From Meats To Beets: A Story of Transitioning to Plant-Based

I was approaching three decades on this planet we call Earth. If you’ve ever been 30 or have thoughts about being 30, you may imagine some grandeur life of financial stability, a stable relationship, and maybe even a family. My 29 year old self was looking into what I’ve always believed to be our greatest strength, our health. For me, health was mind, body, and spirit. As a practicing yogi for 10+ years and an avid meditator, I was your typical academic granola mom of infant twins with the exception of my diet. I felt I was doing myself a disjustice.
There I was raising plant-based twins, yet I was sneaking pizza for my Netflix and chill mode. On my 30th birthday, I convinced my husband to watch “Vegucated.” I didn’t imagine “Vegucated” would leave the impact that it did on me. I woke up the next more in my 3rd decade and went cold turkey.

Here are my top 5 Tips on Transitioning to a Plant-Based Diet:

Find Resources to Keep you Inspired in the Kitchen

Instagram and YouTube are great tools to find vegan recipes. You can also get a copy of my copybook on Amazon. Plus #veganrecipes can inspire even the most novice chef and find me @shanellreffell for family friendly recipes.

Understand that Transitioning is a Process

Whether you’re transitioning for health or for the animals or the plant, there are many plant-based cheeses, meats, and other dairies that you can fall back on when in a crunch or simply out of ideas, but I don’t recommend highly relying on processed foods.

Find your Reason and Own It

Everyone has their reason for being vegan/plant-based. Know why you choose the lifestyle and don’t be swayed by the fanatics or otherwise. Own it!

Don’t be Discouraged from Non-Supporters

Oh the non-supporters will come out of the boondocks to tell you why you’re not getting enough protein, not enough B-12, not enough whatever. Often there is this emphasis from non-supporters about health as though the daily fast food was healthy. SMH 😒. Don’t be swayed even when you don’t feel as educated as you wish you were. The education will come. In the interim, let folks know that there is plenty of protein in vegetables, just look at any other plant-based mammal, i.e., elephants, gorillas, bison, horses, and cows.

Be Accountable. Not Destructive.

Call the restaurant in advance and confirm they have vegan options. Being accountable for why you are choosing this lifestyle is important when you are eating out, but if you happen to eat food that isn’t vegan don’t beat yourself to a pulp.

Now I wish my story continued happily ever after being plant-based, but it didn’t. It was “easy” for the first few months and other times not so hard. And that’s just the truth.
As the Buddha once said,

“May all that have life be delivered from suffering.”

At the end of the day being plant-based is not only about the animals and the Earth, sometimes the one you are delivering from suffering is yourself.
Other great vegan inspired documentaries can be found here.
I also share vegan recipes for the tiniest tots on Facebook at my page Shanell Petersen-Reffell.