The Complete Vegan Diet Plan

The Vegan Way 

Are you are considering the vegan way of life and do not know where to begin? Well, my goal is for this site to become your one and only resource for all things vegan. I have been a vegan longer than I can remember, it all started when I was in college and needed to find a way to supercharge my life – you see, I had moved off campus and had enough of junk food, it was time for me to make a change!

What's it all about?

Many people have the ill-conceived notion that being vegan is about restricting your food options; after all, we do not eat animal products including eggs and dairy products. However, veganising (I am not even sure if this is a word, but it sounds good) is not only rewarding, as you will feel healthier and happier, but it will also open up your world to new friendships, ingredients, and experiences. One example of this was my discovery of Tempeh, which I love, while I was backpacking in Indonesia.

Reasons for becoming vegan vary. In my case it was about supercharging my life, for others there are more immediate concerns such as health issues related to obesity or heart disease. But being vegan also means caring about what you put in your body and it is important to maintain a balanced diet??.

 Your Vegan Resources - Online and Untapped

As part of my crusade to convert the entire world to living vegan, I want to share with you some of my favorite websites on all things vegan. I cherish these sites for a number of reasons, their great recipes, insights on health and wellness, and the blogs – oh how I love the blogs.

Source	Blog	Recipes	Health &  Nutrition?	Comments
				Check out substitutions, this is a really great resource.
				Another great source for vegan recipes, thank you Andrea.
				I really love Candry, great recipes!!!
				Brandi offers a free preview if her cookbook, but her blog is currently offline.
				Kelli has some outstanding recipes, I just love Blend it Up. If you are in LA. check out her workshops.
				The go-to source for Vegan athletes. If you live an active lifestyle you MUST check out this site.
				Another one of my favourite websites! Especially love the Health & Nutrition information.
				Just a down to earth site with some great recipes and resources.

Why do these sites stand out compared to the millions of vegan information sites on the interwebs? First, I feel a personal connection with the site authors, be it Brandi’s story from Confessions of an East Coast Raw Vegan or Vega-Licious’s invaluable insights on health and wellness. Don’t forget the recipes, one of the best things about being vegan are all of the options and I regularly turn to these sites for some inspiration. Check out Blend it Up from Kelli’s Vegan Kitchen, she has more than 50 amazing smooth recipes to try – my favourite is the Mandarin Orange Spice Smoothie.

So let’s look at each website in more detail:

• First up in An Unrefined Vegan, this is the go-to place for substitutions, especially the sugar substitutes, which are absolutely necessary when you are putting together your plan. This site is well researched and extremely informative and Annie does a great job getting across her passion for the vegan way of life. Next is Andrea’s Easy Vegan Cooking, I just adore her quotations section, it is a real inspiration for anyone seeking inspiration to see through their vegan weight loss plan.

• Cadry’s Kitchen is a wondrous site, the subtitle is ‘AVegan Adventure’, and it is choc-a-bloc of recipes, videos, vegan travel tips !!!, and even a handy dandy vegan grocery list – a must have resource for any newly minted vegan.

• Confessions of an East Coast Raw Vegan is an inspiration for anyone who endeavors to optimize vegan diet benefits. Brandi once weighed almost 220 pounds and was unhappy and constantly tired. Following an intervention from a close friend about her eating habits, Brandi changed her life for the better. Whilst I am not a raw vegan, I do take inspiration from her story and many of her recipes are amazing. Don’t stop with Brandi, jump over to Kelli’s Vegan Kitchen, as mentioned I am in love with her smoothie recipes and if you happen to be in Los Angeles check out her workshops as they are a great resource for anyone seeking to learn more about what is vegan.

• Then there is No Meat Athlete, if you are like me you run on plant power and this site is an excellent resource for recipes and events. Also, check out their Workout Nutrition 101, which contains an invaluable vegan food list for athletes everywhere.

• Vega-Licious is another great resource for vegan health and nutrition information, Elena does an amazing job and if you are looking to put together a diet plan this is one site to turn to. She also has a number of delicious recipes, many of which I reference here. One of my favorites is this recipe for Fat-Free Vegan Borscht, it takes about 10 minutes to prepare and I usually cook up a big batch so I can reheat it on the fly. Just remember the ‘T’ is silent – thanks, Elena!

• Last but not least is Veganosaurus while it is not the fanciest site, Susmitha does a great job and I really love her recipes for Tzatziki Sauce and Raw Vegan Superfoods Smoothie.These sites just scratch the surface of the wealth of knowledge out there for vegans, feel free to let me know your favorite resources. Who knows maybe it is something I have yet to come across.

Vegan = the Right Choice

Now back to my site. As mentioned my goal for this site is to become your one and only resource for all things vegan and this starts with explaining ‘what is vegan’. Simply put veganism is a life choice which includes excluding all forms of exploitation and cruelty to other living things – be it for food, clothing, or work. Basically, we believe that all life is sacred. Now there are many different types of vegans but common varieties include raw food vegans, junk food vegans, whole food or plant-based vegans (that’s me), low-fat vegans, the raw till 4 vegans (basically the 80/10/10 Diet), starch solution vegans, and beauty detox vegans.

