Prepare Ye, America: Veganuary Is Coming

Brace yourselves, my fellow Americans. You're indulging in an orgy of sugar and sausages and cheese right now, but in three short weeks, it will be January and time to repent. A diet of broth and salad and daily trips to the gym are not enough. What you need is Veganuary.

Veganuary, the Washington Post reports, is a campaign to promote vegan eating. It started in the U.K., but, like the Pilgrims and the Beatles, it will be invading our shores. Participants sign a pledge online to stick to a vegan diet for 31 days. The idea is that once people realize how easy it is, it will become a lasting habit, especially after they see the environmental impact of a vegan diet. The website helpfully sends out regular email reminders to keep the up the spirit of resolution and also provides recipes and meal plans.

Veganuary, the Post points out, is not to be confused with Veguary: it is way stricter. (It shouldn't be confused with Dryuary, either, although the combination of Veganuary and Dryuary may make you feel as pure as Gwyneth Paltrow.)

In the interest of objective reporting, the Post also spoke to a professor at the University of Minnesota who studies the psychology of food and who warns that restrictive diets often backfire. "In general, denying yourself something makes you want to eat it more—and then eat it more," she said. The story adds that "she once tried a no-sugar February, which 'was followed by lots-of-sugar March.'"