3 Things I Wish I had Known Before Becoming a Vegan

Before I became a vegan, I wish I had:

Known how much research I was going to have to do and the amount of time it was going to take. I spent hours and hours scouring the internet for information on transitioning into the vegan lifestyle. I’m self employed so for me, my time equates to money. Taking the time to do the research not only cost me my valuable time, but it also cost me money.

I became overwhelmed and stressed as I delved into all the information scattered across the internet looking to find:

what foods could I eat; how much of them was I supposed to eat?
was I going to get enough macro and micro nutrients (protein, calcium, fats, vitamins and minerals) to fulfill the needs of my body?
was it going to be more time consuming; more expensive? If so, how could I reduce the time and the cost?
what side effects, if any, was I going to experience?
recipes that were easy, tasty, inexpensive and did not include ingredients that not only couldn’t I find, but didn’t even know what they were!
what ingredients should I be looking out for – both suitable and unsuitable to the vegan regime?
how was I going to manage eat out at a restaurant; at family/friend get togethers; parties; travelling?
how was I going to answer all the questions people had about my decision to become a vegan?

I eventually did find all the information I needed to know, but I wish it had been easier with less overwhelm and stress. I wish there had been one place to find all the pertinent information I needed so as to save me time and money.

I wish I had:

Been able to find support. When I made my decision to become a vegan, my wonderful husband joined me on the journey. We became each other’s support, but let’s face it, it was like “the blind leading the blind”. My husband was leaning on me to direct us and take us along the pathway to establishing our vegan lifestyle.

There was no one beyond ourselves that I could reach out to when I had questions or when I needed help sustaining our decision. All I had was my own resolve and determination.

I wish there had been a support system, not just a written-based support found through various websites, but an actual person I could talk to who knew what I was going through and could help me along my path.

And finally, I wish I had:

Known how wonderful I was going to feel. I became a vegan six years ago as a result of looking for a means to improve my health - lower my blood pressure, my cholesterol and to get me off of the dangerous medications I was taking. And sticking to my new vegan lifestyle of eating, I was off these meds in three months!

I also felt better within myself knowing I was eating cruelty-free. I had always had a love of animals, but I turned my head to ignore the pain they had to go through just so that I could have something to eat on my plate. As I journeyed down the vegan path, my senses were heightened to the unnecessary plight of animals. I felt good knowing I was doing something in my small way to help save the lives of animals.

And one element I never really considered was the eco-friendliness of a vegan diet. Through my aforementioned research, I found out the cost our environment pays to sustain an omnivore diet. I came to understand how a plant-based/vegan approach can have a major, positive impact on our environment and this precious world we call home.

I wish I had become a vegan years and years before I did. Think of the stress I could have reduced on my body by being healthy; the animals I could have saved; the impact I could have had on my environment!

But, still, I did it when I did it. I said to myself - this is going to be Day One of changing my life, no longer one day I’ll change my life. And I'm so glad I made the choice.

Perhaps these thoughts sound familiar to you and in fact, they might be ones you are grappling with right now. But know that you don't have to worry about trying to find pertinent information or getting personal support or waiting too long to make your decision to become a vegan/plant-based eater because you can have all this now with little muss or fuss through "The Vegan Journey, A Beginner's Pathway (tips/tools/recipes/support)" online learning experience.

If you would like to find out more, please go to the menu item Vegan Support Pathway.

Just sayin’ is all. Lou

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