Is a strict vegan lifestyle possible when navigating life today? Listen to find out how it can be done successfully and with a healthy outlook.

We are all different, and when it comes to our life choices, we should each be doing what is best for us. But choosing to live a vegan lifestyle can work if it's something you want to do!

Brandi Doming is the creator of the vegan blog The Vegan 8 and cookbook author of The Vegan 8 Cookbook. She went vegan to help control her husband's debilitating gout. Their lives and health improved dramatically.

Brandi loves to show that vegan food can be absolutely delicious, comforting and easy! She creates delicious vegan comfort food in a healthier way.

All her recipes are 8 ingredients or less, not counting salt, pepper or water. And she is an expert on oil-free cooking and baking and welcomes any and all eaters!

Check out her 8 Ingredient Vegan Desserts eCookbook and her hard copy The Vegan 8 Cookbook!

Reasons for Diet Choices

Some people choose to eat a certain way for health reason, some choose it for ethical reasons, and some make the decision for environmental reasons.

There are many different diets that claim to be the “healthiest” out there, but the diet choice that people choose for ethical or environmental reasons is the plant-based or vegan diet.

While Brandi started her vegan journey to help her husband’s health, she also evolved to continue that choice for ethical reasons.

What is a Vegan Lifestyle?

A vegan lifestyle is when you abstain from eating or using all animal products. This includes meat, dairy, eggs, honey and even using products that are made of down feathers, leather and wool. If something comes from an animal it isn’t part of a vegan lifestyle.

The difference between living a vegan lifestyle and simply eating plant-based or vegan food, is that you transfer those thoughts into all areas of your life. From the clothes your wear, to the car you buy, to the beauty products you use.

Foods not allowed on a vegan diet

The basis of a vegan diet, is the lacking of any animal based foods. But there are some things that people don’t realize contain animal based ingredients. Here are a list of things that are not included in a vegan diet:

MeatDairy- including milk, cheese, butter, etcEggsHoneyGelatin- in common foods like Jello and gummy candy

Food you can eat while vegan

As we talk about the food that vegans do not eat, there is plenty that they can eat. So many of the things we use in our cooking are naturally vegan. Here is a list of natural things we don’t think about that are vegan:

FruitsVeggiesPastaGrains- rice, farro, etcQuinoa

There are also many other products out there that are naturally vegan. Things like some sauces, dips, chips, snack foods, etc are vegan. They are not made with any animal based products.

There are also many that are made with vegan alternatives like vegan cheese and meat products. These days you can find almost anything vegan if that is what you choose.

Other things to think about in a vegan lifestyle

While food is a big part about being vegan, there are other things you need to keep in mind when you want to live a full vegan lifestyle. Here are a few things to consider:

Leather in things you wear like clothes and shoesLeather in your carWool in clothing...