Before I start with this post I just want to pop a PSA out there into the world right away and say that I’m not (currently) Vegan. I’m going to go into a bit more detail about my relationship with food but I’m keen to share this brand with you because since being on Twitter, my eyes really have been opened to Veganism and I know an awful lot of Vegan bloggers (two of my favorites are The Curvaceous Vegan and Glow Steady) who I thoroughly enjoy. I think we all need to do our bit to help the planet and I don’t necessarily agree with this, “all or nothing” attitude that some people adopt. For some people, it’s not possible to have a Vegan diet but they can help in another way by shopping cruelty-free and using Vegan skincare. But food, plant-based options and Eco-friendly behaviors are always worth discussing.
My relationship with food
Veganism or vegetarianism didn’t really even enter my vocabulary until I was on Twitter and blogging (which says a lot about social media). My parents both eat meat, I only ever had one Vegetarian friend at school (who eventually started eating meat) and it just wasn’t something I thought about. I’ve always had a funny relationship with food (which you can read more about here) and I still don’t have a particularly healthy one. But over the last few years I have been more and more conscious about the meat I’m consuming.
Two years ago, I wouldn’t even know where to look for a plant-based alternative to things like milk, cheese or yogurts. But again, back to the power of social media, I now naturally reach for Alpro yogurts (which are the best things in the freaking world), Naked bars and consciously try and cut meat out of my diet at least a few days a week. Due to my dodgy history with disordered eating, I don’t feel like restricting what I eat is healthy for me but I’m happy with the progress I’ve made.
Would I ever become Vegan?
I would absolutely love to be Vegan. I would love to feel the health benefits that a lot of Vegans feel from having a full, well-rounded Vegan diet. I’m under no illusion that all Vegan diets are healthy as I’m sure there’s plenty of Vegan junk food out there. I would definitely struggle in knowing what I can eat, what I can’t and coming up with flavorsome recipes. I like a lot of flavor, spices, herbs and sauce in my food so I’d need some good information on how I can adopt that in a Vegan diet. I’d much rather do it steadily and introduce Vegan foods into my diet on a permanent basis first.
So if anyone has any recommendations, I’d love to hear them!
Who are Healthlabs and what do they do?
I was contacted by Healthlabs, a private and affordable wellness company who offer about their Vegan health tests which I’ll talk to you a bit about now! These tests are designed to help detect deficiencies of some of the most common vitamins and nutrients in our bodies. They recommend these tests for Vegans, who want to see if they’re lacking in anything which they can then turn around and lead an even healthier lifestyle or people who might be wondering whether a Vegan diet is for them… like me!
Unfortunately Healthlabs are only available in the U.S at the moment but luckily for all you folks across the pond, they have over 4000 certified locations all over the U.S when you can have the tests done. They only take 10 minutes and you don’t need to go to a doctors, a hospital or anywhere scary like that.
Healthlabs Vegan testing start at $149 and increases to around $399 which are incredibly affordable! But if you are on a budget, you can get 25% off all vegan testing when using the code JENNYINNEVERLAND25. Bonus!
I think if these tests can encourage more people to adopt a Vegan – or even just a generally healthier – lifestyle then great. For the amount and the time it takes, I definitely think they’re worth it, especially if you feel like you might be lacking in something anyway or feel like your current diet isn’t serving you. I’d personally be really interested to see if I’m lacking in any type of vitamin or if I’m intolerant to anything which I should probably remove from my diet. Although I might not be the healthiest person ever, it’s something I’m always conscious of and I think if I had the information from these sort of tests then I’d definitely be adopting a more healthier lifestyle with much less meat in it!
I’d love to hear about your diet; are you Vegan? Thinking about going Vegan? Do you have any recommendations of yummy Vegan alternatives for me? Have you ever had nutrition testing? Let me know!
* This post is sponsored by Healthlabs
so happy to find your blog and read this post. I have been vegan for close to 3 years now and I have really enjoyed my journey so far. Moreover, I really like that there are so many comapnies that are investing in cruelty free products and promoting ethical choices. I do take my supplements from time to time. But in general I have no compalins for the lifestyle switch I made. 🙂
I have been vegan/vegetarian for 3 months and absolutely loving it! Feel more energetic and happy in general 🙂 Good to do research on nutrition and vitamins before you start though xx
Loved reading this, i transitioned into veganism almost two years ago now and it was definitely the best decision i ever made but its really interesting to read how you found veganism!! loved the rest of your blog by the way!! i recently wrote something about some of the reasons why trying veganism is good…let me know what you think if you get time to check it out 🙂 xx https://tailoredbymtaylor.wordpress.com/2018/10/21/why-try-veganism/
Did you go vegan eventually?
