Most New Year’s resolutions probably sound overdone by now, especially when we don’t necessarily follow through. Reframing your usual resolutions and giving yourself new motivations can help. Vegan New Year resolutions, in particular, aren’t just a trend as many people respond to pressing problems on our planet. Large-scale industrial agriculture and its effects on animals, humans, and the environment. Animal agriculture contributes at least 15.6% of all greenhouse gas emissions, whereas meat and animal products come with high animal welfare costs. Keep in mind the positives you can contribute by picking up healthy and vegan habits in the new year. In today’s post, we’ll look at some of the practices you can try for 2023:
Try new vegan recipes
If you’re new to veganism, investing in a vegan cookbook or checking out any of the countless vegan YouTube channels can help provide you with tips to transition into a vegan diet healthily. You can also connect with other vegans for recipe recommendations or exchange recipes if you’re a cook yourself. For long-time vegans, however, try to reframe your resolution by challenging yourself to try new things: vegan restaurants, unfamiliar vegan ingredients, and so on. You can also try giving your body specific nutrients, such as foods that provide Vitamin D or supplements you can try to complement your vegan diet. Embracing the vegan diet shouldn’t keep your body from accessing necessary nutrients. Plus, it can be tied with other health-related resolutions, such as getting more sleep or learning new sports and exercises.
Exercise more
Exercising is one of those stubborn resolutions many of us make, which we all know is actually challenging to maintain. Like all new habits, you must take it slow. Instead of committing to intimidating and costly gym subscriptions right away, start with small, sustainable exercise habits. One of the best ideas is to make walking 10,000 steps a day your ultimate goal. Walking may not seem physically demanding — or rewarding — exercise, but doing this every day is just as effective as doing five 30-minute workouts weekly. Moreover, walking helps you maintain a healthy heart rate while storing less body fat, so it’s a great way to start the new year if you also want to fit into your clothes better. Other small activities you can start with include squats and crunches, as well as chair exercises you can do at your work desk.
Volunteer at vegan-related orgs
Another way to strengthen your motivation to maintain your new and healthy habits is by volunteering. Look for local organizations and nonprofits that align with your veganism, such as anti-animal cruelty organizations or events that promote sustainability and climate change action. This is an excellent way to remind yourself of the purpose of your healthy lifestyle. Additionally, volunteering offers as much personal benefit for you as it does for others. It helps you meet like-minded people while devoting your resources to giving back to your community and the movements you care about.
Reduce alcohol
Lastly, a simple but healthy New Year’s resolution comes in the form of reducing your alcohol intake. Some alcoholic products are not vegan-friendly as they are filtered with ingredients made from animal parts, products, or by-products — including gelatin and collagen. Commercial winemakers also use animal-based ingredients as fining agents to improve their taste, whereas other types of alcohol are mixed with non-vegan ingredients. This doesn’t mean you should quit drinking entirely if you’re not up for it. Many liquors are vegan, namely bourbon, whiskey, vodka, gin, and rum, as long as they aren’t mixed with non-vegan ingredients. Something to keep in mind is that nearly all distilled spirits are vegan unless they contain cream or honey.
For more ideas on healthy vegan habits, check out our list of conscious consumption tips. We recommend green alternatives to improve your health and boost your lifestyle — without harming the planet.
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