ENGLISH Beetabella Guide How to Become Vegan

quick guide toA vegan diet

by Laura Pérez Gavidia

b e e t a b e l l a

www.beetabella.comwww.instagram.com/beetabella

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INTRODUCTION At any given point in your life, it is easy to change your diet and it will, consequently, have a great impact on your life as a whole as long as you have a positive mindset and you want to learn to control your body and not let your body control you. We can have the best of intentions and all the recipes in the world, but, if we fail to train ourselves to become wiser and more disciplined, we will not get very far.

Health starts in the gut, or intestines. If you do not take care of it, it will not take care of you back and you will get sick. Anything you give to your body, your body will give you back

sooner or later.

HOW DO I START A VEGAN DIET?

1. Recognize your current situation. There is no pill that will heal your body. Your body heals by itself, but you have to allow it.

2. Have courage and psychologically accept that this will take more discipline than you have probably ever had in your life. You have to take it one day at a time and recognize that if you continue the same habits, you will never see results any different than what you have thus far in your life.

3. You must develop discipline and self-control, since with only these qualities will you be able see positive changes. Before your lack of discipline tempts you, remind yourself that your goal is to feel, physically and mentally, better… not to feel temporarily pleased.

4. Veganism has changed my life and although I originally did it to improve my health, this lifestyle has freed me from a lot of mental and physical stress, including extra weight and depression.


MAIN GOALS The next step will be to outline the goals that you must keep in mind on a daily basis so that your body not only begins to heal, but also becomes stronger, leaner and energized. In order for our bodies to work properly, we must ensure that we are providing it with all the necessary tools. If not, it’s unlikely that you’ll be pleased with the outcome of your attempt to get your body to function efficiently the way it’s intended.

1. Strengthen immune system a. Get adequate sleep

i. Do not oversleep. ii. Try going to bed by 10 PM (the latest) every night.

iii. You need 6-9 hours of sleep every day. b. Don’t smoke c. Exercise regularly d. Eat a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and low in saturated fats. e. Avoid antibiotics & oral contraceptives – they destroy good bacteria (which is

essential for the health of your intestines) and promote candida growth 2. Speed up metabolism by following the steps above 3. Be able to defecate at least once per day. Eating enough fiber is just as important as eating

enough protein. 4. Set up specific meal times – your last meal should be no later than 7 PM, to ensure that

our digestion process has been completed by the time we go to bed and our digestive system isn’t overburdened.

5. Starve candida (bad bacteria) by taking away its favorite food: processed and refined sugars, starches and flours.

LET’S START! The primary goal is not to follow a “diet”. It’s more important that we slowly get rid of the foods that are bad for us and start REPLACING them with whole foods that will nourish our bodies.

DO NOT STARVE. Veganism is not about starving or calorie restriction. It’s about making mindful choices and putting the best foods in your body. Eat until satiated, but don’t overeat either. Complete the following PHASES as you feel ready. You can also move to higher phases if you feel up for the challenge.

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PHASE 1

1. Get a juicer and/or blender. Trust me, you will need them more than you think. 2. For breakfasts and snacks, start eating more fruits. Make a smoothie, a juice or eat all the

fruit you want by itself. 3. Cut out all sodas and sugary drinks – replace with lemon water, plain water, freshly

squeezed juices (either fruit or veggies), and kombucha (in limited quantities if you really feel you need something a little sweet).

4. Start eating at least ONE salad per day. Use only oil-free natural dressings, such as lemon, balsamic vinegar, avocado, or dressings made with a combination of nuts and other whole foods.

5. Get used to not overeating and giving the body only what sustains it. Eating more than what the body needs will only put stress on your body and make you tired. We all know the feeling of when we’re full already.

6. Get used to eating slowly and chewing your food sufficiently. If you eat too quickly, your stomach will ache and your digestion will not occur efficiently.

7. If you eat bread, try eating Sprouted Bread (frozen section, ex. Ezekiel). This is a lot more nutritious than regular bread.

PHASE 2

1. Continue repeating Phase 1 steps 2. Start adding more vegetables into your diet. Eat them raw, steam them, roast them, sauté

them (preferably without oil), however you like! 3. Cut out read meat and chicken completely and replace with

a. Tofu b. Tempeh c. Seitan d. Falafels e. Burgers made with quinoa, potatoes, beans, etc. f. Texturized soy protein

4. Since coffee decalcifies your bones, gradually phase out coffee intake or eliminate it altogether. Drink caffeine-free organic teas (ginger, turmeric, peppermint, chamomile), or warm lemon water.

5. Avoid cooking with oils – use water and a really hot pan instead. Flavor wise, you won’t even be able to tell the difference! If you absolutely have to use oil, preferably use avocado oil (for cooking at high temperatures), coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil in low quantities.