Hi, I’ve just found this post and I was curious about your own path.
I personally went vegan a couple of years ago after being vegetarian for half of my life. The only regret I have it’s not have made this decision earlier! 🙂
Now I share vegan recipes (most of them very easy and quick to make) on my blog. Feel free to take a look and (hopefully) some inspiration!
Have a lovely day x
I haven’t but I have made some changes to my diet 🙂
That’s already a big step! Hope you’re enjoing it so far 🙂
I think it’s awesome you are thinking about becoming vegan!!
I am Vegan living with an Omni husband. Going Vegan was one of the best decisions I ever made. Plenty of recipes, advice, tips and even shopping lists on my site that you may find useful.
I’m a breastfeeding mother to a 4 month old baby and have been completely vegan for 3 months. I have been vegetarian since pregnancy but decided to wait until the birth of my son (and a bit more research) to go completely vegan. All I can say is that it was the best decision I have made in my life. I did it for my love for animals. I cannot claim to love them but then be part of such a cruel industry which exploits them. I have discovered foods I never knew existed, I have developed a passion for cooking (I hated it before) and I have learnt a lot about myself too. I feel healthier than ever and I feel no guilt in what I eat. I eat a balanced diet and take vitamins too. Recipes are super simple – I have a book called BOSH! And I also adapt family favourites to vegan friendly versions. I also google a lot of recipes. It’s totally worth it 😊
[…] via Should I go Vegan? — Jenny in Neverland […]
It’s awesome you are thinking about making an ethical change to your life! If you want to try some recipes we have some that I am sure you would enjoy:) good luck on your journey!
I have recently gone from being vegetarian to vegan, mainly for the animals, but I do feel I have now got a more healthy diet. Actually I get quite excited about vegan food and love finding new things to eat from stores and restaurants. I’ve developed a passion for Buddha bowls as they look great and are so nutritious.
I thought I would miss dairy, in particular cheese, but I don’t at all. I also love Koko milk and Oatly milk.
I’ve just had blood tests back from the diet and all have come back fine. The doctor was surprised my vit b12 levels were so good. I use nutritional yeast in my food which helps with vit b12 . This is the main vitimin which can cause concern for vegans.
Why don’t you give it a try for a week or two. I’m sure once you do, you will know you are doing the right thing. I look forward to seeing how you get on.
Gem x
I think being vegan sounds like a great thing, I’m slowly trying to work my way towards it. I eat vegan maybe 2 or 3 times a week at the moment, but despite being lactose intolerant, I’m finding dairy so hard to give up. It’ll be worth it in the long run but it might take me a while haha!
Beth x
Wow really? I’d love to see a what you eat during those Vegan days post from you! x
hey Beth! I know dairy can be super hard to give up, mainly because it has an OPIOD affect on the body, which means when you regularly consume it, you get addicted. Theres ton’s of different Daiya Cheese substitutes that are dairy free:) I know some of them aren’t the best but I enjoy the shredded on tacos sometimes:) You can also make amazing parms super easy with cashews and stuff! Those take a little more work but they are AMAZING!
Anyways, good luck on your journey and hope I could help,
Aidan M.
[…] So I’ve learnt that making sure there’s plenty of fruit in the house as well as Alpro dairy-free yogurt and Nakd bars encourages me to snack on healthier […]
I have been vegan for almost a year and would never go back to eating meat and dairy , I feel 100 times healthier
That’s great to hear 🙂
Same!
Personally going vegan was one of the best things I’ve done for my physical health! But it is absolutely a personal choice and you really need to be well informed before you make the change so that you don’t get sick from it.
I agree I think knowledge and information really is the most powerful tool when it comes down to decisions like this! x
It’s definitely a personal choice! The health benefits do sound good x
They really do x
I absolutely agree that it should be about balance and doing what works for you. I have been vegan since January and loving it. However, I’ve been veggie since my teens (now 31) so it took me a long time to take that final step! I just did it the way it worked for me, my health, and my lifestyle. 🙂
I’m in the UK but those tests sound really interesting. Wonder if there’s something similar here?
