Chances are, if you are like millions of Americans, you have resolved to eat healthier this year. You may be rushing to your local gym to sign up this weekend. Maybe this is the year you are going to stick to the diet past February 15th, and have perfect gym attendance.

January is a month of rebirth. We have a unique opportunity to reflect on a year as a whole, look to our mistakes, and come up with strategies to correct them. January is a clean slate.

Allow me to introduce two of my closest friends: Alex & Tabitha. This month, they’ve chosen to do something inspirational. They are going 100% vegan for all of January in an effort to kickstart their health. I really think you should join them.

The beauty of this trial period comes in the value of experiential learning. You can read this blog, watch YouTube videos, buy new diet books, and learn everything there is to know about nutrition. But none of it matters unless you practice it.

Knowing what you should eat and actually eating it are two very different things.

By committing to a trial period with a new way of eating, you let your own experience be your guide, your teacher. I could write pages and pages about what it is like to go through a big dietary shift — I have done it, and have tons of insight into my personal experience. But chances are good that at least parts of the experience will be wildly different for you.

The problem is, we won’t know until you try it.

Start 2015 on the right foot. Eat 100% vegan, 100% whole-food plant-based this month. Join Alex and Tabitha. At the end of the month we’ll check in with them for insights from their experience. Leave a comment if you plan to do a Vegan January with us! Let’s share in the experience of improving our diet!

A few pointers we discussed when planning their Vegan January:

• Remove tempting foods from cupboards and counters — if it is non-perishable, hide it til Feb. 1. If not, toss it — you won’t miss it
• Surround yourself with healthy plant-based options
  • Make the healthy choice the easy choice
  • Keep the fruit bowl overflowing all month, and bring two pieces of fruit to work everyday for snacks
  • Prep trail mix bags for outings
  • Fill the fridge with beans, greens, and cooked grains, so when you are hungry a healthy meal is seconds away
• Try oatmeal or quinoa as a healthy whole-grain breakfast, sweetened with maple syrup and fruit
• Explore a new plant-based cookbook or blog (find great resources here!)
• Always always always aim for progress not perfection — No one, and I mean no one, eats clean 100% of the time, so if you slip up this month just roll with the setback and pick up where you left off next meal

You got this.

#VeganJanuary