Research has shown that going on a vegan diet can help lower cholesterol levels. It also helps the dieter avoid certain types of diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, hypertension and certain types of cancer. As always, you'll want to start out gradually by taking it step by step. Most diets fail when the person tries to do too much and expect too much too soon. The best way to get on the diet is to take baby steps to help the dieter adapt to this new lifestyle in the long run. Some of these steps include removing meat and any animal products one meal at a time. You can also avoid meat for certain meals of the day. Another step that you can take in your journey towards having a vegan lifestyle is to hang out with like minded people. Spend time with vegans in forums and especially in groups. This helps you learn and adapt best practices as well as share your thoughts and opinions with other vegans. Many people believe that vegans lack variety in their diet due to the absence of meat and dairy products. Nothing could be further from the truth. Having a vegan diet actually allows the person to experience a wider variety of food as he starts to try a wide array of fruits, vegetables, grains, seeds and pulses. These types of food are filled with micronutrients and fiber that are not present in meat and dairy products.