EATING A MORE PLANT-BASED DIET FOR HEALTH AND FITNESS
You may have heard of the many benefits of eating a more plant-based diet. Doing so will give you a beneficial increase in fiber, vitamins, antioxidants and phytochemicals. This can help reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, coronary artery disease, heart disease, high blood pressure, dementia, stroke and some cancers. It can also help you lose weight (reduce BMI) and increase your energy, which can help improve your workouts, both cardio and weight lifting. And if you are eating a whole-food, plant-based diet, you can often eat larger portions of food without the need to restrict as much as you would with animal-based products. This is because these foods are more dense in nutrients but lighter in calories, saturated fat and cholesterol.
But how can you do this? Most people do best by changing one meal at a time (breakfast, lunch, dinner), or finding a substitute for each animal-based product, one at a time. This will give your body time to adjust to the new way of eating so that it’s sustainable. You can begin with the animal-based foods that you don’t like as much. There is a plant-based substitute for everything, and even though processed foods are less healthy, you can use them temporarily or occasionally while you are making the switch. You will want to eat a wide variety of whole (unprocessed) plant foods to give you plenty of healthy fats and proteins as well as carbohydrates, which are found in most plant foods. Here are some great basics to start with (of course, avoid any that you are allergic to):
Fruits and veggies in their whole form (not juice), including avocados
Beans, lentils, legumes, whole grains and oatmeal
Healthy oils like olive oil (in moderation)
Nuts, seeds (flax, chia, hemp), nut butters and tahini (sesame seed butter)
Tofu, tempeh, seitan or other meat substitutes (most grocery stores have a well-stocked vegan/vegetarian section)
Plant milks: soy, almond and oat milk (try several to find what you like)
Ensuring that you are getting all your nutrients: when you first begin, you may find it helpful to track not just your protein, but all of your nutrients through a website or app such as cronometer.com. Other excellent and helpful websites are theveganrd.com, vegannutrition.org and vegan.com, which have great information and recipes by plant based RD’s.
Other advice for a sustainable plant-based diet:
Make sure you are eating enough calories. Remember that plant foods are more nutrient dense but less calorically dense. If you’re hungry all the time or low on energy, you may not be eating enough.
Eat a wide variety of plant foods throughout the week.
Try everything once! You can then figure out what you enjoy the most. Don’t feel like you have to eat something you dislike.
Check out the many vegan recipes online, or invest in a plant-based cookbook (or several!)
Write down a few simple go-to meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner that you can make quickly and easily when you are short on time.
Cook in advance any bulk foods like beans, rice or pasta. They will keep in your refrigerator for several days, and it will make putting meals together easier.
Meal prep in advance and bring healthy snacks if you work or otherwise will be gone from home so that you won’t get too hungry.
Allow your gut bacteria to get used to the increased fiber intake by transitioning slowly; this can reduce problems with gas and bloating.
Have an addictive food such as bacon or cheese that you can’t give up? There is always the option to leave these things in your diet (in moderation) or slowly reduce them.
Research as you go along! There are countless YouTube channels and other social media accounts dedicated to demonstrating how to make healthy plant-based recipes. There are also some great documentaries that you can check out, including The Game Changers and Forks Over Knives. What about taste? Again, try everything! Through trial and error and over time, you will find the plant foods that you love, and that love you back. Happy eating!
Lori Vance
Body Image Fitness, LLC
503-351-6476
Comments