For ethical and environmental reasons, millions of people have made the choice to switch to a vegan diet. In 2019, there were roughly 600,000 vegans in America, and that number is steadily growing. Thinking of making the switch? If you’ve eaten dairy and meat your whole life, this change can be difficult to adapt to. However, if you keep in mind that veganism enables us to stop animal cruelty in the food industry, then you’ll see that the switch is definitely worth it!
Health professional and internal medicine specialist, Parag Dalsania understands that a slow transition to veganism can be the most sustainable for beginners.
What is Veganism?
If you are unfamiliar, veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of all animal products, particularly in the diet. The term was coined in 1944 by a British woodworker named Donald Watson, the founder of the Vegan Society.
Of course, with any diet, there are variations, some of which include not eating honey or abstaining from buying leather or suede products. Some even opt for veganism a few days a week to reduce their impact. But if you’ve decided to make a commitment to veganism, Parag Dalsania has everything you need to know.
Where to Start
Parag Dalsania believes that education is power and suggests starting your transition to veganism by learning everything there is to know about it. There are a lot of concerns around being nourished nutritionally, and understanding how to get enough protein, iron, calcium, and vitamin b12 on the diet is very important. Another thing you will learn is how to read nutrition labels to identify which products are vegan, and which ones are not. Some items to watch out for are gelatin, rennet, and others. Research vegan restaurants in your neighbourhood to be able to make suggestions when your friends want to go out to eat. Buy cookbooks to give you some new ideas on how to prepare foods you might be unfamiliar with.
While you will be removing all animal products from your diet, Parag Dalsania suggests starting by adding foods into your diet first. Adding whole grain, beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, and tofu into your diet will ease the transition, and make the substitution a lot easier when you finally reduce your intake of animal products to zero. Start with a vegetarian diet by removing meat products, and then slowly ease dairy out. This transition is very important, as it will ease your body into veganism.
You want to try and be cognizant of the amount of fiber you are intaking. As you will be ingesting more fiber from vegetables, grains, and legumes, it is important to slowly ease into these foods. Of course, a diet rich in fiber is essential for keeping the digestive system healthy, but eating more than 70 grams of it a day can cause uncomfortable side effects, and some may experience these after just 40 grams.
Parag Dalsania’s Final Suggestions
Lastly, Parag Dalsania wants to emphasize that if the transition to veganism is difficult for you, that is normal. You will continue to have cravings for weeks if not months, but it will get easier. A great way to curb some of these cravings is to replace dairy and meat favorites with alternatives like plant-based meat or soy-based cheese.
