Vegetarianism for Beginners Part 4

Top 5 Tips to Help You on Your Vegetarian Journey 

• So, you’re all excited about this vegetarian adventure you’ve embarked upon. You’re doing something healthy for yourself and are excited to share your news with your inner circle, but you get a less than enthusiastic response.  What is up with that?  Ignore the naysayers and negative Nellies!  Some, if not most, of your family and friends may not be on board with your decision to go vegetarian.  That is entirely THEIR problem.  Do NOT make it yours!  If you don’t have any family members or friends who are supportive, join an online vegetarian forum.  There are tons of resources online and you most certainly are not alone on this journey! Check out my Like Page at facebook.com/TheFitVegetarian.  Find yourself a support system!

• Keep a positive mindset! As I mentioned in part 3 of this series, focus on all the new and delicious foods you CAN enjoy rather than the meat-based foods you’re leaving behind.  It’s all in how you look at things.

• Check for hidden ingredients. Always read labels to make sure that a product truly is vegetarian.  Look for things like gelatin or chicken/beef stock which most definitely are not vegetarian friendly.

• Rather than trying to find substitutes for meat, embrace the texture and flavor of whole vegetarian foods. I readily admit that, for years, I happily consumed the overly-processed meat analogs that are put out by an ever-expanding market of manufacturers.  Whether it was veggie sausage or veggie hot dogs, I figured it was vegetarian so it had to be healthy, right?!   . . not quite.  Don’t get me wrong, these meat substitutes most definitely are a better alternative than their real meat counterparts.   Are they healthier than enjoying whole, unprocessed vegetarian foods, though?  Nope!  If you want to make it a gradual process, enjoy these meat analogs 1-2 times per week initially and then gradually wean yourself from them.   It wasn’t until just under three years ago that I cut out all these processed foods.  I feel infinitely better, too!  The human body simply does not know what to do with this overly processed and preserved “food!”

• Make sure you’re eating enough. Yes, you read that right!  With the exception of nuts and seeds, clean vegetarian foods are relatively low in calories.  So, what does that mean?  It means you get to eat MORE!!  SCORE!  I kid you not when I say that I have never eaten so much food in my life.  Pace yourself.  Hahaha!

More food?  Now THAT’S what I’m talking about!  “Danger, Will Robinson, Danger!”  (Yes, I just dated myself with that Lost In Space reference).  ? Be careful, though.  You don’t want to make the same mistake I made for years going overboard on beans and other complex carbs.  More on this in part 5 of this series.  (I know, I know… I’m such a tease)!  See you next time!  Until then, FUEL UP for a FIT LIFE people!