Changing in to a vegetarian is no simple feat; meat has become a predominant part of almost all our dishes. There is plenty of adjusting to do before you can become a fully-fledged vegetarian. You have to strive to get out of you comfort zone and adapt to healthier eating.
The change cannot be achieved overnight; you have to ease yourself gradually into vegetarianism. The fear of change keeps many people on unhealthy diets for years, while they keep postponing the idea of kicking out meat from their diets. To simplify the process of becoming a vegetarian, try changing one day at a time, literally. Commit yourself to a full vegetarian diet at least 2 days in a week for the initial weeks. During this time, substitute the meat in your diet with non-meat items. For instant if you use meat balls in your meals, replace with mushrooms.
It is also advisable to start by giving up red meat, sticking to only white meat. After some adjusting you can eliminate white meat as well, including only sea foods if available. Eventually you eliminate this too, becoming a full vegetarian. After maintaining this regime for 2 days in a week, move to 3, then 5 until you can keep going for an entire week. To urge yourself on, you can obtain a journal illustrating the benefits of vegetarian diets on your health. You should also be encouraged by the changes you see or feel in your body such as lost weight and lost energy.
If you crave the taste of meat in your food, try meat reproduction food. This is a product made from cereals such as soya beans and shaped into meat-like cubes. It is a common supplement for meat due to its meaty flavor, in addition to bearing a high protein content. Meat-tasting spices can also be used in the initial days.
In the local grocery or supermarket, restrict yourself to the lanes that offer natural and healthy choices to reduce the chances of temptation. Strict discipline also has to be part and parcel of the vegetarian transforming process.
Many people worry that eliminating meat from their diet will deprive them of the much needed proteins. However, protein choices for vegetarians are available in the form of whole grains and legumes. Peas, beans, tofu and peanuts are some of the protein rich legumes that are available.
If vegetarian recipes are a challenge to come up with, make a list of all the foods that you like that have no meat. Next think of the foods that can be converted or substituted. Combinations of these can make new recipes. Do not hesitate to search for vegetarian recipes, which are in plenty on the internet, vegetarian books and magazines. Remember becoming a vegetarian does not restrict you to homemade meals, restaurants also have great vegetarian dishes.
The vegetarian lifestyle reduces the risk of health conditions such as obesity, heart disease, gout and high blood pressure. Making the transition it quite a task, but it’s all worth it in the long run.