A Guide for Veganuary: Part Three

Photo by Eaters Collective on Unsplash

 

As we round up this series, Eric turns focus to sharing your Veganuary experiencing and how to approach the social expectations and reactions to your adventure. It’s an exciting process and it’s great to share your trials and triumphs with friends; being equipped with the facts too can be conducive to positive conversations.

Sharing the Experience and Expecting Reactions

Going vegan (even just for a month) can be quite an overwhelming, yet fascinating experience. Thus, it comes almost naturally to share this with your friends and family and anyone who’ll listen! Ideally, you want to be supported and hear some constructive feedback, so don’t shy away from talking to a long-term vegan for some advice.

Taking pictures of your shopping, cooking or that time you ordered that amazing vegan pizza are great examples of affirmation tools. They will show you where you succeeded and where you struggled, whilst also sharing the excitement visually.

 

(My first round of vegan shopping – I didn’t set myself a budget, so I just went all over the place)

At the same time, there will be moments where your vegan choices could be questioned, criticised or even disapproved of altogether. This can stem from a variety of logics, but a major factor is the fact that veganism is somewhat a new movement (depending on where you are), which jars with our most deeply ingrained habit. Since humans fear the unknown most, a practical solution to this is sharing – offer a vegan meal to friends or family who are critical to it, maybe just a spoonful of yours if they don’t want to fully commit. Be prepared to be questioned - have your facts and stats to hand. If the discussion becomes confrontational, simply keep your cool as you’re talking to someone who may not be in the mindset for an open discussion in that moment.

One trending argument against veganism is the vitamin B12. While I encourage the intake of B12 supplements (veggies don’t produce it naturally), after your first or second week of being fully vegan, it is it likely that your omnivore counterpart will be at the same risk of a B12 deficiency or is already eating supplemented animal products. That is simply because most industrially farmed meat and dairy doesn’t allow for animals to access vitamin-B12-rich pastures and therefore their feed needs to be artificially enriched by it. The argument of this deficiency is just as likely for non-vegans so makes for lack luster reasoning to be cautious of veganism.

To make sure you are prepared for such arguments, try playing a round of ‘Defensive Omnivore Bingo’ with a friend/family member to practise and look up the things you are unsure of. It’s a light-hearted way of focusing your research whilst also being ready to explain your choices to people who perhaps aren’t as familiar with the research support backing veganism.

http://veganmilitia.org/bingo/

In conclusion, there are many different ways to begin leading a vegan lifestyle, yet all should have something in common – it should not be hard. I truly believe that this is a unique opportunity for self-exploration and growth, as you might gain some useful knowledge in different fields and practical cooking skills that will serve you for life! Regardless of your individual outcome, this should be a joyful and honest experience which you will be able to reflect upon. Happy Veganuary!

Author: Eric