Take the “Vegan for a Month Challenge” with Veganuary

Delicious meals, better health: here are all the reasons to take part in Veganuary.

Finally, the new year has arrived, and we couldn’t be more pumped to get going with a healthy and happy lifestyle! In fact, January is notoriously known for its big ideas and life-changing decisions. And don’t you just love the idea of a fresh new start?

With that, we’d like to introduce you to Veganuary, a charity that works to inspire people to embrace veganism for the month of January. Their goal is to reduce the suffering of animals worldwide and to help the planet. Fun fact: Did you know that by going vegan, you’d be able to save around 200 animals per year?

So, besides the delicious meals, why should you take part in Veganuary?

• Protect billions of animals who, like us, can feel pain and happiness
• Improve your health; veganism has been linked to lower blood pressure and a reduced chance of heart disease
• Veganism makes a positive impact on the environment as growing plants take far fewer resources than growing animals
• Everything you need to have a healthy body can be found in vegan food
• Certain nutrients are more abundant in a vegan diet
• It can assist in weight loss, and it can bring down your BMI, according to a study
• Raising animals affects humans too, since feeding them and watering them takes away from providing for the poor and hungry

The long-term goal here, of course, is a hope that those who take on the challenge, continue to eat a vegan diet even after January has come and gone. And they do this by giving several interesting reads, resources, and information regarding veganism the benefit of the doubt. They’ve made it so easy in that even the most clueless person can start experimenting with veganism this month.

A simple glance at their website will sweep you away with tons of tasty vegan recipes in the form of entertaining videos. You’ll be introduced to new ingredients and dishes that’ll encourage you to live a vegan life, making it pretty hard to resist.

Not convinced? Perhaps you’re somewhat skeptical about going vegan because you’re worried you won’t find anything to eat when out for a meal? Veganuary has a solution for that, too. The website provides a long list of vegan-approved restaurants you can visit (and they’re all your favorites, too).

Still going with the excuse that you won’t be able to find anything tasty or delicious to eat on a vegan diet? Thought not!

After eating a steak or chicken, it takes the body 48–72 plus hours to digest it. Plants, however, take less than 12 hours, making it a much healthier choice when it comes to your body and chronic health issues.

In fact, there are many serious illnesses linked to eating meat, such as E. coli and salmonella, as well as the fact that animal flesh is often contaminated with undesirable bodily fluids that lead to food poisoning.

How does plant protein actually reduce the risk of colon cancer, cardiovascular disease and many more chronic illnesses?

On the other hand, perhaps you’re worried about being a vegan in the long term, and what kind of effect that might have on exercising and building muscle?

Well, in actuality, both of these things are totally achievable, and let us tell you why:

• To gain muscle, your body requires high-quality protein that can be found in whole grains, oats, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds
• Vegan protein powder is more effective in providing long-lasting energy than meat or eggs

Plant protein is quicker to absorb. This means your body will use two to three times less energy to break it down (more energy for you to work out)

How to build muscle and improve fitness on a vegan diet

Still unsure if you want to give the Veganuary challenge a go? Perhaps this list of celebrities who enjoy a vegan lifestyle will inspire you:

• Samuel L Jackson – “I’m just trying to live forever.”
• Ellen DeGeneres – “I became a vegan because I saw footage of what really goes on in the slaughterhouses and on the dairy farms.”
• Jennifer Lopez – “I do recommend the vegan diet because you wake up and feel great!”
• Alicia Silverstone – “Being vegan helped me realize I can say and do what I believe is right. That’s powerful.”
• Zac Efron – “Eating purely vegan…it’s been brilliant. It’s been great for my exercise, great for my routine.”

Even if you’re still on the fence, we strongly encourage you to at least try the Veganuary challenge and see how you like it. After all, life is all about experimenting and being kind to ourselves and to each other.

Wishing you a happy, healthy, and successful Veganuary!

But, at the end of the day, there is so much more to a holistic lifestyle than being vegan. When you start your journey to healthier living, there seems to be so much information to weed through. It can be confusing and difficult to determine what you should focus on first.

That’s why we’ve developed a short 15 Point Guide to Essential Health. Take charge of your health, and with a little help, you’ll be living a more fulfilling life in no time.