Vegan myths are common these days.
Is veganism too expensive for an everyday regular person to follow?
There are many myths following veganism around these days, and I am happily here to bust them all – three in this article.
When you are working to transition to a vegan diet and you hear and even believe some of the vegan myths going around about it, you may decide to stop trying.
The idea that you will not have enough money for rent or power bills because of the food you eat is scary and would make anyone think twice about becoming vegan.
In this article, I will discuss three common myths about veganism so that you can move forward in your transition to this beautiful way of life once and for all.
The vegan myths discussed here are:
- it is too expensive and not accessible
- it will make me sick and weak
- I will automatically lose weight and be healthier
Let’s bust some vegan myths!
VEGAN MYTH 1 > A Vegan Diet is Too Expensive and Not Accessible
Where I live there are no Whole Foods, but I have still heard the jokes about the ridiculous pricing for ridiculous items – $6 for asparagus water, I’m looking at you!
This is one way the myth of eating a vegan diet is expensive and not accessible for many people is perpetuated.
It’s a simple joke, but it could be stopping people from trying out veganism for themselves, and that is sad to me.
The truth about this vegan myth is that it can be expensive. It can be silly expensive. It can also be pretty cheap and also delicious.
I like to compare eating vegan food to running.
There are people who start their running journey by purchasing the best of everything they need: shoes, socks, clothes, health monitoring watches, headbands, backpacks…
And there are the people that start their running journey by going for a run. They use what they have and they make it work.
The same is true for transitioning to a vegan diet.
You could buy all the appliances, all the fun vegan products, the expensive nuts (pinenuts!), fancy cheeses or oils…
Or you can use what you have, stick to the fresh produce and bulk aisles with a dip into a few processed foods, and you’d be good to go.
The great thing is that it is up to you how much you spend on your food.
You can get all of the important micro and macronutrients eating either way, so you get to decide.
Vegan myth busted!
VEGAN MYTH 2 > A Vegan Diet Will Make Me Sick and Weak
The first vegan I ever met was not healthy. He had lost the colour in his face, he was skinny, and he was tired all the time.
Without knowing anything about his health status, I just assumed he was that way because he was vegan.
This belief stuck with me for years. It was such a huge leap in logic, but I had no problem getting there.
Every time I thought about going vegan, I had his image in my mind and that would stop me dead in my tracks.
I stayed vegetarian for a long time because of this.
There is definitely truth in this myth. If you are not mindful of what you eat, you may become sick and/or weak.
This is easy to remedy, thankfully.
A bit of research and knowledge is necessary to live healthfully on a vegan diet.
It is also a great idea to get nutritional tests done at the start and then periodically throughout your life to see how things are going for you.
This is a simple way to monitor your health.
You can also be mindful of your body. You know when something is wrong.
So keep an eye on your energy, hair, nails, skin, mood…
A journal is a great way to check in on yourself daily, weekly, monthly – whatever feels right for you.
You can thrive on a vegan diet or you can become ill. This is true of any way of eating.
So you might as well choose the way you want to eat.
Vegan myth busted!!
It takes knowledge and understanding to get the health you desire.
VEGAN MYTH 3 > A Vegan Diet Will Make Me Lose Weight and Be Healthy
As with the two vegan myths above, this one can be true and it can be false.
I see a lot of before and after pictures of people who have transitioned to a vegan diet.
These are usually based on weight loss.
When I first became vegan, I actually did get sicker.
I didn’t know what I was doing, choosing all the processed meats and cheeses.
Not eating enough veggies and one day I realized I wasn’t doing well.
I was driving and I had noticed that my decision-making skills on the road were dangerously slow – something I had not experienced before.
Feeling tired all the time and foggy in my thinking was now normal.
This was before I had gone through my natural nutrition training.
I had to do some research and through trial and error, I found the nutrients I was missing, and I began to feel better.
The weight loss effect never happened either.
As with any diet, you can be healthy, you can be sick.
No one is guaranteed weight loss or health with any diet.
I’m sure you know people who are healthy and people who are sick – are they vegan? Is it their diet that makes them that way?
Likely it is a combination of diet, lifestyle, and genetics (and not necessarily in that order.)
It takes knowledge and understanding to get the health you desire.
Final Thoughts
Transitioning to a vegan diet can be complicated when you are hearing contradictory information about your health and wellbeing.
It can be difficult to determine useless from helpful tips when researching veganism, and this can stop even the most motivated from becoming and staying vegan for the long haul.
When you can wade through the crap and see it for what it is, you can move forward with your goals more easily and effortlessly – and that is what I want for you!
Discernment is a beautiful word that will help you on your journey.
It is simply the ability to judge well.
Recognize what is a hindrance and what is a help to you and your goals.
If you want to reach out or if you have any questions, email info@veganholisticnutrition.com.
Yours in plant love,
Carly
