Scientist Nikola Tesla was a strong proponent of the vegan diet. He felt that sunlight is the main source of energy. Plants synthesize the sunlight to form chlorophyll and that is the preferred source of energy.

 He was of the opinion that animal proteins were an inferior source of energy.The sages, the saints, and the spiritually oriented people have always followed the vegan diet for health and happiness.

Are Scientists and Saints the Only Vegan Diet Proponents?

No. In a recent video on YouTube, Arnold Schwarzenegger regrets the fact that he did not follow a vegan diet during his bodybuilding career. He also mentioned that the Olympic athletes of the ancient era were mostly vegetarians. Mr. Universe 1953 Bill Pearl has been vegan for a long time and celebrated his 90th birthday on this 31st of October 2020.

 In the 1953 IFBB Mr. Universe in London, Bill Pearl defeated a then-unknown bodybuilder from Scotland to emerge as the overall winner. The unknown bodybuilder from Scotland was Sean Connery who later went on to play the part of James Bond in the movies. There are many bodybuilders and strength athletes who are embracing the vegan diet after knowing its benefits.

Things to Keep in Mind Before Starting a Vegan Diet

When you are starting a vegan diet, you should keep some important things in mind. In order to know about those things, you can go through the discussion below:

1. Vegan Diets Can Make you Feel Happier

According to studies, following a vegan diet changes the psychology of a person and makes him or her go through deeper neurological changes which cause him or her to deal with life more effectively. Research on people who have switched to vegan diets has shown that they feel lighter and more spiritually awakened when they switch to a vegan diet. 

2. You Can Make the Switch a Gradual One 

An important aspect of any diet is not to feel deprived. You don’t need to go to sleep at night as a non-vegetarian and wake up vegan in the morning. Make the process a gradual one. You can start by adding more and more plant-based foods to your diet. Gradually you can make animal proteins your side dish. Slowly you can make small increments to the vegetarian portion of your diet and eliminate animal protein.

3. Get Creative. Learn About Great Vegetarian Recipes

Learn about vegetarian dishes from across the world and widen your choice of dishes which are healthy as well as vegan. Getting information is not at all difficult.

4. Get into Vegan Groups

Going vegan is presently a movement. Studies have shown that people listen to their peer groups more than anything else in the world. Getting into vegan groups is easier than you think. The fear of not being able to go out with your group of meat-eating friends will be quickly taken care of. 

5. Be Prepared to Read Food Labels

In case you are committed to being vegan, reading food labels and checking ingredients has to be inculcated into a habit. The reason is that animal protein and fats can lurk below the surface. Just because a food product is not openly non-vegan, it does not mean that it is vegan food. Gelatin is derived from meat. There are food colorings that are derived from insects and animals.

6. Be Mentally Prepared to Love Vegetables

You have to think positively. Think of the wider variety of vegetables that you will be eating. You have to make that paradigm shift towards savoring the color, shape, and aroma of exotic vegetables. Make the effort to let the taste of the vegetables grow on you. Remember that veggies are packed with Vitamins A, Vitamin K, minerals like potassium, calcium, etc. They keep your calories in check too. 

7. Make a 6-Month Commitment

Make a 6-month commitment to making your meals progressively more vegan. You will have to make sure that you get all the nutrients you need on a vegan diet. It is important to eat balanced meals that include a variety of healthy foods. You can get all your protein and fibre requirements from beans. Yellow vegetables are a good source of Vitamin B. Leafy green vegetables are a great source of Vitamins A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, etc. Make sure that you enjoy your meals and choose the products in different colours. Tomatoes are rich in Lycopene. It is good for the heart.

8. Finding Out What a Good Vegetarian Meal is

A good vegetarian meal would include assorted sautéed vegetables of different colors along with brown rice or quinoa with seasonings to make it taste great. This will give you all your protein and vitamin requirements without additional calories. The key here is to know about the benefits of various vegetables and create a recipe that is both healthy and tasty. 

9. You Will still be able to Eat at Your Favorite Restaurants

Fortunately, veganism is now a popular movement. The veganism movement is popular and is gaining ground rapidly. Almost every restaurant is adding to the choices in its vegan menu. 

10. Inform the Restaurant about your Vegan Status

• You must inform the waiter about your vegan status. Many restaurants use common chicken stock to cook. Something non-vegan may be lurking under the surface of a vegan dish.
• Replace bread with whole grains.
• Limiting or cutting out refined grains such as white pasta, white bread for whole grains such as brown rice, quinoa is a smart choice you should make. This will add fiber, Vitamin B to your diet. The additional roughage will also smoothen bowel movements.

11. Your Knowledge of Nutrients Will Count

Let us take the issue of getting calcium from vegan food sources as an example. The key to getting enough calcium is eating a variety of naturally calcium-rich foods such as kale, almonds, figs, dates, soya beans, oranges, etc. Knowledge is equated with power. This applies to your vegan meal-planning too.

Summary

It is difficult to break the usual response to the smells and flavors of non-vegetarian food. Studies have shown that people taste food with their eyes, followed by their nose and then with their tongues. It is easy to recreate the flavors and textures of meat in vegan food. You will be surprised to know that you might even be spoilt for choices. Even micro-waved watermelon has the same texture as meat.We suggest that ride the vegan bandwagon. Take it slow. Do it one step at a time.