Vegan diet generally means to avoid all animal products, including meat, eggs, and dairy and going vegan is an attempt to live in a way that excludes all forms of animal exploitation and cruelty, if it's for food, clothing or any other purpose.
People generally adopt a vegan diet for many purposes which ranges from a desire to improve health, environmental concerns to ethics.
19 Things you should know before going Vegan
Vegan Diet helps you to Lose Weight
This is the most important reason that number of people are adopting vegan diets as its a way that helps you to lose excess weight and helps to shed some pounds.
The BMI that is body mass index tends to be lower in vegans as compared to non-vegans.
Helps to keep blood sugar in check and lower the Risk of Type2 Diabetes
One of another reason people are adopting a vegan diet as it helps to keep your blood sugar in check and also lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes. Studies show that vegans as compared to non-vegans have Up to 78% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes and higher insulin sensitivity.
Helps to keep your heart healthy
A Vegan diet also helps to keep your heart healthy and studies have shown that it lowers the risk of developing high blood pressure by 75% and 42% lower risk of dying from heart disease.
Hair Loss by going Vegan
As every coin has 2 sides, so does with it, let's check out this point in detail as to why people start having a hair loss problem by going vegan. The answer is when people go vegan, they might increase their soy intake which can affect the thyroid, especially when someone has thyroid problems or iodine levels are not adequate. Making sure you get enough iodine if you start taking some supplements which can control your iodine levels could prevent any hair loss problems that could be due to iodine or soy. You can also opt for Itreallyworksvitamins.com which is a Vegan-friendly Hair Vitamins brand that can provide you with your daily dose of vitamins essential for you.
One phenomenon that seems clearly related to it is that iron deficiency is linked to hair loss in women. In one study, 72% of women with low iron stores had reduced hair density.
The amino acid L-lysine is a crucial element in the absorption of iron and zinc. Among plant foods, legumes which contain high amounts of L-lysine, and a vegan who doesn't eat many legumes could find themselves falling short on lysine. In some cases, iron supplementation does not lead to an increase in iron stores. But adding L-lysine to iron supplementation really does which helps to increase iron stores and decreased hair loss by one half.
B12 Supplements
Vitamin B12 occurs naturally and present only in animal foods, B12 make DNA and helps to keep the body's nerve and blood cells healthy, and the deficiency of it can lead you to feel tiredness, weakness, constipation, loss of appetite and depression. So you'll definitely need to stack B12 supplement. You can surely reach out to Itreallyworksvitamins, a Vegan-friendly Hair Vitamins brand that provides you with 320% of your recommended daily allowance of Vitamin B12!
Lower levels of Vitamin D
This is the most common problem that can be found in vegans, the deficiency in vitamin D.The daily requirements of vitamin D for children and adults is 600 IU (15 mcg) per day but it is different for elderly and for pregnant women, they require 800 IU (20 mcg) per day. Getting that amount from a plant-based diet is tough and almost impossible which causes the lower level of vitamin D in your body.
Vitamin D is a vitamin which is fat-soluble and helps to absorb calcium and phosphorus from your gut and also very essential for your body processes, including immune function, mood, memory and also helps in recovering your muscle. So you should take your daily dose of supplement to get it covered.
Lowers zinc levels in Blood
If you try to cover the daily dose of the requirement of zinc through a plant-based diet, it will be callous or almost impossible as there are very few plants that actually contain zinc and phytate content present in plant foods limits the zinc absorption.
Zinc is essential for your body and if you will not take it in sufficient quantity, it can lead to developmental problems, hair loss, and diarrhea. So you definitely need to cover it through Itreallyworksvitamins supplements.
Definitely, need to include Iron Supplements
Iron is a very essential nutrient for your body as it helps to carry oxygen in the blood and make new DNA and red blood cells and if the level of it gets decreased in your blood, you will feel fatigue and a decrease immune function.
The daily dose of the requirement for adult men is 8mg and for adult women, it is recommended to take 18 mg per day and the pregnant women should go for 27 mg per day.
Heme and non-heme are the two forms of iron, where the former is solely available from animal products, and the latter is found in plants but because non-heme iron is difficult to absorb from your diet as compared to heme iron.
You will get to face lots of questions from friends and family
In today's world, people are much more concerned for you than for themselves especially when you are trying to do something that challenges their beliefs. People are very particular about their diet, so you will gonna face lots of questions and the best way to minimize it is to remember that you are going vegan for yourself, for your particular reasons and not for others.
Always try to find new protein sources
Protein is essential for your body and you need to make sure that every meal you take should have protein, says vegan dietitian's. As everybody knows, proteins are the building blocks of life which break down into amino acids that promote cell growth and repair. The recommended levels of the protein that every adult should take are 0.8 grams of protein for every kilogram of your body mass.
You definitely need to avoid Junk
Cutting out meat does not give you the license to opt for white bread, pasta, and other packaged foods which is a failure on your vegan diet. Junk does not have any nutrition value other than loaded with calories and makes you gain weight.
Get ready to read every food label
You get check the food label of every product you buy, If you're that serious about going for a vegan diet, you must verify the ingredient that it contains. whey and Casein are derived from milk, are present in many cereal bars, bread, and granolas, while gelatin comes from meat.
You don't need to stop going to your favorite restaurants.
Veganism is getting popular with each passing day and so are vegan options which you can count on every restaurant's menu. Even if you are ordering a vegan dish make sure to clear your dietary restrictions to your waiter to ensure that no animal products like chicken stock or butter are used to prepare your meal.
Helps you to Save Some Bucks
Meat is one of the most expensive items which you will find in the grocery store, so swapping it with plants will not only help you to save more but also helps you to eat fresh instead of frozen.
Get ready to feel Happier
You will also be happier other than the animals who will now be secured from your little cruelty towards them.
Health and beauty benefits
Many have reported that they started feeling an increase in energy, better digestion other than other health benefits of lower risks of cardiovascular and other diseases and many pro-athletes are opting for a vegan diet by looking at its benefits and as you eliminating dairy you will start noticing radically clearer skin after.
Start and increase Slowly
You can start slowly and you can opt for a vegan diet on alternate days, you don't need to sudden change your diet overnight. You can start eliminating one animal product at a time, this will help you to keep your motivation level high and helps your body to understand it.
Going vegan doesn't mean you will automatically lose weight
There is no magic, that you will start opting for a vegan diet and your weight gets in control automatically and instantly. Going vegan definitely cuts on your calorie count and helps to control obesity but you should also opt for some outdoor exercises along with your diet.
If you face any difficulty, Change your Diet plan
If you are addicted to something or love any specific things like cheese and you are facing difficulty in eliminating it from your diet, then try something different and lower your intake level of cheese and once you become comfortable , you can try to eliminate it completely.
These are the things you should know before you are going to be a vegan and we have covered all the points which are essential to know before you go vegan.