PHASE 3

1. Continue Phase 1-2 2. Cut out eggs

a. Replace with scrambled tofu w/ spices (nutritional yeast, turmeric, etc.) b. For baking, replace with ground flax seeds, chia seeds or even banana

3. Cut out cow milk a. Replace with plant milks. You can either buy at the store or even make your

own. i. Almond milk

ii. Cashew milk iii. Hemp milk iv. Soy milk v. Oat Milk

vi. Coconut Milk

vii. Rice Milk viii. Hazelnut Milk

ix. Flax Milk (packed with healthy omega-3s)

x. Macadamia milk 4. Cut out cow milk yogurt and ice cream

a. Replace with brands that use a plant-milk base for their ice cream/yogurt. Brands:

i. So Delicious! ii. Luna & Larry’s Coconut Bliss

iii. Forager Project

PHASE 4

1. Continue Phases 1-3 2. Cut out fish

a. Use Chickpeas to Make Vegan Tuna Salad b. Use Tofu to Make Vegan Fish Sticks c. Do you like seaweed? It tastes like fish and goes great in salads!

3. Cut out cheese, cream cheeses and butter a. Use avocado instead of butter and cream cheese b. Make your own vegan cheese using tofu, nuts, nutritional yeast, etc. c. Substitute regular cheese with vegan cheese

Brands: iv. Miyoko’s Kitchen v. Punk Rawk Labs

vi. Follow Your Heart

vii. Treeline Cheese viii. Kite Hill


VEGAN FOOD GROUPS

Leafy Greens

Spinach, Broccoli, Kale, Lettuce, Collard Greens, Turnip Greens, Swiss Chard, Mustard Greens, Red And Green Leaf And Romaine Lettuce, Cabbage, Bok Choy, Watercress, Dandelion Greens, Arugula, Sprouts, Etc.

Grains

Sprouted Whole Wheat Bread, Oats, Brown Rice, Pasta, Granola, Quinoa, Barley, Buckwheat, Amaranth, Brown Rice, Bulgur, Whole-Wheat Couscous, Corn, Millet, Basmati Rice, Wild Rice, Kamut, Rye, Sorghum, Spelt, Etc.

Fruit

Pineapple, Grapes, Berries (Strawberries, Blackberries, Blueberries), Tomato, Banana, Apples, Pears, Oranges, Grapefruit, Pomegranates, Mangos, Acai Berries, Cranberries, Watermelon, Durian, Guava, Papaya, Cherries, Honeydew, Cantaloupe, Figs, Dragon Fruit, Kiwi, Plums, Peaches, Nectarines, Dates, Etc.

Healthy Fats and Oils

Avocados, Cashews, Walnuts, Almonds, Pecans, Peanuts, Pumpkin Seeds, Brazil Nuts, Pistachios, Flaxseeds, Sesame Seeds, Chia Seeds, Sunflower Seeds, Pine Nuts, Macadamia Nuts, Hazelnuts, Chestnuts, Etc.

Legumes

Black Beans, Pinto Beans, White Beans, Mungo Beans, Fava Beans, Kidney Beans, Lima Beans, Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans), Soybeans, Lentils, Etc.

Vegetables

Cauliflower, Sweet Potatoes, Potatoes, Mushrooms, Squash, Zucchini, Brussels Sprouts, Asparagus, Cucumbers, Carrots, Corn, Celery, Bell Peppers, Beets, Onion, Garlic, Etc.


Leafy Greens

Grains

Fruit

Healthy Fats and Oils

Legumes

Vegetables

Vegan Food Pyramid


MEAL PLAN Use the Vegan Food Groups and Vegan Food Pyramid pages to assist you with recognizing certain foods.

Pre-Breakfast

1. Drink caffeine-free organic teas (peppermint, ginger, turmeric, chamomile and mint) 2. Warm lemon water 3. Freshly squeezed juices

Breakfast

1. Whole fruits by themselves (as much as you want). Hack: buy frozen fruit, it’s cheaper 2. Green/vegetable juices 3. Green/fruit smoothies 4. Smoothie Bowl. Make any smoothie you want, then add toppings you want, such as fruit,

nuts or seeds. 5. Oatmeal 6. Quinoa & Buckwheat Porridge 7. Granola with fruit and dairy-free yogurt (ex. Forager Project or So Delicious!) 8. Pancakes (you do not need eggs or milk to make them, I have several recipes on my site) 9. Toast (using sprouted bread) with nut butter of your choice. Top with fruit, ex. bananas 10. Toast (using sprouted bread) with avocado or hummus as a spread. Spices on top optional 11. Toast (using sprouted bread) with sautéed combination of mushrooms/tomatoes/spinach 12. Breakfast eggs using extra firm tofu and spices. Sprouted bread toast on the side,optional

Lunch and Dinner

For lunch and dinner, there are millions of ideas of recipes out there. Too many to count, and too many to describe on here.

1. For lunch and dinner entrees, you can eat basic, versatile foods that will help you get full and which are extremely easy to prepare. For example, you can cook lentils, beans and rice one day and make enough of them so they last several days and you don’t have to cook every single day. You don’t have to prepare a fancy, complicated vegan dish every single time you want to eat.

