6 Things to Think About Before You Go Vegan

Becoming vegan is an excellent choice to make for our animal friends and for the environment. That doesn't mean it's always easy. You will have to make big changes to your lifestyle as well as your diet and there are lots of things that you will need to learn. Let's take a look at six things you should think about before you make the leap.

1. Think carefully about your supplements

A vegan diet is healthy, but can be lacking in certain vitamins such as B12 or iron. Make sure you do your research to find out which foods you will need to eat in order to ensure you give your body the nutrients it requires. You could also consider taking a supplement to make sure you don't end up becoming deficient in any vitamins or minerals.

2. Explore your reasoning

When you are ready to announce to your friends and family that you are becoming vegan, you should expect lots of questions. Some people find it difficult to accept when others make lifestyle decisions that they don't understand, and so they choose to question everything. You need to be prepared to not only answer these questions but also to justify your decision. Make sure you spend some time thinking about why you are making this change so that you feel confident in speaking to others about it.

3. Think about your clothing

Being vegan is about taking every step necessary to mitigate the suffering of others. This means that when you make the decision to embrace the vegan lifestyle, you also need to think carefully about your clothing choices. It isn't just about not buying leather or wool, you also need to think about sustainability to prevent suffering in developing countries. Thankfully sustainable and ethical clothing have become much more accessible in recent years.  There is a growing number of brands that are making big efforts in this regard. For instance, 34% of all fibres used in ASOS brands come from sustainable sources. 

4. Examine your beauty regime

You will also need to look into the beauty products that you regularly use. It is important to ensure that they are cruelty-free so that you know animals have not been harmed in the creation of the product. Look for the Leaping Bunny symbol from Cruelty-Free International. This certification proves that animal testing has not been involved at any stage of the creation of the product. 

5. You might need some help

Radically changing the way you eat can be difficult. To make the change easier, you should look at making sure you build a support network around you. Find other like-minded friends or join some Facebook groups so you have others to talk to and bounce ideas off. Getting support helps when it comes to coming up with new ways to make your favourite foods or getting used to new shopping habits.

6. Plan on being nice to yourself

When you are taking the first steps into veganism, you might find yourself making mistakes. It is important that you are easy on yourself. Beating yourself up will only make your journey more difficult. Accept that mistakes will happen while you are still learning. Make peace with them when they happen and move on, as the more you learn the easier your journey will become.