{"id":6466,"date":"2018-05-03T02:00:42","date_gmt":"2018-05-03T02:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/heelinmint.com\/?p=6466"},"modified":"2018-05-03T23:25:00","modified_gmt":"2018-05-03T23:25:00","slug":"switching-vegan-plant-based","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/heelinmint.com\/blog\/switching-vegan-plant-based\/","title":{"rendered":"Healin&#8217; Health:  Switching From Vegan To Plant Based"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"headline\">Problems With Following A Vegan Lifestyle<\/p><p class=\"m_-5940963775103027592size-17\" lang=\"x-size-17\"><span style=\"color: #333333; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">After 6 plus years of following a vegan lifestyle, I decided to distance myself\u00a0from being labeled as a &#8216;vegan&#8217; and to replace\u00a0it with\u00a0&#8216;plant-based vegetarian&#8217;. The \u00a0recipes I use could be made entirely out of vegan ingredients and could technically pass off as vegan but I still wouldn&#8217;t\u00a0call it vegan. Here are my 5 reasons for deciding to\u00a0ditch the vegan label for a plant-based vegetarian one &#8211;\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_6549\" style=\"width: 1252px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/heelinmint.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/PlantBasedVegan.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6549\" class=\"wp-image-6549 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/heelinmint.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/PlantBasedVegan.jpg\" alt=\"Switching From Vegan To Plant Based Diet\" width=\"1242\" height=\"1478\" srcset=\"https:\/\/heelinmint.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/PlantBasedVegan.jpg 1242w, https:\/\/heelinmint.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/PlantBasedVegan-252x300.jpg 252w, https:\/\/heelinmint.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/PlantBasedVegan-768x914.jpg 768w, https:\/\/heelinmint.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/PlantBasedVegan-860x1024.jpg 860w, https:\/\/heelinmint.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/PlantBasedVegan-560x666.jpg 560w, https:\/\/heelinmint.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/PlantBasedVegan-260x309.jpg 260w, https:\/\/heelinmint.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/PlantBasedVegan-160x190.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1242px) 100vw, 1242px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-6549\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: #333333;\">Switching From Vegan To Plant-Based Diet<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h1><span style=\"color: #333333; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>Extreme Views\u00a0\u00a0&#8211;<\/strong> <\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"color: #333333; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Vegans on the western side can be pretty\u00a0hard core and extreme when it comes to veganism unlike the eastern ones. Having lived on both sides of the world equally (for over two decades), I see that the western way is a whole lot\u00a0harder to follow than the eastern one.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #333333; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Eastern vegans and vegetarians have followed this conscious lifestyle as part of their religion for thousands of years without giving up and I think the reason for their sustainable journey is the fact that they focus on balance and try to do the best they can.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #333333; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Pure Vegans avoid bee products, leather, feathers and fur so this goes way beyond eliminating meat, fish, dairy and eggs. This can be pretty intense and hard to follow for many, especially if you travel a lot or want to have a decent social life. For people who like to add some bee products or\u00a0wear leather (even consciously bought), this might invite pretty harsh criticism from other vegans. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #333333; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>Nothing is Vegan &#8211;<\/strong> <\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"color: #333333; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Living beings are\u00a0everywhere on this planet including\u00a0our own bodies. There are unseen bacteria, viruses, parasites and other bugs\u00a0that\u00a0reside inside and outside of our bodies and they are unavoidable. You can&#8217;t get rid of these beings and they are part of us and our world. Ingesting some tiny bugs through our veggies, air or soil are pretty common and they end up making it into our bodies ultimately. Calling myself as a vegan helped me be more aware and conscious about my choices and avoid animal products as much as I could but it didn&#8217;t paint an honest and true picture. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: #333333;\">Not As Affordable or Healthy As You Think\u00a0&#8211;<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #333333; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Following a vegan diet isn&#8217;t cheap nor as healthy as you think. Many vegans eat highly processed food with unwanted filler ingredients which isn&#8217;t healthy. Even if we\u00a0eat whole foods that are combined and prepared well, a vegan diet\u00a0can still create some nutritional deficiencies in our bodies. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #333333; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Some vitamins and minerals are found only in animal sources or absorbed better through\u00a0animal sources like iron, B12, vitamin D, zinc, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3257669\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">long-chained omega 3 fatty acids<\/a>. You\u00a0can always use high quality food-based supplements to meet these requirements but it might be super expensive, confusing, and time consuming\u00a0to find the right ones.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #333333; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Supplements can have\u00a0ingredients\u00a0in <a href=\"http:\/\/www.beyondhealthnews.com\/wpnews\/index.php\/2014\/07\/folic-acid-and-folate-one-can-be-toxic-the-other-is-vital-to-health\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">toxic forms<\/a> with filler ingredients, recommended quantity might not be\u00a0clear (High levels of some supplements can be <a href=\"https:\/\/www.organicconsumers.org\/news\/vitamin-poisoning-are-we-destroying-our-health-hi-potency-synthetic-vitamins\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">toxic<\/a>), labels can be confusing and time consuming to read for some people, might come in plastic packaging and so on.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #333333; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Basically, finding the right supplements\u00a0that meets all your specifications is\u00a0not an easy feat. For example &#8211; finding Vitamin D3, B12 or Omega 3 in vegan and\u00a0organic food-based form without filler ingredients and in sustainable packaging\u00a0isn&#8217;t easy at all. Plus, popping and swallowing these pills can be uncomfortable.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"color: #333333; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>Sustainability Is Questionable\u00a0&#8211;<\/strong> <\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"color: #333333; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;\">Over consumption of vegan leathers and vegan furs made from polyurethane and synthetic materials isn&#8217;t obviously good for the planet or living beings on this planet including us. Synthetics are known to be\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/bpa-free-plastic-bad-for-human-health#page-2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">endocrine disruptors<\/a>\u00a0and can cause major health issues. Going for supplements means extra synthetic packaging and processing that again\u00a0<span style=\"caret-color: #333333;\">isn&#8217;t<\/span>\u00a0good for\u00a0our planet or our health. When possible, I believe in buying\u00a0needed ingredients in bulk in zero-waste shops and making\u00a0products\u00a0at home.