Finally A Vegan – Guest Post

Book Title:  Finally a Vegan: My Journey to Veganuary and Beyond by Stephanie Jane
Category:  Adult Non-Fiction (18+), 118 pages
Genre:  Memoir, Food & Cookery, Lifestyle
Publisher:  Self-Published
Release date:   December 2020
Content Rating:  PG 13 + M   Finally A Vegan includes one ‘bl**dy’ (starred out as written) and one slightly-shocking-but-not-graphic reference to a duck farming video.

Stephanie Jane has been an avid reader for as long as she can remember. She loves discovering new authors from all around the world and is happiest when engrossed in a compelling novel with tea and cake to hand.

Raised in Sussex, England, Stephanie developed a wanderlust in her late twenties. She spends her time exploring the UK and Western Europe with her partner, setting out on foot or bicycle from their almost-vintage motorhome, and firmly believes everywhere has something worth seeing if we slow down enough to appreciate its smallest details.

Stephanie has been vegan since 2019 and strives to incorporate zero waste ideals into her life. She enjoys browsing vintage clothing shops and would collect antique kitchenware if she ever again lives in a house with enough space.

Connect with the Author:  Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Pinterest ~ Goodreads

5 personal positives from my first vegan year

Let me tell you about my first vegan year …

1. I was positively euphoric throughout Veganuary!

I’d already been vegetarian for several months, but was still painfully aware of the effect on animals of my diet choice. Making the complete transition to vegan was a delight, like suddenly shrugging off a huge weight I didn’t realise I was carrying. Losing that food guilt was – and still is – a wonderful sensation.

2. I had ridiculous amounts of energy!

I’d heard this from other vegans, but didn’t really believe them. It’s totally true though and I am still aware of being far more energetic than before. I feel physically stronger too.

3. As the year progressed, I easily lost weight. A lot of weight!

I’m now 28lbs lighter than I was and dropped 2 dress sizes without having to make much of an effort. It’s simply a combination of those changed snacking habits and of wanting to exercise – hiking, cycling, dancing. All that extra energy! I lost weight gradually at the rate of roughly 3lb a month for the first ten months which felt healthy and meant I didn’t need to replace all my clothes at once.

4. I saved money on food!

I keep seeing complaints that ‘vegan food is expensive’ and can honestly say that isn’t my experience at all. This is probably because I’m not an avocado and cashew nut vegan though. I generally avoid ready-made foods and cook mostly from scratch. I eat lots of fresh vegetables and fruit, tofu, chickpeas and lentils, brown rice and flatbreads. My best buy was a vintage Bel Burger Press (from Etsy) which enables me to quickly make professional looking veggie burgers for a few pennies each. I also love Domoda potato stews, Lentil Dahl curries, and Mixed Bean Chillies. All super cheap and tasty.

5. My meals are much healthier!

For my first vegan weeks I used an online calculator and checked my meals every day for their nutritional content. I soon noticed my vegan diet was better balanced than when I had been vegetarian and let’s not even look back at my unhealthy omnivore choices! I’ve got the hang of vegan cooking now so rarely resort to the calculator anymore. I’m getting better at reading my body’s signals too.

Are these five incentives enough for you to try going vegan as well? I’d love to think so! Bear in mind that the Veganuary challenge is just for the month so you’re not making a permanent commitment. You might find vegan life suits you as well as it does me. You might not. Either way, you won’t know until you try!

Thank you for sharing your 5 personal positives from your first vegan year! I LOVED them and I need to get some of your recopies!
Sincerely,
Kimmie – The Travelers Wife