BAIE BOTANIQUE FOUNDER SOPHIE SHARES HER TOP TIPS FOR TRANSITIONING TO A VEGAN LIFESTYLE

With the start of the new year and the new decade, Veganuary comes at just the right time to recharge and recover after the holidays and embrace a plant-based and cruelty-free lifestyle! Baie Botanique founder Sophie shares her top tips for transitioning to a vegan lifestyle.

ONE STEP AT A TIME

Transition to a plant-based diet gradually, one step at a time. Rome wasn't built in a day either. My own experience was being vegetarian for several years, which eventually led to being almost vegan for a few years and then going completely plant-based. So I always tell my friends that it doesn't have to happen overnight. It's a journey that should be fun along the way.

If you already have a low meat intake, or are in the process of reducing your meat intake, or if you are a true meat eater, start by cutting out meat altogether. Incorporate a few plant-based meals into your weekly plan. Once you have completely eliminated meat and dairy from your diet, you can start living a plant-based lifestyle and buying beauty and household products!

CHANGE

The main difference with plant-based meals is that there is no longer a central part of the plate as there may have been before, eg "meat and 2 types of vegetables", now it is all vegetables. Often it is a dish with grains, such as a vegetable chili with brown rice, a stir fry with fermented tofu or a lentil casserole.

I am not a fan of meat alternatives such as the vegetarian food Quorn or textured soy protein or soy protein isolate because they are highly processed from a health perspective. For me being vegan is not only an ethical choice but also for health reasons and so I want to reduce my consumption of highly processed foods and live as close to the way nature grows food as possible. Cauliflower has made a big inroad into plant-based cuisine in the form of starters and snacks, jack fruit is another staple of vegan cuisine. Both play an important role, along with all kinds of exotic mushrooms so you don't miss eating meat.

Easy swaps are milks such as almond and oat milk, these work well in baking too. Animal milk being a primary source of calcium is promoted by milk manufacturers to get people into drinking milk, not only is it completely unnatural for a human to drink the milk of a cow, the same milk that's supposed to take on the mammoth task of growing a newborn calf into a calf weighing over 300 lbs. We are also the only species that drinks the milk of another species, you don't see a cat sucking the tea of ​​a pig. Add onto that the hormones and antibiotics pumped into these poor animals as their teats are forced to be so full of milk that they drag on the ground and get infected, I could go on... it's certainly something I had no problem giving up as soon as I turned vegetarian.

Easy substitutions include dairy products like almond and oat milk, which also work well in baking. Animal milk as a primary source of calcium is touted by milk manufacturers to get people to drink milk. Not only is it completely unnatural for a human to drink the milk of a cow, the same milk that is supposed to do the mammoth job of growing a newborn calf into a 300+ pound calf, we are also the only species that drinks the milk of another species, you don't see a cat suckling from a pig's teat. Add to that the hormones and antibiotics that are pumped into these poor animals, and their teats end up so full of milk that they drag on the ground and become infected. I could go on... it's certainly something I had no problem giving up once I became a vegetarian.

Contrary to popular belief, the calcium in milk is not fully bioavailable to humans, meaning that only a small portion of the calcium, about 30%, is absorbable. Eliminate milk from your diet completely and introduce ingredients that contain high levels of available calcium - including grains like quinoa, fermented soy foods like fermented tofu and tempeh. Eat plenty of green leafy vegetables that are lightly cooked to preserve nutrients. Most people find it harder to give up cheese or eggs.

PLANNING

Plan your meals, look at different vegan recipes from different cuisines and find key ingredients that are versatile and that you can use in the weekly meals. There are lots of great recipe blogs to get inspiration from, Loveandlemons.com is one of my favourites. You will find that most dishes can be veganised. Plan day by day so you have a clear list of what you need for the week and you can plan where to get it - no panic buying from day to day during your lunch breaks.

DO YOUR RESEARCH

Research healthy alternatives, interesting flavors to spice up your meals and find out what you can and can't incorporate into your plant-based diet - there's so much more you can incorporate into your meat and dairy-free diet than you think! The key is knowing what to buy and where to buy it! Research vegan stores, shops and restaurants in your area - discover new places, brunch spots to visit AND get some inspiration for your own meals!

There are some amazing plant-based documentaries you can easily find on Netflix. These will help you reinforce your new choices and the good you are doing for your body, the environment and the animals. Definitely worth a watch to keep you motivated and on track with your new way of living!