Guest post today by Ron McDiarmid!
Image: Freedigitalphotos.net
Is A
Vegetarian Diet Plan For You?
If you want to lose your weight and change your
diet for the better, a vegetarian weight loss plan may be something to consider.
Many have found that adopting a vegetarian lifestyle has brought them
tremendous health benefits, one of which is weight loss. It’s also true that
many fit and healthy-looking celebrities who are fit credit the vegetarian or
vegan lifestyle.
There are many great health benefits to eliminating
meat from your diet, but it’s important to be aware that if you do this, you
will have to make sure you get enough protein from other foods such as soy and
nuts. You can also get the protein-packed healthy fats you need form eggs, cheese,
milk, yogurt, and other dairy products. Eliminating meat, especially red meat,
can drastically lower your cholesterol. And where it comes to being able to get
all the nutrients you need and still lose weight, a vegetarian weight loss plan
is preferable to going completely vegan.
The
Vegetarian Weight Loss Plan
The vegetarian weight loss plan is pretty simple. Fill
up on fruits and vegetables first. This is because vegetables can be very
filling. They are also very versatile, able to be eaten raw or cooked, and
seasoned in many different ways to make them delicious. Dark and leafy green
vegetables like spinach and broccoli as well as carrots, beans, peppers and the
like can offer your body excellent benefits. You can create a vegetable
stir-fry using soy sauce and serve it over a small bed of healthier brown or
basmati rice for an excellent light vegetarian lunch or dinner.
The most important thing to remember while on a
vegetarian weight loss plan is to eat foods that are healthy but filling. Any
foods you eat must be high both in fiber and in protein. These foods include vegetables
like kale, which actually contains more minerals, vitamins, fiber and protein
than a lean cut of steak. Eating plenty of fiber and protein means that you’ll
rarely feel hungry or be tempted to snack on those foods which contain empty
calories. But just because a food is considered to be vegetarian, does not
always mean that it’s healthy. And so it’s important to keep your eyes open.
Foods
To Avoid While On This Plan
If you’re trying to stick to a vegetarian diet
plan, doctors recommend against eating too much bread, cereal, pasta, and carbs
in general. The aforementioned foods tend to be high in calories but offer very
low nutritional value. And while it’s
true that dairy is good for you, it’s important to try and not drink full-fat milk
or eat full-fat cheese. High calcium and vitamin D without the fat can be found
in skim or one percent milk. And your body’s protein needs can be well met with
cheeses that are lower in fat.
It’s never been easier to discover how to make your
own vegetarian diet plan work for you. There are thousands of tasty and
delicious vegetarian recipes available. Many vegetarians say that they don’t
miss meat. However, it’s important that you don’t expect to see results
immediately from this type of weight loss plan. It will take time, especially
if you are trying the vegetarian route for the first time. But after a couple
of weeks, you should start to slim down and feel healthier as well as more
energetic.
This post is contributed by Ron
McDiarmid, who is the founder of My
Healthy Living Coach. Having had health challenges along the way Ron was
keen to share the research and learning he gathered. Through MHLC this
continued into a current presentation of healthy lifestyle choices and how to
implement them. Check out his website
at www.myhealthylivingcoach.com.