Health Benefits of Following a Vegan Diet

Are you considering following a vegan diet for January? Lots of people feel much healthier and resolve health issues while following a vegan diet. This is partially because dairy products and processed meats may be associated with gut health problems, imbalanced blood sugar, irritated skin conditions, sinus congestion, cholesterol, and cardiovascular health.

On the other hand, meat and dairy products are an important source of nutrients like calcium, iron, b12, vitamin D, and protein, we can’t ignore that. So, if you’re going to try a vegan diet you will need to ensure that you have a source of these nutrients in your diet. Keep a food diary every day to help you keep track.

Try these swaps to get you started:

Swap parmesan for Nutritional Yeast. Nutritional has a lovely cheesy flavour and can be sprinkled over pasta dishes or salads. It is packed full of B12 which as I said above can be lacking in a plant based diet.
Swop honey for Chicory Root Syrup or Agave Syrup, both have the sweetness of honey but are plant based. And they both have a lower glycemic index than honey.
If you are a fan of Worcester Sauce swop it out for Biona Organic Vegan Worcester Sauce
What about a Pulled Pork Burger? No bother, replace the pork with Biona Jackfruit!
Your recipe requires some eggs! What to do? Try Orgran No Egg Replacer .
Regular Mayonnaise can be replaced with Biona Egg Free Mayonnaise.
What about desert I hear you say. Whipped cream on the side, easy, Biona Coconut Whipping Cream will do the trick.

I could go on and on here with alternatives, we have loads of plant based alternatives on our website. Just browse through our Vegan Foods.

Make sure to plan ahead

The main thing to do is plan ahead as there is nothing worse than going home hungry and realising that there is nothing in the house to eat. Aim to eat fresh food, and have a selection of vegetables and fruit at hand to compliment your dishes. Ensure you have adequate foods to provide protein like soya, tempeh, tofu, pulses, lentils, nuts, seeds, and coconut aminos. Plant-based protein powder can be added to smoothies, homemade snack bars or added to your breakfast. Stock up on dairy free alternatives of milk, cheese, and cream.

Other handy items include herbs and spices, coconut milk and cream, and jackfruit to give bulk to a dish. Engevita Yeast Flakes are fortified with B vitamins including B12. They can be sprinkled on soups, pasta, and salads and have a cheesy/nutty flavour. Good quality oils like olive, coconut, walnut, flax, hemp, or Udo’s Choice Ultimate Oil Blend can help ensure you have a source of omega essential fatty acids. Get into the habit of reading the labels to make sure what you are eating is not overly processed.

Vegan Treats

Just because you have decided to try going vegan for a month doesn't mean that there are no chocolate treats for you to choose from. There are some amazing vegan chocolates on the market made with dairy free milk alternatives. One of my favourites is Deliciously Ella Salted Dipped Almonds, they taste amazing. Other brands include Booja Booja, Bounce, Supernature, Vivani, and I Choc. If you like chocolate spread then Vego hazelnut spread will fill that gap for you and tastes fantastic. And for the hot chocolate lovers you won't get nicer than Vivani Vegan Organic Hot Chocolate Drink.

Supplements to support a vegan lifestyle

If you decide to stick with a vegan or a plant based diet for more than the month make sure to keep on eye on your levels of nutrient intake. One Nutrition Vegan Complete is a supplement to consider when you are following a vegan diet. It can be used to support immunity, bone health, brain function. It contains vitamin B12, B6, B3, D3, Iron, Zinc, Folate, Iodine, and Selenium as well as Omega 3 DHA and EPA from a non -GMO algae. You might want to top up with a supplement like this or something more specific from time to time. This could be vitamin B12, vitamin D, or an iron tonic. If you have digestive issues we have digestive enzymes that are vegan friendly and that can help you digest the foods you are eating.

Enjoy the journey.