For most people, the idea of going vegan is scary. It is one thing to add some delicious vegan smoothies to your every day diet, but to take the plunge into life as a full vegan is frightening.

What do you eat?

What if you miss foods you used to eat?

Do you have to give up taste?

Can I really do it?

This might surprise you, but you can become a vegan and enjoy a wide variety of delicious foods, many similar to your old favorites, and be happy. Yes, you can!

The secret is the transition. The time between your old lifestyle and habits, and the new vegan lifestyle you are moving towards. That transition period can be the hardest time to get through. This is why I spent time putting together a simple guide that will lead anyone through the fears and worry of transitioning to becoming a vegan.

My ebook, How to Transition to a Vegan Diet, is packed full of tips and ideas for getting through cravings and getting through dinner. Plus I added 10 super yummy, and super simple vegan dishes at the end. Foods that anyone can make, and everyone will love.

For only $9.95 you can be walked through the common transition problems, and be given links to websites and cookbooks that will offer you even more information. Plus learn how to make blueberry pancakes, chili, fettuccine alfredo, and more all vegan!

Are you ready to make the change?

photo credit: Lollie-Pop

Many people choose a vegan diet to help them lose weight. Choosing not to eat meat and other animals products can be a great way to lose excess weight. Vegans and vegetarians eat an average of 500 calories less each day than the typical meat eaters. However, there are still ways to gain weight on a vegan weight loss diet. A balanced, low-fat diet along side regular exercise is the best way to ensure that you will meet your weight loss goals.

People opting for a vegan diet to lose weight need to become adept at checking labels. Some food companies make up for a lack of meat flavor by adding extra fat or sugar to their foods. This can end up giving you the opposite effect, by causing weight gain and poor health. Sugars have also been known to be addictive to some, meaning foods with excess food can make you want to eat more and more.

Some people replace their meat habit with too many grains and soy based “fake meat” products. This unbalanced approach can make any vegan gain weight quickly. Instead, choose plenty of whole fruits and vegetables. Drinking daily vegan green smoothies is a great way to get the recommended amounts in your diet. Follow the vegan food pyramid to ensure that your diet is balanced and healthy for the best weight loss.

Changing to a vegan weight loss diet can take a lot of discipline, but it can be very worth it for anyone looking to lose weight and get healthy.

photo credit: YoLaGringo

Vegans choose to give up eating and using animal products, including milk. Yet in our modern culture, milk is advertised as one of the necessary parts of a healthy diet. Are there benefits of giving up milk?

Milk is no longer what it used to be. The age old image of a cow, peacefully grassing on a grassy knoll no longer exists. Milk cows today are smashed together in giant factory farms, kept alive and producing with an assortment of hormones and antibiotics. All of which make their way into your body through the milk. Yuck!

We are also not designed to be drinking milk, at least not the way we do. Once we wean from breastmilk as infants a human should be existing on water and real fruit juice. For many, milk is nearly indigestible. Stomach pain, headaches, weight gain, and lethargy have all been linked by some to an inability to breakdown the milk proteins properly. Dairy just isn’t something we should be drinking on a regular basis. Going dairy-free can mean leaving behind all the negative symptoms from undigested milk proteins.

Milk substitutes

One of the things we are encouraged most to drink milk for is the calcium, yet there are many other sources of calcium that you can choose instead. Leafy green vegetables, like the ones in your smoothies, can provide an abundance of calcium in your diet. Broccoli, kale, and collards will all add calcium into your diet, and bring along a host of other vitamins and nutrients as well. (Spinach is the exception, as it can actually prevent calcium absorption.) Black-eyed peas and almonds can also provide calcium in small doses.

If you are up to it, why not try the Dairy Free Challenge? Download and print the free journal and record yourself going without milk, and milk products, for 10 days. At the end see how you feel. You may find life without milk is much better!

photo credit: fdecomite

A vegan diet can be an excellent option for those wanting to reduce impact on animals or improve overall health. However, great care must be taken to ensure that vegans receive adequate levels of nutrients by eating a wide variety of foods each day.

Think of the base of the vegan food pyramid as being comprised of whole grains. Vegans should look to consume six to 11 servings of these foods per day, such as brown rice; whole wheat bread; whole grains like quinoa, millet or bulgur; and cereals such as oatmeal. Avoid processed grains, such as white rice and bleached flour, which contain less protein, minerals and B vitamins than their pure, unrefined counterparts.

The second tier of the vegan food pyramid should be split between fruits and vegetables, and vegans should strive to consume at least three servings of each per day. Seek a wide variety of colors when selecting fruits and vegetables because often, color indicates a wealth of certain nutrients. For example, dark green leafy vegetables are high in folic acid, calcium and iron, while orange-red fruits and vegetables are high in beta-carotene and vitamin C. Blueberries contain high levels of antioxidants, and tomatoes offer high levels of the antioxidant lycopene, which may protect prostate health.

The third tier of the vegan food pyramid should contain two to five servings per day of such protein-, iron- and calcium-rich foods as legumes, tofu and other soy products, nuts, seeds and fortified “dairy alternatives,” such as nut, grain or soy “milks.” These foods, as a group, are also good sources of fiber, minerals and B vitamins.

Vegetable-based fats and oils are found at the top of the vegan food pyramid, and should be used sparingly. The vegan diet is naturally cholesterol-free, and tends to be low in saturated fat. Certain nuts, seeds and oils, used in small quantities, provide heart-healthy Omega-3 fatty acids.

Consider supplements a pinnacle atop the vegan food pyramid. Nutrients that may be missing or lacking in the vegan diet include vitamins D and B12, and some vegans may need to round out their diets with fortified foods or dietary supplements.

Vitamin D is found in egg yolk and added to cow’s milk, but is not consumed in the vegan diet. The body does produce its own vitamin D when exposed to sunlight, but vegans who live in higher latitudes or who do not get regular sun exposure should be careful to select dairy alternatives fortified with vitamin D or take a supplement.

Vitamin B12 is not typically found in the vegan diet in adequate or reliable amounts. The daily requirement for B12 can be met if vegans select cereals fortified with the vitamin, add a food supplement, such as Red Star nutritional yeast, or take a B12 supplement.

Whether opting for a vegan diet to improve health or minimize impact on agricultural animals, choosing a well-rounded diet will help to supply necessary vitamins, minerals and nutrients. Remember to select fortified foods or a supplement to supply vitamins not found in the vegan diet, and enjoy a wide variety of foods each day to ensure adequate consumption of other, food-based, essentials.

photo credit: derobert