2. For a simple, quick meal - As a rule of thumb, combine the following: o A salad before, along with, or after your meal o A side of legumes o A side of grains o A side of either raw or steamed/roasted/sautéed vegetables o Avocado and/or homemade dressing that you can make with nuts, lemon, vinegar,

etc., no oil o Sprouts (make sure they are as fresh as possible; if they’re not, don’t eat them)

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3. Soups o Lentil soup (recipe on my blog) o Quinoa & vegetables soup (recipe on my blog) o Sweet potato soup o Pumpkin Soup o Lentil, Potato and Cauliflower soup o Bean and Barley Soup o Carrot Soup

4. Pasta o Zucchini Pasta – Use spiralizer to spiralize zucchini so it looks like pasta

o Zucchini is not calorie dense so pair up this “pasta” with other foods o You can eat your favorite pasta (in moderation) with any veganized form of your

favorite sauce o Vegan Alfredo sauce made with tofu/cashews and nutritional yeast (recipe

on my blog) o Plain organic tomato pasta sauce made with tomatoes and vegetables that

you can find at any store 5. Sushi

o If you go out to eat sushi, you can order the veggie kind that has avocado, cucumber, carrots, Daikon radish, etc.

o Make your own sushi by using brown rice or quinoa and use any veggies you would like. You can get seaweed sheets at any store in the International food section, or any Asian stores. I also have a recipe on my blog showing how to make homemade sushi.


Salads

1. Basic Salad o Dark Leafy greens, celery, cucumber, carrot, sprouts, any other veggies you like

2. Simple Lettuce Salad

o Red leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce, parsley, cucumber, pinch of dried herbs, squeezed lemon

3. Potato Dill Salad o 1 boiled potato cut into small chunks, romaine lettuce, onion, chopped dill,

squeezed lemon, sea salt)

4. Cucumber & Mint Salad o Cucumber, red onion, mint, lime and lemon juice, pinch of sea salt

5. Black Bean & Quinoa Salad

o quinoa, black beans, red or green onion, tomatoes, cilantro, lime, sea salt

6. Edamame & Quinoa Salad o quinoa, red onion, edamame, chopped celery, parsley, cilantro, lime, sea salt

7. Lentil & Cucumber salad

o red onion, mint, cucumber, cooked lentils, black pepper, lime juice, sea salt

8. Spinach & Orange Salad o spinach, diced orange, red cabbage, sliced cucumber, chopped almonds


OTHER ABOUT VITAMIN B -12

Vitamin B-12 is a nutrient that helps keep the body’s nerve and blood cells healthy and helps make DNA, the genetic material in all cells.

Life Stage Recommended Amount Birth to 6 months 0.4 mcg Infants 7-12 months 0.5 mcg Children 1-3 years 0.9 mcg Children 4-8 years 1.2 mcg Children 9-13 years 1.8 mcg Teens 14-18 years 2.4 mcg Adults 2.4 mcg Pregnant teens and women 2.6 mcg Breastfeeding teens and women 2.8 mcg

Source: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services > National Institutes of Health

Vegan Sources of B-12

o Nutritional yeast o Plant milks fortified with B-12 o Tempeh o Tofu

o Spirulina o Kombucha o Sublingual B12 supplement

you can buy at any store

ABOUT OMEGA-3’s and OMEGA-6’s

Omega-6s are inflammatory, while omega-3s are not. You need both, but because of the inflammation factor, it’s optimal to maximize omega 3s and minimize omega 6s.

The ideal is to eat just enough omega-6 to function, but no more, and to balance them with lots of omega-3. For most people, an omega-6 to omega-3 ratio of 4:1 is ideal– that’s 4 omega-6 for every 1 omega-3. Anti-aging experts suggest going even further, maintaining a 1:1 ratio or higher in favor of omega-3s.

Vegan Sources of Omega -3

o Brussels sprouts o Cauliflower o Walnuts o Flaxseeds o Chia seeds

Vegan Sources of Omega -6

o Pecans o Poppy Seeds o Pumpkin Seeds o Sesame Seeds


ABOUT PROTEIN

Leafy greens, legumes and nuts are loaded with protein.

ABOUT SWEETENERS

Take advantage primarily of food’s natural sugar content, then move on to more processed versions such as raw cane sugar and coconut sugar if you really need to sweeten something up.

Opt for these natural sources of sugar first:

o Dates o Organic Maple Syrup o Yacon Syrup o Agave Syrup o Lucuma Powder

ABOUT CONDIMENTS

1. Ketchup – Make sure it does not have High Fructose Corn Syrup in it and it’s made with organic tomatoes.

2. If you like mayonnaise, vegenaise would be a great vegan replacement. 3. My favorite basic all time spices for anything are:

o Paprika Powder

o Cumin Powder

o Curry Powder

o Sea Salt o Pepper o Oregano o Bay Leaves o Turmeric

o Allspice o Cinnamon o Nutmeg o Garlic &

Onion

ALWAYS READ YOUR FOOD LABELS – Become a knowledgeable consumer

Ingredients to avoid

Avoid these ingredients, since they contain either an animal derivative or harmful synthetic chemicals.

1. Aspartame 2. High-Fructose Corn Syrup 3. Monosodium Glutamate 4. Margarine and shortening 5. Casein 6. Gelatin

7. Beeswax 8. Confectioner’s Glaze 9. Isinglass 10. Whey 11. Lactose 12. Shellac

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ENGLISH Beetabella Guide How to Become Vegan