Do you want to know how to lose weight with a vegetarian or plant-based diet?

When it comes to nutrition, some people are skeptics. However, a person like you might be ready and hopeful for change. Either way, there are endless opportunities and influences about food due to the fact that the human gut has evolved to be incredibly adaptive.

Individuals have their own unique nutritional needs. That’s why it’s easy for me to believe that people can get health benefits on either a meat-free or a meat-inclusive diet due to differences in their unique bio-individuality.

Only 1 in 10 vegetarian/vegans say they did it for health reasons in this poll.

New research promotes plant-based diet.

According to a recent 2020 Special Issue in Nutrition, Lifestyle, and Mood Disorders titled, “Less Animal-Based Food, Better Weight Status: Associations of the Restriction of Animal-Based Product Intake with Body-Mass-Index, Depressive Symptoms and Personality in the General Population,” the data is indicative.

Does this study show that vegetarianism is the cure for obesity?

Not necessary, but now there is evidence to support the general claim that non-meat eaters are thinner than their meat eating counterparts. This research article suggests that people who eat less meat have less mass than people who eat more meat.

Study shows 5% reduction of body weight by avoiding processed meat and cold cuts, and limiting dairy and cheese.

Can you lose weight on a vegetarian diet then? Is it even realistic? Here’s three quick ideas to help.

POSSIBLE NUTRITIONAL INTERVENTIONS:

  • Reduce all animal-based products from multiple times a day to multiple times a week (“flexitarian diet”)
  • Exclude some animal items altogether (“pescatarian” or “vegetarian” diet)
  • Consume fresh chopped salad daily and include a vegetable related to broccoli, like cabbage. (also supports gut health)

Important takeaway: AVOID PROCESSED MEAT. Also, limit milk and cheese.

Cold cuts do not make the cut when it comes to your divine self. Processed meats accelerate aging.

Avoid, restrict, replace, delay… whatever you gotta do. It’s not worth it.

If you enjoy animal products though, make sure to read the info below.

Eggs and fermented milk products may be okay, grass-fed beef, or wild.

A COUPLE QUICK TIPS:

Eggs. Go for Omega-3 eggs or Pasture Raised(Whole Foods egg product link). Best to spend the extra money to help decrease inflammation in your body. The omega-3 fatty acids are key and also come from vegan sources.

Dairy. Definitely be fermented and without added sugars. Comes from healthy cows, goats, or sheep that lived on pasture.

Meat. Whether it be beef, elk, or lamb, it is most valuable to be grass fed. They need grass, just like the grass needs soil. Corn and wheat based feed is bad because the animals get fatty livers and the markers of inflammation are in the meat people eat. You can use a supplement instead.

Vegetarianism can teach a person new ways to live.

For example, learn about the history of a vegetable and share it with your family at the dinner table.

Decide to try a new vegetable because it was one that you hadn’t seen before.

Involve yourself in the fermentation process and bring new life to your organic produce.

Enjoy diverse, fresh, and properly prepared food.

Diversity is key for the health of the microbiome.

Freshness usually involves more enzymes that can catalyze anti-aging processes.

Properly preparedness might involve cooking with high quality avocado oil or coconut oil instead of low quality vegetable oil.

What do you think about vegetarianism for your health goals? Leave a comment to let me hear from you.

Sources:
Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences. “Vegetarians tend to be slimmer and less extroverted than meat eaters, study finds.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 15 June 2020. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/06/200615115748.htm>
Evelyn Medawar, Cornelia Enzenbach, Susanne Roehr, Arno Villringer, Steffi G. Riedel-Heller, A. Veronica Witte. Less Animal-Based Food, Better Weight Status: Associations of the Restriction of Animal-Based Product Intake with Body-Mass-Index, Depressive Symptoms and Personality in the General Population. Nutrients, 2020; 12 (5): 1492 DOI: 10.3390/nu12051492
Fuhrman J. The Hidden Dangers of Fast and Processed Food. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2018;12(5):375-381. Published 2018 Apr 3. doi:10.1177/1559827618766483
Cao C, Xiao Z, Wu Y, Ge C. Diet and Skin Aging-From the Perspective of Food Nutrition. Nutrients. 2020;12(3):870. Published 2020 Mar 24. doi:10.3390/nu12030870

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