No matter where you are on this healthy plant-based vegan eating path there’s always room for growth. Are you a beginner, trying to get started? A struggling vegan getting started again? Or already successful but continuing to make improvements? We are making improvements. Now that we have our kitchen set up for raw food and more healthy eating, it’s time to step up our game and get back to where we were before we left Atlanta. Where are you on this journey?
The best way to get started or make improvements is to follow this step-by-step process. It’s a process that allows for long-lasting change and for thriving as a vegan or raw vegan in this non-vegan world.
Step One – Get Clarity
The first step is get clarity on where you are right now, where it is you are trying to go and why. What is your current diet and lifestyle like? What impact is it having on your life? How do you want things to be for you instead? How will your life be different?
For us we have been eating mostly cooked and too much oil so our goal is to get back to eating oil free and mostly raw. This has caused us to gain a few pounds and a few minor (thank goodness) health issues. We know how good we felt when we were eating oil free and high raw. We want that back.
Step Two – Identify Your Stumbling Blocks
The second step then is to understand what’s stopping you. What are you afraid of? What worries you? Why is it that you haven’t been moving forward? What is it that’s holding you back? Are there emotional things going on in your life? Are you stressed out? Do you have too much to do, too much on your plate and don’t have time to properly care for yourself? What is it that’s holding you back?
As much as we love it here we’ve had stress getting settled in to this new life in Tanzania. We’ve had to figure out all the bits and pieces of making our life work here. Where can we get the things we need at a reasonable price? What can I make with what I can find? How can we communicate with our limited Swahili? What are the customs and expectations? Where can we find healthy food when we’re out for the day? Trying to put it all together has meant settling for meals that, while vegan, aren’t the way we prefer to eat. It has also meant satisfying ourselves with food that tastes good and feels good but isn’t as good for us.
Step Three – Filling In The Blanks
Now it’s time to figure out what you need to know or have for thriving. What are the skills that you need to add? Do you need to boost your kitchen confidence? Is your kitchen set up for success? Are there situations you’ll need to figure out how to navigate? What information do you need in order to take it to that next step? Are you worried about getting the right nutrients? What is the next phase in your self-education and growth?
For me it is getting better acquainted with the ingredients that I have here at my disposal. As I get around more I’m finding sources for what I like to use, raw apple cider vinegar, spices, nutritional yeast etc. I need to continue learning how to substitute what’s here for what I had before as needed. I now have all the kitchen tools I need, my good blender, a food processor and my dehydrator so that opens the door for so much more.
Step Four – Removing Roadblocks
The next step is to blast through the roadblocks that have been keeping you stuck and moving them out of the way so you can take the next up forward. Now that you have an idea of what’s in your way and what’s missing, what can you do about it? If you’re overly stressed out or busy, what is it that you need to push off of your plate so that you have time for taking care of yourself? Particularly as women we may find that we put everybody else’s needs before own needs. How can you take time for yourself so you can get the exercise that you need? So you can get the sleep that you need? So you have time to make the food that you need? What do you need to say no to?
We are about to start a juice fast following our Optimum Fast protocol which will help because of the addictive nature of oil’s and the comfort foods that we’ve been eating. The juice fast will provide us time to do two things. Number one is break the addictions and number two is to detox ourselves from the effects of not the best of diet. I’m getting my raw crackers made so when we come off the fast we’ll be ready. I’m identifying the recipes I’ll make and stocking up on the ingredients.
Step Five – Observing and Improving
The last part then is to pay attention. Remember this is an ongoing process. Observing what is happening or not happening and making adjustments as needed will make it possible for you to truly thrive as a vegan in your non-vegan world. As you discover what works and what doesn’t you’ll be able to create a tailor-made lifestyle that works for you given your real-world life.
Throughout all of the steps journaling is a key component of helping you understand what’s going on. It is the best way to figure out how to get this plant-based lifestyle thing right for you. If you haven’t seen our how to do a food journal post the link to that is right here.
Get Support
If you are struggling to make the vegan lifestyle work, it helps to have somebody you can talk to who can help you see things that you can’t see on your own. To have somebody to talk through what’s going on and help you create a plan that’ll work for you. Getting support can propel you over your roadblocks and give you the edge you need.
You can get that support right here. It’s my mission to help struggling vegans figure out why what they’ve been doing isn’t working, so they can create a sustainable plant-based lifestyle. I want you to thrive in the non-vegan world you live in. To become Unshakably Vegan! Find out more HERE.
Now I’d love to know what your goal is for your life. What’s the next phase for you on your quest for a healthy diet and lifestyle? Comment in the box below. I look forward to reading them and I will reply to every single one. You also can email me at foodforthesoul(at)opare.net once again I will read and reply to every comment.
