Veganuary Challenge

 The new year is always a great time for a change.  Some people view change as adding more exercise to their life while others are drawn to a healthier diet.  If you are one of the healthy food people, why not try the Veganuary Challenge?  

Veganuary is pretty simple.  Let's break it down.  Vegan, no meat or animal products for the entire month of January.  It's only 31 days (less, if you start right now!)  You won't be alone on this challenge, either.  You will be joining over 500,000 other people around the world!

Veganuary is based out of the UK and was started back in 2014.  Their goal is for people on this journey to learn about animal suffering on farms, the impact on the environment and climate change and to improve their own health.

What's in it for you?

Well, how about your impact on the environment.  A vegan diet produces fewer greenhouse gases while conserving water and land.

It can also lower your sugar intake.  Processed foods are known to have a high amount of sugar than, say, plain old fruits and vegetables.  Eliminating these foods from your diet will help lower your chances of diabetes and heart disease.  Speaking of your heart, eating vegan eliminates red meat and dairy, which are major sources of saturated fats and high cholesterol, and are linked to heart disease and strokes. 

Going vegan is also a great way to lose weight.  Red meat and dairy are high in fat and calories.  Eating less of these options can result in weight loss.  Throw in a little exercise and you are good to go!

How to start?

You can head on over to Veganuary.com to sign up.  It's free!  When you sign up, you will be given a free e-cookbook, nutrition guides, easy meal plans and 31 days of encouraging emails.

You can also participate without signing up.  Maybe enlist a friend to join you?  How about trying it out for one week?  There are several apps out there that can help you with your vegan journey, too.  Check out Google play or the app store.

If you do decide to try Vegan, here are a few tips for you.

A little worried about what you will eat?  Do a little research on meals and snacks.  Knowing what you can eat will make the challenge much easier.

How about trying to go vegan for a day or two at a time.  You know, baby steps.  You can trick the brain by saying it's only two days.*  If you survive the two days, try to go a little longer next time.

Make sure to watch your B-12 levels.  Vitamin B-12 is hard to come by on a vegan diet.  Look to nutritional yeast or taking a Vitamin B-12 supplement. 

There are several recipes here on A Scary Journey.  Just tap Recipes on the right or search vegan on the blog.

If you decide to do the challenge, let me know in the comments below.

*Going vegan for a day has a big impact on the environment.