7 things people do wrong when going vegan

A friend stopped by yesterday and while chatting and catching up veganism popped into the conversation. You see he went vegan for a month and now says he will NEVER do it again! Yikes! So it got me to thinking about all the things people do wrong when going vegan. Things that could negatively affect a persons experience with veganism. Double yikes! So here's my list of the 7 things people do wrong. Let's get started.

1 Not drinking enough water. Poor hydration equals poor digestion and poor organ health, among many other things. Water is essential to a healthy functioning body. I personally feel best when I drink a gallon, or close to a day. If you are going to try to up your water to a gallon a day just know that your bladder will adjust to the increase of fluids in a short while. Lol.

2 Thinking that everything vegan must be healthy! Aaaah! There are so many things wrong with this way of thinking! Though I'll admit at times I still try to validate buying a big bag of chips to binge out on but the reality is processed foods are simply junk food! We want to minimize or completely eliminate junk food and eat the majority of your calories from whole organic foods.

3 Not eating variety of foods. It's not enough to simply eat the majority of your foods from whole organic foods but you need to mix it up so that you get all the vitamins and nutrients your body wants. I think a good way of doing this is to simply eat the rainbow everyday. Make sure you have a food from each color group and you will be good on all those things your body is craving!

4 Not getting enough B12. This is something that not just vegans but most people are deficient in. Meat eaters don't think about it because animals are given this before people eat them thus getting their B12 from meat sources. But did us vegans we can get it from fortified foods, some mushrooms, nori, B12 supplements, maca root, or nutritional yeast! Side note nutritional yeast is my favorite! It adds a yummy cheesy flavor to things!

5 Don't add in more refined carbs when you cut other things like meat and dairy out. Refined carbs like most breads and pastas are not doing anything beneficial for us and in some cultures we considered candy! What!? Truth! All in all try to eliminate or cut back on these foods. Instead eat more potatoes and grains such as rice and quinoa. Oh and some healthy slow burning fats like avocado! Delicious, filling and long lasting.

6 Not reading the ingredient labels. Even the foods that you would think are so obviously vegan you just never know till you read that label. And let me tell you, you would be surprised at the things hidden in some foods. Eeeeeek!

7 Trying to rush to the feel good stage with no cravings for animal products. This is probably the biggest mistake people make because everything in nature takes time. I think you have to stick with it for at least a solid year to really see the drastic changes that I think most people are looking for. But really veganism is a lifestyle not a quick fix. The first few months are the hardest so remember to take it easy on yourself and be patient. The good stuff is just around the corner.