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h5><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; color: #333333;\"><strong>Social Life Issues &#8211;<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; color: #333333;\">Veganism isn&#8217;t easy to follow for people who\u00a0travel frequently or want to have a decent social life. People in your life might not understand your reasoning for being a vegan and it might cause some major distress in your social life. This <a href=\"https:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/zoe-eisenberg\/3-strange-social-challeng_b_5596856.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">article<\/a> might give you a better picture of what to expect from your social circle once you decide to go vegetarian or vegan.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h6><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Conclusion<\/span><\/h6>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: #333333;\">Vegan and vegan <a style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.05em; color: #333333;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/katrinafox\/2017\/12\/27\/heres-why-you-should-turn-your-business-vegan-in-2018\/3\/#3b2624355e09\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">fashion<\/a> trend is still a <a style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.05em; color: #333333;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/katrinafox\/2017\/12\/27\/heres-why-you-should-turn-your-business-vegan-in-2018\/#1e968ff72144\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">strong trend<\/a> and when done in a balanced way, it can be good for us and the planet.\u00a0I would\u00a0keep the above mentioned points on mind and make conscious choices so I\u00a0won&#8217;t be forced to quit on the lifestyle. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: #333333;\">I find it easier to\u00a0focus on minimalism,\u00a0conscious consumption, and a high \u00a0plant-based diet with room for mistakes and short detours. The goal is to avoid animal based products unless I have no option (like plant-based leather) or control (like bacteria in the air). If buying leather or wool product, I would try\u00a0thrift shops, online apps like Tradesy, or buy high quality ones that I\u00a0can keep and pass it down to someone.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #333333; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">The landscape is always changing so we might have better options in the future. There might be leather-like and suede-like materials in the future made from <a style=\"color: #333333;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.lifegate.com\/people\/lifestyle\/muskin-leather-mushrooms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">mushrooms<\/a>,\u00a0<a style=\"color: #333333;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.lifegate.com\/people\/lifestyle\/pinatex-eco-leather-pineapple\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-ga-track=\"ExternalLink:https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/business\/2014\/dec\/21\/wearable-pineapple-leather-alternative\">pineapple leaves<\/a>, <a style=\"color: #333333;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/news\/weird-news\/bags-shoes-made-apple-peel-8985327\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-ga-track=\"ExternalLink:http:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/news\/weird-news\/bags-shoes-made-apple-peel-8985327\">dried apple peels<\/a>\u00a0(juice shop wastes don&#8217;t need to be thrown away),\u00a0<a style=\"color: #333333;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.decanter.com\/wine-news\/wine-leather-fashion-milan-368840\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-ga-track=\"ExternalLink:http:\/\/www.decanter.com\/wine-news\/wine-leather-fashion-milan-368840\/\">wine<\/a>\u00a0and more. And you can keep an eye on\u00a0<a style=\"color: #333333;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/rachelarthur\/2017\/07\/20\/biotech-gets-the-luxury-nod-with-bolt-threads-x-stella-mccartney-tie-up\/#156e1e0b33f3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">Bio silk<\/a>\u00a0too. For more on this, read <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/katrinafox\/2017\/12\/27\/heres-why-you-should-turn-your-business-vegan-in-2018\/3\/#34f52d615e09\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">here<\/a>\u00a0on page 3. This is pretty exciting for us fashion lovers who want sustainable and conscious choices.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: #333333;\">Hope this post was informative and helps you navigate around your\u00a0own issues on a vegan\u00a0lifestyle journey. Are you a vegan? What challenges have you faced being a vegan? What are your thoughts on veganism? \u00a0Are you an eastern or western vegan? \u00a0Leave your comments below and thanks for reading. \ud83d\ude42<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: #333333;\">Chaos is inherent in all compounded things. Strive on with diligence<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: #333333;\">&#8211; \u00a0<a style=\"color: #333333;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brainyquote.com\/quotes\/buddha_164642\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Buddha<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; color: #333333;\">xx<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; color: #333333;\">Heel In Mint<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"m_-5940963775103027592size-17\" lang=\"x-size-17\">\n<div style=\"clear:right;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"clear:right;\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Problems With Following A Vegan LifestyleAfter 6 plus years of following a vegan lifestyle, I decided to distance myself\u00a0from being labeled as a &#8216;vegan&#8217; and to replace\u00a0it with\u00a0&#8216;plant-based vegetarian&#8217;. The \u00a0recipes I use could be made entirely out of vegan ingredients and could technically pass off as vegan but I still wouldn&#8217;t\u00a0call it vegan. Here&hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"more-link-p\"><a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/heelinmint.com\/blog\/switching-vegan-plant-based\/\">Read more \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6549,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[789,504,699,752,787,659,788],"class_list":["post-6466","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mint_on_current_trends","tag-food","tag-health","tag-healthy","tag-nutrition","tag-plant-based","tag-vegan","tag-vegetarian"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/heelinmint.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6466","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/heelinmint.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/heelinmint.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/heelinmint.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/heelinmint.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6466"}],"version-history":[{"count":66,"href":"https:\/\/heelinmint.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6466\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6576,"href":"https:\/\/heelinmint.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6466\/revisions\/6576"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/heelinmint.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6549"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/heelinmint.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6466"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/heelinmint.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6466"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/heelinmint.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6466"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}