Happy Christmas, New Years and 2019 – all in one! After a hectic semester and festive period I haven’t focused much on writing after bashing out essay after essay at the end of uni last year.
However, it’s a new year which means it has been a whole year since I became fully vegan and joined in with the ever-growing Veganuary pledge. This year broke records with 168,542 people signing up to be vegan, at least for the month of January, a 183% increase from 2017. Veganuary’s goal is to set people up with the knowledge to try a vegan lifestyle – as you’re more likely to keep with it after a few weeks because that’s when you see the changes to your body and health and when habits can become routine.
After eating veggie for around 8/9 years and since cutting out some dairy products prior, I found that going vegan was a simple and obvious lifestyle for me to adapt – hence why I have sustained it for a whole year now.
The first year of my vegan journey has been very varied. I started the year eating really well and cooking a lot more – and eating a lot of spinach. Then began eating not as well nearing assessment deadlines which is predicable, before kicking off my workout and healthy eating in May. Throughout the summer I was eating really well, cooking lots and working out around four times a week. Then it was back to uni and it all went downhill – too much going out and eating some very questionable meals.
But, 2019 and the only thing I’m changing within my diet is eating lots more whole foods and using them as a basis for meal as well as cutting back on my sugar and alcohol intake – less sweets and less wine basically. I’ve also decided to workout at home until I come back from uni and can re-join my local gym for the summer.
I am looking to continue and improve being super sustainable and ethical within my other purchasing decisions e.g. toiletries, cosmetics and fashion.
A lot of the main things I’ve learnt with going vegan (diet-wise) are all featured in THIS POST and tips on how I try to be more sustainable within my wardrobe are in THIS POST.
Also, check out my food inspo instagram @beetspls for meal ideas and reviews of some of the new vegan products that are coming out on a what seems like, daily basis.
Good luck and happy 2019!
USEFUL RESOURCES
*** DOCUMENTARIES AND LINKS ***
(taken from That Vegan Couple’s recommendations)
- What the Health http://www.whatthehealthfilm.com
- NETFLIX Forks Over Knives http://www.forksoverknives.com/the-film/
- NETFLIX Cowspiracy http://www.cowspiracy.com
- NETFLIX Get all the facts! http://www.cowspiracy.com/facts
- Best Speech You Will Ever Hear – Gary Yourofsky https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=es6U0…
- Farm To Fridge https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ju7-n…
- Earthlings http://www.nationearth.com/earthlings-1/
- Dominion http://watch.dominionmovement.com/
- 101 Reasons To Go Vegan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-F8w…
- Land of Hope and Glory (UK ‘Earthlings’ Documentary) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvtVk…
- Humane Myth http://www.humanemyth.org
- Speciesism: The Movie http://speciesismthemovie.com
- Why Vegetarians Should Go Vegan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3f5uU… Complete Guide To Vegan Food https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htf5e…
- Complete Guide To Vegan Clothing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQXWa…
- Complete Guide To Vegan Cosmetics https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oXC9…
*** INSTAGRAM PAGES ***
- https://www.instagram.com/that_vegan_couple/
- https://www.instagram.com/earthlinged/
- https://www.instagram.com/weareveganuary/
- https://www.instagram.com/plantbasednews/
- https://www.instagram.com/livekindlyco/
- https://www.instagram.com/vegantruckdriver/
- https://www.instagram.com/vegan_food_uk/
- https://www.instagram.com/accidentallyveganuk/
- https://www.instagram.com/thevegankind/
- https://www.instagram.com/avantgardevegan/
- https://www.instagram.com/rachelama_/
- https://www.instagram.com/uglyvegan/
- https://www.instagram.com/beetspls/