Veganist_ Lose Weight, Get Healthy, Change the World - Kathy Freston [88]
3. Come up with a plan. Well, as my grandmother always said, “Hell is paved with good intentions!” An intention is only the beginning. Next you need a plan on how to make things happen. In my case, I made a grocery list of new items I wanted to check out—new meat alternatives that looked and tasted like the favorite foods I’d been accustomed to. I went through websites and cookbooks and picked out a few recipes that looked easy and tasty. I searched for restaurants in my area that catered to vegetarians, or that had a vegan entrée on the menu. By coming up with a plan, you solidify your intention. It starts looking doable, and a momentum starts.
4. Make the move. This is when you just jump in. You simply take a step. No pressure, no hurry. Just a step. I began sampling different foods, inviting friends over for tastings. I kept a journal on how I felt and looked (I lost weight, my skin cleared up, and my eyes seemed more clear), and I was further energized by what I was seeing.
I’m not sure exactly how long the whole process was for me—but it was definitely not overnight. It was over the course of a couple of years, but that doesn’t mean it has to take that long for you. I gave up one animal at a time, and found my footing slowly and surely. In that way, I leaned in to the life I wanted for myself, and things even took on a life of their own. (Now I’m an author on the subject; who knew?)
That’s what I suggest to you. Take it one step at a time; stay curious and actively seek out new products and menu ideas, and you will find that there is a whole world of hearty, delicious food out there that does absolutely no harm—not to other living creatures, not to the planet, not to your health.
Some people dread the switch because they’re so afraid of feeling deprived. And if switching over to a plant-based diet meant only eliminating animal foods, that’s exactly what you’d feel. Not to mention hungry, dissatisfied, left out, and at a loss. People who try this route often feel like they’re subsisting on side dishes, always longing for something more. Try that, and the white-knuckling willpower it would take would inevitably give way to temptation, and back you’d go to the burgers and fries. That’s where “crowding out” comes in.
“Crowding out” is a term used in nutritional circles to describe how to eat in a healthy way without giving yourself the chance to feel hungry. You literally crowd out junk and bad food by adding in healthy foods throughout the day so that you’re always satisfied. When you eat the veganist way, you eat nutrient-dense and fiber-rich foods, which satisfy your body’s cravings and leave you feeling fulfilled and content. Your body feels nutritionally satisfied, and there’s no room left over for feeling deprived.
Those old bad habits literally get crowded out by better ones.
Tips for Making the Switch
1. Begin by leaving off one animal at a time. I suggest that you start by giving up eating all birds—chicken, turkey, and duck. As Alec Baldwin says in his Meet Your Meat video, “Chickens are probably the most abused animals on the face of the planet.” The numbers factor is worth noting, too: In the U.S., we kill 100 times more chickens than pigs, and 200 times more chickens than cattle. If your concern is cruelty, drop poultry first.
So you can get used to not relying on poultry to round out your meals, work in some alternative vegetarian meats. I love Gardein (they have a great product that looks and tastes very much like chicken, while other products in their line are akin to pork and beef), which is found in most supermarket freezers and in the refrigerated section of Whole Foods and other health food stores. You can use their “chick’n” patties or scallopini to make the recipes you’re used to making with animal chicken. For Thanksgiving, Gardein makes a great vegan turkey that can be found