After the release of the movie The Game changers, What the health, Forks over knives there has been a big trend to adopt a plant-based diet. Although a plant-based diet has been around for ages, In the 1400s, Leonardo da Vinci famously became a vegetarian; in the 1700s, Benjamin Franklin did as well. These are just two of several influential figures to advocate for a meatless diet. In the late 1800s, John Harvey Kellogg advocated for a vegetarian diet to improve the health of the U.S. population.
Many celebrities such as Will I am, Ariana grande, Simon Cowell, Miley Cyrus, Beyonce, Zac Efron, Venus Williams, Steve Harvey, Kim Kardashian have all claimed to have benefited from a plant-based diet and most of which lost weight, had more energy and felt happier.
Removing meat, and dairy products from your diet are essential when it comes to weight loss, fighting heart disease, diabetes, and other diet-related diseases.
Eating a whole food plant-based diet helps you take in fewer calories and doing this helps the body turn to fat reserves for energy. Your body then gets rid of the fat deposit as water through your skin when you sweat and your kidneys when you urinate. It also leaves the body as Carbon dioxide when you breathe out.
“The worst kind of fat is abdominal fat—the kind that builds up around your internal organs. Having a potbelly, with body fat concentrated in the abdominal region, could be a strong predictor of premature death. Abdominal girth appears directly related to meat consumption: one-third of a centimeter increase in waist circumference for every ten grams of meat consumed. That means for every daily burger, we may be adding an inch onto our waist and loosening our belt one notch. It’s not just about cutting back on meat, dairy, and eggs, though. The diets of hundreds of identical twins were analyzed in a study. The subjects had the same exact genes, but those eating more plant-based diets appeared to have more favorable levels of a hormone secreted by human fat cells that helps control weight.” https://nutritionfacts.org/topics/abdominal-fat/
Weightloss Tips
1. Fill up with Fiber
The volume of a nutrient-dense plant-based diet will fill you up without adding extra calories. Stick to the healthy basics: vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains. Aim for 40g of fiber a day.
“Foods that are lower in calorie density (fruits, veggies, starchy vegetables, intact whole grains and legumes) are also higher in nutrient density,” says Jeff Novick, MS, RD. “Therefore, by following a diet lower in calorie density, one also automatically consumes a diet higher in nutrient density.”
2. Eat your greens
Green juices and smoothies are still popular, but there is no better way to get the max benefits than to directly eat them. Also juicing your greens will not curb your appetite.
Try a spinach or rocket salad, bok choy stir fry, or lettuce wrap.
3. Plan ahead
Take the time to plan your weekly meals.
Stock your pantry, fridge, desk, and travel bag with healthier options. If you get stuck remember apples, oranges, and bananas are the original fast food.
4. Eat a rainbow
Our eyes are usually drawn to colorful food, so always buy bright colored foods. They are rich in antioxidants. Incorporate red, orange, yellow, green, white, blue, and purple food into your daily diet.
Eat at least 5-7 colors of the rainbow every day.
5. Hydrate
Water helps regulate body temperature and metabolizes fat among many other functions.
Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day, including more water-packed foods such as cucumbers, apples, carrots, and tomatoes in your diet.
How can a health coach help you with your weight loss journey?
There is so much information out there, so many diet programs, that it can get overwhelming. As much as you are motivated to lose weight you might need a coach to guide you and hold you accountable for your health and weight loss goals. As a health coach, I work closely with my clients to discover their “why”, why they want to lose weight, and with them work on a tailor-made weight loss plan that suits them.
If you are interested in learning more about a weight loss plant based program get in touch for a free consultation.
You can also get a free beginners guide to a plant-based diet here.