Nutritionists and doctors alike all agree on the benefits of eating a plant-based diet. Going a bit vegetarian is not as bad as many people think, and you will most certainly benefit from it.
Vegans and vegetarians eat a diet based on less meat and more plants, and even science has proven that this is the best way to go if you want to keep yourself healthy. According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, we need to eliminate processed foods and red meat from our diet in order to stay away from serious diseases such as cancer.
A research from Cornell University found that the intake of antioxidants by means of supplements is insufficient – we must to receive these essential nutrients from plant-based sources if we wish to stay healthy and prevent cancer. Based on data collected from many organizations, one third of all cancer deaths in the USA would have never happened if those people ate more vegetables and fruit, which shows the true role and power of plants.
The Loma Linda University carried out a research which showed that vegetarian diets are a lot more protective than non-vegetarian diets. Over 70 000 subjects were involved in the study, and those on a vegetarian diet had an unbelievably lower risk of cancer.
Vegetarian diets are also helpful for losing weight
Apart from eliminating your excess weight, the vegetarian diet will lower your chances of getting arthritis, diabetes and dementia and will balance out your cholesterol levels and blood pressure. With the help of a vegetarian diet, you will change high-calorie foods with fiber-rich fruit and vegetables that will help you feel full. A plant-based diet will help you to stay fit and is a lot tastier than you think it is.
Reasons for going vegetarian
Based on a recent study, vegetarians drop the weight twice as fast as other people. Nevertheless, there are cases of vegetarians who are obese because of the poor choice of foods – they might eat healthy, however many of these people eat chips and drink soft drinks which have a bad effect on our health. If you want to make a vegetarian diet work, you require protein, calcium and vitamin B12 in your diet. You can find protein in lentils or tofu, calcium soy milk, beans, collard greens, orange juice and broccoli, and B12 in milk.
This is a simple 2-day vegetarian diet plan that will help you get rid of the excess weight:
Day #1
Breakfast: a vegan smoothie with banana and almond butter
Mid-morning snack: a bowl of cucumber, avocado and cherry tomatoes salad, a bowl of lentil soup and a baked sweet potato
Lunch: a kale salad with some pumpkin seeds and a veggie burger
Post-workout snack: banana, quinoa wrap with some sweet ginger dressing and edamame and a vegan protein shake
Dinner: vegetable chili
Take a vegan protein shake and a tablespoon of almond butter before going to bed.
Day #2
Breakfast: a bowl of steel-cut oats and a vegan protein shake
Mid-morning snack: a handful of strawberries and grapes each and 1 cucumber
Lunch: a mixture of sprouts, beans and artichokes, mixed green salad, vegan protein shake
Post-workout snack: celery sticks and almond butter
Dinner: a veggie burrito with avocado, quinoa and beans, mixed greens salad
Take a vegan protein shake and a handful of mixed nuts before going to bed.