Fun Stuff To Do When You Are Feeling Blah or Just Need Something New and Different?

Challenge Yourself to Eat a Healthy Vegan Diet for a Week (or two or three)

If you’re lacking energy and feeling less than healthy, it’s likely that your diet has been less than spectacular lately. You may not have thought of it this way, but food is medicine. One great way to slingshot your way back to feeling vital is with a healthier diet.

In this case, I’m talking about a healthy vegan diet (emphasis on Healthy), which means no meat, eggs, or dairy products. Really, I mean no poultry or fish or seafood either. It might sound challenging, but those of us who eat this way, love it and swear by it.

To give yourself the best chance for success, consider the following tried and true tips:

• Try to get animal products and junk foods, especially your favorites, out of the house, If you live with others, it will help to either get everyone on board or be strong enough to say no to the foods you commonly eat. All personal trainers know that anything in the house will eventually get eaten. In fact they say “if it’s in the house, it’s in your mouth.”
  
• Some people choose to be public about their intentions. They let friends, family, and co-workers know about the week they plan to go vegan. The logic is that it’s harder to quit when you know that everyone else is watching you.
  
• Take one day at a time. If you commonly turn to ice cream or other processed treats during stressful times, it may be challenging to eat clean and healthy. A change in eating patterns almost always takes commitment. But taking it moment by moment, day by day, can work wonders.

• If you’re really struggling, resolve to finish out the day strong. Tomorrow, do the same thing all over again. If you have a supportive and knowledgeable friend, calll them if things get tough,especially if you are drooling over an animal procuct or junk food that you decided not to eat.
  
• Embrace the experience. Eating in a new way for a week isn’t a bad thing. It’s fun. It’s an experiment. It’s a way to experience something new. Besides you might learn something you never expected.

• Have fun with this new way of eating and notice all the emotions and tendencies that pop up along the journey.

• It’s a great chance to learn something about yourself and your relationship to unhealthy foods. Read up on the subject. Try any of the the articles or books by T. Colin Campbell, Greger, Tracye McQuirter, or Baxter Montgomery to get great insight on the value of eating whole healthy foods.
  
• Do some shopping and cooking beforehand. Have beans, rice, fruit, veggies prepared and ready. Avoid getting into a situation where you’re hungry with nothing to eat. Always have something “vegan-friendly” on hand for those times you feel hungry.
  
• Keep the recipes simple if you’re not a big fan of cooking. Just like with any other type of cuisine, there are complicated recipes and there are simple recipes. If you aren’t fond of cooking, avoid torturing yourself.
  
• Eat out. There’s no reason you have to stay in the kitchen. Most restaurants have vegan options. Enjoy yourself and go out on the town. Just remember to ask for the vegan options. Check out the Happy Cow app. It will show you vegan friendly restaurants near you, wherever you are.
  
• Eat the vegan versions of foods you love. There are vegan versions of many popular foods. There are such things as vegan pizza and vegan burgers. Even whole food vegan mac and cheese and tiramisu! They dont taste exactly the same, and no matter, ’cause they’re really good!
  
• Spend a little time each day reminding yourself about the benefits of a healthy vegan lifestyle. There are many websites and books available that highlight the benefits of a vegan diet.
  
• Turn it into a social activity. Get your family and friends to try it with you. Cameraderie will make your healthy vegan challenge more memorable and fun. It also greatly increase the likelihood of success. There are even communities online and in person that you can join for support and friendship.
  
• Reward yourself. Changing a diet can be challenging. Celebrate yourself every day you stick to it.

Start by testing a healthy whole food vegan diet for just a week. Then try another week and another. Over time, you may find that it gets easier and easier and above all, you feel better and better. That’s the point after all.

ENJOY!