As you can see there are all stripes of vegans and once you decide what is best for you, the next step is to begin by putting together a plan. A big part of this plan is mapping out your meal choices including sources of the nutrients your body needs to function properly. It is all about living a balanced lifestyle and even if you are vegan you still have to pay attention to what you eat.

Essential Ingredients for your Vegan Diet?

Here are some great food substitutes to keep in mind as you begin you journey.

• Avocados, oh how I love avocados, they are a great source of healthy fats and can be used in so many things; who needs cheese when you have avocados.
• Stick with almond, rice, and soya milks and you will never need dairy again, whilst I love almond milk, fermented soy milk is a great source of vitamin B12.
• Mushrooms and tofu are great sources of protein.
• But if you really want to kick it up a notch get your hands on some tempeh – soy-based tempeh is denser than tofu and has 18 grams of protein per 100-gram serving, compare this to just 9 grams from tofu.

Positive Vegan Living

Whilst some people say you should gradually replace food, I am a big advocate for diving in head first. If you don’t, you are just creating excuses for not fully adopting the vegan way of life. Also, you are depriving yourself of the best part of being vegan – that is the adventure of discovering new foods.

Another plus to developing a plan is that it will help you better organize your grocery list as having a pre-defined list of foods you need will help you better plan your week. Additionally, this list can help you save money as you can research which stores have special prices on the ingredients you need to buy.

If you do feel the impulse to get something that is not on your list, make sure you check the label - BE VERY CAREFUL! A lot of pre-packaged vegan foods are "V.I.N.O" – that is Vegan in Name Only - so check the label and make sure what you are getting fits into your vegan diet plan.

How and Where to Start?

One easy way to kick start your vegan adventure is to take part in one of PETA’s Just-Do-It 30-Day Vegan Campaigns, these were made popular by Beyoncé and Jay-Z and is a great way to dive into the vegan lifestyle, especially if you have a competitive personality.

If you are choosing the vegan way of life to lose weight, then you will need to develop a vegan weight loss plan. And why not? A recent study in the Journal of General Internal Medicine highlighted vegan health benefits. According to the study, ‘people on a vegetarian diet, and especially those following a vegan one that includes no animal products, see better results than dieters on other weight-reducing plans.’[1] This confirms what I have known for years – going vegan is just plain better for you.

Burning questions about being Vegan?

Well, the most commonly asked question from friends and acquaintances is what can we eat – or more exactly what can’t we eat?

If you focus on the negative the list it is quite simple: diary, eggs meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, gelatin, and honey. However, I am a positive person and for me, the answer is that being vegan has opened up a world of gastronomical possibilities – I would have never discovered tempeh if I was not vegan.

Another question I get asked is along the same lines and that is what are my favourite foods? You know about my love affair with tempeh, but I am also mad for almonds, seitan jerky, fruits, peanut butter, granola, produce from my garden, as well as nuts and seeds. I also love curries, pizza, smoothies, soups, and even vegan donuts – being vegan does not mean you can’t have a sweet tooth.

Some people ask me why vegans don’t eat eggs?

The simple answer is eating eggs supports the mass murder and intentional maiming of hundreds of millions of chickens each year. Many are just thrown in dumpsters and left to die. Why does this happen? Male chickens can’t produce eggs, so they are just left to die once they are born. For female chickens, the only future they have is being forced to lay eggs in an artificial environment for the rest of their lives. Now if the chickens ever ruled the earth how would you answer for supporting such barbary? Remember being vegan is a life choice which excludes all forms of exploitation and cruelty to other living things – be it for food, clothing, or work.

People also ask me what would happen to the animals if we stopped eating them?

Well, at first, the animal populations would surge, but most domesticated farm animals are ill-suited for the natural world, so they will need to devolve to something resembling their original way of life survive. I would also think that humans would create wildlife refuges for these animals to remind ourselves of our past.

What is the matter with honey – after all it is natural?

Well, so are eggs and milk, but the mass production of these items is exploitive and the vegan way of life is about eschewing exploitation. Luckily you don’t need to rely on honey as vegan options include maple syrup, rice syrup, and agave nectar.

The last question, for now, is how does being vegan impact my faith?

As vegans, we believe that all life should be protected. As a Christian vegan, I believe there is no exception to the solemn duty entrusted to us by God – ‘clothe yourselves in tender hearted mercy, kindness’ (Colossians 3:12). Modern life exists without compassion and mercy and as vegans, there is no place in our lives for the fruits of factory farming.

Your new beginning starts here!

In conclusion, I want to welcome you to my site and congratulate you for embracing the vegan way of life. As for your vegan diet plan, don’t stress, there is a cornucopia of options out for you to embrace so feel free to experiment. So search out what you like, even go back and try the things you don’t like – who knows you might even change your mind. The beauty of the vegan way of life is that it opens so many doors and isn't that part of being a vegan foodie? Experiencing new ingredients, new recipes, and making friends that will last a lifetime. Let me know which recipes are your favourites and let’s experience the wonder of being vegan together.

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[1] Hunag, Ru-Yi. Journal of General Internal Medicine. ‘To shed weight, go vegan’. 30 June 2015. Retrieved 21 March 2016.

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