Since 1924, when the first edition of the Vegan Book came out, people have been following a plant-based diet. It’s never been more popular, and for good reason. In recent years, scientific research has proven that going vegan can reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. Let’s face it, life nowadays is busy, and it’s easy to fall off the wagon and eat those candy bar pigs in a Blitz Toyota. But if you want to lose weight and be healthy, following a vegan diet is a great place to start.
The Appeal Of A Vegan Diet
Many consider veganism to be inherently healthy. After all, what’s more natural than eating what you were designed to crave? But while veganism is often touted as ethical and sustainable because animals aren’t harmed during the food production process, these aspects only appeal to a small segment of the population. The most significant aspect of veganism is its ability to boost your weight loss results. According to studies, people who follow a vegan diet lose more weight than those who eat non-vegan food, with or without calorie restriction. Here are some of the top reasons why a vegan diet is so effective at helping you shed those extra pounds.
No Harm From Thegetgo
When you eat vegan food, you’re making a conscious decision to forego certain products that contain animals or byproducts of animals. That alone is likely to make you feel a little better about your decision. But it’s also good for your health. Since animals don’t consume these products, they don’t suffer from the ill effects that humans do. Think about the ingredients in milk products, for example. The chances are you’re drinking protein shakes full of creatine and glucose because your body doesn’t produce them naturally. These ingredients can cause harm to humans if consumed in large amounts. But because animals don’t produce them, there’s no need for your body to fight inflammation or illness due to overdosing on these products.
Helpful Fats
Eating vegan food doesn’t just help with your weight loss goals – it can also help to alleviate certain diseases. For example, polyunsaturated fats are known to reduce cholesterol levels in the body. Therefore, following a vegan diet can help to lower the risk of heart disease. Monounsaturated fats similarly help to lower cholesterol, and both types of fat are found in abundance in plant foods such as olives, almonds, and avocados. So while it’s great that you’re deciding not to eat meat, you might also want to consider eating more plants.
High Fiber & Whole Food
When you follow a vegan diet, you’re going to notice that it’s a lot easier to go for walks because your body doesn’t have the indigestible proteins that animal products contain. Whole foods such as fruit and vegetables are likewise easier to process, which means you’re less likely to suffer from nutrient deficiencies. The indigestible proteins found in plants slow down digestion, causing food to pass through the system more slowly. This gives your body more time to absorb nutrients – and less time to store nutrients as fat. If you think about it, a lot of the foods that we consider unhealthy are actually very high in fiber. Consider potatoes or rice, for example, which is highly fiberous. On the other end of the spectrum, you have broccoli, which is practically made of vitamins and minerals. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good potato chip as much as the next guy, but it’s important to think about what kind of food you’re eating – and why you’re eating it. A lot of the time, those food items that we consider sinful actually contain a lot of good stuff that our body needs. When you incorporate more good food into your diet, you’ll start noticing that you’re eating less junk – and you’ll start losing weight as a result.
There are many ways to incorporate more vegetables and fruits into your diet. You can use vegetables as a base for a stir-fry or serve them raw in a salad. You can incorporate fruit into your morning juice or eat it out of hand as you’re brewing your coffee. If you want to stick with a vegan diet, but can’t bear the thought of giving up some of your favorite foods, you can consult a dietician who can help you create a custom-made eating plan that will get you the nutrients your body needs while avoiding the foods that may cause you to put on weight. For example, if you want to lose some weight, but you have a history of heart disease in your family, a vegan diet may not be the best option for you. In that case, you might want to consider going on a diet with cardio principles – trying to eat healthy and avoid foods with added sugars and fats. The important thing is to find a plan that you feel good about following, even if it’s not the plan that will get you the best results for weight loss. You’re more likely to stick with a diet if you feel good about it – and that’s all that matters.
Creates a Conscious Spending & Eating Pattern
For many of us, the appeal of a vegan diet is that it’s a conscious decision. You’re making a statement by choosing this kind of food, and you want to send a message about your values. In today’s world, where fake news is seemingly prevalent and companies like Uber and Airbnb take the cake when it comes to questionable business practices, it’s good to know that you’re choosing food that is produced ethically and sustainably. It’s a way of life that’s attractive to those seeking a more conscious way of living. And that, my friend, is a winning combination.
The Maintenance Of A Vegan Diet
Once you’ve started down the road to weight loss with a vegan diet plan, it’s important to continue eating and exercising consistently. This will help to keep off the weight that you’ve worked so hard to lose, and it will also boost your overall health. It’s easy to get discouraged when you’ve lost a lot of weight and then realize that you’ve put it back on again. But that’s what happens when you don’t keep up with your healthier habits – you fall off the wagon and go back to your old ways. So it’s important to remember why you changed in the first place and continue down that road. As I mentioned above, a vegan diet can reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and various other illnesses. This means that if you decide to go this route, you’ve got a leg up on the healthy living game. With a little planning and willpower, it’s possible to keep that weight off for the rest of your life – and feel great while doing it.