Making sure to keep your nutrition balanced is very important as a vegan. When I first went vegan, my hair started falling out. This can happen with extreme dietary changes, but I made sure to take Biotin in order to keep my hair where it belongs! As I have gone through this journey, I have found wonderful holistic pharmacies and vitamin shops with people who are happy to help me. Some holistic pharmacies even have homeopathic doctors that come in twice a week to consult with clients for free. I definitely take advantage of that opportunity whenever I feel that something is going on that I need to address with my health.
Why the holistic route? If I take something that is over-the-counter and it has any kind of animal byproduct in it, I get sick to my stomach. Many remedies that one might find at a regular drug store have pill casing made from animal products. Once my body got used to not having those products, it made me completely sick when I took a pill that had non-vegan coating. Also, the whole point of going vegan for my health was that I planned to avoid these things.
Always do your research before showing up to any holistic shop or vitamin store! For example, someone who is suffering with mild depression could go into a holistic pharmacy. The first instinct of the person selling the medication might be to give you Saint John's Wort capsules. Anyone who does their research would know that you cannot assume that something holistic does not interact with other medications! In some studies, Saint John's Wort has been shown to assist the body in breaking down estrogen so, for someone who is taking birth control, this can be more of a problem than a solution. Of course there are other options, but knowing a little bit about what you are looking for and being aware that herbal remedies can interact with each other as well as prescription medications is very important.
After making any huge dietary change, becoming aware of the nutrients you might be lacking is very important. With a little bit of research and assistance, these things can be made up for with minor adjustments. We all have to be our own advocates.
