list, here are eight tips to help you stick to it.
Time to party... and make some good choices
1. Start small and slowly
While cutting everything out at once may work for some people, others will find the transition more realistic and long-lasting to do it in stages. You can gradually reduce the amount of meat, fish, eggs and dairy you eat by only having them once a day, then introducing two or three vegan days per week to start. A quick change to the way you eat, just like any change in diet, can make you fall off the wagon pretty quickly. Finding alternatives and creative new dishes for just those days will make you realize how great it can be without the pressure and, before you know it, you won't even miss the other food.
2. Educate yourself
Conducting some research online, watching helpful documentaries, speaking with long-established vegans, and discussing the issues in social media groups that are devoted to the cause are just some of the methods to help you learn more about it. Once you uncover the truth behind factory farming and even the reality of many small family farms, it will be easier to continue because you know there are many valid reasons and amazing benefits for it. If you are or plan to become a parent, some people argue that "forcing veganism" onto kids is wrong, but many vegans feel the opposite: we were forced to be omnivores for so long by being shielded from reality.
3. Find vegan versions of your favourites
In order for the transition to feel less drastic, simply making substitutions is a great way to start your vegan life. This talent will also come in handy when you want to veganize recipes that otherwise sound delicious and easy to make. There are tons of great products available, including SilverHills ancient grains bread, Gardein seven grain crispy tenders, Tofurkey roast, Soyganic smoked tofu, Chao sliced cheese, Amy's no cheese pizza, Yves bologna slices, Bentilia lentil pasta, Rizopia brown rice pasta, Field Roast veggie sausages, Daiya yogurt, Silk almond milk, Sweets from the Earth cookie dough, Earth Balance organic butter, Earth Island mayo, PΓΌr mints, and more.
Some of my easy-to-find staples
4. Try new things
Before going vegan, I stuck to many of the same foods with little interest in experimenting. Since my change, my regular repertoire includes Mexican, Indian, Middle Eastern, Thai, Chinese, American, sushi, teriyaki, pizza, and some raw food. I went from rarely eating avocados, chickpeas, black beans, quinoa and freekeh to keeping all five as regular staples in my house. The point is, eating vegan is significantly different for most people. So, while you're at it, why not try significantly different foods? You might find you love them.
5. Check labels
Once you get into the habit, this new part of your life will become second nature. There's a joke that vegans can spot animal by-products and other questionable items among a large list of ingredients at lightning speed. This is a skill you will inevitably attain and even eventually learn the alternative scientific/fancy/confusing terms for many foods you probably wish you had never eaten before.
6. Apply your lessons to everything
Once you master the changes to your food, you will find alternatives for your other products much more easily than you may have thought. Health food, grocery, specialty and drug stores carry some haircare, skincare and makeup now that is both cruelty-free (no animal testing) and vegan (no animal ingredients). Simply investigate brands and ask around if needed. Live Clean, Jason, Desert Essence, Kiss My Face, and Meow Meow Tweet are just some of these awesome companies. For cleaning products, there's Method, Ecover, Eco Max, Seventh Generation, Attitude, and more. Check clothing and shoe labels for leather, suede, wool, mohair, alpaca, angora, shearling, down, fur, and silk. (Animal-free fabrics include: cotton, polyester, acrylic, rayon, viscose, hemp, bamboo, capro, and tencel). Skip bone china and bone porcelain dishes, as well as furniture and pillows with leather, silk or feathers―unfortunately, even mattresses may have down feathers or wool.
Cruelty-free cleaning products
7. Tell your friends
If it comes up and you feel comfortable, you can simply explain to loved ones that you've made the decision to give up meat and animal by-products out of compassion, not to mention the subsequent benefits like health improvements, reducing your carbon footprint, and the positive impact global veganism would have on reducing world hunger. If your best friend or sister happen to invite you out for lunch, this is a great opportunity to suggest trying a vegan (or at least vegan-friendly) restaurant that would have various options for you. Without being "an annoying vegan" that omnivores stereotypically believe us to be, spreading the word can help gently open up other people's eyes to the cruelty behind their food, clothing and other product choices.
8. Do your best
Especially at the beginning, it may seem hard to cover all your bases. There may be some aspects you don't initially take into consideration, such as replacing your razor, giving up honey, or finding a new nail or hair salon that does vegan treatments. The easy rule of thumb is that doing whatever you can is much better than simply giving up and doing nothing because it seems too hard and overwhelming. With any luck, as time passes, cruelty-free and vegan choices will become increasingly easier to find and you will have many friends and family members joining the movement.
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