I’m sure there is somewhere! Definitely worth looking around if you think it’s something you’ll benefit from! x
Hi Jenny,
Yep, I am vegan. But, I will tell you that your approach is totally relatable to me. I have been vegan for ten years now, and I have had some tough moments because of my weird relationship with emotional eating. A lot of people do the all or nothing thing, and you in no way need to adhere to that. You can slowly quit addictive foods like cheese (oh man. It’s a tough one). I guess my main thing is: if you slip up, don’t beat yourself up. And, it doesn’t make you any less compassionate about animals and the environment. Also: maybe saying you’re vegan can put a lot of pressure on you. So, just be prepared for quite a bit of ignorant stuff thrown at you at family events or friends’ hangouts. You just keep on keeping on. For emotional eating, I learned that having easy options is best.
And, if you ever want or need someone to talk to, I am here!
This is so really sound advice! x
I absolutely love the health benefits I hear from becoming vegan, but I’m not sure I, myself could do it.
It sounds wonderful doesn’t it x
throughout my teenhood i was vegetarian, when i got pregnant with my son i switched back to eating meat and at the start of this year i wanted to go back to being vegetarian again but it just didnt work, my body sort of rejected everything i ate and i felt so sick.. i now make sure i dont eat a lot of meat, im a fussy person anyway so food is a struggle for me.. i dont think i could go vegan however
Glad you’ve found what works for you now. Funny how our bodies change x
I am a total vegetarian right from my childhood. I have never tasted or tried any meat, fish or even eggs. But milk and yogurt are included in my diet. Slowly moving towards vegan is a great idea. I have never done nutrition testing. 🙂
Via | http://glossnglitters.com
I think milk and yoghurt could be quite easy to replace with Vegan alternatives. The Vegan Alpro yoghurts are my favourite ever! X
I’ve been pescatarian for five years now (although very rarely eating fish) and I looked into going vegan. I started following a few vegan influencers but then I noticed some forceful messages and them telling vegetarians they still weren’t good enough and I really got turned off the idea again. I need to decide if I want to be vegan for me or if following these people on social media is just guilting me into it.
The Vegans I follow (on twitter and YouTube) and definitely not like that! I stay away from those “all or nothing” people like the plague! I can imagine they’re toxic in the Vegan industry, where most others are nice and encouraging x
I need to check out the ones you follow. The likelihood of me being 100% vegan is slim but it would be nice to have some recipe options that I could at least have a few meals vegan.
I feel much better when I focus on eating fruit and vegetables and the idea of veganism appeals to me. I’ve been thinking about committing to it for some time now but have yet to actually do it. It’s not easy and I applaud anyone who does it.
Same here especially if you’ve eaten meat all your life it can’t be an easy transition x
I’d also love to go vegan. I could easily cut out meat from my diet, my issue would be dairy.
http://littlemissmelanie.com
Same here! x
Great post – you maybe interested in my recent post https://greenvthailand.wordpress.com/2018/07/09/vegan-athlete/ Hope you enjoy it! If you have any questions about your vegan ‘transition’ I would love to help you out just drop me a message 🙂 … My top tip is to definitely be prepared with your food and understand your own personal reasons for being vegan and you will be great 🙂
Great tips, thank you 🙂 x
Your welcome ❤️
Love that we’re all becoming more aware of what we’re putting into our bodies and the effects on the rest of the world!
Rosie
Absolutely 🙂 x
I am vegan and it’s one of the best things ever, not just for myself but for the environment and animals as well! There are so many amazing benefits, but I would suggest making the change slowly! It does help!
Love, Amie ❤
The Curvaceous Vegan
i would say going vegan is definitely worth a try! i went strict vegan for close to a year, and i lost 50 plus pounds! very quickly, i had more energy than ever, and never ran out of energy during the day, i slept better at night, and all my body functions worked better than normal. my blood pressure went to normal levels, and my heart even made improvements. (i have a pacemaker and they were able to turn some of it off!) i did a whole food/ raw vegan diet, not the unhealthy version when people eat junk food. i have become more relaxed now, and i do eat meat again but if the vegetarian or vegan option is there ill opt for it. for the most part, i have mainly incorporated eggs into my “loose vegan” diet now and i just feel like the more veggies and fruits you can consume, the better your well being wil become over all. It may not work for everyone but it definitely worked for me.
