Americans take their New Year's resolutions seriously.  Across the country gym memberships, sales of diet products, and general pledges to lead healthier lifestyles all spike in January, while cigarette sales plummet.  But carrying through on these healthy resolutions for longer than a few days can be pretty difficult!

Clean Currents employee, Jessica, has embarked upon a 21-day vegan kickstart program.  She’s already in the 2nd week of the challenge and here is what she has to say about it so far:

Q:  What motivated you to go vegan for the month of January?
Jessica:  A friend of mine was interested in moving towards a vegan diet and wanted to try this program for 21 days, so I told her I would do it with her.  I’m interested in the vegan diet because I think it is important to know what we eat, where it comes from, and how its effects not only our bodies but also the environment.  January seemed like a good time to try something new.

Q:  What are the details of the program you are following?
Jessica:  I am following the 21 Day Vegan Kickstart by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. Its great because it comes with an I Phone Ap that includes suggested meals and recipes for each day. I also get an email with a healthy eating tip everyday.

Q:  What has been your favorite vegan recipe so far?
Jessica:  Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal – and I add in fresh cut apples.  In general, the recipes are really easy to follow, so even though there is a bit more planning, its not much more time consuming overall.

Q:  Any challenges?
Jessica:  I didn’t think I was a huge cheese person, but it has been much harder than I thought to cut out cheese and milk. Soy milk just doesn’t do it for me.

Q:  How have you felt since trying the Vegan diet?
Jessica:  I feel really good about myself because I have been eating healthy options.  I have found the meals to be filling and have never been hungry.  I think there is a misconception that vegans are always hungry, but if you eat the right foods, that is not an issue.

Q:  Do you think you will make it through the month and is this something you might do more long term?
Jessica:  I think I will definitely make it through the 21 days and will definitely incorporate aspects of the program into everyday diet. But I don’t think I would be able to maintain the full vegan diet long term.

Look out for Jessica’s blog post at the end of this month to see how she finished out the challenge, what other recipes she loved, and other tips from her experience.

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