In August of 2019, I decided to do a personal challenge of eating a vegan diet for one month. What started out as a month long personal challenge, turned into a lifestyle change. The decision to go vegan meant I would not eat animal products including meat, eggs and dairy, while minimizing my intake of carbs and process food. After over 6 months of living a vegan diet, I’ve learned a thing or two that I want to share with anybody who is considering changing to a vegan lifestyle.

1. Don’t Overindulge in Vegan Snacks

Vegan snacks are bomb AF but they aren’t your friends! It’s very easy to over eat those processed, high sugar, sodium snacks sitting all beautiful and shiny on grocery stores shelves. I low key/ high key became obsessed with vegan snacks almost immediately into making the change to a vegan diet. I found myself over indulging in processed vegan snacks almost daily, thinking that because the label said “vegan” that they weren’t unhealthy. WRONG! Yes, processed vegan snacks have healthier ingredients such as quinoa, kale or dark chocolate however, they’re still processed food. Try your best to limit processed snack intake and stick to more plant based snacks that have few ingredients that you can read.

Some of my favorite plant based snacks are from local UAE company munchbox.ae. Their snacks include ingredients like coconut flakes, pecans, dark chocolate chips( sugar free), date syrup, vanilla powder, cinnamon powder and dates all of which are natural. There are also healthy vegan snacks you can create at home like hummus with vegetables, roasted chickpeas and bbq kale chips.

2. Limit Your Carb Intake

A lot of people assume that changing to a vegan diet means you’re automatically healthy. Honestly, you can eat just as bad on a vegan diet as you do a non-vegan diet. Its quite easy to eat nothing but carbs, high sodium and sugar which aren’t good for your at all body. Sodas, fries, most pasta and breads are some foods that are generally considered “vegan” but if over eaten can cause weight gain and other medical issues. I learned the hard way that my body will crave carbs more than ever since going vegan, the best way to combat this is to set limits on carb intake. I try to limit my heavy carb intake to 1-2 meals a week, only on weekends. If you crave carbs like I do, use vegetable replacements such as cauliflower rice and zucchini noodles.

3. Experiment With Recipes

I didn’t know I would actually enjoy cooking and trying new recipes till I changed to a vegan diet. I’ve never been someone that loves cooking, I actually hated it for years, I would avoid cooking at all cost, ordering out whenever possible, but since going vegan I find myself playing around with recipes a lot more than ever. I truly enjoy recreating my favorite vegan meals such as buffalo cauliflower, dark chocolate oatmeal bars and buddha bowls. I’m still stepping up my game when it comes to cooking but so far my hate for cooking has increased into a love for cooking. Don’t be afraid to try new vegan recipes. Pinterest, youtube, facebook and instagram are your friends when it comes to finding and trying new recipes and dishes. The benefits of cooking your own food includes expanding your palette for a variety of dishes and knowing exactly what ingredients are in your food.

4. Listen To Your Body

My body has become more sensitive to foods since changing my diet to vegan. If I indulge in a food my body doesn’t agree with or something that was mistaken for vegan there is an immediate rejection that causes my stomach to ache, resulting in me running to the bathroom, on the toilet, letting it all out. UGHHH!!! Through this vegan journey, I appreciate that I’ve connected with my body on this level and have become more cognizant of what I feed my body for fuel. During your switch to a vegan diet whether you go cold turkey or ease into veganism be sure to listen to your body and how your body reacts to certain foods or dishes, you may experience an increase in regular bowel movements or more bloating and gas. This change is due to the increase of fiber in your diet from the fruits and vegetables, but don’t worry, your body will get used to it soon. The change can lead to an increase in diversity of the bacteria in the colon which can be beneficial for your whole body. However, if rejection to certain fews continues to occur, limit that food and consult a doctor.

5. Go Light On Vegan Substitutes

One of the first things people do when they decide to go vegan is search for all things vegan substitute, such as beyond burger, tofu, meat substitutes etc. I’m gonna tell you right now, STOP! Don’t even go there! Foods like tofu,tempeh and meat substitutes like “beyond burgers” and “no chicken-chicken nuggest’ are good for cheat days but don’t go heavy on them. They taste amazing and are marketed as "vegan," "vegetarian," "plant-based," or "sustainable," but that doesn't mean they’re necessarily healthier for you and your diet. Soy-based products can do significant damage to the body and lead to alarming health problems, even breast cancer. "No-chicken chicken nuggets" aren’t as healthy as they may seem and often have high sodium. Some tips to help you when choosing a meat alternative is to watch out for artificial ingredients, preservatives, and processed oils. Look for ingredients such as beans, legumes, quinoa and hemp, healthy sources of plant protein.

Would You Consider Changing To A Vegan Diet?