Going from a largely animal-based diet to a plant-based diet can be a daunting task. Some habits must be broken, while others adopted. According to research, it takes the brain approximately 30 days of doing a task every day to either make or break a habit. These 10 steps help break down the process for you to get started. For us, food is a big deal. Not only should food be good for your body, but it should also taste good. ThePlantBasedDiet.com is dedicated to leading you to a healthier life and happier body!
- Join the plant-based challenge! Joining the Challenge is your personal commitment to actively eating plant-based for AT LEAST 30 days. Not only that, but we believe that in order to eat plant-based, our whole mind set about life, in general, needs to change. The Challenge is about taking in the good and dispelling the bad in all areas of life.
- Do Research. Once you make a commitment, doing your own research is probably one of the most important steps. It is vital to know the “why” and the “how” of eating plant-based and it will help change your point of view about food and what it means to live a healthy lifestyle.
- Find new recipes. A part of doing research is finding new recipes that will replace your old ones. With sites such as Pinterest as well as vastly improved recipes, cookbooks, and vegan blogs, individuals have become way more creative with plant-based foods. There are healthy replacements for everything nowadays, so finding recipes to replace animal-based ones that you and your family will love is simple and easy.
- Clean out your fridge and pantry. The next step, is putting your words into action. Clean your fridge and pantry of foods that are harmful to your body and foods that are animal based. By eliminating foodsthat are not plant-based, you will successfully rid yourself of bad eating habits.
- Go grocery shopping. This is the fun part. You get to go grocery shopping for new foods to replace the ones you got rid of. This is where all the research you did in steps 2 and 3 will come in handy. Make a meal plan with a week’s worth of recipes (3 meals a day) and go shopping for the ingredients you will need. And don’t forget to buy healthy, plant-based snacks and even desserts for special occasions to satisfy cravings so you won’t be tempted o break the rules..
- Eat at least one plant-based , high in nutrient meal a day. You can to start by just eating one plant-based meal a day just to ease yourself into this new lifestyle or you can go completely plant-based. It is completely up to you. I find that by starting with one meal a day, it really makes you automatically more self-conscious of every other meal you eat, but you will definitely see more results by completely changing your diet.
- Exercise for at least 30 minutes every day. Exercise is so incredible important, no matter how old you are. However, it is important to find something you like just as much as it is effective. Not everyone wants to run for 30 minutes straight, just like not everyone likes 30 minutes of doing chaturangas. Find what works for you.
- Meditate every day and practice affirmations. This step is the spiritual side to the plant-based diet. It’s about ridding your mind of stress and becoming peaceful and confident. Whether you meditate once a day or 5, over time, you will change your habits of thinking bad thoughts and letting stress get the best of you. Click here for our list of daily affirmations.
- Get involved in a cause. Whether you are doing the plant-based challenge or not, contributing to society in some way is something everyone should be doing. So do some more research and find a cause or charity that you are passionate about and get involved in some form whether by donating money or volunteer work. Not only will they benefit, but so will you.
- Stick with it! Plant-based eating is a journey not a destination. Don’t give up and keep growing and learning as you continue on this life-changing path!
