As an experienced vegan who knows what you are facing as you transition from meat and dairy, I want to congratulate you on taking this exciting journey. I also want to offer some tips for beginner vegans. As a new vegan, you will
- experience personal benefits like weight loss, improved skin, and increased energy levels that help with mental clarity;
- protect yourself so that you are not among the 5.1 million people who die each year from an animal-based diet;
- save lives by not contributing to the deaths of 77 billion farm animals who are slaughtered for human consumption each year;
- help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture that impact on climate;
- bring more love and light into the world;
- belong to a community of caring and compassionate people.
Set the example as a beginner vegan
Don’t worry if your friends or family aren’t on board yet. Through your example as a beginner vegan, you can demonstrate your commitment and passion and teach them how great plant-based foods taste and how important it is to live a cruelty-free lifestyle.
Learning to live without animal products can be confusing in the beginning stages of going vegan. I experienced that myself, especially when it came to giving up cheese. It was easy for me to give up meat to go vegetarian. It was more challenging going from vegetarian to vegan.
Being a part of something bigger than yourself feels empowering and liberating.
It’s common to feel anxious or uncertain during any major transition. Just ask a young couple with a baby how they’re adjusting to a new lifestyle and you’ll realize your transition has similar stressful moments and anxiety resulting from not knowing what to do. You’ll get past it. Adjustments take time.
In the meantime, there are ways to help ease the transition so you stay motivated on your journey as a new vegan and feel empowered and liberated by becoming a part of something bigger than yourself.
7 tips for beginner vegans
1. Follow the plan in a vegan starter kit
Find a vegan starter kit and follow the plan. There are plans to suit every person’s needs. from religion-based vegan starter kits to kits that are intended for athletes. Some plans last a few days, and some last several weeks or months. The choice is yours. The important thing is to choose a vegan starter kit with a plan that makes sense to you so you will complete it.
Photo by Jeanette McDermott
2. Focus on your options
Instead of focusing on what you can’t have in your plant-based diet, focus on all of the healthy and colorful options that are available to you as a vegan. Imagine feeling good, looking great, and sharpening your mind.
Explore the world of opportunity that comes with being vegan. Envision your future self — how does your future look as a vegan? How do you feel? How are you making a difference? How are you serving others? With the proper mindset, discipline, and determination, you will become your best self as a vegan, and that’s an awesome outcome.
3. Be responsible for your own well-being
Another important tip for beginner vegans is to be responsible for your own health and well-being. Know that while it may seem hard at first to transition, it won’t be impossible.
Be patient with yourself and accept that your new lifestyle is not an instant makeover. It’s a major change, and change is gradual. Like every new journey you have ever embarked upon — leaving home for the first time, going away to college, getting married, moving overseas — you will need to do some creative planning to make the transition successful and as worry-free as possible.
Set your frame of mind from the beginning and tell yourself that you’ve got this. Learn from other vegans and let them mentor you. Seek their wisdom and knowledge. Listen to and read their stories. Learn from their experiences.
4. Follow your heart
Ignore rejection. Others will try to sway you from becoming vegan or try to derail you to prevent you from staying on the path of veganism. They will ridicule your decision, taunt and tease you, discredit the healthiness of a vegan diet, and otherwise try everything in their power to keep you where they want you — stuck with them in a comfort zone of their design.
Don’t listen to negative naysayers, whoever they are. Successful people take risks. Follow your own heart — your passion, your bliss, your calling — not theirs.
Photo by cats-coming, Pexels
5. Adopt the 5 pillars of health
Adopt the 5 pillars of health into your daily life. These pillars are your ticket to lifelong health and longevity. I like the book Naturally Dietstyle by Ruha Thevi and Enrico Faigiani.
It offers great tips for beginner vegans through its fun and easy-to-understand approach to nutrition. Naturally Dietstyle spells out the five pillars of health:
- Eat fruits and vegetables for vitality
- Drink water for survival
- Keep your body active for optimal health
- Manage stress to keep your immune system strong
- Sleep to recover
6. Never give up
Probably the best tip for beginner vegans is to never give up. You will benefit greatly from your vegan lifestyle in the long run, and so will the animals and environment. Going vegan is the right thing to do. Make it a permanent choice. When the going gets tough, step up to the plate and persist.
7. Enjoy your lifestyle as a new vegan
Enjoy your new lifestyle as a beginner vegan. Join vegan meetups and Facebook groups and get to know vegans in your community. Join the vegan society in your community, or form one if it doesn’t already exist.
Make new vegan friends and have fun in unlimited ways! Participate in street actions and campaigns, volunteer at farm animal sanctuaries, and tell your story about your experience of going vegan.
Through your actions and example, more people will get healthy, more animals will live out their lives in peace, and climate will begin to be less of a crisis.
Being vegan matters
Adhering to these tips for beginner vegans is just the start of something big for you. Every beginner vegan plays an important role in contributing to a healthier and cruelty-free future.
Being vegan matters. It matters for your health and spiritual well-being. It matters for the animals. And it matters for the environment for generations to come.
Set your intention for going vegan and stick with it through planning and creativity. Call from the powers within you the will to succeed. You’ll be glad you did because the end result of veganism is beautiful.
You will have fun, develop positive personal habits, and invest in meaningful time with new friends and like-minded people. You will give generously to the welfare of animals and the environment.
The vegan lifestyle is your key to happiness.
Read next: Vegan Storyteller’s Vegan Manifesto