Glad you’ve found a diet that works for you. Thankfully my blood pressure is fine and I don’t want to lose any weight so I wouldn’t be doing it for those reasons x
i didnt do it for the earth, or the animals or anything like that lol, my family is just unhealthy and they were going to try it because they had heard the same results that i got personally, from documentaries and other poeple, they didnt stick with it like i did and did not benefit from it as i did. i never felt lacking, i never missed meat, and it was alot easier than i thought it would be. except for beans, those take a while to get used to and stop getting gas all the time from them lol plus you can save alot of money if you dont buy all the “look alike, taste like, feel like” products like tofurkey lol give it a try strictly for a week maybe or even just 2-3 days. youll notice a difference!
P.S. why do you put an x at the end of all your sentences? just curious
I went veggie a while back and was so surprised at how easy it was for me. I imagine going vegan is much harder, though it is something I would like to try in the future. In the meantime, I’ve been working on buying cruelty-free products like makeup and skincare stuff. It’s not really a huge change but it’s a start 😛 Great post!!
It’s still a brilliant change and you’re still making a difference though 🙂 x
This is such an interesting post, its great that you are consciously making small changes already. I’m not vegan either, I’m not big meat eater at all but I would find it so hard giving up fish..I would definitely give it a try though 🙂 I am totally with you on the flavour side of things, I love my spices, haha! Great post Jenny xx
Kate | http://www.katelovesx.co.uk
Oh same! Fish would be my worst thing to give up I think x
I have been eating a vegan diet for about two/three months now and it has really improved my health. There are so many vegan junk options, is not all healthy! Xx
Great to hear! I’d love to try some Vegan junk food haha! x
Beem vegan for 2 years, and it was one of the best decisions of my life.I love this though, and I truly believe that veganism isn’t for everybody because everyone’s body reacts to certain foods differently.Great post!xx
Thank you! So glad to hear it works so well for you x
I am a veggie who eats a lot of vegan food, I would love to eventually go vegan but i think it is something that would happen in the future when I am more healthy and financially stable and have more time. Healthlabs sound amazing because I know a lack a lot of vitamins etc, my iron is very low!! Great post xx
I hope you manage to get there when you’re ready! x
I have so many food intolerances and allergies due to chronic illnesses that I have to just eat what my body can tolerate. I hope your transition to a Vegan diet goes well for you! x
Ah that’s a shame but health comes first! I don’t know if I ever will but thank you for if I do! x
I’ve been vegetarian for over twenty years now. I was vegan for about five of those years but it was just too hard to maintain – it was probably ten years ago now and vegan alternatives weren’t as readily available as they are now. I still use a lot of the vegan things I used to buy like soya milk and vegan butter, but I do eat dairy things like cheese and ice cream now too. I find all the Quorn meat alternatives absolutely brilliant – they’re a great way to introduce veggie things into your diet, they’re tasty, generally healthy, and I love them! xx
Ah I didn’t know you were Veggie! I’m glad you found a diet that works for you and gave Veganism a go even if you didn’t maintain it! xxx
I’ve been on/off vegan for three years and vegetarian for around 14 years – I love a more plant based diet, I feel so much better as a result x
http://www.ofbeautyandnothingness.co.uk
Yeah I always feel better in myself if I’ve avoided meat for a few days for sure x
Love this! I’ve always thought about being vegan because it seems like a really healthy way to live but I just don’t know if I could do it for very long
Beth x | https://bethrebecca.com/
Maintaining it is my biggest worry but I think it gets easier the longer you do it! x
It really does!!
This is a cool post! I went vegetarian recently, and I definitely think it is worth trying a change in diet! I’ve learned so much about healthy eating, and I’ve found that I get more passionate about vegetarianism the longer I continue. For me, I gradually started eating less meat until I cut it out completely, so I had time to do research on diet, which I think is really important. I think being vegan would be challenging, but I’m sure it would be a worthwhile experience!
Awh that’s great to hear your diet is working for you! I definitely wouldn’t find being vegetarian quite as challenging x
I think it’s great that you’re consciously making changes! I wouldn’t rush yourself, in time you may make the switch when you’re ready, and it’s extremely important that you consider your individual relationship with food. Personally I am vegan and have found it to be a great experience and so much easier than I thought – I’d recommend doing lots of research and maybe checking out Veganuary as they have loads of great resources. Get yourself a vegan cookbook (Aine Carlin has a couple of nice ones) and try some recipes before you make the switch. Good luck 👍
Thanks for such a lovely comment! I’m definitely more conscious of everything now more so than I’ve ever been! x