One of the biggest and most long-lasting food trends of the past decade is definitely veganism. Also known as a plant-based diet, it involves eliminating all meat and animal-by products, including dairy, eggs and even honey. Even though veganism and vegetarianism have been on the rise for several years, the demand for vegan food substitutes looks set to explore by 2027. Many consumers go entirely vegan, while others are flexitarian and only eat meat or dairy occasionally. These drastic dietary changes make a huge difference to your life.
While there are many benefits of going vegan, even for part of the time, including reducing your personal carbon footprint, it does have its downsides, as we explore in this article. We’ll also offer practical tips to help you overcome these challenges and live your best plant-based life.
Increased Risk Of Food Intolerances
Whenever you cut out any food group from your diet and start introducing more of another particular group to compensate, you run the risk of causing a food intolerance. For vegans, you can cause yourself to become intolerant to some products, particularly foods that you’ll now eat regularly, such as soy and legumes. If you’ve just started a vegan diet and are unsure if you’re developing an intolerance, then take a food sensitivity test from US Food Intolerance. You’ll then be able to deal with the issue proactively.
Potential For A Lack Of Nutrients
When you first become a vegan, it can be difficult to get enough of the nutrients your body needs. While protein is the main focus of many sceptics, other vitamins and minerals, such as Iron and B12, are actually even harder to get through an entirely plant-based diet. While some meat and dairy substitutes will have added vitamins, you should also consider taking a supplement such as WOWMD NutriMax Essentials to ensure that you always have enough nutrients. You’ll then be able to start on your vegan diet in a healthy and balanced way.
Weight Gain
Many individuals choose a vegan diet because they think it can help them to be healthier and lose weight. While this is often the case, you might not lose as much weight as you think or may even gain it on a plant-based diet. You might gain weight as a vegan for many reasons, which may include eating too many processed meat alternatives or snacks that seem healthy but are high in fats and sugars, such as nuts or dried fruits. To avoid gaining too much weight, be proactive from the start,. That means watching your diet to make sure you stay healthy and can enjoy the plant-based delicacies you love.
Difficulty Adjusting
Making a significant change to your diet can be challenging, so it’s understandable that many new vegans find it hard to stick to their convictions. The main factor to consider is simply doing your best; even if you need to re-introduce some animal products to your diet, try to cut down on them. The world needs more people who are trying than it does individuals who give it a go and then give up. So, keep trying and working to find ways to be more environmentally friendly when it comes to your eating habits.