You have surely heard of all the benefits that a raw vegan diet offers, but often overlooked by people considering a change are some of the potential consequences that can occur as well.
While everyone is likely to have a different experience on their path to a vegan lifestyle, there are a few things that you can normally expect to happen.
When you know what to expect, you can form a plan and greatly increase your chances of a successful transition to the vegan diet.
The first change is the lack of animal products in your diet.
If you do not eat a lot of meat now, this might not be a big change for you, but if you are used to eating a lot of milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream and other dairy products in your diet now, these are a serious no-no in a raw vegan diet.
You need to start looking for some alternative products that you can enjoy just as much.
There are alternatives for meat and dairy products made from soy, nuts, coconut, hemp, rice and other grains that deliver great taste and nutritional value.
The next thing you will notice is the lack of variety that the new diet seems to present.
Being able to choose from all of the foods in the world was a thrilling experience, but when you start eating a vegan diet you are typically omitting a large number of dishes that you are used to.
This can be frustrating for some people, but it is a great time to expand your thinking about food.
In order to help smooth the transition, start with specific dishes that you know you like, and prepare a raw version of them.
Once you have started expanding your tastes, you will find yourself wanting raw whole foods more and more and the cravings for junk food will come less and less until they are gone completely.
Other concerns would be deciding what is most important to you as you begin making the transition to a vegan diet.
Do not attempt to change everything at once or you are asking for trouble.
Focus on one aspect of the diet like omitting meat or perhaps choosing to eliminate all of the dairy products from your meals.
You could just start increasing your intake of fruits and vegetables.
This is the best way to start and a slow start will help make the transition a success.
You should expect to spend several months making the entire transition to a vegan diet.
It took you a very long time to acquire your current eating habits, so take your time and make it an easy transition.
This is not about temporarily eating differently to lose a few pounds.
This is about creating a healthier lifestyle for the long term, and how fast you make the changes does not matter.
What matters is that you have made the choice to live a healthier life.