I am sure that by now you are familiar with how important it is to stop your animal product consumption. I am also sure that sometimes we all fall in the endless loop of eating junk food. It’s okay! We all can be too lazy to bother with a creative healthy vegan lifestyle. However, it is all about having fun in the kitchen and adding life to your days and health to your lifestyle, all while saving animals and our planet.
Throughout your plant-based journey, you learn a lot from those around you and you learn a lot about yourself as well. You find the purpose behind your determination and you discover a motivation to keep you going. Whatever the reason is that you’re adopting a plant-based diet for, if you just started being vegan or have been for a while now, remember that you are doing an awesome job!
The following 5 tips will keep you on the healthy and active track for good. So keep reading to find out more and let me know what other ones you apply every day!
1. Veggies, veggies and veggies!
As vegans, we always get caught up in what we can’t eat, and lose sight of the endless options we have. Make vegetables the star of all your meals, get creative with your salads and try new dressings! In case you can’t find a “vegan” recipe that you like, just take any one and replace animal products with vegan substitutes.
Any dish can be veganized, from breakfast to dinner to desserts. The Mediterranean cuisine is very dear to my heart since I’ve grown in Lebanon.
Many dishes are already vegan such as Hummus, Falafel, Tabbouleh, Fattoosh, Warak Enab (Stuffed grape leaves), etc. The choices are endless, DELICIOUS and will put you right on track for a healthy vegan lifestyle!
2. Go for variety
Get all the nutrients you need every day by choosing to always stock up on a variety of foods. For example, for protein and fiber, you can opt for beans; you can find vitamins A, C and K in leafy greens; avocado for good fat; etc. Make sure you know your nutrients in order to efficiently diversify your diet and get the most out of your food. In case you’re out of meal ideas, a Sweet and Savory Cold Buddha Bowl is my go-to meal! Just toss in some rice or quinoa, with beans, roasted veggies, tomatoes, lettuce and anything else you could find in your fridge, and there you have it – a tasty, well-balanced meal that will never leave you bored.
3. Make sure you’re getting all your vitamins (B12, D, iron, etc.)
Since I was having some iron deficiency, I was advised by my doctor to take iron supplements in order to avoid any future health issue. Good vegan iron sources are legumes, sunflower seeds and dried raisins. However, I believe that having a lab test done every few months would be a good step to make sure that your body is well and that you are eating correctly. In case you have any deficiency or feel tired or dizzy most of the time, natural food supplements exist and could help you through it! Make sure you ask your doctor or pharmacist about it first.
4. EXERCISE!
Eating healthy is not enough on its own if you’re not also throwing in some exercise. A good nutrition and a dose of workout can do magic!
As I’ve been working out regularly for the past few years, I found different ways to keep it fun and motivating! To avoid boredom and routine, I try to always mix up my workouts, from speed to endurance to power as well as vary what I do (running, yoga, weightlifting, biking, hiking and boxing).
If you’re already active, a good advice would be to keep going and keep raising the bar! Train yourself like you would train someone you care about. And whatever you do, don’t stop. Being healthy and fit is the journey not the destination, so make sure you’re enjoying it.
On the other hand, if you’re not very active, start today! The hardest part is always the first step, so start with a short walk around your neighborhood, a 10 mins workout, and escalate it slowly to have a full workout plan. Your future self will thank you for it!
5. Ignore all the criticism and jokes
Maintaining a healthy vegan lifestyle includes both your body and soul!
I always love a good debate with strong view points and arguments. However, many people tend to shift it towards criticism and harmful jokes. Over the years, I learnt to not get offended and to rather focus on compliments and positivism. Don’t let any destructive criticism get in your head or heart, and always remember why you became vegan in the first place. Haters will only strengthen your will to keep going and will make you fight for your cause harder. People will doubt you, judge you and even hate or resent you sometimes, but whatever you do, make sure you don’t let them win! So just ignore all the criticism and bad jokes because it says more about them than it does of you.
If you’re looking for vegan experiences around the world, go ahead and check Seyka and Brian’s Vegan Voyage around 21 countries, where they try vegan restaurants, connect with the vegan community, enjoy plant based lifestyles in areas that are thought to be difficult for vegans, interview amazing members of the vegan community, and share the goodness the whole way!
