What Happens to your Body when You Give up Meat for Veganuary?

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animal, animal products, antioxidants, complexion, dairy, Dermalogica Redness Relief Essence, diet, Elemis Superfood Facial Wash, essential fats, fruit, inflammation, insulin, iron, meat, meat free, multivitamin, no meat, plant-based, skin, type 2 diabetes, Vegan, veganism, Veganuary, vegetables, Vitamin B12, weight gain

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Even if you’re a lifelong meat-eater, you’ve probably heard of Veganuary. The movement started in 2014, and encourages people to give up all animal products and go vegan for the month of January. It’s estimated that half a million people take part, worldwide, and “in January 2019, 500 companies promoted Veganuary and veganism, while more than 200 plant-based products and menus were launched”. With this in mind, we thought we’d take a look at the knock-on effects that giving up meat can have on your body, to give you the inspiration you need to go vegan, even if it’s just for a month:

Inflammation will be Reduced

If you eat cheese, red meat and other processed animal products, there’s a good chance that you’ll have more inflammation in your body than someone who doesn’t. If you suffer from redness and inflamed skin issues, there’s a good chance that your diet is making it worse. As well as giving up animal products, using Dermalogica Redness Relief Essence will help.

You’ll Make Your Gut Happier

There’s a lot of current wisdom which points to the fact that our microbiome, the balance of bacteria in our gut, is what controls how the rest of our body functions. Going vegan can give your microbiome a complete makeover, while using Elemis Superfood Facial Wash will help balance the skin’s own precious microbiome.

Cut Your Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

Many people still think that diabetes is caused by eating sugar, but that’s simply not the case. Animal fat and nitrate preservatives in meat have been found to damage pancreatic cells, worsen inflammation, cause weight gain, and impair the way our insulin functions. By giving up animal products, you dramatically reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Your Skin Could Improve

When you cut meat and other animal products out of your diet, you tend to eat more fruit and veg, nuts, and other things which contain essential fats and antioxidants, which are all great for your skin. Supporting this with a proper skincare routine means that, by February, your skin could look better than ever.

You Might Need to Supplement

The one downside of giving up animal products is that you might lose certain nutrients from your diet. It is possible to get everything you need from a plant-based diet but this often takes a bit of time and some trial and error. Adding a multivitamin into your diet, and ensuring you’re getting enough iron and vitamin B12 will help you to stay feeling great without animal products.

Go vegan your way

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Veganary might be a distant memory, but the number of people opting for a plant-based diet, and lifestyle, is on the rise.

Just to clarify, veganism is essentially eating a diet from all animal foods including meat, fish, shellfish plus dairy, eggs, honey and anything containing by-products like gelatin. Vegans also avoid leather, wool, silk and anything tested on animals.

If becoming a vegan is on your mind, we have put together some ideas that might help you make the change.

Go your own way
Some people go 100% vegan from day one, and others take their time. This isn’t a race and there are no prizes for getting there fast, so take your time and do what works for you. Take dairy or meat out of your diet one day a week, have a vegan roast on Sunday and take your own lunch into work. Testing the waters and seeing how you feel and what you like can be a more practical approach than throwing everything out of the cupboards and fridge, then regretting it.

Look around your house
If you are serious about being a vegan, you will need to look at your belongs and decide if they fit with your new lifestyle choice and beliefs. From accessories, shoes and clothing to toiletries, animal products and products tested on animals are found in more places than you might expect, so take your time and make the swaps needed.

Find what you like
There’s a plant-based alternative for many foods and home products and this is very much a growing market. Try going to your local health food shop, farmers market, independent delis and supermarkets and begin creating a vegan pantry. Think about those foods you enjoy, but contain animal products, and what you can swap them for. There are some great tofu products out there, almond and oat milks are a great alternative to cow’s milk and if you’re cheese lover, there are options out there for vegans so you won’t miss out.

Be aware of your needs
Being vegan doesn’t instantly make you healthy. You need to take a look at your new diet and ensure you are still getting a balanced intake of food groups and vitamins because if you aren’t this to tiredness and a lower immune system. As well as a variety of fresh fruit and vegetables it is important to add protein-rich foods such as beans, chickpeas, nuts, lentils and seeds into the mix. High fibre starchy foods like oats, sweet potatoes, wholemeal bread and pasta plus brown rice are great for a vegan diet and using herbs and unsaturated fats, such as vegetable and olive oils, in your cooking will add flavour and richness.

Going out
Zoos, petting farms, aquariums and taking part in dog or horse racing aren’t on the agenda for vegans but you can visit, and support, animal sanctuaries and charities as they offer safe and loving homes for rescued animals.

Get some support
From the societies, social media groups and vegan magazines, you won’t be alone or stuck for support on your journey and you will probably find some friends along the way too. Have a look at what’s on offer and you will be surprised at just how many other people are choosing a vegan way of life.

Team Pure Beauty

Are Your Intolerances Affecting Your Face?

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acid reflux, appearance, bacteria, biome, bloating, body, carbs, chicken skin, chin, complexion, dairy, dairy alternative, dark circles, Decleor Anti-Dark Circle Multi-Brightening Eye Care, Dermalogica Breakout Control, Dermalogica MultiVitamin Power Firm, Dermalogica Stress Positive Eye Lift, digestive discomfort, dry, Elemis Body Detox Skin Brush, Eyes, face, food, gluten, gut, inflammatory, intolerance, Keratosis pilaris, loose skin, pimples, puffiness, rough, skin, spots, sugar, tighten, wheat

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There are many food intolerances which affect people and it’s a common misconception that the effects of these intolerances are mainly gastric. It is, however, normal for certain intolerances to affect your complexion and there are specific ways that each one can affect you. Today, we’re looking at some of the most common intolerances and the effects that they can have on your face.

Sugar

Sugar is in just about everything these days because it’s cheap and makes things taste better (and makes foods more addictive), but it can really mess up your gut biome and this in turn can have an effect on your skin. If your system is sensitive to sugar, the bacteria which live in your gut can go a little bit haywire, causing dry patches and pimples on your forehead, bags under the eyes, a lack of tautness in the skin and even thinning skin. Obviously, cutting out sugar (or at least cutting down) is a must, but Dermalogica Stress Positive Eye Lift can also drastically improve the appearance of eye bags, while Dermalogica Multivitamin Power Firm will help to tighten loose skin.

Dairy

Dairy intolerances are really comon and many people report uncomfortable bloating, digestive issues and acid reflux, but it can also cause an inflammatory response in other parts of the body. This means that you could end up with puffiness in the face, as well as dark circles under the eyes and even pimples on the chin. After switching to a dairy alternative, use Dermalogica Breakout Control to deal with the spots and Decleor Anti-Dark Circle Multi-Brightening Eye Care to brighten the eye area.

Gluten

Gluten can be a hard one to avoid, especially if you’re keen on carbs, but a gluten intolerance can have an impact on the whole body. In terms of your skin, one of the most common signs of a gluten intolerance is keratosis pilaris, a rough, chicken-skin effect which affects the skin on your arms, thighs and occasionally your abdomen. We highly recommend using Elemis Body Detox Skin Brush to brush the whole body before bathing or showering which will help to reduce the rough appearance of the skin and help to stop extra skin cells from forming around the existing problem areas.